Rakshit's Place

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

End semester examinations at the door steps



HI to all you people out there over the internet who stopped to view this blog and also those who are subscribed to my feeds.

Friends, it's study time now. My examinations are over head starting within a week. I can't afford to spend time on blogging right now. There are lots of work to do, many chapters to cover and also my final year B-Tech project. I have to finish that too.

It's just 2 1/2 weeks break and I'll be here again sharing lots of useful things.

So, friends stay tuned and wish me good luck. :-)

I need it.

Thanks to all who subscribed to my feeds and special thanks to those who spent their precious time to post comments on my blog.

Happy Blogging.
See you soon.

:-)

Rakshit

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Gmail New Version- new and improved look and feel


Today as the clock tick past 12 midnight, my Gmail automatically got updated to newer version which has few AJAX features incorporated.

Only changes I could see in this version is the Contacts page. Adding new contact information or editing existent contact information has become lot more easier. Above snapshot shows exactly that.

We can also change our contacts' pictures according to our liking which was missing in earlier version. Have a look at it below.
Above all, another option to switch back to previous version is also provided.


I don't find any other special feature in it. It's still a beta version.
Did you notice similar Gmail up gradation?
If yes, did you find any other useful feature besides what I have mentioned here?
Do share that with us.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Download- Qliner Hotkeys 2.0


At last I found a great tool by which I can easily assign the shortcut keys to any type of windows based applications.

Qliner Hotkeys brings powerful new features, greater extensibility and better looks. There are three new keyboard layouts for popular laptops: IBM, Sony and Toshiba. Hotkeys now ships with a keyboard symbols font, with the symbols you typically find on tab, enter, backspace and shift keys, for better rendering. The default keyboard fonts have been tuned to provided better quality of rendering and better readability at low resolution displays.

Main features:

* Smart application starting
* Smart application switching
* Smart document, folder, web site and mail contact opener
* On screen keyboard

On screen keyboard:

* Pops up after holding Caps Lock or Windows key for several seconds
* Goes away when key is released
* Use to drag & drop configure hotkeys
* Use to quickly look up key combinations
* Supports 100+ international keyboards

Download now ->

Image source:- qliner.com

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Windows XP SP3 to include some VISTA Features


A Web site that leaked details of Windows XP Service Pack 3 over the weekend claimed that the update includes several new features, including some borrowed from Windows Vista.

A site called Neosmart Technologies has leaked some information. According to this website, Windows XP SP3 build 3205, which was released to beta testers on Sunday, includes four new features among the 1,000-plus individual hot fixes and patches that have been issued since XP2's debut three years ago.

One common feature include Network Access Protection (NAP), an enterprise policy enforcement technology that inspects client PCs before they access a corporate network, then updates the machines if necessary or blocks them if they don’t meet specified security criteria. Other additional features range from a kernel module containing several encryption algorithms that can be accessed by third-party developers, to a new Windows activation model that doesn’t require users to enter a product key.

Windows XP SP3, which Microsoft has said will be released early in 2008, will be one more move by the developer to extend the lifespan of the six-year-old operating system. The announcement of a third service pack and the extension of the timeframe for XP’s availability mean that XP isn’t going anywhere yet.

I think it's a good move by Microsoft. We all want Windows XP to stay and stay for long. It has been a best OS developed by Microsoft, Isn't?

Image Source:- 4sysops

Monday, October 29, 2007

Mac OS X Leopard- Apple's new and improved Operating System


Apple launched its new operating system LEOPARD in San Francisco on Oct 26,2007. It wasn't exactly iPhone Day, but hundreds of people lined up on Stockton Street on Friday outside the San Francisco Apple store to get their hands on Mac OS X Leopard.


Apple claims Leopard as the most impressive Mac OS X version yet, with 300+ new features.


Watch the guided tour
Know New Features
See All 300+ New Features

After knowing all its features, you will agree with me when I say that Mac OS X Leopard is one
of the most significant operating system achievements we have witnessed in years. Not only does it add functionality that Microsoft could only have dreamed of, it does so in a snappy environment that doesn't annoy you with pop-ups asking for permission or all of those security threats we have come to know (and hate) in Windows.

I think sooner or later Microsoft's Vista will bow to Apple's Leopard both in terms of functionality and market share.

I personally feel that Windows Vista is a blunder. It has many unaddressed major issues and seems to be a total faulty operating system. Even the CEOs of most of the major computer manufacture companies shown disappointment over Windows Vista and favored XP.

The day is not far when yet another excellent Apple product will rule all computers worldwide.


This was just my perspective regarding Vista and Leopard. I am sure you must have few different words to say.
Do share that with us.

Image Source: Apple, CNet

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Firefox Tip: Make Address Bar your Google Search Box


This is my first Firefox Tip. I was searching for a good one without any add-ons involved in it. Suddenly, I found many. "Doing a Google Search in the Address Bar" is one of them.

We can perform a Google Search right from the Firefox's Address Bar itself. Type your search terms in the address bar and hit the GO button (or, press enter).

This can be implemented by 4 easy steps without the use of any add-on.

* Open the about:config page (type about:config in the address bar).
* Look for preference name keyword.URL.


* Double click on it to re-enter the String Value.
Copy the following link:- http://www.google.com/search?&q=


* Click OK and close the page.

That's it, you are done. From now on, perform google search from the address bar itself.

SAVE TIME!!!
ENJOY YOUR BROWSING!!!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Download- Prison Break



"Prisons were made to be broken"

Won "People's Choice Award" for Favorite New Television Drama in U.S.A.
Also, nominated for the "Outstanding New Program of the Year Award".
My own, one of the favorites TV-Shows- This is Prison Break for you.


Download Section (Season-3)
All files are of High Quality around 350mb. I don't compromise with the quality.

Episode 1:- S3E1
Megaupload Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4
Easy-Share Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4

Episode 2:- S3E2
Megaupload Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4
Easy-Share Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4

Episode 3:- S3E3
Megaupload Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4
Easy-Share Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4

Episode 4:- S3E4
Megaupload Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4
Easy-Share Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4

Episode 5:- S3E5
Megaupload Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4
Easy-Share Part1/4 Part2/4 Part 3/4 Part4/4

Please report the broken links, if any.
More download links to be added for all later episodes.

Subscribe to the RSS-feeds for updates notification or choose daily updates via E-mail.

Stay tuned...

courtesy:- prisonbreakdownload.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

QT TabBar - Tabs on Windows Explorer



Some 2-3 years before I switched over to Firefox from IE for browsing internet only because Firefox made my browsing experience lot more comfortable, fast and easy. I was fed up of multiple windows of Internet Explorer whenever I tried to open more than 1 websites.

Same was the case with Windows Explorer in WinXp/Vista.


Recently, I found a software that will make your work lot easier.

QT TabBar allows you to operates files and folders like tab browser
folder grouping, histories, etc.

System Requirements

Windows XP/Vista + Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0

Download it from the official website.

Hope, this software helps you the same way it did to me.
Do share with us any other similar software which you have used earlier.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Download: Movies of the week


This is the new area on which I'll be writing every week. This section includes my list of all the favorite movies and the download links. So keep yourself updated to this post as I'll be adding new movies every week.

All Movies will be high quality DVDrip. If you find any broken link, please inform me. I'll try to fix it as soon as possible.

Here are the links for the top 4 movies of the week.



1.) Mr. Brooks

Learn More...

2.) The Illusionist

Learn More...

3.) Bourne Ultimatum

Learn More...

4.) The Departed

Learn More...


Disclaimer:- All the links have been taken from other sites & author/blog owner is no where responsible in case of violation of copyright.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Research Paper Publication issue haunting me


Its been almost a week now. I don't get time to sleep, don't get time to proceed with my B-tech final year project, don't get time to play PC games (esp. PES) and most importantly don't get time to wander in the blogosphere.

Really, working on research paper publication is a hard nut to crack. One hardly gets any spare time. It's all work day and night. Specially when the submission date is at the door steps as in my case. I have to finish my research paper and submit it before 15th of this month. Yes, that's on Monday. Only, 2 days more.
Sometimes it seems to be very weird. I mean being a Technologist, I chose Economy to do research work. Hope, it pays off. Otherwise I'll be in tremendous loss.

Let's see how far I manage to go. Friends, please wish me luck.

I desperately need it.


Monday, October 8, 2007

Resource Hacker- How to enable HIBERNATE button in shutdown box





Today we will try to play with a system file “msgina.dll”. We will modify that file to enable hibernate button in shutdown box.



Files with .dll extensions are precompiled system files of windows and it can only be modified by software Resource Hacker ( Or, you can it from here). Also, we have to replace the original system file with the new one. This is a bit tricky.

Windows file protection (WFP) service prevents programs from replacing the critical Windows system files. Program must not overwrite these files because they are used be operating system and by other programs.

Still, it can be achieved by a software called Replacer.

After downloading these 2 softwares, now comes the most important part.

Before you go and start modifying the file “msgina.dll”, it is EXTREMELY EXTREMELY important that you make a backup of the file. Go to your Windows/System32/ directory and you see the file there. Make a copy of it (Right-click, "Copy") and then store it somewhere else, wherever you like. In case your file gets corrupted, it can easily be recovered by recovery console( A Windows CD is required for this). If this part is not clear, please tell me, I will explain each and every step.

So, now let’s concentrate on modifying the file as per our requirement.

1) Start Resource Hacker and open the msgina.dll file by selecting "File", then "Open" (or Ctrl + O).
Alternately, you can open %windir%\system32\msgina.dll file into Resource Hacke

2) Goto Dialog -> 20100 -> 1033.

3) Replace existing code with the following code:-

20100 DIALOGEX 0, 0, 208, 122

STYLE DS_SYSMODAL | DS_SETFOREGROUND | WS_POPUP | WS_BORDER

CAPTION ""

LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US

FONT 8, "MS Shell Dlg"

{

CONTROL "Flag", 20101, STATIC, SS_OWNERDRAW | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 176, 0, 32, 26

CONTROL "Turn off computer", 20102, STATIC, SS_OWNERDRAW | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 7, 0, 162, 26

CONTROL "&Stand By", 20104, BUTTON, BS_OWNERDRAW | BS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 47, 48, 22, 20

CONTROL "T&urn Off", 20103, BUTTON, BS_OWNERDRAW | BS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 93, 48, 22, 20

CONTROL "&Restart", 20105, BUTTON, BS_OWNERDRAW | BS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 142, 48, 22, 20

CONTROL "&Hibernate", 20106, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | BS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 79, 94, 48, 20

CONTROL "", 20108, STATIC, SS_OWNERDRAW | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_DISABLED, 22, 73, 50, 8

CONTROL "", 20107, STATIC, SS_OWNERDRAW | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_DISABLED, 79, 73, 50, 8

CONTROL "", 20109, STATIC, SS_OWNERDRAW | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_DISABLED, 136, 73, 50, 8

}


Now, save that file in some other location say, at the desktop. Remember to give the new file the same name i.e. msgina.dll.

Once you are done with modifying the system file and saving it at some other location with the same name, you would need to replace the old file with the new one.

Start Replacer and follow the steps:-

1) Drag the original file into the command promt window.

2) Hit ENTER

3) Now drag the newly created file (which you have saved to some other location) into the

command prompt.

4) Press Y (yes)

5) Restart your computer

1-

That’s it after restarting you will see a hibernate button enabled in the shutdown dialog box.

If you face any problem related to the procedure mentioned above, please feel free to ask me.
DON’T FORGET TO MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM FILE.

My next post will put more light on Resource Hacker. The things we could do by this great little system files modification utility. Stay tuned.

Friday, October 5, 2007

How to add a Favicon (favorite icon) to your Blog


I continue with the series of customization I have done to my Blog and also how I managed to improve my Blogging experience.
Previously I have discussed about the BEST ONLINE FEEDREADER.

Today, let's learn how to add favicon (favorite icons) to your blogs and websites. The logo you see next to my web address in the address bar is my own favicon.

First, you have to create the favicon with .ico extension and of preferred size 16x16.

How?

Their are 4 ways to do so.

1.> By any photo editing software like Photoshop.

2.> If you have any existing image, you can convert that to .ico format. The software named
Imagicon will do that for you. Download here.

3.> Create the favicon online. Visit this site. You can even make animated favicons.

4.> Choose from a large collection of favicons.Visit Cool Archive and Icon Archive.

After creating your favicon name it as favicon.ico.

Next, we have to upload it somewhere.

->If you have access to the root directory of your website, simply upload the file to your root directory and insert the following tag just after the starting of the first HEAD section and before closing of HEAD :-




->Otherwise, if you dont have access to the root directory, you can try to upload the file to some other image hosting websites.

TinyPic and MyFavatar can do this for you.
After uploading, grab the direct link of your file- say it URL of your icon file.

Add the following tag just after the starting of the first HEAD section and before closing of HEAD:-





This is exactly what I have done to add the favicon to my own Blog.
I hope you don't face any problem related to the methods described above.

If anybody knows any simpler method to add favicon, do tell us the same or if you know any other useful icon generating softwares or websites, do share that with us as well.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Sourav Ganguly- Truths and Facts (Part-2)



Referring to my earlier post on Winning 11, I now hereby proceed further starting with Sourav Ganguly, my first choice cricketer.

Let’s have a look to some of the comments by few great men.

“The Prince of Calcutta”
-Geoffrey Boycott

“Sourav is a great captain and we should be proud of such a leader”
- Kapil Dev

“A great captain who is hungry for success and is also an extremely competitive world class performer”
-Carl Hooper

“Sourav’s greatest strength is his mind”
-Sachin Tendulkar

“I saw in Sourav a committed individual who wanted to inject some toughness and combativeness into a side that had often tended in the past to roll over and expose a soft underbelly”
-Steve Waugh

“On the off-side, first there is God, then there is Ganguly”
-Rahul Dravid


The story of Sourav Ganguly, the former skipper of the Indian cricket team, is one full of twists and turns, in fact it has all the ingredients of a well-made potboiler.
Blessed with tremendous intelligence, he channelized it into everything: be it teaching a lesson to all those who dared to complain against him to his mother or pick up the finer points of every sport that he ever experimented in. Prodigiously talented, it is his dedication to the game coupled with a never-say-die spirit that has earned him an enviable position in the world of cricket.

FAMILY

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly was born on July 8, 1973 into a sports-loving family. He was also born into immense wealth. His father, Chandidas Ganguly who would go onto to be the treasurer and secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) ran a flourishing printing business that helped make the family one of the richest in Kolkata.
Few Indian cricketers outside royalty have been born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth as Ganguly was.

There are 22 bedrooms in his house, and the family possesses over 20 cars. With finances no problem, the father was able to provide an indoor multi-gym and concrete wicket at home for his sons. They would also watch cricket videos, particularly those of their idol and fellow left-hander David Gower.

Stepping in to the Cricketing arena

Initially Ganguly was not allowed to play cricket because his parents wanted him to focus on his studies. Sourav followed his elder brother Snehasish (an accomplished left handed batsman for Bengal and East Zone) and started playing. During his holidays, Sourav asked his father to get him enrolled in a cricket academy as he was finding difficult to pass his time.

Shortly after his first century for the Bengal under-15 team against Orissa in Calcutta, he was selected to the captaincy of the prestigious St. Xavier’s School. The tradition at the school had been to pick the captain by consensus. However this time Sourav was an excellent choice. Some of the other boys objected, claiming he was arrogant. But when the topic was raised before the Principal, Father Bouche his immediate reaction was “of course it has to be Ganguly.”

Hiccups

A hundred (121) for East Zone against West Zone in the Duleep Trophy in 1991 earned Sourav a place on the tour of Australia in 1991-92. He was played in only one One-day International match and was then forgotten for over four years. He thought that his career as an international cricketer was over as he was ridiculed as a non-talent, and it was alleged that he had 'attitude problems'. They said he refused to carry drinks for his teammates, he was too high-headed and arrogant, he behaved like a Maharaja, an emperor. None of it was true, says Sourav. But the labels stuck, and Sourav was a forgotten man.

This is what Sunil Gavaskar (who has since become one of Ganguly’s most ardent supporters) wrote in his syndicated column that appeared in the Indian media on January 22, 1992: “…within the team he seems to be an object of fun because of his reluctance to perform his chores as the reserve player. No wonder he has been nicknamed “maharaja” since he leaves the menial jobs like carrying drinks on others while he sits watching them do it.”

Its Late than Never

Sourav was chosen to tour England with the Indian team in 1996. Navjot Singh Sidhu, his
roommate on the tour, chose to walk out of the team after a misunderstanding with captain Azharuddin, while Sanjay Manjrekar was injured. Sourav thus got a chance to make his Test debut. The second Test at Lords witnessed Ganguly blasting a superb century with some help from an English rugby team sports psychologist.

Marriage

He is married to Dona, who was a next-door neighbor to the Ganguly family. Their fathers were once friends but the relationship was strained and the young couple got married under cover.

His first love

'Football' was Sourav's first love. He played for his school football team for four years.

His Secret

The first thing Sourav does after he checks into a hotel room is to place the portrait of goddess Kali and the picture of his wife Dona on his bed side table.

Another major event that occurred in his life was the spat with Coach Greg Chappel and subsequently Chappel’s leaked e-mail to BCCI that further exaggerated the issue. After the Zimbabwe tour Chappel described Ganguly saying "Sourav falls well below the acceptable level in all areas”.
Download full Chappel Mail.



If you have any other untold truths and facts about Ganguly do share that with us.

Hope, you like this article.

Next edition will be on Sachin Tendulkar…

Sunday, September 30, 2007

DriverMax - easily reinstall all your Windows drivers within a few minutes



More Screenshots...

Recently I found a software that is worth trying.

DriverMax
is a new program which allows you to easily reinstall all your Windows drivers. Simply export all your current drivers to a folder or a compressed file. This is done through the Export Wizard which will only export the drivers you selected.


After reinstalling Windows you will have everything in one place in less than 5 minutes. The Import Drivers Wizard allows you to install all the drivers that you exported earlier. The entire operation might take up to 5-10 minutes.

It also displays a complete report of all drivers such as versions, release dates etc installed on your system.

More than that, JUST ONE SINGLE COMPUTER RESTART WILL BE REQUIRED AFTER ALL DRIVERS ARE REINSTALLED.

Note: DriverMax works only on Windows Vista and Windows XP(all service packs).

-> Visit Website for detailed information
-> Download from server 1
-> Download from server 2

If you know any other software with similar interest, do share that with us.



Friday, September 28, 2007

Best Online Feed Reader- Google Reader



Finally my quest for good online Feed Reader ends now.
Yesterday itself I came across Google Reader and believe me its pretty good and simple to understand.
Before, it was getting out of my control reading all the posts and articles of so many blogs. Now it saves my time.

Apart from Google Reader there were many more feed readers I tried, but none of them stood up to my liking. The Readers like BLOGLINES, FEEDLOUNGE, NEWS ALLOY were the ones I tried and they all failed.
Out of those News Alloy is the best. It has really lots of features.

But Google Reader outclassed all of them. Here are some features I like most about this Google Reader:-

->Users can subscribe to feeds using either Google Reader's search function, or by entering in the exact URL of the RSS or Atom feed. New posts from your feeds are then shown on the left-hand side of the screen. One can then order that list by date or relevance. Items can also be organized with labels, as well as being able to create Starred Items for easy access.


->Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. Whether a site updates daily or monthly, you can be sure that you won't miss a thing.

->Google Reader shows you all of your favorite sites in one convenient place. It's like a personalized inbox for the entire web.

->With your Google Reader public page, you can share your favorite items with your friends, simply by sending them to relevant links.

->
Google Reader is first application to make use of Google Gears, a browser extension that lets online applications work offline. Users who have installed the extension can download up to 2000 items to be read offline. After coming back online, Google Reader updates the feeds.

Inspite of all these excellent features there are some minor drawbacks:-

->It takes quite a some time (may be few hours) to show the updated feeds.

->Google Reader shows no warning that a user has subscribed to duplicate feeds.

That was my experience with Google Reader. I love google products.

If anybody out here uses any other Feed Reader thats suits him/her, do share that with us.




Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Unfamiliar truths and facts about “My Winning 11”



I have always been a great fan of the most prestigious sport of India, Cricket. I actually believe in high quality competitive cricket. No matter where cricket is being played, no matter which countries are involved in it, moreover, no matter how busy I am, Cricket is the game I have always followed or tried to follow most of the time.

The year I first started watching the game (from 1996 world cup onwards when India did not manage to qualify for the finals and left with tears in all eyes including Vinod Kambli ) till now when India had won the T20 World Cup in emphatic style, I came across many great players. Some of them had actually turned out to be the Living LEGENDs .

Here I’ll be focusing on my own DREAM TEAM Player’s profile and some UNTOLD TRUTHS related to them that did not come out of the hatch.

Here’s the list of my WINNING 11:-

1.) Sourav Ganguly (VC)

2.) Sachin Tendulkar

3.) Andy Flower (Wk)

4.) Steve Waugh

5.) Hansie Cronje

6.) Arjuna Ranatunga ( C )

7.) Rahul Dravid

8.) Wasin Akram

9.) Shane Warne

10.) Glenn Mcgrath

11.) Curtly Ambrose

12th man-> Jhonty Rhodes
13th man->Sanath Jayasuriya ( I could not find place for him in starting lineup but yes, its hard to leave him outside. So an extra player has to be added to raise the tally to 13, Legends of International Cricket)

I could sense-“Raised Eyebrows”.

Reason is obvious.

Most of you must be wondering where the hell is BRIAN CHARLES LARA? Why he did not figure in my “Winning 11”?

All I can say is that it was a tough call of leaving him. It’s really a Universal Truth that BRIAN LARA lies right on top amongst the cricketing legends. No doubt about it. But the thing is by the time I started watching cricket, except few exceptional innings( like that against the mighty aussies at home where he scored 213 in Kingston -- his first three-figure innings for a year -- to lead West Indies to series-leveling win in second Test against Australia. Also, scored unbeaten 153 as West Indies score 311-9 in fourth innings to win third test), I didn’t find LARA, a Master, Instead LARA, a distended captain and subsequently a batsman who failed YET AGAIN.

What about MURLI???

I am sure this may well be the next question.

My reply-

Simple.

He may well be cleared by ICC of chucking the ball, but as far as I am concerned he is certainly not a COMPLETE bowler to qualify for my team. Having said that, I do admire his efforts and he has been a great ambassador of cricket. Its just that I regard him as a half bowler. My words seem to be highly debating. I can do nothing.

Their must be many more questions hovering around many great minds out there. If you go my way or if you don’t, do tell me for sure. It will be interesting to note .

In my next edition of this post (which will be published twice in a week), I’ll be starting with each of these above mentioned LEGENDS. Obviously concentration will be on one player profile at a time.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Learn Self Motivatation


The mentally tough competitor is self-motivated and self directed. He/she does not need to be pushed from outside as he is controlled from within.

The most important and fundamental areas of mental toughness is SELF MOTIVATION.

I’ll start here with small explanations of Self Motivation, Goal Settings and subsequently end with key techniques of Self Motivation and Goal Settings.

Self-motivation is important for achieving success in work and personal life. A well-accepted explanation of human behavior is that people have needs and motives propelling them toward achieving certain goals. The central idea behind need theory is that unsatisfied needs motivate us until they become satisfied. After satisfaction of one need, the person usually pursues satisfaction of another, higher need.

Work and personal life offer the opportunity to satisfy many different needs and motives. Among the more important needs and motives are achievement, power, affiliation, recognition, and order. The need for risk taking and thrill seeking is also important for some people. Generational differences in needs have been observed, such as older people placing a higher value on security and younger people placing a higher value on risk taking.

Needs are arranged into a five-step ladder. Before higher-level needs are activated, certain lower-level needs must be satisfied. In ascending order, the groups of needs are

  1. Physiological
  2. safety
  3. social
  4. esteem
  5. self-actualization (such as self-fulfillment).

Need theory helps in self-motivation. First identify which needs you want to satisfy and then focus your efforts on an activity that will satisfy those needs.

Also, goals are valuable because they

(1) focus effort in a consistent direction,

(2) improve your chances for success, and

(3) improve motivation and satisfaction.

One explanation for the contribution of goals is that they create a discrepancy between what individuals have and what they aspire to achieve. Goals also create a state of arousal that readies people for accomplishment.

Goals can be aimed at either learning or proving (performing). A learning-goal orientation means that an individual is focused on acquiring new skills and mastering new situations. A proving-goal orientation is aimed at wanting to demonstrate and validate the adequacy of your competence by seeking favorable judgments of competence. People with a learning-goal orientation are more likely to seek feedback on how well they are performing, and they are more likely to have higher job performance.

Goal setting is widely used on the job. Goals set by employees at lower levels in an organization are supposed to contribute to goals set at the top. Frequently, individual employees are asked to participate in goal setting by contributing ideas of their own. An important part of goal setting, both on and off the job, is priority setting. To increase the motivational impact of goals, some managers encourage workers to track their own performances.

Effective goals are specific and concise. You should describe what you would actually be doing if you reached your goal, and goals should be realistically challenging. Set goals for different time periods and include some fantasy in your personal goal setting.

Key techniques of self-motivation include

(1) setting goals for yourself,

(2) engaging in intrinsically motivating work,

(3) getting feedback on your performance,

(4) applying behavior modification to yourself,

(5) improving your skills,

(6) raising your level of self-expectation, and

(7) developing a strong work ethic.

Achieving goals and staying motivated requires self-discipline. Developing self-discipline consists of eight components:

(1) formulate a mission statement,

(2) develop role models,

(3) develop goals for each task,

(4) develop action plans,

(5) use visual and sensory stimulation,

(6) search for pleasure within the task, and

(7) minimize excuse making.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Nathuram Godse-The True Indian or The Inspiring Killer


This is the part of the long inspiring speech given by Nathuram Godse in the court when he was tried for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi


“I now stand before the court to accept the full share of my responsibility for what I have done and the judge would, of course, pass against me such orders of sentence as may be considered proper. But I would like to add that I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me, nor do I wish that anyone else should beg for mercy on my behalf. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism levelled against it on all sides. I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof some day in future. “

-NATHURAM GODSE

For full speech refer here-Nathuram Godse's defense speech in court

Pradeep Dalvi's controversial play
Mi Nathuram Godse Boltoy has once again ruffled feathers. Like it did in 1989, when the playwright was denied permission by the Maharashtra government to stage the drama. After its brief resurrection nine years later, the state government has now banned the play.

Find full play refer here-Mi Nathuram Godse


Tomorrow that same play is going to be performed by the fellow students at my University’s Auditorium. Initially I didn’t know much about this popular play. A friend of mine Rahul Sharma taught me few interesting aspects related to this play and his inspiring comments on Nathuram Godse made me to study the full play. Subsequently, the play Mi Nathuram Godse encouraged me to know more about the man who assassinated our Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchandra Gandhi.

Fifty-two years ago, on Jan. 30, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Godse believed that the Mahatma, or great soul, was responsible for the 1947 partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Godse and his friend Narayan Apte were hanged. His brother Gopal and two others were sentenced to life imprisonment for their part in the conspiracy. Gopal Godse remained in jail for 18 years and now, at 80, lives with his wife in a small apartment in Pune. He is still proud of his role in the murder. After so many years he looks back in anger and without regret, in context of Mahatma Gandhi, he
says-
"His Principle of Peace Was Bogus"

In 2000, Shri Dharam Jit Jigyasu gave his grand son, Muni Jaitly an eyewitness account of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Jigyasu was holding Gandhi when he died.


He was in Delhi during the same time as Gandhi. It was widely known that while in Delhi, Gandhi always stayed at Birla Bhavan, a house belonging to India's biggest industrialist family.

“Pitaji”, says Muni Jaitly, “decided to spend the night so that he could attend Gandhi's daily Hindu prayer meeting at six o'clock.

After asking for directions, Pitaji went off on foot, in traditional Indian dhoti (homespun loincloth dress), Gandhi hat, and sandals.

Pitaji was standing next to the assassin, Nathuram Godse, when all who were present kneeled before Gandhi to greet him.

Godse shot Gandhi three times. Pitaji heard Gandhi utter the words, "Hai ram [Oh God] ... Hai ram ... Hai Ram" as he hit the ground.

Instead of attacking Godse, Pitaji, along with Gandhi's nieces Manu and Abha, picked up Gandhi's body and rushed him to nearby Birla house. Pitaji carried Gandhi by the head.

It was there that Gandhi was pronounced dead.”

Gandhi ji said “Hey Ram” just before he was about to die but if we believe Gopal Godse words, he did not say anything. "When the bullets pass through crucial points like the heart, consciousness is finished. You have no strength" says Godse in an interview to THE TIME.

You can find it here- His Principles of Pease Was Bogus.


From tomorrow night till now, I have been thinking only Nathuram Godse and Mahatma Gandhi. I have tried to understand the perspective of both of these individuals. Still I think I am too young to reach even close to any conclusion whether Nathuram Godse is The True Indian or The Inspiring Killer, as the title of this article says.

At this moment I am more than interested in knowing others viewpoint. If you are reading this article and arrived at any type of conclusion or, if you are still perplexed like me, PLEASE don’t forget to tell me your thoughts. Meanwhile I’ll try to scratch my head more to get to a conclusion.

References:-

1.) Nathuram Godse

2.) Know more about him

3.) Gandhi - Godse

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

HIS versus HER Blog and Tips on Gaining Page Views


No one wants his or her blog to stay in isolation from rest of the world or at least from other bloggers. This post will mainly concentrate on the issue relating who can achieve more success in blogging universe, a MAN's blog or a WOMAN's blog. Also, I will try to write few important and basic tips necessary for efficient blogging. Although I am too young to this blogging universe to write my own tips still I'll concentrate on my own personal experiences so far in this great blogging arena, to produce something conducive.


SO LET’S GET STARTED.

1.) HIS versus HER Blog

It is scientifically proven that the attraction towards a woman, the most beautiful creature crafted by GOD, is limited not only due to external beauty. It has got something more to think, something deep to analyze. Why man always attract towards a woman? Of course, we all get attracted towards opposite genders but intensity is more in case of a man. The reason why a man does so is beyond our imagination. Let’s believe for time being that GOD had something to do with this that’s why he created us this way.

Now the point is, does the above mentioned theory applies here in blogging universe as well?

It can be hotly debated. But my perspective is somewhat like this:-

A man can be more successful at work. Simple reason is that men on average have a stronger drive to systemize. Systemizing involves identifying the laws that govern how a system works. Once you know the laws, you can control the system or predict its behavior.

This is the area where women are lacking. (NO HARD FEELINGS FOR ANY WOMAN OUT HERE. JUST CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG.)

The same theory applies to blogging as well. A man’s blog are more popular and worth visiting than a woman’s blog.

Mind you, that does not mean that woman cannot compete at this level. A woman’s blog can attract enormous amount of visitors.

Reasons???

Because it is a WOMAN’s blog. J
Yes, the blog content can be a factor but a female author profile along with her cool picture can add more to her blog’s unique visitor’s number. Isn’t it?

CONCLUSION: -

If you are a man-> Next time you plan to start your own blog, disguise yourself as a woman. A Man’s Brain along with a Female Author profile can act wonders for you.

OR,

If you are a woman-> Try to be a thinking man's crumpet which refers to a woman who is intelligent and good looking.

Hope I have given you a Head Start-a motivation or an advantage gained at early stage.

2.) Few Tips on Gaining Page Views

Increase the traffic with BlogRush. Just add its widget to your blog and start earning. See the right sidebar, I have already added it.

You can find it here: BlogRush

The site often encounters some problem. Just refresh the page each time to get any error in opening the page.

Reference has been taken from Madhur’s Blog.

Before getting started on linking your blog posts or creating a new post series, consider the following tips:-


1. Own Domain: Your domain should be small (10-12 characters are enough) one and easy-to-remember.

2. Good Host: If you have a self-hosted blog, then host it on a reliable host.

3. Nice Theme: You should have a nice, clear and simple template. Don’t make it full of images, because that will increase the loading time of your blog. Remember, your theme gives the first impression of your blog.

4. Feed Button: Place the feed link/icon in the first fold of your blog.

5. Comment on other blogs: This is important! Or you, yourself, won’t get any comments on your blog. So, this is a must.

6. Reply to comments: It’s good to respond all the comments given on your posts. Your blog looks more active this way.

7. Participate in discussions: Participate in discussions on other blogs. Participation doesn’t mean you start spamming.

8. Join Link Directories: Join as many link directories as you can. It gets you link backs, and link backs help you get a higher PageRank.


I have written this post as per my experiences so far.

Any where in the article if you feel like correcting me, Please feel free to tell me your suggestions.