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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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On International Day, Ban calls on world's citizens to practice non-violence everyday
On 2 October, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on people all over the world to have the courage to turn their backs on violence and stand up for peace and justice, marking the International Day of Non-Violence. The International Day of Non-Violence marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of India's independence movement, whose non-violence philosophy and tactics have been adopted by leaders around the world. It was established by the General Assembly as an occasion to 'disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness,' and has been observed annually since 2007.
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Russia may ban import of products containing genetically modified organisms
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the relevant agencies to consider a possible ban on the import into Russia of products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by 15 October. The order is addressed to Rospotrebnadzor, the Health Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry, and the Trade and Economic Development Ministry.
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Scotland: Highland honey kills bacteria, Glasgow study suggests
Honey from bees kept in the Highlands is effective in treating infections, according to new research. Glasgow University's School of Veterinary Medicine, which did the testing, said it could potentially be used for treating humans and animals. Manuka honey, which is largely exported from New Zealand, is already used to help treat wounds on horses. The new study suggests heather honey made by bees in areas near Inverness could be as useful. Dr Patrick Pollock said that the natural product was also used all over the world as a treatment for human ailments.
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Australia: River dance celebrates ancient links
For the first time in more than 200 years, two Aboriginal tribes from opposite ends of the Murray river system have met on the banks of the Murrumbidgee river.
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World Round-Up
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Rahul has the final say as Cabinet junks Bill, ordinance on convicted leaders
New Delhi: Forced into a corner by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's condemnation of the ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday where it was decided to withdraw the controversial legislation as well as Bill regarding the same.
The Cabinet decision comes following massive public disapproval and Rahul's displeasure calling the ordinance, which had been passed to negate a Supreme Court order that disqualified convicted legislators from the memberships of Parliament/ Assemblies, a "complete nonsense".
Rahul's remark which is seen as a direct confrontation with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, came at a time when Manmohan Singh was in the Unites States for the UN General Assembly meeting.
The timing of the reaction had attracted a lot of criticism from the Opposition leaders as well as the other UPA constituents.
The decision to withdraw the ordinance was taken in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at his residence which went on for just 10 minutes.
The Congress said that the decision of withdrawing the ordinance was taken unanimously keeping in mind the views of all the Cabinet members.
"The Union Cabinet met today and it was unanimously decided that both the ordinance with regard to certain sections of the Representation of People's Act, as well as the Bill would be withdrawn," Union Minister Manish Tewari said after the meeting.
Sources said that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar expressed his reservations over the decision by the Cabinet being taken in a 'hurry'.
The decision came after a day of hectic confabulations. There were several meetings including between Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday morning.
Sources said that during the meeting, Rahul explained his stance on the ordinance and conveyed that it was not his intention to embarrass the Prime Minister by his rather explosive outburst.
The Prime Minister had also met President Pranab Mukherjee who had asked the government to clarify the urgent need to bring an ordinance that protects convicted MPs, MLAs and MLCs from disqualification.
The meeting of the Congress core group ahead of the Cabinet meet finalised the decision to withdraw the ordinance following which the Prime Minister spoke to the allies and informed them of the decision.
The Cabinet had on September 24 approved the ordinance which sought to negate the Supreme Court order of July 10 which ruled that any lawmaker would stand immediately disqualified if convicted by a court.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
As Uranus and Pluto challenge today's new moon in the partnership sector of your chart, some surprising information may come your way that causes you to question an important personal or professional relationship. Although your knee-jerk reaction may be to address this matter immediately, the best course of action may be to wait until you check out all the facts. When you do, it may turn out that you overreacted a bit and it's not as significant as you first thought.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
A new beginning connected to your work may bring unanticipated disruptions. As Uranus and Pluto clash with today's new moon in your employment sector, there may be some type of reorganization at your job that results in a new chain of command or a change to your job description that may require adjustment on your part. On a related topic, unexpected road or track work may interfere with your daily commute during the coming week, so allow for extra traveling time.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 If you made plans for the weekend, they may be to subject to sudden change. A friend may call off plans at the last minute, or if you have children, your babysitter may cancel on short notice. Such events are likely now because Uranus and Pluto are quarreling with the new moon in this area of your chart. Since you may need to make quick decisions, staying flexible and having a backup plan can ensure an enjoyable weekend if present plans fall through.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Your domestic life will be in high focus now. There may be an unexpected need for a home repair. It may be something simple, but with Uranus and Pluto challenging the new moon in your sector of home and family, there could be more to it than meets the eye. Consequently, you may call in a qualified professional right away to check it out. On another note, a parent may ask for a helping hand with some household tasks. Although your weekend schedule may be tight, you'll be happy to oblige.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 The emphasis will be on communications and transportation as today's new moon will activate this area of your chart. However, disruptive aspects from Uranus and Pluto suggest that you may experience strong resistance to a proposal. The best strategy may be to temporarily retreat. If you brainstorm with some trusted friends or colleagues, you may come up with a plan to win your opponents over. Also, a strange noise when driving or a tire that's losing air may add a visit to your mechanic to your to-do list.
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Telcos like Bharti, RCOM, Idea may face tough 2nd quarter
KOLKATA: Bharti Airtel, Reliance CommunicationsBSE 1.68 % and Idea CellularBSE 1.59 % are likely to have had a tough second quarter, with modest sequential revenue per minute growth, a decline in call traffic and fall in average revenue per minute, though stable call rates in the seasonally weak period provided a silver lining, say analysts. The weaker numbers in the July-September period come after a strong first quarter signaled an improvement in operating fundamentals, with the return of pricing power.
Though a quarter of stable competitive environment, the period would fare weaker sequentially due to seasonal weakness in call volumes, modest increase in revenue per minute, pressure on revenue from valued added services or messaging due to a regulatory clampdown, brokerage Kotak said in a report.
"Tariffs holding firm and no concerning signs of elasticity to tariff increases on the voice side are positive signs," it added.
The strong rupee depreciation against the US dollar is likely to translate into benefits for Bharti AirtelBSE -1.10 % which has a large foreign operation in Africa and its dollar revenues get converted in Indian rupees.
However, the fall in the value of the local currency is expected to lead to forex losses and higher rupee-denominated interest cost on forex loans for operators, say analysts.
Brokerage Morgan Stanley expects "Idea's revenues to decline the most" sequentially among listed telecom companies during the quarter, pegging the fall at 3.1% sequentially to Rs 6,336.4 crore, with net profit likely down 6% at Rs 434.6 crore.
The brokerage predicts a 4% decline in Idea's call traffic, which "would be higher than its peers as it had been the highest gainer in traffic market share in the last few quarters".
"We don't expect any significant uptick in Idea's RPM (revenue per minute) this quarter and the pace of subscriber addition is also expected to be softer compared to the earlier months of the year," Barclays analysts Bhuvnesh Singh and Kunal Agarwal said in a note.
Morgan Stanley expects Idea's ARPU to decline 3.1% on quarter to Rs169. Bharti Airtel, India's largest mobile phone company, is expected to report consolidated revenue growth of 3.3% on quarter at Rs20,920 crore since the seasonal fall in Indian mobile revenue is likely to be offset by higher rupee growth of African revenues, largely due to rupee depreciation, says Morgan Stanley.
Brokerages, however, are divided on Bharti Airtel's net profit forecast for the July-September quarter. While Morgan Stanley estimates the company's profits to rise 11% sequentially to Rs 770 crore approx, Barclays predicts a 14.3% decline due broadly to flattish RPMs and EBITDA margins amidst seasonal weakness. Morgan Stanley expects Bharti's domestic voice traffic to see a 2.6% sequential decline. India voice ARPU for Bharti could decline 1.4% sequentially to Rs 197, says Morgan Stanley.
Analysts are also sharply divided on revenue and net profit projections for Reliance Communications, India's third largest mobile phone company, amid continuing concerns over high interest costs.
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Clear myths to ensure a healthy heart
The source of information, or misinformation, can be anything - a neighbour, a commercial, something you had read "a long time back" - but over time, it often becomes something we staunchly believe in.
Cardiologists say that in the process of treatment of many of their patients, they have to battle myths, some more common than others, which, if cleared, can go a long way in ensuring a healthy heart and a healthy future.
Among some of the most common myths related to heart care, according to renowned cardiologist Ashok Seth, is that all kinds of exercise is good for the cardiovascular system.
"A 45-minute brisk walk, or aerobic exercise is good for your heart. But weightlifting and gym exercises are not necessarily good for your cardiovascular health," Seth said.
It's also a misconception that women are less prone to cardiovascular ailments.
"Cardiovascular disease is the biggest cause of death in women, six times more than breast cancer," Seth said. "But traditionally it's seen that in most Indian families this doesn't appear as a concern vis-a-vis a woman's health. If the man has a slight discomfort, they rush to the hospital, but the women, maybe because they have a high tolerance level, simply ignore any such discomfort".
"Even while going for health check-ups, a mammogram or a pap smear test is listed (to detect cancer), but not a heart check-up, which is very necessary," he added.
Agreed K.K. Talwar, cardiologist at Delhi's Max hospital. "Although women have the protection cover of the estrogen hormone, lifestyle habits like smoking, unhealthy eating habits and contraceptive pills make them prone (to heart ailments). And after menopause, the risk increases," Talwar said.
That the young cannot be affected by heart ailments is another myth, Talwar says.
"It's no longer true that only those in their 50s and 60s can have cardiovascular problems. Even those in their 30s are coming with such problems these days. In fact, because of lifestyle habits like junk food, alcohol consumption and smoking, plus stress, they are prone to acute heart attacks that can be fatal," he said.
According to Talwar, about 20 percent of heart attack patients in Max hospital are in the 30-40 age group. In the West this number is 5 to 10 percent lower because South Asians are more prone to cardiovascular problems at a younger age than their Western counterparts. "Five to seven percent of those who come for angiography are below the age of 35," Talwar told IANS.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Financial matters may be uppermost in your thoughts. An unforeseen expense such as an increase in your rent, property taxes, or insurance premiums may occur. This type of unwelcome news is due to Uranus and Pluto, which are in conflict with today's new moon in your money sector. Fortunately, a happy collaboration between Mercury and Neptune may inspire a creative solution that helps you stretch your income, which in turn provides some peace of mind.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
Today's new moon in Libra shines its spotlight on you. While this is usually a good thing, intense aspects from Uranus and Pluto may coincide with an unexpected lack of support from a partner or a close friend that rattles you. You may be at a loss to explain this behavior, so a heart-to-heart talk may be in order. Once you clear the air, you'll know exactly where you stand with this person and can go forward from there.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 An important decision may weigh heavily on you now. You may have recently stumbled upon some confidential but jarring news on the job. You may feel that your co-workers should know about it, but at the same time, you may fear repercussions if management finds out you spread the word. With Uranus and Pluto targeting the new moon in your sector of secrets, you may be in a tight spot. A conversation with a sibling in the coming days may offer insight that makes the decision crystal clear.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
A personal or professional group relationship may demand your attention as today's new moon lights up this sector of your chart while under fire from Uranus and Pluto. Consequently, a surprising turn of events may find you at odds with some friends or colleagues. You may discover that you have different values and want to cut ties with them. However, it's best to mull it over for a few days because this planetary energy may encourage a rash decision that you may regret down the road.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 The focus will be on your career. You may hear news about an upcoming change at your workplace that takes you by surprise and may threaten your sense of security. As Uranus and Pluto challenge today's new moon in this area of your chart, there may be talk of potential layoffs, salary cuts, or reduced benefits, or your employer may announce a merger or acquisition. Fortunately, a supportive aspect between Mercury and Pluto may help you remain level-headed so you can separate facts from fiction.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 Legal matters and travel may be subject to unexpected disappointments or setbacks as Uranus and Pluto make hard angles to today's new moon, which happens to fall this sector of your chart. Consequently, you may need to take an aggressive approach if you discover an adversary has not been playing by the rules. On another note, if you plan to fly in the near future, a flexible attitude and an interesting book will help you relax in the event of a flight delay.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
There may be some startling developments related to insurance, commissions, and job-related benefits. An insurance carrier may increase your premium dramatically, or you may learn that your employer plans to eliminate its annual bonus or reduce its commission rate. Either way, with Uranus and Pluto challenging today's new moon in this sector of your chart, you may have to scramble to come up with additional funds. Luckily, a happy angle between Mercury and Neptune may inspire a creative solution.
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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?
Santa: Dhhuuuurrrrrrrrrr. .....
Inteviewer shouts: Stop it.
Santa: Dhhuurrrr dhup dhup dhup...."
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CBSE releases material for open book exam
NAGPUR: All formalities for holding the open book exam in schools affiliated to the Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE) have now been completed. On Tuesday, the CBSE released the text and pictorial material from which the question paper for the Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA) will be prepared. TOI had reported about the introduction of this revolutionary open book exam concept in July 2012 itself, and CBSE officially announced it a year later.
OTBA will be conducted only for Std IX and XI as part of the final exams in March. For Std IX, the OTBA material has been released for all main subjects including English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. For Std XI, the text material is for Geography, Economics and Biology. OTBA will be applicable only to these subjects this year.
As reported by TOI earlier, in OTBA students will be given text material months in advance. Later, during the exam, students will be allowed to refer to it while giving the test. However, the CBSE has ensured that OTBA's format does not dilute the process of conducting an exam.
A few months ago, the Board's chairman Vineet Joshi had written to schools that "OTBA will have questions of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and some of which may be subjective, creative and open-ended". He added that textual material will be related to chosen concepts taken from the syllabi. The content given to students may be in the form of an article, a case study, a diagram, a concept/mind map, a picture or a cartoon, problem/situation based on the concepts taught to students during second term.
The Board has also reworked the marks distribution to accommodate OTBA scores in the main subject marks itself. The question papers in main subjects at Summative Assessment (SA)-II will be of 90 marks (in English, of 70 marks + 20 marks for assessment of speaking and listening skills) based on prescribed syllabus and question paper design. The question paper in each main subject will have a separate section of 10 marks for OTBA. The OTBA section will comprise text material accompanied by two or three questions based on this text. The questions based on text will be of HOTS requiring students to apply to the situations given in the article/ report/ case study and draw inferences/conclusions from. The questions based on the text will be open-ended, extrapolative, inferential and look at personal response justifying a point of view.
After releasing the content for OTBA on Tuesday evening, CBSE's academic director Sadhana Parashar wrote to schools that the teachers concerned "are expected to read, discuss and analyse" it. She added that the focus of teachers regarding OTBA content must be to understand its objectives and outcomes.
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Want to see Sachin Tendulkar play forever: Coulter-Nile
NEW DELHI: Just like any other young cricketer, Australian speedster Nathan Coulter-Nile is in awe of Sachin Tendulkar and does not want the senior India batsman to retire from the game.
Plying his trade for the Mumbai Indians franchise, for Coulter-Nile, Tendulkar is one player who is more than willing to give an insight about the game to the younger lot.
"Sachin is someone who believes in backing one's own ability. He has got all the talent in the world and whenever I speak to him he always gives insights as to where I should bowl and what the batsmen would be trying to look at while bowling to them," said Coulter-Nile.
"He gives an insight into what the batsmen would be thinking about when I am running up to bowl at them, which is something I really appreciate.
I would want to see him play forever, but unfortunately all good things have to come to an end and hopefully we can get the Champions League trophy for him and give him a perfect send-off," he told the CLT20.com.
Coulter-Nile, who picked up three wickets in his side's six-wicket win over Perth Scorchers in the Champions League match here last night, which helped them cruise into the semi-finals of the tournament, said he was scared of bowling to Tendulkar in the nets.
"I am scared to bowl to Sachin in the nets because he absolutely whacks them. It is not something that I would have imagined doing in my life. It has been fantastic and I never really felt I would be here," he said.
The 25-year-old said it's the best learning curve for him ahead of the ODI series against India.
"Absolutely. It is good to get used to the conditions here and bowl to the few guys who are in the Indian side who will be playing the ODI series. I am looking to use this experience and bowl well," he said.
He said it was an unbelievable win for them against Scorchers and was feeling relieved after qualifying for the semis.
"It is a good feeling to have a win and qualify for the semi-finals. To be honest with you, I was not too sure about that run-chase.
It was a tough run-chase and the boys did it quite easily. When you lose a man like Tendulkar early in the innings, you do get a bit tense.
But then such is the power of our batting that if one guy is out, you always have someone who can keep it going."
Coulter-Nile singled out skipper Rohit Sharma for playing an outstanding innings under pressure.
"Rohit is probably one of the best players in the world. I am not looking forward to bowling to him in the next one-day international series, but if he keeps his form up for the next two matches, I would be happy."
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Boss
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Boss
Movie Name : Boss
Release Date : October 16, 2013
Genre : Drama
Producer : Ashwin Varde
Director : Anthony D'Souza
Music Director : Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt, P.A.Deepak, Yo Yo Honey Singh
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shiv Pandit, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Johny Lever, Parikshit Sahani, Ronit Roy, Sonakshi Sinha (Item Number)
Synopsis:
Akshay Kumar will play a kind hearted Haryanavi gangster, apparently known as Boss and Mithun Chakraborty will enact the role of his father. Shiv Pandit will portray Akshay Kumar's younger brother's role in the film and Aditi Rao Hydari is paired opposite him. Danny Denzongpa will play Boss's mentor and Ronit Roy will play a ruthless police officer who is pitted against Boss. The film's trailer which was released on 27 August got tremendous response from audience and critics alike. It crossed 3 million views in just 10 days. Ronit Roy, who plays the role of a police officer up against the titular character, Boss marking the first instance where he is the antagonist of a film. It is also the second consecutive instance where his role is that of a cop with Shootout at Wadala being the last one where he portrayed the role of Inspector Raja Ambat, based on real life encounter specialist, Raja Tambat. Ronit along with Akshay Kumar have an action sequence at the climax of the film, one of the highlights of the film which were shot in temperatures exceeding 47 degree Celsius in Thailand involving high octane stunts that were carried out in the end successfully by both the actors.
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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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