Siesta

National Siesta Day has the evidence that two sleeps a day is natural and that there's nothing Spanish about the siesta.

Your eyes are glazing over in front of the computer screen - but you can't fall asleep. The sunshine is trying to get through the sealed office windows, it's telling you take it easy and relax, but you're still toiling on regardless.

And that's all wrong, say the organisers of National Siesta Day, held this week, who argue that it's common sense and good health to take a nap during the day - because that's the way human beings are designed.

"Most people stay awake all day rather than taking a nap - but they're fooling themselves. If they're tired, they make mistakes and are more likely to have accidents. They can't think as clearly," says Noel Kingsley, spokesperson for Siesta Awareness.

You know it makes sense Taking a short nap is the answer, he says. It's a case of "listening to our bodies". "There is a natural dip in energy, about 12 hours after the deepest sleep; we get drowsy and there's a drop in body temperature. We need a short nap to refresh ourselves." But why don't we?

If you said you were going to pound on a treadmill in the gym for an hour during lunch, everyone would think you were a model worker. If you said you fancied snoring for an hour, would you get the same approval? Waking up with a keyboard indentation on your face doesn't quite spell management material.

"Falling asleep is associated with laziness and boozy lunches - when it has nothing to do with that. It's responding to what's natural. If businesses were more far-sighted they'd see that it helps people to perform."

Biggest Merger Bill Gates and Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet has decided to give more than 80 percent of his $44 billion fortune to charity. Most of the money -- about $30 billion -- will go to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve world health and fight poverty. This news comes after Bill Gates decided to retire and dedicate his rest of life for their foundation.

I would simply call this is the biggest merger of this century. Top two rich person decided to work for charity jointly. This clearly tells that after you got money, fame, power you go back to the state where you don't need any of this (money,fame, power).

Now I really admire Bill and Warren in their dedication of fighting health in the world. I think this is most important event for the mankind.

The best quote from Warren I like most is "I still believe in the philosophy that a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing."

This is great example of leadership and capitalism at best. This stunning contribution is ego-less as all work done will be credited to Bill and Melinda Gates, eventhough Buffet has his own foundation.

When I was in the primary school we have a story of Tao (from china) who gave everything (just one copper coin) she has to build the statue of Buddha, now a day Tao is paryed as a God in community. To me this is same as Tao did centuries back, and I am sure Buffet will be remembered forever.

Thank you Mr. Buffett for showing you can remain a good and decent human being and still acheive your goals.

Thats the way to go. Bravo!!

Be careful with the car maintainance

I saw the video from nbc about how Jiffy lube ripped of the consumer. They foucs on jiffy lube but I think this practice is everywhere. Learned the lesson stay near your car while they do the service no matter where you go.

http://www.nbc4.tv/video/9152183/detail.html
http://www.nbc4.tv/video/9155837/detail.html
http://www.fatwallet.com/redirect/bounce.php?afsrc=1&url=https://http://www.nbc4.tv/video/9265802/detail.html

Five Tax Strategies for 2006 Returns

Now that the April 17 tax deadline has passed, you probably want to dismiss all thoughts of the IRS for another year. But whether you received a large refund on your 2005 taxes—meaning you effectively gave the government an interest-free loan—or had a hefty tax liability, now's a good time to help start minimizing your 2006 taxes. Here are five things you can do to try to prevent getting too much back or owing a lot next year.

Strategy #1: Take a look at your payroll withholding. If you're like most working Americans, you pay the lion's share of your taxes through payroll withholding. Now is the time to make sure your employer is withholding the right amount from your paycheck—not too much or too little.
If the amount withheld is too high, you'll end up getting a big tax refund. That can feel pretty nice—but it's an expensive thrill. In effect, you gave the IRS an interest-free loan equal to the refund amount. In that case, you may want to fill out a new W-4 form and submit it to your employer. If you aren't claiming the maximum number of allowances, you may be able to claim more to decrease your withholding amount.

If the amount withheld last year was too low, you might end up with a surprise tax bill that could disrupt your finances—perhaps forcing you to dip into emergency reserves or even borrow money. In certain cases, you could also face IRS penalties. Consider revising your W-4 form and submitting it to your employer to claim fewer allowances. You can also enter an additional amount that you want withheld from each paycheck. For example, you might want to take the amount you owed last year, and divide it by the number of pay periods remaining this year.

Strategy #2: Consider increasing contributions to retirement savings accounts. Pre-tax contributions to a 401(k) account come out of your paycheck before taxes, and are not included in taxable income for that year. In 2006, you can make pre-tax contributions of up to $15,000 ($20,000 if you will be 50 or older by Dec. 31). "In effect, the government is supplementing your savings," says David Little, vice president of Eclectic Associates, a financial planning firm in Fullerton, Calif. "Assuming you're in the 25% federal tax bracket, every additional dollar you put into a 401(k) only reduces your take-home pay by about 75 cents."

You may also be able to deduct contributions to a Traditional IRA, depending upon your adjusted gross income (AGI) and whether you or your spouse are covered by a retirement plan at work. Moreover, you can defer taxes on any earnings within a 401(k) or Traditional IRA. Earnings on Roth IRAs are federal income tax free providing certain requirements are met. This year you can contribute the lesser of your compensation or $4,000 ($5,000 if you will be 50 or older by year end) in total to an IRA—either Roth, Traditional, or a combination of both. Contributions can be made to a non-working spouse's IRA as long as the couple files jointly and the total of the contribution to each spouse's IRA doesn't exceed the working spouse's compensation.

While there are no income limits for making non-deductible Traditional IRA contributions, there are income limits for Roth IRA contributions. Your AGI must be below $95,000 if single ($150,000 if married, filing jointly) to make a full Roth IRA contribution. Partial Roth IRA contributions are allowed if your AGI is between $95,000 and $110,000 if single ($150,000 to $160,000 if married, filing jointly).

Some people postpone IRA contributions until the last minute—but that can actually cost them. The sooner you make your contribution, the longer time it has to potentially generate earnings. Over time, that head start, combined with the tax-deferred compounding of any earnings, may make a sizeable difference in your retirement assets. "It comes down to a very basic rule of investing, which is the time value of money," says Jackie Perlman, senior tax research coordinator at H&R Block. "The longer you invest money, the more time it has to potentially grow."

Strategy #3: Get more energy efficient. High fuel prices are a reminder of the need to conserve energy—and the tax breaks that come along with such conservation. The 2005 energy bill includes tax credits—dollar for dollar reductions in your taxes—for money you spend on certain energy-related home improvements.

Jackie Perlman of H&R Block says manufacturers of eligible products, which range from insulation and replacement windows to oil-burning furnaces and solar panels, should provide consumers with proof that the product meets IRS guidelines—but you should make sure to obtain such proof before you buy. "We've seen a lot of advertising hype about products that aren't actually eligible for the credit," warns Perlman.

Buyers of hybrid cars and light trucks may also be eligible for a tax credit of up to $3,400 this year. Only certain models qualify for the tax credit, so you should double check that the one you're interested in is one of them. The credit will decline once your car's manufacturer sells more than 60,000 hybrids. So if you're considering buying a hybrid, it makes sense to act sooner rather than later.

Strategy #4: Keep better records of charitable contributions. One way to potentially lower your federal taxable income is to increase your donations to qualified charities. (There are limits on deductions, depending on, among other things, your adjusted gross income, the type of items donated, the type of charity, and how the charity will use the item.) However, you may also find tax savings opportunities when you donate goods—such as old clothes or household appliances—to a qualifying nonprofit by simply documenting donations valued over $250. You'll have to figure out how much that bag of last season's clothes is worth, but many tax-preparation software programs include modules to help you estimate the value of commonly donated goods. You can also find worksheets online at personal finance Web sites. "A lot of people lose track of what they donate over the course of the year," says Modly. "It doesn't take much time to keep good records, and the tax savings will be worth it."

Also consider donating securities with unrealized long-term gains. If you held the securities longer than one year, you can usually take a deduction for the fair market value of the securities at the time they are donated, subject to certain limitations, and you generally should be able to avoid paying taxes on the appreciation. If the securities were held one year or less, your deduction would generally be limited to the cost basis of the security.

Strategy #5: Consider taking advantage of stock losses.You'll need to monitor your portfolio closely, but Helen Modly, CFP, of Focus Wealth Management in Middlebury, Virginia, says tax-loss harvesting may be worthwhile if you can use the realized losses to offset realized gains in your portfolio throughout the year. The strategy involves selling securities at a loss in order to offset other capital gains realized elsewhere in your portfolio. For a given tax year, if you end up with a net loss, you can generally use it to offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income ($1,500 if married, filing separately). And unused losses can generally be carried forward to use against gains realized in future years.

For example: Let's say you own 100 shares of stock X, a major auto maker, and so far this year it's chalked up a $1,000 loss. Nonetheless, you want to keep the stock in your portfolio because you like its long-term prospects. You could sell stock X and immediately replace it with shares of stock Y, another auto maker that is similar to stock X. (We are also assuming that you didn't buy or sell an identical or substantially identical stock in the 30 days before selling stock X.) You could then hold stock Y indefinitely or sell it after at least 31 days to repurchase stock X. Or you could simply wait the 31 days and repurchase stock X without ever buying stock Y. In determining the best way to replace the stock, you should factor in any commissions and the fact that capital gains on securities held for one year or less are generally taxable at the higher ordinary income tax rates.

The time period is important because of wash sale rules. A wash sale may occur if you sell shares of a security at a loss and, within the 61-day window beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale, purchase shares of the same (or a substantially identical) security. It makes no difference if the buy or sell is in the same or different accounts. If a wash sale occurs, the loss from the transaction should be "disallowed" for tax purposes, and the amount of the loss should be added to the cost basis of the newly purchased shares. Effectively, the loss is deferred until the new shares are sold. "If market prices allow you to utilize this stratetgy and you execute it correctly and periodically over the course of the year, you should be able to generate various losses you can use to offset other realized gains or a small amount of ordinary income at the end of the year," says Modly.

More on Sleep

50% of Health: SleepUntil very recently, medical doctors received virtually no training at all on the value of sleep — physiology, pathology, effects of sleep deprivation, causes of insomnia, and natural vs. pharmacological treatments. Indeed, research into sleep did not take hold until the last half of the last century, primarily because of the difficulties of staying up all night to observe patients willing to have their sleep monitored.Nevertheless, science has advanced considerably, and Stanford Medical School has been one of the true pioneers. For myself as a clinician, I am grateful for the autobiographical tome written by William Dement, MD, of Stanford — The Promise of Sleep, Dell Publishing (1999). It describes the major research developments of the last several decades in an interesting personal style. Since reading this book. I have been able to recognize and treat sleep disorders with success, witnessing profound benefits in chronic disease.Basically, when sleep studies are done on general populations, rates of sleep deprivation range to 63%. Considering adults from 18 to about 75 years of age, the average need for sleep is about 8 1/4 hours per night. Moreover, the statistical distribution is very narrow, ranging from 8.0 hrs/night to 8 1/2 hours per night. It is true that there are a few percent of the population who need 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night, but the vast majority require between 8 and 8 1/2 hours, with very few exceptions.A 28 March 2002 survey of the American population published in the media found that adults generally get just under 7 hours of sleep a night: “A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that almost two-thirds of Americans fail to get eight hours sleep a night and many routinely drive drowsy and struggle to keep from napping at their jobs....The poll found that 63 percent get less than eight hours a night and about 31 percent get less than seven hours.”In truth, sleep deprivation of one hour per night is very severe. It results in sleepiness during the day (and while driving), mental mistakes, poor concentration, impaired reflexes, heart palpitations, and “nervous energy.” To compensate, people consume more caffeine and sugar to keep up needed energy.Two nights in the range of 2 hours of sleep debt each leads to measured decline in performance on mental acuity and reflex testing equivalent to two strong drinks of alcohol. In addition, when alcohol is consumed on top of sleep deprivation, the effect is multiplied. For these reasons, recent investigations of auto accidents find that sleep deprivation contributes as much to fatal auto accidents as alcohol does! ... This is not a generally recognized fact!How to Recognize Sleep DeprivationThe first, most common sign of sleep debt is feeling sleepy during the day, especially after lunch. It is often imagined that falling asleep after lunch while listening to a lecture or reading quietly is due to blood engorging the stomach and draining from the brain. Studies with Stanford students prove otherwise. When sleep debt is eliminated, this tendency disappears and, in fact, the brain functions much more efficiently in learning and getting work done.Another measure of sleep debt is the length of time it takes to fall asleep at night. People often brag about their ability to fall asleep as soon as they put their head on the pillow. As a matter of fact, this is a prime sign of “extreme” sleep deprivation. To quote Dr. Dement, p. 60: “...in this range [0 to 5 min. to fall asleep], physical and mental reactions often are very impaired. A score of 5 to 10 minutes is borderline, while a score of 10 to 15 indicates a manageable sleep load. A score of 15 to 20 represents excellent alertness.”How do we measure this time-to-fall-asleep? A simple tool is to place a saucer on the floor by the bed and hold a spoon in your hand above it. Note the time on the clock and proceed to fall asleep. When the spoon hits the saucer, glance again at the clock and note the interval.One phenomenon which can be a contributor to sleep deprivation is snoring. Moderate snoring may mean nothing, but loud snoring to the point of keeping others awake in the adjacent room should be investigated. Snoring commonly happens because of anatomical problems in the pharynx, and it may be aggravated by allergies. However, when it is associated with weight gain, chronic alcohol consumption, or very loud, it can be a sign of sleep apnea.In sleep apnea, the breath and even heart may stop hundreds of times an hour throughout the night, preventing deep sleep and putting stress on blood pressure, heart, and brain. This is a very serious condition which deserves a full sleep workup, which can lead to miraculous therapeutic results.Good Sleep HygieneThe first principle of sleep hygiene is being aware of sleep deprivation. Most of us are used to fighting sleepiness as a routine state, running on “nervous energy.” Once sleep debt has been corrected by whatever means, though, we gain an efficiency of mental alertness and effortlessness of stress management that motivates us to attend to sleep needs.Once you are used to being free of sleep debt, it becomes easy to recognize it when it arises — sleepiness during the day, poor concentration, frequent mistakes, clumsiness, irritability. Reflecting back, you may recall missing sleep in the previous few days, and the solution is easy — get a few extra hours in the next few nights. After awhile, the process becomes second nature.However, the very first task is to correct what may have accumulated over a span of years!One study required participants to eliminate their sleep debt before starting the study. This was done by requiring them to sign into a dorm room at 4 PM every day. They were not allowed to nap during the day. Then they were shut into a sealed-dark room, alone with no radio or TV, for 14 hours each night, for as long as it took for their sleep to normalize. At first, they slept 12 or more hours while catching up. Eventually, they settled into their 8.25 hours of sleep a night with great uniformity. This took 4 weeks before they normalized!....A typical measure of how long it takes to truly correct sleep debt for most of us!Next, the principle is to set sleep as a priority. This is not as easy as it sounds. Most people have children, chores, study, homework, work, or hobbies that seem more important. However, as sleep debt develops, these become less efficient and less satisfying, so the effort to set aside the time pays off!The body responds well to habit and rituals. Have a regular bedtime, and regular rise-time. Follow a routine before bed. Do not use the bed for reading, watching TV, or work — essentially only for sleep and intimacy. Make sure the room is kept as dark as possible and eliminate extraneous noise. If you wake in the night, do not lie for a long time trying to fall back asleep. Just get up, walk or eat or read a bit, then go back to bed when sleepy again.Eventually these habits lead to a good night of sleep. From then on, plan sleep with the idea of getting adequate amounts rather than cutting corners. If there is a need to incur sleep debt, set aside time as soon as possible to compensate by getting the proportionate extra amounts. Take naps to help out.Reading Dr. Dement’s book is an important suggestion in developing knowledgeable sleep habits. It is loaded with points of view and tips.If there is a sleep disorder or insomnia that goes on longer than a few weeks, seek help. Homeopathy can often help, and sleep studies can be ordered if needed.Above all, do not ignore the problem. As I often say, in talking about health, people talk incessantly about food/nutrition, a little about exercise, and almost never about sleep. These priorities should be reversed. Sleep is a fundamental biological need which is too often disregarded in our hyperactive culture. The consequences are inefficiency and chronic disease.

What You Can Do for Yourself? Sleep 50%

According to available research, sleep is the most important factor shaping outcomes in chronic disease of virtually all types, from heart conditions to cancer. Energy levels, mental comprehension, anxiety, reflexes, appetite, motivation — all are impacted swiftly and deeply by even brief sleep deprivation. Moreover, sleep debt is cumulative over consecutive nights, weeks, months, and years. Studies have shown that the average adult need for sleep is 8 1/4 hours per night, with narrow variation from individual to individual. They also show that the average amount of sleep actually acquired is less than 7 hours per night — a deficit of one hour for every night!Observing people as they correct their sleep deficits during treatment, I have the distinct clinical impression that sleep represents about 50% of the impact lifestyle can have for health.

Next most important, representing perhaps 30%, is exercise. Vast amounts of research have been done on the value of exercise in virtually all disease, as well as in aging itself. Regular activity enhances mental alertness into old age, flexibility, and reduces rates of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, hypertension, menopause, osteoporosis, complications of diabetes, all forms of mental illness, and virtually all other diseases. So much research has been done, in fact, that parameters of heart rate, duration of exercise, number of repetitions, rest periods, types of activity, and many other parameters have been worked out with impressive precision for various goals.

Least important, to the tune of perhaps 10-15% in my estimation, is diet. Focus on nutrition makes a certain amount of common sense, especially when consumption reaches toxic levels and obesity results. However, malnutrition is not really an issue in American society, even in terms of various imbalances touted by marketers. The homeopathic approach emphasizes “moderation” as the basic principle, encouraging people to follow their cravings — in moderation (with the exception of sugar/refined flour, which inherently stimulate cravings). In practice, though diets may have noticeable effects for two to six months, they rarely last in the face of chronic illness.Another factor to consider is stress-management. This cannot be quantified but is clearly a predominant factor in chronic disease. What is stressful to one person is not to another, and each person copes in individual ways. This is the basis of homeopathy, of course. Lifestyle changes such as balancing work and relaxation, taking vacations, pursuing hobbies, etc., are part of the process.For many, meditation and mindfulness are essential components. Pursuit of meaning and spirituality are essential to attaining highest levels of health.... Unquantifiable, to be sure, but attitudinally crucial

Our 10th Anniversary Party

Last weekend, my sis-in-law (Parul and Rupal) gave us a surprise party for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. It was amazing experience. Prior to the party, I always thought you cannot make surprise, especially if it is planned for long time. But we were really surprised and some really do not believe it. We have around 100+ guest, and it was a mind-blowing experience to see family and all close friends there. They even managed to dance our kids on that party, and with my favorite song. Anyway, this was the biggest thing happened after the marriage, the anniversary we never thought about it. We did not realize it that it has been 10 years, time went so fast with the two kids. We feel very thankful to the Rupal, Parul, Family and Friends, without them we would not have fun as we had. So Thanks again from the bottom of our heart.