Twisty Tails - A Tale of Untwisted & Innocent Platefuls of Love!

"Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And, none of them are wrong"

- W.R.Purche

I am darned dead cert that this absolute blinder saying will sonorously reverberate with every dog lover who owns one or more than one dog and treats them as their own family.

And, if you love the highly faithful and caring beings but cannot own them due to a large number of reasons like allergy, parents/spouses non-advocacy, monetary and maintenance issues or flat/apartment rules, then cut back on the folderol and look no further.

Twisty Tails is the wagging, pun intended, answer where you are allowed to be with the terrific group of Terriers who has different personalities and behaviors that it's like a teacher walking into a Kindergarten for the first time and finding that every student has different attitudes and habits that she/he has to deal with to have a smooth running of their class.

They have primarily 3 zones where one of them is reserved for in-house Terriers and the other is for the Cafe. The third zone is where we can bring in our dogs to be on their own with a supervisor overseeing the proceedings.

Right from the moment you enter the cafe, it's beautifully designed and decorated with wall-hangings and paintings of Little Dory-eyed bowtiful pups that you feel like actually kissing them. The ambiance is highly simplistic and minimalist but greatly effective in portraying its pure-bred, pun intended again!, theme of a novel idea in the heart of Chennai - Nungambakkam to be exact.

After placing the order, we were asked by the maitre d' to have a look at their popular attraction - Terriers - if we desired - as they usually have a break time in the afternoons to rejuvenate themselves for the evening.

As it was the onset of a torrid Summer Season, most of them were in an irritable and grumpy mood like a bear with a sore head. But, you can't blame them since I was also suffering the damning effects of a humid sunny afternoon. 

Likewise, they were also sleepy and many (including me) were trying to make the brave ones who weren't dreadfully fatigued by the heavy weariness of the sultry heat.

When it became next-to-impossible to see them voluntary be in their elemental and playful zone, pun intended again, it was already time for our food to have arrived on our table.

Like a star standing on top of a pedestal, I was greeted by the soothing and cooling Watermelon Juice that was very much needed at that moment due to the sweltering sipping out of my body fluids by the raging sun like the Glucose Ad! 

The Spicy Chilly Paneer was as soft and fluffy with the right amount of spices to cater to my taste buds. The Mexican Meal had a non-pareil Fried Rice that it was like a burst of Cheese from your mouth when you are having your favorite Pizza. 

You also had Nachos and Quesadillas with the usual suspects - Mayo and Salsa Sauces as a part of the Mexican Meal to complete the dining experience. 

Now, coming to the most important aspect - Price.

It did not cost an arm and a leg but at the same time, it didn't come cheap.

Slightly over-priced.

So, Value for Money - No.

Maybe, it's over-priced due to the fact that they had to take care of the dogs? or their positioning is in that way?

I don't know.

But, what I know for certitude is that when you consider it from the point of view as a total wholesome experience which includes petting and enjoying with the cutieee pups - A Def Yes to visit the restaurant.

Woof Woof Woof!

Nope.

This time there is no PJ involved!

PS:

The regular sleeping time for the dogs is from 330pm to 530pm. 

So, IMHO, the ideal time to check out the place (if it's for the dogs!) when they would be at their best is after 6pm when the weather cools down or before 2pm as the sun would be at its peak around 3pm and make them be at their best worst.

Just a heads up for you to have a whale, sorry Dog!, of a time here.

PS 2:

I am not sure how they would behave during winters or rainy season as this was my first ever time.

Royal Sandwich Shop - An En Abundancia in Variety & Taste!

What more you can expect when you walk into one of the most famous Sandwich Bars in Chennai?

Burgers & French Fries??

Ney.

It was loaded.

With truckloads, okay Wall loads!, of permutations and combinations of the number available on board, literally!.

A small and decent place on TTK Road - unless you have the exact address or landmark or if you have visited it earlier - there is a pretty good chance that you can probably miss it in the speed of things and have to take another turn to reach there.

And, a special mention to the wall.

Nope. 

Doesn't got to do anything with Game of Thrones here.

Their entire set of specialties were plastered across what seemed like more than a mile to complete their a la carte.

They should actually announce a competition that whoever gets the number of items bulls' eye would be given free sandwiches or 50% discount on it.

Of course - a time limit has to be there for counting and getting it right.

Now, let's get back to business.

After wowing and astonishing us with Ganges-ish breadth and length of a menu, it was time to place the order from the embarrassment of choices that were liberally forced upon us.

I had the new-on-the-shop Choco Khakra and Paneer Sandwich.

Had Lord Indra been alive, he would have renounced his kingdom for this heaven!

Royal Sandwich Shop lived up to its reputation that it served THE BEST finger food in the form of a sandwich in the city.

Of course, I was late to the party.

If it hadn't been for my cousin, I wouldn't have known about it.

But, better late than never, right?

A true VFM deal either as a quick evening snack or a full-fledged dinner when you place yourselves an assortment of a healthy order from the menu.

What good way to elevate your mood further than to indulge in a sinfully thick choco shake after an inexpensive and mouth-smacking product from the Land of the Queen - The British.

Yep.

The acclaimed sandwich which comes in different shapes and sizes is attributed to have originated from the British.

No wonder it has a long history in Wikipedia.

Now, coming back to the Choco Shake at The Thick Shake Factory.

It was the thickest and yummiest cup.

Did I say cup?

It was more like a big bucket masquerading as a cup!

Or was it due to the fact that the shake was so thick and heavy that it gave me the illusion that it was a big bucket?

Whatever it might be, it was too good to be true for that particular price point.

Needless to say, it was doggie bagged after a point.

Woof Woof. 

Yeah. I know.

The "woof woof" was a pathetic joke to the reference for doggie bagged.

Turning a blind eye and deaf ear to such ridiculous PJs, you should really turn your good eye towards Royal Sandwich Shop if you prefer a nutritious and tasteful bite that doesn't burn a hole in your whole pocket. 

Or Wallet.

Or Purse.    

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 3

Just like how we had a mind-numbing cliffhanger in the movie,

I wanted to give that experience in this blog series as well with a power-packed question in Part 2:

"So, does it mean he is a heroic villain who used a pragmatic approach to deal with a serious spiraling out of the situation at hand but his execution doesn't fall under the realms of rightfulness?"

Here,

We will explore this possibility as well.

Thanos reasons that finite resources will eventually end up and society will crumble like a cookie.

He is actually right there.

IMHO, there is always a cap for need. 

But, the cap simply blows away when an individual's greed is brought into the picture.

To put it in a nutshell, need is finite. Greed is infinite.

Unless the finite and infinite matches for each and everyone in a sustainable fashion, the deteriorating situation goes beyond a point of no return and it would take quite a while  - hundreds or thousands or even millions -  to return back to normalcy.

Thanos was quick on the uptake of this fact.

But, he makes a grave assumption in this regard.

WHAT IF there is some advanced civilization(s) than his which uses the most avant-garde technology to cater to their citizens' need and greed as well thus ensure that their society(s) doesn't fall under the classic trap of wreck and ruin?

Did he conveniently/inconveniently forget or did not think about this scenario when he was ferreting out for the Infinity Gems across the length and breadth of the Universe?

If such a society(s) existed, then didn't he even think for a moment that when he snaps his finger after all the stones are in his kitty, he would be doing a terrible disservice to those denizens?

So, you tell me now.

Can Thanos be called a Heroic Villain despite the fact that he saves half the Universe from a horrible tragedy?

IMHO, nope.

  

If I were the Universal Police in the MCU, I would immediately place Thanos under arrest for killing billions of innocents without their consent as he had taken the authority on his own by falsely and wrongly thinking that he was doing the right thing when he wasn't in reality.

This is crystal-clearly shown in the movie as to how Gamora rages upon him when she goes back into her flashbacks and his talks with him in the current moment.

By the looks of it, she would have happily stayed with her loving parents even in the wretched and squalid conditions than being violently torn apart and taken away from her beloved family. 

To sum it up, IMHO, Thanos is an extremely atypical villain who has his heart in the right place (at least in the movie!) as he doesn't use the Gauntlet for any other purpose (as of the movie's Part 1) other than to prolong and maintain order in the Universe.

His noble motive becomes overwhelmingly ignoble when his modus operandi is all over the place, pun intended, jeopardizing and placing everyone's lives at peril in his quest for the many-hued Gems to restore the Universe's natural balance even though he shows his gentle, soft and kind teary-eyed emotional nature to Gamora before he unwillingly throws her off the cliff!

                                                               X---Concluded---X

PS:

"Hey...You said you would state as to why you haven't written any blog for one whole month. But you haven't cited it anywhere at all."

Yeah Yeah.

I remember it distinctly well.

All I wrote, Okay typed!, was I will say it.

FYI!

I never said anywhere that I would say the reason in this blog. (Part 1 or Part 2 or Part 3 or all of the above)

How else will you read Avengers: Infinity Wars Review - if you are interested that is! - without me preserving the wonderful Marvel tradition of linking up of movies.

In this case, the reason why I didn't type down for one full month is the connecting factor between this and the soon-to-be-written review.

And, by the way, if your lynx-eyed brain hasn't noticed it already, Thanos Part 1, 2 & 3 and the subsequent Movie Review is also from the Marvel Stables.

That's why I said preserving Marvel tradition of linking up of movies earlier.

Nope.

Don't even ever think that I fooled you or got the better of you.

I gave a factual response that "I will still answer it" when I said it in Part 1 of this series.

No shred of mentioning anytime or anywhere that I would be furnishing it in the blog.

I am only responsible for what I say.

Not for what anyone wants and understands in their own sweet way.

PS 2:

I am not against the world's 1%.

They are in the topmost bracket because they had worked harder and smarter to their very bones than the rest to reach that position by sacrificing many things in the process and having the tremendous appetite to take risks than the general populace.

But, they can also take at least certain efforts and not leave every one of us to hang out to dry when a cataclysmic event strikes our Earth as they will not have anyone else to buy their products and services after the monstrosity ends and the situation comes under control if the only possibility is that they survive and scrape through it.

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 2

To paraphrase one of my personal favorite from Sherlock Holmes (whether you imagine Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr or both - Your Preference!) by Doyle,

"Eliminate all the possibilities. Whatever remains after the exercise, how much ever improbable, that is the truth".

Without further ado and cutting to the heart of the matter,

So, is Thanos a hero?

From the POV of the Mad Titan, it's an unflinching Yes.

He considered himself to be a daring visionary who could see future events unfolding on its own accord given the current set of circumstances prevailing on his planet and the probable situation that can be happening in other habitable planets as well.

It doesn't end with it as he saw himself as the absolute savior of all living beings in the Universe.

Also, what should be taken into consideration is that Thanos was extremely fair, unbiased, impartial and undiscriminating by not favoring the rich and ignoring the poor when it came to the question of their deaths on his finger snap.

He thinks through and gives an equal 50-50 probability for either of them (wealthy & destitute) to possibly live, unlike the Nuclear Bunkers that are constructed all over our real world for the super-elite in case of a devastating catastrophe.

In our real world, if the ultra-rich even think for a moment that they became wealthy and famous because of the common man, and woman!, then they would at least take some efforts to protect the masses in the event of such an eventuality.

That's what true leaders do - Be a shining light to the people even in darkness.

But, the most probable reason which they would give is that they have money-to-spend because of their own herculean efforts and smartness.

True.

No denials.

Yet, they forget one crucial piece of fact that their efforts and smartness wouldn't have landed them their plush, swanky and fortified Nuclear Bunker hadn't it been for a loyal audience to whom they were catering their intelligence.  

If Thanos were a real person, he would definitely have a big smile on his face which would read that he is better than all of them.

Sounds heroic, right?

Wrong.

The means Thanos used to achieve his end come under heavy scrutiny and necessitates a vivisection on his ruthlessly benevolent actions.

What I meant by the above is that in his arduous attempts to get hold of the immensely mighty Infinity Stones and prevent the Universe to enter into a state of perpetual/temporary decay, he had massacred many to gain the fidelity and allegiance of his lieutenants - The Black Order - to butcher even more.

For the fact, he even killed Gamora's parents right in front of her.

Hence, IMHO, he is not a hero.

So, does it mean he is a heroic villain who used a pragmatic approach to deal with a serious spiraling out of the situation at hand but his execution doesn't fall under the realms of rightfulness?

                                                     X---To Be Concluded---X

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 1

"Dude. Where the hell you disappeared into thin air and have been all these days without any blog tagged to your name?"

If you didn't think of this question, I will still answer it.

Before we come to that important part, we have other essential things to sift through and arrive at the clinching conclusion to the title of the blog which explicitly reads whether Thanos is a hero or villain.

Had I been reading the oh-it's-a-ruddy-interesting-title, I would have definitely asked one simple question:

"What's a Heroic Villain?"

Supposedly you hadn't thought of it, that's where this entire write-up comes into the picture.

Okay.

Avengers: Infinity Wars - The review is for another time.

For sure.

But, two words to describe it - Loveeee Yaaaaaaaaaaa Sooooooo Muccchhhhhhh Marvellllllllllllll.

Oh ho!

That's 5 words.

Couldn't diminish or pare down what I wanted to say any further.

Fine.

Let's get back to our focal point of attention - Thanos.

I'm not an avid comic book reader but still, somewhere in some Youtube video it is said that Thanos desired to possessed those colorful pieces of powerful stones to impress his Lady Love.

Now, coming to the movie, the Blue Titan's motive and intent were totally and completely different like saying the Dursleys loved Harry Potter!

Still, when you give it a whirl of thought, Thanos is not our usual and stereotypical wicked anti-hero who wants to destroy cities for fun and power or suppress people as his slave or has a vile reasoning to take revenge upon The Avengers and his enemies.

Nope.

Nothing of that sort.

What was really captivating to me was that there was a clear-cut method to his madness.

His home place was going to hell on a handcart and it was beyond the point of no return.

Practical and rapid action needed to be taken so that at least some of them could survive and his species lives to fight another day.

He doesn't stop with that.

He may/might have wondered "What IF other planets also faced a same-to-similar problem and they had no solution to resolve it?"

That could have probably led him to take responsibility to covet those building blocks of the Universe (at least in MCU!).

To give an unvarnished truth of how Thanos was projected in the film, he took the law upon his own hands as he objectively saw that the situation in his place was getting out of hand and took it upon himself as he solutioned that by getting his hands on the invaluable and potent stones, Thanos knows that he was, in fact, offering everyone a chance to live and breathe.

Hey...The way you are saying and citing things, it's like you are giving your whole-hearted support to this stark raving mad person.

If you didn't have this line of reasoning in your head, it's alright.

I will definitely give not just a line but paragraphs of reasoning as I still haven't finished the write-up yet.

In the end, you can decide for yourself whether I have wholehearted support for him or not. 

All I wanted to say is that when we look beyond the tunnel vision of our narrow-mindedness and put ourselves in the other person's shoes - whether it fits or not is a different story altogether (abysmal PJ!) - we can see with even more clarity as to why they are doing what they are doing.

With this food for thought, 

Let's deep dive further into this epic movie that is spectacularly created, chiseled and sculptured by the Russo Brothers in Part 2.

Much like Infinity Wars Part 2.

                                                       X---To Be Concluded---X

Contrition - A Soothing Palliative Agent - Part 2

The qualities of a person largely depend on their individual choice - conscious or subconscious or unconscious (conscious is the best) - to be as:

a) purely good

b) good dominating their bad

c) bad dominating their good

d) purely bad

e) perfect harmony of good and bad in the right proportion for the right person at the right time 

f) unattached perfect harmony of good and bad in the right proportion for the right person at the right time

To achieve the last option living in a practical world without taking upon asceticism, it takes a herculean effort, energy, persistence, determination and single-minded resoluteness to remain in that eternal and blissful state effortlessly not only for a single moment or day but also lifelong is the epitome of perfection.

For all the other possibilities, cause-effect triumphs thereby kicking in the breakable yet unbreakable chain of Karma because of their respective actions according to their intentions and motives.

The motive may not play a significant or weighty role in the Court of Law but in the realms of spirituality and morality at the infinitesimal quantum levels, the consistency of the motive is one of the decisive indicators of the overall nature of any living being.

Usually, people genuinely or strategically or insincerely engage in self-reproach or self-castigation when they commit a mistake, error or blunder.

If it's strategic or insincere, it's confirmed they belong to either c) or d) with the exception that those in c) can also be genuine enough when they are treated with love, respect, and kindness but you need to monitor them in case they fall into the classic trap of recidivism.

I don't know whether you have what it takes to do the right thing but two striking incidents flash across my mind that happened in my life.

When I was in my 12th standard, my teachers, especially DivyaShree mam who taught CompSci, Parvathi mam - Physics, Jaggu Sir - Chem and Snehalatha mam - Maths, felt that I had it in me to get glory to my school by securing the State Rank.

As the results rolled out, my scorecard read 97 % which would have been easily the first rank in many schools (at school level & not state level).

I was very much disappointed and dejected with myself that I let down my teachers as they strongly believed in me that I would make them very proud.

I was self-mortified and embarrassed to meet them in person to thank them for their wonderful efforts once when the results were declared.

I falsely thought I was doing the right action by not meeting them as I miserably failed to meet their high expectations to acquire the coveted State Rank.

But, in retrospect, I felt it was not the right decision since it meant that I had given much attention to myself rather to my incredible teachers who had poured out their heart and soul for two years.

Most importantly, their constant encouragement and motivation to make not only me but also everyone to strive harder and harder without any partiality was the nucleus of their teaching methodology.

There have been many a day where I considered walking back to my school and drop in but days had turned into years and with their skills and talents, I was sure that they would have moved on to another school or college.

I had one golden opportunity to have an accidental run-in with Snehalatha mam. But, before we touched upon the particular topic, she had to go as she was running late.

Wherever they are, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart as I was very lucky and fortunate to get such extraordinary teachers in my life.

One other teacher who left a profound impression was Umamaheswari in Bhaktavatsalam Vidyashram. When I shifted my school to DAV, I knew that if I told her before I jumped school, she would have definitely convinced me to stay back. 

As a kid, I was very afraid that would happen and didn't even tell her a proper goodbye to one of the best teachers I have had in my entire life. Her natural way of simplifying things and her passion towards her profession - it left an indelible mark on me to love what you work rather than for just money.

Like my high school teachers, she was way too competent to be limited there. Though I had one chance to speak with her, she was extremely busy with her co-workers and I thought I would make her even more angry by interrupting her.

Whether they forgive me or not, it's up to them but it was never ever in my wildest imagination of thinking to disrespect or insult them through my behavior then.

Rebirth may exist or may not - But, I would definitely want them as my gurus in my next life as well for their superb way of teaching and making things easier to understand.

The truth has been stifling and suffocating me for a very long time but with Steve Smith's honest-to-goodness acceptance, it was the much-needed spark and I also felt that the time was aptly right to unburden the untampered truth as such.

The one major difference between Smithy and myself is that he said it in open whereas I don't have the luxury to track every single teacher and tell them but doing it in my blog though if I ever get a window of opportunity to see any of them in person, I would love to thank them for their magnanimity which they had shown and showered upon not only me but also every student to consistently raise our bar every time in whatever we do.

                                                              X---Concluded---X

Contrition - A Soothing Palliative Agent - Part 1

There is no better relaxation or tension-free in this world than a sound, not snoring!, night's sleep or be with your loved ones or have a hearty meal or deep massage or whatever you deem fit that can complete this list!

But, when an eroding and gnawing sense of restlessness results (Alliteration after (He he he..here too!) a long time!) in a swirling mess of chaotic turbulence in your head, you know that there is something wrong - either someone has wronged you or you have wronged someone or both or simply an unnecessary anxiety and worry.

If it's the last option, then it's time to come back to the reality by grinding the unwanted and unneeded to pulp through right reasoning and knowledge.

However, when the flutter in your bonce is due to any of the other three reasons, you should again grind it to pulp through right reasoning and knowledge.

Sounds repetitive and confusing that it makes your head spin like the rotation of our Earth?

Fret not.

I will simplify it to its simplest level.

You are a genius.

I am not understating or overstating it.

The only reason I want to put in an easy to understand terms is that my vocalization of the articulation of my comprehension is better - significant or slight - I leave it to your genius brains.

Everyone knows that uttering a lie - harmful or non-harmful - is not right. 

But, harmless lies like sweet nothings or no-evil-intentioned insincere flattery are much better than harmful lies as it doesn't hurt or wound anyone.

When you lie through your teeth to your boss or significant other or interview process and get caught in the web of deceit spun by you to the extent that it not only harms the other person but also yourself, then it's an irreversible reaction like the shattering of glass into smithereens.

Unless you have a time machine!

Before doing something - good or bad, if you don't have the courage to let know the other person what you are going to do without any regrettable guilt or fear of shame, then it necessarily means that you have to take a long and hard look into the mirror.

There are those who can be vainglorious or blow their own trumpets on their wrongdoings as well with no sense of guilt as if they have incredibly achieved something in life.

I'm not talking about those unscrupulous and unconscionable characters.

The persons in the topic are those who have a good heart with multiple shades of tenebrousness in them.

And yes.

There is an even more nuanced categorization in this classification as well.

Some could also be arrogant and conceited yet have a heart of gold.

At the end of the day, supposing your well-intended intentions are intended good exclusively for you and not to others but you can't speak it out to the concerned person(s), it's better to stop whatever you want to do as the negative consequences of such actions could be deleterious in the long-run.

Of course, like Draco Malfoy strutting the Hogwarts corridors at the beginning of HP series, you can tell yourself with an air of bravado that you could face any challenges or obstacles that life throws at you.

The real question is...Can You?

Most people either over-estimate or have an exaggerated sense of their self in their minds that they fail to come to grasp in terms of the actual reality about themselves.

Extending it further, there are those who know exactly who they are but still, they have an inflated version - to keep their ego happy or project a coruscating image to manage others' impressions of their yearning happy-ego.

Though both are incorrect, the latter is relatively better as these individuals clearly understand their capacities, limitations and resilience quotient but for want of adulation, they portray a flowery self unlike the former case where the person isn't even aware of an iota of their personality (or have pushed their original nature into the deepest subconscious) but fooling not only another person but also themselves in the process.

It's like when the voters are faced with 2 worst candidates, they choose the one who is best between the worst.

Now, let's throw in another parameter into this equation - An unknown or inexperienced good individual with this 2 candidates. Most often or not, the voters would still elect a known devil than an unknown angel.

Whether it's the former or the latter, you can self-talk with "n" number of justifications for your improper conduct by falsely wanting to think that you have done the right thing when you actually haven't in reality.

All you are doing is that you are deeply and intensely afraid to accept your self as such for the bad things you have committed to the other person by building an artificial fortress of righteousness to cushion yourself from the adverse effects of your unpleasant actions or the unfavorable thinking/perception which people will have upon you for doing such a revolting act in the first place or both.

Too long?

For what?

                                                                X---To Be Concluded---X