There was a man who made his living selling balloons at a fair. He had balloons of many different colours, including red, yellow, blue, green and many more. Whenever business was slow, he would release a helium-filled balloon into the air. When the children saw the balloon go up, they all wanted one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon and his sales would go up. All day, he continued to release a balloon whenever the sales slowed down. One day, the balloon man felt someone tugging at his jacket. He turned around and a little boy asked, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?" Moved by the boy's concern, the man replied gently, "Son, it is not the colour of the balloon, it is what's inside that makes it go up."

The same principle applies to our lives: It's what's inside that counts. And what's inside of us that makes us go up is our attitude.

Every single rupee counts, especially during downturn; adopting a method to your purchasing and spending pattern could indeed help you manage your household better.

 Every household is in India is feeling the pulse of the changing economic dynamics. While investing carefully during these testing times is one aspect that every woman of a house pays utmost attention to, listing things that will make life simpler is another aspect that would ease the tension off on how money flows out of your bank account.

Here's how to avoid spending more money?

• Buy things that you would need the most and most important, buy things that you are going to use the most.
• Cut down on your lifestyle needs which do not come under bare necessities.
• Plan your weekly budget instead of a monthly one. This would give somewhat clear picture of what exactly you are thinking of spending on.
• Don't buy toiletries and groceries in bulk as you used to do. Calculate how much of each stuff you are going to need and then make purchases accordingly.
• Similarly, avoid stocking frozen food stuff in large quantities. Ditto for vegetable shopping. Planning vegetable purchases and frozen food purchases according to one's needs on a weekly or a daily basis would not lead to wastage, especially of vegetables.
• Think economy and don't look for exotic vegetables which cost a bomb. 
• Reduce your spending on cosmetics that you can do away with till good time arrives.
• Pay a careful watch on electricity consumption. Use the minimum of your microwave oven, electric rice cooker and also geyser. Refrigerator is a basic necessity, so you can't avoid that. However, you can save some units by lowering the coolness level according to the season. If the weather is pleasant and the atmosphere is cool enough, you can also do without the AC.
• Cut short of your movie going and dining out spree. Arrange for a gourmet dinner and experience the fun of watching a movie at home with a homemade popcorn - unlimited fun and good sleep, good food and good life - that should be the priority in life, albeit with a well drafted list of dos and donts.

Phailin has the potential to be one of the deadliest storms on Earth for the past several decades. It’ll strike India’s east coast within the next 24 hours.

The Cyclone Phailin is about half-INDIA'S size! Then think how much destruction it can cause.
Cyclone Phailin is a very severe cyclonic storm that has affected Thailand, Myanmar and the Indian provinces of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. The system was first noted as a tropical depression within the Gulf of Thailand, to the west of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Over the next few days, the system moved westwards within an area of low to moderate vertical wind shear, before as it passed over the Malay Peninsula, it moved out of the Western Pacific Basin on October 6. The system emerged into the Andaman Sea during the next day and moved west-northwest into an improving environment for further development. The system was subsequently named Phailin on October 9, after it had developed into a cyclonic storm and passed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into the Bay of Bengal. After it was named, Phailin rapidly intensified and developed an eye, and became a very severe cyclonic storm on October 10, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). Later that day, Phailin became equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the SSHWS before it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle and formed a new eyewall early on October 11. This new eyewall subsequently consolidated and allowed the system to intensify and become equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the SSHWS later that day.
Officials said around 12 million people may be affected, 600 buildings have been identified as cyclone shelters, and people are being evacuated from areas near the coast, including Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Jagatsinghapur districts in Orissa. 


Cyclone Phailin is a major hurricane (specified as a Super Cyclonic Storm) with wind speeds at 160 miles per hour, making it a Category 5 storm on the Saffir Simpson scale. The storm is not projected to weaken much as it slams into parts of eastern India late Saturday according to Indian clocks (Saturday morning U.S. time). The last time a Category 4 or 5 storm struck the eastern coast of India was back in 1999, when Cyclone Odisha struck killing over 10,000 people. A major disaster appears to be in the making, with at least one Indian meteorologist commenting that Phailin has the potential to be “worse than Katrina.”
Indeed, Phailin has the potential to be one of the deadliest storms on Earth for the past several decades. Phailin is expected to make landfall in northeast India, approximately between Visakhapatnam and Puri, within the next 24 hours.
Cyclone Phailin is currently spinning away in the Bay of Bengal. It is a large cyclone and is almost covering up nearly all of the Bay of Bengal. The last time a Category 4 or 5 storm struck the eastern coast of India was back in 1999, when Cyclone Odisha struck killing over 10,000 people. The residents that live off the coast of India are vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, and extreme damage from tropical cyclones. If you throw into the mix a Category 4 or 5 storm, that spells major problems. The storm is super large, meaning storm surge will likely be greater.
Phailin has already had an eyewall replacement cycle, meaning that it could intensify prior to making landfall in eastern India. The storm is very symmetric and is going over very warm waters and perfect atmospheric conditions that are very favorable for an intensifying storm.
Cyclone formation in the Northern Indian Ocean is typically a rare event. That part of the world usually sees 3 to 6 systems per year. Since 2000, the Bay of Bengal averages roughly two cyclones each year. Some of the most active years in the Northern Indian Ocean occurred in the 1970s when the basin averaged roughly five storms each year. 1998 and 1999 were active seasons that each had 3 storms make landfall in India with two of them at hurricane intensity (64 knots or 74 mph or stronger). According to weather experts, 26 of the 35 deadliest tropical cyclones in world history have been Bay of Bengal storms. Also, 42% of Earth’s tropical cyclone-associated deaths have occurred in Bangladesh.  

India is vulnerable to tropical cyclones. According to Dr. Marshall Shepherd, President of the American Meteorological Society and Professor at the University of Georgia, we have to focus on how communities are vulnerable to weather extremes.

Vulnerability is a function of the disaster itself (e.g. storm strength), the socio-economic vulnerability of those affected, and the adaptive capacity or resilience of those affected. Many of the 40 million people in the path of Phailon have are highly socio economically vulnerable with low adaptive capacity = human disaster. Katrina or Andrew times a factor of perhaps 100 or more…

India is already evacuating and preparing for Cyclone Phailin. However, the outer rain bands of the storm is already over land, and the weather is expected to continue to deteriorate. Storm surge of 20 feet or higher is possible. Flooding is very likely as the system is very large. This storm will likely be extremely devastating for their economy along the coast. 


Cyclone Phailin is an extremely dangerous storm that is going to hit the eastern coast of India within the next 24 hours as a high end Category 4 or Category 5 storm. The last time a storm of this intensity hit this region, over 10,000 people died. Conditions will continue to deteriorate over the next 24 hours as the storm brings 150+ mile-per-hour winds, storm surge greater than 20 feet (6 meters), and significant flooding. I wish there was good news to share, but this setup looks almost catastrophic. Prayers go out to those affected by this storm.

Here's what you need to keep in mind when choosing one.
Sofas have always been and will be the focus of attention in living rooms, and so needs attention in both purchase and maintenance. Here's how you should go about selecting the ideal one for your home...
 
Size wise 
It is important to first determine the sofa dimensions that will fit into the space in your room. Before you purchase, you must know the approximate width and length of your living room or hall.

What is the difference between winning and being a winner? You all would be thinking that why I am making a similar post like the last time. Don't worry in this post I will be telling about some inspirational persons who did not won the race but they were winners. Being a winner is a spirit but winning is an event. Winners have kept winning in perspective based on their value system.

THREE INSPIRATIONAL WINNERS

Lawrence Lemieux   

The Olympics is a lifetime event. Lawrence Lemieux stopped racing in an Olympic Yacht Race to help a fellow competitor who was in trouble. The whole world was watching. His priority of safety and concern for other people's lives was greater than his desire to win. Even though he had not win the race, he was a winner. He was honored by kings and queens all over the world because he kept the spirit of the Olympic alive. 

Reuben Gonzalez

Reuben Gonzales was in the final match of a racquetball tournament playing for the world title. In the final game, at match point, Gonzalez played a super shot. The referee and the linesman both confirmed that the shot was good and he was good as he was declared the winner. But Gonzalez, after a little pause and hesitation, turned back to shake his opponent's hand and said, "The shot was faulty." He lost the serve and eventually the match. Everyone was stunned. Who could imagine that a player with everything official in his favor, with winning in his pocket, would disqualify himself and lose. When asked whu he did it, Gonzalez replied, "It is the only thing to do in order to maintain my integrity." He lost the match, yet he was a winner.

Unknown

A group of salespeople left town for a meeting and told their families they would be back home Friday evening for supper. But with meetings the way they are, one thing led to another and the meeting didn't end on time. They had to catch their flight back home, but arrived at the airport with oly a few minutes to spare. They ran, with tickets in hand, hoping to be able to board the plane. While running, one of them hit a table knocking over a fruit basket. The fruit scattered and lay bruised all over the floor but they didn't have time to stop. They made it to the plane just in time to board. All of them breathed a sigh of relief that they had made it, expect for one. He got up, said good-bye to his friends, and returned to the table with the fruits. What he saw made him glad that he had come bavk. Behind the table was a ten-year-old blind girl who was selling the fruits to make a living. He said, "I hope we haven't ruined your day." He pulled out ten dollars from his wallet, handed to her and said, "This will take care of the fruits" and left. The girl couldn't see what was going on; but as the footsteps faded away, she shouted from behind, "Are you God?" The salesman missed his fight but was he a winner? You bet.

One could be a winner without a winner and one can be a loser with a medal if winning is not kept in perspective.    

We all have hundreds of thousands of thoughts running through our brain every minute. Most of us get so caught up in our daily lives that we don’t take time step back, relax and breathe. This is exactly where the practice of yoga comes in. Yoga literally means to unite [the mind and body] – a practice that helps you get in touch with yourself, cultivate stillness and change your life. I am also a fat boy but now I am going to try yoga from now on (because of my autumn breaks.)

1. Yoga helps you learn about your body. 

Are you an avid reader? A book worm, who loves collecting books? But do you get depressed every time you take a look at your teeming book-shelf.

If you want to be a proud bibliographer and maintain all those precious books you've collected over years, here are a few tips on how to neatly arrange your book shelf.

 In the current times home design and styling has become intrinsic to this expression of the self, almost becoming a story told through design. The home space is being passionately converted into an 'object' or possession reflecting the social status of the owner and his personality. To cater to this new-age demand, developers, architects and interior designers are continuously raising the bar, by adhering to international standards in terms of architectural and landscape design, amenities, facilities and services offered to the consumer.

There is no doubt that an increase in the trend of luxury living has lead to an influx of high end projects, luxury brands and cutting edge designs. In fact, this is one sector which was least affected during the economic slump, in the past couple of years. One of the most encouraging outcomes of this 'hip and new' mindset, has been the development of innovative concepts in interior design.
Homes have graduated from being just comfortable living spaces into the luxury segment that was earlier associated only with the hospitality industry. Newer and innovative materials are being explored in ways never done before. Furniture has been transformed into pieces of art, while art is increasingly used and adapted to define and help modify the space to add elegance, chutzpah and style to the end-product.
When it comes to luxury homes, it has become essential to design and finish one's space as per the latest, trendiest and most exclusive finishes, fixtures and fittings, furniture, furnishings etc. Easy availability and access to hi-end, custom- made designer furniture, furnishings, modular kitchens, a wide range of bath fittings and concepts and latest technology ensure that one's home can be modified into an ultra luxurious space, created to reflect one's social standing.

Also, with increasing double income, nuclear families, it has become much easier to afford designer homes. Additionally, the present generation has the ability to recognize, acquire and put together an ideal collection of unique, hand-picked objects (furniture, artifacts, art, knick-knacks, furnishings etc) that reflect ones personal style, taste and hence social status. Subtle yet classy personal touches not only enhance the home interior, but speak volumes about your actual personality, profession and position in society.
For example, little knick-knacks collected from all over the world immediately portrays the fact that the owner of the house is a well travelled, informed individual who would not hesitate to loosen his purse strings if the object of desire were to enhance his social standing amongst his peers. The younger generation are not afraid to live comfortably, flaunt their eclectic style and explore new aspects of design. They are well-informed and would not hesitate to go the extra mile to express their lifestyle choices.

Google Inc has overhauled its search algorithm, the foundation of the Internet's dominant search engine, to better cope with the longer, more complex queries it has been getting from Web users.

Amit Singhal, senior vice president of search, told reporters on Thursday that the company launched its latest "Hummingbird" algorithm about a month ago and that it currently affects 90 percent of worldwide searches via Google.
Google is trying to keep pace with the evolution of Internet usage. As search queries get more complicated, traditional "Boolean" or keyword-based systems begin deteriorating because of the need to match concepts and meanings in addition to words.
"Hummingbird" is the company's effort to match the meaning of queries with that of documents on the Internet, said Singhal from the Menlo Park garage where Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin conceived their now-ubiquitous search engine.
"Remember what it was like to search in 1998? You'd sit down and boot up your bulky computer, dial up on your squawky modem, type in some keywords, and get 10 blue links to websites that had those words," Singhal wrote in a separate blogpost.
"The world has changed so much since then: billions of people have come online, the Web has grown exponentially, and now you can ask any question on the powerful little device in your pocket."
Page and Brin set up shop in the garage of Susan Wojcicki -- now a senior Google executive -- in September 1998, around the time they incorporated their company. This week marks the 15th anniversary of their collaboration.