Why people write poetry?

I hated poetry right since I had it in my English syllabus. So I decided to get to the root of the problem and tried to understand why people write poetry. In my opinion some of the reasons are :

1) They are jobless

2) They have a lot of spare stationery at home

3) They cannot write proper sentences i.e. you cannot understand it unless someone explains it to you (you cannot question the understanding of the person explaining it)

I also googled this topic and hit on a fantastic article. Here is the excerpt:

What a boring subject, Poetry! I could never understand why anyone would like to write or read poetry. The idea of a person that has nothing to do but ponder on life's experiences of happiness, life, death or sorrow and put in to lyrics makes me feel that either that author has nothing better to do in life (flaky), maybe he/she is crazy or even a whiner. When I think of poetry, it reminds me of a satirical recording done in the early 70's by two comedians, Cheech and Chong, "The Big Bambu' ". In that recording a character, Sister Mary Elephant decided to recite a poem. As the good sister started off with the first verse, "The birds fly to the apple tree, the bumble bee kissed the flower tree", the class starts to fall asleep, with auditable snoring. Eventually, Sister Mary Elephant is annoyed by the snoring and yells, "Class, Class, Wake Up"!! That was classically humorous. What's really funny about poetry is that most people I spoke to have the same feeling about it. Their perception of poetry, as well as mine, is like listening to flowery words of love that its purpose is to bring warm fuzziness to the reader.

Couldnt have put it better!!!! If shakespeare, shelly, Wordsworth are alive today they should be subject to 302 of the Indian Penal code!

Workaholics

I was amazed to find a community of workaholics in a social networking site. What was even more intriguing was that some of my friends were members of it!!!. 5 out of 70 members were chartered accountants!!!!Why do people take pride in saying that they are workaholics??? Being a bandh today, I am at home and feeling bored as ever, I googled this topic and landed up with some interesting answers.

First Who is a workaholic?

A workaholic can be defined as someone who spends extraordinary time or effort at his or her work. The similarity with the word "alcoholic" provides a negative tone, meaning that the person is "addicted" to his or her work and would rather spend time at work rather than activities that most people find enjoyable.

Workaholics can be of 2 types. Voluntary and involuntary workaholics. Who are these involuntary workaholics?

In this context, the term "involuntary workaholic" can seem puzzling because it conflicts with the general belief that workaholics derive pleasure from what they are doing.

Involuntary workaholics are those people who are driven by external forces to work longer, even though they would rather be doing something else. Insufficient staffing, inflexible deadlines, lack of planning, improper prioritization, bad estimates, poor quality and unforeseen risks can create circumstances where employees and managers have to work harder and longer. Many workaholics are actually victims of situations created by themselves or other people or processes in their organization. They are working harder because they have no other choice.

How are involuntary workaholics created?

A second type of involuntary workaholic is created by managers who wrongly associate more effort with more output, and reward or encourage workaholic behavior. Such managers are themselves busy all the time and they want to see everyone put in as much effort as they do. Such a direction puts pressure on everyone to demonstrate their "dedication". However the proxy for more effort is simply "more time spent in the office" or "more face time with the manager", not necessarily actual work.

What are the problems for workaholics?

Quality is the first casualty in a workaholic environment as people hit biological limits on their body and brains and start making elementary mistakes. Then, the rate of work getting done starts decreasing, because people get too tired to contribute as effectively, and also need time to fix the mistakes that they made. In the end, there is only a very short-term improvement in productivity coupled with major quality problems and a long-term decline in productivity and increase in attrition due to employee resentment.

From organisation's standpoint?

From an organization's standpoint, there are significant advantages to having voluntary workaholics over involuntary ones. Voluntary workaholics are more knowledgeable and produce high quality of work consistently. They tend to be more flexible with changing needs because they have more time at their disposal. They are willing to take on more responsibilities, even if they sometimes overestimate their capabilities.

Crudely for workaholics the law of diminishing marginal utility does not apply.

Hard work hasn't killed anybody but why take a chance!!!!

The month of april and accountants

Its April 14 today and anytime a call is due from office. I have absolutely nothing to do and i am feeling extremely bored. So why not try to blog on some topic that has never been explored? (All bloggers from America to Amjikarai have this feeling that their blogs contain some posts that are mindblowing, pathbreaking etc [if you are blogger you can add your favourite adjective] and those posts are on topics that have never been explored). I am no excpetion and I zeroed on "THE MONTH OF APRIL AND ACCOUNTANTS". So, here is the content:

Officially its a holiday today but people in mostoffices are working. Almost all accountants work the entire April citing year end as a reason. They go home late , come to office early, sport some somber faces and assume that if they dont work on that day the human species will go the dinosaur way.

This leads us to one single logical question - what is that accountants do in april that they dont do the entire year?

1. They pass entries.
2. They close books of account.
3. They prepare financial statements.
4. They audit the books of account.
5. They prepare audit report.
6. They sign audit report and financial accounts.
7. In between all the above they discuss a lot.

If 1 to 6 takes 35% of the time, 7 takes 65% of the time (seriously!!!)

Non accountants think that this is some rocket science. Strictly, it is elementary. Luca Pacioli has kept it very simple. Every debit has a corresponding credit. Simple!!!. But people brag that they have tallied the balance sheet !!!! (CA students included).

All 11 months people from other departments say marketing, R&D , Business strategy run the show and finance finds it difficult to get into the limelight. Cometh april, reasons like finalisation, audit, Board meeting, resolutions are stated and other departments are made to look pedestrian.All accountants burn the midnight oil, forget families and dedicate themselves to the organisation (!!!!).

The next question that needs to be asked is - Is it really really required?

A big no is the answer. Reason being accountants dont plan (including myself). All important decisions are taken during the 11th hour. They inwardly like the last minute rush. So they should....... The inevitable has happened!!!Call from office.

SC on forex differences

Finally a judgment has come from the SC on the taxability of exchange differences.

The sum and substance of SC's judgment (CIT vs Woodward governor's case )is as follows:

a) Exchange differences on items in revenue account:

For exchange differences on revenue account to be deductible the following conditions need to be satisfied:

(i) whether the system of accounting followed by the assessee is mercantile system, which brings into debit the expenditure amount for which a legal liability has been incurred before it is actually disbursed and brings into credit what is due, immediately it becomes due and before it is actually received;

(ii) whether the same system is followed by the assessee from the very beginning and if there was a change in the system, whether the change was bona fide;

(iii) whether the assessee has given the same treatment to losses claimed to have accrued and to the gains that may accrue to it;

(iv) whether the assessee has been consistent and definite in making entries in the account books in respect of losses and gains;

(v) whether the method adopted by the assessee for making entries in the books both in respect of losses and gains is as per nationally accepted accounting standards;

(vi) Whether the system adopted by the assessee is fair and reasonable or is adopted only with a view to reducing the incidence of taxation.

SC has also said that exchange differences would be deductible under section 37.

b) Exchange differences on items in capital account:

On the capital account front, this judgment is purely on 43A. The department had contended that amendment to 43A was only clarificatory in nature and not amendatory i.e. unrealized gains or losses on account of foreign currency borrowings cannot be adjusted to cost of fixed assets (prior to 43A amendment). However SC has held that the amendment is amendtory and not clarificatory in nature. This means that unrealized losses /gains can be adjusted to the cost of fixed assets prior to 43A amendment.

An interesting part in the 26 page judgment is the SC has analysed AS 11 also to give its verdict.

But the conundrum as to what constitutes revenue account and capital account still remains!!!!!