First Post - Testing the waters!!

Finally I decide to dip my toes too and test the waters of this ever-in-flux blogosphere.For long, I had wondered about this blogging phenomenon.What drove people to verbalize their inner chatter and think aloud about all and sundry topics under the blazing sun?.Perhaps,I thought,it must be the innate human need to be appreciated and endorsed by like-minded people and enjoy a certain guilty pleasure that borders on the narcissistic.There is nothing more gratifying to a bored,garrulous soul than the welcoming ears of an eager listener. I am sure most bloggers would call it quits if there were no comments/feedback section provided.
Speaking of listening skills,I remember someone saying - "A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something"!

Or it may also be just that plain, simple impulse to put out in the open whatever is on ones's mind.....the kind to be found in chronic gossip mongers.And talking of gossip,I cannot but help quote this good one -"Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid "- Walter Winchell

Whatever be the case, having read some excellent blog posts over the years I have now come to appreciate the immense usefulness of this tool, both as an entertainment and educational medium.Unlike the scripted/edited versions of a columnist in a newspaper or a journal,we now have access to a million viewpoints,as diverse as they come.We get to have a good peek at the mind-scapes of some great thinkers(not necessarily famous).I especially enjoy the book/movie reviews,political analyses and philosphical musings.
And at the end of the day,all that reading cannot 'not affect' you.
It rubs off on your thinking patterns,perspectives,belief systems and world-views.So in a sense, like the good old book-reading habit, this too helps in the evolution of your personality.

But then why do I need to begin blogging?
More than anything else,writing, in general brings a certain direction,alignment and structure to the space between my ears.And a sense of discipline to the the unruly,mob like marauders - those gazillion thoughts in my head fighting for my attention.
Perhaps,another reason may be to make people know that there is someone out here, as confused as they are, in trying to a make a sense of this existence! ;)

So here I am ,about to force my musings,cribbings, wailings,ramblings and what have you, on all you ill-fated Web-denizens that happen to stumble happenstance into this corner of the world wide 'web'.Welcome....the spider awaits you! :)