Holy Cows and Leather Bound Books

More Quotes from Complex Adaptive Systems

2010-02-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Just a couple more of the quotes that I loved from the book.

Water which is too pure has no fish.

-- Ts'ai Ken T'an.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance.

Off-by-one Error

2010-02-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Affairs of people are insignificant.
Affairs of other people are insignificant.

complex adaptive systems

2010-02-13T03:13:00.000-08:00

Reading this: http://www.amazon.com/Complex-Adaptive-Systems-Introduction-Computational/dp/0691127026

Nice book so far, good source for finding good programming exercises. They have used a lot of words to describe the fractal nature of the edge of chaos, without using the word itself.

From Flatland

2010-02-07T01:21:00.000-08:00

Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.
-- Edwin A. Abbott, Flatland.

Strings

2009-10-23T23:25:00.001-07:00

Taught strings make the best music.

Confucius say

2009-08-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

People don't maximize, they suffice.

It was actually Herbert Simon who said that. The consequences of accepting Bounded Rationality as a way of decision making in everyday life are interesting. It is easy to see such a person being the rich and enriching man seen in Russell's "Conquest of Happiness". It would entail seeing one's own actions as "rational" within one's sphere of knowledge, and extending the same courtesy to others. But then, does it force us to drag in things that affect people's knowledge into the realm of ethics?

Motorcycle Diaries

2007-01-27T01:58:00.000-08:00

It wasn't as intense as I imagined it would be. It was better than a feel good movie though. Maybe it is a good "feel-good movie". The visuals, particularly towards the beginning of the movie were pretty nice. Felt like "Learning to Fly". I was kicking myself for not having seen this in the theatre when I had my chance. :(. I loved the music, and I am turning into a fan of Gustavo Santaolalla. Had a glimpse of Mia Maestro in the movie. She's lovely. My trust in Bernal's presence as a sufficient condition for a good movie has gone up even more. Both Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna did a good job. The roles heavily favoured Bernal and he made good use of it.

The "discussions" at imdb on this movie are particularly shitty.

I had a good time watching this one: 7/10.

Staccato Steve

2007-01-27T01:56:00.000-08:00

Short. Broken. Disconnected sentences. Communication must be painful!

Movies, movies

2007-01-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

Long time no blog, and so I failed to mention a lot of the movies I watched in between. I had gone through Antonioni's movies, L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse and Profession: Reporter. It has been some time since I watched them, but I remember liking La Notte very much. The neo-realist movies tend to heighten my anxieties, and there is always a certain unpleasantness associated with that. What makes them valuable to me however, are those couple of moments which expose the raw humanity involved in the characters and the situation. I believe that it is risky for artists to make such films, and tricky for viewers watching them, because if you miss those particular moments in the movie, the whole thing feels worthless. And probably pompous too. These movies bring to my mind such paintings with large blocks of flat colours, and small regions of explosive intensity. You miss these details, and the whole picture looks vacuous and consequently, boring.

Aaand, these thoughts bring to my mind, Moodysson's Lilja 4-ever. If I remember correctly, it was a well made movie, with many touching moments but ultimately proving worthless to me. We see the children going through one ordeal after another, to the very end. The movie might be "useful" in making someone think about unfortunate, disadvantaged children, but for anyone capable of sympathizing, or worse empathizing, the movie itself is an ordeal. Imagine my making a video effectively communicating the anxiety of animals lead to slaughter, and I top it up with the slaughter itself. This video would be a good tool as a documentary to make people aware of the issue. But would it make a good movie?

Trying to prescribe purposes for art is a bit silly. However, one can use it to appraise the work's value to oneself. Since this value is bound to change, I guess it wouldn't hurt if I make some notes on the margins of pages ;-)

Evolutionary Adaptations of Organized Religions

2006-10-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

I listened to this nice talk by Dennett today. One interesting observation that he shares is that organized religions have this concept of not blaming god for things gone wrong while thanking for good fortune. He says that this doesn't hold true for smaller religions. I should learn more about that.

William James

2006-09-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices" --William James

On Theicide

2006-07-31T01:35:00.000-07:00

Gods who grow will die one day.

Some die peacefully after immanence, some are trapped in transcendental hells forever.

Highlighter

2006-07-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have a habit of highlighting interesting bits in my books. I wonder what anyone who sees them would infer about me.

Is the sole difference between facetiousness and shallowness one of intention?

Spike, was he a tyke?

2006-03-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Poets love poems,
Warm and cozy little gems
When I tried to write one,
I found its not all that fun.

Good News, Bad News

2006-02-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

Bad News: Midlife crisis at 25.
Good News: You'll be dead by 50.

Il Conformista, Fitzcarraldo

2005-12-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

Il Conformista

This is a very good movie. The subject is relevant to our times, and the cinematography is powerful. The performances are ok. I really liked the theme, and the way it was handled. Excellent writing. 8.5/10

Fitzcarraldo

Herzog does his thing about "man vs nature" debate. Though this time, it was less about nature and more about man. "I will move a mountain", says it all. The lead character is very interesting, and is played by Klaus Kinski. It was very nice to watch Kinski portray this different kind of madness (compared to Aguirre). Fitz is very inspiring too. The story was nice, and I really wish the film was 15 minutes shorter. There are some excellent shots like Fitz shaking hands with the Indians, felling trees, the ship going up the ramp etc. 8.0/10

Tact and Politeness

2005-12-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

Guy walks in on a woman taking a shower. "Excuse me, Madam", he says, being polite. "Excuse me, Sir", if he is tactful. Yes, I watched my first Truffaut the other day, the film being "Baisers Voles". I would love to watch the whole "Antoine Doinel" series. When will the "nouvelle vague" reach Hollywood or Bollywood?

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

2005-12-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

The movie was slow paced. Klaus Kinski did a good job. However, I doubt whether I would have liked the movie as much if I hadn't watched Herzog's "Grizzly Man", or frozen my ass off in Ottawa. Having watched grizzly man, I know that the struggle between man and nature is of great interest to Herzog. I believe that it is a major element in this movie too. Fighting to keep warm and stay alive makes you realize why dominating and conquering nature is such a big concern for the West. You wont find the popular characters - "mother nature" and "gallant hero" in this movie. Its just a struggle, and an intense one at that.

The "descend to madness" theme of the movie has strong parallels with "Apocalypse Now". The way Herzog portrays people's greed, hypocrisy and stupidity is nice. But it was difficult to identify with the characters, and hence they appeared sort of "distant". I wish he gave more importance to the female characters, atleast to Inez. You are pretty sure that she has a good story to tell and interesting things to say, but she is never given a chance. The way Aguirre gets things done by manipulating peoples' greed and fear is interesting. The interesting bits of the plot happens away from the camera or inside the characters' minds. Choosing the "emperor", the decision to kill him, the action itself, the fate of Inez and so on. They were handled beautifully. I rate it 8.0/10, and I will be watching "Fitzcarraldo" soon.

Mar Adentro: Amazing Grace

2005-12-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

I wanted to watch this movie since it was so widely acclaimed. Javier Bardem was pretty good in Carne Tremula, so I knew that I would like his performance. He was wonderful. In fact, all the performances were wonderful, except for Belen Rueda who was just very good. But to be fair to her, the scenes in which she did well were left out. I have added Amenabar and Lola Duenas to my list. The subject was treated very gracefully. Soft visuals, soothing music, and a smile on the face of Ramon. The emotions were pretty strong, but were more of the subdued kind than raw. The debate about euthanasia was handled pretty well too. In other words, no strawmen were hurt during the making of this movie. Amanabar says he went for a realistic take on the subject, as opposed to a deeply intellectual one, and he has done that pretty well. Its sad that they had to leave out certain scenes about Julia. They were pretty good. But then, that makes sense too because the movie is already longish, standing at just over 2 hours. Lola is playing one of the major roles in Almodovar's Volver, and I can hardly wait to watch it. I don't know whether it is because of my predisposition to the subject or the way the movie is presented, I was thinking more about life than euthanasia or death in general. But from others' response to the movie, I think it is the latter. Excellent movie: 9/10.

Tacones Lejanos (High Heels)

2005-12-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Wild colours. Passionate characters. Typical Almodovar. The story takes a backseat, but as always, he makes up for it with great scenes. He is exceptionally talented when it comes to portraying female characters on screen. There is a certain warmth between them, which you can find in all of his movies. I really need to read about his life! What makes him able to make this kind of characters? Vanessa Paredes and Victoria Abril gave good performances. However, Paredes' character reminds me of the character she played in Todo Sobre Mi Madre, and hence is not so fresh. The reference to Bergman's Autumn Sonata was interesting. They have contrasting styles. Bergman uses soft imagery when portraying lonely, cold characters, while Almodovar is all about loud, almost garish colours, warm characters and their camaraderie. 7.5/10.

Jean De Florette / Manon Des Sources

2005-12-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

I watched them. I love them. The story was good and the characters were great. I liked all performances, especially Yves Montand's Cesar Soubeyran. I won't be able to forget any of the characters. Berri did a wonderful job of treating the characters with respect. The visuals were beautiful and subtle. They were treated with as much respect as that of the characters. Beautiful hills also hint towards nature's harshness. Red carnations on Ugolin's farm remind us about past crimes. Beart was so beautiful that it hurts! Jean's spirit and the music from his harmonica will haunt you for a long time. Pauvre Ugolin. I like that character too. "Its not me, its my eyes". I've got to watch other movies of Auteuil. I will watch Cache soon. All in all, it was a very "french" movie. Rating 9.5/10. I think that the story was not extraordinary, but the movie treated the viewer with some respect, and that matters.

Connotation of Humility

2005-11-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

If it involves painting a "smaller" picture of oneself, it is just another tactic to manipulate people. How can it be any different from exaggerating stuff about yourself? Both involve misrepresenting facts for some perceived advantage in interactions with others.

If it is about not bragging, well, thats good. So is not shouting in public places, not throwing dirt on other people or not doing something unpleasant in general. Do we need to invent words to describe these "qualities" and emphasize their importance too?

Explanation vs Training

2005-11-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

From PI 5: Children are taught languages by training them, and not by explaining things to them.

I am reminded of this short story by Asimov, in which there is this robot, which believes in a 'higher' purpose. It holds some beam steady over a storm, saving the lives of people with him on the space station. The interesting part was that the robot doesn't do it to save the people, but to fulfill his duties to this higher being (or something like that). It does its job well.

The fact that all knowledge bottoms out to training (by external or internal sources), makes me incredibly uncomfortable.

The Passion of Anna

2005-11-19T01:15:00.000-08:00

Watched 'The Passion of Anna' today. It wasn't as charged as 'Persona' or 'Cries and Whispers'. There were some good moments towards the end. But it didn't have the Bergman magic. Nykvist did his thing. I didn't quite enjoy the movie. The subject was interesting, though. I think the existential theme was stronger in 'The Silence' than this one. I agree with the imdb rating of 7.6/10.

Me, Myself and Moi

2005-11-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

I remember this story that a software engineer once told me. He told me about how hard he worked on a project, which he wanted his boss to approve of. When he demonstrated it to his boss, the software displayed the boss's photograph. The guy believes this was the single most important reason why his boss approved the project.

I think it is important to acknowledge all the sources which boosts your ego. It is important to accept the weak ones too. They may be as trivial as seeing one's own face, or hearing one's own name, or as significant as winning the Nobel prize. The tricky ones remind you of yourself in subtle ways. Stuff that seem to agree with your own beliefs (esp. the ones you are not vocal about, atleast in the given context), are subtle yet powerful.

Once they are identified, we tend to go through a range of emotions. [Oh my god, am I soo shallow that I get a kick from hearing that I know of one band more than the other guy? No *I* don't take pride in such trivial things. No. Never]. As far as I am concerned, acknowledging them is very important. You may be comfortable to live with some of them, while others may clash with your own morality. At this point, you could re-evaluate either your own sense of morality, or the things that you actually value, or both. Maybe you could reconcile them.

If you fail to acknowledge them, you make it difficult to evaluate the sources objectively. Hey, I feel good right now, my picture is definitely not the reason behind it, so it must the software! Acknowledging those little boosts help us to decouple them from the rest of the system. Hmm, that is a photograph of myself, cool! Now where was I with evaluating the software? Denying these little kicks is what makes us susceptible to flattery, and poor judgement. Accepting them on the other hand, makes you realize how ordinary you are. Which is ofcourse a topic for later!

Drawing

2005-11-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

Q. Why do I apply charcoal on paper?
A. Because people tend to respond poorly to semen on paper.

The Contract

2005-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Some people find that internet in general, and blogs and emails in particular 'corrupt' our language. The same set of people will find that my blog vindicates their claims. I am not attempting to write something "good" from a literary point of view. I am not even trying to write a good blog. However, I will try to capture things that I find meaningful, at this point of time. I am trying to take little snapshots of my thoughts, so that a couple of years later, I can look at them and go "Haa Ha". (Hint: I am a Simpsons fan).

It is very interesting how after a couple of years you have moved so far from the 'old you', so much so that he is a totally different person from your current self. You can't understand his emotions or justify his motivations. The same pitfalls related to 'judging' an-other person seems to apply in this case too. I understand why many people are obsessed with the notion of 'metamorphosis'.

I was motivated to start writing this blog when I began to read Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations". That, and because I was feeling bored and unproductive. The idea that one could write something like this book, without a 'top down' structure, and still make it meaningful(?) is very encouraging. I find it very difficult to think about a 'topic'. I feel that they are arbitrary, and completely breaks the flow of things. Language, meaning and communication are very interesting subjects. So is their manipulation. Personally, I always perceive a 'gap' in what I want to say, and what I think people will interpret my words to mean. In other words, I am very poor when it comes to putting my thoughts into words. This 'gap' irritates me to no extent. Whenever I try to minimize this gap actively, I start stammering and end up looking dumber than George Bush. This mistrust in language runs pretty deep.

I could imagine that in my utopia, people communicate without language. But is it possible, atleast in theory? I assume that each person is a "closed" system with respect to thoughts. From the moment we are born, we are input with chemical and physical stimuli, but never thoughts. Nobody can give you a piece of "thought". Everything we know is defined as its relationship with everything else we know about. I visualize this as a pot of clay in which I am allowed to create patterns with the help of a stick. I am not allowed to add or remove clay. Now whenever I create a pattern, its "negative" is formed automatically. The interesting bits about us is in the patterns. Can two such systems communicate without error? Can I transmit one pattern from system one to system two, without both being same to begin with? I think the answer is no. Humans saw a revolution when we learned to communicate, however imperfect this is. Perhaps the next revolution will be when we develop a collective consciousness. One big fucking pot of mud?