Tv-Shows

Started learning about the Supply Chain domain today. It’s pretty interesting. I’ve worked on Time series data in the past, but to see this play out in a logistics domain is extremely fun. The thing that stuck with me the most was the realization of how complex something as trivial-seeming as an order fulfilment at McDonald’s can be - right from procurement of raw materials, all the way down to me getting my fries 5 minutes after I’ve ordered it. The course is called “Time Series Forecasting Using R” and I’m looking forward to learning more. ...

I continued listening to Cabin Pressure today and completed it. Not much of an accomplishment since there were only 12 episodes of 28 minutes each. It’s a testament to how good of a show it was that I was listening to Episode 6, Season 2 and I remember feeling bummed out a little when I realised it was the last episode on the playlist, with the third season not yet in sight. ...

Today I heard about this delightfully hilarious BBC Radio Sitcom called “Cabin Pressure” voice-starring Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch and John Finnemore. Every episode is titled a place on the map indicating where they, the chartered plane and its staff, are or are flying to for that episode and the short but funny misadventures they end up having. I only started listening to it because of Benedict Cumberbatch, but I found myself most drawn to the character Roger Allam plays - Douglas Richardson, First Office at the MJN Air. I shouldn’t really have been surprised at how a radio show made me laugh so much, because I do love a good dialogue and witty banter and this show is full of those. But I was pleasantly surprised at the frequency with which this continued to get me going. I remember there was a point on my evening walk when I was grinning broadly as I walked along the rather short circuit in RBI Layout’s park and it suddenly struck me that the reason no one was staring at me for what I can only assume must be a very goofy grin is because we’re all in a pandemic and are wearing masks that save us the embarassment of revealing our satisfied expressions that we cannot explain to everyone on a walk. ...

My current regulars Mythology by Parcast Rationally speaking with Julia Galef The Tim Ferriss Show Naval Ravikant Data Stories On Being with Krista Tippett The Python Podcast.__init Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin Outliers Fall of Civilizations My favorite episodes Literary Is the catholic church a force for good - An Intelligence Squared Debate - With Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens What makes us human? - with Stephen Fry The Four Horsemen - Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris The Tim Ferriss Show - with Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman: How Stories Last Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse Economics, Psychology, Marketing The Psychology of Advertising with Rory Sutherland Dan Ariely | Payoff Rationally Speaking #178 - Tim Urban on “Trying to live On Data Data Stories : Color with Karen Schloss FlowingData with Nathan Yau Python Podcasts The Real Python Podcast Talk Python To Me Python Bytes Test and Code From Python Import Podcast podcast.init Podcasts by Friends Tales of Time Travel by Gautham Shenoy Kannada Science Fiction by Gautham Shenoy The Forgotten Heritage of the Deccan by Karthik Malli People’s Choice Simblified The Pragati Podcast Paperback The Seen and the Unseen Echoes of India Via Nishant Singh ...

I have watched and re-watched Seinfeld over and over for the last 6–7 years now and it remains, till date, one of my most favorite shows. For a show that claims to be about nothing, it has certainly managed to fill up nine seasons worth of content, all with seemingly no plot. The show, if you’re unfamiliar with it, traces the day-to-day lives of (mainly) 4 quite unremarkable people — Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Cosmo Kramer and Elaine Benes. These 4, along with plenty of other side characters and guest stars engage in what seems to be a series of meaningless conversations and activities, which somehow all come together towards the end of the duration of each episode. ...

I wrote a little about the book this show is based on, earlier this year. I’d absolutely loved it and ever since a dear friend, Reema, told me that the trailer for the Netflix show was out, I’d been excitedly awaiting its release, slated for December 29, 2021, which if you’ve still managed to keep track of time, was yesterday. It was a little late in the day that I realised that it was here and I waited for meeting after meeting to get over so I could start watching the show. ...

Today I learnt that there’s this term called Bildungsroman . I tripped upon it while I was pondering the commonalities between Harry Potter and Naruto , about how both of them were underdogs, cursed at birth - one with a horcrux, and the other with a curse-mark, grew up effectively with no one to love them till they were of a certain age but are both intended for great things and grow into their respective savior roles. The genre itself doesn’t require the main character to be a “hero”, but the stories do intend to show the psychological and moral growth of said character. ...

♥ Now I have to read this

Subbu walked out of the classroom having just completed his last paper of the unit-test-series. His hatred for biology was second only to his hatred for geography, which had however gone fairly smoothly, thanks to the additional day he’d got for preparation. Biology on the other hand, had not. So it was no wonder that his face was filled with dismay and apprehension as he walked to the school bus that would take him home. His friend Murali spotted him on the way despite his efforts to get away unnoticed and called out - “Dei Subbu!! Wait da!”. Subbu tried walking faster, but Murali caught up with him and Subbu had to pretend that he was happy to see him. “Heyy Murali, didn’t see you there.”, he said. “Hey, what value did you get for the seventh question?”, Murali asked. Subbu froze. “Wasn’t this the Biology paper?”, he asked, shocked, “What value are you talking about?”. Murali’s face broke into a grin. An unamused Subbu punched him playfully on the arm and continued walking towards the bus accompanied by Murali, who still wore a proud expression having successfully pranked his friend. Subbu couldn’t be bothered to entertain anymore nonsense from anyone. He had more important things on his mind. Like how he would deal with Appa. A grim face floated lazily to the surface of Subbu’s mind - “Do well today, Subbu”, he had said. Despite the laconic tone, Subbu knew each of those words weighed a ton. He frowned. First of all, it was unfair for a Maths professor’s son to be expected to do well in a subject like Biology. Isn’t that what genes were all about? He had, despite his general disinterest in the subject, written a short para on whatever he could remember about genes in the test (the question was “Describe the different types of human chromosomes [10 marks]”) and felt qualified to assess the situation objectively. ...

“Good morning maaaaa’m”, the class bleated obediently like a herd of sheep, Subbu among them, as a stern looking Miss Prema entered the room with a thick book in her hand. She eyed the class suspiciously and dropped the book on the table where it landed with an resounding thud. The class fell silent and Prema ma’am spoke in her high pitched voice, “This quarter, we have a lot of History to cover. So, we will not waste any time and continue where we left from before the test - " Chapter 5: The Rise and Fall of Alexander the Great”. Subbu frowned. Why was she starting off on the first day? More importantly, had she corrected the papers yet? But he didn’t dare interrupt her as she read monotonously, “The land of Macedonia was already a great military power …”. He instead nudged Venky, his best friend who always sat next to him in class (or rather they’d grown close as a result of being made to sit next to each) and said “Hey, why don’t you ask Prema ma’am for the marks. You did well in History no?”. Venky looked at his friend with a mixture of pride and condescension that Subbu had not only assumed his prowess in the subject, but also entrusted him with a task that he was too cowardly to do himself. “Okay you chicken”, he commented as he cleared his throat in preparation, a little louder than he’d intended. “Venkatraman!”, the teacher yelled, “What is it? Why are you making sounds?”. The lion in him had shrunk into a kitten at the admonishing and he mewed incoherently. “What is it boy? Speak up!”, she yelled again. “Ma’am..Can you..Can I drink some water ma’am?”, he managed to squeak. He was disapprovingly given permission and had to make a show of going to the back of the class, fetching his water bottle from the array of baskets and drink it despite not being thirsty at all. Subbu looked back at his courageous friend, disappointed that the soldier had fallen without even getting a chance to yell a war-chant, let alone draw a spear. When he returned to his station sheepishly, Subbu had half a mind to taunt him, but seeing the ashen expression on his face, thought the better of it. He gave him one last look before shaking his head and looking to the other side for another chess piece to move. ...