Bigg Boss and Life

I feel that a show like Bigg Boss shows what life is all about.
Life is complex let us face it. It is not that simple. People try to outwit you and prove you are a 'dumb***' all the time. They want you 'to leave' so that they can take your place and keep all the 'things for themselves'.
In other words there is 'cut-throat competition' in this world of ours.
People have 'two-faces' and often in real life as well there are people like Salman Khan who are 'above and beyond all' and they remain 'unaffected' by what happens 'in the house'.
In my life also the same thing happened. I was way too innocent and hence people could manipulate me and 'get ahead of me' in life. I was left hanging and on the sideways.
During earlier seasons, I never watched the Bigg Boss episodes and never followed it. For me earlier it did not matter what happened on the show. It did not matter how Contestant A or B won. Or whoever won it was the same for me. If I would have watched Bigg Boss earlier seasons I may have been 'more careful' about my life and I might not have been manipulated to the extent I was.
Even now in this season it does not matter who wins but what matters is "how they win it". They win in a very conniving manner and through a combination of a lot of factors.
It is not that simple to just win it. It cannot be decided based on just one show like in a quiz show or game show. Also, in Bigg Boss there is the system of 'elimination' very week. A contestant who gets eliminated cannot come back. He/She is as good as 'dead'. In real life also there is the system of 'death'. We have to know that every person who is born on this earth 'death is certainty'. In fact life is uncertain but it is 100% certain that a person would die. One only does not know when and how one will die.
Even if there is no death, one simply 'leaves' from an incident or situation and it is as good as getting 'eliminated' in the Bigg Boss house.
In real life also, we have seen often what happens in our life is 'what we speak' and 'what we do', again same as what is happening in the Bigg Boss house. In real life it is more intense. We may not realise it but often what happens in our life in the present would be dictated by what happened in the past.
Like I was working in my previous company in Materials modules in SAP, so when I got transferred I was sent to stores which is same Materials module. I should have realised it earlier and then taken corrective steps to indicate that I want to work in Finance area else the "Vidhata" or destiny would force me into where I 'already was'. My actions and speaking or not-speaking (if you are not-speaking against something you're as good as accepting it) decided where I was going to be.
Even when I got transferred, when I did not want it to be formalised, the 'wisecrack' who took my interview before joining told me "to continue for 3 months" and what is the duration in Bigg Boss house??? It is three months (but this year it is 105 days). Thus my transfer was like sending me to Bigg Boss house.
But in my life there was another person who was in that building where I got transferred. He told me that I had to spend 1 year for "band change" (which is like promotion). Thus though the wisecrack who took my interview was 'tricking me' to believe that I would be there for 3 months, I had to spend at least 1 year for 'any kind of reprieve'. Plus I did not know what lied beyond 'that 1 year'.
In that respect, my life (in previous company) was tougher than the Bigg Boss contestants. But Bigg Boss gives a lot to learn. We know how even in a 'short three month period' how contestants 'work hard' to 'win it all'. Same attitude should be there in our lives.
Also from what I know that 'Bigg Boss' is the name in India of the show called originally 'Big Brother' or 'Celebrity Big brother' where celebrities have to ditch their 'comfortable lives' and 'struggle in a small house' for the sake of audience.
But in India the participants no doubt are celebrities but they have to 'live and adapt themselves in the house' not for the audience but for the 'Bigg Boss'. This term 'Bigg Boss' is aptly suited for India. Because, Indians have 'slave like mentality'. After centuries of 'foreign domination', Indian visions have been clouded. They are unable to 'think for themselves'; they need a 'boss' to do what boss does i.e. boss over themselves (boss them around). 'Boss' means someone who dominates over you and that is what Indians need. And that is why the show is popular in India.

Cyclone politics

As we know in the last few days a massive cyclone has struck the state of Odisha which happens to be my home-state. It is ironic because just last week I had visited the exact place where the 'eye of the cyclone made landfall'.
Still people indulge in politics. I mean there are some people who are "pro-development" i.e. they want steel plant like Posco should be developed and there are some who want "Odisha to remain backward" and they indulge in politics and "misguiding the public" and become "anti-development".
What do I mean? I will explain. Now steel plant is being developed by Posco. Who are the opposers? Certainly it can't be the people who want to "grow in life". These are people who look for 'short-term benefit' and not long term. These people are paid by "Indian steel plant" owners like Tatas and Jindals among others.
"Indian steel manufacturers" do not want plants of foreign companies to be established in India. And hence they "fund and funnel" opposition to the plants of foreigners like Posco.
At the same time they do not want their own plans to be disrupted and "scuttle all plans" of opposition of their own activities. That is the reason that Tatas could capture more than 5000 acres near Gopalpur in mid-1990's by promising to build a steel plant which never happened. Now two decades is getting over and still Tatas have not established the steel plant in Gopalpur. What have they done to the land? Since Odisha Govt. might have acquired that land, so Tatas built a boundary around it about 3-4 years back and named it as "Gopalpur SEZ" but there is a minimum activity in that and certainly 'no steel plant'. It would never happen even in our wildest dreams.
In the same time, they have built a steel plant in Jajpur Road area which is known as 'Kalinga Nagar'. There was police firing in which tens of tribals perished but still that steel plant saw the light of the day and is about to begin commencement. So the Tatas want their own plant to be established in the 'area they please' but they fund opposition to the plant being established by Posco. All Indian plant owners share the same mentality of Tatas trust me. But the Tatas are huge and that is why I mentioned them.
These Indian plant owners also do not use their own money. Often they take loans and rely on grants given by the Indian or Odisha Govts. They then keep 'their own money' in banks where it lies 'safe'. Thus they use 'public money to fund their private adventures' so-as to speak.
Tell me people what is the harm in establishing an iron and steel plant. It would be of full benefit. Tell me if we export only a raw material like 'iron ore' we get very less 'foreign exchange' and no local people get chance to work in the industrial process. But if our own steel plant is established in India or Odisha then local people will not only get employment in the plant but we will gain more foreign exchange by 'exporting finished steel and iron products' and our brand "Made in India" will become famous though the factory is foreign owned. Now raw iron ore is getting exported to plants in Malaysia or Indonesia or China and it coming out as finished product "Made in Malaysia" or China or Indonesia or something similar.
And God forbid we are buying the same finished iron and steel product made from our own iron ore exported at very low prices and paying huge amount for the finished material.
Due to Cyclone 'Phailin', some reports came out that 'due to tree cutting for Posco plant' the area got affected. Tell me people how lame is this. We know that due to cyclone trees get uprooted and become a health hazard. In-fact there are hundreds of reports of trees getting damaged in 200km/hr speeds. In fact, 'pucca structures' made in scientific manner to withstand 'gale force winds' are more likely to survive.
It may be a fact for mangroves. Mangroves may reduce the intensity of cyclones. Mangroves are only found near the coast or 5-7 kms inland. But in interior areas hundreds of kms inside, trees will have little effect.
These 'so called pro-trees' people are actually 'anti development people who want a backward state like Odisha to remain 'backward forever'. They twist the fact of mangroves to include trees in general.
There is no doubt that this cyclone has pushed Odisha 'backwards in time'. In certain areas I feel that Odisha has been pushed back 'by a decade'.
We have seen cyclone and its effects and this the reason that certain areas remain backward. In fact we have seen a 'microcosm of history' in the making. What has happened over hundreds of years was visible in a week. Now why is some areas 'more developed than others'? We saw a reason. Everytime an area tries to develop itself there is a 'setback' and we saw that on our TV screens and Internet. And thus it is unable to 'come out of the abyss'. People then become more 'God fearing' and turn towards their 'religion' and 'deities' which is Hinduism in Odisha. They feel that they have not followed their religion properly enough and so on.
Development then takes a backseat. Whoever has left Odisha and settled abroad then becomes someone who is 'out of the orbit' so as to speak and is not affected as 'intensely' as locals.

Apologies to Salman and other hosts

In my earlier post I had told that Salman Khan was not a good host of a show like Bigg Boss.
Now in this post I would like to apologise to him personally. I would like to say that he is not only a good host but he is an almost perfect host.
It is okay, we cannot get a truly "100% perfect" host.
The fact is that hosting a show like Bigg Boss would require a lot of 'interest' to be shown by the host. And this interest has to be both personal and professional. I feel Salman Khan takes 'personal interest' in the contestants and that is what matters.
In a country like India we need a 'host with a mass audience' and 'mass popularity' to pull in the viewers and make the show popular. I feel Salman Khan is able to achieve that.
His popularity in Indian subcontinent and beyond is very high and that is the reason he could 'bounce back' in his career.
Also, a show like Kaun Banega Karodpati also requires a 'mass popularity' host like Amitabh Bachan. Someone like Siddharth Basu the quiz master can host the show but it would not become popular with the masses and remain an 'elite show'.
Abroad, in Europe and US or other developed countries a show like Bigg Boss can operate 'without any hosts' or without any 'popular hosts' but in India it would just not work. It would just not be popular.
I feel this kind of 'big celebrities and stars' hosting shows on TV is a recent phenomena. I did not use to watch Indian TV programs enough and thus I was not able to comment properly.
Like I had told I did not watch any season of Indian Bigg Boss upto this years i.e. the Seventh Season.
And since it just completed 3rd week, I have seen Salman weekend shows for 6 episodes only and the overall picture of Salman Khan was blurred for me earlier and now it is getting more and more clearer.
I had watched a few big Indian award shows being hosted by top actors of the film industry.

Google +

Compared to other social networks, I have the least complaints against Google +. Even if I want I cannot say anything against it.
'Google +' has introduced the concept of circles which is according to me quite encouraging. Somebody can add us into their circles but we do not have to add them back. If we want to add someone to our circles we can do so. But, the fact is I do not have to say anything negative about Google +.
For me Google plus is something which is sacrosanct.
Why? Because it is owned by Google.
When I initially started using the internet which was in 2000, I had heard of Google and Yahoo.
And among the two I was using yahoo more. I was using it for email and I was using it as a 'search engine'.
But I knew and had heard that 'Google is big'.
Slowly slowly, I too came to use the search engine of Google.
For me Google search was a simple tool with a "simple front-page or home page" to reach 'anywhere on the internet' and through it the world.
Yahoo I was still using but for email.
Also, I used to use "Sify Iway" which was a chain of Cyber cafes and through that I was using Sify mail.
But in due course of time, Sify mail has now come to be managed by Google mail.
Now I had not heard of Gmail and initially it was mail account 'based on invites only'.
But then the mail system of Google expanded and 'invitation' was not required for membership.
I also heard of Blogspot and Orkut and then Youtube. Also I heard a new tool called Google earth.
I also came to know of Picasa where we could store digital pictures.
All this were either developed and owned or bought and owned by Google.I also heard of 'Google doodles' but that has more to do with Google and its 'inventiveness' than with users having a 'Google Account'.
Then "Google +" came and it was a kind of social networking site.
Finally, I also used the Google news site and we cannot forget the Android.
Yes Android system owned and managed by Google was the default operating system in my Samsung Galaxy Tab. It was at that point that my relationship with Google was cemented.
When in 2012 I first deleted few accounts like Linkedin and Facebook, I realised that no way I would be able to delete my Google account or my Yahoo account for that matter.
I could not delete my Google account because my very usage of the Android system was based on my having the Google account. If I wanted to use the Android smartphone or Galaxy Tab like equipment, I was bound to possess a Google account.
Also to access many videos in Youtube we have to sign in else those videos become inaccessible. And for that we need the Google account.
The Google account is also a 'single account' for multiple platforms like Youtube, Blogspot, Picasa, Gmail etc.
Yahoo account I could not delete because my email is associated with it. I do not know where and all I have shared this email ID or my email ID over the (almost) past decade. If I delete this email, then I the people with whom I have shared my email would 'lose me' and I will lose them.
I have realized that email ID is more important than telephone or mobile number. I mean, we can change telephone or mobile number without much problem but we need to keep our email ID intact else we may run into problems in this modern age.

Satellite picture in darkness

Today passing through Andhra while going to Bengalure. What I find is power issue. We have diesel engine pulling us instead of electric.
The big town of Vizag is in darkness.
A night satellite picture of Andhra/India will show this normally "bright region" in darkness.
A 'normal day picture' and todays picture can then be compared.
Our train is 8 hours behind schedule.

Twitter is time waste

Among the three networks of LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter. I feel Facebook and twitter have the maximum potential to 'waste your time' and in the process make you own life "a waste".
Now who or what is twitter for. I feel twitter should be only for celebrities and famous people who are 'busy people' and need to communicate with their fans or followers.
For the rest who are not that busy or 'relatively unknown' they should write 'blog'. I feel a 140 character limit does not project the idea properly. Also, due to the word limit one would become a person of few words. One will lose ones vocabulory, power of expression and "ones mind would become hollow".
A person reading someones tweet may not get the 'full idea' and the tweet may become open for 'misinterpretation'. Also, when one starts using twitter one mind may become like 'tunnel vision'.
Also, a person like me used to post 'what movies I have watched'. If I don't watch a movie there would be no tweet.
Due to life's commitments I may not be able to watch a single movie for 'weeks on end'. Then what do I do. I do not tweet and then my twitter account remains 'useless'. It is important that I watch a movie or watch the movie and not important that 'I tweet about it'. I should not watch a movie just so that I can tweet about it. I should watch a movie to 'entertain myself', relax, pass time and so on. Twitter should be that last reason for my act of watching a movie. It is like a case of 'misplaced priorities'. When one does not have money to eat one should not think of buying a BMW so to speak.
Also, twitter gives a word limit. And that is problem. People 'work around' this. They give 'links'. Clicking on the link will lead to the 'actual stuff' the parties are tweeting about.
Then what use us twitter. We can always 'google it'. We can visit the websites of the parties we are looking at(in twitter).
Also, celebrities may post what they want and like and that is their right. They will not post what their fans or some of their fans want. No one can read some others mind even if it is of the fans. Again twitter becomes useless and nothing but time waste.
Certainly not an excuse to invade countries (like Libya) based on tweets by 'dubious elements' where it may not be known that what they are tweeting about is the 'truth or not.

Linkedin means Jealousy

We are human beings. I agree and we all agree. As human beings we all need to connect with each other and feel connected as well. Linkedin gives an avenue to us to connect ourselves to our professional networks.
But as human beings we also have desires and those desires of us needs to be fulfilled. And if our desires are not fulfilled we become dissappointed and disillusioned with life and it would lead to suicide attempt (possibly). It could also make us more religious as we can feel "less burdened" when we pray to God or Allah or Ganapati or Durga ma or Sun God.
But my observation is that if it does not lead to suicide attempt or Almighty, it would lead to a very basic human emotion and that is "jealousy".
In LinkedIn people update where all they have worked and what all they have achieved. People who add them or get 'linked' to them then have to 'face the music' so to speak. And this music does not originate from elsewhere but in their own 'hearts and minds'. By this music I mean the thought may arise- wow this person has worked like this he may be earning a lot. Wow this person has so many recommendations well why don't I have any? This person has so many skills why I have only three or four. Is it because my life is wasted?
Trust me people the mind is a powerful tool we have and we cannot let an 'outside entity' like LinkedIn destroy it. We need to 'destroy linkedin' instead by not using it. If we stop relying on LinkedIn as a tool it is as good as destroyed with respect to us.
For non Indians there is another reason not to use linkedIN and that is in the word itself. All people from around the world should know that short form of India is IN and linkedIN has IN in no less clear terms.
So by being a part and parcel of LinkedIn and encouraging it you are becoming "like Indian". If a westerner wants to become 'Indian', I have no objection. But it is a shame for the westerner. That's what I feel.