Recently Read

Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut.

Another of Kurt's classic. It's very easy to read. I've enjoyed so much. Maybe because that I believe in evolution.

He was unmarried and never have reproduced, and so was insignificant from an evolutionary point of view.

and:

We love you, you are not alone, everything is going to be all right

Awesome!. highly recommended.

I am going to read all Vonnegut now. I've already started Cat's Cradle!!!!!

DVD Rentals

I've been using the Redbox service at Longs Drugs store near my home. The daily rental is about $1 + local taxes.

Most movies I like to see them on the big screen at theaters. But for some movies I usually decide to wait to come into my local Library. Now I can rent those movies from Redbox when I can't wait to get them in my library. It doesn't have exhaustive collections like Netflix, but it does carry the most new releases.

Movie Info Graphic

This info graphic is awesome.

4. For some exceptions to the normal pattern, check out My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Juno, Dances With Wolves, Platoon, and Million Dollar Baby

HT: kottke.org.

Recently Watched Movies

Here is the recently watched movies:

1. No Country for Old Men: It's been about 3 weeks since I watched this movie. I am still not sure what to make of this movie. It's great and as well very disturbing!. And it's won 4 Oscar's.

2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Another of Oscar nominated movie. The photography and landscape were awesome. Watched on DVD.

3. Eastern Promises: Viggo Mortensen has been nominated for Best Actor for this one. He didn't win, obviously!...The Sauna fight which very intense also very creepy. Naomi Watts is awesome. Watched on DVD.

Timequake

by Kurt Vonnegut. I am half way through...and it's whole lot of fun.

It's my first Vonnegut book. And I can see myself reading whole lot of more in the near future.

Update: This is one of the great books I've read!.

You were sick, but now you're well again, and there's work to do!.

How true!

Ads

Ok...so I was thinking (?) about this stuff for some time.

TV: what the people at the network/cable decide or choose what you suppose to see

News paper: Very similar to TV. But you have the choice to skip a particular story. Also there is feed back (not a great one but it's something).

Internet: What you want...when you want...how you want it. User controls the whole end-to-end communication. There is a lot of noice (junks, ads, etc...) but they can skip it.

Firefly/Serenity

Firefly: Arguably one of best TV series. Hopefully I will have a chance to write more about the series.

Serenity: The movie version of the series. Another awesome piece of work.

Now there is a novel based on the whole series written by Steven Brust. The novel is called My Kind of Freedom and it's free online.

If you have seen the TV serial or the movie you can quickly read the novel. It's whole lot of fun.

why?

On some news program on the TV, saw that the border security personnel go thru a daily drill in which the steps are deliberately exaggerated. Seems to be very painful for those who do it every day. I must be missing something, but why? What's the point?

Good news for Indian Students

The Hindu says:

Bank of Baroda has launched online educational loans.

.....

Students can log-in and post their educational loan application online and eligible applicants will receive an in-principle sanction letter through e-mail within 48 hours, says a release.

More of these needed. Hopefully the Banks will see mutual benefits of the education loans.

LiveMocha

The site says:

Livemocha blends self-paced lessons, a vibrant community, and interactive tools to help you talk to the world.

HT: NYT

And one of the HBR paper says that learning new languages make your brain more cognitive fitness.

Recently Read

1. Discover Your Inner Economist: Use Incentives to Fall in Love, Survive Your Next Meeting, and Motivate Your Dentist - By Tyler Cowen

How to apply economic principles to your everyday life. Good read.

2. My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley - By Ben Casnocha

At age 13, the author starts an internet company. The book discusses how it all got started. Surprisingly a good read.

3. When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth - By Cory Doctorow

The link will take you to the free online version of the book (creative commons licensed). Very good.

US Universities expanding internationally

Great article on NYTimes:

Discusses about US Universities expanding internationally.

“A lot of these educators are trying to present themselves as benevolent and altruistic, when in reality, their programs are aimed at making money,” said Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican who has criticized the rush overseas.

It's obvious that the most of the universities are in this for money. But in the end most of the developing countries will benefit from this:

1. competition - will make the better, up-to-date course offerings
2. makes the faculty better - the competition will provide more opportunity for those whose in the fence about making academia a career choice. Pay scale will measure up to most other industries
   
3. More and better availability of students - for research, technology, innovation, business
   
4. Cultural awareness - more interaction between the US and rest of the world. That will result in more peace?

This is just the globalization of the education.

And on the related note: MIT's OCW has the potential to change the world.

Super Bowl

NY Giants played the spoiler to the NE Patriots supposed to be the best and undefeated season and won the 42nd super bowl. Of course I lost the bet but still was rooting for the underdog Giants. Final minutes were really entertaining.

As for the Ads goes:

Two of the bud light ads stands out on otherwise the average 2008 super bowl ad class:
1. Will Farrell/Bud light - I can't believe they let this one play.
2. Fire Breather/Bud light - another funny ad.

Videos

1. Steven Pinker at Google. This is a great presentation.
2. Tim Harford at Google. Talks about Logic of life.