Archive for August, 2006

Elizabethtown & “Thank You for Smoking”

Tuesday, August 29th, 2006

Having been disappointed with much of Hollywood’s recent output, I was recently pleasantly surprised to view two very enjoyable comedies. Elizabethtown, starring Orlando Bloom and the delectable Kirsten Dunst, was a unconventional romantic comedy, in the vein of the excellent Garden State. The humour was quirky and slightly surreal—for example, the traditional scene where boy […]

THE Security Engineering Textbook now available online (for free!)

Saturday, August 26th, 2006

Professor Ross Anderson at Light Blue Touchpaper writes: With a single bound it was free! My book on Security Engineering is now available online for free download here. Professor Anderson’s book is an invaluable reference guide for anyone wishing to implement “secure” computer systems, or simply gain a better understanding of the field. This is […]

“Downtown” Bangalore Revisited

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006

This weekend I took another trip to MG and Brigade roads, as I was sure I had not seen everything on the previous visit. The trip was an altogether more enjoyable than previously: much like London’s Oxford St, Brigade Road is not nearly as crowded on a Sunday morning compared to later in the day, […]

Last Call for…

Sunday, August 20th, 2006

It’s nice to know that even when the whole world seems to be going crazy, the Australians manage to retain their sense of humour: Last call for Mr Al Kyder and Mr Terry Wrist. [via Metafilter]

Another side of Bangalore

Thursday, August 17th, 2006

Bored of the restaurants near the apartment, on Monday night I took an auto out towards one of Bangalore’s best hotels, the Leela Palace, in the search of some nice food that hopefully wouldn’t poison me. On reflection, it’s entirely likely that the probability of being killed in a road accident during the 20 minute […]

Exploring Bangalore

Sunday, August 13th, 2006

Today was the first day since I arrived that I have had chance to really explore Bangalore. It’s a sprawling city, but the auto-rickshaws make getting around very easy (once you get used to the way they drive over here!). My first stop was the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, founded c.1760 by the British (it even […]

News from home

Friday, August 11th, 2006

Once again I find myself reading about Britain’s response to a major terrorist incident in the foreign press, on the other side of the world (I was also absent from the UK on 11th September 2001 and 7th July 2005). It feels odd to be disconnected from home at times like these, although also slightly […]

Bangalore Update

Sunday, August 6th, 2006

A little exploration of the area where I am living has led me to believe I am probably living in the Bangalore equivalent of Canary Wharf: there are lots of shiny new office and apartment blocks, and some amenities in the form of an American-style mall, but none of the classy lounge bars and fine […]

More Adrenaline Rushes than a Roller-Coaster: My Commute

Thursday, August 3rd, 2006

Like all good roller-coasters the biggest adrenaline-rush is always saved for the finale. After a white knuckle auto-rickshaw ride from the office, I have a short walk to the apartment building. Unfortunately it usually involves crossing a busy urban dual carriageway where right-of-way is accorded to the biggest and fastest, and lights are strictly optional, […]