Paras Mamania

This appeared on Craigslist. Read this article taken from Howard Lindzon’s blog.
Question? What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I’m tired of beating around the bush. I’m a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I’m articulate and classy.
I’m not from New York . I’m looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don’t think I’m overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that’s where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won’t get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she’s not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won’t hurt my feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I’m 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I’ve seen really ‘plain jane’ boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I’ve seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What’s the story there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I’m putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I’m being up front about it. I wouldn’t be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn’t able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 432279810

THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-431649184:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament.
Firstly, I’m not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here’s how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here’s why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here’s the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity…in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won’t be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you’re 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold…hence the rub…marriage. It doesn’t make good business sense to “buy you” (which is what you’re asking) so I’d rather lease. In case you think I’m being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It’s as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as “articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful”
as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn’t found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn’t need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you’re going about it the right way.
Classic “pump and dump.”
I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

Yahoo has launched Mapmixer which allows for users to embed their own detailed maps over the existing Yahoo Maps. There is a point selection which allows for users to choose two points which match to the existing map. You can also pin up and adjust the map to fit over the Yahoo Map. There are a lot of tweaks you can do with it - adjusting the Opacity, Zoom and Pan features.

One thing i like about this product - Lets say I am visiting USC and would like to go to a particular building. I don’t need to go to the USC website to search for the USC University Park Campus Map instead, I can just go to Yahoo Mapmixer and see the USC Map provided by Yahoo and the embedded map which would highlight all the buildings easing my entire process.

Here’s what I am talking about -

http://maps.yahoo.com/mapmixer?lid=2b958559&pg=view

My Thumbs up for this project. Great Job!

I came across this while surfing the web and was amazed at this project taken by the Harvard Business school which puts forth a question to all its students. This question taken from the last lines of a poem by Pulitzer prize winning author - Mary Oliver. Ponder over this question and answer it for yourself. “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

The following link portrays the answers by Harvard Graduates of 05-06 batch. http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/2006portrait/index.html

Carpe Diem!

Am I whats right with the world?
Or am I whats wrong with the world?

Something that i am proud of:
I pray everyday.
I love spending lots of time with elders.
I mostly eat at home.
I make it a point to learn something new everyday.
Nothing can stop me from getting what i want. If I want anything for myself, all i have to do is want it and nothing will possibly come in my way.
I dream and i achieve.
I have clarity of thought.
I am deeply committed to making a difference in the world.
I respect women.
I actually listen to people when they are communicating opposed to hearing them and have mind conversations about the things they are saying.
Education for everybody in this world is something that i will give my life to transform.
I have been an avid reader of books nowadays.
I love having an intelligent conversation over a cup of coffee.
I am excited about everything in my life.
I don’t think i have the word anger in my dictionary and you will hardly see me upset or off mood.
I am full of life and want to live it to the fullest, who knows what’s there in store tomorrow.
I feel deeply, powerfully for people that matter to me in my life.
I am considered creative and innovative by people around me.
I am full of ideas and am working on a plan to implement those.
I don’t drink neither do i smoke.

Something that is a harsh reality and i am working on it:
I couldn’t live to my parents expectations to be the top student in my Engineering and Masters Studies.
I have also got C+ grade in my courses for Masters at USC.
I am a failure in my own eyes because i haven’t been able to complete the Kutchi Dictionary project that i took on.
I seek a career change from the Software Industry.
I am impulsive at times and react without thinking.
I need to get 8 hours of sleep daily which has become a dream since the time i came to the US.
My health is good but fitness is bad. Low immunity levels.

These are my random weekday musings.
Am I everything that is right with the world or everything that is wrong with the world?

Paras Mamania

Hey, Such a relief… I am done with my studies at USC. I have to complete 27 units at USC and i have completed 25 units maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Some of you might be wondering, what crap.. 3.0 GPA but you want to know, it’s been tough for me and i have struggled to maintain it and finally i have done it. I am so proud of myself today. I can now work fulltime during the summer and fall and graduate in December 07. I have had back to back interviews for the past 4 days and hope to crack one or two. For those of you who missed it, check out my pictures when i was busy studying during the end of the semester.. haha.. was i studying or sleeping??
http://www.medavo.org/2007/05/semester-approaching-to-an-end/
I have been off blogging for the past two months and i have missed it. I am back and hope to continue blogging and keep you guys updated. Rest life has been good so far and am enjoying it.

Alright, going to watch Spiderman 3 right now. Hope it turns out to be a good movie and not a hindi 3 hour drama.. Will write more later.

Ciao,
Paras

I know how annoying it is when we open a webpage and it loads dozens of ads which makes it difficult to differentiate between meaningful text to be read and the ads… Here is a great Firefox extension GreaseMonkey + Stylish + Ad Blocking per Gozer which allows to block almost all ads on any website you visit.

Let me know if you have any difficulties in installing these three extensions.

Carpe Diem!

Paras Mamania.

Hey, I just took the quiz which tells you to name 245 countries all over the world in 10 minutes. It’s pretty cool to test your geography. I could recollect 62 countries. Take the test yourself and check how you fare.
http://andys.org.uk/countryquiz

“Carpe Diem”

Paras Mamania

(This article was a forward to me, It makes for interesting reading.)

It’s been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It’s a rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words:
1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Ericsson, Electrolux are some of its renowned companies.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn’t say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, “Do you have a fixed parking space? I’ve noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot.” To which he replied, “Since we’re here early we’ll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don’t you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there’s a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing.

Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of “hurry” and “craziness” generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of “having in quantity” (life status) versus “having with quality”, “life quality” or the “quality of being”. French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US’s attention, pupils of the fast and the “do it now!”.

This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the “now”, present and concrete, versus the “global”, undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It’s time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there’s a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, “I can’t, my boyfriend will be here any minute now”. To which Al responds, “A life is lived in an instant”. Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

“Carpe Diem!” - which means - “Seize the day.”