Pack your bags

In the book, "At the center of Storm!", ex-CIA direcetor George Tenet talks about how in some high level peace talks when things got stalled, people would pull "Pack your bags" trick. They would just literally pack their bags and put them out in the hotel lobby and the opposing party would relent immediately. I found it really amusing that such trick would work even at such "mature" levels. And, not just those guys, what did the Indian team do in Sydney controversy? And, now look how it worked.

Blogistics

More than 95% of bloggers have a love-hate relation with their blog (totally made-up statistic). For more than 70% of those, the blogging experience has spilled over a couple of years. As i said previously, i would like to see what kind of insights would numbers yield about your relation with your blog.

1. Significant changes such as new job, relationship status changes can affect your blogging frequency (In other words, no time)

2. Your own guilt or peer induced (why aren't you blogging these days, my friend?)

3. Narci or Nazi about your own writing

4. Phasing out of Blogger novelty can reduce a blog's appeal to both the writer and reader.

In 2005, on average the number of blog posts used to be 11 and by 2006, the average number of blogs(per month) dropped to 4.5 (1.5 in 2007). Several of the factors pull and push the trend to an equillibrium. De-Mystification of blog appeal would be followed by an increase in peer pressure to maintain the blog circle (an increase in number of blog block and similar musings). Your own writing undergoes subtle changes. I used to write extremely short posts, too short to even contain a point(!). Now, i tend to write larger posts. The contrary might be true in your case. It is quite interesting to notice the cumulative effect of all these factors and the myriad of questions it gives rise to. Can such a strong trend be reversed? What single force can upset this equillibrium? Or would several blogs just crawl to their grave?

I Wish

As kids, we probably stared wide-eyed at things you were drawn to. I don't recall doing anything at all about that feeling. Till years, i didn't realize how much i yearn cricket. One day, someone asked me what my dear wish was. Play leather ball cricket just popped out of my mouth. That summer, i got my wish. I admit i was afraid of playing "hardcore". I loved it (despite my performance).

The number of visits to Malls has exploded since i have been married but i find myself letting the wife loose and drift towards Barnes and Nobles. I have begun to like more non-fiction books. Freakonomics is a terrific book, and was exactly the kind of book i have been waiting to read. It reveals several underlying phenomena hidden beneath the ordinary looking through "right questions". I am in search for that question, that can reveal the underlying worms.

I used to remember my dreams pretty well, over the past couple of years not so much. A recent hypothesis suggests that dreams are virtual reality simulations to prepare you for some dire situations. Your brains keeps noting potential threats and processes them in your dreams. People find they react with astonishing speeds with their instincts flaring when under attack, and that ability supposedly is gained through dreams. Practice well by sleeping a lot :)