Arsenal 1 Wolves 2

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he is not worried about his position after his side slumped to their worst start to a season since 1981 with defeat at home by Wolves in a game overshadowed by a nasty head injury to visiting striker Raul Jimenez. The Gunners sit 14th in the table after five losses in 10 league games – a year to the day since Unai Emery was sacked at head coach – and have been beaten in their past three matches at Emirates Stadium. A game between two of the Premier League’s lowest-scoring sides was disrupted by a sickening clash of heads between Jimenez and David Luiz in the opening exchanges that led to the Mexico striker receiving treatment on the field for 10 minutes before being taken to hospital.

It was understandably flat for a time after that but flickered into life when Pedro Neto slotted home from close range after Leandro Dendoncker had headed Adama Traore’s teasing cross against the bar midway through the first half. Gabriel equalised for the hosts with a thumping header from a Willian cross just three minutes later but Wolves were the better side throughout and re-established their lead when Daniel Podence cleverly converted after keeper Bernd Leno fumbled Neto’s drive. Arsenal rarely threatened, with striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang little more than a spectator at times, and Arteta has much to ponder with his side languishing in the bottom half. Wolves, on the other hand, are up to sixth and sit just four points off the summit in an increasingly congested top half of the table.

The match had barely got going when one of its biggest stars was left unable to continue. The moment Jimenez and Luiz dropped to the floor it was clear there was real concern among the players as medical staff rushed on to the field. Jimenez was ultimately taken off on a stretcher and straight to hospital after a bandaged and visibly upset Luiz went to check on his stricken opponent. Luiz continued until half-time – Arsenal have said they followed all the correct protocols in keeping him on the pitch – but was withdrawn at the break, blood clearly showing through his bandage. In the absence of talisman Jimenez, manager Nuno Espirito Santo needed his other attackers to step up – and, once the shock of the injury wore off, they duly delivered a vibrant performance of real menace.

Neto’s second goal of the season, from the bench against Southampton last week, was rewarded with a start at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and he repaid that faith by firing Wolves into the lead. The 20-year-old Portugal forward was also instrumental in the goal that put the visitors ahead again on the stroke of half-time. Arsenal keeper Leno could only shovel out Neto’s shot from distance and Podence smartly drilled home the rebound. Wolves have struggled for goals this season but, with Traore back in the team, and Neto and Podence looking threatening, it may be they have the tools to address that in the coming weeks, even if Jimenez may be set for a spell on the sidelines.

That First Crush

The first person you ever crushed on—and what were you thinking?!

I think it is safe to say that I was 13 and the first real crush I had was on this girl who was a class above me and 2years older. I mean I’ve had my celebrity crushes and all that (some of them still to this day) but the first time I had a real crush was in 1989 for this girl called Sophia. Or did she spell it as Sofia. I am not sure. What I am sure of is that I had it bad for her.

She was tall and fair and had thick curly hair which I loved. She was hot too! She was a bit of the silent type so I had difficulty in getting to know her. And ofcourse I was kinda shy and not really confident in my ability or lack thereof to win the heart of a girl like her. I think at one point of time I did tell her how I felt but she didn’t feel the same way. But that didn’t stop me from being friends with her. Eventually in a year or so I got over my little crush on her.

If I met her now I would say hi and catch up and then move on. She’s just another memory in a long line of memories. I am curious though to see how she is but it wouldn’t go beyond a casual curiosity.

Prompt from 56 blogging prompts that will help you start telling stories

Are You A Hoarder Or A Minimalist?

I think I am somewhat of an inbetween-er. I love collecting stuff. When I was younger it was comic books and sports magazines. And later on as I entered my teens it was music, mainly rock magazines, that I collected. I got rid of all of them by the time I was 30.

But my main collection was music cassettes and later cds. I had one of the largest collections of rock and metal music albums in Kerala and perhaps even in India. Well….yeah I probably did. I never did take a full count so I don’t have exact numbers but yes it was a source of pride for me. However as we were moving from a nice big house to this small apartment I knew I had to save on space. By then I had most of my albums on cassettes on cds as well so it was an easy decision.

After I got all my stuff into this room, stacked them in a built-in cupboard and a steel one, I then looked around for getting a pc. This was 2006 September, so I wasn’t really thinking of getting a laptop. I got one assembled by the tech team connected to my then employers and then began ripping my cds into mp3s formats and saving them on the hard drive. Later, as my collection grew, I got an external hard drive (now changed to a new one) just for saving the mp3s.

In 2015 I started collecting Star Trek starships, which I have now stopped since they break easily and it is hard to clean if you display them without the boxes. Which is crazy. So I stopped at 45 but I do love them. DVDs are my thing now. I like to collect them as much as I can and have a nice collection to show off.

Prompt from The Learning Network At The New York Times

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1 large white onion, chopped

½ cup honey

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup butter

2 teaspoons mustard powder

1?½ teaspoons garlic, minced

5 pounds chicken wings

Directions

Step 1
Stir onion, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, butter, mustard powder, and garlic together in a saucepan over medium heat; cook until hot, about 5 minutes.

Step 2
Spread chicken wings in an even layer into a shallow baking dish; pour sauce over the wings.

Step 3
Marinate wings in refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.

Step 4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 5
Bake the chicken wings, turning occasionally, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

9 Ways To Personalize Your Car

For many people, their car is of central importance to their life. Not only is it a way to get around, but it can also prove to be a useful tool for expressing yourself. If you are keen to make sure that your vehicle is working in this regard, then you might want to look into personalizing it. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the most powerful ways you can hope to personalize your car, and in so doing express yourself out on the roads more effectively. All of these methods are bound to be worth looking into.

Air Fresheners

Let’s start with one of the smaller things you might want to look into – an air freshener. These have long been a great and easy way to personalize your car, and they remain so. The great thing about air fresheners is that you can get so many different options to choose from, so no matter what it is that you might be trying to achieve as an overall look for your car, this can be a way to help that along. And you might be surprised at how many different varying kinds there are to look at.

Seat Covers

If you would like to change the appearance of the interior, one great way to do that is to take a look at different options for seat covers. You can often get hold of some off the peg ones which could be suitable for what you are going for – or you might simply decide to have some made to your own custom design. That’s a great choice if you are hoping to have your interior match your personality as exactly as possible. You can even get covers that are heated, for a little extra warmth and comfort as well as a personalized look.

Custom Floor Mats

In personalizing a car, it is often about the smaller details that really make a huge difference. A perfect example of this in action is with the floor mats. You might never have really thought about floor mats and what they might do for your car before, but actually these offer a great opportunity to personalize your interior in whatever way you see fit. In essence, you can get custom floor mats to be made however you want them, and in doing so you should be able to make your car so much more suitable for your personal look.

Air Presses

You might not have heard of air presses before, but they offer a way to subtly and yet profoundly alter the look of the exterior of your vehicle. An air press is simply an aluminium or acrylic strip which is placed over car’s windows, and provides a tiny awning for them. They can be sleek and interesting aspects to a car’s design, and they are certainly worth considering if you want it to be clear that you care about the look of your car, and that you put some effort into it.

Rims

A common way to personalize a car, and one which provides a real difference to the look of the whole vehicle quickly, is to change up the rims. These are the outer parts of the wheel area, and they can be upgraded or altered to make the wheels look fancy when they are spinning as you drive. There is really no limit to what you can do here, and you can have them designed in whatever way you like to suit your tastes. Whether you need 4×4 rims or any other kind, this is a wonderful way to make your car look like new.

Sound System

It’s important to remember that when you customize your car, you are not just thinking about how it looks. Altering things like the sound system is also going to be an important way to customize it. There are many options that you might want to think about here, but the main thing is to make sure that the sound system in question is suitable for your musical tastes. When you feel as though you can easily listen to whatever you like, that is going to make driving so much more of a wonderful experience for you.

Video Display

These days, a lot of vehicles come with video displays already installed for the back seat users. But if yours doesn’t have this, then you can always include this if you want to provide some entertainment for other people in your car. This can be a great way to fit out the vehicle for long road trips, or just as a way of trying to make the vehicle look a bit cooler to other people. Whatever your reason, having a video display installed is easy to do and yet dramatically improves the overall style of the car.

Make Some Decals

If you really want to show off your style, one of the best ways you can do that is by making your own decals and sticking them to the car. These are essentially permanent stickers that are going to alter the design of the bodywork, so that is an opportunity to express yourself in whatever way you like. Bear in mind that most places prohibit you from having anything that will offend people on your car – but beyond that, you can pretty much do what you please with your decals.

New Seats

Earlier on we looked at seat covers. But if you really want to make a huge difference to how your seats look and feel, the best way to do so is probably to get new seats altogether. Of course, this is not always going to be the most affordable option, but nonetheless it is going to make a difference to how your car looks, and it is worth considering if you think you might be able to afford it. If nothing else, it is a great way to try and make your car so much more comfortable.

Molde 0 Arsenal 3

Mikel Arteta has challenged Nicolas Pepe to improve his consistency after the Arsenal winger reacted to Sunday’s red card against Leeds by helping the Gunners to cruise into the last 32 of the Europa League. Pepe was accused by manager Arteta of letting down his team-mates after being sent off at Elland Road in the Premier League but Arsenal’s record signing responded with the opening goal in a fine individual display against Molde. The £72m signing from Lille curled a powerful strike into the top corner just after the break in Norway – having minutes earlier struck the bar. “I could see from the first minute, from his body language, that he was ready to act,” Arteta said. “I think he had a great performance.” Folarin Balogun scored with his first ever attempt for Arsenal’s senior team.

Pepe has struggled for consistency since joining in 2019 but now has three goals in four Europa League games this season – and Arteta wants more of the same. The victory over Molde in Norway maintained Arsenal’s perfect record in Group B and saw them progress to the knockout stage with two games to spare. Reiss Nelson doubled the Gunners’ lead shortly after with a tap-in from close range, before 19-year-old substitute Folarin Balogun, who was making his second appearance for the club, scored with his first touch of the game. An away game in wintry Norway might not have seemed an ideal fixture for Arteta and Arsenal to face after a modest performance in the draw against Leeds and a sobering 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in the Premier League.

But Pepe, red-carded for a headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski on Sunday, looked keen to repay Arteta’s pre-match words of support with a bright performance. The former Lille winger’s first moment of threat came when he sprinted down the left and cut inside to make space for a shot but fired over the bar. He got closer with his next effort from outside the area as his curling drive hit the crossbar with Molde goalkeeper Linde beaten. The club’s record signing, who will now start the first of his three-match domestic ban against Wolves, eventually got his third goal in the Europa League this season with a neat piece of control and shot.

Nelson, who turns 21 in December, was a bright note from the start at the Arker Stadium as he linked up well with captain Alexandre Lacazette and got an early effort on target. The winger was rewarded for his persistence as he doubled the advantage from the six-yard box and then Balogun, linked with a move from Arsenal in the summer, staked his claim for a new contract by scoring on only his second appearance for the Gunners.

Nov 26: On This Day…

On this day, Nov 26:

Peach Ice Tea @ Cafe 17

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Beat the heat on hot days with a refreshing glass of peach iced tea. Traditionally, ice tea is made by extracting soluble tea solids from tea leaves and then adding various flavouring agents such as sugar, lemon, mint, peach and the like. Loose leaf teas are the better way to go. The beverage is then cooled. This method results in a good quality tea product. This is a time-consuming method.

Thanksgiving Food

What is served at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner? A traditional Thanksgiving dinner consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  Traditional Thanksgiving foods are sometimes specific to the day, and although some of the dishes might be seen at any semi-formal meal in the United States, the Thanksgiving dinner often has something of a ritual or traditional quality to it. Many Americans would regard it as “incomplete” without stuffing or dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. Other commonly served dishes include winter squash and sweet potatoes, the latter often prepared with sweeteners such as brown sugar, molasses, or marshmallows.

Roasted vegetables are often served, such as carrots or parsnips, celery , beets , turnips , radishes , asparagus , Brussels sprouts or cauliflower. A fresh salad may be included, especially on the West Coast. A relish tray, with various pickles, olives, onions or peppers, is often included either with the meal itself or as a pre-meal appetizer. Bread rolls, biscuits, or cornbread, the latter particularly in the South and parts of New England, may also be served. For dessert, various pies are usually served; pumpkin pie is widely regarded as traditional, although apple pie, mincemeat pie, sweet potato pie, cherry pie, chocolate cream pie and pecan pie are often served as well.

The beverages at Thanksgiving can vary as much as the side dishes, often depending on who is present at the table and their tastes. Spirits or cocktails sometimes may be served before the main meal. On the dinner table, unfermented apple cider (still or sparkling) or wine are often served. Pitchers of sweet tea can often be found on Southern tables. Beaujolais nouveau is sometimes served; the beverage has been marketed as a Thanksgiving drink since the producers of the wine set the annual release date to be one week before Thanksgiving beginning in 1985, and it is said to pair well with the wide variety of food served for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of eggnog season.

RIP Diego Armando Maradona

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60, his spokesman announced Wednesday. Renowned along with Brazil’s Pele as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the Argentine World Cup winning captain died of a heart attack, having undergone brain surgery earlier this month, a member of his entourage told AFP. President Alberto Fernandez immediately announced three days of national mourning in the South American country. Shortly before the announcement that shocked a nation, Argentine media reported Maradona had suffered a serious health setback on Wednesday and was being treated by doctors at his home north of Buenos Aires.

An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona was the first player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then-world record £5  million, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9  million. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli and Barcelona where he won numerous accolades.

Maradona won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, having knocked England out of the tournament in a match which saw him score the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal and another – widely considered to be one of the greatest goals of all time. Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time on the pitch, his life off the pitch was equally notorious – amid battles with drug and alcohol addiction. During his time with Italian side Napoli he won the Serie A title in 1987 and 1990, along with an Italian Cup in 1987 and a Uefa Cup in 1991.

But it was also during these years that his addiction to cocaine took hold. In 1991, the year he left the club, he was given a 15-month suspension for drug violations. In 1994 he was thrown out of the World Cup in America after failing a drugs test, before retiring from football in 1997. In 1999 and 2000 he was taken to hospital suffering heart problems, the second time requiring a respirator to breathe. In 2004, he was again treated in hospital for severe heart and respiratory problems linked to his drug abuse. He has undergone two gastric bypass operations to control his weight and received treatment for alcohol abuse. In January, he had surgery to stem bleeding in his stomach and in July he underwent a knee operation. Three week ago he was admitted to hospital for surgery on a blood clot in his brain, before being discharged to recover at home. It was there that he died on Wednesday.

Eradicating Money Worries Once and For All

Money worries can be endlessly stressful, and once you have them, it’s hard to get rid of them for good. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible – it just means you need to commit to changing your mindset, and in most cases, your behaviour, so you can live a more relaxed and financially free life. Let’s take a look at what you should do to eradicate these money worries for good:

1.Come Up With A Plan To Eliminate Debt

Start by coming up with a plan to eliminate any debt you have. This can be the hardest part, but if you’re in debt, it’s often the part that requires the most attention. Even if you’re in a small amount of debt, it will cost you money each month. Here are some pointers:

  • Figure out a way of paying off debt that resonates best with you. Would you prefer to pay off small debts so you feel more accomplished before handling the bigger debts, or would you rather get rid of the bigger debts first?
  • Put as much as you can towards your debts without having to struggle. If you put a huge chunk of money towards paying off your debts, but then don’t have enough money to survive the rest of the time, you’re going to end up back in debt. Be reasonable.
  • If you can’t trust yourself not to use your cards, it could be an idea to cut them up or even bury them in the garden.

2. Build Up An Emergency Fund

Having an emergency fund, once you can worry less about your debt, of course, is a great way to ensure you have peace of mind. This way, you likely won’t feel under pressure to use your cards or any loans, and will be able to cover your expenses if something happens. You never know when you might need to take a pay cut or something, and this helps to keep you safe. Many experts recommend saving 3-6 months expenses, but having just $1000 will make you better off than most people.

3. Figure Out Where You Want To Be In The Future

Having a solid idea of where you’d like to be in the future can encourage you to save and prepare. If you want to move abroad, then you should start planning for that as soon as possible.


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4. Explore Ways Of Making More Money

How can you begin making more money to support your lifestyle and goals? Perhaps you could ask for a payrise, look into passive income streams, or use Wongagames. Whatever you do, make sure that it’s a viable option for you.

5. Reassess Your Spending Continuously

Continue to reassess your spending throughout this process. Be honest with yourself. Try to be as self aware as possible.

6. Try To Stay Positive

A positive attitude is key when trying to eradicate money worries. Your beliefs and mindset are everything to your success.

7. Take Baby Steps

You just need to continue taking small steps in the right direction. Not sure what direction to go in or feeling overwhelmed? Speak to a professional and get it off your chest.

International Jokes

A frog and a scorpion were sitting on the bank of the River Jordan. “Hey frog,” said the scorpion. “I need to go to the other side of the river. Would you carry me across on your back?”

“No way,” said the frog. “If I let you come close to me, you’d sting me and kill me.”

The scorpion said, “That would be stupid. If I stung you while we were in the river, we’d both drown.”

“Hmmm, that’s true,” said the frog. “OK, hop on.”

So the scorpion climbed on the frog’s back and they headed out into the River Jordan. Halfway across the river the scorpion stung the frog.

“What did you do that for?” cried the frog, as they were both going down for the third time.

“I couldn’t help it,” said the scorpion. “This is the Middle East.”


— “Boss, can I leave work two hours early today? My wife wants me to go shopping with her.”

— “That’s out of the question.”

— “Thanks, boss! I knew you wouldn’t let me down.


3 people died and went to Hell. One of them is from America, the second guy is from Germany, and the third guy is from Afghanistan. The devil lets each person make a phone call to their loved ones in the country they came from but they will be charged. The American spends 10 minutes on the phone and is charged $20. The German spends 12 minutes on the phone and is charged $24. The man from Afghanistan spends half an hour on the phone and is charged nothing. The other two guys asked the devil why. The devil responded: “Local calls are free”.

Topics Comedy Shouldn’t Touch

Are There Topics That Should Be Off Limits to Comedy?

I would usually not say anything is off limits however yes there are a few topics. Tragedies and the dying and seriously ill. I don’t think I would laugh at jokes that are about these topics. Except when the death or illness is about really vile and shitty people who thrill at the idea of other people feeling bad and falling in trouble.

So like the death of an older person or a miscarriage – no, no thank you! I don’t even want to hear someone even suggest the idea of making a joke around these topics. That be just be so not worth hearing. What else? War and suffering and famine. Diseases, amputation and homelessness – there are so many that I can’t stand to hear and I guess my sense of empathy would win over instead of wanting to laugh.

Now if you are thinking – religion? Shouldn’t religion be on this list? NOPE!

Prompt from 401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing at The New York Times

RIP Kirby Morrow

Kirby Morrow, a Canadian actor, voice actor, writer and comedian died on 18th November. He was only 47. In animation, he was known as the voice of Miroku from InuYasha, Van Fanel from the Ocean dub of Escaflowne, Cyclops from X-Men Evolution, Jay from Class of the Titans, Teru Mikami from Death Note, Trowa Barton from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Ryo Takatsuki from Project ARMS, Goku from Ocean’s dub of Dragon Ball Z (from Episode 160 onwards), Hot Shot from Transformers: Cybertron (replacing Brent Miller) and Cole from Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. On camera, he was known for the recurring role of Captain Dave Kleinman from Stargate Atlantis.

Morrow was born in Jasper, Alberta and studied theatre at Mount Royal University in Calgary. He worked in Vancouver, British Columbia for most of his acting career. His death was announced on Facebook by his brother, Casey Morrow. On the small screen, Morrow was best known to the Stargate community for his role on Stargate Atlantis in which he played the recurring role of Captain Dave Kleinman, the weapons officer on the bridge of the U.S.S. Daedalus. The character would also make a 2009 appearance on Stargate Universe. And before he took on the role of Kleinman, he also had smaller roles on Stargate: SG-1.

Throughout his lengthy career, Kirby Morrow made appearances on numerous shows, ranging from Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart to ABC’s The Good Doctor. He was especially a fixture in sci-fi, horror and superhero shows, with credits in ArrowThe FlashLegionSupernatural and Fringe, among others.