China's Golden Cyber-Shield

An interesting article on Forbes.com.. An insight into future cyberwarfare..

China's Golden Cyber-Shield

The Chinese government is an infamous enforcer of digital apartheid; when its citizens try to access prominent international Web sites like Wikipedia and Flickr, they hit a filter that blocks politically sensitive material. In the West, that information blockade is often described as the "Great Firewall of China."

But in Mandarin, it is called jindun gongcheng, the Golden Shield. As that name implies, China's controls on the Internet are capable of blocking inbound as well as outbound traffic. And according to some security professionals, that means the Golden Shield is more than just a barrier to free expression; it may also be China's advantage in a future cyber-war. Click to read the complete article..

Triangular Theory of Love!

An interesting read on a plausible theory on what succeeds and what fails, and possibly why, when the two people are (or think they are) in love..

Based on different combinations of intimacy, passion and commitment, the author classifies a relationship into eight forms of love..

From Wikipedia.. (read the complete article here.. Triangular Theory of Love)

"The triangular theory of love characterizes love in an interpersonal relationship on three different scales: intimacy, passion, and commitment. Different stages and types of love can be explained as different combinations of these three elements; for example, the relative emphasis of each component changes over time as an adult romantic relationship develops. According to the author of the theory, psychologist Robert Sternberg, a relationship based on a single element is less likely to survive than one based on two or more. "

Apologizing and Saying Sorry.. Do it when you did it..

I liked this article by Oprah on cnn...(This is the first time I read anything by her!)

The article is titled and can be read at: Always apologize, always explain

A few excerpts:
"The perfect moment to apologize is the moment you realize you've done something wrong.

This seems obvious when we're contemplating somebody else's sins, but in the harsh light of our own guilt, we often try to protect ourselves from shame or censure by waiting for the heat to blow over. We may try to postpone apologizing or avoid it altogether by lying, blaming others, making excuses or justifying our actions. The impulse to go into such a stall is a big ol' signal."

'An effective apology is, as Lazare puts it, "an act of honesty, an act of humility, an act of commitment, an act of generosity, and an act of courage." '

To be effective, most apologies need to contain the following elements:

1. Full acknowledgment of the offense
"If you've broken your own rules, you're in the wrong. Accept responsibility."

2. An explanation
"Explanations help you and your victim understand why you misbehaved and assure both of you that the offense won't recur. Excuses merely deflect responsibility. Leave them out of your apology."

3. Genuine expression of remorse
"Few things are less likely to evoke forgiveness than apology without remorse."

4. Reparations for damage
The final gallant act of apology is to release your former victim from any expectation of forgiveness. No matter how noble you have been, he will forgive -- or refuse to forgive -- on his own terms. That is his right.

Best Days to buy Ticket/Gas/Grocery etc.

Interesting article on yahoo finance on which days are the best to get cheap/fair deals on various things.. Article is titled The Cheapest Days to Buy Certain Items, and below I have summarized the days for different items. For reasons and details, read the article.

Of course, I do not think that these days are universally true, but still worth keeping in mind.. :)

Enjoy!

Airplane Tickets -> When to Buy: Wednesday morning.

Books -> When to Buy: Thursday.

Cars -> When to Buy: Monday.

Clothing -> When to Buy: Thursday evening.

Department-Store Wares -> When to Buy: Saturday evening.

Dinner Out -> When to Buy: Tuesday.

Entertainment -> When to Buy: Wednesday.

Gas -> When to Buy: Thursday, before 10 a.m.

Groceries -> When to Buy: Sunday — or Tuesday.

Hotel Rooms -> When to Buy: Sunday.

Business Management Courses: SBA Free Online Courses

From CNN, 15 Best Free Services:
The Small Business Administration offers an impressive array of more than 40 free, business-related courses. These online courses cover many areas of managing your small business, including finance and accounting, marketing and advertising, e-commerce, and international trade.

Some are good read..

"Learning never Hurts"
-Vikas

Ripping up the rules of management..

A good slide show on 11 business personalities, who made it big based on their vision and out of the norm. ideas. The slide show is aptly titled Ripping up the rules of management


Enjoy.

Interesting read on Getting Things Done (GTD)

For anyone interested to read on getting more efficient, to increase productivity and organize the day, David Allen's bio may be a good read. He is originator of idea Mind Like Water and teaches seminars on GTD.