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Archive for the 'People' Category
RIP: Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Much can be said about Alexander Solzhenitsyn who died this weekend in Russia, and many will certainly do. With a courageous person like him having left us a few words by us might be allowed as well. He was…
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Rants’n Raves: Euro 2008 Football (soccer) championship
Been sitting around this afternoon watching the semifinals of the Euro 2008 football championship via the Internet (there is no post on this site how to use a proxy to watch German TV from the US - go look somewhere else). Have to admit that I normally never watch football or golf or TV in general since they’ve replaced most of the interesting stuff with game shows, but today I made an exception.
So I’m sitting here nibbling on Lieber’s Kosher Winkies (that’s what my Deli had for sweets - not bad anyway, but full of artificial flavors) and watching parts of that game - the Germans win and there’s that big huha going on, everybody’s celebrating - besides the Turks of course - and dancing people anywhere as if they would have contributed to the result.
Then what would you expect German TV to do - interview some players, the coach, your grand uncle who knows everything about soccer - NO WAY!
They go straight ahead for some political schmoozing and…
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RIP: George Carlin
Great US comedian, author and actor George Carlin died yesterday evening in Santa Monica of heart failure. Thanks for all the great time you have given us. (6 video links)…
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Data-Visualization: Visualizing Corporate America
Based on data from the SEC for 60,000 directors or high-level employees, Toby Segaran created this graphical network of major US companies that share board members or CEOs. A bit like a social network graph for companies.
Besides the relationship between the companies the diagram also visualizes…
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Quote of the day: The difference between an idealist, cynic and realist
A quote from one of America’s best columnist:
“An idealist believes the short run doesn’t count. A cynic believes the long run doesn’t matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run. “ …
More information on the project page at…
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Image: Why choose if you can combine?
The best two versions we found of the more and more popular Barack O’Clinton images on the web.
Why choose if you can combine ?
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Joseph Weizenbaum is dead
Joseph Weizenbaum died yesterday in Berlin as a result of a stroke at the age of 85.
Throughout his life he has provided many outstanding contributions to computer science and AI. After he created the first banking computer in the world while working for General Electric he took up a position at the MIT as professor for applied and political science. In 1966 he published “ELIZA” - his best know work - and the first computer program demonstrating natural language processing. His academic contributions include the creation of the SLIP (symmetric List Processor) programming language and research on pointers, list structures and garbage collection schemes.
Over the years he also became one of the strongest critics of computer science and a society that blindly believes into technology. His influential book “Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgment To Calculation” displayed his grown ambivalence towards computer technology. Many concepts from this book have by now become common understandings like, for example, how programmers are seen by society or his critics of the promises by AI.
In one of his last mails “Joseph Weizenbaum” wrote: (translated from German)
“…our death is the last service we can provide to the world: Would we not go out of the way the following generations would not need to re-create human culture. Culture would become fixed, unchangeable and die. And with the death of culture humanity would also perish…“
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Design: Web site and visual design by girls and women
These web sites have no girlie design - these web sites are made by girls and women and their design rocks
The “list” was put together by Pedro Reis a visual and web designer himself. …
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Quote of the day: Quotes with horses
We were surprise how many quotes or proverbs with horses exist. Below our quick list of the most interesting ones:
“I can make a General in five minutes but a good horse is hard to replace.” Abraham Lincoln - 16th US President (1861-65)
“Speak the truth but ride a fast horse.” West Texas saying
“The one who [...]
Quote of the day: Know your enemy
One of Sun Tzu’s maxims from his book The Art of War:
“If you are ignorant of both your enemy and yourself, then you are a fool and certain to be defeated in every battle.
If you know yourself, but not your enemy, for every battle won, you will suffer a loss (half and half).
If you know your enemy and yourself, then you will win every battle.
“Sun Tzu”, Chinese general and strategist ca. 500BC
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