God knows what we will have next. The Indian Express obit on PB Srinivos has just faded from public memory when we now have Hindustan Times and Daily News with headlines that Sitar Maestro Lalgudi has passed away!
http://www.dailyindianews.com/news/sitarmaestrolalgudipassesawayat82
It reminded me of an old joke attributed to flute maestro N Ramani. Apparently he was travelling in a train when a co-passenger came up after much hesitation and asked if he was the veena maestro Lalgudi. Ramani according to those who know him, would chuckle and ask his listeners to point out how many errors there were in that one statement.
Your joke reminds me of the old Radio Yerevan jokes popular in Soviet Russia. Here’s a sample from Language Log:
Question to Radio Yerevan: Is it correct that Grigori Grigorievich Grigoriev won a luxury car at the All-Union Championship in Moscow?
Answer: In principle, yes. But first of all it was not Grigori Grigorievich Grigoriev, but Vassili Vassilievich Vassiliev; second, it was not at the All-Union Championship in Moscow, but at a Collective Farm Sports Festival in Smolensk; third, it was not a car, but a bicycle; and fourth he didn’t win it, but rather it was stolen from him.
Which in turn reminds me of ‘The Grandfather’s Axe paradox’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus
Would love to see you write about Lalgudi’s career – are you planning to?
with all respects to lalgudi, there are 4 errors 😉