Are you successful? Perhaps, if you think you're not, it's time to evaluate your thought process. PickTheBrain says that positive thinking is the first recommendation to achieve success. Write down your goals and dreams. Then, take action. Always engage yourself in learning. Be determined and work to achieve your goals. Be analytical. Dissect your mistakes and learn from them. Don't treat your errors as a blow that will get in the way of becoming extraordinary. Innovate: don't blend in with everyone else. Be different. Learn to be honest, reliable, and an effective communicator. How would you define success, and how do you achieve it? Let's hear your take in the comments. Photo by dhammza.

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Many of us have a couple of really big goals that seem virtually unattainable. However, financial site The Simple Dollar suggests that writing down small steps necessary to achieve these goals can be extremely helpful. The key is to be as detailed as possible: time commitment, how you're going to pay for it, first steps needed, etc. Once you have this rough outline on paper, it becomes a little easier to actually get started on what it will take to attain your goal. If you've ever made a really big goal and actually saw it happen, please share in the comments how you went about it, and what advice you would give to people in similar situations.

No matter how big or small your goals are, the key seems to be consistent determination to achieve them. Self-improvement blog NubbyTwiglet has more:

Once you've figured out your purpose in life, set aside some time every single day to focus on it. Taking baby steps is better than taking no steps at all! Sometimes, you may have only 10 minutes to work towards your goal. Instead of being discouraged by the lack of time, make the best of it. If you add up the work produced over a year, you'll see that true progress has been made.

The Times Online suggests some tricks to overcome information overload, like speed reading, improving your memory and logging your workday activities.

One of the most common ways to guard yourself against credit card misuse is to sign the back of your card, so that merchants can check the signature on your card with that on your ID. Right? Well, maybe not. According to financial blog The Tao of Making Money, the best practice is not to sign it.

Here's our official advice on signing the strip on the back: Don't sign it. It's useless as a deterrent, as anyone who takes your card then has a sample of your signature which they can not only use on any charge slip, but on your cheques as well. However, do not leave the white strip blank. In that space, write: "Ask For Picture ID," and be prepared to back that up someday when you're in a hurry and the clerk wants to see a driver's licence as well as the card. It makes the charge transaction a little longer, but a lot safer.

US-centric: The New York Times food critic Eric Asimov rounds up 10 great wines you can purchase for $10 measly dollars or less. If you want to be that classy host with the good taste in wine but you don't have all that much cash to do it, this list looks like a good starting point. What you get won't necessarily blow you away, but they also won't blow your budget. To make it easier on you, here's the list in its entirety:

Casa Cadaval Portugal Ribatejano , $8.99, *** Domaine de l'Ameillaud France , $9, ** ½ Viña Gormaz Spain Ribera del Duero , $9, ** Georges Duboeuf France , $9, ** Altas Cumbres Argentina Mendoza , $9, ** Wyatt California Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 , $10, ** J. Vidal-Fleury France , $10, ** Domaine Monte de Luz , $7, ** Ravenswood California Vintner's Blend , $10, ** Paringa , $9, * ½

Windows only: Freeware application Screenshot Captor is an advanced, full-featured screenshot application boasting an impressive feature set that rivals the paid-for favourite, SnagIt. For example, Screenshot Captor has tonnes of options for capturing your full screen, specific regions or selected windows; it has excellent callout functions, like standard arrows and highlighting tools along with the excellent blur effect you see in the screenshot above; and it can automatically open screenshots in your favourite image editor or email screenshots as soon as you take them. In all, Screenshot Captor may be the most full-featured screenshot app I've seen, freeware or otherwise. On the other hand, it does have a slightly steeper learning curve, so if there's a downside, that may be it. Screenshot Captor is donationware, Windows only.

The first national research project to study participants in Open Source in Australia has been launched.
The survey, called the Australian Open Source Industry and Community Census, is being conducted by Open Source consultancy Waugh Partners.
Pia Waugh blogged about the survey, and why they're keen to hear from as many companies - and individuals - as possible:

"It has an Australian focus specifically so that the final report (which will be freely available to download) will help educate and inform Australian Government, corporates and education about the realities rather than the perceptions of our industry and community locally. Hopefully it will reflect the strength, diversity and opportunities presented by the Australian Open Source industry and community, so everyone needs to stand up and be counted."

Australian Open Source Census taking off!

Now that fall premieres are underway in the US (new Heroes, yay!), there's more options than ever for streaming programs to your Mac.

Google Maps mashup Gruvr lists live local music by date and location. Just head to their homepage and enter your location (if it doesn't automatically locate you). Gruvr begins automatically displaying upcoming concerts one at a time in what at first seems like a fun tour of what's happening. If your location has a lot of venues, it quickly gets irritating, since you can't stop the playback to focus on one that piqued your interest until it finishes displaying every show for the upcoming week. Despite that one user-unfriendly quirk (which could be easily fixed), Gruvr is actually a really nice idea. The weekend is upon us, so if you're looking to hit the town for some live music, Gruvr is a good option. If you want the latest on local music but you're not keen on Gruvr, check out Pollstar, Upcoming.org, or the iConcertCal iTunes plug-in.

AU - Gruvr found 21 shows for Melbourne, so it definitely works for Oz.