happy diwali

Virat Kohli's fastest ton scripts India's historic win vs Australia

Jaipur:  An inspired India pulled off an incredible nine-wicket victory over Australia in the second cricket one-dayer on Wednesday, achieving the second highest ever run chase in ODI history.


Scorecard

Chasing an mammoth victory target of 360 on a belter of a track at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, India crossed the line with 40 balls to spare as records tumbled like nine pins. This is also India's highest ever successful run chase as the hosts restored parity 1-1 in the seven-match series. (Highlights)

Rohit Sharma (141 not out), Virat Kohli (100 not out) and Shikhar Dhawan (95) were the main contributors for India.

Score	Team	Vs	Overs	Ground	Year
438/9	South Africa	Australia	49.5	Johannesburg	2006
362/1	India	Australia	43.3	Jaipur	2013
350/9	New Zealand	Australia	49.3	Hamilton	2007
340/5	New Zealand	Australia	48.4	Auckland	2007
334/8	Australia	England	49.2	Sydney	2011

Virat Kohli (100 not out) took a more than decent Australian attack to the task with a fastest ever ODI century by an Indian and seventh fastest in the world, scored in only 52 balls.

Player	Runs	Balls	Match	Venue	Year
Shahid Afridi	102	37	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	Nairobi	1996
MV Boucher	147*	44	South Africa vs Zimbabwe	Potchefstroom	2006
BC Lara	117	45	West Indies vs Bangladesh	Dhaka	1999
Shahid Afridi	102	45	Pakistan vs India	Kanpur	1999
ST Jayasuriya	134	48	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	Singapore	1996
KJ O'Brien	113	50	Ireland vs England	Bangalore	2011
Virat Kohli	100*	52	India vs Australia	Jaipur	2013

This is his 16th ODI century in 115 matches. His innings had eight fours and seven sixes.

Rohit Sharma (141 not out from 123 balls) got a well-deserved third ODI century while Shikhar Dhawan (95) again showed love for anything Australian but was unlucky to miss out on a ton.

It was a match where the Australians created a world record with their five top batsmen scoring half-centuries but the Indian batsmen proved they were better on the night.

The Australians now have the ignominy of ending second best in two highest run-chases having faced similar fate against Herschelle Gibbs' South Africa seven years back, when they failed to defend a mammoth score of 434.

Indian batting's 'Gen-Next' troika showed why they are not afraid of any target and reasserted India's supremacy in the 50-over format.

While bowling continues to be a worrying factor for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he should at least feel happy that Kohli along with Rohit and Shikhar are ready to take the legacy of Indian batting forward in the next decade.
The victory was built on two partnerships. An opening stand of 174 between Dhawan and Rohit followed by another 186 runs scored in only 17.2 overs between Rohit and Kohli. The duo put on 100 runs in only 62 balls.

The chase practically started in the ninth over when Dhawan, in his bid to break the shackles, hit Shane Watson for three successive boundaries.

In the next over from Clint McKay, Rohit got a couple of boundaries more as 26 runs came off these two overs. While Dhawan repeatedly charged out to the pacers piercing the off-side cordon, Rohit used field restrictions to good effect by lofting the deliveries over in-field.

Rohit hit Glenn Maxwell for a six over deep mid-wicket to bring up the team's 100 and then got his half century with a tickle down leg-side off Xavier Doherty.

If Dhawan muscled the deliveries, Rohit found a way to caress them to the boundary.

However, after reaching his 50, Dhawan upped the ante with some sizzling strokeplay before James Faulkner got him to edge one trying to hit one shot too many. His 86-ball stay had 14 sweetly timed boundaries as he missed out on what would have been a well-deserved hundred.

Kohli did not take time to settle down as he raced to a half-century in only 27 balls with four huge sixes. Whether hitting Faulkner over long-off or smashing Watson over deep mid-wicket, each shot came out of the top drawer as India steadily inched towards victory with minimum fuss.

Earlier, Australian batsmen yet again took the Indian bowling attack to the cleaners as they scored a massive 359 for five, equaling their highest ever total against India.

Led from the front by their skipper George Bailey (92 not out), the Australian batsmen made merry of a listless Indian attack on a good track.

This incidentally is Australia's highest total on Indian soil surpassing their previous best of 350 for four in Hyderabad in 2009. This total also equalled their highest ever total of 359 for two against India made during 2003 World Cup final in South Africa as well as 359 for four in a VB Series match in Sydney back in 2004.

Phil Hughes (83), Aaron Finch (50), Shane Watson (59) set up the platform for skipper Bailey and Glenn Maxwell (53) to finish the innings with a flourish.

Indian bowlers conceded 122 runs in the last 10 overs of the innings as Bailey and Maxwell sent the Indian attack on a leather-hunt putting on a staggering 96 runs in only 8.3 overs for the fourth wicket.

Bailey bludgeoned the Indian bowling as he faced only 50 balls in his unbeaten innings, hitting eight fours and five sixes.

Both Ishant Sharma (0/70 in 9 overs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/54 in 10 overs) lacked penetration as both Finch and Hughes negotiated the duo with ease.

The third seamer R Vinay Kumar was guilty of bowling either too short or only slower deliveries and it only added to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's woes. Vinay (2/73 in 9 overs) had the worst figures among the pacers.

The worst among the Indian bowlers was though left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja (0/72 from 10 overs) and Yuvraj Singh (0/35 from four overs) and the duo gave away 107 runs in 11 overs between them. Ravichandran Ashwin (1/50 from eight overs) fared marginally better.

While Finch, as usual, was at his attacking best, Hughes complemented him by playing the second fiddle to perfection.

Any width outside the off-stump was dealt with severity by Finch, who also pulled a slow bouncer from Vinay Kumar for a six to complete his second successive half-century of the series.

World's tallest man sultan with his wife

Automatically share your blog posts to Google+

Notifying your followers that you've published a new blog post not only gets the conversation going, it encourages them to reshare your content with others. In this way it's critical for growing your blog's audience and engagement. But it takes time. And we want to give you that time back.

Starting today you can automatically share your blog posts publicly to Google+ — as soon as you publish them, with no additional clicks. And of course: if you've enabled Google+ Comments, any replies on Google+ will also appear on your blog.

If you've connected a Google+ page or profile to your blog, this new feature will start working the next time you publish a post. If you'd rather not share to Google+, or you'd prefer to be prompted each time, you can adjust your preferences in the Google+ tab of your Blogger Dashboard.

Happy blogging!

Celebrating 10 years of shared success

 Ten years ago we launched AdSense to help publishers earn money by placing relevant ads on their websites. I can still remember the excitement and anticipation as AdSense went live that first day.
Our small team huddled together in a cramped conference room, and right away we saw that publishers were as excited about AdSense as we were.
Fast-forward 10 years, and AdSense has become a core part of Google’s advertising business. The AdSense community has grown to include more than 2 million publishers, and last year alone, publishers earned more than $7 billion from AdSense. AdSense is a community that thrives because of all the content creators we are so fortunate to partner with. Their stories inspire us to do our part to make AdSense great.

On this occasion, it’s especially inspiring to hear the stories of partners who have been with us since the very beginning—like a retiree in New Zealand who was able to pursue her dream of writing about her garden, a tech support expert in Colorado who can spend more time with his kids, and a theme park reviewer who now sends employees around the world to test and review rides—all thanks to money earned from AdSense.

As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, we hope you’ll tune into our live Hangout on Air today at 10 a.m. PDT (5 p.m. GMT) on the AdSense Google+ page. I look forward to joining several of our partners to share stories from the early days of AdSense, talk about how we’ve all grown since then, and discuss the future for publishers and online advertising. And if you want even more 10th anniversary celebration, just visit our AdSense 10th anniversary page at any time.

Beautiful colors kingfisher

Blue Jay

Florida, United States

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Gilan Province, Iran,

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Mother's love

Orange Peel Candle

So You Think You Can Dance

THE LONELIEST WHALE IN THE WORLD

In 2004, The New York Times wrote an article about the loneliest whale in the world. Scientists have been tracking her since 1992 and they discovered the problem:

She isn’t like any other baleen whale. Unlike all other whales, she doesn’t have friends. She doesn’t have a family. She doesn’t belong to any tribe, pack or gang. She doesn’t have a lover. She never ha
d one. Her songs come in groups of two to six calls, lasting for five to six seconds each. But her voice is unlike any other baleen whale. It is unique—while the rest of her kind communicate between 12 and 25hz, she sings at 52hz. You see, that’s precisely the problem. No other whales can hear her. Every one of her desperate calls to communicate remains unanswered. Each cry ignored. And, with every lonely song, she becomes sadder and more frustrated, her notes going deeper in despair as the years go by.

Just imagine that massive mammal, floating alone and singing—too big to connect with any of the beings it passes, feeling paradoxically small in the vast stretches of empty, open ocean.

Do good, feel good” is one of the great truths of happiness

1. Be friendly.
I’ve decided that there are five degrees of social interactions with strangers: hostile, rude, neutral, polite, and friendly.

2. Say “yes.”
If you can, and if you should, say “yes.”


3. Say “no.”
In many circumstances, we find it hard to say “no” — partly because it will hurt someone’s feelings, partly because it closes a possibility that could otherwise remain open. But waiting to hear “no” saps people’s energy by keeping them hoping for an answer they aren’t going to get. If someone is waiting for your “No,” put them out of their misery.

4. Lead them not into temptation.
It can feel generous, friendly, and fun-loving to urge people to take another piece of cake, to drink another glass of wine, or to make an extra purchase, or to urge them to give themselves a break by skipping the gym, skipping class, or quitting smoking next week instead of today. But when you see people truly trying to resist temptation, encourage them to stick to their resolutions.

5. Do someone else’s chore.
Don’t you sometimes wish that someone would do one of your little jobs? If nothing else, to show an awareness of the fact that you faithfully do it, day after day? Emptying the diaper pail or starting the office coffee-pot, even though it’s not “your” job, helps people feel appreciated and cared for. One of my Twelve Commandments is to “Spend out,” which reminds me not to keep score, not to focus so much on everything coming out even – like chores.

Simple tips to help fast observers

1. For those who fast all nine days, it is important to eat small meals at regular intervals.This will keep your metabolism in top shape.

2. Avoid fried foods and include more of yogurt, smoothies, lassi and fruits which not only will keep you full but maintain the optimum fluids in the body.

3. Keep drinking water, coconut water, lemonade(without sugar), herbal teas as much as you can. It works as a great detox.

4. Substitute sugar in sweet dish with a low calorie sweeteners or natural sugars. and keep a check on your sweet intake.

5. Instead of having namkeens and pakodas as snacks, have a handful of roasted makhanas or a handful of nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts or hazalnuts.

6. Dishes which require the whole milk can be cooked with skimmed milk or double toned milk.

Drinking from the ‘cool nut’, coconut is the in-thing today. Nutritionists recommend drinking coconut water frequently, especially in summers because

Keep Yourself Cool with Coconut Water
Drinking from the ‘cool nut’, coconut is the in-thing today. Nutritionists recommend drinking coconut water frequently, especially in summers because:

1. It is a low sugar drink but rich in electrolytes that are lost during sweating.

2. Coconut water has detoxifying properties which flushes out toxins from the body and help prevent skin issues.

3. Drinking coconut water in plenty is recommended for a healthy gastric tract as it cleanses the digestive tract and cures acidity/digestion issues.

4. It has a cooling constitution and regulates body heat in summers.

5. Coconut water is a diuretic and increases the flow of urine and thus prevents urinary tract infections and reduces incidence of developing kidney stones.

6. It also helps treat constipation, sluggish digestion and may increase appetite in children.

NavratriSpecial Tips

1.Look out for innovative navratri recipes such as kadhi, Thalipeeth and cheelas. These can be made with very minimal oil and are delicious to eat too.

2.Make friends with fruits this navratri. Try including fresh fruits in your diet in various forms of salads, smoothies and raitas to keep up with your nutrition.Fruits have healthy sugar fructose.Seasonal fruits boosts the immunity,fibre, iron and B6 intake 2 supercharge your metabolism.

3.Instead of having namkeens and pakodas as snacks, have a handful of roasted makhanas or a handful of nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts or hazalnuts.

4.Lower your Cravings with low fat dairy. Drinking low fat milk,lassi and yogurt reduces your cravings to eat junk food Add cucumber, lauki or tomato to your yogurt to make it more filling.

5.Exercise portion control Keep your guilt trips to minimum by practicing portion control. Choose healthy food and keep your portions under control.

Weight loss is not about giving up food, its about eating the same food with almost the same taste but with less calories.

1. 1 cup equally mixed kottu, sinhgada and rajgira flour (if you do not have all three use the one you have. I usually mix sinhgada flour to kotu or rajgira to get a firm texture.)

2. 3 tbspn thick curd (make sure its not sour)
3. Salt to taste
4. 2 tbsp water (if needed)

Procedure.
1. Start my adding the salt and then the curd
and mix well in the flour. Try to bind the flour as much as possible.
2. Add 1 tbsp water and keep kneading. If the dough is firm ready then its done else add 1 tablespoon water again and knead.
3. The trick to know if the dough is ready is to check the form of the dough, if its not ready it will break else it will bind together smoothly. Lastly, grease your hand with little oil and knead well to give the finishing touch. Make sure that its firm.
4. Now, roll the roti. You need to roll and immediately transfer on the tawa.
5. serve Hot.

Majestic

7 animal suicides that baffle animal behavior

How would you like to grow into a tree after you die?

This is a Bios Urn, a completely biodegradable urn that contains a single tree seed. When planted, the tree seed is nourished by and absorbs the nutrients from the ashes. The urn itself is made from coconut shell and contains compacted peat and cellulose. The ashes are mixed with this, and the seed placed inside. You can even choose which type of tree you'd like to grow!

So which would you prefer; leaving behind a tree or a tombstone?

Gandhi Jayanti

Gandhi Jayanti - A tribute to 'Father of the Nation'

Gandhi Jayanti or Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti is observed every year as a national holiday to commemorate the birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948). His non-violence or satyagraha continues to influence political leaders and movements till date. The celebration and essence of Gandhi Jayanti is not restricted within India and also observed by the United Nations as the International Day of non-violence that aims to disseminate his philosophy, principle and believe in non-violence through proper education and public awareness. 

Celebration of Gandhi Jayanti is also a moment to relive Mohandas Gandhi's life and contribution in India's Independence. Born in a small coastal town Porbandar in Gujarat, Gandhi married Kasturbai Makhanji at the age of 13. His childhood memories and experiences are vividly depicted by him in his autobiography My experiments with truth. Gandhi at the age of 18 went to England to study law and returned to India in 1915. After his homecoming, he led nationwide stir for achieving Sawaraj, abolition of social evils, empowering women rights and improving economic conditions of peasants and farmers. He further strengthened his movement against the British Raj and led Indians in protesting Dandi March Salt in 1930 that was later followed by the popular Quit India in 1942 calling British to leave India. 

At Raj Ghat, New Delhi, and across India, people gather to observe Gandhi Jayanti in innovative ways that includes offering flowers on Gandhi's pictures, statues and singing his favourite devotional song Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. 

The government offices, banks, schools and post offices remain closed on Gandhi Jayanti to pay homage to 'Father of the Nation'. Additionally, as a tribute to this great soul, the Indian government mint rupee notes and also issue postage stamp depicting Mahatma Gandhi's photo. In May 19, 2011 at Geneva, a 1948 10 Rupee Mahatma Gandhi stamp was auctioned for a whopping price of US $205,000 making it a world record as the most pricey modern postal stamp from any country. 

Many ardent followers make effort to preserve Gandhi's belongings, works and writings through various means with the support of governments and non-profit organizations. Online portals are also acting as major contributors in preserving and providing information on Mahatma Gandhi and about Gandhi Jayanti celebration. 

The significance of Gandhi Jayanti celebration transcends beyond commemorating Mahatma Gandhi's birth and his life as followers renounce violence and entirely devote themselves to Gandhi's philosophy and principles of Ahimsa i.e living a life by following non-violence. 

The celebration of Gandhi Jayanti conventionally kicks off by singing prayers, offering flowers, lighting candles and garlanding Gandhiji's photo or statue. Mahatma Gandhi's life and principles has inspired lives of all ages. And if you are enthusiastic to explore more about him and Gandhi Jayanti, then Gandhi Jayanti 2013 is the right time to become familiar with his perpetual and valuable philosophy, and also his role as an architect of Indian Independence. 

Gandhi Jayanti 2013 will be observed on Wednesday, October 2.

Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti in India


Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (Gandhi Jayanti or Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti) is a gazetted holiday in India on October 2 each year. It marks the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth on October 2, 1869. Gandhi is remembered for his contributions towards the Indian freedom struggle.

Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (image of Gandhi pictured above) is an important holiday in India

What do people do?

Many people celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birthday across India. Events include:

• Prayer services, commemorative ceremonies and tributes at locations all over India.
• Art exhibitions and essay competitions.
• The presentation of awards to projects stimulating a non-violent way of life.
• The showing of films and book readings on Mahatma Gandhi's life and achievements.

Many people sing Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, Gandhi's favorite devotional song. Bunches of flowers or flower garlands are placed on many statues of Mahatma Gandhi throughout India. Some people also avoid eating meat or drinking alcohol on October 2.

Public life

Government offices, post offices and banks are closed on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Stores and other businesses and organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.

Background

Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, and died on January 30, 1948. He was a political and spiritual leader in India and played a key role in the Indian independence movement. Gandhi developed the novel technique of non-violent agitation, which he called "Satyagraha", loosely translated as "moral domination".

He is known for his non-violent civil disobedience in India and South Africa. These included the start of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 and the Salt Satyagraha or Salt (Dandi) March starting on March 12, 1930. Through Gandhi's efforts, India finally gained its freedom on August 15, 1947. The nation mourned for him after he was assassinated on January 30, 1948. The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Non-Violence is also held on October 2 each year to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.

Symbols

Three locations in India play important roles in the celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. These are:

• The Martyr's Column at the Gandhi Smriti in New Dehli where Mahatma Gandhi was shot on January 30, 1948.
• The Raj Ghat on the banks of the river Yamuna in New Dehli where Mahatma Gandhi's body was cremated on January 31, 1948.
• The Triveni Sangam where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati come together near Allahabad.

The British controlled the production and distribution of cloth in India in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Mahatma Gandhi felt that India could never become independent until the country could produce its own cloth. He encouraged people to spin and weave cotton cloth using small scale traditional spinning wheels and looms. Hence, simple hand spinning wheels for cotton became an important symbol of the struggle for Indian independence and Mahatma Gandhi's life and work.

 

Traffic comes to a standstill as two lions decide to roll around in the middle of a road on the edge of the Nairobi National Park in Kenya.

Cherries can cause cancer cells to commit suicide

Cherries boast a laundry list of healing powers. For starters, they pack a powerful nutritional punch for a relatively low calorie count. They're also packed with substances that help fight inflammation and cancer. As if that weren't enough, in lab studies, quercetin and ellagic acid, two compounds contained in cherries, have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumors and even cause cancer cells to commit suicide -- without damaging healthy cells. Cherries also have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Anthocyanin, another compound in cherries, is credited with lowering the uric acid levels in the blood, thereby reducing a common cause of gout. Researchers believe anthocyanins may also reduce your risk of colon cancer. Further, these compounds work like a natural form of ibuprofen, reducing inflammation and curbing pain. Regular consumption may help lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

In Chinese medicine, cherries are routinely used as a remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism (as well as anemia, due to their high iron content). Plus they're delicious.

How much: Aim for a daily serving while they're in season locally. And keep a bag of frozen cherries in your freezer the rest of the year; frozen cherries retain 100 percent of their nutritional value and make a great addition to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal.

Tip:

Buy organic or wash thoroughly, since conventionally grown cherries can be high in pesticides.

Aerial View of the Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys, Florida USA

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Rhinoceros beetle out for a ride on a human being in Costa Rica. These harmless beetles reach the size of 6.75 inches (170 mm) in length.

Rhinoceros beetle out for a ride on a human being in Costa Rica.
These harmless beetles reach the size of 6.75 inches (170 mm) in length.

This is how you travel around in Virgin Atlantic Airlines

Blue Footed Booby, Galapagos Islands