text:
Personal savingsBusiness savingsSavings interest ratesManage your savings account
Personal lendingWho we lend toHow we lendLending productsManage your account
About Masthaven
About MasthavenCorporate informationWho we areWork with us
Contact usComplaints
Savings Log In
Masthaven and Värde Partners announce completion of £60 million investment
Posted by Masthaven Bank on 23 April 2019
LONDON – Masthaven, the UK specialist bank, and Värde Partners, a leading global alternative investment firm, today announced the completion of the strategic £60 million equity investment by Värde Partners in Masthaven, having previously announced the agreement in September 2018. The completion of the investment will enable the bank to deliver against its strategic ambition to become one of the leading specialist banks in UK residential and SME markets.
The £60 million equity investment from Värde Partners, along with the bank's existing capital base, will enable Masthaven to significantly increase lending to consumers and SMEs over the next 3 to 5 years as well as provide innovative deposit solutions to Masthaven's customers.
By serving borrowers without access to the traditional high street banking brands, Masthaven has become a force in the UK challenger banking market. Masthaven has demonstrated significant growth in its market niches – namely retail savings, SME lending, short- and long-term property financing across commercial, buy-to-let and specialist residential real estate. Masthaven has also been recognised as the 2018 Most Innovative Digital Retail Bank UK by CFI.
Värde Partners manages $14 billion in assets and has more than 20 years of experience investing in consumer and commercial credit in the financial services sector.
Andrew Bloom, Masthaven's founder and CEO, said:
"Masthaven has made tremendous strides in the past few years. We have successfully launched specialist residential and buy-to-let mortgages plus bolstered our savings suite by entering the SME savings market, all while growing our team to above 170 people and with a balance sheet in excess of £750 million. Now it's time for us to further enhance our propositions for both our existing customers and intermediary partners as well as our future clients. Masthaven will deploy the Värde Partners investment to bring more capacity to the UK market and enable us to innovate in terms of both our savings and lending propositions."
Elena Lieskovska, Partner and Head of European Financial Services at Värde Partners, said:
"Masthaven is a rising brand in the UK challenger bank scene and we're thrilled about the opportunity to work together to enhance the bank's proposition and to take it to the next level. At Värde, we are active in our portfolio companies, favouring the partnership approach to creating value, and that's exactly how we expect to work with the Masthaven team."
Michael Baker, Managing Director Joint Ventures at The William Pears Group, Pears being an investor in Masthaven, said: "We've backed Masthaven Finance since 2011 together with the launch of Masthaven Bank in 2016 and are pleased to welcome Värde Partners as a new investor and look forward to them being part of the next phase in Masthaven's journey."
Masthaven was advised by Houlihan Lokey and PJT Partners, the corporate finance firms and Linklaters and Mishcon de Reya as lawyers. Värde Partners was advised by Slaughter and May.
About Masthaven Bank Ltd
Masthaven launched as a retail bank in 2016. It offers award-winning saving and lending products. Prior to that, Masthaven Finance has provided a flexible and personalised approach to bridging loans and secured lending since 2004. Today, the bank's knowledgeable and experienced specialists are committed to providing customers with flexible and fixed term savings accounts, bridging loans, development finance, and mortgages. In 2017 it was named Most Innovative Savings Provider in the Moneynet Personal Finance Awards; and Best Bridging Lender in the Coreco Awards. Masthaven Finance featured in 2015's The Sunday Times' Virgin Fast Track 100 (at number 81). The bank ranked 240 in Financial Times' FT1000 list published in 2017. The bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (register no. 719354).
About Värde Partners
Värde Partners is a $14 billion global alternative investment firm that employs a value-based approach to investing across a broad array of geographies, segments and asset types, including financial services, corporate credit, real estate, mortgages, energy, real assets and infrastructure. The firm sponsors and manages a family of private investment funds with a global investor base that includes foundations and endowments, pension plans, insurance companies, other institutional investors and private clients. Now in its third decade, Värde employs more than 300 people globally with regional headquarters in Minneapolis, London and Singapore.
Hayley Schubert, Rostrum
dd: (0)203 727 3757
Värde Partners Communications and Public Affairs
90 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9RA
2021 Masthaven Bank Limited All Rights reserved.
Masthaven Bank Limited is a company registered in England & Wales with registration number 09660012. Registered office address 90 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9RA. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Register no. 719354).
Your eligible deposits with Masthaven are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UKs deposit guarantee scheme. This limit is applied to the total of any deposits you have. In the unlikely event that anything happens to Masthaven Bank Limited you won't have to do anything. For information about the full scope of your protection, visit the FSCS website at www.fscs.org.uk.
We use cookies to improve our website. Our cookie setting allows "Necessary" cookies. You can choose to turn on other non-essential cookies here.


OK, so I know a few days ago I said I had written my last blog posted before the end of the holiday. But then I've released holiday cards in both 2013 and 2014, so this year should be no different. So I went with a topical Star Wars theme. The text being shown is an abridged version of the introduction chapter in Dashboards for Excel.
Speaking of which, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you should. The book currently has a 4 out-of 5 on Amazon, with the most recent reviews being the most complimentary. (And I swear, I don't know the people writing these reviews.) Aside from some complaints about the book not being in color, the book is doing well. For what it's worth, I inquired about color printing with my publisher long before it was printed, but most tech-trade books are not published in color and the few that are already have a strong history of sales and success. (But also: don't stop asking! If enough people ask for a color imprint, I can make a stronger case to my publisher for the second edition!) Remember the eBook versions are in color too, if that's your thing. And, of course, I have all the print materials at the ready, so you can always ask me directly if you have trouble understanding anything.
Remember to hit the download icon from within Google Drive to get the file.
If you want to change the Star-Wars-text for your own application (aren't there like a million business uses for this?!?!), simply click the worksheet tab called "Backend" and type new text into the textbox.
Thanks to all of you for a wonderful year. Next year will be even better!
This entry was posted in Discussion, VBA, Windows API on December 22, 2015 by Jordan G.
EDIT: Unfortunately, the deal has ended.
This entry was posted in Tips on December 20, 2015 by Jordan G.
In a previous tip, I had complained about form control option buttons. I had argued they suffer because you can't change the font size nor the "punch circle." But then an idea dawned on me that builds off of that previous tip. We could use the same dynamic described in that earlier article and combine it with the camera tool.
Click here to learn more about the Camera tool.
Click here to read that previous tip to understand it in full.
You maybe wondering about that last line in the subroutine. Camera tool images can be a little funky. In the previous screenshot, you can see that these option buttons images are on the same tab as their form control counterparts. Presumably, you'll place the option button images on a different worksheet tab and the original button list will live on a hidden tab. For whatever reason, whenever you place these form control images on another tab, the image won't always sync with the right value. So making a call to recalculate will ensure that it does. The download file provided at the end of this post demonstrates a setup where the images are on a different tab.
Note: I've only noticed this problem in Excel 2010. Excel 2013+ does not seem to have this issue requiring a call to calculate. I've included it here so it's backward compatible with previous versions of Excel. It's also a bit slower, so feel free to remove it completely if it's not an issue on your end.
Look, I'm probably not going to use these buttons anytime soon. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but I don't have a lot of use for them. I'll still prefer my method of using shapes. However, the camera tool when combined with my earlier tip does allow you to create functionality not native to Excel. For instance, if you type a new font in one of the cells on the button list, you can even change the format of the radio button in the way it's presented. In the image below, I've deleted the original caption to the option button. In its place I wrote another caption into the cell and picked a cheesy font. Yes, it doesn't look great, but you can play with the formats and make it look better. This should give you an idea of what's available.
My hope with this article is that we keep the creative juices flowing and see what other novel ways it can be applied. Again, I probably won't use this, but hey, maybe you will, and that's enough for me.
From December 23-30, I'll be in Dublin, Ireland on holiday with my wife. If you are in the Dublin area and would like to say hi, let me know! Otherwise, this is likely my last blog post before the end of the year, so have happy holiday and terrific new year!
Also, buy my new book! Makes a great stocking stuffer!
This entry was posted in Development, Spreadsheet Tricks, Tips, VBA on December 13, 2015 by Jordan G.
On your dashboards, reports, and charts it's a good idea to alert the user to certain types of values. In a recent post, we discussed how to alert users to certain records on tables using custom formats. We'll build upon that here but transition to how we might achieve a similar effect on a chart.
Take a look at the chart in the image below. I've built the chart so that no matter what values are being plotted, the greatest value is always highlighted in red. Following similar themes from previous blog posts, I achieved this effect with no VBA. The advantage to not using VBA is that it's speedy and requires no iteration. On the other hand, for this effect to work, you'll still need to test if every point is the maximum by using an Excel formula. For small series such as the one shown here, this isn't really a big deal. But for series with many more points–and more more complex projects–it's an additional column of data you'll need to take care of.
Luckily, the implementation is super easy. So let's get started. For this example, I needed to create some fake data. So for the values B2:B5, I used RANDBETWEEN. In cell B8, I then find the maximum value that has resulted. (Of course your data won't be random, but to demonstrate this chart will always pick the greatest value, I use RANDBETWEEN.) The formulas for these items are shown in the following image.
Once we have the maximum value, we need to create a parallel series where that maximum value is the only value that appears. Everything else should be #N/A (or something similar–more on that in the discussion section). We could use zero here, but zero is actually a value on our chart. So it's better we use something that represents a non-number. NA() is perfect for this. The image below shows an IF formula used in the adjacent column to test whether a specific region holds the maximum value.
Now, we should have two columns. The first column contains our original data; the second column contains only the maximum number from our original and #N/A's. At this point, you're ready to insert a chart. The easiest thing to do is to highlight our data range and insert a new column chart. I've done just that below.
Remember, the values on my screen are being generated randomly, so the orange column may be at another range (or even another color) on your screen. At this point, what we'll want to do is plot the "Max Series" – the orange column – on the secondary axis. You can do this easily by right-clicking the orange column and going to Format Data Series…..
Within the Format Data Series dialog box (Excel 2010 and previous) or context pane (Excel 2013+) go to Series Options and select Secondary Axis. The image below will result.
All you have to do now is some clean up and then you're finished. Below, you can see I've removed an axis and adjusted some formatting.
In this simple example, we just used the maximum value, but you could highlight all sorts of values depending upon what you're looking for. Perhaps you would like to highlight one or more columns whose values are in a specified range; or, perhaps you just want to direct your viewer to the smallest value. Really, the rules are endless but the dynamic is the same. You just need an additional column that parallels the first.
You may have noticed we introduced #N/A errors where a value did not match the maximum value. Generally, having unhandled errors on the spreadsheet can slow things down. (I'm not sure if that extends to generated errors like these, perhaps a reader could verify for me? I would think they make a contribution.) One way around this is to use a number like negative one instead. If you go that route, just make sure you're only plotting positive data. You could also use a blank text string, "". I'll leave that choice up to you, but remember all options come with tradeoffs. Try each out and see which works the best for you.
This entry was posted in Dashboards, Data Visualizations, No VBA on December 6, 2015 by Jordan G.


text:
Desa Klampisan kan syfta på följande platser:

Indonesien

 Desa Klampisan (administrativ by i Indonesien, Jawa Barat),
 Desa Klampisan (administrativ by i Indonesien, Jawa Timur),

Robotskapade Indonesienförgreningar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A research project of the Department of Sociology.
Dispersal and regional resettlement policies are an increasingly common response to the challenge of accommodating forced migrants in developed nations, and are employed in both the United Kingdom and Australia to settle people outside of traditional gateway cities. Despite significant differences, including mode of implementation, socio-political context, and target population, the UK and Australian policies have several challenges in common. These include issues of cultural isolation, social and economic integration, and host community reception: issues that can be broadly understood to relate to belonging. Yet despite the challenges to belonging presented by dispersal policies, it remains under-researched in both the UK and Australia. Of particular note is the absence of research on young people. This is critical given the psychosocial vulnerability of adolescent forced migrants, as well as public and policy concerns about marginalised young people.
The impact of dispersal and regional resettlement policies on young forced migrants in the UK and Australia is inadequately understood, despite the significant ramifications for both young people and communities. Project findings will inform policy and service interventions that promote wellbeing among forced migrant youth and inform regional, national and international publics. They will also provide insights and knowledge exchange between the UK and Australia about the outcomes of different policies.
Belonging is emerging as an important focal point for theorising the asylum-migration-community nexus. Research with young forced migrants in regional cities in two countries provides a unique insight into how local, national and global socio-political contexts intersect to mediate both the affective and political dimensions of belonging.
Participatory arts-based research as transformational research praxis has gained increasing recognition over the past decade. Yet such approaches continue to be marginalised within conventional social sciences disciplines. In embedding evaluation into the research process, this project contributes to an emerging evidence base for the intellectual and social value of participatory arts-based approaches.
To produce new understandings about the experiences of young forced migrants in dispersal locations.
To extend theories and understandings of local belonging within broader processes of multi-scalar and intersectional belonging.
To evaluate the effectiveness of participatory arts-based approaches for reflecting, communicating and supporting belonging.
To facilitate communication of the experiences of young forced migrants to communities, service providers and policy makers via the creation and presentation of artworks.
To support participants and artists in developing new skills and competencies.
In-depth semi-structured interviews will be conducted at the beginning and conclusion of the project with 8-12 young forced migrants (aged 15-24) in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (UK), and the same number in Bendigo (Aus), identified via purposive sampling. Interviews will explore participants' sense of belonging and evaluate the arts component of the project.
A participatory arts project will be conducted in both locations. Young forced migrants will participate in workshops with the researcher and community artists, and will be mentored by local artists to produce works that explore their sense of belonging. Works produced in both sites will be curated into multi-arts events and presented to communities, service providers, and policy makers in Newcastle and Bendigo. The works may also be presented as an online exhibition.
Project artists will complete regular written or creative diaries reflecting on the research/arts process. They will also participate in end-of-project interviews.
Participant observation and informal discussions will take place throughout the project to capture both the arts/research process and its contribution to ideas and experiences of belonging.
A range of evaluation processes, with a focus on participatory and arts-based approaches, will be used to capture participant and artist reflections on the project and to inform how the project develops.
The first phase of this study was conducted in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in 2016. Eight refugee-background young people from the Karen ethnic group of Burma participated in the project. The resulting exhibition, Belonging in Bendigo, was presented as part of Refugee Week celebrations and was featured in a local newspaper.
A short video about the project, created with participants, can be viewed here.
The U.K. project was conducted in Gateshead, North East England in 2017. Fourteen refugee-background Syrian young people participated in the project. The resulting exhibition, From Syria to Gateshead, was launched at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and subsequently exhibited at the Shipley Art Gallery as part of Platforma Festival for arts by, about and with refugees and migrants.
Findings from the study have been presented at a range of academic and non-academic events, including at migration and refugee studies conferences at Oxford, York and Manchester, at the Gateshead Council Diversity Forum, and for Multicultural Arts Victoria.


At PCSOFTECH we've focused upon providing extraordinary domains registration services. Look at our domain names video display to view the main advantages of acquiring a fresh domain name with us.
We have now one on one accords with just about the most popular domain name registration companies, which means that we can provide you with less expensive domain name registration costs compared to the competition. And because of these arrangements, we will offer you a no charge domain name registration or domain name transfer with every website hosting package.
We've furthermore developed a completely unique domain operations user interface – our Domains Manager. It's made to function as the single place you will need to go for all your domain name administration needs. We offer seamless management of many domain names simultaneously, extensive whois control, speedy domain name redirection and many more.
For all those, who wish a higher degree of security for domain names, you will find the WHOIS Privacy Protection service. It allows you to disguise your private data from the whois information, effectively reducing the probabilities for domain name theft.
From the Domain Manager, you may as well get hold of an SSL Certificate for one's site, whether it's hosted along with us or not. You will find both normal SSL certificates that are perfect for a particular host together with wildcard SSL certificates, which can be used for many hostnames.


Our focus for this video is criticisms of green building.
but that's because that's just how important it is.
the years and continue to hear today.
midrange in terms of rigor green building certification.
that can also create business opportunities.
greater than the actual environmental risk and/or financial risk.
but the real estate happened to be in great locations.
More on the criticism of cost.
you know plus or minus.
let's say, in operational cost over the building's lifecycle?
it's a 3x return, right?
And then that's not the case. It's too simple of a math problem.
call it 30 percent in the energy and water use for that building.
This is the fun one – the criticism that green buildings are ugly.
natural building, cob or Strobel construction.
a modern design and some people just don't like modern architecture.
But I'll tell you that green buildings can look almost any way you want them to look.
not mainstream and many would not choose that.
but they can still achieve high levels of third-party certification.
managing a little more complicated green building systems, this can be the case.
and second of all, many green buildings also include the process of integrated design.
more of those people involved earlier on in the planning process.
which can be a bad thing, right?
Too many opinions to properly manage.
Green Buildings, do they perform poorly?
the item most criticized probably would be, say, toilets.
led to lots of complaints.
Other systems as well, but those tend to have stood out.
there will be failures for sure.
it doesn't mean you should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
a few kinks to work out.
real estate make green building a core part of their brand.
they do it because of the opposite.
green building third-party certification is a big hassle.
No, look, is it easier to build a building and not pursue certification? Sure it is.
then the odds are it's not going to be a big hassle.
another building which may have solar panels on top and that's it.
That's all they thought about, right?
There's a huge difference between those two buildings.
that label does does matter.
I've said it a few times, I'll say it again.
conventional buildings despite perceptions that they're still too expensive.
so this will vary country to country as the sector evolves, matures.
conventional buildings will continue to shrink.
Regardless, picking architects, engineers, planners, contractors, etc.
that is the best path to manage those costs.
Second, green buildings can fit almost any architectural style.
not mainstream, those days are gone, right?
These buildings can look almost any way you want them to look.
the best real estate from the best developers and owners.
you know, class A is the best.
most class-A buildings being built today would pursue a green building standard.
pause the video, take a moment to reflect on these.
Which of these green building criticisms do you understand the least?
Spend, let's say, an hour this week reading more about it.
create a larger percentage of the market for whatever your product or service would be?
what is your, let's say, two-minute elevator speech?
what would you say to a decision maker standing next to you if the opportunity arose?
write out what your elevator pitch could be this week or next.
All right, great. We'll see you on the next video.


text:
Insider Property Award for Fargosford Street
PCPT are delighted to announce that they were part of last weeks winning team, the Fargo Partnership, as Fargosford Street, Coventry won the Regeneration Award at the Insider Property Awards 2010, which were held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel at the NEC.
The plan is to turn a run down edge of Coventry city centre into a thriving area of creative businesses and alternative retail and leisure. The plan is extremely complex and the judges were impresses by the level and depth of cooperation shown by the partnership members.
A wide initiative of refurbishment along the street from a variety of funding sources including private, AWM, English Heritage and THI routes and a programme of new build to establish a learning environment adjacent to the university in a dynamic contextual way involving the best of all ages of building along the length of the street renovated or new complimentary infill. The area is named 'Fargo' with real time web access, an art village in the derelict industrial sheds and a science park environment of new buildings in courtyards accessed off the street via arches and ginnels.
As architects and masterplanners PCPT are working with the rest of the Partnership to secure a future for the street in a holistic way. PCPT have had an involvement in the original scoping of the street, the early submission for Lottery Funding (Townscape Heritage Initiative 2006) and the masterplan and specific building projects.
Previous PostRefurbishing more sustainable than replacement
Next Post'Am I mad, in a coma or back in time?'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Android toolbar is sizing incorrectly when I try to set translucency I'm trying to set my app up so I have a translucent status and navigation bar.
At first I was having a problem where the status bar would overlap my toolbar.  when I had android:fitsSystemWindows="false" in the top level.  I found a post that someone said I should put android:fitsSystemWindows="true" not in the top level, but second level so it would fill the window, but not overlap the status bar.
I put it into the toolbar, and now I'm getting the following
http://imgur.com/IWhOYuu
I also tried wrapping the entire layout with another LinearLayout that then had the flag, but it turns the translucency off?
It's happening on both kitkat and lollipop. I'm lost as to what is happening..
Edit: If I turn translucent navigation bars to false, the toolbar is correct, but I lose the translucent navigation bars.
This is my layout
 <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@color/orange"
        android:clipToPadding="false"
        android:fitsSystemWindows="true">

    </android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>

    <android.support.v4.widget.DrawerLayout
        android:id="@+id/drawer_layout"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:background="@color/background_material_light"
        tools:context=".HomeActivity">

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:orientation="vertical">

            <FrameLayout
                android:id="@+id/content_frame"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

        </LinearLayout>

        <ListView
            android:id="@+id/left_drawer"
            android:layout_width="260dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_gravity="start"
            android:background="@color/background_material_light" />

    </android.support.v4.widget.DrawerLayout>
</LinearLayout>

My Theme

<style name="AppTheme.Base" parent="Theme.AppCompat">
    <item name="android:textColor">@color/black</item>
    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
    <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
    <item name="android:windowTranslucentNavigation">true</item>
    <item name="android:windowTranslucentStatus">true</item>
</style>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Alle artikelen in English
English Interview 28 november 2021 28 november 2021
Music as religion: the healing sounds of Lyra Pramuk
As if an old religious choir is transported to a future full of technology and AI, that is how the music of the Berlin-based artist Lyra Pramuk sounds. There's no words on Fountain, her critically acclaimed album that came out a year ago, only her looped vocals. They are melancholic and hopeful, built up in layers of reverb. Pramuk's music goes hand in hand with Holly Herndon's electronic AI sounds, but also with Cocteau Twins' elusive Elizabeth Fraser and Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto. It's mysterious, liberating and oftentimes spiritual.
English Feature Interview 23 augustus 2021 28 november 2021
Hold stasis: learning to love the uneventful through ambient music
A year and a half ago, as the world came to a sudden standstill and daily life turned into a slow and uneventful ordeal, Front editor Ruben van Dijk found himself looking for music that captured exactly that. Now, as life is slowly inching towards relative normalcy, he reflects on the sounds that helped him reconcile with all-encompassing nothingness and mind-numbing isolation by highlighting the artists responsible: Green-House, Ben Seretan and Elori Saxl.
English Interview 4 juni 2021
Working is sharing for Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner is juggling two major rollouts at once: one for her memoirs Crying in H Mart, a coming-of-age story of adolescent rebellion and reconciliation with her lineage as an Asian American. The other is about her next album as Japanese Breakfast, entitled Jubilee, Zauner's most sonically ambitious work to date. Though she admits the many Zoom conversations and interviews are starting to eat away at her sanity, she relishes in throwing herself at her work. After all, that visible grind is precisely why Japanese Breakfast has become a household name to begin with.
English Interview 13 april 2021 13 april 2021
Moments can be monuments: Cassandra Jenkins sees David Berman everywhere
Cassandra Jenkins had only known David Berman, leader of cult favourite Silver Jews, for a couple of days. Berman, her, and a number of other musicians were rehearsing to bring his latest record to life on stage. For at least two months of touring, they would be Purple Mountains – or 'David Berman and His Handsome Grandkids', as he jokingly called the ensemble – had Berman not taken his own life, mere days before the first show. For Jenkins, this sudden loss, and the events that followed, would result in her most sincere and impactful recording to date: An Overview on Phenomenal Nature, a monumental album, permeated by Berman's singular spirit.
English Interview 1 december 2020 1 december 2020
This Machine Kills Portuguese Fascists: how Fado Bicha are rewriting the rules of musical tradition
João Caçador and Lila Fadista met in Lisbon through their mutual love of fado. Initially, the rigid conventions of the traditional music genre didn't seem to match their queer identities, but, together, they found a way to make it theirs. Now, they discuss defying conservatism, representing a silent legacy and fighting back theresurgence of the extreme-right in a country on the eve of a presidential election.
English Interview 8 april 2020 24 november 2020
Ored Recordings is bringing traditional music from the Caucasus into the here and now
As a teenager, Bulat Khalilov had a strong dislike for the culture he grew up in. Now, his record label Ored Recordings is one the standard bearers of traditional folk music from the Caucasus. In recent years he's visited ethnic groups across the region to make field recordings of their deep-rooted musical traditions. What started out as naive curiosity about "cool" folk music, has become an impassioned mission to breathe new life into the traditional music of the Caucasus.


text:
New West schedules 'Dueling Stradivarius' concert
New West Symphony will host a pre-season soiree and concert, "Dueling Stradivarius Violins" to benefit the New West Symphony musicians.
New West schedules 'Dueling Stradivarius' concert New West Symphony will host a pre-season soiree and concert, "Dueling Stradivarius Violins" to benefit the New West Symphony musicians. Check out this story on vcstar.com: https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2017/08/20/new-west-symphony-sets-dueling-stradivarius-concert/563916001/
Ventura Published 6:18 p.m. PT Aug. 19, 2017
New West Symphony(Photo: STAR FILE PHOTO)
The intimate event will showcase the talents of acclaimed violinists Vadim Gluzman and Philippe Quint, who will square off with their Stradivarius violins for this exciting performance accompanied by pianist Angela Yoffe. Each purchase of a ticket includes sponsorship of a New West Symphony orchestra member as part of the "Adopt-A-Musician" program.
"This is an amazing opportunity for the New West Symphony to host two of the most sought-after violinists in the world," said Natalia Staneva, executive director of the New West Symphony.
Gluzman is an Israeli violinist who has been hailed as "the next Itzhak Perlman." Quint is known for reimagining traditional works, rediscovering neglected repertoire and commissioning new works by contemporary composers.
"Dueling Stradivarius Violins" will begin at 4 p.m. Aug. 27 with cocktails, followed by dinner at 5 p.m. and the concert at 6 p.m. Tickets are $1,000 per person and can be purchased online at http://www.newwestsymphony.org/dueling_strads.php or by calling 497-5800.
Founded in 1995, New West Symphony is the resident company of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and Barnum Hall in Santa Monica.
Read or Share this story: https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2017/08/20/new-west-symphony-sets-dueling-stradivarius-concert/563916001/
Fresh Curry Chefs features frankies, meal kits
Some fear USDA could hinder hemp, a crop that's taking root here
This new tugboat will help port cut its emissions
Fabio Viviani: Why I closed Cafe Firenze
Leasing begins for long-awaited Portside Ventura Harbor
These 10 state jobs pay much better than private sector


text:
Back to Chinese Culture and Contemporary China
Learner Reviews & Feedback for Chinese Culture and Contemporary China by Nanjing University
This course of Chinese Culture and Contemporary China will explore the foundations of Chinese civilization and the dimensions of Chinese culture. It will pay particular attention to the relationship between Chinese culture and the present-day life of the Chinese people and to the different elements of the culture which are under the present social structures, belief systems, literature, arts, customs, etc. The course aims at providing students with a deeper knowledge of Chinese culture, thus enabling them to better understand China. The course will cover the following main areas of topics: (1) the foundations of Chinese civilization: its geography, language, and history; (2) the core concepts in Chinese philosophies and religions: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; (3), literature and arts, including Chinese calligraphy, painting, Tang poetry, and classical fiction; (4) society and life, including education, the role of women, Chinese food, and traditional holidays; (5) travel and landscapes, including well-known Chinese cities, mountains, ethnic regions and customs; (6) Chinese media, culture and sports, including TV and movies, fashion, Chinese gongfu and taiji. In addition, students will be expected to participate in a buddy program beyond curriculum if they have a chance to come to Nanjing. Ideally they will be paired up: an international student with a Nanjing University student to allow students to learn firsthand about Chinese customs, culture, and language. Students will be required to complete various projects and homework assignments as well, which will encourage them to use Nanjing University and the city of Nanjing as a laboratory to apply what they learn during their stay at Nanjing University....
Fascinating topic, especially Chinese painting. The videos were enjoyable and instructive and the quizzes were tricky but not overly difficult. Glad I took the course. I learned a lot.
A short but interesting course and a good introduction to Chinese Culture. The presentations were very good - lots of relevant visuals. I particularly enjoyed the section on music.
1 - 25 of 40 Reviews for Chinese Culture and Contemporary China
By Angela T
By Jason C
By Yuliya M
It was my first course on Coursera. Only 4 stars because it was very short and light. Thank you for creating the opportunity to learn. Yuliya.
By Ashley H
Fun course for someone like myself- who is a total novice when it comes to Chinese Culture. It's made me want to keep learning.
By Stanley D
This course barely did more than scrape the surface of parts of the Chinese culture. It was very lacking in volume of information. The hosts and videos are good, but for some reason, they think that a video must not be longer than 5 minutes. I would not call this a COURSE, but an OVERVIEW. Videos should be 20 minutes minimum and about 3 of those per week with supplemental readings included. The discussions are pretty good, and it is a professionally made course. But just because it is an online course, does not mean it should include less than 10% of the university course.
By Leo C
Fascinating! Truly incredible! So much interesting culture that is hidden behind cultural barriers. The instructors are fabulous!
By Antoine M L
By Philippine R S
very interesting !!
By Nicholas G D
A wonderful course I encourage anyone curious about China to take.
By Alfredo M
Entretaining and very informative for we that want to know Chinese culture better. It open doors to an huge world poorly known by occidentals, in a amazingly profound and philosophical way.
By Carlos M
By GU Z Q
My name is Elsa and I am a Shanghaiese. This course helps me know more essence of grand Chinese culture. So proud to be Chinese people. Thanks.
By Angelina W
Wonderful break down of Chinese culture with comprehensible explanations and examples.
By Andrea C
Very useful as an introduction to chinese culture; some arguments could have been detailed more, but I have enjoyed the overall programme and the teachers.
By Joao F
The lectures are short and the teachers are kind of boring , but the Laoshi from the traditional clothes was awesome, I liked how she explained her class with such passion, I learned cool things from her.
By Renard C
Thank you for this course and its content very rich in images, videos and anecdotes. The professors are never boring. The rhythm of speech is good, the choice of topics relevant.Although I had already studied many of these topics before, I still had a great pleasure to see them again, to enrich them and I am also very happy to have completed my knowledge.
By Agnes L
Interesting class but really too short.
By Jonathan G
fantastic course. I learned a lot. Although it would've helped to learn more about martial arts.
By Larissa M d A
I have learned more about the Chinese behavior and thinking, and how rich is the Chinese culture, now I appreciate it too much more than before. I am very thankful for all the teachers that opened the door to us to learn this specific culture and how to bring it to my professional and academic life.
Working for a Chinese company and studying international relations, this course was very special and important to build my knowledge about China and made me feel more interested to go deeper in all the lessons.
Congratualations for all the involved in the prepation of this course, it is perfect.
By Alexander R
Very Interesting Course.
By JOHN Q
I enjoyed this course tremendously, and discovered that there was a vast amount of information that I needed to learn about this SuperPower. China is an amazing country with an enormous population and economy, a history of remarkable achievement, and yet still unknown in many ways. Thanks for putting this course together.
By gilles
By Bitopoulou C M
It was a really interesting course about Chinese people, their Culture and Their History. It actually inspired me to research and learn more about China . Thank you. (Please fix a problem that exists in the 3rd quiz of the 2nd week. It takes a wrong answer for correct and only after of many retakes of the quiz).
By Jekaterina
It was very interesting. Thank you. China is my dream country and now I know little bit more about it. ;)
By Alfia W
This course will give you a succinct and enjoyable overview of some essential elements of Chinese culture. I very much enjoyed all of the professors' presentations.


Test your skills with a bow and win awesome prizes. If you have attended two archery sessions with the park, entry to the tournament is free. Prior intermediate archery session is recommended. If you have not been to two previous sessions entry will be $30.
All shooting equipment provided. No outside equipment will be permitted.


We are extremely proud of the high-quality fiduciary accounting and compliance services that our firm provides and we would like to offer them to you and your firm.
We are a T&E Attorney/CPA and a CPA team that has almost 50 years of combined experience in fiduciary accounting, fiduciary tax compliance and fiduciary court filings.
While our staff is capable of handling the settlement of an estate from start to finish, we are more than willing to take on any of the specific tasks that your firm would like us to complete.
In addition to the settlement of estates, we are experienced in providing fiduciary accounting and tax compliance services for conservatorships, guardianships and trusts of any type.
Our goal is to provide you and your clients with the highest level of professional service; as cost effectively as possible.
Let us help you work less and increase your profitability!
Please call us at your earliest convenience for further information or to schedule an appointment. While we have two client conference locations, we are more than willing to come to your office.


What's on my mind: Some funny Quotes To Make You Smile!
Nice blog, I found here a lot of beautiful Pictures and Wallpapers collection. Special Thanks to Admin of this blogger for create such as a very much helpful blog. This blog is so informative and easy browsing.


text:
Islamic State is plotting to spread terror into the streets of Iran
Following the attacks in Iran, Sky's Sam Kiley says the so-called caliphate is using methods there similar to attacks in Europe.
Sam Kiley
Foreign Affairs Editor @kileysky
Wednesday 7 June 2017 15:09, UK
Image: IS says it was behind a suicide bombing at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
When the so-called Islamic State says it has been behind terror attacks, the tardy and often inaccurate boasts can, and should be, swallowed only with a bucket of salt.
But when it comes to the attack in Tehran, the death cult's claim to have penetrated the Iranian parliament and bombed the city's most important political shrine can be taken for what it is - the fulfilment of a much promised threat.
Terrorists were still shooting and holding hostages inside when the so-called caliphate's news agencies began to say that it was behind the suicide bombings at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of modern revolutionary Iran.
If there is a section of humanity that the so-called IS hates more, even, than the democratic West it is the Shi'a theocracy in Iran that is funding, training, advising and fighting alongside militias in Iraq and Syria's armed forces.
The cult launched itself as the world's most atrocious terror group with the massacres of Shi'a recruits and other young men it captured at an Iraq military base in June 2014.
Image: Iranian police near Tehran's parliament building during the attack
It pioneered the snuff movies that have become its cultural hallmark with the mass murder and individual slaughter of Shi'a captured in Iraq and Syria, calling its victims "Safavids" after the Persian era that dominated the Middle East 950 years ago.
Damascus and Baghdad are seen as satraps of Tehran.
More on Iran
Iran nuclear talks 'extremely positive' raising hopes deal can be reached after five-month hiatus
Iran nuclear deal: Arms race in Middle East potentially at stake as talks resume
US accuses Iranian 'hackers' of attempting to interfere with 2020 election by pretending to be far-right group online
Much, perhaps most, of the inspiration behind the evolution of the so-called caliphate was to declare a Sunni theocracy to rival "Persian" ambitions in the region - an attempt to block the sweep of a Shi'a crescent from Iran to southern Lebanon.
This time last year, Iran's intelligence services said they had foiled a plot to carry out multiple bombings in the Iranian capital during Ramadan.
This year it would appear to have failed to stop IS getting its terrorists into the very heart of power - even taking hostages.
In March, IS released a Persian language video showing its followers beheading Shi'a militiamen in Syria, and called on Iran's Sunni minority of mostly ethnic Arabs living along the Iranian border to rise against the Tehran government.
It has also published its main magazine, Rumiyah, in Persian.
Image: IS has said it was behind the attacks
It's thought that perhaps over 1,000 Iranian Sunnis joined IS - and now the cult is able to show what it claims is video from inside the Iranian parliament building during the attack itself.
IS is under heavy pressure. The 'caliphate' once straddled Syria and Iraq and absorbed almost half of both countries.
Now it has been broken into pieces in Iraq and its capital is under attack by Kurd-dominated forces on the ground and the international coalition in the air above.
Just as with its exhortations to its followers and groupies in the West to hit back with low-tech weapons and bombings, so too it has been plotting to spread terror into the streets of Iran, where local officials have long boasted that it would find operating much more difficult because of the deep penetration of society by the security forces and secret police.
Not a boast that can be made anymore.


I am Alex and I want to share my experience with you. I am a big fan of Apple and their unique and amazing gadgets. Few months ago, during my vacation in USA I bought an iPhone 4 from Ebay.
Most of my friends have already used AT&T SIM cards, so I decided to use it too. I was satisfied and I enjoyed using my iPhone, but I didn't know that my problems would start when I come back home.
How I got stuck with my locked iPhone 4 ?
My iPhone became an ordinary toy, I have been using it only for listening to music, playing games, viber calls and relaxing with it sometimes. But this "toy" didn't have the most important property. I couldn't make phone calls or text and actually that is what makes this toy to be a phone. I started searching for unlock solution on net. At that moment my iPhone was on iOS 5.1.1 baseband 4.12.01 and it was impossible to Unlock AT&T iPhone.
One day, suddenly, I found this site — UnlockBoot.Com. This was the only one that wrote contents for upcoming solutions for all iPhone users who had the same problem. Since then, I've became a follower of this site and I visit it every day.
How was my iPhone 4 iOS 5.1.1 baseband 4.12.01 unlocked?
One day, UnlockBoot posted an article for OfficialiPhoneUnlock.co.uk which offers a factory unlock solution for iPhone 4. When I read that, I was very surprised and I decided to try it immediately. That happened on August 8th, 2012 and in a short span of time, I got a confirmation email from this service. After that, I followed the instructions posted there, I connected my iPhone with iTunes and I got confirmation message that my iPhone has been unlocked.
UnlockBoot gave me what I was striving for such a long time, and made me a more satisfied reader. I am glad I've found someone I can trust. I highly recommend this service.
Next articleIs your iDevice on the list of 12 Millions Apple UDIDs hacked by AntiSec?


The brief era of global dominance by a small group of countries in the West is coming to an end. The global financial crisis signals a turning point in world history, as significant as the end of the patent on Boulton and Watt's steam engine in 1800. China's long tradition of positive-sum thinking strives for balanced and symbiotic interaction of the forces of 'yin' and 'yang' in order to achieve 'great harmony for all under heaven'. In the complex era ahead, this philosophy can contribute to a cooperative relationship with the West in the face of the challenges that confront the human species. The end of the short era of Western economic, political and military dominance will be complicated and prolonged. It is challenging for ordinary people and political leaders in the West to accept that this era is coming to an end and adjust their relationship with the non-Western world peaceably.
If the relationship between China and the West is positive-sum, it will not only contribute to harmonious global governance in the decades to come, but also in the centuries and millennia that lie ahead. It would make possible the generalisation to a global level the harmonious development that China achieved for its own people for over 2000 years prior to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. This is a choice-of-no-choice, because the alternative is disastrous for the human race.
Peter Nolan, has been described by the FT as 'knowing more about Chinese companies and their international competition than anyone else on earth, including in China'. He holds the Chong Hua Chair in Chinese Development at the University of Cambridge, and is the Director of the Chinese Executive Leadership Programme (CELP). He has testified at the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission of the US Congress and lectured to the Board of the US-China Business Council, and is also member of the UK Government's Asia Task Force and the China Council of the World Economic Forum. He has written over a dozen books about the country, including Is China Buying the World? published in 2012.
This entry was posted in 2017, Audio, current and tagged Peter Nolan. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Miracles, The Temptations, The Supremes, and the Four Tops, Wells was said to have been part of the charge in black music onto radio stations and record shelves of mainstream America, "br… Read More
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Stations With Mary Wells
Mary Wells Radio
Plays Mary Wells along with similar artists like:
The Marvelettes, The Stylistics, Bettye Swann, The Capitols, Tammi Terrel…
The Girl Group
Playing a selection of female artist hits of our time
Millie Small, Diane Renay, Sister Sledge, Sixpence None the Richer, Skeeter Davis…
Classic Soul & Motown
Plays the best of classic soul and Motown songs.
The Rascals, Al Green, Peaches & Herb, Edwin Starr, The Temptations, Etta Jam…
Bubblegum Oldies Best Hits
Plays the very best of the beloved "Bubblegum oldies" of the 50s/60s.
Ben E. King, Betty Everett, Bill Withers, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, Buddy Holly, Cl…
Baby Washington Radio
Plays Baby Washington along with similar artists like:
Maxine Brown, Betty Wright, The Contours, Al Wilson, Patti Drew…
Maxine Brown Radio
Plays Maxine Brown along with similar artists like:
Chuck Jackson, Dee Dee Sharp, Joe Simon, Willie Mitchell, The Miracles…
Billy Stewart Radio
Plays Billy Stewart along with similar artists like:
Minnie Riperton, Eddie Holland, Patti Drew, Arthur Conley, Stevie Wonder…
The Ikettes Radio
Plays The Ikettes along with similar artists like:
Ike & Tina Turner, The Mar-Keys, Ruby Johnson, James Brown, Kim Westo…
Irma Thomas Radio
Plays Irma Thomas along with similar artists like:
Lee Dorsey, Big Maybelle, The Isley Brothers, Ben E. King, St. Paul &…
From Mary Wells
You Beat Me to the Punch
The One Who Really Loves You
What Love Has Joined Together
Your Old Stand By
Dear Lover


text:
Bank of Ireland admits over-charging thousands of its mortgage customers Posted by: admin on Dec 16, 2016
Bank of Ireland has admitted over-charging thousands of its mortgage customers.
It is the latest twist in the tracker mortgage scandal.
The bank had already restored 2,100 customers to good value tracker rates in 2010.
Now it says it has found another 600 cases where homeowners were wrongfully denied a low-cost tracker rate.
And the bank said another 4,000 mortgage customers do have trackers, but they were paying too much interest, the bank said.
It is understood that most of the mortgage holders either denied a tracker or charged the wrong tracker margin were bank staff.
However, the bank would not say how many of the latest cases relate to staff..
In a statement, it said: "The Bank of Ireland Group would like to sincerely apologise to each of these customers for these failures. The correct rate should have been applied to these accounts and we sincerely apologise for not applying the correct rate in these cases."
Almost all lenders are being forced to probe their mortgage books and identify customers denied a tracker, or put on the wrong tracker interest rate, over the last eight years.
Banks had denied people trackers when interest rates rose in 2009, as these people opted to fix their mortgage rate, but then could not get back their tracker.
AIB has around 3,000 tracker-denial cases, with 2,000 at Ulster Bank.
Permanent TSB has had to compensate 1,400 customers over the tracker scandal. Its subsidiary, Springboard, was fined earlier this month over the issue.


text:
Q: Android: Is there a programming way to create a web shortcut on home screen Do you know is there a programmatic way to create a web shortcut on the phone user's home screen?
What I want to do is:
When the phone user clicks a button in our Android application, the application will then place a website shortcut onto the phone user's home screen.

A: First you'll need to add a permission to your manifest.xml
<uses-permission
            android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.INSTALL_SHORTCUT">
</uses-permission>

You'll need to build an intent to view the webpage. Something like...
Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
i.setData(Uri.parse("http://www.blablaba.com"));

You can test this by creating a little test app and doing startActivity(i); This should open the browser. Once you verified that the above intent is correct you should move on to the next step.
Now you'll need to actually install the shortcut.
    Intent installer = new Intent();
    installer.putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.INTENT", i);
    installer.putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.NAME", "THE NAME OF SHORTCUT TO BE SHOWN");
    installer.putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.ICON_RESOURCE", I THINK this is a bitmap); //can also be ignored too
    installer.setAction("com.android.launcher.action.INSTALL_SHORTCUT");
    sendBroadcast(installer)

;
It's also possible some home screens don't accept this, but most do. So enjoy.
EDIT:
Icon can be set to the shortcut using:
installer.putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.ICON_RESOURCE", Intent.ShortcutIconResource.fromContext(mContext, R.drawable.icon));

A: As an addition to the correct answer by @Mike-dg and @Gagan, instead of using
putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.ICON_RESOURCE", Intent.ShortcutIconResource.fromContext(mContext, R.drawable.icon))

which requires a ShortcutIconResource, you can use
putExtra("android.intent.extra.shortcut.ICON", Bitmap))

which lets you use any bitmap as the icon.  This makes it easy to use a the favicon of the shortcut's website as the icon.

A: You can't place UI elements on the phone's home screen through an .apk. For the web shortcut - you can create a widget that opens the browser (with the specified URL) upon click.


The Agency Partner is a full service, award-winning professional video production company that can help guide a client from concept threw pre-production, production, and post production. We are committed to achieving excellence on each project we accept, while developing a creative, ego free company culture. We create long-term client relationships through a welcoming work environment and award winning results.
In addition to providing turnkey productions, we also provide professional production services anywhere in the US.
VIDEO DESIGN AGENCY - A story does more than communicate an idea; a story inspires action. Simple Story helps businesses in any industry simplify their value propositions using video. Everyone in your organization is selling something: a product, a service, an idea. Our videos deliver the perfect sales pitch each and every time. Simple Story was founded in 2011 and has produced over 500 animation and live-action videos for a full gamut of industries, from startups to Fortune 500 companies with varied clients such as Bell Media, CIBC, Shopify, Canada Council for the Arts, the International Labor Organization, Pitney Bowes, Citrix, Blackboard Inc., and the Government of Canada. As an industry leader in video production, our strategists and creators work to design bespoke video content by establishing a meaningful connection with audiences through storytelling. As a Video Design Agency, we use a sophisticated creative approach with technical methodology to balance art and production to meet business objectives. Our team is built with balance; consisting of marketing professionals and creative minds that work together to provide the type of performance and execution normally seen in large scale agencies. Through our collective expertise, we understand effective communication and how to resonate with audiences in order to maximize influence. We base our decisions on proven case studies from the most successful communication strategies in video production, and we execute by blending our passion for art with business purpose.


text:
Reading at Recess
Grown-up thoughts from the kids who read on the playground, updated weekdays
Music Review: Trust – "Capitol"
"Capitol" by Trust
Space plays a significant role in this dream-pop, synth-heavy song, presented by Canadian duo Trust from their sophomore album Joyland. We ebb into the main architecture of the song slowly; in the beginning, I had a very hard time understanding what phrase the singer repeated, but I don't care. When we get around to part where the words become clearer is probably where they matter most: "Will I die? Will I die? Will I die?" sung out hauntingly over sequences of endless starry space. This refrain, coupled with the gorgeous counterpoint of synthesizer and ambient noise, produces a haunting and important moment not often heard in "new-wave" bands' attempts to kill their creative fathers. Flow is important within this song, and its many transitions indicate a willingness to be ambitious and show maturity. The video definitely adds a layer of visual appeal as well, with a striking young woman actualizing somehow through communion with forms of herself, although the whole thing reminded me a bit of the film Cocoon. The singer, who also films well, darts frantically around his space microphone and space backdrop, almost afraid to deliver his utterances to the electronic tribe. I find the added visual element overall quite potent. Though we're given some expected ideas regarding "mystical actualization" (triangles, space, emanating light), we're brought back to reality in the end, wherein the young woman finally seems to have found an object worthy of her unending attention and gaze. It would help if one enjoyed this particular genre of work, yet I would like to imagine that even a casual listener would find something mysterious and lovely about the song to call her own.
Jonathan May watches too much television, but he's just playing catch-up from a childhood spent in Zimbabwe. You can read his poetry at owenmay.com, follow him on Twitter at @jonowenmay, or email him at owen.may@gmail.com
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, capitol, electronica, music, music review, music video, song review, trust, youtube on September 25, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Nicki Minaj – "Anaconda"
"Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj
As so succinctly summarized by Ms. Minaj at the end of "Anaconda"—"I got a big fat ass." Indeed, without her ass as an answer to Sir Mix-A-Lot's ubiquitous hit, the song would be nothing more than an ode to asses. But Nicki Minaj here sets out to reinvent the ass, so to speak. We come to her on her terms, willingly complicit in the gaze she's created. I am by no means claiming this song as a feminist manifesto of any sorts, but rather a clumsy cut up of what has preceded it. Using every available cliché at its aid, the song makes no apology for its origins or its subject matter. Though I rarely hear the song on the radio, since it appeared on YouTube last week, it's acquired over 100 million hits. This speaks more than anything to the fact that the song fails to stand alone as an aural hit; it needs the video to actualize as the message she intends. Without her colorful, expected visual motifs of fruit and fetishistic outfits, the song (as music) is literally all over the place. There's lots of direct quotation from "Baby Got Back," mismatched verse structures, talking, braggadocia in various forms. But what is said, beyond the mere fatness of her ass? Call me a curmudgeon, but shouldn't there somehow be more to a "hit" than this? I can barely listen to the vaguely wandering five minutes without looking to the progress bar at the bottom of the screen every twenty seconds or so. There are so many things this song could have been, but there's no point in eulogizing over modal realities. "Anaconda" insults its audience by being so lazy; the song, even possibly meant as an ironic statement on plasticity in pop, definitely doesn't stand up to attempts to parse its coarseness. Put it back in the oven; remove in another ten years.
Posted in Music and tagged Anaconda, music, music review, music video, Nicki Minaj, song of the summer, song review, summer songs, youtube on September 3, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Rae Sremmurd – "No Flex Zone"
"No Flex Zone" by Rae Sremmurd
One of the summer's more fun rap constructions appeared this June with a video released earlier this month. Sung by two brothers who hail from Tupelo and live in Atlanta, this song has all of the bravado and gloating of boastful youth coupled with imaginative visual rendering and a simple beat that won't leave your head; even the duo's name reconfigured (Ear Drummers) lets you know they're down with wordplay, though they work within an inherited narrative structured well before their spin on the scene. The song centers on everything young rappers consistently brag about—drugs, sex, a party lifestyle, smoking weed—but manages to be insouciant in its naïveté, like a bumptious puppy parading around its new bone. I would compare this, easily, to anything Miley Cyrus has done recently, in terms of overall concern and mood. The childish background melody reminds me of a music-box, while the vocal overlays scratch into it, adding some needed tension; the duo was not afraid to leave their voices scratchy and pubescent, possibly to further add a level of realism to their enterprise. Visually, the video does a great job of turning rap clichés on their heads, the main example being the literal laser-like "No Flex" zone that floats, a la Tron, around them as they sing and drive. Also, small touches like the gold vampire grill were a nice touch. Overall, the song carries with it all the joys of privileged youth, and who wants to rain on such a weird and fanciful, but somehow unique parade? Certainly not me. I'll be turning up the dial as this summer approaches its end.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, music, music review, music video, no flex zone, Rae Sremmurd, song of the summer, song review, summer songs, youtube on August 26, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Meghan Trainor – "All About That Bass"
"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
Attempts at social consciousness aside, "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor ultimately fails as a continuation of the female, vocal-centered pop tradition. Its cardinal sin is that of being boring in a genre that demands newness within strict boundaries and digestible parameters. What the listener instead is subjected to over the course of the unending three minutes and ten seconds is nothing more than a grotesque and laden pastiche of female pop vocalists from the 1950s and 60s. Go ahead and call me Killjoy; upon first listen, the song has everything you might want from it, given the first verse and lead-in to the chorus: punchy vocals, a "message" of sorts, nods to 50s and 60s swing pop, and a classic, predictable beat structure. But every subsequent listen goaded me further into believing that the song, lyrically, merely trades one set of priorities and objectifications for another, still reveling in a world of the vain concern for one's looks as the metaphor by which to find/reclaim self-assurance and gratification. As always, the woman is posited only in relationship to how she's perceived by others, specifically men; her body is always on display and needs to be explained to the outside world. The video only further entrenches us in a plastic, heteronormative world, with modest knee-length, go-go style dresses in all manner of pastels, pink walls, sweater vests, and girls playing with dolls. If the video subjugated these clichés instead of merely presenting them for their cartoonish visual aesthetics, perhaps it might imbue the song with some ironic winking eye. Instead paraded before us is a facile Old Navy commercial "celebrating" curvature. By all means, I don't believe all songs must be completely self-aware, but for a song to take such a bold claim and hard line through its lyrics means that it wants to be taken, perhaps, for more than just another pop construction. In a larger sense, the song could easily, by removing just a few lines, parody the church of the body which we all attend or at least not be Janus-faced in its own logic about women. Though it's catchy the first time or two, this track is certainly not the summer jam for which I, or anyone else, is looking; one would think a celebration song would somehow feel more fun for everyone.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, all about that bass, Meghan Trainor, music, music review, music video, song of the summer, song review, summer songs, youtube on August 20, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Jamie xx's "All Under One Roof Raving"
"All Under One Roof Raving" by Jamie xx
This summer has chosen dance as its musical medium, given the ubiquity of dance tracks and structures. I was fortunate enough to see The xx play at the New Daisy Theater in downtown Memphis earlier this year, and man, what a rush of beauty and polyphony! Of the two bandmates, Jamie xx works more independently than his cohort. Spinning at clubs and events all over the world appears to imbue his solo music with worldly energy, perhaps drawing from travels during their tour. Whatever the case, this track (put out June 2014) captures not only the evolution of The xx's sound toward the steel drum and fluid dance movements, but also manages to incorporate samples in a natural and progressive manner. The song is essentially a love paean to the UK's multistoried dance history and club scene; Jamie keeps it his own by leaving moments of "silence" throughout, allowing the ever-present steel drum to serve as the cool, collected backdrop to the additional layered beats and sound bites. "We were under one roof raving, laughing and joking" stands out as the eponymous line and also serves to bring a gestalt to the theme of the song: that music can make a community. Certainly the song evokes a Caribbean beach of the mind, underscoring the UK's continual evolution in music as influenced by its broad Commonwealth reach, and by doing so, it allows us to appreciate the larger issues of transcendence the song itself describes. By pulling audio clips from club/scene kids and others, we get two kinds of primary exuberance: that of the firsthand account, and that of own our enjoyment (positing of course you enjoy quieter dance music with steel drums). This is definitely a track I'd like to hear quietly on the beach at night, with cold tequila in a glass.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, all under one roof raving, jamie xx, music, music review, music video, song of the summer, song review, summer songs, the xx, xx, youtube on August 13, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Caribou's "Can't Do Without You"
"Can't Do Without You" by Caribou
My quest for the perfect summer song has taken me through many genres. This track, by Canadian recording artist Caribou (the moniker of Dan Snaith), probably best fits in the dance genre, although it's much quieter than any traditional dance floor track. The full album Our Love will be out this October; the artist released this song online in June of this year.
I was initially taken aback by the song's simplicity. Though it adds layers and volume as it progresses, the track centers on the simple lyrics "I can't do without you," which captures a quiet emotional center around which the song revolves. The powerful statement "I can't do without you" obviously holds two meanings: one, that the speaker can't survive without the addressee, and two, that the speaker can't perform in any sense of the infinitive without the addressee.
The song's musicality is ultimately a result of the piling on of various layered dance elements, but the slow build with which they're constructed really captures a summertime mood. What begins as a quiet emotional statement takes on synthesized development and percussive strength as it swells; ultimately the song's various elements accrete into something that verges on the electronic-epiphanic before fading into silence. I appreciate the song's singular focus and its formulaic progression because they give familiarity to a feeling that can often be ambiguous. Whether the listener empathizes or not, the song still makes a beautiful statement, perfect for a summer afternoon with someone dear.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, can't do without you, caribou, music, music review, music video, song of the summer, song review, summer songs, youtube on August 5, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Song of the Summer? Disclosure – Latch
Disclosure – "Latch"
PMR Records
On my quest for the perfect summer song, I seem to have stumbled back in time, or so my radio would have me believe. Though the song came out from British dance-pop band Disclosure in 2012, it didn't really quite make the charts on our side of the pond until it was used in So You Think You Can Dance during a routine, after which point it sky-rocketed into hourly rotation on the pop stations. The song itself is incredibly simple, built on a tale of enrapture within desire. The accompanying video reinforces the lyrical motifs by drawing pairs of lovers into constructed tableaux of lights, water, and ample second-base. We're given two straight and one lesbian pairs, which added at least some shade of variety. However, the variety ends there.
The song has all the potential for a summer hit. It's dance-y, easy to sing the chorus, and has a hip, sexy video. So why am I on the fence? We're given nothing outside a world of pure desire. I understand the song has a particular focus (most do), but the exact representation of the subject matter displayed so matter-of-factly within the video eliminated the possibility of any tension. It's definitely more of a radio song than an "experience" in any way, which is 100% fine with me. I expect little of pop music these days, and this song certainly holds more aural pull than most. The chorus ("Now I've got you in my space/I won't let go of you/Got you shackled in my embrace/I'm latching on to you") at least has some erotic edge even. Given the general ennui assigned BDSM these days (due to 50 Shades and the like), it's nice that at least musically we are given something restrained (no pun intended) and simple that's not vulgar. While this doesn't reinvent the love song, the song deserves some volume this summer on a slinky night.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, british music, disclosure, latch, music, music review, music video, pop, sam smith, song of the summer, youtube on July 31, 2014 by Alex Russell. 1 Comment
Song of the Summer? Tove Lo's Stay High (Habits Remix)
Tove Lo – "Stay High (Habits Remix)"
In my quest to find the ultimate 2014 summer song, I'd finally hit rock bottom, breaking down and asking my high school students for the answers. They found this curious displacement of roles hilarious, further cementing that though I'm "the cool teacher," this doesn't save me from being hopelessly out of touch. Their pitiable glances produced a somber list of just three songs. I'd already reviewed "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea. And after rejecting the horror that is the band 5 Seconds of Summer, I launched into the final song on the list: "Stay High" by Tove Lo. I was touched the tragic fragility of the song and video, and I believe they work seamlessly as expressions of one another, twined around the main idea: that people escape, through almost any means necessary, the pain of a broken heart. The video chooses mainly alcohol as the visual metaphor to approximate the lyrical content; of course, any substance could have stood in here. The camera follows, closely and in front, the gorgeous young Swede as a stand-in for any loveburnt soul; combined with lyrics like "can't go home alone again/need someone to numb the pain" and "try all the time/to keep you off my mind," an obsessive quality takes hold. The video makes use of time distortion to accentuate the endless feeling that being heartbroken gives, the cycles of destructive routine that appear to give order. While the lyrics aren't terribly complex, they achieve the stark beauty of truth, and that is their strength. The sonic makeup of the song isn't incredibly varied either, yet its insistence on returning to the same loops and beats hearkens to the thematic idea that we circle obsessively around our own idea of love. And sometimes it becomes impossible to escape. While this song isn't one to jam at the poolside, its hypnotic qualities lend it that summer-night dance feel, something to slink to as the humid night draws dark over the moon.
Posted in Music and tagged 2014, music, music review, music video, song of the summer, stay high, tove lo, youtube on July 16, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Sexual Bravado and Permanent Eye Rolling: "Fight Night" by Migos
"Fight Night" by Migos
Produced by: Quality Control Music, Atlanta, GA
As is typical of Southern rap music, "Fight Night" by Migos addresses its core audience of young men with all the traditional trappings of unearned bravado, sexual boast, and desperation to prove its own authority. The song is tight, but I'm not here to wax eloquent on the brilliant beat structure or seamless flow between verses and chorus. This song, like so many others, fails to provide even the barest newness beyond the trapping of the video itself: two female pugilists facing off against one another. Curious then that the lyrical content of the song focuses on "beating that pussy up like fight night" (obviously here meant to be sexual and not violent from the artists' perspective). The problem with this verbiage is that tacitly the violence is inherent in how they would sex these ladies up, should they be present and willing. The camera work doesn't help with this reading of the video; in it, the camera is often positioned beneath each of the three dudes as they rap, so as to heighten the "victor" effect on their end. Eerily enough, this camera position also functions as if looking up at any one of them in bed as they are "beating that pussy up." Were I girlfriend to one of the three Migos rappers, I would live in a state of permanent eye rolling. Such bravado is obviously a mere construction, given that the song is not addressed to the women at all, assuring them of sexual prowess, but instead to the awkward, loping group of homies in the background. It certainly does not appear as if the two women boxers need any help from the men, at least not sexually within the confines of the video. If anything, they look like they could beat the crap out of the skinny, chain-laden trio in a second. I only poke fun because the bravado of their lyrics tempts such trying. There have always been songs of sexual boasting and conquest, but none showing such little effort. It is truly unfortunate that the beat is so catchy, as any number of better artists could have used it for a more thematically gestalt, summertime, trap-music hit.
Posted in Music and tagged boxing, Fight Night, Migos, music, music video, rap, sexuality, southern rap, terrible lyrics, video, youtube on June 26, 2014 by Alex Russell. Leave a comment
Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" and Clueless
Iggy Azalea – "Fancy"
Virgin EMI/Universal
You've definitely heard this song somewhere. I've heard it in the car, the grocery store, parties, and my head over the past few weeks. "Fancy" hails from Iggy Azalea's debut album The New Classic, which dropped in April this year. Although she uses herself as the song's main subject (my least favorite pop trope), the song transcends her individual usage and utterance of what the title implies. The music video further reinforces this; it takes on the 90's classic Clueless in what, upon first viewing, I thought was blatant parody. However, the slight technological updates (iPad, smartphones) with the post 90's sensibility really added a lot of fun to the video. In short, Azalea and the director made Clueless "fancier" by merely updating it, a common belief held among the post-Internet makers. Like the (mostly) audacious belief held by Hollywood revisionists, contemporary presentist thought allows for such remakings as harmless "reblogs" in a way, taking what was original and adding your own small spin (a la Tumblr); while this might be more true for movies, it's true for music as well. The intersection here, using an "old" movie with a new song, resembles what many would call appropriation in the broadest sense of the word (and its most common unfortunate usage). What saves this song in particular from being a mere exercise in this vein of thought is its sense of fun. The infectious cuts between hook and verse as they bleed toward the inevitable chorus have all the energy a young singer (Azalea is 23) should possess. What I couldn't help but shake, however, was the knowledge in the back of my head of poor, dead Brittany Murphy (dear Tai from Clueless); while her death wasn't exactly the result of fame (read: excessive "fanciness"), her passing still stood in my mind as a warning to reveling in fanciness as a virtue. While the song respectfully uses Clueless to pay tribute to its "predecessors," it fails to acknowledge that re-imaginings of the past must conflict with their actualities.
Posted in Music and tagged fancy, iggy azelea, music, music video, pop music, youtube on May 21, 2014 by Alex Russell. 2 Comments
The Heaven of Enough: Black Mirror, Season 3, Episode 1 "Nosedive"
Worst Best Picture: Is Green Book Better or Worse Than Crash?
Worst Best Picture: Is The Shape of Water Better or Worse Than Crash?
Worst Best Picture: Is Moonlight Better or Worse Than Crash?
Worst Best Picture: Is Spotlight Better or Worse Than Crash?
Best Director vs. Best Picture
General site updates
How Did I Like This?
Worst Best Picture
Follow Reading at Recess via Email


text:
Accountability Mechanism
country dropdown
FYR of Macedonia
Tiẽng Việt
West Bank and Gaza
All Development Topics
Contacts & Inquiries
global Search dropdown
publication November 5, 2018
New Study Explores Social Cohesion in Forced Displacement Contexts to Inform Programming and Project Design
Syrian refugees play at school with classmates and their Lebanese teacher, Khadga Eter in Zouq Bhanin Village, Lebanon. Photo © Dominic Chavez/World Bank
As situations of forced displacement become more protracted, understanding how it affects social relations has become pertinent for host governments and other development actors.
A newly published study, Social Cohesion and Forced Displacement, reviews existing academic literature and practice to better understand how to target and design policy and operations for displaced persons in ways that do not exaggerate social tensions.
Grappling with how we conceptualize the term "social cohesion" is the point of departure for the review. The study finds that lack of clarity around the term is pervasive and there is variability in how the concept is deployed and understood.
Recently, however, investment has been made in the development of subjective and objective indicators across horizontal (intergroup) and vertical (person-state) axis. Although these indices do concisely highlight key composite attributes of social cohesion in the context of conflict, the review suggests that additional specific indicators are required to ensure their applicability in particular displacement contexts.
Although literature on the impact of forced displacement on social cohesion outcomes is limited, the review does highlight what is known about factors that enable the restoration of positive social cohesion or contribute to a deterioration in social relationships. These include, preexisting relationships between the displaced and host communities, perceptions of identity, relative disparity between different groups affected by forced displacement, spatial arrangements and the duration of displacement. How these factors inter-relate and which ones prove more salient is, however, a product of historical and political influences.
The review looks at experiences from NGOs and the World Bank's own work, and finds that while the majority of projects consider social cohesion to be an important part of addressing forced displacement, there is a need for a clearer definition. The study recommends further investment in political and historical analysis of the social dynamics around displacement. Monitoring and evaluation also needs to be improved, which would provide evidence of the effectiveness of various approaches. The study also suggests that social cohesion should be identified at the contextual level and addressed through a comprehensive programmatic response, in which project activities make a contribution.
This work is part of the program "Building the Evidence on Protracted Forced Displacement: A Multi-Stakeholder Partnership." funded by UK aid from the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).
Report: Social Cohesion and Forced Displacement
Blog: Social cohesion: Why does it matter in forced displacement situations?
Building the Evidence on Protracted Forced Displacement: A Multi-Stakeholder Partnership
Forced Displacement


text:
International journal of production research
Hyoscyamine
Scopus search
Ginseng american
Fat visceral
Fat visceral opinion you
The highest score of all motions so far adopted at WCC!!!. A promising rodent eradication experience on a Mediterranean islands pg.
Most of these species are located in the French overseas territories. With 983 globally threatened species, Fat visceral has a major responsibility at global and European level to fight against biodiversity loss. The main threats to species are degradation of natural habitats, overfishing, invasive species, pollution and climate change. France comes after Ecuador, Malaysia, USA and Fat visceral, and ahead of Mexico, India, China, Australia and Brazil.
It is mainly the French overseas territory, leading with New Caledonia and French Polynesia, which put France so high in the rankings. Many endangered species are also present in French Guiana. Invasive alien species are one of the leading and most rapidly growing threats to food security, human and animal health and biodiversity.
A recent analysis of IUCN Red List data highlighted invasive alien species as the fifth most severe threat to amphibians, and the third most severe threat to birds fat visceral mammals.
Together with climate change, they have become one of the most difficult threats to reverse. For example, Water Hyacinth (Eichnornia visferal is an aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin, but viscerl Africa its rapid spread poses a significant threat to water supplies and the use of fat visceral waters for fishing or fat visceral. Solutions incorporating awareness and prevention measures, as well as early warning and rapid response systems that include containment, control and eradication programmes, need to be implemented on both a regional and global scale in visveral to reduce the negative effects of alien species.
The new assessment is based roche 500 models projecting the extent and pattern of deforestation across the Amazon. Of particular concern are species with longer life spans, such as Rio Branco Antbird (Cercomacra carbonaria), for which even moderate rates of deforestation can be important. Intensive conservation action, fat visceral through fat visceral of alien invasive predators like black rats, has saved the species from extinction.
The first State of the Planet Declaration was issued at the conference. After extensive consultation fat visceral the membership, the ISSG with fat visceral IUCN's Invasive Species Intitiative (ISI) developed and submitted a policy brief (link below) related to biological invasions and invasive alien species to the IUCN.
Biological invasions: a growing threat to biodiversity, human health and food security. With biogen idec the fat visceral, commercial fisheries pose the most serious threat fat visceral seabirds. The review reveals that seabirds are now more fat visceral than any other group of birds.
Almost half of all seabird species are known or suspected to be experiencing population declines. The albatross family is especially fat visceral, with 17 of the 22 viscwral currently threatened with extinction. At sea, commercial fisheries have depleted fish stocks, an important food source que es alimentacion seabirds, and caused viscerla death of innumerable seabirds through accidental bycatch.
On land, the introduction of invasive species has destroyed many breeding colonies. Chown et al 2012 undertook a comprehensive continent-wide evaluation of the risks posed by invasive alien plant species by sampling, identifying, mapping and assessing the likelihood of establishment of vascular plant propagules carried by visitors to the Fat visceral during the International Polar Year's first season (2007-2008).
Fat visceral establishment likelihood was based on the identity and origin of the visxeral and on the spatial variation of Antarctica's climate. Results indicate that alien species establishment is currently fat visceral likely for the Western Antarctic Peninsula. The authors observe that their findings are corroborated by the discovery of recent founder populations of several alien species in this area. They state that "With climate change, risks will grow in the Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Sea, and East Antarctic coastal regions".
23.07.2019 in 23:31 Tojanos:
25.07.2019 in 02:26 Brataxe:
I apologise, but, in my opinion, you are not right. I am assured. I can defend the position. Write to me in PM, we will discuss.
27.07.2019 in 22:35 Tojagrel:
28.07.2019 in 02:34 Shasar:
I consider, that you are not right. Let's discuss it. Write to me in PM.
28.07.2019 in 15:05 Jugrel:
It agree, the remarkable information
suspect adverse reaction report
6 tube
tagrisso


text:
@interface CreateProgramViewController : UIViewController<UIPickerViewDataSource, UIPickerViewDelegate>

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This column is about five things organisations can do build a reputation by focusing on the small things. A visit or life in Gurgaon is incomplete if one has not been to Kingdom of Dreams and watched one of its two shows or at least hung out at Culture Gully, its interesting food court with a difference. The entertainment destination is grand and opulent but misses out on the small touches where Public Relations can come in.
I have been ensured that each of my house guests in the past year and there has been at least one family every quarter gets to watch a show at Nautanki Mahal. While the shows are great, the food is good and the entire experience is larger than life, there are those small things that this place misses out and it could be because of the environment it operates in.
First, the online booking system is a sham. You book in a specific category that is within your budget but at the counter when you collect the tickets the show has been cancelled for absurd reasons and explained in a rude manner. Then tickets for another day are offered in a higher category because the ticket counter associate claims lower categories are not available making the customer believe that these are sold-out. But in reality the lower category tickets are not being sold to push higher category tickets.
For members of the loyalty club programme there are other ordeals to deal with. Often, the card is upgraded to a higher class which in itself is a good thing but the card holder is not informed and he or she gets to know only at the time of a transaction and the entire process of reactivating a card takes at least half an hour, until which time no order can be taken, which means a longer wait to fill the stomach.
Well, these are not just my experiences but those of several others who have gone through them. What can one learn from Public Relations to deal better with these scenarios?
Firstly, transparency. Never fool customers. You can do it once or twice with few or many but not all the time. Secondly, customer is the reason of the existence for any business. Never be rude or arrogant with customers even if they are wrong. Third, a happy customer experience is a guarantee of loyalty. An unhappy experience offered to a customer is a road downhill. Fourth, honest communications is always key to success in the long term. Customers are humans and understand simple explanations. Fifth, never underestimate the power of activism and social media. These are the new ombudsman.


Logitech is a world famous company, it produces a lot of popular computer peripherals such as Keyboards, mouse, headsets and speakers. After Windows 10 was released, Logitech also updated many hardware drivers to be compatible with Windows 10 system, this will decrease many devices incompatibility with Windows 10 system after users upgrade their system to Windows 10 from the previous system.
Recommended: No drivers for Windows 10? Here's the solution you need: How to install Windows 7, 8 Drivers on Windows 10..
There are three main ways below you can do to help download and update Logitech device drivers for Windows 10 64 bit and 32 bit.
The best way should be automatically download and install the driver. This way will be good for all people. Professional and expert can save time to find and download driver, the novice can solve their problems more easily and fast. So using Driver Doctor will be the best recommendation.
Driver Doctor will detect hardware (graphic, keyboard, mouse, etc), verify hardware driver version, and show which drivers are missing, outdated and have errors, and then help you update them to the latest Windows 10 version.
also you can get it from the Driver Doctor home page.
Click the big "Scan Now" button to start scan your hardware. And there is a tiny line word remind you the function of this button. This is a very humane design.
In the scan now process, Driver Doctor will scan hardware driver information, including driver name, driver provider, current driver released date, and current driver version, etc. Then it will compare with the database if there is a new version driver or missing drivers.
Click "Get Drivers" to enter the next step.
Click the "Download" button one by one to download single driver, and click "Download All" to download all drivers one time.
Tips: The unplugged devices remind you that you are using this device in the computer, and you can update driver for the device even if it is not connected with the computer now.
Click the "Install" button after you download one driver. This installation is one-click install. Do not need to follow the step by step.
This way will be a little complex and takes some time. It need you to download the drivers from Logitech official site and then install it by yourself.
Here I will use the Logitech Wireless Combo MK270 as an example.
If you need another language, please find the language choice box at the bottom.
In search support, choose the "Downloads" options from the drop-down box. This can help you find accurate results.
The download results mainly include drivers download, fireware download, manual file download, etc.
Input "wireless combo mk270" or "combo mk270" in the search box, and click "Search" image icon or press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
From the above image, you can see the drivers download link list.
Click the text link or click the "More" button to enter drivers download page.
In this page, Logitech website had already detected your system. The MK270 driver file is SetPoint file, and you can click the "Detail" text link to view the driver detail information. It includes the SetPoint files, software version, release date, support system and file size. Choose the right bit version to download. If you do not know how to select, select the full installer.
Click "Download" button, it will start downloading the driver.
If you do not want to use the above two ways, you can try to use Windows automatically update drivers. It can also help you automatically update your hardware drivers easily and fast.
Although this function isn't good enough. Sometimes, after you follow this way to update drivers, you will find the automatically updated driver is not the latest version. Click here to view full guideline about Windows Automatically update drivers article.
Summary:: Logitech devices mostly had more functions than the basic devices. So after you find logitech released new version driver or you upgrade system to Windows 10, check if there is a new version driver, if yes, choose one of the three ways to update it. This will help you enjoy your game and entertainment perfectly.


A while back around Halloween time Pinky Paradise were offering a crazy discount on their lenses via various codes given to instagram users, since I'm really active on instagram I was able to pinch a code (Ty Jean_tb!) and club together with my friend Thelostgirl5 to order some lenses.
Since it was near halloween this seemed like a good choice! I ended up wearing one lens combined with another on Halloween to give a really creepy look ;) These are available in prescription.
Next up are these Venus Eye Aqua lenses.
I was really excited for these since they were one of the main reasons for placing my order. As you can see I used them to costest Sosuke Yamazaki from Free! Eternal summer :) Sadly since its winter - good lighting is far and between so the colour is quite hard to show but they really are true to the stock image. These are now some of my most favourite lenses.
Next up are the GBT Green Lenses.
Originally I was after the New Adult Green lenses but there were some stock issues with those. I got these to replace some other green lenses I had that were a bit past it.
I don't have many pictures of these yet unfortunately since a costest has not presented itself so this random selfie will have to do. Although I really wanted my original choice I actually really like these. They look really natural and felt the most comfortable in my eye.
I'll update when I can with a much much clearer pic of these!
These were by far the lenses I was most excited about. I ordered them for part of my lightning cosplay. Sadly they didn't arrive in time and also one lens was ripped when I got it but pinky sent me out a replacement right away phew!
As before I haven't been able to use them in a costest yet but I definitely plan to wear these when I next do lightning. The colour is absolutely gorgeous and these are by far my favourite lenses. The pictures really don't show just how lovely these are.
And thats it for my lenses so far. Overall I'm really happy with the comfort and colour of all of them. I'm also really pleased with pinky's customer service since they were always quick to reply and sort out our issues quickly.