Shakespeare &Sainte

 Cricket in India took off to become the Godzilla it is today arguably not because of its growing success but because of its super success at making a connection with people. A very noisy, reactive, emotive people. The cucumber sandwiches and beer crowd gave way to a flag-waving, face- painted raucous lot. A prissy 'gentleman's game' beacme the people's sport', the spectator's spectator sport. So, keeping this vibrant, subcontinental sport of cricket-watching in mind, how 'turning on' will IPL 2020 be, being played bereft of any spectators at three empty stadia in the UAE? International football already test-drove the Covid-instigated 'no-supporters-at- the ground' car. Knowing that people can now follow matches on their screens (television or phones), canned 'crowd noise' has filled the vacuum of the eerie silence and echoes from match venues. Starting today, IPL will do the same. But what can't be republicated (read:fudged) are the ...

 All those who have battled with greasy locks would surely vouce for the annoying tendency of human hair to attract and retain oleaginous substances, despite dutiful shampooing. Scientists have been talking about this renewable and natural alternative to deal with pinguid substances for a while now, but when a fastidious French hairdresser actually ropes in his colleagues to pool in their business waste— snipped tresses from the salon floors— and stuffs these into nylon stockings to mop up oily residues from a local harbour, hair's other use becomes more apparent. Being a hair stylist, he is obviously not just saying so off the top of his head, there is more than a strand of truth in his assertion. Such hair buoys can absorb eight times their weight in grease and can be washed and re-used up to 10 times.  Hitherto, lopped off hanks were thought to be of cosmetic value only, supplying the wig and toupee industry. That hair has such an important environmental application deserve...

 That work life is no laughing matter appears to be corroborated by a recent study done by two Standford University academics, who found that cachinnations start becoming less frequent from a median age of 23, or about the time when people get jobs. Whether or not the researchers' prime conclusion– that laughter is " under-leveraged" in offices and can be a gamechanger, professionally , if properly utilized — is solid enough to take Humour Seriously (also the little of their book), it is true that laughter is not exactly a common workplace sound. It is heartening at their survey of the daily laughing habits of 1.4 million people from 166 countries showed that four -year-olds did so up to 300 times a day. But their additional finding that 40 years olds clocked up that same number over 10 weeks is a sobering statistic. Of course, if that cohort also laughed as frequently as four year olds, it would be quite alarming, not to mention distracting, in workplaces.  That laughter...

 It is small step for science, but a giant leap for avo-ficionados. Now that scientists have recently successfully applied the technology used to preserve human eggs and sperm to the supposedly more modest avocado-although its name does have anatomical allusions- there is indeed reason to celebrate. For, while it is preponderant in whole or mashed, form in places frequented by the terminally trendy, the future of the world's most Instagrammed fruit once disparagingly called an alligator pear ( and more recently used to refer to Billie Eilish fans given her predilection) had been far from secure. Pests, fungus and climate change had led to fears of Shortages and even an extinction event. After this feat, however, guacamole addicts can rest assured that unctuous green butter- alternative will never run out.  The fertility clinic cryo- technology has been used to good effect on more prosaic victuals such as potatoes and bananas for a while now, but the thought of a future– possib...

  Donald Trump as a Nobel Prize Peace Prize nominee? Well, why ever not? You'd be reaching for your PPEs if he was nominated for the Nobel Literature Prize, so.... If you thought the most ardent Trump bhakts were in the US, think again. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a Norwegian parliamentarian leader cited, adding that he hoped the Nobel Committee considers what Trump has 'achieved' internationally' and that it does not ' stumble in established prejudice against the US president'. Trump can be construed in countries outside the US– baring Mexico, Iran and China, perhaps— as ' lion at home, lamb abroad,' an old description once given to the Indian cricket team. So, a peace award established by a rich Swedish man who made his fortunates by inventing dynamite isn't the worst thing you can can present Trump with. Plus, if former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger could have won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 after playing a pivotal role in the US decision ...

 Literally on the face of it, a Rs70,000 plus ($961) anti- Covid plastic face shield, makes no common sense. But it's not the sense of common-ness that Louis Vuitton (LV) will be taping when, from October30, it starts selling this haute PPE couture with gold studs, monogrammed strap and bearing the French luxury brand's 'LV' mark. Ridiculous? Sure. Savvy? Oh yes. For, at the core of such na consumer model lies creating desire and meeting it.  The importance of manufacturing desire(outside politics) eludes Indians, many of whom are otherwise healthy, wealthy consumers of Dream Factories. The Department for Promotion of industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is now discussing making desi toys, focusing on 'freedom fighter' dolls. An anti- Barbie BJP MP even stated' Shivaji and Laxmibai figurines will certainly be better than bikini-clad dolls'. Barring government departments buying stocks of Bhagat Singh, etc. Paying patroits are unlikely to spend buying more...

 After gauging all the pros and cons of sharing our most valuable opinion on the matter, we decided to weigh in a week after Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic accidentally hit a line umpire with a ball and was removed from the US Open. Our verdict? The Joker, indeed, deserves being suspended. Many armchair umpires believe that since Djokovic's action was unintentional, he should have been spared. In response, we summon. Harvard sociologist Robert K Merton's 1936 paper, "The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action' a.k.a the theory of unintented consequences. Yes, three-time Us Open winner had no intention to hurt the official. But the world's No.1 ranked player does have a history of rash, impulsive on-court behaviour. So, while many have argued that sports in general would be in peril if unintentional action causing injuries was penalised, the risk Djokovic poses to others when he b'emotes' is high. A person, for instance, having a few dri...