THE DOWNSIDE OF LONG HAIR

I cleaned out the U-bend of the sink in our bathroom today. A tricky, rather than difficult, job (you have to unscrew it both vertically and horizontally to get it out).

But also a rather unpleasant one. It's amazing how much oil and grease gets stuck down there; shaving foam, soap, face oil, things I don't want to know about. No wonder B.P. is having so much trouble plugging that leak in the Gulf.

But the oily gunk still needs something to attach itself to, and that something is, it seems, long strands of hair. Long hair? Mm, methinks it is time I had a chat with the female side of the family.

Walter Blotscher