Another Bomb Blast in Delhi

September 27th, Indian capital Delhi saw another blast in Mehrauli area of Delhi. This blast has taken place at 2:15 PM near flower mandi in Mehrauli. Blast was so powerful that people heard its voice 1 KM away from this place. So far, 2 people have died in this blast and more than dozen people injured in this incidence. Few children have also got injured in this blast. This blast was of same power as earlier bomb blasts in Delhi few days back.

Bomb Blast was also powerful enough to break glasses of nearby shops and houses. This bomb was planted by two young men on black pulsar motorbike who through a plastic pack on the spot and ran away. Bomb was placed inside a Tiffin box. People in the area are very angry over this incidence and lack of after support to them. This blast has again put question mark over Delhi police’s claim of catching all terrorists.

As per media reports, Terrorists have already given warning of conducting this blast yesterday. Delhi police has issued warning to people to remain alert and not touch any suspicious item.

Indian Mujahideen as serious threat

Many people in India didn’t think Indian Mujahideen as serious threat when they first took the responsibility of serial bomb blasts in Jaipur and UP. However, by taking responsibility of recent bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and New Delhi, Indian mujahideen has shown to India that it is a real new threat for its security.

Indian security agencies believe that Indian Mujahideen is not a new terrorist outfit but combination of old terrorist outfits with new names. It is also believed that terrorists of Bangladeshi origin have great role in this outfit. The major worrying sign about this outfit is that they look to be very strong in IT and planning skills.

So far Indian security agencies have remained total failure in getting any know about of these terrorists. Though, Gujarat police is claiming some breakthrough in Ahmedabad blast case but recent attacks in Delhi say something else. In recent times, terrorism has again emerged as big threat for India and India needs to face with threat with lot of preparation.

Seven days that shook the financial world

Seven Days That Shook Wall Street

A look back at the historic—and often scary—events that changed the U.S. financial system forever


It was the week that shook the financial world to the core. On Friday, Sept. 12, traders left the New York Stock Exchange for the weekend. But key banking officials, facing the impending failure of the venerable Lehman Brothers investment house and a shaky outlook for two other huge financial players—investment firm Merrill Lynch (MER) and insurance giant American International Group (AIG)—began a series of weekend meetings in an effort to prevent a possible collapse of the global financial system.

Over the next seven days, the nation's financial leaders, captained by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, produced a rapid succession of moves that reversed a decades-long trend toward financial deregulation and fundamentally changed the face of the American financial system. Lehman failed and Merrill was sold to Bank of America (BAC). The government took effective control of AIG in an $85 billion bailout. And, in the biggest intervention of all, officials proposed to purchase the troubled mortgage assets of financial firms, a move that could cost hundreds of billions of additional dollars.

Meanwhile, worried investors sent the stock markets into a dizzying ride of huge gains and losses.

Here's how the events unfolded:

Friday, Sept. 12: The trading week ends with the fate of 158-year-old Lehman Brothers in grave doubt. Its stock had fallen sharply due to fears over its financial condition. Paulson, Bernanke, and New York Fed President Tim Geithner begin a series of meetings in Lower Manhattan with top bankers in an effort to engineer a bailout of Lehman, which had bet heavily in the subprime mortgage market. Two possible buyers emerge: Britain's Barclays (BCS) and Bank of America.

Saturday, Sept. 13: Talks on a possible Lehman buyout continue. The would-be rescuers look to the government to take on some of the risk, as it did in the shotgun sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase (JPM) in March and the effective nationalization on Sept. 8 of mortgage giants Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). Government officials hold fast that there will be no federal bailout. Talks are inconclusive.

Sunday, Sept. 14: The negotiators continue meeting, facing a deadline to act before Asian markets open for Monday morning trading. But government officials insist there will be no federal backing of a Lehman rescue. With no help from Washington forthcoming, Barclays—the only possibility left after Bank of America leaves the table—withdraws. Lehman is done for. Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, seeing the writing on the wall, arranges the sale of his company to Bank of America for about $50 billion. In one day, the fates of two storied companies are sealed.

Monday, Sept. 15: Lehman Brothers Holdings, the bank's holding company, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and says it will try to sell key business units. Investor concern now turns to the fate of AIG, fearing a liquidity crisis. Rating agencies cut AIG's credit rating. Despite reassurances about the economy from Paulson and President George W. Bush, the stock market plummets. The Dow Jones industrial average drops more than 504 points, or 4.4%, the biggest loss since right after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. The failure also roils overseas stocks, sending them plunging. Meanwhile, concerns about a slowing economy take oil below the psychological benchmark of $100 a barrel, its lowest level since February.

Tuesday, Sept. 16: The Federal Reserve meets and keeps the federal funds rate unchanged at 2%. Asian markets, some of which had been closed for a holiday on Monday, plummet. The Russian stock market goes into a tailspin, with the largest exchange down more than 17% before the Russian government halts trading. Managers of the Primary Fund, a supposedly supersafe money market fund, say that shares have fallen below the sacrosanct $1 valuation. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS), the two remaining independent investment banks, report stronger-than-expected results. However, investors continue to beat down the companies' shares. Amid all the turbulence, U.S. officials decide that AIG is indeed "too big to fail." In a move that would have been unthinkable before the credit crisis began, the Fed arranges to lend $85 billion to AIG in exchange for a 79.9% equity stake. The deal is announced Tuesday evening. Even before the deal is finalized, the Dow reverses an earlier loss and gains 141 points.

Wednesday, Sept. 17: The government bailout of AIG fails to stem investor fears as they flee to safety. Credit markets tighten. The New York Times reports that Washington Mutual (WM), the nation's largest thrift, has put itself up for sale. The Dow plunges 449 points.

Thursday, Sept. 18: The New York Times reports that Morgan Stanley has "stepped up" merger talks with Wachovia (WB). The Fed moves to pump money into the financial system through lending programs operated by several overseas central banks and the Fed's own moves. At the same time, the government begins action on the hugest bailout of all, committing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to buy troubled mortgage assets from beleaguered financial institutions. As word of the evolving plan spreads, stocks rally. The Dow closes up 410 points. In the evening, Paulson and Bernanke and Securities & Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox go to the U.S. Capitol to brief lawmakers on the plan, which requires congressional authorization.

Friday, Sept. 19: The buyout plan—with few firm details—is announced and stocks soar worldwide. President Bush says the move puts "a significant amount of taxpayer dollars on the line," but he says the risk of not acting "would be far higher." In additional actions, the Treasury and Fed act to guarantee the assets of money-market funds, which had been threatened by the meltdown of the financial markets, and the SEC places a temporary ban on the short-selling of nearly 799 financial stocks. The Dow closes up 368.75 points, 45 points below where it was a week earlier but still 911 points over its bottom on Thursday morning.

A momentous week indeed, but there is no sign the economic drama will limit itself to a mere seven days. Lawmakers and regulators are to work through this weekend in an effort to devise bailout plan legislation that can come to a vote next week. The bipartisan consensus surrounding the deal can come undone as the details are ironed out. But for drama, it will be hard to match events that have reshaped the U.S. financial landscape for years, if not decades to come.

Lehman Gallery

A giant falls



In what is considered as the worst financial crisis on Wall Street in recent times, the US investment giant Lehman Brothers, burdened by $60 billion in soured real-estate holdings, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in US Bankruptcy Court after attempts to rescue the 158-year-old firm failed. Bank of America Corp. said it is snapping up Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. in a $50 billion all-stock transaction. Picture shows the day's financial news displayed on the ABC news ticker in New York's Times Square, on Monday, September 15, 2008.

Serious repercussions in India



An onlooker reacts as he watches stock prices on a screen on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, on Monday, Sept. 15, 2008. Indian stocks plunged on Monday amid anxiety about the global financial system on news of Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy and the takeover of Merrill Lynch. The 158-year-old Lehman Brothers’ move to file for bankruptcy today wiped off more than Rs 2,000 crore from the market valuation of those Indian companies in which the US financial major has made equity investments. the latest crisis will crimp global capital flows further, leaving little hope for the Indian stock markets to recover in the near future.


5000 lose jobs in UK



A London newspaper is sold near the offices of Lehman Brothers in Canary Wharf in London, on Monday, September 15, 2008. Over 5,000 workers in the UK lost their jobs after the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers.The British operations of Lehman Brothers were placed in administration on Monday to protect them from creditors.

Worst credit crisis



Robin Radaetz holds a sign in front of the Lehman Brothers headquarters on Monday, September 15, 2008 in New York

Uncertain future




Employees of Lehman Brothers leave the company's headquarters in New York City carrying boxes and personal belongings as they clear their offices on Sunday, September 14, 2008 after hearing the news that Lehman Brothers may be forced to seek an orderly unwinding of its businesses.


Meltdown on Wall Street



Traders work on the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange in New York, on Monday, September 15, 2008. Oil prices plunged to a seven-month low on Monday as the Gulf Coast energy infrastructure appeared relatively unharmed after Hurricane Ike and traders bet that Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy could ignite a massive liquidation of commodities.

Shattered dreams




Elizabeth Rose, a specialist with Lehman Brothers MarketMakers, works her post on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, September 15, 2008. A stunning reshaping of the Wall Street landscape sent stocks down sharply on Monday, but the pullback appeared relatively orderly _ perhaps because investors were unsurprised by the demise of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and relieved by a takeover of Merrill Lynch & Co.

Air of anxiety



A crowd of media and pedestrians gather in front of the Lehman Brothers headquarters on Monday, September 15, 2008, in New York.

Mind Your Language

Tell them what you want

One of the staff in a high school found it difficult to stop students running up and down the stairs. She continually told them not to run but it made little difference. She was at her wits’ end. I suggested that instead of telling them not to run she say something like: “Slow down please” or “Walk down the stairs.” She was excited and somewhat amazed to report that it had worked – such a little change in language brought such a marked improvement in the match between what she wanted the kids to do and what they actually did.

How does this happen?

If I don’t want you to think of pink elephants and I say “Don’t think of pink elephants” what happens? You immediately get a picture of pink elephants in your mind and then, if you are feeling complicit as you read this, you try not to think about them. Now, if I’d asked you not to think about red rhinos, for example, there is much less chance of you conjuring up those pink elephants.

The mind works a bit like a search engine on the internet. Put in a word, press SEARCH and all the references to that word come up on the screen. Put in a mental suggestion like pink elephants and you don’t even have to press a button; up come images of pink elephants on the screen of the mind.
And that’s what happens in kids’ minds when we tell them not to do something. Its not wilful disobedience so much as the mind making pictures and the body going towards them.

Bill Rogers – in his excellent behaviour management series “Corrective Discipline” – suggests using the pattern “When …. then ….” rather than “You can’t …. because….”
For example: “Johnny, when you have finished tidying your room, then you can go out to play.” rather than: “Johnny you can’t go out to play because your room is a mess”
With the first sentence Johnny gets a picture in his mind of tidying his room, then going out to play. Just what we want. In the second sentence we’re inviting his subconscious to picture himself not being able to go out to play and with an untidy room.
This works for our own internal dialogue as well. If we continually tell ourselves that we shouldn’t be eating those cream cakes (assuming we want to lose weight) we’re making things unnecessarily difficult for ourselves.

Suggestion
If you catch yourself about to ask a child, or tell yourself, not to do something, ask them/tell yourself to do an alternative instead. The unconscious mind will make pictures of whatever words you say – so choose the ones you want the listener to see.


Some alternatives to use.
I mustn’t eat that cream cake – I will leave the cream cake in the shop.
Don’t be late – Come home in good time.
Stop shouting – Talk quietly.
You can’t have any pudding because you haven’t eaten your meat. – When you’ve eaten your meat you can have some pudding

Delhi Blasts

Five bombs exploded in crowded markets and streets in New Delhi on Saturday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 90 people.

The Indian Mujahideen Islamic militant group, which has claimed several major attacks in recent months, sent an e-mail to television stations saying it was responsible for the blasts.

Police and witnesses said two bombs went off in dustbins in and around Connaught Place, a shopping and dining area popular with tourists and locals in the city centre. Others exploded within minutes of each other in busy markets around the city.

"Around 6:30 p.m. we heard a very loud noise, then we saw people running all over the place," said Chanchal Kumar, a witness whose shirt was soaked with the blood of several victims whom he had helped to carry into ambulances.

"There were about 100-200 people around this place," he said. The weekend was a particularly busy one ahead of Hindu and Muslim festivals.

The Indian Mujahideen e-mail mentioned nine bombs. Police said they had found and defused four.

"We have news of 20 people killed, and the toll could rise as many people are seriously injured," Delhi police commissioner Y.S. Dadwal told reporters.

In a hospital bed, Gulab Singh, his head bandaged, wailed at the death of his 2-year-old grandson.

"We were all sitting around the parking lot when suddenly there was a huge blast. We did not know what happened. My world has changed," Singh said, crying inconsolably.

Video of Bomb Blast


Major Attacks in India

At least five bombs exploded in crowded markets and streets in the heart of New Delhi on Saturday, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores more.

The Indian Mujahideen militant group, which has claimed several major attacks in recent months, said it was responsible.

Following is a chronology of some of the major attacks in India in the past five years:

March 13, 2003 - A bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai kills 11 people.

Aug. 25, 2003 - Two car bombs kill about 60 in Mumbai.

Aug. 15, 2004 - A bomb explodes in the northeastern state of Assam, killing 16 people, mostly schoolchildren, and wounding dozens.

Oct. 29, 2005 - Sixty-six people are killed when three blasts rip through markets in New Delhi.

March 7, 2006 - At least 15 people are killed and 60 wounded in three blasts in the northerly Hindu pilgrimage city of Varanasi.

July 11, 2006 - More than 180 people are killed in seven bomb explosions at railway stations and on trains in Mumbai that are blamed on Islamist militants.

Sept. 8, 2006 - At least 32 people are killed in a series of explosions, including one near a mosque, in Malegaon town, 260 km (160 miles) northeast of Mumbai.

Feb. 19, 2007 - Two bombs explode aboard a train heading from India to Pakistan; at least 66 passengers, most of them Pakistanis, burn to death.

May 18, 2007 - A bomb explodes during Friday prayers at a historic mosque in the southern city of Hyderabad, killing 11 worshippers. Police later shoot dead five people in clashes with hundreds of enraged Muslims who protest against the attack.

Aug. 25, 2007 - Three coordinated explosions at an amusement park and a street stall in Hyderabad kill at least 40 people.

May 13, 2008 - Seven bombs rip through the crowded streets of the western city of Jaipur, killing at least 63 people in markets and outside Hindu temples.

July 25 - Eight small bombs hit the IT city of Bangalore, killing at least one woman and wounding at least 15.

July 26 - At least 16 small bombs explode in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, killing 45 people and wounding 161. A little-known group called the "Indian Mujahideen" claims responsibility for the attack and the May 13 attack in Jaipur.

Sept 13 - At least five bombs explode in crowded markets and streets in the heart of New Delhi, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores more. The Indian Mujahideen again claim responsibility.

No-frills accounts? Be Careful

Banks will soon start offering 'no-frills' savings accounts, and it's good news for customers who are either averse to or not comfortable with maintaining high minimum balances.

You may like to opt for such an account, but it actually depends on individual needs. The two key factors that you should examine before deciding whether to go in for a no-frills account are:

• How frequently do you need to issue cheques?
  
• How frequently do you need to withdraw money?
  

If your needs are for a limited number of withdrawals in a month and are required to issue a limited number of cheques, say, for payment of utility bills, then this could the best account for someone not willing to keep high minimum balance.

The Reserve Bank of India [Get Quote] has directed banks to offer zero balance or low minimum balance accounts to bring in a greater number of people into the banking fold. The policy of 'financial inclusion' of the poorer section allows banks to restrict the number of withdrawals and the number of cheques that could be issued in a month.

Banks are now in the process of developing their respective no-frills savings account products. The variations being considered include savings accounts where the customer agrees to transact only through ATMs, Internet and phone banking. Such customers will be allowed to visit the branches only for resolution of some disputes.

The zero-balance account could also entail higher charges for services like frequent account statements.

The other variant being considered is to allow a no-frills account with a very low balance of say about Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and allowing customers to have greater services than those offered to zero-balance account-holders.

Such account-holders could be allowed a certain number of transactions at the branches.

The RBI move is to counter a trend whereby all banks want to target the 'affluent' class. The competition from private and foreign banks has put public sector banks at a disadvantage in their quest for enlisting new clients.

Public sector banks serve clients from the poorest class to the millionaires, while private and foreign banks are seen catering to the well-off classes only.

Saurav Retired HURT

May be BCCI expects when should sourav be in out of runs.  And they all happy when saurav made lack of runs in India - Srilanka Test Series. Now BCCI announced the squad for Irani Trophy without former Indian Skipper, Saurav Ganguly.

How many times saurav punished.  This is the third time he fired from indian team and this time the selectors told the reason for dropping him is, fitness.

The selector said it was no reflection on Ganguly's tremendous services to Indian cricket, but the time has come for some of the seniors to make way for juniors.

Most of the indian well played players are not retired well.  Kapildev who had a bad finish in game and dropped from the squad.  Now this time may be this is the end for DADA.  One thing BCCI must think is to give respect to seniors.  He served for the country in the spirit of game of cricket.  Suddenly they drop the players by saying the bad reasons, if saurav is dropped then why sachin is there in the indian team.  He scored less that saurav in Ind-SL series.  

The way bcci proceed is, to tell the hidden message to Seniors, this is the time for the seniors to show the way to juniors.  But its a shame for players who dropped from the squad even they played well.  

BCCI must respect seniors.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Once a general manager wanted to test his people who had come from all over India, about their values of life.

He announced that in their seminar folder, there is PVC pouch and in it there is a seed. When they return, they must put it in a good soil in a pot and look after it very well.

He would hold a competition in the next year's seminar and that the best plants would be awarded suitably.
Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And next year in a big hall, there were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants-a great scene.

Except one pot in which the soil was there and no plant! The owner was standing quietly and seemingly ashamed of himself!

The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed which he was given – and did that was to be done- but nothing happened!

The general manager declared him the winner!

Everyone was shocked. It was announced, "Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds.

This man was honest to his work and, therefore he did not cheat me or himself!"

What Happens when croc steal the Tiger meat

Mother's Sacrifice

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment. There was this one day during elementary school.

I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me.

I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.

Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.

That night...I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away.

Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.

Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom.

This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me "What?! Who's this?!" ...It was my mother...Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye.

And I asked her, "Who are you? I don't know you!!!" as if I tried to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared. Thank good ness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life.

Then a wave of relief came upon me...one day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house...just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.


She wrote:

My son...

I think my life has been long enough now. And... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school.... For you... I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine...I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple times that you were angry with me.

I thought to myself, 'it's because he loves me.' I miss the times when you were still young around me

I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.

My world shattered!!!

Then I cried for the person who lived for me... My Mother

Shortcut Keys

To Be Faster - Short Cut Keys

GENERAL SHORTCUTS

ALT- F4 - Quit a program / Shut down

ALT-TAB - Hold down the ALT key and hit tab to cycle through open windows.

CTL-ESCAPE - Display the Start menu

SHIFT - TAB - tab backwards through a form

CTRL - X - Cut

CTRL - C - Copy

CTRL - V - Paste

F1 - Help menu

CTRL - Z - Undo

SHIFT & Restart - To restart just windows and not your whole computer, hold down the shift key when you click the OK button on the shutdown screen. Saves lots of time. (Not for XP)

CRTL-TAB - Navigate tabs on a tabbed screen

FILE & DESKTOP SHORTCUTS

Hold SHIFT while inserting a CD - Prevents the CD from "autorunning"

If an item is selected:

CTRL while dragging a file - Copies the file

CTRL - SHIFT while dragging a file - Creates a shortcut to the file

SHIFT - DELETE - Deletes an item without sending it to the recycle bin.

ALT-ENTER - Display a file's properties.

F2 - To rename the file

In Windows Explorer:

LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection if it is expanded

NUM LOCK-MINUS SIGN (-) - Collapse the selected folder

RIGHT ARROW - Expand the current selection if it is collapsed -Or- Select the first subfolder

NUM LOCK- * Expand all folders below the current selection

NUM LOCK- PLUS SIGN (+) - Expand the selected folder

F6 - Switch between left and right panes

In My Computer:

BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up

ALT- RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view

ALT- LEFT ARROW -Move backward to a previous view

INTERNET BROWSER SHORTCUTS

For Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 7 (may work in older versions)

Open History Window – Ctrl+H

Reload - Ctrl+R

Back (previous page) – Alt+Left or Alt+Backspace

Forward (Next page) – Alt+Right Arrow

Stop – Esc

Home - Alt+Home

Go to Bottom of Page – End

Go to Top of Page – Home

New Window - Ctrl+N

Close Window- Ctrl+W

Go Up one Line - Up Arrow

Go Down One Line - Down Arrow

Full Screen (toggle) - F11

Find on Page - Ctrl+F

Add Current Page to Favorites - Ctrl+D

Print Current Page or Active Frame - Ctrl+P

Organize Favorites (IE)/ Manage Bookmarks (NS) - Ctrl+B

Maximize a Window - Alt+Space+x

Minimize a window­­- Alt+Space+N

Scroll page up - Alt+Up Arrow

Scroll page down - Alt+Down Arrow

Internet Explorer ONLY

Open Favorites Bar - Ctrl+I

Select text in address bar - Alt+D

A faster way to type in addresses with IE is to just type in the name of the site:

Worldstart

and hit CTRL + Enter. The "http://www . " and ".com" will be added for you!

Netscape ONLY

Open / Close Sidebar Panel (toggle) - F9

Select text in Location Bar - Ctrl+L

Force Reload (not from Cache) - Ctrl+Shift+R

Zoom Text Smaller - Ctrl+- (minus)

Zoom text larger - Ctrl+= (plus sign)

WINDOWS KEY SHORTCUTS

The Windows key can be used in conjunction with other keys to act as a keyboard shortcut for faster access to menu commands. Now, while the Alt key tends to open program menus (ex: Alt+F opens the File menu and Alt+E opens the Edit menu) and the Ctrl key performs actual operations (ex: Ctrl+C will copy and Ctrl+V will paste), the Windows key will open various Windows tools...

Win key + R will open the Start menu's Run box
Win key + F will open the Start menu's Find window
Win key + E will quickly launch Explorer
Win key + Pause/Break will open the System Properties window
Win key + M will Minimize all windows
Win key + Shift + M will undo Minimize all windows
Win key + D will switch between minimizing all open programs and showing them all
Win key + Tab will cycle through items on the taskbar
Win key by itself will open the Start menu

You can also open programs or folders on your desktop by pressing the Windows key + the first letter of the program/folder/shortcut + Enter . Sounds kinda tedious, but if you're in a bind with your mouse, it can come in quite handy.

ARROW TRICKS

Here's a cool little arrow trick to try with word processing programs. Next time you're using your arrow keys to go from one area of a sentence to another (left and right arrows), hold down your CTRL key. Instead of moving one space at a time, you'll go one word at a time.

If you're using the up and down arrows to go from line to line, holding down the CTRL key will make your cursor jump from paragraph to paragraph (well, from carriage return to carriage return anyway).

One last thing, if you hold down the SHIFT key while you do this (i.e. hold down SHIFT + CTRL at the same time), you select text as you arrow along.

I've tested this in MS Word and Wordpad, but it *should* work no matter what word processing program you use.

HOME / END KEY FUN

Do you ever find yourself scrolling through a huge folder ? Well, if you need to get to the beginning or the end quickly, just press Ctrl+Home . If you want to get to the end, click Ctrl+End.

Hey, that's not all!

This little trick works on more than just folders. If you use the Home key in a word processor, it goes to the beginning of the line you're currently working on. If you hit the END key, it should head to the end of the current line. If you pair Home & End up with the Ctrl key in a word processor, you will be whisked away to the beginning or end of the document. Again, this should work, but it depends on your word processor.



Speedup your work by using keyboard more and mouse less.

Useful Shortcut:

Start + M: Minimizes all open windows
Start + Shift + M: Maximizes All Windows
Start + E: Runs Windows Explorer
Start + R: Open the RUN Dialog Box
Start + F: Open the Search Results Dialog box
Start + CTRL + F: Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog Box (if the computer is connected to a network)
Start + Pause (Break): Opens the System Properties Dialog Box

Windows System Key Combinations:

F1: Help
CTRL + ESC: Open Start menu
ALT + TAB: Switch between open programs
ALT + F4: Quit program
SHIFT + DELETE: Delete item permanently

Windows Program Key Combinations:

CTRL + C: Copy
CTRL + X: Cut
CTRL + V: Paste
CTRL + Z: Undo
CTRL + B: Bold
CTRL + U: Underline
CTRL + I: Italic

Mouse Click/Keyboard Modifier Combinations for Shell Objects:

SHIFT + right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands
SHIFT + double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
ALT + double click: Displays properties
SHIFT + DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin

General Keyboard-Only Commands:

F1: Starts Windows Help
F10: Activates menu bar options
SHIFT + F10: Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
CTRL + ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
CTRL + ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
ALT + DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box
ALT + TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature
ALT + SPACE: Displays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)
ALT +- (ALT + hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI)child window's System menu (from the MDI child window's System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)
CTRL + TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program
ALT + underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu
ALT + F4: Closes the current window
CTRL + F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
ALT + F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed
ALT + F6: switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)

Shell Objects and General Folder/Windows Explorer Shortcuts For a selected object:

F2: Rename object
F3: Find all files
CTRL + X: Cut
CTRL + C: Copy
CTRL + V: Paste
SHIFT + DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
ALT + ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object
To Copy a File: Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To Create a Shortcut: Press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.

General Folder/Shortcut Control:

F4: Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
F5: Refreshes the current window.
F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
CTRL + G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
CTRL + Z: Undo the last command
CTRL + A: Select all the items in the current window
BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder
SHIFT + click + Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Windows Explorer Tree Control:

Numeric Keypad *: Expands everything under the current selection
Numeric Keypad +: Expands the current selection
Numeric Keypad -: Collapses the current selection.
RIGHT ARROW: Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
LEFT ARROW: Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent

Properties Control:

CTRL + TAB/CTRL + SHIFT + TAB: Move through the property tabs

Accessibility Shortcuts:

Press SHIFT five times: Toggles Sticky Keys on and off
Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
Left ALT + left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and off
Left ALT + left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys:

Windows Logo: Start menu
Windows Logo + R: Run dialog box
Windows Logo + M: Minimize all
SHIFT + Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
Windows Logo + F1: Help
Windows Logo + E: Windows Explorer
Windows Logo + F: Find files or folders
Windows Logo + D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
CTRL + Windows Logo + F: Find computer
CTRL + Windows Logo + TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
Windows Logo + TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons
Windows Logo + Break: System Properties dialog box
Application key: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType Software Installed:

Windows Logo + L: Log off Windows
Windows Logo + P: Starts Print Manager
Windows Logo + C: Opens Control Panel
Windows Logo + V: Starts Clipboard
Windows Logo + K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
Windows Logo + I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
Windows Logo + A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
Windows Logo + SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
Windows Logo + S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off

Dialog Box Keyboard Commands:

TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box
SHIFT + TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
SPACEBAR: If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects the option.
ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button
ALT + underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item

A Nice Story about Love

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.

Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love."

This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.


This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you .

For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings.

Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.

It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring."

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

Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!

FAQ's on Income Tax

1. If I have paid excess tax how and when will it be refunded?
The excess tax can be claimed as refund by filing your income tax return. It will be refunded by issue of cheque or by crediting to your bank account. The department has been making efforts to settle refund claims within four months from the month of filing return.

2. Why is return filing mandatory even though all my taxes and interests have been paid and there is no refund due to me?
Amounts paid as advance tax and withheld in the form of TDS or collected in the form of TCS will take the character of your tax due only on completion of self-assessment of your income. This self-assessment is intimated to the department by way of filing of return. Only then does the government acquire rights over the prepaid taxes as its own revenue. Filing of return is critical for this process and, hence, has been made mandatory. Failure will attract levy of penalty.

3. Am I liable for any criminal prosecution [arrest/imprisonment etc] if I don’t file my income tax return even though my income is taxable?
Non-payment of tax attracts interests, penalty and prosecution. The prosecution can lead to rigorous imprisonment from 6 months to 7 years and fine.

4. What are the benefits of obtaining a Permanent Account Number [PAN] and PAN card?
A PAN number has been made compulsory for every transaction with the Income Tax department. It is also mandatory for numerous other financial transactions such as opening of bank accounts, availing institutional financial credits, purchase of high-end consumer item, foreign travel, transaction of immovable properties, dealing in securities etc. A PAN card is a valuable means of photo identification accepted by all government and non-government institutions in the country.

5. Is it mandatory to file return of income after getting PAN?
No. Return is to be filed only if you have taxable income.

6. During the year, I had worked with three different employers and none of them deducted any tax from salary paid to me. If all these amounts are clubbed, my income will exceed the minimum exemption limit. Do I have to pay taxes on my own?
Yes. You will have to pay self-assessment tax and file the return.

7. Even if no taxes have been deducted from salary, is there any need for my employer to issue Form-16 to me?
Form-16 is a certificate of TDS and in your case it will not apply. However your employer must issue a salary statement.

8. What is TDS?
TDS means Tax Deducted at Source. It is the amount withheld from payments of various kinds such as salary, contract payment, commission etc. This withheld amount can be adjusted against your tax due.

9. What can I do if I am unable to get the TDS certificate [form-16 or 16A]?
It is the duty of every person deducting tax to issue TDS certificate. In spite of your asking if you are denied the certificate then there is a chance that the tax deducted has not been deposited by the deductor to the government account. Please inform the department [PRO or TDS section] which will then do the needful.

10. If I have committed any mistake in my original return, am I permitted to file a corrected return?
Yes, provided the original return has been filed before the due date and provided the department has not completed assessment. However it is expected that the mistake in the original return is of a genuine and bona fide nature.

How Bad Are iPods for Your Hearing?

Hearing loss is more common than ever before. About 16% of American adults have an impaired ability to hear speech, and more than 30% of Americans over age 20 — an estimated 55 million people — have lost some high-frequency hearing, according to a new study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The finding has got experts — and concerned parents — wondering anew: Does listening to loud music through headphones lead to long-term hearing loss? Brian Fligor, director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital Boston, explains how much damage your headphone habit might cause — and how to mitigate your risk.

Q: How much hearing loss does an iPod cause?

A: It depends on the person, it depends on how long you're listening, and it depends on the level at which you're setting your iPod.

If you're using the earbuds that come with an iPod and you turn the volume up to about 90% of maximum and you listen a total of two hours a day, five days a week, our best estimates are that the people who have more sensitive ears will develop a rather significant degree of hearing loss — on the order of 40 decibels (dB). That means the quietest sounds audible are 40 dB loud. Now, this is high-pitched hearing loss, so a person can still hear sounds and understand most speech. The impact is going to be most clearly noted when the background-noise level goes up, when you have to focus on what someone is saying. Then it can really start to impair your ability to communicate.

This would happen only after about 10 years or so or even more of listening to a personal audio device. One patient I had used his headphones instead of earplugs when he was on his construction job. He thought as long as he could hear his music over the sound of his saws, he was protecting his ears — because he liked the sound of his music but didn't like the sound of the construction noise. He had a good 50 dB to 55 dB of noise-induced hearing loss at 28 years old. We asked a few pointed questions about when he was having difficulty understanding people, and his response was classic. "When I'm sitting at home with the TV off, I can understand just fine," he said, "but when I go out for dinner, I have trouble."

There is huge variation in how people are affected by loud sound, however, and this is an area where a number of researchers are conducting studies. Certainly a huge part of this is underlying genetics. We know how much sound causes how much hearing loss based on studies that were conducted in the late '60s and early '70s, before employers were required to protect workers' hearing in noisy work environments. What was found is that when people are exposed to a certain level of noise every day for a certain duration, they're going to have a certain degree of hearing loss on average. But the amount of hearing loss might differ by as much as 30 dB between people who had the toughest ears and those with the most tender ones — a huge variation. Unfortunately, we don't know who has the tougher ears and who has the tender ones until after they've lost their hearing. So, as a clinician, I have to treat everyone as if they had tender ears.

Particularly with noise-induced hearing loss, the primary area where the ear is damaged is not the eardrum, not the part of the ear that you can see and not the bones that are inside the middle ear — it is actually deeper inside. It's where the nerve that brings the sound message up to the brain connects with the inner ear, and it involves some very specialized cells. These are hair cells, and specifically we're looking at the outer hair cells. When they're overexposed or stimulated at too high a level for too long a duration, they end up being metabolically exhausted. They are overworked. They temporarily lose their function, so sound has to be made louder in order for you to hear it. These cells can recover after a single exposure, but if you overexpose them often enough, they end up dying, and you lose that functional ability inside your inner ear. The cells that die are not replaceable.

As far as a rule of thumb goes, the figures we got in our studies were that people using that standard earbud could listen at about 80% of maximum volume for 90 minutes per day or less without increasing their risk for noise-induced hearing loss. But the louder the volume, the shorter your duration should be. At maximum volume, you should listen for only about 5 minutes a day.

I don't want to single out iPods. Any personal listening device out there has the potential to be used in a way that will cause hearing loss. We've conducted studies of a few MP3 players and found very similar results across the MP3 manufacturers. Some in-the-ear earphones are capable of providing higher sound levels than some over-the-ear earphones. That said, studies we've done on behavior show that the type of earphones has almost nothing to do with the level at which people set their headphones. It's all dictated by the level of background noise in their listening environment. When we put people in different listening environments, like flying in an airplane — we used noise we'd recorded while flying on a Boeing 757 commercial flight, and we simulated that environment in our lab — 80% of people listened at levels that would eventually put their hearing at risk. On the subway system here in Boston, the ambient noise levels are very comparable to the level on an airplane, although it sounds very different. The noise is sufficiently high that it induces people to listen to their headphones at excessively loud volume.

I'm a self-professed loud-music listener. I use my iPod at the gym, and I love it. I think it's one of the greatest inventions ever. I even advocate that people listen to music as loud as they want. But in order to listen as loud as you want, you need to be careful about how long you're listening. I would also strongly recommend that people invest in better earphones that block out background noise. Some of the research we did studied earphones that completely seal up the ear canal. These are passive sound-isolating earphones, as opposed to the ones that are active noise cancelers that block out some of the noise. As far as I can tell, both would allow people to listen to their headphones at their chosen level — and more likely at a lower volume than if they were using the stock earbuds.

For Rs 25 lakh home loan, you may have to repay Rs 1 cr

If the current interest rates stay, you might end up shelling out more than Rs1 crore to pay off a Rs25 lakh home loan. How? Read on.

Six months is a long time, especially if you happened to take a home loan back then.
Banks were charging a floating interest rate of 11% on their home loans. The equated monthly instalment (EMI) on a 20-year loan (or 240 months) of Rs25 lakh would have worked out to Rs25,805 a month.

Around one-month back, banks raised the interest rate on floating rate home loans to 11.5% and have now raised it by another 0.75% to 12.25%.

Last time, hike in interest rates were not accompanied by an increase in EMI. Banks did the smarter thing and increased the tenure of the loan. The remaining tenure of the loan went up from 240 to 269 months.

If banks were to follow the same strategy now and increase the tenure of the loan, instead of increasing the EMI, the remaining tenure of the loan would go up to 394 months. Add to this the six months of EMI you have already paid, and you are looking at a total tenure of 400 months. If you keep paying an EMI of Rs25,805 for a period of 400 months, you would have paid Rs1.03 crore (Rs25,805 x 400 months) by the end of it.

However, the bigger question is will banks allow tenures to shoot up to 400 months?

Mobile phones double up as credit cards

Credit cards came into India long before mobile phones did. But when it comes to penetration levels, credit cards are nowhere close to mobile phones. India has over 250 million mobile phone subscribers, as opposed to only around 10 million credit card holders.

There could be many reasons why credit cards have not picked up in India. Foremost amongst them is the fact that banks are rather choosy when it comes to issuing credit cards. They often turn down applications on bizarre grounds.

For instance, two banks turned down my application for a credit card on the ground that I am a journalist (cops, lawyers and scribes are a dangerous customer segment, too, I am told).

Besides, few people meet the minimum income criteria set by the banks. In India, taking large chunks of payments in cash in order to avoid tax is still a very common practice, especially amongst the self-employed, traders and business communities. As a result, the legitimate annual income (or income in white) is often much lower than the actual income, making the person ineligible for owning a credit card.

Today, there was news that the apex bank--the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)--is in the process of formulating guidelines for a payment system using mobile phones. RBI is in discussions with banks, service providers and industry bodies to develop the payment system.

"The rapid expansion of this mode of communication has thrown up a new delivery channel for banks," RBI said in the policy statement. The apex bank plans to post the draft guidelines for this payment system on its Web site by Jun. 15.

Mobile phones as credit cards may well face some of the challenges that banks have faced issuing credit cards, such as meeting the minimum annual income criteria, checking the track record of the mobile user, hiring recovery agents to deal with defaulters etc.

But, on the whole, mobile phones have wider acceptability than other gadgets. Even the educated, upper-middle class in India has concerns using the credit card for transacting over the Internet. It would be interesting to see if people get over those fears when their mobile phone doubles up as a credit card.

Treat Kindly

A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.

Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting.

But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband! d great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-! law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.

Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."

Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving.

Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy.

She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper!r, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.

Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening. One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."

HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to work in another person's life through you, your friends or relatives.

Be Kind.

Canadian IT Firms Eager to Hire Skilled Migrants

As job openings in Canada are rapidly surpassing available IT graduates, finding skilled IT workers in Canada is becoming increasingly difficult.

You can live & work in Canada! go >

That is why local IT firms, like Keane Canada, are looking to fill their skilled labour shortage by recruiting across Canada as well as overseas.

Keane Canada employs 500 people in Halifax and is looking for skilled workers in places like Toronto and other large Canadian centres to meet its expanding personnel requirements.

"We do a fair bit of recruiting from Ontario and across Canada," said Pam Johnson, a senior director of human resources with the firm, which provides software development and maintenance services for its clients, which include Fortune 100 companies in the U.S. Pam Johnson, a senior director of human resources within the firm, said Keane Canada employs about 105 new Canadians in Halifax.

According to Ms. Johnson, about half of those employees come from places like India or China but the rest are from other parts of Canada.

Most employers recruit by telephone or through Internet job posting sites like Workopolis.

According to a recent report by the Information and Communications Technology Council in Canada, enrolment in university IT courses has declined about 50 per cent in the past few years, while almost 90,000 new Canadian IT jobs will become available in the next three years.

Keane Canada said earlier this year that it plans to hire up to 375 people for its Halifax operations in the next five years.

Ms. Johnson said the company likely won’t find all the skilled workers it needs locally, and given the domestic shortages, she said more should be done in Nova Scotia to provide a support system to welcome and retain skilled immigrant workers, who tend to gravitate to larger centres like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Keane, which has been recognized as one of the country’s top 20 employers for new Canadians, works with local immigrant agencies like the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association and helps provide its new Canadian employees with language training and other services to help accustom them to their new surroundings.

If you are interested in Visas to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.

Effective Communication

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.





A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"



The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?



Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.


Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!!
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

What is the most important part of the body?

My mother used to ask me: "What is the most important part of the body?"

Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."

Mother said, "No Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes." Mother looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge. Over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting smarter every year, my child."

Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa.

Mother asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"

I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. Mother saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you was wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."

Mother looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. Mother said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

Mother replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."

Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one. It is sympathetic to the pain of others. People will forget what you said... People will forget what you did.... But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.

True or not, the story makes you stop and think. Be blessed. Be a blessing. Get your shoulder ready.