Since in my first post, I’d talked about myself and my interests (maybe without the trailing s), and in a way, given sufficient excuse for my existence, I think it’s time I looked at the blog, from a wider perspective, why I made one, what I’m planning to do with it, and most importantly, why it’s called what it’s called.
Names are, in a way, meant to reflect some aspect about the named, if not describe it in its entirety. This, however, does not mean that a guy named Goodman is a good man, and if, by any chance, he is, we must be inclined to accept that that might be purely coincidental. This observation perhaps directly follows from the fact that not much can be conceived about a person’s attitudes, behavior, manners, likes, dislikes, or anything else, as for that matter, when the person is an infant, or hasn’t been born yet, which is when most names are bestowed on their owners.
On the other hand, when it comes to naming things we create, we ought to pick something descriptive, lest we should look back at a later date, and wonder along the lines of, “what automobiles use carnot’s engine?” Wouldn’t it have been awkward if bicycles were called bags and vice versa? In fact, naming is so important that programmers like myself are advised to stick to guidelines. A variable named bWhetherIShouldHeatTheWaterAndThenPutInTheTeaPowderOrNot makes a whole lot more sense than an a or an i or an n.
So why “Rugged Rat”? I must say, I had a bit of thinking to do before I could write this one. I think a look at the kind of conversations I find myself in every now and then should throw some light on this one.
Names are, in a way, meant to reflect some aspect about the named, if not describe it in its entirety. This, however, does not mean that a guy named Goodman is a good man, and if, by any chance, he is, we must be inclined to accept that that might be purely coincidental. This observation perhaps directly follows from the fact that not much can be conceived about a person’s attitudes, behavior, manners, likes, dislikes, or anything else, as for that matter, when the person is an infant, or hasn’t been born yet, which is when most names are bestowed on their owners.
On the other hand, when it comes to naming things we create, we ought to pick something descriptive, lest we should look back at a later date, and wonder along the lines of, “what automobiles use carnot’s engine?” Wouldn’t it have been awkward if bicycles were called bags and vice versa? In fact, naming is so important that programmers like myself are advised to stick to guidelines. A variable named bWhetherIShouldHeatTheWaterAndThenPutInTheTeaPowderOrNot makes a whole lot more sense than an a or an i or an n.
So why “Rugged Rat”? I must say, I had a bit of thinking to do before I could write this one. I think a look at the kind of conversations I find myself in every now and then should throw some light on this one.
A typical conversation in the couch in front of the TV:
“Hey, bro, I think I need to do something about my physical condition.”
“What condition?”
“My point exactly…”
Let's say a potential girlfriend gets a birthday wish from me at 12.00 am sharp. The next day's conversation would go something like:
"Wow, RR, that was so romantic. I love you!"
"Well, you should... Do you know how much trouble I went through to make that client and schedule it to deliver your greeting?"
"You mean it wasn't you? Why you... I hate you! I don't wanna see you anymore!"
“Hey, bro, I think I need to do something about my physical condition.”
“What condition?”
“My point exactly…”
Let's say a potential girlfriend gets a birthday wish from me at 12.00 am sharp. The next day's conversation would go something like:
"Wow, RR, that was so romantic. I love you!"
"Well, you should... Do you know how much trouble I went through to make that client and schedule it to deliver your greeting?"
"You mean it wasn't you? Why you... I hate you! I don't wanna see you anymore!"
That, I guess, should explain “Rugged Rat”: I’m a rat for having been at one end of each of those kinds of conversations, and I’m rugged ’coz I have been at one end of those kinds of conversations. However, in all sincerity, the name has nothing to do with any of it: it was, and still is, just a variation of the name “rugrats” :P
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