I wonder if we as Human beings are really that intelligent. As I look around myself all that I see is a support system that we have built around us, an artificial world in defiance to nature and evolution. Every organism in this world has adapted itself in line with the natural way this planet functions, except for human beings. I wondered in awe when I watched Attenborough(hope this is the right spelling :-) present snakes as one of the highly adaptive species. Snakes have adapted themselves to the land, sea, air(yes, few glide from tree to tree). Snakes are found in caves, deserts, mountains, in deep seas and they've adapted themselves wonderfully to live in accordance to the environment that they've chosen. Snakes which live in deep oceans, have gills and their tails are modified into pedals to swim. When I marvelled at the adaptability of the snakes I realized that they're not as intelligent as we are but they are definitely wise. They don't know about satellites or submarines or space shuttles, they don't run multi national companies or financial institutions but they have been living for millions of years in this planet without destroying it. But we as the self proclaimed intelligent species have developed into a species that is trying to destroy the only home that we have, the earth. We launch satellites trying to explore life away from earth but have we thought about preserving the life in this earth? Its so stupid to look for life away from earth and spending millions on such quests when our survival in this planet is threatened by our inventions, climate change and global warming. As agent smith says to morpheus in Matrix, we humans are a parasite that feeds on planet earth, we are not trying to preserve it but we are trying to deplete it and move on.
Yes, we humans may be Intelligent, but we are definitely not wise.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Business and social responsibility
There is a general perception that business and social responsibility don't go along with each other. When I think of it, there are several questions that prop up in my mind. Should business plans and business models have morality, like human beings are supposed to have? Can we say that Pepsi, even though a profitable business, has no morality because all the profit it musters is by selling a carbonated drink that has no proven health or nutritional benefits to its customers? In fact, drinking Pepsi will give consumers bad teeth and tossed up digestive cycles. I would say yes, Pepsi as a company has no moral responsibility. Its products are just pushed to consumers through bulk production, combined sales with other junk food such as pizzas and Pepsi markets itself through celebrities in mindless campaigns which ultimately misleads its consumers, mostly teens and youngsters into more consumption.
Pepsi doesn't force consumers but just sells. Obviously, the consumer wants Pepsi otherwise there is no logical explanation for the Pepsi sales. Liquor and tobacco sales fall under the plank but the sales of liquor and tobacco don't affect a wide range of consumers as Pepsi does. For instance, in a given population of 100, there can be 50 who smoke, and this 50 would be mostly adults. There can be 50 who drink, mostly adults again. But in a population of 100, almost 80 would drink Pepsi and this comprises of children and adults. What makes it worse is that Pepsi unlike tobacco and Liquor alters the food consumption habit of the population, driving them towards unhealthy food habits like regular consumption of fast food and junk food.
Pepsi as a company that sells carbonated drinks and fried foods has its fair share in causing Obesity, a growing problem among urban dwellers in most parts of this world. So having said all this I wonder about Pepsi's view point about business sustainability. I guess, for any business the well-being of its customer is its prime concern, so when the well-being of Pepsi's consumers is jeopardized by consumption of its own products, how does Pepsi view this? I understand that recently, they've ventured into the fruit juice selling business. Are they trying to redeem themselves by at last selling something that their customer can find some value in? Again, I wonder at the notion of corporate social responsibility of companies like Pepsi. I feel that it would be a joke if Pepsi contributes towards humanitarian causes from the money they've got by running a business that has no morality.
Pepsi doesn't force consumers but just sells. Obviously, the consumer wants Pepsi otherwise there is no logical explanation for the Pepsi sales. Liquor and tobacco sales fall under the plank but the sales of liquor and tobacco don't affect a wide range of consumers as Pepsi does. For instance, in a given population of 100, there can be 50 who smoke, and this 50 would be mostly adults. There can be 50 who drink, mostly adults again. But in a population of 100, almost 80 would drink Pepsi and this comprises of children and adults. What makes it worse is that Pepsi unlike tobacco and Liquor alters the food consumption habit of the population, driving them towards unhealthy food habits like regular consumption of fast food and junk food.
Pepsi as a company that sells carbonated drinks and fried foods has its fair share in causing Obesity, a growing problem among urban dwellers in most parts of this world. So having said all this I wonder about Pepsi's view point about business sustainability. I guess, for any business the well-being of its customer is its prime concern, so when the well-being of Pepsi's consumers is jeopardized by consumption of its own products, how does Pepsi view this? I understand that recently, they've ventured into the fruit juice selling business. Are they trying to redeem themselves by at last selling something that their customer can find some value in? Again, I wonder at the notion of corporate social responsibility of companies like Pepsi. I feel that it would be a joke if Pepsi contributes towards humanitarian causes from the money they've got by running a business that has no morality.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Trek, A group of Friends and thoughts about theology
There were two incidents that happened last weekend that made me write the second part of the Uncertainty's child series. I haven't planned the sequels yet but like the shrek movie series, I'll role this one till there is anything left out in me to write about how I feel about religion and god. Sometimes I do wonder why I take up such serious topics and not just write about day to day life or something light hearted but theology is one topic I've thought of seriously and I somehow have the urge to pour my heart out about it. Now, coming back to the topic, I was reminded of god in two instances last weekend.
I was trail walking with my friends last Saturday in coorg and it was a hike to a waterfall. Our onward journey was an event less one except for the discovery of leeches on sriram's legs and the discovery of and pre emptive strikes on a few leeches which tried to get on my leg and Marcelle's legs. We reached the waterfall after dirtying our shoes considerably much to the complaint of Marcelle about how she doesn't like to get wet and stay wet. I was wondering how did she risk a 3 km trek under overcast conditions with just warm tops and a three quarter then. I know that's because I carried my jerkin and umbrella ;-) Anyways as we walked back Marcelle had a doubt and she duly asked me how during a trek do people recognize the correct trail to follow from multiple trails on a trek. She asked me that because I kept on comparing this trek with the trek that I had gone for in Australia and I somehow projected myself as an expert trekker :-) So, when Marcelle asked me how I would recognize the correct trail I told her usually there is only one trail. As soon as I told this, our trail split into two, now how would you explain that? I guess Marcelle would've thought that I was one big fart ;-)
We followed the trail that was lower than the other and ended up lost among thorny bushes. So we decided to walk back and take the other path that went up. To be honest, I wasn't worried for me, as a guy with other guys I would say this was a manageable situation but there were girls with us along with Marcelle and I felt worried about the prospect of being lost and worried about a downpour as well. At that moment, I prayed to god to help us out. We did find help in out Japanese friend who came along and showed us the path and we reached our rooms. As I think of this now, I seriously feel that as a human being I got reminded of God only at the heights of uncertainty. Me lost on a mountain trail with my group would've been something that early human beings would've encountered on a day to day basis, a life filled with uncertainty and no wonder the belief in god and religion developed in them.
I was trail walking with my friends last Saturday in coorg and it was a hike to a waterfall. Our onward journey was an event less one except for the discovery of leeches on sriram's legs and the discovery of and pre emptive strikes on a few leeches which tried to get on my leg and Marcelle's legs. We reached the waterfall after dirtying our shoes considerably much to the complaint of Marcelle about how she doesn't like to get wet and stay wet. I was wondering how did she risk a 3 km trek under overcast conditions with just warm tops and a three quarter then. I know that's because I carried my jerkin and umbrella ;-) Anyways as we walked back Marcelle had a doubt and she duly asked me how during a trek do people recognize the correct trail to follow from multiple trails on a trek. She asked me that because I kept on comparing this trek with the trek that I had gone for in Australia and I somehow projected myself as an expert trekker :-) So, when Marcelle asked me how I would recognize the correct trail I told her usually there is only one trail. As soon as I told this, our trail split into two, now how would you explain that? I guess Marcelle would've thought that I was one big fart ;-)
We followed the trail that was lower than the other and ended up lost among thorny bushes. So we decided to walk back and take the other path that went up. To be honest, I wasn't worried for me, as a guy with other guys I would say this was a manageable situation but there were girls with us along with Marcelle and I felt worried about the prospect of being lost and worried about a downpour as well. At that moment, I prayed to god to help us out. We did find help in out Japanese friend who came along and showed us the path and we reached our rooms. As I think of this now, I seriously feel that as a human being I got reminded of God only at the heights of uncertainty. Me lost on a mountain trail with my group would've been something that early human beings would've encountered on a day to day basis, a life filled with uncertainty and no wonder the belief in god and religion developed in them.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Males : Biologically irrelevant
Two days ago there was an article in bbc that said that scientists have engineered a human sperm in the lab. Its just another news article in bbc, neither was it a celebrated post not was it "breaking news" but it was news to every human male or for that case any male animal or insect in this world that the biological purpose of its existence is no more. Objectively speaking, the species of this world doesn't need a male any more for its propogation.
I seriously don't have any words to describe what those darn scientists have done. The reason that the scientists have offered for their research was seriously funny to me, those scientists wanted to help the females whose husbands/partners are infertile to conceive it seems. gimme a break man, like as though if those females donot conceive the human race would become extinct. With the world groaning with human over population I seriously cannot justify the motive provided for such research, thats why I propose a conspiracy theory. My theory is that some revengful female scientists whose partners have abandoned them, embarked upon a mission to set this world free of these philandering males and thus researched and engineered the human sperm. Man, when there are so many things that are direly needed to be engineered in this world, like say a human heart or lungs which could've stopped illegal organ traficking, why did those scientists engineer a sperm, something that is abundantly available in India and China.
There is solace for men though because of the social importance men hold, so men won't become obsolete even though they've become irrelevant now. I wonder what this means to the animal world, lions for instance where males exist just to copulate and propogate their genes and protect a pride from other lions, this research has made the beautiful lions with their wonderful manes irrelevant to lionesses(Note: lionesses donot enjoy sex like human females do, it is just an act of reproduction with no orgasm involved.) So lions exist just for the viewing pleasure of visiting tourists and wildlife photographers, I wish I could tell this to a lion.
I seriously don't have any words to describe what those darn scientists have done. The reason that the scientists have offered for their research was seriously funny to me, those scientists wanted to help the females whose husbands/partners are infertile to conceive it seems. gimme a break man, like as though if those females donot conceive the human race would become extinct. With the world groaning with human over population I seriously cannot justify the motive provided for such research, thats why I propose a conspiracy theory. My theory is that some revengful female scientists whose partners have abandoned them, embarked upon a mission to set this world free of these philandering males and thus researched and engineered the human sperm. Man, when there are so many things that are direly needed to be engineered in this world, like say a human heart or lungs which could've stopped illegal organ traficking, why did those scientists engineer a sperm, something that is abundantly available in India and China.
There is solace for men though because of the social importance men hold, so men won't become obsolete even though they've become irrelevant now. I wonder what this means to the animal world, lions for instance where males exist just to copulate and propogate their genes and protect a pride from other lions, this research has made the beautiful lions with their wonderful manes irrelevant to lionesses(Note: lionesses donot enjoy sex like human females do, it is just an act of reproduction with no orgasm involved.) So lions exist just for the viewing pleasure of visiting tourists and wildlife photographers, I wish I could tell this to a lion.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Uncertainty's child - Part 1
I keep thinking about god and religion, and the relevance and importance of both in my life, thanks to the choices I've made till date in my personal life. I am not an atheist and I'm a Hindu who is fond of vinayagar but that has not stopped me from questioning the relevance of god and religion. Being a hindu has given me the freedom and liberty to even question my faith and god alike, unlike Christians or Muslims who do not have such privileges. I know questioning one's faith is a sin for Christians, for that matter, questioning even the Church is a sin for Christians, but as a Hindu I'm free to do all I want. There are no organisations, priests or imams who would control my thoughts and beliefs. In IT language I should say Hinduism is like open source.
Now back to the point of questioning the existence of god. I kinda realized that there is one thing that humans fear the most, Uncertainty. Uncertainty like luck is an abstract concept, it doe snot exist in this world as a physical entity that humans can counter. Uncertainty is something that even the world's powerful men have to live with and uncertainty has been there from time immemorial. I guess people in ancient times faced hell a lot of uncertainty than we do as modern humans. for instance everyday occurrences like night fall lead to uncertainty, therefore I feel humans started worshiping nature because they would've considered the uncertain nature as omnipotent and as something they cannot control or predict.
As times changed humans became accustomed to nature, seasons and excelled even in astronomy so I guess as humans unravelled the mysteries of nature, nature and the world around them that they worshipped did not seem so uncertain, so I guess humans started moving away from nature worship. As humans advanced they became organised, organisation did give humans the power to counter uncertainty. By being organised the early humans who roamed around as tribals countered the biggest uncertainty they faced during their times, survival. The advancement of humans into organized social animals gave them strength and courage to counter enemies, gather more food and consequently to survive. the birth of organized life sowed the seeds for the birth of religion and god.
Religion and god thrived from their inception mainly because of two reasons, one was that god and religion were an answer to the uncertainty faced by humans and two was that humans found that organisation gave them power. I would say that religion and god was something that started as a concept to provide solace to humans in an uncertain world and then ended up as outliving the purpose they were conceptualised for. Its a classic case of an idea or product being devised to full fill a purpose but was later used for a grander scheme.
Now back to the point of questioning the existence of god. I kinda realized that there is one thing that humans fear the most, Uncertainty. Uncertainty like luck is an abstract concept, it doe snot exist in this world as a physical entity that humans can counter. Uncertainty is something that even the world's powerful men have to live with and uncertainty has been there from time immemorial. I guess people in ancient times faced hell a lot of uncertainty than we do as modern humans. for instance everyday occurrences like night fall lead to uncertainty, therefore I feel humans started worshiping nature because they would've considered the uncertain nature as omnipotent and as something they cannot control or predict.
As times changed humans became accustomed to nature, seasons and excelled even in astronomy so I guess as humans unravelled the mysteries of nature, nature and the world around them that they worshipped did not seem so uncertain, so I guess humans started moving away from nature worship. As humans advanced they became organised, organisation did give humans the power to counter uncertainty. By being organised the early humans who roamed around as tribals countered the biggest uncertainty they faced during their times, survival. The advancement of humans into organized social animals gave them strength and courage to counter enemies, gather more food and consequently to survive. the birth of organized life sowed the seeds for the birth of religion and god.
Religion and god thrived from their inception mainly because of two reasons, one was that god and religion were an answer to the uncertainty faced by humans and two was that humans found that organisation gave them power. I would say that religion and god was something that started as a concept to provide solace to humans in an uncertain world and then ended up as outliving the purpose they were conceptualised for. Its a classic case of an idea or product being devised to full fill a purpose but was later used for a grander scheme.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
bored and counting my days as an employed person
I'm writing this on a dull thursday afternoon. 2 more months for me to put my papers down. I've planned to be unemployed and useless from November this year till I leave to Netherlands in december later this year. After almost 4 years as a software professional I long for a break of a month or two, the privilege I used to have only during school days. I'm like a school kid now longing for the summer holidays.
My anticipation is more about the useless days ahead in november and december than about my MBA life in Rotterdam. People might just give me the stares for such a statement but thats how I feel now. I just wanna be a guy who can wake up as he wishes, have a breakfast of bread, mustard, muffins and poached eggs and then do unplanned things the whole day. This might sound like as though I'm aiming to be a recluse but I guess I'm just bored of the routine life that I've lead from 2005 in bangalore, going to office everyday on weekdays, going to hometown on a weekend every month, going around bangalore the other weekends. Just got bored man, I just wanna be carefree. I just wanna get up one day in november, brush, shit, bathe, have a heavy breakfast, go the the nearby shop, pickup juice and snacks, take my bike and go off to nandhi hills, sit on one of the benches at the edge of the hill top with a great panaromic view for hours doing nothing, do whatever I feel like doing the whole day and come back in the evening. I just don't want to think, plan and do anything for a day atleast man.
My anticipation is more about the useless days ahead in november and december than about my MBA life in Rotterdam. People might just give me the stares for such a statement but thats how I feel now. I just wanna be a guy who can wake up as he wishes, have a breakfast of bread, mustard, muffins and poached eggs and then do unplanned things the whole day. This might sound like as though I'm aiming to be a recluse but I guess I'm just bored of the routine life that I've lead from 2005 in bangalore, going to office everyday on weekdays, going to hometown on a weekend every month, going around bangalore the other weekends. Just got bored man, I just wanna be carefree. I just wanna get up one day in november, brush, shit, bathe, have a heavy breakfast, go the the nearby shop, pickup juice and snacks, take my bike and go off to nandhi hills, sit on one of the benches at the edge of the hill top with a great panaromic view for hours doing nothing, do whatever I feel like doing the whole day and come back in the evening. I just don't want to think, plan and do anything for a day atleast man.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
nothing serious
I guess I havent written anything at all here for a longggggggggggg time.The only guy who had some faith in me, Claxton would have given up on me that I would write anything here. Anyways, here I am writing again. The reason I stopped writing was because I was kinda busy with lots of things this year. Six months have passed in this year but I feel its been ages, till now its been a tumultous year, an eventful year I should say. Lots of financial and emotional drain, coinciding with the recession. Now don't think that I'm an investment banker.
I started this year with Chicken pox and followed it up with a broken tooth sometime in april and then rounded off my adventures with a fall from my bike and ended up bruised and scratched in june. so healthwise it has been adventurous but not a great experience I should say. My mom attributes all these to the house I live in, she says that from the time I rented it I've been having so many health problems. I know all this defies science and logic but you know science doesn't stand a chance before good old wisdom :-)
At the same time you know, I got an admission at RSM Erasmus Uni, Netherlands for an International MBA course, this was something of a career goal and I did achieve it, so I don't know if I should entirely blame the house :-) anyways, the house seems to have a brain of its own I guess.
Anyways, I'm moving out to a new house and new place in bangalore, frazer town and things are looking up these days. Have many things lined up leading to my course start in jan 2010. Planning to start dutch language classes from this weekend, I just hope dutch is interesting. Thats pretty much, and I also hope to keep writing.
I started this year with Chicken pox and followed it up with a broken tooth sometime in april and then rounded off my adventures with a fall from my bike and ended up bruised and scratched in june. so healthwise it has been adventurous but not a great experience I should say. My mom attributes all these to the house I live in, she says that from the time I rented it I've been having so many health problems. I know all this defies science and logic but you know science doesn't stand a chance before good old wisdom :-)
At the same time you know, I got an admission at RSM Erasmus Uni, Netherlands for an International MBA course, this was something of a career goal and I did achieve it, so I don't know if I should entirely blame the house :-) anyways, the house seems to have a brain of its own I guess.
Anyways, I'm moving out to a new house and new place in bangalore, frazer town and things are looking up these days. Have many things lined up leading to my course start in jan 2010. Planning to start dutch language classes from this weekend, I just hope dutch is interesting. Thats pretty much, and I also hope to keep writing.
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