Boneheaded

While feeding the dog this month, I noticed that some of the pellets of the "Pedigree's Adult Dog Food" were crafted in the shape of bones. On first sight all seems very logical - dogs are known to love their bones hence shaping food in that shape should increase its appeal to the dogs. Except that the pellets are tiny (less than an inch in length) and my dog doesn't seem to appreciate the aesthetics of its meal - it just gobbles.



Realization dawns that the shape of the pellet is designed to appeal to the human customer and not necessarily to the canine consumer. The dogfood people do their jobs: massage our egos to get to our wallets. And I have come to appreciate the crucial role product design plays in the the overall marketing strategy.

Update: 1st Feb - Article on Steve Job and Apple's approach to Product Design:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/weekinreview/31lohr.html

Barber Shop

Went in for a haircut in the morning at the usual place. People present: me in the understudy barber's chair, the understudy barber, the head barber, a patron waiting for his turn and a patron getting a shave. The following takes place:

Scene:

Guy walks in, grabs a paper sitting down on the bench and talks to whoever is listening.

Guy [Enthusiastically]: Ivala bandh anta.. university lo Telangana kosam kalchukunaru
(Today, a strike is called..someone self-imolated in the univeristy for the cause of Telangana)

Patron getting a shave [Curious]: Abayaa Amaayaa?
(Boy or Girl?)

Guy: Abay kalchukuni chachadu
(Boy died of his burns)

Patron getting a shave [Frustrated]: Chavalsinnolu chavaru!
(Those who are supposed to die, don't die!)

After a beat

Head Barber [Dispassionate]: Edhi aythe enti..holiday ayindhi.. girak aythadhi
(Whatever it may be..today is now a holiday..there will be business)

Media Induced Morbidity Syndrome: They named it!

Mr. Anant Maringanti's brave attempt at understanding the absurdity of the mutant Telugu Language Media's macabre instincts for propagating mass hysteria (from Business Week):

http://kafila.org/2009/12/18/media-induced-morbidity-syndrome-anant-maringanti/

Scheduled to Stay

In light of the political developments in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a central question has been that of identity. There have been domiciliary claims based on dialect, culture, lineage, property, migration and so on.

But if the question of "Sons of the Soil" is explored to its logical conclusion, then the first inheritors of that title should be the ancient tribes of the region who date back their origins to time immemorial in the hills and forests of the realm.

Here is a fascinating anthropological documentary with footage from around 70 years ago on the tribes of this territory. While we inhabit and claim for ourselves various provinces today just as so many unsuccessfully did before us, as always by not playing our games, these tribes quietly focus on outlasting all other claimants.

Mobs of Mysore

This morning's 'The Hindu' newspaper has a story on a hit and run incident that took place in Mysore yesterday. But what is of greater interest to the paper is the context within which the incident took place. The context being that the accident took place on a contentious stretch of road lined by 200 trees on either side which has been the subject of repeated petitions on the issue of felling of those trees for road widening. Therefore the article concentrated on the happenings after the accident - a flash mob gathered and cut down 25 of those trees.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/10/stories/2010011050020100.htm

On further googling I understand that this is a story with a history. There are a number of players involved - The city corporation & other officials, environmental activist groups, forest department, the courts and finally irate pedestrians. There are accusations and counter accusations, a mix of ideology, pragmatism and activism. Now it seems there is frustration and antagonism. The newspapers too have taken a keen interest in the developments over the past year or so.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-mysore-trees

Civic issues are a microcosm of political activity in the country. When things go out of hand with vested interests, disinformation and vigilante justice prevailing at this basic level of government, it doesn't augur well for governance at every higher tier.

Use of the Rule

"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" - Anton Chigurh from the film 'No Country for Old Men'

The above mentioned line is delivered by a philosophical, albeit psychopathic hitman before killing someone in the movie. Violence is a draw at the movies, people are always curious. Everything that has anything to do with conflict, be it mental or physical, arouses our interest. Scripts are written on the three act formula. Exposition, Confrontation and Resolution. The stress is inevitably on the confrontation.

While we all try to avoid conflict in our lives, all the while we are aware that smooth sailing is a relative concept - there will come a time to face up to circumstances where one might come up short. This abrasive nature of existence is not lost on our subconscious. Our search in stories of conflicts is a search for a prism through which to look for clues as to how to deal with such dire situations. In the heat of the moment, we hope that our learnings will help us find a way out.

What happens on reflex is common to all creatures, the responses that set us apart are the ones that are voluntary. Hence the stories that are retained and repeated by society are the ones which at their core are instruction manuals for behavior when faced with crisis. Ancient mythological epic adventures of every culture form a part of these tried and tested guidelines. A case in point - Bhagavad Gita.

The realization of the fact that inaction cannot be a valid response when faced with those crunch moments is the start point for the development of a crisis encountering mechanism by an individual. With a gameplan now in place to face any eventuality, one can go about life without hesitations and second thoughts as long as one keeps to the rules drawn up for survival.

But eventually the walls crumble and you sail towards your terminal confrontation knowing that the endgame is imminent. At that point of final settlement one last contention remains: "If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?"