Do animals commit suicide?

... as far as I know, they don't! So why do humans tend to commit? What makes us different from any of the animals? Intelligence? Yes, the same thing; but that's also what makes us miserable. Animals don't quite think too much. They have very basic needs like food, air, water and shelter (didn't we humans have the same a few years back?!) Only these revolve around in their minds, perhaps with the only deviation that their mind is not as evolved as humans'.

So, human mind is evolved, a little more for any body's liking. Don't you think this "evolved" mind has been responsible for every bad thing that's been happening on this planet - be it the nuclear/atomic bomb, deforestation, green house effect, scams etc. etc. ? I know some people who can go on record to say that humans are the greatest bane on this planet! Animals come, they do what they are expected to do - nothing out of the way and the biological cycle remains. Nature's fury is their fate, and no animal is going to be responsible for any of that fury. In fact, it's heart-wrenching to see they being victims of that 'wildness'.

What is the need to do anything other than meeting your basic needs? What are you going to achieve by earning $10,000,000,000 when in the end you know you can't take anything on the 'other side'? Why this race for money? Why this race for name? Why this greed? Why this pressure on children to perform well, ALWAYS? Why the self pampering? Why kill others? Why wars? The only answer I can think of is "to satisfy unnecessary needs of respective minds!". They are unnecessary, because these needs are not for survival, they go beyond survival. And so, can I safely say that, with these needs comes suffering?

In the end, it's funny that my "evolved" mind is saying that "evolved" minds are the cause for all the misery! A paradox perhaps! 

Think about it! 

On Much Hated Noise

I, these days, have started dreading the Indian festivals. I sincerely, truly have. I hate the loud music that sends everyone who is unfortunate enough to be living in a locality near the source to near insanity, and I hate the fact that the festivals are considered a valid reason to block the roads so that a very, very slow-moving procession of dancing revelers can pass.

How can people be so insensitive?? It is a bloody pain in the ass for those ill-fated souls who are being forced to put their work on hold because of your insanely loud music, and for those poor people stuck behind the 'miravNuk' while trying to reach their various destinations on time! The last thing you want after a tiring day at work is get stuck up behind a crowd of attention-seekers (for the loss of a better term) creating nuisance in the name of appeasing God! Besides, the massive loudness of the music is completely unnecessary anyway. If it is not loud enough to bother people (i.e. send them out of their minds) who are in the procession, then it is definitely loud enough to make CIVILISED people go bonkers; even the normal conversation between the passer-by or people staying around in the vicinity impossible.

I also detest all kinds of loud music played by temples, especially when it starts at bloody 4 o'clock in the morning. Yes, we all understand that you are, for some unfathomable reason, required to wake up at 4 am and start pooja, but do you have to force your disciplined habits on everyone within hearing distance of your loudspeakers?? I don't want to wake up at that profanely early hour! 

I wish everyone in the world (or at least in places where I am) would refrain from imposing their religious views/cause for celebration on everyone else who has the misfortune to be living near them.