The other day I was listening to some old Tamil melodies, when I realized I wasn't even born when those films were released and still I loved the music and the songs and lyrics. It struck me as a surprise, that I do have a penchant for old music. I am sure these would not have gotten into my liking of my own volition- just like Roxette or Bryan Adams got into. With Roxette, I consciously decided that I liked the music, whereas with the old songs, I can't say that.

Thinking about it, I realise these might have been the result of the way I grew up. Growing up in an extended family, with aunts and uncles living together, exposes you to a variety of tastes and preferences and makes you more of a liberal is what I think. You are introduced to a multitude of thoughts apart from your own parents- for ex- I can point to my uncle from whom I got the taste for old songs- especially MGR songs. My father has a very specific taste for Gemini Ganesan songs and I like them too. Possibly I wouldn't have liked MGR songs had I not had my uncle when I grew up. My penchant for books and reading can be directly attributed to my aunts, who were in themselves quite voracious readers. When I look back and compare my sister and her tastes with myself, I see her tastes are more modeled around my parent's, which can be reasoned by the fact that, when she was born many of my aunts have already gotten married and my uncle was away working.

These days as the extended family is mostly out of "trend", nuclear family and two earning member families on the raise- with the time spent by the parents with the children coming down, I am afraid, children would probably end up with a rather narrower taste and outlook. Not to say it is impossible to develop a wide variety of likes, exposure and tastes- but what came to us naturally, would have to be imbibed to the next generation.

Am I the only one feeling this way?

Seems like these days, The Hindu doesn't have much as news to report- and their reporters are perpetually running for Communists rallies or in reporting Chinese Beijing Olympics. Whatever may be the reason, this news item appear to be fit to be published:

Can you Imagine clicking on a link reading thus and reading just a single sentence as a news?- What was the reporter doing when he was filing this "story"- This reminds me of my school exams, where for questions that I had no clue on the answers, I used to repeat the question once as answer and leave it at that- that ways, I was satisfied of not leaving any question unanswered and also confused the teacher on whether I have answered the question or not.

Also look at the new "New Responsibility" section on the Front Page, which informs the readers that the "Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin often turns to his father, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, for advice."- Wonderful investigative journalism Hindu. Not content with this amazing piece of journalism, Hindu goes a step further and says,

.........But, keeping in line with the promise made in Tirunelveli late last year to give greater responsibilities to Mr.Stalin, Mr.Karunanidhi handed over the task to him.

This promise to the people of Tamilnadu to anoint his son to the throne, the Emperor has given more responsibilites to the Prince and Hindu is all glee for the emperor has kept his promise- how noble- mere subjects we are supposed to celebrate this "Pattabhishekam". Not satisfied with making it the front page news, it interviews Kanimozhi, another jewel in the crown of the Emperor on the performance of her brother and a great poet and a judge that she is, she rightly judged his performance to be "exceptionally well".

Hindu need to be commented on putting up a brave face, even when there is something like this happening. While IBN reports it as clash between the Governor and the State, for the Hindu Governor just "opts" for power cut, the city has been "suffering from sporadic power cuts over the past few days that the local authorities attribute largely to cable and transformer faults"- it is not any body's fault- what can the Government do if the cable and transformers are faulty? Government dont have any control on those inanimate objects- if they are at fault, can Government put them behind bars or drag them to court? And ofcourse, taking a leaf out of MK, WB Chief Secretary says, West Bengal is better off than other states.

It is indeed funny to read the articles in Hindu these days- just a sample of the story:

Shyamal Chakravarty, central committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told The Hindu that he “welcomed the step taken” by the Governor and expressed the hope that it was a “pioneering” one that would show the way for similar moves to be taken in the future.

“He [the Governor] stays in a palatial place which he could let go off given the housing problem faced by the people and choose instead to live in a more modest quarter as do the Chief Minister and several Ministers,” Mr. Chakravarty said.

“Fifty per cent of the salary the Governor earned could be given to the needy as it might be more than what is required by a small family like his. He could also choose to walk the distance to inaugurate a function he might be invited to and save petrol which has become dear,” Mr. Chakravarty who is also president of the CITU said.

While IBN reports Mr.Chakravarty as saying, "Why is he staying in a palatial building? A large number of people in West Bengal are living without shelter. He should move to a smaller building or a flat," for Hindu, he says ".....like Chief Minister and Several Ministers" and there was no questioning of the Governer's action.

Such fun comes reading it. Why would Hindu be even publishing itself as a newspaper? It would be better off being a Communist Newsletter to the party faithful.