This looks like a picture of Albert Einstein, until you view it from a distance of five feet or more. =)

James Hare thinks: “whenever I say something to Anirudh it ends up being a long conversation about politics.”

Do you think that’s true?

By the way, Nidhi thinks I am a liar, so I removed the last post.

Whacked from the XKCD shirt-store. The store is back online and there are some great shirts made available for you!

Mondays are so uncool!

One word can say a lot.

Spend some time with a philosophy or language buff, and you might hear that the Chinese character for “crisis” is actually a combination of characters meaning “danger” and “opportunity.” The basic idea, syndicated “Straight Dope” columnist Cecil Adams explained a few years ago, is that a moment of crisis presents two possible outcomes: either growth and positive change or regression and failure. Sounds like some pretty deep ancient wisdom, right?

Continue reading on Pasadena Weekly.

The Holy Symbol depicting Comunion

The European variant.

The International Symbol For Marriage. Whacked from Facebook.

Group picture at C.G. Road, Ahmedabad

Originally uploaded by Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

This is a group picture taken in Ahmedabad, during the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Education.

From left to right: Kensei Yamaji, Japan; Kinley Om, Bhutan; Yours truly, India; Patrick Ho, Hong Kong; Yudai Sato, Japan. (-:

The Parsis are a close-knit community primarily based in India. They are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent over 1,000 years ago.

The Story of Sanjan is the only known account that describes their immigration to India. Legend has it that they arrived in the state of Gujarat after being driven out of their homeland by the Iranian king. The Parsis were traders by profession, and they were aware of the fact that the King of Gujarat was tolerant towards other religions.

The chief clansman was invited to the court of the Gujarati King. He had brought gifts and exotic spices. The king was pleased until the clansman conveyed he sought asylum for himself and his people. The astute king could not decline, however he summoned a courtier to deliver a bowl filled with milk to the brim.

He held it out, and said: “This is our land, and the milk signifies the number of people in my kingdom. You will see that it is filled to the brim. How can we accomodate your request?”

The clansman bowed, and whispered something into the ear of his companion. The companion brought back a small pouch and handed it to his master. It was powdered sugar. The clansman held the extended cup and put the sugar into it and stirred carefully, and handed it back. The milk did not spill.

“Your highness,” he said, “Our people are like the finest quality of sugar, that I just added to your cup. They would not be a burden on your society.”

The king was pleasantly surprised and welcomed the Parsis to his country.

Since then, the Paris traders have contributed immensely to the society and brought wealth and prosperity to the whole country. Their contribution is magnanimous, but what cannot be undermined is the fact is that along with their wealth, they taught the people of India the value of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

The Tatas, one of India’s wealthiest families are Parsis.

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Doesn’t this advertisement make it appear as if Jimmy Wales endorses American Express? The fact that this is a solicitation for a sponsored forum is not, let us say, brought to prominence. Comments welcome.

Image credit: Daniel Lynch on flickr

J. K. Rowling made a startling revelation in which she admitted contemplating suicide while going through a rough patch in her mid-twenties. The best-selling author had separated from her former husband and was living with her young daughter in a cramped apartment. It was at that time when Rowling started having suicidal thoughts.

We’re talking suicidal thoughts here, we’re not talking ‘I’m a little bit miserable.’

Mid-twenties life circumstances were poor and I really plummeted. The thing that made me go for help . . . was probably my daughter. She was something that earthed me, grounded me, and I thought, this isn’t right, this can’t be right, she cannot grow up with me in this state.

While the 42-year-old author has spoken of the depression and her life before Harry Potter, this is the first time she admitted having suicidal thoughts. Her first book was published in the year 1996 and eventually sold 325 million copies translated in 64 languages around the world.

Rowling has authored a best-selling series of fiction books that have enthralled millions of audience across the globe, mainly young adolescents. Her genius is palpable from the near-perfect world of magical dreams, wherein the young protagonist, Harry Potter, battles the forces of Evil and the most powerful Dark Wizard the world has ever seen. She is a gifted storyteller and her work never predictable. From the dark twisting lanes of the Knockturn Alley to the secret passages of the Hogwarts castle, her words evoke a sense of graphic details in the minds of the readers. But there is a lot more to her genius.

Harry Potter is a protagonist of a story, but a hero unlike others. He does not possess any superior abilities that make him stand out among the Wizarding community. However, he is a man of character, emotive and faithful to his friends. He is brave but never averse to his feelings. He is courageous but never fool-hardy. He is not perfect and still has a persuasion. Rowling’s romantic genius lies in rousing that part of our soul which relates to Harry, and appeal to the righteous hero that lies dormant within us.

It is explicable why Rowling’s work has been an enduring influence on the minds of young people. I have been a fan of her books since I was 14. The morality she exposits in her books is praiseworthy, indeed. Love and respect and tolerance and fidelity.

Her work has come under harsh criticism by conservative groups and her books banned, at least temporarily, in places around the world. The Church has criticised her for glorifying witchcraft and having a corrupting influence on the impressionable minds of the young. As a liberal, I have always scoffed at such criticism.

After the publication of the final instalment of the series, Rowling divulged that the Great Dumbledore, the epitome of righteousness and the perfect hero, was gay. This allowance received mixed reactions from all over the world. Some were critical and some others were disappointed. And then there were those who greeted this with adulation. But Rowling had the gall to challenge the conservative morality of the society. Dumbledore was a hero. How could he be gay? He had been so perfect.

Some refused to believe it and some let off relentless tirades against the author, for again, being a corruptive influence on the minds of the young. These are the same people who criticise the Bush administration for waging a preemptive war against Iraq.

But what do I say when my role-model makes such shocking comments in public? I am aghast. There are millions of people around the world who adore her, and much like me, consider her to be their hero. How will this piece of information affect their lives? I just wish Rowling had pondered about that.

I understand that Rowling underwent hardships that a lot of us have not had the misfortune to experience. I empathise with her for being honest. I love her for being a survivor. I love her for her creativity and expression. But as our hero, she is clearly wrong to be so vulnerable in the public. It is almost equivalent of saying that she would have committed suicide but for her daughter. It is wrong for her to be vulnerable, when there are so many vulnerable in the world.