RadioBlog 2007.05.31

After months of listening to BoA, I've gotten a bit tired of her songs already. So, I'm swapping her out with some of my favourites. Left a few good ones though:

• BoA - Feel the Same
• BoA - Goodbye
• BoA - Meri Kuri
• BoA - Pit-A-Pat
• Aled Jones - Count Your Blessings
• Bic Runga - When I See Your Smile
• Carly Simon - I've Got a Crush on You
• Diana Krall - S'Wonderful
• Eagle Eye Cherry - Burning Up
• Gotan Project - Last Tango in Paris
• Hayley Westenra - Pokarekare Ana
• Lesley Garett - I Want to Be A Prima Donna (from The Enchantress)
• Kathy Troccoli - If I'm Not in Love with You
• Katie Melua - The Closest Thing to Crazy
• Kevyn Lettau - Sunlight
• Lani Misalucha - Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw
• Lighthouse Family - Lifted
• Lisa Keith - None Better than You
• Lou Pardini - What Might Have Been
• Meja - All about the Money
• Morten Harket - Can't Take My Eyes off of You
• Paul Jackson, Jr. - If I Go Away
• Robbie Williams - Rock DJ
• Robbie Williams - Somethin' Stupid
• Sarah McLachlan - When SheLoved Me
• Shanice & Jon Secada - If I Never Knew
• Simply Red - Stars
• The CompanY - Baka Ikaw
• Vonda Shepard - Hidden Persuasion
• Wet Wet Wet - Goodnight Girl
• Wet Wet Wet - Shed a Tear

Like the songs? Head over to http://aching.50webs.com

Movie 2007.05.30 - Layer Cake

Layer Cake was given harsh reviews by the critics when it first came out. Based on the plot and my penchant for British gangster thrillers, I still think it's worth a viewing. I was not disappointed. The plot is as confusing as Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, but the mood is more serious, darker.

Daniel Craig plays XXXX, an anonymous young cocaine dealer making some big bucks for Jimmy Price the drug lord. Smart guy that he is, he figures that with all the money he has made, it's time to pull out and retire. This being the underworld, word got out, so Jimmy set him up for a fall. Some wannabe gangster called Duke stole a big stash of E's from some Serbian mercenary group in Amsterdam and pointed the finger at Craig. Not happy, the Serbs hire a hitman called Dragan to take Craig out. Unknown to all, Jimmy is also a high-level police informer. Hi snitches on Craig, and now the coppers are after him, too. Jimmy's business associate Eddie Temple is also interested in Craig because everyone thought he has the pills, and Eddie wants to buy them on the cheap, where in reality the pills are with Sidney, Duke's nephew, who has gone into hiding.

Craig hatches this incredible plan, which brings about a win-win-win conclusion to the movie. He manages to track down Sidney, and helps them escape from the raiding "cops." Dragan witnesses the cops confiscate the pills, so he (and the Serbs) are happy to let Craig off with his peace offering of the Duke's head. Meanwhile, Craig and the "cops" deliver the pills to Eddie, and got paid only half the agreed amount. Eddie gives them a sobering lecture on how things work around here, and advises them to get smarter next time. Craig somehow expected this, so even before Eddie and his gang could get far, they were ambushed by a rival gang. Not sure if the rival gang paid the other half of the money to Craig or not.

Anyway, things are turning up roses for Craig. Flush with cash, he's about to walk off into retirement, with Sidney's very beautiful (ex-)girlfriend to boot. Just as Craig was gloating to the camera, we hear a gunshot, Craig droops down to the ground, a nervous Sidney appears with a gun in his hand, mumbles sorry, and runs off. What an ending, huh?

Movie 2007.05.26 - The World's Fastest Indian

The movie title tells it all. Unless you're an Indian fanatic, that's all you need to know. If you have to ask what an Indian is, don't bother watching the movie. Let me just tell you that it's a brand of motorcycle.

Heard some good reviews about this movie from my colleagues, but I didn't like it much. I found it too slow and dragging. Most of the segments in the movie don't add value to the movie. It's only interesting if you're into the man and his motorcycle. The movie goes for the tried-and-tested feel-good formula, but is implemented badly. It tries too hard to be warm, fuzzy, charming, and poignant. Basically, the story is about the eccentric New Zealander Burt Munro and his 40-year old Indian Scout. The old man spends his days in his decrepit concrete shed working on the motorcycle. For 25 years, his dream is to race his souped-up Indian on the salt flats of Bonneville, Utah. Through his perseverance and the goodwill of others, he was able to realize his dream. Not only that, his Indian broke the world speed record for a motorcycle under 1000cc, set in 1967 which still stands today. (Well, at least when the movie first came out.)

Apparently, the movie is "based on one hell of a true story." That explains why it's so boring.

Books, Photos, and a Hot Chocolate

Today is a good day. The local library is having a Monster Book Sale. It's my first time to join one, so I'm pretty excited. I got there around 10am, and the sale area is packed with people already. At 50 cents per book and 20 cents per magazine, it's no wonder. These guys came prepared, unlike me. They brought with them backpacks, empty boxes, grocery bags, trolleys, shopping carts, prams, etc. Me, I had to make multiple trips to the car. I must admit I now have more books than I can finish reading for years to come. Then again, if I need more space, I can always donate some of the books to other libraries.

Afternoon, I went to the State Library of NSW with a friend to see the World Press Photo exhibition. I've seen the exhibit for three years in a row, so it's becoming something of a custom for me. I see it as a way for me to improve my picture-taking skills. The only downside is that I tend to get a bit depressed after seeing all those pictures of grief, tragedy, pain, and helplessness.

What better way to lighten up than having a cup of (free!) hot chocolate and an interesting conversation?

The Queen and the Lawnmower

Went to Hurstville Civic Theater to watch The Queen. The movie runs for an hour and a half, but it feels much shorter than that because of the fairly straightforward plot. The movie is set in 1997 right after Tony Blair's election as the first Labour Prime Minister in 18 years. Jump to a few months later when Diana and her friend Dodi Al-Fayed figured in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris while being chased by paparazzi on motorcycles, which resulted in their deaths. People all over the world, especially the British public, were shocked. People came in droves to Buckingham Palace, leaving flowers and gifts at the gate. Blair read the pulse of his constituents pretty accurately. He immediately issued a statement, calling Diana "the people's princess, beloved by the world." He got lots of brownie points for that one. Meanwhile, the Queen and the royal family were holed up in Balmoral Estate - far from the madding crowd. Following protocol, the Queen didn't issue a statement. No half-mast flag at Buckingham Palace. No public funeral as Diana's not HRH anymore after the divorce.

Things took a turn for the worse. Day and night, more and more people came to Buckingham Palace to express their grief, and they're starting to get disgruntled with the Queen's indifference. Some even starting calling for the abolition of the monarchy. Alarmed, Tony Blair makes an appeal to the Queen to reconsider. The Queen is caught in a bind - on one hand, Prince Philip and the Queen Mum have been telling her to stick to her guns and stand her ground no matter what the public says; on the other hand, she feels she's getting out of touch with the times and her people, and this might be her last chance to set things right again. Left with no choice, she followed Tony Blair's advice and came down to London with the family. A royal funeral was also arranged for Diana - patterned after Operation Taye Bridge, which is supposedly planned for the Queen Mum. Of course, Queen Elizabeth's not too happy about that. The Queen appears on live TV and gives a speech praising Diana's many contributions to the world. At the end of the day, all is well again in the kingdom.

Very authentic portrayal of the Queen by Dame Helen Mirren, even though I've never seen much of the Queen myself. If ever the royal family needs someone to stand in for the Queen for some boring social event, they definitely should give her a call.

I went home after the movie to find the front lawn nicely mowed and the thick grass under the metal fencing neatly trimmed. Turns out the neighbor saw the sad state of our front lawn and asked my mom where I was and if she needed help with the mowing. Before she could answer, he went to get his gear, came back, and did the work. It was all finished by the time I got home. Thanks, neighbor. I owe you one.

Movie 2007.05.17 - Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest

Movie 2007.05.16 - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Out in the Open

A truly joyous day. I finally got a copy of Out in the Open, which I've been searching for for years. I used to have a tape of the song, but lost it somehow. The last time I went to Manila, I checked out all the major record stores, but they don't carry it anymore. Nothing on the P2P networks, too. Fortunately, after searching long and deep on Google, I was able to find a reference to the composer, and he was gracious enough to send me a copy. Thanks, Adel! Sure brings back some good memories.

First time I heard the song was during the 1996 Metropop Festival on GMA7. The original songfest ran from 1977 till 1985, but it stopped for a while. It was revived in 1996, and lots of excellent entries made it to the finals. First song to open the competition was Out in the Open, interpreted by Zebedee Zuniga (brother of Nonoy) and Angelika. Written by Adel Gabot and Bobby Serrano (of The Tux), it is a light upbeat song with the couple openly declaring their love for each other. Story goes that the then-unknown Lani Misalucha (now Asia's Nightingale) auditioned for the song, but the songwriters thought her voice wass too strong, so they turned her down.

Interestingly enough, Lani Misalucha was still part of show, interpreting Jimmy Borja's haunting Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw. During the interview segment, Jimmy was saying that he saw Lani perform at this bar a couple of times. He was so impressed by her singing prowess that he wrote this song specifically with her in mind. More trivia: Lani used to record karaoke/multiplex tapes, so she was very skilled in mimicking the voices of Whitney Houston, Barbra Streissand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, etc. Well, there was no mimicking when she sang Ang Iibigan Ay Ikaw that night. Her passionate, heartfelt performance blew me away. If you think she's good on the Metropop CD, she's 10x better during the competition.

Other notables are Trina Belamide's Shine, interpreted by Ima Castro. Trina Belamide is the prolific songwriter behind such hits as Now that I Have You by The Company, You've Made Me Stronger by Regine Velasquez, Tell the World of His Love - official theme song of World Youth Day '95, May Pag-Ibig Pa Kaya by South Border, etc. Shine won second prize in the competition.

First prize goes to Sometimes You Just Know by Danny Tan, interpreted by Jaya. Many consider this to be her breakout performance. Whereas before she's known only as the daughter of comedienne-singer Elizabeth Ramsey, now she's known as the Soul Diva. Personally, I would've liked Lani Misalucha to win, but Jaya really deserved that 1st place.

Other songs I remember are Bagong Umaga by Bayang Barrios, Now and Hereafter by Nonoy Tan (interpreted by Arthur Manutag and Ella Mae Sayson, one sung by Rico J. Puno, and more. If someone out there has the complete track listing, please send me a copy. Email me the songs, too, if you don't mind (adching / at / gmail [dot] com).

Nybble 2007.05.07

N Y B B L E   M O N T H L Y   N E W S L E T T E R
A Free Ezine about Anything Tech and Everything Else
2007.05.07 Issue No. 188

Ever wondered how those metal studs on the pavements are put in? Well,
wonder no more. The technical term for those studs are ground surface
tactile indicators. They're not there to prevent people from skidding,
as most people think. They are to let the visually-impaired people
know that there's a step coming up. To install the studs, you drill
holes into the pavement, and then pound the studs in with a rubber
mallet. Once those studs go in, they don't come out. Thousands of feet
step on them, the industrial floor cleaners scrub over them, but they
won't come out. In their uninstalled state, they come with this
plastic tip. Once pounded into the hole, the plastic tip implodes,
wedging the stud into the hole for good. Of course, the hole has to be
of a certain size to ensure a tight fit. Legislation also dictates the
material for the studs (marine-grade stainless steel), and how the
studs should be spaced. That's why instead of using a ruler and pencil
to mark out the holes, you're better off getting a pre-drilled metal
template, so you can drill all the holes in one go.

Have an answer, comment, suggestion, or violent reaction? Send them my
way by clicking on Reply or join nybbletalk@yahoogroups.com to discuss
a topic. If you think Nybble is good enough, do tell the tradesmen
about it. Thanks.

_________TABLE OF CONTENTS_________
* Convertible Blood
* Wi-Fi in the Sky for US Airlines
* Talking Cameras Police England
* UK Inventor Develops Flying Saucer
* Chinese Government Regulate Kids' Internet Time
* Russia Plans World's Longest Tunnel
* Kryptonite Found in Serbian Mine
* Internet Speed Records Broken
* Nybblets
* Likeable Links
* Questionable Question
* Quotable Quote
* Trivial Trivia
* Laughable Laugh

_________CONVERTIBLE BLOOD_________
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6517137.stm

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have developed a way of
converting one blood group into another. The technique potentially
enables blood from groups A, B and AB to be converted into group O
negative, which can be safely transplanted into any patient. This
method of manufacturing universal red cells may substantially reduce
pressure on the blood supply.

The blood cells of people with group A and B blood contain one of two
different sugar molecules, which act as "antigens", triggering an
immune system response. People with AB blood have both types of
molecule, while those with group O blood have neither. Since people
produce antibodies against the antigens they lack, this means that
groups A, B and AB can only be given to patients with compatible
blood, while O - as long as it is rhesus negative - can be given to
anyone.

The new technique works by using bacterial enzymes from
Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacterioides fragilis to cut sugar
molecules from the surface of red blood cells. The researchers found
that enzymes from both bacteria were able to remove both A and B
antigens from red blood cells. However, patient trials will be needed
before the conversion method can be used in hospitals.

_________WI-FI IN THE SKY FOR US AIRLINES_________
http://snipurl.com/1jjt9

After years of discussion and delay, U.S. airlines will start offering
in-flight Internet connections, instant messaging and wireless email
(VoIP not allowed) within 12 months, turning the cabin into a WiFi
"hotspot." Carriers are expected to start making announcements around
the end of the summer, with service beginning early next year. And
airborne cellphone service might not be too far off, too.

Closely-held Colorado-based AirCell paid $31.3 million at an FCC
auction last year to take over radio frequency once used for expensive
air-phone service and reallocate it to Internet and cellphone service.
The Internet service already has the approval of both the FCC and the
Federal Aviation Administration. AirCell will install equipment on
airliners that will act as a WiFi hotspot in the cabin and connect to
laptop computers and devices like BlackBerrys that have WiFi chips. In
all, it will cost about $100,000 to outfit a plane with less than 100
pounds of equipment, and the work can be done overnight by airline
maintenance workers.

What makes the service particularly attractive to airlines is that
they will share revenue with AirCell. The service will cost about the
same as existing WiFi offerings. AirCell says it will charge no more
than $10 a day to passengers. It will also offer discounted options
for customers and tie into existing service programs like T-Mobile,
iPass and Boingo. Speeds will be equivalent to WiFi service on the ground.

_________TALKING CAMERAS POLICE ENGLAND________
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6524495.stm

"Talking" CCTV cameras that tell off people dropping litter or
committing anti-social behaviour are to be extended to 20 areas across
England. About £500,000 will be spent adding speaker facilities to
existing cameras. All in all, there are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV
cameras in Britain.

A recent study by the government's privacy watchdog, the Information
Commissioner, warned that Britain was becoming a "surveillance
society". Others claim that the scheme has prevented fights and
criminal damage and cut litter levels. In Middlesbrough, staff in a
control centre monitor pictures from 12 talking cameras and can
communicate directly with people on the street.

The talking cameras will be installed in Southwark, Barking and
Dagenham, in London, Reading, Harlow, Norwich, Ipswich, Plymouth,
Gloucester, Derby, Northampton, Mansfield, Nottingham, Coventry,
Sandwell, Wirral, Blackpool, Salford, South Tyneside and Darlington.

_________UK INVENTOR DEVELOPS FLYING SAUCER_________
http://snipurl.com/1jjta

Former hovercraft engineer Geoff Hatton has designed and patented a
flying saucer from his workshop in Peterborough that has grabbed the
imagination of the American military establishment. The 68-year-old
has won a contract with the US government for his 3ft-wide
contraption, a cross between a hovercraft and a helicopter. Unlike a
helicopter, the device is aerodynamically neutral and it can bump into
walls and not smash the rotor. And, unlike a hovercraft, it can fly as
high as you want.

Geoff's Flying Saucers - the original name for his GFS Projects
company - are based on an aerodynamic principle that has been around
for nearly 100 years. Known as the Coanda Effect, after a Romanian
jet-engine pioneer, the principle is today used primarily in
helicopters that have no tail rotors. The dome-shaped object is
powered by an electricity-driven propeller on top that pushes air over
the outer surfaces, and has controllable flaps. It is being considered
for surveillance sorties. Farmers in America already use unmanned
aerial vehicles to inspect crops. Then there's search-and-rescue and
aerial surveying.

The device, which was rejected by the Ministry of Defence, was funded
partly by a £43,000 development grant from the Department of Trade and
Industry five years ago.

_________CHINESE GOVERNMENT REGULATE KIDS' INTERNET TIME_________
http://english.people.com.cn/200704/10/eng20070410_364977.html

The Chinese government has ordered Internet game operators to install
an "anti-online game addiction system" on their games to combat the
rising numbers of school children playing truant or even committing
crimes. The regulation, which took effect on April 15, demands online
operators to set up a "game fatigue system" that encourages players
under 18 to play less than 3 hours a day. Online gamers will also be
required to register using real names and identity card numbers to
indicate if they are younger than 18.

Under the system, the first 3 hours of play for each day is considered
"healthy", during which players will be awarded full points in the
virtual world. The next 2 hours will yield only half the normal points
and there will be no points after 5 hours. After the 5-hour limit,
players will be subjected every 15 minutes to the warning: "You have
entered unhealthy game time, please go offline immediately to rest. If
you do not, your health will be damaged and your points will be cut to
zero."

According to the regulators' timetable, online game operators will
have up to four months to install the system; and games not embedded
with the software by July 16 will be shut down. Official statistics
show that the number of Internet users in China reached 123 million in
mid-2006. About 15 percent - or 18 million - were under the age of 18.

_________RUSSIA PLANS WORLD'S LONGEST TUNNEL_________
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=home&sid=a0bsMii8oKXw

Russia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and
pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65
billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and
electricity from Siberia.

The project, which Russia is coordinating with the U.S. and Canada,
would take 10 to 15 years to complete. The Bering Strait tunnel will
cost $10 billion to $12 billion, and the rest of the investment will
be spent on the entire transport corridor. State organizations and
private companies in partnership would build and control the route,
known as TKM-World Link. Russia and the U.S. may each eventually take
25 percent stakes, with private investors and international finance
agencies as other shareholders.

A 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) transport corridor from Siberia into
the U.S. will feed into the tunnel, which at 64 miles will be more
than twice as long as the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel
between the U.K. and France, according to the plan. The tunnel would
run in three sections to link the two islands in the Bering Strait
between Russia and the U.S. The planned undersea tunnel would contain
a high-speed railway, highway and pipelines, as well as power and
fiber-optic cables, according to TKM-World Link.

Rail links in Russia and the U.S., where an almost 2,000- kilometer
stretch from Angora to Fort Nelson in Canada would continue the route,
would cost up to $15 billion. With cargo traffic of as much as 100
million tons annually expected on the World Link, the investments in
the rail section could be repaid in 20 years.

_________KRYPTONITE FOUND IN SERBIAN MINE_________
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6584229.stm

Researchers from mining group Rio Tinto discovered an unusual mineral
in a mine in Serbia, and enlisted the help of Dr Chris Stanley, a
mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum, when they could not
match it with anything known previously to science. Once the London
expert had unravelled the mineral's chemical make-up, he searched the
web using the mineral's chemical formula - sodium lithium boron
silicate hydroxide - and was amazed to discover that same scientific
name, written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex
Luthor from a museum in the film Superman Returns.

The only difference is that the new mineral does not contain fluorine
(which it does in the film) and is white rather than green and doesn't
glow; but, in all other respects, the chemistry matches that for the
rock containing kryptonite. The mineral cannot be called kryptonite
under international nomenclature rules because it has nothing to do
with krypton - a real element in the Periodic Table that takes the
form of a gas. Instead, it will be formally named jadarite (after the
place where the Serbian mine is located) when it is described in the
European Journal of Mineralogy later this year.

_________INTERNET SPEED RECORDS BROKEN_________
http://snipurl.com/1jjtb

A group of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has broken
Internet speed records — twice in two days. Operators of the
high-speed Internet2 network announced Tuesday that the researchers on
Dec. 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard
communications protocols. The next day, using modified protocols, the
team broke the record again by sending data over the same 20,000-mile
path at 9.08 Gbps.

Researchers used the newer Internet addressing system, called IPv6, to
break the records in December. Data started in Tokyo and went to
Chicago, Amsterdam and Seattle before returning to Tokyo. The previous
high of 6.96 Gbps was set in November 2005. Speed records under the
older addressing system, IPv4, are in a separate category and stand at
8.8 Gbps, set in February 2006.

The Internet2 consortium is planning to build a new network with a
capacity of 100 Gbps - from its current theoretical limit of 10 Gbps.
With the 10-fold increase, a high-quality version of the movie "The
Matrix" could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over
the current Internet2 and two days over a typical home broadband line.
The Internet2 is run by a consortium of more than 200 U.S.
universities. It is currently working to merge with another
ultrahigh-speed, next-generation network, National LambdaRail.

_________NYBBLETS_________
* Large caves with openings the size of football fields found on the
surface of Mars
* Researchers discover that chimpanzee genes seem to have evolved
more than human genes
* University of Texas designs TRIPS processor with the potential of
reaching trillions of calculations per second
* Molecules called virus-inhibitory peptides (VIRIPs) found to block HIV
* Cancer-fighting drug found in soil where Pacific yew trees grow
* The Government of India is planning to introduce free 2 mbps
broadband for all by 2009

_________LIKEABLE LINKS_________
foldschool - cardboard furniture
http://www.foldschool.com/

FreeComputerBooks.com
http://freecomputerbooks.com/
Free computer books, tutorials & lecture notes

Common Errors in English
http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

Neighbor Stealing Your WiFi?
http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html

Blue Ball Machine
http://blueballfixed.ytmnd.com/

_________QUESTIONABLE QUESTION_________
Why do you have to rotate the tires on your car? Don't they rotate
when you drive on them?

_________QUOTABLE QUOTE_________
A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.
~ Oscar Wilde ~

_________TRIVIAL TRIVIA_________
How strong is stomach acid?
The hydrochloric acid of the human digestive process is so strong a
corrosive that it easily can eat its way through a cotton
handkerchief, and even through the iron of an automobile body. Yet, it
doesn't endanger the stomach's sticky mucus walls.
Source: Arcamax Trivia

_________LAUGHABLE LAUGH_________
The pastor's sermon focused on how God knows which of us grows best in
the sunlight and which of us needs shade.
"For example," he said, "roses must be planted in the sun, but
fuchsias thrive in the shade."
After the service, a woman, her face beaming, approached him.
"Your sermon did me so much good," she said.
Before he had time to gloat too much, however, she added, "I always
wondered what was wrong with my fuchsias."

_________DOWNLOADABLE DOWNLOAD_________
101 Shareware and Freeware Programs Every Nerd Needs
http://snipurl.com/1dp6t

GOM Player
http://www.gomplayer.com/main.html

That's all for this week. Nybble is and will always be a work in
progress. Please do send me your comments and suggestions on how to
improve Nybble. Just hit the reply button to you know, reply.

The Great Outdoors in North Sydney

All this time I've been working in North Sydney, I always go out for a short walk after lunch. Lots of things to see/visit around the area. Just beside the office is the Greenwood Plaza with its shops, foodcourt and restaurants. Within Greenwood Plaza are some small patches of grass where people can sit and soak up some sunshine. Across the street is the Northpoint Plaza. If you head down Blues Point Road and turn right at Union Street, you end up at the Graythwaite Victorian estate. Back at Blues Point Road, if you turn left at Lavender Street, you'll pass by Watt Park and Clark Park. Further down Blues Point Road, make a left at King George Street, follow the narrow footpath, and you'll end up at Lavender Bay. Magnificent view of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Luna Park. If you follow the shoreline, I think you can go all the way to Luna Park. If you follow Blues Point Road to the end, you'll reach Blues Point Reserve for an even better view of the Bridge and the Opera House.

I've only started to explore the north side of North Sydney this week. There's the myriad of shops and restaurants along Miller Street. There's the Mary MacKillop Chapel on Mount Street and the museum beside it. Best find so far is the Stanton Library further down Miller Street, just after the North Sydney Council Chambers. Three levels of books and magazines and a HUGE collection of classical CDs. Membership is free, and you can borrow up to 30 items at any one time for three weeks. Lunch breaks were never this fun!

Top Gear - Revved Up

I don't know why, but the guys in the office absolutely love Top Gear. The weekly show at SBS on Saturday nights is apparently not enough for them, so they go scouring for Top Gear videos on YouTube, and send each other the links. I watch Top Gear myself, though I can't see what's the fuss about. I like sleek and fast cars; the show's challenges are original (though sometimes childish); the hosts have genuine chemistry and sometimes funny; but that's about it. If you don't want to sit through whole seasons of Top Gear just for the good bits, then get this DVD.

Top Gear - Revved Up is a collection of the best and most requested segments of Top Gear's seasons 3, 4, and 5. We start off with Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond duking it out on the beach of Pendine Sands with a Porsche, a Jaguar and the new BMW 6 series. If they didn't use doubles while sliding and drifting their cars on the wet sand, then I must say they're quite good. In DB9 vs. Train, the guys race each other to reach Monte Carlo - James and Richard commuting and eventually riding the 200mph TGV, while Jeremy drives an Aston Martin DB9. Guess who won? How about a Mitsubishi Evo racing against a bobsled with no brakes down the mountains? Or an Apache helicopter trying to get a missile lock on a sub-1 ton 200hp Lotus Exige?

In one of their stunts, Jemery tried his hardest to destroy a Toyota Hilux to no avail. The pickup was driven down a flight of stairs, bashed around industrial Bristol, left to drown in the sea, blown up on top of a tower block, bashed with a wrecking ball, and torched. Despite all this, the Hilux lives to drive another day. In another challenge, the guys were give 1,500 pounds each to buy a Porsche, which they have to drive to Brighton in one piece. Then they were told to sell the Porsches again and see how much they can make. Funniest segment? Hammond starts a people carrier race series, featuring two Renault Espaces, a Toyota Previa, a Toyota Spacecruiser, a Mitsubishi Space Wagon, and a Nissan Serena in the inaugural race. After much bumping and crashing among the champion drivers, the Espaces win the race with a 1-2 finish.