Apache

My personal blog

Pistons 95, Nuggets 82

Chris Webber scored 20 points, Rasheed Wallace had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons snapped a two-game losing streak with a 95-82 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.



Intel's chips taking on new work

Chipmaker wants to get PC tech into places it currently doesn't dominate: consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment.


Understanding VMware VMX Configuration Files

In our previous article, VMware Disk Files Explained, we covered how a VMX file is the primary configuration file for a virtual machine. When you create a new virtual machine and answer questions about the operating system, disk sizes, and networking, those answers are stored in this file. In this article, we'll go into more details on this critical file.


"Sorry, You're Late!"

Since some of you loved R Karthik's previous post on Holmes, here's another one by him this week. Thanks for the mails and comments of concern about my health, and am much better now. This weekend I shall be holding on to my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and will pretty much be incommunicado ;-) See you next week !

Showing up late for an appointment can altogether ruin, what could otherwise have been turned into a profitable business deal!
One feels silly and helpless to watch that 'fruit of opportunity' slip off your hand and fall because you did something as unprofessional as that.
In the context of business meetings or interviews, traits such as punctuality of the candidate (in terms of showing up on time for the appointment), physical grooming etc are only hygiene. It does not give any unique edge but lack of such traits when exposed through such one-off incidents show the candidate in poor light; especially when the outcome of the meeting would make or break the inherent opportunity to further the deal.

I was based out of NCR that time around and a short advertisement floated in 'Times Ascent' by one of the leading international language trainers company caught my eye. They had called for applications to full-time language trainer positions for their corporate and individual clients. As my reaction often is, on seeing such ads, I got intrigued by the latent opportunity it presented to me. And I decided to make a counter-offer to the proposition. I wrote a nice letter (email) titled 'An Expression of Interest' to associate with them as a freelance trainer. In the mail I gave them reasons why they should consider the proposition and my candidature.

How being a HR professional, I had a vocation for training and helping others in the learning process, how my strengths in communication (language being the vehicle for exchange of thoughts) would lay the foundation for my success as a language coach and how I was willing to spend my leisure time over weekends towards this opportunity. Well, I usually get a kick out of doing such stuff; cold calls or letters applying for all sorts of freelance positions trying to do something interesting and benefit out of the learning from the experience. Despite the focused and professional approach, those sharp and powerful cover letters or applications I sent out- the doors of opportunity I knocked never opened. And I would just keep attempting for the heck of it, knowing fully well that there is not going to be even an acknowledgment.

But I was simply thrilled to get a reply for this email from the firm saying they wanted to assess me before having a face to face discussion. Bingo! To me that was success and I jumped at the chance. The 1st level of assessment was personal and they chose to have it done over email itself. A set of questions were asked about how and why I thought I was capable of taking up such an assignment, what strategies would I adopt to coach a group of complete beginners and so on. They were happy with my responses to their queries and called for a 2 nd level of language proficiency assessment followed by a discussion. The date and time was fixed and communicated to me.
The day finally arrived and I still can neither figure out why nor forgive myself for the manner in which I carried myself to that meeting. I started late from Noida; got dropped off midway by a friend and took a rickshaw from there onto the venue in Delhi only to reach there half hour late. By the time the language assessment test for the day had just begun. They were conducting it for one whole batch of applicants and I was told "Sorry, You're late!" I screwed up myself all the good results I had produced thus far with respect to that opportunity. Also all the respect and leverage I gained in their eyes thus far was sent down the drain. It would have been a great experience in my career getting into something like that. Last and not least I deprived myself off the opportunity to earn some extra bucks every month.
Smartness pays off; Lousiness pays off almost immediately!

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Indians Predated Newton 'Discovery' By 250 Years, Scholars Say

A little known school of scholars in southwest India discovered one of the founding principles of modern mathematics hundreds of years before Newton -- according to new research. The "Kerala School" identified the "infinite series" -- one of the basic components of calculus -- in about 1350. (Read on Source)


Amazing Photoshop CS3 Video Tricks - Using Lighting Effects On Video

... and CD-ROM titles include such subjects as ');" class=hotlink2>Photoshop ');" class=hotlink2>Flash ');" class=hotlink2>Office ');" Web design, digital video, and many others. lynda.com's all-star team of trainers and teachers provides comprehensive ...


Search for missing lobster fisherman resumes

Search for missing lobster fisherman resumes A SEARCH has resumed for a fisherman whose boat was found broken up on rocks on the Aberdeenshire coast. (Read on Source)


Sore Bryant Sits Out Second Practice, May Miss Game

Kobe Bryant sat out practice for the second straight day yesterday because of a sore knee, and said he didn't know if he'd play in the Los Angeles Lakers' next exhibition game. (Read on Source)


Losing 20 Pounds of Fat in a Month: The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

I decided that the first new post on the site should be something completely outside of the realm of business, but that still reflects how I look at, and go about, things I look to explore. For those expecting only marketing/business stuff, I’ll still be writing a lot about marketing and business, so don’t [...] (Read on Source)


Terror Strike Would Help McCain, Top Adviser Says

A top adviser to Sen. John McCain said that a terrorist attack in the United States would be a political benefit to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, a comment that was immediately disputed by the candidate and denounced by his Democratic rival.


SourceForge Award Winners Announced

IT World: "Linux took the title for "Most Likely to Change the World," prompting me to wonder whether it's really fair to give a "most likely" award to something that has already done what it's "most likely" to do."


The Hardball Times:Brad Ziegler, AL Rookie of the Year

The Hardball Times:Brad Ziegler, AL Rookie of the Year OK, not really. That would be Evan Longoria. But Brad Ziegler has been pretty darn good for a guy who was in the Northern League just a few years ago. (Read on Source)


Primate warning

The decline of primates shows time is running out


Cragg finishes sixth in 5000m heat

Alastair Cragg has finished sixth in his 5000m heat at the Beijing Olympics.


Drogs look to improve UEFA challenge

Drogheda United travel to the Showgrounds to face Sligo Rovers on Saturday knowing that a victory would put them in contention for a UEFA Cup spot, kick-off 8.00pm.


Pompey sign Algerian left-back Balhad

Portsmouth have signed Algerian left-back Nadir Balhad from French club Lens on a season-long loan with an option to buy.


Every Company is Normal Until You Get to Know Them

Every Company is Normal Until You Get to Know Them Today is my first big client meeting as the high-fallutin' Chief Strategist at Converseon. The meeting is with a big company that they've worked with for years and hope to do even more with in the future. Like any big company, it takes time for them to make decisions—IBM was always that way when I worked for them. And lots of smaller ... (Read on Source)


Dirty PR, Sexy Keywords and Outsmarting the Search Engine

(Read on Source)


Microsoft Grants Windows XP Yet Another Reprieve

Microsoft confirms that it has extended the availability of Windows XP on new PCs by six months.
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TargetSpot Snaps up Ronning Lipset Radio

TargetSpot Snaps up Ronning Lipset Radio TargetSpot purchased online streaming ad rep firm Ronning Lipset Radio — a move that will form the largest audio advertising network — and streamline the buying of online radio spots, the companies say (via MediaBuyerPlanner). (Read on Source)


Stellar Nursery Harbors Massive Heart

Stellar Nursery Harbors Massive Heart A new image released by ESO shows the amazing intricacies of a vast stellar nursery, which goes by t... (Read on Source)


New Xbox Experience Hits Launch Day Snags

With Xbox 360 owners around the world rushing to utilize the new features and interface of the New Xbox Experience, a few launch day issues have cropped up.

Access to the Xbox Live Marketplace, from either the console or the newly-launched web store, is currently sporadic, preventing access to downloads like add-on game content, demos, Xbox Live Arcade games and the new Community Games.

We have also received multiple reports that users are having issues tying their Netflix accounts to the console for streaming movie access, specifying that the Netflix Activate Page is currently rejecting any of the Xbox 360-supplied activation codes.

However, not everyone is having Netflix woes. As of 12:55 PM CST, Shacknews' Steve Gibson was able to activate Netflix "without a problem."

Shackne...


EHarmony agrees to provide same-sex matches

EHarmony agrees to provide same-sex matches TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Online dating service eHarmony said Wednesday it will launch a new Web site which caters to same-sex singles as part of a discrimination settlement with New Jersey's Civil Rights Division. (Read on Source)


Volcanic Eruption Signals Simulated In Lab For First Time

For the first time, seismic signals that precede a volcanic eruption have been simulated and visualized in 3-D under controlled pressure conditions in a laboratory. The ability to conduct such simulations will better equip municipal authorities in volcanic hot spots around the world in knowing when to alert people who live near volcanoes of an impending eruption.


Berry Plastics to Consolidate Networks and Improve Operational Efficiency Through $4.9 Million Contr

... AT&T Business Solutions will provide an IP-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) to 76 domestic locations, centralizing network ... locations, centralizing network management throughout the company. VPN enhances the speed in which Berry can ...


New guidelines boost web access

... with the release of British Standard 8878," said Leonie Watson, director of accessibility at web design consultant, Nomensa. "BS 8878 is aimed at non-technical professionals who are responsible for the ...


Tufts Medical Center plays the Partners HealthCare card and drops Blue Cross Blue Shield

The stakes cannot be higher for Boston's Tufts Medical Center . Over the past few weeks, we've been reading how rival Partners HealthCare, comprised of powerhouse hospitals Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospitals, have bullied health insurers into disproportionally higher payments. I have argued it is because patients demand their ... (Read on Source)