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As much as I love summer, It is depressing to see fall happening much earlier than usual. The trees are shedding not because the temperatures are cooler, but because they are stressed for lack of rain and higher temperatures. It already feels like fall in much of our trails in our community because the trees have shedded so much. I wonder what’s a realistic solution here? Cut the stressed out trees so the ones that remain survive and flourish? We are not winning the climate war in short term atleast, so how whats the best way to preserve what is left. I often wonder if cutting 2 trees from my own backyard will ensure other trees continue to grow or flourish. Obviously more watering is not an ideal solution.

Last night at dinner the kid asked *Will I still be friends with X Y Z in my twenties?* and our answer was *It all depends on you and them; we hope you do, but it takes effort from everyone*. It got me thinking however, how many of my own childhood friends I am in touch? The answer sadly, is zero. My kid has literally grown up around our family friends kids from day 0; they all treat each other more like brothers & sisters rather than friends; they fight like siblings and then can’t wait to see each other as well. And yet, as they are all growing up to be teenagers and in a few years head off to college, I can’t help thinking if these next few years are about as much time they’ll spend with each other as they ever well. Its actually more likely that these folks will go out of touch as adults and some may even start hating each other (we hope not!). Whatever it is, but I do hope that these kids will put in as much as efforts as their parents did to maintain a sense of social circle & family (though ours was out of need and lack of roots more than anything else).

Apparently AOC wants Biden to appease progressives more to vote for him. Bitch, what’s the alternative here if he doesn’t appease you? The other side has published a 900 page document on how they will turn the country into a fascist regime; but sure, entertain us all about democrats need more to court progressives – mind you the same progressives who will find the lousiest of excuses to not get out and vote, while the other side will stand through a hurricane to vote. Just STFU already and save democracy first before you go grandstanding. This country is truly fucked!

Rich people spoil everything. Case in point – Burning Man. More than a decade ago while we lived in California, going to Burning Man seemed like a must-do, something young people of my age (then) did. I totally adored the idea of self expression and art and amalgamation of two. And then rich people descended upon it. Then it went from art and self expression to drugs sex rock n roll and rich tech bros one upping each other. So when I heard about the latest saga of rains and Burning Man, I was like fucking glad. They deserved it. Its amazing how my view of Burning Man has completely flipflopped in the last decade just because of rich people. The funny thing is rich people themselves have done nothing to *me* personally to warrant that hate. Heck I have not even been to Burning Man. But now I just hate it because rich people ruined it. It must be so tough to be rich. Tsk! Tsk!

I dont know why everyone is like interest rates are HIGH but the real estate hasn’t really gone down. I know a few who were hedging their bets that somehow higher interest rates will crash the real estate market and they could score a “deal”. Well, the reason why that hasn’t happened is everyone else had the same great idea.

I dont have a problem if India changes its name to Bharat, but then why Bharat? Why not, *Hindustan*, which is really kind of the goal of the right wing in India. Or maybe the *-stan* part of it creates a bad association of sorts especially compared to all the other *-stan* nations, namely Pakistan and Afghanistan. And if you are really going to pick Bharat, it would mean Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh for all good purposes would fall under the Bharat empire of the old, and it actually wold remove most of South India from it. Or maybe, just maybe, leave India as is and learn to enjoy the incredible diversity the nation brings to world without making every issue a nationalist issue. Absolute idiots.

Pakistan made a match out of what should have been a one sided match they should have dominated. What a pace attack ooof!

Also congrats to ISRO on the Aditya-L1 sun mission launch right on heels of lunar landing! I can’t wait for day when India launches its own James Webb built at fraction of cost and just as good. It’s gonna happen for sure.

This Indian cricket top order is a joke. Cmon Kohli / Sharma – pls don’t do what scores of other Indian players did before you. Retire before you are shamed into it. It’s clear neither of these two players should play anything beyond t20s and maybe tests for Kohli but at least just accept it.

Biggs, the domestic terrorist was finally successful in *owning the libs*. So much so he gets 17 years to enjoy his sweet hard earned victory.