That day was quite unexpectedly full of musical theory. Lunch with Niranjan & Nikhil had me listening to their conversation on classical music, which like Zaphod, I had locked away in a corner of my head, having left the classical scene (ahem) at the tender age of 9. My father said I might regret that, but I had convinced myself then that the answer when I actually got around to regret it at age 40 would be that at age 9 I couldn't be really interested in it. Music is supposed to unite people and all that blah, but many is the time that I've seen it be a point of bitter dispute between otherwise sane people. I'm not talking about debates, I'm talking gaali-galoch. It really baffles me. It probably stems from the fact that music is such a personal thing that it entwines your very being: you make a statement with the kind of music you like (not the kind of music you "profess" to like). Remember Alex and Beethoven (or is it Mozart ?) in "A Clockwork Orange"? Then you rise to defend your choices, the personal lives of the musicians goes to the cleaners, the very identity is being challenged, you're defending yourself! I've not many explanations to offer for my choices: i find it eclectic, slightly arbitrary, slightly biased, unable to make points due to lack of technical education. All I can say is that at some point the music I like impresses, touches, titillates, teases, amazes, soothes, fascinates me. Why, I cannot say, not yet at least. While the rest battle, why not put on a song and wait till they finish the argument?