Category: Net Stuff

Netflix Addicts: Here’s Why You’re In Love With TV

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Netflix has become a force of nature in recent years, with the era of the subscription going from magazines and pink boxes to television series and movies that we now can’t live without. The list of TV series we each have backed up on our Netflix watchlists is insane, and the local stores are stocked with those TV series’ immortalised on DVD. There have been huge leaps and bounds in television series’, with plenty of development going on. We’ve gone from advert-ridden TV episodes following storylines of comedic duos, to fully immersive experiences that get the watcher going when they’re in front of the screen.  It’s like the TV world is experiencing a third Golden Age, and we are LOVING it.

We have coined the phrase “Netflix and chill” and we make a point of settling in front of Netflix with a pizza at least once a week. We broke through the TV monotony with the quality of the programs that are released in quick succession and we are falling in love with more shows than ever. But why? What is it about Netflix and similar TV subscriptions that have us on the edge of our seats? It’s all about that immersive experience, so let’s talk about that!

We are living in an age of experience. We want more from everything; developing virtual reality and combining our TV and gaming experiences with artificial intelligence. Experience is doing more than information is right now, which is why we are a generation of watchers. Bloggers get fewer views than vloggers. Companies with videos on their websites are doing better than those who don’t. So, it makes sense that we want a more immersive and all-encompassing experience!

We want to dive in and feel the show and the characters every emotion. It’s why immersive theatre is on the rise, and it’s filtered down to our TV viewing pleasure. Immersive theatre is where the audience becomes part of the performance, where the sets are elaborate, and the costumes by Akua Murray Adoboe are exciting and captivating. The result of all of this has filtered to horror movies and TV series like Game of Thrones that bring us all in and make us fall in love, cry, feel the fear – it’s all a part of the experience. Here are some of the reasons we crave more experiences in our TV shows:

Escape

We jump out of our extended hours at work and straight into our Netflix TV list. We put everything else out of the room, and we watch our characters like they’re our best friends and worst enemies, and we do it with our hands clasping our cheeks. The way that we press ourselves into the TV shows that we love pulls us out of our everyday lives and into something entirely different.

Imagination

When you watch some films, you can immediately appreciate the technology and level of detail that has gone into it. Think about the way we respond to Game of Thrones or Stranger Things: we question everything, we enjoy the thrill of exploring a world that has been created entirely with CGI. It gives us the chance to imagine the experience of the actors who had to pretend they flew dragons and slew aliens – but really they were looking at a green screen and an orange on a stick! You can transport yourself to another world with the click of a button

Excitement

More than anything else, we seek excitement, and we want to feel something deep inside. Our love of being overstimulated filters down through every avenue in life, and we want to feel confused, scared, overjoyed. We even want to sob hard with a good weepy to reach the emotions usually numbed down by work!

So, Why Do We Love TV So Much?

Well, there are a lot of answers to this question more than the reasons we love an immersive experience. TV is something so different from what we had in front of us for years, and today, the leading TV shows that really make us binge watch are those that are aimed at a very small target audience. It used to be that TV show writers would write their shows to appeal to a broad audience – well, everyone – but now it’s not the case. Game of Thrones isn’t for everyone (those who don’t like it are wrong), but it’s not written for everyone, which is why it’s so popular! We enjoy the quality and the picture that we get on the wider screen TVs that we buy.

As well as all this, we all love that TV series is now on par with the movies that come out every week. They’re as deep, as exciting and as gripping as the blockbusters, and the number of viewers that TV series now get is proof of how much people fall in love with the experience that TV now offers. We mentioned earlier that this could be a third Golden Age of TV, and here were the first two:

  • 1940 – 1955: I Love Lucy & Perry Mason dominated our TV screens and made us all fall in love with cheeky, comedic characters.
  • 1990-2000: We love the 90s, and the series like NYPD Blue, Moonlighting, and Northern Exposure all dominated the screens.
  • Now: Now? Now we have Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The West Wing and we are loving.

The 1970s have always been cited as a low point in TV history, and it’s the shows of the Golden Ages that we remember the most. You may not be addicted to the blue-screen technology pushed out by your TV screen, but you would be addicted to the qualities of the shows that you see and fall for. Rustle up the popcorn and order in; TV shows are getting better and better.

Foodies Without Internet

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If the Internet disappeared tomorrow, how would you continue to share your love of food?

Perish the thought! How would we let other people know what we are eating for lunch or dinner.

Ah, remember the good ole days where if you ate a great meal, you would only talk about it to the people you happen to be eating it with and perhaps possibly the next day when you went back to school or college or work,  you’d tell you friends about it? But you couldn’t show them the photos of it could you?

So if there were no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and no internet, the world wouldn’t end for foodies. We would still eat the food we love and enjoy it and tell our friends and family about the awesome places and menu items to eat. I would write about it on a journal atleast. Cameras are still there right, so I can take photos of it and share it in a smaller group.

Prompt from 16 WRITING PROMPTS FOR FOOD BLOGGERS @ Food Bloggers Of Canada

RIP Tardar Sauce AKA Grumpy Cat

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Grumpy Cat, the feline famous on the internet for her permanent scowl, has died aged seven, her owners say. A statement says she died on Tuesday following complications from a recent urinary tract infection. The cat from Arizona had “helped millions of people smile”.

Grumpy, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, went viral in 2012 after photographs of her sour expression emerged online. Her image quickly spread as a meme.  According to owner Tabitha Bundesen, her facial expression was caused by feline dwarfism and an underbite. Grumpy Cat travelled the world making television appearances and in 2014 even starred in her own Christmas film.  Madame Tussauds in San Francisco unveiled a waxwork of her in 2015. Her Instagram account has more than two million followers. Grumpy’s face has starred in thousands of memes with many people choosing to share them again after hearing the news of her death.

In 2018, her owners won a $710,000 (£555,000) payout in a copyright lawsuit. Grumpy Cat Limited sued the owners of the US coffee company Grenade for exceeding an agreement over the cat’s image. The company only had rights to use the cat to sell its “Grumppuccino” iced drink, but was also selling other Grumpy products. Ms Bundesen previously worked as a waitress before her beloved pet gained internet stardom. She told the Express newspaper that she quit her job “within days” of Grumpy’s first appearance on social media.

What’s To Blame For Your Netflix Neglect?

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In case you haven’t noticed, Netflix is a pretty big deal nowadays. It’s more likely for a household to stream their shows than to watch live television. This streaming platform now enjoys upwards of 150 million subscribers. And, that’s a number which only looks set to rise in coming years. For most of us, a subscription isn’t even a question. Netflix has become second nature and a monthly charge which we don’t even consider.

But, when you think how a Netflix subscription adds up, it’s worth stepping back sometimes. If we’re honest with ourselves, many of us would admit to not using this platform enough to justify the cost. If that’s the case, the good news is that it’s easy enough to turn Netflix off at short notice and pick up your subscription again later.

Of course, that does mean leaving yourself a little out of the loop. The latest Netflix shows do, after all, cause quite the stir and become everyday conversation starters.If you’re worried that you’re wasting money but don’t want to quit altogether, then, you aren’t alone. In truth, many of us neglect our Netflix subscriptions. To help you overcome this problem, we’re going to look at a few of the reasons why you’re falling foul, and what you can do about them.

You’re spending more than you’re watching

Spending more than you’re watching is, by far, the most common Netflix problem. When you first sign up to stream, you may find that there are endless shows you want to get to. But, you’re now at the stage where you probably only stream one or two things a month. If this is the case, it can soon start to feel like you’re paying more than your subscription is worth. This is especially the case when platforms like Amazon offer one-off watching experiences. To get around this, it’s worth working out how much you would need to watch to justify the monthly cost. You don’t need to be exact with this. Still, comparing the value of films or series you watch to prices elsewhere could help you out. The chances are that, even if you think you’re paying over the odds, you’re still saving money with Netflix. That’s because even a box set elsewhere would probably cost more than that subscription fee. When you break things down, you may find that even watching one or two things is worth your while. If you’ve gone a few months without watching anything, you might just need to work to get into the habit. At the very worst, you could pause your subscription until something interesting comes around.

Your internet isn’t up to streaming

There’s nothing more irritating than a buffer symbol on the screen every few seconds. The chances are that this alone stops you from using Netflix as much as you might like. You can’t exactly get into those shows when the action stops every few seconds, can you? The good news is that the buffering circle of doom is usually a sign that your internet isn’t up to streaming. That’s an easy enough issue to fix. All you would need to do is turn to alternatives from companies like Optimum, who offer higher speeds than other internet providers, and get the Netflix seal of approval. This could mean forking out a little extra upfront, but that cost still saves you wasting the money you’re already spending. The moment you take care of this, after all, you can start watching any show you fancy without any buffering in sight. This doesn’t just benefit your Netflix binges, either. Faster internet can help every aspect of your online life, so what are you waiting for?

Your recommendations never appeal

Most of us choose our next shows based off the recommendations Netflix offers. These are supposedly tailored to our tastes to ensure we can always find something else to watch. The trouble is, many people find that their recommendations never appeal. In that case, you’re more liable to switch Netflix off and not look at it again for months. In reality, though, you have more control over your recommendations than you might realize. By rating shows and tailoring your preferences, you pretty much guarantee that Netflix always selects winners. Fail to do these simple things, and you’re never going to get the most for your money. You certainly won’t be able to find shows you love without searching through the back catalog. But, the moment you tell Netflix what you do and don’t like, you could start to find winning watches without any work on your part.

You spend too long listening to Netflix hype

As we mentioned at the start of this post, Netflix shows are now a pretty common conversation go-to. Some options, like Stranger Things, get all the hype. We hear such good things about shows like these that we all head home and start watching. But, as you can guess, these options aren’t going to be to everyone’s tastes. If you only ever take the time to try those hyped shows, then, it’s no wonder that you’re struggling to make the most of Netflix. Admittedly, the hype will sometimes hit the spot for you. More often than not, though, you should block it out and trust your gut. If a show doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, it probably won’t be. Instead of wasting time and money watching, turn to those tailored recommendations from the pointer above.

Netflix and other streaming platforms like it can be a fantastic way to tailor your watching experience. They can also become a wasteful drain on your resources if you aren’t careful. For the most part, taking steps like those above is the best way to get the most for your money. If you’re still finding that Netflix doesn’t suit, though, it might be time to call it quits and try one of the many other options out there. They do say, after all, that variety is the spice of life.

My Mobile Game Of Choice

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I don’t play many games online or on my phone. I don’t have any games installed on my laptop. I have a few on my phone but I barely use any of them. But this one is an exception that I do play a few times a week.

Bowling King World League from MiniClip & Bluehole Pnix is an online bowling game where you earn a bunch of chips for each game that you win. You can keep collecting the chips as you play off against players from around the world.

Bowl fantastic alleys around the world: Hollywood, Seoul, Las Vegas, New York, Sydney, Paris & more! Collect over 60 gorgeous bowling balls, custom pins & lanes to show off your class. Real-time, 1 vs 1 multiplayer with superfast matching!

Beat the missions in Challenge Mode to rack up a ton of awesome rewards! Win big on the Slot and Roulette minigames! Over 120 Achievements to unlock as you rise to the top of the Rankings! And they have multi Language support : English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

I can spend hours on it during the week and the weekend. You can buy chips, balls or pins among others using online transactions as well. It’s fun.

Why Online Study Could Boost Your Career

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Adding more strings to your bow is always a good thing. We should seek throughout the whole course of our careers to continue our education, as it’s the way to make sure we keep growing, challenging ourselves and developing vital skills. However, there are some significant barriers to keep studying for a lot of us. If we have full-time jobs, careers and families, it’s not possible to uproot everything and go back to student life. That is exactly where online study has been booming over the past decade. Offering flexible courses which involve distance learning that you can fit around existing commitments, the chance is now there to gain the skills you need to advance your career, in a way that suits your life – sometimes even on your mobile phone.

Location, Location, Location

With postgraduate studies and things like business school in particular, the course you choose to take is likely to be highly specific rather than generalist. That means that you need to more carefully select the right fit, one that will truly enhance your career goals. In past, the right course for you would often be found at only a handful of institutions – which may not have been located anywhere near your home, family or job. With the advent of online degree courses, the learning of higher education institutes all over the world are open to you. So finding the right fit is easier than ever. If you want to do Wilfrid Laurier’s online BACP it’s now available wherever you are without you having to uproot your life. Plus, studying online saves a lot of headaches, administration and hidden costs, such as expensive commutes, plane tickets, accomodation costs or visas, making it much more accessible in terms of cost too.

Accessing Support

If you think that choosing to study online means you won’t be able to access the support you need, you may be pleasantly surprised by the reality of online study. Most digital learning programmes are well aware that support is a key concern for their students and have taken great steps to address it. Support from university tutors is available alongside one to one feedback to keep your studies on track. You should be allocated a supervisor whom you can email and get in touch with via Skype for study guidance, as well as a host of student support services for study, technical or admin queries. Most institutions have introduced online learning platforms which connect you to your peers and tutors and have a wealth of study materials including videos of lectures, study notes and slideshows – all fully searchable. Some universities and colleges have set up a YouTube channel to allow you access lectures anywhere in the world, while others have produced podcasts and online labs. Your assessments will be taken or submitted online, while your scores and feedback will also be available – it’s usually quite a seamless process and one which is truly portable. You could be studying for that master’s degree on the train to work every day!

The Risks Of Blogging (And How To Avoid Them)

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No matter what you use your blog for, be it for personal or business use, there are risks involved. As a blogger then, you need to take steps to avoid these risks by taking some precautionary steps to avoid them.

Here are two of the more common risks involved with blogging, with some handy tips to help you reduce them.

Risk #1: Your blog content

Be careful what you say online. Sure, your blog is a useful place to share your opinions, but remember that it’s online for all to see. If you say anything that is scandalous, controversial, and perhaps even slanderous, you may be targeted by people who don’t like what you have to say. And if what you say is particularly harmful, you might also suffer at the hands of a hacker, receive negative media attention, and find yourself blocked from continuing by your blog provider. Your personal safety might also be at risk, especially if you can be easily identified.

Tip: Think before you write something down. While you want to be honest and true, you don’t want to attract a lot of negative attention. Verify any facts before compiling blog posts, and if you suspect what you are trying to say is harmful to others, consider the consequences before any posts go live. You might ask a trusted friend or family member to have a read through your post too, as that second opinion might just save your bacon!

Risk #2: Your finances

This works two-fold. For starters, if your blog contains a lot of personal information, such as anything related to your personal identity, then some nefarious person may have just what they need to open up credit using your name. And if you use your blog for business purposes, perhaps within the realms of ecommerce, you might also be hit by hackers able to steal both your financial information and that of your customers.

Tip 1: For starters, don’t post your personal information online. While you might use your name, you might still want to avoid using your postal address, and any other identifying features, such as clues located within photographs. Know too that If you have registered your own domain name, your personal information may be accessed online through the WHOIS service, so opt for domain privacy when registering.

Tip 2: Ensure your website is secure using the steps listed here. This is the best way to defeat the hackers, as while you may not think you are a target, you may be if a) your blog content is controversial, and b) you are using your blog for business purposes.

Tip 3: If you are using your blog to sell anything online, then you need to remember KYC (Know Your Customer) compliances. This is the process of identifying who your potential customers are, as you don’t want to be the subject of online fraud. To protect yourself and any customers who may have had their information stolen by a nefarious miscreant, consider using Jumio. Jumio replaces slow KYC processes, using cutting-edge solutions to ensure you stay compliant when operating your business.

Finally

Blogging can be both fun and financially profitable to you, but the reverse is true if you don’t take care. Follow our tips, and you should have a safer experience when operating online. Let us know your thoughts, and if you have any other advice for our readers, be sure to share your wisdom with us. Thanks for reading, and happy (safe) blogging!

Here’s How You Make Money Without Having to Leave the House

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If you want to make money without having to leave the house, then this is very easy to do. It doesn’t take long, and you would be surprised at how easy it is for you to really make a steady income on the side.

Sell Online

One thing that you can do is sell your valuables online. This is a great way for you to make some quick cash. Sure, you may be tempted to have a yard sale so that you don’t have to bother taking pictures, but you should avoid this if possible. The main reason for this is because when you sell products online, you will soon find that they fetch a much higher price. You can also target buyers across the world as well.

Investing

If you have never tried your hand at investing before then now is the perfect time to try. There are so many different types of investment out there for you to try and take advantage of, not to mention that some are more lucrative when compared to others. When you are able to find the right one for you, you will soon find that it’s a great way to make money and you don’t even have to leave the house either. If you want to get some help starting out with your investment then why not start by trying to learn about Ripple, or even try and look into stocks.

Used Books

Believe it or not, there are tons of sites out there that can help you to sell your used books. You would get way less if you sold them to a bookstore so it’s worth taking this into consideration. This is especially the case if you have some special editions or even some limited edition/signed copies. It doesn’t take long for you to put your books online and when you have created an online account with the site of your choosing, you will soon find that the whole process becomes much easier.

Direct Marketing

There are so many businesses out there who are looking for direct marketing. You could even work in affiliate sales if you want. When you do this, you sell products on behalf of other companies and you take a portion of the profit. The best thing about this is that you can do it all online and you can also feel confident knowing that the more you sell, the more you’ll make!

DIY

Are you really good at making things? If you are then you could make a good amount of money by creating an online storefront for your crafts. This won’t take long at all and you can do it all in your own time. You may soon find that there is a demand for what you do and the best thing about it is that nobody else can compete. You are completely unique in the way that you create things, and this can really help you to create your own lucrative business opportunity.

Netflix Off For A While

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I had signed up for Netflix a month ago and got the first month for free as a trial period. At first I didn’t know what I would go and watch on it. I just clicked on the first episode of Star Trek Discovery, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD so I could check and see how it plays. I am using the data on my cell phone to stream movies, live sports and stuff. I get 200GB of data on my plan from Vodafone and that’s a lot and therefore I put it to good use when I finally got this new tv a month ago.

But, I have a lot of movies and tv shows that I want to watch and still have yet to watch that is not on Netflix but elsewhere. So after a couple of weeks that went by, I still hadn’t watched anything on Netflix after signing up. A few days ago I thought that I should atleast try and watch the 10 episode first season of Lost In Space, a show that I really wanted to watch ever since it first came out. So I finally did that and enjoyed the show and the way Netflix is.

But I haven’t continued and signed up for the next month and won’t do so until maybe January or February. I love what they have up on Netflix but if I pay Rs.500 now and not watch more than 10 films atleast or a couple of seasons of a tv show or two, then it’s a waste. So I guess I will wait for a bit and see; once I finish this big pile of movies and tv shows that I have with me, then I will continue with Netflix.

WIFI On Optic Fibre Is Here

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So we have these monster speeds now available in Kerala. I just saw this add spring up all over Youtube and a couple of other places. Would I really need 200Mbps speed for my internet at home? What am I planning to download – the history of the world? Unless you are on the USS Enterprise or one of the other starships, I doubt you could really need those astronomical speeds (maybe) and I bet the monthly charges are astronomical as well.

I will wait and watch as my 10mbps speed seems ok to me at the moment (I could use 25 but let’s see).

How Can Professional Illustrations Increase Sales?

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Making as many sales as possible is the bottom line for all businesses. This is why entrepreneurs apply all marketing strategies that are appropriate to boost revenue. Did you know that illustrations are an excellent marketing strategy that promotes an increase in sales in many ways? Hiring an expert who creates illustration for big-brand products is advantageous to the company. To make this issue clear, let us look at how using professional illustrations increases sales for a company.

A Compelling Website

Illustrations are an amazing way to make your website look better and enhance user experience. Professional illustrators create authentic yet attractive media that will not slow down website visitors because it is too heavy. Entrepreneurs who employ the work of these experts realize an increase in sales within no time as more people visit the website. Illustration can be included with the products that a business is offering. Experts will make the illustrations attractive so that potential buyers will be convinced to buy.

Higher Conversion Rates

Now that the business has a website with an excellent user experience, the conversion rate determines the sales it will experience. Some businesses even use specific strategies that are aimed at converting potential customers to actual buyers of the offered goods or services. As the potential buyers admire the attractive and professionally branded product, they are compelled to buy them. Illustration can also be employed on free promotional gifts and samples. Clients will want to try these products even if it is their first time using them.

Increased Brand Awareness

Making people aware of your brand can be an uphill task. But did you know that illustrations are one way of increasing awareness? As a matter of fact, this is extremely effective when proper strategies are engaged. Illustrations are used to brand the website, social media pages, sold goods and packaging. As the illustrations on these items make their way to the web, homes, streets and magazines, people get to know of your brand. In return, this will increase sales for your company.

Communicating the Message

When people are researching a product, they expect to find as much information as possible before they will purchase it. The more information they get, they more convinced to buy they become. Illustrations are an attractive way to communicate information to the audience. Experts argue that products with attractive and informative illustrations easily convince potential customers to buy. Therefore, your work as a business person is to ensure that your illustrator is professional enough to provide this level of quality.

Creating a Desire

Have you ever looked at an illustration of a food product and felt hungry? Well, such a desire is often experienced across a variety of categories of goods and services that have attractive and compelling illustrations. Experienced illustrators work to create a desire to buy particular products. Most people actually do not need to read the accompanying text if there is any. The art is enough to trigger the urge to acquire that product.

From the above details, it is clear that professional illustrators can increase sales for a business. They require cooperation from owners and managers to reach their goal easily.

Modem Dead

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So I didn’t have broadband at home for the day. Last night, I switched the modem off as it was thundering and lightning and as I usually do, I pull the plug of the board that has my laptop, speakers and modem connected and I also remove the Ethernet cable that is connected to my laptop.

About an hour later as the lightning and thunder died down, I plugged it all back up, only to find that the modem lights were not switching back on. I tried it again and saw that it had died on me. This is the second Asianet provided modem that has died on me. I guess the last time, well over a year ago, as well was due to lightning or so it seems.

I have coverage on the modem so they had to replace it for me but it just seems odd that this happens. And what’s worse is they were supposed to come in this morning and then when I called in the afternoon on not seeing anyone they were supposed to come in this evening and yet here I am at 11:47 pm with Asianet not coming through on their promises yet again.

Their customer services have become bad on a regular basis.

Live Stream It Is

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This year makes it 8 years since I stopped watching tv altogether and depend on dvd/blu ray, downloads and live streaming for watching my movies, tv shows and sports events. Well for sports it is just football for now. I watch football on live stream.

Earlier I used a free service called Vipbox but most of the links that they have are really bad and slow even on a good speed package and also most of them are illegal. Atleast I think that they are illegal. But I used that for several years, 2010 onwards I guess. Then recently as last year I found another live stream link called astream.me which was for sure is all illegal streams. How do I know that? Because the links go down every 5 minutes.

So I alternated between using Vipbox and astream for about a year when all of a sudden I got word that Hotstar, which usually advertises their local tv channel soaps and serials being available online for streaming for a fee, also has sports streaming. So earlier this year I signed up for just the sports package at just Rs.299 annually. That is an awesome package. But they didn’t have the World Cup so I signed up with Sony Liv which had the rights for streaming the WC games.

Though I must say that Sony Liv’s customer service on Twitter was pathetic and I had no intention of continuing beyond the month that I signed up for. Once the World Cup was done and two days later my month was up, I ignored their attempts to get me to continue.

Uber Eats Fiasco

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Uber Eats is an app and service that I have been using quite a bit off since they started in Kochi a couple of months ago. It is really an awesome app along with Zomato and Swiggy. I haven’t used Zomatao yet but the other two I have used it quite a bit. I’ve been able to get lunch and dinners served to me from several places I love to eat from and several I hadn’t yet been to and liked. It also helps me to give good dinners for dad & mom and also since it’s been raining quite a lot this monsoon season, it’s an excuse not to go out and yet enjoy good food from the comfort of my own home and watch a movie while doing so.

Yesterday Uber Eats ruined my birthday dinner. I ordered food from Aangan restaurant via the app for 5 people for my birthday dinner. I was in the washroom when the delivery guy came to my place and mom took the packets from him. The guy gave us the wrong order but you can’t contact him over the phone since once the order is closed on the app, you don’t get the rider’s contact number. I tried the app and submitted a help option which said “You’re issue will be resolved in 24 hours!” Fuck that, we are having a dinner.

I contacted UberEats and one guy told me wait for 30 minutes he is placing a new order for me. One hour later, no food and another agent told me technical issues and he will refund my money and that they cannot reorder the service. Over 90 minutes now and my order is still pending. I asked for a supervisor. He basically told me that the first agent lied; they can only contact the driver to come and collect the wrong food but since he was then in another part of the city, he couldn’t come that night. So the other people got my order and enjoyed the food. I had to reorder and wait, a total of 2 hrs and 15 minutes for my 30 minute delivery.

Then I had to hassle them quite a bit for my refund and initially they gave a part refund and then today after two more enquiries, I got the full amount. I told them that they could collect the wrong food the gave me but they can’t do that. The supervisor promised me a Rs.100 credit and that was not done too! I am gonna think twice before reordering again.

How I Am Viewing The World Cup

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I’ve been streaming the live matches of the World Cup from the comfort of my bedroom using the Sony Liv website, which is amazing by the way. I had signed up earlier this year to Hotstar for their really cheap Rs.299 a year for the Sports Package but Star network, their parent company, do not have the rights to broadcast the World Cup.

I was checking out other streaming options before signing up two weeks ago with Sony Liv for their monthly rent of just Rs.99 a month to watch the football games. I am loving this so much that I just might continue using it for a year or so. It’s easy to sign up and pay and then go to the website and select the game you want to watch. My 10mbps unlimited plan with Asianet is coming in really handy for this.

This weekend has been spent indoors, enjoying nice cool weather, with the exception of a quick Uber ride to and fro the self-service Bevco in Gandhinagar for a few beers – six in all, 2 each of Hunter, Black Fort & British Empire – and a 600ml bottle of Smirnoff Apple. I have to try to find another outlet though; this one doesn’t seem to have the brands I want.

Social Media Good Thangs

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What is your favorite thing about social media?

My absolute favourite thing about social media is connecting with like minded people. Kindred spirits. People who have a taste for the same kind of silly humour I have and like and have the same interests like me – football, movies, atheism, scifi, horror, rock n roll and other stuff – and can appreciate a good joke or two.

I have a couple of friends on Twitter who seem to be very like minded. Also on Facebook, meeting the first time in a shared interest in atheism, scifi shows, movies, horror, music or football and then becoming friends on Facebook as well. That is the best outcome that can happen when you spend many an hour on social media.

Other than that, finding links to some good music or video clip is also an awesome thing. Dirty little jokes and memes too!

Prompt from 30 DAYS OF WRITING PROMPTS FOR JUNE at The SitsGirls

Wild Wild Country

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Wild Wild Country is a Netflix documentary series about the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho Rajneesh), his one-time personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela, and their community of followers in the Rajneeshpuram community located in Wasco County, Oregon. It was released on Netflix on March 16, 2018, after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.

I knew some things about Osho but apparently that was just the more recent stuff. I knew he was a controversial figure and guru but didn’t know much else. I knew he talked about sex and sexuality and that most religious people in India were not too comfortable with it. But I did not know anything about this scandal. When I saw the trailer/ad for this Netflix documentary series on Facebook, I knew I wanted to check it out. It is fascinating and makes for a compelling semi-binge if you will. It’s just 8 episodes long but each episode is over 60 minutes long. The Rajneesh movement that began in earnest in India, was hounded out off India because of their controversial practices and tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram’s development.

With a lot of his followers being mostly white foreigners (I can remember seeing only less than 10 Indians in the whole documentary) the community decided to move abroad. In 1981, efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Rajneesh’s personal secretary, the megalomaniacal Ma Anand Sheela, orchestrated the commune’s construction. They called their new home Rajneeshpuram, and its 64,000 acres were quickly occupied by thousands of sannyasins seeking proximity to their leader and a life of meditative bliss. However things began to take a turn for the worse when the Rajneeshs clashed with the conservative Christian community of Antelope, population of just 70.

Directed by brothers Chapman Way and Maclain Way,details Rajneeshpuram’s downward spiral; the scandals that plague the community include immigration fraud, biochemical attacks, arson, assassination attempts, the recruitment of homeless individuals to sway an election and the drugging of those same folks after their presence threatens the commune’s peace.  There are extensive interviews with key former members of Rajneeshpuram, including Sheela herself. Finally – what seems to me atleast – it all came down to a rage of jealousy; Sheela was pushed away from her influence as Rajneesh’s succumbed to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood as among his more rich and affluent followers were Ma Prem Hasya (a.k.a. Francoise Ruddy) – the ex-spouse of Godfather producer Albert S. Ruddy who eventually supplanted Sheela as Bhagwan’s secretary and fled with him to India following his 1985 conviction – who along with the others showered Rajneesh with expensive gifts.

Rajneesh himself said so in an interview after Sheela left. It certainly comes off that way. I can still not understand or believe that so many people just showered their love, devotion, money and Rolls Royces his way. What the heck? But then I never really understood religions or cults – both are the same, one just has a lot more followers, power and influence in politics – but still found it compelling. A 9.5 outta 10!