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.