Netflix is an irritating thing. Getting something that all
three of us can watch together is painful. Many years ago, I had very little
patience for a series. Who is going to watch so many episodes on one topic? Aren’t
movies easier and more varied. Now I understand how Netflix works. A series
helps you shortlist once, and if you like it – you need not invest so much time
in choosing again and again – you simply keep watching the series and the seasons.
Also having a series allows the storyteller to keep the
timing and pace of the story without worrying about the time constraints. The only
constraint being the plot line and the general pace of the story. They seem to
be a boon for a lot of independent story tellers. You can now have a niche
story idea that is likely to bomb on the big screen but can find a nice niche
cult following online. Be ready for more edgy creative work to be shown.
The one problem I seem to have with a large number of series
is the sheer amount of random nudity that they put upfront. I am beginning to
see a pattern in this. You show enough of nudity and sex upfront in the series
and then the second season is when you show the story without the distraction
of nudity and sex. The director uses shock and awe.
I am mot against nudity by itself or even sex, but it has to
be there to take a story forward and it has to be tastefully done. Possibly its
my age talking, but I see no reason for half the scenes. That bugs me. If its
there for a purpose and it used smartly then its good, otherwise it a bloody pain.
Why have it? Especially if the director is trying to showcase his good story
telling skills. No problem of sex scenes in popcorn entertainment movies or
series – its there for a cause. But not required in most series.
The best series that Jispa and me cant have enough of is ‘Shark
Tank’. We can binge watch that episodes on end. It always a fun thing to watch.
I think it draws people in. We like to watch and comment on the ideas presented
and we think through on the possibilities it can have. Who will fund what and
is it an interesting idea? Will it do well. Would I buy it. And then should I take
that offer or should I negotiate. It’s a very tightly edited show with some real
fun ideas.
I was teaching Jispa at the start the terms and the thing
with equity and debt. How to look at the deal and what is it that you should
focus on. It was fun teaching her stuff and watching it together. One of the things
that comes naturally to me is Equity and accounts. I get the value of money,
stake and business. Much better than most others. Its an understanding of it at
an abstract level that counts.
Many Saturdays, I sit with a friend of mine (he is much
older than me) and we discuss his business – it worth a whole lot. I like that.
We sit and he takes me through his ideas and thought process and I give me
inputs. I talk about some of my issues and we have a nice conversation. It keeps
me at the ringside of a lot of developments in the tech side as well gives the
best seat in the house as to how a business does. The decisions made and the
consequences thereof. Last Saturday he asked me some question as regards money
investments of the firm and at first I simple told him thanks and that it is
flattery to me that you even asked me for my opinion on this.
He said – no, I like to ask you because you think very
different. You have a way of thinking and putting things in perspective. Well
yes. I think I do. I think very different than most others. For me a lot of my
life decisions are mental models. As long I get my mental model right then I am
happy taking my decisions.
Right now, I am sitting on cash in hand. I was wondering if
not to invest. It’s a question of a mental model. If you have your model right,
then whatever choice you make it will work for you. Life isn’t about right
choices or wrong choices. We never know for sure what the opposite is there for
us. We don’t really know what we will do sitting in one place or the other. We must
keep mental models that keep us sane as regards the choices we make. That ensures
we sleep at night and eat in time.
Going for my knee surgery was more a question of the mental
model I had in mind and the risks I could take because of it. Deciding on the
job change is also a question of the mental model. Same with almost every
decision you take. I think my mental models have always helped me with my
choices. They make sense of the universe for me. Rather they help the universe
make sense of me.
Coming back to Netflix. I find myself drawn to any series
that has some real story behind it. Like Crown or Narcos or World War or
anything. Jasmine was telling me that I like to watch fighting and war. The truth
is that I like history. It teaches a lot. So good historicals make me feel less
guilty of spending hours in front a TV. AT least in the end you have something
to take forward.
I think any good story has a lot to take forward for the listener/viewer.
I must not deride fiction thus. But Fiction has less of an allure for me. I can
handle a movie, but a fiction-based series soon bores me. I feel that the writer
/ director is making a mockery of me. I feel they are simply stretching an idea
who time passed long ago.
I think me watching a history based or a reality-based story
is just a mental model that is keeping me relatively guilt free while watching the
telly. Also, I may add, these mental models aren’t beautiful models thought our
before I take a decision. I think a lot of these come in to play once the
decision is done. A lot of the times, they are simply justifying my decision in
the best possible way so that it looks all scientific to me. I am ok with that
and fooling myself with it.
Because if you have a model, you are basically giving logic
to a decision. This logic you will hold in your brains. Then as the circumstances
of your decisions unfold, you have model to hold them against. Did the thinking
hold. Did the rationale work. Your model made in hindsight or not at least
gives you an idea of what it did for you. How did it fare. This makes your
future decision making a bit smarter. You have some models of the past to work
with. That makes your future a bit smarter. I didn’t say happier – just smarter.
Feel smarter.
All this just makes the Venn diagram of you and the universe,
sensible and within control. Some people are happy ceding control and some people
like me -believe we have some degree of control. To each his own. This is what
works for me. You have to find out what works for you – Narcos or Game of
Thrones. Both are such glorious waste of time or a lesson in human behaviour.
You choose. Because you the truth – your choice doesn’t matter.
You have no clue of the counter. There – Opposites have reconciled in my head. Hopefully
– I have messed up yours.
BTW – on Netflix – Jispa then asked me which movies we could
see together. She wanted Bollywood movies. I chanced upon the crazy beautiful
movie – Kapoor and Sons. We laughed crazy. Especially at the scenes where the
director uses so many tools at his disposal to heighten the tension between the
characters of a dysfunctional family. Twice he uses it in the movie to great
effect. It’s a must see.
Here is the scene if you want to just see one small sneak
peak. So much tension and so damn funny.
