A prescription

Right, for some reason or another, I have decided to review some of the blogs that I have read, or read. Don't worry, while reviewing I rely on my ability to see both sides of the coin, logically sift through a myriad of different views, and if all else fails, to land a swift back-handed jab under the belt.

In the beginning there was Manish S. Chauhan and his musings. Interesting, insightful, and a fun getaway while you waited for the clock to punch six o'clock, when you could legitimately can another day. Highly recommended for his well though out logical constructs, and takes on the everyday World. At least that part which concerns me. No, the fact that I have known him forever didn't influence my review. Honest. Scout's honour. Brown man speak with straight tongue.

Then came Amit Varma, and his India Uncut. He was amusing for a while, and he probably still is, until it felt that he was either snidely cutting up, or, undercutting a certain type of India(ns), along with his liberatti and pseudo-literatti pals. The fact that he appears to be close pals with Dileep Premachandran (of Cricinfo infamy), whose arguing style mirrors left the American far right, doesn't help matters a wee bit. Nope very cut up about India Uncut. I agree that sounds like the the mouse (me) mocking the elephant (him), at least in the blogosphere. No, Sharma no go there no more. Nor should you. Stay here. See, I do believe in live and let live. If I live, I will let you live.

In the middle there was Dilip D'Souza and his Death ends Fun blog. On a good day, when he wasn't highlighting various holes in the Indian social/cultural/moral fabric (almost gleefully, it seemed), but instead writing on more general themes (like cheese), his turn of phrase was humorous. Sometimes. However, his Heart-of-Gold-but-Hands-in-Pocket documenting left much to be desired in the end. Yes, here too the mouse-elephant analogy holds very true. Nah.

Gaurav Sabnis is reasonably good, and the fact that he is fellow Dada-head helps a lot in my overlooking his sometimes too-liberal leanings. Can't really find any real flaw in him. (I know, I must be slipping. Age, you know). He sounds level-headed most times. Except that there is no real passion in his writings, or in his humour, or what appear to be his thought processes. Hard to imagine the latter, for he appreciates Dada. Maybe that is what IIMs do to you - teach you to camouflage your emotions and not hard-sell. Recommended. Sometimes. I know, I sat on the fence on that one. I will fret over the rash later.

I was a fan of Alfred J Prufrock for some time. Until I realized that his style was quite akin to his idol P G Wodehouse, so that in the end he, like PGW, became repetitive. But, I still go there more often than not, and he is recommended, if only for the fact that literate bureaucrats who appear, at least virtually, to be honest, are a rare commodity. Very rare. Trust me on that. I belong to a long line, a very long line, of civil servants. That is right, I am, after all, baba sahab. Incarnate.

Madhu Menon is recommended. He is light. He is witty. He is imaginative. I like his writing style. And he says he is a good cook, which kind of seals the deal. I will let you know about this latter claim if and when I visit Bangalore.

Derek too comes highly recommended. Most amongst this lot. Probably because he is funny. But, more because I do like his writing style. Easy, descriptive, economical and full of life. Well, not so much his style, as his choice of words. Though very vernacular, and lowbrow, you are immediately aware that this guy, so to say, "knows his shit". His pre-occupation with certain physiological facets of life may drag on some people, and it is a valid criticism that it is easy to be funny when commenting about these particular biological functions, but I believe his writing style itself is more than adequately humorous. Then again I always preferred the lively American style over that of the staid old British ponies. Chandler had more life in one sentence than Dickens could pound into a book. Check Derek out.

The Waiter, discovered from Derek's blog is surprisingly good, and is highly recommended. Not so much for his style, but for his stories. Stories that are interesting and are told in an easy conversational style, as stories need to be told. Some of his analogies are really good too, as in this one about Tapestry (towards the end). The one flaw, and the one that, in time, may perhaps reduce my visiting his blog are his overuse to the phrase "yuppie", his tipping-fixation, his implicit belief that difficult customers are always wrong, and that in spite of claiming to be a wise old head, his writings bring him across as rather rigid in his views. I know, people in glass houses shouldn't roll boulders. But, do visit. All the above flaws remain mere niggles when there is so much content on offer.

Finally, I would have reviewed yet another blog. However, it has been brought to my attention that my mother frequents my blog. I wouldn't want her to roll her eyes, and jump towards the telephone when she finds out her son's choice of reading matter. Might do herself an injury with all that sudden activity. If it is any consolation, I don't think this blog (that I was going to review) is very good. It thinks it is, but then most Canterbury graduates think they are, when most times they are just irritating. I am not a Canterbury graduate, hence by the laws of logic peculiar to Sharmanism, I am not irritating.

So there!