Music to your ears

We are surrounded by of all kinds sound. To the existing sounds of nature, life in its varieties has added many. Advent of humans and the machines has magnified the sound many fold. Human ear and the ability to appreciate sound have evolved over years and it tolerates and appreciates and enjoys certain sounds that it grew up with for many thousands of years. This includes the chirping of birds, the flow of water, the rustle of leaves, the platter of rain drops and the whisper of your lover. It also accepts and reacts to sounds of thunder, the howl of the dog, the creak of the squirrel and the cawing of the crow. But it finds some sounds difficult to accept. Man made sounds like the automobile’s growl and the screech of the horn, clanking sounds of the machinery, sound of aircraft taking of and landing, loud sounds of laughter and grief are some of the examples which can drive the owner of a sensitive ear crazy.


Some sounds are great for some and not for others. The thwack and chuck made by the golf club when it hits the ball cleanly are heavenly to the golfer’s ears but makes no sense for the nongolfer. A music lover may go to ecstasy hearing classical note of mandra which may be just a humming sound for the ignorant.

Absolute silence when there is no sound at all which you can experience in the early hours of morning can be bliss. Will it be bliss if it is so all the time? I don’t know. May be after one dies one goes into this state where there is no sensual experience at all. Could be great if one knows it. That is the unanswered question.

Our MPs

We are a poor country and 50% of our people manage to live with less than 50 rupees a day. But we love pageantry, extravagance, pomp and show. The latest figures which was sent to me by SMS, deals with remuneration of our MPs [members of parliament]. These are elected representatives who are elected to serve the people. Going by the Gandhian model which most from the present ruling party purport to follow, these figures are ugly to say the least.
Salary 42,000,Office expense14000, travel expense Rs8 per KM, daily TA/DA Rs 500,train travel free, 40 air trips free[per year],no rent at MP’S hostel at Delhi, free electricity, water and telephone.

Total Rs 32 lakhs [32, 00,000!



More to the Climatic [Jasmine?]





Some of you have enquired about this creeper. My friend Dr Subramanyam insists that it is a veriety of Jasmine [he has sent the picture of the plant he has grown in a pot], where as my wife thinks otherwise. Both are avid admirers of Jasmine! The picture is the close up of the flowers.