Defence

I started this off as a comment but have made it a post now.

I respect shoot-straight-from-the-hip Subbu's opinion a lot. My article on blogs was half-researched and too generalized. But there is a bigger idea underlying that I want to talk about.

Idea of comedy

I am heavily inspired by Thurber in writing and George Carlin in stand-up. GC calls stand-up comedy "knowing where the limit is - and then crossing it". I know a lot of people find him gross and vulgar. But I think he's a new brand of philosophy.

This brand of irreverant writing where you just bash out the popular opinion (in this case, the power of blogs) has the effect of elbowing in an alternative opinion in a sea. This is similar to militancy brand feminism, caste-racial-ethnic affirmative opinions - The idea is that if you don't shout and swear, you will not be heard; if you don't demand a mile, you won't get an inch.

Where I disagree

Yes, I am not a prolific blog reader; but I am a prolific reader and know bad writing from good. And the idea of the blogs is to comment without "earning the rights". Everyone who is party to a phenomenon has the right to comment.

Where I agree
I agree of my not exploring life as much as I should. I am trying. I also am guilty of generalizations all the time: but I try to keep the exceptions floating in my mind somewhere.

Ultimately...

My points converge to the all-pervasive mediocricy and lack of ideas of our times. Despite the power that a blog gives you, most blogs are full of the same everyday platitude that invades us from the media-barons controlled media (read Pankaj's Chomsky's review where he talks about Manufacture of Consent). Seldom do I come across an original idea and irreverance.

To Shantanu

Shantanu, my boss from Symphony-IRI, died on Thursday. I still can't imagine a guy so alive, sensitive, intelligent and complete no more.
After coming to Wal-mart, I actually missed the intimacy that Shantanu affected in the entire team - his loud jovial Hi to everyone as he walked up to the cubicle beside me - greeting 80 odd people by names, stopping to question 30 odd on their personal lives.

Shantanu died at 40 odd - young but lived completely. I never, repeat never, saw him lose his temper even an inch in the three odd years I spent with him. And we both saw some crises that would have blown the lids of many patient managers.

His death has led me to think of the way I want to spend my bachhi-khuchhi life. Two lessons I will try to take forward -

1. Respect everyone - never belittle or hurt anyone.
2. Don't live as if this is the first day of your life. Live as if it is the last.

Shantanu, I wish I had realized your condition and been there in the final moments.