What’s all the “Buzz” about?!

“Kathy found a lonely black cow on her farm.”
“Kathy #1tweetbreakup i think we should start following other people...”
These are just examples of the umpteen feed updates and tweets on Facebook and Twitter respectively. We all know social media has stepped into this big bad world of ours quite sometime back … but now it seems to have found a cozy lil’ niche for itself where its settled quite comfortably. No matter what everyone says about it or how many fingers you wanna point at it, “Social Media” has something to say – And it’s screaming out from rooftops, “I’m here to stay!!” We’ve been through the works; hi5, MySpace, Facebook and the new kid in town, Twitter! But look out everybody, we all know how the famous Eagles song goes: “They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along…. Jus another new kid in town…” Just as Twitter is peaking, along comes Google… taking a second shot at this new media which has everyone dancing to its tunes.

Google Buzz was launched yesterday claiming to have encorporated a whole bunch of exciting new features. It not only wants to contribute to the "race" of social networking sites… but wants to be at #1 combining features from Twitter, Yammer, Foursquare, Yelp, and the likes. It’s integrated with Flickr, Picasa, Google Reader, and Twitter for easy sharing of your fun moments. What’s more is that it has its mobile app up and running allowing you not only to post status msgs from your cellphone, but also automatically updating your status message with your location! Wow! Google’s back with a bang and they seem to be saying, “We mean business this time”! All the features of Google Buzz are described in great detail at http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/09/if-google-wave-is-the-future-google-buzz-is-the-present/... All thanks to MG Siegler.

Unfortunately, the Buzz is not yet spread all over this little town we like to call the Internet, but I’m hoping I don’t have to keep refreshing my Gmail much longer! Oh, that’s one more important thing I missed out on….. Buzz is available in your very own Gmail account… Jus below your inbox! It’s still in it’s initial stages so there are a lot more features in the “coming soon” phase but we know Google right? They became the #1 Search Engine and stayed there… Maybe they are planning something similar with their “re-try” at Social Media – the Google Buzz. Never know, it may just be the next “buzz” of your life (… as clichéd as that might sound ).

Here’s to Google Buzz – I wish it all the best in its new endeavours (Google if you’re reading this, pls activate it soon on my account); and more importantly, to Social Media – may you never go out of style!

Wake Up Call!

He came, he saw, he conquered! He flew, he drove and then rode on a local train… thus capturing the hearts of every sweet simple Mumbaiikar commuter! To the Thackerays – Bal, Uddhav and Raj – a wake up call for you…. Wake up and smell the coffee!! Your ‘dadagiri’ and ‘goondagiri’ politics is now a dying ember! The Marathis manoos has grown! Every time you fight for him you are isolating him from the rest of India and the world. He wants to be a part of this great nation! So why don’t you get the bigger picture? Your vitriolic comments only leave a distaste in your own mouths… so stop the wagging and start acting! Actions speak louder than words! When did you guys last travel by a local train? Its not violence that works but charm and charisma! Charismatic people know how to reach out and change hearts and minds! Show us your ‘jalwa’ now! Let’s see what you can do. Even the ‘vada pav’ guy knows that to survive, he needs to sell to a Bihari, Gujarati…. Not only to the Marathi Manoos! Get your act together and stop throwing your weight around! Mumbai is for all Indians in the same way as the rest of India is for you – if only you have the guts and the gall to travel.

The ordinary Marathi manoos wants to be economically sound and not socially exiled. He wants to explore his beautiful country and learn more about it – but apparently, you are trying to stifle him – thus hampering his progress. So how then can you be called the well-wishers of the Marathi manoos? Grow up men! Your violent threats – [which, by the way, you don’t carry out yourself] – are inadequate and meaningless in a lovely city like Mumbai! Rahul Gandhi has played ‘Truth and Dare’ with you and he has emerged victorious!

The “truth” being that you would make his visit ‘a Black Day’ in Mumbai. Well, sorry to burst your bubble – he made it a ‘red-letter day’! And the “dare” being, he entered your bastion – Dadar – and none of you could stop him or make him retract his steps! Furthermore, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, you said he withdrew money from Mumbai – where do you think that money came from? Do you do anything to earn the money? Check out the pathetic state of your BMC schools – they’re in an appalling, abysmal condition!

And you call yourselves protectors? When you can’t even provide decent education to the economically backward. Go out there and work with the common man and then come and preach politics to the common man! You say Rahul Gandhi thinks Mumbai is a ‘milking cow’! Well well… a milking cow needs to be milked or else, it suffers discomfort. You are so lazy, you don’t even want to milk that cow!

Here’s to Mumbai and Mumbaiikars – let’s stand up for ourselves. Let’s not bow down to weak loudmouths and to Shahrukh Khan, we say – ‘Yes! Great going! Nothing can stop us from watchin your movie'.

To the police and the government machinery – an excellent job! You tried to curb the trouble makers; be there with us on Valentine’s Day too… 'coz the lunatic fringes will threaten, rant and rave again!