Pervasive

Today's seminar is the second talk that I've seen putting "Assorted pictures from Google" as a reference. Now that's convenient. I mean, I've written a few drafts that could have had a one-line bibliography that is {\url{http://www.google.com/}}. But being on the readers' side half of the time, I certainly won't advocate that, except for maybe pictures or things we all needn't find again later.

Still, it's quite impressive how we can take that name for granted nowadays, like, if a friend asks where to find such-and-such, instead of telling him the website I can just give him the keyword to google for. (And I don't need to hyperlink that too.)

Found an amusing quote from today's talk too, commenting on how difficult it is to get information (for R&D purpose) from chip manufacturers:

"We should hire the KGB or the mafia to steal fab data."
-- Lou Scheffer (Cadence)

Seeing as it might not go into Google's listing, I'd better give proper crediting here... The talk I've been referring to is a CS Seminar in SoC, given by visiting professor Patrick H. Madden from SUNY, on the topic of Design for Manufacturability.

Winamp is playing Because, Elliot Smith's rendition, originally by Beatles. I still don't know what they're talking (or thinking) about, but I find the puns very, very interesting:


Because the world is round, it turns me on
Because the world is round...
Because the wind is high, it blows my mind
Because the wind is high...

Love is old, love is new
Love is all, love is you

Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry
Because the sky is blue...


Been hearing that their songs have insinuations about drugs, and this one in particular seems unstable enough for that, but they're lost on me anyway. =P It's totally possible that the song is simply about someone who's awed by how beautiful love has made his life. A great song nevertheless.