My Indomitable Thoughts

H ere I am going to list all the popular softwares that I have bookmarked on del.icio.us . Hmm... not quite all. Since I have tons of bookmarks on del.icio.us, I will be following a rule here. Only those softwares that have been bookmarked by at least 99 other people other than myself will find their way to this post. Audio & Video Vnc2swf is a screen recording tool for X-Window (X11), Windows and Mac OS Desktop. Vnc2swf captures the live motion of a screen through VNC protocol and converts it a Macromedia Flash(TM) movie (.swf). Foobar 2000 is an advanced audio player for the Windows platform. Some of the basic features include Replay Gain support, low memory footprint and native support for several popular audio formats. Stream Ripper is an Open Source (GPL) application that lets you record streaming mp3 to your hard drive. Audacity is a free, cross-platform sound editor. DbPowerAmp is a collection of audio tools which can be used for such things as digitally rippin...

I came across this article in msnbc.msn.com written by John Frenaye which according to him are the five steps needed to cure homesickness. In a nutshell, these are the things he recommend for tackling effectively the issue of homesickness when away from home. Bring a piece of home with you . Nothing eases homesickness than a few mementos of your home and loved ones. Bring small photographs in a folding frame for your nightstand— your kids, wife, girlfriend, or loyal pooch. Do you have any young kids? Bring a recent piece of “art.” Does your wife or girlfriend wear a perfume that you love — bring along a sachet that will remind you of her. Stay in touch . Keeping in touch keeps home close to you and you close to home. There are ways to work around a time difference, but it is important to be sure to keep in touch with your home base — not your office, your home base. Be sure you know that Jimmy won his soccer game, and that your wife had the day from hell, and that Susie has t...

L earning how to say NO can be hard, but it’s something that can really help you be more productive, reduce stress and do a better job with the things you do say “ yes ” to. It's been found that saying no to some things can actually help everyone involved. Learning how (and when) to say no is something that takes practice, especially if you’re someone that is honestly interested in helping everyone you can, or one of one of the many who feels guilty every-time you turn down a request for help. Here are a few tips and observations that might help you know how and when to say no. Getting to “yes” via “no” . There are situations (I see them all the time in my field) where projects seem to get more and more complicated. This is usually do to the addition of tasks, requirements and people. There are many times when putting your foot down and not letting a new feature creep into your project, or not allowing the addition of a new influence in, can really help you get something fini...

Get and stay out of your comfort zone . I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers." Never give up . Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think . There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed." With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing c...

R ecently, I came across this really interesting article - 11 Steps to a better brain - on boosting your mental faculties. In a nutshell, this is what it advocated to boost one's brain power. Taking neuro drugs in a controlled manner might help in improving one's mental faculties . Eg: Taking Ampakines are said to make an elderly person perform like a much younger person (Sic). And with the help of modafinil, sleep-deprived people can perform even better than their well-rested, unmedicated selves. Eat the right foods . What you eat can affect how you think. Stay away from fizzy drinks , sweets & pastries and fast foods like burgers. And eat more foods containing lots of fibre like green leafy vegetables, foods containing curds (which keep you alert), foods rich in carbohydrates . And make sure you round it off with a good helping of fresh seasonal fruits . Music boosts brain power simply because it makes listeners feel better - relaxed and stimulated at the same ti...

M any people go through a lot of trouble while traveling abroad. It could range from passport problems to not having proper immigration clearance. If you take proper steps, you can do away with all these disappointments. Some of the things you have to be aware of while traveling abroad are as follows : Most embassies and consulates will not issue visa if the passport expires within the next six months. There should be enough blank pages to stamp the visas on. If there are no more pages left in the passport, apply for a new booklet. It takes between 15 to 20 working days to issue the booklet. Make sure that you do not require immigration clearance each time you travel abroad. The best way is to get an ' Immigration clearance not required ' endorsement on your passport. All you need to do is submit your graduation mark sheet or copies of your income tax returns for the last three years. Those over 65 years of age do not require immigration clearance. Take 12 passpor...