Big D Development

I didn’t have space to say this in the last post, but since taking my Global Poverty class, I’ve really disliked the label of “developing” countries.

It suggests that there is a linear scale of development with a clear end, and these countries haven’t reached it yet. The goal being “developed” Western countries, of course.

Why does the pathway have to be a skyscraper? Can’t it be a tree, with multiple branching routes to success?

If Glasses Could Give You Back Your Life

My mom picked up last July’s National Geographic from the library. I was flipping through it and came across a couple paragraphs on a new technology that had me completely dumbstruck:

Adaptive eyeglasses.

The lens is two sheets of plastic with silicone oil in between. By adjusting the amount of oil, you can change the focus of the lens. No prescription glasses for each person! And they’re cheap, for developing countries. Just imagine the possibilities...

The Sound of Language

Spoken English sounds ugly to me (though I’m a fan of the written). That’s partly a product of hearing native speakers of American English butcher the sounds of other languages.

It’s not their fault though. With age, the brain becomes conditioned to ignore small differences in sound, probably because it makes understanding your own language more efficient.

Then, of course, there’s the difficulty of actually moving your larynx, tongue, lips, etc., to reproduce the sound…

I Saw Sherlock Holmes Yesterday!

I wasn't expecting much. I mean, Holmes is supposed to be tall and lean. He has to stoop all day when he disguises himself.

But it was surprisingly funny. I loved how well Holmes’s eccentricity was portrayed, and the witty banter between Watson and Holmes was not only hilarious, but illustrative of their connection. And the eye candy didn’t hurt. ;-)

Man, two movies in a month. That’s more than I usually see in 6 months.

Commercial Breaks

Of late, my roommates and I have noticed a trend of increased advertisements for alcohol in TV commercials. There could be multiple reasons for this:

• Maybe they really are playing more alcohol ads.
• Maybe the channels we’ve been watching lately (mostly USA, I think) have more ads.
• Or maybe we’ve just been noticing them more lately.

I’m most inclined to believe the last one, even though I’m not yet sure why it might be true...

Time Management

Sorry if my posts are sparser throughout the holidays. I tend to stay away from things like texting and the internet when I’m supposed to be spending time with family and friends.

This time, though, it’s because I finished something like 3.5 books in the last two days. In fact, I apparently was not spending enough time with family. I miss reading, but I’m satisfied now, so time to go back to talking to people.

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year! I’m not making any resolutions since apparently 88% of New Year’s resolutions fail (source is in the link).

Apparently, humans can’t manage using their willpower for multiple things at once. So the best bet would be to only work on one problem at a time. But I don’t think that’s for me either.

Instead, I’ll do what I usually do - fix it whenever I find (or remember) a problem with myself.