7 Practices for Computer Security

1 Protect your personal information. It's valuable.
2 Know who you're dealing with.
3 Use security software that updates automatically.
4 Keep your operating system and Web browser up-to-date, and learn about their security features.
5 Keep your passwords safe, secure, and strong.
6 Back up important files.
7 Learn what to do in an e-mergency.

Read more at Online Guard

Transform Windows XP into Windows Vista without using customization packs

by Vishal Gupta

Since we all know that Windows Vista has been released but its too costly to purchase. The most interesting thing in Vista is its look, new icons, cursors, theme, sounds, login screen, boot screen, etc. So I’m posting this tutorial to make our existing Windows XP to look-a-like Windows Vista.

Yes! There are lots of Vista Transformation packs available on net but I never use them because they slow down the windows and also install a few 3rd party utilities. So its better to do all the things manually.

In this tutorial, I’ll tell you about how to make following things to look-a-like Vista:

Vista Theme OR Visual Style
Boot Screen
Login Screen OR Welcome Screen
Sounds
Mouse Cursors
Windows Icons
Windows Explorer
Progress dialog box
Shutdown/Log off dialog box
About Windows box
System Properties dialog box
Windows Classic Startmenu Left-side Image and Start button Logo
and a few other things

So here we go:

Read more at Tweaking with Vishal

TEACHERS BOARD EXAMS	11/18
Engineer, fresh grad,triathlete in top 10 By Mars Alison, Day Desk Editor Three Cebuanos, who stumbled into the field of education by accident, got more than they bargained for after landing at the top 10 of the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) in the secondary level. Second coursers Lucille Virtudazo Gandionco and Amale Mendezona-Jopson placed 5th and 9th respectively while fresh graduate Carl Jestoni Bariqiut Dakay was 8th placer after taking the exams last September.

Read more at Cebu Daily News

VistaVG Ultimate Theme for Windows XP

Here's a very nice Vista theme for Windows XP by Vishal. Been using it for a while now and it looks great!

http://www.askvg.com/vistavg-ultimate-theme-for-windows-xp/

Here's a sample:

-- Benjie

Keena tops the Librarian Board Exam

Wow, a few days after it was announced that Chichi topped the Teachers Board Exam, it was Keena's turn to have her name in the Top Ten list. God has been showing us His immense favor and it really serves as an encouragement to all His people in Sovereign Grace Bible Church.

RANK	NAME	SCHOOL	RATING(%)
1	ELIJAH JOHN FERNANDO DAR JUAN	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN	87.75
2	BERNADETTE DAVA SUENO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN	86.50
3	RUEL ROMARATE YU	UNIVERSITY OF SAN JOSE-RECOLETOS	86.45
4	KRISTINE YAP MARTINEZ	UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS	85.70
5	NOMER ALBARANDO ALCAZAR	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN	85.60
6	MARION JUDE MARISTELA GOROSPE	ROOSEVELT COLLEGE-CAINTA	84.55
7	JACQUELYN JOY LATINA LLAVE	CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA	84.30
8	LORRAINE DAWN GAMEL HONRADE	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN	84.15
9	CZARINA PAOLA PAREJA DELA LLARTE	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN	84.00
10	EDWARD HILADO PUZON	UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS	83.80

-- Benjie

Chichi tops the Board Exam for Teachers with 5th place

By the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Chichi's efforts were rewarded with a 5h place finish during the 2008 Licensure Examination for Teachers, Secondary Level. Of the 53,195 who took the board, 18,801 passed and Chichi is no. 5. Lipay kaayo akong sweetheart. Galing lang sa ka excited, tukar dayon ang hyperacidity. He-he...

Here's the proof:



-- Benjie

Technology Resume Gaffes to Avoid
Nimish Thakkar, Computerworld
Nov 12, 2008 6:15 am

From tech-support professionals to CIOs, almost everyone is consumed by the perception that the effectiveness of the resume is somehow linked to the length of the document. A one-page resume is not going to improve your chances, nor is a 10-page document indicative of super-employee status.

Candidates, even senior-level IT executives, often use microscopic fonts, leave off important information, use 0.1-inch margins, and resort to myriad ill-advised practices -- all in an attempt to curtail resume length. Many well-meaning college counselors advise their students to be concise and limit their resume to one page. That may be important for students with little or no experience, but why subscribe to the same wisdom after rising to higher ranks?

Read more at PC World

Defending Your Machine 2

This Blog identifies some steps to take and various Internet locations and software that may be useful in protecting your computer system from "malware" and in cleaning it up if you become infected.

Read more at http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/

What Makes a Good Boss

When you're looking for work there are also key traits that you are looking for in the person you want to work for. While the expectations you have for an employer will vary a little by industry, there are certain elements that make a good boss.

A good boss....

Listens: This is a key skill in an employee, but it is also essential for an effective manager. The responsibility for office decisions is ultimately up to the boss, but a manager who can listen will base decisions on the abilities, needs and limitations of staff, resources and time frame. Also, the more you feel heard, the more you feel appreciated, something everyone deserves on the job.

Communicates: This is a continuation of listening. A good manager should not only hear what you say, but be able to tell you what they want from you in a manner that is clear and professional. A boss shouldn't be too vague in their directions, nor should they speak to you in a patronizing tone. A manager should never yell, make personal comments or use humor as a put down.

Delegates: A manager is responsible for the overall workplace or project. This can lead some to try and control every aspect of the work flow to make sure no one else "messes" things up. This, in turn, can lead to a stressful work place with an overworked boss who is resentful of staff and a workforce of people who feel unappreciated and bored. A good boss will recognize that you are the best person to do your job and will provide you with clear direction that allows you to do it without watching over your shoulder.

Empathizes: A manager may deal with a variety of staff, of all ages and in all stages of life. A good manager can acknowledge the need of the parent of three to stay home with her sick kids, while also recognizing that the single colleague shouldn't always have to stay late to compensate, or that sometimes you will miss the train and be late for work, but that someone who is late all the time causes work flow problems for the rest of the staff.

This is not the same as the boss who tries to be everyone's friend. It is a person who believes a little courtesy makes for a healthier workplace.

Supports: A good boss will recognize that employees want to better themselves and further their careers. They should not be threatened by this. Good managers will help you find professional development opportunities and allow you to take part in new projects when it is applicable to your talents, time and career goals. Within a company, a good manager will also not pass the buck down to staff members when dealing with upper management and will make sure the concerns of staff are known to the powers that be.

Instructs: Very few people like to be micro-managed, but it can be even more frustrating to be given no clear direction and end up in trouble with your boss for not meeting expectations. A good boss makes it clear what they want, and tells you promptly and professionally if you are not providing what they need. They will also be frank and fair about concerns surrounding performance, attitude and behaviour -- there should be no surprises in your performance review.

Encourages: A good boss is one who is always willing to acknowledge a job well done.

Respects: This is a big one. A lack of respect is one of the main reasons people feel unfulfilled at work. What is respect? Respect means appreciating the people who work with and for you.

Respect is not offering a shiny plaque for doing three-times your workload. Respect means sincerely trying to help employees through crunch times and acknowledging that having limitations does not mean being inferior. Respect means understanding that people have different cultural and religious holidays and traditions. It means acknowledging people have different learning styles and ways of presenting themselves.

Sees the Big Picture: Finally, a good boss should always have their eye on the final product or deadline. Staff can sense when an employer has a handle on things and when they are letting something slip. This can be stressful since it puts staff in the awkward position of possibly offending their boss by mentioning oversights, or not saying anything and jeopardizing a project.

source: http://www.poss.ca/book/print/787

http://www.allprodad.com/playbook/viewarticle.php?art=183

The Big O in happy marriages
WELL-BEING By Mylene Mendoza-Dayrit
Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The following is a common scene in a lot of households with both spouses working. Wife arrives stressed from the traffic, fetching the kids, and a boss who never appreciates her work. She drops by the kitchen to give instructions to the help regarding dinner.

The husband arrives after a very stressful board meeting. Exasperated, he sinks into the couch in front of the television, a can of cold beer in hand. He turns the TV on, zapping from news to sports channels and back. Wife sits in front of husband and starts talking about her day, giving a litany of things she had and has to do.

Husband never looks at wife, seemingly lost in what he is watching. Wife gets hurt, feels more rejected and alone. Happens all the time and before they know it, a thick wall is already built between them.

A wife who feels unloved and unappreciated, and a husband tired of what seems to be endless nagging. Love lost? Irreconcilable differences? No common interests? Grounds for divorce? Stop those thoughts, a study from UCLA on the differences between male and female responses to stress may just save your marriage, as revealed by Dr. John Gray, author of all the Mars & Venus book series, the latest of which are Why Mars & Venus Collide and Mars & Venus — Diet & Exercise Solutions, to the delegates of the Department of Tourism’s “Embracing Health & Wellness in the Heart of Asia,” held recently at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

Read more at Philippine Star

What are the Best Tools for Removing Spyware, Adware, and Malware?

If you have been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably ran across the topic of spyware, adware, or malware. This is software that has installed on your computer, many times without your permission, or accidentally by clicking on a popup ad, etc. The problem with these programs is they will slow your computer down, make changes to your desktop, homepage, search page, load programs into your taskbar tray and otherwise get in the way. In the worst cases, they will even transmit information from your computer to servers on the Internet. So the question becomes, if your computer is infected with these problematic programs, how do you get rid of them. In most cases, you can run a free removal program to remove these infections, in more serious cases, you may have to download a specialized removal program to free yourself of these problems.

Read more at PC Hell

From design to meaning: a whole new way of presenting?

My favorite book of the summer is Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind. A simple book in many ways, and a most profound and well-researched one as well. At 267 pages (in paperback), it's a quick read. In fact, I read it twice, the second time underlining, highlighting, and taking notes as I went along. "The future belongs to a different kind of person," Pink says. "Designers, inventors, teachers, storytellers — creative and empathetic right-brain thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't." Pink claims we're living in a different era, a different age. An age in which those who "Think different" may be valued even more than ever.

Read more at Presentation Zen