What's in a name?

Everyone agrees that a name is what defines you - gives you your first identity - makes you an individual. Hence when I was about to choose a name for my blog I really didn't have to spend much time debating on what it was gonna be. Barkingmaddude! Those who know me well (or heck ...even know me will do) will probably agree that I couldn't have chosen a better name. But probably some light needs to be shed for the fortunate :-) few who have not yet had the pleasure of my acquaintance.
No beating around the bush on this one - barkingmad is what I am, but not strictly in the real sense of the term. A more literal definition applies here. To put it simply, I am crazy about dogs.
Big deal, some would say. And yes, I would probably agree with them but not because I actually agree but more because over time I have realised that it is futile to expect people to understand unless they are like-minded on the topic of dogs.
A mixed blessing (as even I realise), my love and extreme interest in the canine world has had interesting repercussions all my life. To start with my family. For a long time my parents were desperately going through hospital records trying to figure out if by any chance they took home the wrong baby! How else do you explain a phenomenon like me in a family where the closest anyone came to a dog in the last fourteen generations was when they read Tintin and casually noticed Snowy lurking around. However having failed to establish any hanky panky I was inducted as a slightly weird member of the family, albeit a little of the rocker and attempts were kept to keep me as far away from doggy influences as possible. But then I was dogged in more ways than one and well... the rest as they say is a mystery ... oops history! And then there was my elder sister!!! Caught more than once staring at me in a vaguely quizzical manner, Didi redefined dog aversion. Crossing the road when someone approached walking a dog, washing her hands twice if a street dog passed too close, and tearing up posters of dogs in case they were rabid :-) - shez done them all! Well actually not ... but there is some truth to these definitely ... some :-) So where was I? Oh yes, my sister ... so scared she would be bitten that she actually got bitten :-) Well-deserved, you say? Ok will pass it on to her - and I am not responsible for the consequences. Anyway I am digressing. Let's get back to my sis. There was this time when she actually got bitten in Bangalore and called me up for some advice???!!! Well the only thing I could think of console her was to tell her that she had been bitten by quite a rare breed of dog (Mudhol Hound in case you care) but I really don't think she saw eye to eye with me on that topic or any other topic for that matter. And what about my wife? Well, what about her? Actually I have this feeling that she's still reeling - she still has no clue what's hit her! But to her credit, she has tried to take things in her stride and collar the canine fixation of mine. A convert I exult, but only till such time as she plays along. But yes, hope reigns supreme ... and someday I hope to get my in-laws hunting through hospital records too :-)
Anyway this first post on my blog is just a sample of what you can expect over the next few days, decades or hours depending on how long my interest and tenacity hold out. This is just a small taste of all the rubbish and inane ramblings that will constitute the content of this slightly vague blog. Or at least I assume but it could go any which way. I might just end up writing about global warming, inflation and other such serious topics and scare the shit out of me. Or I could just doodle along and lose my way every so often. Anyway, you have been forewarned. Come back at your own risk!