WTO still hurts
It's sad that more
hurting news about the WTO conference is still surfacing although the tumult in the city looks like over, or covered by the festive cheers.
When I read the unpleasant news again, I felt the same regret for being engaged with the profusion of criticism tasks on various projects during the period. I was just able to go to the Victoria Park the very last day trying to understand more on site and show my support to the protesters.
The 14 overseas demonstrators are still detained by the police despite the noise from the community and requisitions from various countries. It's time for home-coming and candle-blowing for new year resolutions, Donald.
Note: This side-tracked
discussion on journalists' responsibility records another "fight" behind the scene which gives some reflections for reporters.
Laptop Kimono
Friends who have been to my apartment know well I am overwhelmingly fascinated by patterned fabrics, those from various cultures: Indian, Japanese, Thai, the ethnic groups in Mainland China, etc. That may explain why this
kimono by
hettler.tüllmann had me caught almost immediately. (via
Cool Hunting) But not all cases of marrying tradition to modern design work out well. Now I think of
our Mascots...
Algorithmic Revolution
we make money not art posted a series of reports on the exhibition
Algorithmic Revolution: On the History of Interactive Art being held at
ZKM.
Reading the introduction in the
first report I thought I read the writer took interactive art pieces
as festivals. That was probably my perception: new, exciting and playful. Usually not more, not provocative or meaningful besides being just "interesting". Every art form just needs time to evolve... is 50 years enough? A retro may give a more just review as the curator(s) claim:
A revolution normally lies ahead of us and is heralded with sound and fury. The algorithmic revolution lies behind us and nobody noticed it.
In fact there are so many unfamiliar names to me... but in the
second report I am able to rediscover
Jim Campbell whose work I watched once and appreciated a couple of years ago in Taipei.
I also learnt about
algorithm via
answer.com:
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia:
A set of ordered steps for solving a problem, such as a mathematical formula or the instructions in a program. The terms algorithm and logic are synonymous. Both refer to a sequence of steps to solve a problem. However, an algorithm implies an expression that solves a complex problem rather than the overall input-process-output logic of typical business programs.
Wikipedia (extract):
Algorithms are essential to the way computers process information, because a computer program is essentially an algorithm that tells the computer what specific steps to perform (in what specific order) in order to carry out a specified task.
Ask Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Dalai Lama launched his personal
website earlier this month, 16 years after he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Some inspiring teachings of the great master on religions, peace, environment, Buddhism, Tibet, training of the mind, etc. are archived nicely, including the recent speech
Science and the Crossroads that he delivered for The Society for Neuroscience on 12 November in Washington D.C.
The most brilliant thing is that the spiritual leader is ready to answer your questions by emails. He did proclaim his "service"
when I was in Nymgyal Monastery in July.
E-ticket Mystery
This is how e-tickets /
WCF organizer / HK Airport failed me TWICE in two successive evenings for my long scheduled trip from Hong Kong to Amman, Jordan. I am posting here just to alert your more careful double-checking next time when you have no real tickets for your vehicle:
2 Dec:
- An itinerary flying via Bangkok on Thai Airline then on Royal Jordanian was booked by the Jordanian organizer. I had been confirmed repeatedly that my tickets could be obtained from the airport counter with a PTA number.
- At the airport, however, Thai Airline said that they had no authority to issue the booked tickets because the PTA number belonged to RJ.
- I checked with the airport authority and confirmed there was no RJ counter, or agent, at the airport. RJ's town office was close already.
- I thought of trying to buy another ticket to Bangkok and getting my tickets at Bangkok's RJ but further confirmed later (by calling Bangkok airport!) that they could not issue my tickets in Thailand
- Succumbed to the fact that I need to book a new set of tickets and went home.
3 Dec:
- A new itinerary flying on Emirates, via Dubai, was rearranged in the morning.
- The Jordanian agent confirmed once again in the afternoon that my tickets were ready at Emirates' counter (I really should have called them now, no blaming the others!).
- When I arrived, Emirates' staff told me the flights I claimed had been full since long and the detailed booking history showed that the Jordanian agent never succeeded in getting me a seat on the plane
(HK-Dubai). Too full. - My colleague in Jordan called the agent but they insisted they had made no mistakes. They promised to call me directly and give me instruction but my phone never rang.
- I waited for the chance (miracles you call it?) that I could be allocated a seat but both flights (HK, Dubai) were completely full till the last minute as stories usually go.
Maybe there has been just one thing, karma.
