New year resolutions

Based on certain observations I have made in the last few days, I have concluded that the most common new year's resolution in the United States must be to loose weight. Yes, I know. It should be obvious based on just looking around at people and estimating their average size. But in order to implement my new year's resolution, I will tell you anyway.

These days, the only time I get to watch TV is when on the treadmill at the gym. And what channel I end up watching is entirely determined by what TV I end up standing in front of. I try for CNN but am mostly unsuccessful these days because for some reason it is only on 1 TV at my gym. So this week I have watched MSNBC, STYLE, A&E and ESPN respectively and not at the same time of the day as I go whenever I feel like it. And every time, at least 60% of commercials I saw (I only counted today, but am extrapolating for the other days I did not keep track) was for either a diet like Nutrisystem or some exercise product like the rather obnoxious looking ad for Shake Weight.

Then there is the fact that my gym is full of people that I have mentally labeled "new year resolution type". They are identified by having two or more of the following attributes: a) they ask questions like how the towel service works or where the day use lockers are, b) have long conversations about weight loss citing their own past experiences or those of others they know, c) show up wearing clothes that are decidedly uncomfortable if you are going for a primarily cardio work out which most of them do.
Let us hope for the future of the health care system that most of these people stick to their resolution!

Important first step

Even though this will probably not hold in the long run, the Delhi High Court's decision to rule that consensual gay sex is not criminal is a very important first step in bringing India into the 21st century in terms of civil rights. I am happy.

Good one

I like it! John Hodgman at the White House Radio and TV correspondents dinner...

Math Humor...

Credit Crisis visualized

I liked this...clear and concise.





The associated web site is here.

Instant News

In the beginning of the Wikipedia era, I was careful to judge the reliability of the stuff I read there by looking at the attribution, and when an attribution was absent, do some googling of my own and when that fails, take that information with big pinch of salt. But over the past few years, I do this a lot less. This story is an interesting wake up call!

Today on CNN

Today, my day started earlier than normal. The reason being that the only way I will be able to get any physics done this week is to do it before the rest of the world wakes up [1]. So, I got hungry for lunch early and hence went for my pre-lunch treadmill run early as well. I run in front of a TV that is tuned to CNN headline news.

Today due to the odd time I ended up watching something called “Showbiz tonight” where I learn t such earth-shattering things as the fact that Kristie Alley apologized on Oprah for being fat, the bay watch dude David something got drunk (with some statement like “this gives him the opportunity to lead America by example toward taking responsibility for one’s addictions”) and some dogfighter guy whose name I did not catch is going to join PETA or something. I just have to say WTF? [2]

[1] I am part of the organizing committee of a conference that starts in a couple of weeks and I have been doing such interesting things as arranging for food, getting stationery, juggling schedules and so on…

[2] If you feel like it you can watch the videos of the first two stories here and here. Did not catch enough of the third story for a quick google.