A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NOVICE JOY MANAGER................NEW AVATAR ON A POSTCARD

Have said this before, in today's times of abundance........... goodies, friends and fun, one thing that remains scarce is the time on hand. But despite the paucity , there comes a day when we have to shed our daily uniforms(..... no offence meant to my corporate friends, who are extremely touchy about their pinstripes) to make way for the new avatar........a day to don the garb of a novice Joy Manager. Doesn't matter whether we like it or not, but it must be done. After all the majority wouldn't like to draw the ire of a budding WWF Wrestler( trust me I've heard this dream from my little friends a few times), A Doctor, An Architect, An Astronaut, Michael Jackson( Yes, it's true. MJ has indeed left an indelible mark on young impressionable minds with his silky smooth moon walk :-) ), An Aviator, An Engineer, A footballer , A shooter so on and so forth.

Yesterday was one such day when even the Pundit got grounded and was forced to alight from the sacred observatory to essay the role of a day long Joy Manager for the birthday bash of a budding bundle of talent :-) . By the end of it all, I had no strength left in my legs( little bit of blame should also go to MJ's crazy dance moves...........minus the censored grab) to climb the stairs of the observatory. No complaining though..................anything to make our little darlings smile.

ONE YEAR ON........SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SKY....POSTCARD FROM THE MOONWALKER

It's been one year since the gloved one bid goodbye to the world.Tomorrow 25th June 2010 marks his first death anniversary.

'Some called you BAD, but for millions you'll always be a THRILLER'

THIS IS IT !.....THANKS KENNY!!

How much possibly can you write about the King of Pop? Is there anything that hasn't already been written about his genius? I don't think so. I don't think there is any another celebrity who has received the kind of media attention that Michael Jackson has got, through out his career. Even in death, media can't resist talking about the legend of MJ. It's been over four months and finally the footage of his final days, which captures the build-up to his much hyped come back tour in London, has hit cinema theaters across the world this week.

THIS IS IT! The MJ Movie directed by Kenny Ortega, has taken fans everywhere, young and old alike, with a storm. On the first day of its release the movie grossed $20.1 million at worldwide box offices. Showing the world once again, that Michael was a special talent, who's popularity is colossal.

Today even Mr. Lazy bones( Who else but yours truly) got lucky. Saw the gloved one setting the silver screen ablaze with his musicianship. I think every music fan must go watch this movie. It's as close as you will ever get to the Moonwalker. The Man indeed was very very special. I am sure there would never ever be another one like him. Whether it was singing or performing on the stage, this man was simply in a class of his own, simply incomparable.And as one of his co-musician says in the movie, what makes MJ Special is the fact that despite his stardom and demigod status, the man is extremely humble. Now that's one quality that is hard to find these days. Isn't it ?? I can go on and on.............describing the man and his genius. But all I want to say in the end, as I sign off is, sometimes it's hard to fathom, why rare talent doesn't survive? why do we lose it so soon ? Tough one, isn't it ?

GO WATCH ! COZ THIS IS IT!!

PUNDIT, PENCIL N PAPER !!

We all have it my friends............all it takes is few sparks to ignite the fire . A little bit of time, little bit of inspiration. It surely is an uncharted territory and I am loving it.

DIFFERENT STROKES !!............HIT AND A MISS

Last week I came across two contrasting marketing promo ideas, well worthy of a postcard. Good times or bad times, its imperative for marketers to pool all their energies n creativity to keep the company register ringing all the time.

MJ in death has pushed the record sales beyond our imagination. Fans just don't seem to get enough of his music. His albums are topping charts all across the globe. Sony Music is working overtime to make the MJ catalogue accessible to his ardent fans in India post his untimely death. In fact it has given a shot in the arm to the sagging fortune of this Music Label.

What really made me sit up and admire the brilliance, was a simple idea put across by the music company to sell a compilation of all MJ's No.1 songs at Traffic Intersection , for a mere Rs 99 . Given MJ's popularity and the all round buzz post his death, I think it's killer of an idea which needs to be applauded. Guy's at Rolling Stone ! hope you are listening.

In store promos is a great way to attract the prospects, but one has to be little careful in choosing the place. A personal hygiene product company has tied up with Cafe Coffee Day to Sample it's new range of sanitary napkins - K. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. But where the idea has got messed up , is the choice of display area. The placement of the towering stands, which look more like replica of Eiffel Tower is placed right between the hot seat and the Male pee pot. Given the size of the rest rooms, it can be rather discomforting if someone is in a real rush. Imagine pushing the stand and making a place.....ummm, now that's quite a drill. Isn't it?? I think these guy's have got it all wrong.

Thank God not every marketer has an eye on the rest rooms............... just yet .

BON VOYAGE MICHAEL !!!

There's nothing more that I can add, to what hasn't already been said and written about the untimely death of the moon walker, the gloved one , the undisputed King of Pop.

Three days gone, and the out pour of sad emotions continues unabated across the globe. As the shocked world comes to grips with this bitter reality, one thing is for sure, there will never ever be another one like him. So colossal is the magnitude of his popularity, that even people who are remotely connected to his music, seem to know MJ and are saddened by his loss.

On a personal note, I was shell - shocked, when I first saw the news of his sudden demise scrolling across the monitor. I was completely numb looking at those frames of MJ covered with a white sheet being taken to the hospital in an ambulance by paramedics. A VERY SAD END INDEED, TO ONE OF THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER THIS WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

Just like any other celebrity MJ too had his fair share of controversies, but I think that's all right . It's not easy when you are constantly in the public eye and there is very little room for privacy. Some people handle it well, some become lonely, and some lose the equilibrium and end up on the wild side. MJ was an incomparable music genius. Whether he was in the recording studio or setting the floor ablaze while performing on the stage, his passion was unparalled . His music has given succor to millions of music lovers for more than 40 years in every single part of the world. UNDOUBTEDLY HE WAS THE PETER PAN OF POP MUSIC.

So long Michael. May your soul rest in peace.

And I sincerely hope that your music will continue to heal the world and the man in the mirror will surely try to make a difference.