Thought for the Moment

You must have several things in this life to live and create to your highest potential: Friends, Faith, and Determination.
You have within you the power to exceed your previous accomplishments.
If you want to have more in your life, you must give more away.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

Fact of the day

"Purposeful living is a life style allowing us to make choices that result in life-enhancing value for others as well as ourselves."

"Becoming secure and independent comes by taking responsibility for your own security. Independence requires planning, taking action, and making informed choices."

The effective speaker should have a clearly organized and purposeful presentation. Here is the basic structure of a successful presentation:

• Opening - Favorably attract immediate interest from the audience
• Message - Clearly state your message or theme
• Evidence - Establish credibility and inspire respect and confidence by using convincing evidence
• Closing - Leave the audience with a favorable, memorable impression

Mars and Venus allign over a crescent moon

FACT OF THE DAY

The universe is filled with infinite possibilities. Among these infinite possibilities lie seeds of creativity.

Facts & figures Indian Democracy

Number of seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament): 545 (of which two are appointed by the President)

Total number of candidates: 5,398

Total votes polled: 38,74,53,223

Average votes per candidate: 70,665

Number of registered voters: 675 million

Number of polling stations: 7,00,000

Duration of election: Three weeks (four rounds)

Lowest number of votes: 45 (Ashok Kumar, independent candidate from Chandni Chowk, Delhi)

Highest number of votes: 8,55,543 (Sajjan Kumar, Congress candidate from Outer Delhi, Delhi)

Highest number of candidates in a constituency: 35 (Madras South in Tamil Nadu)

Lowest number of candidates in a constituency: 2 (Cuttack in Orissa, Godhra in Gujarat and Tura in Meghalaya)

Highest polling booth in India: Fastan village in Ladakh (5,180 metres altitude, 26 km from the nearest road)

Largest parliamentary constituency: Ladakh (1,73,265 square kilometres)

Total number of parties: 220

Total number of independent candidates: 2,369

Seats needed for majority: 272

Total cost of the election: Rs 100 million (approx.)

Voter turnout: About 56%, or nearly 380 million people

Number of constituencies in India: 543

STATISTICS ON ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES (EVM)

Total EVM's used: 10.25 lakh

Operational speed of EVMs: maximum of five votes per minute

Number of votes one EVM can register: 3,840

Number of candidates an EVM can hold: Maximum of 64

Amount of paper not being used due to EVMs: 8,000 metric tonnes

EVMs first used in India: 1989-90 in 16 assembly constituencies in three states.

Sense of wonder

"Despite changes, circumstances, or seasons, our spirits can remain lively and strong. We can live as evergreens of faith, hope, and a child-like sense of wonder."

"Increase success by taking actions now. Don't wait until you have all your ducks in a row before taking action."