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“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
| VBA's Positive News |
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In show of friendship, Germany and France pledge deeper union
Meeting on the 50th anniversary of the pact sealing their post-war reconciliation, the leaders of Germany and France vowed to bridge differences on the shape of Europe's currency union and unveil joint proposals on deeper integration within months. The two leaders stressed their common values and hailed the importance of the Franco-German partnership after centuries of conflict that culminated in two world wars.
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German investor sentiment at highest since May 2010
German analyst and investor morale hit its highest level in more than 2-1/2 years in January, suggesting the euro zone crisis is no longer hurting Europe's largest economy as much as it was late last year. The improvement in sentiment fuels hopes that investments will rise again and help Germany's economy to revive.
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Film's campaign is to educate girls worldwide
Director Richard Robbins showed about 10 minutes of his new movie, 'Girl Rising', at the Sundance independent-film festival Monday. The film tells the stories of nine girls from different developing countries -- including Cambodia, Haiti, India, and Afghanistan -- and shows how access to education would change their lives. Girls who are educated marry later, have fewer and healthier children, achieve self-sufficiency, and continue the cycle of education with their own children, actress Freida Pinto said. 'If you educate girls, you will change the world,' she said.
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Sharp rise in German investor optimism
A closely watched survey shows an unexpectedly sharp rise in German investor confidence, suggesting increasing optimism over how financial markets will perform in the coming months. The ZEW institute said Tuesday its indicator of economic sentiment rose by 24.6 points in January over the month before to an overall 31.5 points - its highest level since May 2010. Economists had predicted a more modest rise to 12 points.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Likud wins, but centrist newcomer shock of Israeli election
One of the most anemic election campaigns in Israeli history threw up a surprise on Wednesday when Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-Beteinu party did worse than expected, and a new centrist party came from nowhere to emerge as the second-largest faction in parliament.
With 90 per cent of the votes counted by 0200 GMT on Wednesday morning, Mr. Netanyahu’s alliance with former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman was winning only 31 seats, fewer less than predicted in most pre-election polls.
The results, with centre-left parties doing better than expected, appeared to defy predictions of a dramatic swing to the right.
The results also showed the balance of power equally divided between the right wing-religious block and the centrist-left-wing one, neither with an automatic majority coalition.
It was also a harsh blow to the Likud-Beteinu alliance which went into the elections with 42 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
Mr. Netanyahu told party activists at Likud campaign headquarters that he wanted to create as large a coalition as possible.
“I believe that the result of the elections creates an opportunity for the changes that Israel’s citizens wish for themselves,” he said.
“The first challenge is and remains preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” he said, listing also economic responsibility, peace talks, a fairer division of the obligations borne by Israeli citizens and lowering the cost of living.
The biggest electoral surprise was the centrist Yesh Atid party led by former television anchorman Yair Lapid, which took about 19 seats to become the second-largest party in parliament.
Mr. Lapid told cheering supporters that his priorities were the economic crisis hurting the middle class, Israel’s international isolation and the stalled peace process.
He said a broad coalition should include the “moderate” forces from both the left and right.
The centre-left Labour Party was polling third with 15 seats, and the ultra-nationalist Jewish Home faction won only 11 seats.
The result was a major disappointment for the leaders of both parties. The Labour Party had expected to be the second-largest party. Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett said he had at least succeeded in placing his party at the “centre of the political map.” Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni also failed to convince voters with her centrist The Movement winning only seven mandates.
The Kadima party, which had won the most seats in the previous election in 2009 but had been racked by defections including Livni, suffered an electoral meltdown and was just scraping past the 2 per cent threshold needed to enter parliament with two seats.
The higher-than-expected voter turnout of 67 per cent was especially high in cities where centrist and left-wing parties were popular, compared to locations thought to be strongholds of the Likud and other right-wing parties, Shortly before the polls closed, Netanyahu sent an SOS to his supporters via his Facebook page, telling them that “our government is in danger” and urging those who had not yet voted to do so.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
You may find today to be an ideal time for spreading your opinions among friends and professional associates. Doors and new connections might open just through the simple act of conversation. You may feel as if anything is possible as Jupiter will sit in your communication sector and enable you to reach far and wide with your message. As long as you are mindful of what you say and how you say it, you'll be able to leave quite an impression.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You may feel as if you have an ideal window of opportunity to discuss your salary within your organization. How you are compensated means quite a bit since it is a reflection of your contribution and value. As a result, the timing may be perfect for you to bargain and deal. This should turn out favorably as Jupiter will work through your financial sector and spread abundance and prosperity, since this great planet tends to expand all that it touches.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 You might feel on top of the world and be willing to show it. You may feel confident in your views and ideas and be very happy to share those with others. Things will go smoothly especially in areas of travel or education where you have favorable influence. If you are in search of adventure, you may stumble upon it now. This wonderful alignment may be ideal for discovery, and your curious mind will soak up the energy like a sponge.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
You might find yourself in search of some deep advice or at least another viewpoint. You may have outgrown your current mode of thinking and are anxious to discover another, perhaps broader angle. The same may be true for working with other people in large organizations who may, in fact, be able to guide you. This should be an excellent time for self-awareness and philosophical expansion though books and conversations, especially if you have an association or outlet for those.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 A healthy and animated talk with your significant other may open doors you once thought were closed. Your friendships may also be in the spotlight as a result, so if you can make use of the conviviality, it may serve you well in the longer run. This might be a bright spot in your day as friends and business associates offer advice and maybe even show you a new trick or two, all because of an enlightening chat with your partner.
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Google's 4Q earnings rise despite Motorola woes
Google eked out slightly higher earnings in the fourth quarter, despite a financial drag caused by the Internet search leader’s expansion into device manufacturing and a decline in digital ad prices as more people gaze into the smaller screens of smart phones.
The results announced on Tuesday pleased investors, helping to lift Google’s stock by nearly 5 per cent in extended trading.
More advertising poured into Google during the holiday shopping season, fuelling a moneymaking machine that has steadily churned out higher profits since the company went public in 2004. Google’s fourth-quarter ad revenue totalled $12.1 billion, a 19 per cent increase from the previous year.
Some of that money, though, has been shifting away from personal computers as advertisers try to connect with an expanding audience that relies on smart phones and tablet computers to reach Google’s search engine, email and other online services. By some estimates, about one-fourth of Google’s search requests are now coming from mobile devices.
So far, advertisers have been unwilling to pay much money to market their wares on mobile devices, largely because the smaller screens leave less room for commercial links and other marketing messages. The trend is one of the reasons that the average price for the ads that Google shows next to its search results has fallen from the previous year in five consecutive quarters including during the final three months of last year.
In a positive sign, though, Google’s average ad prices in the most recent quarter dropped by just 6 percent from the same period in 2011. That’s the smallest decline during the economic downturn.
Google earned nearly $2.9 billion, or $8.62 per share, during the fourth quarter. That compared to net income of $2.7 billion, or $8.22 per share, at the same time last year.
If not for the costs of employee stock compensation and certain other accounting items, Google said it would have earned $10.65 per share. On that basis, Google exceeded the average earnings estimate of $10.54 among analysts surveyed by FactSet.
It proved to be a difficult quarter to decipher because of an accounting quirk and the additions of new business lines that muddied the comparisons with the previous year.
For instance, Google Inc. didn’t own Motorola Mobility in 2011, having completed its $12.4 billion acquisition of the troubled handset maker eight months ago. What’s more, the Google is bringing in more revenue from tablet computers, which it began selling under the Nexus brand during the final half of last year.
Things were further complicated by Google’s recent agreement to sell a part of the Motorola Mobility division that makes cable TV boxes. That division is now accounted for as a discontinued operation whose revenue wasn’t booked in the latest quarter, even though it will remain a part of Google until the $2.35 billion sale is completed later this year.
Under that equation, revenue surged 36 percent from the previous year to $14.4 billion. After subtracting advertising expenses, Google’s revenue totalled $11.3 billion. That figure was well below the average analyst estimate of $12.1 billion, according to FactSet.
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5 surprising facts about cholesterol
Cholesterol is mostly considered a villain, since so many have so much of its bad variety - LDL.
As result of this, we always consider it to be bad and harmful to heart health in particular. Yes, it is true, that high cholesterol isn't good for your heart. But, there are some other important facts about cholesterol that are just as important. Let's take a look...
Some symptoms of high cholesterol are visible to the naked eye
Generally, you come to know about high cholesterol through your doctor. But many a times reddish bumps show up on the body. They are known as xanthomas, and are caused by high cholesterol.
Exercise can increase good cholesterol
Daily exercise is very beneficial for healthy living; more so if you want to control cholesterol. Regular exercise can help lower bad cholesterol and increase the density of good cholesterol naturally.
Cholesterol rises after menopause
Before menopause, estrogen helps to keep cholesterol levels in check. But after a woman's last menstrual cycle, the level of estrogen falls, making the bad cholesterol rise sharply. As the level of cholesterol rises, it also increases the risk of heart problems in many women.
Low cholesterol can be bad as well
Though we all know that high cholesterol is bad for health, on the other hand, very low cholesterol is also associated with health problems. It is important to have a steady level of cholesterol, because if the cholesterol level drops below 160 mg/dL it may increase the chances of certain types of cancer, depression and early delivery.
Kids can have cholesterol as well
Due to obesity or family history of heart disease, kids as young as two can have high cholesterol. Hence, it is important to have a medical checkup done as early as possible and keep your diet in check.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
A dynamic alignment may allow you to shine when it comes to lending a hand at the office. Your clever detail-oriented mind may figure out a new method that solves problems on many fronts. This will not go unnoticed since your career will be in the limelight. With Jupiter in your work sector, you may see opportunities that are brimming with potential. You may want to use this time to offer your opinions and see how they fly.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
A playful creative day may await as you travel and explore. Adventures might fill up your time with museum jaunts or simply bumping into friends for lunch. This might also be an opportune time to be out and about looking for new organizations to join. You may feel like giving back in some manner and a charity will fit the bill. As a result, bright and cheerful conversations with new people may be enthusiastic and filled with the promise of something different.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 This may be an excellent time to be working with banks and insurance companies or mortgage brokers to cut a new deal for your homestead. Your ability to dig into the facts may be in top form as you search for the missing pieces to complete your paperwork or claim. Oftentimes these types of duties are laborious but you may have the good fortune to hit all your requirements right on target. If you can work on good clear communications, you may get much farther than you expected.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
This should be an opportune time to have a good heart-to-heart with your significant other. With Jupiter floating through your romance sector, you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome and the way the conversation transpires. You may also spend your time together investigating something that has piqued your collective interest. Maybe you'll be reviewing vacation plans or new housing options. Mutual investments or other large purchases may also be favored, which will likely add a measure of excitement to the talks.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 A fairly lucrative time may await you today as your income sector will have some favorable activity. You might invest in some new project or simply find a new stream of income. Anything that can aid or broaden your financial base may be worth your while. It may be useful to get some outside advice though before you act. You may find that the effort you put into this up-front work can pay off later. The steps you take may leave a long-lasting impact so you'll want to act responsibly.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 With the Sun newly arrived in Aquarius you may feel the warm glow of recognition. To make the situation even better, you will be joined by the intellectual curiosity of Mercury. Expect lively conversation and a warm exchange of laughter and good times to be had by all who stop by your office today. If you can muster some friends together, you will surely have quite a lively time on the dance floor or at your favorite restaurant.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You may expect to wrap up matters regarding your house or family. Jupiter aligns in your home sector and may shed an auspicious and healing light on your domestic scene. You may hope to come to closure on a home-related project or begin to look at other options for moving in a new direction. A little bit of investigation may find you pleasantly surprised about a financial affair that was unknown until now.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
A teenage girl had been talking on the phone for about half an hour, and then she hung up.
"Wow!," said her father, "That was short. You usually talk for two hours. What happened?"
"Wrong number," replied the girl.
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Three Patna University depts to get facelift with Central help
PATNA: Three life science departments of Patna University (PU) - botany, zoology and biotechnology - will soon get an academic and infrastructural boost as the department of biotechnology (DBT), government of India, has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the purpose.
The fund will be used to upgrade the postgraduate (PG) teaching and research laboratories with latest equipment and infrastructure. It will also be used in providing fellowships to students, training programmes, and promoting academia-industry interaction.
PU science faculty dean U K Sinha said two lecturers, one technician and six research scholars are to be appointed under this ambitious project. An advertisement for recruitment to these posts is to be issued next week, he said.
A separate new building to house an instrumentation laboratory is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 36 lakh. The process for the construction work has already been started. The instrumentation lab will have sophisticated instruments worth Rs 1 crore. Besides, the existing laboratories of botany and zoology departments would also be modernized at an estimated cost of Rs 60 lakh.
Sinha further said as many as 10 PG students, including four from botany and three each from zoology and biotechnology, have been selected for payment of monthly scholarship of Rs 3,000 for a period of two years. The selection has been done on the basis of academic records and performance of students in written test. Incidentally, all the selected students are girls.
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Men in Blue look to seal ODI series
CHANDIGARH: The most important facet of Team India's win in the last two matches against England in the ongoing one-day series was not just the victory but also the way they won it. A 127-run thrashing in Kochi and then following it up with a 7-wicket win in Ranchi underlines the fact that atleast in the 50-over version of the game the Indian team has definitely got the hang of the English team.
This newfound confidence means the Men in Blue want to seal the series right here when they clash against the English team at the PCA stadium, Mohali. "We aren't going to leave anything for chance" was the sentiment evoked by Virat Kohli, citing the uncertainty that looms large over the last one-dayer in Dharamshala.
Besides, the team management doesn't want to go into a 2-2 situation and give England the advantage. They very well know what happened in the test series after India had won the 1st test in Ahmedabad.
"We want to seal the series right here, right now. We have to step up a gear and execute our plans like we did in the last two ODIs. The team is treating this game as a do or die situation. England is a very good team, if you slip even slightly they have the capability to strike back," added Kohli after the team's net session.
The mood in the Indian camp was also quite upbeat. The team management called up in-form bowlers from the domestic scene, the likes of Rakesh Dhruv, Parvez Rasool, Ishwar Pandey and Shrikant Wagh to test out the Indian batsmen. The nets session was serious and the focus was on how-to-negotiate-seaming-conditions.
The Mohali wicket is generally known to support the seam bowlers and a greenish tinge on the pitch meant the Indian batsmen put in that bit extra against the fast bowlers in the practice session. Openers Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane spent the most amount of time at the nets and their role is expected to be a key one, as the Indian team would look forward to a good start from the pair.
Skipper Dhoni has been calling for more accountability from the willow wielders and alongwith coach Duncan Fletcher kept a hawk-eye on the batsmen, himself turning to some light throwdowns, but it was quite evident that his focus was on the top-order - Rahane, Gambhir and Kohli.
On the other hand, the difference between the English test team and the one-day team was written large, even in the way they practice. The intense nets session that the test team involves itself turned more into a jovial one for the one-day team. They are missing four key players from the test squad - James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad and Jonathan Trott - and this has put more responsibility on skipper Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen. The 'very English like conditions' did please the team management and its toying with the idea of going in with four fast bowlers. The overhead conditions, chill in the weather and the 'greenish tinge' might just prompt them to do so.
Yuvraj gives it a miss
Eyebrows were raised when local boy Yuvraj Singh didn't come for the practice session. Sources in the team management said the southpaw was unwell and had decided to take rest but expect him to be fit to take the field against the Englishmen. However, a final decision on whether he will play or not would be taken only before the match.
Teammate Kohli was supportive of Yuvraj and said, "Whenever Yuvi plays on this ground (PCA stadium, Mohali) the crowd gets excited. Every player likes to play on his home ground. We saw the support the Mahi got when he came out to bat in Ranchi. He is an important cog in our wheel."
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Special Chabbis
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Movie Name : Special Chabbis
Release Date : February 8, 2013
Genre : Action , Drama
Producer : Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Director : Neeraj Pandey
Music Director : M. M. Kreem, Himesh Reshammiya
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpai, Anupam Kher, Divya Dutta.
Synopsis:
Special Chabbis is an upcoming Bollywood heist drama film directed by Neeraj Pandey of A Wednesday fame. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Kajal Agarwal in the lead roles with Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpai and Anupam Kher in supporting roles.
The film takes its concept from the real-life daring heist dated 19-March-1987 where an unknown man posing as CBI officer Mon Singh recruited 26 men posing as income tax officers executing a daylight income tax raid on the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri in Mumbai, and disappeared with jewellery worth lakhs. The movie is set in the early 1980's. The film is scheduled to release on February 8, 2013.
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the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Hard work can do wonders
In Indian culture vairaagyam was always given ultimate importance. But careful, there is a very thin line that separates vairaagyam and laziness. In vairaagyam all karma is done but without expecting anything in return, without being involved in the materialistic aspects of karma. Bhagiratha, with his unparalleled effort to bring Ganga to earth, showed us how much effort a man can put in and as a result what wonders can be done.
On knowing that his ancestors (60000 Sagara Kumaras) will reach swarga only if the pure waters of Ganga flow through their ashes, from his mother, Bhagiratha immediately leaves to Himalayas to do tapas for Lord Brahma:
After purifying himself in a pushkarini, it starts tapas with extra-ordinary concentration.
Starts with padmaasana and in winter stood in the freezing waters of the lake with water up to chest!
In Summer stands in the middle of burning pancha-agnis (four agnis + sun) and steadily stared at the sun with eyes wide open (all the while concentrating on Brahma deva)!!
During the first few days, he had food only once a day. Later it was once in a few days. Then it became once in a month. After that, he just used to drink a little water and continue his ‘Tapas’. Finally the air was his only food!!!
1000 years passed….!!!!
Brahma, the creator of the worlds, on the requests of Gods to save them from the tremendous tapaagni of Bhagiratha, appears before him and blesses him with children and Ganga. However, Brahma deva suggests that none except Parama Shiva can take the force when Ganga falls onto earth, and if not with that force earth will be washed away…
Men are of three kinds:
There are cowards, who do not begin their work at all, afraid that some trouble may arise midway.
Those who begin but later give up the task, afraid of the difficulties that arise.
Brave people who belong to a third group. They continue to work in spite of even an army of difficulties, and finally achieve the goal.
Bhagiratha belonged to this third category of brave men. He again began a severe ‘Tapas’ to please Lord Ishwara. With folded hands, and standing on one leg, he meditated on Lord iswara with the deepest concentration. So a whole year passed. Pleased with Bhagiratha’s devotion Lord ishwara takes the immense force of Ganga and controls her in his jataajutam. He completely stops her from flowing to teach her a lesson (she was a mischievous girl, proud of her strength!), but for Bhagiratha it was another difficulty… But he again with tapas pleases Lord Shiva to release Ganga down to earth. Ganga followed Bhagiratha shyly and slowly, like his daughter (Bhaagirathi). But she grew a little mischievous, though Shiva taught her a lesson once, when near Jahnu maharshi’s ashram. She wandered all over the Ashrama like a small girl and the entire place was filled with water. Disturbed from tapas by it, Jahnu maharshi in a single gulp swallows her entirely. And suddenly difficulties again for Bhagiratha. But it is not the first time for him, so immediately pleases Jahnu maharshi (Jaahnavi comes out of Jahnu maharshi’s ear) and finally sends his ancestors to higher worlds…
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“Its important to put a lot of years into your life, but equally important to put a lot of life into your years.”
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