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“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. ”
| VBA's Positive News |
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Canada: Making a Northern Scene: Indigenous artists take over Ottawa
From now until 4 May, Canada's National Arts Centre in Ottawa will present Northern Scene, the sixth in a series of biennial national Scene festivals celebrating and showcasing the country's finest established and emerging artists, with 50 events held throughout the capital region, spanning 26 different venues.
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Finland: Helsinki Airport takes another award
Helsinki Airport continues to attract praise from passengers, notching up another award as the best airport in Northern Europe in 2013. The World Airport Awards are based on surveys conducted by international travel research group Skytrax, who polled 12.1 million passengers over a nine-month period.
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Spain's Gamesa wins 150-megawatt wind turbine order in Brazil
Gamesa Corp Tecnologica SA (GAM), Spain's biggest wind turbine maker, won a 150-megawatt order to supply, install and maintain devices in Brazil. Gamesa will supply 75 G97 2-megawatt machines for five 30- megawatt wind farms in the town of Campo Formoso, Bahia state, the Zamudio-based company said in an e-mailed statement. It won the order from a group comprising of Atlantic Energias Renovaveis SA and Casa dos Ventos.
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Latvian Song and Dance Festival to be promoted in Ireland
Latvian Culture Days, 4 - 5 May, will be part of ''The Gathering Ireland 2013'' programme, which is a gathering of Irish from all over the world. Latvian Culture Days will bring together Latvian choirs and dance groups from Ireland, Latvia, England, Germany, and Switzerland, and will also feature an open-air concert of song and dance.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Breakthrough in Parl deadlock, Govt gets Oppn on board on Finance Bill
New Delhi: There seems to be a breakthrough in the efforts to end Parliament deadlock as the government has managed to get the Opposition on board to pass the Finance Bill.
Sources say that the Finance Bill is likely to be taken up on Tuesday along with demands for grants. The demands for grants for four ministries were agreed upon in consultation with opposition parties.
This came after Parliamentary Affairs Minister met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj to gain a consensus on the crucial Finance Bill.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar also held an all-party meeting to break the deadlock.
The deadlock in Parliament has been continuing as the Opposition has resfused to relent from its demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's resignation over the 2G scam and coal scam.
Kamal Nath, in an interview with CNN-IBN, had dared the Opposition to move a no confidence motion on the floor of the house.
"Is that the right kind of opposition?
Even if it hurts the people, let's suppose, is that the kind of parliamentary democracy we want?
And we must remember that they don't like the government to vote it out.
Why can't they say that the government is absolutely rubbish, just bring a no confidence motion," he said. Kamal Nath had even visited BJP veteran leader LK Advani to seek cooperation for the passage of the Finance Bill.
But the BJP brushed away Nath's remarks and attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh instead.
"When has the Prime Minister met all political parties to break the deadlock? Parliamentary Affairs minister is just a minister, not the PM, why can't PM meet us and sit down," said BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.
"Parliament getting adjourned frequently is not good for democracy. Government should give answer and now just blame the opposition," CPI leader D Raja said.
Even as the government may have got consensus on the Finance Bill, it remains to be seen whether it has managed to break the Parliament deadlock completely. The big question as to whether Parliament will function normally remains.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
From now until May 15, Mercury will be in your earned income sector, and you'll focus on ideas that will help you improve your financial picture. Expect to make at least one major decision about how to best reallocate your money. You might, for instance, eliminate an unnecessary expense in order to make room for extra savings or investment funds. You might also talk about money more than usual and discuss ways to enhance your cash flow.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
Your mind will be quite sharp from now until May 15, thanks to Mercury moving through Taurus. You'll have an easy time communicating a personal idea or agenda to anyone and will likely find that it's well received. In addition, you might have an influential conversation with a mentor or spiritual advisor that helps you transform your ideology about a certain matter that's important to you.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Expect a stronger need to spend time alone in order to filter your thoughts and flesh out important ideas. This will be an ideal day to start a journal, since it will act as a catalyst to help you work out any knotty situations happening in your world. You might also consider talking to a therapist or other trusted advisor. When it comes to financial decisions, there might be a vital conversation happening around you that needs to remain top secret for a little while longer.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
From now until May 15, you might feel as if your social life has reached a hectic pace - one that you have trouble keeping up with. Expect more invitations to parties or other events as well as a request to attend at least one important group meeting. Most likely, today you'll be involved in a social situation with your spouse or partner. You might attend a function hosted by a mutual friend or you might circulate and network at a fund-raiser.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You'll have a special edge when it comes to communicating with your boss or another influential figure connected to your industry. Mercury will be in your career sector until May 15. During these weeks, you'll have an opportunity to forge ahead with a vital contract or negotiation connected to your profession. You might attend a meeting that's a game-changer or be asked to travel for business now. Whatever the case, your words will be heard by those who really matter.
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HUL Q4 net up better-than-expected 15% on lower input costs
Hindustan Unilever , the largest fast moving consumer goods company in India, beat street estimates on Monday as net profit rose 15 percent year-on-year to Rs 787 crore, helped by lower cost of key raw materials.
The street cheered the positive surprise and the stock closed up near 7 percent at Rs 497.35 on NSE. The company's net sales in the Jan-March quarter were also ahead of expectations at Rs 6,367 crore, up 13 percent from a year ago. Volumes grew 6 percent.
Analysts on average had expected the maker of Lux soap, Surf detergent and Bru coffee to report a net profit of Rs 761 crore, on revenue of Rs 6,317 crore, according to a CNBC-TV18 poll.
The company's operating profit margin was up by 50 bps to 15 percent, compared with analysts' expectations of a flat growth. This despite a 21 percent increase in advertising spends at Rs 821 crore.
"The two highlights of the quarter should be the 6 percent volume growth as well as the margin expansion for the company, despite the increased spending on ad spends front. Going ahead we would be doing some changes to our estimates wherein we might have to go in for higher volume growth," said V Srinivasan of Angel Broking.
Among key segments, HUL's soaps and detergents business grew 13 percent. The company has cut prices of certain products like Dove soap on the back of benign input costs.
Personal products segment grew 12 percent and growth in oral care was volume-led double-digit on the back of launch of new products and heightened advertising.
There has been some slowdown in discretionary spends by consumers, and that was visible, particularly in packaged foods, which grew only 7 percent. While HUL maintained that Kissan ketchups saw double-digit growth, ice creams, in particular, grew "modestly", impacted by a "slowdown in the market."
HUL Chairman Harish Manwani said the company had delivered broad based competitive growth and margin improvement in a challenging environment.
"While there are near-term concerns around slowing market growth and inflationary pressures on consumers, we are confident of the medium to long-term growth prospects of the FMCG sector and remain focused on delivering consistent, and competitive growth with sustainable operating margin improvement," he said.
To continue to deliver strong growth, HUL is likely to continue with aggressive marketing and offer discounts/price cuts, especially in soaps, detergents and personal products as input cost pressures remain low and the company fights off competition rivals domestic as well as multi-national, R Sridhar, its CFO said.
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How yoga keeps you fit and healthy
Everything we do calls for stress and constant running around. In the middle of all this chaos, yoga is a great way to connect with your inner self and stay healthy at the same time.
Through its deep breathing, stretching, mindful exercise, yoga is also an effective method to keep most stress-related diseases at bay. In fact, no matter what your lifestyle, you could learn a thing or two from this ancient exercise form that benefits your mind and body, both. Here's looking at why yoga is meant for people of all shapes and sizes...yes, even you!
Yoga helps combat stress. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga has a positive impact on various kinds of neurological disorders. Their findings suggest that yoga might help patients in fighting with the symptoms of neurological disorders such as acute headache, psychological depression and so on. Published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, this study revealed that women, even beginners, who practice hatha yoga may boost happy hormones by diminishing stress levels.
Yoga helps asthma patients. According to a research study presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle, adults who suffered from asthma experienced "increased quality of life and reduced asthma symptoms after 10 weeks of yoga practice".
Yoga helps in battling weight loss in middle age. While on the one hand yoga helps increase strenght and flexibility, it also helps with weight loss when you reach middle age, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle. Researchers studied that people who are overweight in their middle age and who practised yoga daily for over a decade lost considerable amount of weight.
Yoga even helps cancer patients fight fatigue. Cancer survivors who practice yoga are able to sleep better and fight fatigue more efficiently, according to a recent study. Yoga helps reduce stress levels and boosts the immune system. Thus yoga forms like hath yoga are increasingly recommended to all cancer survivors, combined with restorative breathing exercises to help improve their sleep patterns.
Tips for Starting Yoga. We recommend a few things to keep in mind: Go for a style that suits your body type: Yoga classes and asanas may differ for people with different body types. Some may only focus on meditation and deep breathing, whereas others might focus on rigorous and strenuous yoga moves. You and your body type are unique: Understand this: Yoga is not only about flexibility. Don't try and idealise images and postures as presented in glossy health magazines. Those are people who have attained this kind of flexibility after years of practice and fitness routine. Go at your own pace.
Maintain your own pace: There is no need to rush into any kind of asana or yoga pose too soon. Use straps, blocks or other tools to suit your needs and requirements. Ask your yoga instructor for help and make sure you take adequate rest and proper precautions. Listen to your body: Don't force yourself into any of the asana. Try and read your body signals and stop when you think you can't take it anymore.
The right way of incorporating yoga in your daily workout routine. Depending on what your needs are, you can choose a yoga routine that works for you or you could participate in a host of workout activities at a time. The best way to go about overall fitness will be to do weight training for strength, circuits/rope jumping/sprinting/kickboxing for cardio fitness and Yoga for flexibility.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
You might notice movement today in a legal matter. There could be a court date or important paperwork that is filed, or you and your attorney might have a vital conversation. There might also be an opportunity to begin a creative project with someone who either lives in another part of the world or has international ties. If so, this endeavor is likely to succeed famously, thanks to your commitment behind it.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
If you're considering a new financial move, now will be an ideal time to discuss matters with a financial advisor or your accountant. In fact, until May 15 you'll have a strong mental focus on investments and any other financial situation that involves joint resources. You might talk to your spouse, for example, about better ways he or she can manage income. You might also apply for a loan, line of credit or new credit card.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 Conversations with your mate will be more enjoyable now and until May 15, thanks to Mercury touring your partnership sector. What you'll notice immediately is that there will be more of a mutual give-and-take during discussions. Not only are you being heard, you're being listened to - a very happy occurrence. In addition, you'll enjoy bouncing ideas off each other even more than usual now. The banter between you might center on practical matters but either way, you'll enjoy every moment.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Expect an influx of paperwork and red tape to cover your desk from now until May 15. Mercury, the planet of communication and writing, is now in your workaday sector and for the next few weeks you'll have plenty to keep you busy. There might be extra meetings or a training seminar at the office. You might also have more conversations with a co-worker than usual or be assigned to a special project that requires teamwork. You'll be up for the task.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 Romance on your mind? You might feel a stronger urge to communicate with your sweetheart about heartfelt emotions or to simply enjoy intellectually stimulating dialogue together If you have a decision to make about your love life, now until May 15 will be an opportune time to trust your rational mind if you've been concerned about leading with your heart recently. Now will also be a great time to improve communication with any children. They're listening.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 An out-of-town relative might decide to drop by for a visit. One way or another, you can expect more communication between you and your family, now that Mercury is in your home sector. You might decide to host a family gathering or plan a reunion. You might also take a short trip with a few relatives, possibly a camping trip. You'll feel well connected to your clan.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
Expect a brilliant edge in all matters of communication, now that Mercury has moved into your message sector. Until May 15 you'll be at a decided advantage in any negotiation or contractual agreement, so you can feel confident about signing any documents. Your rational mind will be exceptionally sharp, and you'll be in a solid position to make informed decisions. Today, a friend might ask you for advice, and that person will be glad he or she did.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Love--that divine fire which was made to light and warm the temple of home--sometimes burns at unholy altars.
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on.
SANTA went to court
JUDGE:
"Order ! Order !"
SANTA:
"1 Pizza, 2 Dosa, 3 Idli & 1 Cold-drink !"
JUDGE:
"Shut Up !"
SANTA:"No,No..7-Up!
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IIMK signs Memorandum of Understanding with UK varsity
KOZHIKODE: The Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK-based Plymouth University, which will facilitate student and faculty exchange, and collaborative research projects.
IIMK director Prof Debashis Chatterjee and international programmes director of Plymouth University Prof Troy Heffernan signed the MoU at a function held at the IIMK campus on Monday
IIMK has plans to accelerate its international activity by establishing tie-ups with leading business schools all over the world. Currently, IIMK has exchange partnerships with 29 international business schools.
The student exchange programme at IIMK has shown a sharp growth this year. The institute witnessed 100% increase in the number of students participating in the international exchange programme. Eighty students from IIMK will be attending a semester at partner institutes and around fifty students from partner institutions will be visiting IIMK in the academic year 2013-14.
Prof Nandakumar M K, chairperson of IIMK's international exchange programme said students participating in the exchange programme will gain international exposure, besides getting an opportunity to understand the business practices in the host country. They will also develop a good understanding of the cross-cultural issues in management.
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The Rifle offers hope for Barca's tough mission
MADRID: If Barcelona require extra inspiration as they prepare their bid to overturn a 4-0 Champions League semifinal deficit at home to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, they need look no further than La Liga rivals Deportivo La Coruna.
Depor pulled off one of the most sensational comebacks in Europe's elite club competition back in the 2003-04 season when they thrashed AC Milan 4-0 in their quarterfinal second leg in La Coruna to shock the reigning continental champions and progress to the last four 5-4 on aggregate.
Uruguayan forward Walter Pandiani scored the opening goal in the fifth minute at the Riazor on that memorable April night, when the Galician club stunned a Milan side featuring Paolo Maldini, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko.
Now 37 and playing in the Spanish third tier for Majorca-based Atletico Baleares, Pandiani believes Barca will also need an early goal if they are to have any chance of reaching next month's final at London's Wembley stadium.
"Scoring so early in the match was key for the team to gain confidence," Pandiani, whose goal-scoring prowess earned him the nickname "The Rifle", said on UEFA's website.
"If you don't manage to score in the first half, as soon as possible, then you start to rush things," he added.
"That early goal gave us the peace of mind to continue playing well."
Barca's chances of keeping alive their bid for a third European crown in five years may appear remote, especially as they failed to score in Munich, but Pandiani said Depor were in a similar situation in 2004.
"Even if we were achieving important things in the Champions League nobody believed in us, especially because it was Milan we were up against," he said.
"But we believed in ourselves and our fans were also there to spur us on.
"The excitement in the dressing-room at halftime showed that it would be difficult for them to do us damage that night if we continued with the same mentality."
CUTTING EDGE
On the evidence of Saturday's 2-2 La Liga draw at Athletic Bilbao, Barca's hopes on Wednesday will again rest on the shoulders of their World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.
Messi, who is coming back from a hamstring strain, was initially rested in Bilbao and Barca found their cutting edge only when he replaced midfielder Xavi on the hour before scoring once and setting up Alexis Sanchez.
He appeared short on fitness and was well shackled by the Bayern players in Munich last week and even the talismanic Argentine may not be able to rescue Barca's Champions League campaign this time.
They already had to come from behind to get past AC Milan in the last 16 when they lost 2-0 in Italy before Messi inspired them to a rousing 4-0 victory at the Nou Camp.
Only three clubs have overturned a four-goal first-leg deficit in UEFA competition and Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes was on the losing side on one of those occasions.
He was in charge of the Borussia Moenchengladbach side that beat Real Madrid 5-1 at home in the 1985-86 UEFA Cup third round only to lose the return game 4-0.
"It was the worst moment of my career. I no longer wanted to be a football coach," Heynckes said on UEFA.com. "It was worse than the death threats I received later in my career."
Elimination for Barca would leave La Liga as their only chance of silverware this season and, with an 11-point lead over current champions Real Madrid with five games left, they are close to a fourth title in five seasons.
However, a domestic league crown would be scant consolation for a team who have set a new standard for European clubs in recent seasons and won the Champions League in 2009 and 2011.
SUSPENSION RISK
Heynckes has said he will not be instructing his team to play a cautious game on Wednesday despite a string of players risking suspension for the final with another booking.
"I will nominate my best possible team," he said after Bayern, already installed as German champions, set a Bundesliga record of 84 for the most points in a season with a 1-0 victory over Freiburg on Saturday.
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Bombay Talkies
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Movie Name : Bombay Talkies
Release Date : May 3, 2013
Genre : Anthology
Producer : Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & Ashi Dua
Director : Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar
Music Director : Amit Trivedi
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Saqib Saleem, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor.
Synopsis:
Bombay Talkies is a 2013 Indian anthology film consisting of four short films, directed by Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee. The film will release on May 3, 2013, to mark the centenary year of Indian cinema.
Dream Desire Thought Joy Pain Want Love Sorrow - Four story tellers come together to celebrate the emotion of cinema.The film's story revolves around the lives and problems of common people of our society while all the actors who played their roles looks much perfect and real.
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a cat has 32 muscles in each ear
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Hospital window
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.
Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it.
In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by th! e window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”
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“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ”
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