Find Moments of Peace through Meditation

What do we all want most aside from all the material things we think we want? Every person no matter what status in life, knows that there is only one thing needed to achieve happiness in this life, and that would be being at peace with yourself and the world. If you had a good job, a happy marriage, and good health would you say you are in peace? Sometimes stability doesn’t equate to peace. Sometimes it could just be a few moments without worries. Try meditation.

There is a growing number of people who are finding meaning in religion or philosophy. Troubled people seek shelter and comfort in faith and understanding. As with many belief systems and philosophies, meditation is a key exercise. Some call it prayer, some call it silent time. Meditation helps by clearing your mind of the troubles and worries.

Meditation and relaxation. Close your eyes and make slow and deep breaths. Feel as the rush of air fill your lungs and be in one with this process. Breathe constantly, keeping your pace as natural as you can. Feel every exhale as well as inhale, as the carbon dioxide gets out of your body, being replaced by oxygen going through your nose, and carried out to all parts of your body. Be conscious of the warmth that is brought by the carbon dioxide on its way out of you.

How to Make Effective Business Phone Calls

Being good in your job requires a lot of hard work. It’s about submitting the most comprehensive report, shining during business meetings, being able to meet your deadlines, and having good presentation skills. Equally important as these competencies is your ability to conduct effective business phone calls.

Phone calls can be very useful tools in developing your business. It’s a communication process which can contribute a lot to your business if you know how to make every phone call work for your objectives.

Business phone calls should be according to a set schedule. If you feel like you just want to pick up your phone and dial your business partner’s number without looking at your watch or your calendar, think again.

Just like meetings, your phone calls have to respect the other party’s time. Calls that are either too early or too late are plain rude, and a business phone call when the person is on his day off is just as rude. If you’re making invites through phone calls for an organized event, make sure you’re calling during office hours. Avoid making business calls during lunchtime and weekends.

Prepare your database. Making phone calls should be the next step after you have completed your database. When you call for business, you should know the name and designation of the person you wish to talk to, and you have to know the name and nature of the company.

There have been instances where I have received business phone calls from people who don’t know who to talk to, who don’t have a clue what company they’re calling, and who aren’t ready about their phone call agenda. Don’t waste the other person’s time by stammering. Use your database as a reference so your phone calls will be brief, professional and successful.

Web Raid: Download YouTube Videos Directly to PSP with ConvertTube

 It’s been a while since we’ve featured online tools here on LifeSpy. Since then, there have been a lot of cool online tools/services that can replace some of the most common freeware apps. No hassles in installation and accessible just about anywhere. So here we are, raiding the web again in the quest for some of the cool and nifty tools on the web.

This here’s ConvertTube. As the name implies, it lets you convert videos from YouTube. But if you’d say, “Hey, we’ve already got Vixy for that,” then at least here’s an alternative for you.

Like Vixy, ConvertTube lets you download YouTube videos (which are in FLV format) as MPG, MOV, 3GP, FLV, MP3 (audio only) and MP4. It does the conversion for you. Very straightforward with the address bar and the file format options. A click and you’re good to go.

While I’ve been a Vixy user ever since, I think ConvertTube’s a great alternative especially if you need the video as MPG. While Vixy converts the vid as AVI for Windows, ConvertTube creates MPGs. At least you get the tools for either one.

Firefox Quick Tip: Scramble Your Keystrokes with KeyScrambler

A must install when working on shared and public terminals (provided that you can install Firefox add-ons). Keyloggers often target web browsers since it’s that particular interface where a lot of user authentication happens. Well sure, some jealous husbands and wives install them to check whether their respective spouses are cheating on them but if you are ever so loyal, then you should be more concerned with keyloggers making records of your online transactions. KeyScrambler is a Firefox add-on that scrambles your keystrokes in the kernel driver level then decrypts them at the browser level. Keyloggers often situate themselves somewhere in between these levels. With KeyScrambler, keyloggers would just record gibberish. Download KeyScrambler Firefox add-on here. There’s also an IE and Flock add-on available and there’s also the Premium and Professional that offers a chock-full more goodies like support for other browsers, password manager link-ups, online poker, and MS Office support. Visit their homepage for more info.

Download: Slow Down Your Mouse Speed with Slowmousion

Ever had problems with mouse accuracy because of mouse motion speed. Used to have that in the days before optical mice and other pointing devices. I think I do encounter problems when handling click-accuracy reliant tasks like graphics and illustration (Probably why I’m buying a pen tab in the near future).

While you can slow down your mouse speed via Windows’ Mouse options in Control Panel, it may be great if you can slow down the speed on the fly via keyboard hotkeys. Slowmousion is a free app that resides in your systems memory that allows you to control mouse motion speed via hotkeys. The hotkeys are then configurable from a set of options.

I can’t say that this would be the end-all-and-be-all for mouse speed control since it only slows down the mouse motion speed and doesn’t give you complete control over mouse speed. For Vista users, it’s even quicker to just type mouse in the Start Search bar to quickly gain access to the Mouse options.

Anyway, if you want to toy around with your mouse speed, then you can download Slowmousion here. Works with Windows from 2000 to Vista.

Windows Tip: Remove Text from Desktop Icons

Okay, so for more than a week, we haven’t featured any tech updates here. I’m really disappointed that Firefox 3 will only be released in June. I want to get my mitts on it but I’m quite hesitant to feature the Beta versions. Anyway, here’s another Windows tip for you. This one is even shorter than what I feature for screencasts so no screencasts for now (Besides, I have a wee bit of a sore throat right now).
It’s a quick how-to on removing text from desktop icons and this works for both XP and Vista.
 1. Select the icon from which you want to remove text
2. Press F2 to rename No Text Icon 2
3. Press Alt + 255 (Enable Num Lock if you’re working on a laptop.) This will replace the text with a space much like putting for HTML (one thing you can’t do with the spacebar).
4. Hit Enter or click on the icon. No Text Icon 4
5. To make other icons’ text labels disappear, you must add another space. Thus, for the second icon you press Alt + 255 + 255.

Tech News: Windows Vista Updates 5 Words in Dictionary for 56MB

 My friendly neighborhood Vista Update Manager has prompted me again to update my system. But one thing caught my eye - What was that 56 MB update that is considered important? Better be good.

Microsoft, apparently, has language issues and if you’re one who is pissed off that “Obama” isn’t recognized by Vista’s dictionary then you better apply theKB955020 update fast! Aside from pleasing Mr. Barack and the whole Democratic party, the update would also stop the Vista from discriminating against four other words, namely “Friendster,” “Klum,” “Nazr,” and “Racicot.”

Sure, that’s quite fine. But check out the size of that damn thing. Theoretically, you’re just embedding a few characters into the dictionary. Should be just a few bytes, right? But no, the update is a whopping 56.4 MB! Makes you wonder how efficient that patch is. Reading the knowledge base leads you to the explanation - it replaces your whole dictionary with update ones. So you’re basically downloading the dictionary - again!

There should be a reason why it should considered an update that should be delivered in patches. You don’t mend a tear by replacing the whole thing.

Tech News: Google Docs Adds Templates

Hey hey hey, take a look at what Google just rolled out. Google Docs unveiled a new feature that would probably be to the delight of everyone who uses it -templates. If you’re the type of person who would want to start typing on an already-laid-out page, then you might want to thank the Google gods for this one.

Simply clicking New -> from Template gives you access to hundreds of free templates whether you’re going to create a document, a spreadsheet, or a presentation. And they’re not only design templates, the selection includes calculators, resumes, business plans, etc… And the designs aren’t necessarily all-Google as some design houses also lent some of their free templates into the mix.

Surely, this would put a potato up Microsoft Word’s tailpipe. To get to most of the templates for Word, you have to download them online. For Office 2007, even, they made templates web-based to make sure only those with licensed copies get to download templates. Go Google!

OSEPH-DESIRE JOB saved a point for Boro with an 82nd-minute

 JOSEPH-DESIRE JOB saved a point for Boro with an 82nd-minute strike that cancelled out Tomasz Radzinski's goal-of-the-month contender.

The Teessiders looked to be heading for another defeat on the road but Job bundled home from Bolo Zenden's corner to send the Boro fans home happy.

Everton, inspired by England starlet Wayne Rooney, roared ahead 12 minutes from time with a majestic three-man move that ended with Radzinski firing home.

Boro boss Steve McClaren was happy with a draw that ended a run of three away defeats.

He said: "You have to be satisfied with a point after being one down with 12 minutes to go. I'm delighted with the way we came back.

"The back four were magnificent but I'm delighted with the attitudes of all my players. After winning the Carling Cup the other week, they could have tailed off.

"All of them are striving to get this club into its highest finish in the Premier League."

Everton manager David Moyes said: "I've watched their goal six times on video now and it looks like it was a deflection.

Deflected

"Joseph Yobo cleared it and it deflected off Job's knee into the goal.

"I'm disappointed with the result because it was important to get a win. We were going for it and what a great goal from Radzinski.

"Yobo started it with the pass but it was a terrific ball from Kevin Kilbane and a brilliant finish.

"I thought that was going to win the game but it wasn't to be."

Boro started the breezier as Job fired over before almost putting them ahead. He latched on to a long ball but keeper Nigel Martyn did enough to save his weak shot.

And it was the same result when Zenden tried his luck after good work from Juninho.

Everton were struggling to settle with Rooney being bumped all over the place by Boro's defence.

The England man did send Radzinski clear only for his Canadian strike partner to hit the side netting.

Shortly after that a stunning burst from Rooney ended with a cut-back to Steve Watson, who just failed to take it in his stride.

It was good stuff from both sides. Massimo Maccarone and Juninho linked to send Mendieta away before Kevin Kilbane broke at the other end only for Radzinski to waste the chance.

Rooney caused problems for Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott.

On the half hour Rooney fired inches wide.

Everton defender Alan Stubbs went close to breaking the deadlock just before half-time.

A corner was swung over from the right, Stubbs took a ride on Southgate's back but got away with it and thundered in a header which Mark Schwarzer saved with a brilliant reaction.

Rooney was everywhere, chasing and hurrying, and was unlucky with the last kick of the half.

Drive

Radzinski stormed down the right, Watson fed Gravesen and Rooney's flick from the Dane's cross-shot was deflected over by Danny Mills.

David Unsworth came on at half-time for his 300th Everton appearance in place of Stubbs. Moyes' men almost took the lead.

Radzinski surged through the middle of their defence, unloaded a drive and Rooney just failed to latch on to the parry from Schwarzer.

Riggott saved the day for Boro with a swift boot out of play.

The Rooney-Radzinski double act worked again as the latter charged to the byeline but Rooney just failed to turn home his cross.

Boro struggled to get out of their half and McClaren sacrificed the disappointing Maccarone for more midfield grit in the shape of Doriva.

Doriva lasted all of six minutes before limping off with an injury. Then Everton livened things up by almost committing suicide.

Job steamed into the area as Alessandro Pistone under-hit a backpass but Martyn saved the day.

A moment of brilliance lit up the grey skies over Goodison.

Yobo hit a 50-yard ball from the back, Kilbane guided it into the path of Radzinski and the Canadian rifled past Schwarzer.

It was a stunning move that deserved to win the game but Boro did not read the script.

With eight minutes to go, Zenden sent over a corner, the ball was only half cleared through a sea of legs and Job popped up to bundle home.

Rani loves the Hassel

From Rob Beasley at Stamford Bridge

JIMMY FLOYD Hasselbaink had a birthday to remember by hitting a super 13-minute treble to rescue Chelsea.

The bungling Blues were trailing to plucky Wolves when the Dutch international was thrown into the fray on the hour.

And he celebrated his 32nd birthday with a devastating match-winning performance that also brought a personal scoring milestone.

His first strike in the 77th minute was his 100th Premiership goal — and two more in the last four minutes sunk Wolves.

Hasselbaink deservedly strolled away from Stamford Bridge with the match ball under his arm — a fitting memento to add to his pile of presents.

Boss Claudio Ranieri must have been delighted — but he was more concerned in putting the record straight.

He said: "I am most definitely not talking to any other football club. We're six points behind Arsenal and are very much in the Champions League still.

"All I'm doing at the moment is focusing on trying to do my best for Chelsea this year."

Hasselbaink beamed: "I'm just happy to have done it and got the three points.

"Now we can relax and sit and watch Arsenal play Manchester United. If we keep on winning, hopefully Arsenal will slip up."

Chelsea made a storming start and were ahead with just four minutes on the clock.

Mario Melchiot started the move with a break down the right and then a neat ball inside to the advancing Frank Lampard.

The England midfielder helped it on to Joe Cole, who threaded a superb pass into the path of Melchiot.

And the Dutchman did not break stride as he drilled the ball home to celebrated only his fifth goal for Chelsea — but it could be his last.

He is out of contract in the summer and almost certain to move on.

Rousing

The Chelsea faithful were quick to show their support for outgoing manager Ranieri, marking the early breakthrough with a rousing chorus of ‘We don't want Eriksson'.

But when Wolves got their chance, they took it.

And it was courtesy of some woeful defending on 23 minutes from second-placed Chelsea.

Stand-in keeper Marco Ambrosio threw the ball out to full-back Celestine Babayaro, who was closed down immediate by Wolves striker Henri Camara.

Babayaro played a first-time ball back to defender John Terry but it was too short. And again Camara was quick to close Terry down.

The Chelsea man tried to slip the ball inside to Claude Makelele but Camara caught him out, blocking the pass and bursting forward.

He was in on goal and did not waste the opportunity. His low shot flew in off keeper Ambrosio's leg and Wolves were level.

And they could have been in front moments later when they opened up Chelsea once again.

Paul Ince released Camara — and he whipped over a great cross only to see Mark Kennedy miss a sitter.

Chelsea tried to respond. Lampard's long ball picked out Eidur Gudjohnsen and his glorious touch set him up for a terrific shot that was only kept out by the boot of keeper Paul Jones.

But it was Wolves who finished the first half on top with Alex Rae driving over and then Kenny Miller slicing badly wide after a mistake from Cole, who was making a rare start for the Blues.

Chelsea did not sort themselves out despite the second half introduction of Damien Duff, strangely replacing Gudjohnsen who had looked bright in the first 45 minutes.

The homeside were still badly out of form and Wolves were in the mood to take full advantage.

And they did.

Kennedy's corner was perfect for Jody Craddock to produce a towering header to hammer the ball home.

Flying

That prompted Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri to send on Hasselbaink for Geremi.

But it was Wolves who almost went further in front with a rasping drive from Ince that demanded a flying one-handed save from Ambrosio.

Chelsea took the hint and realised they were in grave danger of suffering an embarrassing and damaging home defeat.

They upped their efforts and, in the 70th minute, it was Lampard who came riding to Chelsea's rescue. He played a one-two with Duff before celebrating his 100th consecutive Premiership appearance for the Blues with a stunning strike from 25 yards out.

But even better was to follow for Chelsea — with that stunning hat-trick from Hasselbaink.

The Dutchman unleashed an unstoppable rocket of a shot that Jones did brilliantly just to get a fingertip to 13 minutes from time.

Hasselbaink added his second 10 minutes later when he raced onto a tremendous pass from Duff to fire home.

The Chelsea striker was doing cartwheels and had owner Roman Abramovich on his feet celebrating in the posh seats.

The Chelsea man rounded off his treble in injury time, stroking the ball home.

Wolves boss Dave Jones was not a happy man.

He said: "We played really well to come back from going a goal down so quickly.

"We got back in the match and once we were in front we were in control — they were going nowhere.

"So I don't think we have lost a point today I think we have lost three. We should have won. That's how well we played.

"The score-line doesn't reflect what we have done today.

"I just wish for the last 20 minutes we had been boring and shut up shop. I wish we had just done our jobs."

Hasselbaink certainly did his in style.