Dogs and cats

It’s that dreaded word again…research!

Research says that dogs are more intelligent than the cats. But who will tell that to the cats!

Many times on social media, you will read that the smart people stay silent while fools chatter away. It is on the same social media that, cats are the reigning superstars.

While dogs are emotional fools, the cats are true drama queens or tantrum throwing divas.

When you observe a cat, you will see her engrossed in herself. She is either grooming herself or being selfish for her food. And can she manipulate! All her actions are designed to emotionally blackmail her owners to part with food.

Her meows range from almost begging to demanding to commanding. If that doesn’t work, she rubs against the owners legs and purrs with contentment. That is sure to melt the heart of any strong headed owner.

When she sits, her pose can range from a majestic one like a tiger, like resting on its side with the legs on one side, to the typical kitty pose where the paws are close together and the back is arched cutely. When she sits in this pose, she is constantly blinking it’s eyes in slow motion. Cuteness personified!

She is a Lone Ranger and aloof but at the same time can play with the owner. For playing, anything is game from a bouncing ball to a string. But while playing also, she is actually trying to hone her hunting skills. If you don’t believe, please observe her as she hunches and lowers itself, her pupils dilated and ears pushed forward, followed by the most graceful launch with the springing of her hind legs, to catch the toy or the prey.

When you observe a dog, he appears like a monk who looks at you with the most admiring eyes.

There is a genuine love for you, which is well manifested, especially when you return from the shortest of absences.

The dog is always ready for a hug and a slurping lick with his tongue. He doesn’t constantly beg for food but will eat when served. He is also much more patient animal than a cat.

The dog loves the outdoors and enjoys a bath, unlike a cat. Why cats hate water is a big mystery to me, they have almost a pathological fear of water.

While dogs are social animals, the cats a loners. Dogs can be very protective about the human babies, while cats can just about tolerate them.

Finally dogs have much more neurones in their neurological system as compared to cats making them more intelligent and empathetic.

No wonder dogs were friends with ancient humans from times immemorial, while cats were put on a pedestal and worshipped, like in ancient Egypt.

Yatindra Tawde

Happy hours...on Mars!

My happiness knows no bounds. A few weeks back I had announced  about my ticket to Mars. What? Don’t tell me, you don’t know!

After all, that news broke the internet. You can read about it all, here…https://itsmylife126.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/a-ticket-to-mars/

But coming back to the reason for my happiness. As I opened the morning newspaper today, on one of the inside pages, was a news which should ideally have been printed on the cover page. Yes, it really deserved that honour.

One of the leading Beer brands has announced that it is planning to be the first to introduce Beer on Mars. It would certainly make me feel at home.

As you know barley is a key ingredient in the manufacture of beer. So, the next mission to the International Space Station would carry this valuable load of barley seeds to the station, which is being thoughtfully rocketed to the space station by this leading brand. How indebted we astronauts are! After all, nothing beats beer in making us feel at home, in the weightless conditions of deep space.

These barley seeds will then stay in space for a period of one month. Experiments will be conducted to study the effects of the microgravity environment on the seeds. The results of this experiments will be analysed back in Earth and the first steps would have been taken to make Space, a happy place.

And Mars will have the first pioneering potbellied astronauts with a Lager in hand.

Hic!!

Yatindra Tawde

Humans and …sponges had a common ancestor

It’s been proposed by some scientists that many millions of years back, humans and sponges shared a common ancestor! I was shocked on reading this but then I reflected on this surprising theory, and finally I was convinced.

The sponges do not have a digestive, circulatory or nervous system. Instead they depend on water constantly flowing through their body for obtaining food and oxygen and removing wastes. They don’t have tissues and organs and lack body symmetry.

Considering all this I was surprised to read that humans and sponges shared a common ancestor. But then there are many specimen of humans who do share some of the characteristics of sponges.

Let’s see what they are…

Some humans are spineless characters just like the sponges. They lack courage or strength and try to escape any sort of confrontation, especially with their wives. They agree to whatever is decided by their wives, if only to live another day in tranquility.

In the office space, they soak up all the abuse from their bosses just like a sponge. Their only aim is to protect their means of income so that they continue to put food on the table at home.

Some are gutless and lack courage to take decisions. I think everyone knows who they are.

If sponges depend on constant flow of water through their body, some humans depend upon constant flow of alcohol through their body to survive. And miracles miracles! Free flowing alcohol allows them to overcome the above spongy shortcomings, and they are no longer spineless or gutless, albeit for a short time.
And there are quite a few who lack body symmetry with spindly hands and legs but a protruding pot belly.

So folks, when you next see such characters, please remember that a sponge is your sister species, and both of you have a common ancestor.

Yatindra Tawde

Mission to Mars

Over a lakh Indians have registered themselves for the first human mission to Mars. And I was shocked that number of Indians thronging for this path breaking journey are lagging behind the Americans and the Chinese. Then I came to know that the mission has been initiated by NASA. And the American numbers surged after the recent elections, I don’t know why. Hopefully they won’t be allowed to carry their guns on the flight. After all they have proved to be very fragile in the mental department, losing their marbles for the slightest of reasons. This mission is bound to test humans to their limits, first in making the long journey and then spending time on the harsh planet, however cocooned they may be from the elements.

The Chinese are second, next only to the Americans. Hopefully they won’t be allowed to manufacture any part of the spaceship nor the Mars adobe. Made in China has a good brand recall…er…product recall. But it won’t be so easy to recall from space neither can the product be use and throw. We don’t want to add to the debris floating around in space. Already lot of junk is going around the earth in various degrees of orbit. Similar thing cannot be allowed to circle around Mars. Another thing which the Chinese should be barred from, is to provide the food to the would-be astronauts. Indian Chinese food is one thing and reasonably tasty but one cannot say the same thing about Chinese Chinese food. We don’t want to further endanger the insect life on Mother Earth.

And how are the Indians lagging behind? It is said that a Chettan is found in all parts of a globe. But perhaps the people from that particular state have not heard about this mission.

A gregarious , fun loving and a foodie person from one north-western Indian state doesn’t have the patience required for making this long journey, without his shuddh ghee soaked food. And he is more interested in going to Canada.
And a jalebi phafda person will always miss his pure veg food. He will stand in long queues outside the American Embassy for a visa, since he can very well carry his gathiyas to the new country but all this will not be possible in the controlled atmosphere of the spaceship. Hence he has opted out.

The desperate reputation of hormonal males from one well known North Indian city precede them, hence NASA has banned them from the flight.

All of this leaves very few Indians who have opted to go. Mars is going to miss them and it is its loss. After all only Indians can come up with jugaadu solutions, which will be very much required to survive on the red planet.

My jugaad is ready. I am used to the green surroundings on our Earth so I am carrying my goggles with green filters. I am sure to see greenery everywhere on that red Planet.

So, Wish me Bon Voyage, friends…