Dish-Dashed

 

Idiot box, that's how Television has been described since the 50s, the exact coinage and its origin has not been ascertained, but it was an apt description of this device which used to be dumb and converted those watching into even dumber people. Since then TV has become smart but unfortunately our own intelligence levels have touched their nadir, more so with the advent of OTT entertainment ruing the roost. But while we were getting used to the Idiot Box, it was the innocuous  looking deceptive mobile phone which trumped even its grand parent. If idiots and imbeciles watched TV, in the same vein then it is morons who are always on the mobile phone, so much so that this addiction has surpassed even drugs. With drugs, one had to take some pains I presume, never having got anywhere near them, barring an odd escapade with Bhang (Cannabis) during Holi, but with mobile it is an instant fix and you stay glued to it.

"The DTH connection is yet be sorted out, my 88 year old father lamented, we have been here for eight days now, you are a Signal Officer, you ought to know why it is taking them so much time for a simple connection!" I am at my wit's end, these days the over centralisation that the Service Providers have unleashed, at local level the Engineers who are just technicians otherwise have been reduced to the status of just a lineman or should I say a delivery boy. They bring the box, which is usually black in colour but that is where the similarity with the other Black Box ends, yes I am referring to the aircraft's black box. Here the box is accessible and is our principle source of entertainment, good old TV to OTT and internet everything bundled in this wonder device. Naturally we get used to it, addicted and miss it as it is now routine to sit in front of the idiot box, which has taken umbrage to this moniker as it is becoming smarter by the day, so much so that one of these days I am afraid it will just turn around and refuse to obey any of the commands sent through the remote demanding an apology for being overworked. In fact may be that is the case already, no wonder my DTH Service Provider has not been able to provide this rudimentary connectivity so far.

Life was quite good with just one odd Dish TV connection, but now this all eggs in one basket has ended up with eggs on our face with we the customers just holding the basket. The dish itself has outgrown its innocuous petri dish days in the laboratories, now we have the mobile, the Broadband, the DTH and the relic from the past land line all bundled in just one box. The box goes kaput and you are high and dry. Imagine the plight of the retirees who are so addicted to their screens that they are suddenly at a loss with the time at hand. The art of casual conversation has already been cremated or buried with even the rituals performed so other than twiddling of thumbs or picking up an argument with just about anyone or just plain and simple sulking are the only viable options. After a hectic day in the office of doing nothing substantial and looking busy in front of the laptop screens, one needs to chill with some more screen time with OTT but alas, the magic box is still staring at you inactive almost mocking your ineptitude. To make matters worse, there is an India-Pak cricket match on and we are forced to just follow the score, can't watch it live. As if that is not enough, Virat and Rahul have made a mince meat of the famed Pak bowling and then Kuldip Yadav has spun such a web around our arch rivals.... Air Tel our erring service providers just can't understand my plight. My threats of taking the matter to social media or consumer court did not yield anything substantial, decibel level of my yelling at the customer care has been rising up exponentially but I am sure they have good quality ear plugs to address this inconvenience so in exasperation I have resorted to do what is in my hand, "blog". May be someone will forward this one to Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal and may be somebody may finally bail me out of this dish-dashed situation.