Quick ACM Notes

Congrats to

• Graham Cormode, ACM Distinguished Scientist.
• Sampath Kannan, ACM Fellow
• Moti Yung, ACM Fellow.

and the superb list for 2013.

ISAAC Talk on Social Ad Markets

I gave a talk at ISAAC13 in Hong Kong on a Market Approach to Social Ads, based on the paper with my student Darja Krushevskaja.  I couldn't cover as much as I wanted to, during the talk. So, here are the slides, hope people find it useful. 

Holiday Note

I had a family tragedy. My response: I am going to narrow my life some.

Happy holidays! See you all 2014. 

A Movie Past

I was lucky to see the movie The Ghosts in Our Machine  a couple of months ago (I was late, actor/publisher Martin Rowe graciously waited outside to let me in, I owe him one). The movie shows the work of Jo-Anne McArthur who photographs animals in very difficult situations -- factory farms -- and yet focuses on their individuality via powerful closeup photos that brings camera (and us) upto the face of these animals, and genuinely gets us to see not the population of them but one here, another one there, etc. In a touching gesture, the animals appear in the cast list. Someone taught me a long time ago that it is rude to leave a film until the cast list scrolls away fully and I was glad I didnt bolt as usual as the cast roll begins. Throughout the movie, the soundtrack is all machines, noises of butchering machines, trucks, etc. which adds to the mood of these pictures. Check out Jo-Anne's work.