happiness

After a heated debate with my roommate about happiness and science - don't ask me how they're connected - I found this on NPR. "Positive psychology" is the most popular course at Harvard, but it sounds more like a Dr. Phil show, rather than a Ivy League class. I didn't make my mind about it yet. Should I be dissapointed or excited about this? Sometimes I feel like simplification is a great idea, but other times I want to be hardcore and change the world.

Pandora

free music + artificial intelligence + awesome website design = pandora kicks ass

This is the best project I've seen in a while. Thanks to my students who pointed it out. You start by choosing one song and then give pandora pointers based on what you like or don't like and it will play music in accordance to your preferences. After a couple of days of feedback it actually started to play only music that I liked. Pretty amazing. In the same category with www.20q.net

South Park night

What American City Are You?

I thought the test was pretty weak, but then out popped Austin, one of my favorite cities. So much music there... Sighhhhh. via another Dragos

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

Dragos and Zeb make it in South Park

Not really, but we designed each other as South Park characters.

Here's me in my roommate's vision. I have baggy eyes, I like beer, and I am pretty much a self-infatuated dork.

And here's Zeb. He always sleeps in class with a frown on his face. Although he is agnostic, he acts unnecesarily angelic all the time.


And while I am at it this is my brother Vlad. He is very anti-establishment so it makes sense that he is always roughed up by this fight with the world.

Chuck. Norris.

Another Dragos reminds us of some basic laws of the universe. These are the first concrete results to come out of string theory. Here's more.

• Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
• It takes Chuck Norris 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.
• Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
• Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer.
• Chuck Norris knows the last digit of pi.

pack o' meat

Romania has finally made it in the American news. For those who don't know "Wait wait don't tell me!" is a funny weekend NPR show that reviews the week's main news. This weekend an unusual soccer transfer at UTA Arad made it in the show. Go here and click on the "Bluff the listener" podcast. It's so sad that it's funny. Go on and laugh. Once again, Romania holds on to its reputation. I can't wait for similar cheese and wine stories. Yummm....

Corruption

The latest Romanian news is that the ex prime minister is charged with bribery. He owns this $2 million apartment, filled with expensive art worth another $4-5 mil, all from his meager $30,000 a year. The prosecutors are trying to search his house but becuase he is a senator they have to get the warrant approved by the senate speaker, according to Romanian constitution. Now guess who is the senate speaker? Yep, the same ex-prime minister, Mr. Adrian Nastase. Isn't that convenient!

At the same time in the U.S. a congressman was sentenced to 8 years in prison for corruption. He aparently received gifts amounting $2.4 million, which is literally nothing for somebody relatively affluent in the States. These are some gifts Cunningham received.

-- A Rolls-Royce
-- Yacht-shopping trip: $15,000
-- Two rugs: $40,000 each
-- French lampshade: $3,500
-- China hutch: $24,000
-- Hall tree: $3,700
-- Statue: $12,000
-- Moving expenses: $11,393
-- 42-foot yacht: $140,000
-- 3 shooting simulators: $13,800

If all this was worth 8 years I hope we'll get to see how much Nastase's Tizian, Rafael or Frans Francken are worth.