How to improve the listening experience for movie soundtracks?
Everytime I fire up a soundtrack in my iTunes I keep thinking: “Something is missing, this is not the same song I have listened in the movie theater”. Well obviously something is missing.
The experience we have at the movie theaters is a combination of lights, sounds and a concept. The atmosphere is very much sealed with the darkness and sound properties of the movie theater.
Listening to a soundtrack alone is very much like watching the movie with no sounds, unless you are listening to the soundtrack because you like the song but not touched by the movie. This usually is not the case for me as I listen to a soundtrack because I find something mattered to me in the movie because of the song, thus, listening to the soundtrack alone does not give me that much of an excitement. It is a bit better when the soundtrack has lyrics like “Juno”, or “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. “Iron Man” however, has a very strong soundtrack, but no lyrics. In the end this is ruining the whole soundtrack fun.
I propose soundtracks should always be published with lines from the movie like “Pulp Fiction” or should be consumed with teasers, trailers or suitable scenes from the movie itself. What do you think?
Göbekli Tepe
Today I received an e-mail from my dad about a site near Şanlıurfa (southeast Turkey) called Göbekli Tepe. Findings there suggest dates back to 9000 BC, and predates all farming activities known. It is important because up to now scientists had thought that people who are only dependent on hunting/gathering could not build monuments and temples. However these ruins show the opposite.
It is sad that this place has been discovered over 30 years ago, and it is now that I learn about it. Anatolia is a large geography with such a long and dense history, every corner you look, you can find something interesting.
One night at Starbucks
Today I had my share of funny help desk chat and I have been the unfortunate victim. We were having a cup of coffee at Starbucks. The reason of our choice was the existence of a wireless hotspot provided free of charge to Turkish Telecom ADSL subscribers - I happen to be one of them. However there seemed to be a problem with user authentication. After a brief period of hesitation I decided to call support and talk with the call center. I was having the least amount of enthusiasm as I was pretty damn sure they were not going to solve an problem related with any free service they are providing.
I was right. The guy on the other end of the line told me that there was problem with the data center and they could not check the remote locations. He then added: I could check back tomorrow afternoon. Well it is nice for him. I could check back the wifi status on a Starbucks miles away from my office on a lazy Sunday afternoon from my house. I give up!
There were two kids at the next table, two boys around 12. They were talking and having frappucino or something like adults. I missed being a kid, talking about movies with no thoughts going into money and people and politics.
One more thing, I am wondering. Do they leave only a single piece of each snack on purpose? So that people will want more? Do they have a large stock back there and bring out one-by-one? If yes, why? If no, why not? 
Digital A/C in cars are overrated
I just can’t understand the madness associated with digital A/C in cars. These things doesn’t work. You hop in to your car, start it. The A/C is set to 21 degrees and outside temp is like 30 so it blows like crazy and makes such a noise that even hearing the stereo is impossible. Then you arrive at your destination and since it is scorching hot out there the A/C has been running like crazy all the way. What is the deal with being digital or automatic then?
Even if you will be driving a while, you set it to 24. It becomes too cold so you set it to 26, it becomes hot. Well I do not mingle with my manual analog (whatever) A/C as much as I do in cars with digital automatic ultra-super-high-technology A/C.
I just don’t get it…
