Month: July 2022

6 Weird Laws In Nepal

- Roshan

Laws About Explicit Scenes In Movies

Sex scenes and curse words have become quite commonplace in Nepali cinema today. One might even go so far as to say that Nepali curse words add a much-needed element of familiarity and belonging to our films. However, it turns out that an ancient law prohibits all forms of sex scenes and curse words in Nepali films. The only exception to this rule is if the material that discusses sexual content and behavior is for public service purposes.

Legal Provision To Consume Marijuana

Yes, you read that right. Once a major destination on the Hippie trail, marijuana is today a persecuted substance that many enthusiasts consume in secret. However, the laws that define illegal drugs also have a provision under which Nepalis can consume Nepal legally. The laws acknowledge the medicinal benefits of marijuana, and allow Nepalis to smoke weed if they are prescribed the ganja by a doctor to help with any health ailments.

Requirements For Becoming A Bus Conductor

Did you know that they have laws even have a requirement for becoming a bus conductor? Just like a person needs a driving license to drive a vehicle, Nepali laws apparently mandate a license for working as a bus conductor too. Not just that, but a person has to be at least 18 years of age and should have passed 10th grade to apply for this license. Of course, this law simply sits in the books and isn’t implemented at all, as the multitude of child conductors we see everyday will prove.

Laws About Birthday Parties

There is even a law in Nepal that sets a maximum number of people allowed to attend a birthday party. Yes, our law specifically prohibits more than 25 people from attending a single birthday party — and this law is still in effect!

Laws About Marriage Processions

The same act that defined the maximum headcount for birthday parties also has a different section for the maximum number of people allowed to participate in a single janti. According to this law, a maximum of 51 people are allowed to participate in any marriage procession. Breaking the law comes with a hefty fine of Rs. 10,000 and even a possible two-week stint in jail! Not just that, but this law even stipulates how big the janti’s musical band is allowed to be — and that’s 11 people, and not one more.

Laws Against Begging

Our laws also include an act written solely to ban begging. Of course, this law too isn’t implemented in the least. If it were to be implemented, though, a beggar will have to pay a fine of Rs. 75 if caught doing his business.

MOVIES BASED ON THE WORKS OF STEPHEN KING (MY FAV 6-10)

- Roshan

Cujo (1983)

In Cujo a mother and her young son are held hostage in a hot, broken car by a massive, rabid St. Bernard — but first, there’s a whole lot of domestic drama to get through! The characters in Lewis Teague’s film version aren’t quite as fleshed out as they are in King’s claustrophobic 1981 novel, nor are their actions always understandable. Not to mention the fact that the film’s moody approach to the story makes one miss the devil-may-care sleaziness of the book. Despite all that, this dog-eat-person tale works: The central set piece of Dee Wallace v. killer canine is wonderfully tense and despairing — a terrified mother trying to protect herself and her fragile young son in the most surreal and terrifying of circumstances.

The Green Mile (1999)

A spiritual cousin to The Shawshank Redemption, this adaptation of King’s serialized prison novel focuses on Paul Edgecomb, a guard who heads up a Louisiana correction facility’s Death Row. Edgecomb witnesses the unique healing powers of an illiterate inmate named John Coffey (Oscar-nominated Michael Clarke Duncan), and this straightforward story soon turns into a tale of magical realism. Helmed by Shawshank director Frank Daranbont it stars Tom Hanks as a death row prison guard during the Great Depression who witnesses supernatural events following the arrival of an enigmatic convict (Michael Clarke Duncan) at his facility. David Morse, Barry Pepper, Graham Greene, Bonnie Hunt, Patricia Clarkson, William Sadler, Doug Hutchison and James Cromwell appear in supporting roles.

1408 (2007)

1408 is a 2007 American psychological horror film based on Stephen King’s 1999 short story of the same name. It is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. The film was released in the United States on June 22, 2007. The film follows Cusack as Mike Enslin, an author who investigates allegedly haunted houses and rents the titular room 1408 at a New York City hotel. Although skeptical of the paranormal, he is soon trapped in the room where he experiences bizarre events. Reviews were mostly positive and the film performed positively at the box office. Jackson plays the hotel manager who tries to discourage him.

Silver Bullet (1985)

As far as lycanthrope movies go, this is a cult classic. Silver Bullet is a 1985 American horror thriller film based on the 1983 Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf. It stars Corey Haim, Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Megan Follows & Terry O’Quinn. The film is directed by Dan Attias, written by King and produced by Martha De Laurentiis. Its tale of a small Maine town plagued by bark-at-the-moon beast on the loose is a solid B-movie, complete with flying decapitated heads and a young Corey Haim. The workman-like approach actually fits King’s prose and tone from the 127-page novella, as well as forcing everything to adhere to a forward momentum that amps up the tension.

The Shining’ (1980)

The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-written with novelist Diane Johnson. The film is based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name and stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd. The film’s central character is Jack Torrance (Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of an isolated hotel in the Colorado Rockies, with his wife, Wendy Torrance (Duvall), and young son, Danny Torrance (Lloyd). Danny is gifted with psychic abilities named “shining”. After a winter storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack’s sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel and Wendy must save her son & herself from him.

My Favorite Sunday Ritual . .

- Roshan

My favorite Sunday ritual . . 

Waking up refreshed after a good night’s sleep (yeah, you know you’re nearing 50 when sleeping a solid 7 or 8 hours on Saturday night sounds like an awesome weekend activity, LOL). But yeah, despite wanting to watch a movie at night, which I usually start at around 11 pm or 12 am, I still want to get atleast 7 hours sleep at the bare minimum. Waking up a little after 9 am is the trade off is what I do not mind.

The rest of the morning is drinking coffee and getting light breakfast before plonking myself on my chair and listening to music, check football updates and scores or news and then watch vlogs of channels that I follow regularly. Meanwhile, internally I am checking to see which movie I am going to be watching in the afternoon, and sometimes 2. And sometimes what other movie I can watch at night. By lunch time, I will switch off my laptop and get the tv ready.

Post lunch, I get into bed and watch the movie or movies and see if I need a nap. If I don then usualy between 4:45 pm and 5:15 pm I will get up and take a shower and then go get a snack and make coffee. More music throughout the evening until dinner time. Post dinner, I will watch some vlogs and then settle down in bed to watch the next movie before I switch off the lights and head off to sleep.  

Prompt from 119 Journal Prompts for Your Journal Jar

Your Dogs & Cats Belong Inside Your Home With You

- Roshan

Would your pet prefer to be indoors or outdoors and why do you think that is?

My first dog was a Golden Retriever named Shawny who was with me for 11 years and just after she died, I then took care of my sister & brother-in-law’s dog Junior, who was a Black Labrador & Dalmation mix, for about a year. Now mainly because of my mother, who was afraid of dogs (why is for another post) and still is. So we had a kennel built for Shawny next to the house and that was also where Junior lived for a year. I still regret it to this day and had I been older I would have been able to convince my mother and father – who would not have needed much convincing – to raise the dogs inside the house. And I will regret that for the rest of my life.

Why? Because your pets like cats & dogs belong with you inside the house, inside your home. Let’s talk about dogs since I love dogs a bit more than I love cats, though I would want both. They are not just your pets, they are your best friends and they are family. Or atleast they deserve to be and they deserve to be treated as such. And you should take care of them. My dogs got a ton of love but never got to stay inside my home. I still imagine having the dogs and changing the past – that they were brought home and then I raised them inside. Especially Shawny. I would buy her a nice big dog bed so she can sleep next to my bed.

At you could have your pet sit on a dog bed next to the big sofa as you sat and watch movies & tv shows. Up in my computer room/home office she/he could sit and play with a few toys while you work or play on your laptop. However you could have the dog play in your backyard, or if you have a side yard like we did, at times and romp in the grass. Also have designated pee and poo areas. You can also take your dog for walks, to the park, small trail treks whatever. But otherwise, they deserve to be with you inside the house. And sleep on a soft warm dog bed next to your bed in your bedroom. Or pretend to do so and then when the dog know that you are asleep, sneakily jump into your bed and find a cozy spot next to you.


Prompt from July Blogging Prompts For Dog Days Of Summer at BlogPaws.com

Ranking The Star Trek Tv Shows

- Roshan

Star Trek is going though a second golden age on television. In that we currently have 5 Trek shows that are running and active on streaming services. Out of those 5, 3 are live action and 2 are animated and one, Picard, is gonna end next year with it’s 3rd and final season that was planned well in advance. Despite Strange New Worlds having just completed their first season and Prodigy having only had 10 of their 20 episodes of the first season aired as of this date, I thought it would be a good time to rate the shows. So here is my list:

  • Star Trek : The Next Generation
  • Star Trek : Deep Space Nine
  • Star Trek : The Original Series
  • Star Trek : Enterprise
  • Star Trek : Voyager
  • Star Trek : Strange New Worlds
  • Star Trek : Lower Decks
  • Star Trek : Picard
  • Star Trek : Prodigy
  • Star Trek : Discovery

A Quite Place Part II

- Roshan

A Quiet Place Part II is a 2020 American post-apocalyptic horror film and the sequel to the 2018 film A Quiet Place, following the family from the first film as they continue to navigate and survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind aliens with an acute sense of hearing. The film was written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski for Paramount Pictures. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe reprise their roles from the first film, while Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, and Okieriete Onaodowan join the cast. Krasinski returns from the first film in a new flashback sequence.

The sequel was produced on a budget of around $55–61 million, over three times the original’s $17 million. The film had its world premiere in New York City on March 8, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 28, 2021. It became available to stream on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical debut. The film set several box office records, including the biggest opening weekend during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and grossed $297.4 million worldwide. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the story and the addition of Murphy’s character Emmett.

What Are You Favourite Ways To Eat Fries?

- Roshan

National French Fries Day – Share your favorite toppings; interview a local chef.

When it comes to French fries, I prefer the lightly seasoned with salt, sometimes pepper, and maybe some herbs. Nothing very fancy. I feel that it is best that way and I’d prefer it to be served to me hot & fresh and cooked very well.  I have heard that if you add truffle oil it’s even more tasty but I haven’t had that option yet.

I have had cheesy fries from a couple of places, including McDonalds & Burger King but I wasn’t very happy with those. But there have been a couple of other fast food joints, locally owner, that do serve it way better. They also have meat & cheese fries, or a full veggie option of green onions & cheese on fries. They are way, way better.

But this bacon & cheese fries as pictured above looks really up my alley. Any excuse to have bacon and it does make things taste better. So I’d rather order it plain with some light salt but at times, I wouldn’t mind some bacon & cheese on it.

Prompt from 31 BLOG POST PROMPTS FOR JULY at The Network Niche

My Family & I Are Battling Covid

- Roshan

Yesterday was a tough day for my family. My mom has Covid and left a day ago to stay with my sister. As of today she just has a headache and some tiredness. And now my dad has Covid! I had a doubt and so I arranged for a test to be done – they sent a person to come and take a sample and we got to know that he is positive. While trying to get ready he slipped and hurt his left arm and strained his leg muscle. I had to help him get up with the help of our neighbour and we managed to get him to walk a little bit and then he sat in a chair.

My sister came and then I called the ambulance to take him to the hospital. So he had a fever but luckily he doesn’t have a fracture. He needs to keep his arm in one of those arm rests/sling kinda things to help it to heal but he got to come home – as in my sister’s place. So now both of them are there trying to get better!!! I had to work that night and tried to finish my day but 3 hours before I had to sign off I started feeling ill. I managed to stay up for 2 more hours before I signed off and went to bed and woke up sick. I too have Covid!

And so, having already applied for leave, I now sit and rest at home and avoiding people and trying to get well and take my medicines.

Looking At Removing Popcorn Ceilings For Your Homes

- Roshan

Popcorn ceilings were all the rage back in the ’60s and ’70s. Applying the texture to drywall and plaster ceilings was a quick and easy way to hide imperfections and didn’t require any painting afterward. But the rough texture catches lots of dust and cobwebs and it can be difficult to know how to remove popcorn ceiling. It can be a real pain to match if you have cracks or holes in need of patching. Figuring out how to do a dustless popcorn ceiling removal from a ceiling is a messy chore but worth the effort if the substrate underneath is in good shape. 

The process:

  1. If necessary, test for asbestos and get results.
  2. All furniture must be removed from the room.
  3. make sure the floors are protected – add a double or triple layer of floor protection
  4. the walls are to be protected by a single layer of protection.
  5. If your ceiling is painted and asbestos-free, the dust is to be mechanically extracted and then apply a Level 5 plaster system – minimum 4 coats of gypsum plaster.
  6. If your ceiling contains asbestos, it is recommended to seal the surface and apply a Level 5 plaster system – minimum of 4 coats of gypsum plaster.

If you don’t want to do this method of getting rid of those ugly popcorn ceilings, you can instead install metal ceiling tiles right on top of your popcorn ceiling for an affordable and beautiful upgrade.

WORLD POPULATION DAY 2022: Will We Need A Second Home For Humanity?

- Roshan

Since 1975 the world has been adding another billion people every 12 years. It passed its last milestone – 7 billion in 2011. And, by the end of 2022, it will pass another one: there will be 8 billion people in the world. Currently we sit at around 7.96 billion and counting.

This year we have had over 75,402,000 births. That’s the population of several European countries put together. Look at that number! At around 178,000 births per day. Enough for a small city! Conversely we have had over 31,655,00 deaths since January 1st and we are running at over 74,000 deaths today. Will the Earth, our home, be able to sustain such numbers for much longer? When will her resources and land be not enough for the masses?

As I have stated many, many times ago we need to look out for other homes. A suitable planet or two. Or maybe moons, that can sustain life and have a couple billion of us shipped out in large spaceships to land and then rebuild life over there. We will have to find ways of getting this done before resources start to dwindle down to bare minimum. Or perish!

Elena Rybakina Wins Women’s Singles Title At Wimbledon 2022

- Roshan

Elena Rybakina has won the women’s title at Wimbledon by beating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Rybakina is the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title. She was born in Russia but switched nationalities in 2018. The 17th-seeded Rybakina dropped only two sets in her seven victories at the All England Club. Rybakina, who turned 23 last month, is the youngest woman to win the Wimbledon title since a 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in 2011.  Both competing in the biggest match of their lives, the first Grand Slam final appearance for them and their respective countries, the strange match reflected their lack of experience in this moment and showed in the final tally.

Rybakina lost her serve early in the first set as Jabeur took a 3-1 lead and went on to a dominant 6-3 win. Jabeur is the first female player from the Arab world to reach this stage in a Grand Slam competition and though she started well, Rybakina was too good for her on Saturday. Rybakina found her rhythm in the second set and dominated the match thereafter, negating Jabeur’s dogged style of play that involves mixing powerful groundstrokes with well-disguised drop shots, with big serves and brilliant net play. The 23-year-old Moscow-born Rybakina broke Jabeur early in the second set, and then got the better of her rival’s serve once again to take the match into a decider.

Quora Question On Indian Weddings Answered

- Roshan

Why are most Indians not interested in simple wedding ceremonies?

The simple answer is that it is traditional and when you get married, it’s actually is a ceremony not for you or your spouse! It’s actually for your parents and extended family. That is why it’s a large event. It’s a multiple day event, you want the biggest hall for all those relatives & friends and their families. Gals want to go saree, jewelry, watches and other clothes shopping. This can take several days. Guys want that perfect suit to go for the event. Etc etc. All pomp & show to outdo the weddings you have seen.

This trend is changing and has been changing for a while. A couple of my second cousins got married with just their parents and siblings next to them, a non-religious wedding without any pujari/priest and then gave donations to an orphanage and home for the elderly and then they went to have a nice lunch. What money they saved, they took an extended holiday/honeymoon abroad. That;s the way it should be and that’s what my cousins wanted. Their parents may have wanted the big wedding but that’s not the wedding the actual groom & bride wanted.

I’m not married myself and it looks unlikely that I ever will. But if I ever did, it will be a small affair. Immediate family, non-religious ceremony and a quite lunch. Simple and tasteful.

To Me, Freedom Means…

- Roshan

To me, freedom means…

  • Not having to work for a living and not having to worry about spending money on a few luxuries without worrying about what will happen till the next paycheck hits your account. Having more than enough money to spend on yourself and your family.
  • Not having to answer to anyone anymore and being your own boss and setting your own schedule. Today you want to lie in bed – yes; instead you want to go out – sure; or you want to have a party – why not?
  • Being able to take care financially and thereby providing luxuries, the best food, medical care and large homes for my entire family. Yes I am crazy that way and if I could be rich enough to do that I would and that would be freedom for me.

Prompt from Lalilo July ’21 Writing Prompt Calendar at Lalilo.com

The Secret Man Cave That I Use To Dream About

- Roshan

Well, from the years 1987 untill 2006 when we sold the house, my family and I used to live in our house in Thrikkakara. It was a big house and we had plenty of space. We had a large front porch area, a garage and a kennel and a lawn that ran partly from the front of the house, through the left side and to the back (bigger area was the side). We had a large living room/dining room, a decent size pantry, a kitchen with a small store room and a work area / laundry room right at the back. We also have a bedroom and bathroom to round off the ground floor.

On the top floor we had a common area, 3 bedrooms that have bathrooms attached plus a library  / computer room. And yet I have wished that I had a man cave. I have dreamed that we had a secret door under the staircase that led to this large room with a projector screen, large leather recliners, a bar, a pool table, maybe a table tennis setup and a large popcorn machine on one side. This is a place that I could relax and enjoy with my cousins and friends.

Yeah, that never happened ofcourse but the dream is still there. Someday I guess!

Kodinhi – The Village Of Twins

- Roshan

Kodinhi – Kerala’s village of twins : By any metric, conceiving twins and triplets is a rare natural occurrence around the world. In fact, on average only 16 out of 1,000 successful pregnancies in the world result in twins and this average is even lower in India at just 9. However, this ratio is heavily skewed in the sleepy hamlet of Kodinhi in Kerala, which has a record 400 pairs of twins in a population of just over 2,000 families! Geneticists and scientists have long tried to explain this rare phenomenon but are only now making some headway.

While experts have pointed to genetics as an obvious factor, what’s even more mysterious is that irrespective of religion, lineage or their original heritage, all families living in the village have conceived more than the average pairs of twins over the last few generations, and the number is consistently growing. Though initial estimates put the instance of multiple births at 100 pairs, follow-up surveys found the figure to be closer to 204 pairs (408 individuals) of twins, and two sets of triplets.

Women from Kodinhi married off to far away places are also known to give birth to twins. According to some doctors this phenomenon is due to chemicals present in water in the Kodinhi area. According to locals, the oldest known twin pair in the village was born in 1949. The number of twin births in Kodinhi has been increasing over the years, with surveys showing over 79 pairs of twins within the age group of 0–10 years.

In 2008, around 30 pairs of twins from Kodinhi, along with their parents, got together to form The Twins and Kins Association, the first such association of twins in India. The forum, according to its founders, aims to bring to wider attention problems peculiar to people of multiple births, such as those concerning their education and health.