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…

Delicacy without borders

Delicacy without borders

Bengal has been granted the GI (Geographical Indication) for Rasgulla, by the Indian Government and the mercurial Chief Minister is ecstatic. Bengal’s gain is Orissa’s loss.

It all started in 2015 when Orissa celebrated the “Rasgulla divas” with huge fanfare but all hell broke lose in Bengal. It was as if a calamity had fallen on Bengali Bhadralok. After all it was their culinary symbol.

And like it happens for all things Indian, a committee was appointed to look into each state’s claim. And contrary to any other such committee, a decision was arrived at, within a short span of 2 years.

What about its equally mouth watering cousin, the Gulab Jamun. If Rasgulla is the fair and demure bride, then the Gulab Jamun is the dusky seductress. You eat one, you feel like eating all. Which state, you ask? Whichever it is, eat first, debate later.

And where Indian sweets are concerned, how can one forget the Jalebi. Known to originate in Persia, where it was known as Zolbia, Indians just love this exquisitely sweet delicacy.

Poha or Pohe, flattened and dried rice flakes, is another such delicacy, which is eaten across most Indian states. But it enjoys a pride of place on a Maharashtrian or Malwa breakfast plate. How can you grant it a GI status and to which state?

Same is the case with idli, Wada and dosa. Though popular as a South Indian breakfast, they became famous across India due to proliferation of Udupi restaurants everywhere. In North India, idli became famous as idli chaat and idli fry. Then somebody added ginger and garlic to the fried idli, and Lo and behold! A Chinese idli was born.

Next comes Batata wada and Misal, I already see a few readers making a rush towards the nearest eatery serving these. Both have the ability to make your mouth water and your stomach run. If South India had the breakfast food, Maharashtra had these fast food. GI is not required to stress their Maharashtrian origins. It can be safely said, the common man survives on this staple diet in all cities of Maharashtra.
Indians love the samosa too. Again, it originated in the Middle East. Known as samusaj in Arabia and Sanbosag in Persia, it is a fried dish with filling of meat, onion, ghee, lentils but its vegetarian avatar was what enticed the Indian populace.

The kachori is a similar stuffed delicacy, and many local varieties are enjoyed in the North Indian states, especially Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the western state of Gujarat. In Maharashtra, the Shegaon Kachori is ISO Certified!

Then there are so many chaats like sev puri, sev batata puri, ragda patis, et al; why bother about the origin when the destination is the human stomach, via the taste buds of the tongue.

Yatindra Tawde

itsmylife: Cashify - A boon for selling old electronics

itsmylife: Cashify - A boon for selling old electronics: I work in the Sales field in my professional capacity. But at home I report to the High Command, who plays the role of my wife. Usually, ...

Cashify - A boon for selling old electronics

I work in the Sales field in my professional capacity. But at home I report to the High Command, who plays the role of my wife. Usually, where the home front is concerned, she is the boss. She likes to make all the daily, or rather weekly purchases of all things needed for domestic consumption. Since we both work, the purchases have to be weekly. After all these years, she is an authority on the weekly consumption of the family. So the vegetables, groceries, et al, are all measured to the exact decimal grams. But this walking talking computer is not interested in buying anything electronic. So, whether it is buying of Mobile phones, TV’s, laptops or tablets, she is not at all interested. Yours truly is the King of the house where electronics is concerned.

 

But these electronics come with an expiry date, due to newer and newer updates and due to the rapid advancements in technology, especially in case of smartphones, tablets and laptops. Over a period of time, they become slow and outdated, in which case you have to get rid of them, so that you can covet the latest. Actually that too is one of the dictates of the High Command; “you cannot covet the new, unless the old is out of the house”.

 

One of the easiest way to get rid of the old smartphone is to ‘lose’ it, either in a mall or a train or some other such crowded place. But I refrain from taking such shortcuts. I try to get rid of it by honest means; I try to sell it.

 

Once I tried to sell off one of the old smartphones of a leading brand, which, once upon a time, was in the top three in India. I went from one mobile shop to another, but the offers never went beyond three digits. I was told that this phone had become obsolete. As if I didn’t know? Did I not want to sell it off, for that very reason? But three digits! That’s ridiculous! When I mentioned this to one of the shopkeepers, he insulted me by saying, “This is only worth two digits, bhalayee ka zamana hi nahi raha”. And he almost shooed me away. I tried to sell it to one of our servants, but she giggled hysterically on taking one look at the phone, saying “who will buy such phones now”…and went away. On top of that, High Command, “one simple task you cannot do properly”

 

With downcast eyes, I went and sat in the hall. Seeing my pitiable condition, my daughter asked me what the matter was.

 

After much pushing and prodding, I divulged the reason for my foul mood to her, blessed soul. After hearing me through, my daughter laughed and exclaimed, “But papa, why did you not tell me earlier. The solution was in our own house”. Saying this, she rushed into her room and came back with her own smartphone. “No, no. I am not going to sell your phone now. One is enough for me to sale”. As soon as I said this, she laughed heartily, and said, “No papa. See this awesome app on my phone. It is the Cashify App. There is even a Cashify website for it from where you can download the app.

 

This is the most user friendly and very convenient app and let me tell you, I got a very good bargain for my old laptop on this very app”.

 

That piece of news perked up my ears and I asked, “But how does it work?”. So for the next few minutes my daughter handheld me through the working of the app. And let me tell you guys, the Cashify App is awesome to get the best bargains for the product you want to get rid off. It’s as easy as #CleanUpCashOut. I certainly did and was given full marks by the High Command.

 

You just have to feed in the details of the device like :

what make,

what age,

current condition, etc. and the App offers the best selling price.

Once you accept, the App arranges free pickup. What’s more, you can even select the payment mode, ranging from cash on pickup to any other payment mode of your choice.

Have a look at this,

 

So guys, what are you waiting for? Here is the coupon code CLEANCASH just for you which will get you additional Rs. 250  on the sale of your gadget. Isn't that awesome?

 

Download the Cashify App and live happily ever after with your High Command.