play

Monday, April 16, 2007

Sex and HCI

I came upon this workshop on Sex and HCI at the prestigious CHI 06' conference. It is an interesting read for obvious reasons.

One interesting paper is here

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Some numbers...

18 million users are in facebook. 43 million in orkut. When I typed 'Darfur' in the Orkut community search 2 results were returned, while over 500 results appeared in facebook.

Graffiti!

Interesting, my study cubicle here in the noble Science Library has Graffiti in Hindi and Telugu!
The Hindi one says "Chut/choot" ( i think) and the guy who wrote on the desk in Telugu, has acknowledged that people who come across his work may not even think is a language and has written "Telugu" in brackets. Thoughtful.











I guess we are making our presence felt.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

TV time

I learnt the hard way that service in my neighborhood Indian restaurant gets periodically worse on weekdays between 8:30 and 9:30 pm . Now that is weird, I would think this is the time ( if I was a waiter or owned a restaurant) I'd be best prepared to handle the customers, making sure stuff is in order and doing the things needed. Not in the case here - for those of you who have been nice enough to visit my flickr page, you would remember a picture titled 'Catt Ring'. Its the restaurant im talking about here. ( will refer to it as Catt Ring)

So Catt Ring is run by what appears to be an Indian family. Dad wears the same paint stained shirt, and looks stoned. Mom is buried behind layers of makeup, i think she wears a wig, and often wears a low cut reveling shirt. Daughter, must be an ASU undergrad helps out, flirts with the better looking customers, and does her HW on one of the tables.

Back the to drop in performance. If you haven't guessed it by now. Catt Ring has a large Flat panel TV, and Sony MAX is perpetually running on it. Still not figured? The hindi Serials of course! If you happen to be hungry at 8:30, well too bad, at Catt Ring the mom daughter duo firmly believe that following the narrative twists and turns of 'Viruddh' is far more important than running a business. My roommate and I enter, they obviously hear us enter, turn around and turn right back to follow the TV! kinda startled, we sit some place. They are still watching. A thrilling moment where a bad guy threatens a helpless good girl. After repeated pointless camera zooms, alternating between the bad guy's wicked grin and our lady's fear stricken yet perfectly made up face, claps of thunder accompanying each jerk the camera man makes. I think the color flickers f to b/w too...Luckily the ads come up, and mom reluctantly walks up to the counter, then approaches us.
"What order?"
"mm the number 10."
"I'll have the number 5..MILD spice."

She walks up the the door, and yells something in Spanish to few guys sitting on the sidewalk smoking, and checking out girls as they go by. They then walk in, rather unhappy. We watch as they throw the cigs, and walk into the kitchen door.
"They are the cooks dude."
*nods*

Blaring 'Viruddh' music again, mom almost skips steps to get back to her vantage point - a chair 3 feet from the giant 72" TV. Daughter stops glancing at her books that were spread out on the table and rests her chin with her hand, completely ready for more suprises in the serial.
So yeah the bad guy chases her, he has a gun to. Dumb pretty chick runs into , yup an abandoned house. how original. Daughter bites her nails. Mom smiles with tension. They exchange glances " how exciting, what will happen to her now!!".

Daughter ACTUALLY cheers when hero appears out of no where and saves chick. Food appears.
Funny enough another dude comes in. We think poor guy, has to wait 30 minuted for sure before he gets something to nibble on. But no! Instant service, and conversation. ( not that i cared for the conversation). Well, I guess you'll get that if you come in every other day to help Daughter with her math problems :)