My wife and I have always strongly preferred to not have children. Ever. And this belief is reinforced time and again in various instances. Each time we set foot in an airplane and there are babies crying uncontrollably, we look at each other in horror and praise our luck. Whenever we hear about the travails of parents trying to get their kids into nursery, school, or college, we congratulate each other on our good fortune. When we watch movies like “The Good Son” or “The Bad Seed”, we thank the stars for our fortuitous escape.

Also, we’re ****ing up the earth so badly that I’ve lost hope and I don’t want my children to curse me for bringing them into a doomed world. They’ll look at me and say “What right did you have? I never asked to be born – it’s your fault that I’m choking in this putrid air!” Thoroughly sound reasons to keep my progeny off the earth I say.

But here’s the rub. The theory of evolution says that a successful organism manages to pass on its genes. Logically this means that:

Successful => Kids

And the Contra-Positive is:

No Kids => Unsuccessful

Am I dooming my genes?

So by definition, my wife and I are evolutionary failures. To make matters worse, my brother and his wife have decided not to have kids either. This makes both of them evolutionary failures too. And here’s the nub – my brother and I are the only two children of our parents. If the both of us are failures, then my parents are failures too! In essence an entire branch of the “Park” family is about to be pruned from the evolutionary tree – a dead end. A cul de sac.

This makes me wonder. My wife and I as well as my brother and his wife are not having kids because in our estimation, it’s logical to not have them. In developed countries, more and more people are reasoning out the same thing (thereby lowering the population). Ergo it seems that intelligent people are being wiped off the face of the earth! Those individuals whose logic dictates that they must not procreate are evolutionary failures whose genes are squished out of the gene pool – leaving only…well those without that particular brand of intelligence shall we say

My wife and I have given this some thought, and I’m fairly keen on having my genes survive in this world – I mean I think they’re pretty good after all! But how to do that without the attendant consequences? And then I hit on an idea, and my wife agrees. I’m going to go to a sperm bank! The one in Apollo hospital in Chennai seems to be just the thing. Propagation of my genes without having to take care of the resultant blighters. . Something like the Koel strategy I say, but with no deception involved. And to seal the deal, I might as well donate to several banks to maximize the chance of my genes getting along fine.

Now if I can just motivate myself to get off my lazy ass and implement my master plant – ha ha ha ha (Evil grin)

What do you think of sperm bank donation for people who don’t want to take care of their kids? (Two answers allowed)

 Loading ...

Similar Posts:

• American audiences can’t face Evolution! – September 21, 2009
• The fallacy of ‘Success’ – October 17, 2006
• The Importance of Man (Any Life) – October 1, 2006
• Are plants really alive? – November 8, 2009
• Being Lazy is Good – April 1, 2008

It never fails to shock me how a tip is demanded in the US. People simply refuse to listen to reason when we (yes, there are others!) tell them that leaving a tip isn’t necessary. Well, I’m hoping for too much here, but if you’re a waiter, here are 5 reasons why I will try my best not to give any money to you and why the reasons for tipping are crappy.

1. You act as if you’re my best friend

Just leave me alone ok? I don’t want to bloody chit chat with you. I want food. FOOD! Get it? It’s a restaurant. I go there to eat. I go because I want either Italian food, Chinese Food or something else which I can’t get in a McDonald’s. So I come to a restaurant to fulfill my cravings for it. I will pay for what I value – food. Not you.

Christ, you offend me – kneeling down next to my table, pretending to like me and chatting as if you’re my best friend when it’s obvious that all you’re after is the tip! I’m not a bloody money bag you know. I will pay the bill which includes the cost of the food, the environment and the salaries of the people involved – nothing more.

The only way to get money out of me that I don’t have to legally pay is by prying it out of my cold dead hands…

Bottom line: I don’t want to know your name, or interact with you for any longer than I have to in order to place my order. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the equivalent of a conveyor belt that brings me my food and a computer into which I input my order. Of course, I won’t be rude. But don’t expect me to interact with you any more than I would with some stranger.

Image Credit: cafemama

Did you earn this tip?

2. You don’t get paid enough

And this is my problem how exactly? It’s astonishing that customers are expected to make up for your employer’s cheapness in not paying you a decent wage. Please include the full cost in everyone’s bill thank you very much. I’ll pay it because I have to and the charge is there for me to see.

What’s really funny here is that no one seems to criticize the employers! All criticism is reserved for non tipping customers instead of the owners of the restaurant for not paying a decent wage. Wtf! Could it possibly be because you guys know you can make much more by tips and under report your income to the IRS?

3. You’ll spit in my food if I don’t tip you?

And I’ll shoot your kid if you don’t give me a million dollars. Seriously, am I even hearing this right? You’re actually using the threat of blackmail to make me pay you? Well as long as you’re openly claiming to be a criminal it’s all right I guess.

Fortunately that’s why I prefer buffets. Listen apart from it being illegal, this shows your poor integrity. But if you spit in someone’s food because they didn’t give you money you didn’t earn, then you’re a loser and deserve to be a waiter for the rest of your life.

4. Bringing me my food isn’t worthy of being paid extra

Did you cook it? Did you invent it? No. You picked it up and brought it to me. While it might not be easy, there are plenty of jobs which are much worse – shop floor workers for example. And I’ve been a shop floor manager, so I know. Face it – compared to other jobs, being a waiter is unskilled. You get paid what the market will think your services are worth. You don’t deserve more for your work over and above what your employer should pay you.

5. Money doesn’t grow on trees

I expect you to be grateful and pray for me at night if I tip you 10%. Be happy I gave you anything at all. I worked for the money in my wallet and by giving you some I didn’t have to, I’m doing you a favor. Learn to remember that when people give you something they don’t need to, it’s a favor. You don’t complain that they didn’t give you more!

By the way, the same thing above applies to all professions that demand tips including those on cruise liners.

So now that you understand why I won’t give you money you don’t deserve, stop with the “oh how could you?” attitude. I can. And I will.

Similar Posts:

• American audiences can’t face Evolution! – September 21, 2009
• Consuming Entertainment – October 18, 2006
• Revenge on Nature – October 11, 2006
• Cruise Gratuities and tipping – February 10, 2009
• Being Lazy is Good – April 1, 2008

One of the fundamental distinctions in our mind is that between life and non life. We think nothing of crushing a rock, but think twice before doing the same to, say a sparrow. But what is life?

It turns out that according to the definition of life that we all learnt in biology, a lot of us humans aren’t really alive! Can you believe that? Well, one of the necessary conditions for life (according to our textbooks) is reproduction. Meaning that if an entity cannot reproduce, it’s not alive. Well, what of humans who are sterile – or who choose to not have kids? It’s no good saying that humans as a species can reproduce. Because in a strict sense, each person is a separate species in themselves since the genes are slightly different.

Image Credit: tanakawho

Do plants feel pain?

Are plants alive?

In my opinion, plants are not really alive. Well, what does it mean to be alive? I think that plants are essentially robots. They have no choice, and are completely predictable in their actions.

I also know they don’t feel pain – how do I know you ask? Well two reasons. First of all, we know that they have no central nervous system and don’t have the hardware necessary for feeling. It’s like trying to run Linux on the hardware of a toaster. Pain needs certain physical components.

Secondly, pain would never have evolved in plants since it confers no survival advantage. A plant can’t decide to move away when in pain. Pain is useless unless the organism can do something to alleviate it.

Having said that, it doesn’t mean I condone the destruction of plants and trees. Though I know intellectually that plants don’t feel, I still feel somewhat emotionally bonded to such “living” organisms.

What about computer viruses?

Who said that life has to be biological in nature? If we take a computer virus, we find that it can:

1. Reproduce
2. Adapt to the environment (it can even mutate)
3. Defend itself

If normal biological viruses and bacteria are life, then why not computer viruses? What is the essential quality that makes something alive?

The real way to define life

I feel that the only consistent way to define life is via consciousness. Though it’s extremely hard to define and even more difficult to detect for an outsider (perhaps impossible), consciousness exists beyond a doubt. Decartes “Cogito ergo sum” (I think therefore I am) cuts to the heart of the question. By my definition, the following entities are not alive:

1. Plants
2. Biological Viruses
3. Computer Viruses

Even a little bit of consciousness is enough to make something alive. Everything else is just robotic in nature. Of course, one can expand on this and define life by saying that living things have choice. But it’s my belief that we’re all robots in the sense that choice is an illusion. The only real difference between us and a fridge is that we know we exist and a fridge does not.

What’s your opinion of what life is?

 Loading ...

Similar Posts:

• Authority and Power – October 4, 2006
• Why Consciousness is Special – October 2, 2006
• Ethics of Abortion – October 12, 2006
• Revenge on Nature – October 11, 2006
• The Importance of Man (Any Life) – October 1, 2006

I’ve had occasion to mention on this blog before how American opinion sometimes seem out of sync with what the rest of the world takes for granted. Earlier, we had taken a look at the disbelief in climate change. Now I discover that evolution is a hot potato as well…

Jeremy Thomas’s new film “Creation” is a celebration of the life of Charles Darwin, whose struggles the movie depicts. It revolves around him questioning his faith after the demise of his daughter. The movie was showcased at the opening of the Toronto Film Festival and has spread throughout the world in every country except one – The United States. Apparently US distributors feel that the movie is too controversial.

I fail to understand how a developed country can have such an attitude in the 21st century. Apparently being developed has nothing to do with it. Evolution is accepted in every other part of the world including the poorer countries. In India (apart from hardcore Christians and Muslims,) evolution is accepted by all educated people. Yet in the US, only 39% of people believe in it! If I didn’t have the facts in front of me so starkly, I would have flat out not believed them. But it’s true!

Image Credit: PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

Some of the attitudes towards evolution are that it’s a “half-baked theory” , “It’s never been proved” and “It’s a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying.” People in the US largely believe that the earth was created in 6 days. I’m forced to wonder whether there’s any use to being educated if one still holds such medieval ideas. It seems that people feel that evolution is a “hoax” that is perpetrated on the world and they are the only ones who haven’t been taken in (just like climate change.)

Obviously there’s a pattern at work here. Most Americans disbelieve climate change. They disbelieve evolution too. My conclusion is that large sections of the American people are either brainwashed, or lack critical thinking. Since I’m sure Americans in general are as intelligent people elsewhere, I’m forced to the conclusion that they’re brainwashed. As far as climate change goes, I’m sure they’re brainwashed by the corporate campaigns against it, but who could possible want Americans not to believe in Evolution?

The answer of course is simple – the churches and evangelical movements in the US are just like big businesses with media campaigns, immense budgets, and large gatherings broadcast all over the country They employ professional marketers and employ their own “scientists” to create doubt about evolution in the minds of those who listen – and since they’ve been doing it for so long, they’ve managed to grab the mind of almost everyone.

I think it’s a clear warning that all large organizations can be dangerous. Whether they are political parties, the church, or corporations. We must look at how things have turned out elsewhere and not repeat the mistakes others have made. The only thing we can do is to be on our guard. It may be too late to do anything about the US, but we can surely protect ourselves from such manipulation in other parts of the world.

Similar Posts:

• The correct way of viewing Society – October 8, 2006
• Man, a Slave to Time – October 13, 2006
• What Democracy is all about – October 12, 2006
• 5 reasons why I won’t tip you if you’re a waiter – November 24, 2009
• Cruise Gratuities and tipping – February 10, 2009

This is a post, which I admit reveals rather more about myself than I would like. Nonetheless, I have something to say. More so because not a single site or article on the Internet says what I feel is the truth. Not even close. The time has come for someone to stand up and stick out his neck with the facts.

First, my formal position on the whole rape issue. I do not condone rape. It’s a violation of a person’s privacy. This article is merely an examination of mostly subconscious responses in more or less every man or woman I have spoken to and is academic in nature. So no flaming please!

Here goes…

Read more…

Similar Posts:

• Morality and Self Righteousness is a form of sadism – October 3, 2006
• Ethics of Abortion – October 12, 2006
• Life forces – October 10, 2006
• How I want Women to be Equal – November 13, 2009
• Animal Rights – Refuting Roger Scruton – June 18, 2009

Similar Posts:

• American audiences can’t face Evolution! – September 21, 2009
• 5 reasons why I won’t tip you if you’re a waiter – November 24, 2009
• Unemployment – Fighting Depression – March 24, 2008
• Quitting my job suddenly – March 10, 2008
• I’m an evolutionary failure! – February 8, 2010

Similar Posts:

• Teaching History – October 27, 2006
• Lessons from WW II – October 16, 2006
• Man, a Slave to Time – October 13, 2006
• Are we afraid of ourselves? – October 11, 2006
• Unemployment – Fighting Depression – March 24, 2008

I was reading Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot” yesterday, and his description of what a man’s state of mind when he is about to be executed really struck a chord. I guess I think of death more than most people – not morbidly, but as a matter of fact, and I always thought that I would face it calmly and certainly.

Similar Posts:

• American audiences can’t face Evolution! – September 21, 2009
• The Importance of Man (Any Life) – October 1, 2006
• Grond – March 21, 2007
• The Picture of Justice – July 29, 2008
• We Love the Unfashionable Bicycle! – April 26, 2008

When I was young, my mother gave me a set of Children’s Encyclopedia by a gentleman called ‘Arthure Mee’. In that, I found this fascinating picture of Justice. I used to look at it over and over again, examining that face. Even as a child, the impression I got was one of understanding, and impartiality.

Similar Posts:

• The disease of Relativism – October 5, 2006
• Morality and Self Righteousness is a form of sadism – October 3, 2006
• Lessons from WW II – October 16, 2006
• Dying Unexpectedly – October 13, 2008
• On superiority regarding art – October 1, 2006

This post is an appeal to my fellow Indians to start viewing things in perspective. It’s a foolish idea, I know, since people are so deeply rooted in the views that have been propagated to them, that they begin to feel that they are actually their views.

I’m defending the humble Indian cycle, which has been much maligned by people and which, I may add, I have the honor of referring to as my prime mode of transport.

I have seen all sorts of attitudes towards my choice of steed. I have seen disbelief, quizzical glances, downright disgust, amused tolerance, disrespect, and every once in a while, be it ever so rare, admiration.

I believe the prevailing social norm in India, is that the bicycle is meant only for teenagers, and the lower class. I see no self respecting manager of a company, or a not so self respecting brash youth eager to prove himself a man, making the cycle as their prime mode of transport.

It is during moments of contemplation, when these undeniable facts present themselves to me clearly, that I shake my head in disbelief at the commonly held supposition that Man is a rational animal. I won’t go into the benefits of cycling in this post. They are far too obvious to me, and indeed, to anyone who thinks logically. If you want a good breakdown, read about the benefits of cycling in this article.

But perhaps I’m being too judgmental. Live and let live is what I say. So I have no grudge against those who use a motorized vehicle, beyond the rather obvious fact that they pollute, make a terrible noise, and in some cases, use up so much road space per user, that pathways in major cities are becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through.

However, I do wish that people would apply the same principal to me, harmless as I am. All over India, I encounter active prejudice against the most friendly mode of transport ever devised. And I’m not just talking about the way people look at you.

In almost all parking lots, prime space goes to huge cars, and the space filters down to motor bikes, until only at the very end, if you’re lucky, you find a place to park your cycle. And in all cases, cyclists are forced to park in the sun, in a dilapidated parking lot that seems to say ‘Here lie all the unworthy and unwanted items known to man’. Even the parking attendants are frequently rude to cyclists, while they bow obsequiously to the huge Mercedes close by.

I feel a just wrath, as I view the shabby treatment meted out to cycles by people who look at self worth only as a function of what society deems is important. These same people have visions of one day owning a car themselves, and being bowed to by other Parking attendants, and so it propagates. People who are unable to think for themselves.

The rest of the world has long woken up, and has recognized the benefits of the cycle. They plan entire cities taking into consideration the fact that they need to make it bicycle friendly. There, the cycle is an accepted mode of transport and there is no shame in using it.

The picture that you see, is of a policeman riding a cycle in an obviously cycle conscious society. And he looks so cool! In India, only the lowest of the police force ride a cycle.

Now my readers mustn’t mistake me. I love my country, and I would not leave it. I guess that countries, just like people, are childish at first, and then mature as time goes by. I know this will happen sooner or later (but probably not in my life time) in India. But it is frustrating to see it happen! It’s just something that we conscious cycle riders have to learn to deal with. We’re setting an example, and that requires guts. Go Cycles!

Similar Posts:

• American audiences can’t face Evolution! – September 21, 2009
• Dying Unexpectedly – October 13, 2008
• Ethics of Abortion – October 12, 2006
• When children leave – March 5, 2007
• Being Lazy is Good – April 1, 2008