Finding Time for You
Your Most Vital Commitment

Within each of us there is a well of energy that must be regularly replenished. When we act as if this well is bottomless, scheduling a long list of activities that fit like puzzle pieces into every minute of every day, it becomes depleted and we feel exhausted, disconnected, and weak. Refilling this well is a matter of finding time to focus on, nurture, and care for ourselves, or "you time." Most of us are, at different times throughout the day, a spouse, a friend, a relative, an employee, a parent, or a volunteer, which means that down time, however relaxing in nature, is not necessarily "you time." Though some people will inevitably look upon "you time" as being selfish, it is actually the polar opposite of selfishness. We can only excel where our outer world affairs are concerned when our own spiritual, physical, and intellectual needs are fulfilled.

Recognizing the importance of "you time" is far easier than finding a place for it in an active, multifaceted lifestyle, however. Even if you find a spot for it in your agenda, you may be dismayed to discover that your thoughts continuously stray into worldly territory. To make the most of "you time," give yourself enough time on either side of the block of time you plan to spend on yourself to ensure that you do not feel rushed. Consider how you would like to pass the time, forgetting for the moment your obligations and embracing the notion of renewal. You may discover that you are energized by creative pursuits, guided meditation, relaxing activities during which your mind can wander, or modes of expression such as writing.

Even if you have achieved a functioning work-life balance, you may still be neglecting the most important part of that equation: you. "You time" prepares you for the next round of daily life, whether you are poised to immerse yourself in a professional project or chores around the home. It also affords you a unique opportunity to learn about yourself, your needs, and your tolerances in a concrete way. As unimportant as "you time" can sometimes seem, it truly is crucial to your well-being because it ensures that you are never left without the energy to give of yourself.

DailyOM

You Are...

SOME KIND OF MIRACLE

Ooh, ooh...

Prayed for an angel
To come in the night
And shine some sweet light on me
Found only strangers
Then you came to me
Just when I'd given up
You gave me love
My world was tumbling down
You turned me around, baby

You...
You're some kind of miracle
You...
You're a miracle to me

Sweet revelation
That look in your eyes
Your touch in the night
I found the sweetest salvation
In your arms, baby
Warm as the morning sun
Your tender love I....
Came and just lifted me up
Look what you've done, baby

You brought joy to my heart
I found love in your arms
See what you done for me
You set my soul so free
You came and you gave me
The love that I need, oh

Baby, you are
Oh, a miracle to me

(Kelly Clarkson)

TIME FOR REFLECTION

REFLECTION

Giving ourselves time to reflect and heal can be a powerful way to process the things that are happening in our lives, and one of the best approaches to do this is by going on a retreat. Going on a retreat means that we have set the intention to heal and learn more about our spirit, and doing this is a decision that we make for ourselves.

Since everyone sees and experiences the world differently, it is important to choose a type of retreat that works best for us. Even though a friend or loved one may recommend something, we have to trust our intuition and select a path that really connects with what our soul needs most at the time. The most essential thing is to be willing to respect our unique stage of development and to be patient with ourselves since any thoughts or issues that arise are simply part of the process of healing. Just remembering that a retreat is an intense period of time where serious soul searching takes place can help us allow whatever may happen to us to fully unfold. Going on retreat may sound like a vacation, but most retreat experiences ask you to look deep inside of yourself, and sometimes this can be uncomfortable or stir the pot of our soul.

Putting our trust in the retreat process will make space for the necessary work we have to do, making it easier for our hearts and minds to explore wholly the innermost reaches of our soul. By paying attention to these messages, we pave the way for greater healing and transformation, since spending time in contemplation at a retreat will give us the gift of insight and understanding that we can use in all aspects of our daily lives.

DailyOM

Finally, A Way To Measure Real Security On A Virtual Machine

The Center for Internet Security will be floating an early version of a "hardened" set of security guidelines for VMware's ESX Server.

The upcoming VMworld conference will feature, in addition to a raft of new products, the the draft of a guide on how to make virtual machines more secure, addressing one of the most sensitive issues in the burgeoning adoption of virtualization in the data center.

The Center for Internet Security, a non-profit organization that specifies best security practices for Windows and other data center software, will be floating an early version of a "hardened" set of security guidelines for VMware's ESX Server. The center calls its guides benchmarks. They are written with a focus on security performance, not speed, as with other benchmark measures.

The guide was drafted with input from security experts, VMware, Configuresoft, and major virtualization users, said Dave Shackleford, VP of the center, in an interview.

Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald predicts that by 2009, 60% of production virtual machines will be less secure than their physical counterparts. That's because the rapid implementation of virtual machines breaks down some of the old security disciplines in the data center; the separation of duties between server administrators and security administrators is less distinct than with physical servers.

VMware's Virtual Center offers the option of VMotion, or moving a running virtual machine from one physical server to another. After the move, who has primary responsibility for that VM's security?

Many companies can't afford to have their virtual machine hypervisors, which are in direct contact with many system resources, more exposed than their physical machines to intruders or threat of malware.

As a result, the CIS benchmark for ESX Server security is likely to be first in a series of closely examined guides on best practices for implementing virtualization.

When implementing ESX Server, not every system administrator realizes that he's dealing with a version of Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) Linux at its core with Red Hat's VAR log directory, allowing Linux product makers to generate a directory of information specific to their users. Likewise, ESX Server creates another VAR log directory beneath the main one, capturing key information on how the virtual machines are configured, what operating systems are in use, what error messages have been sent, and how host servers are configured.

"There's a lot of information in those logs that you want to protect," and access to it needs to be granted strictly to those who need to know it, said Shackleford. With no awareness of the ESX Server log file, a server administrator won't set those restrictions, he added.

Linux server administrators may also accept default settings for the Net.IPv4 parameters in the Linux kernel. But leaving the parameters untouched can open ESX Server to denial of service attacks, Andrew Bird, VP of marketing at Configuresoft, a supplier of configuration management software, warned in an interview.

These and other issues are covered in the draft of VMware ESX Server Benchmark Version 1.0. It will cover the 2.5 and 3.0 versions of ESX Server and will be available during VMworld in San Francisco Sept. 11-13 at the Configuresoft booth 1120. CIS is still seeking comment on the draft. The finished benchmark will be available for public download from www.cisecurity.org, the center's Web site, by the end of the month.

Blackberry Curve 8330

BLACKBERRY WORLD!!!

Ah, the joy of a BlackBerry Curve. One of our favorite smartphones ever, the Curve just works—and that goes for Alltel's model too. It's a great buy for anyone who wants a terrific phone with unparalleled messaging, excellent media features, and a bit of Web thrown into the mix. One complaint, though: Alltel could have done a little more to set its model apart from the pack.
The Alltel Curve, in sober gray, looks like a darker, handsomer version of Verizon's model. For a basic rundown of the Curve's design and features, check out PCMag's review of the Verizon or Sprint Curve.

On Alltel's network, the Curve sounds as beautiful as ever. Reception is excellent, and volume is pretty much perfect, with no distortion even at the top level. And the speakerphone is loud and clear. Curves are among the best voice phones we've tested, and this one is no exception. This Curve also got particularly stellar battery life, with over 6 hours of talk time.

Like other Curves, Alltel's has a 3.5mm headphone jack for phone or music headsets and works with mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets. Oddly, I could trigger the VoiceSignal voice dialing with our mono Aliph Jawbone, but not our stereo Plantronics Pulsar 590 headset.

Alltel lets you use the Curve as a modem for your PC (but not for a Mac) on Alltel's EV-DO Rev 0 high-speed network. The carrier provides easy-to-use software that enables a one-click connection—it was a snap to set up. Speeds were slow for EV-DO, though, at around 400 kilobits per second down, but this seemed to be a problem with Alltel's network—our other smartphones ran even more slowly in modem mode.

So what does Alltel bring to the table? In terms of software, the carrier's model falls somewhere between Verizon's sparse offerings and Sprint's richer ones. You get Google Talk and Yahoo! Messenger IM clients but no AIM. The free Google Maps for Mobile uses cell-tower triangulation to get a rough location fix, but there's no bona fide GPS (unless you pay for additional software). Buried under an odd icon marked "Axcess Shop" is an information app, which gives you news headlines, weather, stocks, and traffic information.

You can also buy software for the Curve, and this is where things get interesting. Alltel's MobiTV-based streaming Axcess TV ($9.99 per month) is available, along with Garmin Mobile ($9.99 a month) for true GPS capabilities and DynoPlex MasterDoc ($49.95), which provides enhanced attachment viewing. Shape's IM+ ($49.95) adds MSN, AIM, and MySpace IM to the Curve's list. There are also plenty of games to be had, among them Guitar Hero.

RIM's forthcoming BlackBerry OS 4.5 will include support for Microsoft Office document editing through DataViz's DocumentsToGo program, and Alltel will offer a free upgrade to Curve owners. That combined with the standard Curve features, such as the great camera, including video recording; the terrific BlackBerry messaging, including both SMS and MMS; and the new PC software, which helps transfer music and videos over from Windows XP and Vista PCs to the phone, makes Alltel's Curve 8330 as much a winner as its Verizon and Sprint cousins. We think it's the best balance of smartphone functionality for Alltel subscribers.