15. 2 September in History

Oberlin College Founded (1833)
Oberlin was the first college in the US to regularly admit African-American students and is also the oldest continuously operating coeducational institution. The college has long been associated with progressive causes, and it was a hotbed of abolitionism and a key stop along the Underground Railroad. Both students and faculty were involved in the controversial Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of a fugitive slave in 1858. Why was Oberlin featured on the cover of Life in 1970? More...

Today's birthday

Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii (1838)
Liliuokalani was the last reigning queen of the Hawaiian Islands. She ascended the throne in 1891 upon the death of her brother, King Kalakaua. Her refusal to recognize the constitutional changes inaugurated in 1887 precipitated a revolt—fostered largely by resident American sugar planters—which led to her dethronement in early 1893 and the establishment of a provisional government. Liliuokalani wrote many songs, including the popular "Aloha Oe," which means what? More...






On This Day in History
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Events
* 911 Viking-monarch Oleg of Kiev-Russia signs treaty with Byzantines
* 1192 Sultan Saladin & king Richard the lion hearted sign cease fire
* 1519 1st Battle of Tehuacingo, San Salvador vs Mexico
* 1537 King Christian III publishes "Ordinance on the Danish Church"
* 1644 Battle at Lostwithiel: Robert Devereux' infantry surrenders
* 1666 -06] Great Fire in London ends, kills 8 [NS=Sept 12]
* 1666 Fire in London destroys 13,000 houses & kills 8
* 1686 Habsburgse armies occupy Buda on Turks
* 1732 Pope Clement XII renews anti-Jewish laws of Rome
* 1743 England/Austria/Savoye-Sardinia sign Treaty of Worms
* 1752 Last Julian calender day in US & England (no Sept 3-Sept 13th)
* 1752 Last day of Julian calendar in Britain, British colonies
* 1789 US Treasury Department established by Congress
* 1792 Paris masses remove nobles/clergymen out of jails & slaughter them
* 1796 Jews of the Netherlands are emancipated
* 1806 A side of Rossberg Peak collapses into Goldau Valley Switz, kills 500
* 1839 Salon of Vari‚t‚s opens in Amsterdam
* 1859 Gas lighting introduced to Hawaii
* 1864 Union General William T Sherman captures Atlanta
* 1867 1st Girl School opens in Haarlem Neth
* 1870 Napoleon III surrenders to Prussian armies
* 1894 -3] Amsterdam Municipal theater opens
* 1894 Forest fires destroy Hinckley Minnesota: about 600 die
* 1897 "McCall-magazine 1st published
* 1898 Battle of Omdurman: Lord Kitchener retakes Sudan for Britain
* 1898 Machine gun 1st used in battle
* 1900 Telegraph use between Germany & US begins
* 1901 VP Theodore Roosevelt advises, "Speak softly & carry a big stick"
* 1908 Tommy Burns KOs Bill Lang in 6 for heavyweight boxing title
* 1909 English King Edward VII signs South Africa Bill
* 1911 Joao Chagas forms Portuguese govt
* 1913 Amsterdam reroutes sewage of canals to South Seas
* 1914 -3] Gen von Hausen & countess of France regime flees to Bordeaux
* 1917 Deutsche Vaterlands Party forms (by admiral Tirpitz)
* 1919 Communist Party of America organizes in Chicago
* 1919 Italy agress to general voting right/proportional representation
* 1919 National Commission recommends a best-of-9 World Series
* 1920 W Somerset Maugham's "East of Suez," premieres in London
* 1922 Pres Ebert declares "Deutschland uber alas" as German national anthem
* 1924 44th US Mens Tennis: William Tilden beats William Johnston (61 97 62)
* 1924 Rudolf Friml's "Rose Marie" opens to rave reviews in NYC
* 1926 Italy signs treaty with Yemen
* 1927 Rumour starts that Yankee Lou Gehrig will be traded to Tigers
* 1929 Unilever forms by merger of Margarine Union & Lever Bros
* 1929 WOR (NYC) ends affiliation with CBS radio network
* 1930 1st non-stop airplane flight from Europe to US (37 hrs)
* 1935 A hurricane slams Florida Keys killing 423
* 1936 1st transatlantic round-trip air flight
* 1937 US Housing Authority created by National Housing Act
* 1940 23rd PGA Championship: Byron Nelson at Hershey CC Hershey Pa
* 1940 Great Smoky Mountains National Park dedicated
* 1941 Academy copyrights Oscar statuette
* 1942 German troops enter Stalingrad
* 1944 Belgium's Emissie bank closes
* 1944 During WW II, George Bush ejects from a burning plane
* 1944 Holocaust diarist Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz
* 1944 US leaders meet in Belgium
* 1945 59th US Womens Tennis: Sarah P Cooke beats Pauline Betz (36 86 64)
* 1945 Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independence from France (National Day)
* 1945 V-J Day; formal surrender of Japan aboard USS Missouri (WW II ends)
* 1946 Johnny Neun replaces Bill Dickey as Yankee manager
* 1946 Nehru forms govt in India
* 1949 Fire in riverfront area kills 1,700 (Chungking China)
* 1951 Australia, NZ & US sign ANZUS-pact
* 1952 Dr Floyd J Lewis 1st uses deep freeze technique in heart surgery
* 1954 Hurricane Edna batters NE US, killing 20
* 1954 WTVD TV channel 11 in Raleigh-Durham, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting
* 1955 KCRA TV channel 3 in Sacramento, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
* 1956 Collapse of a RR bridge under a train kills 120 (India)
* 1956 Orioles trailing Red Sox 8-0 come back to win 11-10 in 9 innings
* 1956 Washington-Jackson cable line replaced by bus service
* 1957 1st edition newspaper the Ware Time (in Suriname), 1,700 die
* 1957 Milwaukee Braves' Frank Torre scores 6 runs in 1 game
* 1957 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
* 1958 Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
* 1958 Henry Verwoerd appointed PM of South Africa
* 1958 KAYS TV channel 7 in Hays, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
* 1958 Minn announces $9 million bond issue to improve Metropolitan Stadium
* 1958 National Defense Education Act was signed
* 1959 US President Eisenhower arrives in Paris
* 1960 Tamara & Irina Press (USSR) become 1st sisters to win olympic gold
* 1960 William Walton's 2nd Symphony, premieres
* 1962 Stan Musial's 3,516th hit moves over Tris Speaker into 2nd place
* 1962 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
* 1963 Alabama Gov George C Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee HS
* 1963 CBS & NBC expand network news from 15 to 30 minutes
* 1963 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Idaho Centennia Golf Tournament
* 1964 Indonesian paratroopers lands in Malaysia
* 1964 Norman Manley scores 2-consecutive holes-in-one at Del Valley, Cal
* 1965 Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his 400th HR (off Curt Simmons)
* 1965 Treblinka trial in Dusseldorf ends
* 1966 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Ladies' World Series of Golf
* 1967 KUHI (now KSNF) TV channel 16 in Joplin, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting
* 1968 Jerry Lewis' 3rd Muscular Dystrophy telethon
* 1969 NY Yankee Joe Pepitone is reinstated
* 1969 Ralph Houk signs 3-year contract to manage Yankees at $65,000 a season
* 1970 1st tennis tie break at a Grand Slam (US Open) (9 pt sudden death)
* 1971 Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slammer
* 1971 Chris Evert & Jimmy Connors win their 1st US Open tennis matches
* 1971 NY's Electric Circus Club goes out of business
* 1972 Chic White Sox Milt Pappas no-hits SD Padres, 1-0
* 1972 Renate Stecher runs 100m European female record (11.07 sec)
* 1972 Rod Stewart's 1st #1 hit (You Wear it Well)
* 1972 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
* 1973 Billy Martin fired as manager of Tigers
* 1973 Netherlands wins hockey world's championship
* 1973 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Charity Golf Classic
* 1974 Jerry Lewis' 9th Muscular Dystrophy telethon
* 1974 Prest Gerald Ford signs Employee Retirement Income Security Act
* 1978 George Harrison marries Olivia
* 1978 Gloria Fajardo (21) marries Emilio Estefan (25) (Miami Sound Machine)
* 1978 Graham Salmon set worlds record for 100 meters by a blind man
* 1978 John McClain performs 180 outside loops in an airplane over Houston
* 1978 Reggie Jackson is 19th player to hit 20 HR in 11 straight years
* 1979 "I Remember Mama" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 108 perfs
* 1979 79th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Mark O'Meara
* 1980 John Arlott calls his last game, England v Australia at Lord's
* 1981 USSR performs underground nuclear test
* 1982 Rolling Stone Keith Richard's house burns down
* 1983 Yitzhak Shamir (Herut) endorsed by Menachem Begin for Israeli PM
* 1984 "Zorba" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 362 performances
* 1985 Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic
* 1985 Jerry Lewis' 20th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $33,100,000
* 1986 Cathy Evelyn Smith sentenced to 3 years for death of John Belushi
* 1987 Donald Trump takes out a full page NY Times ad lambasting Japan
* 1987 Kevin Bass is 1st NLer to switch hit HRs in a game twice in 1 season
* 1987 Philips introduces CD-video
* 1987 West German pilot Mathias Rust, who flew a private plane from Helsinki Finland, to Moscow's Red Square, forms trial in Russia
* 1988 Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour begins in Wembley
* 1989 Rev Al Sharpton leads a civil rights march through Bensonhurst
* 1990 "Grapes of Wrath" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 188 performances
* 1990 Steve Allen, installed as a new abbot of Hartford St Zen Center, SF
* 1991 Jerry Lewis' 26th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $45,071,657
* 1991 Pat Bradley wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic
* 1991 US officially recognizes independence of Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania
* 1992 Nicaragua struck by earthquake/floodings; 118 die
* 1992 US dollar valued at 156.50 guilder (record)
* 1993 10th MTV Awards: Pearl Jam, En Vogue wins
* 1993 Central African Republic ex-emperor Bokassa freed
* 1993 Day of Peace in South Africa
* 1994 Miguel Indurain bicycles world record time (53,040 km)
* 1995 Actor Charlie Sheen (30th birthday) marries Donna Peele (25)
* 1995 Frank Bruno beats Oliver McCall in 12 for heavyweight boxing title
* 1995 Southern California begins using new area code 562
* 1996 Jerry Lewis' 31st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $49,200,000
* 1996 Michelle McGann wins LPGA State Farm Rail Golf Classic
* 1996 Soyuz TM-24, lands
* 1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Montreal Canada on CHOM 97.7 FM
* 1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Toronto Canada on CILQ 107.1 FM

14. Coke V/S Pepsi (Banned Video)

13. Love's Story

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left.


Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."


Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat." Vanity answered.


Sadness was close by so Love asked for help, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh....Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"


Happiness passed by Love too, but he was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!


Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way.


Love realizing how much he owed the elder and asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?" "It was Time," Knowledge answered. "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?" Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because, only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

13. Love's Story

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left.


Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."


Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat." Vanity answered.


Sadness was close by so Love asked for help, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh....Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"


Happiness passed by Love too, but he was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!


Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way.


Love realizing how much he owed the elder and asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?" "It was Time," Knowledge answered. "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?" Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because, only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

12. A gift to mom

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers and prospered. Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.


The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."


The second said, "I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."


The third said "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."


The fourth said, "You know how Mama loved reading the Bible and you know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this preacher who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took twenty preachers 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."


The other brothers were impressed. After the holidays Mom sent out her thank you notes. "She wrote: "Milton, the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."


"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered, so I never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."


"Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound, it could hold 50 people, but all my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same."


"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

11. A Letter to Dear Dad

A father passing by his teenage daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was neat and tidy. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the centre of the pillow. It was addressed "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:-


Dear Dad,

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you, but I'm leaving home. I had to elope with my new boyfriend Randy because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Randy and he is so nice to me. I know when you meet him you'll like him too - even with all his piercing, tattoos, and motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Dad, I'm pregnant and Randy said that he wants me to have the kid and that we can be very happy together. Even though Randy is much older than me (anyway, 42 isn't so old these days is it?), and has no money, really these things shouldn't stand in the way of our relationship, don't you agree?


Randy has a great CD collection; he already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. It's true he has other girlfriends as well but I know he'll be faithful to me in his own way. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too.


Randy taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and he'll be growing it for us and we'll trade it with our friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Randy can get better; he sure deserves it!!


Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grandchildren.


Your loving daughter,
Rosie.



At the bottom of the page were the letters "PTO".

Hands still trembling, her father turned the sheet, and read:


PS:

Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbour's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk centre drawer. Please sign it and call when it is safe for me to come home.


I love you!

Your loving daughter,
Rosie


*************

10. WE MISS OUT

THIS IS HOW WE MISS OUT SOMETHING CALLED "LIFE"

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS:

1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER:

The husband just said "I am with you Darling"The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead... He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think...

MORAL OF THE STORY:

This story is really worth reading. ......
Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know.

By this way we miss out something called L.I.F.E.

9. Tips for good night's sleep

Stick to a schedule

Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you’d wake later and feel overly tired.

Sleep only at night

Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.

Exercise

It’s actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

Taking a hot shower or bath

Before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.

Avoid eating just before bed

Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

Avoid caffeine

It keeps you awake and that’s now what you want for a good nights sleep. We all know that.

Read a fiction book

It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it. And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep. Different for others?

Have the room slightly cooler

I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes. It also saves on the bills as you’re not going to require the heat all night long.

Sleep in silence

I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

Avoid alcohol before bedtime

It’s a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

8. Communication Skills (Video)

7. “ICT in the teaching of English and Community Development”

“ICT in the teaching of English and Community Development”

Co-authored by:
Mr Mayur Parmar
mayur_vvnagar@yahoo.co.in
Lecturer
H M Patel Institute of English Training & Research
Vallabh Vidyanagar (Gujarat) India

Mr Kaushal Kotadia
kaushalkotadia@gmail.com
www.kaushalkotadia.blogspot.com
www.kotadiakaushal.blogspot.com
www.remediesathand.blogspot.com
Resource Person
H M Patel Career Development Centre
Vallabh Vidyanagar (Gujarat) India

Earlier the phrase information technology popularly known as IT was the buzzword. However, in the recent years IT has incorporated one more letter C in it making itself ICT. The C in ICT has been introduced because it has become obvious that the technology is at least as important as a means of communication as a device for handling information. Being communication tools, computers have an obvious place in language teaching and learning.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is a broad term that covers all information handling tools. It includes a varied set of goods, applications and services that are used to produce, store, process, distribute and exchange information.

They include:
• Traditional ICT: telephone, radio and television
• New ICT: Personal Computers, mobile phones, satellite and wireless
technologies, Internet and the World Wide Web

Increasingly, the demarcations between these media or delivery channels are shaping, as the world becomes more networked - interconnected telephone services, standardized computer hardware, and seamless data transmission services. Today, we are witnessing a new revolution of the 21st century that will shape the knowledge society: “the Digital Revolution”. Driven by the accelerating conference between the internet, broadcast media and ICTs, this revolution indeed affects all aspects of our life – the way we learn, work and communicate with one another as well as the way governments interact with civil society. New opportunities are opening up to those who can make effective use of information technologies, but a large percentage of people are not aware of this digital revolution and opportunities, they don’t have access to those technologies and information which are also not affordable.

Some feel that it is a new threat to the development. At the same time, the digital revolution risks to exclude others from reaping its fruits, thus increasing existing inequalities. This gap between those who have access to ICT and those who lack of it has become well known as the “digital divide”. Digital Divide is the “unequal access to information and communication technologies (ICT) between the information haves and have-nots.” The digital divide reflects, in a large part, other social and economic divides – not only between industrial and developing nations, but also within countries. The divide exists among developed countries and the less developed countries as well as within one country among the urban and rural areas, across people’s ages and levels of education. The divide also exists between those who are literate and illiterate, those who are normal and those who are disabled.Bridging the digital divide has emerged as a key challenge for development – and as the only hope for the marginalized part of the world to benefit from the opportunities offered by the global knowledge economy.

Under the development strategy of developing world, ICT is to address among other topics such as education, knowledge through human development. Poverty reduction and the enhancement of the quality of life for the people are still on the high-priority list and ICTs can play a great role in facilitating and accelerating. ICTs play a great role in this strategy, and in doing so, the issue of “digital divide” must be considered. To bridge the digital divide has become a big challenge facing developing countries. ICT is considered as the major information infrastructure for improving the quality of access and distribution of information for the citizens.

In the past, some widely used approaches to foreign language teaching have assumed strict control of pupils’ behaviour. Textbooks can be used to make pupils act in highly predictable ways such as answering questions about given text, practicing saying and writing specified vocabulary items, responding to pronunciation exercises or grammar tasks in the textbook. The teacher can be fairly certain that few, if any, unexpected language or other challenges will occur. Most uses of ICT do not lend themselves to this kind of teacher control. The Internet is a good example. Millions of texts are available. Teachers can never know when they will have to respond to questions like "What does the word mean? How do we pronounce it? Is it good English? Is it taboo? etc." Once pupils have learned basic ways of obtaining information, they can find out many things for themselves that the teacher may not know much or anything about. Successful use of ICT is inconsistent with complete teacher control of what happens in the language classroom. However, that does not mean that teachers should not guide learners or set them tasks leading to specified solutions, set time limits and so on.

The C in ICT stands for communication. The primary purpose of ICT in foreign language teaching must be to stimulate real communication between pupils (for example, within a class), communication between teachers and their pupils, for example, presentation, comment, advice, explanation, suggestion and instruction. It has an obvious role in furthering communication between learners from different countries who are learning English as a vehicle for international contact and understanding.

Can ICT take a reformative measure in improving teacher competency?
It will not be an exaggeration if one says that the present and the future of education and the society lie on the teachers, and especially the quality of teachers. Not surprisingly, considerable importance has been given to teacher education in all the Five Year Plans and in all the Commissions and Committees on Education in India. The Kothari Education Commission had noted that the fate of India was being shaped in the classrooms, and that the teachers were the most important determinant of this. However, with increasing use of technology and blended learning, the fate today is shaped more outside the classroom, and the definition of a teacher has changed considerably.

In parallel with the development of educational technology itself, use of ICT in teacher education has evolved from the traditional audio-visual method to the present multimedia-based online learning/online professional development.

A New ICT Framework

From many research studies and experiences, two important aspects are coming to face with regard to ICT integration with teacher education:
i) teachers need to be reflective in what they do in the form of teaching and facilitating student learning
ii) the offline community of practice and the networked community of professional community need to be intergrated into a comprehensive framework of continuing professional development.

Some of the important skills associated with reflection included:
Self-awareness: Ability to analyze feelings, especially examining how a situation has affected the individual and how the individual has affected the situation

Description: Ability to recognize and recollect accurately the key features of an experience and/or situation

Critical analysis: Ability to examine the knowledge components of a situation, identifying existing knowledge, challenging assumptions, and imagining and exploring alternatives
Synthesis: Ability to integrate new knowledge with previous knowledgeEvaluation: Ability to make judgment about the value of something

It must be underlined that in any sort of ICT intervention in teacher education and/or any ICT-integrated teacher education, reflection needs to play a critical role in contextualizing teacher education practices as also to critically reflect on teacher education as professional discipline and professional practice. The framework given above depicts an integrated and comprehensive online teacher professional development in which culture, professional community, curriculum design, online presence, and individual and collaborative reflection contribute to transformation in professional identify and professional practice.

Information and Knowledge: ICT for Education
Today a large percentage of poor population of the globe lives in the rural areas and ICT could bring a substantial development if ICT could be used appropriately. It is important to consider following factors in mainstreaming ICT into rural development and poverty reduction strategies

· ICTs are a powerful tool for sustainable development, empowerment and poverty reduction.
· ICTs are a component of a broader strategy to sustainable development and should not be seen as a panacea for all development problems.
· ICT encompass a full range of technologies – not only the Internet, but also traditional devices, such as radios or TV, which are the most widely used tools in developing countries.
· The effective use of ICT is not just a question of infrastructure, but also requires an appropriate institutional and regulatory framework and human capacity.

When mainstreaming ICT into rural development and poverty reduction it is important to aim at following:

· To raise standard of living of people
· To ensure the rights of information access through the use of ICT
· To learn from the global knowledge and contribute to it
· To provide more opportunities to people for education, culture and other

Providing access to relevant information
· ICT can help improve the economic and social situation of the poor by enabling people
· to obtain relevant information on market prices, weather conditions, medical assistance, land and political rights as well as welfare or credit schemes
· increase their competitiveness and market access
· train themselves via e-learning, thus making them responsible for their own development.

Facilitating communication and network building

By facilitating a new level of “many-to-many” information, ICT offer an interactive and decentralized platform that enables people to
· share knowledge and build networks
· promote their interest and rights more efficiently
· influence more effectively, rapidly and collectively political decisions that affect their lives
· communicate more effectively, thus enhancing intercultural understanding
The initial project indicates that the use of new technologies may enable communities to lean forward what previously have been seen to be necessary stages in the growth of educational provision and the development of a body of knowledge in a community, but only to a limited extent. ICT has already proven to be an ideal vehicle for the distribution of ideas, initiatives and material, directly into areas that are difficult to reach by other means. This project requires testing out and extending the use of ICT in non-formal education and has achieved a measure of success in doing this. However, if the essential spread of knowledge and information is not to be slowed down, low-tech methods of production and delivery must be developed beside their high-tech equivalents. Similarly, the modes and quality both of the material itself and the delivery of it in the regional centres and satellites must illustrate greater variety and adaptation to specific user need. There is currently no differentiation according to need or experience, and this is something that any future development will have to address.

6. “English as a Tool of Empowerment Leading to

“English as a Tool of Empowerment Leading to
Self-Employment”

Co-authored by:
Ms Parul Popat
parulpopat@gmail.com
www.parulpopat.blogspot.com

www.learnsmartenglish.blogspot.com

Head
Department of English
N S Patel Arts College
Anand (Gujarat) India

Mr Kaushal Kotadia
kaushalkotadia@gmail.com
www.kaushalkotadia.blogspot.com
www.kotadiakaushal.blogspot.com
www.remediesathand.blogspot.com

Resource Person
H M Patel Career Development Centre
Vallabh Vidyanagar (Gujarat) India

Designated as the language of communication, English today is spoken and read by the largest number of people in the world. On account of its this feature in particular and others in general English is no doubt preferred by one and all. Available data from all the walks of life support the claim that English has aided people in creating many success stories and is contributing to many lives in earning their bread and butter. The world of 21st century has opened many new vistas for those who have quite a good command over the language.

There is not any iota of doubt of English language being a tool of empowerment. The list of areas where people have done well owing to their expertise in English language is endless. KPO, BPO, competitive exams, translations, writing, web-page writing, education to name a few. The equally heartening thing is that it has also led to self-employment. Nevertheless, the question that arises here is how much knowledge of the stated language is required to empower oneself and to be self-employed. This paper tries to study the role of English in the empowerment of people with its focus on success stories from the field of education confined to Vallabh Vidyanagar and Anand (Gujarat) India.

The title of the paper talks about two things in main viz;

English as a tool of empowerment

English can lead to self-employment

Before going any further, I would like to explicate all the dimensions of the terms employed in the title.

To begin with, at first the title deals with the capacity of English as the tool of empowerment. To be empowered, in simple words, means to have more control over one’s life or the situation one is in. The most common use of the term "empowerment" refers to increasing the power of the low-power group, so that it more nearly equals the power of the high power group.

Empowerment, as it may seem to many today, is nothing more than the most recently popular buzzword thrown in to make sure that old programs get new meanings. However, the reality is quite different. Empowerment is much more than that. Empowerment is a process that challenges our assumptions about the way things are and can be. It challenges our basic assumptions about power, helping, achieving, and succeeding. Empowerment is a process of change.

At the core of the concept of empowerment is the idea of power. The possibility of empowerment depends on two things. First, that power can change and the other that power can expand. Thus, empowerment is a process of change.

As a general definition, however, we suggest that empowerment is a multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is, the capacity to implement) in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important.

We suggest that three components of our definition are basic to any understanding of empowerment. Empowerment is multi-dimensional, social, and a process. It is multi-dimensional in that it occurs within sociological, psychological, economic, and other dimensions. Empowerment also occurs at various levels, such as individual, group, and community. It is a social activity in a sense that it affects the lives of many in the society. Last but not the least; it is a process as it is a series of things that happen, especially ones that result in natural changes.


Self-employment
The core of the paper is devoted to role of English in creating self-employment. However, before referring to that part let me make the concept of self-employment a bit clear.

Ø Being self-employed simply means being your own Boss. This also means that there is no one looking over your shoulder. Freedom of time, moment, goals and finances everything is left to you.
Ø It means you are own time master. It gives you a flexibility to do whatever you want to do and whenever want to do.
Ø A self-employed person is far away from the problems of job security and fear of unemployment. On the contrary, he may be able to provide job to others.
Ø Self-employment is something that makes one a complete person who can proudly say that he/ she is an entrepreneur who has achieved something.
Ø When you are self-employed, your self-confidence goes through the sky. This factor will help you face most hurdles in life with a less stress.
Ø When self-employed the limitations of earning do not exist. You can earn as much as you want by just stepping up the speed.
Ø Last but not the least; success becomes a commodity, which you can measure with your own yardstick rather than others, which contributes a lot to your personality and the finances through the extra income you earn.

Keeping in mind all the above benefits one questionnaire was prepared for the respondents to analyse the role of English in making them successful entrepreneurs. The present paper is a study of those successful entrepreneurs who have been empowered by the language under discussion. Vallabh Vidyanagar and Anand, being the educational township, I preferred to take into account the field of education in general and various educational institutions and private coaching classes in particular.

Among the educational institutions, three successful women entrepreneurs were selected who have earned a name and fame for themselves. Heart and the soul of the institution that they run, the entrepreneurs are Mrs Maria V Pinto of Pinto’s School, Mrs Alanknanda Parnekar of Nirmal Niketan and Mrs Dhara Shukla of Kids’ Empire. Among the private coaching classes, the names are

Mr Manoj Ray of Bright Tuition Classes, Mr Vipul Shah of Vipul Tuition Classes and Mr Sohin Treya of Vidya Classes.

One questionnaire was designed to learn the role of English Language in the empowerment of the stated people. In addition to the personal as well as professional information of the respondents, the questionnaire also had statements which can help the researcher to learn the attitude and aptitude of the respondents towards the work that they are doing and the factors that led them to venture in the profession in which they are at present.

Glimpses of the successful journeys that have contributed in the process of change.

Mrs Maria V Pinto, Managing Trustee, Pinto’s schools
Featured in the reputed daily ‘The Times of India’ more than once as a successful and inspirational woman entrepreneur, Mrs Maria V Pinto started her journey as a working woman way back in 1983 as an Administrator cum Nursery Teacher with a meager salary of 500/- with Boho Shishu Vihar, the 1st of its kind in Anand.

Encouraged by her daughter to be independent, she started a kindergarten school in 1987 with a bank loan of Rs. 20,000/- in a small rented house with 18 tiny tots. At present, she is moulding the career of almost 400 students studying under her care and supervision. Not only this, she has also generated employment for as many as 40 people. She aspires to start a school for the differently abled children to help them to come into the mainstream of life. When asked the role of English in her empowerment she said

“With today’s pressing need of knowing to speak English fluently, I think our institution has been able to achieve what I have today purely because of my fortune of having some kind of special hold on the English language right from my childhood…”

The feature, which is the most motivating about her success story, is that she has studied up to matriculation only and does not have any formal degree with which many are judged and appointed. Her case proves one thing that you have to have the instinct within you and only degree does not lead you to success.


Mrs Alaknanda Parnekar, Headmistress, Nirmal Niketan Kindergarten
An effort to make her student a better one at Kendriya Vidyalaya was taken otherwise. The complaint lodged against her gave her a feeling that she would not be able to what she wanted to and she straightway decided to withdraw herself from the permanent government job she was doing. Her resignation from the job proved a turning point in her life and motivated her to start her own venture in 1994, today better known as Nirmal Niketan Kindergarten, an English Medium Kinder-Garten School. It is the first of its kind in Vallabh Vidyanagar in the sense that here she started admitting children from 2½ years which was against the mentality of people and so had to make extensive efforts to convince the grand parents. Nevertheless, with her charming personality and absolute command over the English language, she could do that and now she is running Nirmal Niketan Kindergarten successfully with 250 children studying from Nursery to first standard. She confirms that her knowledge of English language has helped her to hold her head high. About the role English in life, this is what she had to say:

“It is essential for everyone to have at least the working knowledge of English and special skills of English language definitely empower an individual in more than one ways.”

Mrs Dhara Shukla of Kids Empire
A lady with a degree of Diploma in Civil Engineering, Mrs Dhara Shukla’s story is a little bit different from the above two in a way that the only reason behind the setting up of Kids Empire was the motto to do social service through language. She did not have even any kind of professional experience either. During the interview, she humbly denied of having any special skills, training or professional experience of any kind when she started her own institution. What she had was the required amount of knowledge of the language. When enquired how she managed without basic requirements she frankly said that apart from the knowledge of the language, her experiences of bringing up her two children helped her a lot. In addition to this, she did a survey for 3 to 3½ years of the field where she wanted serve society through language. As far as the role of English in her life is concerned, she says that it is a tool but depending upon the nature of work, other qualities are also equally important.

All the above three mentioned cases are common as none of the discussed case had any acute financial problem or had problem of survival. They were not the sole breadwinner though their ventures did help their families. The next three cases are completely different as they directly do not teach the language but they do deal with English language in the form of terminology used in their fields. They too in one voice agree that the working knowledge of English language has played a vital role in earning them a respect and recognition for themselves. All these cases are the torchbearers for those who have suffered due to the policy of government or being exploited by self-financed institutions. The only message that their achievements convey is that if you have faith in your abilities then nobody can stop you. Let’s peep into their struggle and have some inspiration.

Mr Manoj Ray of Bright Tuition Classes
A bright student from the beginning Manoj Ray studied in vernacular medium but was always the master of Accounts and Statistics. He knew very well what he could do with his talent. Hence, having worked for BJVM for one year as a lecturer in Commerce and Accountancy, in 1997-98 he started his own classes at his home where the students used to sit on the floor. This venture by him proved to be a great support for his family that was earning his livelihood by supplying tiffins to students. Gradually, his method of teaching and learning increased the strength of the students, which today has crossed the strength of 300. Today, he has his own air-conditioned classes with two teaching faculty whom he is paying more than what our government is paying to lecturers now as Adyapak Sahayaks. A down to earth person, he very humbly says that he cannot speak English that fluently but he knows the terminology of Accounts and Statistics perfectly well. Today, 65% of his students are from English Medium who find no problem with his teaching suggest others to join his classes.

Mr Vipul Shah of Vipul Tuition Classes
If employed immediately after the completion of his masters, how much can a person earn in the teaching field in this scenario? The answer obviously cannot be very encouraging unless he is serving in those institutions that are ready to pay as per UGC norms. Mr Vipul Shah of Vipul Tuition Classes learnt from others experiences, did not try much for any ‘permanent’ job and thought it better to start his own institution. Only three years have passed since he began his classes for commerce students but today he is a proud person with 218 students studying under him and has also generated employment for two more. He too, like others accepts that English has instilled confidence in him and motivated him towards self-employment and has contributed a lot in his success.

Mr Sohin Treya of Vidya Classes
A victim of the Government Policy of Shikshan Sahayak, Mr Sohin started his career as a teaching assistant with the salary of Rs 2000/- only but soon felt that it was too difficult to lead his life and so joined hands with the other teacher like him and jumped in the field of private coaching. Today he too, is earning a handsome amount with the help of his knowledge of the English language by providing coaching to the students from 5th to 12th standards.

Every success story has something new to tell with one thing in common that the English language is a key-factor behind their empowerment and self-employment. The respondents were given few reasons, which might have motivated them for starting their own venture. The importance of the language in empowering people and leading them to self-employment can also be gauged from the table given below:

1. The salary was inadequate. - 33.33%
2. You were desirous of expressing your unique talent. - 83.33%
3. You wished to utilize the special training you had. - 50%
4. You were bored with your previous job. - 16.66%
5. You felt that your career was going nowhere. - 16.66%
6. Your previous job was very stressful. - 16.66%
7. Social status attached with the profession. - 83.33%
8. You saw better prospects in the field of education with English language. - 100%
9. You intended to do Social Service through language. - 83.33%
10.You thought of utilizing the extra time you had. - 16.66%
11.You felt you could do this in a better way. - 16.66%
12. Your family needed financial support. - 66.66%
13.This was a better and a safer way of earning. - 50%

The figures shown in the table clearly prove the role of English in the empowerment of people helping them to be their own boss. More than one factors can be responsible behind the choice of English language but everybody agrees on point that today in the field of education there are better prospects for the people who have an adequate command over the English language and the same can definitely help in the development of the family first and community next.

The results of this empirical research clearly suggest that English proficiency can become a more important determinant of earnings for all the entrepreneurs, especially in the field of education and can easily lead them towards self-employment.

5. Gujarati Poem

4. Happy Independence Day

3. Prevention is better than cure

Health - Very Very Important Tips

Answer the phone by LEFT ear.

Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.

Do not take pills with COOL water.

Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.

Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.

Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night.

Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.

Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.

Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.

Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.

When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times.

Prevention is better than cure.

2. Tips for Better Life

Just like the question, “What is happiness?”, what constitutes a better life is something very subjective and something which we have to search within ourselves. We have to connect with our inner selves in order to know what is meant by a better life for us. To some people, better lives can be to achieve great financial successes or happy families. And to others, better lives could be just having food to eat to fight off hunger, clothes to wear to keep themselves warmth and shelters from the sun and rain. To me, happiness directly link to a better life - when I am happy, naturally it is already considered a better life. And that leads to the question of what is happiness? Happiness is to know what we want in life. We might not always know what happiness to us is. Thus we have to constantly ask ourselves what we want in our lives. Know what we want in our lives and happiness will follow “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” - Dale Carnegie

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a DVD Recorder and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to __________ today.’
5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007!
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives. (Meditation can be a good way to help us to connect to our inner selves.)
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake. “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” - T.E. Lawrence
10. Eat more food that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutters from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. (Realize that challenges are not here in our lives to stop us but to help us grow!)
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out credit charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires! away.
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. (I remember a quotation from someone that goes, “Life will sometimes deal us bad cards and we have to learn to play to win.”)
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. (Hate is a very negative energy. I remembered reading from someone blog last week and she shared this, “I love to love and I hate to hate.” We must always focus on positive energy.)
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. (Understand that you and only you are in charge of your life. You may not always be able to choose the situation, but you can choose your reaction to the situation. You have the power to choose.)
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business. “I will not let what others say about me affect me as long as I know it is not the truth.” - Abraham Lincoln
28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time! . You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I’m thinking of ya!
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

May you have lesser troubles, more blessings and happiness coming through your door!!!

1. HOW CRICKET HAS EVOLVED

The rules, dresses and the duration involving a cricket game have undergone a sea change since the game began. Luckily, just as one version of the game began to bore, another was round the corner to ensure that cricket was alive and kicking. And the best part is that tradition, in the form of Test cricket, co-exists happily with the modern, be it ODIs or T20. Gaurav Gupta takes a look at how various formats of the game came into being from time to time...

ODIs
The first ODI was played in 1971 on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ironically the same venue on which the first-ever Test was played. The possibility of a result, attacking batsmanship — thanks to the limited version of 50 overs each side, caught on like wildfire — and cricket got a new life. The short duration of games meant a World Cup could be played. The first World Cup was held in 1975. It was a hit, and ODIs soon started outnumbering Tests.

THE PACKER REVOLUTION
In 1977, Australian media moghul Kerry Packer couldn’t get the TV rights for cricket Down Under, so he decided to change the game altogether, floating a rebel series. Out went the traditional whites, in came coloured clothing. Out went cricket under sunlight, and in came cricket under floodlights. Big Boys play under lights, it was said. The red cherry was replaced with a white ball, and sightscreens became black instead of white. Purists scoffed, but fans loved the new, sexed-up version of the sport.

HONG KONG SIXES
Cricket’s six-a-side version was launched in 1992 when the Hongkong Sixes event began. Six players on each side get to play five overs each, with everybody except the wicketkeeper allowed to bowl. Batsmen are supposed to retire once they reach 31, and a team is deemed all out only when the sixth wicket falls. The tournament became so popular over the years that now 10 international teams play in it.

DOUBLE WICKET
The double-wicket version came up in the 1980s and is still popular in many cities and towns in India. A pair gets to bat for eight or ten overs, with roughly four bowlers against them. Six runs are deducted in case a batsman is dismissed. In 1989, a tournament of this kind was played in Chennai, and it involved the West Indies pace bowlers against two good batsmen from each country.

CRICKET MAX
This was a form of cricket invented by former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe. The match consisted of two innings and each side was allowed only 10 overs per innings. A ‘Max’ zone was drawn up in front of the batsman, in which if the ball were hit, it would fetch double the amount of runs. Declaring a free hit off the next ball after a no-ball started with this version. A championship in this version took place between all the first class teams of New Zealand, but Cricket Max, as such, couldn’t catch on worldwide.

TWENTY20
T20 originated in England, in an attempt to win back interest in the game there, and proved an instant hit, thanks to the entire setting of a match resembling one big party, rather than a serious cricket match. Slowly, the fast food version of the game, filled with fours, sixes, and plenty of thrills and frills, spread to other cricket nations. One-dayers had become too predictable, too monotonous, and T20 provided a welcome change, and the idea of treating a cricket match like a film, or a picnic, appealed to everyone. The first T20 World Cup was played in 2007 and India, the country which resisted this format, won.

1. Our Attitude

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

A SMALL TRUTH TO MAKE OUR LIFE 100 % SUCCESSFUL

IF

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N

O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

IS EQUAL TO

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

THEN

H + A + R + D + W + O + R + K = 8 + 1 + 18 + 4 + 23 + 15 + 18 + 11 = 98%

K + N + O + W + L + E + D + G + E = 11 + 14+ 15 + 23 + 12 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 = 96%

L + U + C + K = 12 + 21 + 3 + 11 = 47%

NONE OF THEM MAKES 100 %

THEN WHAT MAKES 100 % ????????????

IS IT MONEY ? NO ………..

LEADERSHIP ? NO…………

EVERY PROBLEM HAS SOLUTION ONLY IF WE CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE

A + T + T + I + T + U + D + E = 1 + 20 + 20 + 9 + 20 + 21 + 4 + 5 =

100 %

8. Ten rules to stay young..!!!

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them!"

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, and hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS

REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

7. Tip for Face & skin

1) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

2) Cut some beet root into small pieces and grind them. Squeeze juice from beet root and massage to your face for 5 minutes. Shower after 10 minutes with mild soap or gram flour.

3) Mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4 to 5 drops of milk in it and apply on to your face and body. Shower after 15 minutes with warm water.

4) Mix honey in water and drink daily in the morning to keep your skin shiny and smooth.

5) Warm honey and mix with lemon juice and apply on to face. Wash after it dry.

6) Mix Turmeric, sandal powder and olive oil and apply to body. Shower after 10 minutes.

7) Massage your skin with milk. Milk has moisturizer; it will keep your skin smooth.

8)Use humidifiers and keep room temperature moderate to keep your skin away from dryness.

9) Hot water blushes your skin and you don't feel fresh unless you have bath with little cold water. If you have shower for a longtime, dead skin will be automatically be removed. Do not rub with towel; be gentle on your skin.

10) Take food which contains more A and C vitamin.

11) Grate carrot and boil. Massage that mixture to body to get fair and smooth skin.

12) For natural bleaching: - mix milk and lemon juice. The milk will break as soon as you mix the lemon juice in it. Use that mixture to massage on your body. It works as natural bleaching.

13) Mix turmeric and cream on the top of milk, massage that mixture to body.

14) If you go into sun your skin will lost the fair ness. To get your skin color to normal take equal quantities of cucumber juice and tomato juice and apply on to skin. Shower after 10 minutes.

15) Massage mustard oil to your skin for 5 minutes and have shower with gram flour or mild soap.

16) Mix cream on the top of milk and all-purpose flour and apply that paste on to your skin avoid eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. This will make skin smooth.

17) Mix curds (yogurt) with wheat flour and apply to your skin and take shower after 5 minutes. read more tips on.

18) Grind rose petals and mix with cream on the top of milk and apply to your body. Shower after 10 minutes.

19) Scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency. Fluorine is the anti-resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.

20) Wrinkle skin is a result of Sodium deficiency and makes skin sticky. Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool, a great summer's treat.

21) Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes, eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries and figs.

22) Skin eruptions are the result of Chlorophyll and are found in wheat grass and other green leafy vegetables.

6. How to Handle Group Discussions

Many companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behaviour, and conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.

General Tips for Group Discussion:
A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain issues. Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking. Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint. One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident.

Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. You should maintain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a particular person for he may benefit from that. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint...

Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint. Always maintain your calm and never get aggressive. If you haven't been able to talk then one can cut in saying "Excuse me, but what I think is .........." or something of that sort.

Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front. Your attitude should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict. Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion. Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.

5. Management Lesson-1

A sales representative, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'

'Me first! Me first!' says the administration clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'

Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales representative, 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

4. Time Management

How often do you wish there were 48 hours in a day?

As a college student, you have just about five years at your disposal: three-four years at the Bachelor's level and two years at the postgraduate level. How you manage this limited span of time to allow for a variety of activities — balancing the multiple work pressures as you tackle the vast syllabus and class projects, preparing for college elections and activities and studying for internal and competitive exams — will determine whether you sink or sail.

Remember: The secret lies in how you utilise the time at hand. It's only the busy person who has time for everything. When we say that we have no time, it simply means that we are unable to manage our time properly. The fact is that if we take care of the minutes, the hours will take care of themselves.

In college, you can't read everything, you can't do everything; you can't learn everything. Assigning the same priority to each task is to wind up with 40 tasks all tied for first call on your time. Who wouldn't like to participate in extra-curricular activities without losing focus of curricular tasks? But then there are assignments, homework, tutorials, self-study - you have to manage all these as well.

So what is the actual time available to a student in one academic year? Of the 8,760 hours in a year, you will spend roughly 900 in the classroom, 30 in taking exams and 90 on co-curricular activities. Knock off roughly 2,555 hours of sleep (seven hours per-day), about 730 hours for food and another 1,095 hours for personal relaxation, grooming and sundry chores, and you are left with barely 3,360 hours for study and personal development.

The challenge always with new plans and renewed motivation is time. Simply put, there's just not enough to go round.

Time management, is basically utilizing the time at your disposal in the best possible way to strike a harmonious balance between your physical, social, emotional, intellectual and recreational activities.

While there's no formula, time management rests on three basic pillars — Understanding the value of time; Budgeting time judiciously; Focusing on the task at hand.

Here are 10 tips to help you manage your time more effectively:

Time is precious:

Time is unidirectional. Once lost, it's gone forever. It is therefore essential to value it as a limited and fleeting resource. Wasted time is one thing that can't be recycled.

Leverage your own time:

Look at how you spend time in a typical day. What can you stop doing, or do less of? If you use your time carefully, you will have more of it for things that make a difference.

Budget your time:

Even more than money, we need to budget our time judiciously. The art lies in laying down priorities for work, fixing minimum and maximum time slots for different activities and managing within the 24-hour day. Never close a week without planning a schedule for the next one. Prepare a daily time schedule. But do factor in minor adjustments. M a i n t a i n i n g r e g u l a r i t y pays dividends.

Also, you can't possibly cut down on sleep, can you? A relaxed mind learns (and retains) far better and quicker than one under tension. Make sure you budget some time for relaxation and exercise in your schedule, how so ever busy.

The early bird gets the worm:

An early start saves a lot of time. If possible, begin and complete your assignments and projects well in time to avoid undue tension. Don't wait till the very last moment to get cracking. Make ‘Defeat the Deadline’ your motto.

Table your intent:

Start by preparing a timetable. To draw up a schedule that will work for you, factor in your preferred style of study ie your ‘prime time’ (you will find that you function at your peak at a particular time, this is the best time to handle ‘tough’ tasks). Similarly, make a note of your average attention span. Only you know which learning method works best for you. Then, match your style with the course requirements. Each study period must cover one learning objective. Ideally, it should not exceed beyond 90 minutes. Although individual attention spans can vary somewhat research on learning patterns shows that the speed and effectiveness of learning changes with time. After about 25 minutes, the attention curve begins to dip. Teachers are aware of this and attempt to restart the curve every 20 minutes or so by introducing a new activity like asking a question or cracking a joke to liven things up and change the pace.

Create a learning environment:
An environment conducive to learning is useful. If you think you can sit or curl up anywhere and learn, you may be wrong. The most comfortable environment does not necessarily promote learning. The best environment is one where you feel motivated, alert and reasonably comfortable to study.

Jot it down:
How often do we find ourselves mumbling, "If only I could remember…" The simple solution to this problem is to always carry a pencil and paper with you. The moment you get a unique idea or you hear something noteworthy — just scribble it down and file it where it is easily accessible. This is an absolute time saver!

Watch out for potential time-wasters:
Lack of self discipline, idling, daydreaming, procrastinating (putting off or postponing unpleasant or difficult tasks), focusing on trivia, aimless channel surfing or browsing the Net are some of the most notorious time wasters to avoid. They surreptitiously whittle away at time without you even realizing it.

Priorities your interests:
There are just that many hours in a day. It’s better to concentrate on a few select interests and hone them to perfection instead of trying to dabble in a large number of activities that leave you exhausted and unsatisfied.

Seek help:
Despite all the planning and determination, you may, at times, find that you are unable to stick to your schedule. At such times, seek help from someone close to you. Discuss your goals and enlist their help in helping you stick to your schedule.

Time management is a 'skill' and, an 'art' that we can develop through careful practice. And the sooner we start the better.

3. VITAMIN B15

Vitamin B-15 (Pangamic acid)
This has not been qualified as being essential to our diets. Very little is known about this ingredient and therefore our information is very sketchy. Until further research is available, be careful of supplements containing pangamic acid, calcium pangamate, DMG or B15.

Other names: Pangamic acid, calcium panmanate
Vitamin B15 (Pangamic acid) is water-soluble but its essential requirement in the diet has not yet been proven. Research points to B15 aiding in lowering cholesterol blood levels, aid in protein synthesis, neutralize liquor cravings etc.
Actions and benefits of vitamin B15
1. Increases tolerance to hypoxia (insufficient oxygen to tissues and cells).
2. Vitamin B15 has been used to treat cancer, schizophrenia and heart disease.

Deficiency symptoms of Vitamin B15
There is no evidence to suggest that a lack of pangamic acid has any adverse effects.

Best food sources of vitamin B15
Seeds, nuts, brown rice, brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.

Warning
The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader only.

Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

"The truth is that life is delicious, horrible, charming, frightful, sweet, bitter, and that is everything... ......”

2. The Tailor's Needle

A tailor was at work. He took a piece of cloth and with a pair of shining, costly, scissors; he cut the cloth into various bits.Then he put the pair of scissors at his feet. Then he took a small needle and thread and started to sew the bits of cloth, into a fine shirt. When the spell of sewing was over, he stuck the needle on to his turban. The tailor's son who was watching it asked him: "Father, the scissors are costly and look so beautiful. But you throw them down at your feet. This needle is worth almost nothing; you can get a dozen for an Anna. Yet, you place it carefully on your head itself. Is there any reason for this illogical behavior?"

"Yes, my son. The scissors have their function, no doubt; but they only cut the cloth into bits. The needle, on the contrary, unites the bits and enhances the value of the cloth. Therefore, the needle to me is more precious and valuable. The value of a thing depends on its utility, son, not on its cost-price or appearance."Similarly, there are two classes of people in the world-those who create dissension's and disharmony, who separate man from man; and those who bring about peace and harmony, who unite people.

The former are generally the rich people, powerful politicians and kings; the latter are generally the poor devotees of God, the penniless wandering monks, and mendicants. The Lord makes use of both to carry on his function of providing the field for the evolution of individual souls. He throws down on the dust the mighty kings and millionaires who create wars and disharmony; and He keeps the poor, pious devotee over His own head. In His eyes the scale of values is entirely different!

1. ~*~Message for every parent~*~

Give your children the right guidance in life, instill good values and encourage them to raise great and noble thoughts. Teach them to be kind, compassionate and generous along with being smart and fashionable. Teach them to love unconditionally and serve elders. Teach them to be kind to servants, and not be rude and loud mouthed to them. Teach them to appreciate the goodness in every being. Teach them never to lie. Teach them that truth is loved by God and to be truthful at all times. Teach them about God; let them know about the Heavenly Father and what He wants from them. Teach them about the law of karma. That Good begets good and bad begets bad. So that they are aware of things and the way things should be done. Teach them that the way to the Lord is through prayer and good deeds, and that one should never refrain from doing so. Teach them that they are always in God's eyes and that nothing goes unnoticed by God the Almighty.

Teach them to respect you, first. Tell them what being a parent is and that every child will be a parent someday. Give them the facts about life. Teach them simple living and high thinking. Teach them that too much expenditure is not correct and that one should learn to save, and give to the needy whenever possible. Teach them that they are blessed to be born under your guidance and care and that many parents are unable to guide their children in the right direction.

Teach that that enjoyment in life is good but not at another’s expense. Inculcate the habit of reading in them at an early age. Teach them that books are an ocean of knowledge, which will help them to shape and mould their lives rightly. Keep a watch on what they read.

Guide them to take care of them and live rightly. Keep their eating habits healthy, by giving them enough fruits and salads. Set good examples for your children by playing a role model for them. Teach them to be alert and aware in life.

Also most important, give them a good knowledge about spirituality and about faith in God the Creator. God has placed a huge responsibility of raising great kids on your head, be not failures in His eyes. Teach your children to be humble and sweet, noble and kind. Give them various examples about the lives of God and their living, and tell them that even they have to be just like them. When you set high standards and goals for yourself, be sure that you will definitely reach somewhere close to it. Do not think small of yourself or your children. Do not be discouraged when your efforts go unnoticed by your children or others around, there is a Great someone who watches over your attempts and sincere efforts at all times. And in due time will definitely pay you rich rewards. Give them your love, time and affection.

Parents you are blessed to be parents, so go ahead and raise beautiful children.
May the Heavenly Father bless all your efforts, and may they all be fruitful.

Stay Happy, Peaceful and Blessed.

16. Alphabets of Happiness

A--Accept
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

B--Break
AwayBreak away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life.

C--Create
Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

D--Decide
Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.

E--Explore
Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about yourself.

F--Forgive
Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

G--Grow
Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way.

H--Hope
Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

I--Ignore
Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds.

J--Journey
Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

K--Know
Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

L--Love
Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's room for endless happiness.

M--Manage
Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things in life.

N--Notice
Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding

O--Open
Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst of times, there's still much to be thankful for.

P--Play
Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness.

Q--Question
Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.

R--Relax
Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end.

S--Share
Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

T--Try
Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

U--Use
Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value. Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

V--Value
Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

W--Work
Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.

X--X-Ray
Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the goodness and beauty within.

Y--Yield
Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll find success at the end of the road.

Z--Zoom
Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rear a ugly head.