People keep wondering how to keep their computers free from viruses and worms and other Internet (d)evils. I have tried to put in some information for those who would be seeking answers to the questions regarding Internet Defence in this document.
The Internet is no more a safe place. You are vulnerable the moment you are connected to the Internet. As a regular Internet user, you would be advised to follow some basic rules to distance yourselves from the threats that are impossible to avoid completely.
I assume that you are using a Windows machine (such as XP or Windows 2000).
If you are not very familiar in using the computer, ask your computer technician to
1. Install a personal firewall and configure it
2. Install an antivirus utility
3. Install Firefox browser
4. Install Ad-aware
5. Install Spybot S&D
6. Download Process Explorer and Hijackthis
After installation, your computer has to be checked once for viruses and spyware, immediately.
Alternately, you could prefer to do it yourself. Follow the instructions below.
1. Install a personal firewall
There are free software firewalls (hardware firewalls are expensive and are not oriented towards individual machines) available such as Comodo (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com) which are quite good. Others like Zone Alarm, Kerio are also offer adequate protection. Some of them might expect you to make a payment before you could use them.
2. Install antivirus
You need an anti-virus tool that would keep you informed in case your computer is infected by a virus, trojan or similar malicious application. AVG is one that is available free of cost for personal use. You can download it from http://free.grisoft.com. AVG has a small footprint (which means it doesn't consume too much memory and is not a load on your computer) and protects you from most viruses.
3. Install Firefox browser
There is a general perception that the Internet Explorer is less safer on the Internet. If you are using the Internet Explorer, I recommend that you download and install the latest version of Firefox browser ( available from http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ )
According to wikipedia, Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent. More information on spyware may be found in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware
There are certain things that you should avoid when you are online. Those are visiting crack sites, sites that contain pornographic content, sites that offer you free software, hacking sites etc., It doesn't mean that all such sites are malicious, but for the unaware and uninitiated, it means treading dangerous waters.
To protect you from Spyware, you should install tools that check your computer frequently for other malicious content (such as spyware) that could reside in your computer. These get installed/saved on your computer as a result of using the browser and visiting sites.
4. Install Ad-aware
Download and install, Ad-aware from the following link ( http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php )
5. Install Spybot S&D
Download and install "Spybot - Search & Destroy" from the following link
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
When all the above have been done, you can breathe a little easily now that you have done the first part of the job.
The other and most important part, is to be reviewing your security frequently, say every two days. Run your virus scanner, Ad-aware and Spybot S&D, every alternate day or once in three days, or atleast once in a week.
Note down any incidents. There may be a situation where your virus scanner may not be able to clear the virus.
In that case, you may search the WWW for methods to clean it.
The mantra is to update your virus scanner and other tools with the latest updates and frequently check your machine for any suspicious activity.
Run the tools Ad-aware and Spybot S&D frequently, or immediately after you close your browser.
6. Download Process Explorer and Hijackthis
Process explorer tells you the processes that are currently executing on your windows operating system presently. This is preferred over your windows task manager, since malicious software may be hidden from the windows task manager's view.
Download procexp.exe from sysinternals.com (incidentally, the company now has been bought over by Microsoft) http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip
Hijackthis is an application that shows the windows registry keys that contain actions that will be executed during the time the operating system is booting (the steps involved before you get your windows desktop). You can go through them and look for suspicious looking files [some of them may contain the extension .exe]
Download hijackthis.exe from http://216.180.233.162/~merijn/programs.php#hijackthis or http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php#hijackthis
Now that you are more knowledgeable, I hope that you would try these tools that would arm you to protect your computer from hostile invasions.
PS: One other thing that you could do, is to ask the Internet fellow to install a router (assuming yours is a DSL like connection) and configure the IP to the router and not to the machine, which means your computer is not directly connected to Net and is protected from Direct Attack.
A few things that I heard about Azim Premji (Wipro Chief)
A few things that were said about Azim Premji (hearsay from the mouth of an employee who had seen him up close). I had to record it since I found it interesting and inspirational.
He is not finicky about the mode of travel. He always travels Economy Class. He is also not worried about the brand of car or taxi that he uses to commute. Once when the car that was booked for him did not turn up, he coolly took an auto-rickshaw to his destination.
Compare this with another boss, who waited for 2 hours for a Mercedes to turn up (the time it took to get a replacement when an alternate Toyota or Skoda were available immediately)
Whenever he can, he always stays at the company guest house. He takes food from the company canteen. He says, "What is good for my employees is good for me".
His son was refused stay at the company guest house, since it was only for employees. mmm!
He sees professional and personal lives differently and doesn't mix business with personal.
At one point of time, he had a terror threat on his life. During the entire period, he insisted that co-workers with him travel separately since he did not want them to get hurt in case any incident happened.
Note: For those who do not know, Azim Premji is the chief of Wipro, one of the largest companies in the world.
He is not finicky about the mode of travel. He always travels Economy Class. He is also not worried about the brand of car or taxi that he uses to commute. Once when the car that was booked for him did not turn up, he coolly took an auto-rickshaw to his destination.
Compare this with another boss, who waited for 2 hours for a Mercedes to turn up (the time it took to get a replacement when an alternate Toyota or Skoda were available immediately)
Whenever he can, he always stays at the company guest house. He takes food from the company canteen. He says, "What is good for my employees is good for me".
His son was refused stay at the company guest house, since it was only for employees. mmm!
He sees professional and personal lives differently and doesn't mix business with personal.
At one point of time, he had a terror threat on his life. During the entire period, he insisted that co-workers with him travel separately since he did not want them to get hurt in case any incident happened.
Note: For those who do not know, Azim Premji is the chief of Wipro, one of the largest companies in the world.
How to send email from a form ?
How to send email from a form ?
I had asked this question a few days ago myself. And have been scouting
google for the answer. To be honest, I did get quite a few answers.
But, the problem lay in finding the compatible tool for my installation.
My limitations were:
- I do not own the server
- I cannot install or uninstall any tool on to the server
- The server help was not very familiar with the installation either
- I had to scout the server details (info like the MTA used by the server)
So, was born a script that does not rely on the server configuration, for sending mail.
This script is in php (I tried to use the formmail script, but found that
this is easier) and relies on direct communication with the SMTP server to send mail.
The script uses SMTP AUTHentication for sending mail. This script assumes that you are using the Exim MTA for your email transport.
As you see in the script, though the SMT Protocol (SMTP) is standard, the request and response for different servers are slightly different and the script may have to be modified to suit your server. As mentioned, this
script is for the Exim MTA with SMTP AUTH.
SMTP AUTH means that you can post a message ONLYy after you have identified yourself to the server, meaning that you have to be an authenticated user on your server.
Hopefully, this helps!
Note:
If the php server is not configured correctly, variables defined in the html form may not pass properly into the php document, which is why the "track_vars" is used.
In addition, the phrase $HTTP_POST_VARS["b_first"] creates the appropriate variable in the document that was passed through the form, but was not visible due to some misconfiguration at the server.
Download the "form to email" script below:
form2mail script in a zipped file
I had asked this question a few days ago myself. And have been scouting
google for the answer. To be honest, I did get quite a few answers.
But, the problem lay in finding the compatible tool for my installation.
My limitations were:
- I do not own the server
- I cannot install or uninstall any tool on to the server
- The server help was not very familiar with the installation either
- I had to scout the server details (info like the MTA used by the server)
So, was born a script that does not rely on the server configuration, for sending mail.
This script is in php (I tried to use the formmail script, but found that
this is easier) and relies on direct communication with the SMTP server to send mail.
The script uses SMTP AUTHentication for sending mail. This script assumes that you are using the Exim MTA for your email transport.
As you see in the script, though the SMT Protocol (SMTP) is standard, the request and response for different servers are slightly different and the script may have to be modified to suit your server. As mentioned, this
script is for the Exim MTA with SMTP AUTH.
SMTP AUTH means that you can post a message ONLYy after you have identified yourself to the server, meaning that you have to be an authenticated user on your server.
Hopefully, this helps!
Note:
If the php server is not configured correctly, variables defined in the html form may not pass properly into the php document, which is why the "track_vars" is used.
In addition, the phrase $HTTP_POST_VARS["b_first"] creates the appropriate variable in the document that was passed through the form, but was not visible due to some misconfiguration at the server.
Download the "form to email" script below:
form2mail script in a zipped file
Is there a science beyond science (or) Do you believe in magic?
This is a log of an incident that happened a few weeks ago.
One definition of magic on the Internet:
The practice of using charms, spells, or rituals to attempt to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature.
Magic is part of a larger science, that has not yet been accepted or understood by the scientific community.
We have seen magicians make trains and planes, even the Taj Mahal disappear, on TV live. We have always been interested and fascinated by such activities, if only in the hope to find the trick that cheats the audience.
I met with such an interesting individual in the recent past. I am logging the meeting since something interesting and fascinating happened during that time.
He is an islamic mystic with universal beliefs. A colleague had mentioned about him during a casual conversation and I had evinced an interest to meet with him.
He frequently visits Chennai. And it was during one of his visits that I happened to meet with him. He was staying in a lodge in one of the busy areas of Chennai. We bought some fruits since it is the first time I am visiting him. (In India, it is custom to not go empty handed when you visit someone)
We went on a sunday afternoon. A slightly overcast sky made our drive a bearable one. (Chennai, for the uninitiated, has three seasons; summer, summerer, summerest).
After the introductions were over, we were chatting generally. During the course of the conversation, he asked for my helmet. He took a small flat tin box, which contained black paste that resembled the eyeliner that women use. He took a little of it in his finger and gave the box back to me. He then asked me to put the box inside the helmet.
In the next two minutes something happened that you cannot explain in scientific terms (not atleast in the present scientific scenario).
He started taking new five hundred and thousand rupee notes from inside the helmet. Notes that looked fresh and straight out of the mint. There was a mild fragrance in the room. The notes also smelled sweet. This continued for sometime until the bed he was sitting on contained a small hill made of the rupee notes.
He later explained that these were brought in by the elemental that he had been given by his teacher. These currency notes are probably brought from a real location somewhere around the place (eg., a bank locker). They will disappear (which means they will go back to the place of origin) after 2 and half nazhigai (60 minutes).
Glossary:
Chennai - A southern port city and capital of the state of Tamilnadu, India
Nazhigai - 24 minutes
One definition of magic on the Internet:
The practice of using charms, spells, or rituals to attempt to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature.
Magic is part of a larger science, that has not yet been accepted or understood by the scientific community.
We have seen magicians make trains and planes, even the Taj Mahal disappear, on TV live. We have always been interested and fascinated by such activities, if only in the hope to find the trick that cheats the audience.
I met with such an interesting individual in the recent past. I am logging the meeting since something interesting and fascinating happened during that time.
He is an islamic mystic with universal beliefs. A colleague had mentioned about him during a casual conversation and I had evinced an interest to meet with him.
He frequently visits Chennai. And it was during one of his visits that I happened to meet with him. He was staying in a lodge in one of the busy areas of Chennai. We bought some fruits since it is the first time I am visiting him. (In India, it is custom to not go empty handed when you visit someone)
We went on a sunday afternoon. A slightly overcast sky made our drive a bearable one. (Chennai, for the uninitiated, has three seasons; summer, summerer, summerest).
After the introductions were over, we were chatting generally. During the course of the conversation, he asked for my helmet. He took a small flat tin box, which contained black paste that resembled the eyeliner that women use. He took a little of it in his finger and gave the box back to me. He then asked me to put the box inside the helmet.
In the next two minutes something happened that you cannot explain in scientific terms (not atleast in the present scientific scenario).
He started taking new five hundred and thousand rupee notes from inside the helmet. Notes that looked fresh and straight out of the mint. There was a mild fragrance in the room. The notes also smelled sweet. This continued for sometime until the bed he was sitting on contained a small hill made of the rupee notes.
He later explained that these were brought in by the elemental that he had been given by his teacher. These currency notes are probably brought from a real location somewhere around the place (eg., a bank locker). They will disappear (which means they will go back to the place of origin) after 2 and half nazhigai (60 minutes).
Glossary:
Chennai - A southern port city and capital of the state of Tamilnadu, India
Nazhigai - 24 minutes
Hypocrites all, You, I and the World!
Have you heard about the new role of the Chennai Metropolitan Police? Yes, they have decided to clean up the muck in Chennai's famous Marina Beach. Indeed.
That's a good thing, you say. Why is it hypocrisy? Because, you and I do not go to the beaches of Chennai in the morning or mid afternoon. Those that come there since they have free time. Isn't this the land of the Kamasutra? Why cannot a few lovestruck couples have a good time necking with each other?
Don't the police have anything more important than to do this, is the question. Ask any citizen in this country about the image he has of the Police and you will know. It reminds me of the sequence in the Bible where Jesus speaks to the crowd thus: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
mmm... Do you see the television channels these days, the song sequences, the movies, the mega mega serials, the comedy shows et al? The people who can get corrupt are watching the television damn it. The television is there through out the day.
The kids are being taught to swear, to abuse, both physically and emotionally, to not respect parents and elders, about revenge, about making money any which way you can...
This morning there was news about a few school kids who kidnapped and killed a kid, inspired by, yes you guessed it, by some television shows.
On the one hand we are worried about lovebirds in the beach sands corrupting the society, and on the other hand, we promote intimate scenes in the television right inside our homes.
PS:
1. If you haven't seen some, you would think they were foreplay scenes from porn movies, the intimate kissing scenes (close-up scenes of the navel, busts and derrieres, kissing on the neck, ears, lips, suggestive movements {which are innocently imitated by the youngsters} and so on).
2. Then you have scenes of grown up men kicking and screaming using swear words, gory scenes where footlong knifes pierce the skin and blood splatters on the face. How realistic, wow!
3. You also have comedy shows where it is cool to swear at your father, mother and all. Yes, cool indeed.
Remember that these are being seen by innocent kids and their emotions waver in the multitude of directions, whose results could be seen in the coming years.
That's a good thing, you say. Why is it hypocrisy? Because, you and I do not go to the beaches of Chennai in the morning or mid afternoon. Those that come there since they have free time. Isn't this the land of the Kamasutra? Why cannot a few lovestruck couples have a good time necking with each other?
Don't the police have anything more important than to do this, is the question. Ask any citizen in this country about the image he has of the Police and you will know. It reminds me of the sequence in the Bible where Jesus speaks to the crowd thus: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
mmm... Do you see the television channels these days, the song sequences, the movies, the mega mega serials, the comedy shows et al? The people who can get corrupt are watching the television damn it. The television is there through out the day.
The kids are being taught to swear, to abuse, both physically and emotionally, to not respect parents and elders, about revenge, about making money any which way you can...
This morning there was news about a few school kids who kidnapped and killed a kid, inspired by, yes you guessed it, by some television shows.
On the one hand we are worried about lovebirds in the beach sands corrupting the society, and on the other hand, we promote intimate scenes in the television right inside our homes.
PS:
1. If you haven't seen some, you would think they were foreplay scenes from porn movies, the intimate kissing scenes (close-up scenes of the navel, busts and derrieres, kissing on the neck, ears, lips, suggestive movements {which are innocently imitated by the youngsters} and so on).
2. Then you have scenes of grown up men kicking and screaming using swear words, gory scenes where footlong knifes pierce the skin and blood splatters on the face. How realistic, wow!
3. You also have comedy shows where it is cool to swear at your father, mother and all. Yes, cool indeed.
Remember that these are being seen by innocent kids and their emotions waver in the multitude of directions, whose results could be seen in the coming years.
Personal Magnetism - Psychic Powers and how to develop them
Following are extracts from a book called "Your Psychic Powers and how to develop them", by Hereward Carrington, Ph.D.
Use the contents at your own discretion.
We all know the difference between a positive and a negative personality; between an individual who is naturally successful and one who is not. The former seems to attract to himself success, happiness and prosperity; the latter seems to repel it. It is not necessary for a naturally positive person to say anything or to perform any action in order to make us feel this power within him. It seems to radiate silently from him as a form of power. Many times, doubtless, we have all stepped into a room, an elevator, etc., and immediately felt the strong personality and presence of an individual of this character, possessing much natural magnetism. They may know nothing of this power; perhaps hardly realise they possess it, although they do, -in many cases, to a remarkable degree. Properly developed and utilised, this power helped to make the great names in history. We may, all of us, cultivate and develop this power to a great extent by proper practice; and the degree to which we can develop it will make us successful accordingly, not only in the material things of this world, but will also enable us to achieve mental and spiritual heights which the ordinary person cannot attain.
THE INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY
We must constantly bear in mind that there is an unlimited supply of Cosmic Energy, and this will develop personal magnetism to the degree to which we can draw upon it. Exercises for doing so have been given in a previous chapter. We must have confidence in ourselves and in our own powers; for "Confidence in self breeds confidence in others, and fear weakens both the brain that plans and the hand that executes". We must use suggestion rightly in our conversation with others, and, without appearing to do so, constantly give such suggestions as are likely to take root in the mind; and this must be hammered in by constant repetition. Finally, we must not waste the magnetism we may possess by nervous habits, such as tapping on the floor or table with the fingers, pacing up and down the room etc., In short, all unnecessary gestures. If we save our energy in this way, it is the same as if we received more of it, and this we can utilise to good account.
THE PHYSICAL FACTOR
Personal Magnetism depends upon various factors.
First of all sound physical health is essential. Without it there is little virility, and upon the presence of this vital stamina success largely depends. Theodore Roosevelt's dominating personality was due largely to his extraordinary physical energy. Large muscles are not necessarily a sign of this. It is the vital constitution which must be strengthened, and, in order to accomplish this, the internal organs must be in a healthy condition. Proper exercises, devoted to stimulating their function, should be taken for a few minutes daily; and in this connection the student would do well to consult one or two good books on physical culture, giving directions of this character. Bending movement of all kinds are especially helpful. Deep breathing exercises, which tend to expand the lungs, chest and diaphragm are to be recommended, and if you can stimulate the solar-plexus and internal organs by deep-breathing exercises, this will go a long way toward rousing the vital currents of the body. The inner psychical causes for this will be explained more fully in subsequent chapters.
THE MENTAL FACTOR
The improvement of memory by various methods would greatly add to the strength of the psychic personality, since it is upon memory that the thread of personality depends. Attention upon any given subject should be cultivated, and you should never allow yourself to perform any action automatically which should be conscious. For instance, if you put an object in the drawer of your desk, make a conscious mental note of this at the time, so that you afterward remember where it is placed, and never allow yourself to place the object there without paying particular attention to it. Many people do this, and it is indicative of a weak power of attention and a scattered mind. The degree to which you can overcome this indicates concentration, and hence power. Nothing gives power and strength to the mind so much as continued exercise and concentration.
THE SPIRITUAL FACTOR
Spiritual development will also assist in the cultivation of personal magnetism, by drawing to your aid certain spiritual energies which recharge you :- that is, charge your body in much the same way that an electric motor is charged by external energy. This power you draw by placing yourself in a certain receptive condition which invites its influx.
All negative thoughts tend to erect a wall between yourself and helpful external guidance, and, on the other hand, an affirmative and positive attitude will have the effect of attracting or drawing to you this additional power.
Thoughts and emotions also have this effect. If you will carefully analyse your own inner sensations while thinking certain thoughts or experiencing certain emotions, you will find that selfish, self-centred impulses tend to contract you mentally and physically. You feel yourself tightening-up all over, as it were, and this internal action shuts off all outside aid and influence. On the other hand, if you think thoughts of friendship, love etc., you will find your being tends to expand, and it is this feeling which opens the gates of your soul to an influx of higher power.
HOW TO INFLUENCE OTHERS
Personal Magnetism is practically useful in the affairs of this life. If you wish to achieve a certain object, you will be far more likely to do so if you have a good magnetic personality than otherwise. The following simple rules, if followed, will greatly assist you in the development of personal magnetism:
1. Just before entering into the presence of the person whom you are about to interview, call up that person's image before your mind, and assume toward it a positive mental attitude. If you do this you will carry over and maintain this attitude toward that person when you meet him. If you assume at the outset 60 or 75% of the mental dominance or initiative, you (figuratively speaking) only leave the other person 40 or 25% of the ground lying between you, which he can possibly occupy! Your business is to assume at the outset as large a percentage of the positive relationship as possible, and by doing so, you force the other person to assume the minor quantity.
THE USE OF THE EYES
2. When in the presence of the person whom you are to interview, look him squarely in the eyes, and hold his gaze and attention until you have won your first point. If possible, do not allow his attention or his eyes to wander from you until you have thoroughly insured his interest and sympathetic co-operation. It is important to catch the eye at the moment you are making a particular point, so as to "drive it home" as it were. You cannot stare a person in the eye all the while you are talking to him, and you should look away part of the time, -when you are discussing unimportant points or leading up to the climax. Many salesmen utilise this principle in making a sale. They will draw attention to a book or an illustration, at which they ask you to look, and talk about it for a moment; then close the book and make a short, quick remark, which will draw your attention to his face and eyes spontaneously. At that moment when he has gained your full attention, and you are in a condition to receive any statement he will make to you, he will come to the climax of his argument and perhaps ask you to sign a certain paper, which you may be prevailed upon to do, under the influence of his personality.
HOW TO DEVELOP THE MAGNETIC GAZE
The eyes, therefore, play an important part in the cultivation of Personal Magnetism, and you should cultivate and strengthen them by certain exercises which will certainly develop them. For example, practise gazing steadily at an object for several seconds without allowing the gaze or the attention to wander, and without blinking the eyes. At first you will probably be able to do so for only a short time; but this will gradually be extended as you cultivate the power. Next, practice gazing at a fairly bright object, and continue this until you can look at it for several minutes at a time without becoming affected.
When you look into the eyes of another person, do not look blankly, but will at the same time, and throw the whole force of your personality into your gaze, feeling that you will influence that person to do as you wish. Naturally, practices of this character can be, and, in fact, are utilised by many persons for evil as well as for good purposes. Those who are endeavouring to cultivate the higher side of their nature, however, will fully realise the necessity of utilising any added powers they may gain for good purposes only.
PASSES AND SUGGESTIONS
3. Downward passes, as before explained, are sleep passes, and a few of these will add emphasis to your speech and impress the person to whom you are talking. Do not gesticulate over much, however, as this will detract rather than add to what you have to say. A few passes at the proper moments will prove of great value.
4. Do not speak hurriedly, for if you do you will give the impression that you are in a hurry, and your hearer will unconsciously grow impatient. On the other hand, do not drawl your words, but speak naturally with a clear, forceful enunciation. The more reposed and calm you appear, the more receptive your listener will be to hear what you have to say. At the same time, you must be business-like and precise.
HOW TO PREVENT THE INFLUENCE OF OTHERS
If you wish to offset the influence of someone, who is speaking to you, and prevent yourself from being influenced by him, you should see to it that you do not allow him to catch your eye at the psychological climax of the conversation, but studiously look away at that time, and carefully think over and analyse what he is saying to you, without allowing yourself to be swayed by his manner or words. Look at him in the intervals between these climaxes, when he will probably be looking away from you. Hold your mind in a positive attitude and never allow yourself to be hurried into anything! The ability to say "NO" and stick to it, when occasion demands, has been declared one of the greatest essentials to success, by many men who have attained great eminence. As Abraham Lincoln once remarked, "Be sure you are right and then go ahead!". A clear mind and inner mental repose will greatly add to your power in these directions.
HELPFUL APPLICATION
These exercises in the development of Personal Magnetism will be found especially helpful to all psychics, for the reason that they tend to offset and counterbalance, to a great extent, the subjective practices of mediumship, and hence balance-up the personality by accentuating the objective as well as the subjective side of one's inner self. All those who are developing psychic powers and mediumship should, therefore, while leading their daily lives, endeavour to follow the principles herein laid down, and develop their own natures along these lines. They will find that it will prove very helpful to them and preserve "that just balance we term health".
Use the contents at your own discretion.
We all know the difference between a positive and a negative personality; between an individual who is naturally successful and one who is not. The former seems to attract to himself success, happiness and prosperity; the latter seems to repel it. It is not necessary for a naturally positive person to say anything or to perform any action in order to make us feel this power within him. It seems to radiate silently from him as a form of power. Many times, doubtless, we have all stepped into a room, an elevator, etc., and immediately felt the strong personality and presence of an individual of this character, possessing much natural magnetism. They may know nothing of this power; perhaps hardly realise they possess it, although they do, -in many cases, to a remarkable degree. Properly developed and utilised, this power helped to make the great names in history. We may, all of us, cultivate and develop this power to a great extent by proper practice; and the degree to which we can develop it will make us successful accordingly, not only in the material things of this world, but will also enable us to achieve mental and spiritual heights which the ordinary person cannot attain.
THE INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY
We must constantly bear in mind that there is an unlimited supply of Cosmic Energy, and this will develop personal magnetism to the degree to which we can draw upon it. Exercises for doing so have been given in a previous chapter. We must have confidence in ourselves and in our own powers; for "Confidence in self breeds confidence in others, and fear weakens both the brain that plans and the hand that executes". We must use suggestion rightly in our conversation with others, and, without appearing to do so, constantly give such suggestions as are likely to take root in the mind; and this must be hammered in by constant repetition. Finally, we must not waste the magnetism we may possess by nervous habits, such as tapping on the floor or table with the fingers, pacing up and down the room etc., In short, all unnecessary gestures. If we save our energy in this way, it is the same as if we received more of it, and this we can utilise to good account.
THE PHYSICAL FACTOR
Personal Magnetism depends upon various factors.
First of all sound physical health is essential. Without it there is little virility, and upon the presence of this vital stamina success largely depends. Theodore Roosevelt's dominating personality was due largely to his extraordinary physical energy. Large muscles are not necessarily a sign of this. It is the vital constitution which must be strengthened, and, in order to accomplish this, the internal organs must be in a healthy condition. Proper exercises, devoted to stimulating their function, should be taken for a few minutes daily; and in this connection the student would do well to consult one or two good books on physical culture, giving directions of this character. Bending movement of all kinds are especially helpful. Deep breathing exercises, which tend to expand the lungs, chest and diaphragm are to be recommended, and if you can stimulate the solar-plexus and internal organs by deep-breathing exercises, this will go a long way toward rousing the vital currents of the body. The inner psychical causes for this will be explained more fully in subsequent chapters.
THE MENTAL FACTOR
The improvement of memory by various methods would greatly add to the strength of the psychic personality, since it is upon memory that the thread of personality depends. Attention upon any given subject should be cultivated, and you should never allow yourself to perform any action automatically which should be conscious. For instance, if you put an object in the drawer of your desk, make a conscious mental note of this at the time, so that you afterward remember where it is placed, and never allow yourself to place the object there without paying particular attention to it. Many people do this, and it is indicative of a weak power of attention and a scattered mind. The degree to which you can overcome this indicates concentration, and hence power. Nothing gives power and strength to the mind so much as continued exercise and concentration.
THE SPIRITUAL FACTOR
Spiritual development will also assist in the cultivation of personal magnetism, by drawing to your aid certain spiritual energies which recharge you :- that is, charge your body in much the same way that an electric motor is charged by external energy. This power you draw by placing yourself in a certain receptive condition which invites its influx.
All negative thoughts tend to erect a wall between yourself and helpful external guidance, and, on the other hand, an affirmative and positive attitude will have the effect of attracting or drawing to you this additional power.
Thoughts and emotions also have this effect. If you will carefully analyse your own inner sensations while thinking certain thoughts or experiencing certain emotions, you will find that selfish, self-centred impulses tend to contract you mentally and physically. You feel yourself tightening-up all over, as it were, and this internal action shuts off all outside aid and influence. On the other hand, if you think thoughts of friendship, love etc., you will find your being tends to expand, and it is this feeling which opens the gates of your soul to an influx of higher power.
HOW TO INFLUENCE OTHERS
Personal Magnetism is practically useful in the affairs of this life. If you wish to achieve a certain object, you will be far more likely to do so if you have a good magnetic personality than otherwise. The following simple rules, if followed, will greatly assist you in the development of personal magnetism:
1. Just before entering into the presence of the person whom you are about to interview, call up that person's image before your mind, and assume toward it a positive mental attitude. If you do this you will carry over and maintain this attitude toward that person when you meet him. If you assume at the outset 60 or 75% of the mental dominance or initiative, you (figuratively speaking) only leave the other person 40 or 25% of the ground lying between you, which he can possibly occupy! Your business is to assume at the outset as large a percentage of the positive relationship as possible, and by doing so, you force the other person to assume the minor quantity.
THE USE OF THE EYES
2. When in the presence of the person whom you are to interview, look him squarely in the eyes, and hold his gaze and attention until you have won your first point. If possible, do not allow his attention or his eyes to wander from you until you have thoroughly insured his interest and sympathetic co-operation. It is important to catch the eye at the moment you are making a particular point, so as to "drive it home" as it were. You cannot stare a person in the eye all the while you are talking to him, and you should look away part of the time, -when you are discussing unimportant points or leading up to the climax. Many salesmen utilise this principle in making a sale. They will draw attention to a book or an illustration, at which they ask you to look, and talk about it for a moment; then close the book and make a short, quick remark, which will draw your attention to his face and eyes spontaneously. At that moment when he has gained your full attention, and you are in a condition to receive any statement he will make to you, he will come to the climax of his argument and perhaps ask you to sign a certain paper, which you may be prevailed upon to do, under the influence of his personality.
HOW TO DEVELOP THE MAGNETIC GAZE
The eyes, therefore, play an important part in the cultivation of Personal Magnetism, and you should cultivate and strengthen them by certain exercises which will certainly develop them. For example, practise gazing steadily at an object for several seconds without allowing the gaze or the attention to wander, and without blinking the eyes. At first you will probably be able to do so for only a short time; but this will gradually be extended as you cultivate the power. Next, practice gazing at a fairly bright object, and continue this until you can look at it for several minutes at a time without becoming affected.
When you look into the eyes of another person, do not look blankly, but will at the same time, and throw the whole force of your personality into your gaze, feeling that you will influence that person to do as you wish. Naturally, practices of this character can be, and, in fact, are utilised by many persons for evil as well as for good purposes. Those who are endeavouring to cultivate the higher side of their nature, however, will fully realise the necessity of utilising any added powers they may gain for good purposes only.
PASSES AND SUGGESTIONS
3. Downward passes, as before explained, are sleep passes, and a few of these will add emphasis to your speech and impress the person to whom you are talking. Do not gesticulate over much, however, as this will detract rather than add to what you have to say. A few passes at the proper moments will prove of great value.
4. Do not speak hurriedly, for if you do you will give the impression that you are in a hurry, and your hearer will unconsciously grow impatient. On the other hand, do not drawl your words, but speak naturally with a clear, forceful enunciation. The more reposed and calm you appear, the more receptive your listener will be to hear what you have to say. At the same time, you must be business-like and precise.
HOW TO PREVENT THE INFLUENCE OF OTHERS
If you wish to offset the influence of someone, who is speaking to you, and prevent yourself from being influenced by him, you should see to it that you do not allow him to catch your eye at the psychological climax of the conversation, but studiously look away at that time, and carefully think over and analyse what he is saying to you, without allowing yourself to be swayed by his manner or words. Look at him in the intervals between these climaxes, when he will probably be looking away from you. Hold your mind in a positive attitude and never allow yourself to be hurried into anything! The ability to say "NO" and stick to it, when occasion demands, has been declared one of the greatest essentials to success, by many men who have attained great eminence. As Abraham Lincoln once remarked, "Be sure you are right and then go ahead!". A clear mind and inner mental repose will greatly add to your power in these directions.
HELPFUL APPLICATION
These exercises in the development of Personal Magnetism will be found especially helpful to all psychics, for the reason that they tend to offset and counterbalance, to a great extent, the subjective practices of mediumship, and hence balance-up the personality by accentuating the objective as well as the subjective side of one's inner self. All those who are developing psychic powers and mediumship should, therefore, while leading their daily lives, endeavour to follow the principles herein laid down, and develop their own natures along these lines. They will find that it will prove very helpful to them and preserve "that just balance we term health".
Omens and their Interpretation, Interpreting Omens!
How do we read signs and omens in everyday life
This article is part one about about experimenting with the inherent power of the human being, which was to blend with nature, live by nature and learn and understand through the signs and omens of nature, which have been lost in course of time, due to ignorance and/or disuse.
This is about Omens or Portents as they call it.
Portent, a definition
How do you define portent? It is a signal from outside or inside about a future occurrence, which may happen in the next few minutes, hours or later.
Have you ever had a feeling that this is not going to be right? And did you experience later that it was not right?
This happens to us all of us sometimes. Some of us may experience it more than others. Some may not have experienced it at all. That is your sixth sense or intuition. Some of us have a highly developed intuition, while others do not.
But, on the other hand, everyone of us can take advantage of the external signs of something happening in the near future. This may refer to an incident or something that happens when we are about to travel such as, visit a friend, go to the supermarket, starting for office and so on.
You may slip when starting, encounter an obstruction or see a particular sight within a few meters of beginning your journey.
As I said, we are involved with two different kinds of experience here; the first one is popularly called intuition; the other one is called an omen.
What is intuition?
Intuition is a sign within yourself, where your sub-conscious tells you that something is wrong/right, or make you feel that you should be doing this or that.
It is believed that the base of your nose, where the eye-brows meet, is the point where the solution to improve your intuition lies. That point is called the "Ajna". It is one of the seven major points in the body; this relates to the sub-conscious.
It is believed that when one meditates on the "Ajna chakra", which is the point where our eyebrows meet, ones power of intuition is improved.
How do we explain Omen in a sentence?
Omen or portent (according to wikipedia) in a sentence, is that it is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It may be a sign of success, failure or just to tell us that the time has not come.
As we simply put it, an omen is a sign in our everyday life that nature gives you as an indication on the outcome of an activity.
Consider the following situations.
You are planning to visit a friend. You have already informed him that you will be visiting. You visit his home. He is not there. Your visit is unfruitful.
You are planning to visit a friend. You have already informed him that you will be visiting. You start from home. You get stuck in traffic, which is held up due to an accident. You reach your friend late. Your friend is not there. Your visit is unfruitful.
You are planning to visit a friend. You have already informed him that you will be visiting. Your vehicle stops with a flat tyre. You notice that the spare tyre is also flat. You do not reach your friend in time. Your journey is unfruitful.
In all the above 3 instances, it is known that the visitor and the friend will not meet, due to a sequence of events.
And the events that trigger the outcome are already on roll.
Naturally, the events trigger another action that informs the visitor that the outcome will be successful or not, which is an omen.
Let us consider another example of omen in daily life. Aruna gets ready to go to her friend's place. Aruna's mother tells her to have food before leaving. Aruna is in a hurry. disobeys mother's words and leaves. In the next 15 minutes, Aruna's bike is involved in an accident.
On hind sight, we know that if Aruna had heeded to her mother's words and had food before leaving, the accident could have been avoided.
The accident did not happen because Aruna's mother asked her to eat before leaving. The thought of asking her daughter to eat and leave was placed in Aruna's mothers mind, because nature knew that if Aruna started at that moment, she would be involved in an accident.
We should understand that the Cosmos is an alive and intelligent being, always sending us messages or omens. It is a pity that most of us are not receptive to it. And thus, we are not able to interpret the omens.
I have personally experienced these omens and have tried experimenting with them. In the process, I have found out certain things symbolically represent success/failure when I go out.
We have to see everything that happens to us as Nature influencing us. We have to believe that Nature wants to help us. And it is our duty to do our best to not harm nature and keep the balance.
Omens are one of the ways in which nature helps us do the right thing. Interpreting omens is rather easy, when we open our minds and keep a track of our daily activities.
We can learn a lot when we keep our ears, eyes open and keep an open mind. Introspection helps.
Examples of travel omens
From my experience, seeing the following means Success; positive or safe outcome:
A female dog
Someone with a vessel or vessels full of waterSomeone with milk
A married woman
A mentally challenged person
Hearing good news upon starting (such as a money order comes in, or the postman delivers your google pay check for the month) portends success.
The following coming towards you means Failure or negative outcome:
A male dog
Someone with an empty vessel
Someone with a garbage can
Garbage van
A solitary Brahman
It also means failure or obstruction, when someone asks you "where are you going?", or when you hear a baby/child or anyone cry upon starting.
These are based upon my personal experiences, which I have noted during the past. I do not know if different omens mean different things to different people. What is successful for one, may not be the same for another.
Learning to interpret Omens
Every one of us has this power to interpret omens. As with any skill, It takes time to understand, practice and master this knowledge. We may start by keeping a record of interesting things that happen during our day.
When we go through it at the end of the week or month, we may see a pattern, which will help us get into conclusions; and improve our learning on the interpretation of omens in daily life.
Using omens in everyday life
Omens are not just about travel. It is also about important decisions or actions that we take in our everyday life. Let us say, for example, we are planning a meeting with a prospective business partner. Or, we are visiting a house which we plan to purchase. Or, we are about to sign an important document. In this context, we need to know that timing is everything. And, since we are not experts, we seek the assistance of the cosmos to help us, assist us in our everyday life. And we are shown a positive or negative sign, which is our omen left to our interpretation.
Essentially, in conclusion, try to notice or observe things that happen everyday around you. Compare the outcome with the observations. Draw up your own conclusions!
Update: Part 2 of Omens and their interpretation
Install Ruby on Rails on Windows - Step by Step
Updated install instructions, as on 15th June 2007:
Updated Install instructions (5.18 KB) can be downloaded here. These modified instructions may be used in lieu of instructions found in "Step_by_step_RoR_Install_For_Windows.txt" and the original instructions.
Original instructions below:
Download the ruby pack from the link here
rubyInstall.zip (29.69 MB)
Unzip the package in a directory of your choice.
The following files are part of the package:
Step_by_step_RoR_Install_For_Windows.txt
rubyInstall <dir>
rubygems-0.9.2.zip
ruport-0.8.11.zip
ruby185-24.exe
standaloneInstall <dir containing all dependent packages of Rails>
Now, install Ruby, by double-clicking on the "ruby185-24.exe" file.
Next, gems needs to be installed.
Create a directory C:\Ruby\Src\ as
shell> md C:\Ruby\Src
Extract the "rubygems-0.9.2.zip" file in the "C:\Ruby\Src\" directory.
Now, the gems package is extracted in the directory "C:\Ruby\Src\rubygems-0.9.2"
Next, copy the directory standaloneInstall to "C:\Ruby\Src\"
[You will have a new directory C:\Ruby\Src\standaloneInstall]
Click on "Start", "Run"
Type "Cmd" in the text area and click on "OK"
The shell command prompt is displayed like "C:\Windows>" which is represented in this document as "shell>"
Here, enter the commands as below.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\rubygems-0.9.2
shell> ruby setup.rb
[gems will be installed]
Next, Rails has to be installed.
Rails installation is dependent on the following modules:
1. Activesupport - http://rubyforge.org/projects/activesupport/
2. Actionpack - http://rubyforge.org/projects/actionpack/
3. Actionmailer - http://rubyforge.org/projects/actionmailer/
4. Activerecord - http://rubyforge.org/projects/activerecord/
5. Actionwebservice - http://rubyforge.org/projects/aws/
6. Rake - http://rubyforge.org/projects/rake/
7. Rails - http://rubyforge.org/projects/rails/
Follow the commands below to install rails.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\standaloneInstall
shell> gem install Activesupport
shell> gem install Actionpack
shell> gem install Actionmailer
shell> gem install Activerecord
shell> gem install Actionwebservice
shell> gem install Rake
shell> gem install Rails
Congratulations! You have now successfully installed Ruby and Rails.
Note: In this installation, MySQL was already installed.
**************************************************
See below for the commands and the response from the computer:
**************************************************
shell> gem install Activesupport
Successfully installed activesupport, version 1.4.1
Installing ri documentation for activesupport-1.4.1...
Installing RDoc documentation for activesupport-1.4.1...
shell> mkdir C:\ruby\src\standaloneInstall
[extract]
C:\ruby\src\standaloneInstall>
shell> gem install Actionpack
Successfully installed actionpack, version 1.13.2
Installing ri documentation for actionpack-1.13.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionpack-1.13.2...
shell> gem install Actionmailer
Successfully installed actionmailer, version 1.3.2
Installing ri documentation for actionmailer-1.3.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionmailer-1.3.2...
shell> gem install Activerecord
Successfully installed activerecord, version 1.15.2
Installing ri documentation for activerecord-1.15.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for activerecord-1.15.2..
shell> gem install Actionwebservice
Successfully installed actionwebservice, version 1.2.2
Installing ri documentation for actionwebservice-1.2.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionwebservice-1.2.2...
shell> gem install Rake
Successfully installed rake, version 0.7.2
Installing ri documentation for rake-0.7.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for rake-0.7.2...
shell> gem install Rails
Successfully installed rails, version 1.2.2
**************************************************
To install Ruport [Ruby Report]
extract "ruport-0.8.11.zip" to "C:\Ruby\Src"
You will now have the package extracted to
C:\Ruby\Src\ruport-0.8.11
Enter the commands below to install Ruby Reports.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\ruport-0.8.11
shell> ruby setup.rb
The installer will respond with some information regarding the install and the shell prompt is seen
indicating that Ruby Reports was successfully installed.
**************************************************
Updated Install instructions (5.18 KB) can be downloaded here. These modified instructions may be used in lieu of instructions found in "Step_by_step_RoR_Install_For_Windows.txt" and the original instructions.
Original instructions below:
Download the ruby pack from the link here
rubyInstall.zip (29.69 MB)
Unzip the package in a directory of your choice.
The following files are part of the package:
Step_by_step_RoR_Install_For_Windows.txt
rubyInstall <dir>
rubygems-0.9.2.zip
ruport-0.8.11.zip
ruby185-24.exe
standaloneInstall <dir containing all dependent packages of Rails>
Now, install Ruby, by double-clicking on the "ruby185-24.exe" file.
Next, gems needs to be installed.
Create a directory C:\Ruby\Src\ as
shell> md C:\Ruby\Src
Extract the "rubygems-0.9.2.zip" file in the "C:\Ruby\Src\" directory.
Now, the gems package is extracted in the directory "C:\Ruby\Src\rubygems-0.9.2"
Next, copy the directory standaloneInstall to "C:\Ruby\Src\"
[You will have a new directory C:\Ruby\Src\standaloneInstall]
Click on "Start", "Run"
Type "Cmd" in the text area and click on "OK"
The shell command prompt is displayed like "C:\Windows>" which is represented in this document as "shell>"
Here, enter the commands as below.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\rubygems-0.9.2
shell> ruby setup.rb
[gems will be installed]
Next, Rails has to be installed.
Rails installation is dependent on the following modules:
1. Activesupport - http://rubyforge.org/projects/activesupport/
2. Actionpack - http://rubyforge.org/projects/actionpack/
3. Actionmailer - http://rubyforge.org/projects/actionmailer/
4. Activerecord - http://rubyforge.org/projects/activerecord/
5. Actionwebservice - http://rubyforge.org/projects/aws/
6. Rake - http://rubyforge.org/projects/rake/
7. Rails - http://rubyforge.org/projects/rails/
Follow the commands below to install rails.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\standaloneInstall
shell> gem install Activesupport
shell> gem install Actionpack
shell> gem install Actionmailer
shell> gem install Activerecord
shell> gem install Actionwebservice
shell> gem install Rake
shell> gem install Rails
Congratulations! You have now successfully installed Ruby and Rails.
Note: In this installation, MySQL was already installed.
**************************************************
See below for the commands and the response from the computer:
**************************************************
shell> gem install Activesupport
Successfully installed activesupport, version 1.4.1
Installing ri documentation for activesupport-1.4.1...
Installing RDoc documentation for activesupport-1.4.1...
shell> mkdir C:\ruby\src\standaloneInstall
[extract]
C:\ruby\src\standaloneInstall>
shell> gem install Actionpack
Successfully installed actionpack, version 1.13.2
Installing ri documentation for actionpack-1.13.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionpack-1.13.2...
shell> gem install Actionmailer
Successfully installed actionmailer, version 1.3.2
Installing ri documentation for actionmailer-1.3.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionmailer-1.3.2...
shell> gem install Activerecord
Successfully installed activerecord, version 1.15.2
Installing ri documentation for activerecord-1.15.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for activerecord-1.15.2..
shell> gem install Actionwebservice
Successfully installed actionwebservice, version 1.2.2
Installing ri documentation for actionwebservice-1.2.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for actionwebservice-1.2.2...
shell> gem install Rake
Successfully installed rake, version 0.7.2
Installing ri documentation for rake-0.7.2...
Installing RDoc documentation for rake-0.7.2...
shell> gem install Rails
Successfully installed rails, version 1.2.2
**************************************************
To install Ruport [Ruby Report]
extract "ruport-0.8.11.zip" to "C:\Ruby\Src"
You will now have the package extracted to
C:\Ruby\Src\ruport-0.8.11
Enter the commands below to install Ruby Reports.
shell> cd C:\Ruby\Src\ruport-0.8.11
shell> ruby setup.rb
The installer will respond with some information regarding the install and the shell prompt is seen
indicating that Ruby Reports was successfully installed.
**************************************************
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