Month: June 2021

RIP Joanne Linville

- Roshan

Joanne Linville, who made a memorable Star Trek appearance as a Romulan commander in the original TV series, died Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 93. In a statement to USA TODAY, her family said Linville “lived a full life.” “One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her,” the statement continued. “A loving mother and proud grandmother.”

The actress, born Beverly Joanne Linville on Jan. 15, 1928, in Bakersfield, California, stood out in an acclaimed 1961 episode of “The Twilight Zone.” She played a Southern belle in the final days of the Civil War who learns the cost of war and hatred in one of the classic series’ famous twists. Linville’s motion-picture credits include The Goddess (1958), Scorpio (1973), Gable and Lombard (1976), A Star Is Born (1976), The Seduction (1982), and James Dean (2001). In 1968, she guest-starred as a Romulan commander in Star Trek episode “The Enterprise Incident”. Her other television appearances include Decoy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Have Gun Will Travel, Coronado 9, Checkmate,  Gunsmoke (three episodes), Bonanza (“The Bridegroom”), The Fugitive, Hawaii Five-O (three episodes, Charlie’s Angels, CHIPS, Mrs. Columbo, Dynasty, and L.A. Law.

 She and actress Irene Gilbert co-founded the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles in 1985.Linville was married to actor/director Mark Rydell from 1962 until their divorce in 1973. Linville played gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in the television movie James Dean (2001), and Rydell directed the film and also played Jack L. Warner. Linville had two children with Rydell: Amy and Christopher, both actors.

Crazy Hours @ Work

- Roshan

These last few days, starting from Sunday, I and my team have been working terribly stupid shift timings. Due to this being a really busy week at work, we are working from 7:30 pm to 1:30 am and then from 4:30 am till 8:30 am! Yes, take that in and let in sink in.

It’s the nature of the beast and this way they are draining away my energy (and my will to live) and my sleep and rest. Sunday was actually ok but Monday & Tuesday it has been crazy and tiring. Monday & Tuesday I barely go enough sleep and it was more like big naps here and there. Yesterday morning I was so tired and could barely sit up but I just couldn’t go to sleep. You know that feeling when you are so tired and yet you can’t sleep? It’s the worst isn’t it.

Today it’s gonna be much better and I think it won’t be hectic at work at all. I then have Thursday and Friday off. I will be working on Saturday and then I get Sunday off again. Next week it will back back to normal and I am so happy for that.

Scream 3

- Roshan

Scream 3 is a 2000 American meta slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger. It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Matt Keeslar, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, Deon Richmond, and Patrick Warburton. Released as the third installment in the Scream franchise, it was originally the concluding chapter of the series until the franchise was revived in 2011 with a sequel, Scream 4.

Bars In Kerala Shut In Protest

- Roshan

All bars in Kerala will remain indefinitely shut starting from Monday, in protest against a decision by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation Limiter or Bevco to increase their wholesale profit margin on the sale of liquor provided to consumerfed and bar hotels from its warehouses. The profit margin has been increased from 8% to 20% and 25% on the sale of liquor from Bevco’s warehouses to bars and the consumerfed. However, the bars have not been allowed to increase retail prices on sale of liquor, despite this increase in profit margin. This has led the bar owners to protest, as the move will eat into their profits.

According to reports, the government had allowed bars to sell liquor as take away since June 17. However the purchase rate of alcohol for bars was higher than its MRP, forcing bars to sell their liquor at a loss. For the lowest priced rum, the purchase rate for the bar is Rs 611 per bottle while it’s MRP is fixed at Rs 600. Pointing out that it is the buyer who eventually pays the high tab, an office bearer said that Bevco buys the liquor at a much lower rate and sells it to bars at a wholesale price including taxes and profits.

Speaking to the media, office bearers of the Federation of Kerala Hotels Association said that Bevco’s decision will negatively affect hotel bars as it will lead to a significant drop in their profit margins. They also said that it would be tough to run the bars with these profit margins in a scenario where the bars are already hit hard by the pandemic. The federation has approached the state government, which has assured that it will look into the concerns of bar owners. Until the government takes action on the issue, the federation has decided to stop the sale of liquor from bars in Kerala.

Coffee & Me

- Roshan

Do a “If you were having coffee with me” post.

Well, if you were having coffee with me at my home, here’s what you’d get. I’d make a large batch of coffee and ask you how you take it. Then I’d add milk and sugar or treat you like the savage that you are and serve it to you black.

You would be serves chips (like Lays) or biscuits. Maybe both. Maybe cookies with cream in them instead of biscuits. Or I might make some popcorn from one of the batches of Act II popcorn packets I usually have lying around. Or I might order in some chicken or meat puffs and some other snacks. Snacks will be there, that I promise.

And then there is the company and discussion that I provide. I can talk about science fiction, tv shows and movies, music, books horror movies, atheism and the problems with religion. I can also tell you about my views of the galaxy and the universe beyond, what we should aim for and if there is intelligent life out there.

So join me for coffee.

Blog prompt from 30 Blog Post Ideas for June at The Frangipani Creative

3 More Religious Jokes

- Roshan

Man walks up to a priest. The man says “I am Jesus Christ.” The priest says “No you are not my son.” The man says ” Follow me.” The man walks into the bar and the bartender says “Jesus Christ you’re back!”

One day little Jonny and little Susan were in bible class and little Susan had been tired that day so she kept falling asleep and the teacher said to little Susan who is our lord and savior and little Jonny poked her in the but with a push pin and she yelled JESUS CHRIST and the teacher goes that’s right go back to be and then the next thing the teacher asked who gave up there son for our sins and little Jonny poked her again and she yelled GOD AL MIGHTY and she says that’s right go back to bed and the next question the teacher asked was what did ADAM SAY TO EVE after there 13th child little Jonny poked her in the but again she yelled IF YOU STICK THAT THING IN ME AGAIN I AM GOING TO BREAK IT IN HALF AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR OWN ASS AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT

——————————————-

So Jesus has been nailed to the cross. On the first day, he starts to moan, “Peter, Peter”. Well, Peter hears Jesus moaning and feels it is important, so begins to go up the hill. On his way, he is met by some Roman soldiers and they proceed to beat his ass back down the hill.

On the second day, Peter hears Jesus moaning again, “Peter, Peter”. Peter thinks to himself, this is important. He heads up the hill, fights past the first line, but gets a beatdown by the second group and back down the hill he goes.

On the third day, Peter is woken up by Jesus sounding very weak, but calling out, “Peter, Peter”. Peter feels that whatever it is that Jesus needs him for, must be very important. Peter heads up the hill, he is on a mission. He manages to fight his way thru three sets of Roman guards and make his way to the cross Jesus has been nailed to for three days. He looks up to Jesus, and says “Jesus, I have heard your calls, what is so important”?

Jesus- “Peter, I can see your house from here”.

What Happened To Them Blogs?

- Roshan

What blogs do you keep up with? Create a list.

To be honest it has been years since I have followed other bloggers. When I first started getting into blogging (2001) I used to read a whole lot of blogs and bookmarked most of them so I can read them on a regular basis. In 2002 I started my own blog and blogrolled them (that is a word from the past) so I could follow them easily. When I started becoming really serious about blogging and started this current blog, I started following and commenting on fellow bloggers posts which I considered to be good and interesting.

So what happened? Well Facebook happened and most people gradually moved over to Facebook and to an extent Twitter to get their points across. They can also ensure that a set of people do see it. But then your viewership is limited, unless it’s a Facebook page and you happen to have a lot of likes. I started seeing my favourite bloggers reduce their frequent posts from several in a week to just a couple in a week and then just 1 or 2 in a month. I continued blogging at the same pace. Finally several blogs stopped getting renewed and/or the blogger closed the site or the account on Blogspot or WordPress.

The lone wolf that I do check on a semi-regular basis is TorontoMike.com and I guess he happens to like blogging almost as much as I do. He also has a very successful podcats and he hosts the files on his blog. He gets a good deal of promotions and sponsorship from that. I think if a lot of people still continued to blog they would get something or the other. Hey, if I can make money online, so can you.

Prompt from 103 Blog Post Ideas That Your Readers Will LOVE [Updated]

Look For That Lesser Price

- Roshan

How to save money while shopping?

I’m gonna use the examples of dvds as this is main thing that I buy online, other than mostly essentials and some grocery items and the occasional book or shirt. So I do buy a few dvds of my fav tv shows and movies and I usually do so online. Now, since sometimes the rates in India are higher or I just can’t find the less popular movies or tv shows on Indian sites, I shop internationally.

My main choices for shopping online for dvds are Amazon UK, eBay UK, eBay CA & eBay. In that order. If I am trying to find a dvd box set or a season of a tv series, I will open all 4 and check and search for items that can be shipped to India. I then compare the prices for them on each site. Ofcourse I will also check the rates in INR so I can make a decision as to which one is cheapest for me including shipping to India.

This way I ensure that I get the cheapest option for the dvd or dvds that I want to get and not pay a huge price for it. Sometimes in India the cost of a dvd set is very high and when I get it from ebay UK or Amazon UK, it is much cheaper. There are a couple of sets that I would have to had paid atleast Rs.7000 or more just to get them in India. Now that is savings.

Prompt from 121 LIFESTYLE BLOG POSTS IDEAS TO WRITE ABOUT IN 2021

No Snub From Me

- Roshan

So although he is a player that I believe is one of the very best not just currently but of all time, I think what Cristiano Ronaldo did was a big publicity stunt. If you happened to have missed the viral video, Ronaldo had moved two bottles of Coca-Cola during a press conference on June 15 and then raised a bottle of water, encouraging people to drink water instead. He smiled while he did this, showing that he was snubbing the beverage giant and showing water as a better option to drink.

This is a man who, yes has made millions because he is a very talented, determined and skilled footballer & athlete and winning trophies but – he has also made an exorbitant amount of money from the various endorsements he has done over the years. Both as part of a club – Manchester United & Real Madrid are amongst the very biggest clubs in the world – as well as for his home country Portugal and as his own personal brand & image. Infact Ronaldo has also had a endorsement deal with Coca Cola among other brands. KFC too! Isn’t that a little hypocritical of a man who has endorsement the company before and taken a nice big chunk of change from them?

Well Coca Cola, I may not be star material and will probably (one can only hope) get the sort of endorsement deals that Ronald gets, but I do love me some coke. Especially when I mix it with my rum – white or dark – and with my vodkas. They make it so delicious.

Blogger To Blogger

- Roshan

Ways to build an online relationship with bloggers

1. Make sure that you read a lot of blogs and find ones that you enjoy to read. Find bloggers that write about topics that interest you so you can add to the discussion by contributing valuable comments and points.

2. Link to them and if you have articles that have the same kind of view or adds to them or maybe even has an opposite view, mention them in your posts. Share the link so your readers can also visit the other blog or blogs to read more about the topic. This benefits your readers are well as the other blogger(s).

3. Drop in from time to time and say hi. Share your email address and send them updates or talk about upcoming topics of mutual interest and they should reply back. Don’t push asking them to add your posts or blog to their lists of suggested reading. If it is forced it’s no point. Let the natural friendship flow.

Prompt from 121 LIFESTYLE BLOG POSTS IDEAS TO WRITE ABOUT IN 2021

RIP Milkha Singh

- Roshan

Captain Milkha Singh also known as The Flying Sikh, died yesterday. He was an Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army.  At the age of 91, he succumbed to post covid-19 complications Friday night after a month-long battle with the virus. He is the only athlete to win gold in 400 metres race at the Asian Games as well the Commonwealth Games. He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements.

The race for which Singh was best remembered is his fourth-place finish in the 400 metres final at the 1960 Olympic Games, which he had entered as one of the favourites. Various records were broken in the race, which required a photo-finish and saw American Otis Davis being declared the winner by one-hundredth of a second over German Carl Kaufmann. Singh’s fourth-place time of 45.73 seconds was the Indian national record for almost 40 years. From beginnings that saw him orphaned and displaced during the Partition of India, Singh has become a sporting icon in his country. In 2008, journalist Rohit Brijnath described Singh as “the finest athlete India has ever produced”.

Singh’s autobiography, The Race of My Life (cowritten with his daughter Sonia Sanwalka), was published in 2013.  The book inspired Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a 2013 biographical film of Singh’s life. The film is directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and stars Farhan Akhtar in the lead role, and Divya Dutta and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles.

To Be Your Own Boss

- Roshan

How to leave your 9-5 job and start working for yourself?
That is the dream. To get away from the corporate life and being a slave to the grind and instead work for ourselves or make money doing something that we love doing and being your own boss and working your own hours.

I wish I could do that. Some people make a lot of money doing Youtube videos and blogging. I don’t make money on the former but I have made a lot of money doing the latter. However the income that I get isn’t in any way constant or enough to make it a good living for me and I can’t survive on just that. If it ever gets to a point that I can get the kind of money that I want at a steady and consistent pace, I would quit my job and relax and be my own boss.

That is the dream. I hope that does happen sometime in the near future. Humans were not meant for this kind of dreadful existence. We are slaves to a corporate greed and once day we will be either chewed out or retire and then wonder where did our life pass us by.

Prompt from 121 LIFESTYLE BLOG POSTS IDEAS TO WRITE ABOUT IN 2021

Sleep Hours

- Roshan

I tend to change my shift slightly a few times a month and because we are a 24 hour BPO, this can change a lot. My usual shift is 6:30 pm to 3:30 am but this past 2 weeks I have been working 4:30 pm to 1:30 am. FOr 3 weeks in May I also did a 9:30 pm to 6:30 am.

What this means is that my sleep pattern is all topsy-turvy. For example even if I switch off my work system at 1:30 am, I then will watch tv till 4:30 am. This is also the usual sleep time for the shift that ends at 3:30 am unless I can manage to stay awake till 5 or 5:30 am. I just can’t seem to shake it and get a proper sleep pattern.

I usually try not to fight the tiredness and once my eyes get heavy, I will switch off my tv and the lights and go to sleep. But I end up waking a couple of times during my sleep. I am trying to get 7 hours of sleep if I can and may even nap for an hours in the afternoon if I wake up at 10:30 am or 11 am. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Kerala Pandemic Lockdown Eased

- Roshan

Ah it’s some good news! Kerala will get to see more relaxations starting today as the state government decided to ease lockdown restrictions that were placed to check the spread of Covid-19. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there would be relaxation on curbs in the state, based on the average weekly Test Positivity Rate in Local Self Government bodies. He also said that strict restrictions will continue in the state during the weekend.

  • Shops selling essential goods to open every day from 7 AM to 7 PM
  • State-run beverages outlets will reopen in a restricted manner.
  • Activities in the industrial and agricultural sectors will be allowed in all local bodies. Transportation will be provided to workers in these areas.
  • Akshaya Kendras will be open from Monday to Friday.
  • Central and state government offices, Public Sector Undertakings, government companies, Commissions, corporations and autonomous institutions will be allowed to operate with 25 per cent staff on a rotation basis
  • Private companies will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent of employees.
  • The Secretariat would function with up to 50 per cent of the staff on a rotation basis.
  • Public transport would be allowed on a limited basis
  • Banks would continue to operate only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • The number of those participating in weddings and funeral services will continue to be limited to 20.
  • No social gatherings or public events will be allowed.
  • Restaurants will be allowed to offer only home deliveries and takeaways.
  • Tourism, recreation and indoor activities in crowded areas, including malls, would not be allowed.
  • BEVCO outlets and bars can open from 9 AM to 7 PM and slots should be booked through the app.

The Boys & Girls Of Summer

- Roshan

My favorite childhood summer-time past-time was…

Just hanging out with my cousins in general. We used to spend our summers together at our grandmother’s place, which was pretty big. We played football & cricket during the day time in the front yard and, post showers and outfit changes, in the evening we would get snacks and cold drinks from nearby shops and spend our evenings listening to music. 80s & 90s pop and hard rock music.

We also watched a lot of music videos on tv and selected a couple of movies each night to watch as a group. We read books and played quizzes, Monopoly, Scrabble and card games. At night the boys all slept in sleeping bags on the floor and a couple of beds in one big room on the upper floor. The girls, who were lesser in number, slept in a smaller room on a couple of big beds.

That is what summer was all about and I miss those days.

Prompt from JUNE BLOG PROMPTS {12 MONTHS OF WRITING IDEAS} #BLOGPROMPTS at Fun Food Family