My Friends' PCs never Sleeps

The time was about 3 a.m. and two of my friends were still online at MSN. Although their status indicated 'away', it is not an absolute tell tale sign that they were actually away. I know such trick. However, when they didn't return my message after several attempts, I knew they were indeed away - in bed. They have been 'away' daily at this hour for weeks and I wonder why they don't shut down their PCs when they go to bed. So I googled this subject and to my surprise, my friends are not living in a lonely planet - many people around the world leave their PCs on in the night. The pros and cons of doing so are debated feverently on the Internet. Each author educates the readers with their specific interest in mind. But why are people not shutting down their PCs when not in use? I shall cast the arugments aside and put in layman term the easier ways to decide what's best for youself.

The common hearsay to leave the PCs on 24/7 is that frequent turning on and off will cause a power surge and damage the hard disks. Unless your PC wears a pair of bell-bottom, modern PCS are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure i.e. 5 to 7 year life span of a computer. Stop listening to 'I heard a rumor' and do some fact-findings.

The other myth is that leaving the PC on uses lesser energy than turning it off. How can anyone buy this ridiculous conception that a small surge of power to turn the PC on is more than the long hours of keeping it on? Probably those who have to wait 5 minutes for the PC to boot up will.

Whether it is true that leaving the PC overnight is vulnerable to hackers' attacks or overheating, most people are listening only to their own ears. I turn off my PC whenever I don't use them and turn them on and off as often as I use them. It's a matter of saving electricty for me. According to SP Services, the norminal rating for computer is 300 watts and estimated electricity consumed/hour is 0.30 kwh. Let' me do a simple estimation: assuming my friends dozed off at 12 a.m that night and woke up at 8 a.m. the next day. The PC was on for 8 hours.

Estimated electricity consumed that night = 8 x 0.30 = 2.40kwh
Electricity tariff for domestic consumption = 20.52 cent/kwh
Estimated charges for that night = 2.4 x 20.52 = 49.25 cent
Estimaed charges for a month of 30 days = 49.25 cent x 30 = $14.78.

Although the most effective way to save electricity is to unplug the power from the socket (which is hard to practise because a modern home is a hybrid of appliances and gadgets), switching off the PC at night could at least save significant money. However, try telling those who download music and movies online about saving S15 per month on electricity bill and they will mock at you. With the collection of free music and movies that they wake up to the next morning by 'overworking' their PC, these pirates save hundreds of dollar every month.

At times, I do leave my PC on for a few hours even when I am not using it for convenience sake. However, I will put it into sleep mode instead of my Aussiebum screensaver (some can use up to 115 watts, half of PC's consumption), and turn off my monitor to save a few dollars. When it's time to sleep, I will definitely turn my PC off to save the Earth too. According to Live Earth's website, if one million PCs are shut down overnight, 45,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) can be eliminated yearly.

If I can save money and our Mother Earth by simply shutting down my PC, I do not see a stronger reason to leave it on every night. Do you?
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More reading:

Leave It On or Shut It Down - PC Today.com

Do you need to turn off your PC at night? - microsoft.com

Should I shut down my PC at night? - yahoo.com (679 comments)

Cutting PC Energy Bills- Energy Awarness Campaign

Climate Crisis Solutions - Live Earth.org

What your PC is doing when you go to bed

Cats talk.

As a kid living in Kampung (Malay village), I was told that if a black, pregnant cat jumps over a corpse at a wake, the dead will rise. The legend stopped there and whether the corpse will jump out of the coffin and hobble to the fright of the mourners, the Hong Kong directors of slapstick movies on zombie know better.

I had a writer's block 2 days ago but a cat named Oscar cleard the bottleneck yesterday miraculously. As a gesture of gratitude to Oscar, I will dedicate this blog to feline. Before Oscar appeared, I didn't know what the word 'feline' means although I have girl friend who is a cat lover and has feline in her hotmail address. That shows how little I know about cats and how inquisitive I am about vocabulary. So is this wonder cat an Oscar nominated animation character? Nope. It is a cat that lives among us at Providence, Rhode Island.

The animal plays god in the human world - Oscar can sense death. Raised at the nursing home since it was a kitten, Oscar is a harbinger of death when it does its round checks of the residents. When it curls up during a visit, it means someone is going to die and it is always within two hours. Hard to believe but it is equally hard to discount its credibility since the report is from the respected New England Journal of Medicine and not from any feline fan clubs.

Dr Thomas Graves, a feline expert and chief of small animal medicine at the University of IIIinois College of Veterinary Medicine, does not dimiss Oscar's supernatural ability despite the lack of evidence to suggest that cats can sense death. Dr Kirstie Seksel, a vet and a specialist in animal behavior attributes Oscar's behavior as the ability of animals to read body language and to detect smells from the dying patients. Speaking of which, I recalled my military days at the Paula Tekong Island where wild dogs would bark in the wee hours of the morning. If cat like Oscar is able to sense death, surely there are dogs named Emmy that could see ghosts?

Thousands of years ago, black cats were associated with witchcraft and death. Think Professor Minerva McGonagall from 'Harry Potter' who can morph herself into a cat. It was believed that a witch can turn herself into cat for nine times, and which is probably why cats have nine lives. Colors could infer good or bad omens in different cultures just like black cats could spell good or bad luck if you see them at different countries.

I see black cats pretty often around the vicinity of my neighborhood. I have no problem with them. I am more afraid of the pigeons that fly over my head. At least, cats can't drop their shits on me. And thanks to cat, I'm writing again.

Never Judge a Book by its Cover

If K.D. Lang never came out of the closet, will you think that she is straight? In the first place, why are we suspecting her sexual identity? Is it because of her short hair and her manly mannerism? If so, a man who keeps long hair and behaves gently must be gay. Such stereotyping is not an absolute indication of a person's sexuality. By such a generalisation, are we sure that there is no regular looking men and women among us who could possibly be living in brokeback mountain? Today, I learned that this is untrue.

It is my 3rd day working part-time at the departure hall of Changi Airport. Naturally, a lot of Caucasians walked into the store where I work in. After serving a customer (at the back of the store), I saw an athletic looking, white guy standing at the entrance. As I got nearer, I couldn't confirm if he is a man or a woman because he has a soft feature but yet his androgynous look made me think twice about confirming his gender. He towers at about 176cm (5 ft 7") and his hair is boyishly short. He wore a sweater and I couldn't see if he has chest or breasts. I thought the safest way not to offend a customer was simply to say 'hi' without its appendages 'sir' or 'ma'am'. Briefly, this is our conversation:

"Hi, how can I help you?" I asked casually.

"I'm just looking." he replied suavely, I mean, she replied suavely. He is a she. She stood majestically and didn't nudge her body at all while talking to me.

"Why don't you come on in and take a look at other stuff?"

"Oh no, I'm waiting for my boyfriend."

Shit. He, whom I thought was a he turned out to be a 'she', and whom I later thought was a lesbian turned out to be straight. The revelation one after another was so unexpected. An interesting person requires an interesting question. So I boldly told her:

"I thought you are interested in my product because you keep looking at them."

"Oh, because I do a lot of sports and I have used your product before."

"What sports do you play?"

"I swim, ski, cycle and I play tennis and basketball..."

Her explaination made me so ashamed of my generalisation. Instantly, I linked the reason for her short hair to the sports she plays.

"You are so tall. Your boyfriend must be very tall."

"About this tall." she showed me his height by levelling her palm above her head. From the distance apart, he must be at least 10cm taller than her.

"so where are you from?"

"Germany."

Regrettably, our conversation had to end there because another customer needed help. Otherwise, I might have the chance to continue the chat till her boyfriend returned. I greeted her a pleasant flight home and left her.

She is the most memorable girl I have met in my life. If I were a lesbian, I could be infactuated by her. If I were straight, I will like her too. Being womanly in her special way, she stands out among all the babes.

Perhaps, there is a reason for her to stand outside my store and a reason that I approached her. I will never judge a person's sexuality from the outside again. Next time, I will keep an open mind when I talk to a slim guy with long hair who behaves gently. He may tell me that he is waiting for his girlfriend.

Encouragement from my hairdresser

I had a haircut today to prepare myself for a new job. Did I say a new job? Yes. If you have read my past blog entries, you would know how I became jobless. Anyway, I will be working permanent part time for an international organisation next Monday. I will start a Briget Jones's Diary alike (but no romance; it's strictly about my new job). Until then, let me bring you back to the hair salon at Orchard Road.

To give you a little background, my hairdresser is my ex-hairdresser's hairdresser (the use of repetitive words here is deliberate). My ex-hairdresser changed salons so often that one day, I told him that I couldn't follow him to Jurong, the extreme end from where I stay. I asked him to recommend a good hairdresser and the rest were history. I have been with my current hairdresser for more than a year. Although she is as mobile as my ex-hairdresser, she always moves around the salons in Orchard Road.

My appointment with her for the hair cut was 1 p.m. Naturally, when she saw me she asked if I was on leave. I told her before that I had quit my job months ago but I don't expect her to remember something which doesn't concern her at all. Afterall, I am not her only customer. I refreshed her memory and told her about my new job and hence the haircut.

She remembered what my previous job was and was amazed at the drastic change. To avoid repeating my case (which I suggest that you read 'My Pursuit of Happiness'), my decision was unsupported by most friends. Suprisingly, a 40-year old married woman with kids and a hairdresser whom I only meet once every 2 months could see where I was coming from. Adjectives like 'crazy', 'impractical' (most commonly heard), 'idealistic' and 'brave' were tagged to my decisions but none could truly understand what I did except her. I knew she was not saying nice things to please my ears just because I am her customer. This was not the first time she cut my hair - I know her way of thoughts.

When will I bump into another person who shares the same ideology of life as me? Probably, I should just plug to my iPod and listen to 'One in a Million' by the one hit singer, Bosson.

I just answered myself.

Tears for a Stranger

Email from a Stranger's Mum

This afternoon, I received an email reply from Alex's mum, Kelly. Alex is the fine young man who passed away from brain tumor on May 21, 2006. I wrote to Kelly after reading Alex's journal which was written by her. In her email, she attached photos of Alex's gravesite. I was moved to tears when I saw them. The photo below was imprinted at the back of Alex's headstone.

Kelly and I will stay in touch. We believe that there is a reason for me to stumble onto Alex's journal. Alex and I can never be friends on this earth; but we will be eternal friends in heaven one day - just like the words engraved on Alex's bench quoted from the song 'With Hope' by Steven Curtis Chapman:

"There's a place by God's grace where we'll see your face again."

Play this song now.

Meanwhile, I will write to Alex and Kelly has agreed to bring my letters to him. This may sound absurd to many but this is the only way for me to build a friendship with Alex before I see him in heaven.

Tears for a Stranger

Read the caption of the above photo and you will know who I shed my tears for this afternoon.

I spent 3 hours reading Alex's journal written by his mum, Kelly from August 29, 2005 to May 21, 2006. My heart was heavy as I followed the chronicle of a promising, young man fighting a battle against brain tumor. I was so engrossed reading that I was not aware that my mum was in my room. She asked: "did you just cry?". I did not answer but just showed her Alex's journal. She comforted me that death is a passage of life and left my room. She knows her son enough not to discourage me from crying. I come from a family that it is ok for guy to shed tears.

I continued to read the journal and when I was at the year 2006, my eyes were watery again. Like Kelly, my emotion was a rollercoaster ride. I rose with her hope and fell with her when she was lost. All parents will understand how Kelly had felt when Alex was in pain due to the side effects of treatment; she would so much wish that she could take his place. I was frustrated when the medical experts from different instituitions whom she depended on for her son's survival were providing various assessments on Alex's treatment. In the end, she had to do her own research online about brain tumor and its treatment and assessed herself if the medical advices were the best for Alex. She learned not to entrust her son's fate to the experts' hands completely. I am comforted that Kelly was not alone in the battle to combat her son's cancer. Alex's stepfather was doing an awesome part as a parent and a husband. He is a noble man.

When I read the journal on April 8, 2006, tears rolled down my cheek. The doctors broke the bad news to Kelly that Alex only had a week or more to live. When I saw the feeble and wheelbound Alex in the family photo posted on April 13, 2006, I hope I was there to give him a big hug. I wondered what I did on April 15, 2006 - my birthday when Alex was fighting to live? For him, there will not be another April 15...

On May 21, 2006, Alex passed away. He was only 23. Although Alex is a stranger to me, I felt that I have lost a brother. I felt that I had known him like a person from his journal. I felt I was there with him during his living days. He will be fondly remembered by me in the days to come.

Alex's Journal (The server of the website is down as of July 14, 2007)

Testing mobile ring tones in the train. What's wrong with people?

It has been quite some time since I blogged about noise in the train. 4 months ago, I complained about chipmunks singing in the train - a mobile ring tone of a techno-dance song sung in a chipmunkese voice. The irritable part was the owner of the mobile phone answered the call only when the song reached its chorus. Wadefart (Pardon me for inventing this word. The original is too crude for a professional blogger to pen).

This morning, I encountered another idiot of the same breed in the train. I was on my way to the gym and was enjoying my book 'The Complete Notes from Singapore' when one ring tone was heard after another consecutively. I knew what it was all about because when I had a new mobile phone, I would test all the choices of ring tones available. That was exactly what happened. I was not the only one who turned to to my right to identify the source. Everyone wants a peaceful ride to work and for Pete's sake, stop creating noises. He looked probably in his late 30s and not at all irritating. But his act was. He was testing all the ring tones in his mobile phone throughout the ride. I was sure he was the one because he was looking down at his mobile phone.

The authority should not overlook noise level in the train. Although commuters who talk endlessly on their mobile phones during the train ride are irritating too, it is still reasonable because mobile phones are meant for talking. However, blasting music from a mobile phone and testing all its ring tones are inconsiderate. Commuters who play games on the train with the sound on are equally detestable.

Whether it is a mobile phone or a game console, I believe a plug for a earphone is available. So ydefart not use it? If Singapore follows New York and implements noise control in the city, that would mean dog owners have to teach their pets to obey the rule too. That would probably generate more noise.

Is Peter Pan written for Kids?

When people talk about Peter Pan, what have you got to say? How much do you know about Peter Pan beside the flying boy who wore a green hat? Wanting to find out more about the flying Pan, I picked up the book by J. M. Barrie last week at Borders. By the first three chapters, I was already shocked at how different the book I thought it to be - a children's storybook.


Peter Pan was more than a boy who refused to grow up. He was also a sly boy who knew how to convince the innocent's hearts to have his way. He lived at Neverland with the Lost Boys, and they need a mother. So he sneaked into the Darling's family and smooth-talked his way into their little girl, Wendy's heart. He lured her and her brothers, Michael and John to Neverland (inset above). The fairy, Tinkerbell (inset above) did not welcome Peter Pan's idea because she was jealous of Wendy and she would never want Wendy to be close to Peter Pan. And Tinkerbell's help was needed for the children to get to Neverland; without the fairy's golden dust, they couldn't fly. Tinkerbell obliged out of her feeling for Peter Pan.

When I read the sentence where it explained why there weren't any girls on Neverland, I laughed. The author wrote that Lost Boys were boys who fell out of their perambulators and girls were too smart for that folly. In modern context, can this be considered as a sexist remark? Hmm...Anyway, Mr Darling's conduct was also inappropriate for kids. He fed the medicine that he hated to eat to their dog, Nana. The SPCA* would probably condemn such act as abuse to animals.

Honestly, I enjoy the book very much. Fairy tales are beyond imagination and some of the silliness in Peter Pan's story do make me laugh. As an adult, I can take whatever theme in fairy tales with a pinch of salt. But I am concerned for the kids' consumption. Tinkerbell was a damsel that kids should be discerning (which they can't at their tender age) to understand her misguided emotion beyond her cuteness. As I read further, there was a weirdness between Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell. Somehow, it conjured up an image of a love triangle. As the tension unfolded along with their adventures, Tinkerbell decieved the Lost Boys that Wendy was a white bird and urged them to shoot her down while she was flying over Neverland. Wendy was shot but not dead. She was protected by the chain given to her by Peter Pan. Does this sound like a gift of love?


Maybe, Peter Pan was not written for children but written by an adult about children for adult readers. Its theme aside, the English in this book is not easy to understand. Am I making a fool of myself by kicking such a fuss a over a children story with a sinister's theme? Haven't we all read it in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Rapunzel and Cinderalla? Moreover, the copy of the Peter Pan that I bought was an original version used for study guide. The children's version is unlikely to be the same in depth, I guess?

The classic is an eye-opening children story for me. The last chapter can keep me pondering for ages. Peter Pan is still as young as he was in 1904; but I will grow older and older till I fade away from the earth.

* SPCA - Society to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - a Singapore's organization
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Listen to Peter Pan's song 'I can fly! I can fly! I can fly!"

iPhone, the new storm after iPod

iPhone, the new baby from Apple hit the US.

The scene from the movie [Minority Report] in which Tom Cruise navigated through the electronic data by running his fingers to and fro in mid air amazed me. Now, I can perform the same trick as Tom on iPhone - the latest baby from the Apple's family. However, I have to wait till 2008 for iPhone to arrive in Asia. I am not crazy about gadgets but iPhone is too cool not to write about.

iPhone was launched on 29 June, 2007 in the US with much excitement, disapointment and frustration. Let me take you on the emotional transition in that order.

In January 2007, Apple announced its new invention - a mobile phone tagged with the superbrand prefix 'i' after iPod. To fans of Mac and iPod, the introduction of iPhone will be another of their pround possession: "I have a MacBook, an iPod and an AppleTV, now look what I've got - an iPhone!" To Apple, it is an extension of brand royalty. When iPhone was finally launched, thousands of iFollowers camped outside Apple and AT&T stores waiting eagerly for the shutters to open. iPhones are sold @ 164 Apple stores nationwide. Each customer is entitled to purchase up to 2 iPhones on a 1st-come-1st-served basis. News reported that all iPhones at AT&T stores were sold out when it debuted on Friday; Apple stores would not disclose if they had run out of stock by Saturday. However, not everyone in the US is excited about iPhone.

If you stay in eastern Wisconsin and the Madison area in the southern part of the state, sorry baby, there is no network for iPhone to work. Cingular, the largest wirless carrier in the US, solely owned by AT&T Inc, and Apple's exclusive US carrier partner for iPhone is still working on expanding it network coverage in the US. Until the problem is fixed, 30 million US residents will watch with envy while 270 million others are already talking on their iPhones. But those who have bought the iPhones and have a network in their cities had their share of frustration too.

Although activation of the mobile phone service can be done at the comfort of your home at any time you want in front of your computer, many iPhones' owners encountered delays when doing so. AT&T spokeman attributed the delay on Saturday to "high volume of activation requests" that were taxing the company's computer servers. One iPhone's owner waited 18 hours in vain staring at a cool phone not acting cool at all. "It looks cool, but I can't do anything with it," he said. "I'm angry and frustrated and feel like I wasted my time standing in line." AT&T would neither disclose how many customers were affected nor how long they would have to wait further. The company assured customers that they are working to reslove the problem the soonest.

Appealing Product Features

The demonstration on Apple's website is enough to make you go 'WOW' without even seeing the actual iPhone. The instructions were clear and simple. I give iPhone 3 S - Sleek, Sophisticated and Stylish. The iPhone is branded as a revoluntionary mobile phone that rides on a 3-in-1 product mix: a quad-band GSM phone with EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies, a 3.5-inch widescreen iPod and a forbidable Internet communications device (too many features to name them here that I suggest you visit apple.com). The best part of iPhone is its multi-touch interface technology which uses our fingers to navigate around the spectrum of features on a small phone. Flip, glide and tap are all the actions you need to do on the iPhone's screen - just like the way Tom Cruise did suavely in [Minority Report]. Here are the major features I like about iPhones:

Intelligent touchscreen keyboard

Touchscreen is refreshing to me compared with the conventional keypads found in other mobile devices. The QWERTY keyboard appears only when your application requires. Thus, you have a bigger viewing area.

Visual voicemail

I always find it vexing to listen to prior voice messages before getting to the one I am interested in. With iPhone's visual voicemail, I can scan a list of my voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to prior messages. Bravo!

Cover flow

This is just a fun feature when browsing the albums that I want to listen to. Instead of scrolling down for a particular album, I flip the album covers on the screen just like the way I flip my CD album.

Built-in sensor

I hate to rotate photos in my mobile phone because I never get my clockwise or anti-clockwise direction right. Ok, call me dumb if you want to but iPhone's built in sensor works for me! My photos will appear landscape or portrait in the way I rotate the phone. That really improves my viewing experience.The sensor also helps to preserve the iPhone's battery life. It will adjust its brightness accordingly to the envrionment and when you answer a call, the display is automatically turned off to save power.

Google Mapping

I don't drive but this feature is useful for the passenger too. Supposingly, I drive and I am looking for a Thai restaurant in NYC. I search 'Thai restaurant' and few locations pop up on the map. I can check the traffic condition in these areas before deciding which one to go to. Once I select a restaurant, I click on its telephone number to make my reservation. Then, I key in my starting location and destination and hit enter. The estimated traveling time with traffic and distance appear. Thereafter, it provides me a turn-by-turn instruction to get that. Isn't it wonderful?

Headset

Although this is just an accessory, it is as cool as the iPhone itself. When I press the headset button, the music I am listening to fades away and I am alerted of an incoming call.

Having delighted myself in iPhone, this phone has its flaws too. Afterall, it is a smart phone but not a perfect phone. For iPod's users like myself, these flaws are not deterrants to pay USD499 for a 4GB model or USD599 for a 8GB model. We are so used to the iCulture that the continuity of function in a different gadget is enticing enough for an impulsive purchase. But again, I am not a gadget geek. A phone is good when it performs its basic function best: make and receive calls. When I want to take pictures, I get a digital camera. When I want to read and reply emails on the go, I get a palmtop. When I want to listen to music and watch videos, I get a portable device.

I already have a Sony Cybershot, an IBM Thinkpad and a (RED)iPod. I guess I can give iPhone a miss next year.

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Watch a slideshow of 9 iPhone alternatives and you decide if you still prefer the iPhone.

This article is listed on jaiku.com under iPhone Grouped Entries. Jaiku is a way to connect with friends by sharing short messages called Jaikus on the web and mobile. Jaiku is based in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.