"If a tree falls in the forest..." and other existential issues

Unlike the trees in the philosophical question, we could hear these falling loud and clear... We stayed up all night listening to them and praying they don't fall on the house. That was a nasty ice storm. We have power back on now, after roughly 48 hours, but there are thousands still waiting for power in minus 10 centigrade weather.

The passing of an era

This post is a tribute to my grandmother, Smt Rajammal, who passed away about three weeks ago. I would encourage readers who are connected in any way at all with the family, to leave your comments for all to see. I am sure that everyone would love to hear your thoughts.

For those who knew her, I do not have to reiterate the prominence of her role in the family over her entire lifetime.  For us, she was one of a kind, but beyond that, I agree with Nanda that she represents  the passing of an era, a link to a time during which none of us existed. Her life itself, intertwined of course with that of my grandfather, has provided me with endless fascination, as a reflection of society as it existed, but also as a testament to her iron will. As much as this represents a sad time for us, it is also a time to celebrate her long and fulfilling life.

She was born in Tirunelveli (Tinnevelly was the anglicized name) in south Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Tamraparani river. Her childhood and adolescence, in all indications, was spent in comparative comfort, her father being a prominent advocate. I have heard stories of horse-drawn coaches and footmen. One oft-repeated fact (though we never tire of it), is that she sang in front of Gandhiji at a meeting of the Indian National Congress, and that the songs were taught to her by none other than Subramanya Barathi, one of the poet laureates of the independence movement. I have not been able to ascertain whether it was a major congregation or a minor one, since I did not find a record of a Tirunelveli session of the INC (click this link). I would love for someone to clarify this.

She married into the Badithe family at an early age, as was the custom of the time. My grandfather's professional duties took him all over the erstwhile Madras presidency, and she accompanied him on his travels. They lived in, among other places, Rajamundry, Nellore, two stints in Ooty, Mangalore, Udipi, Manipal, Madras, Kadalur and Chidambaram, before settling back in Coimbatore. My two moves in the United States, with the help of all modern conveniences, proved to be nerve-wracking enough - I cannot begin to imagine what such an itinerant career would have done to me. But the constant movement must have given Avva a much broader view of the world, which she retained throughout her life. She had a very high level of curiosity, was innately capable of recognizing that people were different, but at the same time, that certain basic human tendencies remained the same. Along the way, she also managed to give birth to and raise her children, while also suffering through the pangs of infant mortality. Today, her sons and daughters, her 21 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren (did I leave anyone out ? ), all of whom are in happy homes, with successful careers, and a generally contented life, are testimony to her successful navigation of the tremendous challenges of her life. 

And challenges she did face. Thatha's job afforded only a barely adequate lifestyle, but they bore the burden with equanimity and grace. There was the constant danger of disease that existed in the days before the spread of modern medicine - she was forced to live in small towns with limited medical help, where typhus, malaria, tuberculosis were always lurking, and there was nothing much one could do. Later in life, she suffered through the loss of a daughter, a son, and two sons-in-law, and of course Thatha, each of which must have been devastating to her. But I have never seen her bow down to the darts thrown by fate.  I was always amazed by her resilience and grit, and her ability to 'get on with it'.  She was never one to pause and ponder or pity herself or let despondency take over. She was not only endowed with mental strength, but also with tremendous physical stamina. Around the time I first left for the United States, she was still capable of using an iron machete to peel the husk of dry coconuts taken from the tree in our KG Street house.... that seems a long time ago, except when you realize that she was over 80 years old at that time. 

Avva's role was not restricted to being the matriarch of our immediate family. Our KG street house in Coimbatore was a sort of  focal point of a large extended family, and this was also in large part due to her influence. Literally hundreds of relatives and friends sought her opinion and her blessings on a regular basis on all kinds of matters. Our house was always teeming with people, which made it a very lively place, but also a logistical nightmare, especially if you wanted any kind of privacy.

With all her abilities and her sheer strength, I am probably not overstating the case when I say that, had she been born in a different era with a different set of opportunities, she was probably CEO material.
Avva's influence on me cannot be overstated. Much of it was in my early childhood... She had taught herself the Kannada script, though having lived in Tamil speaking areas almost all her life, and this she imparted to me by making me read the Bhagavatha and other mythological books in their kannada translations. Moreover, I have fond memories of accompanying her to the Pravachanas at Sankara mutt, of Ramayana and Thruppavai from well known Vaishnavite preachers. She was also well versed in music, and though I have not inherited her voice, she has contributed to molding whatever sangeetha gnanam I have today. In other words, a good measure of the credit for my enduring interest in music, mythology and all things cultural goes to her.

Avva was more like an unyielding oak tree than a flexible bamboo. The same characteristics that made her weather the storms of life also made her stubborn sometimes, and it was not always smooth sailing....  I have had my disagreements with Avva, though this is not the time to hash them out.  But taken in totality, there is no doubt her life has enriched ours in more ways than we care to admit. 

Finally, if you ask me the one thing I'd like to remember about her, it is that she was a great story-teller. She had a commanding presence, a very good style of delivery, and a great sense of humour. Most of the family has heard with helpless laughter, her description of the 'Kolavi Kottadu' episode... but in the interest of those who have not, I will try to retell it. When they lived in Kadalur for two years, Avva and Thatha were in a house that shared a well with their immediate neighbor, a  Tamilian. One day, when thatha was in the back drawing water, there was a wasp (kolavi) buzzing about. Thatha let out a warning, saying "Kolavi Kottadu"... In the trade-mark Badithe tongue, which was Kannada mixed liberally with Tamil, this meant "The wasp will sting", but taken purely as Tamil, it meant "The wasp will not sting". This caused great consternation to the neighbor Mami, who complained later to Avva - "Athenna Mama apdi solrar ? Kolavi kandippa kottum Mami !"

The Military Commission's Diabolical Math

On August 7, 2008, the trail of Salim Ahmed Hamdan ended with a verdict and a sentence. Both sides are claiming vindication, but I would be hard-pressed to find evidence of a government victory here. The jury acquitted Hamdan on the more serious charge, and essentially slapped him on the wrist on the lesser charge with a light sentence. Personally, I would not have been sad to see him get a life sentence. But the circumstances of the detention and trial have complicated the government's efforts, to put it lightly.
The most interesting aspect for me, is a delicious, some would say diabolical, bit of math performed by the military jury. They handed a 5 1/2 year sentence with credit for time served, which implies that there are 5 1/2 months left in the sentence (I am taking the major news networks at at their word). If you assume that, the sentence ends on January 22... 2 days after the presidential inauguration !
So the first order of business for a new president is to decide whether to continue Hamdan's detention as an unlawful combatant or to release him. Either way, it will mark an emphatic beginning to the presidency.
Further, if the networks are off by a few days, it may turn out to be the last decision that President Bush has to make before leaving office. Which way will he sway in his attempt to "cement his legacy" ?
I think this maybe a deliberate attempt by the jury to force the issue. I love it !

Going to school on iTunes

There is a new feature in iTunes called "iTunes U", and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It consists mainly of lectures from universities and colleges. While a lot of these lectures are nowadays available on the individual university websites, it is still very cool to have them collected in one place. And the most amazing aspect of it all - they are free, every one of them. It is remarkable to me that so many schools and professors are willing to put their work out there without charging for it.

Some of the pieces are short clips... one I would recommend, for example is a charming series on infinity from Mr. Luis Moreno from Broome Community College. Others are entire lecture series for a graduate course, with links to detailed lecture notes, the tests for the course and a whole lot more. I am currently spending some quality time, vicariously of course, with Dr. Dave Forney from MIT in his digital communication class and Dr. Stephen Boyd from Stanford in his Convex Optimization course. I have had these course before of course, but you will be surprised how much rust accumulates after being a decade out of grad school. It is refreshing for me to go back to the classroom, but without some of the associated pressures. It is you against the blackboard, everything else is peripheral. For brief periods of time, you get to try and match your wits with someone considered great in their field, follow their train of thought and have legitimate voila moments.

For me, however, there is one thing better than being in a class, and that is teaching it. Every so often, events such as viewing these lectures tend to revive a longstanding desire in me to enter the teaching profession.. Unfortunately, I have come a long way down the road in industry to go back.. Especially in my field (telecommunications), but apparently also in a lot of other fields, being on a faculty nowadays has less to do with teaching than with looking for research grants. I think if I had the luxury, I would rather teach in a community college than a major university. If they will have me, of course... I am reminded of Groucho Marx's quip that he won't be associated with any club that would have him as a member! Anyway, this is a whole other discussion.....

Back to iTunesU: There is something for any background and interest, be it astronomy or arts. There are also public radio and television pieces, video from some great museums, etc.

Check it out. You may get hooked.

Modernizing our Music

You have to know me only for a very short time to realize that I am passionate about Indian classical music, particularly the southern variety, also referred to as the karnatak style. Like all great classical art forms, it provides a mixture of spiritual bliss and sensual pleasure. For me, it is a salve to soothe the wounded soul; a breeze to to lift a soaring imagination.
Of late, the question ringing in my head is whether it is time to add another dose of modernity to this art whose grammar can be traced half a millenium back, and whose melodic genesis is lost somewhere among the hoary antiquities of the Sama Veda. Note that I say 'another' dose - our music has already shown to be very nimble in response to a changing world. The violin that has become such an integral part of a concert ensemble, is a prime example of this adaptability.
The extensive use of poetic composition to enhance the melody and rythm of the music is a unique feature, not shared by many other forms. Karnatak music combines the improvisational sensibilities of jazz, soul and opera with the more regimented majesty of the symphony. The lyrics are an important enabler of this versatility. Experienced rasikas as well as novices still revert to the trick of identifying a raaga by associating it with their favoirite composition in that scale. But, contrary to what some - especially among Hindustani aficionado friends of mine - may believe, the lyrics are more than just mnemonic crutches that make the music accessible to the masses, like an electoral symbol helps an illiterate to cast his vote. The lyrical composition is essential to the DNA of the genre. How many times have we seen a music critic, trying to compliment an instrumental performance, say that his or her violin "speaks".
I risk ruffling a lot of traditionalist feathers here, but I think that a major impediment to the expansion of karnataka sangeetha beyond it's current niche is its overwhelming dependence on religious lyrics. As the music broadens it's reach in a global world, I believe it is time for it's practitioners to also compose using more diverse themes. While prior generations were used to learning and reciting by rote in an unquestioning manner, we see a new confident and assertive generation emerging, who may want to agree with the words before they sing them! The Bhakti movement has had a profound influence in karnatak compositions, an ethos which may not agree with the swashbuckling world-conquering mood in present-day India and the worldwide Indian diaspora. I am not at all advocating that we ignore the inspiring creations based on the theme of man's submission to God that is inherent in the bhakti tradition. All I am saying is that it is time for those in the forefront of today's musical stage to add to this repertoire with compositions on various other themes. I believe it is not an accident that most of the recent innovation in karnatak sangeetha has come in instrumental composition and fusion music. Artistes and composers have been unwilling to come up with fresh lyrical compositions for fear of not measuring up to the greats of old, and rightfully so, since only an inferior product can result if the cultural landscape of the times is not allowed to infuse into the work. There have been some attempts to this effect, though very few and far between. Subramanya Bharathi's songs on romantic themes, for example, occupy a prominent place in the so-called 'thukkada' sections of many concerts, but still he composed almost a century ago. Balamurali, Lalgudi Jayaraman and Ambujam Krishna.... the list of composers from the last quarter century is small indeed.. and I cannot recall a single concert in which their numbers were the centerpiece.
If we are to expand the practicing and listening base for this great art form, then I suggest that we find a way to straddle both 'Ave Maria' and 'O Sole Mio'. We do not want our favourite classical music to become like a classical language, frozen in time and unable to add to its vocabulary. Growing this great musical tradition is the best tribute we can pay to its stalwarts, including one Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, whose birth centenary we celebrate today.

Moral Hazard

From the point of view of economic philosophy, I have been mostly a free-market conservative so far, but the current issue of the mortgage crisis has shaken my beliefs. Should the markets be allowed to correct themselves, at the risk of many individual homeowners getting badly burnt ? One could argue that the marketplace is setup so that people learn from their mistakes, but in such a big bet as a house, someone who is burnt once may not get a second chance for a very long time. And there will be newer crop of prospective homeowners who will take the same risks, because it is THEIR first time.
The so-called true conservatives seem to be torn on this issue also. They seem to have drawn a line in the sand at some point, Bear Stearns in this case. So their dictum seems to be : the market should be allowed to function, and the painful effects of taking bad risk should be borne by the risk-takers, unless the risk takers are so big that they will cause a complete collapse of the system. The problem with this approach is that it reinforces the liberal view that the big guy eventually gets off easy.
It is quite a spectacle to see Paulson advocating a major addition to the Fed's powers, while at the same time John McCain calls for a laissez-faire approach. Paulson's proposal is quite in keeping with the current administration's modus operandi - that any additional powers should fall only in the hands of a few ( the Fed in this case) without any oversight or rules attached.
I want to continue carrying my core beliefs, so someone please educate me in the flaws of my viewpoint.