The Flaky Open Source Drupal and the Inconsistent iMechanica Policies

Firstly, today, I repeatedly tried to write an answer to a query at iMechanica, but was failed in all my attempts. Blogging here is so much more easier. Why do issues keep repeatedly coming up only at iMechanica?

Secondly, then, for some reason(s) I cannot fathom, just when I had succeeded in putting up *something* (a rough, initial draft), the iMechanica site refused to let me edit my own comment.

Thirdly, I notice that iMechanica moderators have allowed all of the following to appear on the front page of iMechanica:
(i) a PhD post ad by a The Netherlands researcher
(ii) an amateurish sort of a post by a doctor (with an Indian sounding name) concerning electric vehicle; (not that I consider amateur as bad), and
(iii) a post asking the meaning of the term “CFL” of CFD.

However, the same group of moderators have in the recent past found that my post related to MTech/ME/BTech/BE projects was not suitable enough to be published on the first page. They did not wish to give the matter (esp. the content) the prominence it rightfully did deserve.

Is it some kind of vengeful tactic by some pressure groups, or is it some individual “moderators” whose *sentiments* I have come to hurt? I can’t be sure which one is the case. Or is it that the Western countries love to keep portraying the idea that good research only gets done in their countries so that all (actually) brilliant students must flock to their universities? Is that the issue here? Possible. But I don’t know if that was the cause either.

Or, is it the case that my references to http://www.CapMag.com or to http://www.AynRand.org have come to anger them? Hurt them—objectively speaking? Again, I can’t be sure and certainly don’t know.

I mean, this all is still different from the high-handed manners of so many Americans (including those at iMechanica). Consider their tactics. Not addressing me by name in their replies (thereby making it a general reply) even when common sense demands so; making it look as if none is taking my reply seriously through the tactic of inserting a vacuous reply to some comment which appears somewhere *way above* my recent comment; digging up petty issues (I can cite specific examples to let you see that these indeed were petty issues); and now, even relegating my posts away from the front page!!

Not just that, there also are other matters that compromise the credibility of that site. Consider this fact. It is considerably populated by the (English-speaking) Chinese. Not an issue by itself if you ask me, but consider this. When Prof. Suo received an outstanding honor recently (selection on national academy), there were messages after messages praising him… Alright. Hero worship is a good thing by my philosophy. And so is honoring someone’s achievements. (I did congratulate Prof. Suo then, after waiting for a while, just to see who all spontaneously put in a message there, including from India. If I remember it right, finally, Guru of IISc Bangalore and now in USA did put in a message!) But then, what happened to this same set of people when Prof. Sia Nemat-Nasser, it was announced, is this year’s Timoshenko Medal winner? Or are we supposed to believe that people better know Suo’s research than Nemat-Nasser’s? Is this the case? Or the motivations (or the motivators) of a rather different nature?

But whatever be motivation(s) (and motivators) regarding all the above (and similar) things, I think at least the recentmost treatment that I received is, at least *inconsistent*—if not outright unjust.

I also think it is high time I let the world know that I have taken cognizance of that inconsitent treatment (not to mention all the other matters I jotted down above).

All my policies for dealing with such happenstance were already worked out by me, and I will act on them too. Anyone (within reason that is) is free to contact me if he so desires.

But yes, I meant to express my displeasure with iMechanica in no uncertain terms.

Now, what my edited draft would have looked like, in reference to one Ashish Katarkar’s query at http://www.imechanica.org/node/3403 … Here we go; it’s 12:12 PM IST on June 26, 2008.

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0. Also see the other side of global warming and pollution—to my mind, the right or the true side, in fact. To begin with, follow this link: http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=Ayn+Rand+Institute+Global+Warming&meta=. You might want to use “pollution” in place of “global warming,” too.

1. About electric car: By your name, I presume you are from India (probably from Maharashtra). If so, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REVA and the links therein, esp., http://www.revaindia.com. In any case, do have a look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car

BTW, I am not familiar with the Ca-Ca battery technology itself.

2. About recharging. I am not very sure what you mean here, and given your wording, I guess, none can be. But thinking of all the times when people put forth wrong ideas, let me mention something in passing here. There is this wrong idea of charging the battery of an electric vehicle (i.e. an electric battery – > motor vehicle) using a dynamo, as it begins cruising. Now, this idea violates the second law of thermodynamics.

3. The so-called hybrid cars (of a very reputed Japanese make) were recently introduced in India. They made it work for cars. However, for a scooter, I think the idea may not be so appropriate. In fact, it might make the scooter somewhat bulky, and so, less efficient in using either kind of a drive. Further, recharging a low kVA battery like the one they have in a scooter, using the usual household electricity sockets, would not be a major issue. If the availability of electricity is problematic, and if you must have an electric vehicle, then, for a higher cost (i.e. after discounting the usual subsidies given for the household electricity and taking the burden of non-economy of scale), rather than mount a petrol engine and a dynamo on a scooter, it would be better to use a stationary gen-set like what they routinely use in shops in India.

4. As an aside, I had some ideas to try out in cooperation with a doctor—ideas related to diagnosis, instrumentation and computerized signal processing (like, say, FFT or wavelet analyses). If interested, please get in touch, giving your contact details.
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Reply to Ashish Katarkar at iMechanica over.

ICICI Bank is harassing me over their own credit card mistake

You might have seen the impressive image-building ads of the ICICI Bank, and not too infrequently read news of its CEO Kamath receiving some or the other award.  

The reality is not quite aligned with the picture this generates.

Here are the concrete details.

The same Mr. Ajey Deshpande I mentioned in relation to the PTC (see below) had convinced me the virtues of having a Gold card of ICICI bank, when I was working with SunGARD in Pune in early 2005 (for five months). That’s how I have an ICICI credit card.

Since I was not making money after I left SunGARD, the bills accumulated; the matter went to a collection agency; and my father began paying Rs. 6000/- per month for my credit card bills + interest. This went on for some time. Then, one day, he told me that he had waited for me to repay back the bill only because I had asked him to hold on “just one more month.” However, now that IIT Bombay’s Prof. Shevare’s Zeus Numerix had also cheated me, and so, if it was he who was anyway going to make the payment, why wait? If the world had come to pass to this stage, he couldn’t help it, he said, but at least, to him, it made sense not to pay any further *interest*.

So, in the month of April 2008, he dipped into a couple of different bank accounts of his in which he had squirreled money in the past, and handed over the collection agency man, three checks towards the full and final payment of my credit card bill + payment. (He did so when I was not at home—else, I would have asked him to collect the amount in one account and then make payment via a single check. This thought happened to be the first to have passed through my mind as soon as he mentioned that he had made good on the bill via three checks.)

 My apprehensions have come to hold true.

It has so happened that out of these three checks, two checks (the very first, for Rs. 22,000 odd and the *third*, for Rs. 10,000/-) got both cleared by my father’s bank and also (wonder of wonders!) got reflected in the ICICI Bank’s internal system.

However, the *second* check (by way of date) for Rs. 50,000/- that my father handed over to the collection agency man simply does not (as of this writing) reflect in the ICICI Bank’s system.

So, what does ICICI Bank do? It not only prepared faulty statements showing amount still due to be collected from me, it also started making phone calls.

Phone calls, mind you, not letters in black and white.

Before we go further, consider these relevant facts:

(i) The ICICI Bank asked the same employee of the collection agency who had collected the check, to visit us. Accordingly, he came to our house and spoke with the ICICI supervisor on *his* phone and confirmed to them that (a) his records show that such a check indeed was physically received by him which he had put in the normal routing to the ICICI Bank; (b) the check had the correct credit card number (mine) written on it; (c) that everything was normal from his point of view. During this visit of his, I, too, was present, and I spoke with the Bank supervisor who promised not to call us. (These BPO folks have a habit of calling only in the afternoon when my old parents (esp. my ailing mother) is taking rest/nap.

However, the harassing calls of the ICICI bank continued. I call them harassing because each call center employee acts as if he does not know anything, as if no prior call had ever occurred (which, hey, less-intellectually-gifted Kamath, CEO of ICICI Bank, please note), and are not willing to listen to the facts—let alone the merits—of the case.

(ii) My father then visited his bank on which this check of Rs. 50000/- was drawn. The clerk confirmed that it had been presented to them and cleared. However, due to some software glitch in *that* bank (IDBI Bank—another public sector thingie loved by Prakash Karat, I suppose), he could give no printout.

We were condemned to respond to the call center ever-freshies with no systemic memory, only by calls.

(iii) I requested again and again that ICICI Bank should (a) stop calling us because it leads to nowhere and (b) send us a letter and confirm the issue in black and white—should they want so.

The Bank of the intellectually-less-gifted Kamath, CEO, did not respond to our requests.

(iv) The matter had, some time in between, visited ICICI Bank’s Ahmedabad office because one of the callers said that he understood that the Bank should send a letter to me, but that none from their Mumbai or Pune office was responding to him.

I suppose he expected me to respond when his own bank was not doing so.

(v) My father went to IDBI Bank (on which the check was drawn) and got, after a month or so (and after fourth visit or so), his Bank passbook updated; an entry in this passbook now did show that an amount of Rs. 50,000/- indeed had been deducted from the account.

Thus, the check had, in fact, been encashed, even if the ICICI Bank did not say so.

(vi) I then went in person to the ICICI Bank’s office at Ghole Road. (The last time I visited, it was on Apte Road.) There, a good-looking lady asked me to visit the credit card department (but didn’t know who—which manager—should I speak with); the credit card department said that I should go to their collection office in their Bhandarkar Road office (but didn’t know who—which manager—should I speak with); the security men at their Bhandarkar Road office didn’t bother who was visiting where (he did not ask me). After a couple of enquiries, I finally got to their collections department.

The collections department people (names to be inserted here later) asked me to give them the details of check—its number and the bank. I refused. I asked them to make the request in writing before I could oblige. 

They, like all other employees of the ICICI Bank, refused.

Instead, they paraded me to their “Operations Office”. There, a guy who did not look like a Manager (but looked more like a peon, had no cabin or office, did not show ID card, and did not have the manners to sit down before talking) called himself a “Collections Manager,” and asked, in a belligerent tone, if I had the Xerox copy of the check with the correct credit card number (of my account) written on it.

Notice, I said belligerent. And notice his emphasis on the legal aspects—not on helping the customer.

I refused to answer his question. (Indeed, I might have it—in case the matter goes to court.)

I identified that he was not being helpful, to which he retorted that I could do whatever I pleased. I left “his” “office” then.

Rather than go home, I went back to the Ghole Road office. The good-looking lady, again. The direction to go to the credit card department again… I knew this was not going anywhere. So, finally, I asked someone that I wanted to talk to the top manager—a single person—in Pune. Since he was not available, I happened to talk with the next in the line, one Mr. Ojha. He listened to me patiently, and told me that he looked after Loans, not Credit Cards. He suggested calling or writing their customer service.

(vii) Last week or so (I forgot precisely when), I received a call from ICICI Bank, Bombay. One Mr. Vikram Patil, another “Manager”, promised to send a letter to me, and said that there won’t be any further calls.

(viii) Apparently, Prakash Karat might have called Kamath (the same intellectually-not-really-as-gifted-as-you-and-me-would-like-him-to-be CEO of ICICI Bank) today. So, Kamath, perhaps might have called his “Managers”, who might have called his ever-ready, ever-fresh, ever-un-systemic-memory-less, the-promise-of-India’s-future and Kanwal-Rekhi’s-Darling very very young, BPO employee. The latest one in *this* series continued the tactics of his predecessors—he asked me the number of the check for Rs. 50,000/-; did not listen to my point (rather, talked himself to make what I was saying get drowned in that phone conversation) to the effect that I will give all the details, perhaps even the Xerox of the check, as soon as they sent me a letter in writing. He did not respond to *that* part.

Needless to add, I believe ICICI Bank is only making phone calls but not writing a letter in black and white precisely because they are NOT interested in having the matter settled. They are interested only in keeping the matter dangling because that way, the political bosses (perhaps communists, perhaps BJP+, perhaps factions in the ruling coalition including the local Kalmadi-Pawar rift) can keep harassing me and my family.

Enough said. Kamath (and I cannot even address you Mr. Kamath—not so any longer), if you have any sense of shame left, give up at least one of your numerous trophies, will you? Just return it to whosoever gave it to you. Or was the idea behind giving such trophies also, just to nurture relations so that your Bank might come in handy in harassing men like me, Kamath? Answer that question or give up one of your trophies/awards/whatnot.

And, stop those harassing calls.

M Tech (Mech.) Admissions—An Open Letter to COEP Authorities

Today I noticed a print ad clarification in the daily Sakal. According to this ad, the requirements for the M Tech (Mechanical) program at COEP include a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent qualifications like AMIE) in only the following branches: Mechanical, Automobile, Production, and Industrial.

I would like to appeal the authorities to completely abolish the requirements of specific undergraduate branches for MTech admissions at COEP.

If that is not possible, then they should at least allow, for example, the Metallurgical and Electrical graduates into the MTech Mechanical program.

Consider the following reasons:

– A typical Industrial Engineer has not augmented or deepened his grasp of stress analysis via related courses such as those on metal working, materials testing, fracture and failure, NDT, etc. Further, the IE students actually don’t re-use fluid mechanics and heat transfer concepts in their later UG courses. So, these courses are often completed by them only as formal requirements, that’s all. Note, industrial engineers are mostly concerned with the more abstract and linear algebraically inclined topics such as OR, operations planning, human factors engineering, management, logistics, etc. So, the typical IE students do not have the time or the motivation to bother developing deeper insights about physical phenomena concerning stress analysis or CFD or thermal engineering. The undergraduate IE programs don’t lay any emphasis on these topics—not even by way of applications alone.

– Metallurgical programs (not all but enough of them—certainly the one at COEP), instead, include *all* of the topics mentioned at the beginning of the above paragraph. Further, they include a lot of topics concerning manufacturing engineering: metal working (an exhaustive range of these processes), heat treatment, foundry, manufacturing methods for newer materials, and why, even that “staple diet” of the traditional mechanical engineers, namely, machining.

Now, if even the industrial and production branches can be considered for admissions into the relevant MTech Mechanical programs, why not Metallurgical?

Isn’t this a matter purely indicative of the entrenched bias of the career academics?

– For MTech in Mechanical with the design stream option, not just metallurgical but also electrical engineers should be actively considered. The latter often have developed a good sense of what it takes to design rotating equipment, power-plant equipment, etc. I mean, they have a good application context and a kind of conceptual maturity about these topics, through their study of electrical machinery, power equipment, and separate design courses on both.

– Further, if the authorties really want to make sure that only the students with the right conceptual background are admitted to the MTech programs, then they should also actively consider the other side of it. They should start dis-qualifying BE/BTech Mechanical Sandwich graduates for MTech Mechanical admissions.

Don’t get shocked.

The reality is, these Sandwich folks receive only a couple of years of class-room education after their common first year. Further, whatever fewer courses they have, these often arrive in a rather mangled sort of sequence. The sequence is designed to suit the instructors, not the Sandwich students. The out-of-order sequence leads to confusion in the mind of the students about the right hierarchical order of concepts—something that is essential if gaining knowledge is the objective, not just ability to repeat some words in a parrot-like manner. The course-work does not arrive in an orderly manner primarily because the College does not bother designing and delivering a completely redesigned sequence for the Sandwich students—the College has no adequate staff to even consider undertaking that.

But that’s just one part of the story. The other part is: These students routinely hear remarks by the “practical” sort of engineers in industry who themselves often display a significantly high degree of anti-conceptual mentality. This, too, serves to discourage many Sandwich trainees from pursuing concepts to a sufficient depth. The end result is that the Sandwich stream folks turn out to be good mainly for operations and shop-floor management. As such, they should *not* be considered for direct MTech admissions; they are rather suitable only for MBA.

Now, of course, exceptions should certainly be allowed for those Sandwich trainees who have specifically worked in the design or R & D departments of large companies. That is, if the students can produce documented evidence to indicate their acquisition of higher levels of skills specifically in these two departments. Not otherwise. (Many of the companies participating in the Sandwich programs are small- to medium-scale enterprises who do not have an adequately well developed design or R & D departments. Typically, industry supervisors will happily oblige the trainee if he requests them that they mention “design” as the main activity—regardless of what he did on the shop-floor for them. The situtation is not very different from obtaining a medical certificate for getting a sick leave.)

I think most people at COEP would get shocked at my suggestion concerning disqualifying the Sandwich graudates primarily because, at COEP, the Sandwich option is (or at least used to be) a hot favorite with students. As such, typically (though not always) it was the students with the *higher* merit who (used to) prefer the Sandwich option. Therefore, the suggestion that these students now be dis-qualified for MTech admissions might come as a rude suggestion to many.

But just the fact that you had better marks, or are more talented, does not mean you are better (or even adequately) prepared to undertake a master’s in engineering or technology…. (The fact that some COEP Sandwich trainees fare wonderfully abroad in PG programs in engg. does not at all mean that the system itself is excellent—all that it means is that the student himself was good, and worked hard at his MS/MTech and PhD.)

And even if the suggestion comes as a shock, do consider the relevant facts—the shortened time for conceptual development, the haphazardly thrown together course-work, and the over-emphasis on the things “practical”…. Where is the concern for better or deeper “theoretical” work here? Theoretical work as would be necessary to undertake a master’s or a doctorate degree later on?

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In any case, though I wrote at greater length about disqualifying Sandwich people, that, really speaking, is not my main purpose here… I just included that point to induce people to think *really* afresh about these matters…

My main point here is regarding expanding the reach of the MTech Mechanical program at least to Metallurgical graduates if not also to Electrical graduates (and of the Mechanical graduates into the appropriate Metallurgical programs, of course—which, again, is *not* permitted in COEP, but *should* be…)

I am sure that my main appeal above will fall on deaf ears. … This statement needs explanation (for people unfamiliar with the way COEP in particular and Indian institutions in general work).

It is a curious happenstance that when arguments such as the above are presented, at COEP (and more largely, with any Indian government department) every *individual* would *completely* agree with *any* of those observations, and still, not raise any objection about them, and yet, collectively, every decision the same fellows eventually take would be taken as if nothing of the above sort had ever been said by anyone at any point of time. Effectively, it would be as if the matter had fallen on deaf ears.

(Readers: Go ahead. Prove me wrong. (LOL!))

M Tech / M E and B Tech / B E Projects Available in Pune (Mech., CS, etc.)

I have quite a few ideas for MTech/ME/BTech/BE degree projects. The projects may be suitable in many different branches, including Mechanical, Computer Science, Metallurgical, Aerospace, Civil, etc. (In a few cases, MSc/M Phil students would be suitable too.)

All these projects are available for the new academic year (2008-09), at Pune, India.

Students from COEP and IIT Bombay are encouraged to apply. Others, please go through the document available here before getting in touch with me.

I do have an interest in each one of these projects. Yet, I feel no compulsive or pressing need that they must be picked up by students. Thus, I may choose not to offer any of these if the right kind of students do not apply.

Anyway, go through the documentand bring this post to the notice of the relevant students… Thanks in advance.

A List of Some Patentable Inventions (and Some Interesting Recipies to Try Out)

I have no longer any money or patience to file for inventions. Yet, I would like to give a simple list of the things that have struck me in the recent past.

I know some of them are patentable. In making them public, I am simply putting captains of Indian industry to shame—why did they keep me unemployed and so, unable to save enough money that I could go out and patent these ideas. (Earlier, in an iMechanica posting, I had blamed IIT Bombay. I continue that blame too…)

The ideas are almost self explanatory, so I will just jot them down:

(1) Multi-Purpose Mobile Phone Cover: Why can’t someone introduce a cheap plastic cover for mobile phones (i.e. cell phones) that (i) mechanically covers all the buttons so “locking” is not necessary, and, more importantly, (ii) when you receive a call, the cover pops open with a spring to give an acoustic deflector so that people don’t have to shout. You see, unlike the old conventional phone handset, the mobile is too short. So, you do need an acoustic deflector. Often, you see people holding their palm to the same effect. Why can’t a simple spring-operated push button do the same trick? (iii) Plus, the cover, if done right, will let even cheaper mobile models look like their far costlier counterparts. Good show, it will be. (iv) The piece could cost just a few tens of rupees (or a dollar or two) and can be easily manufactured using plastic injection moulding by millions.

(2) Steering-Wheel Mobile Socket: Redesign a mobile phone in such a way that it could be easily inserted in a socket on or near a steering wheel of a car. Upon pressing the mobile in that socket, automatically, the loudspeaker option and a directional microphone would get active. (The microphone could be a permanenet mounting in the car. Its signal will get routed when the mobile is in the socket.) This will allow people to use the same mobile phone hand-set while driving their car. Of course, privacy could be compromised, in which case, provision could be made to rather have a single headphone. Ideally, people should not drive and talk on cell-phones, but they do so all the time anyways. At least, this way, there is some kind of a safer option for them (and RTO) to consider and evaluate…

(3) A Consumer-Controlled “Replay” Button on TV Sets: It always amazes me that [stupid] people at SONY (just for example) didn’t think of this obvious one before. Sachin Tendulkar (just to take an example) plays a great shot, and you want to see it replayed. Precisely at that moment, a commercial takes over, and you have to wait until the time that the TV station transmitter gets in the mood of showing you the replay. Instead, since digital memory is so goddamn cheap these days, why not arrange to have the last 10 seconds (or 30, or 60 seconds) stored in the buffer. (The buffer will have a continuously varying content, of course). When you want, you just press a button on your remote, and it will begin replaying from the buffer, that’s all… Extra bonus: Provide a socket for the buffer to be downloaded in MPEG format on to a computer. (The commercial copyright agreements will have to be changed a bit, I suppose. But it won’t be impossible…)

(4) Healthier “baTaaTaa” “waDaa” and ”baTaaTaa iDli”: Potato is not so bad for health—it has no oil. It is the process of deep-frying which makes it bad. Hence a solution: Start with a low-oil or zero-oil “saaraN” (i.e. the stuffing that goes inside the ordinary “baTaaTaa waDaa”).  Then, simply place this roundish ball of potato-stuffing in the middle of the depression for making iDlis in the iDli stand. Pour a little iDli flour mix around  that potato ball, and steam the idli as usual. You wil get a sandwich-like “baTaaTaa iDli”. Two tastes mixing into one!! Eat it with green “chutney.” Another variation: In Maharashtra (and Gujarat, I suppose), there are “paaT waDyaa” made of “besan” (i.e. “chanaa”) “daal”. This delicacy is made by steaming—not frying. Hence, it is low fat. So, you can use it… Note that before making “waDyaa”, you first have to make flat “chapaati” like thing with the “besan daal”. The idea is: Wrap the potato ball with that “chapaati” like thing, and then steam the resulting “waDaa”. Now, you will have the taste of “besan” for the outer cover too, just as in “baTaTa waDaa” So, I predict that it should be tasty… (Try it out and let me know!!)

ANS and the Test for Astrology

This post has a context. See: http://faljyotishachikitsa.blogspot.com/2008/05/press-conference-astrological-test.html, and the subsequent public meetings and things in the Pune press about the test.

I just wanted to note it down here that I contacted by email Dr. Jayant Narlikar (on May 18th) as well as Mr. Prakash Ghatpande (on May 20). I expressed my curiosity as well as my willingness to take part in this test. However, I have not received any reply from either of them.  

This is surprising. May be, there was some part in my writing that really threw them off.

The thing is: I am an “expert” reader of “patrika”s (by Indian, I mean North Indian, I mean moden Maharashtrian, system). But, I don’t believe in astrology.

May be, it was this combination which was so rare that it threw them off… So much so that they just decided to leave me alone! LOL!!

And yet, the fact of the matter is: both the above sentences are quite true—I *really* have gone through astrology books and studied them, and yet, I don’t believe in it. I taught it myself purely out of curiosity and fun, that’s all…

Anyways, here’re excerpts from my email to Dr. Narlikar: (The excerpt is in italics, and appears here after some minor copy-editing.)

I have read books and taught myself astrology. (I wouldn’t be dumb enough to enroll in the government’s program though.) [Extra note for this blog: The BJP+ government began this program to fund astrology via India's University Grants Commission. The Congress+ government has still not cancelled it. For further insights into this phenomenon, read Ayn Rand's "Establishing of an Establishment."] I have downloaded astrology software and often play with them. I can easily reproduce much of the “prediction” of what any traditional Vedic astrologer would tell you, given a “patrika.” I have surprised a lot of people with the “quality” of my “readings”. (When it comes to astrology, “quality” cannot be defined in any way other than as agreement with what other astrologers say—the agreement with observation is a non-issue, in principle.) So, I certainly am an “expert” reader of “patrika”s.

But, I don’t believe in patrika. Several reasons:

1. By way of general philosophy, I accept the premises of free-will and primacy of existence over consciousness (i.e., more generally and actually, Ayn Rand’s Objectivism).

2. The “theoretical” structure of astrology is such that its abstractions are completely floating—without any identifiable base in or with observations. Further, even as a purely symbolic sort of structure (reliant only on deductions, not inductions), these abstractions still are replete with “petitio principii” (circularity). For instance, here is one circle: It is the planet that is important. No, it is not. It is the lord of the house. No it is not. It is the other planet(s) with which the lord of the house has aspect(s). No, they are not. It is the lord of the house of *those* planets…. (The second circle has already begun in case you didn’t notice it… One can now have an infinite number of circles.)

3. There exist “shlok”s (i.e. Sanskrit verses) for interpreting [the planetary] configurations in a good or bad way (or in any given way and its opposite way). If so, how is it that astrologers come to interpret them uniformly—i.e. how come there is reasonable degree of agreement among astrologers? *That*, in turn, really speaking, is purely arbitrary. It (really) changes “desh-kaal-sthal paratve”. Thus, the relative uniformity in interpretation is obtained only by following the same school of thought or doctrine. Thus, when I say that I am an expert, I mean to say that my interpretations agree fairly well with those of Vedic astrologers generally found in Maharashtra (more generally North India, more generally, India) of our current times—that’s all!!

At the same time, I also wonder if the methodology proposed by ANS would be most suited for testing of astrology, in the sense, whether it might not be subtly biased in favor of ANS…. I mean to say, if I had a bunch of verses that came to my notice for the first time in the history of the world, and if I wanted to find out if they work out or not, if they are true or not, I would go about in a somewhat different way for testing them… But, all that’s for another day…

The excerpt clearly tells you where I stand w.r.t. this pseudo-science (and why). So, I won’t bother writing about it again.

Yet, there remains a philosophic matter which is still of some interest. It is: Whether astrology should at all be subjected to a test or not. In other words: Why can’t it be simply acknowledged that this idea of astrology itself is so blatantly ridiculous, so obviously contradictory, that it must be dismissed right out of hand for being arbitrary? (Here, the term “arbitrary” is to be taken in the specifically Objectivist sense.)

It is this above issue which is really somewhat interesting to me. If there is interest in knowing more about it, I will address it at some other time. Enough to state here that I don’t think there are enough grounds to dismiss astrology as arbitrary. (Compared to several thinkers, I tend to be much more lenient (though not lax). Here, I also wish to observe that it is far easier for thinkers in the West to oppose astrology simply because Christianity opposes it—not because they have objectively thought the merits of the issue that well…)

India-USA Nuclear Deal

I know a lot of commenting is expected here. But, frankly, whatever that could be said about this issue has already been said, and so, I guess, it would be enough to just state one’s position on the it.

My position is that I support the deal and also hope that it passes through on the Indian side.

There never was any hope from the communists on an issue like this, but I think it was BJP that really got exposed in this whole process. …

I keep telling people that at least on a broad philosophic level, both their politics is not at all unexpected—that it is nothing but two sides of the same coin: intrinsicism, mysticism, collectivism… (I know I must have gotten on the nerves of at least a few folks in each of these two camps now—being told, as they are, that they belong together with the other camp!)

The precipitating cause for my writing of this comment, if any, was Gurcharan Das’s re-appeal which he issued on last Sunday through his Times of India column (though, I must admit, I was in too much of hurry to complete reading his article!!) I had thought that the issue was over already. In any case, it has not been discussed in recent times. Mr. Das’ article reminded me that there still was time… But, frankly, I am not too much interested in this entire aspect. Just wanted to jot down my position, that’s all…