This is an actual conversation I had with someone they told me was a "Tech Support" person at Cingular, which is my cellphone service provider. And this was after I'd spent around 30 minutes on the phone with "Customer Care" and they decided they'd transfer me to someone who was "more equipped" to help me.

Support: Hi, and how may I help you today?
Me: Well, I'm calling because as of last Thursday, I've stopped receiving text messages from India.
S: You've started receiving text messages?
Me: No, I've stopped receiving text messages from India.
S: Okay, you've stopped receiving messages.
Me: Yes. People send me messages, but they never reach me. (Just in case she thought I was calling to complain that no one messages me anymore)
S: Okay. And what would you like to do today?
Me: (Speechless for a few seconds) I'd... like to know why I'm not getting messages from India anymore.

No, seriously. This is not a joke. That's one person who'd fail the Turing test. Or maybe she had a two-minute memory.

It turned out, by the way - another 30 minutes later - that I wasn't actually speaking to Tech Support, since Customer Care had forwarded me back to Customer Care.

So I've been tagged (If your office firewall blocks this because of the objectionable word in the URL, you can try this link. It's the top post).

I don't always do tags, but this is a post I've been wanting to write for at least a year and a half. So I've decided to give up on procrastination for just long enough to get this post done.

Basically, I'm supposed to write a post on the different words/phrases entered by people in search engines, that lead them to this blog. And because I started using Google Analytics a little less than a year ago, I have access to almost every search word used to reach this site since then. So I'll be doing this post as a series.

I'll start with one of the most common set of search terms that leads people to my blog.

Searches relating to Arranged Marriage - Long, long ago, so long ago, that I don't even remember how long ago, I wrote a post on Arranged Marriages. That's one post on the topic. And 8% of the hits on this blog, end up at that post. Here's a sampling of the kinds of search strings that people have used:

1. Arranged Marriage Statistics - That's given me 242 hits in the last 11 months. And from the comments on that post, I believe that these are mainly sociology students. So the crap I wrote, has probably ended up being used in someone's research project! I don't know whether to be proud, or worry that my opinion from a couple of years ago on a matter that I have absolutely no knowledge about, just might be considered Expert Opinion!
2. Giving up on love for arranged marriage - This one scares me. What if someone was trying to decide whether they should wait to find their true love, or just give in to parental pressure and have an arranged marriage? And what if it was my post that convinced this person to go in for an arranged marriage? What if they'd have found their true love if they had not read my post, and just waited for a few more months? What if I stood in the way of true love? How can I live with the burden of such a grave sin? My hair are turning gray from worrying.
3. Is arranged marriage legal in the united states? - What???
4. Arranged Marriages don't work
5. Arranged Marriages are Bad
6. Arranged Marriages are Evil - Okay, okay, I believe you!

Makes me wonder if I should have started a matrimonial site instead.

Update: I know I'm supposed to tag other people, but I'll make it an open invitation instead. If you feel like doing the tag, leave a comment, and I'll tag you.
Alternatively, if you want to know how to track search terms for your blog, or you want to get a counter that has that feature, let me know and I'll try to help out.

Update 2: Tagging Anwin and Deaths Head Roy.

Yes, I know the holiday season isn't exactly here yet, and Christmas is a long time away. But Santa dropped by this afternoon. No, really!

Remember that book-store I wrote about recently?

Well Santa just gave me two $50 gift cards to the store! $100 of books! I suddenly feel like a kid in a candy store. With mommy paying the bills!

Long live Santa!

Intro: Inexperienced
Previous: Fourth Night

(Episode 5. Read the previous episodes if you want to know what this is about. And be warned that it may not be suitable for children.)

"Listen. You have something that corresponds to this, right?"
"Well..."
"Yes?"
"I do, but..."
"But?"
"It can't be that!"
"Are you sure?"
"Well, it's too small!"
"Oh."
"Yes. That would be impossible. I know at least that much about my body."
"Ok."

Next: Inexperienced: Two Months Later