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<channel>
	<title>blog of Girts Niedra</title>
	<atom:link href="http://girts.niedra.org/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://girts.niedra.org</link>
	<description>Girts Niedra blogging about stuff of interest - work, life, etc.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:20:52 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>South-park character</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/09/south-park-character/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/09/south-park-character/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:19:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Flash.png"><img src="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Flash-723x1024.png" alt="" title="South-park" width="723" height="1024" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-293" /></a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Google Reader fullscreen mode</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/google-reader-fullscreen-mode/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/google-reader-fullscreen-mode/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:41:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I wrote a rant some time ago of Google Search not using the potential of flat screens. Well this is one step in the right direction &#8211; just add it to search http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/08/fullscreen-and-more.html]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I wrote a rant some time ago of Google Search not using the potential of flat screens. Well this is one step in the right direction <img src='http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  &#8211; just add it to search<br />
<a href="http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/08/fullscreen-and-more.html">http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/08/fullscreen-and-more.html</a></p>
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		<title>Monty Hall problem &#8211; the human aspect</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/monty-hall-problem-the-human-aspect/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/monty-hall-problem-the-human-aspect/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:14:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Funny]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Suppose you&#8217;re on a game show, and you&#8217;re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what&#8217;s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Monty_open_door.svg/180px-Monty_open_door.svg.png" alt="monty" /></p>
<blockquote><p>Suppose you&#8217;re on a game show, and you&#8217;re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what&#8217;s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, &#8220;Do you want to pick door No. 2?&#8221; Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem</a></p></blockquote>
<p>Here I don&#8217;t want to approach the problem statement from statistics perspective, but from a human perspective.<br />
I think that the answer to the problem above depends on answer to following question:<br />
Is the host trying to fuck with you (knowing about the Monty Hall problem)?<br />
If the show is on for a long time and he&#8217;s opening a goat door every show / the game rules dictate him to always offer the switch, then the best option is switching.<br />
If however it&#8217;s the first week of the show / or the door is opened seemingly randomly, it makes sense to reconsider the options and how smart of a person the host thinks you are.<br />
The additional assumptions stated in the article do solve this issue (by trying to eliminate the human factor):</p>
<blockquote><p>Although not explicitly stated in this version, solutions are almost always based on the additional assumptions that the car is initially equally likely to be behind each door and that the host must open a door showing a goat, must randomly choose which door to open if both hide goats, <strong>and must make the offer to switch</strong>.</p></blockquote>
<p>OK, indeed there is  &#8220;a fully unambiguous, mathematically explicit version of the standard problem is&#8221; mentioned in the article.</p>
<blockquote><p>Suppose you&#8217;re on a game show and you&#8217;re given the choice of three doors [and will win what is behind the chosen door]. Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats [unwanted booby prizes]. The car and the goats were placed randomly behind the doors before the show. The rules of the game show are as follows: After you have chosen a door, the door remains closed for the time being. The game show host, Monty Hall, who knows what is behind the doors, now has to open one of the two remaining doors, and the door he opens must have a goat behind it. If both remaining doors have goats behind them, he chooses one [uniformly] at random. After Monty Hall opens a door with a goat, he will ask you to decide whether you want to stay with your first choice or to switch to the last remaining door. Imagine that you chose Door 1 and the host opens Door 3, which has a goat. He then asks you &#8220;Do you want to switch to Door Number 2?&#8221; Is it to your advantage to change your choice?</p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>If we want to go nerdy about the &#8220;Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats [unwanted booby prizes]&#8221; -it does not state that behind each of the other doors, there are ONLY goats &#8211; so feel free to assume one of the other doors has &#8220;a goat and a car&#8221;, or it could be both / one of the goats being statues internally filled with gold.</li>
<li>And what if the player has motorphobia?</li>
</ul>
<p>Cheers, <img src='http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>P.S. The explanation of the solution I do like the most:</p>
<blockquote><p>As Cecil Adams puts it (Adams 1990), &#8220;Monty is saying in effect: you can keep your one door or you can have the other two doors.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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		<item>
		<title>Sugar &amp; fructose health effects &#8211; the bitter truth</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/sugar-fructose-health-effects-the-bitter-truth/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/sugar-fructose-health-effects-the-bitter-truth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:17:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Futurama and taxonomies</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/futurama-and-taxonomies/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/08/futurama-and-taxonomies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:54:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Semantics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=274</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/no_new_taxonomies.png"><img src="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/no_new_taxonomies-300x170.png" alt="" title="no_new_taxonomies" width="300" height="170" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-275" /></a></p>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Emotiv presentation from Tan Le</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/emotiv-presentation-from-tan-le/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/emotiv-presentation-from-tan-le/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:48:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IT]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=269</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hope this does indeed change the interface of the human &#8211; electronics communication. If it does &#8211; bye keyboard, mouse, multi-touch, whatever &#8211; control the stuff with your thoughts (well brainwaves actually). http://www.emotiv.com/ P.S. F&#8230; I would like to live in US to order this gadget and try it out. Just to fell like [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I hope this does indeed change the interface of the human &#8211; electronics communication.<br />
If it does &#8211; bye keyboard, mouse, multi-touch, whatever &#8211; control the stuff with your thoughts (well brainwaves actually).</p>
<p><!--copy and paste--><object width="446" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/TanLe_2010G-medium.flv&#038;su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/TanLe-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&#038;vw=432&#038;vh=240&#038;ap=0&#038;ti=921&#038;introDuration=15330&#038;adDuration=4000&#038;postAdDuration=830&#038;adKeys=talk=tan_le_a_headset_that_reads_your_brainwaves;year=2010;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=tales_of_invention;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2010;event=TEDGlobal+2010;&#038;preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="446" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/TanLe_2010G-medium.flv&#038;su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/TanLe-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&#038;vw=432&#038;vh=240&#038;ap=0&#038;ti=921&#038;introDuration=15330&#038;adDuration=4000&#038;postAdDuration=830&#038;adKeys=talk=tan_le_a_headset_that_reads_your_brainwaves;year=2010;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=tales_of_invention;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2010;event=TEDGlobal+2010;"></embed></object></p>
<p><a href="http://www.emotiv.com/">http://www.emotiv.com/</a></p>
<p>P.S.<br />
F&#8230; I would like to live in US to order this gadget and try it out. Just to fell like a jedi you know <img src='http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Handcent SMS</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/handcent-sms/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/handcent-sms/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:59:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/handcent-sms/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been using Handcent SMS and I think you might like it. Check it out from your Android phone: http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:com.handcent.nextsms]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve been using Handcent SMS and I think you might like it. Check it out from your Android phone: <a href="http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:com.handcent.nextsms">http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:com.handcent.nextsms</a> </p>
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		<title>Melancholic Waltz by Emils Darzins</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/melancholic-waltz-by-emils-darzins/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/melancholic-waltz-by-emils-darzins/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:36:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is sad to see that in a Google search for &#8220;Melancholy Waltz&#8221; only one result relates to Emils Darzins and his beautiful waltz &#8211; even less for the better matching translation &#8220;Melancholic Waltz&#8221; Although Darzins was accused of plagiarism by Jean Sibelius &#8211; I would like to hear the work from Sibelius that supports [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is sad to see that in a <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&#038;q=melancholy+waltz">Google search for &#8220;Melancholy Waltz&#8221;</a> only one result relates to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em%C4%ABls_D%C4%81rzi%C5%86%C5%A1">Emils Darzins</a> and his beautiful waltz &#8211; even less for the better matching translation &#8220;Melancholic Waltz&#8221;<br />
<object style="height: 344px; width: 425px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WW2FwJqf2Pw"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WW2FwJqf2Pw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></object><br />
Although Darzins was accused of plagiarism by Jean Sibelius &#8211; I would like to hear the work from Sibelius that supports the accusations. Sadly, the information on the internet is poor on this as well.</p>
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		<title>Preferred song for my funeral</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/preferred-song-for-my-funeral/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/07/preferred-song-for-my-funeral/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Jul 2010 09:43:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=257</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although not original, but certainly, when I happen to hand over my spoon (hopefully not too soon ): Simon and Garfunkel &#8211; The Sound Of Silence P.S. And while I am at it &#8211; definitely cremated. Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although not original, but certainly, when I happen to <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_L%C3%B6ffel_abgeben">hand over my spoon</a> (hopefully not too soon <img src='http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  ):</p>
<p><a href='http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sound_of_silence.mp3' >Simon and Garfunkel &#8211; The Sound Of Silence</a></p>
<p>P.S. And while I am at it &#8211; definitely cremated.<br />
<code><br />
Hello darkness, my old friend<br />
I've come to talk with you again<br />
Because a vision softly creeping<br />
Left its seeds while I was sleeping<br />
And the vision that was planted in my brain<br />
Still remains<br />
Within the sound of silence</p>
<p>In restless dreams I walked alone<br />
Narrow streets of cobblestone<br />
'Neath the halo of a street lamp<br />
I turn my collar to the cold and damp<br />
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light<br />
That split the night<br />
And touched the sound of silence</p>
<p>And in the naked light I saw<br />
Ten thousand people maybe more<br />
People talking without speaking<br />
People hearing without listening<br />
People writing songs that voices never shared<br />
No one dared<br />
Disturb the sound of silence</p>
<p>"Fools," said I, "you do not know<br />
Silence like a cancer grows<br />
Hear my words that I might teach you<br />
Take my arms that I might reach you"<br />
But my words like silent raindrops fell<br />
And echoed in the wells of silence</p>
<p>And the people bowed and prayed<br />
To the neon god they made<br />
And the sign flashed out its warning<br />
In the words that it was forming<br />
And the sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls<br />
And tenement halls<br />
And whispered in the sound of silence<br />
</code></p>
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<enclosure url="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sound_of_silence.mp3" length="7390712" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<title>Ron Wayne</title>
		<link>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/06/ron-wayne/</link>
		<comments>http://girts.niedra.org/2010/06/ron-wayne/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:53:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Girts Niedra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IT]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://girts.niedra.org/?p=246</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Meet Ron Wayne, 3rd founder of Apple. Who sold his 10% stock for $800 in 1976 &#8211; estimated today&#8217;s worth $22 billion. Full story: http://gizmodo.com/5574809/the-forgotten-apple-founders-unforgettable-mistake]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RonaldWayneMacworld2009.jpg"><img src="http://girts.niedra.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RonaldWayneMacworld2009.jpg" alt="" title="RonaldWayneMacworld2009" width="258" height="270" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-247" /></a><br />
Meet Ron Wayne, 3rd founder of Apple. Who sold his 10% stock for $800 in 1976 &#8211; estimated today&#8217;s worth $22 billion.<br />
Full story: <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5574809/the-forgotten-apple-founders-unforgettable-mistake">http://gizmodo.com/5574809/the-forgotten-apple-founders-unforgettable-mistake</a></p>
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