India Thrash Australia

NEW DELHI: History was made at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday as India wrapped up their first-ever 4-0 series win over any opposition with a six-wicket verdict against Australia.

Set a presumably challenging 155 to win on a disintegrating third-day pitch, the chase was guided to perfection by Cheteshwar Pujara's 92-ball, unbeaten 82 as the target was realised in a shade above 31 overs.

Pujara's brilliance made sure that Ravindra Jadeja's maiden five-wicket haul, which had shot out Australia for 164 in their second innings, was not allowed to go in vain. For, after Murali Vijay (11) was bowled trying to reverse-sweep off-spinner Glenn Maxwell, India stuttered momentarily.

Virat Kohli (41), Sachin Tendulkar (1) and Ajinkya Rahane (1) got out within five runs of each other and MS Dhoni was dropped by wicket-keeper Mathew Wade off Nathan Lyon before he had opened his account. It is in the light of this minor batting collapse that Pujara’s sparkling half-century attains a new luminescence.

The Saurashtra batsman procured his runs at a fair clip, stroking eleven boundaries, not once allowing the pressure to build on a dicey wicket. Victory was attained when Dhoni, like he has so many time in his career, swung Lyon to the fence.

Jadeja was named Man of the Match for his first innings 43 and seven wickets, while Ashwin was declared Man of the Series for scalping 29 Australians across four Tests. Not since Harbhajan Singh against the same opposition in 2001 has an Indian bowler gained such a rich haul in a series.

Spun out 

It was indeed Jadeja’s left-arm spin that catalysed the match to a premature end. The 24-year-old was, in conjunction with Kohli, involved in several verbal duels with the opposing batsmen as Australia collapsed to 53/5 in their second innings. Jadeja dismissed the openers David Warner and Maxwell – the former accorded a colourful send-off – and also removed a resistant Ed Cowan (pushed down to No.3)  with a sharp turner that spat from the surface.

Phil Hughes was adjudged ‘lbw’ – a little harshly – and Shane Watson exited to a pull botched on account of low bounce.

It took another Peter Siddle special to bolster Australia. The fast bowler scored his second fifty of the match to become the only No.9 batsmen in history to top-score in both innings of a Test. Siddle struck seven sweet boundaries in his 45-ball 50, adding 28 and 35 for wickets eight and nine.

Quick end

The efflux continued unabated at the other end. Steve Smith did not offer a shot to Jadeja and was bowled; Wade looked distinctly uncomfortable during his 38-ball stay before he was caught smartly by a diving Dhoni off Ashwin.

Siddle was the last man out when he was stumped off an Ashwin wide, setting India a target of 155. Visions of an unlikely triumph to close what has been a horrid tour would have flashed through Aussie minds, but their spinners were unable to draw similar purchase from the pitch as had India's.

Pujara’s brilliance at the top of the order then made certain that India's almost picture-perfect series did not suffer the eruption of a few nagging zits.

Cool, clever and just odd products featured at the International Home and Housewares Show

A mug that floats. A bag-free vacuum that compresses dirt into "bales" so you don't get a face full of dust when you empty it. A window garden that never needs tending.

The recent International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago featured all sorts of innovative and just plain odd products, any of which could be poised to hit the big time. Can you envision any of these in your home?
Spaces' Ilyce Glink was at the show; read her coverage in our post on the robots that are taking over our world, or at least cleaning it: the window-cleaning Winbot, the barbecue-cleaning Grillbot and the gutter-cleaning Looj.

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Moisture ring stains on the table? Not anymore. The porcelain Floating Mug incorporates a coaster into its design, catching slight moisture in the little dish where the handle ends. The brainchild of Tigere Chiriga (and his wife's complaints about ring stains), it launched on Kickstarter last year. It's now available for preorder online at FloatingMug.com for $36.

[Note: I deleted a phrase above and added the following paragraph to address comments about the mug design. Yes, I do read the comments! Right after I put on my ego armor.] Skeptics and naysayers might say -- indeed, do say in the comments on this very post -- that the collected moisture would spill on you as soon as you take a sip. My fault! I said earlier that the bottom dish catches moisture, but in fact, the disc seems to simply elevate the mug so that tiny drips slide under the mug to evaporate. Here's Chiriga's Kickstarter explanation to another critic's misapprehension last year: "In my experience, some sips result in a very small drop or two sliding down the side of the mug. Sometimes that amount will evaporate well before it makes it to the bottom of the mug; other times, it's enough to make it to the base of the mug creating a ring on your coffee table." As he says: "If I spill enough coffee that a pool of it collects on the coaster, then my wife is going to be giving me a sippy cup." (P.S. Alas, I can't address commenters' complaints about the mug cost. I can only point out that products often cost more at launch. If the products are lucky enough to go into mass production and sell well, the price often comes down.)

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The Gtech AirRam Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.The dirt is compressed into bales, not whirled in a vacuum bag to be released in a cloud of dust in your face."Is this the best vacuum cleaner ever?" That's what the U.K. Daily Mail asked about the Gtech AirRam Cordless Vacuum, ultimately rating it a 10 out of 10.
It weighs only about 7 pounds, it can fit into spaces as shallow as 3 inches high and -- my favorite part -- it doesn't have a bag or "cyclone" action. Instead, it compresses debris into bricks or, as the manufacturer calls them, bales. No dust cloud! It's available in the States at Brookstone for $350; visit the Brookstone link to see a video of the vacuum in action.

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The Click and Grow garden.The Click and Grow garden needs virtually no tending -- great for the black thumbs among us who love plants but can't seem to get greenery to stay green. The two-part system works "just like a printer and toner": A "smart" flowerpot contains electronics and a water pump and reservoir; the plant cartridge contains seeds, nutrients and software. All you do is pop in four AA batteries, fill the reservoir with water, and place the kit in good light. If the reservoir needs water -- as it does every month or two -- you'll see a blue light blink. After about a year, a red light will indicate that the batteries need changing.
A starter kit with smart flowerpot and cartridge is $79. Refill cartridges are $20. Cheap? No. But if it's really as foolproof as it seems to be, maybe the price is worth it. After all, the founder was inspired by research that says the world throws away more than $20 billion in houseplants every year because people don't tend them properly.

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The Shopping List Bag, $11.Every time. Every single time I go to the store, I forget to bring a reusable bag, even though I shop places where disposable bags are banned or cost extra. But I don't (usually) forget the shopping list on the refrigerator. The Shopping List Bag combines the two, with magnets that attach the list and the folded bag to your fridge. When you're ready to go, you tuck the list notepad into the bag's pocket. It also has clips for store reward cards and coupons. Find it on ShoppingListBag.com for $11 (warning to those who follow the link: a product video auto-plays).

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Electric fireplace heaters from Crane.This last item is one of those so-kitschy-it-hurts designs: a "fireplace" you can carry around from one room to the next. The portable electric space heater mimics the look of embers yet stays cool to the touch (and if you like, you can leave the ambient glow on without the heat). It's 15 inches high and 12 inches wide. Buy it for $90 from Crane, a company you might know as the maker of those adorable humidifiers.

Time to spring forward: Five facts about daylight saving time

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Here's everything you wanted to know about the time change this weekend.
When is it?
The time change begins on Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., when clocks are moved forward by one hour.
Why 2 a.m.?
The time change is set for 2 a.m. because it was decided to be the least disruptive time of day. Moving time forward or back an hour at that time doesn’t change the date, which avoids confusion, and most people are asleep, or if people do work on a Sunday, it’s usually later than 2 a.m.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t observe the time change. U.S. territories that don’t go on daylight saving time include American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Why do we have it?
The idea is to save electricity because there are more hours of natural light. Studies have shown the savings to be fairly nominal—the time change leading people to switch on the lights earlier in the morning instead or cranking up the air conditioning, for example.
What is the history of daylight saving time?
Fun fact: The idea was first floated in 1784 by one Benjamin Franklin. While minister of France, he wrote the essay "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light."
The idea failed to see the light of day until 1883, when the U.S. railroads instituted a standardized time for their train schedules. That time change was imposed nationally during the First World War to conserve energy, but it was repealed after the war. It became the national time again during World War II.
After that, it was up to the states to decide if they wanted it, and when it would start and end. Congress finally enacted the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which standardized the beginning and end of daylight time for the states that observed it. In 1974 and 1975, the energy crisis moved Congress to enact earlier daylight start times, which were reversed when the crisis was over.
Daylight saving time since then had always been in April—until the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ordered the earlier start time to begin in March 2007.

Most Frugal Celebrities

We aren't the only ones to use coupons. Some of Hollywood's A-listers regularly look for discount deals and practice money-saving habits.
Coupons.com compiled a list of penny-pinching celebrities, and we've added a few of our own.
From stars who clip coupons to those who bargain buy, here are the celebrities who know how to stretch a dollar.
1. Kristen Bell uses coupons while she grocery shops.

The "House of Lies" star admitted on "Conan" that she's very frugal.
“I use a lot of coupons," Bell told late-night host Conan O'Brien. "The best coupon you can get, possibly in the world, is the Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.”
2. Jay Leno doesn't spend any of the money he earns from "The Tonight Show."
 

Gas and ElectricThe late-night host revealed in a Parade column that he only spends money from comedy routines.
"When I was a kid, I had two jobs," wrote Leno. "I worked at a Ford dealership and at a McDonald’s. I’d spend the money from one job and save the money from the other. That’s still the way I am now. I live on the money I make as a comedian, and I put all the TV money in the bank. I’ve never spent a dime of TV money—ever."
3. Singer Carrie Underwood clips coupons for weekly shopping.

While taking Everyday with Rachael Ray through a day in her life, Underwood shared that despite forgetting coupons sometimes, she does make a habit to cut them out.
"Doing the weekly shopping, I stock up on stir-fry kits, Amy's meatless burgers, and armloads of onions and garlic. I put onions and garlic in everything. Ack—as usual, I forgot my coupons. (Yes, I do clip them!)," shared Underwood.
4. "Mad Men" star Vincent Kartheiser lives in a one-bedroom Hollywood apartment and takes public transportation.

The "Mad Men" actor told The New York Times in 2010 he prefers to travel mass transit as opposed to a car.
“It’s wonderful,” said Kartheiser. “Instead of driving and being stressed out about traffic, you can work your scene, you can do your exercises or whatever on the bus."
5. Sarah Michelle Gellar shops the sales at the grocery store.

 

The actress told Self magazine she and husband Freddie Prinze Jr. see no need to buy items full price.
"We shop at Whole Foods, but we ask which fish is on sale," said Gellar. "On sale doesn't mean it's bad! It probably just means it's overcaught. And I clip coupons all the time. Why should you pay more for something that someone else is paying less for?"
6. Despite being one of the richest supermodels in the world, Tyra Banks relishes in saving.
 

Pizzello“I am frugal. I’ve always been this way," Banks told The New York Times. "When I was young, my mom would give me my allowance, and I’d peel off a little each week and have some to spare.”
7. Actress Jennie Garth purchases new clothing to complement her daughters' existing wardrobes.

Garth told Access Hollywood when it's time for a new school year, she'll try to save money by finding ways to reinvent her kids' old attire.
"We usually buy new things that can be mixed and matched with their existing wardrobe," said Garth. "Back-to-school is a great time to clean out their closets, and anything outgrown we donate or [sell]."
8. "Law & Order" actress Mariska Hargitay is always saving up money because of her poor upbringing.

One of television's highest-paid TV stars told MORE she always has money on the brain.
“I make a lot now, but I don’t feel that way, because I was poor and had no money for a lot longer than I’ve had it," said Hargitay. "As an actor, if this show ends next year, then what? As an aging woman, then what? I’m saving money to live on, for the future. There are not that many roles for women, and I’ve been blessed with one of the great ones.”
9. Sarah Jessica Parker's son James wears hand-me-downs.

The "Sex and the City" star told told Parade Magazine she refuses to spoil her son remembering she grew up with a family of eight on welfare.
"[My son] only wears hand-me-downs because I've got all these older nephews," said Parker. "I think it's incumbent on my husband and me to really stress and to show James Wilkie by example what it means to owe your community something and that he is not entitled to the benefits of our hard work."
10. "Twilight" actress Ashley Greene takes pointers on cash-crunching from her dad.

The actress told Marie Claire that just because she was in the successful "Twilight" franchise it doesn't mean the fame has gone to her head.
"I'm lucky because my dad taught me to be frugal and save," said Greene. "And that's important because I want to know that I don't have to take an acting job for two or three years if I don't want to and that I'll still be able to make my house and car payments and buy food for my dogs.”
11. Megastar Lady Gaga has also told her fans she uses coupons while shopping for groceries.

 

Mother Monster tweeted to her followers in December about her bargain buys: "Why do people look at me like I'm crazy when I use coupons at grocery (stores) or try bargaining at retail, IM FROM NEW YORK WHERE IS THE SALE RACK."
12. Zooey Deschanel's finances revealed the actress doesn't splurge on clothes and extras.

 

One of the most money-conscious stars is Zooey Deschanel.
After the "New Girl" actress and ex-husband Ben Gibbard split last year, her finances were revealed in court documents obtained by TMZ.
Per month, the actress, who was worth nearly $3 million last January, will spend $2,000 on clothes, $800 in utilities, and $300 for phone and email. She even donates $1,500 a month to charity.

Dropouts who became Millionaires

When it comes to success, all you need is sheer will and perseverance. Let’s take a leaf out of these millionaires’ books and see if success really needs a college degree.

1. Walt Disney
The maker of the adorable Mickey Mouse dropped out of school at the age of 16 and went on to become the most fascinating and well-known film producers of the world. With an average of 3 Disney films produced every year, the Walt Disney Company earns annual revenue of a whopping USD 35 billion. 
 

2. Henry Ford
Do you own a Ford car? If yes, then you’d be pleased to know that its founder Henry Ford was a dropout as well. He ran away from home at the age of 17 and began his career as an apprentice in a garage. Today, with a multi-billion dollar company, Henry Ford is one of the richest people in the world. 
 

3. Milton Hershey
Milton Hershey went on to become one of the most loved chocolate makers, with education only till the fourth grade. Now with his internationally marketed chocolate, one hardly associates his success to education. 
 
4. Michael Dell
With the most popular PCs ever created, Michael Dell hardly needed a computer science degree to sire his computer-empire. A university drop out at the age of 19, he left education to run what would later become the largest manufacturer and sellers of PCs and servers. With a whopping $57 billion 
 
5. Steve Jobs
Everyone owes their modern computing experience to Steve Jobs. Not only did he pioneer the most well known computing system in the world, Apple Computers, but also was the first person to initiate the graphical user interface featuring a mouse and an image screen. He did all of this with just a 
 
6. Bill Gates 
In spite of being a college dropout, Bill Gates is one of Forbes’ Richest People in the world. His multinational company, Microsoft Corporation, is the largest computer software manufacturers in the world, earning an average annual turnover of more than USD 51 billion.  
7. Woody Allen  
The multifaceted artist is an actor, director, writer, musician, playwright and comedian and is considered to be one of the foremost cinematic pioneers of the modern era. Having dropped out of college because of poor grades, he now belts out an award-winning movie every year.