Arsenal 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

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Arsenal recorded a thumping win against Wolverhampton Wanderers to end a fine Premier League season with a flourish at Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s side, who were already assured of second place, ended the campaign on 84 points – the Gunners’ highest points tally since the ‘Invincibles’ team took the title with 90 in 2003-04. Their unexpected and exciting title challenge may have collapsed in recent weeks, but the hosts looked back to their best in this victory and were helped by passive opponents. Granit Xhaka, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Bundesliga, set them on their way when he nodded in Gabriel Jesus’ early cross from the right.

The Switzerland midfielder, who posted a ‘Thank You Gunners’ messageĀ on Instagram prior to kick-off, stroked in a second from close range to bring up Arsenal’s 100th goal of the campaign in all competitions after Wolves defender Max Kilman inadvertently deflected the ball into his path. With Wolves struggling to contain their fluent opponents, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard combined down the right to present the ball to Bukayo Saka, who curled in a superb third. Arsenal showed few signs of letting up after the break, with Jesus heading in their fourth at the back post from Trossard’s pinpoint cross. It was a disappointing conclusion for Wolves, who finish 13th.

And their afternoon got even worse when goalkeeper Jose Sa fumbled Jakub Kiwior’s instinctive effort into his own net in the closing stages to gift Arsenal a fifth goal. While Arsenal missed out on a first Premier League title in 19 years, they delivered a celebratory conclusion to the season with a handsome victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium. And on this evidence fans can look forward with an optimism that the best is still to come from Mikel Arteta’s young squad.Ā  Several key players remained absent for this encounter but the Spaniard will hope that their return plus further investment in quality reinforcements, will provide further endurance to a team that excited before falling away in the title race.

Are ā€˜Darkā€™ Movies O.K. for Kids?

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I think it kinda depends on the movies in question and how old your kids are. I started watching horror movies very young – aged 4 or 5 when I saw the first horror flicks that I vividly remember. My parents watched any good rated English language films back in the day because we had very little choice back then, depending on a video lending library to get us some movies to watch and the odd Sunday night movie that we got on tv (no cable) back in the early 80s.

So yeah I did watch them, hiding partially behind the sofa though. Before I turned 10 I remember that I had watched a few more horror classics that I absolutely love now. But each time I had an adult with me, either my parents or some uncles/aunts along with my cousins in India. In the case of my cousins and I, we got scared together. There’s some comfort in that shared fear. But those are the movies that I hold near & dear to my heart because, while they are awesome movies, it also reminds me of great times with my extended family.

I wouldn’t advise bloody & gory stuff or body horror/slasher porn films to be shown to kids under the age of 16. You could screw up some of their poor brains at an early age. I would advise parental guidance in terms of being there and offering some support if they get too scared. Ghosts, goblins, werewolves, zombies and the boogeyman are ok – but some movies might be too much for the young. Choose wisely.

Prompt fromĀ Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students at The New York Times Learning Network

Shrimp Tempura – A Delicious Snack With Drinks

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The classic ultra-light batter is perfect with prawns for a light snack with drinks or as part of a Japanese feast. Japanese Prawn Tempura are light and crispy batter-fried prawns. This is a quick recipe and you can easily make it at home. Serve with hot Schezwan sauce or sweet chili sauce. Tempura is a well-known Japanese dish where vegetables or seafood are first dipped in a tempura batter and deep-fried in oil.

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 75g/2Ā½oz cornflour
  • 75g/2Ā½oz plain flour
  • 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
  • 188ml/6Ā½fl oz beer

For the prawn tempura

  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 50g/2oz plain flour
  • 1.5kg/3lb 5oz uncooked king prawns, shells and central veins removed
  • soy sauce, to serve

Method

  1. For the batter, sift the cornflour and flour together into a medium bowl.

  2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and beer and whisk from the centre outwards, until just combined (it is okay if the batter is a little lumpy). Allow the batter to stand for a few minutes in a cool place.

  3. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

  4. Place the flour onto a plate and dredge the prawns into it to cover well. Dip the prawns into the batter and carefully add to the hot oil to deep-fry in batches for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

  5. Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

  6. Serve in bowls with a bowl of soy sauce for dipping.

Do Your Television Viewing Habits Include ā€˜Binge-Watchingā€™?

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At times. Usually it is a kind of show that is either very new or one that I haven’t watched yet, even though it’s been a few years since they last aired/were released. I kinda like a bit of variety in my tv watching and hence I like watching episodes of 2 to 4 shows every week. But sometimes I really get into a show, even if I have watched it before, and stick to that one show for several days. Like Stargate Atlantis or Star Trek Enterprise – these are two shows that I enjoy binge watching several episodes at a time but I have already watched it a few times before.

Some shows like CSI or CSI Miami I have binged several episodes days on end. And I think during the times that I have watched them, I wasn’t really watching any other shows. Supernatural is another one as was Flashpoint. When I was laid up due to illness I did binge sitcoms like either Friends or Corner Gas and I remember back in 2019 when I tore my ankle muscles on one foot as well as fractured the big toe on another, I binged Full House as it was a show that I hadn’t watched since it’s first airing on cable tv many, many years ago.

But other than those, I would only binge shorted season series like on Disney Plus, Amazon Prime that is all the rage these days because it’s more serialized rather than episodic. It makes it easier to binge watch as you need to get to the end to feel like you have watched something.

Prompt fromĀ Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students at The New York Times Learning Network

RIP TINA TURNER

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Legendary singer Tina TurnerĀ (bornĀ Anna Mae Bullock) has died at the age of 83. Tina was an American-born and naturalized Swiss singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and author. Widely referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, she rose to prominence as the lead singer of theĀ Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer.

Turner began her career withĀ Ike Turner’sĀ Kings of RhythmĀ in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, “Boxtop”, in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single “A Fool in Love”. The duo Ike & Tina Turner became “one of the most formidable live acts in history”.[5]Ā They released hits such as “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”, “River Deep ā€“ Mountain High”, “Proud Mary”, and “Nutbush City Limits”, before disbanding in 1976.

In the 1980s, Turner launched “one of the greatest comebacks in music history”. Her 1984Ā multi-platinumĀ albumĀ Private DancerĀ contained the hit song “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, which won theĀ Grammy Award for Record of the YearĀ and became her first and only number-one song on theĀ BillboardĀ Hot 100. Aged 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)”, “Typical Male”, “The Best”, “I Don’t Wanna Fight”, and “GoldenEye”. During herĀ Break Every Rule World TourĀ in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World RecordĀ for theĀ largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.

Turner also acted in the filmsĀ TommyĀ (1975) andĀ Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeĀ (1985). In 1993,Ā What’s Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiographyĀ I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing herĀ Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is theĀ 15th-highest-grossing tourĀ of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of theĀ jukebox musicalĀ Tina. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner is one of theĀ best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12Ā Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, threeĀ Grammy Hall of FameĀ awards and aĀ Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

She was the first black artist and first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner had a star on theĀ Hollywood Walk of FameĀ and theĀ St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into theĀ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was also a 2005 recipient of theĀ Kennedy Center HonorsĀ andĀ Women of the Year award.

Tina as in a very abusive relationship with her then husband Ike Turner but it was only in 1976 that she fled with only 36 cents and a Mobil credit card in her pocket to a Ramada Inn. After the divorce was finalized she struggled financially to support herself and her kids. Things got better for her in the 1980s when she toured steadily and then her big comeback smash of 1984 with Private Dancer. Later in life she converted to Buddhism and began living at ChĆ¢teau Algonquin in KĆ¼snachtĀ on the shore ofĀ Lake Zurich in 1994. She had met German music executive Erwin Bach in 1994 and despite he was 16 years her junior, they began a relationship. In July 2013, after a 27-year romantic relationship, they married in a civil ceremony on the banks ofĀ Lake ZurichĀ inĀ KĆ¼snacht, Switzerland.

Turner revealed in her 2018 memoirĀ My Love Story that she had suffered multiple life-threatening illnesses. In 2013, three weeks after her wedding to Erwin Bach, she suffered aĀ strokeĀ and had to learn to walk again. In 2016, she was diagnosed withĀ intestinal cancer. Turner opted forĀ homeopathicĀ remedies to treat herĀ high blood pressure. Her hypertension resulted in damage to her kidneys and eventualĀ kidney failure. Her chances of receiving a kidney were low, and she was urged to startĀ dialysis. In 2013, three weeks after her wedding to Erwin Bach, she suffered aĀ strokeĀ and had to learn to walk again. In 2016, she was diagnosed withĀ intestinal cancer. Turner opted forĀ homeopathicĀ remedies to treat herĀ high blood pressure. Her hypertension resulted in damage to her kidneys and eventualĀ kidney failure. Her chances of receiving a kidney were low, and she was urged to startĀ dialysis. On May 24, 2023, Turner died at her home inĀ KĆ¼snacht, Switzerland, aged 83, following a long illness, including cancer, strokes, and kidney failure in her final years.

So Tiring And Hectic These Past Few Days

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I am so tired. The last week has been tiring and so has this week. It’s just a lot of stress at work and me moving about quite a lot. It doesn’t help that the section that I am now sitting in with a set of 48 frontliners on this massive floor is a lot warmer given that the air-conditioning seems to be very low here. It is terrible to sit there at times when they switch it off. Also checking and fixing things which is par for the course means I am on my feet and running around.

Monday I left the office on time since I had told a friend that I would meet her for coffee. Yesterday I stayed back for a while and reached home after 8 pm and I was dead tired on my feet. I started to feel aches all over. I just wanted to lie down immediately but I had to wait till after dinner. I ordered some channa masala for my folks and I which we ate with chapathi made at home. After dinner I was online for a while before I ate my usual apple and an orange before taking my medicines.

By 10:30 pm or so I would be ready for bed – not sleep but lying down in my bed. I would shut off the latop, switch the tv on to watch whatever it is that I am trying to watch. This time it is Ms. Marvel but I am struggling to stay awake. I switch the ac on for an hour and lie in bed to cool off as it is still very warm. I soon fall drowsy and then get up and switch the tv off and then the ac and the lights and go to sleep.

What Are Your Earliest Memories Of Music?

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I can’t remember what were the first songs I heard as a small kid. I do remember liking ABBA and Boney M – the former in particular. My older sister used to play their songs for me a lot and I think I loved them a lot. Other than that it as usually kid songs, usually with the artists not really well known or at times eve credited.

I remember this one cassette of all kid songs that I absolutely loved and I would play it over and over again. I can’t remember the titles or the songs now but I do remember the feeling of playing it in the afternoon or evenings (before my cartoons or tv shows came on) and being so absorbed in the songs. I would ofcourse sing along.

Since then as I started listening to more and more of what my sister bought. Wham!, Culture Club, Stevie Wonder and Madonna was what she listened to and I sat along with her. At the of of 8 I got into Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 music and I developed my own taste since then.

Prompt fromĀ Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students at The New York Times Learning Network

Some Facts About The Delicious Biryani

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  • Biryani is an authentic Mughal dish and its current-day closest relatives include Hyderabadi biryani and Awadhi biryani.
  • Hyderabadi kacchi biryani is a famous biryani type yet one of the simplest. One needs to marinate the chicken with herbs, spices, and curd.
  • Once the rice is cooked to perfection, you can enjoy delicious aromatic rice along with soft chicken pieces.
  • Hyderabadi pakki biryani is another famous biryani recipe where initially the chicken pieces are cooked along with the marinade. Once done, these pieces are layered with parboiled basmati rice. Eventually, for a short duration, the dum is cooked.
  • Sindhi biryani is another pretty famous biryani type that is especially well known for its spicy taste.
  • Sindhi biryani is a staple food in many parts of Pakistan and is prepared as a mixture of vegetables, basmati rice, spices, and meat of one’s choice.
  • Memoni biryani is largely inspired by Sindhi biryani owing to its spicy nature. This biryani type employs curd, fried onions, potatoes, mutton but does not use as much food color as other biryanis do.
  • One of the most interesting facts about biryani is that not all biryani types use basmati rice. Thalassery biryani which is native to the Indian state of Kerala uses khyma rice along with chicken and other spices which is unsurprisingly also its specialty.
  • Talking about Indian biryanis, one certainly cannot miss out on Kolkata biryani as it is one of the most delicious varieties of this rich dish.
  • Kolkata biryani is believed to be inspired by Lucknow biryani. This biryani type is uniquely known for using potato as a compulsory ingredient and employing a lesser amount of spices than other biryani types.

Would You Be Willing to Pay for Facebook or Google in Exchange for Your Privacy?

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That is a tough question. How much would they charge per month or year to safeguard my privacy? Just what does the to companies know about us?

“Google knows what you search for online, where you travel, what’s on your calendar, who you take photos of, who your contacts are, which ads you click on and what you buy. For a lot of you, that’s more than your spouse or partner knows. Facebook is the same, only it doesn’t have to guess based on your activity. You told the company. You put it on your profile and posted the photos of your family on vacation. You tagged the location and everyone in it.

Both Google and Facebook track everything within the ecosystem of their platform, and sometimes even once you leave. Facebook, for example, tracks which of their advertisers’ sites you visit after you leave their site, so it can serve you ads when you return. There’s no question that if most of us had any real concept of how much of our personal information was being captured and stored, we’d feel differently about whether it’s really worth it. – (from inc.com)

So depending on the amount, I would be glad to pay – if it in Indian rupees and is very reseaonable and cost conciseness. Otherwise I will skip it for the time being.

My Favourite Movies That Were Set On Mars

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ā€œThe Martianā€ (2015)

Matt Damon shows once again why heā€™s one of the top actors in the solar system as he plays astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded alone on Mars after the rest of his team is forced to flee the planet due to a massive dust storm. The film is directed by Ridley Scott (ā€œAlienā€), who certainly knows a thing or two about making great space films, and features an all-star cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels and Kristen Wiig. Itā€™s based on the novel of the same name by Bay Area native Andy Weir.

“Mission to Marsā€ (2000)

Sure, it might only be the 173rd best film based on a Disney attraction, yet weā€™ll watch anything directed by horror master Brian De Palma (ā€œCarrie,ā€ ā€œScarfaceā€) and this tale of a Mars mission gone wrong is pretty intriguing. It also features a star-studded cast that includes Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen, Jerry Oā€™Connell and Kim Delaney. (Available on several platforms.)

ā€œGhosts of Marsā€ (2001)

Remember what we said about De Palma? It goes double for John Carpenter, even when the legendary ā€œHalloweenā€ director delivers such an uneven oddity as this box office bomb starring Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham and Pam Grier. Yet, weā€™re charmed by the filmā€™s campiness, which may or may not have been intentional. (Available on several platforms.)

“Total Recall” (1990)

Arnold SchwarzeneggerĀ was at the peak of his career in the early 90s and was one of the era’s most sought-out action heroes. Having starred in a sci-fi blockbuster,Ā Terminator, in 1984, destiny called him again to star in yet another sci-fi classic,Ā Total Recall.Ā Based on the noveletteĀ We Can Remember It for You WholesaleĀ by Philip K. Dick, the film follows Douglas Quid, who is troubled by visions of himself on Mars. Taking up a memory implant, things change drastically, and so does the very existence of his previous life. Apart from being the classic sci-fi 90s movie with a few sprinkles of explicit content, the film dives deeper into many philosophical and political layers that make one question the very essence of humankind.

John Carter (2012)

Living in 1868, Confederate soldier John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) discovers a medallion after a run-in with an extra-terrestrial and uses it to travel to Mars. Carter’s unique physiology gifts him supernatural abilities while on the planet, and he uses them to fight bad guys and rescue the princess. WhileĀ John CarterĀ was a box office bomb, it is far from a bad movie. It is a visual treat as Carter escapades around the dusty planet and a good adaptation of theĀ BarsoomĀ novels it is based on.Ā DisneyĀ hoped the movie would lead to its next big franchise, but its box office failure quickly killed those plans.

“Red Planet” (2000)

Coming out the same year as Mission to Mars and with a similar premise, Val Kilmer stars with a robot Cujo in another movie about an expedition to the red planet and the discovery of life there. Due toĀ  anĀ ecological crisisĀ onĀ Earth. As part of the first stage ofĀ terraforming, automated interplanetary missions seededĀ Mars with atmosphere-producing algae. The crew of Mars-1 is dispatched to investigate when the oxygen produced by the algae mysteriously decreases. The movie, which also stars Carrie-Ann Moss, Benjamin Bratt & Simon Baker, Ā was a critical andĀ commercial failureĀ and is Hoffman’s only feature film to date.

Nottingham Forest 1 Arsenal 0

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Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal at the City Ground to secure their Premier League survival and crown Manchester City as champions. Taiwo Awoniyi’s 19th-minute goal was enough to seal victory and spark jubilant scenes from the home supporters at the final whistle. Arsenal dominated possession but Mikel Arteta’s men could not find a way through Forest’s spirited defence in order to forceĀ City to win a fifth title in six years themselves. Not that Forest and their noisy supporters were bothered about Pep Guardiola and his team. After what must have seemed like an age as he paced up and down his technical area, waiting for seven minutes of injury time to pass and the loss of goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the very last seconds, Forest boss Steve Cooper was able to celebrate survival.

In the stand above, owner Evangelos Marinakis was also hugged by those around him, having been rewarded for keeping faith with Cooper during a tumultuous campaign. Awoniyi only scored four times in his first 23 Premier League games after joining Forest from Union Berlin – but now has five in his past three. And, like the former Liverpool striker, Morgan Gibbs-White’s form has also shown a major upturn over the past few weeks and it was little surprise the pair combined to put Forest ahead. There was an element of fortune given Gabriel slid in to reach Gibbs-White’s angled pass into the penalty area first.

But given the battling qualities they have shown in their survival fight and the phenomenal support they have received from the stands, Forest deserved the fortune that saw the ball strike Awoniyi, then rise above Aaron Ramsdale, who was diving to smother, and into the net. It would be grossly unfair to say Arsenal did not deserve something from this game. They dominated possession for long periods and only some diligent Forest defending kept them at arm’s length. But the clinical edge of their early season performances has deserted them just as City have hit top gear. In contrast to the first half of the campaign, when they only dropped seven points, Arsenal have collected just nine points from their past eight games.

What Do You Need To Do To Get Verified On Twitter?

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Getting verified on Twitter ā€” when someone has the blue check mark next to their profile ā€” used to be how Twitter identified notable accounts, but it has since evolved and changed. It used to be that you needed to request verification on the social network; now, anybody with a Twitter Blue subscription ($11/month) and a verified phone number can be verified on Twitter.

1. You must be actively subscribed to Twitter Blue

To get Twitter Blue, simply click on the button for Twitter Blue once youā€™re logged in. On web, it will be in the left-side menu, and on mobile it will be under your profile. You can select to pay annually (for a discount) or monthly. The price of Twitter Blue depends on a few things.

2. Your profile must be complete with a display name and profile photo

Next, you need to make sure your profile is eligible for Twitterā€™s verification even after subscribing to Twitter Blue by having up-to-date and accurate account information.

Use your full name as your display name, and select a profile image so that itā€™s clear that your Twitter profile is being used.

3. Your account must be active

Twitterā€™s rules say they look for active accounts when verifying, so make sure your account has been active (posting, replying, liking) in the last 30 days.

4. Your account must be older than 90 days and have a confirmed phone number

Twitter has added a time element, so accounts must be over 90 days old to be verified. They also need to have a confirmed phone number ā€” without this there is no way to get verified even with Twitter blue.

5. Your account must be non-deceptive

Finally, your account must be non-deceptive. Twitter asks that you not have recent changes to your profile photo, display name, or handle. They will look to see if accounts have been misleading or deceptive on Twitter, and they also look for signs that an account is engaging in platform manipulation or spam ā€” if they deem that an account is deceptive it will not get verified.

After you apply:Ā There is still a review process where Twitterā€™s team determines your eligibility based on the above list before the blue checkmark will appear on your profile.