Video: documentary of Cecilia Bartoli's Vivaldi Album

See how Cecilia researches and performs some of the rarely/never performed Vivaldi opera arias. 

There are 6 parts.

Part 1:

 

Part 2:

 

Part 3:

 

Part 4:

 

Part 5:

 

Part 6:

Video: Clay Christensen on innovation, Healthcare and Education

Mr. Christensen, a well known professor at Harvard Business School, was being interviewed by Walt Mossberg in this video.

There are 3 parts to this video, talking about innovation in technology, healthcare, and education.  I didn't quite agree with Christensen's prediction that Nokia will win the battle in building mobile devices.  He seemed to have used his model on Nokia and Apple without taking into account the fundamental different natures of the two companies.

Having said that, I did feel that his talk on healthcare and education interesting.  My question is how can we build technology systems that really help kids to learn in their own style, in a way that really maximizes the value of technology and human teachers?

Enjoy!

Video: Documentary of Ghibli Studio and the great animator Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿)

When thinking about the word "animation", many westerners consider it as an extension of cartoon, with a bit of eccentricity.  Some picture conventions with girls wearing really short skirts.  Some associate it with comic books.

These are all valid associations, but it is not all that animation is.  In Japan, an animation movie such as "Spirited Away" can have box office sale equaling or exceeding that of a Hollywood hit movie.  (in this case, 150 million dollars)

Animation is a mainstream medium in Japan and enjoys high status.  In the following documentary, you get a glimpse into the renowned animation studio Ghibli and the people working in it.

It makes me wonder - how do people of different cultures develop different styles of animation, what are the effects of different styles of medium on sending a message to its audience?

Enjoy!  (This is the first of the 6 parts)

Language and values of an Amazon tribe

This article is about a very secluded tribe in Amazon, and a bit about how they live, communicate, and what their values are.  One of the very few missionaries went to the tribe hoping to convert it, but is instead converted by it.

I read this story from The Guardian.  It makes one wonder what makes one culture or value set superior to another:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/10/daniel-everett-amazon

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

This book is about extraordinary success, and more specifically, about the environment around the individuals that made them successful.  Gladwell argues that though individual hard work and talent is important, the opportunities presented by one's family, culture, and social conditions have not received enough attention as factors to those successes.  Thus the writing of this book.

Outliers is an easy read and full of interesting stories and data.  Sometimes it gets a bit repetitious, but overall the data presented were refreshing and helps to explain Gladwell's arguments.

I do not agree with all of the conclusions in the book, but here are the points that I agree and feel are very important:

1. Parents' impact on a child's life is very profound.  Kids from wealthier families tend to have parents that are actively involved in cultivating their interest, teach them to have a sense of entitlement, and comb them to be comfortable in social settings.  This skills will greatly help a child to succeed in the future.  So parents, don't underestimate your power to make an impact.

2. A culture that doesn't encourage a healthy dose of defiance to authority can cause harm for people in that culture.  If the consequences of any form of rebellion is too great, truths cannot surface and advancements will slow, or, in some cases, disasters will strike.

Overall, I give the book 3.5 out of 5, for its accessibility (easy to read) and its insightfulness.  However, I would like to see a more complete and in depth study on the topics covered in the book.

Video: Rimi Natsukawa (and others) singing "Shimauta"

"Shimauta" is Japanese for "Island Song".  It came from the Island of Okinawa, right beside the mainland Japan. I really like the song as Rimi sings it, and it's interesting to see it being sung/played in different ways.

Thought: this consumer behaviour is seen in other products as well.  Designers often find successful products being used or customized in ways they didn't intend.

Here it is with guitar accompaniment:

The version released on Rimi's CD.  It's more pop-ish:

Sung in a cappella.  I find it really cool:

I don't know who the singer of this is.  But this is in Spanish with a Latin flare:

Lastly, here's a version in Chinese.  The name of the song translates to "Sleepless":

Video: Adam Gyorgy plays "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Amazing Grace"

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring:

 

Amazing Grace: (I liked the first part the best)