K. Kumar's Blog, page 14

Cheater's Justice?

I have been intrigued by the recent story surrounding the release of the report detailing the cheating scandal in the NFL whereby the New England Patriots deliberately deflated footballs, in violation of the NFL rules, in order to give themselves an advantage in an important playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. To me, the report is pretty damning in a lot of ways. It really drills down into the mechanics behind cheating, including the rationalizations, incentives, and rewards. The les...

Democracy in South Africa

I recently came across this article:

Source: Bloomberg
What I always find interesting about these types of stories is that, despite the best of efforts, even the most mature democracies are popularity contests that are largely tribal. They are tribal because political leaders have learned that voters don't respond to who has the best ideas or who has integrity or experience, they respond to leaders who look like them and speak to them with a sense of familiarity. 
Some might say this is pro...

The Future

When I read an article like this, I wonder if this is what the future will look like:

Source: BloombergHere is an anecdotal story about someone migrating from Europe to Africa and then back again, but I have no doubt there are thousands more with similar tales. This type of migration is probably not unique to this epoch, but it just seems like the world has suddenly gotten smaller.
You could take a story like this and weave it around multiple different narratives ranging from globalization, col...

Fortune Teller

I recently came across an exhibition at the art museum in San Salvador. This was the description on one of the walls:

I had not read the sign before entering the exhibit, so I was a little confused about the whole thing. There were two birdcages and a couple young kids standing guard. When I gave my name, they opened the cage and one of the birds picked a sheet of paper and handed it to me. It had a news headline about a political candidate. I left confused.Then I read the sign (above) and it...

Speaking to God

I recently came across this story:
Source: Politico
I was deeply moved by this recent news story. I think this article encapsulates the human struggle and the need to find purpose and also look for signals as to whether we are on the right path. Human beings confront very difficult choices throughout life and in trying to weigh the pros and cons of each decision, we are often left with indecision and regret. What is the right path to take? How does one resolve this conflict?
Here is a story wher...

Looper

I recently saw Looper for a second time:

Looper is a fascinating, though a bit flawed movie, that paints a depressing image of the future. It is a future where assassins from the future are sent back in time where they are killed by their earlier selves. The premise is that sometime in the future they have done something and must be killed, therefore who better to kill them than their former incarnation. Time travel has apparently been invented, so the premise appears to make sense.
While the m...

Pin

A pin on the ground dilemma.  As capitalism becomes more ingrained we'll be less likely to pick up the pin from the ground and allow others to suffer the fate of a pin lodged in their foot. We'll calculate the various possibilities, consider the harm to ourselves first and then the harm to others. 
Capitalism lacks the moral component that might compel us to pick up the pin.
We might feel a burden in picking up the pin because it is not in our job description. You may be depriving anot...

Movie Review: Enough Said

I recently saw Enough Said:


Overall, I thought it was a well made movie. It is kind of a part love story, part reflection on the state of human relationships in America. The premise is that Eva falls for a guy and at the same time is friends with the guy's ex-wife. So it is like she is playing both sides and it makes for an interesting storyline. 
The star of the film is James Gandolfini. He really steals the show with his wit and comfort. This is a different role for him, but you never no...

Advocate For the Poor

I came across an interesting snippet from the White House web page:
Source: White HouseThis type of vignette provides a fascinating view into the pathology, absurdity, and self-delusion of modern politics in America. I find the more I drill deeper into these things, I am fascinated by the political myth making process. 
As an aside, I remember discussing Nietzsche in a political philosophy class in college. We talked about the idea of the Superman, who is someone characterized by their abi...

Fire Safety

Throughout the years of my life, I have never given much thought to fire safety, or really ever seriously pondered the question of what to do in case of a fire. I have practiced fire drills and I know intuitively that if there is a fire then the best thing to do is evacuate and then account for everyone you are with. In a weird way, I had an awareness of fire risk and fire safety, but until now I realized that I had never been prepared for what to do in case of a fire.
Then something happened....