The Curious Case of Susan Boyle

THE CURIOUS CASE OF SUSAN BOYLE

If you were forty seven and out of work,
If you were jeered at, when you looked for work,
If you wanted to see someone else,whenever you looked into the mirror,
If the only thing that grew with your age was your despair,
If then, would you loose faith in yourself because life wasn't fair?
No, not if you found the one thing that you were good at,
No, not if you with undying faith and untiring effort nurtured that,
No, not if you were on the prowl for that right platform,
No not if you were waiting for that exact right time,
No not if you grabbed your chances and seized the day,
No not if you are Susan Boyle, who lived the moment and showed the way,
For amidst all the sham, drudgery and sadness there is heroism somewhere, everyday:)

The video that made me write this is can be viewed on you tube:

Susan Boyle,Britain's Got Talent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY


This video has been downloaded 7+ million times and seems to have touched a chord with everyone. I can think of a thousand reasons why:

The obvious is the "Cindrella moment" where a struggling, talented, straightforward and simple soul, without any pretenses, finds riches and success as her talent fits well into the shoes of the winner!!
As success and the 'powers that be', gush over her, the ones who derided her and sneered at her ambitions to be an Elaine Paige, get what they deserve, as they disappear into the darkness, suitably sheepish and hopefully looking chastised. (which they will be, once the video is seen in their neighbourhood, if one where to go by the comments in web sites)
As with the movie "Pursuit of Happiness", the triumph of hope, tenacity and talent is underlined here.The fact that this lady finally got recognition after three decades or more,is astonishing!! It will provide morale and motivation to thousands who are on the wrong side of Lady Luck and facing difficult times.

To those in business and leadership positions, this is a lesson in talent spotting. It clearly is all about having an open mind and willingness to listen and observe. I think we place an unduly high degree of reliance on third party opinions and "back references" without bothering to ascertain the motives of those who pass judgement.
As with the advertising awards shows in India and possibly the film awards that are dime a dozen, these seem to be largely an exercise in politicking, back stabbing, "gang rivalry" and mind games, more than any genuine need to recognize talent and support it.

For those of us who analyse TV programs and rating points, it is now abundantly clear, that the route to high ratings, is NOT in converting talent shows into episodes of voyeuristic sado masochism, with innocent youngsters being emotionally battered and brainwashed into meekly submitting to the idiosyncrasies of some underemployed music directors, publicity hungry starlets and "stars". They could do well to understand why internationally,these talent hunt shows do well. Contestants who win in these shows do well go onto win greater laurels and do well in their careers.The "American Idols" and the "Britain's Got Talent" are cases in point.
They do not join the ranks of the unemployed or sing in beer bars or commit suicide as seems to be the wont, in case of the Indian versions. Slumdog Millionaire's creepy game show host is probably not fully a creature of Vikas Swarup's imagination! He was probably referring to system as a whole. (I did not say "arse holes" I said "as a whole":))

An Englishman once remarked to me that along with cricket, rigging is also an Indian passion!! He mentioned this when an Indian lady won the Miss Universe or World pageant with the answer that the one living woman she admired the most, was the late Mother Teresa!! This was the millennium year and many remembered the
cricket match fixing stories and late South African cricket captain Hanse Cronjie's relationship with an Indian bookie.

The case rests, identify the genuinely talented and give them a platform... glory is yours, not to mention a healthy balance sheet for all concerned!!

Vinod Natesan
www.vinodnatesan.com

P.S.
Susan Boyle is apparently the youngest of 9 children and lived alone with her cat "pebbles" in Scotland. She has never been married and god bless her, looked after her ailing widowed mother till her last days.She is not known to have fallen prey to any of the vices that most people resort to when things don't go their way! Success could not have come to a better and more deserving person!.

Lyrics of the song Susan Boyle sang:

Les Miserables (pronounced:le mserales) -

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life woth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.
Ends

FESTIVALS IN INDIA : VISHU, BAISAKHI, BIHU, PUTHIYANDU, NEW YEAR

Greetings on this auspicious day of Vishu, Bihu, Baisakhi and Puthiyandu. Wishing you a great year ahead.
And for those in Gods own country...
Kodimundum, Kaineetavum,
Pinne orupidi konna poovum
Manasil nirachu orupadu snehavumayi
Oru vishu koodi varavayi
orayiram vishu ashamsakal

VINU aka VINOD NATESAN

For those who wish to learn about this festival, I would recommend
http://manojsangani.blogspot.com/2008/04/vishu-wishesvishu-smsvishu.html
The flower shown in Casia Fistula(botanical name) and is the State Flower of Kerala. It blossoms in summer during the month of April and the presence of this flower is regarded a harbinger of a healthy monsoon to come and prosperity during the harvest season to come which is during Onam (September).
Baisakhi too is an agrarian festival and denotes the end of the winter crop(rabi) and start of the summer crop(kharif) for the year ahead.Baisakhi is of major importance for the people following Sikh faith. As it was on a Baisakhi Day, in the year 1699 that the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh founded Khalsa Panth or the Order of Pure Ones and gave a unique identity to Sikhs. "Langars" or community lunches are organised this day.
The day of Baisakhi is of significance for the Hindus as it was on this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj - a reformed sect of Hindus who are devoted to the Vedas for spiritual guidance and have discarded idol worship. Besides, Baisakhi day is of relevance for the Buddhists as Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and Nirvana on this auspicious day.

For those of you who want to see a video with the famous song "kanni kanum neram, kamala nethrante, niramekum manja tukil charti,kanaka kingini valakal mothirum, aninju kannenam bhagawane...
The video is not great visually but I guess the audio and emotions overrule all that

Belgian TV: Innovative Media-Antwerp Station Flash Mob Dance-Do,Re,Mi

The novelty and appeal of the T Mobile flash mob dance at Liverpool Station to promote the "Life is for sharing" theme,seems to be spreading like a virus. To see the details of the T Mobile at Liverpool Station event, please go down to the next (earlier) post!The one featured here has been sponsored by a Belgian TV Station which is auditioning actresses for the main lead in a remake of Sound of Music!
Great way to promote the channel!It is also a great way to promote tourism and destinations like Salzburg!!
These4 fantastic minutes happened on the 23rd of March 2009, 08:00 AM.
Source : You Tube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

TMobile Dance at Liverpool Station: Life is for sharing

THE T MOBILE DANCE AT LIVERPOOL LIFE IS FOR SHARING




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM

TMobile Advertising Innovation: Life is for sharing, Liverpool Stn

MAKING OF THE T-MOBILE FLASH MOB DANCE AT LIVERPOOL STATION. LOGISTICS AND PLANNING



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVFNM8f9WnI

INNOVATIVE MARKETING: TMobile-Flash mob at Liverpool Stn

PUBLIC REACTION TO T MOBILE FLASH MOBS: LIFE IS FOR SHARING



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jv6rHJiNhQ