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Fulfilling My Stereotype: Why I Love Being A Millennial

The label for our generation gets banded around so frequently that it’s almost become a stigma.

Tech addicts, self obsessed, unreliable… the list goes on.

Here’s the thing. I’m actually really proud to be a “millennial”, I feel incredibly lucky to live in the era that I do.

Let’s start by defining what a “millennial” actually is. Really, it’s anyone born between 1979 and 1996, which means with a 20 year difference in the oldest and youngest “millennials”, we’re the most divided generation yet. “Old millennial” vs “young millennial” is now a largely recognised phenomenon thanks to the occurrence of two major events: The financial crisis and the emergence of smartphones. Whether you fall into “young millennial” or “old millennial” depends on your age at the time of these, either still school age or just entering the workforce. The theory seems to hold up – I can clearly see differences in the way I use social media and look at jobs compared to my older millennial counterparts: I Instagram and Snapchat everything, whereas others check Twitter once a week.

Either way, we get quite a bit of stick from our baby boomer parents, and, at the risk of living up to the stereotypical “overly defensive” millennial, here’s why we’re not all as bad as you think…

1. I’m addicted to social media, but is it all that bad?

Ok, so it’s the reason we’re the most anxious and self-critical generation yet. Yep, I get FOMO, and I get it bad. But, on the flip side, social media has meant I’ve met so many people and been able to take advantage of so many opportunities that would have been unheard of in my parent’s time. Apps, startups, social media marketing, blogging….so much of what my life is built upon just wouldn’t be there.

2. I’m flakey and flit from job to job and place to place.

Well the title of my blog is “the fifth project“… but I’d rather poke my eyes out than spend years of my life stuck in a job that isn’t fulfilling just because I “should”. I’m proud of the fact the so many millennials are absolutely killing it by forging their own careers, building business out of doing what we love. Millennials have got the entrepreneurial bug big-time, in fact 49% of Millennials hope to start a business within the next three years, and I’d argue against anyone who says that’s a bad thing.

3. We’re entitled.

Hell yes, I’m entitled. What’s so wrong with expecting the good things in life, especially if I’m prepared to work hard to get them? And I’m not just talking about physical “stuff”, I’m proud to be part of a generation that stands up and expects things like real gender equality, fights racism and other unfortunate facts of life that somehow still aren’t just a thing of the past. Occasionally we hear how “life must be very hard for your generation, not able to afford a house, dealing with Brexit and all the other political messes, etc etc…” I don’t feel hard done by though. We’re lucky to live in a time where we can change and adapt quickly, and have the mindset of not settling and instead looking for a better way to do things.

4. Contrary to popular opinion, we’re actually not that materialistic.

Millennials spend more on experiences than products, fact. Now, that might be to do with how we all need to look like we’re having the best time on instagram and always need a decent snapchat story, but I’m pretty sure spending my cash on socialising with my friends will make me happier than sitting in my cushy new-build home alone with a pile of stuff and a mortgage.

5. Which brings me on to the housing thing

No, I’m not settled into a suburb with a mortgage just yet, I might have moved back home 3 times since leaving uni (true story), but it’s just not a priority. I’d rather build a business and have the freedom to take it anywhere in the world before I settle into a comfy 2-bed (if I ever have enough for a deposit…) Travelling, living in cities all over the world and with all sorts of people is life enriching and if I don’t do it now, then when?

So next time I get the eye roll and “you’re so millennial”, I’m going to say yeah, I am. I’m fiercely determined to make my own way in life, to make the world a better place and experience everything it has to offer. If that makes me a millennial, then I’ll take that.

So long as our phones don’t run out of battery, we can conquer anything…

[“Source-huffingtonpost”]

Script Development Key to Resurgence of Central, Eastern European Film Biz

In the beginning was the word. This sentence, which launches the Bible, also applies to the film world, where a good script is the underpinning of any successful project.

At the Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival on Tuesday, the panel The Benefits of Guided Script Development addressed the need for better script development to boost the Central and Eastern Europe’s film industries.

The session’s raison d’etre was made clear in the promo material describing it: “It’s a proven fact that a well-treated script has a far higher chance of becoming a successful film.”

Writer-director-producer Jan Sverak, a member of the Czech Film Fund, which provides filmmaking support in the Czech Republic, said that strong script development is essential to a healthy film industry. He pointed out that during Czechoslovakia’s communist days the country maintained a film community similar to Hollywood’s studio system – albeit state-operated – in which organizations developed projects and gave feedback to writers.

With the advent of capitalism, he said, the industry fragmented, script development simply died and film quality atrophied. The new Czech Fund, Sverak maintains, will serve as a “scriptwriting incubator” to help writers develop better work. “That’s the only way to lift Czech cinema.”

A different perspective was voiced from the other side of the Atlantic, where script doctors and script development are well-established industries unto themselves. Two American screenwriters – Sundance Institute experts Naomi Foner and Erik Jendresen – painted a bleak picture of the creativity in the U.S. film industry.

“We can’t hold onto our vision in Hollywood,” said Jendresen. “It’s a fear-based industry where they value money, not story. Studios are concerned only with tentpoles. They have no connection to heart and soul and storytelling, even though they act like they do.” He added that if you want to write films about basic human interaction, “you’re on your own.”

Foner, a veteran of public television’s pioneering studio Children’s Television Workshop and writer of Sidney Lumet’s 1988 film “Running on Empty,” said she regrets the passing of the days when she could just sit down with the director for a few days and they could re-read and analyze the script on their own, without studio notes, and fine-tune the final version. “Film schools teach directors how to work with actors,” she said, “but not so much screenwriters. This should change.”

Other panelists included Finnish writer and director Mikko Kuparinen (“2 Nights Till Morning”); Iraqi filmmaker Koutaiba Al-Janabi (“Leaving Baghdad”); director Tereza Nvotova, whose film school feature “Filthy” is making the fest circuit and will soon open in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Alessandro Gropplero, managing director of the Karlovy Vary fest’s When East Meets West section; Barbora Struss, director of Midpoint, a script development program; and Fabrizio Grosoli, co-director of the Trieste Film Festival.

The two-hour proceedings were moderated by Danijel Hocevar, a film producer and managing director of Vertigo, a Ljubljana-based production company,

Hugo Rosak, film industry head of the Karlovy Vary fest, opened and closed the session. “The goal here is to make our films better and travel more,” he said.

[“Source-variety”]

2 contingents of Sinulog sa Lalawigan focus on social themes

WHILE most of the contingents in yesterday’s Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan competition opted for a cultural theme, two delegates from the first district centered their performances on social issues today. Pundok Nagahunon of the City of Naga focused on the ill effects of illegal drugs on society and how repentance and forgiveness can be gained by returning to the fold. The Carcar City Division, on the other hand, showed that despite how people view authorities today, given the rise in extrajudicial killings (EJKs), they are still men of values and virtues who, too, have families. Pundok Nagahunon, whose members come from the Cepoc (Cebu Portland Cement) Elementary School, placed third in the elementary division out of five delegates. Carcar City bagged second place in the secondary division out of four contestants. Antonio Rimas, Cepoc Elementary School principal, said their victory was a blessing, considering it was their first time to join the contest. Inspiration “We’ve always instilled in our students the value of humility and offering our performance to Señor Sto. Niño. I told them to pray while dancing and give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received,” he told Sun.Star Cebu. Naga’s presentation started with a family whose father was jailed during Christmas Eve after police arrested him for being involved in illegal drugs. This gave the father time to reflect on his wrongdoings, which led him back to Sto. Niño, who helped bring the family closer. Rimas said the inspiration behind their presentation was their dancers, who were composed of Grades 4 and 6 pupils. To fully “open the public’s eyes” on how illegal drugs destroy lives and families, they decided to have it shown by children, he said. “There are many grown ups who are sadly addicted to illegal drugs. Because the youth is the hope of the nation, we can encourage each other to avoid drugs by being closer to God,” said Irish Odchigue, 11, one of Naga’s dancers. “Weakened faith” Milan Apeleña, a 17-year-old dancer from Carcar City, also wanted to encourage the youth to avoid bad influence through faith. Apeleña said the rise in EJK-related cases in the country should not be blamed on authorities, but on the people’s “weakened faith.” “If only we instill in our hearts our devotion, we can be free of bad elements. This is my fourth time joining this contest and as always, I’m offering this to Sto. Niño and I know all of the participants are doing the same. I think seeing all these young people here makes Sto. Niño happy because He, too, is a child,” he said in Cebuano. Carcar’s performance started with parents nurturing their children until the children became parents themselves. In a separate interview, Carcar City Division Schools Senior Education Program Specialist Christian Nabelca said they wanted to show a holistic concept that is present in today’s society. “The police are always mistaken for being ruthless, especially with the intensified fight against drugs. We’d like to remove that prejudice by dancing for Sto. Niño,” he said.

[Source:-Sun Star]

ZOOPER

Once you place this widget on the home screen, you can customise what it shows you. Choose from a list of options (time, weather, system info, calendar entries and so on). Each option gives you multiple display styles for each type of in formation (text, icon, animated graphic and so on). You can also choose the behavior of the widget when it is tapped.

CIRCLE LAUNCHER

CircleLauncher is a widget that functions as a virtual launcher button on your home-screen. Tap the button to access and launch your favorite apps, contacts and web bookmarks. You can have the shortcut icons appear in a circle or in a horizontal vertical line as per your preference.

CHESS NINJA

Place this widget on one of your home panels to have a game of chess available to you at any time. The game includes option of undo or redo and you can leave the game mid-way and continue where you left off. The only thing we don’t like is that there is no way to change the level of difficulty or play against a person.

SLIDER WIDGET – VOLUMES

With this widget on your home panel, you can quickly adjust volumes for voice calls, notifications, alarms, media and ringtone with one touch. It also includes a slider to adjust the screen brightness.

POWER TOGGLES

You can choose to integrate this widget on the home-panel or in the dropdown notification panel. It offers you the option to add one-tap shortcuts to various functions like WiFi, data, brightness, GPS, music controls and flashlight for quicker access.

DASHCLOCK

This is one of our favorite all-in-one widgets for Android. It lets you customise your home panel with time, weather, a Gmail unread count and alarms. You can even add more extensions to the widget if you need more information like WhatsApp chats, music player info, battery status and so on.

For WhatsApp’s addicts, the iOS widget allows for a quicker way to get back to four of the most recent chat icons -it shows these chats in your notification bar along with an unread message count. Tap the name to open it directly within the app.

AUTHY

Two factor authentication is recommended to protect your accounts from hacking. Authy makes it easy to generate codes for all the services that use Google Authenticator, right from your iPhoneiPad’s notification center.

STEVE

Familiar with the running T-Rex dinosaur game that appears in Google Chrome when it can’t find an internet connection? Well, that dinosaur has a name -Steve! You can now play the same game as a notification widget on iOS. Bring the notification center down and tap the widget to start playing.

LAUNCHER

As is evident from the name itself, this widget lets you add your favorite apps as well as functions (call mom, message wife, navigate home) on the drop-down notification panel for faster access. You can even have multiple rows of the widget to fit more of your favourites in.

HEAPO

This one is a clipboard management widget that makes it easy to copy and paste text, links as well as photos on from one location to another. You can choose to copy multiple items to the clipboard and then paste them individually in to other apps. It also supports copy-paste across multiple devices.

DATAMAN

This widget tracks and displays your WiFi3G4G data usage on the notification panel. It lets you set monthly data limits and shows how much you have left in real time. A smart forecast feature can predict your data usage based on usage in previous months.

MACID

Using this handy widget, you can unlock your Mac laptop or desktop using your iPhoneiPad using fingerprint scanning, passcode and even proximity . The app uses Bluetooth for connecting the two devices so make sure that Bluetooth is not off on either device.

[Source:-ET Telecom]

WordPress Importer

The WordPress Importer will import the following content from a WordPress export file:

Posts, pages and other custom post types
Comments
Custom fields and post meta
Categories, tags and terms from custom taxonomies
Authors

For further information and instructions please see the Codex page on Importing Content

[SOURCE:-wordpress]

Advanced Custom Fields

Advanced Custom Fields is the perfect solution for any WordPress website which needs more flexible data like other Content Management Systems.

Visually create your Fields
Select from multiple input types (text, textarea, wysiwyg, image, file, page link, post object, relationship, select, checkbox, radio buttons, date picker, true / false, repeater, flexible content, gallery and more to come!)
Assign your fields to multiple edit pages (via custom location rules)
Easily load data through a simple and friendly API
Uses the native WordPress custom post type for ease of use and fast processing
Uses the native WordPress metadata for ease of use and fast processing

Field Types

Text (type text, api returns text)
Text Area (type text, api returns text)
Number (type number, api returns integer)
Email (type email, api returns text)
Password (type password, api returns text)
WYSIWYG (a wordpress wysiwyg editor, api returns html)
Image (upload an image, api returns the url)
File (upload a file, api returns the url)
Select (drop down list of choices, api returns chosen item)
Checkbox (tickbox list of choices, api returns array of choices)
Radio Buttons ( radio button list of choices, api returns chosen item)
True / False (tick box with message, api returns true or false)
Page Link (select 1 or more page, post or custom post types, api returns the selected url)
Post Object (select 1 or more page, post or custom post types, api returns the selected post objects)
Relationship (search, select and order post objects with a tidy interface, api returns the selected post objects)
Taxonomy (select taxonomy terms with options to load, display and save, api returns the selected term objects)
User (select 1 or more WP users, api returns the selected user objects)
Google Maps (interactive map, api returns lat,lng,address data)
Date Picker (jquery date picker, options for format, api returns string)
Color Picker (WP color swatch picker)
Tab (Group fields into tabs)
Message (Render custom messages into the fields)
Custom (Create your own field type!)

ACF PRO

The Advanced Custom Fields plugin is also available in a professional version which includes more fields, more functionality, and more flexibility! At the core of ACF PRO is a brand new version of ACF (version 5) which includes searchable drop downs, smarter and faster DB calls, improved UI and much much more!

Repeater – Create a set of sub fields which can be repeated again and again whilst editing content!
Gallery – Simple and intuitive interface for managing a collection of images.
Flexible Content – Define groups of sub fields and add, edit, and re-order them to create highly customised content!
Options pages – Add extra admin pages to edit ACF fields!

Pro

Tested on

Mac Firefox 🙂
Mac Safari 🙂
Mac Chrome 🙂
PC Safari 🙂
PC Chrome 🙂
PC Firefox 🙂
iPhone Safari 🙂
iPad Safari 🙂
PC ie7 :S

Website

Home

Documentation

Getting Started
Field Types
Functions
Actions
Features
Filters
How to guides
Tutorials

Bug Submission and Forum Support

Home

Please Vote and Enjoy

Your votes really make a difference! Thanks.

[SOURCE:-wordpress]

TinyMCE Advanced

This plugin will let you add, remove and arrange the buttons that are shown on the Visual Editor toolbar. It includes 15 plugins for TinyMCE that are automatically enabled or disabled depending on what buttons are chosen.

Some of the features added by this plugin

Support for creating and editing tables.
More options when inserting lists.
Search and Replace in the editor.
Ability to set Font Family and Font Size.
And many others.

With this plugin you will also be able to enable the TinyMCE menu. It is a convenient way to access a lot of features that are not used frequently.

[SOURCE:-wordpress]

authority links

High quality links that point to your website are crucial if you want to get high rankings on Google for competitive keywords. Links from reputable high authority sites have the highest influence on the rankings of the linked pages.

Unfortunately, it’s often not easy to get links from high authority websites.

Benefit indirectly from high authority sites through second-tier links

Suppose you have found a great authority site that has something to do with the topic of your website. The authority site links to many other websites but for some reason, the webmaster doesn’t want to link to your site.

If the high authority website doesn’t want to link to your site, try to get a link from the websites that are linked by the authority site. If you get a link from these sites, the high authority website will still have a positive influence on your own site.

This is what you should do:

Find a high quality, high authority website (it should be relatively old, have many backlinks and good rankings on Google).

Ask the high authority website to link to your website.

Visit the websites to which the high authority website links and ask the webmasters of these sites if they want to link to your site.

Of course, these second-tier links are not as valuable as links from the high authority site itself. However, they are still very valuable and chances are that they are more valuable than many other links that you can get on the Internet.

How to contact second-tier link providers quickly and easily

When you’ve found a high quality website that links to other sites, try to get a link from the website first. If that doesn’t work, you can use the link building tools in SEOprofiler to get second tier links as quickly as possible:

Add a website that is linked by the high authority site to the Link Manager in SEOprofiler.

The Link Manager in SEOprofiler will automatically retrieve contact information for you.

Contact the other websites.

The Link Profiler tool in SEOprofiler helps you to analyze the quality and the quantity of the links that point to a website. It enables you to find high authority sites quickly and easily.

If you want to get high rankings on Google, links from high quality websites are very important. The more links point to your website, the better. Optimize your web pages to tell Google for which keywords you want to be found. Then get the right links to show Google that your website is relevant to that topic.

[SOURCE :-free-seo-news]

Food: A slice of Asia

Take a culinary trip across Asia by indulging in a wide selection of vegetarian oriental delicacies at 38 Bangkok Street in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.

It may not be easy to locate 38 Bangkok Street, one of Mumbai’s new vegetarian Asian joints in the by-lanes of Kala Ghoda. But once lunchtime strikes, it will be hard to miss groups of professionals working in the vicinity, line up to get a table here. The restaurant, furnished with minimal but exquisite décor, has an open kitchen to give you a glimpse into the dishes being whipped up for you.

Choose from an array of delicious mocktails: mango lychee smoothie, a blend of mango juice with lychee puree and coconut cream; Miyagi mojito, a blend of passion fruit, lime juice, mint and soda; watermelon lemonade that consists of fresh watermelon juice shaken with ice, lemon juice and triple sec or strawberry colada which is strawberry pulp blended with vanilla ice cream and coconut cream. What stands out is the virgin chocolate martini, a creamy blend of triple sec, chocolate sauce and vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

When it comes to soups, thuppa, a Tibetan clear noodles soup with vegetables, and the Burmese classic, khou suey, a noodle and creamy coconut soup served with a variety of contrasting accompaniments, are must-haves. A bite of the som tam salad, consisting of hand-pounded unripe papaya infused with bird’s eye chili, lime and palm sugar will teleport you to straight to Bangkok.

There are plenty of starters to choose from inlcuidng dimsums and momos. Some of the best appetisers are the java lotus stem, crispy fried lotus steams tossed with ginger and garlic and kung pao potatoes with chilli, ginger and cashew nuts.
For the mains, opt for stir fry exotic vegetables in coriander sauce and team it up with the Indonesian favourite nasi goreng, fried rice loaded with vegetables and topped with pickled vegetables and peanuts and stir fry Pattaya noodles.

The dessert menu is elaborate as well. Finish off the Asian meal with Sangkaya, a Thai coconut and pumpkin cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

[SOURCE:-femina]

Spa: Calm and bliss at Shanaya

A cup of herbal tea before beginning the therapy to warm my body and a chat with the spa manager, who gauged my inclination for the day and also my problem areas via a short questionnaire began my spa session. Then she took me thought the extensive spa menu that offers a choice of international and ayurvedic therapies, all specially designed to enrich and revitalize the inner-self, and we jointly decided on trying out Shanaya Signature Cocktail therapy. I was told it would be quite unlike other therapies I have experienced to date and that clinched it for me.

A quick look around the spa located on 4th level of the hotel unveiled 5 thematic treatment rooms – Udaya, Ujwala, Aten, Kalyana and Aswini with wet area facilities and a couple therapy room and I found the decor quite in tune with what the name Shanaya denotes: First ray of the sun that brings with it an exuberance signifying a fresh beginning of another day. The entire spa is beautifully put together and extremely pleasing to the eye. The vibe is extremely positive.

Finally the therapy began with a warm compress on the feet. Then after ensuring that i was comfortable, the therapist began a relaxing 30 minutes dry massage, the aim of which I was told is to enhance the flow of energy, restores harmony and get the circulation going. This was followed with an oil based /gel based massage. Two primary reasons I opted to go with the gel were: I had another meeting straight after the session and I wanted to get a feel of how the gel works on the body). The strokes ranged from frictional to relaxing and the therapist to her credit blended them seamlessly to allow body’s internal system to benefit from the properties of the blended aromatic gel. Later the therapists shared multiple other reasons why the gel is getting extremely popular these days. Apparently besides assisting in creating smoother stroke techniques for light massages the gels also help the skin retain its own natural oils, so moisturize the skin fabulously minus the greasy feeling (that you don’t really want sometimes) that an oil may generate. Plus it is cool and refreshing and

I was told that it is completely chemical free and is particularly good to undo the sunburn damage.

This Shanaya Signature therapy gets full marks from me as it gave me a sense of deep relaxation and well-being. It alleviated tension and fatigue that was sitting heavy in my city weary muscles, eased up my heavily knotted upper back and shoulders (all thanks to the hours spent in front of the laptop) and the heavy sensation in calves and feet disappeared too.

Finally some tlc for my hair – a hair wash and blow dry at their Hair By Dar Salon had me completely ready for my next meeting, totally relieved of the weekday stress and fatigue. Next on the agenda, some of the fabulous facials the spa is extremely famous for. I have my eye on their Caviar facial (for him & her), which hydrates and firms the skin via a synergistic blend of vegetable extracts, crushed pearls and marine caviar. Sounds delish! By the way the salon also has a nail bar which is proving very popular with fashionistas.

[SOURCE:-femina]