Accidental Blogger completes three years of its existence today – an unremarkable fact but still worth noting. The milestone probably qualifies as middle age by the standards of the blogosphere. I am less surprised by the blog’s longevity on this anniversary than I was last year. Blogging has now become more or less a daily chore. I do it because it seems natural. And like all daily chores, on some days it is a drag and on others, I go at it with gusto. Ours being a general interest blog, A.B. authors choose topics according to their own interests. Although some of the posts I enjoy writing most are book reviews and cultural commentaries, my main motivation for blogging continues to be politics.
Nothing much has changed since the second annual report although no A.B. authors got married in the preceding 12 months. Mercifully therefore, I have little to say.
I am grateful to my co-authors for good naturedly putting up with my badgering. It is also heartening that despite six different points of view expressed here, A.B. remains a harmonious place to meet and shoot the breeze. We are thankful to our regular readers for visiting our blog although we don’t hear from all of them. It will be nice if some long time readers who have maintained their silence until now, choose this year to chime in and introduce themselves.
As has been the practice in previous birthday posts, I am attaching one of my paintings as a celebratory gesture. And as has been the case before, the subject matter of the painting has nothing to do with the content of the post.
(Note: This post was composed ahead of time and is set to appear when I am away on a trip. If you comment and don’t see a reply from me, it is probably because I am not checking the blog regularly.)
(click to enlarge)
Accidental Blogger 
11 responses to “Three Years Already!”
Happy 3rd birthday, Ruchira and A.B.!
You weren’t sure that you were going to be blogging this long- see how easy it was to continue, after all.
Love the painting- is this another of your originals that you have been keeping from us? I hope we don’t have to wait till the next anniversary to see another one.
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Three more years! Three more years!
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A hearty congratulations. Maybe it’s just my current “real world” transience, but AB’s relative longevity (and, as you note, general harmoniousness) makes it a reassuring terra firma in the virtual world. In the same metaphoric vein, I like the earth tones of your painting. Together with the brushwork, that palette presents a definite, recognizable signature style, or maybe just a palette consistent with the other works you’ve chosen to post. In any event, the long shadows and brown tones definitely suit an October day here in California (even the comparably green Northern California). Very nice!
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From a full-time lurker and occasional commenter, Happy 3rd Anniversary to the blog. :)
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I’d just like to echo Anna’s “reassuring terra firma” comment.
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Congratulations AB. You are tending to become a habit with me. I enjoy reading your posts on life, culture and politics. Have been keenly following the election process over the past year. Am beginning to feel that Obama will be significant to the US and the world in the way Gandhi was to India. Not in the ideological sense but definately in the transformational sense.On another note, loved the painting too,especially the architectural features…except that I found it intriguing that the (presumbly) wind blowing the woman’s skirts does not seem to effect the other two figures? Enjoy your holiday Ruchira and Happy Diwali to you and your family.
Jatinder
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Congratulations to Ruchira and the other authors of A.B. on the 3rd anniversary. I also have a request for Ruchira – please take up painting once again. You know it will not affect A.B. adversely but will only brighten it up further. Looking forward to an image of your recent visit to Kerala.
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I’ll happily echo the greetings of H.B. to A.B. May the discussion continue for another three, six, twelve…years!
The painting of course invokes Hopper. Look at the bottom left corner, from the overhang above the lintel of the door down, and from the edge of the dancing woman’s skirt across: the exaggerated lighting and the acute angle of the shadow could easily pass for a late night diner by Ruchira’s beloved artist. (I’m pretty sure, Jatinder, the woman is dancing, not fighting the wind.)
Congratulations!
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Happy Birthday, AB! You’re out of your infancy and a fine toddler now, reading without being taught, lustily singing, and rearranging the furniture while the grown-ups fail consistently to take your measure. Will an Obama presidency be too pleasing to you? We think NOT! BO will be grist for your mill, from his ears to his arugala to his centrist policies. And S. Palin? Despair not, AB — she’ll be ba-aack…before you reach the age of reason. Wear that Baby Hercules lion skin proudly, wield that club in your chubby fist — long may you rule!
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Thank you everyone for visiting and for your good wishes.
Sujatha: Yes, this is one of my originals although I must confess that I once saw the photo of a similar edifice in some magazine. I made this painting mainly to recreate the sharp shadowy angles cast by the bright light. (Yes Dean, I also meant it to be Hopperesque)
Nick, Dean and Elatia: Three years? Six, twelve? Who knows? I suspect that the urge to stop blogging will come just as suddenly as the impetus was to start. In the meanwhile we will keep rearranging the furniture.
Joe, Anna: As the two earliest co-bloggers to come on board, I am not surprised that A.B. feels like terra firma to you.
Bongo: Glad you delurked to wish us well.
Aku: As my traveling companion, surely you remember that my camera’s battery ran out the very first day and I had forgotten to pack the charger. But I will indeed post about Kerala, perhaps along with some borrowed images.
Jatinder:Happy Diwali to you too. Thanks for putting A.B. on your reading list and for letting us know that. As Dean pointed out, I meant to depict the woman in the painting as dancing and not fighting the wind. Her skirt is swirling because she is twirling. Hence no wind blown effect on the other figures. I guess I didn’t capture the feeling of movement very well.
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Congratulations to Accidental Blogger. After three years it no longer looks that accidental. It has become a blogosphere institution.The main reason is that it provides a balance of news, views and comments on a range of subjects even while retaining the personal touch of a blog.
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