HANDWRITING - A LOST ART Murugappan Periyakaruppan
One fine morning I decided to write a reply letter to my dad’s recent postal letter from India. After penning down a few lines I noticed my handwriting going haywire as this was not the original handwriting I used to write with in my school or college exams, a few years ago. I virtually could see the disturbed face of my father trying to read my letter and complaining to my mom about not instructing the virtues of a good handwriting and style to me, during my younger days. I am sure the next time when I talk to my parents the first issue coming up would be about my handwriting in the letter. This made me to think a little on the essentials of handwriting. How has our handwriting changed over the years? Is it the fact that in the fast paced world of today we yield to the computers to do this job, that we ignore the importance of good handwriting. Probably True. Tell me, how many people know what cursive writing is? I am sure the answer to this question does not go beyond the old school block of yester years. Gone are the days where elders used to appreciate and gaze at their kid’s handwriting skills. Rather than the pen and the pencil, these days’ kids are more acquainted with joystick, mouse and keyboards. I am a software engineer typing emails and writing programs on a daily basis agree to the fact that handwriting is being replaced by the keyboard and human knowledge of grammar is being replaced by the so called intelligent software “spell check” The fact that I am writing this article using “Microsoft word” eludes to me basic demise of handwriting skill. Art of handwriting, otherwise called as penmanship, must have feared its start of slow death when the typewriter was invented. When computers started to gain popularity, the art of handwriting was completely lost. Nowadays we are too digitally dependent on the electronic technology. Even to write our “From address” in the postal mails we send, we use printed address labels. How many times have we heard our friends say when we ask them to note our address, “Hey...Send me an email please”. Either we must be too lazy to note it down right away or we must be sure that we might not even recognize our own handwriting when we want to refer the noted address for some needs at a later stage. The art of writing faces a mutiny in the rising age of technology. As individuals, it is our duty to raise our voices and inculcate the art. The Pen is mightier than the sword is an old saying. Let the pen rule and along with it, the age-old style of handwriting. How can we cultivate the use of handwriting? It will be more complex to impart the culture than the thought process to achieve it. Simple ways are to encourage hand writing contests, asking application forms not to be printed but hand written, asking school assignments to be submitted which should be hand written and assigning a portion of grades or marks for legible handwriting etc. Open a personal diary and pen some events or memorable moments of your day-to-day life in your own
handwriting. It is a good practice to start and also improves our handwriting. Another way is to have a strong attitude to improve our handwriting. I have a friend of mine whom I consider has a very good handwriting. When I probed him about how he maintained it so well, I was surprised to know that in his religion he had a habit of writing his name hundred times everyday .Wow have you ever heard of that. Never would I have gone for such a practice but the point is IT HELPS. Do you know there is a day called “Handwriting Day” celebrated on January 12? WIMA (Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association) sponsors National Handwriting Day every January 12 in conjunction with John Hancock’s birthday. Why the 12th? John Hancock was born on January 12, 1737. As President of the Continental Congress in 1776, it was his signature that first blazed across the Declaration of Independence in defiance of British rule. He is said to have signed large and bold enough for all of England to see. WIMA quotes “The purpose of National Handwriting Day is to alert the public to the importance of handwriting, stress the benefits of handwritten communication, promote good penmanship and encourage legible handwriting. National Handwriting Day is a chance for everyone to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.” Although we live in this digital information age with tablet pc's, PDA’s and wireless technologies, penmanship still counts when we want to write a romantic letter to our wife or a touching note to our parents. There is no other well written note than the one in our own handwriting. For the software geeks out there including myself, many software companies are asking the application forms to be handwritten. Did you ever think what impression bad handwriting could give to the employer? Though computers have displaced our handwriting skills, the signature column at the end of any application form is still being filled by a pen, at least for now. Let the art of bad handwriting just remain with the Doctors!!! So the next time you go to a public loo and try hard to read the weirdest language, THINK AGAIN.
Money Saving Tip (from SavingAdvice.com)
Purchase your gasoline in the early morning or at night when it is cold outside. Gas becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since gas pumps only measure the volume of fuel - not the density - you'll get better overall gas mileage for your money by purchasing fuel when it's cool outside rather than in the heat of the day. Remove all excess weight from your car. Many people use their car trunk as a storage space adding unneeded pounds to the car's weight. This unnecessary weight reduces the car's fuel efficiency. After you have finished filling up, turn the gas pump nozzle around 180 degrees. This will drain about a half cup of gasoline into your tank which you would otherwise spill or give to the next customer. Shop around for a lower price, but don't go miles out of your way to get the best price. When traveling a long distance to save a few pennies, you end up spending more on car driving expenses (AAA estimates that it costs 51.7 cents a mile to drive a car in 2003) than you end up saving with the lower gas price.
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INTERNSHIP INQUIRY Janu Lakshmanan
most Universities have a career or education center that can help. The Internet also provides a wealth of resources. Helpful sites include: www.internshipprograms.com www.internabroad.com www.idealist.org - allows you to search for internships at nonprofits such as environmental groups www.volunteerinternational.org - lists volunteer opportunities abroad.
Janu is a senior at the University Michigan double majoring in Economics and Political Science. As a student she had several internships primarily to find out what her strengths and weaknesses were in business. Internships gave her preprofessional work experience in particular career fields. For some students, internships also supplement academic classes and, in some cases, earn college credit. An internship was a way for her to test the waters in a variety of career fields, to gain "reallife" experience, and a way to decide on - or opt out - of a certain vocation. Internships come in all shapes and sizes. Some are paid and some are unpaid. Some last for a summer while others continue through the school year. Some internships are local, but others offer employment abroad. Many people think internships are for college students, but opportunities for high school students exist as well. A high school internship can open the doors to the working world, showing you what it's like to have a boss, attend meetings, and meet deadlines. Internships also introduce you to experienced people who can help guide you toward a career and network with other professionals Start Your Search How do you find the right internship for you? Start by answering these questions: What interests you? What kind of internship do you seek? Do you want to work during the summer or the school year? Do you need to earn money or could you work for free? What do you want out of an internship? If you're interested in the legal field, your search should start with law firms, not research positions
Refine Your Resume Once you have narrowed your search down you can construct your resume to what each employer is looking for in an intern. Use your resume to sell yourself as a candidate. Make sure you clearly read the responsibilities of the position and craft your resume to exemplify those duties through your experiences in school organizations or in previous jobs. After perfecting your resume, write a personalized cover letter that highlights your strengths. Interview Preparation After you have submitted your cover letter and resume you need to prepare yourself for the interview itself. There are several market specific books and websites that will help you get ready for an interview. It is important to keep your composure and show the interviewer what makes you the ideal candidate for the position. Video tape yourself answering questions and watch it. Make sure you look at the interviewer the whole time, answer all the questions clear and concisely and most importantly, sound professional and educated. After weeks of research, refinement and preparation you will have laid the seed work to a successful future in the field of your dreams. Do not get disappointed by set backs. You should take every interview as a learning opportunity and move forward.
Money Saving Tip (from SavingAdvice.com)
Keep your freezer full and don't over pack your refrigerator. Freezers work more efficiently when they are full while refrigerators work more efficiently when there is adequate air circulation around the food. Instead of turning off the oven when you take your dish out, turn it off several minutes before the dish is completely done. The remaining heat in the oven will finish the cooking. When cooking, it is often unnecessary to preheat the oven. For cooking times less than an hour, 5 minutes of preheating will usually do. For cooking times over an hour, there is no need to preheat. With the change of seasons and spring cleaning under way, don't forget to dust off light bulbs and fixtures to improve light output. Dusty light bulbs give off up to 50% less light
There are many resources that exist for finding internships. Employers often advertise internship positions through schools. Ask your high school counselor or career coordinator about these opportunities. You might also find out about internships through a school club and don’t forget about your network…ask family and friends. Start by shadowing different professionals in your own community and try to find out where your passions lie. If there's a specific company or organization you'd like to work for, don't be afraid to inquire directly. Even if they've never had an intern, you might be able to convince them they need one by being clear about how you could help. To cast your net even wider, look for recent internship guidebooks. Peterson's Internships lists hundreds of opportunities for high school students. The Best 109 Internships and The Internship Bible also list positions. Many libraries and
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SECTION 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN By Kannathal Shoba Sampath
If you’re planning to retire soon or have recently done so, you are facing quite a few decisions. If you have a 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan administered by your employer, one of the most important decisions is what to do with the money in your account. You may have a variety of choices. Below are some of the more common options: Saving for college—whether for your children or your grandchildren—has become easier in recent years with the emergence of state-sponsored savings plan. Called a Section 529 Plan, after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that created them, these plans are offered by all 50 states and provide tax benefits to college savers. While each state plan is different, there are two general types of plans: prepaid tuition plans and college savings plans. With a prepaid tuition plan, the money you put into the plan is earmarked for tuition at your local state university. In most cases, once you make the required payments, you are guaranteed that all tuition will be covered, no matter how much it may rise in the future. What happens to the money if your child decides to go to another college? The value of your plan—although in some states, not the full value—can be transferred to private and outof-state schools. College savings plans are more flexible. You can use the value accrued in your plan for any accredited institution of higher learning in the U.S. and in some foreign countries. Another advantage of a college savings plan is that it may enable you to qualify for more aid than you would with a pre-paid plan.
investment selections. You have full control over the account and can switch investment options within the same plan once a year. You can also withdraw the money if you need to, although there will be taxes and penalties owed if a withdrawal were to be made for reasons other than funding education. And there are no Federal eligibility restrictions—each state has the option to allow non-residents to invest in its plan. In fact, many states allow non-residents to invest in their plans, so you can set up a plan in more than one state and put aside even more. Other considerations While there may be additional taxes or penalties for withdrawal of the funds in the plan for non-educational purposes, that penalty is generally waived if the beneficiary has died, become disabled or if the funds are not needed because the beneficiary has received a scholarship. Also, you can change the beneficiary by rolling the funds over. That way, if your eldest child decides not to go to college, you can put the funds to work for a younger sibling or even a niece or nephew. For grandparents, Section 529 Plans offer estate tax benefits, because contributions are considered completed gifts and are excluded from your estate. Grandparents can also switch beneficiaries to other grandchildren. The rules are complex, however, so consult your financial professional or attorney about gift and estate tax consequences of funding a Section 529 plan. While a Section 529 plan may not be the total answer to your college funding needs, it is one of the many ways you can make sure that the money to pay for college is there when you need it. To put together a comprehensive college savings plan, and to determine whether a Section 529 plan makes sense for you, contact your financial professional. AXA Advisors, LLC does not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your individual situation. Kannathal Shoba Sampath offers securities and investment advisory services through AXA Advisors, LLC (member NASD, SIPC) 216 Brooks Street, Charleston, WV, 25301, and offers annuity and insurance products through an insurance brokerage affiliate, AXA Network, LLC and its subsidiaries. Individuals may transact business and/or respond to inquiries only in states where they are properly qualified. Kannathal Sampath is licensed to transact insurance business in the following states: KY, MD, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV; is registered to offer securities in the following states: DC, KY, MD, NY, OH, VA, WV; and is authorized to offer investment advisory services in the following states: DC, KY, MD, NY, OH, VA and WV. For information in other states please call L. Andre' Howes, Jr., CLU, 10 South Jefferson Street, Suite 850, Roanoke, VA 24011, (540) 983-7124.
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The benefits of a Section 529 plan The money you invest in a Section 529 plan grows tax-free for as long it stays in the plan. And withdrawals for qualified educational expenses are free of Federal tax.* In addition to the Federal tax breaks, many states also offer tax advantages to instate residents, such as an upfront deduction on your contribution or tax-exemption on withdrawals. Some states offer tax-free withdrawals only to participants in their own state plan, while other states permit their residents tax-free qualified withdrawals from other state plans. In addition to the tax benefits, the biggest plus of these plans is that the amounts you can put in are substantial—over $250,000 per beneficiary in some states. Most plans are very easy to set up and are professionally administered and often offer a choice of
Under sunset provisions, current Section 529 tax rules are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010, unless renewed by Congress. Before 2001, Section 529 plans generally provided tax deferral, not tax-free savings.
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RUNNING Interview With Muthu Sekkappan
INTERVIEW by Editor Palani (Somu) Palaniappan Most of us make New year resolution to stay fit every year. Lot of questions arises on how to accomplish that. The person that came my mind was last years NSNA Joint secretary Muthu Sekappan of IL. He as participated in many marathons and loves running. Here are some parts of our conversation Why did you take up running? I have like pretty much alloutdoor activity, since I was a kid. This includes running, volleyball, soccer, and later on Biking (cycle). While working at Chicago Tribune, 2 of my co-workers talked me into doing a Marathon in 1998, and that was my first running event in US. That led to at least 3 or 4 events per year like a 8K, 10 Mile, ½ or Full marathon, 25 or 35 mile bike ride every year since then. I enjoy all these and actually look forward to the first Sunday of April (this year due to DST change it is last Sunday of March), which is start of the running season in Chicago, with Shamrock shuffle 8K. Running seems painful. Dose it get easier? Running like any other physical activity exercises many parts of the body and hence it does get tiring. The stretching before and after the running, proper shoes & attire, and rest are key to running with out getting injured. Running actually refreshes and clears the mind, and once you start doing it regularly, you will enjoy it. It is not really necessary to have a MP3 player putting all that music into your ears to keep you going. In spring, summer and fall running on a trail is the best. It will make running the easiest physical activity that you can do. Try to stay away from sidewalk or concrete as much as you can and pick a trail (mud path). At home or in the Gym, treadmill is the best. I know you find that 20 minutes isn't enough to satisfy your desire to run. How long and how many times a week is enough to make you fit? On a regular basis, by that I mean any time of the year; I do 3 days a week of running. I would say 20 minutes of running 3 times a week during winter is not at all bad. The numbers of miles that you run and the number of days gets higher once you start training specifically for an event like ½ or full marathon or a 10K or 10Mile run. As more and more runners turn to the marathon to prove their running mettle, can you recommend an schedule or a web site?. The following site would really help runners at any level: http://www.halhigdon.com/ It tells you exactly what you need to do every day for 18 or 20 week period (training for marathon); running (how many miles), cross training, or rest. Most people go for there first run and virtually sprint for as long as they can and then with their chest heaving, their
tongues lolling, their muscles straining stop forever. Do you have a routine then you recommend for beginners? Any run should have a warm up and cool down. The warm up could be walking at 3 or 4 miles an hour speed on a treadmill for 5 minutes followed by 20 minutes of running at various speeds depending on the comfort level, and then a 5-minute cooling off at 3 or 4 miles an hour speed. If you are running outdoors, start by walking, slowly speed up and then start running. As long as we keep in perspective the objective of running (that is not to win the race, but enjoy, get fit and eventually do good time on a race) then we may not run into these issues. Also doing Yoga, increases the stamina and prevents injuries that are common to runners like sore knee, joint pains etc. It seems difficult to find time. Even the slightest changes in routine can take some getting used to. I usually play soccer and ultimate frisbee in the night, after the family sleeps. When do your run?. If you have multiple sporting activities it gets difficult to find time to run. But soccer as it is, is going to make you run a lot. So you could put in your running the day before or the day after soccer. As far as myself, I love running at any time of the day, when I find time. During the weekdays I try to use the lunch hour (take 30 minutes out of it). If I stay late and work, then I take a break at 8 or 9 p.m. for 30 minutes do the running. On the weekends, during winter I run in the morning before 9:00 a.m. or in the afternoon at like 2 p.m. Waiting for the family to sleep gets harder. Running in the basement on a treadmill when you baby-sit the kids is the best so far for me. It not only gets my running done, but gets the kids interested in it as well. In spring, summer and fall, depending on the weather I prefer to run outdoors like on a trail. Looking to pound the pavement? Athletic retailer offers a vast selection of running shoes. How do you know which one is right for you? Stores like “Running Unlimited” (in Chicago area) can help pick the correct running shoes based on whether you over pronate, under pronate or normal. Can you give few recommendations for a gift for a friend or a family member who have worked hard all year, sticking to their training plans, eating right? The best gifts would be taking the family member to a game of basketball (NBA), football (NFL) or baseball game or giving the tickets to such a game if they are friends. These are best gifts in my mind especially for kids and teenagers. The other gift in my mind would be a gift card to a store like Best buy or Dick’s where they can get electronic items or a nice watch with all the bells and whistles for tracking the mileage, location (GSP), heart rate etc. What running gear do you use? Winter I prefer running indoor on a treadmill whether at home or in the Gym. All other seasons I dress appropriately for the weather. We chettiars historically have had a desk job. Are we built to run? I think anyone is built for running. Running is like the basic that will get us better at all other sporting activity. Thank You for your time Muthu Sekkappan.
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