I am writing in reference to Filipinos urged to mark 'Black Monday' (November 15).
The best way to help the people in the Philippines who have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan is to donate to a reputable charity, such as the Red Crescent (Red Cross) or Medecins Sans Frontieres.
They will make a real difference and the money will go to the right place.
Mark Mogridge, Dubai
Caution is needed when valuing an asset
I refer to Nima Abu Wardeh's article, Don't go all emotional when valuing goods (November 15), which makes some excellent points in explaining valuation.
The example of the house relates to long-term versus short-term valuation. If a house is cheaper than similar houses in the same location, one could conclude that it is good value or undervalued and hence it is worth buying.
However, that is only a short-term analysis of valuation. Looking at value relative to other houses today does not tell you if the house is a good buy over a longer period.
All houses in the location could go down and hence the purchaser will one day say it was overvalued.
The truth is that the house could have been relatively undervalued over the short term but absolutely overvalued over the longer term.
Buying the cheapest tech stock at the top of the tech bubble, for example, did not make the buyer happy over the next few years.
House buyers and other investors need to think about their time horizon and relative/absolute valuation before acting.
A Bruce, Dubai
Inspired by story of rights activist
I was fascinated by Mohammed N Al Khan's article about Mariam Behnam, My 93 years fighting for women's rights (November 16).
This wonderful lady is a true inspiration for everybody who believes in women’s empowerment.
No nation can grow well unless its women are educated.
I pray for Mariam’s continued good health.
K Rehman, Dubai
Little master gets his just reward
Congratulations to Sachin Tendulkar for winning the highest award that can be given to a civilian by the Indian government, the Bharat Ratna ("Jewel of India").
His career has been characterised by constantly delivering with the bat. He holds some scintillating records of runs scored.
His 24 years in cricket are conspicuous by the absence of any scandal or tittle-tattle. He simply let his bat speak for him.
He remained focused on his job, that of playing cricket and scoring as many runs as he could. He always spoke in measured words and was always “proper” in his public conduct. Throughout his career he remained humble and poised off the field.
He played under a series of captains, including Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni, and he got along well with all of them.
Even though he captained the Indian team himself in 1996, he was able to adjust to playing under the captaincy of some of his erstwhile team mates. This requires real maturity.
Above all, he seems to have followed his late father’s advice of not taking shortcuts and never giving up until he reached his goal.
As a result of these positive qualities, he has achieved enduring popularity among Indian fans.
What a way to go – with millions of fans cheering you or shedding tears at your departure from a game.
No sportsman in India has ever received such love and adulation. Well done, Mr Tendulkar.
Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai
Putting records into perspective
Much is made today of records being broken in many team and individual sports: the most prize money, the highest number of runs, goals or tries, and so on.
I do not want to take away from any sportsman’s achievements – and, indeed, the achievement of Sachin Tendulkar is truly magnificent – however I do feel that such records should not negate the achievements of the old masters and that there should be some allowance for the number of matches or events participated in.
Today, there are more and more international tournaments and, as these numbers increase, records are bound to tumble and will continue to do so.
The only exception is in the individual arena and in some team athletic events. While technology and advanced equipment make some difference, when you have run the fastest 100 metres, jumped the highest or thrown the discus the furthest, you have truly achieved a record.
Jeremy P Weeks, Abu Dhabi
