You can prevail over better players at table tennis by psyching them out.

1411 Tigers left

A recent ad campaign which has caught my attention is the one which draws one to the plight of the Indian tigers. Apparently there are only 1411 tigers left. And 'we' have to take up their cause.

The tiger is India's national animal. I wonder why is the need of the concept of a national animal at all. I guess the mosquito or the housefly should have been made the national animal rather than the weak tiger. Anyway pantera tigris is benefiting from that.

Tigers are so bad in evolution and in adapting to changing conditions that they are getting extinguished at a bloody quick pace. They need help. I guess that the cost incurred to shove them all into reserves are going to be borne in part by the people who are going to help the tigers. I hope that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam do not get a share of the booty thus raised for the tigers.

Life would have been easier for the tiger if they could create a tiger with a dog's mindset. Imagine tigers as pets and guard-tigers. That should click amongst the fab set. Tiger farms would start sprouting up here and there as well.

I would like to be a tiger farmer. That sounds so very exotic. Bloody tigers.

Lent

It's funny how you can use the crutch of religion to get things done. I have been caught in a web of drinks these days. Anything and everything alcoholic has been gravitating towards me of late. And friends. When any of my friends invite me for drinks, I am more like Dracula getting a pass to a blood fest. Deep inside of me there is a voice which always tells me that I should refuse.

I always end up acceding to their requests without exception. The little voice gets drowned out anyway, after a few rounds. And the reputation. My reputation has become an enemy of mine. It says that I don't refuse a drinks invite, I guess. Irrespective of what I say, whether the reason is valid or lame, my wish to not drink is invariably brushed aside, time after time.

And then came Lent. I am Orthodox Jacobite Christian on paper. It was the religion assigned to me by my mother. It is what I fill up in forms whenever I am asked to. I don't really believe in the veracity of that religion, or of any other religion. I, however, have decided to observe Lent, by refraining from the major vices which are haunting me.

Religion is a very dicey subject. No one really forces you to break Lent or any other religious obligation. The drinks invites do come once in a while. The refusals now have legitimacy, and are accepted. I wonder if I will have to become a Sabarimala swamy after Easter, if I am to keep this gig up.

Human infestation

The dreams are growing in their range of variety these days. I dreamt of accidentally breaking a friend's guitar, and the subsequent botched attempts to fix it, and the ultimate despair.

Jackie boy and Brownie are not seen these days. I wonder if Jackie's head injury became septic. I hope that Brownie's not been taken away by the dog catchers of Chennai Corporation. The dog catchers are a tough lot.

They leap out of their yellow Tempo with nothing but ropes in their hands and start snaring them dogs. And the dogs. They are shit scared of these men in khaki shorts. They seem to prefer flight to fight. I guess I would do the same, had I been a dog.

Maybe there's a parallel universe where canines are dominant species and humans are the 'dogs'. Imagine a bunch of Doberman Pinschers in khaki jumping out of the Chennai Corporation Tempo with ropes in their mouth, on a mission to purge the human infestation.

I like the term - Human Infestation. Isn't that what's really happening?

Human experiment - Change of settings

The human experiment is losing steam. I am getting mired in tendrils which I have sprouted at different places. It's taking a toll on my well being. Sometimes I end up acquiescing to other's wishes, while sacrificing my own. I don't attach much importance to my wants. They get fulfilled or forgotten one way or the other. Being a man of few wants has two sides to it. Such a man is at ease at most places with most people. On the other hand, his mind is so used to having its wishes brushed off so often that it hardly minds it when a random wish is brushed aside yet again. Maybe it's time to switch the priorities of the human experiment to a different setting. It's not going to go down well with the people who are used to me being me. This should be interesting. The key would be not to accede when confronted emotionally.

The Sun's dead

I visited http://java.sun.com and had a nasty surprise today.I saw Oracle everywhere. I guess this is the beginning of the end for Java and Sun.