Best-Laid Plans of Blinds and Bed

There are two things I definitely need to get done today. Buy some Venetian blinds from Accent, and swap the metal bunk bed with the wooden single bed in my room. My sister and I was supposed to go to Accent Alexandria, but the grass in the backyard was so thick I decided to spend the morning mowing and weeding.

Not knowing whether it's an auspicious day for bed-moving, my Dad and my other sister went to this temple in Alexandria to get some advice. With only two people in the house, I thought it would be a good idea to invite GF to come over for lunch since she's a bit bored at home. She gave it some thought and decided to pass this time.

My sister called up to say that it's better to move the beds next week. Since they're at Alexandria already, they'll just buy the blinds. With nothing left for me to do, we spent the whole afternoon with Magic Sing. What a day.

Australian Open 2008 - Djokovic vs. Tsonga

I expected this match to be so good, I invited GF to watch the game with me at Martin Place on the big screen. We even got there an hour early and managed to secure a nice bench seat (instead of sitting on the cold stone steps). The match didn't disappoint. It was so intense, I had to be shushed and physically restrained. Tsonga's clearly the crowd favourite. When the match first started, most of the people in Martin Place were cheering for him. A few French guys were even holding placards. When he lost the second and third sets, I noticed now there were more people cheering for Djokovic. Bah!

Both players were quite good, but Djokovic's got the big-game experience. In the end, the 20-year old Serb won his first ever Grand Slam title 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

Australia Day 2008

Same as the years before, we spent Australia Day in the CBD. First stop is Martin Place, where the A1 GP people have this huge inflatable dome of a pit stop with an A1 car on display. There's a competition going on to find out who can change the tyres the quickest. Winner gets free tickets to the races at Eastern Creek.

From Hyde Park all the way to the Mitchell Library, there were cars of all ages, shapes, and sizes lining Macquarie Street. Walking down the road, we visited the Parliament House of NSW. Took some pictures inside the council chambers, then crossed the street to St. Stephen's Uniting Church. There were some free recitals lined up throughout the day, unfortunately we can't stay for long.

Bought some sizzling sausages from the BBQ stand at Sydney Hospital, then proceeded to the Museum of Australian Currency Notes to cool off a bit. After watching a short historical video showing the construction of the Reserve Bank building, we proceeded to Circular Quay. The place is just packed with tourists and buskers and revelers. It's a wonder we were still able to get a table at the CQ Cafe. More surprisingly, the food is quite ok, and the prices reasonable.

We finished our lunch quickly, then went to the harbour to view the aerial acrobatics of the RAAF Roulettes. The planes gave off white-colored smoke instead of multi-coloured ones, but still fun to watch. My sister and Dad went to Manly via ferry, while my other sister and I went back to Hyde Park.

St. James Church is closed, so we continued on to St. Mary's Cathedral for some picture-taking. We stayed only for a while because I had to go to Darling Harbour to meet GF and her Mom and sister. We didn't stay long as there's not much happening at Tumbalong Park. The afternoon is too hot, and nobody wanted to wait another 4 to 5 hours to see the fireworks. After some hot corn and ice chocolate at Gloria Jeans, we went back home.

Australian Open 2008 - Djokovic vs. Federer

One of the most widely-anticipated matches in the Open. Everyone was expecting a Federer-Nadal final. With Nadal out, it makes Federer seem vulnerable. Djokovic has been saying that Federer is not the player that he was before, and that the new rising stars are ready to take him on. Is it time for the changing of the guard? Will the court jester unseat the king?

First set went to Djokovic. Both guys are just playing normal tennis; it's just that Federer is having less winners. I'm hoping this is just his strategy to make Djokovic overconfident, and finish him off later; although normally Federer rarely gives away any set. Later, Djokovic wins the second set. People start to feel the winds of change. I can't take the suspense much longer, so I took a break from the game and had a short chat with GF. When it came to a tie-break, I knew it was time. Went back to the TV to witness the dawn of a new era.

Djokovic wins in straight sets 7-5 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Australian Open 2008 - Tsonga vs. Nadal

Whatever happened to Nadal? Ali-lookalike Tsonga absolutely killed him out there in the court. While second-seed Nadal is drenched in sweat, complete with dripping hair, 38th-seed Tsonga only needs to dab his face with a towel here and there. The newer players are so good nowadays. I've never heard of players like Tsonga and Tipseravic before, and now they're giving the top seeds a run for their money.

Of course, you need good fundamentals, too. I also think self-confidence also counts a lot in winning a match. You can see that Tsonga is very assured. He's just like a rock, composed and unshakable. Whatever Nadal dishes out, he has no problems countering. In comparison, Nadal seems dazed and shocked. Unable to return the blistering aces and not able find his rhythm. Down 5-2 on the 3rd set, Nadal starts to smile 'coz he knows he's going down. Another ace from Tsonga and he's through to the finals. 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Australian Open 2008 - Sharapova vs. Henin

Another top seed bites the dust. I would've liked Henin to win, but The "Shrieker" Sharapova is just too powerful and too good. Tonight she can do no wrong. As for Henin, she's just making too many unforced errors. Sometimes it seems like her heart is not in the match anymore.

Sharapova and her shrieks are still all right (although I think Henin should've raised a complaint), but Yuri and his antics are a bit too much. Somebody ought to ask him what his throat-slitting gestures during the match meant.

Town Hall Tour (Part Two)

My second tour of the Sydney Town Hall. Wasn't as extensive as before. The only reason I came back for seconds is that I didn't bring my digital camera the first time around. With the Town Hall closing down for a major renovation, it might be a while before I can come in, and things might be different then. Wasn't able to take as many pictures as I wanted. For one, we're only a small group, so we're moving from place to place pretty quickly. We visited the Vestibule, then Centennial Hall with the Grand Organ, passed by the corridors, checked out the paintings and stained-glass windows near the staircases. Two, that's the end of the tour, folks. We didn't get to go up the clock tower. We didn't get to see the council chambers and the Lady Mayoress room. We didn't get to visit the basement burial grounds. Ah well, I still have to rush back to the office.

Australian Open 2008 - Djokovic vs. Hewitt

For a guy who just played five hours from midnight till morning the day before, Hewitt looks refreshed and alert. Having seen his other matches, I would say he's playing very good tennis tonight. Still, Djokovic is the better player. Head-to-head in a straight rally, Hewitt would've won, but Djokovic has more tricks and is more versatile.

Djokovic takes down Australian's last hope in straight sets 7-5 6-3 6-3.

Movie 2008.01.20 - Zwartboek (a.k.a. Black Book)

First movie of the year at the Hurstville Civic Theater is Zwartboek (a.k.a. Black Book). Movie is about Rachel Stein, a young Jewish singer whose family was massacred by the Nazis during WWII. She later turned spy for the resistance movement and eventually became the girlfriend of the SD (Sicherheitsdienst) head Ludwig Müntze. The surprising twist in the story is that Muntze is actually a decent guy who's just doing his job, and her resistance colleague Hans Akkermans is actually a traitor. In collaboration with another Dutch traitor Mr. Smaal, they've been selling out rich Dutch families to the Nazi, who murders them as they try to cross the border and plunders their money and jewelry.

When the country is liberated by Allied forces, Rachel manages to accost Mr. Smaal and get hold of the titular black book listing the names of his collaborators. Together with resistance leader Gerben Kuipers, they go after Hans Akkermans, who is currently traveling inside a hearse with his ill-gotten wealth. Hidden inside a coffin, Hans dies a slow death when Rachel battens down the coffin's vents. Having exacted revenge for her family's death, she retires to Israel and starts a kibbutz where she spends her days as a schoolteacher with her family.

After the movie, instead of going to our usual cafe haunts at Westfield, GF and I went to Centro Roselands instead. Most of the shops are already closed by then. Good thing we were still able to have a Java mocha chip frappuccino at Starbucks. After a short rest, I joined GF's family for a farewell dinner at Criniti's Restaurant at Parramatta.

Australian Open 2008 - Federer vs. Tipsarevic

Never heard of Tipsarevic (ranked 49th) before, but at start of the game, you already know this guy's a contender. He moves with great ease on the court, and he pushes Federer to the limit. Federer started the match a bit cautious. Normally, Federer has lots of surprises in his bag of tricks, but he's not using them much tonight. Tied at two sets each, the last set is the most exciting one. This is definitely crunch time, and there's a real chance of a major upset happening.

Tipsarevic opens the 5th set and holds. Federer banged down some aces and winners to hold. This tit-for-tat goes back and forth until we get to 8-all. Tipsarvic serves to 40-0. Federer claws back and gets the first crucial break in the set. From here, there's no turning back now. Federer serves out the match in four and a half hours: 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-1) 5-7 6-1 10-8.

Movie 2008.01.18 - The Golden Compass

The movie is based on the book of the same title written by Philip Pullman. The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) is the first book in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. There's been quite a commotion around the movie even before it was shown in the theaters. Emails started circulating that the movie is anti-Christian, anti-Catholic, and/or anti-God. (Reason why GF didn't want to see it at first.) Anyway, I've seen the movie with GF, and I don't believe it is any of those. (The book could be a different matter though.) If anything, it's anti-establishment. It's anti any organization that forces its will, its teachings, its version of truth to individuals by hook or by crook.

It's true that the movie touches on some strange ideas, as most fantasy movies do. Parallel universes connected by "dust", altheiometers that reveal the truth, Ice Bears that talk and rule the North Pole, Gyptians that rule the seas, Witches that fly the skies, and souls in the form of animals (called daemons) that exist outside people's physical bodies. Not having read the book, it is possible that it is actually anti-God. All I'm saying is, anti-religious books and movies have been around for a long time. Look at Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or Richard Dawson's The God Delusion. I mean, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt. If people are swayed and turn agnostic or atheist after reading such books, they're never true believers in the first place.

To make things more objective and clearer, let me quote from Snopes.com's article on The Golden Compass: "Books of the trilogy have sold more than 15 million copies around the world, with Northern Lights winning the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature in 1995 and in 2007 being awarded the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' for the best children's book of the past 70 years. The Amber Spyglass, the final book of the series, won The Whitbread Prize in 2001, making it the first children's book to do so. The series' author, Philip Pullman (who has described himself as both an agnostic and an atheist), has averred that "I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality.'" Critics of Pullman's books (conservative British columnist Peter Hitchens in 2002 labeled Pullman "The Most Dangerous Author in Britain" and described him as the writer "the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed") point to the strong anti-religion and anti-God themes they incorporate, and although literary works are subject to a variety of interpretations, Pullman has left little doubt about his books' intended thrust in discussions of his works, such as noting in a 2003 interview that "My books are about killing God" and in a 2001 interview that he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief."" I say to each his own.

Australian Open 2008 - Bagdatis vs. Safin

This highly-anticipated match could go either way. Baghdatis has the flair; Safin has the height and power advantage. Too bad he didn't make the most of them. Baghdatis is in top form tonight; a master of ball control. He is pushing the balls here and there, making Safin run. Safin is clearly getting frustrated. Good thing he didn't break any racquets tonight.

After the smoke has cleared, the Cypriot defeated the Russian 6-4 6-4 2-6 3-6 6-2.

Australian Open 2008 - Roddick vs. Berrer

Unseeded Michael Berrer played well tonight. Although against Roddick, he needs to play better. Berrer's a hard-hitter, and he has his own share of aces, but Roddick is still the better player. First two sets went easily to Roddick. Come third set, Roddick started getting frustrated because Berrer was returning his 200kph serves and making him run hard. At 3-3, Berrer made some critical mistakes, and he never recovered from there on. Score now 5-3. Roddick got 4 matchpoints, but it kept going back to deuce. Berrer managed to hold serve 5-4. Roddick eventually served out the match 6-2 6-2 6-4.

Funny part of the match was when Jim Courier interrogated Roger Rasheed about his comment about Venus Williams' "posterior" yesterday. It's obvious Rasheed doesn't want to talk about it, but Courier pushed on. They then showed a segment of sister Serena Williams' post-game conference, where she was asked what she thinks about the whole thing. This is what she said: "Posterior? Oh yeah, we say booty. I'll try to keep that in the back of my mind. What are you doing? I'm shaking my posterior. Venus definitely has a great posterior. I'm sure it looked nice."

Australian Open 2008 - Federer vs. Hartfield

As GF said, there's no fun watching Federer play because you already know what's going to be the outcome. Hartfield might win a point here and there, but there's no way there's going to be an upset. First set went down 6-0. First game that Hartfield won in the second set, you can actually see the relief and satisfaction in his face.

Federer wins 6-0 6-3 6-0.

Australian Open 2008 - Venus Williams vs. Zi Yan

There's no doubt Venus Williams is a top-notch player, but does she really have to draw attention to herself every time she plays? I'm talking about the big earrings and the big ring and the badly-designed dress. Her shorts are so short and skimpy, she had to tug at them after every point to cover her, um, "posterior". Chinese Zi Yan put up a good fight. Venus lost her concentration a bit on the second set, allowing herself to be broken twice. Fortunately for her, it didn't last long. Venus won easily 6-2 7-5.

Australian Open 2008 - Molik vs. Kanepi

Molik is losing her touch. Before the start of the match, I was thinking this will be like a walk in a park for Molik. Not true. First set went as far as 3-0 in Estonian Kaia Kanepi's favour. She fought back and won the first match 7-6 (7-4). It's not easy though, she had to fight hard for every point. It's the same for the second set. Molik eventually won 7-6 7-5.

Nybble 2008.01.14

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
2008.01.14 Issue No. 196

If you're the paranoid type and are concerned that your Gmail account
will one day disappear or become inaccessible, here's how to back it
up. Basically, you have your main account, and you simply sign up with
Gmail for another account to act as your backup. On the primary
account, under Settings, enable POP for all mail. Select the option to
"Keep Gmail's copy in the inbox when messages are accessed with POP".
On the backup account, also under Settings, configure Gmail to fetch
mail (via POP) from your primary account. Normally, the logical thing
is to leave the original emails on the server. However, this doesn't
work properly, and Gmail comes up with an error message. Just stick
with the default options - the backup account will fetch mails from
the primary one and try to delete them, but the primary account won't
allow the deletion anyway. This is how I've configured my setup, and I
haven't lost any emails so far.

Step 2, under Settings - Accounts of the backup account, add your
primary identity from where to "Send mail as", so that you can still
reply to emails if your primary email account is lost. Also, if you're
using Google's Blogger service, you might want to add your backup
identity as an author and give it admin rights (under Settings -
Permissions), so you can still edit your blog if you lose your primary
account.

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 Google fans
about it. Thanks.

_________TABLE OF CONTENTS_________
* Toshiba Builds Micro Nuclear Reactors
* Self-Charging Spy Planes
* Robots on Water
* Chemical Lasers on Planes
* Toshiba Develops Super-Charge Batteries
* Chimps Better than College Kids
* Flirting Bots on the Internet
* Human Evolution Accelerating
* Nybblets
* Likeable Links
* Questionable Question
* Quotable Quote
* Trivial Trivia
* Laughable Laugh

_________TOSHIBA BUILDS MICRO NUCLEAR REACTORS_________
http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-toshiba-micro-nuclear-12.17b.html

Toshiba has developed a new class of micro-size nuclear reactors that
is designed to power individual apartment buildings or city blocks.
The new reactor, which measures only 20 feet by 6 feet, could change
everything for small remote communities, small businesses or even a
group of neighbors who are fed up with the power companies and want
more control over their energy needs.

The 200kW Toshiba reactor is engineered to be fail-safe and totally
automatic and will not overheat. Unlike traditional nuclear reactors,
the new micro reactor uses no control rods to initiate the reaction.
Instead, it uses reservoirs of liquid lithium-6, an isotope that is
effective at absorbing neutrons. The Lithium-6 reservoirs are
connected to a vertical tube that fits into the reactor core. The
whole process is self-sustaining and can last for up to 40 years,
producing electricity for only 5 cents per kilowatt hour, about half
the cost of grid energy.

Toshiba expects to install the first reactor in Japan in 2008 and to
begin marketing the new system in Europe and America in 2009.

_________SELF-CHARGING SPY PLANES_________
http://snipurl.com/1xct5

The US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Dayton, Ohio is developing an
electric-powered micro air vehicle (MAV) for extended surveillance
missions. To extend the plane's limited flight duration, the AFRL has
this idea of making these spy planes "harvest" energy when needed by
attaching itself to a power line. The trick is to make these
remote-controlled MAVs flying at 74kph to latch onto a power line
without destroying itself or the line.

In addition, so as not to arouse suspicion, AFRL says the spy plane
will need to collapse its wings and hang limply on the cable like a
piece of wind-blown detritus. Much of the "morphing" technology to
perform this has already been developed by DARPA, the Pentagon's
research division. Technologies developed in that program include
carbon composite "sliding skins", which allow fuselages to change
shape, and telescopic wings that allow lift to be boosted in seconds
by boosting a wing's surface area.
Regardless of the challenges faced, AFRL plans test flights in 2008.

_________ROBOTS ON WATER________
http://snipurl.com/1xct7

Scientists have discovered years ago that water striders are able to
walk on water by using its long legs to help evenly distribute its
tiny body weight. This way the fragile skin formed by surface tension
supports the bug on the water. What's unknown is how water striders
are able to jump onto water without sinking, until now.

A team of researchers at Seoul National University, led by Ho-Young
Kim and Duck-Gyu Lee, has finally cracked that puzzle. By using a
highly water-repellent sphere, which mimicked the actions of the water
strider's highly water-repellent legs, they were able to determine a
small range of speeds at which the sphere or insect could hit the
water and not sink. Too fast, the sphere would shoot through the
surface of the water. Too slow, it would not bounce back and sink.

The Korean scientists believe their discovery will help create robots
that can travel over still bodies of water. They say the robots can be
used to explore or monitor water quality. Also they could, and it's
highly likely that they will, be used as a form of spy robot.

_________CHEMICAL LASERS ON PLANES_________
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/22975

Boeing recently installed a 12,000-pound chemical laser in a C-130H
aircraft and will now test the weapon, which will fire through a
rotating turret that extends through the aircraft's belly. Boeing's
Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) which is being developed for the
Department of Defense, will destroy, damage or disable targets with
little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield
and in urban operations.

The ATL is complementary to the Airborne Laser (ABL), which Boeing is
developing for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to destroy airborne
ballistic missiles. The ABL consists of a megawatt-class chemical
laser mounted on a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft. According to
Boeing, the C-130H transport, which belongs to the U.S. Air Force's
46th Test Wing, will be modified to carry the high-energy chemical
laser and battle management and beam control subsystems.

Both systems employ a Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) that is made
by combining a bunch of nasty chemicals - potassium, peroxide,
chlorine, iodine and other stuff and then fired at supersonic speeds.
Each COIL burst produces enough energy in a five-second burst to power
a typical American household for more than one hour. The system
doesn't so much evaporate its target as melts or damages it rendering
it useless. In the case of using it against missiles, the missile is
typically weakened and then explodes.

_________TOSHIBA DEVELOPS SUPER-CHARGE BATTERIES_________
http://www.dailytech.com/Toshiba+to+Launch+SCiB+Batteries+in+March/article9984c.htm

Toshiba announced that it has developed a new type of rechargeable
battery dubbed the Super Charge ion Battery (SCiB). Initially targeted
at the industrial market, Toshiba representatives hint the technology
may eventually find a home in electric vehicles.

The main claim to fame for the SCiB battery is that it can recharge to
90% of total capacity in fewer than five minutes. Toshiba also claims
the battery has a life span of over 10-years. Toshiba says that it
adopted a new negative electrode material, new separators, a new
electrolyte and new manufacturing technology to bring the SCiB to
life. The SCiB batteries can recharge with as much as 50 amperes of
current and but with capacity loss after 3,000 cycles of less than
10%. Toshiba also says the battery has excellent safety with the new
negative electrode material having a high level of thermal stability
and a high flash point. The battery is also said to be structurally
resistant to internal short-circuiting and thermal runaway.

The first of these batteries will be ready for industrial uses in
March of 2008.

_________CHIMPS BETTER THAN COLLEGE KIDS_________
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/12/03/chimp.memory.ap/

Turns out chimpanzees are better than human adults in tests of
short-term memory. The series of tests were conducted by researchers
Tetsuro Matsuzawa and Sana Inoue of Tokyo University.
One memory test included three 5-year-old chimps who'd been taught the
order of Arabic numerals 1 through 9, and a dozen human volunteers.
They saw nine numbers displayed on a computer screen. When they
touched the first number, the other eight turned into white squares.
The test was to touch all these squares in the order of the numbers
that used to be there. Results showed that the chimps, while no more
accurate than the people, could do this faster. Researchers included
the best-performing chimp Ayumu and nine college students in a second
test.

This time, five numbers flashed on the screen only briefly before they
were replaced by white squares. When the numbers were displayed for
about seven-tenths of a second, Ayumu and the college students were
both able to do this correctly about 80 percent of the time. But when
the numbers were displayed for just four-tenths or two-tenths of a
second, the chimp was the champ. The briefer of those times is too
short to allow a look around the screen, and in those tests Ayumu
still scored about 80 percent, while humans plunged to 40 percent.
Even with six months of training, three students failed to catch up to
the three young chimps.

Researchers think two factors gave his chimps the edge. For one thing,
they believe human ancestors gave up much of this skill over
evolutionary time to make room in the brain for gaining language
abilities. The other factor is the youth of Ayumu and his peers. The
memory for images that's needed for the tests resembles a skill found
in children, but which dissipates with age. In fact, the young chimps
performed better than older chimps in the new study. So the next
logical step is to fix up Ayumu with some real competition on these
tests: little kids.

_________FLIRTING BOTS ON THE INTERNET_________
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9831133-56.html

A word of caution for people who frequent online dating chat rooms.
According to security software firm PC Tools, a program called
CyberLover that can mimic online flirtation and then extract personal
information from its unsuspecting conversation partners is making the
rounds in Russian chat forums.

The artificial intelligence of CyberLover's automated chats is good
enough that victims have a tough time distinguishing the "bot" from a
real potential suitor. The software can work quickly too, establishing
up to 10 relationships in 30 minutes. It then compiles a report on
every person it meets complete with name, contact information, and photos.

Among CyberLover's creepy features is its ability to offer a range of
different profiles from "romantic lover" to "sexual predator." It can
also lead victims to a "personal" Web site, which could be used to
deliver malware. Although the program is currently targeting Russian
Web sites, PC Tools is urging people in chat rooms and social networks
elsewhere to be on the alert for such attacks. Their recommendations
amount to just good sense in general, such as avoiding giving out
personal information and using an alias when chatting online. The
software company believes that CyberLover's creators plan to make it
available worldwide in February.

_________HUMAN EVOLUTION ACCELERATING_________
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN1043228620071210

Researchers discovered that human evolution has been moving at
breakneck speed in the past several thousand years, far from plodding
along as some scientists had thought. In fact, people today are
genetically more different from people living 5,000 years ago than
those humans were different from the Neanderthals who vanished 30,000
years ago, according to anthropologist John Hawks of the University of
Wisconsin.

Many of the recent genetic changes reflect differences in the human
diet brought on by agriculture, as well as resistance to epidemic
diseases that became mass killers following the growth of human
civilizations. For example, Africans have new genes providing
resistance to malaria. In Europeans, there is a gene that makes them
better able to digest milk as adults. In Asians, there is a gene that
makes ear wax more dry.

The changes have been driven by the colossal growth in the human
population -- from a few million to 6.5 billion in the past 10,000
years -- with people moving into new environments to which they needed
to adapt.

Looking at data from the International HapMap Project, short for
haplotype mapping, scientists can ascertain how recently a given
genetic change appeared in the genome and then can plot the pace of
such change into the distant past. Beneficial genetic changes have
appeared at a rate roughly 100 times higher in the past 5,000 years
than at any previous period of human evolution, the researchers
determined. They added that about 7 percent of human genes are
undergoing rapid, relatively recent evolution. Even with these
changes, however, human DNA remains more than 99 percent identical.
Genetic evidence also shows that people worldwide have been getting
less similar rather than more similar due to the relatively recent
genetic changes.

_________NYBBLETS_________
* 'w00t' been named Word of the Year 2007 by Merriam-Webster
* Analysis of data from the Cassini probe suggests that Saturn's
rings may be billions of years old
* MTV to cut down on P2P piracy by offering free South Park downloads
* Toyota demonstrates a 152 cm (5 ft), two-legged robot dexterous
enough to play the violin
* Now 24 years old, the US analog cellular network is scheduled to
shut down on Feb. 18, 2008

_________LIKEABLE LINKS_________
Christmas Wonders 2007 Videos
http://christmaswonders.com/2007_Videos.html

ASCII Generator
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/

Top 40+ GIMP Plugins
http://www.techzilo.com/gimp-plugins/

Notpron - The Hardest Riddle Available on the Internet
http://www.deathball.net/notpron/

_________QUESTIONABLE QUESTION_________
If Atlas is holding the world on his shoulders, what on the world is
he standing on?

_________QUOTABLE QUOTE_________
Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes
you a pianist.
~ Michael Levine ~

_________TRIVIAL TRIVIA_________
What was Sleeping Beauty's name?
Sleeping Beauty's name was Princess Aurora. The prince who woke her
with a kiss was Prince Philip.
Source: Arcamax Trivia

_________LAUGHABLE LAUGH_________
Four insurance companies are in competition. One comes up with the
slogan, "Coverage from the cradle to the grave."

The second one tries to improve on that with "Coverage from the womb
to the tomb."

Not to be outdone, the third one comes up with "From the sperm to the
worm."

The fourth insurance company really thought hard and almost gave up
the race, but finally came up with "From the erection to the
resurrection."

_________DOWNLOADABLE DOWNLOAD_________
ASCII Generator dotNET
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=133786

HFS - HTTP File Server
http://www.rejetto.com/hfs/

Blogger Backup
http://www.codeplex.com/bloggerbackup

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.

Australian Open 2008 - Jankovic vs. Paszek

It's just the first day of the Australian Open, and we're having quite a drama already. World number four Jelena Jankovic plays world number 39 Tamira Paszek. Paszek came out hard and dominated the first set 6-2. Jankovic knew she's in deep trouble, but she held out and relying on Paszek's many errors, won the second set 6-2. For the third set, both players are really struggling, fighting for every point. In my opinion, Paszek is the better, more consistent player, but Jankovic is not giving up without a fight. At 7-7, Jankovic had to call for the trainer because of some back problems. At 9-8, Paszek had to do the same. It's turning out to be a match of wills and physical endurance.

After three hours and minutes, Jankovic finally won over Paszek 2-6 6-2 12-10.

Walk, Lunch, Mass, Dinner

Went to Rodd Park with some friends for a morning walk. We started around 8:50am. By the time we circled the bay, crossed the Iron Cove Bridge, and came back to our starting point, it's already 10:30am. GF made it through the 7-km. walk with just a sweaty forehead. Not too bad. Brunch is at this Vietnamese restaurant in Flemington.

Since GF missed her Sunday morning mass because of the bay walk, I brought her to St. Patrick's Church in Church Hill in the afternoon. Turns out it's the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus today. No special ceremonies though. After the 1-hour mass, we proceeded to Bicentennial Park in Rozelle/Glebe for the first Sydney Shakespeare Festival. Tickets to the outdoor play cost $25, but the organizers are offering a 2-for-1 promo for the first two weekends. I wanted to book the tickets online early on since there's no booking fee anyway, but GF suggested we buy at the gate since she doesn't think it'll be sold out anyway. Good thing I listen to her. It was drizzling earlier on, and by the time I went back to the car to pick up the lawn chairs, it's positively raining already. A few people braved the rains and sat under the surrounding trees. Not wanting to get wet, we ditched the play, and just had dinner at Broadway Shopping Centre. The title of the play? Much Ado about Nothing.

Book 2008.01.11 - Fat, Forty and Fired

A timely, insightful, and inspiring story of a man who was downsized (his company and not his waistline), and spent a year taking stock and living the life he really wanted. Among the things he did:

• giving up alcohol
• losing 20 kilos
• do some hands-on parenting: taking the kids to school, packing their lunches, helping out in the school canteen, going away on Lads and Dads trips
• week-long vacation in Tasmania with his mate
• preparing for the Bondi-to-Bronte ocean race
• picking up surfing and long-distance running again
• learning to paint
• vacation/second honeymoon in London, France, and Italy

Nine months down the road, he was offered a job, and he was back on the hamster wheel (or rat race, depending on your preference).

Forget the funny stories and the anecdotes. If there's one thing to be learned from this book, it is this. I quote:

"I have a confession - looking after four young children isn't always as rewarding as performing well in a business meeting. It is sometimes fantastic to be able to leave the domestic chores behind and go on a business trip. I do get a large part o f my identity from my role at work. I find it enormously satisfying and motivating to be part of a group of people that is engaged in common endeavor towards a shared goal..... So am I recommending all men to just give up trying to lead more balanced lives? No, I'm not recommending anything. I haven't got any answers. I do, however, look at things in a different way now. I have stopped looking for perfection. Having spent my life so far seeing only black and white, I am now more comfortable with grey. Life is hard, and as far as I can see it will be hard. The vast majority of us will always have to struggle - whatever lifestyle choices we make. Admitting this to myself was liberating in its own right. I then started to put my focus on trying to enjoy the struggle rather than attempting to create a mythical stress-free nirvana. I've started to praise myself for the small victories rather than beat myself up for the bigger failure of not having a perfect life."

Wollongong and Kiama

Already my third time to Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong, and still I managed to get lost. First two times I mapped the route using the street directory. This time, I had a TomTom GPS navigator to guide me. Go figure. We thought we entered the correct address into the GPS device, but apparently not. Worse, we gave the same address to a friend who's meeting up with us, so both cars got lost at the same time. In the end, we managed to find Nan Tien Temple the old-fashioned way - by asking directions from the guy on the street. In case I forget, this is how to get to the temple. From the freeway, take the Five Island Road exit. Once you hit this big roundabout, take the first exit (left) to Gladstonbury. Further on, you see the temple on your right along Berkeley Road.

Nothing much has changed since I last came here. The only new thing I discovered in the temple grounds is this Gratitude Bell on top of a hill. It's about 7-10 minutes walk from the main temple. Unlike the drum and bell in the main temple, you can actually ring the Gratitude Bell using a hanging log. Just remember to put in a donation.

From Nan Tien Temple, we proceeded to the city centre. Parked at the Wollongong Central Shopping Centre, and had lunch at the food court. Then, off to the Kiama Blowhole Point. There's even less to see here. Aside from the blowhole and the lighthouse, there's not much else. Spent most of the afternoon down at the fish-and-chips restaurant looking at the birds and the pelicans.

Barbecue and Tennis

It was supposed to be a day of barbecue and tennis at GF's place. Bad weather intervened, so instead we fried and grilled the steak and sausages and drumsticks, and had an afternoon of karaoke. In terms of entertainment value, that Magic Sing beats tennis hands down. Everybody had a chance with the mic. Highest score for the day was 95. Guess who set it? :-)

Book 2008.01.04 - Air Babylon

Written by the co-author of Hotel Babylon, I guess Imogen Edwards-Jones went around interviewing airport ground staff and stewards/stewardesses to come up with this book. Air Babylon basically a collection of strange stories and amusing anecdotes about the airline industry that travelers would rather not know about:

• What happens when a passenger dies mid-flight? Due to lack of space, sometimes the corpse is just stashed in the toilet, then wheeled out in a trolley. That's if rigor mortis hasn't set in yet. If the first-class passengers don't mind/care/know, dump him in first class, put on an oxygen mask, and pretend he's resting. The bad thing is, everything comes out when you're dead, so the seat covers need to be changed once all the passengers have disembarked. Also, when a passenger is taken ill or dies mid-flight, the captain is supposed to land at the nearest airport. This almost always never happens because any deviation from flight schedule costs bazillions of dollars. They don't even call the time of death in real-time because it's easier to get a death certificate at the destination on terra firma.
• What's the best way to beat the airport queues? Pretend you can't walk and demand a wheelchair. This gets you a personal porter, who'll take you through customs and passport control, and even pick up your bags. Once in the arrival area, people miraculously jump up from the wheelchairs and rush to their waiting friends and relatives. The airlines got wise to this, and some are charging extra fees for use of the wheelchairs.
• Why airline food doesn't taste good? That's because airline food is packed in preservatives, drenched in chemicals, and high in salt and fat content. They're supposed to *look* nice and palatable, and have at least two colors on the plate. Catering companies make huge profits off airline food. Just imagine how many meals are served on a typical flight. None of the cooks are chef standard - they just prepare the food.
• Why do you need to be nice to the check-in girls and the stewardesses? It's a tightly-knit gang - offend one of them and you can be sure your entire flight will be hell. The check-in girl won't give you the window seat even if there are lots available. Heck, they'll even put you between two of the fattest people on the flight. But wait, there's more: they fart silently in your face when they bend over; they wipe your steak on the toilet seat before serving it to you; they spit on the drinks you order, or worse they lace it with laxative.
• How to get an upgrade? People come up with all sorts of reasons to get an upgrade: wife is pregnant, wife on her period, wife having the flu, wife having a bad headache, we're honeymooners, etc. Easiest way to get an upgrade? Try slipping a bribe inside your passport. It's illegal to do so, but depending on the check in girl's integrity, she might just pocket the money and upgrade you. Heck, some even allow in illegal immigrants with forged passports.

There's lots more stories to tell, and they all happen during 24 hours in the life of a duty airport manager at London Heathrow.

Oaks Hotel Dinner and Kurraba Street Tea

Another last-minute dinner invitation from GF. Her good buddy is moving down to Melbourne, so the gang wanted to have a farewell dinner with her before she leaves. GF's lucky I'm anti-social and don't have much on during weeknights.

Long story as to why I'm in the office when I'm officially on leave, but there I was, so I hang around till 6:30pm. She picked me up from office and drove us over to The Oaks Hotel at Neutral Bay. The garden dining area was pretty crowded. Good thing we managed to snag a couple of tables to accommodate the group. We would've gone for the steaks, but it turned out that even at $24, you still have to DIY, so we opted for the Caesar salad and the Peking duck sausage pizza instead. Not the best, but not too bad. After we're done with the food and the picture-taking, we continued on to Kurraba Road for a nightcap.

Post-NY

Was supposed to go to Watson's Bay today, but GF doesn't fancy another long walk. So we ended up having spaghetti lunch at her place, then shopping for a rashvest at the swimwear outlets at DFO Homebush and Westfield Burwood for her cousin. Had coffee at the food court, then back to her house for some quality TV time.