“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”    VBA's Positive News US: Martin Luther King's dream inspires a new march, and a President Standing on hallowed ground of the civil rights movement, President Barack Obama challenged new generations Wednesday to seize the cause of racial equality and honour the 'glorious patriots' who marched a half century ago to the very steps from which Reverend Martin Luther King spoke during the March on Washington, DC. President Obama's speech was the culmination of daylong celebration of King's legacy. Throngs assembled in soggy weather at the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr King, with soaring, rhythmic oratory and a steely countenance, gave his famous and historic 'I have a dream' speech. Pending sales of US homes remain solid Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy US homes in July, but the level stayed close to a 6 ½-year high. The modest decline suggests higher mortgage rates have yet to sharply slow sales. The National Association of Realtors says its seasonally adjusted index for pending home sales declined 1.3 percent to 109.5. That's close to May's reading of 111.3, which was the highest since December 2006. The small decline suggests sales of previously owned homes should remain healthy in the coming months. There is generally a one- to two-month lag between a signed contract and a completed sale. Ten years of mesmerizing photos from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope For 10 years, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has been helping scientists on Earth learn more about the mysterious objects hiding in our star-studded skies. On 25 August 2003, the telescope -- carrying a relatively small, 0.85-meter beryllium mirror -- launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. Since then, it's been trailing the Earth on its orbit around the sun, like NASA's Kepler spacecraft. Spitzer stares at the heavens in infrared wavelengths, revealing the cold, distant, and dusty realms of the universe, normally invisible to eyes on Earth. Growth seen picking up in Germany's wind power sector Germany's wind power sector will expand at a faster rate in the second half of the year, the country's wind energy association predicted on Wednesday, ahead of an expected reduction in government incentives. The BWE association said it expected about 2,900 megawatts of wind power capacity to be installed this year -- roughly equivalent to three nuclear power plants -- after 1,143 MW were installed in the first six months.     Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Congress 'happy' as Land Bill passes Lok Sabha test; India Inc concerned       New Delhi: After the Food Security Bill, another landmark bill of the UPA government, the Land Acquisiton Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill which is another of UPA chief Sonia Gandhi's social sector initiatives intends to bring uniformity in land purchase for industrial purposes. After a marathon eight hour debate in the Lok Sabha, the government accepted some key amendments suggested by the BJP and Left which ensured the Bill's smooth passage. With the Food Security Bill being factored as a reason for the slow growth of the economy, the UPA chief dismissed fears that the land acquisition law could further limit the growth. The Bill states that the relief and rehabilitation will be given on private purchase also and landowners will be removed after all payment is made and resettlement site has been prepared. Though the land size over which the compensation will apply is yet to be decided by states. The UPA expressed its delight at the passing of the Bill. I am quite happy, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said after the day long discussion over the Bill. With two landmark bills of the UPA being passed within a week, the government is being seen in an election mode. Parliamentary Affairs minister Kamal Nath though refused any such claims. "We are not expediting elections. We are not in election mood. It was our commitment to the people. This Bill replaces an act that was 120 years old and gives an equitable and fair compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation to the farmers," Kamal Nath said. The Centre and the Opposition shared their view over the bill and said that it is for the betterment of the destitutes and called the passing of the Bill beyond politics. "The Bill aims to give justice to farmers and destitutes who were denied justice. This is beyond politics," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. The Trinamool Congress was the only party to vote against the Bill. "It is a matter of principle. We belive that there should be no acquisitions without 100 per cent consent of the farmers," TMC leader Saugata Roy said. While there are discussions that the Bill is not being looked at favourably by the corporates, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said "I think the corporates and the farmers need to reach a consensus. It can be done." The Confederation of Indian Industry expressed concern over the Bill. "Industry has serious concerns on some of the provisions of the Land Acquisition Bill passed by the Lok Sabha in Parliament today. Cost of Land Acquisition is likely to increase by 3-3.5 times. The Resettlement and Rehabilitation cost is also likely to go up by about 3 times," the CII said.  Astrology   Aries March 21 to April 19 You may have your head in the clouds today, so bear that in mind if you have to make important decisions. You may want to wait a day or two until the fog clears and you are better able to see clearly. This may be particularly true with regard to your health, both physical and mental. This may be a good time to take a mental health day and head off to the spa. You may find that your spirit can be re-ignited by simply allowing for time to dream.                                            Taurus April 20 to May 20 If your imagination seems to have run away from reality, pay it no mind. Rather than over-think your situation, use this period as a time to share your ideas with friends and business associates. You may be surprised by how effortlessly your suggestions are taken up by the group. If you can manage to resist your personal doubts, you may be able to reveal something unique. This may not be the time to second-guess yourself.        Gemini May 21 to June 20 A thought-provoking conversation may arise during your family time. If you have been rethinking your job options and need a sounding board, there may be no one better to ask than those who know you best. If you can run your thoughts by a close family member, you may be able to gather insight into the best way to move forward. You may also do well to wait a few days before you make a decision. The extra time may pay off.                              Cancer June 21 to July 22  This may be a good time to re-examine your travel plans. If you previously thought a trip was the right thing to do, you may decide differently as you learn more. Before you make any snap decisions, you may want to get a little more background information. As Mercury drifts through your investigation sector, this may be the ideal time to dig a little deeper and see what turns up. If you are having second thoughts, you may want to understand why.      Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  This may be a good time to review your financial goals. A little background work could go a long way toward stabilizing your long-range plans. You may want to be as realistic as possible, so a little outside advice or extracurricular research might be in order. With the Sun and Mercury working through your income sector, you could make important decisions that are grounded and completely within your reach. If you encounter any ambiguity or uncertainty, simply follow your instincts.   BUSINESS+VE Tech glitches delay LPG subsidy transfer     MYSORE: They have booked for LPG refills but are yet to get the subsidy amount. Since the launch of direct cash transfer (DCT) scheme in Mysore on July 1, about Rs 12 crore subsidy has been successfully transferred online from nearly 2.85 lakh LPG refills. But a handful of people are yet to get the subsidy due to technical flaws. Lead Bank manager K N Shivalingaiah told TOI they were yet to receive the latest figure on this score from oil companies. He said they get the figures from the petroleum ministry once or twice in a month. ''Less than 1% beneficiaries have a problem and we have asked them to lodge a complaint through their distributors,'' he said. He said the seeding of Aadhaar and bank accounts, which is essential for transfer of subsidy directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries, has reached 62%. The investigation into the case of Suresh, a beneficiary, has revealed that subsidy has been credited to the account of another beneficiary due to bank errors, said Mehul Patel, a gas agency distributor. Suresh had booked the LPG refill on July 4 and received delivery on July 7 but didn't get subsidy. All his efforts to know the reason went in vain.   But after TOI reported it, the petroleum ministry officials investigated and found that his subsidy has been credited to another person's account because of wrong entry of his data - Aadhaar number and bank account. Now the process to transfer subsidy from that account is under way, the distributor stated. Suresh has approached a legal adviser to lodge a complaint in the consumer court because he hasn't received subsidy a second time. He has booked for LPG refill a week ago. On both the occasions, he bought refills at market price. There is another problem. Many are confused over the advance money they have received soon after booking first refills. Y Venkatachalam, an octogenarian, said he received money twice after booking an LPG refill and was confused. ''Initially I thought somebody else's money was wrongly credited to my account but later I learnt it was advance money given by the oil company. I feel authorities should create awareness on this,'' he said. Mehul Patel said the advance money of Rs 435 was given to facilitate beneficiaries and it is given only once. As it is a new scheme, government thought not to inconvenience the poor beneficiaries who have to buy LPG refills at market price, which is almost double the price of one refill.   And even the subsidy value will differ from month to month depending on the international crude oil price and it will be known on the first of every month. Consumers needn't worry about this too, he said. HEALTH+VE 3 Things women must learn from men       Undoubtedly, man and women make two sides of the same coin as they are perfect complements to each other. Yet both sexes are uniquely different. However, there must be a thing or two that one can learn from the other. So, taking the battle of sexes forward, we allowed men to share things the ladies could learn from them to make life a little more worth living. 1. Man teaches: Logic Lessons "Don't hate me for pointing this out, but life will be far easier if women understand that everything in life has logic behind it. Men follow their innate logic as they take decisions, while women are absolutely unaware about the mere existence of logic. And this makes it really hard for men to deal with women," says TV actor Mihir Mishra. Gal talk: "Women possess an innate sense of judgment, which they learn while living life. We do get influenced many a time, but at the same time we have a very 'pace-y logic' that we learn on the way. This usually makes us 'street-smart,' but unfortunately men don't relate to this and end up calling us 'logic-illiterate," says tele star Manini De. 2. Man teaches: Emotions can take a backseat at times Usually blamed for lacking emotions, TV actor Varun Badola says, "Women must learn that every situation doesn't call for a huge emotional turmoil. Holding back one's sentiments when they are not required won't make the female sex hard-hearted and indifferent, but of course a little rational and practical." Gal talk: Waving the emotional flag higher, TV actress Rajeshwari Sachdev maintains, "When women use emotions, they put their brains behind each one of their emotions to ensure that they don't hurt people while putting their thoughts forward. I think emotions add meaning to one's life." 3. Man teaches: Everything doesn't call for intensity Women call it showing that they care, while men tag it as being overtly intense. "Missing breakfast is not such a big deal as women make it to be by reminding us a hundred times that we missed it. Women usually get intense about the smallest of things and situations. If they learn to chill out from men, they'll be able to enjoy life like never before," says tele star Rohit Roy. Gal talk: Nach Baliye star Tina Kuwajerwala says, "One of the partners has to be over -the-top to make the other one feel wanted in the relationship. It's the intensity in a woman that helps her enrich every relationship in her life with depth and compassion.     Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  A fruitful discussion with your significant partner may allow you to share your deeper ideas about your future together. Neptune in your relationship sector may prod you to open up on these topics. Intense discussion never hurt anyone, especially if it deepens your connection. Your dreams may be more in sync than you thought, and this may be the perfect time to share them. This may even feel a little liberating to be able to air your thoughts without restraint. Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 With Neptune gliding slowly through your health sector, you may consider new alternatives for your exercise routine. This may be an ideal time to start experimenting with new approaches such as yoga or a lively zumba session. A lot of what you may consider has to do with attitude. If you have the right approach, you may be surprised by the difference a little subtle shift can make in your health. Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 This may be a great time to let your imagination run wild. If you have ideas or suggestions, it might be worth your time to share them with a few friends or business associates. If you can get solid feedback on improving your approach, you may be able to achieve a much better result. This could be a simple conversation that allows you to toss ideas around until you come up with just the right one. Two heads are truly better than one.   Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 A lengthy and insightful conversation may unfold between you and family members. This may be a familiar scene, but the dialogue may be about your career and where you are headed. Maybe you are up for a promotion or even a transfer, the impact of which could be felt by other family members, so it may be important to get their feedback. The deeper the conversation becomes, the better it will be, because you find the truth.                        Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 This may be an especially auspicious time for education and learning. Both Mercury and the Sun will be lighting up that sector of your chart, and you may feel curious. This may be just right, as you can't learn if you are not curious. The Sun will bring along an optimistic eagerness that shines with enthusiasm and promise, so you may be soaking up knowledge like a sponge. Watch for intriguing topics such as psychology and social sciences in particular. Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  You may be quite interested in your past. You may be lead toward people who populate your memory. With Neptune moving through your house of income and investments, you may find that your focus is drawn to financial matters more than usual. The same theme holds true for matters of the family and estates, taxes and other large organizational topics. Keep an eye on all legal matters and topics that deal with authority since you may be easily deceived.   Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  A long and deep conversation with your significant partner may be an opportunity to get insight into motives, plans, and intentions for the future. Are you in sync with each other? Do your plans merge as you hoped? These may be necessary topics that require a chance to be discussed. Conversations tend to meander like a stream, and it may be wise to let them go their course so that the truth can be revealed in the end.     Moral Story     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.     Teacher: Behind every successful man there is a women what do we learn from this? Student: we should stop wasting time in studies and find a woman.

EDUCATION +VE Elementary drawing exam dates clash with summative assessment-1       NAGPUR: The dates for the state-level elementary and intermediate drawing exam are clashing with CBSE's summative assessment (SA-1), forcing some schools to find a solution. The SA-1 is conducted under the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) scheme only for standard IX and X, and the exam datesheet is common for all Nagpur schools. The drawing exam is a popular test conducted by the state and sees over a lakh candidates appear each year. It is not known how many CBSE students are appearing for the drawing exam. The elementary drawing paper is scheduled for September 25-26 while the intermediate paper is scheduled for September 27-29. A CBSE school principal said, "Intermediate drawing exam is where our issue lies because a lot of std IX students appear for it. The elementary drawing paper is given by students from younger classes and they are not in the CCE purview.   Many of my students have come to me and expressed concern over this and we are trying to figure out a way. The only date which is clashing is September 27 as the rest of the drawing papers are on the weekend." The principal suggested that having a re-exam for the affected students is the only solution in sight. However, here a recent CBSE circular may become a hurdle. Sent on August 8, the circular emphasizes that no student should be absent during SA tests, barring those who are ill and those who are participating at national/international sport competitions. CBSE's controller of examination MC Sharma wrote to schools saying "it would be mandatory for a student to appear in both the SAs in both classes IX & X". Since the elementary and intermediate drawing exam does not fall in either exception category, schools will clearly have to work around their schedule to accommodate their students. Another principal said, "I have been briefed about the issue by a teacher but have not got the time to dwell into it yet. If the affected students approach me then my first advise to them would be to not appear for the drawing exam. But if they insist a lot then I'll have to see what other options are available before us." The 'other option' before students may be to simply fake illness and risk being caught. A schoolteacher said, "It may not be that devious a plan as it sounds because even the drawing exam is recognized and government conducted one. Plus it is just September 27 which is clashing so if a solution can be found then I do not think it is that serious a problem. Also we are talking about SA-1 and not SA-2 which is the final exam." It is unlikely that Sahodaya would ask their members to change the datesheet and ultimately it will be up to individual schools to figure out a solution. SPORTS +VE Saina-led Hotshots take on Sindhu's Warriors in title contest   MUMBAI: Spearheaded by women's world no. 4 Saina Nehwal, Hyderabad Hotshots would be determined to stamp their authority once again on the world no. 10 PV Sindhu-led Awadhe Warriors in what promises to be a rip-roaring Indian Badminton League ( IBL) finals on Saturday. At stake are not only reputations and the overall championship, but also a big prize fund in the $1 million league that reaches its climax at the NSCI's newly built air-conditioned indoor stadium. Hotshots have relied a lot on their icon player Saina's show and the shuttle queen has not disappointed so far, winning all her six singles matches thus far. The crowd would be eagerly looking forward to the second match in the finale between Saina and her challenger Sindhu, the icon for her team. The 19-year-old Sindhu paved the way for Warriors' entry into the final by winning her match last night in the semifinal against Mumbai Masters' top woman player and thrice All-England champion Tine Baun in Bangalore. In their first encounter of the tournament, on the Independence Day in the Capital, Saina blew her Hyderabad city rival and Guangzhou world championship bronze medal winner Sindhu off the court with a thumping 21-19 21-8 victory. The taller Sindhu would thus be eager to avenge that defeat and the contrast in style of play of the two players, with the faster and fitter Saina pitted against her younger rival with superior reach, should enthrall the spectators in the summit contest. Even if Saina repeats her domination of Sindhu, the important issue is whether the Warriors have sufficient depth to win other matches and turn the tables on the confident-looking Hotshots. Hotshots ousted the other Maharashtra team Pune Pistons 3-0 in the first semifinal at Hyderabad two nights ago. It's more or less certain that Hotshots would be fielding their main men's singles player Thai world no. 19 S Tanongsak, a semifinalist at the All England championships in March, to provide them the flying start. He did so at Delhi a fortnight ago by overpowering RMV Gurusaidutt of Warriors in three games. A lot would also depend on the performance of Hotshots' second singles player and world no. 24 Ajay Jayaram who lost to K Srikanth on August 15 in the round robin stage. If Jayaram, who had shocked world no. 5 Nguyen Tien Minh of Pune Pistons earlier in the league, could ramp up his game against Srikanth, the Thai open winner, it would help the Hotshots enormously. The men's doubles encounter could be tricky with both the teams having some top specialists in their ranks. An absorbing clash is on cards with the Danish-Indonesian pair of Mathias Boe and Markis Kido for Warriors' lined up against the Malaysian duo of Shem Goh and Khim Wah Lim, the world's no.16 pair, for Hotshots in the men's doubles contest, the third match of the evening. Goh and Wah Lim won their match easily to help Hotshots wrap up the semifinal against Pistons early, while Boe and Kido did likewise in the semifinal against Masters last night. Kido later teamed up with his sister Pia Bernadeth, who takes part in international tournaments regularly and is ranked ninth in the world in mixed doubles, to deliver the knockout blow on Masters' German-Danish pair of Ivanov-Baun last night. "I and my sister are thrilled to win this match. First game was very close and we had to play some soft shots to win points in the second game. Both of us are ready to give a strong fight to Hyderabad Hotshots in the finals," said Indonesian Kido after the guiding Warriors past Masters. "My earlier match along with Mathias Boe was also very exciting. We had very good understanding which helped give us a lead," he added. Kido, the man of that second semifinal clash, could again play a crucial role for the Warriors' tomorrow with his expertise.     Zanjeer Zanjeer  Movie Name :   Zanjeer Release Date :  September 6, 2013 Genre :  Action, Thriller Producer : Reliance Entertainment, Puneet Prakash Mehra (Hindi) ,Sumeet Prakash Mehra (Hindi), Amit Mehra (Telugu), Flying Turtle Films Director :  Apoorva Lakhia Music Director : Anand Raj Anand, Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt Cast : Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt (Hindi), Srihari (Telugu), Prakash Raj, Mahi Gill, Ankur Bhatia, Atul Kulkarni , Tanikella Bharani (Telugu) Synopsis: Zanjeer (English: Shackles; titled Toofan  in Telugu) is an upcoming Indian action film directed by Apoorva Lakhia, shot simultaneously in Hindi  and Telugu. The film marks the Bollywood debut of popular Tollywood actor Ram Charan in the lead role along with Priyanka Chopra. Prakash Raj joins the cast after success in Hindi films, like Wanted, Singham, and Dabangg 2.  It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi film of the same name. The Hindi version of the film is to be dubbed in Chinese as Chialo Kaxlaug. The Telugu version of the film is to be dubbed in Tamil and Malayalam. The release date is scheduled for September 6, 2013 Zanjeer in USA by BlueSky.  The first look and official theatrical trailer of Toofan (Telugu version) have been launched by Reliance Entertainment on its YouTube Official Channel on 25 March 2013 to rave public response, featuring Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj and Srihari. Ram Charan's Toofan First Look Trailers and Wallpapers have been released on March 25, 2013 The First look and theatrical trailer of Zanjeer (Hindi version) was released on 4 July 2013. The dubbing process started from 26 March 2013, where Sanjay Dutt plays the role essayed by Srihari. Sanjay Dutt finishes Zanjeer filming - with only a few days left at his disposal before he returns to jail. The Telugu version of the film is titled Toofan and is in Post Production stage.  The director planned in for a 25-day schedule in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh from November 14 to December 5, 2012. Priyanka Chopra joined the shooting, her first schedule for this film.  It was reported that Ram Charan has done some risky stunts for Zanjeer.     The croissant was invented in Austria " INSPIRING STORY "     Temper control   Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project.   But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends.   So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!” As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea.   And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out.   Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!” Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!).   Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence!   Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment. “As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.” Well, many weeks passed. Finally one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone. At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence.   “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result.   There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence.   They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us.   That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.” A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it.If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships.”

“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.”