Lifespike

Packing Philosophies and Personalities

Christopher Chan — 2008-02-18T03:47:08+00:00

We have all heard the old adage, you are what you eat. Can we extend that to how we travel ? Or more specifically, what does our packing style and philosophies say about us ? Recently, a bunch of Lifespikers ditched the sunny shores of Australia (temporarily) and headed to Japan for a vacation. This was a good opportunity to find about each of us by our how we packed and what we brought with us. It was a relatively challenging packing exercise to balance the need to pack appropriate clothing for the much colder climate as well as to allow us to bring our along equipment to indulge in our hobbies while in Japan. How do we manage all of this while keeping to the somewhat strict baggage allowance of the airlines ? Below you will find four sections to this article revealing the innermost packing personalities of the four intrepid Lifespikers who embarked on the Japan excursion written in their own words. The Techie Traveller (Chris)I'll start this expose with my own packing philosophy and how I packed for the trip. Two things drive my packing strategy : be prepared and gadgets. I am naturally quite risk averse and I do not like to leave things to chance. One dilemma that often confronts me is to what extent I should prepare for *all* contingencies and to what extent should I hope for the best ? Not being overly experienced with extreme cold weather, I really had no idea how cold it was likely to be in Hokkaido in late January. What does -10C really mean ? How much cold can I take ? I would hate to show up under-prepared and thus faced two weeks of uncomfortable / miserable cold. This is a holiday after all, I wanted to be able to enjoy the cold climate in comfort. But winter clothing is extremely bulky and I do not want to be bringing along clothing or accessories that I don't use.So here's what I decided in terms of my cold clothing strategy. I figured that it was important to keep the extremities warm / covered, to keep the upper body warm and the lower body will just have to take it. :) For the extremities, I packed a ski mask that covered the whole head except for the eyes, a pair of "Windstopper" gloves (which turned out to be absolutely not fit for the purpose of stopping wind) and a neck warmer. For upper body protection, I brought one thermal under-shirt and a dual-layer ski jacket (thicker outer water proof layer and an thinner inner layer). For the lower body, I was placing all the trust on my regular cargo-pants and one pair of ski pants.This cold clothing inventory served me extremely well. The best return on investment was the ski mask as keeping the head warm as an exponential effect on warming the rest of the body. The Windstopper gloves were effective only for keeping the cold away from the hands but when the wind picked up, it was pretty much useless. But certainly better than nothing. The lower body held up surprisingly well. There were only a couple of occasions where I wished I had brought lower thermals as well.All in all, the amount of winter clothing that I brought along was just nice and I used every one of them. Now to dilemma number two. How do I indulge in my tech obsession on this trip ? Most people would agree that I have an unhealthy attachment to my tech gadgets. And I agree with them. :) But I still have to accomodate my tech obsession otherwise I'll have withdrawal issues during the trip. Let me break my gadgetry down into the following categories - photography related, entertainment related and ancillary but crucial items.A large part of my interest in the Japan trip was to indulge in my photography hobby so I knew I was going fully loaded with my photography gear. There was no other option. So with me came my Canon 30D DSLR with my four lenses - 50mm, 10-22mm, 17-85mm and a Tamron 18-250mm. All the lenses went into a Think Tank Urban Design 30 camera bag which I carried on. The DSLR went into my camera / laptop backpack, a Lowepro CompuDaypack. Of course, a plethora of memory cards, spare batteries and cleaning equipment went along. I also had to bring my tripod along for night photography so into my suitcase went the Velbon carbon fibre tripod. Luckily, the carbon fibre make up does result in a lighter tripod though it did take up a fair amount of space inside my suitcase. I need somewhere to dump my photos as my memory cards won't last me for a two week trip. So the Macbook Pro came along with me together with a 100Gb Seagate portable hard drive. My philosophy is that the photos from a trip are close to priceless and I do not want to put my faith in a hard drive. The Seagate drive was used to backup my laptop such that I always had two complete copies of all my photos. As there are other similarly teched up Lifespikers on this trip, I also brought along my Airport Express portable wireless router to allow us to share an Internet connection wirelessly in the hotel.Oh boy .. that was a lot of stuff. And now to the gadgets to keep me entertained on those long flights. My gadget of choice here, which is thankfully extremely portable, is my 16Gb Apple iPod touch. You cannot really fit too many shows on to a 16Gb iPod which is another reason why I brought along the Seagate portable drive. I loaded that up with additional media which I transferred on to my iPod once I've finished watching whatever that's on the iPod. One of the best ways to enjoy a cinematic movie experience on the iPod is with a good pair of headphones. My Bose QuietComfort 2 headphone is well suited to this task, especially in the very noisy airplane cabin. Lastly the ancillary gizmos that are not sexy but quite essential. My favourite such item is a multiple socket power board. With all the gadgets come a large demand on power sockets to charge them up. And you will never find sufficient power sockets in a hotel room nor are the sockets always conveniently located. My favourite power socket board is one I picked from Shanghai a few years back. The great thing with this board is that not long does it come with 6 sockets, each socket is able to accomodate multiple power pin configurations. I wished I had bought two of these boards just in case this one fails on me as I travel all of the world with it.So what does this say about me ? Do I overpack ? Definitely. But I use everything that I bring along. There are no items that I travel with that are brought "just in case". So that's maximum ROP (return on packing). :D Enough about me, it's time I turn this over to my fellow Lifespikers.The Accidental Pragmatic Traveller (Sacha)Off to Japan and what an exciting trip it should be, additionally to be travelling with good friends is a real treat. Now those that know me, would know my willingness to procrastinate, well with this trip nothing really has changed, it's 12:00am, 14 hours before check in and I have just completed packing, well almost, need to get the toiletries together. Despite this rather annoying habit, my approach to packing is somewhat more methodical in stark contrast to the somewhat just in time, haphazard approach to my day to day life. Those of you reading this who know me, would scoff, but I kid you not, when it comes to packing and getting ready to fly out, I quickly shift into paranoia mode with constant double checking to see I have got all the right gear, and a propensity to over-pack to cater for weather contingencies. This trip is a winter trip as I am heading to Japan in late January, pretty much mid winter. Being a 2 week trip, you can imagine a pretty hefty suitcase but in this instance, it's been recommended by my esteemed buddies to go minimalist. My approach has been to to temper with the minimalist approach and compromise by essentially packing for 1 week with the intention of laundering my clothes, at the end of the first week. Not quite bare essentials but not overkill.So to break it down, there are just some essentials, that will ensure my survival in what is sure to be a hostile climate at times. I purchased a Lowe waterproof/windproof jacket, a pair of waterproof/snowproof gloves and a pair of Merrell shoes that can handle the urban jungle, as well as a brief foray into nature's jungle if the opportunity presents. Of course toiletries are essential!Instead of hefty jackets, I am going with the layering approach, so I have packed t-shirts and fleecy lined tops to keep me warm and if the weather plunges below 0, I can resort to my Lowe windproof jacket. So I have a t-shirt for each day and will rotate between 2 pairs of jeans and 3 fleecy type tops. There's a fresh change of socks and underwear for each day as well. My primary motivation for this trip was to photograph the people and the land of Japan, and so I will be taking a few electronics to ensure I can adequately document my travels around Osaka and Hokkaido. In my check in luggage, I will have a Manfrotto tripod for early morning and late evening landscape captures. I have also packed a Canon 400d dSLR camera. Lenses I have packed include a 10-22mm wide angle lens for my landscape and architecture captures. My primary people lens will be the Canon 70-200mm f2.8. While it is probably one of the best lenses in the Canon's range, the cost is its weight. This little monster comes in at just over 1.5kg, which is sure to take its toll on the 12 hour days of sightseeing. With its reach and capability, coupled with the unique photographic opportunities that Japan presents itself, I am more than happy to bear the load. For low light shots, I have packed my Canon 50mm 1.4 which is a light and handy lens. A Canon 580ex flash completes my photography gear packed into carry on luggage.At the end of each day, I plan on documenting my the travels for the day, as well processing a couple images from each day, so that everyone in Australia can be treated to a snapshot from Japan, to that end, I have packed my Macbook Pro. Hopefully, I have packed enough, but I leave with the knowledge, that if the weather gets decidedly worse, there are always opportunities to peruse factory outlet stores in Otaru. Pretty pragmatic and structured approach don't you think? The Sophisticated Traveller (Sonia)So somehow, I ended up the only female on an upcoming trip to Japan. And believe me, I can foresee no issues with this except in two areas…packing and getting ready. Now, by any “female” standards I am quite good at both of these, in that I impose my own restrictions when it comes to my luggage and can get ready for an evening out in about 30 mins (if I am really pushed, by either time or my husband). However, by male standards, I may still be the one lagging behind and will most likely be the last to leave the hotel or the last to leave the luggage carousel on our upcoming adventure.This means for the last few weeks, I have been consumed with how I will pack for this trip and what shortcuts I can take that will minimise my ready time, so that I can be as least disruptive as possible, (while still appearing “fabulous”, of course), for the simple reason that I am out-numbered. I don’t think I will have anyone coming to my defence, see my side or help provide justification for my load or tardiness. I initially thought I could work my way around this, but as the days come closer, I’m thinking it is just not that simple.So before I begin thinking strategy, I must first think of my obstacles. And to do that I need to break down the two areas. When it comes to packing, they are as follows:1. It’s winter in Japan and we aren’t talking an Aussie winter where occasionally it might hit zero degrees. We’re talking sub-zero temperatures, potentially reaching a maximum of -20 degrees Celsius2. We chose this season so we could go snowboarding. Dilemma two is packing for this activity and I have all my own gear. This means a board, boots, ski clothes etc3. Our activities also include a lot of walking but also some nightlife which means different pairs of shoes…in winter that can only mean boots and runners…which translates into space and weight4. I have one bag, plus one carry on (thank you Jetstar)5. You do the math!When it comes to getting ready, they are as follows:1. I am a girl (throw in long unruly hair and the need for makeup)2. What more do you need??My options are thus:1. Just pack my snowboard gear,, my winter coat and one set of clothes. Upon arrival in Japan, check out the local markets and buy enough clothes for the 2 weeks and discard upon on my return.2. Just pack my snowboard gear, my winter coat, a pair of shoes and wear my husband’s clothes3. Just pack my snowboard gear, my winter coat (are you seeing a trend here??!!), 2 pairs of jeans, 1 set of boots (flat) and a lot of scarves and layering tops in the hope that it won’t be that cold4. Help??!!!Problem is how do I find clothes to wear during the day to run around in and also to wear to a nice dinner or evening out? Will it matter when its that cold? Do I care?? Will the boys even give a damn?! Aarrgghhh and that’s just the main items…I still haven’t even thought of the shoes or the toiletries or any other must-have essentials for travelling (which I am sure will be deemed as “luxuries” by the boys!).What is a girl to do?!After much deliberation, analysing, measuring, weighing, feng shui-ing, I have come to this conclusion. I am going to put everything I would like to bring on my bed and arrange into 3 categories: 1) Non-negotiable items; 2) Creative Packing; 3) Can live without and then just start packing…when I hit the max, I hit the max and I will just have to live with it! Which translates into: the guys will just have to live with the following statement which may be repeated as often and whenever I please “…oh, I can’t believe I left that at home…I so could have used that1…” Their punishment…for….uhm…well…for being so damn practical! The Extreme Sports Traveller (Steve)Coming soon.

The Invasion Review

Sacha Fernandez — 2008-01-09T13:15:34+00:00

To start off with, the title of the movie is a give away. Science fiction which morphs into a thriller . The Invasion is the third remake of the 1956 classic of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig are more than a decent one two, to attract movie goers. Any lesser actors and The Invasion may have struggled. For me The Invasion may have been a good movie 40 years ago, but it just doesn't cut it today with what has preceeded it. The Invasion relies on a tried formula but with a remake you want the movie to go to the next level instead this installment is really jumpy and looks like it was hastily put together, with such a sudden ending, it had me going "What, that's it!?" I think the movies cause was not helped by the fact that there were two directors who were in control at different times during productions. What I find fascinating is the path that Nicole Kidmad has taken since her Academy Award success. A superstar she is, but from my standpoint, she seems to be cashing on her golden man. Bewitched and now The Invasion are hardly movies with a lot of depth, nor do they draw on her immense talents. Perhaps she needs to seek out fellow Aussie Cate Blanchett who seemingly is there or there abouts every year as the awards season begin.Daniel Craig who until landing the 007 role, coasted along the periphery of super stardom, is now is a major drawcard. I Iiked his work in this movie. He plays the supporting role Ben Driscoll, who is Kidman's love interest. The quick and simple premise of The Invasion is a super viral infection has landed on earth and attacking humans in their sleep specifically when they reach REM stage of sleep. Already difficult husbands become uncontrollable. Kidman's character Carol Bennell a Washington DC psychiatrist has to fight to stay awake and rescue her son Oliver in order to save the world. There is political undertone throughout the movie which suggests conformity leads to peace, as the epidemic turn humans into emotional-less drones.While my review thus has been far from glowing, there are elements which will have you jumping, some really chilling sequences, and visual effects in parts are excellent. Parent car company Ford would be happy that their Jaguar was put through it's paces and exuded a sense of indestrucibility. The cynics may suggest that a few cars were used, and you would most probably be right, but those car chase sequences got my attention.If you have shelled out big bucks for a widescreen plasma or lcd, and a home theatre system well, this movie is for you. Wait a couple months for the DVD or High Definition DVD to hit the stores and take home The Invasion for a cheaper night in for you and a bunch of friends on a Friday or Saturday night.

Travel : Unique Attractions in Singapore

Mavis Tham — 2008-01-09T04:34:29+00:00

How did you spend your New Year’s Eve this year? Were you: (a) at a party with friends (b) at a pub or restaurant getting ready to toast in the New Year (c) at home in front of the television watching the count down from various parts of the world?If you have answered yes to any the above, then you would have ushered in the new year in the same way as almost everyone else.Every year, like most people, I have always spent my New Years Eve either at some restaurant or party with friends. So this year, I decided it was time for a change! If I was in Sydney I would probably be inclined to do a picnic at a prime spot while waiting for the fireworks. But since I am based in Singapore, I decided I wanted to usher in the New Year in a unique unconventional way. At the end of the day, there were endless possibilities depending on one's creativity, but here my top 3 hassle-free choices :-1. Dine at The Jewel BoxThe Jewel Box is an iconic hilltop destination, on top of Singapore's Mount Faber tourist attraction. For Christmas and New Year, there were several activities being organised on The Jewel Box, including The Sky Symphony Countdown, which has to be the highlight of The Jewel Box every year, as it keeps getting better and better! This year, there was a choreographed pyro-display with pyrotechnics emitting from cable cars and climaxing with a jaw-stopping fireworks show set against one the World's Tallest Artificial Christmas trees at The Jewel Box. There was also a Musical Light Show & 'Snow' Show as well as personalities from popular radio station Yes 933 and Class 95 DJs to help bring up the atmosphere.This sounds like a really happening place to do the Countdown! The only down side is that the location of The Jewel Box is on top of Mount Faber. So you really want to make sure that you have the appropriate transportation arrange to get back down to civilisation post-countdown.2. Take a DHL Hot Air Balloon RideLaunched in April 2006, the DHL balloon is the world's largest tethered helium balloon designed in France. For now, it is owned by Singapore's premier tour organiser, DUCKtours. For the regular ride, which last only for 10 minutes, you would be floating on a balcony with nothing under your feet except a bird's eye view of Singapore. Very exhilarating ride, but not for the faint hearted with a height phobia! For the New Year celebration, they have a special countdown balloon ride, where you will take off at around 11.15 pm, giving you ample time to reach the maximum height, hype up a little for the countdown, do the actual countdown and watch the fireworks from 150m (40 stories) above ground, with a maximum of 40 people in the balloon. For a price of around $33 SGD, you will also be given a complementary cup of sparkling juice (trust me, you do not want to be drunk or high at 150m!!) and some party poppers. Pretty cool way to welcome in the new year, watch the fireworks and be one up (pardon the pun!) on the rest !3. Ride the high waves in the Singapore Duck ToursThe Singapore Duck Tours is the first and only amphibious attraction in Asia. I remembered having taken the ride before in Wisconsin, USA. Over there, it is called the Wisconsin Duck tours. Since this one is in Singapore, therefore it is called the Singapore Duck Tours. The vehicle is an authentic Vietnam war craft that glides on land as well as on sea. So during the regular tour which lasts for an hour, the duck would spend 30 min on sea and 30 minutes on land. Commentary would be provided by the trained Ducktainers onboard. As part of the New Year special, a special tour will take place at 11:00pm, where you would be ferried straight to the middle of the marina bay where the fireworks are being set-off. The ducks would dock while you sit back and enjoy the fireworks being lit from directly above you against the beautiful backdrop of the CBD Shenton Way area. For a price of around $33 SGD, you will also be given a complementary cup of sparkling juice (trust me, you do not want to be drunk in the middle of the high seas as well!) and some party poppers as well.Any guesses as to which one I opted for in the end?? Yup, I decided to go with option 3, the Singapore Duck Tours. Since I planned this out way in advance, I was able to take advantage of the early bird special as well, which gives me 30% off the regular price of the ticket. Being able to see the actual fireworks from right over my head in the middle of the waters was just too tempting an opportunity to pass over.In the end, the experience was an unforgettable one and I managed to take some fireworks pictures to the best of my ability, (hey, it was not easy, ok? not being able to use a tripod on the boat and with all the intense rocking!), to share with everyone.If you happen to be around Singapore, you might want to consider trying one the recommended attractions mentioned above. It does not have to be during New Year, as they have regular daily trips and attractions as well. But just in case, you might want to check if they have anything special planned for any upcoming events anyway! You might never know!!

Movie Review - I Am Legend

Mavis Tham — 2008-01-08T03:45:12+00:00

"I am Legend" is based on a 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson, credited with influencing a generation of bestselling authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. One can only marvel at the powers of his imagination, as since as long time back as 54 years ago, he already had visions of a major US state overrun wih vampires/the infected. Its no wonder that he can also be considered as the father of modern zombie genre, vampire stories and virus-related apocalypse. Owing to the success of his novel, it has been made into a movie several times, "The Last Man on Earth" in 1974, "The Omega Man" in 1971 and most recently in 2007 as "I Am Legend". "I Am Legend" is directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine), starring Will Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan. The story this time, is set in Year 2012 in New York, three years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters. Will Smith plays the main character Doctor Robert Neville, a brilliant scientist who believes that he is the sole survivor with immunity to the terrible man-made virus. The virus, which was suppose to be a cure for cancer and initially hailed as a breakthrough in medical discovery, ends up mutating into a more deadly virus, killing off most of the world's population, leaving behind a new breed of highly-agile, vampire-like creatures devoid of human instincts. The mutated victims, referred to as The Infected, lurk in the shadows, as UV and sunlight makes them dissolve. They survive by preying on any living creature for food, Neville himself included. Since he is supposedly the only human who is somehow immune to the virus and having lost his wife and daughter in an air crash during an emergency evacuation, he has decided to dedicate his life to surviving and finding a way to reverse the effect of the virus.Director Francis Lawrence effectively builds up suspense throughout the movie, from the deer hunt, to the collecting of supplies from abandon houses and the nightly ritual of locking down the house against The Infected.Will Smith's character in the movie, also brings to mind another movie, "Cast Away" starring Tom Hanks, where the main plot is also about being a sole survival in a place with no other living companion. The similarity is in the way the director has chosen to portray the loneliness of the main character by getting them to talk to inanimate objects, like the way Will Smith's character was trying to strike a conversation with the various mannequins. Of course Neville had it better because he at least had a canine companion. Special mention has to be given to Neville’s dog companion, Samantha, whose real name is Abbey. Sam is probably one of the main reasons why Robert Neville is able to soldier on for as long as he did. The German shepherd dog is quite the show stealer and you can almost hear the sigh in the audience whenever there is a tender moment between Neville and his dog. It enables the movie to have touching moments amidst all the violent fighting and blood gore. Sam the dog also helps to bring out the human side to Neville, distinguishing him from the infected vampires. Will Smith gives a riveting performance as always. In the first half of the movie, he shows his range as an actor, when he evolves from terror, to grief, to rage. His performance in this movie has once again proved that he is one of the most versatile actor in this day and age. He has evolved so much from his Fresh Price of Bel-Air days and he is now hailed as the actor whose movie is almost guaranteed to be a box-office hit. He has also had a whole array of movies under his acting belt, from disaster-types like Independence Day and I,Robot, to comedies like Hitch and Bad Boys, and even though provoking movies like "The Pursuit of Happyness".The ending is also rather sudden, but you certainly can't say that is a typical Hollywood-prescription ending.The verdict: It is a gripping, edge of your seat sci-fi zombithon that is well-worth the ticket price.Lifespike Rating :

Logitech PlayStation 3 PS3 Bluetooth wireless keyboard

Stevo — 2008-01-05T15:00:00+00:00

We’ve been putting the Sony PlayStation 3 console through its paces for a while now and have been patiently waiting the impending flood of accessories that inevitably follow the release of a new system. Well, that flood has turned out to be more of a trickle, but one interesting addition to the available peripherals for the Sony PS3 is the Logitech PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard.Unless you are a 14 - 17 year old teenage girl, then you also probably find the keypad of your mobile phone less than the perfect tool for typing long messages. Similarly, trying to enter text through the Sixaxis PS3 controller would not be my first example of a user friendly experience. This is where the Logitech PlayStation 3 Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard steps up and provides PS3 owners a full sized keyboard that is light, stylish and easy to configure. The Logitech PlayStation 3 Keyboard is styled to match the aesthetics of the Sony PS3 unit and presents a sleek, thin, well finished design. Out of the box, this PS3 peripheral offers quick and painless setup through the standard PlayStation 3 systems menus and even ships with batteries included. The Bluetooth registration process is simple and the keyboard was immediately recognized and functioning perfectly.Like any wireless gadget, range can fluctuate according to the environment, but we tested the Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard at a variety of distances from the PS3 console and saw no issues. Of course, you really only need it to work effectively at a distance that you can see what you are typing and it did this competently.The keyboard has a quality feel to it and keystrokes are smooth. It is light and stable on your lap as we feel this is where it will probably end up most of the time. The touchpad with scroll function and basic left/right mouse buttons is responsive. The keyboard makes surfing the web through Sony’s still quirky browser a breeze and greatly speeds up all other text entry processes. It also comes equipped with a few dedicated PS3 function keys that are handy, but we really don’t think many users will be doing much else than grabbing it to type with then tossing it back down in order to pick up the controller again.For the PS3 gadget hungry staff at LifeSpike, the Logitech PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard was a nice little addition to a slowly growing quiver of gadgets for the PlayStation 3 console. If you find yourself frustrated with text entry through the controller or just want another stylish piece of electronic clutter to impress visitors with, then we can’t think of a reason not to spend your milk money on this shiny puppy. LifeSpike Rating

Australia Dominates

Sacha Fernandez — 2007-12-29T09:55:27+00:00

Australia's cricket juggernaut continued as they marched to an emphatic win. My earlier prophecy (sports/cricket-australia-summer-2007.html) that Ricky Ponting and his charges would be severely tested are quickly being deconstrcuted after a resounding 2-0 win over the Sri Lankans, and today's easy victory over the Indians. Australia, expected to face a period of transitory jitters after retirements of Warne, McGrath and Langer have instead been invigorated by an injection of hungry new talent, and the maturing of Brett Lee. Prior to the start of the Boxing Day test, India talked the talk, promising a tough challenge for the Aussies. Harbajan Singh even went further to basically suggest that his Indian batting maestros would feast on Brad Hogg. Match figures for Hogg of 38 overs 4-133 suggested he was far from dominated. His flipper to dismiss Sourav Ganguly was a classic dismissal. Rain contrived to produce a pitch which would have been far more familiar to the Indians rather than providing a home advantage to Australia. Low and slow, made it tough going, but Mathew Hayden's resolute century provided a springboard from which the Australian bowlers capitalised to provide a huge first innings lead. India's cause was not helped by an opening partnership which was shown to be thoroughly inept. Rahul Dravid has always been in a thorn in Australia's side, with his consistent and heavy run scoring but in this test really struggled. In the first innings he took over forty balls to get off the mark, limping to 5 off 66 balls and in the second innings increased his output to 16 but off an amazing 114 balls! Indian need to examine their opening partnership. Dravid has thrived at 3 and should be returned to a position he has batted for most of his career. Perhaps the inclusion of Virender Sehwag and his more dynamic approach would serve India better. What now for the Aussies, a well earned rest and then on to Sydney for a chance to equal the world record of 16 consecutive test victories. While the Indians will be disheartened, they can look to a pitch where they should excel as Sydney is one of the slower decks in the country is conducive to spin. Another Australian victory will secure the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Australia won convincingly even with Ponting and Hussey providing little in the way of runs. Australia can still improve, God help the Indians!

W Hotel Newark

Sacha Fernandez — 2007-12-27T03:25:45+00:00

When you book a hotel in the US, you're always approach it with trepidation on check in. Having been to hotels in a few states in the USA, and having stayed with usual suspects such as Hilton, Radisson, Hyatt and The Starwood Group of hotels which include Sheraton, Westin and W, there have been instances where their rating has hardly commensurated with condition and service.It was with that same trepidation that I approached the W hotel in Newark. Newark California is in the Silicon Valley and is located approximately midway between SFO(San Francisco International Airport) and San Jose. Ws surrounds are tranquil, and is located next to wetlands which includes a wildlife refuge. Check-in was pleasant, with quick friendly service. Having travelled 14 hours, I was somewhat nervous as I arrived at 12pm. W's standard check in time was 3pm, but I was fortunate to be informed that a room was available. The foyer area of the W hotel exudes an intimate feel. Lighting is at a low level and foot traffic is at a minimum at most times. The W has a real boutique feel to it, which I guess is the niche that Starwood would want this hotel to slot into. My room was indeed a surprise. If you are going to book into The W perhaps you can try get a 'Spectacular Suite'. My suite was spacious. It was L shaped with a lounge area, large desk and a very comfortable bed. My room had earthy feel with warm tones, brown sheets and soft yellow walls. I was very impressed. Unfortunately, The W hasn't caught up with other premium hotels who are now offering LCD televisions, but my 29 inch TV on a neat swivel base was more than enough. My only quibbles was the carpet was damaged and the desk had water damage. The benchmark in the Silicon Valley has been The Valencia. Having spent collectively about 10 weeks at The Valencia, the consistency was remarkable and very hard to fault. In comparison, The W is just below the high standards set by The Valencia on the room presentation front. The bathroom was spacious with a bath and seperate shower. I was extremely pleased with the shower head as it was a duel shower head which I found awesome. Coverage for the front and back of the body simultaneously, which was unique and something that I could get used to. Top marks to The W for the best shower set up! Toiletries are supplied by Bliss New York. I loved them. Some of the products provided include :- Bliss Soap- Bliss Shampoo - Bliss Conditioner - Bliss Face Wash - Bliss Body CreamPretty impressive collection, which goes beyond the traditional soap, shampoo and conditioner.The Starwood Group are renowned for their beds and The W at Newark does not disappoint. My bed was simply, stunning! Comfortable, supportive and the provided sheets were soft, not mention a warm comforter to protect you from the chilly nights. In room amenities are quite good. You are provided with an iron and ironing board, hair dryer, microwave and dishes. As well there's wired and wireless access. It is not free or should say included in the nightly tariff. You can purchase either a 24 hour access for $12.95 or a 3 hour block for $6.95. Quite mean I thought as some other hotels are giving you free wireless.Dining options are disappointing and pricy. Relish is the only restaurant in the complex and its offerings are sparse. I dined a couple times, and with a 10 night stay, I could see I would be seeking out other options. In total I dined at Relish three times conisting of a breakfast and two dinners. The pasta was palatable and the sandwich a good deal. My breakfast was disappointing as scrambled eggs came out as an omelette but the sausages and home baked fries were delicious, not to mention proper Illy coffee. Luckily if you at The W for a while there are cheaper dining options. If you head up Thornton towards 880, turn on to right onto Cedar before the 880 and travel about 3 miles and you have Asian food heaven. On different days I tried the Vietnamese sandwiches/rolls, Chinese and Indian. All were excellent and cheap too, not one meal broke the $10 barrier.In summing up, a pleasant stay. In the Valley I have to say this is the 2nd best hotel I have stayed out of the 5 i have stayed in. The W equals The Valencia on some fronts but drops below in others. While the location is quiet and serene, it can't compete Hotel Valencia's location in Santana Row and it's proximity to Valley Fair and dozen or so dining options.

Facebook Generation: Feeding the machine

Stevo — 2007-12-24T15:00:00+00:00

How many Facebook friends do you have? Do you feel somehow inadequate when you compare your number of Facebook friends with how many your other friends have? Do you conduct a mental inventory of people you have ever known and consider who you can enlist to increase that number,no matter how long it has been since you last had any meaningful contact with them or how much you really like them? Do you start your day with a cup of coffee and a perusal of Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr or any number of other social networking portals? If you answered yes to any of these questions you can at least take comfort in the fact that you are not the only one feeding the machine.There is no doubt that sites like Facebook, MySpace, Flickr or YouTube can be handy little tools for connecting and sharing. For the most part, they offer up a free and fun environment to create your little space on the net. If you simply use these tools for their basic purpose then you end up on the winning end of the equation. The scales start to tip the other way when these sites become a focal point of daily activity and you find yourself habitually checking and posting without realizing that the space that you have carefully carved out is not actually yours at all.Social networking portals are not creations of good cyber-Samaritans intent on bringing the world together just because it gives them the warm fuzzies. Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and others are carefully crafted, well researched and deliberately engineered applications built upon continually refined interaction models designed to keep users “on-site”, returning and pulling other new users into the vortex. Why do they expend so much effort building these elaborate mouse traps that suck users into their memorizing mental maze? The answer is the same for pretty much any question you can ask about the world today, money.Monetization is the magic word in the social networking industry. How to turn captured traffic into money is the puzzle that administrators of social networking and large community sites ponder every single day. The golden nugget they have stumbled upon is a little quirk of the modern human psyche, people want to be famous. Ok, maybe that is an over simplification, but essentially what drives these larger social networking applications is this motivation of people to be recognised and acknowledged. People want to post their pictures on Flickr so that other people will look at them. People rush to upload their latest video clip in the hope it will make the YouTube frontpage or at least get a few thousand views. People want to list their top ten favorite films on Facebook so other people will look at the list. People update their status so other people will know what they are doing. People collect “friends” so other people will see how many friends they have. The larger question of why people feel the need to stake their claim to a little piece of net notoriety is something to ponder, but understanding this need and harnessing its power to drive a net vortex is the alchemy of the social networking trendsetters.The other aspect that couples so well with this need for people to be recognised and what really fuels the success of social networking sites is the self perpetuating content model. Content is king on the internet and content generation is often the most challenging and expensive element in creating a significant web presence. Developing a content model where the user is the main producer of the content and the content produced by the user is leveraged to recruit more users is the kernel of genius that makes these online “show and tell” platforms so socially significant.From a societal perspective, the interesting aspect to all of this is the willingness of net users to feed these content vortices with pretty much anything they can scrape together. People will gladly post detailed personal information, pictures, and intimate details of their relationships, past work histories, educational chronology and just generally create a massive open scrap book of their lives that is largely open to anyone who feels like accessing it. Somehow the popularity of a given content aggregator diffuses an individual’s natural common apprehension toward freely releasing their personal information into the custody of an entity beyond their direct control. Interestingly, if someone placed a big community notice board out in the main street of your city and asked you to post your family pictures, lists of friends, companies you worked for, schools you went to and any number of other elements that make up your life, would you? I would hazard a guess that most reasonable people would not take up that offer and yet when a digital version of a worldwide community notice board is installed on some computer server located somewhere in the murky net nebula, people flock to it in droves to fill it with all sorts of personal tid bits.You might be thinking that there is little risk is posting a picture here or an educational history there, but as you leave a trail of breadcrumbs around the net , these various fragments can be pulled together to form an amazingly complete profile of a given individual. It’s not to say that everyone who participates in openly posting personal information on the web will become a target for identity theft, but there does need to be a greater recognition that once information is committed to the vast, interconnected information nebula of the internet, there is precious little you can do to put that genie back in the bottle.Is it that less technically savvy internet users do not fully grasp the infrastructure of the net? Do they feel that because they access these social networking sites through their personal computer in the privacy of their own homes that somehow they have ownership and ultimate control over the information they choose to release? Is it a phenomenon of monkey see, monkey do and follow the leader that gives people a sense that if millions of others are doing it, it must be ok? Whatever the psychology underpinning the false sense of security in feeding these content hungry vacuums, there are some clear facts that can’t be overlooked. Social networking sites are applications hosted on servers that users do not have ownership of or direct control over. The main aim of these sites is to accumulate traffic for the purpose of generating revenue and potential monetary value for the principal owners.Sure, you might think this is a cynical view of the brave new Web 2.0 world we live in and you may be right. Cynical or not, it is true and I think (I hope) savvy users know the reality of these business models and make intelligent choices on their contribution levels by weighing up the risks vs. benefits. There is however a large proportion of less technically adept users in the community who do not fully grasp the potential risks of unrestrained contribution to these black holes of content that could well find themselves regretting their eagerness to spill their guts into bottomless cyber pits.You can’t live your life in a paranoid overly vigilant state. What fun would life be without taking a few risks occasionally? The point is that our world today is built upon a complex and often chaotic lattice work of information threads that criss-cross all corners of our lives. These threads of information construct a profile of each one of us within the global systems ether and in the absence of any overarching enforceable data integrity polices, it falls to each cyber citizen to become far more net aware and systems savvy.Let us know your thoughts on the topic of social networking sites and personal data issues in our forums.

Movie Review - 30 Days of Night

Mavis Tham — 2007-12-05T10:56:30+00:00

No one would want to live in a place where there would be no sunlight for 30 straight days ! I know I won’t, cause I would definately find it too depressing ! … unless if you are a descendent from Transylvania...a Vampire, that is !The author Steve Niles had wanted to create a scary vampire story and had originally meant for his story to be a movie, but due to a lack of interest, he decided to turn it into a comic instead and it became an instant hit as a comic series. Finally in year 2004, Columbia Pictures requested that Niles's initial screenplay to be rewritten in preparation for production and director David Slade was signed on to the project.The movie stars Josh Harnett as Sheriff Eben Oleson and Melissa George as his love interest wife, Stella Oleson. The story is set in Barrow, Alaska, a small town on the Arctic Circle where every year, there would be a period of 30 days in winter where the sun would be hidden. People who do not want to suffer from the lack of sunlight, would make plans to temporarily leave town to avoid this period of time. During this particular winter, the town is making preparations for its annual “30 Days of Night” as per usual. But this year, a stranger (Ben Foster) arrives into town, and strange things start to happen. Dogs are mysteriously killed, the last helicopter out of town is sabotaged, and people start to die in strange manners. As Sheriff, Eben would of course have to do the investigation, all the while dealing with a huge distraction, that being that his ex-wife, Stella is in town. What started out as the work of 1 suspect, turns out to be the prelude for bigger things to come! Soon the town is invaded by a group of vampires, who are determined to make sure that mankind realize that Vampires are not just stuff of bad dreams.From then on, the movie evolves into a series of gruesome killings. We are talking head-chopping, machine bone grinding, neck-arteries biting kind of killing. There are also numerous human verses vampire battles, with humans waging a war against the vampires despite being weaker and with their limited knowledge of the enemy.Finally the story ends in a typical love-story style, with lots of hugging, loving and sunset scenes.It must be mentioned that even though the film is set in Barrows, Alaska, the actual filming took place mostly in New Zealand. In addition, the number of days during which the sun is down in Alaska, should be 60 days and not 30 days as the movie title suggests. During the sun down period, the place would also not be that isolated as the movie suggests. In reality, there are daily 737 jet services to Barrows from other cities in Alaska.Overall this is a great date movie, especially if your date is someone who scares easily and would automatically jump into your arms with each scary horror scene! Unlike some other movies, I was barely squirming in my seat from boredom, and was chewing at my nails from mid-movie till the end. I was also pretty much awake throughout the movie even though I saw it rather late at night. (proof that it is a fascinating movie !)Lifespike Rating :

Health - The New Sex

Mavis Tham — 2007-11-29T07:47:11+00:00

As I was walking my dog and listening to the radio one morning, the radio DJ talked about how people nowadays are into the New Sex. The New Sex mostly requires a bed as well, starts with an S too, but ends with a P. Some have more of it, and some have less of it but at the end of the day, we all need it, crave it and deprivation of it makes us cranky !! Give Up ? The New Sex the DJ is referring to…is Sleep.According to a Forbes Magazine investigation done last year, Sleep is something everyone needs and wants. We have to have it, but yet a lot of us have trouble getting it these days. Experts agree that 8.5 hours is the optimal amount of sleep each night for an average person. However, most of us only get about an average of 6.8 hours a night. About 10 percent have trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. Others say they don't have the time, as the 24/7 society forces them to perform more and do more on less sleep. People are leading faster paced lifestyles. As a result, sleep is supposedly fast replacing sex as a much favored activity at the end of the day.Some of the reasons why people are not able to get into the sheep counting mode include :- 1. Chronic FatigueCaused by being intensely exhausted but yet not being able to get a good night sleep or some well-deserved rest due to stress or not being able to wind down at the end of the day. This should be one of the common causes for sleep disorder given the extensive number of work hours that we generally clock in each day at work.2. InsomniaThis is to be one of the worse form of sleep disorder. Your body knows it is tired, it is resting on the bed, but yet, you are not able to go into slumber, probably because of nagging issues going on in your mind, non-conducive sleep environment (eg. glaring lights, loud music in the background) or it might even be your loved one causing you to lose sleep (eg. Having a partner who snores or who cannot sleep as well, and so decides that misery loves company by tossing and turning in bed.) 3. Habitual Long Term Sleep DeprivationDid you know that if you condition your body to sleep late every night and wake up early every morning with an insufficient number of hours of sleep, your body will acclimatize to the pattern and tend to only feel sleepy past a certain hour and will automatically wake up at around the same time as well, no matter now much you want to laze in bed and be able to sleep in.4. NightmaresMost of the above sleep deprivation symptoms can be counteracted with a little change in your lifestyle pattern once you know what is causing it. But if you are unable to sleep because of recurrent nightmares, it is a sign that there is something going on in your subconscious mind. This is where it is highly recommended that you seek professional help as it might not be that easy to eliminate the root of this problem, seeing as it varies from person to person, depending on what is bear-bugging you.Some side effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, anxiety and even weight gain. You might also find yourself not being able to concentrate on your day to day activities. The worse part of not being able to sleep, has to be accelerated aging. This is where you notice people with insufficient sleep having dark eye sacs, much dreaded wrinkles and even looking many years older than their actual age.Not getting enough sleep has also led to some $16 billion in annual health-care costs in America last year and $50 billion in lost productivity. This is probably why Sleep is today considered a million dollar industry. Sales of prescription drugs, bedding, mattresses, and other sleep-inducing gadgets are a $10 billion to $12 billion a year business, and the business is growing. As people become more informed, they are finally realizing the importance of sleep, and are hence paying more attention and top dollars to resolve the problem. Everyone has their 2 cents worth to add to the solution. Relax, Drink less coffee and booze, drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, eat better (but not before your sleep), etc etc. The most common way of treating sleep deprivation is of course by taking sleeping pills. According to a survey done, some 42 million sleeping pill prescriptions were filled in America in year 2006. This means that people are buying some $2 billion dollars worth of sleeping pill in a year and that’s expected to grow to $3.8 billion in the near future. There are, however, significant side effects to taking the sleeping pills. This includes next-day "hangovers," sleepwalking, amnesia and addiction. Alternatively, there are plenty of sleep-aids in the market these days, ranging from $100 sound–soothing machines to $20,000 mattresses covered in layers of silk.Of course the million dollar question would then be, do any of these devices really work ? Well, since the source of the sleeping disorder problem varies from person to person, hence one man’s meat might really be another man’s poison. Some of the more common ways to get you to sleep better include:-• avoid caffeine, alcohol or nicotine in the evening • avoid excess fluids before bedtime • avoid heavy meals before bedtime • avoid napping during the day • avoid reading or watching TV in bed • control light and noise in the bedroom • maintain a regular sleeping and waking schedule • keep the bedroom temperature constant. While I sincerely doubt that the new sex in going to replace the old one any time soon, I definitely agree that I could use with more sleep in my life as well !! After all, peace of mind is priceless.