Month: February 2018

Save On Deals

- Roshan

How do you save money on your grocery bill?

Well I am not really a savvy shopper. I get distracted to shiny things and tempting looking stuff on the shelves and racks at the grocery store. My store of choice is Bib Bazaar at the moment and I have two that I regularly go to.

I always tends to look and find deals for soaps, toothpastes, biscuits and other stuff. I do not tend to stick to one brand and will usually get the ones that have a deal like a 3 for the price for one or something like that. Buy three cookie packets and save money – two Sundays ago I bought a brand that I have never tried before just because of the deal which was way cheaper than even getting two of my usual brand.

So that’s what I usually do. I will try and go for the deal even if it isn’t my favourite brand or usual choice if it means that I can save a little bit of cash.

Prompt from 28 Days of Writing Prompts at The SitsGirls

Close To The Vampire Shift

- Roshan

I am back doing a later shift at work this week. This Monday to Friday I am doing a 10:30 pm to 7:30 am shift. Yeah! I am almost a vampire these days. Sleep in the mornings and early afternoons and work at night.

My schedule is simple. I take a shower at 8pm and then have dinner. I get ready by 9:15 pm and book an Uber to go to the office. I usually reach in half an hour as there isn’t much traffic. I work and take a couple of small breaks in between for a snack or some juice. I leave the office floor at 7 am and go down a floor to the cafeteria for breakfast – a nice solid breakfast as I don’t eat lunch. An omelet with a couple of slice of bread and samosas or pathiri or something else with coffee. Definitely coffee. Then I book my Uber and come back home and switch on my laptop.

I take off my clothes and get into bed and watch a couple of episode of Corner Gas until I fall asleep. Which is usually before 8:45 and I sleep till almost 3pm. Then I watch more tv shows and get outta bed by 5pm, make some coffee and a snack and go online. At 8pm it starts again.

Restrictions On Kids Using Social Media

- Roshan

At what age should children be allowed to use social media, and how much parent involvement do they need?

I seriously think that you need to check up on your kids when it comes to the internet as they have the access to the entire world at their fingertips and that comes with a lot of assholes and jerks. So please be careful.

I would think that kids at the age of 13 or so can start to be allowed to use social media provided you have an eye on things. Like who they share photos and personal information with. I am scared about things like that. Lots of crazy bastard pedophiles floating around the net just waiting to catch an unsuspecting victim. I don’ have kids of my own but I do have a niece who is just 11 years old and I want her to be safe.

Facebook and Twitter and any other social media sites where images and videos can be uploaded should be monitored. Once they are 17-18 I guess you can relax quite a bit. No, wait! This generation is actually quite dumb! Restrict everything until they are 30!

Prompt from 28 Days of Writing Prompts at The SitsGirls

RIP John Mahoney

- Roshan

John Mahoney, a veteran character actor best known for playing the curmudgeonly dog-loving father of the title character in TV’s “Frasier,” has died, his publicist said Monday.He was 77 years old. Mahoney, who played Martin Crane, father of Frasier Crane and Niles Crane on the long-running sitcom, died Sunday in Chicago after a short illness, Wendy Morris told CNN. Mahoney was an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago for 39 years, the theater said in a tweet.

Mahoney played the father of Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier and David Hyde Pierce’s Niles. The series, a spinoff of Cheers, ran for 13 seasons on NBC from 1993 to 2004. Mahoney’s portrayal of Marty earned him two Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Screen Actors Guild award. The actor was born in Blackpool, England, but made Chicago his adopted hometown. Beginning his acting career in theatre in the 1970s, he joined Steppenwolf Theatre on the suggestion of actor John Malkovich, eventually winning a Tony Award for his performance in John Guare’s The House of Blue Leaves in 1986.

Mahoney made his feature film debut in Tin Men in 1987, later appearing in films including In the Line of Fire, Reality Bites, Say Anything, The American President and Primal Fear. He was also a frequent voice actor, including voicing characters in the 1998 animated film Antz, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and an episode of the Simpsons. Mahoney’s recent work included guest appearances on Hot in Cleveland and a 2015 episode of Foyle’s War. Mahoney moved to the United States as a young man when his older sister, Vera, a war bride living in rural Illinois, agreed to sponsor him. He studied at Quincy University, Illinois, before joining the United States Army to speed up the U.S. citizenship process; he received citizenship in 1959.

Along with David Hyde Pierce, Mahoney was godfather to Frasier co-star Jane Leeves’ son Finn. Mahoney rarely spoke publicly about his private life, but in a 2002 article he revealed he had been in several relationships, although he had never married. He suffered from colon cancer in the mid-1980s.

Jigsaw

- Roshan

Jigsaw is a 2017 American horror film directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, and starring Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, and Hannah Emily Anderson. It is the eighth installment in the Saw franchise, picking up over a decade after the death of the eponymous Jigsaw killer, during the police investigation of a new succession of murders that fit his modus operandi. Saw 3D (2010) was originally deemed the final installment of the series, before Lionsgate Films commissioned the production of Jigsaw from a pitch by Stolberg and Goldfinger.

More of the same kind of traps that we have seen in the Saw franchise but I do feel some of them are pretty ingenious, if I can say that, in this ones. Well a lot of them are.We are treated to a flashback element as half of the scenes shown in the film aren’t in the same time as the other – the scenes with the 5 people who are killed by various traps set of Jigsaw are actually from 10 years ago. The 5 of them are all selected because they have committed crimes that weren’t caught – selling a faulty bike to a young man who got killed, stealing a bag from an asthmatic woman and the woman dying because she couldn’t breathe and the inhaler was inside it, accidentally caused the death of several of his friends years prior in a car accident but managed to escape blame and killing your baby because it was keeping you up all night and then blaming the death on your husband claiming that he smothered it during his sleep and the husband committing suicide in jail.

An investigation is conducted when a body is found with Jigsaw’s signature stuff and it leads them to a body killed by ingestion of acid & another mangled body – the viewer is left to believe that the three victims are the same as the ones from the barn. However we see that the 5 in the barn are actually victims of Jigsaw and the first guy presumed dead was actually saved by Jigsaw aka John Kramer. He, a doctor and police pathologist named Logan Nelson had accidentally mismarked Kramer’s charts that showed he had cancer. Kramer forgave him and he became Jigsaw’s first apprentice. Logan wants to get to Halloran, a corrupt detective leading the investigation and who has caused the deaths of so many as he protected criminals who became his informants.

As the movie ends you are left wondering what happened to Eleanor, assistant to Logan and who is a self-confessed obsessive fangirl of the Jigsaw case, and has built replicas of Kramer’s traps. She is last shown escaping from the barn and flagging down a vehicle that stops but her expression means something is afoot. Perhaps we might get a sequel to this. 6 outta 10! Didn’t hold my interest for too long!

Messy Or Neat Bed?

- Roshan

Do you make your bed in the morning or leave it unmade? What do you think this says about you?

I leave it unmade. I was never forced to make my bed in the morning as a kid, though my mother would like me to do so. I think only a few times do I actually remember her telling me to fold my sheet and keep it neatly for the next sleep time. I tend to roll out and move about a lot on my bed and therefore the sheet covering the bed tends to get crumpled and come off the sides a bit.

Having said that, who doesn’t like fresh sheets and a neatly laid out bed to come to sleep to? I do but I suck at folding it. I wish we had automated systems for bed that at a press of a button, your bed is made and the sheets you use to cover yourself is neatly folded and kept at the foot of your bed and your pillows are fluffed and their covers are straightened. What a wonderful feeling it would be to have that done.

C’mon scientists, get on it already!

Prompt from 28 Days of Writing Prompts at The SitsGirls

Arsenal 5 Everton 1

- Roshan

Arsenal need to find the right balance between attack and defence if they are to finish the season successfully, manager Arsene Wenger says. Wenger saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score a debut goal and Aaron Ramsey his first hat-trick as his side thumped a disorganised Everton. However, Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in eight Premier League matches, and finished Saturday’s match five points adrift of a Champions League qualification place. Aubameyang, a club-record £56m signing from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, chipped in from fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s pass as the home side led 4-0 by half-time.

Television replays showed the goal should have been ruled out for offside, although the visitors could hardly claim the decision made a huge difference to the match. Everton conceded three times in the opening 20 minutes amid defensive chaos, with Ramsey touching in the opener from Mkhitaryan’s cross. Laurent Koscielny got in front of Aubameyang to head the second at the far post after Shkodran Mustafi glanced on Mesut Ozil’s corner, before Ramsey scored a deflected third. Aubameyang struck the fourth before half-time, prompting Everton manager Sam Allardyce to abandon his three-man central defence and revert to a back four.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed an Everton consolation from Cuco Martina’s left-wing delivery, before Ramsey swept in his hat-trick goal from another low Mkhitaryan cross. Wenger was pleased with Ramsey’s showing, saying: “He is calm in finishing. He used to rush it. Over the years, I think he can get 10-15 goals a season.” However, Arsenal lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to a calf injury in a collision with Oumar Niasse as the striker hit the post in the second half.

In normal circumstances, Ramsey’s hat-trick would have guaranteed him the headlines, but Aubameyang’s high-profile arrival during the week ensured he grabbed the attention. The Gabon striker did much to lift the mood among fans despondent after Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Swansea. Aubameyang overcame a midweek illness to start against Everton – and his first display in Arsenal red was perhaps a sign of things to come. There was a well taken goal, although it should not have counted, and a demonstration of his fearsome pace. In one first-half break he raced clear on to an Ozil pass and he was denied only by the knees of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

A Good Marriage

- Roshan

A Good Marriage is a 2014 American psychological thriller film based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, from the 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars. It stars Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia, Kristen Connolly and Stephen Lang. It was released on October 3, 2014.

The Anderson’s, Darcy & Bob are celebrating 25 years of marriage at a party thrown by their kids, Petra & Donnie and Petra’s fiance Bill. They have a happy yet humdrum relationship, running a mail-order business selling and appraising rare coins and Bob is also an accountant. A few nights later while Bob is away on a business trip, Darcy accidentally finds out Bob’s secret storage of sadomasochistic porn magazines and a box which contains the ID cards of Marjorie Duvall, a victim of a serial killer called “Beadie”. Having seen the details on the news Darcy is distraught and feels lost.

Afterwards, Darcy Googles Beadie and cross-checks Bob’s business records with the locations of the murders, finding that Bob was in close proximity to most of the crimes. Bob calls and senses that something is wrong from the tone of Darcy’s voice. He comes home early and surprises Darcy and tells her that he knows that she found out his secret. He tells her how he and a sadistic friend named Brian Delahanty – nicknamed “BD”, from which Beadie’s name was derived – planned a school shooting as teenagers. Delahanty was hit by a truck before they could carry it out, but Bob claims he had “infected” him with “certain ideas,” resulting in his homicidal urges. Bob claims that after he started his family with Darcy, his murderous alter ego receded and he was not driven to kill again for several years. 

He pleads with Darcy to keep it behind them and even threatens her with what this revelation could do to their kids. Darcy agrees to continue living with him on the condition that he bury Duvall’s ID cards deep in the woods. As this is happening, an older retired cop named Holt Ramsey has been watching them from a distance Bob believes Darcy has put the truth behind her; however, she is trying to think of a way to stop him from killing again. Petra marries and things go back seemingly to normal. A few months after Darcy’s discoveries, an elated Bob finds a rare 1955 doubled die cent, and the couple goes out to Portland to celebrate. When Bob becomes drunk from champagne, Darcy devises a plan to murder him. She goes upstairs while Bob fetches her a bottle of Perrier and when he comes up Darcy pushes him down the stairs, breaking his arm, neck, and back.

She then manages to shove a plastic bag and a dish cloth down his throat, killing him. After removing the evidence of murder, Darcy manages to convince the authorities and the children that Bob died in a drunken accident, and isn’t suspected of committing any foul play. The kids are devastated and attend the funeral. Darcy gives away most of Bob’s things and prepares for life anew when Holt visits her Ramsey spent years investigating the Beadie murders and had questioned Bob. Ramsey tells Darcy that he suspected Bob was the killer, since his Chevrolet Suburban was seen in the vicinity of each victim. Darcy realizes that Ramsey has figured out her role in Bob’s death. Once she admits the truth, Ramsey assures her that she “did the right thing” and leaves; before he does, she tells him about Delahanty. Darcy realizes that Bob was close to being caught and wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. She also finds that she can now be at peace with herself.

It’s not the horror film and tension filled flick that I was hoping for. It’s a bit meh in many ways though I thought both the leads are very convincing. I give it a 6 outta 10!

So You Want to Learn Piano Online?

- Roshan

So You Want to Learn Piano Online?
First of all let’s give some special thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori for coming up with such an incredible music instrument. The invention of piano has really revolutionized music in general since way back during the 1700s.

We might be taking this instrument for granted but for me I can say it has been a game changer. Even in the modern day world, if you are keen enough, you will find out that piano is basically included in every type of music composed by any musician be it pop music, classical music or even obscure art type of music.

This is practically true because piano is usually a versatile and powerful type of music instrument making it a permanent fixture in the musical world. This is an amazing instrument and different people from different backgrounds can get a lot just from learning how it’s used.

We’ve asked the specialists from playgroundsessions.com to give us a few tips of why learning this instrument is a great idea.

Gateway to every music

Most of the time artists would always start playing with a piano when they want to come up with a new music. This is because it has almost everything that a songwriter would need.

These include gorgeous tone, dynamic options, and massive range among others. We’ve seen a lot of musicians shooting to stardom and it all started as a joke, simply by playing with a family piano.

It is a suitable instrument for everyone regardless of your level of skills.

It can be played easily

Piano is an easy instrument to learn compared to others. Actually it has a painless and quick playability thus enabling the learners to quickly grasp the concepts.

Pianos generally have a simple operation mechanism i.e. a sound will be produced if you press down a key. This makes the piano a suitable instrument even for the little children to learn since it is intuitive.

Within a few minutes a child might be able to sit down and learn how to play a piece on the piano and that’s how easy it is.

It can help you to understand the music theory

This is also one of the benefits you get when learning a piano. When you start learning about the complicated concepts of music theory, you should start by throwing a glance at a piano.

This is simply because the music theory as always is visualized as those black and white keys you see on the keyboard. Understanding and learning intervals, scales and chords on a piano is much easier compared to other instruments.

It is often said that if you learn how you can play your first scale, you will also be learning or understanding the music theory. This makes the piano a must learn instrument if you want to have a better understanding of the music theory.

Treats depression and relieves stress

You’ve heard people talking about music being food for the soul? Well, that might just be right. A recent study has shown that learning the piano can be a powerful process towards treating depression and stress relief.

This is according to an article by national library of medicine which stated that piano lessons can actually induce positive mood state and decrease depression on the elderly.

It further states that playing a piano can be a useful intervention to help the elderly increase their cognitive reserve among other things.

This process can be of great importance to both the elderly and young children who are suffering from depression and stress.

It gives you the sense of accomplishment

This is true as it can also help the students to be able to finish projects. We both know that feeling you get after completing some tough task or in this case a music piece that seemed to be so difficult, it is always a great feeling right?

Yes, of course you would feel great and this can really motivate you as a student to always complete the tasks you have in your day to day activities.

If you become a successful student i playing piano, it means you dedicated a lot of time, follow through and effort to reach where you are. If you look at our normal routine, you will realize that these are the qualities we usually need to succeed in our areas of work, at school or even in relationships.

In short, I can say that learning how to play a piano can develop perseverance, tenacity and patience in someone.

Conclusion

The above are some of the benefits one can get if they decide to take piano lessons. Well, it might take some time for you to become a pro in playing this instrument but you will realize the benefits as you continue learning.

You might have several reasons why you would want to learn the piano but the most basic reason is because it can act as a source of entertainment.

After a long day at work, you might want to sit down behind those keys and play your old favorite piece as you entertain and feel good about yourself.

With that being said, I would advise you to start thinking about it. Take the lessons and change your life for good.

If you’re interested in learning amazing tricks in learning piano, take a look at this article https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Better-Piano-Player

Debuchy’s Contract Terminated & He Joins Saint-Etienne

- Roshan

Arsenal right-back Mathieu Debuchy has joined Saint-Etienne on a free transfer after his contract was terminated. The France international has signed a deal with the Ligue 1 side until the end of the season. Debuchy, 32, joined the Gunners from Newcastle in July 2014 but made just 29 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side due to several long-term injuries. His last appearance was the FA Cup third round defeat by Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

He spent the second half of the 2015-16 season on loan at Bordeaux, but then struggled to recover from a long-term injury. This season he made seven starts, all in cup games. Debuchy joined Arsenal from Newcastle in 2014 after starting for France in that summer’s World Cup, but never regained his starting place after suffering a dislocated shoulder in January 2015.

Olivier Giroud Sold To Chelsea FC

- Roshan

Chelsea have signed Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud on an 18-month deal for about £18m. France international Giroud, 31, leaves Arsenal having scored 105 goals in 253 games since signing from Montpellier for a reported £12m in June 2012. Borussia Dortmund have also confirmed a deal to sign Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi until the end of the season. Earlier on the closing day of the winter transfer window, Dortmund sold Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal. “Chelsea is one of the biggest teams in the Premier League – they have won maybe the most trophies in the last six or seven years,” Giroud said in a statement.

“It’s a massive club and I am proud to sign for Chelsea, and I’m looking forward to playing. “Giroud’s final appearance for Arsenal was as a substitute in Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat by Swansea. After his move to Chelsea was confirmed, Giroud thanked Gunners fans for their part in a “beautiful story” after “five and a half amazing years within the Arsenal family”. “I would like to especially thank the fans for their unconditional support upon my arrival,” he wrote on Twitter. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger paid tribute to Giroud’s “great service” to the club.

“He never let us down on the commitment front and he saved us many times,” the Frenchman said. “We signed him from Montpellier and he became a strong, regular international player for France, and we have gone together through good and bad. But always I believe that his behaviour has been top, top class. “He always had his heart 100% in the team and he was committed.” Belgium international Batshuayi, 23, has made 32 league appearances for Chelsea since joining the club from Marseille in July 2016, scoring seven goals.

Chelsea also held talks with Tottenham over a possible swap deal involving Spurs’ Spanish forward Fernando Llorente – but Batshuayi rejected the move as he wanted to be a first-choice striker. In a statement Batshuayi said he was moving to the German club to help achieve his “big goal” of playing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. “In order to reach my big goal, I want to play as much as I can and score many goals,” he said. Dortmund travel to Cologne for their next Bundesliga match on 2 February.

Arsenal Signs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

- Roshan

Arsenal have signed Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund for a club record £56m. The Gunners had two bids for Aubameyang rejected by Dortmund before agreeing a fee that eclipses the £46.5m they paid for Alexandre Lacazette in July. Arsenal said the 28-year-old – the 2015 African Footballer of the Year – had joined on “a long-term contract”. Dortmund agreed to the sale after striking a deal to sign Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi on loan.

Aubameyang said: “I’m really happy to be here in this great team. “The club has such a big history and great players like Thierry Henry. He’s an example for us strikers. I’m a fast player and I score goals too, like Henry a little bit. I think I have to work a lot to be like him, but I will do. “I hope that we will come back to the top as soon as possible. I will do my best to join in.” Aubameyang scored 141 goals in 213 games for Dortmund, including 21 in 24 matches this season. But he was suspended by the German club for their match against Wolfsburg on 14 January for missing a team meeting.

The forward was also left out of the squad for their next game game at Hertha Berlin because club officials felt he was not focused enough, but he played 90 minutes in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg. After his move to Arsenal was confirmed, Aubameyang called himself “a crazy kid” in a message to Dortmund fans posted on Instagram, also apologising for the manner of his departure. “First of all, sorry for everything that has happened in the last month, but I already wanted a transfer last summer, it did not work out, but now it had to be,” he said. “Maybe it was not the best way for me to choose, but everyone knows that Auba is crazy – and yes, I am a crazy kid. “I’ve made mistakes, but never with malice.”

Aubameyang – who will wear the number 14 shirt at Arsenal – joined Dortmund from French club Saint-Etienne in 2013. The only major trophy he won at Dortmund was the German Cup in 2017. He was named Bundesliga player of the year in 2016, and last season was the German top flight’s most prolific scorer with 31 goals. He has played 56 times for Gabon, scoring 23 goals. He averaged 116 minutes per goal in his time in the Bundesliga, a rate only Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski bettered in the same period (107 minutes per goal). He contributed to 172 goals in 213 matches in all competitions for Dortmund, averaging a goal or assist every 96 minutes. He scored 66 goals more than any other Dortmund player since his debut in July 2013.