{balki Blog}
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When I first bought my smartphone, I signed up for the Unlimited Data plan (20$/month) so I could stay connected all the time. But after a few months I realized that the unlimited data plan was not paying off as I anticipated for a couple reasons:

1. My laptop (with a internet connection) is handy 95% of the time so the internet connection on my smartphone was simply redundant
2. Even for the remaining 5% of the time (e.g. while driving) I never desperately needed to be online to get some urgent info

So, I canceled my data plan a couple months ago and life went on happily until I came across CellFire! (please await more info about the goodness of CellFire in an upcoming blog entry). In essence, I needed internet connection on my cell-phone to be able to leverage cellfire.
I desperately searched all over on google to see if there was a way to cheat and connect to the internet by piggybacking on the host computer’s internet connection. There were several posts that claimed this was possible but somehow the steps they listed did not match what I saw on my smartphone. A couple hours later I figured out how to accomplish the result:

Step 1. On your host computer, make sure your File -> Connection Settings -> This Computer is Connected To: is set as “Internet”

Step 2. Connect your smartphone to the computer via ActiveSync.

Step 3. Follow these steps on your smartphone to use the passthru internet connection!

Technorati : CellFire, internet passthru, smartphone
Del.icio.us : CellFire, internet passthru, smartphone

1. In-built FM radio: An FM radio that can display artist and album information (and of course, the cover art) using the RBDS (Radio Broadcast Data System) information just like the Microsoft Zune. (even better, if the iPod can double up as a satellite radio receiver!)

2. Wireless sync with iTunes: Wireless sync with iTunes is just a no-brainer. I don’t know why Apple is not introducing this feature yet. I don’t need anything fancy like internet access, or music sharing with other players or even automatic firmware updates. All I care for is my iPod to sync with iTunes without having to connect using the clunky USB cable.

3. Expanded search and track organization: The search interface and the play-lists are organized based on the US music market but that is not a holistic solution. For example, the music industry in India is heavily dependent on the movie industry and we have more soundtracks than original albums. Also, the music director is an important element in the soundtrack. There are multiple singers not only within the album but also within individual songs. I want to be able to search (and organize and navigate) based on the cast of the movie as well. In essence, I like to see Apple think outside the box and understand there are other countries that listen to music in different ways than the US music lovers.

4. Easy cleanup of missing tracks in iTunes: It is amazing how hard it is to clean up missing tracks. iTunes does a good job of recognizing and marking missing song tracks but when I click on one of these music tracks, I would like an option to remove all missing tracks rather than having to re-select the track from the file system. Also, I cannot delete a track while I am browsing within the play-lists. Why do I need to be at the root-level of iTunes to be able to delete duplicate or unwanted tracks?

5. Better integration with home theater system: I have been in search of a good tool that lets me integrate my iPod with the home theater system. The A/V kit from Apple only lets you browse the photos and watch videos. What I want is to see the exact same User Interface and navigation control on my plasma TV as it is displayed on my iPod screen (again, I have an OCD for album cover art and ID3 tag info. It is very important that I can see those on any display interface from the iPod). The closest I found is the DLO HomeDock Deluxe. It has a reasonably good User interface but is not the same as the iPod. Plus, it does not display album cover art

6. Dolby Digital / DTS Surround sound output: I am not sure of the technological feasibility of this feature but I would love to hear the music in full Dolby Digital or DTS Surround sound quality on my Bose audio system. This feature would simply blow my mind away!

7. Karaoke-enabled lyrics: I see an occasional article about synchronized lyrics and karaoke-enabled music players but I think developers are still in the dreaming stage and they are working against huge technical and legal barriers. Personally, I would have a blast lip-syncing to Butterfly by Crazy Town and Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta from the Office Space soundtrack on my favorite music player of all-time, the mighty iPod.

8. Better integration with Car Audio system: I wish Apple or another 3rd party vendor could come up with a flawless, easy interface to any car audio system that works with my iPod(s) and provide at least CD-quality audio output, if not better. Meanwhile, the best I can do is a lousy Belkin cassette adapter with even lousier music quality and frequently dying battery (because I forget to turn-off the iPod and it won’t switch off automatically, when I stop my car or switch off the audio system).

9. Multi-user capabilities (especially w.r.t. song ratings): My wife and I are on the opposite ends of spectrum when it comes to taste in music (and movies and food and everything else; a subject for another day!). I made several attempts to consolidate our music ratings while listening in the car with very poor results. I decided that the best thing would be for the iTunes/iPod combo to provide separate ratings for me and my wife so we can create and listen to different play-lists based on our personal star ratings. That feature would be fantastic because I am tired of the horrible renditions of “I’m a Salve 4 U” and “I Love Rock N Roll” by Britney Spears showing up on my 5-star play-lists

10. Automatic ID3 tagging using GraceNote MusicID technology: This technology is way too cool to pass up! Quoted from GraceNote: “…Using audio waveform fingerprint technology, MusicID can identify individual songs or albums in a user’s collection regardless of source, format or tag information.” And that means no more meaningless Track01s in my music collection. Every single track would have the correct cover art, artist and album information! That’s enough eye candy to instantly cure all of my OCD!!

What are your wish-list features for your favorite music player? Start commenting away now!

Technorati : iPod, iPod Nano
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Man starts a profile on a popular dating site. He is talking to a friend about his new found love.

Man: I am so in love with this beautiful woman that I found on eHarmony.com!

Friend: Really? I was always skeptical about these online dating sites. You never know what you are getting into. You have to believe whatever the other person wants you to believe.

Man: No, I think I found my soul-mate. She lives outside the US and has this exotic accent.

Friend: Is that right? Where is she from?

Man: Guantánamo Bay.

Technorati : Guantánamo Bay

Ginger & Pepper: Over the last 4-5 years, we bonded really closely with Ginger and Pepper, and we just cannot imagine our lives without them. Taking them with us could be an option but we don’t want to risk their health and well-being. Plus, how the pets born and raised here might survive in the harsh tropical climates of India is still unchartered territory. Every time we talk about moving back, Maanasa keeps fixating on Ginger and Pepper. This one reason alone could be a deal-breaker for us, especially for Maanasa!

Traffic: Every year the traffic keeps increasing exponentially; the traffic conditions were quite unbearable this last trip. It takes for ever to go anywhere. Panjugutta intersection has become the city center for all practical purposes and it is the most congested. Everybody is hoping and praying that the new flyovers in that area will ease the traffic flow a little. Traffic in the Hi-tech city is not bad though. If we were to live, work and shop there and minimize our trips into the city, this should not be such a great concern.

Pollution: Pollution is glaringly evident throughout the city (most likely throughout the country also). The booming retail, automobile, construction and infrastructure industries are causing all sorts of pollution including air, noise, dust and water. I hardly saw any evidence of proactive measures to curb such pollution. When a CEO of big multi-national company visited Hyderabad, he was quite shocked with the ubiquitous pollution and warned that it could become the “single-point of failure” that could cripple the Indian economy. I agree completely.

Weather: Over 80 degrees of heat in December!! I was literally sweating in the middle of winter and had to carry a towel and water at all times to clean up my sweat. I shudder every time I imagine living in the 120 degree humid climate of Hyderabad summers. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the unforgiving Indian summers for the past 8 years but I need a hell of a lot more money to avoid the harshest of months (April and May) if we move there permanently.

Family: Too much of a good thing can sometimes be not so good. Enough said.

Freedom: I don’t have concrete examples or reasons how and why, but I feel a lot freer in the States than in India. It could be the constant pressure to please my family and relatives, or the fear that any mistakes I make will be easily caught or I am just smoking. I cannot get this thought out of my small head - “I have unlimited freedom in this country, and no where else!”

Cheap Gas: Last time I checked, gas prices in India are almost double those in the US and thats a significant difference unless I plan to use public transportation The gas saved by the smaller cars/engines in India is most definitely offset by gazillion hours spent in idling traffic, and hence gas prices are still way too high in India.

Convenience: Most routine things are still a hassle in India like bill payments, and any government related work. Corruption is still prevalent and you have to forget ethics and principles if you want to get any amount of work done in the public sector. Although I have to admit that the country made huge progress in this area after the government liberalized the economy. I think the country needs just a few more years to finally catch up with the western world in this arena.

Nature: We love the Oregon nature and the summer outdoors in the US in general. I might be ignorant in this aspect, but I seriously doubt if there is anything back in India that matches the great natural wonders of North America.

Afford-ability: Even until two years ago, India was my backup retirement secret (I used to proudly proclaim to all of my colleagues and friends - “if I cannot retire in the US at my target age of 40, I will cheat and go back to India to retire like a king”). How stupid was I? My head was reeling in disbelief looking at the rate people are earning and spending in Hyderabad during my recent visit. In the current economic climate of India, I will have no means to retire EVER, let alone retire at 40! The inflation rate is pegged under 10% according to government figures, but I am sure the number is at least > 50% in real-life.

Technorati : India
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Best food in the world: Yes, I am talking about all the delicious varieties of Indian food available at home and outside. Especially the yummy ones that my mom cooks each morning, afternoon and evening without fail. There is absolutely no match to my mom’s hand when it comes to cooking (don’t tell my wife, though) and I would go back home to India in the blink of an eye, even if just to savor all of this home-cooked food. Also, there is no dearth of great food available in all sorts of restaurants.

Help: Abundant help is available in the form of maids, cooks, drivers, servants, etc. For example, my mom can afford the following people to help her out: a maid to clean the dishes and clothes, a maid to clean the house, a driver who also washes and cleans the car every single day and finally a full-time maid who helps her out with just about everything else. How convenient is that?

Action-filled lifestyle: There is no scarcity of fun-filled action and drama in day-to-day life. For example, I accompanied my mom to a Hindu temple on one of the auspicious nights. On the drive to the temple (which is only about half a mile away from our house), we got honked 12 times and our driver honked 14 other vehicles. Our driver also yelled and swore at a couple of pedestrians (who promptly swore back in no uncertain terms). As we reached the temple, the “Aakasha Deepam” (a ceremonial fire raised into the air supported by a gold-coated pole called the “Dwajastambha” and a rope) caught fire and started throwing sparks all over the place. The devotees instead of running away from the fire started gathering around the pole to watch the blazing fire in amazement. While at the temple, I was pushed and shoved by devout women and my mom almost called for an ambulance as I nearly lost consciousness in the hustle. On the way back home, we stopped to pick up my mom’s medical reports. As we were inside, the cops started yelling and screaming at passersby and ordered us in to strictly stay inside and not come out under any circumstances. My mom came out anyways and I cautiously came out behind her. The cops were trying to clear the road because our state’s Chief Minister was passing by in his convoy. Our driver fled in fear and I spent 15 minutes trying to locate him in the complex maze of the side streets. As I was walking on the side street, somebody spit out an ounce of chew-able tobacco from a city bus which I deftly managed to escape. If I can get this much action in just 30 minutes, imagine living my entire life in this adventurous city?

Family: Although we do not live in a joint family, not one day passes by without seeing a family member or a relative. Our house is in a central location in the city, so literally dozens of family members, friends and relatives stop by even if to just say hi. The feeling that there is somebody out there that thinks and cares for us is quite incredible.

Change and growth: I have been visiting India every year and am still amazed at how rapidly the changes happen. Huge new apartment communities constructed almost overnight, new shopping malls all over town, international brand stores at every corner, cell phones in everybody’s hands, new cars, new jobs; the only thing that is constant is change.

Variety: As more and more Indians are building wealth, they are also trying out different things which add to an incredible variety to colors, design, clothes, buildings, music etc. With all due respect to the

US , I think most Americans are pretty conventional in the way they dress, live, and drive (except for that occasional sight of a Gothic chick/dude you encounter on commuter trains). But the variety you can see in India is mind-boggling. There are unlimited combinations of patterns, colors, and styles in men’s and women’s clothes and that is only the first dimension to variety. You should really come and watch the variety yourself instead of me explaining in vain.

Ability to maintain my current (western) lifestyle: For years now, many non-resident Indians (including myself) have been delaying our permanent move back to India because we were all too certain India could not provide us with a lifestyle comparable with the western world. Not anymore. During this visit to Hyderabad , we found nearly everything that we thought was only available in the US . Everything western is readily accessible here: starting from basic groceries to luxury cars and the latest iPods. And the premium we pay to acquire these goods and services has been quickly diminishing in the last few years.

Technorati : Indian lifestyle
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• Cell Phones, SIM cards, accessories everywhere: All types of old stores are being converted into cell phone/accessories stores. Even other grocery stores, barbershops, pan shops, bakeries are selling SIM cards and cell phone accessories. The latest statistics released in November for new cell phone sales showed that Indians are buying phones at the rate of 5,00,000 per month! To put that number in perspective: it is equivalent to the entire population of Oregon & Idaho buying new cell phones… each and every month over and over again! My state Andhra Pradesh is at the forefront of this race with 650,000 new cell phone connections a month.

• Ubiquitous Sania Mirza: She currently endorses sodas, airlines, bicycles, sportswear, mobile handsets and pretty much everything else. A week days after I reached Hyderabad, an international magazine touted her beauty and declared that she belongs to the “Top 10 beautiful tennis stars of all-time” list along with the likes of Gabriela Sabatini, Anna Kournikova, and Maria Sharapova. She is everywhere in the media and almost 20-30% of billboards in the country are happily leveraging her fame and beauty.

• Wal-Mart entering India: Ten days after I landed in Hyderabad, on an auspicious Monday, Bharati Enterprises announced that they were opening several retail stores all over India by franchising Wal-Mart’s now world-famous/controversial and extremely successful supply chain model.

• Dhoom 2: Clothes, jewelry, accessories… nothing is ineligible for Dhoom-2 branding. Pepe Jeans is allotting exclusive shelf space for Dhoom-2 branded apparel and accessories. (the movie itself on the other hand was of questionable quality, especially the second half)

• FM Radio: Radio Mirchi, S FM, Big FM are the latest craze with teenagers and adults alike and Hyderabad is going wild listening to the highly anticipated and high-quality audio programs (mostly latest Telugu and Hindi filmi songs) on the move, at home, school and work.

• WorldSpace Satellite Radio: Teenage girls everywhere are excitedly demoing away the latest digital radios in town. WorldSpace started selling satellite radio sets with subscriptions starting around Rs.250 per month with up to 40-commercial free radio stations. These radios are not available for cars yet but the business model looks quite promising.

• Everybody works in IT companies and Call Centers…. the remaining people are real-estate tycoons: Every second person in Hyderabad is an “IT professional” and works in or near Hi-tech city. Many others who used to wander on the streets without any purpose or work are now into “real-estate” business and are supposedly making millions of rupees buying, selling, brokering, building, and flipping plots, apartments and houses.

• Inflation: Inflation rate is simply unbelievable. When I went to school, my parents paid 50Rs. (approx 1$) a month for fees in a prestigious high school. My sister pays 1200Rs. (approx 27$) a month for her son’s somewhat mediocre school. I heard rumors that there were international / concept schools in Hyderabad and Bangalore that charge up-wards of 20,000Rs. (approx 450$) a month in fees! All this increase in just over 15 years since I passed out of high school. And am sure most of that inflation happened in the last 3-4 years. Prices of all basic necessities including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation increased several folds and most people seem to be able to miraculously afford them!

• High-end Restaurants: Classy (read expensive) restaurants are everywhere and they employ dozens of staff to treat the customers with utmost care and concern. The food was mediocre at best at these places but we loved the royal treatment. We pretty much had a dedicated set of 5-6 waiters attending to our fancies as long as we were in these restaurants. The prices were comparable to average American restaurants but the treatment was top-notch (just imagine the exact opposite treatment you get at your local Macaroni Grill

• Major Hotels associated to international brand names: Many big hotels that maintained their independent identity over the years are starting to associate (not sure by being acquired or by partnering) themselves with international brand names. Some examples: Grand Kakatiya Sheraton, Best Western Amrutha Castle, and Hyderabad Marriott Hotel (formerly Viceroy Hotel).

• New cars, bikes everywhere (resulting in horrible traffic conditions throughout the city): I did not see any old cars and motorbikes driving on the road. Each car was newer, bigger and nicer looking than the next one. The situation reminded me of the San Francisco bay area where everybody drives Mercedes, BMWs and Lexuses. The roads were never meant for everybody in the metro (approx 7.5 million people) driving four-wheelers. Traffic jams and accidents were commonplace throughout the city any time of the day, accompanied by suffocating pollution levels.

Technorati : Dhoom, Inflation, Sania Mirza
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While planning my current visit to India, I wanted to stay in touch with my US-based friends, colleagues and clients. So, I researched various options and narrowed down to Vonage V-Phone (mostly based on their ubiquitous ads). I picked one up at the local Best Buy and subscribed for the unlimited calling plan at Vonage.com. The enrollment process was straight forward and mostly uneventful. I got my new phone number almost instantly.

I made a few calls with the V-phone powered by Comcast broadband and the sound quality was impressive. I attributed this quality to the strong underlying broadband connection and was still skeptical about the quality in India (where reliable Internet connections are still a premium). I got my first chance to verify my skepticism during my layover in Frankfurt. I paid a nominal fee to get Internet connectivity from a T-mobile Hotspot in the airport terminal and made some calls to the US and India. The sound level was a little low but the quality was first-class.

Since landing in Hyderabad, I have been using the V-Phone on a 256kpbs DSL connection and am extremely pleased with the consistent sound and connection quality. I love the device itself and the seamless process of making free calls to the US and beyond.

Here is some obvious (and subtle) goodness in the device / service:

1. Completely divorced from any single computer system: Works like a charm on any computer as long as the computer is on a decent Internet connection (128kbps or better speeds recommended)

2. No footprint software: I just connect the USB dongle to any internet-enabled computer and the computer instantly recognizes the phone and is ready to make calls within 5-15 seconds. When I am done, I simply remove the device and there is no trace left on the system.

3. Great form factor: I like the orange color for the dongle and the blue LED light (that represents a successful connection). The included headset provides superior sound quality and the cable is long enough to allow me to move around comfortably without ripping out the dongle from the USB port.

4. Additional 256MB space on the USB drive: I do not carry the V-phone everywhere I go but can see how the additional space on the USB could come in pretty handy when you are on the go. The included key ring is cute and convenient.

5. Auto Load and Unload: This is my favorite feature. The soft phone keypad launches automatically when I insert the USB drive and disappears after I remove it. No worries about corrupting the drive or annoying pop-up warnings.

The only shortcoming I can think of is that there is no facility to import or leverage existing Outlook contact details. This is my biggest annoyance. I have enough devices already that force me to reenter my contact numbers and the V-phone is the worst offender of all. There is no interface to import contacts from anywhere. I really hope Vonage adds the import facility in their next version. Another minor annoyance is that the cap is really hard to remove from the device. I can understand their concern the cap might be lost, but there are other ways to secure it rather than making it impossible to pop it open.

If you travel international (or even domestic but worried about running over your free minutes on the cell phone), do try out the Vonage V-phone. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

Technorati : V-Phone, VOIP, Vonage, hotspot
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Like I mentioned in a previous post, I still repent that I did not start investing sooner in life. A friend suggested that I blog about the basics of investing (especially about my personal experience) and so here it goes…

• Start by saving up enough money to cover all of your fixed expenses for at least 6 months. You do not want to be caught off-guard with an unexpected event like job-loss or extended illness. You can keep this money in a short-term CD, so it still earns interest while being flexible enough to withdraw in an emergency.
• Get started today! Really, you can get started with as little as 3000 dollars, by investing in a safe and reliable mutual fund like Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund
• Go through the “How to create your investment plan” on Vanguard’s site and understand your financial goals and the risks involved; remember to complete the most important part : Investor Questionnaire.
• Definitely enroll in your company’s 401-K plan. If your company matches your contribution, invest at least the minimum amount required to get the full employer match. If you are not doing that, you are just throwing away money.
• After investing in a low-risk, moderate-return mutual fund like Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, switch to dollar-cost averaging. Dollar-cost averaging is an investment principle where you invest a fixed amount (say $100) in a stock or a mutual fund on a periodic basis (often monthly) instead of buying into the fund/stock at once. The theory is that, you reduce your exposure to risk by buying more shares of the same stock/fund when the price is low and fewer shares when the price is high. Here is a good primer about dollar-cost averaging: http://beginnersinvest.about.com/cs/newinvestors/a/041901a.htm. I had a pretty nice return on my various investments over the last 4 years using this simple technique.
• Compare the interest rates between your income generating sources (eg. CDs, money-market funds, bonds etc) and rates you pay for loans (mortgage, credit cards, car loans etc.). Pay-off the higher interest loans first using the money invested in the lowest income generating sources. For example, it just makes sense to pay off a 14.99% rate credit card using your money sitting in a short-term CD with a return of only 4-5%. Consider the income tax you pay on your income while calculating the rate difference. If you bought (or refinanced) your house in the last 4-5 years, it makes sense not to pay extra towards your mortgage, since the interest rates were in record low numbers during that time.
• If you are feeling ambitious and over-zealous (and if you have an outstanding credit score), you can apply for a low or 0% interest rate credit card and invest that money in a medium to long term CD. Interest rates on CDs are going up fast. Last time I checked, DCU was offering a 6% return on a 16-month CD. Make sure you have enough time to payoff the credit card balance at the end of the promotional rate term.
• Definitely go to a financial evaluation session offered by an Amerprise financial Advisor. The 1 to 2 hour session is totally worth the time (even after the aggressive sales pitch to sign up for their paid consultation). If you are in the Portland Metro area, I highly recommend the services of David Stanley
• Always reinvest your profits and dividends back into the same investment vehicle. To the right is a great example illustrating how you can earn an extra 270,000$, just by reinvesting dividends over a 24-year term.
• As you start growing your portfolio, remember to diversify based on asset type, investment methodology, the size of companies invested in, domestic/international funds etc. Many 401-K plans offer this diversification automatically in their so-called life-style portfolios based on your risk-level (obviously at a premium). Here’s my current asset allocation arrived at based on my risk-tolerance and financial goals:

• Also remember to re-balance your diversified portfolio periodically (I do it every quarter) to make sure you are invested at the right percentage you intended for. Again, many 401K plan providers and mutual fund companies offer this as an automatic service.

Feel free to add comments or email me if you specific questions on any of these tips or about my asset allocation style.

(DISCLAIMER: All content in this article is provided as-is and balki.net or its owner(s) are not responsible for any financial loss resulting from actions based on this advice.
Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance.
The investment and services mentioned on this website may not be suitable for you. If you have any doubts you should contact an independent financial advisor.The material on this website does not constitute advice and you should not rely on any material in this website to make (or refrain from making) any decision or take (or refrain from making) any action.
This website contains links to other websites which are not under the control of and are not maintained by balki.net. balki.net is not responsible for the content of those sites. We provided these links for your convenience only and do not necessarily endorse the material on these sites.)

Technorati : 401K, Investing, Vanguard, dollar-cost averaging, mutual funds, reinvestment
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Yes! The “2GB 1st generation Black iPod Nano” arrived yesterday at the auspicious time of 11:35am yesterday! Exactly the one I wanted.

All this excitement might sound so 19th century, but you need to know the full story to appreciate the unrestrained fervor…

I already have a 2nd Generation iPod Color with Photo that I share with my wife. I am a great fan of the iPod + iTunes combo and an avid listener of several podcasts. But every time I am enthused about listening to some new podcast, my wife sneakily steals it away for her morning commute, even before I wake up. I have filed several petitions with her to acquire another iPod (a Nano this time, because I wanted to use it for my so-called workout sessions). But she rejected them all, claiming that we already have one and do not need to waste any more money on a music device (she did spend a cr*p-load of money on some “groceries”, “cleaning supplies” and “cat litter” though)

In the end, I did any honorable, law-abiding, well-bred citizen would do; I started a collection at work around a year ago specifically targeted to raise $199.99 within 2 months. Initial results were very encouraging (colleagues generously threw pennies and nickels into a pan I carried to all of the meetings) and the mug I used for the collections started filling up fast. But as people started “having kids”, “getting married” and “pursuing other jobs”, they completely forgot about this splendid cause. The last contribution to the mug was an “IOU $76.39″ note from Kevin Ombler!

So, I switched strategies and started looking for ways to get an iPod Nano for free and came across this promotion from TD Ameritrade: Fund 10K in an account and get an iPod Nano FREE. It was that simple! All I needed to do now was start a collection for $10,000. Just kidding! I was planning to divert some of my funds from an existing account to an investment portfolio anyway. This was a perfect opportunity.

Subsequently, 6 weeks of restless waiting and sleepless nights later, the iPod Nano Black 2GB arrived via UPS yesterday and am having a blast showing it off to everyone. (Also by sheer chance of luck, the stock market has done mightily over the last few weeks so I also made over 500$ on my original investment)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot… I added $5.45 to the collection at work, to buy a $6.95 clear hard case for the iPod. So, thank you, my beloved and generous colleagues in contributing towards my iPod collection. The fund did serve its grand purpose… sort of.

Technorati : Apple, Free iPod, Nano, eTrade
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Man goes to Project Management training at PSU. The instructor administers Myers Briggs Personality Type test to everybody in the class.
At the end of the evaluation, everybody is branded with a personality type.
Some examples of Myers Briggs personality types: ESTJ (Extroversion-Sensing-Thinking-Judging), INTP (Introversion-iNtuition-Thinking-Perceiving), INFP etc. (16 personality types in all)

Instructor and class start discussing how these personality types play into a project team dynamics, and what are the significant features of some of these personality types.

Instructor asks “Who are good listeners?”
Answer 1: INFP personality types.
Instructor: Excellent!

Answer 2: ISFJ types.
Instructor: Very Good!

Man: “Men”
Instructor (a woman) high-fives the man in humble acknowledgment.

Technorati : Myers Briggs, Personality Types
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