Travel and Leisure

Holidays form a very important part of our lives because they recharge our batteries and refresh us completely. The only thing that can lighten us up and invigorate our spirit to work and live life dynamically is a holiday. Not just that, a holiday is something that helps us better understand the place we are visiting; there may be so many things we wouldn't have known about the place if not for the visit. Most of all, it helps us build memories, which stay with us and probably never fade away until we become extinct. Furthermore, holidays bring us back on track and help us keep the momentum going once again with a new, rejuvenated and vibrant spirit. As humans, it is highly essential for us to take regular breaks from packed and hectic life schedules and enjoy the precious moments that a holiday brings about.

The travel guide can simplify the planning part of a holiday. It gives information pertinent to the destination and its various features. For instance, if you are planning a trip to Goa and you want to know the major tourist attractions, the answer can be got by looking up in a travel guide. Not only that, a travel guide also contains information about the various hotels that are located in the particular destination. For tourists, travel guides have come very much in handy and have helped in developing an understanding towards the various aspects about destination that is being visited. Referring a travel guide is a trend that is widely followed these days.

Travel guides are often documented by travel agencies. Since they deal with helping people enjoy their vacations in different places round the world, these agencies have an in depth knowledge about major and minor tourist destinations. Travel agencies are the best way to obtain travel information and the attractive aspects of a particular place you want to visit. Travel agencies also suggest places that can be visited on the basis of your preferences and priorities. The travel information about a particular place is provided by travel agencies and these agencies also take care of transport and accommodation services. Travels agencies have tie ups with the hospitality industry, both working in mutual coordination in order to promote their own services and increase their brand value. So remember, if you decide to go on a holiday to a particular place, approaching travel agencies is the best option since these agencies provide full travel information of the place you'd be visiting.

Traveling round the world is an exciting prospect and provides something very different when compared to visiting different places in your native country. For one, the culture is completely different and so are the people. Interacting with locals in a different country is as exciting as visiting the attractions there. You can travel world round and enjoy the sights, the cuisines and the wonderful locales which foreign countries can provide. A good source of information about international destinations is travel world magazine. The travel world agencies also give detailed information about the most sought after tourist attractions in the world.

A report published in Dementia, Geriatrics and Cognitive Disorders in May 2011 confirms earlier research that preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes is likely to help to prevent Alzheimer' disease. It's no secret people with Type 2 diabetes have a higher increased risk of developing this irreversible, progressive brain disease by as much as 65 per cent.

Researchers at Columbia University looked at 1,488 people aged 65 and over without any evidence of a brain disease at the start of the study. Dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease were diagnosed as the study progressed. Seventeen per cent of the study participants were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

One hundred and sixty-one cases of dementia, and 140 cases of late-onset Alzheimer's disease were detected.

The volunteers who previously had received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes were 70 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those without Type 2 diabetes, and were 60 per cent more likely to develop late-onset Alzheimer's disease. The researchers then suggested damage to blood vessels in the brain could be responsible for the association.

People with Type 2 diabetes frequently have inflamed blood vessels and too much cholesterol and fat in their blood. That can lead to blood vessel damage as cholesterol plaques form on the walls of their vessels. Plaque breaking off can form emboli; solid bodies traveling through the body that can become stuck in small blood vessels and block blood flow to organs, including the brain.

Investigators at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization in Perth, Australia, examined blood vessels in the eye as a possible indicator of Alzheimer's disease. The retina, the rear part of the eye, is full of blood vessels that are close to the brain and in similar condition to the brain's vessels. According to a presentation made at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011, photographs of the retinas of:

• 13 people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's,
• 13 people with slight brain problems, and
• 110 healthy people

were examined.

The people with Alzheimer's disease had smaller veins than healthy people, and those people with slight brain problems had more plaque than did the healthy controls.

Researchers therefore concluded that changes in the blood vessels in the eye were associated with brain difficulties and Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease afflicts 4.5 million people, according to the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. The number is expected to go up as populations in the developed world age. The Alzheimer's Association recommends the following to reduce your chances of acquiring the disorder:

• normalize weight and eat a healthful diet,
• reduce both your cholesterol levels and blood pressure if they are high, and
• engage in complex leisure activities with physical, mental and social interactions.

Sipping an Espresso and reading the newspaper I waved at my friend Greg, a male real estate agent, chatting away on his cell phone. I thought about what a multi-tasking society we've become, how I hardly ever sit just doing one thing anymore and neither do most of my friends. We can talk, schedule business and social activities, and eat and drink all at the same time. We're more efficient for it and now have more leisure time than we used to.

I watched Greg pressing buttons on his cell and got curious. It looked like one of the new smart phones I'd heard about. Greg has always been one of the first in my circle of friends to get something we all aspire to own. He purchased a home first, a laptop computer, an at home gym, a mountain bike, and a timeshare in Hawaii.

Pulling up a chair Greg got this Cheshire grin on his face as he ordered a double espresso and flashed his cell phone proudly. I couldn't help but exclaiming, "This is the tiniest Windows ever!" To which he chided me, "Bob, you made it sound miniature like the phone has no power."

"Ah contraire. I mean it is the Microsoft Window smart phone, right?"

"You betcha! So you're as excited as I am. This is great. You just have to get one. There are only two models available in the U.S. There's Samsung SCH-1600 and the Motoro­la MPx200. I have the Motorola model."

"Greg, is it better than using my Nokia cell phone with its' graphical user interfaces, applications, utilities, games, internet access and PC connectivity?"

"Absolutely!" While flashing his cell phone at me Greg said, "The Windows Mobile-based smart-phone contains the Microsoft-class user interface, like you use on the computer. It has all the great functionality inherent in Windows. Heck, I'm getting ahead myself. I want to explain why this is the greatest thing ever and you have to have one Bob."

"Oh, Greg. If I listened to you every time you said that I'd be broke."

"Bob, this is different. This cell phone will help your business and your floundering social life."

"Thanks a lot, Greg."

"Well it's true. You do need to get out more than just to the coffee shop."

"Ok, point taken. Is the phone like my Pocket PC?"

"Bob, it's similar on the hardware side. It has 32MB of RAM divided into storage and program space. An SD Card slot can be used for additional data story.

"Ok. Mr. Technie, you're starting to sound like me. Now let's talk about features. You said, it's similar to my Pocket PC, how so?"

"Some of the features you'll recognize like the program list, Inbox, Contacts, Cal­endar, Internet Explorer, ActiveSync, File Manager, Tasks, Voice Recorder, MSN Mes­senger, Favorites, Calculator, and Games. But, there are big differences with the Windows Smartphone, which make it a lot easier to use as a model device. With your Pocket PC phone and some smartphones you have a touchscreen or a joystick. These Windows Mobile-based units (Samsung SCH-1600 and the Motorola MPX200) are designed for one-handed use. This is a big, big plus. Everything you need you can access by pushing buttons. There are no pesky pop-ups, pulldowns or overlapping win­dows."

"So are you juggling with your fingers a lot when use the the phone?"

Greg laughed. "No. I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not some clown. It's easy to use. Most of the features I just access with my thumb."

"What's the screen like?"

"It has the usual Speed Dial, Call History, and but the menu is customizable. You can custom select nine items by either scrolling down, pressing enter, or punching in the number. The Motorola MPx200 display is 2.2 inches diagonal with 176 x 220 pixel resolution. The footprint is 3.4 x 1.8 inches and is an inch thick and weighs 4.2 ounces."

"How about readability and functionality for entering appointments and things?"

"My Motorola MPx200 comes with all the standard phone features: speakerphone, profiles, con­ference calls, ring tones, including an incredible integra­tion with the Contacts database. I love how the Win­dows Mobile-based smartphone integrates with Out­look. It works the same way it does with a Pocket PC. Lots of times I use it for emailing project details to clients. With the Inbox I set up di­rect access to my POP3 but you can also have set it for access to an IMAP4 mail account, or use AT&T's Office Online for an extra fee.

"Greg are there any features which surprised you?"

"Yes, the mere existence of a Windows Smart cell phone still comes as a big surprise. But in answer to your question, I'd have to say the audio, it comes in stereo. The Windows Media Player 8 supports MP3, Microsoft's Windows audio and video for­mats, WMA and WMV. The SD Card is big enough so I can listen to music for hours."

"Is the Motorola a GSM phone?"

"Yes. It also uses GPRS and has a SIM Manager,which is a big plus for traveling overseas."

"Wow, Greg this all sounds great. So, why aren't you using the phone now?"

"Bob I do need to sociliaze speaking of which, I need to call my date."

Same old Greg.

Source: Pen Computing

Spies of Warsaw is based on the novel by Alan Furst and stars David Tennant as Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, Janet Montgomery as Anna Skarbek and Marcin Dorocinski as Antoni Pakulski. It's a BBC, TVP1 (Poland), ARTE (France) coproduction.

Warning: my review includes spoilers

The Story

Spies of Warsaw is set in 1938/39 in Poland, although the main characters make frequent trips to Paris and Germany. David Tennant plays Mercier, a French spy working closely with the Polish to discover German invasion plans for both Poland and his own country. Janet Montgomery plays Anna, a League of Nations worker who meets Mercier when he needs someone to take to a diplomatic reception. They fall in love, but Anna is already living with a Russian emigre writer and the French embassy regard her as a security threat.

After observing German tank manoeuvres, Mercier becomes convinced that they are capable of manoeuvring their forces through the forests of the Ardennes (which they of course did during Fall Gelb, the Nazi invasion of France), but will anyone listen? The only people who seem to want to help are the desperate Poles (personified by Polish intelligence officer Antoni Pakulski), one semi-retired French general, and a couple of British diplomats in Paris who pass Mercier's warnings on to Winston Churchill. Frustrating Mercier's plans are German intelligence, Soviet Intelligence, multiple assassins and double agents and even his own superiors.

Anna's writer boyfriend is deported back to the USSR (and presumably to his death) at the instigation of the French embassy. She blames Mercier and cuts him off. He tries to keep going, but finds it difficult to live without her. It becomes clear that the Nazis and Soviets are running rings around him. Eventually as the Germans overrun Poland he has one last mission to help the doomed Poles and a chance to redeem himself with Anna arises.

It's a slow-burner, character driven, with little in the way of driving plot; how will Mercier and Anna develop their affair and will anyone listen to Mercier's warnings being the main ongoing themes.

My Analysis

With three hours to play with (two 90 minute episodes) the screeen-writers maintain a calm pace, building the atmosphere of Warsaw and Paris and the frustrations of Mercier as he tries to warn his country of the danger. There are really only two types of spy drama, the unrealistic and the semi-realistic. This is the semi-realistic type. There are very few explosions (only one really and even that a bit half-hearted) and not many shootouts. What there is is a lot of moody atmosphere.

To be fair there's some great evocative period detail, better I'd say than the recent, high-budget adaptation of Restless. Alan Furst's books are strong on pre-war atmosphere, so the series has captured that style well.

It's not a simple or heroic story. Instead it comes across almost like a dramatisation of real events. There are lots of minor characters who appear and disappear in the story as their paths cross Mercier's. The adaptation could have taken the course of trimming the story back drastically and potentially it would have worked if it had, but I found the sub-plots and semi-realism interesting and eventually engrossing. If you liked Smiley's People you'll be at home in the world of the story.

Which bits were true?

Although most of Spies of Warsaw is fictional, Mercier's final mission is based on the true story of Poland smuggling its gold reserves to France (via Romania) to avoid them being stolen by the Nazis.

The story as told in Hitler's Gold: the Story of the Nazi War Loot, by Arthur L. Smith, Jr.:

The German occupiers found the Bank of Poland almost empty. As the German military forces threatened Warsaw, the chief personnel of the Bank of Poland (Bank Polski) had abandoned the city taking with them some $64 million worth of the Polish gold reserve. Traveling by train and truck south and east through Rumania, Turkey and Lebanon, the Polish bank staff finally arrived in France in late October 1939, where they were granted office space and storage vaults in the Bank of France in Paris and there continued to conduct businees.

I was disappointed with the low key ending. In keeping with the realistic feeling of the whole series, the train journey to Romania involved a limited amount of action, some tension and a lot of looking sad as Poland was dismembered between the voracious war machines of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

And well they might be sad, the epilogue informs us 90% of Warsaw was destroyed during the Second World War.

Spies of Warsaw: my Verdict

If you like slow-paced, atmospheric spy stories then you'll like this.

Manila, the capital city of Philippines is the ideal location to plan a rejuvenating vacation. But the question is how to make the holiday an affordable one without losing the quintessence of the trip. Booking cheap flight tickets to Manila is the perfect way to make your outing a memorable and economical experience.

Cheap tickets to Manila are offered by many travel agencies these days both online and offline. You can get the best possible airline deals to Manila, which makes you and your pocket blissful. The vibrant city of Manila has many things to offer to its visitors, which will keep them occupied the entire day. Here are some of the best things one can do on their vacation to Manila:

Sightseeing

The capital city of Philippines is sanctified with many popular historical sites. If you want to know the mysterious history of the city, take a tour to Intramuros, meaning 'within the walls' because of which it was nicknamed as the "Walled City". This place has a famous fort constructed in late 1500's by the Spaniards when they ruled the country of Philippines. The fort was destroyed during the catastrophic Japanese- American war in 1945. This fort after renovation has been converted into a grand museum.

Luneta Park is another important historical spot liked by visitors from across the globe. Luneta Park is the memorial built in the memory of the Philippine national idol, Dr. Jose Rizal. The park is visited by the locals during the holidays especially on Sundays to spend some refreshing time with their families.

Relaxing

There are countless places in Manila where one can expect utmost tranquility. You can sooth your nerves by indulging in some relaxing activities like body massage, scalp and shoulder massage, face and foot massage and meditation. The Spa Wellness, The Ritz Spa Malate, and Relaksasi are some of the places where you can relax and enjoy your leisure time. Spa at Club Oasis at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila is a place where serenity and fun merges together to make your entire vacation a delightful experience. Book flights to Manila and flee from the hectic work schedule to take relaxing massage and therapies, to sooth your mind and body.

Shopping

Women always find pleasure in strolling around the streets and shopping their favorite items. Manila is the paradise for core shoppers. For great shopping experience, you can visit the following places:

Baclaran: It is the most popular place in Metro Manila, due to its glittering flea markets. Since early 1980's, Baclaran has been considered as the famous shopping destination among people seeking for cheap buying options. While strolling by the sidewalks you will find many shops selling unique items at very economical rates. There are several high-rise malls in Baclaran, but for true shopping experience and best deals, buy from the street shops.

Eastwood City: This is the extraordinary place to shop during your vacation, because of its timings. This place is open till midnight where you can try multiple activities such as dining, fun-activities, while shopping for your favorite items. This unique place is divided into 3 major attractions - Eastwood City Walk, Fashion mall and Eastwood Cyber.

With several cheap flights to Manila available, get the best offer by taking advantage of early booking. To explore these attractions of the city, look for cheap flight tickets to Manila.

Pets are friendly companions for many people. Dogs and cats in particular form bonds with their owner such that many have come to consider them as part of the family or even as another child. It is obvious that when going on a trip they would like to have their pet along. Traveling with your pet requires advance preparation to make the trip a pleasant experience for yourself and for the pet.

When travelling by plane, you need to do some research and find out the requirements for different carriers. Each airline company has its sets of rules. The costs obviously vary. Most of the times, the cost for taking a pet on a flight is much more than that for a child; airline carriers also make a distinction with regards to the breed of the pet. Some airlines for instance will not allow bulldogs or Persian cats to be taken as cargo because they are prone to breathing problems.

Important is the documentation required for the pet. Certainly, you need to have your pet examined by a veterinarian and obtain the necessary vaccinations. There are different choices of how you can take your pet along on an airline carrier. It of course depends on the carrier and if they provide such possibility. Your pet can travel either as a carry-on baggage, a checked luggage or as cargo.

To have your pet as a carry-on baggage,the pet need to be small enough to fit under the seat. Some airlines have special cargo areas for pets that are well adapted. The least convenient method of taking a pet along is to have it as a checked luggage. Some suggestion before taking your pet on a plane trip is to prepare the pet for the trip. For instance; taking your pet to a long walk just before a trip will have it tired enough and resting for the most part of the journey.

Other suggestions involve placing the pet on the floor of the car so that it gets used to the vibration. You should also get your pet associated with an airplane environment. Recommendations are to use lavender oil as an association scent that usually works to calm down pets.

Of course, pets travel more comfortably and the requirements are less stringent when on a train or a boat trip. You still have to have the proper documentation and vaccination given to your pet if going abroad. Your pet may be used to your car. You still have to be certain that it is comfortable especially for long journeys. Frequent stops will give both you and the pet well needed rest and the chance to refresh.

There are many restrictions and laws for pets that vary depending on the country your going. If the pet is an exotic pet or a protected animal, you need to find out by obtaining proper information as to what is allowed at the destination country that you are going.

Traveling with your pet can be a lot of fun. There are many lodges and hotels that accept pets. Searching for such places will provide you with a wonderful experience and your pet will also feel more at ease because such places have facilities to accommodate them.

With the rise and abundance of large corporations whose every move affect the economy, what interest can cyber criminals have on your humble business?

It is exactly that kind of thinking that captures their attention, and because you are small, they will have an easier time damaging your networks. Worse, some will even cost you big bucks.

A recent study revealed that hackers, hacktivists, and crackers do not really possess a strong motive for breaking into other people's computers and stealing their date. Some simply want to practice their skills, improve them, or see how far they can go without getting caught.

Of course, for them, it may be fun, but for us, their entertainment is an additional burden to carry.

Business people have it worse; aside from possible hardware and software malfunction, there is also the risk of confidential data at risk of theft.

Your first line of defense

Before you start worrying about who can steal from you through the internet, be practical and view your workplace as the foremost participant at risk and to pose risks.

Your first line of defense is called physical security. This refers to the ways you ensure that your hardwares are protected.

Begin by orienting your employees on the do's and don'ts in the office. Warn them not to insert just any flash drive into your computers, as the downloaded files in them may carry viruses that will jump into your system. The same goes for hard drives and burned CDs.

A big part of this is entering into agreement about the internet etiquettes you must all follow. Minimizing or banning the use of social networking sites are big leaps towards safety, especially because most viruses, worms, and Trojans travel through email attachments.

Scams still happen away from the internet. Beware of phone calls that request your personal information or inquire about the status of your company. Without validation on the identity of the caller, hang up. Do not give them the chance to persuade you, because you will be in big trouble once they do.

Your computer's shield

Acquiring antivirus software is a good way of defending your employees and your business from experiencing malware. Computers rely on this to maintain the cleanliness of your downloaded items. They help you identify the threats you are not aware of. An antivirus program is usually equipped with the ability to get rid of the threat itself.

Make sure your employees keep the antivirus software turned on, especially when accessing the internet. As malwares are continuously undergoing evolution, so are software companies keeping pace with methods on how to counter them.

Upgrade your antivirus regularly to keep its virus directory up to date. If it recognizes a threat but cannot identify exactly what it is, chances are that it will not be capable of dealing with it accordingly.

This way, you have less to worry about while remaining confident that your files are safe.

Let us say you do want to hire the assistance of a professional but do not have the budget for it; your next best option is the latest antivirus software.

A cloud antivirus is clearly defined as an anti-malware technology that uses light-weight agent software on the protected endpoint while offloading the majority of data analysis to the provider's infrastructure.

This is the perfect solution for those of us who do not have the time nor the skills (no matter how hard you try) to utilize antivirus software to their maximum capacity.

Acquiring Cloud anti-virus protection will reduce your frustration, as it was designed to be less user reliant. Sustain good internet connection, and it will be the one to update its virus signature directory in order to know what new threats have arisen since you installed it.

You can keep track of the infections detected and other reports through your preferred web browser. The other benefits a Cloud anti-virus has are centralized management and PC deployments made easier.

Constantly read articles about the newest internet fishing techniques and the viruses released into the world wide web. Whether or not you think cyber criminals will target your small business matters very little. What was designed to harm another can always reach you.