The Blog Speaks

Hey!

Thanks for dropping by! I am the blog speaking. Ya, I know I speak in the other page too, but here I tell you about myself by answering some of the most common questions people ask me... 

"Among other things"? What sorta name is that?
Trust me, it's much better than my previous name. I used to be called "Ne Pas Abandonner, French for "Never Give Up!"  That was such a complex name to pronounce I stopped introducing myself. Thankfully, she realized my problem and renamed me "Among other things".
I'm called that because I am not a specific type of blog, like just poetry or technology or movies or anything. I am more like the interesting stranger you meet on a train journey who lets your mind wander and think about the deep questions in life. (Some not-so-deep ones as well). I am a collection of the many observations she makes everyday, which may or may not be related to each other.  
A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Sugar, spice and everything nice. And many things not so nice. Something of a kadambam, a bhel puri, a motley, potpourri. But as all randomness, there is a pattern to it. She often writes about reviews,issues, poetry, stories, and sometimes just arbit stuff...

Any stories behind your birth?
Unfortunately, I was not fancy enough to be born in a jail or a stable. For a long time she (i.e. the author) had been writing and then she thought it would be good to put that up online. I was born on 7/7/7 to be a poetry blog. But then, I kinda cheated her (*devilish grin* ) into writing other stuff so now I have grown into quite a versatile person (oh, blog, I mean! :-/). 

Any interesting landmarks? Milestones?
My first post (The actual first one)
When I changed the theme
My first cartoon
101st post
When I took the one-month challenge

I used to know you a long time ago, but I can no longer recognize you as the same website. What happened?
(*Understanding nod*) Ya, I know. Sometimes even I don't know if I am the same blog anymore. But you should understand that in the time that I have existed, she went through college, joined work, left and joined grad school and then started work again. A lot of time to grow, observe, learn and change.My look has changed. And so has my mind-- I guess it is part of growing up! :D I like to think it is for the good.
For those of you who first came here and tried reading the old posts, they may not be as readable.. Kindly adjust maadi :) 

Why are the posts so goddamn long? 

Ya I know. Sometimes I am a chatterbox. I try my best to K.I.S.S., but sometimes I really have too much to say. Sorry about that. Here is my excuse.
If you find the post too long you might want to read just the first and last paragraphs. I usually summarize. If you still find it hard to read, let me know by leaving a comment. 

You mentioned she is working. Are you the capitalistic voice of some corporation?
Nope. In fact, that brings me to a technicality I almost forgot. Everything I say is legally only her personal opinion. It is not representative of any organization or group she may be part of. So, if you find something offensive, please do not sue her company :P 

Do you have adult content? Parental warning?

Most of the content on this blog is ok for readers of all ages. Even the language is usually conservative enough not to be objectionable. There are a few exceptions though (especially posts on issues related to gender but even those are things you might read in a newspaper.)
So, no parental warning. And if there is something, I promise to mention at the beginning of the post.

I would like to leave a comment. Do you have a comments policy?

Comments used to be moderated, but not anymore. The reason they were moderated was to avoid spam (almost everything else was published). However, a few people told her it was annoying to wait for the comment to be published, so we decided to revert to open comments. So feel free to write anything you please!
Nah, strike that out. We don't like spam and will delete it promptly (within a day, most of the time!). Also if you are putting up a link, if it is not relevant it shall be assumed to be spam! Sorry, but many previous spammers have made us a little paranoid! 

Anonymous commenting is allowed, but it would be good if you at least use SOME name in commenting- it is easier to respond. Using a name doesn't link to your Google profile, so you won't be identifiable. Of course, it is best to use your true identity. In fact, if you are criticizing, we'd prefer you use your real name, or ping her if you don't want a public argument.
Oh, and it would be nice to have respectful criticism instead of personal invective. We publish everything, but believe that everyone gains more when you criticize ideas instead of people..
Thanks!

Good. So, anything else?
Please give your feedback, whatever it may be. Anything from "Sux" to "Great" to "Doh" is acceptable. If you really like something, you can vote for me on BlogAdda or Indivine.
If you are too lazy for that, you can also click on the rating buttons at the bottom of each post. It's just one click and it means a lot to us! :) If there are specific problems you think that need to be addressed, let us know. If I am wrong and you have good reasons to say so, she will be happy to correct the mistakes.I have come so far only with the feedback we have received, and as Frost says, there are still miles to go. So, please comment, especially if it is something negative.

Hi there! I am new here and that's a lot of words so I skipped straight to the end. Just tell me if you have something I could be interested in...

Sure. If this is your first time here, do check out my favorite posts in each category- book reviews, movie reviews, (classical) music, issues, women, science & technology, humor, short stories, and poems (and more poems!).

Well, then. it was nice talking to you. So long...