Convert Files Across Formats

Technology is growing at a very rapid pace.

At the heart of any technology is saving files and reading files. The techniques of saving files differ with every technology. But you can harness the powers of these technologies if you have something which acts as a bridge between them.

Did your machine (computer, laptop, PDA, cell phone) say this to you sometimes?

Or did you find yourself in such a quandary sometime?

Well, my predicament a few weeks back was something similar. I had to download videos from YouTube and play them on my computer - which could play MP3 or FLV files. And I also wanted to play them on my humble cell phone - which could play only 3GP files.

After trying out several online file converters - some of which worked, some which did not, some with very limited capabilities, some which worked for only specific file formats - I stumbled upon this very interesting website.

It was aptly titled - Convert Files.

Beautifully designed, it lets users converts files with various purposes - listed below

• Documents
• Drawings
• Presentations
• E-Books
• Videos
• Images
• Archives
• Audios
• And the Eternal Others

It supports conversion over approximately 70 formats - all on a single website.

You can upload a file from your PC or give in a hyperlink, and get it converted.

Without doubt, it is the best file converter website I have come across - a one stop shop for all such requirements.

Hope it is sucessfull. Keep up the great work guys!!

Two

Two. It is one of the first numerals that you learn as a child. To be precise, its the second , right behind the number "one". And that's where its slotted forever- second. 

Any of its desires to come in first cannot be realized. They are just dreams- pipe dreams. They are just wishes. 

Well, this picture is a bit special. It was the icon on my messenger when my return back to home after a long assignment was just two days away. The excitement was just palpable - considering that I was returning after a long period of three months.

But when the D-day arrived, the exhilaration of Day One beat the fervor of Day Two. If Day One seemed like a running race, the previous day seemed like a pedestrian walk. 

Day Two lost to Day One!! Why? What does number two feel when he comes behind number one?

Another incident that I remember was when I was back in school. As part of the school's annual day - a play was being staged. It had a scene of a wrestling match between a well built fellow and a guy of modest build. Incidentally, I was the referee in that staged match.

The almost fatso was supposed to lose - signifying a victory of an underdog. Surprisingly, after a few trial runs, the guys just developed cold feet and refused to play the role. 

Everyone including the teachers were surprised. What had made the guy refuse to play a role, a character, which would be seen by more than a thousand people on that day? Every parent loves to see his child being appreciated by a wider group of audience. Yet, this silly guy was not taking up this opportunity.

After a bit of coaxing and prodding, he revealed the real reason. He didn't want to lose a staged match in the play in front of the entire school. He didn't want to be number two. He wanted to finish first. This incident made me realise the importance people placed on coming first.

You must have heard about Alpha Romeo. But then have you heard about Beta Romeo ? No. He does not exist. To win in love, you need to come in first - at least once. 

You have several quotes said by famous men and women on winning. The one that comes to my mind is this one. 

~~ Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.

 

Here you can realise the importance being placed on finishing first. And the disgrace of finish second. Is it really this serious? Is winning so much important?

Shiv Khera, a motivational speaker, once said - 

~~ Winners don't do different things, they do things differently.

Made me wonder what do people who come in second do? Nothing? Or something which is already done? Or do they do something differently, but the difference does not stand out or is not recognized? 

You must have heard about the quote - Two is a company, Three is a crowd. 

I make my memory jog in the reverse direction, and run a Google Search. Yet I am not able to recollect an incident in near times when I felt so. Was it because I was too generous not to have such a feeling? No. I think I was the one who was the crowd. 

If one is good, two is bad, then three is worse. 

You would have seen those athletic competitions where they award prizes for the people who stand in the top three. Being number two does not look bad after all in such cases.

But what if the game had just two players? Well, if you lose, your heart will just sink.

Catch the thoughts of the British cyclist Victoria Pendleton who won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the Women’s Individual Sprint event.

Need I say more???

You must have heard - It takes two to tango. 

Well, although it takes two people - a man and a woman to have a wonderful tango dance, the intent of the quote is slightly different. 

What it actually means is that to be sucessfull in some endeavour, if one is not sufficient, two might do the trick. An active co operation or a close handshake between two might make the enterprise a winner.

And if you are following the Cricket World Cup 2011, then you must have seen this advertisement featuring Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan Singh, with Pepsi, is seen promoting his flagship ball - The Doosra. This ball has taken many a wickets for India in some crucial moments of the match. The Doosra in english would mean The Second. 

And from the last two illustrations, we can see that you can be a winner with a "Two" too. 

Don't lose heart if you are second. 

If "One" is straight as a stick, "Two" has those generous curves. After all, the winning post might be just beyond those bends.

Risks

If there is any word which is used very commonly - in different spheres of life - it has to be Risk. 

We always look forward to ensuring the success of whatever we do - however small or big.

Be it being on time to watch a movie. Or purchasing that desirable thing you always wanted to possess, at a moment when the prices are just right for you. Or executing that enormously complex project.

Achieving success in these endeavors, as you had planned, is indeed good and emotionally rewarding. But is there something which can prevent you from being successful?

Well, there is something. It is Risk. 

You can come across a big traffic jam as soon as you start from home for the movie, which makes reaching on time difficult. Or you could misjudge the timing to buy the thing, only to see the prices fall a lot further, immediately after you do the purchasing. 

Or you could come across some unforeseen complex situations in the project execution which set you back on achieving the set goal by a few days, months or even years.

Henry Ford - the car mogul - once remarked - "No one can really guarantee the future. The best thing we can do is calculate the risks involved, size up our chances, estimate our ability to deal with them, and then make our plans with confidence."

So what does Ford propose??

Well, first thing - every task, every activity is bound to have some risks. Some of the will be known when you start with the endeavor. And some are unforeseen.

What is most important? Assessing and identifying the risks. Because only when you know that a risk exists, that you can make some attempt to overcome it. 

After identifying the risk, you have to estimate how that risk will influence the sucessfull execution of your activity. Will it have some minimal impact? Or will it have a huge impact - like derailing your activity itself?

Judgment of this point is very important - because it is with this assessment that you will give importance to that risk and take steps to prevent its occurrence.

What can be done to prevent this risk from occurring? Well, you have to take steps and create conditions to prevent the risk situation from arising.  

In some cases, you just cannot overcome the risks. What you can possibly do is mitigate these risks to the best of your abilities.

And lastly, what can be said about risks which are unforeseen? How do you manage risks which show up at the eleventh hour?

I would say a few things. Be alert - so that whenever they arise, they show up on your radar. And once they show up, tackle them with the same cycle - estimation of the risk and taking steps to avoid or mitigate them.

What is most important about such risks? Well, you need to tackle them with a sense of urgency. Remember one thing - Procrastination is your enemy.

And with all such risks under your fair control - what do you do next? Like Ford said, make your plans with confidence and execute them with the best of your abilities.

And become sucessfull.

And another important thing that should be kept in mind while taking actions against risk - the evaluation of The Risk Vs The Reward. Read more on this point on my old blog post.

Aspirations

Aspirations - It is something which we all possess.

In dictionary parlance, it is a will to succeed. Or a cherished desire - which we wish to achieve.

Achieving your aspirations always gives you a high. It will give you a sense of satisfaction. It will also give you a sense of joy and pride. 

And if that aspiration is something which you have been trying to achieve for a long time, a feeling of exhilaration is most common.

But have you faced a situation where people look upto you to meet their aspirations?

Have you been in a position where people think that you are the someone who can help them meet their aspirations, achieve their ambitions, take them towards their goals?

Some people find themselves in this situations regularly.

Barack Obama, way back in 2008, was one such person. Just after winning the South Carolina primary, he said "Yes. We Can". 

And with this, he caught on the hopes of the entire nation - going onto become the President of The United States of America. And in an unprecedented success, he became the TIME magazine Man Of The Year 2008.

Teachers also find themselves in such situations commonly. They are the role models for the students. 

  

Leaders in organizations also have this responsibility. They are commonly looked upto and cherished. And their achievements make their understudies aim for similar goals, if not better.

And most importantly, it's parents who find themselves in this situations - since they are the anchors and guiding stars for every individual in their formative years.

And sometimes, or many a times, they curb or suppress their aspirations to help you achieve yours.

Being in such a situation is not an easy thing. It gives you an extremely huge responsibility. A responsibility to ensure the success of someone else.

But if you succeed in guiding that individual to his or her aspirations, then you would become their hero. 

You would be their shining star - forever. A star whom they can look upto to be their guiding light. 

Pole star anyone??

Winston Churchill on Russia

Winston Churchill, the ex British Prime Minister, was the most formidable leader in World War 2.

Popularly known as the British bulldog, his quotes are widely remembered even today - due to their aptness.

Moving on to the USSR.

The USSR - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - when it existed between 1922 and 1991 - was the largest country in the World.

More than 10000 kilometers wide, 5000 kilometers tall, spread across 11 time zones, with just a population of 293 million - it was a country very limitedly known by the world. And that is the case even today.

The USSR now exists as Russia, albeit in a smaller form (it is an understatement to call it small), and is as strong as it was earlier.

And why are we discussing about Churchill and Russia?

Here's the reason.

Faced with a critical challenge during World War 2, Churchill said these famous line explaining Russia.

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma;but perhaps there is a key.

It is a picture perfect description of a nation which has intrigued many a generations, including today's generation.

Quite interesting isn't it??

Precis Writing

How many times did you wonder about how the things they taught you in school would be useful for you later in life?

Would writing long answers - sometimes strectching over pages - in school exams be helpful later? Would answering a few "fill in the blanks" help? Would re-ordering a few sentences help? And the list is endless.

Essay writing was one such thing which I hated throughout my school life. It was "oh so difficult" to write on an unknown topic, for atleast two pages, at the spur of the moment

On the other hand, Précis (pronounced pray-see) Writing was in my good books.

Why did I love it??

The answer is simple. I just needed to read some twenty odd lines and summarise it in upto four lines. Was there any simpler way to get 5 marks? That too by writing just 4 lines?

Why would teachers award a full five marks for a nicely written summary of just four lines?

Back then, I did not understand the importance or the significance of this section of the question paper.

But today, with my modest professional experience of six years, I can safely and confidently say that "Summarising" (Précis Writing, in other words) is one of the most important skill set one must posses.

So, what is Précis Writing ?

 

It would be vital to list two important definitions here

 

Précis is a summary (or abstract) of the essentials of a text.

 

Or

Précis is a brief statement that presents the main points of an argument or theory in a concise form.

 

And what are the most important steps of writing an effective Précis (Summary)?

 

First and foremost, it is very important to grasp the theme or idea which is being discussed. It will mean understanding the topic under discussion.

 

If the précis is to be written for a section of written text, it may require 2 to 3 iterations of reading. And if the summary is to be written for a discussion, it will require effective paraphrasing.

 

Step two would involve understanding the most important and significant points, ideas and thoughts. They need to be presented with factual correctness in a logical order.

 

Last step would involve putting the thoughts down on paper in a précise and clear manner. The overall idea should remain unchanged  but yet should be conveyed in a miniature form.

 

Most importantly, the summary should be coherent so that the reader can understand the essence of the idea being communicated.

Net in net, it's like presenting a three hour movie with a one minute trailer.

 

Writing a good précis and summary would need a continuous practice. And you can only get better with time as  you learn how to grasp the topic and convey the thoughts effectively.

 

Everyone these days looks for a good and concise summary, be it on a discussion, or an idea, or something else - consdering the fact that we are always running short of time.

 

So go ahead and start writing effective summaries.

 

This is one good way of going back to your simple and humble school life. Isn't that what we all yearn for?

Double Century

Three years and two hundred blog posts. 

This has been the journey of my blog since I started writing on this very page. 

Just a fortnight back, I posted the 200th post - without realizing that I had crossed a vital landmark.

Landmarks should be stepping stones to further successes. And with this in mind, I look back at a few blog posts from my collection - the one's who bought in the best traffic, and the one's who didn't bring in much of traffic but made me happy.

My first traffic spinner was Ana Ivanovic, the Serbian Tennis Star, with her photo shoot for Sports Illustrated with Pink Tennis Balls.

This photo shoot of hers has been an hit with online community crazy about Female Tennis Players. And when Google listed my blog page right at the top of the result, the traffic flowed in.

Check out the photo shoot on my blog post and see who catches your attention - Ana Ivanovic or the Pink Tennis Balls?

Next one were the all famous "Football WAGs".

Between June-July 2010, when the World Cup football was in progress, the players took all the attention.

And immediately after the World Cup, their wives and girlfriends were in focus. The ladies who garnered the largest attraction were Sara Carbonero, Alex Curran and Sarah Brander.

These ladies too bought in a lot of traffic. Read about their claim to fame on my blog post.

And most recently, it was a blog post on Mao Zedong, who bought in a lot of viewers.

Courtesy Google, an image on my blog post was listed as the first image in Google Search, with "Mao Zedong" as the search query.

Check out my opinion and links between Mao Zedong, Maoism and Maoists here.

But blogging is not all about bringing in more traffic.

It has more to do with writing things which are close to your heart. Things which reflect your very self. Things which highlight your learnings. Things which make you feel happy, and sad.

Here's a list of my top blog posts in this category.

I didn't know that I could write so much on Eyes.

And on Smiles, which can set a few things straight.

This blog post on Attractive Hairstyles was completely offbeat.

And this blog post - on Parenthesis - reflected the complex relationships in our modern time.

And I can't resist listing the next two blog posts.

The first one is on Enchanting Perfumes.

And the next one is on the eternal theme - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

There are many more which may be worth reading.

Surf around my blog if you would like too. And let me know your opinion.

Stylish Shoes

There are many things about women which are very intriguing and difficult to comprehend. 

But if you ask me to take out a top list, this is something which would definitely be among them.

I am talking about shoes - simple shoes. And I have always been amazed by the number of shoes being possessed by the girls.

Now shoes are something which we wear beneath our feet - to help us walk comfortably, both when we are at home and outside home. And if this is to be the purpose of the shoes, then a couple of them would be quite sufficient.

But then, these days, shoes are just not meant to be shoes. They are meant to be style statements. They are supposed to reflect your mood. They are an epitome of your attitude.

There would be several other reasons - which I am unable to comprehend at the moment. But it seems this multitude of factors is the reasons why you would commonly find gals possessing a whole lot of shoes.

So here's a low down of a few attractive and useful variety of shoes which are in circulation in the market.

Starting with the humble Sandal.

This is the most simplest and basic of all women shoes. Quite easy to wear, it can come in stylish looks too. And the best part is that it offers a lot of fresh air to the feet, making it one of the most liked footwear.

Next comes another simplistic footgear - the slippers.

It is worn commonly at home - and is usually loved for its simple look and comfort feel.

Then come sneakers.

They have become an integral part of Friday Dressing for women. Needless to say, they are preferred footwear for gals - at games, at casual outings, and similar such occasions. 

And for formal clothing, women need not depend on a particular style of shoes. A lot of trendy formal shoes are available - like the one below - which makes formal dressing quite simple.

Such shoes are characterized by elegance and grace.

Many a times, you will also find women wearing high heels on formal occasions.

These are equally graceful. While it would help a woman with a slightly lesser height look tall, it is also worn by tall women to make them stand out further.

Slingback shoes too are similar in design - with a strap extending behind the heel.

Coming next are boots.

Commonly made of leather, they stand long - usually extending just right below the knees. They too are worn on formal occasions. You would also find them quite popular in countries where bad weather due to snow or cold is quite common.

And then you must have heard about globe trotting celebrities - partying their way away on yachts. Usually they are accused on not knowing what to wear on the yacht. They are commonly spotted wearing high heels - and are later accused of damaging the floor of the yacht.

To avoid joining their league, next time when you go on a yacht or a boat - put on a pair of Boat Shoes.

While these shoes are commonly used for regular wear, there are some other which are used only at parties or social occasions.

Such shoes come in attractive colors and stylish designs. And needless to stay, this is when they become more than shoes - they become style statements.

And to give the women the confidence that it is not about only style - but style with substance - you have advertisements like the one below.

These shoes - be they stylish or simple - might be at your feet. But they go onto add that extra bit of charm into your attitude.

After all, the world is beneath your feet!!

Stone Cold and Hot Head

The thing on top of my mind yesterday was champagne.

Yesterday evening, I kept on visualizing how a bottle of champagne is opened, thinking about the pop sound that it makes and the fizz & spray that it creates as it flows out.

It is not that I was eager to have a glass of it. I was comparing it to myself - the way my little mind works when I get angry. :-(.

It's not a good thing to get angry. However hard I try play Stone Cold Steve Austin, circumstances make me go the other way.

But within a matter of less than a day, I learned a valuable lesson on why thinking with a hot head is not a good thing. 

A situation had arisen yesterday where a particular decision was to be taken. 

Although the solution to the question at hand was quite logical, it was not acceptable due to the fact that it was against the expected answer of the person who had raised the question. 

Needless to say, the Champagne had already popped.

Time they say is the best healer. And as always, it came to the rescue.

The same problem was resolved today with the same answer!!

And this went on to highlight the fact that it is always nice to think with a calm head and open mind.

I strongly hope and pray to God that the Champagne pops lesser and lesser times.