Bowlers lose it for India

Despite the absence of Sehwag and Yuvraj, everyone knows that India’s bowling is their weakest link, especially considering that the loss of Sehwag and Yuvraj has considerably weakened their part-time bowling options. So, shouldn’t they have bolstered their weak bowling attack with another specialist bowler?

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Classic Shaving

Over the years, I have tried everything from the disposable plastic razors to  the Gillette Mach3s to a variety of fancy electric razors in search of a comfortable shave.

A couple of years ago, I chanced upon an article in the internet and discovered the lost art of ‘classic shaving’ - lathering up using shaving cream & a decent natural bristled shaving brush, and shaving using an old fashioned safety razor with a single double-edged steel blade. After years of razor burn and irritation, I have been enjoying close, comfortable shaves ever since.

While the initial cost of getting a classic shaving kit might seem expensive, comparing the cost of the currently popular Gillette Fusion cartridges (a few dollars) to the double-edged blades (a few cents), it’s easy to see the cost savings in the long run. Also, the steel single blades are probably more environment friendly than the plastic cartridges.

To every man looking for a comfortable shave, I say, ‘ditch the plastic five (or is it six) blade razor and switch to the single blade safety razor’.

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Karma or Coincidence?

I am a Hindu. But, I don’t believe in a personal God, prayer or rituals. So, on our monthly trips to the Hindu Temple in Livermore, I spend my time napping in the car waiting for my wife and daughter to return back with some prasadam.

Last month, as we were getting ready for the trip, I threw on a t-shirt that had some funny quote involving beer. Answering my wife’s disapproving ‘Are you wearing that?’ with a curt ‘Yes’, I made the 45 minute trip from our home to Livermore.

Usually, I park the car in the shade, roll down the windows, push back the seat and settle down for a quick nap. But, this time, the weather was hot and parking was hard to find. So, I ended up parking in the sun, switching on the A/C, turning on some music and watching some guy treating his new Toyota Camry  to a car puja.

When my wife returned back, I mockingly pointed the car puja guy to her, who was now walking around his car with bowed head and folded hands following the priest’s orders. As he concluded the puja driving his car over four lemons placed under each of his car’s tires, I remarked how the lemons would have been better served as lemonade for the hot weather and how the moron and his car ritual has provided some humorous material for my next blog post!

We settled down in our seats and got ready to leave, only to realize that the battery having powered my A/C and radio for 30 minutes didn’t have enough juice left to turn our engine on! After calling AAA, who said they would be there in 30 minutes, only to call back 45 minutes later to convey that they won’t be there for another hour, searching for and finding a jump-start kit at the temple’s office, fumbling with the kit and managing to start the engine, we were finally on our way back home after a 90 minute delay.

As my laughing wife whispered ‘karma’, ‘No, this is not God’s vengeance for my blasphemous behavior’, I said, realizing that I have gotten myself into a no win situation, ‘This is just….me being stupid’.

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Dravid is back. But, why?

Dravid is back in the India ODI squad replacing the injured Sehwag for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy to be played in September. But, why?

When Dravid was dropped from the ODI squad two years ago, it wasn’t just because of his poor form. It was also because, then at 34, he (along with Ganguly) was considered a misfit in the youthful team - with an emphasis on fielding and running between the wickets - for the future that the captain and selectors envisioned. Now, two years later I can’t see how he could have turned younger, unless the captain/selectors have doubts about their youth policy.

The Indian batting in the last couple of years has had the right balance of youth (Raina, Rohit, Gambhir) and experience (Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj) and has had some remarkable success. Despite the recent loss at the T20 World Cup and Rohit’s poor performance, I don’t see any reason to panic and abandon the youth policy and fallback on experience. Sehwag’s injury should have provided an opening to another aspiring youngster waiting for his turn (Badrinath/Vijay/Kohli/Pujara?) and not Dravid. In the short term, Dravid’s selection has added some balance to the team, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for the future. I mean, when Sehwag is fit and available, who would he replace?

Or, maybe this selection of Dravid in the team is just a one off replacement for Sehwag, providing him the opportunity to sign off from ODIs on his own terms? I certainly don’t have any problems with that.

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Pets are welcome but your kids are not!

You know how you hear about these old women living alone with no kids but lots of cats, ‘cat ladies’ as they are called? Apparently, some of them are hoteliers.

Looking for accommodations in Carmel, CA, I found this -

If you have trouble reading the image, this is what it says -

Children: Quiet, well behaved children over the age of 5 are allowed in designated rooms only. We strongly discourage children under the age of 6 years old. Please let us know if you plan to bring a child.

 

Pets: Pets are now welcome in all guest rooms. We charge a $20.00 per pet, per day fee. Please refer to our Pets page for details of bringing your pet and let us know if you plan to bring a pet.

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