That bloke next to you on the bus could be listening to heavy metal or a Gregorian chant. You’ll never know. And so, bit by bit, you’ll never really know him. And by his white wires, he is indicating he doesn’t really want to know you.

If that “i” is for iPod or individual, I’m all for it.

You get your news from your favourite blogs, the ones that won’t challenge your view of the world. You tune into a satellite radio service that also aims directly at a small market — for new age fanatics, liberal talk or Christian rock. Television is all cable. Culture is all subculture. Your cell phones can receive e-mail feeds of your favourite blogger’s latest thoughts — seconds after he has posted them — get sports scores for your team or stock quotes of your portfolio.

Technology has given us a universe entirely for ourselves — where the serendipity of meeting a new stranger, hearing a piece of music we would never choose for ourselves or an opinion that might force us to change our mind about something are all effectively banished.

Say what? The essence of satellite radio is “hearing a piece of music we would never choose for ourselves,” and reading blogs (like Sullivan’s?) is the essence of intellectual exploration. Nothing about either is canned or confining.

Overall, I think I understand where he’s trying to go, and I could almost agree to a degree if he got there, but I think he only ends up disliking introversion. These extroverts that desire perpetual socialization, group amusement, collective achievment, etc. – I’ll never understand them. But it’s an interesting piece.