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Speaking of subservient attitudes, a man of Indian origin stalks Mark Zuckerberg:
Yesterday news broke that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg had obtained a restraining order against Pradeep Manukonda, 31, a fan of the billionaire CEO who says he needed the computer wizard’s money and advice.
Manukonda reportedly wrote the following message to the CEO on his Facebook page:
“Please mark (sic) … time is really running out for me … please help me. I really need your help … please respond in time before it’s too late for us … I owe my entire life at your service … please help me, then i am ready to die for you.”
Let no one say henceforth that Indians have not assimilated in America.
Link:
Security guard bends down to clean Mayawati’s shoes.
The “personal security guard” also happens to be a Deputy Superintendent of Police. He wasn’t forced to clean her shoes but it still feels distasteful. If he likes to be a servant, so be it — but in his spare time.
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A slogan for Indian tourism that captures our culture and heritage: India — We like going down on others.
Fatehpur, U.P.:
Girl’s limbs chopped off for resisting gang-rape.
Apropos of the astrology/science case, the Bombay HC deferred to a Supreme Court judgment in a similar case and quoted that “the Supreme Court has already considered the issue and ruled that astrology is science”.
That is not exactly true as a copy of the SC judgment shows. The SC was hearing a petition to restrict UGC funding to astrology related courses. Excerpts from the judgment:
According to the above mentioned standard books Astrology is a science which claims to foretell the future or make predictions by studying the supposed influence of the relative positions of the moon, sun, planets and other stars on human affairs. It, therefore, requires study of celestial bodies, of their positions, magnitudes, motions, and distances, etc. Astronomy is a pure science. It was studied as a subject in ancient India and India has produced great astronomers, long before anyone in the western world studied it as a subject. Since Astrology is partly based upon study of movement of sun, earth, planets and other celestial bodies, it is a study of science at least to some extent.
and
The appellants do not allege breach of any statutory provision, rule or regulation. Their complaint is that the inclusion of Jyotir Vigyan as a course of study in the university is wrong as the accuracy or correctness of the subject, namely Jyotir Vigyan has not been established by the scientific tests or experiments. The precise question as to whether Jyotir Vigyan should be included as a course of study having been considered and examined by an Expert Body of UGC and they having recommended for including the said course for study and award of degree in universities, it will not be proper for this Court to interfere with the aforesaid decision specially when no violation of any statutory provisions is demonstrated.
In essence, it ruled that the part of astrology which deals with the study of planets is a science and that it wasn’t in the business of deciding what is a science and what isn’t.
Fair enough, I say.
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‘Courts says astrology is a science’ is a more attractive headline though.
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Link via Nikhil M.
Sex workers operate a pimp-free, go-go bar themselves and split the profits.
A wonderful initiative; this should spread.
This news story from India is doing rounds all over the internet:
Astrology is a science: Bombay HC
I agree and you should too; here’s why.
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The PIL was filed by an NGO, Janhit Manch that had sought action against ‘fake’ astrologers, tantriks, practitioners of Vastu shastra etc.
[...]
The PIL had urged the authorities to ban articles, advertisements, episodes and practices promoting astrology and its related subjects like vastu, reiki, feng shui, tarot, palmistry, zodiac signs and rashifal.
If this was the scope of the PIL, then I don’t disagree with the verdict — although we could (and anyone should) disagree with the court on the reason. It is silly to ban astrologers or astrology. They are not committing a crime nor are they dishonouring any contract. Astrology differs from fraud because no astrologer provides a guarantee (explicit or implicit) for his predictions or analysis.
Banning astrology is a slippery slope. Next, there will be those who want to ban religion. I might disagree with religion but it certainly should not be banned.
And the key bit in the ruling, which commentators have ignored, is this:
“So far as prayer related to astrology is concerned, the Supreme Court has already considered the issue and ruled that astrology is science. The court had in 2004 also directed the universities to consider if astrology science can be added to the syllabus. The decision of the apex court is binding on this court,” observed the judges.
The Bombay HC — even if it wanted to — couldn’t rule against the Supreme Court.
Kerala whistleblower; dead, with children.
Great set of photographs from Egypt at The Big Picture. It gave me a better understanding of the status quo in Egypt than all other news combined.
Link via John Gruber.
A few days ago, I came across the Japanese concept of Ma or negative space in this piece. Philosopher Lao Tse wrote about Ma:
Thirty spokes meet in the hub,
but the empty space between them
is the essence of the wheel.
Pots are formed from clay,
but the empty space between it
is the essence of the pot.
Walls with windows and doors form the house,
but the empty space within it
is the essence of the house.
Besides being a nice philosophical concept, Ma — or the concept of emphasis by exclusion — is wonderful to use in everyday life. If you combine it with the concept of minimalism, your life will be transformed.
I have been trying to follow the path of minimalism since a few months now — trying being the operative word. I began after I returned from Peru. It feels wonderful, if nothing more. If you look around your room or house, you will find countless items that you have not used in a long time and that you won’t be using for a long time. They don’t deserve valuable space. Every item around you makes your sense of perceived space that much smaller.
How did I start? First, I got rid of about 30% of all my belongings: Clothes, books, random pieces of electronics, gifts, cards. I gave some of the beautiful gifts to my friends, donated a few things and threw the rest away. I cut down on buying new things, unless necessary. I don’t wear shoes (unless I’m hiking) or chappals; only a pair of slippers. I deleted more than half of the contacts in my phone book and chat list. The concept remains the same: Anything or anyone you haven’t interacted with in a long time or don’t plan to/want to interact with for a long time doesn’t deserve valuable space. Think of it as freeing someone or something of you.
You can see how a simple concept can radically change everything around you. Once you decide your only metric of life is quality, everything unnecessary around you reveals itself.
Oh, and there is a difference between being thrifty and going minimalistic: Thrifty is cutting down on money, minimalism is cutting down on things.
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Taking the concept further, raagas use the concept of Ma. Several raagas tend to leave out notes in the aroha (ascent) and/or avroha (descent). The effect of those raagas is arguably because of the notes that are omitted.
Music can also be minimalistic. For instance, listen to this wonderful track Hand Covers Bruise from the movie The Social Network. The notation for the entire track can be written on half a piece of paper. Now hear it’s impact:
I can think of atleast 5 ways to interpret this piece.
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P.S.: Design is a powerful concept. Handle it with care.
I did not use breathtaking to be verbose: The video slowed down my rate of breathing.
Link via John Gruber.
