Why are we addicted to Facebook?

Facebook… the magnum opus of Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Mokovitz and Chris Hughes.

An idea or an idea of an idea, given birth to after the greatest birth of globalization and technology and invention.

FB came at a time when social networking was the latest phenomena and all the college girls were hooked to putting up their latest pictures and waiting for comments.

They say greatness lies in thinking differently.

Sometimes, it helps to improvise.

And so this concept, thanks to these gentlemen and their team, came up with the
X-factor, the zing, the extra edge…. the crispiness of a perfect spinach mushroom sandwich… or well, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

This is why the old Colonel still lives at each market near us. He knew how to sell his burger.

And Mark does too.

So what does Facebook have that others don’t?

1. Personalized quizzes that you only thought existed in the Cosmopolitan magazine.
2. Bumper Stickers showing what you think are cool.
3. Questions on the movies you saw when you had braces and laugh to till this day.
4. And a whole lot of people you thought you’d never see in life again.

This is where the magic lies.

And despite established players, Facebook has worked its way up.

It has.

And so have people who are using it.

They are not your chummies from any era of your life, or your lovers or your relatives but blood brothers of the mythical character of Narcissist.

There are always these set of people with the most common names like Namrata, Sandhya , Roshni ,Akshay, Aditya, the Marks and Jacobs and Johns of the West,

A prototype of what they bring to you, or to your Facebook page.

These include:

1. A guy who sat besides you in your first school

2. A girl in your college to whom you never spoke but FB says you have 12 common friends

3. Someone you met at a party and are trying to be a wee bit friendly or just someone you pass at work.

They not only are on FB page but they seem to be doing much more than you do.

And apparently, they went to France or to a theme park for all I care. And they have enjoyed themselves so much on that particular bumpy ride in a Bombay Metro or on a camel in Egypt that they refuse to go to bed without uploading them on the day they land.

And of course, Mark wants us to socialize so all that is said by these people you’re not really in touch with pops up on your screen telling you what each friend had to say about the location or the expression or the clothes or the…

I bet you, most of them don’t even know that according to a Facebook clause, pictures that are put up on FB belong to the developers who can use it for any purpose. Just some free advertising. There is also a FB group which has close to a few thousand people who are protesting through the web against this violation of privacy.

And while I am cursing the amount of work flung on my petite yet strong shoulders, somebody with one of those name went to the nearest restaurant or a coffee place and has littered all over my page.

Flashback.

Second month at my first job… And an intern from London School of Economics (who had nothing better to do that summer) asked me if I am on Facebook.

I didn’t want to look un cool, but then I was feeling un cool the entire time. You see, the whole environment of joining work when all the people around are actually shocked that you can actually work, is also the time you realize your wardrobe is not office friendly.

Well after staying in a girls’ college where wearing tank tops were looked at as competition minus the “who-does-she-think-is” factor, I had learnt my lessons while joining the god forsaken Media Institute. Even after a year of trying to build my attire as someone “professional with pigtails”, I usually chickened out of wearing sleeveless tops and even three fourth trousers.

So I decided to be safe. And I settled with plain t shirts, (mind you plain) with jeans.
We all did. First impressions last a long time. At that time, I also believed that hard work paid off.

So when this girl child wearing Jimmy Choo shoes and carrying a Gucci handbag, asked me if I was on Facebook….I felt un cool.

I snapped- No, I don’t. And I am working.

She didn’t seem to have noticed it. But that’s a different story.

So why did I succumb to this?
Because all my friends joined and told me it was cool?
Because it helped you get in touch with some ‘lost’ acquaintances?

Well, a bit of both.

And with greater amount of VISUAL SPAM comes greater PHEWS

So why am I here?

And another pop- up says ‘Pragati Siddhanti just made an all new high score in Bricks Breaking’.

Damn you, Mark.

Special Thanks to the constant addiction of Facebook and the addicts around me who spy, gossips, and well, keep in touch.

A unique travel experience

Abhishek a.k.a. Shake-a-myster's latest brain child.

Lushescapes

Through this medium, he envisages to showcase plush properties at exotic locales across the world and fill the need-gap that exists in the premium travel market in India.

If you intend to make your travel experience an unforgettable one, contact them now!

Please leave your feedback in the comments section.
Also keep spreading the word.

Best of luck bro!
It's a beautiful start... and best wishes from TTTW!

PS : We highly recommend it!

Michael Jackson: 1958 to 2009

 

(By Manavi Siddhanti)

In times when there were no grey areas between black and white... was born a child who would redefine the world of pop music. It was time for MJ to be born, seventh in a line of nine- Michael Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958 in a place called Gary, Indiana.

His mother, Katherine, would say that there was something special about Michael.' When he danced, it was like he was an older person.'

Katherine Jackson taught her children folk songs. Her husband, Joseph, played the guitar and taught his sons to strum. Michael was 4 years old when he and four of his brothers performing on stage… Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Michael they became the Jackson 5. By the time he was 8, he became the lead singer replacing the older Jermaine.

It was Michael's father, Joseph Jackson who wielded power and ruled his family with his fists and in terrible rage. Michael later in life said that his father often used a belt during rehearsals and hit his sons or pushed them into walls if they made a mistake.

Their first album, "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5," was released in December 1969, and it gave the No. 1 hit "I Want You Back," the 11-year-old lead singer became an instant star. More chart-topping hits followed. The timing was perfect for going solo.

At 13, Michael Jackson launched his solo career.His album 'Got To be There' came out in 1971.

Michael Jackson was on the path to becoming a music sensation. He was gaining fame but losing his childhood.He left a double life-one where he was became the new pop sensation and the other of being by his father in the dressing room.

His second solo album 'Ben' came out in 1972.In spite of going going solo, Michael continued to work with the Jackson 5.

In 1978, Michael made his film debut as the Scarecrow in "The Wiz," a black-cast adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz." The movie launched a creative and commercial partnership with "Wiz" music director Quincy Jones.

This partnership was to reshape the world of pop music in the years to come.

The first fruit of the MJ QJ collaboration was 'Off the Wall' , Jackson's debut album on the Epic label. An infectious blend of pop and funk....the album included not one not two but three chart topping hits selling over 20 million copies worldwide.

In 1980, Jackson issued his epic album, 'Thriller' which remained in the top of the billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. This was truly the apex of Michael Jackson's career selling up to 109 million copies.

Michael became a musical phenomenon.

In 1983, Jackson performed live on the Motown 25 and electrified the nation with his Moonwalk... A dance step that created the illusion of levitation.

In 1987, he released the third, and final Quincy Jones-produced album, 'Bad'. Hits like 'Man in the Mirror' ,'The way you make me feel' marked this era.The Bad World Tour (1987-1989) broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium.

But by the time Michael had turned 30,he was still searching for his lost childhood.Never wanting to grow up, he never wanted to get back to his troubled and desolate childhood. A mixed desire led to creating the Neverland Ranch in California . Named after the fairytale land of Peter Pan - it was a fantasy where lived Michael's unlived childhood...

Nicknamed the "King of Pop" by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor....Jackson made a record breaking deal with Sony Music releasing his 4th solo album, 'Dangerous' in 1991.

Hits included 'Heal the World','Remember the Time' and 'Black or White'.

At this time, MJ's skin colour appeared to change and reports of him undergoing extensive plastic surgery started surfacing. In a 1993 interview to Oprah, he openly spoke of abuse he suffered through his childhood and for the first time admitted that he had vitiligo,a skin disorder - which turned his skin white.

1994 saw the marriage of Michael Jackson and singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley - the daughter of Elvis Presley. After the marriage collapsed (in 19 months),Michael was accused of child abuse by 13-year-old Jordy Chandler. During these testing time,Michael started taking painkillers, and he was soon addicted. After going into rehab, in 1994, Jackson reportedly settled the case out of court for close to 20 million dollars.

Jackson's second short-lived marriage, in contrast to the high profile first, was to nurse Debbie Rowe in 1996. He named their two children after himself – Prince Michael Jackson and Paris Michael Katherine.

1995 saw Michael released a chart-topper fifth solo album,'History'. This was a double album,the first half with new compositions and second half included his greatest hits like Scream,You are not alone, They don't care about us.

In 1997 Michael released the remix album 'Blood On The Dance Floor: History in the Mix,' containing five new songs. The album reached number one in the UK, as did the title track. But Michael's personal life was crumbling- his second wife Debbie Rowe asked for divorce and got it in 1999. Jackson now took on sole responsibility for their children's upbringing.

2001. Jackson marked 30 years in show business with a huge concert, starring Britney Spears, N'Sync, and a reunion of the Jackson Five. But the rest of his decade saw his plummeting fall.

His next album 'Invincible', which reportedly took $ 40 million to produce, flopped. Jackson was forced to sell his Neverland ranch, to pay off creditors.

In 2005, MJ went on trial once again accused of molesting another boy as well as conspiring to abduct him. Nothing was proven against him, and the four-month trial ended in Michael being acquitted of all charges.His attorneys say these allegations instilled a fear in him, that destroyed the sensitivity of a child that had never left him.

But what found him was a longing for a comeback.To reclaim his rightful place in the heart of his fans.

Since May of 2006, Jackson was working on a new studio album.Named 'This is it', the 2009 series was billed as his last major live shows. The concerts were to kick off on July 13, 2009.

On the last day of his life, he was hard at work... Making music.

Thus was the life of a pop legend who has gone too soon.

Special mention of my friends,co-workers Geetali and Tarini for their inputs.