RIFLE RANGE BOY

Otters go sightseeing in Singapore You say they were here before you. Before you cleared the greens to build your homes and offices, they had theirs. That is how the world goes, is it not? One dominant species or even within species trying to dominate the other is part and parcel of life on Earth. You sing your victory tunes when India's legal system proclaims River Yamuna as a living entity with rights. And the Native American Courts are looking at possibilities of defending rivers and lakes against errant developers who have no qualms contaminating Nature and destroying natural habitats in the name of development. And you were happy when your backyard was featured in numeral documentaries and nature magazines for bringing back the fauna and flora that were lost in the name of wanting to catch up with the wave of industrial development. You proudly displayed greenery-filled pictures you snapped of your once backwater country on your wall. Now it seems that Nature is back with a ve...

Ju Dou (Chinese; 1990) Just as much as societal norms set the order in a society, they can also be the cause of discontent and chaos. Believe it or not, this is very much like religion. On the one hand, it tries to create a milieu of harmony where all individuals, rich or poor, stronger or weak has a place in the sun. Conversely, to try to enact 'God's Law' on Earth, we see people die, and countries go to wars towards this end.  This classic multiple award-winning Chinese film tells of a tale which is set in a secluded village at the turn of the 19th century. Tianqing is adopted by a wealthy but miserly owner of a fabric dyeing factory. He is forced to work ruthlessly, almost like a slave. The elderly owner, Yang, after a spate of dead spouses, is now married to a young bride. Yang is abusive towards his young wife, perpetuated by his impotence and inability to secure an heir. Tianqing takes pity on the bride, Ju Duo. The feelings develop into a romance, ...

Planet Earth II (BBC Documentary; 2016) We, h uman beings, are convinced that we are the chosen one. We like to think that our cognitive function is well developed. We move with a chip on our shoulders, convinced that God created the Universe for us alone. Just because our neo-frontal cortex has developed much over the ages, we think we are special. Deep inside, when we scrutinise our distant ancestors, we are not much different. Our primal desires, needs and wants are still the same. Just like members of the animal kingdom, we fight for territory, food and mate. Unlike them, however, we also kill our fellow kind and animal kind indiscriminately in the name of sports, recreation and surge of mental derangement. This BBC produced documentary can easily be described as the best documentary ever done; at least among the ones that I have ever seen. In six one-hour episodes, the makers take our focus to all four corners of the world. We are taken away, in the comfort of our ar...

With the spate of events one after another, honouring someone in one way or another, I started thinking. Somebody sent an intercontinental Raksha Bhandhan greetings to his new found sister from another mother whilst refusing to recognise the existence of his own biological one. Another tied the band of allegiance with much disdain just for the sake so as not to break the tradition. In real life, this brother-sister duo was like snake and mongoose, eternal mortal enemies. When they met, one would look West whilst the other looked East, such were their animosity. Come to tying the string of brotherly protection in the world so hostile; they were all geared with sweets, nuts and showers of incense water to fragrance their sharing of common DNA! Same with Mothers, Fathers, Labourers, Farmers, zodiac animals in the Chinese calendar and the Hindu scriptures revered animals, the sacred cows and the divine Elephants.  The animal denoting the iconic remover of hurdles, the wise o...

The Jains are kind of obsessed with not hurting animals that they just shoo a mosquito rather than squash it. Of late, quite a number of people are caring for the welfare of animals, physical as well psychological wise. Unheard careers like dog whispers, veterinary acupuncturist have secured their stronghold in some societies. Now, you may say all that is fine but how is a mosquito (also an animal) contributing to society and should be given due respect? All that do is spread disease. In the last census, half of world population from Stone Age have died from mosquito borne diseases especially malaria. True, only female mosquitoes bite humans as they need nutritious proteins for their potential off springs. And that mosquitoes are also found in the Arctic Circle but they only help to germinate wild orchids. Maybe the mosquitoes are doing us a favour by competitively protecting us from more severe diseases. Or that they are protecting the green lung tropical forests from intruder...

They are more than just 'The House of the Rising Sun' Imagine you are just another one of God's creations. Just another one life form amongst many. Nothing special about you. Not the chosen one. Not created in His mold! You have been having the grandiosity that the world revolves around you. That you are superior over other creations and that you are complete with senses to think, sympathise and empathise. Err... You got it wrong again. The zest, the spontaneity, the emotional display and meaningful response are also displayed by them (the others), albeit in their own vocalisation. On the other end, animal do not exhibit human qualities like killing each other for no particular reason, other than for food, territory or mates. Just like the concept of alpha-male in the animal kingdom, we also have set preset hierarchy to place some people in a place more superior than another. In the video below, the non lactating cows which were actually worthless from an economic ...

"Daily Mail" True Crime: Classic, Rare and Unseen(2009) By Tim Hill Sometimes, we wonder why is it that, human beings have a fascination towards murder and other heinous crimes. Just have a look at almost all prime time TV shows. They all feature killings and evil as their central pillar. Anyway, with the blurring of what used to be prime time and since now TV is on 24/7 and is cheap and is available all rooms of the house (include the toilet), the concept of prime time where the whole family would sit together after their dinner is not existent. That propagated mini-series and soap operas that also include the above sins as well as other vices like infidelity, cheating and lying for good measure! In the old days when one has to wait a full week for his dose of crime, with the advent of cable TV, he is on a perpetual chronic overdose! In spite of the society's abhorrence to violence, the world we live in, animal or human kingdoms, is full of violence. In the ani...

Austerity, what's that? Spanish King Juan Carlos slammed for £27,000 elephant hunting trip as his country drowns in debt and half of youngsters are jobless. Check here From the time cavemen were running from the feared mammoth and saber toothed tigers, they always tried out ways to be in control over their predators. So, they used their thinking cap and the God given fifth sense to outwit them so much so that men now control most of the planet and have sent many of those animals into hiding and extinction. The nearest that the average man come in contact with animals are either cooked, domesticated or when.they pay to see them caged. Even at this age and time when we are supposed to be civilized and cultured, some people find joy in gunning down animals just because they can - not for their food, hide or self defence and exhibit their kill for others to awe! Bengal Tiger floored One notorious man-eating tigress known as Champawat (pictured above) killed some 200 men...

War Horse (2011） I never really particularly fancied horsey movies. Films like National Velvet, National Lampoon and the numerous Disney Channel feature films with the predictable interaction between man and animal with an equally predictable feel good endings come to mind. Part of my upbringing make me think that the horses' ability to run and racing is strongly linked to betting and other vices that had a hand in the downfall of many noble families. Just because Steven Spielberg directed the movie which was a forerunner for many prestigious awards, I gave it a go.  The story starts with a ex-British soldier of the Transvaal War (where Churchill earned media publicity) who is now a drunk farmer in Devon buys a young stallion at a market auction just to get back at his landlord even though what he actually needed was a plough horse . The farmer's son, Albert, named him Joey and manages to train him to work on the soil. The produce however got destroyed by bad weather that the...

During my usual stint on the treadmill, the TV was on a trashy 1976 Rajnikanth film named 'Thai Meethu Sathyam', a 'western' Tamil movie where everybody is a cowboy, have 6-barrel pistols that shoot forever and ride on horses. The interesting character in the movie was an Alsatian who actually did more work (than the hero) trying to smell out the bandits, outsmart the crooks' dogs (by throwing a butcher's meat for them to fight out), biting off the ropes of the hero when he is tied and the crook is trying to rape his girlfriend and so on... Even in 'The Artist', Uggie the dog had a meaty role to play like acting with him in his movies and hanging around through thick and thin as well as save him from a burning building. The Artist (2011) Thai Meethu Sathiyam (where is the dog?) In these two movies, the deed of the dogs must have gone a long way in doing well in box-office. People generally like the idea of seeing animals living in harmony with h...

And all got me is this lousy  badge, to tell me that  I am narcissistic! Still better than my wife's CF (Control Freak)!  So there I was, on a Saturday afternoon loitering around in an up-market bazaar on Petaling Jaya because my daughter just decided that she simply had to be at this place like this place was the greatest innovation since sliced bread! The bazaar was a collection of canopy covered stalls selling various items that one can just do without, predominantly of dresses (which were made from not much of material, quantity and amount wise) and cute handicraft souvenir items like the one on the left.  Even one of the attendees was dressed like she was strolling along in Oxford Street for New Year sales in crimson red suede long coat in the tropical environment of Jaya One! It was as if the patrons were loitering with blinkers oblivious to reality of our climate and third world status! The site was actually an avenue for small time on-line...

Just the other day, I visited a close friend. I was shocked to see his home in a topsy turvy condition in total chaos like a hoarder's house would be. Besides the books and bags that my friend had to house in (beside his two adult kids), he was also a proud father to three dogs! You see, his son had finished his undergraduate studies and returned home for good (or bad). Besides acquiring his credits for his coursework and a girlfriend along the way, being an animal lover that he is, he started rearing dogs. The headache has now been passed over to my friend. (The feeding, cleaning and the irrational bark for no apparent reason - maybe it saw some apparition, must be his evil neighbour who died recently!) There are amongst us who claim to be animal lovers. Just like vegans who choose to be so to minimize sufferings endured by a slaughtered but have no qualms about kicking a dog off his lawn, an animal lover who parades for equality and kindness for animals sometimes find it cum...