Comments on: Weekend Flea Market 5-Oct-07

By: mahendrap

mahendrap — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:05:58 +0000

Shefaly: that is quite a cute and profound one!

Entschuldigen Sie bitte…Tula Marathi yeta he mala mahiti nhavta!

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:49:24 +0000

Mahendra: When I was a child, my father taught me a ditty:

Hearts like doors
Will open with ease
With very, very little keys
And don’t forget
That two of these
Are ‘I thank you’ and ‘if you please’.

I remember it and practise it constantly. Alas, habits die hard.

I notice some of my friends – and now readers – find it odd that I do it. But as they say, the girl can’t help it.

Thanks for your understanding.

PS: It is 20 cities around the world, not 20 countries. I hate moving house – and harder with so many books – so that would truly have driven me mad…

I am not a master but I aim to improve constantly. Reading poetry and listening to German/ French rap is still not easy.

As I mentioned once to Nita, since I grew up where I did, my first language was marathi. Now it is gone! Poof! I can say a few things and I can comprehend much more but nothing else. So you see I am not a master of any sort!

By: mahendrap

mahendrap — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:53:09 +0000

Nita: Thanks! I wonder how many folks like this idea…

Shefaly: You do not have to prefix and suffix each comment with a Thanks on my blog!

You are so right: going from critiquing to criticizing!

So apart from having lived in 20 countries, you’re a multi-lingual master too! Wow…

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 06:37:16 +0000

Mahendra: Thanks. I sometimes agree with TF, sometimes not. In my experience, many critics often do not read what they are critiquing so they go from critiquing to criticising.. (An example is book reviews on Amazon; one can easily tell who read the book and who read the bubbles on the back cover!).

Yes that is indeed my own quote. I like word play in languages. It can get awkward.. If someone is saying something and I see the humour in it, because I see that expression in German or Hindi or French, I can embarrass people by laughing out aloud. Much explaining has to follow

Thanks.

By: Nita

Nita — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 02:23:36 +0000

I like this idea of a friday flea market. Tickles the brain. thanks mahendra.

By: mahendrap

mahendrap — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:25:06 +0000

Ashok: Thanks for clarifying your concept of ‘collective intelligence’. I’ve preferred responding to your clarification in my original post on the Runaway Train.

By: mahendrap

mahendrap — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:15:57 +0000

Shefaly: Absolutely! I know there are many critics of Friedman, but whatever I’ve read and seen of him so far has impressed me.

Sometimes I wonder if his vociferous critics really understand him or whether they’re really out to gain some cheap publicity out of criticizing someone famous like him?

Is that your own quote regarding the Onion? If so, I must say you’ve many layers just like an Onion…

Oemar: I’m afraid I don’t share your optimism. This act seems doomed by the opposition by the Bush administration.

By: krishashok

krishashok — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:51:38 +0000

Crowdchess – can a large group of amateurs beat a grandmaster. No. The conditions for collective intelligence are not met.

1) Each person acts independently
2) The effect of everybody’s choice is somehow summable/aggregatable to produce a greater-than-sum-of-parts effect, so therefore each person brings a slightly differing perspective.

1) is met. 2) is not. A democratic vote ( a simple maxima) is not necessary wisdom of crowds. wikipedia on the other hand is.

By: oemar

oemar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:23:13 +0000

Nice collection….
Free Flow of Information Act is a start, I am optimistic.

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:09:38 +0000

Mahendra: Isn’t it great to have Friedman free again?

Re The Onion: as I am fond of saying, “Der Zweibel entfernt allen Zweifel” (the Onion removes all doubt!).