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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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Vancouver, Canada: Haida House a symbol of aboriginal tourism's success
The nine-room inn Haida House is part of British Columbia's aboriginal tourism sector, which has grown in size and sophistication since 2006, when a government-backed strategic plan to nurture the sector got under way. 'If you look at the [Haida House] facility, it's a prototype of what we want to do in business -- it has a lot of Haida employment, Haida architecture and menu -- a Haida footprint on it that we are all very proud of,' says Peter Lantin, president of the Council of the Haida Nation.
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Scientists explore deepest trough in Caribbean Sea
The man whose research team discovered the wreckage of the Titanic has now turned his attention to the deepest trough of the Caribbean Sea. Dr Robert Ballard was aboard a 211-foot (64-meter) research vessel with dozens of other scientists to probe the Cayman Trough this week and collect samples of organisms they say might reveal how life might exist on other planets.
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New flow battery could enable cheaper, more efficient energy storage
MIT researchers have engineered a new rechargeable flow battery that doesn't rely on expensive membranes to generate and store electricity. The device, they say, may one day enable cheaper, large-scale energy storage. 'This technology has as much promise as anything else being explored for storage, if not more,' says Cullen Buie, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. 'Contrary to previous opinions that membraneless systems are purely academic, this system could potentially have a large practical impact.'
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Germany: Quantum paradox seen in diamond
A quantum effect named after an ancient Greek puzzle has been observed in diamond, paving the way for the use of diamond crystals in quantum computer chips. Quantum physicist Oliver Benson and his colleagues at Humboldt University in Berlin have seen the effect in a diamond crystal -- a material that would be easier to manufacture on a large scale for quantum computing.
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World Round-Up
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India, China to sign cooperation pact in road sec
NEW DELHI: India and China are set to sign an agreement for cooperation in the road and transport sector when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Beijing in October.
One of the areas would be cooperation in sharing of information on transport infrastructure.
Government sources said the transport ministries of both sides have approved the details of the proposed agreement.
Sources said the identified areas of cooperation include sharing best practices in road and bridge building technologies, policies, intelligent traffic system besides road-related issues.
China has taken huge strides in building world class highways, and has built over 60,000 km of expressways. Plans are afoot to build around 18,000 km of expressways in India.
China has also made a mark in speedy implementation of infrastructure projects, particularly road and rail. "Once we have technology sharing, it will help us push the pace of construction.
They have also improved their record in reducing road deaths in the past six-seven years. Cooperation will open a window of opportunity for both the countries," an official said.
Around half-a-dozen road projects are being built with participation of Chinese companies. Sources said all these projects were bagged by private entities in which Chinese firms had a share.
Sources said no project has been identified that can be taken up under this cooperation. "This is just a beginning. As we progress, projects will be identified," the official said.
The other major area of cooperation will in the electronic mode of collecting toll (ETC). China is way ahead of India in this sector. India also plans to bring all toll plazas on national highways under ETC so that people can pass through all plazas using a single smart card.
India and China will also cooperate in the field of intelligent traffic system, vehicle specifications and their certification. While India is likely to benefit from Chinese sharing of information and knowledge, China will learn from India's success in implementing public-private-partnership projects.
Last year, former highways minister C P Joshi had reached out to Chinese infrastructure companies to invest in the road sector.
He had said around 40 road construction projects were being undertaken by companies from China, Russia, the UK, Dubai, Singapore, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Spain and Thailand.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
You may learn of an opportunity for a new job. The position may sound as if it's too good to be true, but with so much planetary support in your work and career sectors at this time, it may be everything it's cracked up to be. Since you have nothing to lose by applying for it, you may decide to submit your resume and let nature take its course. On a personal note, you may make healthy changes to your diet, start an exercise plan, or release an unwanted habit.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
Romantic daydreams may occupy your thoughts today. You may be so enamored with someone now that these thoughts distract you from your work. You may already be dating this person, or you may just be flirting with him or her. Either way, you may need to make an effort to concentrate on the tasks at hand. There is also a good chance that this person may work with you. If so, you may need to be discreet.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 An unexpected need for a repair in your home or to your vehicle may take you by surprise now. At first it may be difficult to pinpoint the problem but the source of the problem may turn out to be a leak. You may have to fix this immediately if you want to avoid a major problem. Since money may be a bit tight, you may decide to pay for it with a credit card. This way, you won't have to worry about an even bigger expense down the road.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Feelings of wanderlust may inspire you to plan a vacation to a far off destination. When you share your idea with your partner or best friend, he or she may be on board. However, as you discuss it further, you may realize that your itinerary is bigger than your budgets, so you may decide to search for discounts. After some sleuthing, you may learn that a travel agency is offering an affordable charter to your destination. This may be just what you need to make this trip a reality.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 There is an emphasis on the money sectors in your chart. You may have an opportunity to increase your earnings at this time. This may be due to a raise, overtime pay, or extra money from a side job. Another possibility is that you may find an error on your credit report or on a financial statement. The error may be substantial or it may be minor, but either way you may want to correct it immediately to ensure a good credit rating.
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HDFC, ICICI Bank raise rates by 25 bps each
Your borrowing cost is set to rise, as the country's largest banks have started increasing their lending rates.
India’s largest mortgage lender, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and the largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank on Thursday announced an increase in their lending rates.
HDFC has decided to raise its retail prime lending rate, on which its adjustable rate home loans are benchmarked, by 25 basis points to 16.65 per cent from Friday. Following the rate revision, it would offer housing loans up to Rs 30 lakh at 10.40 per cent and loans above Rs 30 lakh at 10.65 per cent.
ICICI Bank has also announced a 25 basis points raise in its base rate or minimum lending rate from Friday. The private lender’s base rate would be increased to 10 per cent. The rate revision would make all loans and advances offered by the bank on floating interest rates from July 2010 expensive. The bank had decided to determine the interest rates on new loans and advances, including consumer loans, with reference to its base rate with effect from July 1, 2010.
“ICICI Bank has also announced an increase of 0.25 per cent in its benchmark prime lending rate and in its floating reference rate for consumer loans (including home loans) with effect from August 23. The above benchmark rates are used for determining interest rates on loans and advances sanctioned up to June 30, 2010,” the bank said in a statement on Thursday.
The bank’s fixed rate customers would not be impacted by the revision in lending rates and their contracted rates would remain unchanged.In the last few weeks, several private sector banks have raised lending rates as their cost of funds turned expensive. HDFC Bank increased its base rate by 20 basis points to 9.8 per cent, Axis Bank by 25 basis points to 10.25 per cent, and YES Bank by 25 basis points to 10.75 per cent.
The private lenders had also raised their deposit rates before the lending rate hikes. ICICI Bank had increased its deposit rates by 50-75 basis points, while HDFC Bank had revised it upwards by 100 basis points. Axis Bank and YES Bank had hiked deposit rates by 25-225 basis points.
So far, most government-owned banks, including the country’s largest lender, State Bank of India, have not revised their lending rates.
While RBI had kept the policy rate unchanged in its first quarter monetary policy review, its liquidity tightening measures in the past few weeks have impacted short-term rates.
On July 15, the central bank capped banks’ borrowings under the liquidity adjustment facility and increased the marginal standing facility rate by 200 basis points to 10.25 per cent. The measures led to tightness in liquidity. Bankers had predicted if the steps were not rolled back soon, short-term deposit rates would rise, followed by an increase in lending rates.
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How to use meditation for pain relief?
With its origins in ancient religious and spiritual traditions, meditation is a widely used mind-body practice used even today, to complement medical procedures and treatments.
Although, used mostly for relaxation and stress reduction, meditation-based therapy is increasingly offered in medical centers and clinics today to manage pain and reduce anxiety prior to surgeries. Surprised? Recent studies have shown that frequent practice of meditation can lead to significant control of pain. Read on to know how meditation alters your pain perception and quells pain even better than some of the most powerful drugs.
Meditation and common forms
The term meditation refers to a set of techniques wherein a person minimizes the activity of the mind without altering the level of alertness. Broadly, the technique has been categorized under five basic categories:
Mantra meditation
This comprises the Transcendental Meditation techniques, Clinically Standardized Meditation and Relaxation Response. In this process, by repeatedly using a sound or phrase, a person focuses to achieve a state of perfect consciousness.
Mindfulness meditation
This form of meditation involves focusing on what you experience while performing the technique like the very flow of your breath.
Yoga
Here, a person attempts to achieve a state of calmness by combining bodily postures with controlled breathing. Tai-Chi - A form of Chinese martial arts, the technique is performed using self-paced series of movements in a slow-graceful manner along with deep breathing. Qi gong - This involves a combination of meditation, breathing exercise, relaxation and physical movements.
Meditation and pain management: In the past, meditation has been explored extensively for its effects on stress reduction and other similar clinical functions. However, researchers have now identified another significant health benefit of the technique that suggests that it is actually possible to overcome debilitating pain with the help of meditation. What's more, some of these studies have also suggested that the pain-relieving effects of meditation might be even more effective than morphine.
Back in April, 2011, a study by the researchers at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center indicated that a person can attain at least 40 per ent decrease in pain intensity and 57 per cent in pain unpleasantness merely by practicing these techniques regularly. This decrease in pain was found to be much higher than with morphine or other pain-relieving drugs. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, the brain activity of study participants after meditation demonstrated how the technique increased the activity of certain areas which are responsible for pain perception.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
You may discover that a business partner or close colleague does not support your idea or proposal as strongly as you thought. Although your initial reaction may be to confront this individual, once you give it some thought, you might decide it would be more productive to invite him or her to help you develop it. After all, this person may have some good insights to share with you that may make your idea more appealing to all involved.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
There may be sudden or unexpected changes connected to your personal and professional relationships. For example, you may learn that a close friend will be moving away for a new job, or a parent or co-worker may announce his or her retirement. Another possibility is that your boss may announce that he or she is taking another position elsewhere. Although the news may initially throw you for a loop, once you get past the initial surprise you may be very happy about it.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 If you have been hoping for a new car, you may start to research different models, go for test drives, and explore financing options. You may not be sure if you want to purchase or lease because both may offer benefits. Ultimately, it may come down to the cost of the monthly payment. Since you want to negotiate the best deal, you may reach out to a sibling for advice because he or she has a reputation for being a savvy shopper.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You may have your eye on a new position that comes with a hefty salary increase and attractive benefits. This position may be a promotion at your current job, or it may be with a potential new employer. You may feel that you are a perfect candidate because you have the requisite skills and experience. Consequently, although there may be significant competition, it may not daunt you at all, and your confidence may make a very favorable impression.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 An opportunity to teach or train others in a class or workshop setting may come to you at this time, or a local group may invite you to speak on your topic of expertise. On another note, you may receive an invitation to a high school or college reunion. At first you may not be inclined to attend, but once you learn that many people you know will be there, you may change your mind and decide to join the fun.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 A sibling may confide that he or she is accepting an exciting new job that requires a long-distance move. This news may cause mixed emotions because while you may be happy for his or her career success, you may feel sad about having so many miles between you. However, your spirits may lift considerably once you realize this means you have a new travel destination. You may be so excited that you may start planning your trip before he or she has moved away.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You and your romantic partner may discuss your hopes and goals for life as you explore the possibility of a future together. You may discover that you share the same or similar religious, spiritual, philosophical, or political beliefs. However, you may learn that you have differing views toward children. This may concern you because having a family may be important to you. Fortunately, as you discuss it further, you may learn that he or she does in fact want a family, just not right away.
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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.”
A Funny husband was returning home after cremating his wife.
He sees heavy lightning and thunderstorm in the sky.
Funny Husband thinks: She must have reached there.
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3 Madras university, Bharathidasan departments to lose UGC funding
CHENNAI: Three departments of University of Madras and Bharathidasan University stand to lose funding from the University Grants Commission for not meeting requirements.
The departments of economics and library & information sciences in the University of Madras, and the economics department of Bharathidasan University in Trichy stand to lose between 40 lakh to 50 lakh. The three departments are among the 29 in universities across the country that has not been recommended to receive fresh grants. UGC recently put out the list of institutions that received or were not recommended to get funds under the commission's special assistance programme (SAP).
The UGC has put Bharathidasan University's economics department on the 'not recommended' list for funding because the "quality of research work was not satisfactory, and the research output was below average" . University of Madras' economics department was not on the list for funding as "it does not seem to be doing significant work". The commission has said that the department may be encouraged to reapply next year.
The university's library and information sciences department has not been recommended for funding because there are only two faculty members in the department against seven posts. "Performance was not satisfactory," the UGC remarked . The department is said to be the first in the field to get funding under the UGC's special assistance programme.
Economics department professors said they had applied for the centre for advanced studies status. "We have received funding at the department of special assistance level for more than 10 years. We are waiting for the UGC team's visit for evaluation," said economics professor K Jothi Sivagnanam.
The library and information sciences faculty of the university said they did not apply for funding because they knew they were ineligible due to staff shortage.
Officials of Bharathidasan University were not available for comment.
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IOA set to ignore IOC warnings at general body meeting
NEW DELHI: It may put India's return to the Olympic fold in jeopardy but the suspended IOA's general body meeting on Sunday is all set to ignore the IOC's directive to bar chargesheeted officials from contesting elections through constitutional amendments.
The defiant move may put a spanner on the country's return to the Olympics but IOA officials have asserted that amendments to bar corruption-tainted officials cannot be carried out as Indian law permits chargesheeted persons to contest even Parliamentary elections.
The IOC had on August 15 asked the IOA to amend its constitution incorporating the provisions to bar corruption- tainted persons from contesting elections proposed to be held next month.
It had subsequently warned of further action if the amendments were not carried out in Sunday's general body meeting.
But the IOA, led by Abhey Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot, who were elected president and secretary general in the December 5 last elections which were not recognised by the IOC, has remained defiant.
The likes of Bhanot and VK Verma, who were chargesheeted in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam along with former IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, would not be able to contest elections if the anti-graft amendments are incorporated.
It is learnt that majority of the IOA officials are opposed to the amendments proposed by the IOC and Sunday's GBM may well turn out to be a mere forum where officials have a general discussion without taking any decision.
"The general body is the highest decision making body of the IOA and it's competent to take whatever decision the House agrees to. As of now most of the members are not in favour of several provisions proposed by the IOC," a top IOA official said.
"We may discuss the amendments proposed by the IOC but a decision is unlikely. But everything will be decided by the GBM. Let us see what happens", he said.
"We respect the IOC but it has to understand that the IOA cannot go against the law of the land and Indian law permits chargesheeted persons from contesting `even Parliamentary elections and an aggrieved person can approach a court of law and we will be embroiled in litigations in that situation," the official said.
The official said the IOA would explain the three representatives of the IOC, who would be attending Sunday's GBM, about the legal position in India.
This despite the fact that the IOC had clearly stated that India's return in the Olympic fold could be in trouble in reply to a letter shot off by the IOA which insisted that the law of the land would prevail.
"The IOC has never questioned the principle that till one is convicted one is innocent. However, the IOC Code of Ethics clearly states that the Olympic parties (which include the NOCs) must undertake to respect and ensure the respect of the IOC Code of Ethics which says in particular that they must not act in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic Movement.
"The IOA (still suspended) must therefore act responsibly and must adopt a clear wording in its revised Constitution," the IOC stated in reply to the letter sent by IOA officials objecting to the revised draft constitution.
"The IOA is still currently suspended by the IOC for the reasons clearly indicated in the IOC executive board decision of 4 December 2012 notified to the IOA the same day by letter of the IOC president.
I hope that the gravity of the situation has been well understood since then and the suspended IOA is now ready to act responsibly and in a unified manner to meet the conditions requested by the IOC," the world body had stated.
It is learnt that the IOA officials want to buy some time considering the fact that a new IOC president will be elected on September 7 in Buenos Aires in place of incumbent Jacques Rogge with the hope that the new head of the world body will have a sympathetic view towards the IOA.
But it remains to be seen what the three IOC observers will say in their report once they return to Lausanne.
The IOA has also been under intense pressure from the Sports Ministry and some top athletes of the country, including Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, who has backed the IOC initiative to remove corruption tainted officials and clean up sports in the country.
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Zanjeer
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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.
Zanjeer (Hindi) and Toofan (Telugu) will be releasing on 6 September 2013. The Chinese dubbed version (Chialo Kaxlaug) of the Hindi version will be released on the same day, along with the Tamil and Malayalam dubbed versions of the Telugu version.
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Most lipsticks contain fish scales.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Five More Minutes
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. “That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.
“He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.”
Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?” Melissa pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes.”
The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. “Time to go now?”
Again Melissa pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.” The man smiled and said, “OK.” “My, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded.
The man smiled and then said, “Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him.
I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa. She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play.”
Moral: Life is all about making priorities, and family is one and only priority on top of all other, so spend all time you can with loved ones.
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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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