Month: February 2013

Symphony and Cacaphony

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Let me set this blog to music with what His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has to say about “Music”

HH Gurudev Sri Sri Playing the Veena during Navratri
HH Gurudev Sri Sri Playing the Veena during Navratri

“Spirituality and music, together, can uplift people, get them out of depression and help them start a new life with enthusiasm. For a stress-free life, you have to embrace both these facets (spirituality and music).”

The Art of Living has laid a foundation stone for unity and harmony through a series of events.

He also said “In a place where there is music, where there is art, where there is dance, where there is meditation and yoga, how can there be violence there? Read more here

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Now that the piece is set to Music, let me not sing the old tune and get into brass tacks right away … with a small Note of warning (LOL! No Warning Bells as yet)

You are Warned
You are Warned

When someone pointed out that it was quite a while since I blogged,  I tweeted about what would my next theme. Me who is always fit as a fiddle decided to be blow my horn with this Operatic effort & include all that jazz. A small inadvertent break for unfortunate reasons  (reasons explained later).

Musical Restroom
Musical Rest Room

And Lo! a blog idea came when I heard a TV Panelist (who is supposed to run some blog in support of a party) who  is capable of making chin music for hours at a time. And when he was recently relegated from Prime Channels to some side-kick ones it was music to my ears. Even there this guy incessant blabber is like an Elevator music and heard that the other panelists are not Bells on when he is on the drone and tries to pass it off as a Symphony.  While we all know clearly who calls the tune in his case 🙂

Music All Over
Music All Over

And when my thoughts were clear as a bell and almost ready to be published come the news of Hyderabad Blasts. I stopped the music and stopped the (word)Press  & decided to fine tune this blog and launch it today after pulling out all stops.  I could not afford to be seen as a person Fiddling while Rome burnt like our Home Minister who keeps changing the tune and together with his bosses have decided to sell our Nation for a song.  Media and these politicos decided to march to their own drum beat with no sense of order giving a damn to us despite they playing a jarring note. The entire opposition also seem to play a second fiddle and did they strike a chord with sentiments of nation at this crucial hour? A big No. A whistle-stop tour to the blast site, some sound-bytes to the media channels and then a curt “Whistle for peace” message to gullible public.

No Music this
No Music this

Did Music-Deaf authorities forget that on matters of national security, they cannot be whistling in the dark or issue cannot be played by the ear. It has to be an orchestra where every Note has to be Scripted in the sheet to create a symphony.

Despite all this the eternal Optimist that I am, I still keep whistling Dixie and still kiss my kids goodnight saying “See you on the big drum”

Signing off with this lovely musical video Foo Fighters-Learn to Fly

PS: Photographs used in this piece belong to Respective Owners. If in any copyright infringement please let me know 

We, the Philanthropists

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My eyes popped up when I saw this headline while surfing on the web – “Salaried class : IT exemption limit raised” To my disappointment and utter sense of disbelief, I discovered when I read it the 3rd time that it was not a “:” but a “Want” in that headline. A classic case of “Mind read what it wanted not what the eyes saw”

Mind reads what it wants, not what eyes see
Mind reads what it wants not what eyes saw

After all,  it was “only” a demand from a lowly Class of downtrodden and roughshod population of this nation – the salaried class, as if they have any rights to demand.

When I walk into the Income Tax Department office, my heart swells with pride for what I do, the most philanthropic act anyone can do, in fact. Looking at those seated, snoring, behind their desks amidst the pile of files – I couldn’t help watch them with a glint in my eyes and wonder with pride, ” here are those folks in India that I feed, nourish and nurture”

Taxes that we Pay help a needy man catch up on sleep
Taxes that we Pay help a needy man catch up on sleep

And when over ambitious Justice Katju blames me for malnutrition, I obviously have reasons to take offense. And I distinctly remember I also fed this juvenile Katjus via my tax payment (even today feed him in the form of  post retirement doles, pension and position) and yet this thankless luminary debunks this and cites malnutrition. I would accept if he appears anything but malnourished, I am not speaking mentally malnourished here, for which I cannot be held responsible. Here is another friend Mediacrooks delivering the Justice that Justice demanded for 10000 killed in Gujarat.

And we have yet another Member of Parliament – the famous one whose “sweat” costed him a cabinet “seat”.  Do I pay my taxes to pay this Chivalrous MP who “takes a good 10 days (NaMo said this on 6th Feb 2013)” to discover that Air is not important and think of something else to pour (a Whiskey or Rum?) to make the glass full. Not surprised someone who has worked hard(ly) to earn that Sweat Equity for his “then” invaluable Friend.

Rejoinder for NaMo Half Glass Remark at #SRCC
Rejoinder for NaMo Half Glass Remark at #SRCC

As someone said, while Optimistic Tax Payer who saw the Glass Half full haggled with Pessimistic Tax Payer who saw it as Half empty, an Opportunist mixed his drink and walked away evading his taxes (not naming since he is already busy suing a famous journalist and why add myself into his “To-Be-Sued” list)

I have some serious doubts on how my Tax money is spent.  Why should I pay for upkeep of Mughul Gardens just for the enjoyment of  the “One” who has been rewarded by Tax Collector (Government) as a perquisite for favor done earlier?  Just an old couple who are past their prime to enjoy them, walking with a bunch of guests who drop in once in a while all for free.

Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan
Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan

Why not ask them to “pay and use” like our Sulabh Shouchalayas. I am sure it is not as taxing for them as it is for me to pay for it

Unlike Rashtrapti Bhavan this place keeps my neighbourhood clean
Unlike Rashtrapti Bhavan this place keeps my neighbourhood clean

I was travelling in Mangalore some time back. Saw that Government has hired so many life guards, again paid by taxes we pay. I am not forcing those going for a swim and why the heck should I pay to pull them out of troubled waters? Let those who want to go for a swim realize that every action has its consequences and cannot be spoilt by this Nanny Government at my cost.

Panambur Beach - Rocky & Dangerous
Panambur Beach – Rocky & Dangerous
The Samaritans who risk their lives to save others' lives
The Samaritans who risk their lives to save others’ lives & I pay for it

We are slowly becoming a nation of entitlement. Free Water supply in  Bengaluru‘s Lalbaugh  is another such overindulgence. Early morning joggers (Yes they have united under the banner of Lalbagh Walker’s Association) come there to enjoy their freebie at taxpayer’s expense (During later hours there is an entrance fee) and if they feel thirsty let them carry their water bottles (and not litter the place with empty ones – cleaning up for which I pay again)

Glass House, Lalbagh, Bengaluru
Glass House, Lalbagh, Bengaluru

Now that I have given very few examples to buttress my point, Increasing Taxes or the exemption limit is no solution. NO TAXES is the solution. We are a nation who probably spend more to collect our taxes than the tax amount itself. Do away with them. Anyway we are taxed on every item that we buy. Go after those big fishes. Taxes from just 100 of them, who anyway pay pittance as as taxes are enough to take care of the nation. Salaried Middle class has been more than philanthropic till date. Spare us now. Finance Minister of UPA please note the above. In case you are not able to do anything much, pass this on to Finance minister of the NDA.

Until then let me go and meditate to find my Solace in His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ‘s The Art of Living Ashram hoping against hope that I see a NO-TAX regime.

Sunset Through Vishalakshmi Mantap is The Art of Living Ashram
Sunset Through Vishalakshmi Mantap is The Art of Living Ashram

Hang (in) (out) and (up)

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With Valentine’s day round the corner, it is time to blog about “Hanging” out with your loved ones.

68465myaddictinghangman

While I enjoyed saving the man in my favourite classical Vocab game “Hangman”, it was also a bumper season for “Better-off-Hung type” Human rights champions too, who took up the cause of  Hanging of moderate saintly gentlemen. They are so saintly who just were hanging out to have some fun watching the fireworks that brought down anything from Hanging Gardens of Babylonia to the  Dhabaleswar Hanging Bridge along with many terrorizing public on the road.

Hanging Bridge of Dhableshwar 245 ft long
Hanging Bridge of Dhableshwar 245 ft long

Funnier lot  were those Protestors who hung in there to make hay while sun shined. They decided to hang out on the streets of various cities on a lazy and free Weekend evening, until they realized that the clothes in their washing machine need to be hung & Went back home in search of their Hangers

The Hanger
The Hanger

Then there was this holy learned Journalist writer, who dreamt of a Role-Switch to become the first Hangman to Hang a President from the Clock-Tower (Ghanta Ghar) – which incidentally hung up the day Pandits were chased out of the valley.

Open Abuse and Threat to President of India
Open Abuse and Threat to President of India

While there this Journo-writer also thought that the President of a Sovereign Nation who simply did his job deserves some choicest compliments as an adjective.

Afzal Gooroo did try ringing this Journo-Writer bloke but it went dead! Later we get to know that he just hung up. And by god! 11 years was too long even for Afzal Gooroo who must have exclaimed “Hey! hurry up all this hanging around is killing me”  Which is when the Jail Superintendent ordered “OK, make it quick. I don’t want to be left hanging around” I am sure his final thoughts were “I suppose that’s the way things go, one door opens another one closes.”

Coming to this person with so much of Hang-ups who married into an Indian family, & hung a Mangalsutra around her neck and then started Hanging citizens of the nation everyday physically and intellectually – Does anyone know if that Ultra sensitive lady broke into tears and her Hanger-on errand boy (who famously said that “jab hum tasveerein dekhi to unke aansoon phoot padi…”) had to rush to the nearest hanger where the Handkerchief was hung when the news of hanging was delivered to her?

Original link for the above video here: (Courtesy: NDTV)

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/fromndtv/223479

Not to be left behind Google also jumps on to the “Hang” out bandwagon. Though their responses in terms of professionalism leaves much to desire (a recent experience). I foresee Google+ hanging up the Orkut way. We have seen biggest Corporations break down and hang themselves by thin lines to stay afloat

Well time to Hang up on this post. But hang-on till you read this final parting one.

A blonde decided to commit suicide by hanging herself from a tree in the park.
A few days later, a man was walking his dog and spotted her hanging from the tree. He asks the blonde what she is doing and she replies, “I’m hanging myself.”
“You’re supposed to put the noose around your neck, not your waist,” said the onlooker. “I tried that,” replied the blonde, “but I couldn’t breathe.”

I am sure you enjoyed the Hanging-out here so long. Please leave your comments and share if you like it.

PS: A compliment to India Post. Hanging the letter on the traditional Courier Pigeon would have delivered the letter faster, No?