Of Every Second Counts

From the cover of the book:

Since the release of his megabestseller, It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong has enjoyed a new series of thrilling rides, including the birth of his twin daughters, being chosen as Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and extending his string of Tour victories to a record-tying fifth in 2003. Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book, Every Second Counts captures the mind-set of a man who has beaten incredible odds and considers each day an opportunity for excellence. 

Armstrong's previous book recounted his journey from a grim diagnosis of testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain, to a stunning recovery that culminated in his winning the 1999 Tour de France - the ultimate evidence that he had also won a daunting battle with death.

His new book addresses the equally daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of this experience and making the most of every breath of life. Armstrong canddily discusses his prickly relationship with the French and the ultimately disproved accusations of doping within his Tour de France team, and he writes about his recent achievements, including celebrating five years of cancer survival and how he restored a magnificent chapel in his beloved Spain.

A fresh perspective on the sprit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts will invigorate and enthrall Armstrong's millions of admirers.

As I was browsing around for some biographies to read, I found this book. I thought it would be interesting to look into the world of someone who seems to have such strong determination and passion for life. And truly, I was not disappointed.

I guess this phrase from the first page of the book sums up pretty well what Armstrong think of his life - "It seems only right that a place called Dead Man's Hole should belong to a guy who nearly died - and who, by the way, has no intention of just barely living".

The whole book is actually a summary of his life post-1999 win of the Tour de France. It summarizes his belief, his point of views and offers snippets of his life. Without a doubt, the most interesting part of the book was when he is describing his race when competing in Tour de France. I have no interest whatsoever in bicycle race before reading the book ... but after reading Armstrong's passion and his description of the sport, I think I begin to understand why there are people who would adore this sport to the point of being a fanatic. 

One very interesting thought I picked from the book is this;

"I swept up the hill. I hadn't just trained my legs for this push up Hautacam, I'd also trained my expressions. I wanted the other riders to see strength in my attitude on the bike, because there was something dispiriting about watching another rider move past effortlessly while you suffered."

I can't help but feel inspired by that kind of determination and boldness. Perhaps some would say it is arrogance. But, I think it is a good tactic. And to be able to train yourself to that level ... I have nothing but pure respect for it.

More than the race however, this book also offers some insight how a life can be destroyed in an instant with a disease and in this case - cancer. The pain of going through the chemo, the sheer shock of finding out you're struck by cancer ... and how your world just changes with that ...

I have always thought that it is troublesome to be sick. But, to be able to read so descriptively how it affects people ... it was something that made me really think about my own life.

One cancer-survivor however, gives hope with this beautiful phrase;

"My house is burned down, but I can see the sky".

All in all, I would think this a really good read. It offers some insights to how a person can be so determined, so ready to embrace pain and move past it and to reach the stars. Not once. But five-record tying times. I think it shows us that beneath the flesh and blood, there is something else. Something more.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

Of Waiter Rant - Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter

Excerpts from the cover;

According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived.

I just finished the book, and personally, despite all the profanities, I like and in fact, enjoyed the book.
Ok.Fine.Most books these days, with the exception of Harry Potter and a few others, are stocked with so much profanities that you start to wonder whether you're reading the Dictionary of Swearing and Cursing; How to Verbally Abuse People In The Proper Way and Using Four Letter Curse Words.So it shouldn't really matter.

I like how the author reveals gems in the waiting industry - waiting as in serving - what things really look like from their standpoint. Some of the stories are hilarious to the point that I had to push the book aside and laughed out loud for a few minutes.Some are just downright ... depressing.While others reveal the human side of him.And the rest shows that there is still hope in this cold hard world.

It seems shocking, really ... to read of those horrendous customer experience. And though the author inserted snippets of human grace here and there, now and then ... the book for most of it feels pretty bleak. It seems like the world we are living in is indeed a harsh one.Then again, he is in New York.Pardon me.I seem to be generalizing.But personally, I have never really had a good image of New York.

Bright lights.Buzzing city.
But all smoke and fog.

I digress.

I think you can really feel that while writing this book, he is CONSTANTLY reminding himself not to be too self-absorbed ... too obnoxious ... too "I know what I am doing, so you shut up and let me do it!"
You just get the feeling that he is really trying hard to get into your good books at times ... but to his credit, I sincerely think he did a good job on balancing the line.
As described, the book is a revelation by him.It is his viewpoint and observations that we are reading.So, for the most part of it ... it is what he thinks.It is his interpretation ... his takes on the stuffs that happened.No doubt, reader may slowly feel cynical about his book.

To counter it, he acknowledges his own mistakes and his flaws.How he has made the same mistake before and why he is vulnerable to making the same mistake in the future.

I personally like a lot of the observations he revealed in the book.Though it may be his own takes on things, I find them enlightening and sometimes, shocking even.

There is this personal favorite from the book that has a line that goes ...
"People say you have to travel to see the world.Sometimes I think that if you just stay in one place and keep your eyes open, you're going to see just about all that you can handle"
I like the way he put this together and how it fits in with his story.

But more than everything, I couldn't put down the book after reading it for a few pages because you can feel the raw emotion running through it.His anger and frustation on a dysfunctional system.And his fear on his future and the stake it has.And finally, the hope he has.It seems we are all human after all.Waiter.Banker.Actuary.
*shrug*

I personally picked up some etiquette tips from the book.Hopefully I'll be a better customer next time I dine in a restaurant.

Rating: 4.5/5

Note to self: One down ... a lot more to go.

Of Soon I Will Be Invicible

The cover page was striking enough to catch my attention. So I borrowed it from the library. Here is the synopsis.

The story is told from the point of view of the supervillain, Dr. Impossible, and the rookie heroine, Fatale.

As the story starts the world's greatest superhero, CoreFire, has gone missing. The former superteam The Champions regroup to discover his whereabouts, bringing in two new replacement heroines, Lily and Fatale. The most obvious suspect is Dr. Impossible, CoreFire's archnemesis. However, he is in a maximum security prison at this point, following his defeat by Damsel (leader of the Champions) during his twelfth world domination attempt.

An interrogation by two novice heroes about CoreFire's disappearance gives him the chance to escape and start work on the plan he developed in prison. The New Champions attempt to find Impossible, convinced he is responsible for CoreFire's demise, while he attempts to gather the materials he needs to accomplish his plan. This is intercut with flashbacks to earlier times and his origin, as well as reflections on other paths he could have taken in life.

Fatale, meanwhile, observes on the actions of the New Champions as its newest member. She often feels out of her league, and is uncomfortable with being a replacement for a much-loved deceased member. However, her early encounters show her to be highly competent and she earns the respect of her teammates. She contrasts Dr. Impossible's flashbacks by having no memory of her life before the accident in Brazil that made her a cyborg, with her exposition coming from her new experiences with the other superheroes.

The climax is reached on Dr. Impossible's island, as he begins his plan to start a controlled Ice Age, making him Earth's ruler and only source of energy. He almost succeeds until the truth about CoreFire, and some surprising truths about several other characters, is revealed

Source: Wikipedia

Well, I personally think that the book is interesting because it was written from the first person view of a super-villain and a super-hero. A rookie super-hero.
It was funny reading the tendency of super-villain to want to give away their plot, every time they try to dominate the world. And the struggle of a new super-hero.
But still, it wasn't that captivating. I would say, it is a medium read.
Something to while away the time when you are bored.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Of Memento

Two words: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
This show totally rocks.
Very unique. Very different.
And on the whole, superbly awesome.

WATCH it.


I don't think there has been any movie like it.
For starters, the show is shown in such a way that it starts with the ending. And from there, it works backward.
So, you are interested not in wanting to find out what happened NEXT, you are sitting there eager to know what actually happened BEFORE.

And Guy Pearce is just awesome.
Though he probably can't rival Brad Pitt - and to be fair, not many can - I would say he is really awesome in this movie.
If I have ten thumbs, it would all be up.

Warning though, I would strongly suggest that you read a little of the synopsis before you watch it, just so you won't get lost while watching it, and lose your interest. It can be confusing. But once you get past knowing what his "condition" actually is, you begin to grasp the whole idea of the movie.

Of Krispy Kreme

Was grocery shopping at Hyvee this afternoon when I passed by an aisle and saw this:


Krispy Kreme - Original Glazed Doughnuts. One Dozen. USD6.49
After listening to so much people raving about it, I was naturally VERY curious. Was it REALLY as good as so many people had raved about?
I bought the one dozen box. There were a half dozen one. But then with so many people raving about it, one dozen should be finished pretty soon, right? At least I thought so la.

Looks pretty good huh?

Well, I must admit that it does look pretty good. Much better than most of the other doughnuts I had before.

Ooh la la. My finger looks good too.

Taking it with my hand, I kind of felt a surge of anticipation. Here comes the moment...

One big bite later

Half expecting to see a rainbow appear behind a fountain with dolphins jumping around in the far away ocean, and wings suddenly pop out of my back - I stood there munching the doughnut.

And still I munch and wait for that "Oh, so awesome it rocks my whole body!" sensation.

And still I munch.

And nope. No rainbow. No fountain. No dolphins. No wings popping out. And no "Oh, so awesome it rocks my whole body" sensation.
I guess it must be the over-expectation I had for it. After all, the hype about Krispy Kreme doughnuts has been pretty crazy, at least from what I have read.
Still, I think it is kind of over-rated.

Well, I will probably be cursed till death by the time Da Jie finished reading this.
But yeah, I would have to say that it is kind of over-rated.
I would rate it at not bad.
And not super awesome, crazy tasting.

Krispy Kreme - Original Glazed Doughnuts. Not bad.

Of a fun way to log in

Tired of locking your computer before leaving?
Tired of entering your password so many times?
Wanna try loggin in the cool way?

Get BananaSecurity!
BananaSecurity will lock your computer after you leave it idle for some time. Then, it uses your webcam to "scan" your face, which works as a password, to log into your computer.

All you need is a webcam and your pretty face. And of course, the cool software.
Here is an example.

1. Set up a face model simply by displaying your pretty face in front of the webcam. Also, if you haven't set a password for your lap/desk-top previously, make sure you do so. Go Control Panel --> User Accounts and set a password.


2. Configure your own idling time. If you're so excited that you can't wait to test it out, like me, put 10 seconds. Then, you will see this.


Your lap/desk-top has been locked! And it shows that the webcam is working right now.

3. So, to unlock your lap/desk-top, show your pretty face again.


BananaSecurity will then try to "read" your face. And ta-da! You're logged in!

I don't know whether a sudden pimple that pop out might cause the reading to fail. It has worked pretty fast for me so far. Except for a few times where I have to shift and turn to let it "scan" my face successfully.

I even asked my roommate to test it out for me, by showing his face in front of the webcam.
And yup. BananaSecurity worked. It only recognize my good-looks. My roommate wasn't good-looking enough like me to unlock the laptop.
Heh.

It is definitely more fun than just typing your password the old school style. And oh, don't worry if it fails continously. You can type your password the old school style. =P

This is only a beta version. I really hope that they won't commercialize it, but make it free even after they come out with a good enough version.
Cause this is too fun to be commercialized!

This software was discovered due to the courtesy of Mark Fraunfelder

Of Transformer - Review

Photoshop-ed. I just thought it looks cool.

I totally enjoyed the movie.
But I would really think that this is a "boys" movie.
With all those explosive action and transforming around, I sincerely doubt that the female population would appreciate it.
Hey, no. I am not being a sexist.
That's just what I think.
=)

Ok la. It is meant for the geeky boys.
Good enough?
But I really enjoyed the entire 2 hours I was watching it.
Except for the annoying lead human character (I forgot the character's name), the whole movie is really good.
My "good" wouldn't do enough justice for it even, really.

Rating: 4.5/5.0
(Deducted 0.5 because of the lead human character - annoying)
Michael Bay rocks!
Once again!

Of Babel

Although it is an award-winning movie, I didn't like this movie for a few reasons. One MAJOR, and I mean MAJOR reason that I did not like this movie is:

IT DID NOT HAVE A GOOD CONCLUSION FOR EVERY STORY IT TELLS!

And that irritates me a lot!
I mean, WTF!

You already doing the movie, and you want us to figure out the stuffs ourselves??!
What's the point of being so secretive if you don't plan to reveal it in the end!
KNN!

Ok. See. I am swearing.
That tells you how much I don't like the movie. Or rather how the movie goes.
I used the term 'don't like' cause I didn't hate it. Just didn't like it.
There are actually a few points that I do appreciate from the movie.

There is this "serious" kind of aura throughout the entire movie. Don't know whether you get what I mean. Let's just say, I would categorise it as a movie-which-cause-you-to-think-about-stuffs-after-you-watch-it.
Would "philosophical" fit? Hmmmm..I don't really think it is philosophical in a sense. Just that it would make you think about stuffs after watching it.

Which by the way, is not really the kind of movie I go for. I have a simple mind. Too much of thi stuff cause my brain to jam.

Sitting here watching it, I kind of have a "heavy heart".
Some scenes just "hurt" a lot.
Like, seeing Cate Blanchett getting shot.
Like, seeing one of the kids getting shot.
Like, seeing how "Amelia" was treated.
Like, seeing how... lost? "Cheiko" is.
Like, seeing how people can be so unreasonable.

*sigh*

And I do appreciate how the movie portrays the selfishness of man.

Can't help but to watch it sadly.
The depravity of humanity.

Rating?
Would have given it a 4.0 out of 5.0.
But the "secrets" and no conclusive conclusion cuts it back to 2.0.
Oh well, you may not agree with me.

But, I do avoid this kind of movie. And those with sad endings too. With rare exception. Very rare exception.

S.K: You probably will like it?

p/s: There is nudity shown in a few scenes. So, if you feel that you might feel awkward watching it with a group of friend, I already gave you the warning.