words, words, words

I just went to the dentist in Porto Alegre today. It was a really good experience.  I mean, not too many people like going to the dentist, but this was alright.  She had small hands, which is my first requirement for any dentist.

A dentist in California had given me a crummy filling and I got a cavity under it.  The dentist here replaced the filling and fixed the cavity.  I looked at the filling and I have to say, she is a craftsperson.  It is artistic.  You can tell she takes pride in her work and likes doing a good job.

If you are ever in Porto Alegre and you need a dentist, fire me an email and I’ll give you her details.  I need to check with her first, of course.  Also, if you are in America, need some dentistry, don’t have insurance and are planning a trip to Brazil…  well… wait.  I mean, I’m not a dentist and am not offering you medical advice, but I think the dental work here is less expensive and from what I’ve seen, higher quality.

I’ve been thinking today about the data collection that is happening.   Luke and I briefly emailed about the Facebook valuation.  He had some interesting insights.  Specifically about Super-Node type people that Facebook could serve special ads, or even free mp3s to.  People who influence their peers.  I think this is a valid point.  One that is a gamble, but valid.  I guess we have all had a friend that has acted like the glue keeping your peer group on the same page.

I just wonder if all this data is ever going to be really useful.  I’m sure my browsing history is generating lots and lots of cookies.  Creating an online profile that will be able to tell that, like today, I searched Goggle for the following terms:

judo red and white belt
brasileiro judo federacao
Vo et Vat
gyaku jujime
neil degrass tyson
ghandi
facebook
quote:Flex

Now how is that worth anything?  [I once had a program that would just randomly search google with a random word, so that your profile would be skewed.]  I guess you could draw some conclusions from my searches.  But if presented with ads based on Indian judoka who practice astronomy and investing, I wouldn’t really be that keen to click.  It is all just digital landfill.  I’m populating the servers of the world with garbage.  We all are.

I listened to a radio story about someone finding a bunch of letters by the side of the highway.  Data won’t ever get strewn around like that and create a bonanza for someone.  It doesn’t take up space.   In fact, the amount you can store on media is getting larger everyday as the media grows physically smaller.  I run the risk of sounding like a Luddite, but I don’t really want to leave a data footprint.  I’ll try to write some more letters. (He wrote ironically on his computer.)

Microsoft just bought a 1.6% stake in Facebook for 240 million lira dollars.  This is insane.  It places the valuation of Facebook at $15 billion.

I have basically stopped using Facebook.  Lots of people I know are using it less and less.  I understand that this isn’t exactly reliable market research.  But I can certainly count a number of people that have closed their accounts.

The investment was also based upon advertising revenues.  I can’t, off the top of my head, think of a single ad that I have been served on Facebook.  And I know for certain that I have never clicked on one. Has anyone?

What this all really means is that the valuations of companies are bubbling over again.  It is time to short Google, Baidu and Microsoft.  Just for giggles, the current prices of the three are GOOG:675.82 BIDU:335.95 and MSFT:31.25    Let’s see how low they can go.

Funny, but I don’t think that these guys ever ask their customers what they think.  If you would have explained to Joe User the deal with MySpace and News Corp.  Any user would say, “well, MySpace kinda sucks.  I wouldn’t pay $580 million for it.”  Or “240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook?  Are you nuts?”  Not with my money, no matter what kind of Web 2.0 snake oil you are selling.

This isn’t a survey course. I’ve just been trying to communicate at the gym and have been trying to write down the words as I learn them. I figure, since other people might be in a similar situation someday I should publish my notes.

First of all, a caveat, I have a bad habit of trying, mentally, to bridge the gaps between Spanish and Portuguese. This is not a good idea. I mean, basic structure and some vocabulary is similar, but the I do not advise attempting a shotgun wedding of these different and distinct Romance languages.

Some of the things they say in English are said as Brazilian words. So things like “Roll”, as in “Nice roll” are pronounced “Hole”. Learning to understand English words in Portuguese is like learning an entirely new language. Susi’s favorite, “Red Hot Chili Peppers” is pronounced “Hedgey Hodgey Shilly Peppers”. “Titanic” is pronounced “Chi Cha Nee Key”.

Oh and this isn’t supposed to be a definitive guide, I am learning Portuguese in Porto Alegre, and I’ve been here a month and a half. They have a bunch of distinctive Gaucho words for things… so your mileage may vary!

Something else I noticed. Learning people’s names is nearly impossible. You ask them their name and they tell you , and then you never hear it again. I’ve been training for about 6 weeks and I have about 4 names myself, so don’t be surprised if they person that told you their name is called by a million different nicknames.

* = This one is a bit tricky, it sounds like “poo-shay” , so you would think it means push. It doesn’t.

** = “em poo hey” Like Spanish.

Amazon just came out with DRM-free music downloads for .89 each

Sunday, we went back to the chocolate waters of the Guaíba River to attempt to ride the boat for the FIFTH time.

 This time, Charon, our lovely captain, had changed the time the boat was scheduled to depart.  Foiling our plans, once again.

 I must go on this boat.  This has become a mission.

I’ve started watching a lot of movies from the sixties in which people wear monkey suits. I’m not sure why, but there is something appealing. Perhaps it is the idea of taking them seriously as actors. They spend time getting into it using the Stanislavsky Method and try to sort out what their motivation is…. I want bananas. Seems like it would be a pretty fun job.

Charlton Heston in “Planet of the Apes” was a jerk. I think they should have peeled him like a banana. The movie was pretty funny there, there is some classic editing, and I really like the way they run places instead of walking.

You will most likely say “awwwwwww“.(Not “aw!”)When you watch this slideshow.However, remember a polar bear can easily eat your face.  You do not want a pet polar bear.

Radiohead has just released their new album, free from digital rights management (DRM), on the Internet. The album can be bought from their website, and you pay whatever you want for it. I paid for it, and paid a pretty normal price, to encourage them and bands like them to sidestep the terrifying monopoly of big record labels.
Oh, and it is a good album, too.

This comic made me laugh out loud.