I love dosas. And I love the buttery Davangere benne dose even more. Under normal circumstances Davangere benne dose followed by a cup of filter kaapi is one of my preferred choices for breakfast or evening snacks.

Davangere benne dose or Butter Dose is a type of dosa which traces its origin from the city of Davanagere in Karnataka, India. The term "benne dose" in English language simply corresponds to butter dose. It is prepared by addition of generous amount of butter while preparing the normal dosa, and accompanied by coconut chutney. Its batter is very different comprising a mixture of rice, dal, puffed rice, etc. and is prepared on wood fired pan. It is similar to masala dosa or set dosa but smaller in size, made out of rice batter and much more butter. It is served with liberal helpings of butter sprinkled on it.

Coconut chutney is a south Indianchutney, a side-dish or a condiment, common in the Indian subcontinent. The condiment is made with coconut pulp ground with other ingredients such as green chillies, tamarind, salt, coriander and water. Coconut chutney is made with both red chillies or green chillies. It is served with dosas, idli, bajji, bonda, and vada. In Karnataka, coconut chutney is also served with rice dishes such as pulao, puliyogare, tomato baath, and vangi baath.

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In How to run a business in a dangerous and disorderly world, the author claims that in a fractious world, businesses cannot hide from politics and geopolitics. The response from Alberto Alemanno is informative with interesting perspectives. Alberto Alemanno is Jean Monnet Professor in EU Law at HEC Paris.

"Historically, businesses have stayed away from the most contentious social issues in order to preserve their bottom line. Yet this has never prevented them from using their corporate political power, through lobbying and other subtler forms of influence, to bend the rules to serve their own self-interest."
"The misalignment between corporate lobbying and companies’ commitments to values is a big factor underpinning a lack of progress on numerous critical issues, ranging from the failure to act on the climate emergency to an unfair global tax regime."
"With investors, employees and customers increasingly scrutinising corporate conduct, there is a clear case for greater transparency and responsibility in the way companies exercise their political influence, especially through their unaccountable trade associations."
"Ultimately, no company can declare itself sustainable unless it fully internalises not only its environmental and social impact, but also its political footprint."

October

Through the movie October was released in 2018, I heard the song चल (Chal - come or let’s go) on FM Radio recently. A few lines immediately touched my inner chords. The song got over and I moved on. Then, much later, on an exhausted Friday evening those feelings reverberated in my mind again. Since I could not recall the lyrics properly, it took me quite a while to trace the song and the movie. This time I got completely immersed and listened to the song several times. Then I watched the movie October which left a lasting impression in my mind.

If I ever get a chance to meet the director Shoojit Sircar, I will thank him for crafting a nice and sensitive movie in an unconventional format with stellar performances and without any melodrama. It echoed my thoughts about unconditional human bondage in a poignant style. Similar to the character Shiuli Iyer, I too had a childhood attachment to the flower Jasmine.

I suggest that, if feasible, this movie October may be watched in Amazon Prime. The language will not matter due to good quality English subtitles.

The song चल (Chal - come or let’s go) is a beautiful expression of hope and unconditional bondage between two human beings. It is a reminder that even the tiniest moments can be wonderful, and that we should always treasure the time we spend with the seemingly insignificant things about which we care and with the people we love.

I am copying and pasting a portion of the lyrics below.

चल छोटी छोटी सीली
शामें जी ले चल
चल आधी आधी थोड़ी
झूठी चाय पी ले चल
चल थोड़ी सी हैं मेरी सांसें
दोनों जी लें चल

चल भीगी भीगी हवाओं के
साथी हो ले चल
चल हथेली पे बारिशों की
बूँदें तोले चल
चल थोड़ी सी हैं मेरी सांसें
दोनों जी लें चल

चल ठंडे ठंडे पानियों में
पांव डाले चल चल साहिलों पे माझी वाला
गाना गा ले चल
चल थोड़ी सी हैं मेरी सांसें
दोनों जी लें चल

My night has ended with the dawn of autumn
O flute, who should I leave you with
In your heart played the tunes
Strung with farewells and arrivals
During spring and autumn, at dawns and at nights
The words that stay secret in the heart
You had stolen them in songs
Its time is now over
Like the stars at the end of night
Let it perish with the death of the Shiuli

My tribute to the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the House

It is not easy to earn money to bring food on the table for the family and pay the bills.

And it is not at all easier to maintain the house and actually execute to bring the food on the table for the family 24x7x365. This is what the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the Indian family relentlessly does till the last day of their life, under normal circumstances, without expecting any returns. A home assistant or a cook may reduce the burden to some extent. But the mind share and the ownership remains with that unconditional commitment to perform the duty even in the absence of a helping hand. Also, under unfavorable health conditions and circumstances, the tasks and the responsibilities usually neither get lighter nor get delegated as long as they is able to stand on their legs.

The situation can actually get worse when the Homemaker seeks a professional career. Now it is akin to moving with two legs on two different boats in a river. For example, yesterday I got to know of a primary caregiver and a busy anesthetist who had to arrange the pick-up and drop of the child and milk for the aged parents even while in the operation theater. The show has to go on come what may!

Only those who suddenly get plunged to perform this mind-boggling humongous and to a large extent monotonous task, due to mishaps or other unfortunate reasons, realize in no time what the Homemaker is capable of!

The above is based on my observation of Indian society as an Indian who has always lived in India. The same could be true in all other countries and societies.

#Homemaker #Caregiver #MastIndia #MastodonIndians #India

cc: @srijit

In How to run a business in a dangerous and disorderly world, the author claims that in a fractious world, businesses cannot hide from politics and geopolitics. The response from Alberto Alemanno is informative with interesting perspectives. Alberto Alemanno is Jean Monnet Professor in EU Law at HEC Paris.

"Historically, businesses have stayed away from the most contentious social issues in order to preserve their bottom line. Yet this has never prevented them from using their corporate political power, through lobbying and other subtler forms of influence, to bend the rules to serve their own self-interest."
"The misalignment between corporate lobbying and companies’ commitments to values is a big factor underpinning a lack of progress on numerous critical issues, ranging from the failure to act on the climate emergency to an unfair global tax regime."
"With investors, employees and customers increasingly scrutinising corporate conduct, there is a clear case for greater transparency and responsibility in the way companies exercise their political influence, especially through their unaccountable trade associations."
"Ultimately, no company can declare itself sustainable unless it fully internalises not only its environmental and social impact, but also its political footprint."

Fear and threat, conflict and surveillance have been mostly some of the key tenets of human economic activities since the beginning of the human civilization. The digital age has added large scale misinformation and bullshit which contributes to dehumanization. Anxiety, exhaustion, and emptiness have reduced our empathy and the ability to interact face to face. In the consumer space only those Internet dependent digital products which enables surveillance and dilutes the notion of privacy usually gain traction and often get accepted by the masses. Some of the reasons, for such a trend, may be as follows.

1. Perceived Better Security: Surveillance technologies are often marketed as tools to prevent crime, terrorism, and other threats to public safety.
2. Convenience and Efficiency: Facial recognition technology can be used for quick and seamless identification at airports or for unlocking smartphones.
3. Social Norms and Acceptance: When people see others accepting and using these technologies without significant backlash, they may feel more inclined to accept them as well. This leads to network effect where increased numbers of people or participants improve the value of a good or service.
4. Lack of Awareness and Understanding: Many users may not fully understand the extent of surveillance enabled by digital technologies or the potential negative consequences for decreased privacy.
5. Trade-Offs and Trade-Downs: In some cases, users may willingly trade privacy for other benefits, such as personalized services, targeted advertising, or access to certain platforms or services. Such approaches also gets influenced by the subconscious and loosely defined digital threat model of the individuals.

#Fear #Threat #Conflict #Surveillance #Dehumanization #Privacy #ThreatModel

Killing without necessity is not a human exclusive behavior. Humans are not the only species on this planet that kill even if there is no physiological need. Other species also engage in killing behaviours for reasons such as territorial defense, protection of offspring, or establishing dominance in a social group.

But, unfortunately, while there may be instances of mass extinctions and violence in the animal kingdom, the concept of genocide, as defined by international law, is unique to humans. In contrast, mass extinctions in the natural world are primarily caused by natural events such as asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and climate shifts.
As stated here, Article II of the Genocide Convention contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:
1. A mental element: the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such"; and
2. A physical element, which includes the following five acts, enumerated exhaustively:
- Killing members of the group
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

Here are some key psychological factors that can contribute to genocidal behaviour. It is important to note that not all individuals within a society engage in genocidal behaviour.
1. Dehumanization: Dehumanization is a psychological process in which individuals or groups are perceived as less than human, making it easier to justify violence and harm towards them.
2. Group Dynamics and Conformity: Group dynamics play a significant role in influencing individual behaviour during genocide. People may conform to the beliefs and actions of the group, even if it goes against their personal moral compass.
3. Socialization and Propaganda: The socialization process and exposure to propaganda can shape individuals' beliefs and attitudes towards certain groups.
4. Authoritarianism and Obedience: Authoritarian personalities, characterized by a strong adherence to authority and a willingness to comply with orders, can contribute to genocidal behaviour.
5. Intergroup Conflict and Competition: Genocide often occurs within the context of intergroup conflict and competition for resources, power, or territory. These conflicts can fuel animosity, prejudice, and a desire for dominance, leading to violence and mass killings.

#Genocide #HumanPsychology #Psychology #HumanMind

cc: @srijit

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