Manager Tools - Website & Podcast

I found this podcast by browsing on Podzinger.com This podcast is managed by Mark and Mike. They have great tools for managers and to-be managers. So if you are on that path this is a great podcast to listen to. Also, I think this is has a great conversational quality and that they give "real-life" tips for managers. So try them and see if they can help you.

This is what they say :

Manager Tools is a weekly podcast focused on helping you become a more effective manager and leader. Each week we’ll be talking about new tools and easy techniques you can use to help achieve your management and career objectives. If you’re tired of a lot of management theory and would rather learn specific actions you can take TODAY to improve your management performance, we think you’ll enjoy the manager tools podcast.

5 Must-Have Books that they recommend

They love Peter Drucker books - which are awesome.

Ys: Oath in Felghana PSP Game Review

SCORE: 73
I can see my worries were groundless. Not only is Oath a lot better game than the original, it is a better game than Ys Seven, too. Although overall, Oath lacks in intricacy, it has excellent playability. There are some missing features, but still it can avoid being mired in the long-winded, empty, endless narrative. It is not worse than Ys Seven;but it is that arriving so quickly after its predecessor that it is in dire risk of being ignored. It merits some recognition, though. It is a lean RPG, short on excess, satisfying, and has tightly crafted play.

Ghost Recon Predator PSP Game Review

SCORE: 74
The missions in this game do not have varied enough goals, the controls are challenging to get a hang of, while the AI is mediocre, but lovers of tactical shooters may find Ghost Recon Predator enjoyable. Propelling a squad around along with their various weapons system makes for some absolutely gratifying combat moments and could make youme want to finish this game regardless of its other stress-inducing mechanics. Overall, if Ubisoft could work out a more effective control scheme for the Sony PSP, it could grow into a very impressive portable shooting title. But these Ghosts would likely haunt those bargain bins in the end.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta

SCORE: 85
Kratos may potentially be the most tempestuous game character ever developed. We all aware that he inadvertently killed his family because of the gods, but his aggressive attitude has frequently made me curios what else could had happened to him that he seemed so enraged. We get some ideas in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, because it does a fantastic job adding some depth to Kratos' persona while offering one of the most entertaining and attractive gaming experiences on the Sony PSP.

Occurred between God of War and God of War II, the new Ghost of Sparta we see Kratos sitting on his freshly claimed throne looking suitably ill-tempered. Besides, becoming a god of war didn't erase the depressing memories of his former years, but now he is being troubled by a vision we have never seen previously -- an old woman lying down on astone. Certain he can actually alter this vision, Kratos goes to Atlantis on a mission that finally brings him back to his home town of Sparta and finally into the Thanatos' realm.
Incredibly, the developers are able to go beyond the Chains of Olympus, offering a deeper, longer, and more visually aesthetical game than even they believed was originally accomplishable. Ghost of Sparta is, obviously, one of the finest titles available for the Sony PSP. Just when I believed I had Kratos fully figured out, I have been given ideas into another component of his history that makes his pain much more comprehensible. There is nothing enormously different about the interface, because it may not be necessary.

How to prevent your PSP from getting dirty?

When you are dealing with dirt, the best offense is always a good defense. It may sounds like cliches but that a sound advice. If you do not want your PSP to get dirty, keep it in an environment which is free of free of dirt. Do not leave it lying around your home uncovered, put it in the drawer or best on its package box. If you want to keep the PSP clean, yous must make sure that you keep all related devices of the PSP and clean. Keep your UMD discs in its cases and use clean USB cables to connect your PSP to your computer. If you find an old USB cable sitting in the corner of a drawer that, for some unknown reason, had crumbs and dirts across the bottom, you must take the time to ensure that all dust or pieces of crumbs that were in the drawers were carefully cleaned before you put the connector in your PSP.

In addition in maintaining your PSP and all devices of the PSP own, be sure that you are clean yourself. If you find your PSP always greasy and smudged look no farther than your own greasy hands, wash hands before playing. Make sure that they are clean, dry and free of grease when you want to play. If you do not want smudges on the screen, do not to touch the screen.

Frequent PSP Problems

All of the buttons of my PSP suddenly stopped working.

Be sure that you during playing you have accidentally slide the power button into the Hold position.

My PSP abruptly enter sleep mode during a game/movie/etc.

Be sure that you didn't accidentally slide the power button up into the Sleep position.

There's no sound/the sound too low.

Be sure that you have the sound volume turned up and you didn't accidentally hit the music note button (which mutes the console), and that you do/don't have the headphones plugged in (depending upon whether you are wearing headphones or not).

The picture on the screen is too dim/too bright.

Hit the little square button underneath the screen. This toggles through different screen brightness settings.

I cannot connect to my wireless network.

Be sure that you have turned on the WLAN switch on the bottom-left corner of your PSP.

My PSP's screen has a dead pixel.

If it is an actual dead pixel, then it isn't fixable. Learn to live with it, or try to sell it online and buy a new PSP. However, you may just have a stuck pixel. This may be fixable. There's an MPEG4 video available from various online PSP-associated sites, such as PSP Hacker (http://www.psphacker.com), called Dead Pixel Cleaner by Placasoft. This two-minute video will need to be loaded onto your Memory Stick. It flashes through red, blue, and green repeatedly and rapidly, filling your PSP's screen. The rapid instructions to change between these three key RGB colors can sometimes stimulate a frozen/stuck pixel, knocking it back to full functionality. So, if you have what looks to be a dead pixel, give this video a try. I've read several recommendations online that say you should leave it running in a loop for a good couple of hours, checking intermittently to see whether it has had any effect. You might learn that your dead pixel is just a stuck pixel when you find it quickly unstuck.

Why should I hire you ?

By Mariette Durack Edwards

The other day I was speaking with a young fellow who had been laid off from his job at a large consulting firm. His education and work experience were exceptional so I was surprised to learn he had been out of work for eight months. "Why so long?" I asked him. He launched into a list of things he couldn't do, experience he didn't have, and technology he didn't know. All of these deficiencies plus "the economy" were why he was still looking for a job. It wasn't until I asked him what he wanted to do in his next job that a glimmer of passion entered his voice.

Being out of work for an extended period is certain to erode even the most confident job-seeker. That's why it's so important that you stay focused on your strengths and how your special qualities, skills and abilities can benefit a potential employer. Remember you are the only person in the world who knows everything about what you know!

Here are a few suggestions to help you stay on track with your job-search.

Never argue for your limitations

It's easy to start thinking in terms of what's missing if you've been out of work for a long time but arguing for your limitations will never bring you the work you seek. Focus instead on how you can position your unique skills and abilities to support a potential employer's goals. Pay particular attention to the things that are so easy for you that they seem unimportant.Fill in the gapsBrag about your efforts instead of shining a spotlight on what you don't have.

Think of yourself in terms of results

People buy solutions. A client who is a voice-over talent left this message recently for a customer she wanted to win back. "Hello, Bill. This is Jane Doe. I was the voice of Top Notch News during the three or four years when the network had its highest ratings. How can I help you regain that position? Call me at ..." She got a request to submit her demo reel the next day. How will hiring you move others closer to their goals?

Ask good questions

Craft a series of questions that are open ended, thought provoking and position you in terms of results. Avoid directive questions that signal the answer you are looking for or require a yes/no response. Ask yourself, "What are the biggest questions I can ask in response to this opportunity?" For example, "What are the organization's most important goals?" "How do you see this position impacting on the achievement of those goals?" "If I were offered the opportunity to work with your organization, what would you like me to accomplish in my first 90 days?"

Learn the art of selling

True selling is actually a wonderful process of learning about others and listening for an opportunity to serve through what you offer. It is the single most important tool in your job-search kit.

Here is the PDF form of the Article

Mariette Durack Edwards is a business and personal coach, consultant, speaker, and writer. Her latest book is The Way Things Work: 25 Must-Know Principles for Making Dreams Come True. Mariette can be reached via her Website. http://www.starmakercoaching.com/

Backup Internet Explorer 7 Search Providers List

I m a regular user of Mozilla Firefox, though I use Internet Explorer as well… but I personally feel Firefox is best to surf the net. There are some web pages which are not best viewed in Internet Explorer (It’s not that, I just don’t want to sound bias).

I am both an IE user and a fan of using custom search providers in search box, you might be interested to know how you can back up that list and/or restore it on another computer. Since I'm a regular Firefox user I have lots of items in my search list.

Manual Registry Backup Method

If you are comfortable using the registry, you can just open up regedit.exe through the start menu search box and then navigate down to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes

Right-click on the SearchScopes key and choose to Export. Give the file a name and save it somewhere you are comfortable . To restore this list on another computer you should only have to double-click it.

Command Line Method

You can use the reg.exe method on the command line to backup this key. You can either paste this command into a command prompt or save it into a batch file.

reg export "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes" searchbackup.reg

And thus ends the mystery of backing up search providers.

As simple as it can be…. I  have many things to share with you…just stay tuned!!!!

 

Configuring DNS If You’re Already Using Microsoft’s IIS to Host Your Own Web Site

Follow these steps:

1. Follow the instructions for MooPS, but in the Server Settings window set the server port number to 33333 so it doesn’t conflict with IIS, which runs on port 80 (the standard port for Web and HTTP traffic).
2. Open the Control Panel and then click Administrative Tools.
3. Select Internet Information Services. This opens the Internet Information Services MMC (Microsoft Management Console) plug-in.
4. Click the plus sign next to the computer icon, then click the plus sign next to Web Sites, and you’ll see Default Web Site.
5. Right-click Default Web Site and select Properties.
6. Under the Web Site tab, make sure IP Address is set to All Unassigned and that TCP Port is set to 80.
7. Click the Documents tab and make sure Default.htm is in the list of documents
8. Click the Home Directory tab and make a note of where your Web site’s documents are stored. You can change the directory, too, but the default location of c:\inetpub\wwwroot is usually just fine.
9. All right, you’re good to go with IIS. In the next section, you configure the DNS server.

Configuring DNS If You’re Using MooPS

Follow these steps:

1. Select Launch MooPS from the Start>All Programs>MooPS menu. After a few moments, the MooPS status window appears.
2. From the Options menu, select Server Settings.
3. When the MooPS – Server Settings window appears, enter the following:

• Your computer’s IP address into the Redirect IP Address field.
• Change the drop-down selection under IP Address from (Any) to your computer’s IP address
• Your router’s IP address (the gateway address) into the IP Address field under DNS Client
• Change the IP address under Web Server from (Any) to your computer’s IP address Click OK when you are done. If you don’t change the IP addresses in the drop-down lists that say (Any), MooPS will likely crash when you attempt to use it. If you don’t know your IP address and router address settings.Now that your server is configured you need to start it. From the Server menu, select Start. MooPS should then start its services and tell you everything’s okay.

Download the DNS Server

Now that we have the Web service part out of the way, let’s get the DNS server squared away.
If You Have Windows
Use MooPS. It has a DNS server built in that is pre-configured for use in this hack.
If You Have Mac OS X or Linux
On Mac OS X and Linux, you can simply install Berkeley Internet Name Daemon, or BIND for short. Refer to the BIND documentation on how to download and install BIND.
BIND for Mac OS X can be downloaded from http://www.versiontracker.com/
dyn/moreinfo/macosx/658.
BIND for Linux is usually included with the distro, so check your install.
If You Have Mac OS 9
If you’re running Mac OS 9, get your hands on MacDNS, a very simple DNS server that will do just fine for hacking DNS.

Test Windows 7 Application Compatibility

As you know that Microsoft Windows 7 is in market now. It seems to be the more popular operating system that its predecessors. Microsoft claims that all the applications that are not compatible with Windows Vista, should run in Windows 7.

Of course, you will probably want to test application compatibility of Microsoft Windows 7. To examine the application compatibility, you need to check out the ACT i.e Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5. Among other things, this Application Compatibility Tool also helps IT professional to decide conclusively whether particular applications are compatible with Windows 7 or not.

You can use ACT to:

• Check that your application's compatibility with devices and computers which are installed with Microsoft Windows 7, which also determines your risk evaluation.
• Check compatibility of Windows updates which also determines your risk evaluation.
• You can become a member of ACT community and also share your risk evaluations with the other ACT members.
• You can also use the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool to check your Web sites and Web applications for compatibility with new releases and security updates to Internet Explorer.
•You can also visit the Microsoft's Windows 7 Compatibility Center, click the Software tab and then navigate to the Enterprise Applications. This compatibility center consists of a number of categories that you can browse, from Application Development to Systems & Network Management. It is sure that most of the applications that worked with Windows vista will work with Windows 7 and those that don't work can be used through XP Mode.

What to do if your PSP cannot be turned on?

• If your PSP can't be turned on, naturally you need to check the power first. Hopefully the battery has been fully depleted. Plug in the AC power adapter and see if the power indicator light turn orange which indicates charging. If that's happen, see if the PSP can now be turned on. If so, luckily your battery simply depleted.
• If the power indicator light did not turn on or turn orange when you plugged in the PSP, then see if you can turn the PSP on. If the PSP can be turned on then look on the upper-right corner of the screen. Is the battery indicator is stills shown? Then, perhaps the battery is simply discharged and being charged, but for some reason the charging indicator light won't turn on. Unplug your PSP and see if it stays powered.
• If it is completely shuts down, then it is most likely something is wrong with the device or the battery. It is best to contact your local vendor.
  

However, if you want check your PSP before sending it to the vendor, you can open the battery cover on the back of your PSP. Remove the battery and check the metal contacts, be sure that they are clean. Wipe gently with soft cloth when dirty. Insert the battery and repeat the above steps. If it still fails to work, lend a good battery so you can sure that the battery or your PSP is the culprit. If your PSP turn on with your friend's battery, then luckily your device is OK, it is better to replace the battery than sending your PSP to your local vendor for repair.

What to do if your PSP can't read the memory stick?

First of all, remove your memory card the put it back into your PSP and make sure it is firmly and properly inserted into your PSP.

Check the parts
If it still cannot read, remove the card again and examine closely the metal conductors contacts of the card, there should be slight abrasion present, it's OK, but if you find dirts , clean it off. Take a soft cloth and wipe gently. If the metal contact is badly scratched, your card beyond repair. You can avoid scratched contacts by limiting the frequency of swapping in and out the memory card. Backup the data often! With prolonged use, memory cards would eventually damaged.

Check inside the card slot.
Make sure that the slot is physically in normal condition, if the area around the slot dirty, hold the cover open, turn the PSP on its other end, and shake gently to try to remove any dirts. Compressed air is the best way to loosen up dirts. Blow short bursts of compressed air on the slot to loosen up anything that stuck in there, and your PSP on its end and shake again.

Check the data integrity
If you have a card reader, connect the Memory Stick up to your PC. If your PC can't read it, your memory card is already unusable. However if the card can be read by your PC, backup the entire data of your memory stick, then delete all files inside your memory stick, format the memory stick then restore the data back to the memory stick.

For best result, format your memory card in your PSP not in your PC

1. Goto Settings System Settings and hit the X button.
2. Select Format Memory Stick from the list of settings and hit the X button.
3. The PSP will ask you twice if you are sure that you really want to format the Memory Stick. Select Yes and hit X, then select Yes again and hit X again. This will erase all of the data on the Memory Stick.
4. Restore the data

If all these efforts fail, there are only two possibilities, your card is damaged and the PSP memory slot is damaged. Try to insert another good memory card in your PSP, if it is cannot be read, then the problem is with your PSP. Contact your local vendor for repair arrangement.

What to do if UMD Game/Movie Won't Load?

This problem is the most common for PSP

1. Clean the disk
Breathe lightly on your disk, take a non-abrasive wiping cloth, clean the UMD disk just like cleaning a DVD/CD. You may also try the compressed air cans, which is available in computer/electronic store. If there are any particles or dust on the disk, try blowing these particles off. Consider using a compressed air can to blow particles from the inside of the disk; you can find these cans in any computer or electronics store. There is also UMD disk-cleaning solution available, which would clean your disk as clean as it can be.

2. Check the clear plastic cover on the disk.
If your hard UMD has been put under pressure inside a bag, the plastic cover on the top of the disk may snap loose from the frame of white plastic disc. The plastic cover will put pressure on the back of the disc, which prevent it from spinning when the UMD is placed inside the PSP. If this happens, you may hold the UMD disc on the edge of the white plastic casing, and then take your index finger and gently push up against the middle of the disk until you hear a slight clicking noise. If all goes well, you have successfully putting back the plastic lid in place and the disk will rotate correctly the next time you insert it in the PSP.

3. Is it a bad UMD?
Even after you try to clean the UMD with the cleaning solution and it is still fail to load, then the bad news is that the game or film is dead. It's time to buy the replacement.

4. Check your PSP.
If none above works, things may be worse than it should, but there is absolutely no reason to panic. The inside of your PSP may be dirty, open the tray door and shake slightly to get dirts and bits out from your PSP, it is better if you use the compressed air cans to loosen dirts inside your PSP.

Still not work? Then you need a professional repair help. Contact your local vendor.

How to make wireless network most secure for your older PSP versions?

If you have a PSP with the older version 1.01.52 firmware, your only option for wireless security at your disposal is only WEP, which is most easily cracked protocol for wireless encryption. WPA is a more secure solution for PSP.

However, WEP is better than nothing at all. If you use the older firmware, you should configure your network WEP with a password in order to access your network settings on your PSP (Settings>Network Settings, press the X button and choose Infrastructure mode, and again hit the X button). Choose the connection that you want to change and move forward until you reach the WLAN Settings pane.

Make sure your wireless network appears under the name SSID. If it does not, scroll to Scan, hit the X button, select your wireless network from the list that appears on the next page, and click the X button again. This will take you back to the Settings page wireless network.

Now, scroll down to where it reads 'None' for the encryption and then click X. Use the arrow up or down on the keyboard to change from 'None' to 'WEP' and then press the start button X. Now hit the right arrow keys to bring up a screen asking you to enter your WEP key. Hit the X button, and the PSP of the screen text entry will be displayed. When you are finished entering your password, scroll to the Enter key on-screen text entry and click the X button again.

If you already have newer firmware with WPA established in your current network, you need to disable it, in order to allow PSP with version 1.01.52 firmware to access your network. If you have a PSP with version 2.0 firmware, however, you can define the parameters WPA on your PSP to work with your network WPA enabled. It will be almost identical to the procedure to enable WEP, except you switch down to 'WPA-PSK' for the WLAN Security Configuration and enter your password WPA.

Network performance would be better without these security measures, so if you connecting to a wireless network in a thick walled room, just disable this security settings for maximum network performance.

PSP background color by month

Month	PSP background color
1. January	White/grey/silver
2. February	Light yellow/gold
3. March	Light green
4. April	Pink
5. May	Dark green
6. June	Blue/purple
7. July	Ocean blue/teal
8. August	Dark blue to light blue
9. September	Purple
10. October	Dark yellow/gold
11. November	Sepia/brown
12. December	Red

How to permanently change background color?

PSP background change on monthly basis, however you can make it stay with only one background color. This trick is only applicable with Version 2.0 firmware,
1. Go to Settings > Theme Settings, hit the X button, select Theme, hit the X button again
2. Select a color from the menu that is shown on the right. The colors will change when you select any options in the list. However if you choose Original, then the color will change each month. Then select the X button to make your selection and your PSP will permanently have one background color.

How to connect PSP to Linux?

Latest Linux distributions should be able to detect PSP automatically. You may want to examine the kernel messages with dmesg to see what device the PSP was recognized as:

 $ dmesg
 Linux version 2.6.8.1-5-686 (buildd@vernadsky) (gcc version 3.3.4 (Debian 1:
 3.3.4-9ubuntu5)) #1 Wed Aug 17 23:34:53 UTC 2005
 BIOS-provided physical RAM map:

 […] lots of output deleted […]

 scsi0 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
   Vendor: Sony      Model: PSP               Rev: 1.00
   Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
 USB Mass Storage device found at 2
 usbcore: registered new driver usb-storage
 USB Mass Storage support registered.
 SCSI device sda: 487936 512-byte hdwr sectors (250 MB)
 sda: Write Protect is off
 sda: Mode Sense: 00 6a 20 00
 sda: assuming drive cache: write through
  /dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0: p1

If however your PSP is not automatically detected, run the command modprobe usb-storage as the root user and run dmesg again, check its output. You should be able to identify the device, you can mount it with the following commands (if it was identified as sda, you want to use sda1, as the first partition):

 $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt -o uid=$USER
 $ ls -l /mnt/
 total 128
 -rwxr--r--    1 me root          5125 2005-09-04 12:35 index.html
 -rwxr--r--    1 me root          4060 2005-09-04 12:34 make_index.pl
 -r-xr--r--    1 me root             0 2005-01-30 22:28 memstick.ind
 drwxr--r--    4 me root         32768 2005-09-02 22:50 mp_root
 -r-xr--r--    1 me root             0 1979-12-31 23:00 mstk_pro.ind
 drwxr--r--    9 me root         32768 2005-04-08 23:55 psp

The sudo command will let you to run mount as root user, and the -o uid $USER tells Linux to mount it so that the currently logged-in user is the owner of the files on the stick.

How to quickly copy PSP files in Windows?

1. Let's assume your PSP memory card location is E:\PSP\SAVEDATA

2. Create a new folder in your hard drive for example C:\gamesaves\

3. Open Notepad, type the following

cd e:\PSP\SAVEDATA\
xcopy e: c:\gamesaves\ /S

Hit Return between each line.

4. Save the file as, 'copyPSP.bat', put the file wherever you want for example in your desktop, now whenever you want quickly copy all files in your memory card to C:\gamesaves\, just double click this file.

How to connect PSP to Mac OSX?

First of all, you need to have a PSP folder on your desktop for this procedures to work

1. Run the Terminal in /Applications/Utilities/ then type the following in command line,

 open /Volumes//PSP/SAVEDATA/

2. Replace with the actual name of the memory card as it is displayed as mounted on the desktop. Usually, it will be "Untitled." If the name has been changed to something like "My PSP Card," then you will need to add an \ before the space in the name. For example, if your Memory Stick were named "My PSP Card" you would type the following:

 open /Volumes/My\PSP\Card/PSP/SAVEDATA/

3. Press Return. Then the folder in the Finder would open, then drag all the files that you want to your Mac.

However, if you want this process to be GUI-free, just type the commands:

 cd /Volumes/Untitled/PSP/SAVEDATA/
 cp -R * ~/Desktop/PSP/

Hit Return after each line. The first cd command will change the directory of the mounted Memory Stick (In this case it called Untitled) to the SAVEDATA folder. The cp -R command will then copy all the files and folders within this folder into a folder called PSP on your desktop.

Tips to Fix Computer Running out of Memory?

When you run multiple copies of Windows based applications, out of memory error message appear when you try to run new programs or attempt to execute programs that are already running, even though your computer sill have sufficient physical and pagefile memory available. Or it may possible due to low virutual memory situtaion.

So question arises how to fix computer experiencing low memory issue. Here is the solution but for that you need to understand the concept of virtual memory.

Virtual memory is a kind of temporary storage used by a computer to run programs that need more memory than it has. For instance, programs could have access to 4 gigabytes of virtual memory on a computer's hard drive, even if the computer has only 32 megabytes of RAM. The program data that does not currently fit in the computer's memory is saved into paging files.

Step by step how to fix a computer running low memory:

STEP 1. Open Computer Management (Local).
STEP 2. In the console tree, right-click Computer Management (Local), and then select Properties.
STEP 3. On the Advanced tab, click Performance Options, and under Virtual memory, click Change.
STEP 4. In the Drive list, click the drive that contains the paging file.

How to make VLC Player look like Windows Media Player 11 in your Windows XP

I was Exploring VLC media player...Which I use regularly to view songs and movies. While Exploring VLC media player …I found one of its features of changing Skins….. So I started with it and tried to change its skin.. . which was quite simple…  and I would like to share it with you…

What you need to do is just download the skin named WMP11 from the skins page. This skin looks a lot like Windows Media Player 11. It's not exactly the same, but it's a pretty good skin. To install it on your windows>>

 To install on Windows:

Select the "VLC media player (skins)" option from the Start menu program group. This will start VLC in the right mode to select skins. Right click on the title bar area, and choose Select skin \ Open skin and choose the skin file that you have downloaded. 

That was very EASY!!! And Enjoy the look of Windows media player in VLC media player…

Good Karma

Happy Thanksgiving & A Poem ~ In My Dreams !

In My Dreams
by Steven Robert Heine.

In my dreams
all wrongs are righted,
all sins are forgiven
all wounds are healed.

In my dreams
all lost friends are found
all loved ones are united
all pain is forgotten.

In my dreams
laughter replaces anger
smiles replace frowns
and love replaces hate and fear..

But then I awaken
and I realize that I cannot fix
everything that is broken in the World.
And I decide to try to make it just
a little better somehow.

Things to remember when connecting PSP to your computer

Improper connection between PSP and PC may damage data inside the memory card.

• It is happen whenever you connect a PSP that is still in Sleep Mode to your PC using USB cable.
• Always dismounting the memory card before disconnecting your PSP from your PC
• Make sure PSP would not fall into Sleep Mode when it is still connected to the PC, you can avoid this by turning off the Auto Sleep feature inside the Power Settings menu. You can still conserve power by turning on the Backlight Auto-off setting, also under power settings into two minutes (the lowest setting)
  

You may consider buying an USB cord to supply power to the PSP.
Your saved games are all stored inside PSP>SAVEDATA subfolder inside the memory card. Copy it to your PC hard drive or burn it to a blank CD.

Always remember to dismount the memory card before disconnecting the PSP, in Mac you do this by dragging the Memory Card icon into the trash or in Windows by "Safely Remove Hardware". After PSP is dismounted, then press O button in your PSP to fully disconnect the PSP from the PC, then you may unplug the USB cable from the PC.

Copy and Delete files in your PSP

On the game menu, between Game Sharing and UMD/Memory Stick (if you have a UMD disk inserted), there is the Saved Data Utility. Highlight it and hit the X button.

You'll be shown the list of saved game files, along with the screenshots and all related informations. If you hit the triangle button you can Copy, Delete or just want to see the detailed information of the file. A dialog will tell you "You will be asked to change the Memory Stick 3 times. Press the X button to begin." Hit X to begin the copy process or O to go back to the previous menu

This way you can copy your saved games to let friends play it in their own PSP or you just want to make a backup in other memory card. So even you already have the 2 Gb memory card, you can still use the 32 Mb memory card included with your PSP to backup your important saved games. The file copying process between memory cards actually involves a few minutes of swapping out two memory card for a total of six times.

The Delete and Information options are quite straightforward.

F1 2009 PSP Game Review

SCORE: 78
For Formula One lovers the wait is essentially over; right after a a couple of year of hiatus, the racing sport gets back to PSP game courtesy of Sumo Digital's and Codemasters F1 2009. While it is not the complete return like most were desiring for - as that we've to hold back until next year's purebred versions on stronger hardware - it is is no plain stopgap measure, and is alternatively an confident step on the first class tier of racing games.although F1 2009 is not an impressive return like some were wishing for, it is nonetheless a decent going game. It lacks on capabilities and has inadequate appearance, but of course it nails the basic adequately, with the Formula One license served up with an absorbing control model and a brilliant sense of action. As driving games flourish on the PSP, it does not trouble players at best, however for a cut of Formula One action, it is effectively worth a punt.

Boss is coming! How to quit PSP instantly?

So you're in a busy project, feeling so bored and tired and you pull out your PSP and start up a quick game, just to relax for 5 minutes. Then the boss walks in. How can quit the game, save your game and save your job at the same time?

The power button on the right bottom corner of PSP can be pressed quickly to turn off without ruining the game you are currently playing. The quick push of the power button up and then back down to the locked position can become rather habitual when the phone rings or some other emergencies.

Do remember that make sure, PSP is not writing anything to the Memory Stick Duo while you quickly turn off the device. It is indicated by the flashing orange light at the bottom left of PSP. If there is no light you are safe.

If you want to play your PSP in your cubicle safely, make sure you have the bottom drawer of your desk open and filled with cotton or clothes to cushion the shock subjected to your PSP when you need to toss it real quickly.

When the boss approach, quickly and calmly turn it into power save mode and drop it to the bottom drawer. While you are playing always, keep part of your hearing and other senses to detect movement and noises outside your cubilce. Practice for a couple of time, it would be quite easy.

Assassin's Creed Bloodlines PSP Game Review

SCORE: 73
Having successful with the earliest Assassin's Creed of o console versions, Ubisoft is converting the series to a complete enfranchisement with episodes on all gaming gadget available, like the PSP. Assassin's Creed Bloodlines tries to revive the feel and look of the early games, while accommodating tidbits of its narration right before the outcomes of Assassin's Creed 2. The solution is a courageous feat -- a game that, roughly, feels and looks like a console variants of the game. After better inspection, however, it has a few control and substance problems that prevent it from feeling like a real
Assassin's Creed sequel. It is a game that can only attract those who are always captivated with the Assassin's Creed world. It perfectly repeats the general spirit of Altair's earlier adventures, however it also shows the shortcomings of the PSP hardwares. 3 multidimensional free movement can't be complete without any camera control while the combat is unidimensional. The designers did their best they could under the limitations of PSP that for now is understandable for a light portable gaming console.

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron PSP Game Review

SCORE: 72
The moment Star Wars: Battlefront was introduced 5 years ago, it inspired how that people viewed the Star Wars existence by putting players straight off in the iron heels of the underlings of the Rebel Alliance, Empire and Old Republic. Since that moment, LucasArts has long since been attempting to retake that illusion with any enfranchisement, evolving to brand new battlegrounds, elaborating the effect with story-driven games, but unfortunately very often coming short of its intended target. The current episode, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, lacks even further, by a very repetitious succession of story episodes and loads of abstract and control problems that aren't attractive in the slightest.
Hindered by flavorless, repetitious play and earlier control problems, Elite Squadron is among those games that actually will charm to the loyal Star Wars devotees only. While you can find a few colorful areas, like performing as hero characters or dwell in Galactic Conquest style (which is a immensely underused component in the game), the play has not actually developed entirely. In general, it is an activity that, although mildly entertaining awhile, leaves a gambler with a want for a lot, a lot more.

State Employment Offices - Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Benefits

If you lost your job and have a question about unemployment benefits, your local state Employment Office is where you get your questions answered and register to receive benefits. Make this state office your first stop the day after you lose your job - they have many resources and help for you in your job search. These offices provide support for both job seekers and employers. Each state employment office is named and organized differently from the others, but the essential services are the same.

State Employment Offices
AlabamaDept. of Industrial Relations
AlaskaDept. of Labor & Workforce Development
ArkansasEmployment Security Dept.
ArizonaEmployment Security Admin.
CaliforniaEmployment Development Dept.
ColoradoDept. of Labor and Employment
ConnecticutDept. of Labor
District of ColumbiaDept. of Employment Services
DelawareDelaware Dept. of Labor
FloridaAgency for Workforce Innovation
GeorgiaGeorgia Dept. of Labor
HawaiiDept. of Labor and Industrial Relations
IdahoIdaho Dept. of Labor
IllinoisDept. of Employment Security
IndianaDept. of Workforce Development
IowaIowa Workforce Development
KansasKansas Deptartment of Labor
KentuckyOffice of Employment and Training
LouisianaLouisiana Dept. of Labor
MaineMaine Dept. of Labor
MarylandDivision of Employment and Training
MassachusettsDepartment of Workforce Development
MichiganMichigan Career Portal
MinnesotaMinnesota Workforce Center
MississippiDepartment of Employment Security
MissouriDepartment of Labor & Industrial Relations
MontanaDept. of Labor and Industry
NebraskaNebraska Dept. of Labor
NevadaDept. of Employment Training and Rehabilitation
New HampshireEmployment Security
New JerseyWork Force New Jersey
New MexicoNew Mexico Dept. of Labor
New YorkNew York Dept. of Labor
North CarolinaN.C. Employment Security Commission
North DakotaNorth Dakota Job Service
OhioDept. of Job and Family Services
OklahomaEmployment Security Commission
OregonOregon Employment Dept.
PennsylvaniaPenn. Dept. of Labor and Industry
Rhode IslandRI Dept. of Labor and Training
South CarolinaSC Employment Security Commission
South DakotaSouth Dakota Dept. of Labor
TennesseeDept. of Labor & Workforce Development
TexasTexas Workforce Commission
UtahDept. of Workforce Services
VermontDept. of Employment & Training
VirginiaVirginia Employment Commission
WashingtonState Employment Security
West VirginiaBureau of Employment Programs
WyomingWyoming Dept. of Employment

How to Add Effects to Your Pictures in Word 2007

icrosoft Word 2007 is not just a standard word processor…it is much more than. It has the ability to add Pictures, tables, spreadsheets and themes. Word 2007 has lots of great effects that can be added to pictures in your documents, and they are all easily and quickly accessible from the Format tab on the Menu toolbar.

For Example, if you want to add a border to your picture, just click the Picture Border drop-down button, from there we can change the type of border we want, the colors, or the line thickness.

We can add 3D effects and add glowing effects to the pictures by using the Picture Effects drop-down button. 

The most amazing feature of Word 2007 is ,whenever you rollover your mouse over the option, it will show a preview in the document itself.

I loved the features and I m still exploring it more …will share it with you in my further post!!!

Till then Explore it and Enjoy!!!!!

Windows 7 and Ubuntu – The speed factor

A lot of updates and new features can be noticed in Ubuntu’s 9.10. The upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 was as simple as upgrading Ubuntu from an old version. However upgrading Windows XP to 7 was a much bigger task. Ubuntu scores better in this one with more options and simplicity across all options when it comes to speed. The new Windows 7 is absolutely lighter on hardware than Vista. It was usable on the Athlon desktop, when the Aero visual effects were switched off.

However, the review should ill not digress to speed tests but a feature comparison. There is no point in comparing an Ubuntu running on a nearly decade old laptop to Windows 7 running on a 2.0Ghz dual-core Core Duo MacBook or even an Athlon XP 2400 desktop. However, if one doesn’t don’t want to or can’t afford to buy a new computer, then the Ubuntu deserves a thumbs up. One can be assured that there will be an up-to-date operating system running quite smoothly on an out-of-date computer.
There are several different versions that the Ubuntu comes in. It deploys the Gnome desktop, which has a heady mix of style and speed. Xubuntu uses the lighter-weight XFCE desktop to get the maximum from an old computer. Windows 7 is a better bet than its predecessor when it comes to running smoothly on older hardware. Whereas Ubuntu always has been sturdy on a wide range of hardware.

An old user of Ubuntu will find it relatively easy to use it. However, like any change that corresponds a move to a new operating system, there is a learning curve, and Linux enthusiasts often wallow in this idea. Ubuntu has already made big developments in its ease of use, but average users will have a tough time.

Also, the option to add new software in order to easily install applications such as Skype or Google Earth will be baffling for most average users. User interface structure for Linux enabled big developments this decade, but it still lags behind software on Mac OS X and Windows 7.

Windows 7 is all set to be a big improvement for XP users. Vista users will not be able to notice much difference apart from a faster, smoother experience and less disturbing pop-ups. Windows still is much simpler to use than Linux for some key tasks. This is a subjective choice totally based on assumptions. Ubuntu is definitely creating a lot of buzz but Microsoft has its own tricks up its sleeves.

For the upgrade to 9.10, Ubuntu downloads the software to enable the upgrade and makes it a point to guide all through the process. Even on a vintage hardware it took two hours but on a faster machine, it would take far less time. However, the time of the upgrade will largely rely on the speed of the Internet and the speed the computer as well.
A first time Ubuntu installer should download a CD image and then burn the installation CD. One of the reasons Ubuntu is deployed is that it allows the user to run the operating system without installing it on a hard drive.

Are you stuck for words and ideas for your resume?

Are you stuck for words and ideas for your resume? Ever wonder when you are going to start on your resume? Well, here is a good site to get you started. It has a lot of free resume templates based on the job. One good book I would recommend is the Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer. It has a lot of very insightful tips and tricks, so that you can churn out a great looking resume. 

Writing an exciting resume that catches the attention of hiring managers is not an easy task. Employers are looking for capabilities and concrete examples of skills and abilities such as organizational leadership and involvement, a strong work ethic and a sense of commitment. Be detailed when describing your accomplishments. If you have had internships, summer jobs or academic accomplishments,  make sure to include this experience on the resume. It may seem as if it is not important but its exactly the opposite. 

Another favorite book of mine is Resumes For Dummies  The Dummies series, as much as it is simple it can bring to light the many small details that you can take for granted.  The Resume Handbook: How to Write Outstanding Resumes and Cover Letters for Every Situation  is yet another good read. It can help you to get your resume up to par so that once in the hands of interested employers you will get immediate feedback and interviews.

Personal time management skills with To-Do Lists

Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. People who use these techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, from business to sport to public service. If you use these skills well, then you will be able to function exceptionally well, even under intense pressure.

One way to achieve this is with To-Do Lists

By keeping a To-Do List, you make sure that you capture all of the tasks you have to complete in one place. By prioritizing work, you plan the order in which you'll do things, so you can tell what needs your immediate attention, and what you can quietly forget about until much, much later. Start with the most important tasks at the top of the list, and the least important tasks at the bottom.

Here are 3 FREE online To-Do list tools

1. Orchestrate uses a unique method to help you organize your to do lists. Rather then simply allowing you to create a list, it lets you create multiple lists each with their own name.
2. Ta-da List, is a to do list and nothing more. It’s clean and simple, gets right to the point, and only provides feature that you actually need.
3. Remember the Milk is a more feature packed task management solution. It allows you to organize your tasks into tabs and tags, make time specific tasks with automatic reminders and repeat intervals, and even has collaborative features.

JobStar.org - A website which offers job search information and community resources.

If you've been laid off at least once, try a pro-active, rather than a re-active, approach in your next job search. But finding a job is a job in itself. There are so many places to look. As I have said before yes networking works but there is a Hidden Job Market - What is it?

I came accross a great site - JobStar.org
I usually like to check out the sites and really see if they are useful as there is way too much info on the web nowadays.

Anyway, JobStar is a California based website which offers job search information and community resources for California. (only certain counties) Mary-Ellen Mort, M. L. S. is the Project Director & Webmaster. Although the site targets CA I think it has very useful information that can be used anywhere.

Here are 3 Articles I found that will help the job seeker.

1. Step-by-Step Plan for Using the Internet to Go "Beyond the Want Ads" has 6 steps that will help you plan better. They are 1. Focus on your selling points. 2. Focus on one position and one target industry. 3.Develop a custom list of targeted employers. 4. Use your network. 5. Make contact with the employer. 6.Get help


2. INDUSTRY RESEARCH - Tips on Industry trends, areas of growth, leading companies, companies in your geographic area, "insider" tips on skills in demand, products or services in greatest demand, new technologies.


3. COMPANY RESEARCH - Lists resources to keep up with the latest news about the company you are interested in.
   
   

Are you TWITTERING? You should if you want to network and find a job!

Tired of the online resume posts ? Cant find anyone to talk to to get yourself in a new job...then its time to TWITTER yourself into a new job.

What is TWITTER ? Twitter is a mini-blogging application that you can use to send quick messages out to friends, family and anyone on the web and via cell phones.

You can use Twitter to communicate "What you are doing", "Where you are headed" etc. Great place to promote products, share your ideas - quick and easy. In this day and age of "way-too-much-info" you want quick and easy spurts of info to keep you connected. So twitter about yourself and someone will find you....instead of the traditional - other way around.

Enabling Personal Web Sharing (Macintosh)

Macintoshes have a Web server installed, but not enabled, by default.To enable your Web server, first make sure you run Apple’s Software Update to make sure your patches are up to date, and then do the following:
1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click Sharing.

Locking Down IIS

If you are running IIS instead of MooPS on Windows, you should lock down your IIS configuration
(because security is always key, even in closed networks). If you have not done so already, you should install and run the IIS Lockdown Tool, available for free from Microsoft at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=DDE9EFC0-BB30-47EB-9A61-FD755D23CDEC.

If that URL doesn’t work, simply go to Microsoft’s Web site (http://microsoft.com) and search for IIS Lockdown Tool. Download the IIS Lockdown Tool and run it using the Dynamic Web Server (ASP Enabled) profile (just follow the prompts—it’s pretty self explanatory). Make sure the box for Install URLScan Filter on the Server is checked (this prevents certain types of hack attempts).
Once the IIS Lockdown Tool has completed its run, put the program away in a location you’ll remember so you can undo its changes later if you need to.To undo the IIS Lockdown Tool’s changes, simply run the application again and it automatically knows it’s installed and gives you options to remove its changes.

Installing MooPS

Download MooPS from the site mentioned earlier and double-click the installer to run it. You should be welcomed by the MooPS Setup Wizard, which walks you through the fairly straightforward installation Next, select the installation directory for MooPS. I suggest the default location of your Program Files directory, which is usually the C:\Program Files directory and is entered by default. Then click Next and then Next again and MooPS is installed.When MooPS has installed, click Close to exit the installer.

Get MooPS, the Free Web Server

There are many options if you don’t already have a Web server. If you have Windows, your best choice is MooPS, a free Web server and DNS server preconfigured for use in this hack. You can download MooPS from
http://seamonkey420.techrecipes.com/psp/Wipeout_moops.html.
If you have Windows 2000 or XP Professional and are already running IIS, you can still use IIS as the Web server—you’ll just use MooPS for the DNS configuration. If you have a Mac or are running Linux, there’s already a free Web server included with your system—Apache. Let’s go over how to install each one.
If you’re on a Mac or you already have a PC Web server, you can skip this step. Macintoshes since Mac OS 8 have had a service called Personal Web Sharing. Windows XP Pro and Windows 2000 machines have IIS built-in.
Before setting up any sort of server, especially if you will make it public, make sure you have the latest security patches. The last thing you need is for it to get owned by a hacker. Before installing any server product, make sure your machine is behind a firewall and is not allowing any external traffic. Before you allow other people (even you) access to services you provide, make sure your system is fully updated before and after you install server software. In Windows you do this via Windows Update, and on the Mac it’s through Software Update. Linux and other operating systems have various update paths. Also make sure any third-party server software is fully up-to-date, as the built-in update mechanisms in operating systems only update the operating system components, not applications.

Wipeout Pure: A Cool Game with a Fantastic Feature

They say most hacks are elegantly simple. They are so much sweeter when you can use a company’s own products to perform the hack. Such is the case with Web browsing on the PSP, where Sony’s own game— Wipeout Pure—has a fairly decent Web browser (well, enough to read blogs and the RSS feeds and lots of other stuff which we’ll get to in other chapters). Using tried and true DNS and Web server spoofing techniques, you can intercept Sony’s game’s calls to Sony’s Web servers and point all those requests to your own, hacked server. Of course, you should only do this on your local network, as Sony’s legal hounds would probably tear into your flesh with ferocious persistence, but this hack will work outside of your own network if you believe you have legal-bullet-proof powers.
While this hack will work on any PSP, it is generally intended to provide a Web browser to those who do not use a 2.0 PSP (such as software developers or those who want to run homebrew applications). Either way, by reading this section you should learn quite a bit about the art of spoofing.
Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Web server (otherwise known as an HTTP Daemon, which you’ll download in a moment)
• A DNS server (otherwise known as a Name Daemon, which you’ll download soon, too)
• A PC or Mac that can run both of the previous applications (called the “host PC”)
• Wipeout Pure PSP game
• 802.11b-compatible wireless base station (or the host PC with an 802.11b-compatible wireless card and configured as a wireless base station)

What we’re about to do is trick the game Wipeout Pure.Wipeout uses its own Web browser to access Sony’s Web site to download extra content.What you’re going to do is redirect it to a different site (your Web server) by spoofing Sony’s Web site’s IP address (via your DNS server) so you can surf the Internet through that same browser and do whatever you want online (for the most part).

The Definitive Guide to Wireless Hotspots

This is an excerpt from the article on the SmallBizResource (SBR) website.

I was wary about using hotspots but this guide helped me understand the basics.

"You have to leave the office, but you're waiting for a crucial and time-sensitive email from a client. You could wait a few hours until you return to get your email, or you could drop into a coffee shop, enjoy a cuppa joe and check your messages from the road.

If you're not already a hotspot user, this guide will show you how to start reaping the benefits of the abundant wireless opportunities that exist in more and more public places every day." Link

Is an image consulting business right for you?

Ok so you have spent all your time learning how to impress others. Well you have all those tips under your belt. And you still cant find a job....

Well, good looking ! Why not make a career out of being an " Image Consultant"

Article from http://www.atotalwaste.com/getajob/imageconsultant.html

You might have seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or What Not to Wear. Or you might have heard that Martha Stewart should have used them to give her advice on how to look sympathetic to a jury.

We’re talking about Image Consultants, and they have one of the hottest new businesses today.
Also known by such titles as wardrobe consultant, fashion stylist, or makeover consultant, image consultants are paid to show people how to create a fabulous impression. They might recommend wearing different colors or new styles, go through closets to toss out clothing that isn’t working, shop for a new wardrobe, and put together incredible outfits. They might advise a change of hairstyle, makeup, or grooming.

However, image is more than physical appearance. In addition to how someone looks, we also form impressions based on how someone talks and behaves. So image consultants may also advise people on their vocal communication (voice, grammar, vocabulary, etc.), non-verbal communication (handshakes, posture, eye contact, etc.) and etiquette – from dining to cell phones.

Most image consultants also develop a network of strategic partners they can refer clients to, such as hair stylists, makeup artists, nutritionists, dentists, personal trainers, plastic surgeons, and voice coaches.

Image consultants offer the kind of advice that can help people land a job, get a promotion, find someone to love, or just feel good about themselves.

It’s no wonder they are so well rewarded, typically earning at least $50 per hour advising individuals how to present a better image. A particularly lucrative avenue is presenting training programs for corporations. Image consultants can earn thousands of dollars a day teaching seminars on dressing professionally (including dos and don’ts for casual Fridays), telephone etiquette for customer service staff, communication skills for new supervisors, and other topics.
TIP: If you are one of the rare few who think image doesn’t matter, try shopping at a fine store dressed in what you would normally wear to clean your basement or move furniture. Then visit the same store looking well-groomed and wearing your best suit. Chances are the staff will treat you quite differently!The first step to becoming an image consultant is to decide what kind of services you want to offer. You could specialize in wardrobe or fashion consulting, offer advice on communication skills and etiquette, or be a makeover consultant who gives feedback on “the whole package.”

The next step is to get some experience. While there are a variety of books and training programs you can use to quickly learn the basics, nothing beats hands on experience. Offer free makeovers for friends and family members who will agree to let you take “before and after” photos. You can then put the photos in a portfolio or on a web site to help you get paying clients.
There are many types of clients who use the services of image consultants, including: women who want a new look, job-seekers, corporate executives and their spouses, beauty pageant contestants, lawyers and their clients, cancer survivors, television personalities, transgender individuals, politicians, and singles seeking a partner.

“It is a great time to get into the field,” says celebrity image consultant Gloria Starr. A 20 year industry veteran who has helped shape the image of clients such as Destiny’s Child, 3M, and Celebrity Cruise Lines, she shares expert advice on how to get started in the FabJob How to Become an Image Consultant.

“This is the busiest time in my 20-plus years. People are looking for the edge in business,” says Starr. “Presenting themselves for success by dressing well and using appropriate business and dining skills opens the doors for greater recognition and success.”

Is an image consulting business right for you?

Skills that can help you succeed in this career are a strong visual sense as well as excellent communication skills. You must be able to diplomatically tell someone what they need to improve about their appearance.

1. Image consulting is a service business so it doesn’t require a large investment to get started.
2. You can start part-time while working at another job.
3. To be credible, you must have a professional image yourself.