My heart and my prayers go to the people of New Zealand
22 Feb
Taking a Twitter break :)
21 Feb
Stating the model assumptions...
18 Feb
Developing math model for estimating system cost
16 Feb
Mubarak resigns, hands power to military http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt
11 Feb
Back to work listening to "50 classical pieces for your mind"
7 Feb
O Principezinho no Vimeo http://vimeo.com/17732369
4 Feb
2011-02-28
2011-02-23
Is the 2nd dot.com bubble underway?
According to Patrick, there are 10 tell-tale signs that a bubble is being blown:
» 1. The arrival of a “New Thing” that cannot be valued in the old way. Dumb-money companies start paying over the odds for New Thing acquisitions.
» 2. Smart people identify the start of a bubble; New Thing apostles make ever more glowing claims.
» 3. Startups with founders deemed to have “pedigree” (for example, former employees of New Thing companies) get funded at eye-watering valuations for next to no reason.
» 4. There is a flurry of new investment funds catering for startups.
» 5. Companies start getting funded “off the slide deck” (that is, purely on the basis of their PowerPoint presentations) without actually having a product.
» 6. MBAs leave banks to start up firms.
» 7. The “big flotation” happens.
» 8. Banks make a market in the New Thing, investing pension money.
» 9. Taxi drivers start giving you advice on what stock to buy.
» 10. A New Thing darling buys an old-world company for stupid money. The end is nigh.
Source: Dominic Rushe, The Observer
2011-02-21
A new dawn for Artificial Intelligence
Given the choice between a flesh-and-blood doctor and an artificial intelligence system for diagnosing diseases, Pedro Domingos is willing to stake his life on AI. "I'd trust the machine more than I'd trust the doctor," says Domingos, a computer scientist at the University of Washington, Seattle. Considering the bad rap AI usually receives - overhyped, underwhelming - such strong statements in its support are rare indeed.
Read the full article: New Scientist
2011-02-13
Steps to organize a fund-raising dinner
So, you want to organize a fund raiser dinner?
(maybe for World Youth Day)
1 - Pick a theme for your dinner
2 - Draft a menu - it can include an entree, one or more courses, and dessert.
Having a standard menu makes it easier. The more options you provide, the more uncertainty, and more complexity in the kitchen.
Identify the necessary ingredients for one person.
3 - Make a prototype. s it delicious? It should be :)
Is it easy to cook? How many could you cook in a short time? Can the food wait to be served and still be in top shape?
4 - Visit one or more food providers and log the prices for the ingredients you will need. Don't go necessarily to the cheapest option. Remember that quality is very important and that you want people to come back for more fund raising iniciatives.
Calculate the cost of the dinner for one person.
5 - You are now ready to announce the dinner and to open the registration.
Define lower and upper limits for the number of people, depending on the room where the dinner will be served.
You can ask for a reservation price. It should cover most of the dinner cost.
You can also have some form of entertainment to make the dinner more attractive.
6 - A few days before the dinner date, close the registration and start planning.
Define the shopping plan. Assign responsibilities. Rely on teamwork.
7 - Prepare a detailed plan for the dinner day. What should be done at a given hour. Remember that every minute counts. It's very important to keep you team motivated and able to execute the "battle" plan without any flaws.
It's possible, but it's not easy. So, prepare for hard word and, if everything goes according to plan, enjoy the reward of achieving something special for the guests and for your team!
(maybe for World Youth Day)
1 - Pick a theme for your dinner
2 - Draft a menu - it can include an entree, one or more courses, and dessert.
Having a standard menu makes it easier. The more options you provide, the more uncertainty, and more complexity in the kitchen.
Identify the necessary ingredients for one person.
3 - Make a prototype. s it delicious? It should be :)
Is it easy to cook? How many could you cook in a short time? Can the food wait to be served and still be in top shape?
4 - Visit one or more food providers and log the prices for the ingredients you will need. Don't go necessarily to the cheapest option. Remember that quality is very important and that you want people to come back for more fund raising iniciatives.
Calculate the cost of the dinner for one person.
5 - You are now ready to announce the dinner and to open the registration.
Define lower and upper limits for the number of people, depending on the room where the dinner will be served.
You can ask for a reservation price. It should cover most of the dinner cost.
You can also have some form of entertainment to make the dinner more attractive.
6 - A few days before the dinner date, close the registration and start planning.
Define the shopping plan. Assign responsibilities. Rely on teamwork.
7 - Prepare a detailed plan for the dinner day. What should be done at a given hour. Remember that every minute counts. It's very important to keep you team motivated and able to execute the "battle" plan without any flaws.
It's possible, but it's not easy. So, prepare for hard word and, if everything goes according to plan, enjoy the reward of achieving something special for the guests and for your team!
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