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“Brief and powerless is man's life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.”
| VBA's Positive News |
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China greets Israeli Prime Minister in Beijing
Chinese leaders have welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Beijing as China tries to bring its growing international influence to an area where it has had little impact -- the Middle East peace process. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met two days earlier with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads his people's efforts to achieve statehood. he near simultaneous visits of Abbas and Netanyahu underscore China's desire to play a greater role in the Middle East.
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India: Sensitive Index touches 20,000 after three months; HDFC jumps
The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index rose on Wednesday to close at a three month high with the index closing just shy of the key psychological level of 20,000 as shares in mortgage lender HDFC hit a record high after an earnings beat. Although foreign portfolio investors have so far bought $12.34 billion of Indian stocks in 2013, the outlook still remains robust amid global shares rising to new five-year highs.
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Natural resource revenues could nearly double school access in developing nations - UN study
Developing countries rich in natural resources can make huge gains towards universal schooling if they managed resource revenues better and devoted a significant share to education, according to a United Nations study released on 7 May. The study, entitled 'Turning the Resource Cures into a Blessing for Education', finds that revenue from natural resources could enable these countries to reach over 11 million out-of-school children. 'This is an investment in future generations that should be seized now,' UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry to return for a new effort on Mideast peace
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he would depart in two weeks on another trip to the Middle East to push peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The former Massachusetts senator, who visited the region twice in March and again last month, has been trying to end a 4 1/2 year stalemate between the parties over issues ranging from Israeli settlement construction in disputed lands to Palestinian efforts to win statehood recognition at international bodies.
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World Round-Up
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Demand to sack Ashwani, Bansal grows but Congress remains silent
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday remained non-committal on the continuance of its two ministers Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal.
The two have been under fire over allegations of misuse of power.
On Thursday, while Bansal chose to skip the Cabinet meet at the PM's residence, Ashwani attended it.
Sources said that the PM was still not keen on Ashwani's exit as that would expose him to opposition attack. Sources also said that Bansal's departure was only a matter of time.
However, later on, the party, while downplaying reports of Bansal's absence at the meet, said that he had welcomed CBI probe into the Railway Board bribery scandal, in which his nephew Vijay Singla is an accused and is in jail.
Meanwhile, reports also said that the Congress was now looking to change the portfolio of Ashwani Kumar as a way out.
"Government is seized of the matter. Let us wait.
This decision will be taken by the government. It will be done between the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleague," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said.
She made the remarks after a meeting Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had with the party spokespersons as also AICC general secretaries Janardan Dwivedi who is the in-charge of AICC media department.
"I am not an astrologer. How can I predict what is going to happen? These are probabilities, these are possibilities. We cannot say anything about it at this time.
A process is on.
As long as this process does not culminate, we cannot preempt any of the issue.... The matter is sub-judice. We cannot preempt a reply," Chowdhary said.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Last week's solar eclipse May 9 lit your house of earned income, and you can still use the energy of that friendly eclipse to increase your income. If you have not yet asked for a raise, or investigated another position that might pay you more, you will still have time to do so this week. If you are in your own business, you might want to experiment with raising your fees or prices. Solar eclipses open new paths, so be brave and state what you feel is warranted.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
Eclipse season is in full swing. You had a lunar full moon eclipse on April 27 in your partnership sector, and a solar, new moon eclipse last week, in Taurus, May 9. Remarkably, there will be a third, coming as a lunar eclipse, in Sagittarius, that will finalize a financial situation on or near May 25. For now, you will have a solid week, for you will continue to be helped by the solar eclipse in Taurus. Review what you have accomplished so far over the past few years, and what you'd like to set out to do now. If you have goals that no longer hold a fascination for you, you may have outgrown them, so draw up new ones.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Last week was a new moon solar eclipse in Taurus, and you will still feel the energy this week. It should be a fairly quiet week, which will allow you to work by yourself in solitude on any project that demands your full concentration. If you have any medical or dental matters that need to be addressed, you can get those appointments scheduled. Next week, another, third eclipse will come by on May 25, this time in Sagittarius, the sign opposite yours, and therefore relevant to you.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
This week will allow you to follow undisturbed along on your planned agenda. The solar eclipse of last week, May 9, is intent on helping you expand your circle of friends. It will be in the area of friendship and in making new acquaintances that you will see the most personal growth, so if invited to a club event, mixer, or party, make time in your schedule to go. Your aim should be to expand your circle of contacts, and to also open up to people you may want to get to know better.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 Although a home or family matter continues to press on your mind, keep your eye steadily focused on your career. Opportunities that will arise now are ones that you would be wise to pay attention to. This week may later prove to be your best week of 2013 for raising your profile in your industry and for nabbing that plum position you want awarded to you. If you are self-employed, you can direct your company into new waters, confident the research you've done and the strategy you've built will be on target.
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Nokia unveils new Asha phone, priced at $99
Expanding its low-cost smartphone series, Nokia today globally launched Asha 501 touchscreen model which will be available in the market by June at around USD 99 excluding taxes.
"We will deliver Asha 501 in June to millions of people," Nokia CEO Stephen Elop told reporters here.
Asha 501 is the first device to run on the new Asha platform and the company chose India to launch the device globally.
"India is very important. It is the bellwether market that is very leading indicator of some of the trend...some of the new technology...it is very symbolic that we are not
launching this from certain other countries, from Finland, London or the US. We are launching it here in India because so much of our work is focussed on Indian consumers," Elop said.
The device comes with Nokia Xpress Browser pre-loaded, which compresses Internet data by up to 90 per cent.
"Asha 501 is the next generation of Asha smartphones...We have created new Asha platform. 80 per cent of world operates in 2G environment and Asha 501 is customised to suit 2G environment. We will expand this family with 3G products as well," Elop added.
Elop said 60 operators in 90 countries have committed to selling Asha smartphones.
"The new Nokia Asha 501 raises the bar for what is possible in affordable smartphone design and optimisation," Nokia Executive Vice President (Mobile Phones) Timo Toikkanen said.
The device, which is available in single and dual SIM models, comes with WiFi and bluetooth. It can give 17 hours of talk time and 48 days of standby time.
It has a 3.2 MP camera and comes in six colours.
Nokia is eyeing a major share in the smartphone market in India and is seeking to strengthen the smartphone portfolio as it faces tough competition from global rivals Samsung and Apple.
Despite India being second biggest market for Nokia, after China, the company has posted 23 per cent dip in revenue from Euro 2,923 million at the end of 2011.
Among various risk factors to its revenue, the company admitted that there was a stiff competition in the country's mobile handset market.
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Long hours of sitting may cause heart attack
Frequent fliers spend hours crouched in an airplane seat, hooked to a book or a video, only to emerge and stand upright when the plane hits the ground.
The same situation applies to long distance train and bus travellers or if you go on a trip in your car. So, it is imperative to move around frequently and avoid sitting for hours in your seat to prevent blood clots that can be dangerous and in some cases fatal.
"Sitting in the same position for hours can cause blood clots in the legs that can be fatal if not treated on time,: warns Dr. Anil Bansal, Interventional Cardiologist, Columbia Asia Hospital.
DVT or deep vein thrombosis, as it is called, is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis. Long hours of sitting can lead to such blood clots which when they break free from their initial position can travel through the bloodstream right up to the lungs where they become a pulmonary embolism.
A pulmonary embolism or PE is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream. This blockage that may cause obstruction of the blood flow or oxygen flow through the lungs can lead to a heart attack.
Why the link between long travel hours and blood clots?
"If your body or any part of it is deprived of movement for a long time, this inhibits blood circulation. If blood collects at one place in the legs, the platelets tend to stick to each other, forming a clot," explains Dr Bansal.
In a research released in 2007, World Health Organization (WHO) that examined the Global Hazards of Travel, found that the risk of developing clots approximately doubles if you trip last four hours or more.
Tips to follow when you are travelling for long hours:
- When travelling, make it a routine to carry on with up-and-down movements of the feet at the ankle joints. This encourages blood flow and prevents stagnation.
- Stand up from your seat and move about the flight every 30 minutes, or if you are driving on a long distance road trip, take frequent brakes.
- It is also important to keep yourself appropriately hydrated by drinking a lot of water.
- For people, who already have cardiac-related issues, they should always meet a doctor before travelling and make sure they carry their medicines along.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
You yearn to travel, so if you can get away this week, do. If the cost of the trip concerns you, look into travel packages that your travel agent can recommend, or that are advertised online. Rarely have you had a lineup of friendly planets like the ones you have this week, and with career options coming up for you soon, you'd be wise to have fun now while you can safely pack and go. If you have to stay at your desk, publishing and broadcasting projects will shine, as would any action involving academia. If you need to work on a matter involving a passport, green card, visa, or talks related to immigration, you can get these items things off your to-do list very successfully now.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
Many planets are still in Taurus, filling your house of finances, so no doubt you will concentrate on taxes, insurance, a court case, division of property, a mortgage, loan or credit situation, bonus, or commission matter, as a few examples, You can make great progress in the coming week. The new moon solar eclipse of May 9 likely set a financial action in motion, and because the energy of that eclipse will still be strong now, you can accomplish much. At week's end, on Friday and Saturday, your ruling planet, Venus, will receive a brilliant, shimmering vibration from the surprise planet Uranus.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 A major solar eclipse occurred last week, on May 9, in the sign opposite yours - Taurus. You may now be in talks to find ways to join forces with one other person, in love or marriage. You may get engaged or married, or simply decide to declare exclusivity to one another. If your alliance is for business, you may be spending time on negotiating a contract to make it just so and ready for signing soon. It appears to be a win-win for both of you. If you are presenting to a group of influential people this week, don't expect your ideas to be rubber stamped and quickly approved however. You will need to have your thoughts well-organized and come off quite persuasive. No one is better at business negotiation than a Scorpio, so strategize how to best to accomplish your aims.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
This will be a busy week, so stay alert, lest any small details of your current project fall through the cracks. You may feel a little overwhelmed due to all that is being asked of you this week, but if you break down tasks into manageable bits, you'll gain control over this project in no time. Protect your health this week, as you may be working long hours. (Even if you are not currently employed, you may be working on tasks in your private life.) Taking a break by going to the gym or taking a run won't cut into your time - doing so will make you more productive. By week's end, it looks like romance will be on the agenda.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 Last week's solar eclipse of May 9 in Taurus was very powerful, and is now setting off a week of exceptional romantic possibility for you. If you are single, this may be one of the most important weeks of the year to socialize in the hopes of meeting someone new. If attached or married, you can now get the attention of your partner and allow you to rekindle the excitement you experienced together during your first days together. You are an ambitious soul, used to working late hours, and your hard work has always been rewarded by promotions. However, if you don't make time for your future, you won't have one.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 Matters related to real estate, home, and family are sure to continue to be on your schedule now, and in the coming week, you can find many original solutions to your plan. Whether you hope to find a new space to lease or buy, hire a contractor to redo your kitchen, or find the ideal piece of furniture to refresh the look of your home, the solar eclipse that occurred last week on May 9 will still be working hard for you, and lead you to a solution that feels right. This will be the most vital week of 2013 to accomplish your home-and-family goals, so it will be important to divert time from the heavy demands of your career, as hard as that may be. You won't have an opportunity this strong again in 2013 to settle home matters. On a romantic note, your ruling planet, Uranus, will flirt with Venus on Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
The weather is beautiful, your spirits are high, and your yen to be in a new setting will be very strong. Early in the week, think about setting up reservations in a bed and breakfast in a pretty location that is within a day's easy drive. Travel will be possible and likely now, for any reason. At week's end, Venus, now in Gemini and your home sector, will receive a bright beam from Uranus, planet of unexpected developments, in Aries and your money sector. An outing that includes browsing several antique, vintage, and/or chic home goods shops may yield treasures at a considerable bargain.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by so quick you can hardly catch it going.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
"Distance means so little when someone means so much."
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
A husband visited a marriage counsellor and said, "When we were first married,
I would come home from the office, my wife would bring my
slippers and our cute little dog would run around barking. Now after ten years
it's all different, I come home, the dog brings the slippers and my
wife runs around barking."
"Why complain?" said the counsellor. "You're still getting the same service!"
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Maharashtra to set up nursing and paramedical education board
MUMBAI: Maharashtra government on Wednesday approved a proposal to set up a nursing and paramedical education board, which will take policy decisions regarding curriculum of courses in these streams.
The proposal was cleared by the state Cabinet, which met here.
The board will also take decisions on textbooks and their development, guidelines and laying down conditions for admissions, among other issues, official sources said.
Similarly, the Cabinet also decided to approve setting up of an agriculture university at Golewada in Hingoli district in Marathwada region.
Sixty-five posts will be created, incurring a cost of Rs 38.65 crore, at the varsity which will have an in-take capacity of 60 students.
The decision will encourage youth from Hingoli district to take up agriculture-related business ventures, Chief Minister's Office said.
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T20 is basically the saviour of cricket: Vivian Richards
Delhi Daredevils mentor Vivian Richards walked into the TOI office and immediately seemed to roll back time. There it was, the characteristic swagger, that laidback charm, that compact frame.
Even the adulation and excitement he generated seemed straight out of the 1980s. As Guest Editor of Times Sport, the West Indian legend came across as a multi-faceted personality, with a deep knowledge of sport and the world around him and an intensely philosophical bent of mind we had not glimpsed all these years. Excerpts from an enlightening conversation...
What do you like to be addressed as, Sir Viv or Vivian?
Vivian is quite relaxing for me.
Your famous swagger to the crease, the gum-chewing... these are as much a part of your legend as your batting. Viv Richards and the gum-chewing went hand in hand... do you still chew gum?
No, not any more. There aren't any more battles going on (laughs)! My chewing gum had always been my saviour. There wasn't any particular brand of chewing gum. It made you feel a little cool, you know you're chewing and it takes away a little bit of the tension having to face these guys. The chewing gum was basically life to you at that time. The walk to the crease...there wasn't anything that was a put on. I think as a Caribbean person you always have a laidback style. That laidback style and the chewing gum, it was my companion, just the sort of protection I needed. It's wasn't an aggressive walk but a walk that said which region you're from. It was a Caribbean thing which said, 'you are cool, maan'.
It's said when you went to Australia during the 1975-76 tour, you visited a psychiatrist...
No, it was actually the psychiatrist who came and saw me (laughs)! It was Rudi Webster. He was from the West Indies himself, from Barbados. He basically came up and offered his services. I was facing the best cricketing team in the world at that time, Australia, the best fast bowlers, and coming off maybe a successful tour of India. Not that I was out of nick or anything but I was getting out in the 30s and 40s. Then he came and identified certain things that he felt we could work with. Things progressed a little bit so I guess having spoken to him, I went to Adelaide and scored my first ton in Australia, then a 50, then 98.
Do you remember all your dismissals?
Not much, maybe the ones in which you do not score that well...
Do you remember the one after which you smashed up the dressing room?
Yes I remember that one (it was in Delhi). It was a nasty LBW decision. Those days we never had neutral umpires. Even Kapil went, "Aaaahhh..." (And) I couldn't believe it when I saw the finger going up. Funny, the incident leading up to that whole stuff.
What incident?
Someone called me up the night before in the hotel. Some anonymous call came in saying, "Mr Richards? You don't know me but if I were you tomorrow I'd be careful of the umpire." That was scary, wasn't it? I don't know what was going on then. Those days you never heard about match-fixing and all that stuff. So someone called me that night and funnily enough the next day....it (Kapil's delivery) wouldn't have hit another set (of stumps) and I was given out.
What was it about BS Chandrasekhar? You have said in the past that he was one bowler you really feared...
I don't think anyone bowled leg-breaks as fast as him, especially when you can turn it and get that bounce. You know, playing my very first Test match in Bangalore and getting out for 4 and 3, and then Chandrasekhar misses the second Test (in Delhi) and I get my first century! That could have played a huge role in my development of sorts. In terms of my style of batting, Delhi has always been kind to me in a big, big way.
Talking of your mentoring stint with the Delhi Daredevils, Virender Sehwag recently said after a good knock that you taught him how to 'bluff'. What was this 'bluff' he was talking about?
We know Sehwag's style and I've been impressed with his aggression. When things are not quite working for you, sometimes you can still bluff, and I use examples like Chris Gayle. When everyone knows you have that sort of aggression then people are expecting you to do it from Ball 1 or Ball 2, and most times there will be guys in the circle who will concede the single. The bluff is to take that single. It helps because it gets you into a right frame of mind... you can always catch up. So that's the bluff, rather than a fiery start. Also, every batsman has to have some sort of respect for the bowler, respect for the game itself.
Did you ever have bouts of self-doubt?
Yes, every sportsperson goes through that. Here again is when you do your bluffing. Even though you're feeling bad inside, you're hurt inside, there are times you can still have the same walk. You can bluff your way because of your style itself. These are some strategies that I think sportsmen - regardless of what sport they play - use to get things done.
Did a bowler ever bluff you?
Dennis Lillee used to do it often. Even when I spanked him around the ground, he would still be in your face. Sometimes when you score a ton, you can see some bowlers fade away but this guy, even when you score a 150, he would still come at you with a never-say-die attitude. I couldn't tell him this when he was still playing but in retirement I made sure that I told him, "You're okay, you know."
Who's the most difficult bowler you ever faced?
Jeff Thomson was more awkward than anybody else. He had a totally different style, a slinging sort of action. He used to hide the ball somewhere behind him (laughs). He would get the ball to jump from a very good length. And bowling that fast, it's always a problem for any batsman. Thommo wasn't that vocal, he was a guy that would get down on himself if he bowled a loose delivery. That's why we're still friends today.
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I Love New Year
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I Love New Year
Movie Name : I Love New Year
Release Date : May 24, 2013
Genre : Rom Com
Producer : Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar
Director : Radhika Rao, Vinay Sapru
Music Director : Pritam
Cast : Sunny Deol, Kangana Ranaut, Navin Choudhary, Tannishta Chatterjee, Prem Chopra, Reema Lagoo, Maya Alagh, Manoj Joshi, Jiten Mukhi, Virag Mishra, Arbaaz Khan
Synopsis:
I Love New Year is an upcoming romantic comedy film starring Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut in the lead. It's a story on what happens between two people in a span of two days over the New Year's Eve.
The movie follows two strangers, a beautiful musician (Kangana Ranaut) and a serious Wall Street banker (Sunny Deol), that have a chance encounter on New Year's Eve that the banker can't seem to remember and the events that come about as a result of the two meeting.
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the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Importance of keeping one’s word
We all know that the pandavas left their kingdom for 13 long years for keeping up their word! Well, for Arjuna going away from the bhogas of a king, for the sake of truth, was not new.
He did it once well before the aranyavaas. The story goes like this:
The kalyaanam of pandavas with Draupadi was an unusual one. However, it was perfectly according to dharma shastras.
Infact Draupadi is one of the greatest pativratas and praised even by Lord Krishna for her Dharma vartana. A few reasons to justify the kalyaanam:
Kunti Devi, the mother of pandavas, who never knew what a lie was, gave her will.
Vyaasa Maharshi, one of the avataar of Lord Vishnu, ordered the kalyaanam to be done.
Lord Shiva, pleased with her tapas, gave a boon to Draupadi to marry the pandavas.
Pandavas, though were five physically, were all amshas of Indra, the King of the Gods. Hence, pandavas were actually one.
Naarada, again an avataar of Lord Vishnu, suggested some rules to be followed by pandavas and Draupadi for living together.
This is because, though they were amshas of Gods and Godesses, since they had a human form some addition rules according to dharma shastras needed to be followed.
One of the rules was that: Draupadi should spend one year with each of the pandavas and while she was with one of them, no other pandavas should visit the palace where they might be.
In case of any breach of their rule, one-year pilgrimage was prescribed by way of penance leaving the kingdom.
The pandavas and Draupadi were living happily until one day: a brahmana came running to Arjuna saying that the thieves had stolen his cows.
Arjuna wanted to rush with him to catch the thieves but he realised that his bow and arrows were kept in Yudhisthira's palace and he was there in the company of Draupadi.
He hesitated for a while, then seeing brahmana's plight he rushed in to Yudhisthira 's palace took his bow and arrows and ran to catch the thieves.
After he caught the thieves and punished them, after restoring the cows of the brahmana, Arjuna came back to Yudhisthira and told him about his transgression of the rule.
Yudhisthira, knowing the reason of the breach of their rule, said their is no need for Arjuna to take the pilgrimage.
Since it is a mistake committed towards him, and that too for a good reason, he will pardon arjuna .
However, Arjuna would never break his word. He immediately set out for a one-year pilgrimage. May be this is why Arjuna is such a favourite sakha of Lord Krishna.
Morals in the Story:
The story shows how important it is to keep up ones word, whether it is of any consequence or not, how much ever difficult it is.
Arjuna, knowing that he will be punished for breaching the rule, did not stop doing his duty as a king to protect his people and punish the theif. Thus, one must always perform his duty without any laziness or any kind of fear.
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“When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. ”
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