gutfeel.com

The ‘Bigg Boss’ series has off late attracted my attention and I look forward to watching it daily. I had almost left watching television literally, but I must say that the promotion or the time of this serial prompted me to take this risk of putting in my time to such an activity. Of what I gather from the Internet, it is an adaptation of ‘Big Brother’ which debuted seven years ago in Netherlands. Of course, the series has been suitably ‘Indianised’.

In recent times, the television audience has been bombarded with the too much of such reality TV shows such as Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul and so on, but this one for sure has a different flavour to it. To start with it is not a talent show that is based on selection of the best rather it is a it is a reality show that is based on elimination of the weakest. That is what that drew my attention to it.

Got this interesting forward, and enjoyed reading it again.

Imagine you’re in London’s Heathrow Airport. While you’re waiting for your flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies. You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies. Finally you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread cookies. As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely.

He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box, and eats it. You’re more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you’re at a loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but he alternates with you. For every one cookie you take, he takes one.

The last week was eventful enough in more ways than one. For not only the sea water at Mahim creek turned sweet but the Gods also started drinking milk the second time round. After the despicable rains, the traffic woes, and not to forget the bomb blasts, Mumbai wants to attribute a couple of things to some magic from the heaven’s above.

I was quite intrigued to see the media flooded with the news that the Mahim creek has suddenly turned sweet. On one side, the doctors were cautioning the general public not to drink that water as it might lead to several water-borne diseases, and on the other side, there were hundreds of people flocking the filthy creek and drinking the yellow water which they said has turned holy. Even the business of empty bottle sellers boomed!

There are times when we take our parents for granted, but they are the only ones on whom we can fall back upon!! Here’s a message for my father, today being Father’s Day.

Dad, a lot of things have changed through the years,
But there’s something that has never changed,
And that’s the bond we share,
Missing you on Father’s Day!

Though we have imbibed this concept from the west, but I find it an excellent way to remember that our father has been the strength behind us and made us the person that we are today. I came across the real story behind the origin of this day.

This is a true story which of course i didn’t make up myself…picked it up coz more than the moral i liked the way it has been presented…

A man found himself floating down the rapids in a river at the bottom of a canyon, miles from anywhere, in the middle of a wilderness area with his ankle broken in half.

Having been trained on how to get out of the rapids, he determined that he would get to the shore, and he did.

Not having been trained in what to do with a broken ankle in the bottom of a canyon…he determined that he would walk out of the canyon and up the steep, rocky path just as he had come down.

He did not.

You see, his ankle had the deciding vote, and it had decided that walking up a rocky slope was not in its best interest.

A sad day for all who somewhere praised Mahajan for his leadership qualities and the fact that he was a good manager and was politically savvy. Mahajan was seen as a “technocrat” leader, sans a firm grassroots political base.

It was really appalling how his younger brother killed him right in his own house. That this kind of hatred that can come forth from ones kith and kin is something to ponder. Was this person named Pravin Mahajan out of his mind when he shot his own brother and lead him to his fateful death…how much hatred and disgust led him to commit such a heinous crime…the intensity of which is even more magnified by the fact that the victim was his own brother. And the irony is that the pistol which was used by Pravin Mahajan was provided to him only after Promod’s request to the concerned authorities. Little did he knew that his brother would use the same weapon to eventually murder him.

I was somewhat forced to share my views on the subject when I read a similar post on my brother’s blog Utopia. Is media turning into some kind of female fraternity? This is a potent question and one can witness a splurge of news channels both old and new employing journalists who are venturing into a domain which has been a field of the so-called intellectual males. So these women can discuss anything and everything and come up with their solutions to the worldly problems too!! It is very evident that the role models in media are soon changing, and how! We have journalists like Barkha Dutt, Sonali Chander, and a whole lot of upcoming faces on the tellly who are creating a whole new arena for themselves in this field. And yes, the viewer ship has also increased as these women also have there fan following. They are slowly and surely carving a niche for themselves. Gone are the days when only journos like Pronnoy Roy would rule the roost!

It’s again time which everyone looks forward to! So much to celebrate in so little time…I am eagerly awaiting for 2006 and hope it brings good luck and cheer for us. I want to start it with a small prayer for bringing in the good ‘chi’…

A prayer when I’m weary
as onward I trod,
A little more trusting,
believing in God.

Perhaps a bit wiser,
a bit kinder, too,
a little bit braver,
a heart that’s more true.

A touch of believing
I’ve not known before,
In joys I’m receiving
a little bit more.

Accepting the anguish
that life often brings,
A little more beauty
in life’s simple things.

’tis this I would wish for
within moments dear,
not a lot - just a little
this wondrous new year.

Wishing you all a very Happy 2006!