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“If you don’t take a chance, you don’t stand a chance.”
| VBA's Positive News |
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UK: Food growing and cooking get boost on national curriculum
Following years of community-led action and celebrity-driven campaigns, food growing and cookery are soon to become a compulsory part of a child's education when they are added to the national curriculum in 2014. The final version of the national curriculum is due to be published in August 2013, and is set to be implemented in schools from September 2014. It is expected, where possible, to ensure that all pupils are taught practical knowledge and skills 'to cultivate plants for practical purposes, such as for food or for decorative displays.' In addition, the government has also included cooking in the curriculum, advising that pupils should: 'understand food and nutrition and, where possible, have opportunities to learn to cook.'
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US: Jobless claims fall sharply to five-year low
The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week to its lowest level since the early days of the 2007-09 recession, suggesting the job market is still healing despite weakness in the broader economy. The level of claims last week was the lowest since January 2008, a month after the beginning of a deep recession.
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Canada records surprise trade surplus in March
In a sign the spluttering Canadian economy might grow faster than expected in the first quarter, surging exports helped produce the country's first trade surplus in a year in March. Strong February growth figures on Tuesday also suggest the domestic economy is starting to pick up speed. 'It now looks like trade will add significantly to real GDP growth in the first quarter,' said Robert Kavcic of BMO Capital Markets in a note to clients.
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Australia: Outback hot-rocks test site powers up
A power station driven by hot-rocks technology has begun producing electricity in the far north-east of South Australia. The one-megawatt Habanero pilot plant near outback Innamincka is operated by Geodynamics. CEO Geoff Ward said the plant was first in Australia to produce power using an enhanced geothermal system (EGS). The process draws hot water from underground to heat other water in pipes. That produces steam and drives a turbine.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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UPA coal tune: 'Who does dirty acts by fixing official appointments?
The coal allocation scam is turning murkier by the day, with players posturing and passing the buck on each other, after the Supreme Court's tough remarks against the CBI as well as the government for "breaching the trust".
The coal allocation scam is turning murkier by the day, with players posturing and passing the buck on each other, after the Supreme Court’s tough remarks against the CBI as well as the government for “breaching the trust”. Union law minister Ashwani Kumar, who has been left high and dry by the Congress, stoutly denied having ever convened any meeting with the CBI chief.
The minister, who was summoned to the party’s war room, gave a detailed account of the meeting with the CBI chief, saying that it was arranged by attorney general GE Vahanavati to sort out a difference of opinion with his deputy, additional solicitor general Harin Raval, over filing of affidavit or a status report in the Supreme Court.
“It has been a convention for the law minister to intervene and preside over a meeting in case of difference of opinion between the top legal officers,” he told senior Congress leaders. He was, however, at pains to tell them that they must defend him.
Kumar seemed confident that he will be vindicated on May 6, when the CBI files its affidavit in the Supreme Court. In a clear attempt to pass the buck, Kumar said the meeting, which was held in his office, had been called by the attorney general and not him. Admitting that the CBI director and his deputy attended the meeting, Kumar insisted that the attorney general had perhaps called them to the meeting since the matter pertained to the CBI affidavit.
“While it was decided to file a report in a sealed envelope to the apex court, the CBI director showed me the report, which I just glossed through and suggested a few changes, more so spelling or grammatical,” he told the Congress leaders who are still unsure of defending him and believed it was “untenable” for him to remain in office. So far, only the prime minister has been backing Kumar.
A minister who was present in the meeting pointed out that the controversy was denting the government’s image. One of the leaders said that even if minor changes were made to the draft report, an impression is created that the agency had doctored the report on the government’s instructions.
They wondered why the law minister was not clarifying his position before the media. Kumar replied by saying that he would go public on May 6, after the CBI files report in the apex court. “If I go public at this stage, I would accused of pressuring the CBI,” he said. The leaders even suggested to him to make public the minor changes he made to the draft to save embarrassment to the government.
Sources in the government also say that following the critical remarks by the apex court, the PM is understood to have discussed with the government’s top law officers the interpretation of the remarks.
Singh is believed to have discussed the issue with attorney general G E Vahanvati and solicitor general Mohan Parasaran to assess the implications of the observations
Parasaran defended saying that it is not first time that a law minister had met a CBI chief.
“It happened in UPA-I and during the NDA rule too. We will have to restore public confidence in us which has eroded,” he said and added: “If the CBI or the law minister had to do something clandestine, they could have done it in the darkest hour. Why do it in daylight by fixing official appointments?”
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
The flow of your personal finances may run into a snag if they are tied up in investments or if you are waiting for a payment from an institution. Communication delays or red tape may be to blame for the complications, which should ease up by next week as Mercury and Saturn ease in their celestial conflict. When attempting to resolve the issue, do not make any new agreements or sign any documents that change or add terms to an existing agreement today or tomorrow. Although you may be trying to expedite a resolution, it may backfire and lock you into unfortunate terms.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You may have a hard time coming to an agreement with another person, whether business or personal. While it may be difficult to get your point across, don't silence yourself or give in prematurely just to be cooperative or you may regret what you've agreed to later, especially if the matter is important. If you feel strongly about the matter or the stakes are high, consider postponing a conversation until next week and try again to come to an agreement.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 With expansive Jupiter in Gemini since last year, you've been stretching yourself in at least one if not many simultaneous directions. While you've had many opportunities, you may be confronted with the reality that even you don't have unlimited energy and need to take a break. With Mercury and Saturn in conflict now, focus more on depth than breadth, and limit your data input. The more you try to say or cram into your brain, the faster you will hit the point of being overwhelmed. Next week may have you easily back at top speeds.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
You'll likely find it difficult to make headway today with Mercury and Saturn clashing. Everyone has an opinion and they all want you to agree with it, or at least get an earful! If you feel overwhelmed today by everyone's emotionally-charged input, you may be tempted to dig your heels in and resist; however, that may just make you feel more battered. Look to a strong-willed, no-nonsense partner, friend, or co-worker to lend his or her strength and buoy you up.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You may find it hard to work out any agreements today with Saturn and Mercury in conflict. While the situation may not be volatile, there is a sense of a stand-off, especially if someone who seems to be in the know or has some authority is trying to push his or her opinion. The more fervent someone's point of view, the more resistance you may feel, and vice versa, so try to avoid digging your heels in out of sheer stubbornness alone. The pressure may ease after May 6.
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Andhra Bank Q4 net up 1.5%, costs drag
State-owned Andhra Bank is expecting some stress on its performance even in fiscal 2013-14 due to prevailing tough macroeconomic conditions. The bank has already suffered a margins dip in the just-ended year due to a variety of reasons, including slippages in the asset quality.
It reported a marginal 1.5% rise in net profit at Rs 345 crore for the last quarter of 2012-13 due to higher provisioning and rise in operating costs. Its net profit in the corresponding period last fiscal stood at Rs 340 crore.
“We expect deposits to grow by about 18% and advances by about 20% in the current financial year. However, margins are likely to remain under pressure as we expect the cost of deposits to remain high. The net interest margin (NIM) is expected to be at about 3%.
In case the rate cut is aggressive in the (RBI) policy, the pressure would further mount,” said B A Prabhakar, chairman and managing director.
The lender’s NIM stood at about 3.21% for the year ended March 2013, down 46 bps. For the same period, the bank’s gross NPA was at about Rs 3,714 crore as against Rs 1,798 crore a year ago. Net NPA, too, climbed sharply to Rs 2,409 crore against Rs 755.85 crore. The bank’s net profit was down 4.13% at Rs 1,289.13 crore compared with Rs 1,344.67 crore a year earlier.
The overall business grew some 17.5% to about Rs 2.23 lakh crore.
While deposits jumped 17% to Rs 1.23 lakh crore, advances went up 18% to about Rs 1 lakh crore.
According to Prabhakar, the overall macroeconomic conditions, in addition to inflationary pressures, interest rates and sluggishness in project finance offtake, took a toll on the bank’s performance. The provisioning towards NPA too has affected the balancesheet on the bottomline. The bank had to make provisioning for the wage settlement and pension payments for its employees.
For now, the bank is keen on improving its advances to about 18.2% against the industry average of about 14%. However, it sees growth coming mainly from sectors like agriculture, retail and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) segments instead of corporates. In fact, the bank has been working on this shift for some time now. “The corporate sector portfolio is already down to about 53% from the earlier 57%. We will bring it further down to about 50%,” Prabhakar said.
As for asset quality, the slippage is attributed to a lacklustre show in some of its large corporate accounts. The bank has also admitted that high exposure to the power sector – at about 14% – too was a drag. “It’s a legacy issue and cannot be corrected overnight,” Prabhakar said.
Andhra Bank is also one of the key lenders to the beleaguered Deccan Chronicle Holdings (DCHL) with an exposure of about Rs 200 crore. The bank has already initiated process under the provisions of the SARFAESI Act, 2002 to recover the dues. “We have initiated the process and as per the procedure, we would liquidate the collateral to recover the dues,” he said.
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Green coffee beans can make you thin
Scientists today reported striking new evidence that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can produce a substantial decrease in body weight in a relatively short period of time.
In the study Joe Vinson's team described how a group of overweight or obese people who consumed a few milligrams of ground green coffee beans each day lost about 10 per cent of their weight.
"Based on our results, taking multiple capsules of green coffee extract a day - while eating a low-fat, healthful diet and exercising regularly - appears to be a safe, effective, inexpensive way to lose weight," said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton.
The study involved 16 overweight or obese people aged 22-26 years who took capsules of the extract or capsules containing a placebo, an inactive powder, for a total of 22 weeks. The subjects alternated between a low dose and a higher dose of the extract.
The low dose consisted of 700mg of the coffee extract, and the high dose was 1,050mg. It was a so-called "crossover" study in which people cycled through the two doses and the placebo, each for six weeks. Such studies have advantages because each person serves as his or her own "control," improving the chances of getting an accurate result.
All of the participants were monitored for their overall diet (calories, food eaten, etc.) and exercise over the study period. "Their calories, carbohydrates, fats and protein intake did not change during the study, nor did their exercise regimen change," Vinson said.
Participants lost an average of 7 kilos during the 22 weeks of the study. It included an average of a 10.5 per cent decrease in overall body weight and a 16 per cent decrease in body fat. Vinson noted that weight loss might have been significantly faster, except that participants received the placebo and the lower dose of green coffee extract for part of the study period.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Don't ignore the facts, no matter how inconvenient or frustrating they may be. While there may sometimes be flexibility in interpreting what story the facts may ultimately tell, you will have very little leeway with the reality that's enforcing itself as Mercury and Saturn face off. Although you may feel certain in your conviction, avoid signing any agreements, formal or informal, until next week, or you may find yourself locked into something you never intended.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
If you are looking to acquire more funds or just get easier access to the ones you do have, you may find it more difficult today and tomorrow as Mercury and Saturn face off. Communication about money, especially with someone you share funds or other resources with, may seem to get you nowhere with a resolution seemingly impossible to reach. If someone is asking for your help with finances or other resources, you may feel that you can't or don't want to offer assistance, depending on the situation. This tension should ease up by May 6.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 You and a partner may have trouble seeing eye to eye today. If it seems too difficult to get anywhere in conversation, try again in two days after Saturn and Mercury part ways. However, if the matter can't wait, avoid a stalemate by really listening to what your partner has to say, without judgment. Even if you think you know what he or she is going to say and you already know you don't agree, your willingness to listen can set a precedent and make it easier to work out an agreement.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You may offer your ideas and engage in discussions, but there may be a non-visible element to a certain situation that will make it hard to get your message across as Saturn and Mercury begin their brief conflict. Someone may simply not be paying attention or may stubbornly be avoiding hearing what you have to say. More force or repetition may just overload the situation; try again next week when the timing may be better.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 You may be a bit of a lone voice right now in a certain situation where you don't subscribe to the popular view. If you are collaborating with others, going out on a limb or pushing your opinion may not win the day; in fact, it may have the reverse effect. If you are not attached to your opinion, it may be easier to go along with the consensus vote and keep the peace. But if you are taking on a responsibility or shaking hands on something, think twice and be realistic about what you are agreeing to or you may regret your decision.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 You may feel full of creative ideas, but today it may seem as though the harder you try to present them or put them into action, the more you are ignored or shut down. Whether it's due to someone just wanting to do things the way they've always been done or cumbersome bureaucracy, the simple, direct approach may get you nowhere. If you can wait until after May 6, the resistance may ease. If not, do a little clever digging and see if you can uncover some little known information that may help.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You can look at a certain situation you are in from a lot of different perspectives, but all those roads will lead to the same irrefutable truth as Mercury and Saturn begin warming up to a brief confrontation with each other. Trying to force a point of view with stronger words or steadfast conviction will not change someone else's mind nor the situation. Don't beat your head against the wall in frustration; a different approach next week may be more fruitful.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Life is very similar to a boxing ring..
Defeat is not declared, when U fall down..
It’s declared, when U refuse to get up...”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Love will not serve those who do not live for her, and in her, and to whom she is not the breath of life.
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
A blond went to police station and registered a complaint
Blond - Sir I am getting Threats on my phone.
Police: Who the hell is threating you?, tell me we will take action against them.
Blond : Sir telephone people... They are threating to cut if the bill is not paid.
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All-round education in schools comes at a price
CHENNAI: Schools are set to be more fun from June, but a tad more expensive. The Madras high court ruling on Monday allowing schools to charge for extracurricular activities after school hours has encouraged schools to consider bringing back all the activities they cut out because they couldn't afford them.
After the Tamil Nadu Schools ( Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act 2009 was passed, many private school heads said extracurricular activities would be the first casualty . Schools which maintained smooth relations with parents did not have to cut down on after-school activities as they could charge for them without having parents knocking at their gates in protest.
Institutions that had a small section of the parents protesting against fee charged in excess of that prescribed by the committee made the activities optional , while those that had a majority of the parents insisting on governmentprescribed fee were forced to cancel activities after class hours . Heads of some schools said in the last two years they have had to even drop their NCC and Guide and Scout activities because they were paid services.
"Because of the restrictions imposed , we did not know whether we could hire coaches for sports during hobby hour . The ruling has opened up the field for us once again and we are now confident of providing holistic education without focusing on just academics," said C Satish , senior principal , Paavai Group of Schools .
Thanks to the new ruling, schools are now gearing up to offer everything from Go-K arting to music lessons and robotics to dramatics, with parents bearing the expense .
Coming ahead of the new academic year, this is set to increase the parent's burden by 4,000- 5,000 a term. R Arul , a parent , said , "We can bear a maximum increase of up to 3,000. Anything more is beyond my means, and I will have to excuse my child from these activities."
Others felt it would save them time, money and energy if the school conducted the activities. "I don't have to go looking for classes to occupy my child, and if it is done in school it will also save me the cost of sending him by autorickshaw to another place," said Raghav Vijay, parent of a 12-year-old.
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Has IPL fanfare taken a turn towards regional fanaticism
Recently, when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) took on home team Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-adrenaline match at Wankhede Stadium, it was nothing short of war.
A rather unfortunate run-out, of Mumbai batsman Ambati Rayudu, led to the crowd booing Bangalore captain Virat Kohli and calling him "cheater" for the rest of the match. Virat, who was evidently upset, later said, "The crowd should remember that I play for India, too."
While regional fanaticism is yet to make its big mark in the IPL, the incident has led many to wonder whether it will turn out to be like the European football leagues.
"Incidents like these are quite common in the West. Be it European football matches or American baseball or Superbowl fixtures, regional fanaticism is always present," says Avinash Kumar, a software engineer.
While the past few years have seen heated games between teams like Chennai Super Kings, RCB and MI, none of them had seen fans take to such booing. Ajinkya D, a MI fan who was at the stadium, says, "Sometimes, it is all about reacting to the moment. We, as Mumbai fans, felt that it was a wrong decision (the run-out). Kohli, as the Bangalore captain, should have called him back in the name of sportsmanship. Hence, the "cheater" call was a natural thing."
Rajshri Thakur, a marketing professional, states, "I once watched Manchester United in a game against Manchester City. The fans booed the rival team throughout the game and when the home team lost, a few fans even ended up having fistfights with the rival team's fans. This kind of sports fanaticism is quite common outside India. It was only a matter of time for IPL to follow suit."
Sports psychologist Shree Advani says, "Why won't there be fanaticism when it's the country's favourite sport with teams representing different regions? When we watch a sportsman perform, we see him put in his/her complete being, be it physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. And if he or she loses, the way they take defeat in their stride makes them one's role model. In this match, people expected Kohli to be the bigger person and let the Mumbai batsman stay. But people don't realise that sport isn't perfect. Recently, Saina Nehwal was knocked out of the Indian Open because of one wrong line call. People need to understand that, but their love for the sport usually blinds their rationale."
The current IPL rivalries:
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings have matches with fans emotionally charged up.
Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders matches have fans fighting it out too.
Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab matches have fans charged up.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians matches have taken a fanatic turn too.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings matches have fans at their emotionally charged best too.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings matches have also seen fights between fans.
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Gippi
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Gippi
Movie Name : Gippi
Release Date : 10 May 2013
Genre : Comedy, Drama
Producer : Karan Johar
Director : Sonam Nair
Music Director : Vishal–Shekhar
Cast : Riya Vij, Taaha Shah, Divya Dutta
Synopsis:
Gippi is a 14-year-old girl who lives in Simla with her mother Pappi and little brother Booboo. She is overweight and awkward and doesn't know how to handle the physical, emotional and social changes happening in her life. In school, she is a backbencher and is constantly bullied by the popular queen-bee Shamira. At home, she's trying to figure out how to deal with living in a broken home. In the middle of all this chaos, she falls madly in love with an older, brooding heartbreaker. When her love story comes to a humiliating end, and she is publicly scorned, she decides to take her life in her hands and accepts Shamira's challenge to stand against her in the school elections. Whatever the final outcome might be, Gippi makes sure she has a great time in the journey, filling it with delicious desserts, funny teachers, school crushes, and Shammi Kapoor dances. Gippi is a coming-of-age story of an ordinary, overweight girl, who, through the course of the film, learns to love herself for exactly who she is. It is also a tale of an underdog, who picks herself up from nothing and finds herself at the top of her own little world.
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August has the highest percentage of births
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Keep your dream
I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let Jack use my horse.
It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses.
As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track.
Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.
“He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, `See me after class.’
“The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, `Why did I receive an F?’
“The teacher said, `This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you.
You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land.
You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, `If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, `Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this.
However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’ “Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all.
He stated, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.” “Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.”
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“Life isnt about learning how to weather the storm. its about learning how to dance in the rain.”
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