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“Life itself was only futility, vain words, a squabble of cap and bells. ”
| VBA's Positive News |
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Finland named as a best place in the world for mothers
Finland has climbed from the sixth place to the first place in the Save the Children's annual The State of the World's Mothers report. Finland was named a best place in the world for mothers amongst 176 countries. Sweden was number two and Norway number three. The Mother's Index compares countries based on how well they save lives of mothers and their new-born babies. It also assesses mothers' well-being using indicators of maternal health, under-five mortality, levels of women's education, income, and political status.
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Alberta, Canada: Province launches 'exciting' new initiative to encourage families to be healthy
A new campaign from Alberta Health is focused on encouraging elementary-aged children and their parents to get in the habit of eating healthy, and exercising. The province announced the 'Healthy U 5and1' campaign, designed to help parents and their young children start thinking about and implementing healthy food and activity choices in their day-to-day lives.
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UK: Sir David Attenborough opens landfill site transformed into nature reserve
A huge landfill site in Essex, transformed into a 120-acre nature reserve, has been officially opened by Sir David Attenborough. The Thurrock Thameside Nature Park at Mucking, which lies on top of 50 years of waste from six London boroughs, has been restored to grasslands, woodland, ponds, and reedbeds. Essex Wildlife Trust has turned it into a haven for bees, birds, and reptiles. It is one of the Trust's largest restoration projects. The scheme will eventually expand to cover 845 acres, about twice the size of London's Regent's Park, sitting on a 'pie-crust' up to 30 metres deep which covers the landfill site.
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US First Lady Michelle Obama: Seek out those with different beliefs
First Lady Michelle Obama urged Eastern Kentucky University graduates on Saturday night to reach out to people with different political beliefs, saying the country would benefit from the conversations. 'If you're a Democrat, spend some time talking to a Republican,' Mrs Obama told about 600 education, business and technology graduates at the third and final commencement ceremony of the day. 'And if you're a Republican, have a chat with a Democrat. Maybe you'll find some common ground, maybe you won't.' The First Lady suggested that they visit senior centres to benefit from the experiences of people with plenty of 'life experience under their belts.' She also pointed them to religious congregations different than their own, saying they might hear something in a sermon 'that stays with you'. And she predicted they would learn something if they reached out 'with an open mind and an open heart'.
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World Round-Up
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Handling of Yeddyurappa issue led to debacle in Karnataka: Advani
Knives are out in the BJP on factors behind the party’s debacle in the Karnataka Assembly election with groups vying for supremacy within the party ahead of the general election taking a diametrically opposite view on the handling of the Yeddyurappa issue.
Senior party leader L.K. Advani has blamed the party leaders for pussyfooting on its former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa when it became apparent that he was ‘unabashedly indulging in corruption.’
However, Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and ardent supporter of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, maintained that the cost of losing Mr. Yeddyurappa has been ‘reasonably high’ and one “must blend issues of governance with some prudent politics.”
In an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN, Mr. Jaitley suggested that ‘strong position’ taken by the party on some issues led to serious divisions in the rank and file.
Senior echelons of the party were divided on the question of disciplinary action against Mr. Yeddyurappa after he was indicted by the Lokayukta on charges of illegal mining. The Advani camp was in favour of a firm action but another section advocated a cautious approach given the former Chief Minister’s influence among his Lingayat community.
Even after Mr. Yeddyurappa was forced by the leadership to quit as Chief Minister, Mr. Modi had kept a line open with the Karnataka strong man. It was certainly not a coincidence that Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was miffed with a section of central leaders, landed at the Mumbai National Executive of the party after it became known that Mr. Modi — who had stayed away from the National Executive in protest against re-induction of his arch rival Sanjay Joshi into the party — would be there.
PM candidate
As general election nears, the battle within the BJP on the question of the prime ministerial candidate is expected to intensify between the Advani and Modi camps. While the Modi camp is banking on his bond with the party rank and file plus his untested ‘pan-India’ appeal, ‘Advani is the best bet’ advocates are working on the thesis that the Hindutva plank of the party would not work in the current political environment; in addition to unacceptability of a divisive personality like Mr. Modi to the existing and potential electoral partners.
For several months now Mr. Advani has been openly talking on how it is imperative for the party to work towards a scenario of NDA plus if it has to ensure a viable government.
In his concluding address to the National Council delegates Mr. Advani in March first week while expressing disappointment over the failure of the party to benefit from the disenchantment of the people with the UPA had asserted that in order to oust UPA, the party must work closely with all the like-minded parties both those within the NDA and those outside the NDA to reassure the people that a strong, viable non-Congress alternative, with an agreed agenda of good governance, is available before them.
The Modi backers however believe that allies would be forced to rally round the party if it manages to win 150 odd seats on its own which in their view is achievable with the Gujarat Chief Minister as the 2014 general election face.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Financial activity may be kicking in. but you may have to review your plans to see if what you envisioned is actually what has transpired. You may have been seeking outside help and it may very well have come. However, you may have to face a different set of expectations than what you originally intended. It may not be such a big deal as it appears, so you may be able to do quite a bit to meet that situation and bring it to a fruitful ending.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
This may be a good time to reevaluate some of your business connections. Are you seeing things as clearly as you should? Do you understand what works and what doesn't? Your expectations may be different than those of your co-workers or other partners. As a result you may want to see how they work under different circumstances and clarify whether they still fit your needs. Friends can be quite helpful, but you can only ask so much of them. It may also be wise to avoid entering into financial arrangements with friends, since they can end up as challenging.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Some of your suggestions at your job may not come across as you would like. Are you stating your ideas clearly? Is there another way to present your thoughts? You may also see this as an opportunity to look at a new angle. A unique opportunity may allow you to think outside the box and try a more diplomatic approach. Also an open-ended discussion may lead you to a completely new conclusion, so this may be the time to open up and look for the jewels of clarity in the conversation.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
You may be in the process of learning new concepts and philosophies that may never have occurred to you before. This could be an opportunity to really expand in ways you never considered. If you are in that realm, you may find this to be especially fruitful and rewarding, even if your previously held opinions get jostled a bit. You may find that learning can be rewarding, even if it has challenges.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 Don't be surprised if you are tangled up in a large organizational conversation of some sort. This may be the type of topic that involves your taxes or perhaps a financial transaction that requires straightening out. You may find that the best resource for this type of conundrum comes from some of your business associates. Of course they could also be part of the problem, but most likely they may be there to help you. You could also be investigating elder care or reviewing papers for a trust of some sort. If you have any misunderstandings, be sure to follow through and get clarity.
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Manufacturing's share in GDP on decline
The share of manufacturing in India's gross domestic product has been coming down, declining to 15.2 percent in fiscal 2012-13 and is expected to fall below 15 percent in the current financial year since the sector is facing slowdown and unutilised excess capacity, an ASSOCHAM study has cautioned.
The drop in the share of manufacturing has come about in the backdrop of the government aiming to bring its contribution to 25 percent of the total economic activity by 2020, but the trend is certainly moving in the reverse direction in line with the decelerating agriculture sector, the ASSOCHAM paper said.
Manufacturing which has the potential of creating millions of jobs and bringing development to several backward regions of the country could contribute 15.2 percent to the Indian economy growing by just about one percent in FY 2012-13. Its share in GDP in 2010-11 was 16.2 percent and 15.7 percent in the fiscal 2011-12.
"This is despite the fact that the government has been insisting on taking this share to 25 percent and major initiatives were announced to make manufacturing vibrant part of the economy, which depends pre-dominantly ( as much as 60 percent) on services. Depending too much on services is not good for India because our manufacturing could not scale upto the global standards in the first place," the paper noted with concern.
In line with the laggard performance of the manufacturing the share of total industrial output in the GDP has also come down from 28.2 percent in 2010-11 to 27 percent in 2012-13. Agriculture, as it is, has been giving the least to the country’s total economic output at just about 13.7 percent. The trend has been showing a falling curve from 14.5 percent about two years ago.
“The serious consequence of dropping agri output and its contribution to the GDP is further displacement of people in the agrarian sector. Well over 60 percent people depend on agriculture and their share in the GDP cake is limited to just about 13.7 percent. This is a serious disequilibrium and is anything but inclusive growth, which will remain a mere slogan if urgent measures are not taken to shift people away from agriculture sector.
"However, the problem arises as to where to shift these surplus manpower because the biggest potential to absorb such workforce is the manufacturing, which itself is battling. More than 50 percent of the 22 industry segments have shown massive degrowth in March displacing a huge number of people in the process," the chamber paper said.
The other problem for the manufacturing has been a big setback for exports which find market for the industrial products in the overseas markets.
As per analysis of the disaggregate date made available till December, 2012 from April, exports to European Union and Asian countries has suffered a major setback. While exports to EU, accounting for 16.3 percent in India's merchandise exports, declined by 11.2 percent, those to Asian countries, (excluding Japan) with a share of 28.1 percent, contracted by 8.4 percent during April-September 2012.
Infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory hurdles for mega projects are also hindrances in taking leap forward in industrial activity.
Rightly, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India D Subbarao has observed that there is over-capacity in the industry and no fresh investment can take place unless full capacity is utilised, which is again a function of consumer confidence, demand and employment.
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'Eating wisely calls for self-control'
People who successfully control their diet eat fewer unhealthy foods because they are satisfied sooner, a study shows.
Some people can exercise real self-control when it comes to eating while others overindulge on unhealthy cookies and candies.
Do the former have more willpower? Or are they simply satisfied more quickly?
In a series of experiments, researchers from Texas A&M University found that people with poor self-control were able to establish greater control when they paid close attention to the quantities of unhealthy foods they consumed because simply paying attention made them more quickly satisfied, the Journal of Consumer Research reported.
In one interesting study, a group of people were asked to eat either a healthy or an unhealthy snack. Some of them were asked to count how many times they swallowed while eating the snack, according to a Texas A&M statement.
People who counted the number of times they swallowed were satisfied more quickly even if they otherwise had a low level of self-control.
Monitoring how much they ate made consumers with low self-control behave like those with high self-control.
"One way is to keep better track of the quantity of unhealthy foods they eat," wrote authors Joseph P. Redden ( University of Minnesota) and Kelly L. Haws (Texas A&M University).
"Although self-control is typically viewed as a battle between willpower and desire, consumers can't rely entirely on willpower to control their eating.
They also need to create situations that will make them lose interest in food," they concluded.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Things may be going well at work lately, which may be quite a relief. However, at home you may be trying to convince your partner that the reason work is so smooth is that you are putting in more hours. The challenge may come in getting your significant other to understand how that will benefit both of you in the long run. Perhaps if you do work late you might make it up with a nice surprise dinner out or a late movie to end the day. If you can be upfront about your expectations, then maybe the outcome will be easier.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
This could be a fairly interesting time for doing some investigation into your own spiritual well-being. Topics such as meditation, yoga, and other expansive concepts may prove to be quite beneficial. You may find that you have a natural predilection for understanding restorative practices with an uncanny ease. Venus in your learning sector may provide that extra dose of encouragement and allow you to jump right into any deep topic that will help you farther down the road. An enlightened mind can be quite liberating.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 You may find that working with large institutions can be somewhat confusing as Neptune will push you to use your creative streak to make things happen. The good news may come from the harmonious planet of Venus as it drifts through your house of other people's money. This is the same house as legal matters, so be aware. With this gentle nudging, you may be able to wiggle your way through the complexity without a problem, but you may want to prepare yourself to gain some clarity.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Matters of the family and the home may be the topic of conversation you have with your partner. The gentle prodding of Venus in your romance sector may soften the dialog but you may find yourself somewhat confused by the outcome. Are you in the process of decorating or changing the room layout, and perhaps you both have different ideas? It may be that a good heart-to-heart may bring some instant diplomacy to the situation. Being aware of the potential for confusion may press the topic toward a healthy resolution.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 You may be quite interested in a medical topic or you may be investigating a new health plan. As long as your sources are sound, a little detective work may be quite helpful. As easy as it may be to surf the Web for answers, you may want to be careful about what advice you find and what advice you take. With Venus in your health sector, this may be an opportune time to get more substantial advice, especially before you make any move.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 Financial matters may be a predominant theme as you work your way through a creative portfolio adjustment or some sort of monetary restructuring. If you encounter any confusion along the way, you may want to pause before you make any critical move. This could be the ideal time to seek outside help and get solid advice about which way to turn. If you can find the right angle, you could come out quite well, but be on the safe side and get that second opinion.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
Family matters may compel you as Venus glides through that sector of your life. Venus may bring warmth and charity through those that you love, and help you glance back at where you have been. Are you seeing clearly? Nostalgia and that deep sense of sentimentality may overwhelm you with heartfelt emotions. Neptune in Pisces may tease you with a surreal vision of the world, especially if the past looks better today than it did then. We do tend to remember the good, so you may be just as happy to have the memories live on.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”
In an interview, Interviewer: How does an electric motor run?
Sardar: Dhhuuuurrrrrrrrrr. .....
Inteviewer shouts: Stop it.
Sardar: Dhhuurrrr dhup dhup dhup...."
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University of Delhi: New course design
NEW DELHI: University of Delhi shares the year-wise weighting assigned to discipline course-I, foundation courses, discipline course-II and applied courses.
At a time when uncertainty surrounds the implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), University of Delhi shares the year-wise weighting assigned to discipline course-I, foundation courses, discipline course-II and applied courses.
In the new scheme of things, students will start out with a major subject in the first year of college, which has been assigned a weighting of 33%. In the same year, students will study foundation courses (67% weighting) aimed at enhancing your communication, IT and data analysis/management skills through interdisciplinary subjects.
Students will choose a minor subject in the third semester which has been assigned a weighting of 16%, among others. The minor subjects comprise a maximum of two courses of your choice for additional knowledge outside your area of study. The second year will also require you to study applied courses (16%), which will be your choice of two skill-based subjects focused on enhancing your employability/entrepreneurship skills. The DC-I and foundation courses have been given a weighting of 34% each.
In the third year, students will no longer study the foundation courses and 60% weighting will be assigned to the DC-I subjects. The minor subject and applied courses have been assigned a weighting of 20% each. The fourth year will see students studying only the DC-I (75%) and DC-II courses (25%).
A statement from the university says, "In the fourth-year, students will study at a deep level their major subject. They will also be exposed to research in this year. The university is also planning to give free laptops to every student who enrols with the university this academic session. Students will also be given special language, communication, IT, data analysis and science and life skills in a practical manner. The university will also let you gain credit for your participation in sports/NCC/NSS and extra-curricular activities. Even when the university has the multiple exit formats we will not encourage the practice of leaving college after two years. But students who leave with a diploma will be given an option to return to DU to complete their education."
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Woods wins Players Championship by two strokes
PONTE VEDRA BEACH ( Florida): Tiger Woods shook off a double bogey at the 14th hole Sunday and held on to win the US PGA Tour Players Championship, setting another career milestone in the process.
Woods, who had a share of the lead with Sergio Garcia and David Lingmerth after completing the weather-disrupted third round on Sunday morning, carded a final-round 70 for a 13-under par total of 275.
That put him two strokes in front of Swedish PGA Tour rookie Lingmerth, Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman.
Garcia, tied for the lead at the 17th, finished with a quadruple bogey and a bogey, giving Woods the last laugh after a couple of days of verbal sparring by the two.
Woods won the US tour's flagship event, worth $9.5 million this year, for the second time -- more than a decade after his victory in 2001.
Since then he had posted only one top-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass until Sunday.
Woods notched his fourth PGA Tour title of the year, and it's the earliest in a single season he has ever won a fourth title.
His 78th tour win came in his 300th start -- he also won in his 100th and 200th starts.
Woods had built a two-stroke lead through 13 holes of the final round, but he found the water off the tee at 14 and ended up with a double-bogey that dropped him into a four-way tie for the lead with Maggert, Garcia and Lingmerth.
Garcia and Lingmerth, playing in the final group right behind Woods, had both just birdied 13.
"Just hit absolutely the worst shot I could possibly hit," Woods said of his tee shot at 14. "But it was the only bad swing I made all day. I told myself I could still win the tournament."
He made no more mistakes from there, adding a birdie at the par-five 16th to get to 13-under and finishing with back-to-back pars.
Garcia got to 13-under with a birdie at 16.
Garcia said before the final round he was happy not to be playing in the same group with Woods.
"I think it's probably good for both of us," said Garcia after the pair's uneasy relationship took another hit on Saturday when the Spaniard complained that a move by Woods to remove a club from his bag just as Garcia was hitting a shot sparked distracting crowd noise.
But playing with the little-known Lingmerth didn't do Garcia any good when it came to the par-three 17th, TPC Sawgrass' signature hole with its island green.
Garcia was in the water twice en route to a quadruple-bogey seven, then took a double-bogey at 18 to cap a four-over 76 that left him tied for eighth on seven-under 281.
Maggert fell back with a double-bogey at 17, closing with a two-under 70 for 11-under 277. Streelman carded a 67 to grab his share of second on 277.
Lingmerth was the last player with a chance to challenge Woods, but he was unable to convert his birdie attempt at 17 and pull level and he closed with a bogey for an even-par 72 for 277.
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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.
In 2011 directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru announced their intent to begin work on I Love New Year. The film originally had the working title of Happy New Year, but had to change the title due to Shahrukh Khan who also was using the title for a film he was working on during the same time period. Actors Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut are starring in the film, with Ranaut stating that she trained over a month in order to gain the correct expressions and body language of a musician. Filming commenced in summer of 2011 at Filmalaya Studios in Mumbai, with the final scenes having to be filmed in New York City
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the smallest bones in the human body are found in your ear
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" INSPIRING STORY "
The story of Rantideva
A hand is odorned with daanam rather than with kankanaas. Daanam must be done expecting absolutely nothing in return, admiring the greatness of the dana-grahita, for giving the daata an opportunity to help the grahita.
Stories of great Daatas are huge in number in our Indian history, who gave away everything they had. King Rantideva is well known not only in Bhuloka, but also in the urdhva lokas for his daana gunam. Rantideva never endeavored to earn anything for himself.
He would enjoy whatever he got by vidhi and when atithis came he would give them what they needed. He gave away everything he had to the poor and underwent considerable suffering, along with the members of his family.
Finally, he and his family members did not even get food and water, yet Rantideva always was always satisfied — a sthita pragnya.
One morning, after fasting for forty-eight days, Rantideva received some water and some paramaannam (paayasam with rice, milk and ghee). Just when about to eat them, a brahmana atithi arrived.
Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Paramaatma everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the atithi with faith and respect and gave him a share of the paramaannam.
The brahmana ate his share and left the place satisfied. Thereafter, having divided the remaining paramaannam with his family, Rantideva was just about to eat his own share when another atithi, a shudra arrived.
Seeing the shudra in relationship with the Purushottama, King Rantideva gave him also a share of the paramaannam. When the shudra went away, another atithi arrived, surrounded by dogs, and said, “O King, I and my company of dogs are very hungry. Please give us something to eat.”
With great respect, King Rantideva offered the balance of the paramaannam to the dogs and the master of the dogs, who had come as atithis.
Thereafter, only the drinking water remained, and there was only enough to satisfy one person, but when the King was just about to drink it, a chandaala appeared and said, “O King, although I am lowborn, kindly give me some drinking water.”
Aggrieved at hearing the pitiable words of the poor fatigued chandaala, Rantideva spoke the following madhura vaakyas. “I do not pray to the Lord for the ashta siddhis, nor for vimukti from samsaara saagaram.
I want to stay among all the living entities and suffer all distresses on their behalf, so that they may be freed from suffering.
By offering my water to maintain the life of this poor chandaala, who is struggling to live, I have been freed from all hunger, thirst, fatigue, trembling of the body, moroseness, distress, lamentation and illusion”.
Having spoken thus, King Rantideva, although on the verge of death because of thirst, gave his own portion of water to the chandaala without hesitation, for he was naturally very kind.
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“Never tell your problems to anyone...20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.”
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