Dharamsala is nice at this time of year

Canine fanciers,

Looks like MJ Clarke is having a whale of a time on the sub-continent.
First he was caught driving a tuk-tuk around the streets of Bangalore at pace, not like a Ferrari or anything, but still:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6is5PRroo]
In between Bangalore and Ranchi he was posting photographs of himself on Instagram doing normal touristy things with legions of adoring fans in front of historic monuments just to say on Facebook "been there, got the t-shirt!", he dropped by to say hi to a group of poor suffering children, who of course asked him to show them his batting style and he was promptly trapped plumb in front LBW second ball by a 17-year-old girl [shock! horror!], then he was taking selfies in a white kaftan-like arrangement with unknown beautiful European women covered in pigments of all colours during Holi [the free love festival], in what looked like some kind of very well-stocked Hospitality Tent.
And that's only what he's been doing in public.
It's exhausting.
He's having so much fun it may well have gone to his head to the point where he appears to be edging towards...[dramatic pause]...going over to the other side.
Found myself very much taken aback by a headline in The Times of India that read in bold print "Michael Clarke praises a resilient Vira Kojli for Ranchi heroics".
Heroics? What heroics?
If you don't believe it, here is yr actual ridgey-dige quote: “I think it’s [shoulder injury] actually a lot worse than people know or that Virat is leading on,” Clarke said. “I think he’s trying to do everything he can to get out onto the park because he knows how important it is as captain to lead from the front. He certainly deserves credit for doing that.”
A Medicine Man and Mind Reader.
Always good to have on the business card.
The sun must have got to him; mad dogs and Englishmen and all that.
Going on to read the editorial, it claimed, "It is welcome to see someone from the Australian camp, albeit a former cricketer, praising Kohli for his efforts at Ranchi."
Which suggests Pup just might be in the pay of someone or another, on drugs, or is about to go stark raving bonkers.
Leaving that aside, at 1-1, after a memorable, fighting rearguard action to draw in Ranchi, Straya just needs to make damned sure they don't get rolled in the series decider.
God only knows what kind of pitch they will serve up after rolling out three dead-set shockers in a row, so let's just hope there's some divine intervention as the Dalai Lama lives up the road, and if he's at home and not busy, he's sure to drop in at the ground for a day [which he did during an IPL match].
The Dalai is a massive sports fan, although footy is more his go, he's been to the G and has a complete collection of AFL jerseys given to him on his many visists Down Under in a bid to get him to barrack for the right side.
Back in the Raj, they used to say that Dharamsala is nice at this time of year, a top picnic spot and it should remind all Strayans of being back home among the verdant fields and rolling hills of Old England, and one can still get a decent gin'n'tonic there, just like in the Heart of The Empire.

"karma's a bitch" & so long

Long Suffering Club Loyalists,

"About time".
That's all that can be said, really.
The Philosopher was right.
The weekend 6-46 scoreline against Canberra was simply the straw that broke the morbidly obese camel's back.
Where were you when the Balmain coach Jason "Squeak" Taylor was sacked, boned, and punted?
The Good Lady Wife was heard breaking the news with a rebel yell from her home office, crying out in jubilation for all the neighbourhood to hear "THERE IS JUSTICE AFTER ALL!!"
It's a minor miracle that the hopelessly dysfunctional club board got its act together just for once to make the long, long awaited call.
Much leaping about and high-fiving was done, thought long and hard about jumping off the wagon right there and then and popping the corks on some Champagne, but left it at smug smiles of satisfaction.
In the sad couple of weeks where one of the club's best players, Tim Simona, openly admitted that he was a very bad dude indeed [why didn't anyone notice or realise? - but that's another story] and was suspended indefinitely from any grade of rugby league - warned-off football grounds world wide - for alleged unlawful gambling, Taylor would probably be hoping the scandal overshadows the shame and indignity he has also brought on the club.
No such luck.
Said it before, say it again, the whole long drawn out Jason Taylor v The Great Robbie Farah imbroglio was an act of sheer bastardry, plain and simple.
Everybody knows.
That ended eight months ago - eight months - after going on for what seemed like an eternity.
Probably the thing folk in general liked least about Taylor was his reputation as a gutless back-stabber, not to mention his unpleasant general demeanour.
Even Blind Freddy could see Taylor liked to think of the club as his own personal fiefdom, he did not brook disagreement, formed and held grudges easily, and had no regard or respect whatsoever for history and tradition.
Just ask The Best Leb in the Game, a dead-set Genuine Certified Club Legend who was cruelly and disgracefully hounded out of Leichhardt through absolutely no fault of his own.
He'll tell you.
Robbie Farah was admitted a long time ago to the Balmain Pantheon - the doorstep of which will never be darkened by Taylor.
Don't ask die-hard long-suffering supporters; they'll just start calling Squeak names and 18C might come into play and they'll be guaranteed to bang on about it forever, that's for sure.
Crikey, for how long have the rumblings of disquiet been going on after two winters of discontent?
This bloggy blog-blog thingy first rabidly called for Taylor's sacking almost a year ago:
[http://crazycraves.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/i-am-unbearably-ashamed.html]
Sorry, Jase, no future then, now, never.
Having gained the distinction of being kaa-boooted from two clubs, South Sydney and now Balmain, Taylor's dance card has been marked: "never to coach again".
Just ask Mick Potter.
He'll tell you.
In 30 years of following the Mighty Tiges, Jason would have to be said to be among the worst - but maybe not the worst - coach in all that time - and, let's face it, there's been only one Super Coach.
The Stats Guru has whirred the abacus and reckons Squeak's been given a saloon passage by The Board from start to finish.
After sacking Potter as coach, "JT" took the reins at the start of the 2015 season.
He has a win:loss ration of 20:31, which equates to a 61% losing record - the numbers speak for themselves - simply not good enough, and everybody knows where the buck stops on that one.
Of course there's been no finals apperances for ages, with Jaso's ego presiding over the last two in a long line.
The Club Secretary aka CEO must fall on his sword, as his position also becomes untenable.
To add insult to injury and after all is said and done, the Guru has calculated that the Club Secretary is now paying about $1.2 million for players and coaches who are no longer at the club, all because of Taylor.
And the club's four best players are all coming off contract in the same year, this year - how was that allowed to happen?
WTF!?
Must resign.
Who can believe now that it was way back in 2009 that Taylor was sacked by South Sydney after getting into a punch up with one of his own players David Fa'alogo, who won the stoush hands down leaving Taylor still "visibly shaken" a day later?
People who were there at the time and witnessed events didn't hide their opinion that Taylor had it coming to him and deserved every smack in the chops he got.
The Rabbitohs board agreed, and got rid of him forthwith.
Why he ever got the top job at the Tigers after hiding in disgrace for six years remains an utter mystery.
The Great Paul Sironen, on hearing of Squeak's demise, was quoted in the fishwraps as saying "Karma's a bitch" [never knew he could be so mystical for a second rower].
The way another Club Legend was treated by Taylor was a continuing example of just plain rude tawditry in the extreme.
Why?
At least Balmain's major sponsors are a law firm, who are in full agreement with the decision to end the relationship with the coach, adding, by-the-by in perfect legalise "the suggestion is there were entrails indicative of difficulties that may continue to be encountered, which was a fair enough assessment".
Stuck my head through a crack in the front door of the Front Bar down at The Local after the news broke early on Monday afternoon and the Brown Bros. [who are no strangers to supporting a losing side, oh no, don't ask] were in, complaining that 20 straight days of rain had been interfering with the council footpath laying something shocking, while enjoying jugs of foaming frosties.
They spotted me for a jape and joked "that Taylor bru, he's munted now, eh bru?!" Explosive laughter and cheers all 'round.
The Philospher, sitting in his usual corner looking unusually un-perplexed, briefly looked over the rim of his reading glasses while nursing this week's favoured tipple, a Harvey Wallbanger, and simply added "about time".
Gorn, and forgotten.
In the words of The Great Sirro "good riddance & don't let the door hit you on the way out!"