Thursday 11 September 2008

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY: HERALD'S FRANCIS RIBIERO ALIAS CHOPPY PUT TO GRAZE IN CANACONA

Seems like all hell broke loose while we were away. We really shouldn't be making a habit out of it, but we are so damn sorry we couldn't upload a post for quite a bit. Some claim its job hunting that PP's doing, others have been claiming that we lost our drive, some others have claimed we pricks, have lost our balls. The concern has been simply over whelming. We appreciate that.
But seems like a lot has happened since we last pressed 'publish post'. To begin with the Francis Janim Xavier Ribiero alias Choppy has reportedly been put to graze by the Herald to the (brace yourself) Canacona bureau. Don't mistake Canacona for Cancun.
Canacona is to Herald staffers what Siberia was to out of favour Russians.
Ask current deputy news editor Ashley Do Rosario, who had fallen out of favour with the Herald management in his earlier stint here. Ashley is known to have compiled voluminous theses on a couple of fascinating topics during his posting at the Canacona bureau.
a) Nuances of bison-mating: Observations from atop a machan near a waterhole
b) Cohabiting with bisons: A survival guide on how to graze amongst bison herds
We suggest Choppy pick up a copy each from Ashley for free, before Rico publishes these documents into a couple of book and makes him pay for it.
We are not one's to rejoice at Choppy's 'transfer' to Canacona. But we are not too displeased with the fact that the Saligaokar wasn't transferred to Belgaum, the way Agnelo Periera and Robin Abreu were. Choppy would have found Belgaum's forever 'moisture in the air' weather tough, especially since he is a chronic asthama patient and is known to carry his pump about.
But frankly, it wasn't the asthama pump, which has made Choppy's life easy at the Herald all these years. In fact it was the way he used to 'pump up' Raul fernandes, which really held him in stead.
Choppy was one of Raul's best men in the Herald set up, besides Joel, Sergio, Savio, Walter, Bir, Manjunath, Pandu, late Tolotin, Jose and whats his name... yes Roque.
Come on who else would survive this routine? Work for a week, rest for a month. Then rest for two more months before working for two days. Then a spell of rest again for a month before coming out with a special issue for the Olympics fortnight. Then a broken leg and a two month recuperation window. Phew its been so tiring on the fellow.
But looks like Choppy's growling Rottweiller in the office and a cowering Shih Tzu before Raul routine finally, finally appears to have given way.
We always thought Choppy was like a cat with nine lives, but then a new dog in the Herald manger seems to have upset the equations.
Word going around is that Navhind Times part-timer-cum-full-timer-cum-secretary Indian Red Cross-cum former secretary Dempo Sports Club-cum-Master of Ceremonies cum (did we mention journalist yet?) is reported to be making the shift to Herald. The coin has been flipped, but we do not know which side it has landed yet.
The Jovito development has confounded the most seasoned media watchers in Goa. Suave, well networked, dapper he sure is, but Jovito's journalistic credentials have never been the object of envy. But surviving in TNT for so many years despite not being in good books of the editor Arun Sinha speaks volumes of either his tenacity as a commendable trait or frequent mouth to mouth resuscitating sessions at the Dempo towers on the quiet.
Either ways, the Jovito for Choppy debate is the current rage. Pick your candidate. It's Choppy in the red and Jovito in the blue corner.
And they need not even resort to blows, their stares would be good enough.

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The fact that Choppy survived so long at the Herald is a miracle. Many years ago he was seen riding a bike with a lady friend on the Mandovi ferry, when he was supposedly suffering from jaundice and on sick leave. He was fired from the Herald and somehow made his way back a few years later. He made life for his juniors hell and was famous for slipping in press releases from his restaurant- and shack-owner friends on the North Goa coastal belt. This was done so he could enjoy free booze and meals. All those stories were marked 'absolute must'. What goes around comes around. Don't be surprised if you see reports coming in about beach parties and food reviews from the Canacona beach belt. This man is civilised -- no bison watching for him!

11 September 2008 at 13:42  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Posting Ashley to Canacona was a right thing as he was found to be doing nothing in Herald and giving sermons. If he had stayed, by now he would have been in Belgaum writing stories of Ghantis and border disputes, not language row.

11 September 2008 at 13:59  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PRICKS SANS PRINCIPLES

When Ashley was transferred to Canacona, or Agnel to Belgaum, it was the Herald's tyranny at work. Now that it is Choppy, Pen Pricks is almost gleeful.
Why the different yardsticks?
You have just proved that there's no objectivity in Pen Pricks. Those you don't like are BAD (Herald, NT, Sergio, Joel, Choppy, Arun Sinha, etc). The rest (GT, ToI) scarcely get a mention.

A transfer to Canacona for such a senior staffer is clear cut victimisation, but Pen Pricks is positively ecstatic about it.

Got your principles in your pants, Pricks?

11 September 2008 at 17:19  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey guys what happened to the sexual harrasment case , was it compromised by paying a sum amount to the girl. A settlement or what it should be called?

11 September 2008 at 17:51  
Blogger Pen Pricks said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

11 September 2008 at 22:12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Penpricks do you justify the transfers of Ashely to Canacona and Agnelo Perreira to Belgaum or was it just victimisation. We await your response. Wait for some time, you too will have your day Penpricks.

11 September 2008 at 23:14  
Blogger Pen Pricks said...

OUR RESPONSE TO ONE OF THESE ABOVE ANONS
Over the years, there are some journalists in Goa who have come to symbolise a mutation between sloth and that vile smelling paste that gathers at the corners of your mouth when you don't drink enough water and have been talking more than necessary.
These are the guys, who've persecuted and ridden on their junior journos shoulders and their merit (before running them to ground), to curry favours with their bosses.
These are the guys who have always represented motivated journalism, rather than the motivational sort.
Any time, one of these guys run aground, whatever way, is time to rejoice.
Its one taint less, on the profession. -- PP

12 September 2008 at 00:08  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Choppy is struggling in choppy waters.

12 September 2008 at 12:43  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How far is Canacona?

12 September 2008 at 17:45  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why is Sandesh Prabhudessai heading the media accreditation committee?I thinks this committee comprises of newspaper what is this cable fellow doing there

12 September 2008 at 22:10  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Arre penpricks

Please feel sorry for poor Choppy. I mean given his proneness to being hit by accidents - travelling to Canacona is almost like delivering a death sentence to the poor sap. Hey come on penpricks whatever you may say about him, I don't think he deserves this fate.

14 September 2008 at 15:56  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YOUR RESPONSE TO ONE OF THESE ABOVE ANONS sounds like some Eduardo Faleiro type of philo-sophistry: Completely ignore the issue at hand and ramble on with some completely unrelated balderdash.

Congrats Pen Pricks, you should now join politics!

16 September 2008 at 16:55  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

who is jovito lopez? never heard of this name in journalistic circle

17 September 2008 at 12:55  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To anonymous 17 September 2008, 12.55.

It is Jovito Lopes & not Jovito Lopez pronounced by Spanish. Lopes was known in Goa journalist circle as secretary of Goa Red Cross and secretaty of Dempo Sports Club and GFA member. He was not a footballer but knows to play will balls. Navhind Times staff will vouch on this.

19 September 2008 at 13:44  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am one of the veterans of Goan journalism and it pains me when someone like J calls himself a journalist. He was associated with Red Cross for quite sometime but when his misdeeds (read misappropriation in Red Cross's funds) was found out the governor asked him to resign. He was just a part timer in Navhind Times drawing a salary of Rs 3000 and was least interested in the newspaper. He was only using that position in Navhind Times to make more opportunities for making money. One case is a recent one when he was a senior member of the of Sports Jounralist Association of Goa he cheated the association to the tune of Rs 90,000. After organising the TVS Sports Meet for journalists at Don Bosco grounds he never submitted the account. HE TOOK MORE THAN 3 LAKHS FROM TVS when the expensed incurred were around Rs 1 lakh.
Comment edited -- PP

21 October 2008 at 01:19  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do tell us more about this J scribe in a seperate post or else why do you publish accustaions that cannot be verified?

22 October 2008 at 15:01  

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