'A TRIBUTE TO MJ - THE LEGEND'

Though my heart is heavy, eyes moist and full of grief but I still definitely want to write (while listening to MJ's music) and dedicate this blog to the memory of the greatest pop icon of my generation. That's the biggest tribute I can offer to MJ (Michael Jackson). I was shocked when I read my US-based brother-in-law's status update on Facebook yesterday (26.06.09) early morning, informing me about his untimely death the day before (25.06.09) when we were all sleeping in India. At first I thought it to be a prank; another one of those rumours circulating on the net. But then I immediately confirmed it on TV. However, the news has still not sunk in. I have been one of his most ardent but silent fans since I first gyrated to his 'Billie Jean' and 'Beat It' songs way back in school in 1983. That was the time when the American pop culture was just starting to hit the Indian shores. And I was among the few lucky ones to have watched all his 'Thriller' videos even before they were released in India. The entire world was stunned by a black guy who was conquering the world music stage from nowhere. The kind of mass hysteria, the 'King of Pop' generated during those times was to be seen to be believed.

I have literally grown up on MJ's music after he first shone on the music scene with his hit album 'Off The Wall' in 1979. And I am proud and privileged to have lived in the same era when the legend, 'Michael Joseph Jackson' walked this Earth. Because he was a true phenomenon who took entertainment to another level, be it his addictive music, shrieks and shouts, astonishing dance steps and spectacular videos. He was one electrifying performer par excellence.I am pretty confident that the memories of his exhilarating musical brilliance and genius will definitely surpass his eccentricities and controversies which mired his short but enigmatic life. When one of my friends on FB (obviously after reading my status update on my tribute to MJ) jokingly commented or rather taunted that I should attend his funeral, I felt it was nothing less than belittling the icon and the genuine sentiments of a fan. Though now I have taken it in my stride and sincerely hope that better sense prevails after he reads this blog so as to appreciate the connection between one of the greatest entertainers, the world has seen in the last century and the emotions of a passionate fan. As Shahrukh Khan rightly said : 'He lost his youth when MJ passed away'.The same is so true for me and many of his fans in their forties.

Like my friend, millions around the world love to hate him but many more millions are also fans of his gravity defying dance moves and the legendary 'Moonwalk'. However, apart from his exceptional dances I am also a big fan of his brilliant lyrics, enthralling videos and his mesmerizing voice in some of his greatest songs like ''Heal the World, Cry, Childhood, Lost Children, Earth Song, History, Billie Jean, Human Nature, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel, You are Not Alone, Stranger in Moscow, Man in the Mirror, Black or White, Remember the Time, Speechless, Smile, We are the World''.....the list is endless. So let's try to remember MJ for the heights he achieved in his lifetime and not for his falls. At the end of it all, he was also a mortal like all of us. Even the great 'Elvis' had his share of weaknesses and drug problems. And as if, we all are God. But MJ's genius transcends not one but many lifetimes and generations. If you have been following his music, you would know what a compassionate, benevolent, philanthropic and peace-loving musician he was. I am truly overwhelmed by the fact that many Indians who are legends in their own right like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, A.R.Rehman and Javed Akhtar are also his fans. Amitabh dedicated a blog to him yesterday. And I am gratified to be following suit.

So let us all play a requiem in his honour by praying : "May his soul rest in peace and God give strength to not only his three young children and his family but to his innumerable fans all across the Globe to withstand this unbearable loss." I am 'speechless' but his music will live on forever.......and in MJ's words, 'Will heal the world and make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race.' I will always remember you, Michael from the core of my heart.

A CASE OF TWO EMAIL ID's - VERY HAZARDOUS???

At the outset, I would like to state that I certainly desire your feedback on this blog entry which dwells on an issue pertinant to most of us. This post is a direct consequence of the very few but indispensable and unfortunate responses generated by this blog, though not directly aimed at it. It is also inspired and triggered by a mail of one of my school friends based overseas who wanted me to tread the fine line between a person’s official and personal mail ids and thereby tickle the readers of this blog for their reactions. 'Unfortunate' in the sense, that a handful out of my several friends who are in the loop informing them of the latest blog entries, insisted that the mail informing them such and the reader’s responses on the blog should not be routed through their official mail ids (their ‘official’ status was made known to all only now, after these ids were in circulation for ages) by clicking the ‘Reply All’ tab. If at all such responses have to come, then they should be sent only to their personal ids. They (till date only four of my cherished readers : 'The Fantastic Four') are feeling offended as the responses are obstructing their privacy or more so because of the prowling eyes of their incoming mail office servers. These servers and thereby their bosses are hawkishly watching their personal stuff. I do appreciate their concern and afford them their two cents. But as a brisk rejoinder, I would request all to read further, allowing me to put in my two pennies worth.

Nobody would disagree that emails have made the entire world’s life very comfortable and miserable at the same time. The way we communicate in the 21st century has undergone a massive change from the days when we just relied on the ubiquitous postman.The two way communication is not just fast but instant. So who needs to post a letter anymore and wait for innumerable days to get the reply, particularly when connecting with somebody who is abroad. But we all get flustered, when we find our inboxes being bombarded with spam and frivolous mails. Such mails are a hazard and cause a lot of exasperation. But do personal harmless mails from friends on work ids also have this vexing effect ? They should not, but you never know.

The main bone of contention is whether it is ethical to mail private and personal matters to work mail ids ? Certainly not. But who made them public in the first place ? The owner himself. And in my opinion, he only needs to find a solution to this self-generated problem if he feels ruffled at the sight of unofficial incoming mails, since it will never be the other way round. My experience with the e-group formed for our school silver jubilee reunion tells me that nobody does it on purpose. Atleast I and several others don’t. It happens out of one's impetuosity. Hence this blog also aims at bridging any ill-feelings between the '84 batchmates of our school e-group due to the plethora of bouncing emails. We have been friends since childhood and let us strive to remain that. Majority of the people in the Corporate sector have at least two mail ids, one official and the other personal. But when these Corporate honchos hand over their business cards or mail ids to us, you will notice that ten out of ten times, only the official mail id is flaunted (to tell aloud where they have reached on the corporate ladder) as they are barred from printing their personal mail ids on their cards. And these are the same people who later complain about unofficial mails flooding their official inboxes. Once their official mail id is made public, they loose control over what reaches their inboxes as they themselves entered into a mutual consent of two-way communication. Maybe only official on their part. But everybody is not always official and ethical with friends. That's not what friends are for :-). They are suffering of their own folly. Nobody known to them has the time and inclination to send them unofficial mails unless they consider them friends or close enough.

In my opinion, if it infuriates them so much then they should have never leaked their official ids, even to friends. Either they should specifically distinguish between the two mail ids beforehand or never dispense with their work ids outside their office. But in case they have thrown caution to the winds, then also technology affords them ample opportunity. I am sure this fastidious lot are no luddites if they rely on email rather than the non-spamming postman. They can simply ignore and delete (or block the offending senders like myself) the private mails received on their work ids instead of making such a hullabaloo about it. It just takes a second. But they would not deign to do that and the best part is that they want to have the cake and eat it too. Instead of resorting to the instant policy of ‘press the button to shoo your worries away’ they will have the tenacity to request the sender(s) to definitely keep them in the loop but on an alternative mail id (hinting as though they are enjoying every bit of it, but are scared to admit it due to their prowling bosses and inflated official egos). I say this because many of my other friends who are in the top echelons of the corporate world, have never ever complained regarding this malice, if at all it is so hazardous. But how can all friends be alike in their approach ? Have I forgotten the good old school and college days ? Or am I too foolish or naïve to understand this ?

My own independent research also tells me that corporates are more concerned about those employees who consistently receive and spend more time on porn and the ludicrous erotic stuff instead of the amiable innocuous stuff. So dear readers, here is an opportunity for you to decide. I vehemently request for your views on this matter. And last but not the least, I would also like to mention that in case the sender and the receiver are members of an e-group, then the recepient should only complain to the administrator of the e-group to change or delete his mail id and not vent his ire on other members when mails and counter-mails often bounce back and forth. Why the F*** did ‘His Royal Highness’ give the official id to the e-group in the first place, if he is the regal one and the rest downtrodden. I would like to confess that I am still in two minds whether it is uncourteous and uncouth to reply back telling the respondent (who is not a stranger in the first place) to remove his work id and add the personal id instead, when self-help is just on your keyboard. Simply ignore, block or delete such mails. The sender and your prying office server will get the message anyway. What say….?