#WHY DOES THE LOW QUALITY VERS LOOK GOOD

[s02ryus]

i have no defense for myself here

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2019 (Idol Edition)

2019 has come and gone before we knew it.  

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2018 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high but deserves your attention!

Like last year we have a separate post for Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks. Unlike usual years where there is a separate post made for Top 10 underrated K-Drama OSTs, this year there is instead posts for the Top 20 most underrated K-Pop songs of the decade.

Some of the artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (like NU’EST, N.FLYING, and OH MY GIRL), so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

1TEAM “Vibe”

After braving through the shitshows of Mnet’s BOYS24 and YG’s MIXNINE, these talented boys finally debut as 1TEAM under Liveworks Entertainment (the label for the solo promotions of SHINHWA’s Hyesung and Minwoo). This debut song of 1TEAM highlights some of the key strengths of the group - their extremely laid-back retro sound and also addictive hooks. With K-Pop boy bands going for increasingly dramatic and over the top complex sounds due to the popularity of hype bops among overseas fans, it is a breath of fresh air to see 1TEAM deliver such a chill and amazing song and it is unfortunate they have yet to receive more attention both in South Korea and overseas. They continue this sound in their comeback “ROLLING ROLLING” and went more mature and sexy while still simple and retro in “MAKE THIS”, showing that they will continue to develop this unique sound. If you like the relaxing summer sound of WINNER, you would also love 1TEAM’s “Vibe”! 

3YE “OOMM (Out Of My Mind)”

After not getting much attention as Apple.B under GH Entertainment, 3 of the original Apple.B members Yuji, Yurim, and Haeun re-debuted as 3YE. And this was the right re-debut to make as the girls went from generic cutesy to edgy and hard in the most unexpected way. “OOM (Out of My Mind)”, their first comeback track, is definitely a powerful bop but what makes it stand out from other hyped-up party tracks is the structure of the song. The first verses were typical powerful girl group song sounding (a mixture of RnB vocals and rap), but things change up quickly at the bridge. The song suddenly becomes very melodic and sounding like something you would expect from a quirky girl group track. Then the song changes again, creating a dark and breathy build-up reminiscent to Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” and “all the good girls go to hell”. Only then do we get the beat drop you would expect from a lit girl group track and the adventurous path to get there makes the drop all the more enjoyable. Also, all three girls’ have amazing stage presence to carry the powerful choreo. If you love powerful girl groups like BLACKPINK and EVERGLOW, you should really check out 3YE’s latest song!

A.C.E “UNDER COVER”

After stints on KBS’ “The Unit” and YG’s “MIXNINE”, the boys of A.C.E have definitely increased significantly in their international fan base and have the makings of a small but dedicated Korean fan base. However, these boys really deserve a lot more attention, especially with “UNDER COVER” being one of the best and also most underrated tracks of 2019 K-Pop. After attempts with artsy edm music in their debut era and later a cuter sound in “Take Me Higher”, the boys and the label seem to have finally found their sound. It is dramatic, it is powerful, it has a strong rock influence combined with hip-hop and RnB. Honestly, this is what I would expect TVXQ to sound like if they debuted in the late 2010s (cries thinking about OT5 early days and their rock influence tracks). This song also clearly highlights the strength of every member - Byeongkwan’s playful rap and diva-like stage presence, Wow’s more relaxed rap and sexy charms, Chan’s boyish appeal and perfect complementation of other members’ sounds, Jun’s attractive vocal colour and Donghun’s emotive voice and wide vocal range. If you love the dramatic and powerful boy band tracks like the bops of B.A.P, it is time to stream “UNDER COVER”!

fromis_9 “FUN!”

After the amazing comeback with “Love Bomb” last year, I really did not know how fromis_9 can top that but they really did with “FUN!” They continue to go for the really quirky, really weird and playful cute girl group sound they perfected in “Love Bomb” to bring an amazing and refreshing summer track. “FUN!” has a ridiculously catchy hook and like other fromis_9 songs have beautiful bridge parts to also showcase the members’ amazing vocal abilities and harmonies often hidden under their hype and wild choruses. Also, the music video is a delight, with the girls’ parodying various CFs. The album for this song peaked at #2 on Gaon Charts but somehow this amazing title track did not rank at all on Gaon and only peaked at #94 on the K-Pop Hot 100 of Billboard. If you love the addictive, fun and weird side of girl groups like Red Velvet and Oh My Girl, you would really enjoy fromis_9′s “FUN!”

GWSN “Pinky Star (RUN)”

After a unique debut and a string of consistent bops, it is unclear why most K-Pop fans are still sleeping on GWSN. “Pinky Star (RUN)” is an amazing song, showcasing GWSN’s indie video game-like sound which is heavily electronic and 8-bit like yet has all the K-Pop high notes and dance breaks you would also expect. This perfect blend of the girls’ unique sound and a seasoned K-Pop style production makes the song all the more amazing and it all the more infuriating they are still quite a nugu group in South Korea. The MV is also beautifully shot, with amazing sets and smart use of the aspect ratios. If you love to see the artsy pop vibes of BOL4 and IU married with the quirky girl group sounds of Oh My Girl, you would love GWSN’s “Pinky Star (RUN)”!

JBJ95 “Awake”

After PRODUCE 101 Season 2 and the success of JBJ, JBJ members Sanggyun and Kenta continue as duo JBJ95 and continue delivering quality music. One of their best songs and one of the best of K-Pop this year is arguably “Awake”. The song excels in having this bright and dreamy texture to it, which blends perfectly with the concept of the song and the Bauhaus-styled MV set pieces. Those listening to the song which literally feel woken up by the upbeat chorus which incorporates some dancehall beats into this electro-pop song. While JBJ95 are without a doubt doing quite well out of the post-PRODUCE 101 groups with variety show appearances and web drama roles, this song did not win any awards albeit its superb quality. If you are a fan of SHINee’s more fun and dream-like tracks like “Why So Serious?” and “View”, you would love this song!

KNK “Sunset”

Last year was extremely annoying when IN2IT’s “Snapshot” and SF9’s “Now or Never” flew under the radar of most K-Pop fans and the Korean public in general for their sexy supermodel runway sounds. Apparently, people have still not learned their lesson this year with the spectacular release by KNK in the form of “Sunset”. These talented men are back again with one of the best concepts ever - the song is just a 90s house bop that serves expensive runway model realness. The chorus of simply just Seoham saying “Sunset, for-for y'all” again and again in his deep voice is definitely one of the highlights of the song along with the classy and mature choreography. The MV of this absolute bop is also an example of how low-budget MVs can look expensive if there’s good camera work, creative lighting and smart editing choices. So if you liked IN2IT’s “Snapshot” and SF9’s “Now or Never” last year, and love yourself some good mature and sensual choreo like Taemin’s, “Sunset” is the song for you!

ONF “Why”

At this point, ONF is just one of the best-kept secrets in K-Pop. All the members already showcased their immense talent on YG’s “MIXNINE” but somehow South Korea still does not seem to know they exist. And it is infuriating that after a masterpiece like “Why”, they are still swimming in absolute nugu-dom. This song sounds ridiculously dramatic, with beautiful high notes and sentimental harmonica/synth instrumentals in the chorus. One of the highlights of the song is Wyatt’s deep-voiced speed rapping which was layered with multiple effects so that it sounded like it was being received through a device from afar and also serves to make it so much more grungier. Basically, the song sounds like it could be the OST for a high-budget Netflix dystopian sci-fi series and the MV shot in Moscow actually gave us some very expensive looking CGI and effects. It is difficult for me to find a song to compare “Why” to but if you love yourself a dramatic boyband track, you should really check it out!

SAAY “ZGZG”

This song just hits hard in a very unique way. Following her departure from EvoL (a highly underrated girl group), Kwon Sohee/SAAY has mainly worked as a producer and songwriter, penning bops for SM Entertainment and often working with Super Junior M’s Henry Lau. As a solo artist, she shows that she has a lot to show in “ZGZG”, which honestly would not be such a great song if not carried by her off-the-charts amount of charisma. The chorus is just her swag-filled mumbling of the word(s?) “ZGZG” and it works because of her attitude. She also belts high notes and delivers smoking hot bars when she raps in the song too. If you are a fan of confident female solos like Hyuna, Sunmi, and Chungha, I now urge you to check out this amazing song by SAAY!

UP10TION “Your Gravity”

UP10TION is an extremely talented group but have failed to make a mark in the K-Pop industry due to years of TOP Media’s mismanagement. One of the biggest mismanagement moves, in my opinion, was giving UP10TION good but extremely generic K-Pop title tracks. There was never a song that screamed: “this is an UP10TION-only track.” I can go on forever about TOP Media’s poor management of all its groups but now is the time to focus on what a brilliant song “Your Gravity” is - UP10TION has finally found a unique sound and they really owned this song, making it arguably one of the best and most underrated songs of the year. The song plays on an addictive synth hook and good use of diverse beats. The whole song just sounded super fresh yet not cutesy but high energy at the same time - a rare example of balancing freshness and coolness. The MV is also filmed very well, with shots from very interesting angles and great use of a few set pieces in a variety of ways. The closest comparisons I can make would probably be WANNA ONE’s “Energetic” era. If you love a powerful and feel-good track, UP10TION’s “Your Gravity” is the song for you!

Special Mentions of Underrated Debuts:

There were many strong debuts this year and I would like to mention 2 underrated rookie groups to look out for in 2020!

Male - 1TEAM “Make This”

I have already discussed 1TEAM’s greatness and music style above, but the reason I also chose them as the most underrated male group debut is because out of all the underrated male idol debuts this year, 1TEAM is the only one that have already showed us their consistency and duality. “MAKE THIS” continues 1TEAM’s retro sound and aesthetic - the song sounds like how people in the 80s think future sexy music would be like and also how people right now thought 80s sexy music remade might sound like. So even though 1TEAM went from soft and cute in their first two title tracks to mature in this latest comeback, they still stayed true to their retro sound. The MV is also delight due to the very “2001: A Space Odyssey” inspired looking set pieces.

Female - BVNDIT “Dumb”

MND Entertainment’s newest girl group and basically Chungha’s younger sisters, BVNDIT may have been overlooked as they debuted in the same year as JYP’s ITZY, HINAPIA which features PRISTIN members, and a string of post-PRODUCE 48 girl groups like EVERGLOW, CHERRY BULLET and ROCKET PUNCH. However, BVNDIT has a lot to offer and has likely one of the most standout sounds and looks. The girls all have confidence and stage presence unlike any rookie girl group and this really shined in their songs following the safer pop song debut with “Hocus Pocus.” The south-east Asian and Latin American influences in the drums used in their songs like “Dramatic” and “Dumb” also gives them an opportunity to attempt more powerful and mature choreography than some of the rookies, giving them an additional edge. With the company now starting to use a “Chungha-like budget” in their production as seen in the “Dumb” MV, I believe we can expect a lot from BVNDIT in 2019.

Which idol songs do you think were underrated this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

[pinkcaseotakadl]

Diabolik lovers ‘’5th Anniversary book ‘’ [Shin’s interview] ~translation|traducción~

Thanks to @the-precious-sugar-chan and @diabolik-secret for having helped me with the translation <3

1. Right now, what is your favorite thing?

I recently bought a punchbag. By using it I came to the conclusion that it helps me to low my stress, I like it pretty much.

2. What kind of fashion are you into lately?

I don't know much about fashion, but I like clothes that feel good to the touch. But I don't like bad quality furs. [His tail is an accessory snkjasdKDSKJL] I also like chain accesories. Don't you think the little details look great?

3. What habits do you have that you’ll do without realizing?

Habit, huh... When I'm transformed into a wolf and I see a ball rolling my eyes unconsciously can’t stop following it

4. How do you spend your days-off?

I spend most of my time in the Bandemium. Sometimes I take my wolfs for a  walk... I'm going to buy some things that Nii-san orders me, or sometimes I go out.

5. What do you wear to sleep?

Nothing but the usual, and I always sleep on my side... But when I sleep curled up turned into wolf is much better... ... Mm? Why are you making that face? ... ...! Wait a minute, what are you misunderstanding! It's not like I always sleep curled up in my wolf form!

6. What do you definitely do before sleeping?

I'm not very aware of what I do before I go to sleep. Maybe something I always do is brushing my teeth. It feels disgusting going to sleep without brushing your teeth, doesn't it? I think anybody thinks the same way I do... It has become a habit.

7. What part of your body you like the best?

There's nothing to be ashamed of in a founder's body, I think? I have to take great care of my own body. As for the person who is not here, when I look at him I feel that he doesn't really care about his body.

8. What do you like the most of your room?

Simple bedrooms are the best! But It can't be helped that the room is a mess. You also don't want to spend time in that room, don't you?

9. Tell us one memorable impression that you have of your brothers.

A memory of Nii-san... huh. Mmm ... if it's about a memory, I think it was the first time I practiced with the sword with Nii-san. The fact that Nii-san was my opponent made me very happy, it was pretty funny.

10. What you think of KarlHeinz?

I hate him. He is the enemy of us founders. Such a thing like a vampire has punished to a founder... he's an outrageous guy.

11. Where would you go on a date?

Probably she will be happy being taken to a place with a good atmosphere. Where there is a beautiful night view... like... A theme park? Women really like those things.

12. What does a girl do to make your heart skip a beat?

Something she does, um ...Thinking about it... Mmm, it's a very subtle thing, but I don't hate it when she says "thank you".

13. How does her blood taste?

Ahh~... I did not want to drink her blood when it was contaminated by vampires... Just remembering it disgusts me... But I don't dislike it after having purified it. Since it is the blood of a noble founder, after all.

14. From which body part do you like to suck her blood?

From her calf. When I drink from that place I can see very well her pained face. I can hold her legs when she squirms. Drinking from that place is really fun, you know?

15. What does her existence mean to you?

I carry the pride of the Founders. That's why I thought using her for the sake of restoring the clan would be fine. But now... I just want that stupid and softhearted woman to stay by my side.

español abajo del corte mamu~

1. En este momento, qué es lo que te gusta?

Hace poco secretamente compre una bolsa de arena [para hacer boxeo LOL] Al usarla, llegué a la conclusión de que ayuda a bajar mi estrés, me gusta bastante.

2. ¿Qué clase de moda estás teniendo últimamente?

No sé mucho sobre la moda, pero me gusta la ropa que se siente bien al tocarla. Pero no aceptaré pieles con pelaje de mala calidad. [por cierto, su cola era un accesorio] Y también me gustan las cadenas. No crees que los pequeños detalles se ven geniales?

3. ¿Tienes algún hábito que haces sin darte cuenta?

Hábito, eh... cuando estoy transformado en lobo y veo una pelota rodando mis ojos inconcientemente no dejan de seguirla... ...

4. ¿Como pasas tus días libres?

Paso la mayor parte de mi tiempo en el Bandemium. A veces saco a pasear a mis familiares... voy a comprar algunas cosas que me encarga Nii-san, o también a veces salgo.

5. ¿Qué usas para dormir?

Nada fuera de lo usual, siempre duermo de costado... Pero cuando duermo enrollado transformado en lobo es mejor... ... Mm? Por qué estas haciendo esa cara? ... ...! Un momento, qué es lo que estas malinterpretando! No es como si siempre durmiera enrollado en mi forma de lobo!

6. ¿Qué es lo que definitivamente haces antes de dormir?

No estoy muy consciente de lo que hago antes de dormir. Tal vez algo que siempre hago es lavar mis dientes. Se siente asqueroso irse a dormir sin lavarse los dientes, verdad. Creo que cualquiera pensaría lo mismo... ... Ya es un hábito.

7. ¿Cual es la parte de tu cuerpo que más te gusta?

No hay nada que de vergüenza del cuerpo de un Fundador, pienso yo? Tengo que cuidar apropiadamente de mi propio cuerpo. En cuanto a la persona que no esta aquí, cuando la miro siento que realmente no cuida de su cuerpo.

8. ¿Qué es lo que más te gusta de tu habitación?

Las habitaciones simples son las mejores! No se puede evitar que este toda desordenada.  Tú también no quieres pasar tiempo dentro de esta habitación, no es así?

9. Cuentanos un recuerdo con tus hermanos.

Un recuerdo de Nii-san... eh. Mm... si es una impresión, creo que fue la primera vez que practiqué espada con Nii-san. El hecho de que Nii-san haya sido mi oponente me hizo muy feliz, fue bastante divertido.

10. ¿Qué piensas de KarlHeinz?

Lo odio. Es el enemigo de nosotros los fundadores. Algo como que un bajo vampiro le haya puesto un castigo a un fundador... es un tipo indignante.

11. ¿A donde irías en una cita?

Por el momento, seguro ella estará feliz con que la lleve a un lugar con buena atmósfera. Donde haya una hermosa vista nocturna... era... Un parque temático? A las mujeres realmente les gustan esas cosas.

12. ¿Qué es lo que una chica hace para que tu corazón salte?

Algo que haga, eh... Acordandome... Mmm, es algo muy sutil pero, no desagrada cuando me dice ''gracias''

13. ¿Como sabe su sangre?

Ahh~... no quería beber su sangre cuando estaba contaminada por los vampiros... de sólo recordarlo me dan arcadas... Pero no me disgusta[la sangre] después de haberla purificado. Ya que es la sangre de un noble fundador, después de todo.

14. ¿De que parte de su cuerpo te gusta chupar la sangre?

De su pantorrilla. Cuando bebo desde ese lugar puedo ver muy bien su cara de dolor. Puedo presionar sus piernas cuando las agita, beber desde ese lugar es muy divertido, sabes?

15. Qué existencia es ella para ti?

Yo tengo el orgullo de los Fundadores. Es por eso que pensé que usarla por el bien de la restauración del clan estaría bien. Pero ahora... sólo quiero que esa idiota de buen corazón se quede a mi lado.

[smkkbert]

Time for a story - For the baby sisters

(edit by victori96572376 on twitter) 

“I like it here.”

With a content smile on her lips, Emmy leaned back against her father’s chest. She rested her head against his shoulders, lifting her hands to frame his face and stroke her fingertips through the short stubble. Oliver ducked his head a little and winked at her, and Emmy beamed back at him in response.

“I like it here, too,” Tommy said eventually, looking up from the picture he was drawing and adjusting his position by pushing his feet under his butt, so he sat higher. Then he let the pen fall to the tabletop and grabbed his glass of ice tea with both of his hands. “And I like the ice tea.”

“It’s a great one,” Oliver replied and took a sip of his own ice tea as he looked at his son, smiling at him. “Do you want another one?”

Tommy shook his head, continuing to draw. Oliver leaned back with a low sigh, wrapping his arms around Emmy and pulling her closer against him. Emmy dropped her head against his shoulder. Oliver turned his head and looked over at the ocean.

He felt like he couldn’t thank Felicity enough for planning this vacation on Bali. The last years had brought a lot of stress for them. Apart from their already stressful nightly activities, two pregnancy depressions and raising four kids really hadn’t made anything easier. Then Felicity had been leading and improving the company which had taken a lot of work, too. There had barely been time for them to go on vacation or maybe they just hadn’t taken the time. Either way, they had needed something like this.

“Daddy?” Tommy asked after a while, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“What’s up, Sweetie?” Oliver asked back.

“When’s Millie’s birthday?”

“The week after we come back home,” Emmy replied and turned her head back over her shoulder to look at Oliver. “Right, Daddy?”

Oliver nodded. “Right. First there is daddy’s and mommy’s anniversary and then-“

“What’s that?” Tommy asked. “Annivary?”

“An-ni-ver-sa-ry,” Oliver said slowly.

“It’s like the birthday of mommy’s and daddy’s wedding,” Emmy explained and looked at Oliver once more. “Right?”

“Right,” Oliver replied with a smile and a nod of his head. “How do you know?”

“Mommy told me.”

“Of course, she did.” Oliver smiled. “Why do you ask about Millie’s birthday, though, Buddy?”

“We need to buy her a present,” Tommy replied. “For her birthday.”

Oliver nodded. “Absolutely. Why don’t we wait until mommy is awake after her nap, so we can ask her to come with us?”

“But then Millie is coming, too,” Emmy told him. “She can’t see her present before her birthday.”

Oliver nodded. “You are absolutely right.”

“Can we go now?” Tommy asked.

“Oh, yes!” Emmy exclaimed excitedly. “Let’s go now, Daddy! Please.”

Oliver chuckled at the pleading expression in both of his children’s eyes. He nodded towards the boardwalk with its little shops. “Let’s take a look at the presents Bali offers for your little baby sister.”

“We buy a present for the baby, too?” Tommy asked as he closed his coloring book and handed it over for Oliver to take.

“Yes, a plushy animal for the baby to have,” Emmy agreed with her little brother, nodding her head furiously. “Like I have my pink giraffe. Maybe she can have a purple elephant or something.”

“A blue Pegasus.”

“But, Tommy, the baby is going to be a girl!” Emmy replied.

“Woah, who said that?” Oliver asked, looking from Emmy to Tommy and back at Emmy again. He and Felicity hadn’t told anyone that the baby was going to be a girl. Felicity had wanted to keep it a secret, and Oliver had agreed. Telling the kids would have made the information spread like wildfire. “Why do you think that?”

Emmy grinned cheekily. “I heard you and mommy talking and you called the baby ‘sweetheart’ like you call Millie and me sometimes, but never Tommy.”

“Maybe mommy and I just don’t know whether it’s a boy and a girl, and that is why we call the baby ‘sweetheart’.”

Emmy cocked her head, giving him a look like only Felicity could do usually. Oliver had to bite his tongue to keep himself from chuckling. Emmy was so much like her mother that it never failed to amaze him. Yet, there were moments when Felicity would swear that Emmy was just like him. He could only guess that that had to mean she had the right amount of both of her parents.

“The baby is going to be a baby girl, right?” Emmy asked.

Oliver hesitated. He had promised not to tell anyone about the baby being a girl, but now that the kids knew already, he felt it didn’t make any sense to lie to them. Emmy and Tommy looked at him expectantly, their big, blue eyes.

“Don’t tell your mom I told you,” Oliver said with a sigh. Emmy clapped her hands happily, while Tommy made a face. Oliver cocked his head at his son. “What’s wrong, Buddy? You don’t like the idea of having another sister?”

“Does it have to be a girl?” he asked.

Oliver smiled sympathetically. Tommy had had so many troubles when Millie had been born, the fact that he was now only complaining about the baby being a girl felt like a huge step forward. What three-year-old would prefer a baby sister over a baby brother? Yet, he felt sorry for his son. Having to be put through having another sibling when he had just gotten used to the last one that had joined the family couldn’t be easy.

“I think it does,” Oliver said, nodding his head, and Tommy sighed in response. Oliver puckered his lips. “Bad?”

Tommy shrugged his shoulders. “The next is a boy then.”

Oliver mumbled to himself how he had never thought his little boy would actually want a fifth sibling after everything he had been through when Millie had been born. Then he took the last sip of his ice tea and clapped his hands.

“Let’s go shopping?” he asked the kids.

“Yes!” Emmy and Tommy replied in chorus.

Oliver grabbed Tommy’s coloring book at the set of pens before he dropped some money on the table and got up. The kids were running ahead, Emmy holding Tommy’s hand in hers tightly to make sure she wasn’t losing her little brother at the boardwalk. Oliver followed a few steps behind them, enjoying how content and happy they were here.

As much as he and Felicity had needed this vacation, he felt the kids had needed it too. They had sensed that something had been wrong with their mother and they had worried about her. The little distraction and the quality family time to spend here was good for them. Besides, Oliver had always wanted to show the kids more of the world. If it hadn’t been for his and Felicity’s responsibilities, he might have actually spent the last years traveling with his loved ones. As long as they didn’t have to go to school, it would have been the perfect opportunity. He probably wouldn’t have met William then, though, so it had probably been better the way it had been.

“Daddy, look!” Emmy suddenly said, pointing at one of the small shops.

Oliver turned his head and smiled at the sight of the baby store. He had thought they would have to leave the beach, but today seemed to be his lucky day.

“Come on, let’s take a look if we find something for Millie and the baby there,” Oliver suggested, nodding towards the store.

When they entered the store, Oliver smiled. The store seemed to be small and intimate, hence, just what he needed. When Emmy was about to run ahead to one of the shelves, Oliver quickly caught her hand to keep her from running. She looked at him with questioning eyes and Oliver gave her a look, making sure she knew that he didn’t want her to run in here. Emmy nodded, so when Oliver let go of her hand, she walked over to the shelf slowly. In the meantime, Tommy reached out his hands for Oliver, so he picked him up into his arms.

“You okay, Buddy?” Oliver asked.

Tommy nodded and whispered, “Don’t want to break something.”

Oliver smiled and kissed his boy’s cheek. “That’s good. Shall we see what Emmy has found?”

When Tommy nodded, Oliver went over to where Emmy was standing in front of the shelf with the stuffed animals. She was looking at the toys so focused that Oliver actually wondered if she even realized that he and Tommy had joined her. He moved his hand over the top of her head and Emmy leaned back against his leg, angling her head back to look at him.

“Did you find something you like?” he asked her.

“Maybe the sheep,” Emmy replied, pointing at one of the stuffed animals.

“You mean this one?” Oliver asked, taking the plush toy from the shelf. “It looks more like a cloud than a sheep, but-“

“No, Daddy, I want the donkey!” Emmy interrupted him.

Oliver put the lamb back into the shelf and took the donkey from it instead. There was barely a face visible under all the grey plush, but once Oliver moved his hand over the stuffed animals face a little, he uncovered two big eyes. The pleading expression in them in addition to the long ears made it the most adorable thing he had ever seen. Well, most adorable apart from his children and a peacefully sleeping Felicity of course!

„That is what you want?” he asked Emmy with a smile and the young girl nodded. Oliver looked at Tommy, playfully pinching his side, when he realized that the boy wasn’t paying attention. What do you think, Buddy! Will your baby sister like this?”

Tommy grabbed the plushy animal and held it to his face. “It’s plushy.”

“So you like it?” Emmy asked.

Tommy nodded his head. “The baby will like it, too.”

Oliver smiled and kissed his son’s check. “Thanks for your help with the decision, Tommy. Day is really happy that you helped.”

Tommy smiled proudly and leaned his head against Oliver’s shoulder. Oliver rubbed his hand over his son’s back and winked at Emmy, who watched her brother and father with a for her quite unusual smile of insecurity. When Oliver reached out a hand for her to pull her closer against him, her smile grew more relaxed, though.

“So, let’s try finding something for Millie, right?” Oliver suggested. “We don’t want to let mommy wait, and I am sure she and Millie want to spend time at our beach today after their nap.”

“Maybe we can-“

“I know what to get for Millie!” Tommy interrupted his older sister.

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. “Shoot.”

Tommy pointed at something behind Oliver, so he turned around to look at what his son suggested.

“Cool,” Emmy replied. She grinned at her dad. “Can we get that for Millie, Daddy?”

Oliver looked at the zebra rocking horse. Emmy and Tommy had both used the old rocking horse Oliver and Thea had used already. Tommy had used it to exhaustion until it had literally fallen apart right under his diapered butt. Millie was slowly getting into an age that would allow her to have fun with a rocking horse, so replacing it was probably a good idea.

He nodded. “Yes, it’s a perfect gift for Millie.”

“Mom my think so, too?”

Again, Oliver nodded. Yes, I am sure of that. Mommy will love it. And do you two know what else mommy is going to agree over with daddy?”

“What?” Tommy asked.

“You two,” Oliver started and tapped the tip of his finger against the tip of his kids noses, “are the best older siblings your two baby sisters could have wished for.”

“Tommy, me and William,” Emmy corrected.

“Right.” Oliver smiled and nodded. “Let’s pay and then get back to mommy and Millie, yes?”

“Yes!” both kids agreed in chorus, making Oliver chuckle.

“Good, then let’s do this.”

If you haven’t yet, please check out this survey and help me decide which fic I should plot next (and write after If loving you is wrong)

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[kangacav69]

Garden Leave Period En Français

Besides the car parks at our main entrance, the meadow and satay by the bay, more parking options are available at bayfront plaza. Period underwear, often called period panties, are made specifically to absorb blood, sort of like a pad built into your underwear.if you want some backup in case you leak or are having a light flow, wear period underwear during the night so that anything that leaks will be caught by the underwear.

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Microsoft news | © 2020 microsoft | privacy | terms of use | microsoft may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase something through links on this page. They deliver a low does of hormones over time, and you can leave them in for up to 5 years. He has two weeks' leave in the summer.

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To go away from someone or something, for a short time or permanently: If the employer doesn't pay out any part of the notice period, the employee stays employed for the notice period. Braff based the film on his real life experiences.

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The pay period that contains the interruption of earnings runs from march 1, 2010, to march 28, 2010. Remedies for breach of restrictive covenants. Prince william and duchess kate are mourning the recent death of their family dog, lupo;

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Known as wax begonias or bedding begonias, annual begonia plants (begonia semperflorens) grow quickly and easily fill in spaces in the garden that will benefit from attractive foliage and frilly flowers. Free delivery on millions of items with prime. They can be a focal point when planted in mass and are excellent specimens for container combinations.

While some period underwear can take heavier flows, most are meant. To go away from someone or something, for a short time or permanently: Visitors are advised to take public transport as car parking spaces are limited and subject to availability.

Crowds expected this festive period. (period of absence) (durée d'une absence) de congés : The employee doesn’t stay employed during the notice period (or continue to accrue entitlements, such as annual leave).

Employment can’t end on a date earlier than the day the notice is given. Je serai en congés jusqu'au 15 août. When an employee is put on gardening leave, the employee will be given proper notice of the termination of employment but will be told not to attend work during this notice period.

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[tech-latest-blog]

Gaming Desktop Build, the dream of any gamer or the one who is starting to think about their career in Gaming, should have a gaming desktop. If you are planning to build a gaming pc and are restricted to a budget of 30,000 INR(or 400 USD), then this PC build guide will help you build the Best Gaming Desktop Build Under 30000 INR(400 USD).

Gaming Desktop Build Under 30000 INR(400 USD)

Components

These components are necessary to build a gaming PC. Let’s discuss the components which we have used to build the 30000 INR(400 USD) gaming PC.

Component Model Price Processor Intel Core i3-9100F ~ ₹ 6k($80) Motherboard Gigabyte B365M ~ ₹ 5.5k($75) RAM Crucial 8GB DDR4 ~ ₹ 2.6k($35) Hard Drive ADATA SU635 240GB SSD ~ ₹ 2.8($38) Power Supply or PSU Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 ~ ₹ 3.7k($50) PC Chassis Antec Mid-Tower Case ~ ₹ 3.4k($45) Graphics Card Radeon RX 560 4GB ~ ₹ 7.5k($100)

Component Details

Let’s dive into the individual component in this system:

Intel Core i3-9100F Processor

The most important component of a PC is the processor.  We are using the 9th Gen Intel Core i3 9100F. The Core i3-9100F is undoubtedly the best gaming CPU under the $100 budget. The Core i3-9100F 4-Core 3.6GHz is a low-end desktop CPU based on a refinement of the 14nm++ Coffee Lake microarchitecture. It is identical to the Core i3-9100 except it does not feature integrated graphics.

It offers 4 physical cores (4 logical), initially clocked at 3.6GHz, which may go up to 4.2GHz using 4 cores with Turbo Boost. The i3-9100F has 6MB of L3 Cache. This chip supports up to 64GB DDR-2666 MHz memory. That means you easily add a pair of RAM later when in the budget.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

Gigabyte B365M Motherboard

If anyone asks which is the most important part of your pc, the answer is the motherboard. That’s why we choose Gigabyte B365M Motherboard that Supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors, have a Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 X4 & SATA interface, RGB FUSION supports RGB LED strips in 7 colors, GIGABYTE Exclusive 8118 Gaming LAN with Bandwidth Management.

If you want to upgrade your processor or looking for faster M.2 SSD Storage then you don’t need to spend again on the motherboard you can add you M.2 SSD in this motherboard and add your RAM and Upgrade Processor if you want.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

Crucial 8GB DDR4 RAM

RAM prices have reduced over the past year. We really cannot cheap out on RAM as using less than 8GB memory is not at all a good idea for gaming, as it will result in micro stuttering. Crucial 8GB DDR4 memory stick is a great value for money option. Clocked at 2400Mhz, it is sufficient for handling even AAA titles out there. It can speeds up to 3200 MT/s and faster data rates are expected to be available as DDR4 technology matures and can reduce power consumption by up to 40 percent and extend battery life.

Apart from Crucial, you can buy more aesthetically pleasing DDR4 memory sticks from Samsung, Kingston, Corsair, ADATA of G.Skill depending on pricing and availability.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

ADATA SU635 240GB SSD

By installing an SSD instead HDD can enhance not only the storage but also the speed of the processor. Your motherboard has an additional slot to accommodate the SSD. Installing this SSD will result in an enhanced performance because of the R/W speeds of 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively. Yes, the costs of your gaming PC will exceed 400 USD, but you will end up with a better performing PC.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 Power Supply

A power supply unit powers all the components in your system. If anything goes wrong with your PSU, it can seriously damage your entire rig. So cheapening out on the power supply is really a bad idea.  A 500W power supply is more than sufficient to power all the components in this rig. The Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 is a great and reliable choice if you’re building a gaming system with lower power demands also it is backed by a five-year warranty.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

Corsair Carbide Mid-Tower Steel Case

Corsair Carbide Series CC-9011050-WW Mid-Tower Steel Gaming Case with Red LED is a standard high-quality Chassis which is built for budget-friendly enclosures. It has exceptional build quality in its class, featuring a full metal body.

Built with durable, SGCC steel, the VSK4000E-U3 is a tough case meant to last for several builds without fail. The VSK4000E-U3 also meets Thermally Advantaged Chassis (TAC) 2.0 guidelines and is upgraded with two USB 3.0 ports, nine drive bays, and seven expansion slots.

Building a system starts with buying a case, then comes the parts that go into it, which the cost can add up very quickly. The VSK4000E-U3 is here to provide the basic platform to start building your very own system.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

[Optional]Radeon RX 560 4GB Graphics Card

Radeon RX 560 doesn’t outperform its predecessor by as much as we expected. However, it’s still a fairly cool, fairly quiet card that serves up modest frame rates at 1920×1080 in modern games, so long as you’re willing to dial quality back to Medium presets. It is best for Compelling 1080p performance at reduced detail settings,  manageable heat/power consumption.

It will surely out range the budget but I can blindly tell that it is worthy of a few more bucks. A gaming rig without a graphics card is something like a hoodie pullover without a hood. And without a GPU, this build will not be the best gaming desktop build under 30000 INR or 400 USD. This will help you to get good fps at 1080p and you will be able to play a maximum of AAA titles.

Amazon.in

Amazon.com

Conclusion

Well, we are almost ready with the best gaming desktop under 30000 INR or 400 USD. The Graphics Card may disturb your budget by a few bucks but it is really worst the price. Additionally, you can later add other gaming accessories like the joystick, gaming headset, etc., for a better gaming experience.

Go through this and buy the best. If you end up buying any of these, tell us the same by commenting down below.

via TechLatest

[dropswisdom]

Ugoos Am6 Plus is Ugoos’ newest Android TV box, and I can honestly say, it’s not only their best box yet, but one of the best boxes I ever reviewed so far!

Thanks goes to James from Ugoos for providing the Review sample.

    What’s in the Box?



AM6 Plus arrived in a simply designed square cardboard box, in white and green. Inside I found, aside for the AM6 Plus itself and its two antennas, a quite standard affair of: Infrared remote control, HDMI 2.1 cable, a 12v power adapter and a UK adapter plug, as well as a small user manual. No OTG cable is included, but considering the power-box this model is, I cannot complain.

  AM6 Plus Looks

AM6 Plus is a black metallic square box, not dissimilar to other boxes from other manufacturers.. but.. for one, it is made of metal. Blacked out aluminium shell to be exact with plenty of venting holes and slots. The power led is actually on the top of the box, inside the first “o” of Ugoos manufacturer’s logo. The box also comes with a dual antenna setup which may be responsible for the very good WiFi performance measured. The rest are quite standard – multiple ports and slots arranged around the box’s periphery, with one port which I miss �� a USB-C port. There are USB 2.0 ports, and a single USB 3.0 port, but not USB-C port.

AM6 Plus – Top

AM6 Plus – Bottom

AM6 Plus – Left

AM6 Plus – Right

AM6 Plus – Back

AM6 Plus – Front

Here are the items that come in the box: AM6 Plus, Two antennas, Infrared remote control, HDMI 2.1 cable, a 12v power adapter and a UK adapter plug, as well as a small user manual.

AM6 Plus Specifications

Chipset Amlogic S922XJ with 12nm，Quad core ARM Cortex-A73 and dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU GPU ARM Mali TM-G52 MP6(6ppc) Memory / Storage LPDDR4 4GB / 32GB (EMMC) LAN 1*RJ45 1000M (1000M Ethernet Integrated IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000M Ethernet MAC with RGMII interface) Wireless 2.4G+5G The wireless module complies with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO standard and it can achieve up to a speed of 867Mbps with dual stream in 802.11n to connect the wireless LAN (WiFi Module: AmPak 6398S) Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 with LE technology OS Android 9.0 Pie Video Output HDMI (2.1 and 2.0) to support maximum 4K@60fps output(HDCP2.2) Audio Output / Input Supports MP3, AAC, WMA, RM, FLAC, Ogg and programmable with 7.1/5.1 down-mixing I2S audio interface supporting 2-channel input and 8-channel (7.1) output Built-in serial digital audio SPDIF/IEC958 output and PCM input/output Built-in stereo audio DAC, Stereo digital microphone PDM input Support concurrent dual audio stereo channel output with combination of analog+PCM or I2S+PCM Power DC 12V/2A Peripheral Interface 1 * HDMI 2.1, 1 * USB 3.0 Fast Speed, 3 * USB 2.0 Host, 1 * SPDIF, 1 * DC Jack, 1 * TF Card (MicroSD), up to 32GB (SD 2.X, SD 3.X, SD 4.X, eMMC ver 5.0), 1 * 3.5mm Stereo input/output Packing Included IR Remote controller, Dimensions 117mm * 117mm * 18.5mm, 300 grams

  AM6 Plus Benchmarks and Testing

All completed benchmarks have been repeated 3 times and results have been averaged to give a more accurate reading:

Antutu Benchmark

The Antutu benchmark tests single core performance over multi-core as it is a better indication of the performance of one device over others in most situations. Ugoos AM6 Plus jumps the queue and takes first place! above any other device I’ve tested so far.

Bellow is a screenshot of the latest Antutu benchmark (I have not tested other boxes with this new version, so there is no comparison graph as yet):

    GPU Mark Benchmark

Average & Screen Normalized Score

Average frames per second

GPU Mark tests 3d gaming performance and also provides a normalized score according to the used screen resolution (for a more accurate result). The test is quite short and should be taken as a supporting result to that of the more serious 3D Mark benchmark. Ugoos AM6 Plus reached 3rd place in average frames per second, and only 5th place in the average and screen normalized score. However, the seemingly low placement may be deceiving as it’s not far off from it’s competitors, and the one that tops the chart is a tablet that contains a much more powerful GPU.

    A1 SD Benchmark

Internal/External Storage Speed

RAM Copy Speed

A1 SD Benchmark tests RAM and flash memory speeds. As can be seen in the provided graphs, RAM is much faster (by a factor of about 40) than flash memory – that is why it’s in smaller amount and is also volatile (does not keep its contents after a reboot). Ugoos AM6 Plus shows its muscles as its DDR4 speedy RAM wins it second place in RAM copy speed test, and its updated eMMC storage flash places it in third place in Internal/External storage speed tests.

    PC Mark Benchmark

AM6 Plus wins first place in this extensive suite of productivity tests which is designed to show a more balanced picture of an android device’s ability to perform various tasks such as spreadsheet calculations, photo editing, complex web page browsing and more.

  3D Mark Benchmark

3D Mark benchmark is considered as one of the best ways to test 3d performance on Android (and other platforms). Ugoos AM6 Plus takes second place, right after the aforementioned tablet.

    AM6 Plus Extra Benchmarks

For some more information, see the following screenshots from other benchmarks such as AndroBench, Mobile GPU Benchmark, Vellamo, Passmark, and SD Card Test Pro:

AndroBench

  Mobile GPU Benchmark

  Vellamo

  Passmark

  SD Card Test Pro

  AM6 Plus Bugs and Issues

AM6 Plus refuses ADB connect requests, thus making use of SCRCPY remote control program not possible. For SCRCPY to work, wifi debugging need to be enabled under debug settings, developer options need to be enabled and USB Debugging needs to be on, and then adb kill-server command followed by adb shell command ran from the PC. Then a prompt will appear to authorize the RSA key for the connecting PC, and after that, SCRCPY will work.

Built in Samba file server only supports SMB v1, which means Windows 10 owners are unable to access the AM6 Plus files over the LAN. However, the built-in Samba client supports upto and including v3 – so there is no issue for the AM6 Plus to read files from any Samba share on a local network.

The IR remote that comes with the AM6 Plus is less than ideal. It’s very directional and keys are not sensitive.

8k video works somewhat, but I think software optimization can improve on it and give this box a much longer shelf life.

Angry Birds 2 no-click-possible-for-next-level bug is present and accounted for.

  AM6 Plus Root function

AM6 Plus come with a built-in root function which works like a charm. All you need to do is go to the settings, locate it under Uggos settings section, and turn it on or off as needed. It will keep after reboot, till you decide to turn it off. The power and decision are all yours!

    AM6 Plus Video Playback testing (Using KODI)

Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi) Playback 720p (1280*720) AVC (High@L4.1) Plays Okay Plays Okay 1080P (1920*1080) AVC (High@L4) Plays Okay Plays Okay  2160P (3840*2160) HEVC (H.265) Plays Okay Plays Okay 4K (4096*2304) AVC (High@L5.1) Plays Okay Plays Okay 4K HDR HEVC Main 10@L5@High HDR10 Plays Okay Some buffering 4K TS HEVC HEVC (H.265) 10Bit Plays Okay Mixed experience

The box does perform well in day to day situations (most videos played are 1080p or standard 4k), however, it seems that network optimization needs some work as even with the good speedtest results, buffering of heavy video files was observed. Still, the playback results are quite good in general.

AM6 Plus showed excellent picture quality, and also surprised with partial support for 8K video. This chipset does not officially support 8k, but with the new crop of 8k supporting AV receivers (for now, Denon already declared it) coming later this year, I have tested a few 8k video files. As can be seen in the above table, all of them actually played, with mixed results. For me it means that this box is capable of playing 8k, even though it would be limited up-to 30 frames per second. With some software optimization, it can even be a smooth experience.

  AM6 Plus was also tested with HDR content as it becomes more and more common in today’s TV and projector sets. HDR contains more information and is definitely heavier than standard 4k content. As such I did notice a bit of buffering with it – when played over wireless LAN. Again, an issue that may be solvable with some updates.

  AM6 Plus Network performance

I tested the network performance using the popular Speedtest.net application from the play store. I tested both WiFi (the fastest WiFi supported – in this case 5GHz 802.11ac), and wired connection (in my case AV1200 Ethernet over power line). My home connection is a symmetric 500 Mb Fiber connection so it would not limit the testing (but the Ethernet over power line connection does) – Ugoos AM6 Plus performed above average with high ranking results for 5GHz WiFi network, and much lower results with my powerline adapter wired connection:

Speed Test – WiFi

  Speedtest Wired

    AM6 Plus Gaming performance

Ugoos AM6 Plus performed smoothly as expected in the gaming tests. It’s graphic chip can handle most games without an issue. However, control may be an issue, unless you splurge for a game pad or other more gaming friendly remote.

Asphalt 8 Airborne – a 3d graphic intensive racing game. AM6 Plus Loads and runs it smoothly, Using the included standard IR remote I could steer, but could not use Nitro..

Angry Birds 2 – a popular 2d action game. AM6 Plus run it smoothly and loaded the stages fast, but had this bug I noticed in other TV boxes, where at one point you could not click on an icon to continue to the next level and so you get stuck.

Walking War Robots – an online robot warfare game that requires a game-pad (I don’t have a game-pad). AM6 Plus runs it well, as long as you have a gamepad or a air mouse. Otherwise, control is only partial and you cannot complete a battle.

    AM6 Plus Conclusions

Did I like it? Yes. It is not a perfect box, and the lack of v2/v3 samba server support is very disturbing, but it is a very stable, and a super fast TV Box.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It is a serious contender in the top android TV box market. Good quality build, lots of ventilation, a little pricey but you can see what you are paying for.

You like it! Where can you buy it? There are few options to buy the Ugoos AM6 Plus:

159 USD (before any coupon discount, currently at 10%): UGOOS AM6 PLUS Amlogic S922X-J 2.2GHz 4GB DDR4 32GB ROM Smart Android 9.0 TV Box 2.4G 5G WiFi 1000M Bluetooth 4K HD Media Player

Some cheaper options are out there, but this is the higher spec version with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built in storage.

Same price can be found here (no coupons available on page though): UGOOS AM6 Plus Amlogic S922XJ 4GB/32GB Android 9.0 4K TV BOX Wake Up on LAN with 2.4G+5G MIMO WIFI 1000M LAN Bluetooth 5.0 HDMI 2.1 USB 3.0 – Black

Other places I checked are: Amazon (no availability or price), eBay (significantly higher pricing), or other Chinese stores which either offer a higher price or different models such as the AM6 Pro.

Review | Ugoos AM6 Plus Amlogic S922XJ TV Box Ugoos Am6 Plus is Ugoos' newest Android TV box, and I can honestly say, it's not only their best box yet, but one of the best boxes I ever reviewed so far!

[dpdanielpinheiro]

Lords, a rubrica #gettoknow de hoje, trás um fotografo a quem tenho o privilégio de chamar de Amigo! O Filipe Macedo de 25 anos, que reside em Braga embora seja de Esposende, já tem a sua assinatura em várias fotos minhas e de outros criadores de conteúdo, assim como outro eventos!

Curiosos? Vamos lá.

Lords, today’s rubric #gettoknow, brings a photographer whom I am privileged to call a Friend! Filipe Macedo, 25, who lives in Braga although he is from Esposende, already has his signature on several photos of me and other content creators, as well as other events! Curious? Come on.

1. De onde surgiu a tua paixão pela arte da Fotografia? | From where it came that passion for Photography? 

Filipe – Ora, sem recuar já ao tempo dos dinossauros… Isto foi um crescendo. Como uma grande parte das coisas boas da vida exige maturação, esta paixão também precisou. Teve varias fazes e hoje é sem duvida uma das coisas que me move e me faz ser pessoa, mais criativo, um entrepreneur de gama baixa (risos).

Filipe – Now, without going back to the time of the dinosaurs … This was a crescendo. As a great part of the good things in life requires maturation, this passion also needed it. He had several tasks and today is undoubtedly one of the things that move me and make me a person, more creative, a low-end entrepreneur (laughs).

2. Como fotografo, quais são para ti as maiores dificuldades e facilidades, dado o local onde vives? | As a photographer, which are for you the biggest difficuties and facilities, have in mind the place where you live! 

Filipe – Vamos começar com as coisas boas, pode ser? Braga tem toda a acessibilidade que podemos pedir, é uma cidade segura, movimentada o bastante para poder sentir aquela agitação, mas não ao ponto da claustrofobia. É uma cidade com uma arquitectura mais clássica no entanto bastante jovem, com várias escolas arquitectónicas para os mais variados gostos, uma cidade repleta de população jovem e de oportunidades.

Num lado não tão bom… Braga é uma casquinha de noz. É a tasquinha do tio Alberto: tem tudo de bom, mas é pequena e nós já corremos o menu da comida e da bebida. Lamento Lorde, vou ter de falar daquela inevitável questão que é o povo Português. Com todas as 1001 qualidades que transportam, são um povo que tem pouco respeito pela arte, que diz sem vergonha nenhuma “o meu primo faz mais barato” e tentando resumir um bocadinho, com uma visão débil do mundo criativo.

Filipe – Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? Braga has all the accessibility we can ask for, it is a safe city, busy enough to be able to feel that excitement, but not to the point of claustrophobia. It is a city with more classic architecture, yet quite young, with several architectural schools for the most varied tastes, a city full of young population and opportunities.

On a not-so-good side … Braga is a nutshell. It’s Uncle Alberto’s takeaway: it’s all good, but it’s small and we’ve already run the food and drink menu. I’m sorry, Lord, I’m going to have to talk about that inevitable issue that is the Portuguese people. With all the 1001 qualities they carry, they are a people who have little respect for art, who say without shame “my cousin does it cheaper” and trying to summarize a little, with a weak view of the creative world.

3. Já tive o privilegio de trabalhar contigo várias vezes! O streetstyle, é algo que te fascina, ou tens maior preferência por outro tipo de fotografia? | I already had the privilege of working with you several times! Streetstyle, it is something that fascinates you, or you have preferences for other type of content? 

Filipe – É verdade sim senhor, hoje tenho o privilegio de te chamar de Amigo, com A grande, e não é à toa. A fotografia de moda fascina-me numa forma geral, não toda, mas na sua maioria diz-me toda alguma coisa, bem como o processo criativo. Quanto a outras coisas que goste de fotografar, tenho aqui o coraçãozinho dividido entre cerimonias e palco.

Filipe – Yes, it is true, sir, today I have the privilege of calling you Friend, with A grande, and it is not for nothing. Fashion photography fascinates me in a general way, not all, but mostly it tells me everything, as well as the creative process. As for other things I like to photograph, here I have my little heart divided between ceremonies and stage.

4. Como descreverias fotografia? E qual o teu objectivo quando disparas? | How you would describe Photography? What is your Goal when you shoot? 

Filipe – Olha, nas palavras de Destin Sparks, “photography is the story i fail to put into words”. Desculpa, não consigo colaborar com aquela velha historia do “é ver o mundo de outra forma” vejo o mundo da mesma forma que toda a gente vê, tento é com cada disparo, contar uma historia. Como sabes, eu dou workshops e uma das coisas que uso como exemplo é: Se eu quiser mostrar que a minha mãe fez um bolo, como é que eu vou mostrar isso? A típica foto da mãe a segurar no bolo, ou por entre o pote do açúcar e da farinha um relance dela a bater as natas enquanto o bolo cozinha no forno? É escolher a melhor forma de contar o que se passou ali tentando transmitir um sentimento em cada fotografia.

Filipe – Look, in the words of Destin Sparks, “photography is the story I fail to put into words”. Sorry, I can’t collaborate with that old story of “is to see the world in a different way” I see the world in the same way that everyone sees it, I try with each shot, to tell a story. As you know, I give workshops and one of the things I use as an example is: If I want to show that my mom made a cake, how am I going to show it? The typical picture of the mother holding the cake, or between the jar of sugar and flour a glimpse of her whipping the cream while the cake is cooking in the oven? It is choosing the best way to tell what happened there trying to convey a feeling in each photo.

  A seleção natural trata disso

  5. Em termos fotográficos, como classificarias os criadores de conteúdo? Achas que estão num bom caminho? Ou que há muito a melhorar? | In photographic terms, how would you classify content creators? Are they doing a good job? 

Filipe – Em privado, já debatemos este assunto e vou tentar resumir aquelas horinhas que passamos à volta do mesmo tema (risos). Bem, não querendo ser mauzinho temos já de separar quem realmente faz o trabalho, de quem tem “um primo que faz mais barato”. Falando de quem realmente faz o trabalho, acho que estamos numa fase de maturação… simpática. Temos algumas boas cascas que vão cada vez mais melhorando e amadurecendo. Em relação ao pessoal que tem uns primos, a selecção natural trata disso (risos). Não quero parecer arrogante ou pouco humilde, mas acho que algumas pessoas se tentam aproveitar ao máximo de algumas coisas que depois acabam a dar mau nome quer aos criadores de conteúdo quer aos fotógrafos/videógrafos.

Filipe – In private, we have already discussed this subject and I will try to summarize those hours we spent around the same topic (laughs). Well, not wanting to be bad, we have to separate who really does the job, who has “a cousin who does it cheaper”. Speaking of who really does the job, I think we are in a maturation phase … nice. We have some good peels that are improving and maturing more and more. Regarding the people who have cousins, natural selection takes care of that (laughs). I don’t want to appear arrogant or slightly humble, but I think that some people try to make the most of some things that later end up giving a bad name to both content creators and photographers/videographers.

6. Além de trabalhares freelancer, sei que tens o teu próprio negócio. Qual o teu maior objectivo? Onde pretendes chegar? | Along your work as a freelancer, i know you have your own business. What is you biggest Goal? 

Filipe – PontoD’Foco é o nome!! Desculpa, ‘fly the flag’ ao máximo aqui. O objectivo é crescer e tornar-me o melhor possível quer a nível pessoal quer profissional. Continuar a entregar boas historias e causar umas lágrimas de alegria ou de saudade. Sonho para realizar, hoje olho para trabalho que antigamente achava fantástico e digo “é, realmente podia estar melhor” portanto, neste momento, é realizar todos aqueles projectos e estimular a massa cinzenta.

Filipe – PontoD’Foco is the name !! Sorry, ‘fly the flag’ to the maximum here. The goal is to grow and become the best I can be, both personally and professionally. Continue to deliver good stories and cause tears of joy or longing. I dream to accomplish, today I look at work that I once thought was fantastic and I say “yeah, it really could be better” so, at this moment, it is to carry out all those projects and stimulate the gray matter.

7. Qual o segredo para o sucesso? | What is the secret for success? 

Filipe – Boa pergunta (risos). Dedicação! Nada bate o trabalho árduo e tudo o que ele obriga. A historia tem provado isso em todas as áreas e é por esse principio que ainda hoje me vou pautando.

Filipe – Good question (laughs). Dedication! Nothing beats hard work and everything it requires. History has proven this in all areas and it is for this principle that I am still guiding myself today.

8. Qual o teu melhor trabalho até hoje? Porquê? | Which is your best work until today? Why?

Filipe – O meu melhor trabalho? Acreditas que é uma foto que na altura não dei nada por ela? O meu melhor trabalho é, para mim, aquele que tem um maior significado, mais do que uma obra de arte é o que me traz aquele conforto no coração. É uma foto que tirei à minha mãe a cozinhar bacalhau á-braz.

Filipe – My best job? Do you believe it is a photo that I didn’t give anything for at the time? My best work is, for me, the one that has a greater meaning, more than a work of art is what brings that comfort in my heart. It’s a photo I took of my mother cooking codfish.

9. Descreve-me o Filipe em 3 palavras! | Describe yourself in 3 Words!

Filipe – Dedicado, impulsivo e idiota (risos)

Filipe – Dedicated, impulsive, and idiot (laughs).

  Nada bate o trabalho árduo e tudo o que ele obriga

  Espero que tenham gostado de Conhecer o Filipe um pouco melhor! Deixem a vossa opinião nos comentários!  Em breve sairá outra rubrica, por isso fiquem atentos! 

I hope you like, to #gettoknow better Filipe! Leave me your opinion on the comment box!  Soon will come out another article, so keep tuned for that!

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Filipe Macedo

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      #gettoknow | Qual o significado de Fotografia para o Filipe? Lords, a rubrica #gettoknow de hoje, trás um fotografo a quem tenho o privilégio de chamar de Amigo!

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How We Can Stop Global Money Laundering

As economies become more interconnected and globalized and the borders between countries and jurisdictions effectively disappear, the complexity of financial trans­actions is reaching new levels. The fundamental difference between the current stage of glo­balization and the previous one that unfolded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries consists of both the direction of capital flows and the entities they originate from. If one looks back, then one might realize that between 1870 and 1913 the major European nations (Great Britain and France) invested abroad 6.5 and 3.7 percent of the­ir GDP respectively. In the case of Great Britain, this amounted to approximately 34 percent of its total capital investments). However, there was virtually no money from “peripheral” countries that was deposited in British and French banks, and there were only a few dozen properties that were ow­ned by investors from these countries. Moreover, if there were cases of wealthy overseas entrepreneurs or noblemen bringing money to the most developed nations of the time, they were well-known, with their properties being perfectly do­cumented. In our day, everything has changed in this regard: every year $800 billion to $2 trillion, or roughly 10 percent of the combined GDP of the European Union, ar­­rives to global financial capitals like London, New York, or Zurich from “developing” countries, many of which are label­led so by mista­ke. Most of this money comes through various “off-shore” jurisdictions that were created after the famous decision by the Bank of England in 1957 that authorized the holding of the deposits in pounds outside Britain, with its owners unknown.In recent decades, a completely new industry has emerged which is focused entirely on processing these funds and putting them in safety outside the countries where they were “harvested.” It includes the investment bankers who attract the money and either deposit it or place it into different investment funds and SICAVS (open-ended, collective investment schemes); the lawyers which oversee a large network of offshore and shell companies, trusts and SPVs which regulate in accordance with current regulation; the crowds of nominal directors and legal owners; the real estate agents and luxury developers who sell the overpriced assets to the super-rich; the producers of exclusive goods from jewellery and watches to luxury cars and megayachts; and even the government officials who elaborate different “citizenship-for-invest­ment” programs. The sco­pe of this group is rather small; I would argue with great certainty that it doesn’t ex­ceed twenty thousand people all around the world. The impact of this new industry on the global economy is enormous. Today, about a third of all multinational corporations’ FDI goes through different tax havens which results in massive tax avoidance; the fi­gures for the corporate sector are unknown, but the most conservative assessments for tax evasion amongst individuals reach $1 trillion per year. The investment funds and large banks which claim to be completely transparent, are often sued for violating different money-laundering acts or sanction regimes—and if are accused and fined, the average fine they agree to pay has sky­rocketed from $22 million in the mid-2000s to $1.6 billion in 2014–2015. The largest fine, at $9 billion, was paid by BNP-Paribas when it settled its dispute with the U.S. Justice Department in June 2014. But how can the legal banking business repay such substantial amounts and manage to stay afloat? What operati­ons aren’t uncovered that allow such funds and banks to prosper? People should not be fooled about their nature as more than $230 billion was laundered in 2007–2015 by the Estonian subsidiary of Danske Bank, which represented a nation with a GDP that is eight times smaller than this sum, and which is proudly ranked eighteenth in the 2018 Global Transparency Index and sixteenth in the Doing Business 2018 survey. Around thirty-five thousand houses and apartments in Lon­don, as it was recently revealed, are owned by compa­nies whose real beneficiaries remain unknown, and in New York City, close to 250,000 apartments in residential buildings are unoccupied, with at least half being bought in the name of offshore companies. I’m not addressing the issue of where the world’s superyachts or business jets are registered—more than 80 percent of these “luxury toys” carry flags of countries with low taxes.All of this depicts the reality of the modern money laundering business that has beco­me part of today’s “financial capitalism.” Many left-wing writers argue that it de­vastates the peripheral nations—and I agree with that argument—but what’s much more im­portant, I believe, is to mention that this new reality harms developed nations just as similarly as developing nations.The “traditional” arguments include the main thesis about “plundering” the peri­pheral countries from where the money originates and of “enrichment” of already wealthy nations where the money is direc­ted—but such a statement is not suffi­cient. First of all, the inflow of dirty funds from the global “South” distorts the normal functioning of European and American business. The cities to which the super-rich flock are becoming too expensive for the locals and their econo­my often becomes disrupted and is pushed to the brink of crisis. More and more city dwel­lers are sque­ezed into suburbs, and the local authorities must invest more money into afforda­ble housing. In London, these allocations rose to £3.15 billion which are to be spent on new ninety thousand affordable homes between 2017 and 2020. The financial system is overloaded by launde­red funds and bubb­les become more widespread and common. As I mentioned earlier, in some cases, illicit dealings with money flows from the global periphery lead to claims and pe­nalties by the authorities, which in turn only push the bankers to take a higher-ris­k business strategy to cover the losses. The governments of European count­ri­es are facing dilemmas with the new capital inflows: on the one hand they should encourage them but on the ot­her they feel obliged to defend their political and judiciary system from corrupti­on. But with three-fifths of the United Kingdom’s richest residents being either foreign nationals or foreign-born (as are thirty-five out of fifty-five billionaires residing in London), it becomes more problematic from year to year.But there is another side of the issue which is much less studied. As poorer nations become more corrupt and their politicians and businessmen try to channel their capital to Europe, the quality of life in these countries decreases even further, and desperate peo­ple start to emigrate. Of the top ten countries that have seen the highest levels of emigration into the EU in the 2010s, eight (Pakistan, Ukraine, Iran, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Syria) are found at the lowest ranks (from 117 and 178) in the 2018 Corruption Perception Index. So by accepting hundreds of millions of dollars into European banks, the European authorities must pay dozens of billions of euros to accommodate new migrants while also facing growing social tensions caused by this inflow. Moreover, I would add that emigration from the peripheral nations, which is caused by the corrupt governments, jeopardizes their development since it deprives them of their best human capital, which has resulted in ma­ny cases in ethnic and civil conflicts which often descend into full-scale civil war (this was the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after Mobutu Sese Seko, one of the world’s corrupt dictators, fled to France where his fortune was kept, in 1997). Western countries are then forced to spend additional billions to provi­de food, medical care, and even armed humanitarian assistance to the nations ruled by the most renown kleptocrats. This is a very high price for the joy of allowing several thousand people to manage money laundering operations from their luxury offices in London or Zürich—and I would also argue that this joy contributes to an “import of corruption” from the global periphery to the core (I am reminded of the well-known story of a Scottish-based “laundromat” that allowed the Azerbaijani political elite to squeeze billions of dollars from its country and to use it, inter alia, to co­ver legitimate lobbying for Azerbaijan and its state-owned companies in European capitals).But why does the fight against this evil appear so ineffective? Why are the people that stripped their states of their taxpayers’ money, presided over the largest delibe­rate bank failures, or those engaged in looting the na­tural resources of their co­untries, all still living in Europe without experiencing any consequences? I think at least fo­ur systemic problems exist that make this possible. First, I would argue that the main focus these days is made on one issue—on the so called “problematic jurisdictions” which the West’s authorities believe are either engaged in offshore banking or lack the necessary financial regulations. Many lists of these countries were drafted in recent years, with the American “Financial Action Task Force” (FATF) and the European Union’s list being the most well-known. As of Jan. 1, 2012, the first one comprised forty states and territories, and the second as of March 2019 has sixteen. Both do not include, for example, either Russia nor China. Russia was successfully removed from the FATF list back in 2003 and has never appeared on the European Union’s list—even tho­ugh it’s a common point that the Russians are among the lar­gest final beneficiaries of companies that own real estate in the UK, Spain, and some other European countries. China never appeared on both lists while the offshore companies controlled by the Chinese are among the most active buyers of expen­sive mansions in the United States. At the same times, there are many countries on the list that might harbour terrorists and jihadis, but do not possess either the funds to be launde­r­ed nor the modern banking systems that would allow to transfer these money into the European banks. The excessive attention to the “intermediate” countries rather than to the places from where the money really originates is, I believe, the first tre­mendous challenge the fight against money laundering faces today.Second, the control over the allegedly dirty money in the “recipient” countries is quite weak. I would say that the very term “due diligence” shouldn’t be used for the description of what’s going on in Europe and in the United States. One can remember the most famous cases—like the case of Arthur Andersen insisting on Enron’s firmness five months prior to its bankruptcy; the case of Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch drawing the AAA ratings to the “subprime” mortgage-backed securities in the wake of the 2008 crisis; the case of Wachovia which laundered close to $500 billion of drug cartels affiliated money in 2000s, etc. If it co­mes to purchases of the expensive real estate, as one can see, remaining in the shadows is even easier. The “investments” into the wealthy countries are welco­med by their governments—today, even the EU nations effectively sell citi­zenships or permanent residencies in hun­dreds of ways with the cheapest ones (as in Malta, Cyprus or Bulgaria) requiring not mo­re than Є1.2-2.0 million to attain citizenship. The British, who introduced “unexplained wealth orders” as part of the Criminal Finances Act of 2017, used this tool to prosecute only one person since the orders went into force—and I would remind that there are thirty-five thousand real estate units in Lon­don with a value of around $70 billion, which were paid for by unknown sources and belong to undisclosed owners. A total revision of the banking ac­counts owned by foreign residents and/or com­pani­es, as well as the real esta­te bought by such entities should be under way—but in most cases the lo­cal authorities prefer only to le­vy additional taxes on such objects rather than find the sources of mo­ney that bought them.Third, I would say that there’s a fascinating multitude of laws and regulations that are applied to tracking money flows in different countries. No pan-Eu­ropean register of real estate exists; the banking regulations in Switzerland differ greatly from those in the EU countries; special regimes like the Liechtenstein-based trusts or Sociétés civiles d’immobilier founded in Monaco or Luxembourg are used for acquiring objects throughout Europe; British law is different from the continental one and will become even more different after Brexit is finalized. At the same time, all these jurisdictions are considered “safe”—so if someone sells a mansion in the UK or transfers funds from his Swiss bank account there will be no formal procedures in place to verify money’s origins. Without all these rules being standardized, if not unified, any progress in combating money laundering practices seems to be a pipe-dream—but I would say that in recent years the legislation is becoming rather more diversified than normalized. Of course, in some cases there might be expectations—like the one that happens today with the Russians who become extremely “toxic” if it comes to opening new banking accounts or acquiring property; but I would argue it happens not so much be­cause of the spread of corruption in Russia or since Russia’s “presen­ce” is too obvious in Europe, but exclusively due to the sanctions against Russia that were introduced because of the violation of international law and interfere­nce into other nations’ domestic affairs.Fourth, there is another issue which deals with the growing problem of “state capture” on the world’s periphery. I’m addressing the very simple fact that most countries, if their authorities suppose some money parked in their banks or used for acquiring some property there, used to ask the authorities of those states where either the money or its owner originated from, and about his criminal records or/and the nature of the mentioned funds. If the originating country is not only corrupt, but acts as a state totally “captured” by its ruling elite where money is ea­sily exchanged for power, and vice versa, its authorities would prove the absence of any wrongdoings. Some authors argue that these days the political eli­tes in many countries have completely merged with the business ones, and call such nations a business-states—so in all these cases the Western judiciary looks almost impotent in ad­dressing the most vital money laundering cases. The renowned international bo­dies, like, e.g., Interpol, are also acting on the same basis and will not hunt anyone in case the national bureaus initiate the search. So I would say once again that if some wealthy person from a deeply corrupt state with good political con­nections launders money in Europe or the United States, there is highly unlikely she or he will be accused of any wrongdoing (even if regimes collapse, nothing may change—e.g., Ukrainian authorities after the Euromaidan did virtually nothing for chasing the funds of corrupt officials from the previous government owned in the European countries).So what is to be done in such circumstances?I would argue that what we need is an institution that is able to confront money lau­n­dering activity and all types of corruption globally, or at least for the sake of all developed countries where dirty money are accumulated and invested. Therefo­re, we need an international organization that can either establish new rules for fi­gh­ting illegal financial operations or at least use the existing ones on its own, without needing to as­k governments for approving its actions. If one takes all these points into ac­count the only option that suits them all will be to create an International Finan­cial Court since the judiciary is the branch of authority that acts independently from the executive. Such an International Finan­cial Court might possess several crucial features.To start with, the court can be established by several nations and blocks which consider themselves as “transparent” and “doing their best” to fight financial fraud. The European Union, the United Kingdom (in case Brexit finally happens), Japan, Canada, and some Asian countries relatively free from corruption might become the founding signatories to its statute (another approach may be based, for exam­ple, on invol­ving all the OECD nations into the new venture—and if the count­­ries that benefit the most from these schemes, like the United States or Britain, will oppo­se the measure, it could be introduced either by France or even by some of the pe­ripheral countries). The major idea behind this move is that the court may first make its rulings based on natio­nal legislation (e.g., the British law about Unexplained Wealth Orders), but these rulings will have an equal power in all the states that ratified the court’s statute. In the long run, therefore, the anti-corruption and anti-money laundering practices of all the “transparent” and “decent” nations will move closer to one another and may eventually even merge into one code of conduct. There is a long story in the West telling us how effective the courts had been in implemen­ting laws and treaties that were adopted by executive authorities. The Fourteenth Amen­d­ment to the U.S. Constitution declaring equal rights for African Americans in 1868, was de facto enacted by the 1954 Supreme Court ru­ling in the Brown v. The Board of Education case, while the provisions of the Tre­a­ty of Rome which established the European Communities in 1957 beca­me fully im­plemented only after European Court of Justice’s landmark Cassis de Dijon ruling of 1979. The courts, I would argue, have a powerful say in putting into acti­on the laws and rules that already exist but are easy to be avoided, and this is the major reason why I am advocating for a new international judicial institution to combat these problems.What makes the new anti corruption vehicle so different from any other international organization?First of all is its independent character. The  International Finan­cial Court might be able to nominate in­dependent counsels, prosecutors and investigators not reporting to the national law enforcement agencies, with their powers co­vering the territory of all parti­cipating states. Its rulings, as I already noted, should have uni­versal reach—that means that, in due course, they will be implemented into the national legislation. Both features greatly enhance the court’s reach and authority.The next crucial point is the system of claims behind the cases the court investigates and deliberates. These claims might be filed by any private or corporate person who considers itself a complainant or aggri­eved—and in this case the set of actors might be very wide, beginning from any taxpayer in the country where money originates or from a client of any bank ruined by its owners. The claims would be directed towards any citizen of the country where the money goes whose ri­ghts have been violated by the decreasing level of decency in his country’s governing authorities caused by the inflow of “dirty funds.” This me­ans the propo­sed option is able to overcome the negligence of the national investigators who, for different re­asons, might be disinclined from launching an inquiry into the nature of unexplained funds or its uses inside the receiving nations’ financial do­mains.Yet what may become the court’s greatest advantage is its powers to block and arrest the funds and assets owned or controlled by the citizens of the countries which did not become signatories of its Statute, but whose funds and assets are on the territory of its member na­tions. This very fact might undermine the fundamental principle of safety that today motiva­tes corrupt individuals and entities from around the world to hide their property ab­road: just imagine how senseless such a move will become if an anti-corruption activist’s documented claim sent from the country where the money was stolen, can cause the seizure of funds in the country where either the real estate was ac­quired or the bank deposit was opened. Even though the court may not become a well functioning institution overnight, it can be anticipated as a crucial danger by anybody engaged in corrupt and illicit financial operations around the world, therefore, greatly curb the inflows of “dirty money” from the peripheral nations to the developed ones.Moreover, and this is extremely important for the revitalization of the global civil society, the anti-corruption activists across the globe would, for the first time, get a proper global partner whom they might appeal. Organizations like the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, not to mention less renown national groupings who will submit a substantial number of duly verified claims, might get special representation with the court. Furthermore, people con­cerned with growing corruption around the world will get additional reasons for uniting and working together since they will get a clear addressee for their work. I believe that this issue cannot be overestimated: In most countries plagu­ed with rampant corruption, citizens remain passive first of all because they are discouraged by the lack of response from both the national regulators, law en­forcement agencies, and even from international investigators since corrupt officials possessing either accounts in Panama or real estate in London don’t feel any pressure inside their own countries.The last advantage of the International Finan­cial Court might beco­me its records which—unlike the records and databases of either In­terpol or nati­onal law enforcers—will be open to the public and electro­nically accessible from any place in the world. This would contribute to the emer­gence of the first truly global database of corrupt officials, doubtful jurisdic­tions, banks involved in processing “dirty money,” as well as the law offices and attorneys most closely linked to money laundering operations. Such an open database may, as I believe, erode the very foundations of the secrecy that allows the international corruption and money laundering to flourish in today’s world.To make one final observation, I would contend that governments in all nati­ons across the world will face very powerful pressure from their citizens to sign the International Finan­cial Court’s statute and to become the part of that global body. In the case that the largest global powers—the United States, China, and Russia—are not participating in the International Criminal Court, it will be much more difficult for those authorities to explain to their subjects why they should remain outside the new system, especially if they are pretending they are doing their best to eliminate corrupt practices inside their own borders. It might be framed as the debate over war crimes—which in many nations are believed to be a “natural part” of the respective countries’ “real sovereignty” (a term widely used in Russia and coined by former Deputy Defense Minister Andrei Kokoshin)—but the negative attitude to corrup­tion and the misuse of power transcends national borders and ideological fractures. Thus, the dissenters in many parts of the globe will get a very simple “foothold,” on which they might hope to make things change.Alexander Lebedev, a Russian entrepreneur and philantropist, is the primary share­holder of the National Reserve Corporation in Moscow and the financial backer of both The Independent and The London Evening Standard in London.Image: Rueters

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

As economies become more interconnected and globalized and the borders between countries and jurisdictions effectively disappear, the complexity of financial trans­actions is reaching new levels. The fundamental difference between the current stage of glo­balization and the previous one that unfolded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries consists of both the direction of capital flows and the entities they originate from. If one looks back, then one might realize that between 1870 and 1913 the major European nations (Great Britain and France) invested abroad 6.5 and 3.7 percent of the­ir GDP respectively. In the case of Great Britain, this amounted to approximately 34 percent of its total capital investments). However, there was virtually no money from “peripheral” countries that was deposited in British and French banks, and there were only a few dozen properties that were ow­ned by investors from these countries. Moreover, if there were cases of wealthy overseas entrepreneurs or noblemen bringing money to the most developed nations of the time, they were well-known, with their properties being perfectly do­cumented. In our day, everything has changed in this regard: every year $800 billion to $2 trillion, or roughly 10 percent of the combined GDP of the European Union, ar­­rives to global financial capitals like London, New York, or Zurich from “developing” countries, many of which are label­led so by mista­ke. Most of this money comes through various “off-shore” jurisdictions that were created after the famous decision by the Bank of England in 1957 that authorized the holding of the deposits in pounds outside Britain, with its owners unknown.In recent decades, a completely new industry has emerged which is focused entirely on processing these funds and putting them in safety outside the countries where they were “harvested.” It includes the investment bankers who attract the money and either deposit it or place it into different investment funds and SICAVS (open-ended, collective investment schemes); the lawyers which oversee a large network of offshore and shell companies, trusts and SPVs which regulate in accordance with current regulation; the crowds of nominal directors and legal owners; the real estate agents and luxury developers who sell the overpriced assets to the super-rich; the producers of exclusive goods from jewellery and watches to luxury cars and megayachts; and even the government officials who elaborate different “citizenship-for-invest­ment” programs. The sco­pe of this group is rather small; I would argue with great certainty that it doesn’t ex­ceed twenty thousand people all around the world. The impact of this new industry on the global economy is enormous. Today, about a third of all multinational corporations’ FDI goes through different tax havens which results in massive tax avoidance; the fi­gures for the corporate sector are unknown, but the most conservative assessments for tax evasion amongst individuals reach $1 trillion per year. The investment funds and large banks which claim to be completely transparent, are often sued for violating different money-laundering acts or sanction regimes—and if are accused and fined, the average fine they agree to pay has sky­rocketed from $22 million in the mid-2000s to $1.6 billion in 2014–2015. The largest fine, at $9 billion, was paid by BNP-Paribas when it settled its dispute with the U.S. Justice Department in June 2014. But how can the legal banking business repay such substantial amounts and manage to stay afloat? What operati­ons aren’t uncovered that allow such funds and banks to prosper? People should not be fooled about their nature as more than $230 billion was laundered in 2007–2015 by the Estonian subsidiary of Danske Bank, which represented a nation with a GDP that is eight times smaller than this sum, and which is proudly ranked eighteenth in the 2018 Global Transparency Index and sixteenth in the Doing Business 2018 survey. Around thirty-five thousand houses and apartments in Lon­don, as it was recently revealed, are owned by compa­nies whose real beneficiaries remain unknown, and in New York City, close to 250,000 apartments in residential buildings are unoccupied, with at least half being bought in the name of offshore companies. I’m not addressing the issue of where the world’s superyachts or business jets are registered—more than 80 percent of these “luxury toys” carry flags of countries with low taxes.All of this depicts the reality of the modern money laundering business that has beco­me part of today’s “financial capitalism.” Many left-wing writers argue that it de­vastates the peripheral nations—and I agree with that argument—but what’s much more im­portant, I believe, is to mention that this new reality harms developed nations just as similarly as developing nations.The “traditional” arguments include the main thesis about “plundering” the peri­pheral countries from where the money originates and of “enrichment” of already wealthy nations where the money is direc­ted—but such a statement is not suffi­cient. First of all, the inflow of dirty funds from the global “South” distorts the normal functioning of European and American business. The cities to which the super-rich flock are becoming too expensive for the locals and their econo­my often becomes disrupted and is pushed to the brink of crisis. More and more city dwel­lers are sque­ezed into suburbs, and the local authorities must invest more money into afforda­ble housing. In London, these allocations rose to £3.15 billion which are to be spent on new ninety thousand affordable homes between 2017 and 2020. The financial system is overloaded by launde­red funds and bubb­les become more widespread and common. As I mentioned earlier, in some cases, illicit dealings with money flows from the global periphery lead to claims and pe­nalties by the authorities, which in turn only push the bankers to take a higher-ris­k business strategy to cover the losses. The governments of European count­ri­es are facing dilemmas with the new capital inflows: on the one hand they should encourage them but on the ot­her they feel obliged to defend their political and judiciary system from corrupti­on. But with three-fifths of the United Kingdom’s richest residents being either foreign nationals or foreign-born (as are thirty-five out of fifty-five billionaires residing in London), it becomes more problematic from year to year.But there is another side of the issue which is much less studied. As poorer nations become more corrupt and their politicians and businessmen try to channel their capital to Europe, the quality of life in these countries decreases even further, and desperate peo­ple start to emigrate. Of the top ten countries that have seen the highest levels of emigration into the EU in the 2010s, eight (Pakistan, Ukraine, Iran, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Syria) are found at the lowest ranks (from 117 and 178) in the 2018 Corruption Perception Index. So by accepting hundreds of millions of dollars into European banks, the European authorities must pay dozens of billions of euros to accommodate new migrants while also facing growing social tensions caused by this inflow. Moreover, I would add that emigration from the peripheral nations, which is caused by the corrupt governments, jeopardizes their development since it deprives them of their best human capital, which has resulted in ma­ny cases in ethnic and civil conflicts which often descend into full-scale civil war (this was the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after Mobutu Sese Seko, one of the world’s corrupt dictators, fled to France where his fortune was kept, in 1997). Western countries are then forced to spend additional billions to provi­de food, medical care, and even armed humanitarian assistance to the nations ruled by the most renown kleptocrats. This is a very high price for the joy of allowing several thousand people to manage money laundering operations from their luxury offices in London or Zürich—and I would also argue that this joy contributes to an “import of corruption” from the global periphery to the core (I am reminded of the well-known story of a Scottish-based “laundromat” that allowed the Azerbaijani political elite to squeeze billions of dollars from its country and to use it, inter alia, to co­ver legitimate lobbying for Azerbaijan and its state-owned companies in European capitals).But why does the fight against this evil appear so ineffective? Why are the people that stripped their states of their taxpayers’ money, presided over the largest delibe­rate bank failures, or those engaged in looting the na­tural resources of their co­untries, all still living in Europe without experiencing any consequences? I think at least fo­ur systemic problems exist that make this possible. First, I would argue that the main focus these days is made on one issue—on the so called “problematic jurisdictions” which the West’s authorities believe are either engaged in offshore banking or lack the necessary financial regulations. Many lists of these countries were drafted in recent years, with the American “Financial Action Task Force” (FATF) and the European Union’s list being the most well-known. As of Jan. 1, 2012, the first one comprised forty states and territories, and the second as of March 2019 has sixteen. Both do not include, for example, either Russia nor China. Russia was successfully removed from the FATF list back in 2003 and has never appeared on the European Union’s list—even tho­ugh it’s a common point that the Russians are among the lar­gest final beneficiaries of companies that own real estate in the UK, Spain, and some other European countries. China never appeared on both lists while the offshore companies controlled by the Chinese are among the most active buyers of expen­sive mansions in the United States. At the same times, there are many countries on the list that might harbour terrorists and jihadis, but do not possess either the funds to be launde­r­ed nor the modern banking systems that would allow to transfer these money into the European banks. The excessive attention to the “intermediate” countries rather than to the places from where the money really originates is, I believe, the first tre­mendous challenge the fight against money laundering faces today.Second, the control over the allegedly dirty money in the “recipient” countries is quite weak. I would say that the very term “due diligence” shouldn’t be used for the description of what’s going on in Europe and in the United States. One can remember the most famous cases—like the case of Arthur Andersen insisting on Enron’s firmness five months prior to its bankruptcy; the case of Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch drawing the AAA ratings to the “subprime” mortgage-backed securities in the wake of the 2008 crisis; the case of Wachovia which laundered close to $500 billion of drug cartels affiliated money in 2000s, etc. If it co­mes to purchases of the expensive real estate, as one can see, remaining in the shadows is even easier. The “investments” into the wealthy countries are welco­med by their governments—today, even the EU nations effectively sell citi­zenships or permanent residencies in hun­dreds of ways with the cheapest ones (as in Malta, Cyprus or Bulgaria) requiring not mo­re than Є1.2-2.0 million to attain citizenship. The British, who introduced “unexplained wealth orders” as part of the Criminal Finances Act of 2017, used this tool to prosecute only one person since the orders went into force—and I would remind that there are thirty-five thousand real estate units in Lon­don with a value of around $70 billion, which were paid for by unknown sources and belong to undisclosed owners. A total revision of the banking ac­counts owned by foreign residents and/or com­pani­es, as well as the real esta­te bought by such entities should be under way—but in most cases the lo­cal authorities prefer only to le­vy additional taxes on such objects rather than find the sources of mo­ney that bought them.Third, I would say that there’s a fascinating multitude of laws and regulations that are applied to tracking money flows in different countries. No pan-Eu­ropean register of real estate exists; the banking regulations in Switzerland differ greatly from those in the EU countries; special regimes like the Liechtenstein-based trusts or Sociétés civiles d’immobilier founded in Monaco or Luxembourg are used for acquiring objects throughout Europe; British law is different from the continental one and will become even more different after Brexit is finalized. At the same time, all these jurisdictions are considered “safe”—so if someone sells a mansion in the UK or transfers funds from his Swiss bank account there will be no formal procedures in place to verify money’s origins. Without all these rules being standardized, if not unified, any progress in combating money laundering practices seems to be a pipe-dream—but I would say that in recent years the legislation is becoming rather more diversified than normalized. Of course, in some cases there might be expectations—like the one that happens today with the Russians who become extremely “toxic” if it comes to opening new banking accounts or acquiring property; but I would argue it happens not so much be­cause of the spread of corruption in Russia or since Russia’s “presen­ce” is too obvious in Europe, but exclusively due to the sanctions against Russia that were introduced because of the violation of international law and interfere­nce into other nations’ domestic affairs.Fourth, there is another issue which deals with the growing problem of “state capture” on the world’s periphery. I’m addressing the very simple fact that most countries, if their authorities suppose some money parked in their banks or used for acquiring some property there, used to ask the authorities of those states where either the money or its owner originated from, and about his criminal records or/and the nature of the mentioned funds. If the originating country is not only corrupt, but acts as a state totally “captured” by its ruling elite where money is ea­sily exchanged for power, and vice versa, its authorities would prove the absence of any wrongdoings. Some authors argue that these days the political eli­tes in many countries have completely merged with the business ones, and call such nations a business-states—so in all these cases the Western judiciary looks almost impotent in ad­dressing the most vital money laundering cases. The renowned international bo­dies, like, e.g., Interpol, are also acting on the same basis and will not hunt anyone in case the national bureaus initiate the search. So I would say once again that if some wealthy person from a deeply corrupt state with good political con­nections launders money in Europe or the United States, there is highly unlikely she or he will be accused of any wrongdoing (even if regimes collapse, nothing may change—e.g., Ukrainian authorities after the Euromaidan did virtually nothing for chasing the funds of corrupt officials from the previous government owned in the European countries).So what is to be done in such circumstances?I would argue that what we need is an institution that is able to confront money lau­n­dering activity and all types of corruption globally, or at least for the sake of all developed countries where dirty money are accumulated and invested. Therefo­re, we need an international organization that can either establish new rules for fi­gh­ting illegal financial operations or at least use the existing ones on its own, without needing to as­k governments for approving its actions. If one takes all these points into ac­count the only option that suits them all will be to create an International Finan­cial Court since the judiciary is the branch of authority that acts independently from the executive. Such an International Finan­cial Court might possess several crucial features.To start with, the court can be established by several nations and blocks which consider themselves as “transparent” and “doing their best” to fight financial fraud. The European Union, the United Kingdom (in case Brexit finally happens), Japan, Canada, and some Asian countries relatively free from corruption might become the founding signatories to its statute (another approach may be based, for exam­ple, on invol­ving all the OECD nations into the new venture—and if the count­­ries that benefit the most from these schemes, like the United States or Britain, will oppo­se the measure, it could be introduced either by France or even by some of the pe­ripheral countries). The major idea behind this move is that the court may first make its rulings based on natio­nal legislation (e.g., the British law about Unexplained Wealth Orders), but these rulings will have an equal power in all the states that ratified the court’s statute. In the long run, therefore, the anti-corruption and anti-money laundering practices of all the “transparent” and “decent” nations will move closer to one another and may eventually even merge into one code of conduct. There is a long story in the West telling us how effective the courts had been in implemen­ting laws and treaties that were adopted by executive authorities. The Fourteenth Amen­d­ment to the U.S. Constitution declaring equal rights for African Americans in 1868, was de facto enacted by the 1954 Supreme Court ru­ling in the Brown v. The Board of Education case, while the provisions of the Tre­a­ty of Rome which established the European Communities in 1957 beca­me fully im­plemented only after European Court of Justice’s landmark Cassis de Dijon ruling of 1979. The courts, I would argue, have a powerful say in putting into acti­on the laws and rules that already exist but are easy to be avoided, and this is the major reason why I am advocating for a new international judicial institution to combat these problems.What makes the new anti corruption vehicle so different from any other international organization?First of all is its independent character. The  International Finan­cial Court might be able to nominate in­dependent counsels, prosecutors and investigators not reporting to the national law enforcement agencies, with their powers co­vering the territory of all parti­cipating states. Its rulings, as I already noted, should have uni­versal reach—that means that, in due course, they will be implemented into the national legislation. Both features greatly enhance the court’s reach and authority.The next crucial point is the system of claims behind the cases the court investigates and deliberates. These claims might be filed by any private or corporate person who considers itself a complainant or aggri­eved—and in this case the set of actors might be very wide, beginning from any taxpayer in the country where money originates or from a client of any bank ruined by its owners. The claims would be directed towards any citizen of the country where the money goes whose ri­ghts have been violated by the decreasing level of decency in his country’s governing authorities caused by the inflow of “dirty funds.” This me­ans the propo­sed option is able to overcome the negligence of the national investigators who, for different re­asons, might be disinclined from launching an inquiry into the nature of unexplained funds or its uses inside the receiving nations’ financial do­mains.Yet what may become the court’s greatest advantage is its powers to block and arrest the funds and assets owned or controlled by the citizens of the countries which did not become signatories of its Statute, but whose funds and assets are on the territory of its member na­tions. This very fact might undermine the fundamental principle of safety that today motiva­tes corrupt individuals and entities from around the world to hide their property ab­road: just imagine how senseless such a move will become if an anti-corruption activist’s documented claim sent from the country where the money was stolen, can cause the seizure of funds in the country where either the real estate was ac­quired or the bank deposit was opened. Even though the court may not become a well functioning institution overnight, it can be anticipated as a crucial danger by anybody engaged in corrupt and illicit financial operations around the world, therefore, greatly curb the inflows of “dirty money” from the peripheral nations to the developed ones.Moreover, and this is extremely important for the revitalization of the global civil society, the anti-corruption activists across the globe would, for the first time, get a proper global partner whom they might appeal. Organizations like the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, not to mention less renown national groupings who will submit a substantial number of duly verified claims, might get special representation with the court. Furthermore, people con­cerned with growing corruption around the world will get additional reasons for uniting and working together since they will get a clear addressee for their work. I believe that this issue cannot be overestimated: In most countries plagu­ed with rampant corruption, citizens remain passive first of all because they are discouraged by the lack of response from both the national regulators, law en­forcement agencies, and even from international investigators since corrupt officials possessing either accounts in Panama or real estate in London don’t feel any pressure inside their own countries.The last advantage of the International Finan­cial Court might beco­me its records which—unlike the records and databases of either In­terpol or nati­onal law enforcers—will be open to the public and electro­nically accessible from any place in the world. This would contribute to the emer­gence of the first truly global database of corrupt officials, doubtful jurisdic­tions, banks involved in processing “dirty money,” as well as the law offices and attorneys most closely linked to money laundering operations. Such an open database may, as I believe, erode the very foundations of the secrecy that allows the international corruption and money laundering to flourish in today’s world.To make one final observation, I would contend that governments in all nati­ons across the world will face very powerful pressure from their citizens to sign the International Finan­cial Court’s statute and to become the part of that global body. In the case that the largest global powers—the United States, China, and Russia—are not participating in the International Criminal Court, it will be much more difficult for those authorities to explain to their subjects why they should remain outside the new system, especially if they are pretending they are doing their best to eliminate corrupt practices inside their own borders. It might be framed as the debate over war crimes—which in many nations are believed to be a “natural part” of the respective countries’ “real sovereignty” (a term widely used in Russia and coined by former Deputy Defense Minister Andrei Kokoshin)—but the negative attitude to corrup­tion and the misuse of power transcends national borders and ideological fractures. Thus, the dissenters in many parts of the globe will get a very simple “foothold,” on which they might hope to make things change.Alexander Lebedev, a Russian entrepreneur and philantropist, is the primary share­holder of the National Reserve Corporation in Moscow and the financial backer of both The Independent and The London Evening Standard in London.Image: Rueters

August 21, 2019 at 12:44PM via IFTTT

[lottiegulley-blog]

Hackers Are Stealing Tens of millions In Cryptocurrency Throughout ICOs

Bitcoin has about 10,000 trusted nodes whereas Ripple has solely five. - Bitcoin cryptodailynews transactions are anonymous. $5,000 "in a couple of years, we aren't far away proper now. Not a lot thought is given to the implementation or problems as a result of "the returns are huge and that i don't desire to overlook out". If you cannot wait, you'll find yourself dropping out on future earnings. Search a correct rule of legislation, one which conforms to nature, and society will prosper! This is one of the primary the explanation why you need to look on the potential end users. With Bitcoin and most other digital currencies, the ledgers are "decentralized", meaning everybody on the community gets a replica, so nobody has to trust a 3rd social gathering, comparable to a bank, because anyone can instantly verify the information. As soon as they'll cover this, we probably will find a inventive low, here. Publisher: David Michael Wood It could actually often be daunting when first working with a network advertising company.

$A thousand was first breached in January 2017 and since then it has increased 4 times already till September. If you would like to assist a society that lacks wealth, you need to first role mannequin a proper rule of regulation to them! However as Stiglitz says, the Bitcoin pyramid game doesn't actually play any socially helpful role. One other aim for Litecoin was to avoid concurrence to Bitcoin. Is Bitcoin a Response to US Dollar Hegemony? Bitcoin is certainly stronger than ever, but there would possibly even be blood in the water - despite the value of bitcoins rising, so too did the altcoin markets grew in leaps and bounds. The good news is that there are not any other charges so that you can pay, including maintenance and electricity. There were no mastercoin-denominated charges in the system, the transactions as an alternative paid the usual Bitcoin transaction fees. Perhaps bored with ready for consensus to emerge, maybe prompted by Roger Ver's ambitions, Bitcoin Unlimited began to rally individuals behind its arduous fork.

The second reason why folks don’t spend their cryptocurrencies is tied to the first: it is not but handy to spend Bitcoin. Individuals who shout the collapse concentrate solely to the price of bitcoin, however it seems that the slope is gentle enough to ignore. This Prepaid Card integrates the highest cryptocurrencies right into a single usable bodily and virtual card: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Centra Token (CTR), Dash, Litecoin, Zcash, and Monero with future assets being added. How might the advent of Bitcoin affect central bank thinking? With that comes the central level of the biggest concern I foresee. Considering gold investing in gold bars efficiently requires research and foresight, but the evidence that gold costs are rising is obtainable if you already know the place to look. Investing in apartment buildings, you aren't only getting paid but additionally deducting the earnings tax. If a person reads the snippet underneath the link within the Google search, likes it and clicks, you've simply earned.That it is why a good abstract is key to getting clicks, this is your snippet textual content.

I encourage Main Avenue traders to be open to those alternatives, however to ask good questions, demand clear answers and apply good common sense when doing so. Since when does doing algebra immediately create a worthwhile asset? I am not even certain the right way to exactly define what I imply by secure asset. A minimum of, it definitely seems to have all the properties which might be desired in a safe asset. Are those regular updates, releases and complete high quality of the project don’t show the skilled expertise now we have? In a sense, Russian experience reveals the route that many oil exporting economies are heading within the age of low oil costs: the course of accelerated fiscal and financial responses and gradual structural financial reforms. When you see clearly from the beneficial properties I've made on the high proportion acquire, they are all small absolute amount at finest and contributed nothing significant to the general portfolio. They're held electronically and nobody has control over it both. Why the fiat currencies are higher than other setups?

The velocity at which Bitcoins are mined is measured in hashes. - No Authorities, Association, Body, Individual, Group, and so on. controls Bitcoins. Finally, I would wish to wish everyone a terrific Xmas to all readers as we began winding down in the direction of the brand new 12 months. This address is only a string of letters and digits, like 31uEbMgunupShBVTewXjtqbBv5MndwfXhb, which serve as an identifier. This exercise contained in the cryptoworld is much much less intense than the imbalances between the cryptoworld and the actual world which is why the relative altcoins' prices oscillate a lot less dramatically than the person altcoin costs. Failed trades recuperate infrequently, they usually usually get worse. Workout excessive care so that you don't get conned. The downside is that a miner would need to commit to the scale of a block before mining - in the event that they find a solution to a normal difficulty, they would not be in a position to make use of that to publish the block.

[hardrock-lafayette]

Dadsona Character Sheet!

Basic Statistics Name: Seth Alexander Davis Nickname: Seth, sometimes it's honey/baby bear; dadtron, dad, and dadarino are Amanda's favorite nicknames. Meaning of name: Appointed defender of the people Origin of name: Greek/Hebrew origins Age: 38 Sex: Male Blood type: O- Nationality: European Ethnicity: British Race: Caucasian Sexual Orientation: Gay Current status: Widowed Political Party: Democratic Police/Criminal/Legal record: None Socioeconomic level as a child: Middle class Socioeconomic level as an adult: Middle class Birth date: August 21, 1977 Birth place: London, England Current residence: Maple Bay, United States Occupation: Full-time dad Title/Rank: The Cool Dad™ Hobbies/Pastimes: Making endless dad puns that his daughter groans at Talents/Skills/Powers: Can cook without burning the house down. Past History Hometown: London, England First Memory: His mom telling him that he was going to do great things someday. Most important childhood event that still affects him/her: His mom dying when he was 15. Why/How? He realized then that tomorrow isn't guaranteed and he needed to live it to the fullest. Other memories/events that still affects him/her and why/how: His husband dying in a car crash. He was suddenly shifted from a partnered relationship with his husband and daughter to it just being the two of them. Past failures s/he would be embarrassed to have people know about and why: He didn't graduate until he was eighteen because he didn't want to know that his mom wouldn't see him graduate. Biggest role model: His daughter, Amanda. Why? She's an intelligent young woman and she loves him no matter what. Biggest disillusions from childhood: N/A Backstory: He doesn't like to share that with anyone. Physical Characteristics Height: 5'11" Weight: 145lbs Posture: That of someone who wanted to get into professional music. Build: He may be lanky and skinny, but he is strong. Skin: Fair, but more tan where he gets sun a lot. Hair: Brown, pulled up in a bun most of the time. Widow's peak? No. Ears: Normal sized, holes from past ear piercings Eyes: Bright blue, sometimes his eyes look grey in certain light. Nose: European shaped nose Mouth: Full lips with blue snake bites Face shape: Oval Expressions: Any kind, he has dimples as well. Describe their smile: Soft, but when it's genuine, it reaches his eyes and he giggles when he genuinely smiles. Hands: He has big hands (mostly long fingers) and they're strong from holding Amanda as she grew up. Feet: His shoe size is a 6 and he always keeps his toenails trimmed. Tattoos/Scars? He has a sleeve of tattoos on his left arm that's full of meaningful things to him. Glasses/Contacts? Glasses. Amanda calls them his "nerd dad glasses". Left/Right handed? Right handed. Distinguishing features: He has a faint scar on his jaw from when he had to have surgery on it. Who does s/he take after; mother or father? Mother. He's kind and loving like she was. Style (Elegant, shabby, etc): A mix of elegant and casual. How does s/he dress or what do they typically wear? It depends on where he's going. He usually dresses in casual elegance. Other outfits one might find in their wardrobe: a navy blue suit from when he and Alex got married. Jewelry: His wedding ring on a gold chain, his lip rings. Other accessories: Sometimes he wears a choker, but not often. Weapons: He carries a pocket knife and he owns Alex's handgun and has a permit for it. Health: Excellent despite all the junk food and carbs. Hygiene: Great Physical Flaws: He has very bad knees and he often trips over nothing. Physical Qualities: He is very strong, and he works out a lot to try and help with his knees. Characteristics Are they generally balanced or clumsy? Clumsy, though he is a good mix of both. Mannerisms/Poses/Movement: Describe their walk: He walks like a normal human, but he limps a bit on the days where his knees are hurting a lot. Describe their fighting style: He fights like a stereotypical white girl. Yeah, it's funny to watch. Habits/OCDs/Obsessions: He bites his lip, fiddles with things, and taps his foot. Speech Patterns: Unique phrases/words: He says "oh fridge nuggets!" When he's trying not to swear. Do they curse, and if so, to what extent? He swears like a sailor. Write a piece of dialogue that this character might say (can be between someone else): "Amanda Ann! What are you doing in the cookie dough?!" Voice: Medium pitch, but can go high or low depending on who he's talking to. Describe their laugh: It varies, it cannot be pinpointed. Describe their sleep patterns (light/heavy sleeper, no sleep, sleeps too often, etc): Has trouble falling asleep, but sleeps well when he finally can sleep. Describe their dwelling/house: A two bedroom, one bathroom house in the quiet town of Maple Bay in a cul-de-sac. Describe their bedroom: Organized chaos. Describe their daily rituals: He gets up with Amanda and sees her off to school, then goes to the gym. May occasionally go barhopping with Mary and Robert. Psychological/Personality Attributes and Attitudes Intelligence Level: He has a bachelors degree in theatre. Known Languages: Counting English, three. French and Spanish are the other two. Character's long-term goals/desires in life: To be the best dad for Amanda. Character's short-term goals/desires in life: To help prepare Amanda for college. Secret desires: None How self-confident is the character? Not very confident, but he tries to fake it. How do they see him/herself? He sees himself as a shy, antisocial nerd How do they believe s/he is perceived by others? See question above. What is the character most proud of? Amanda. What does the character like least about themselves? The fact that he still isn't over his husband's death. How do they express themselves? Through puns and heart-to-hearts. Is this character generally dominant or submissive? Submissive. Patience level: Very high. Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Some combination thereof. Most at ease when: Everyone is happy and calm. Ill at ease when: Everything goes wrong. Describe their sense of humor: Dad puns and dick jokes. If granted one wish, what would it be? To see Amanda be the person that she wants to be. Why? Because he just wants to be a good dad to her. Character/Personality/Mental/Social Strengths: He is a positive thinker, he knows how to make things not awkward, he keeps in touch with all of his friends, and he loves to read. Character/Personality/Mental/Social Flaws: He often has breaks where his mental illnesses catch up to him. If they could be described with one of the seven virtues, which would it be? Kindness If they could be described with one of the seven sins, which would it be? Sloth Biggest Vulnerability (non physical): Anything to do with his daughter. Optimist or Pessimist: Optimistic Introvert or extrovert: Introvert Greatest Fear: Losing Amanda and being alone in the world. Other Fears/Insecurities/Phobias: Don't get him started on that. Emotional/psychological/social peculiarities: He has PTSD, Panic and Anxiety Disorder, and Severe Clinical Depression and is on medication for it. Biggest regret: Not getting to see his husband before he died. He was at work. Other regrets: Too many to name Biggest accomplishment: Becoming a dad to an awesome daughter and marrying the man of his dreams. Minor accomplishments: Getting into college, starting in his first Broadway musical before Amanda was born. Musical talents/instruments: He sings and plays the violin Character's darkest/deepest secret: He self harms sometimes, and not even Amanda knows. Minor Secrets: Like he would tell. Likes/Dislikes Likes: Amanda, puppies, animals in general, food. Dislikes: SOCIALIZING Favorite...: Color: Pastel blue Clothing: Flannels Place: Inside, preferably by a fireplace with a book. Room in the house and why: The living room, because that's where he and Amanda hang out. Food/drinks: Any food, but he doesn't like soda. Any food too. Music genre: Punk rock/Alternative Songs and Singers/Bands: Fall Out Boy, MCR, Twenty Øne Piløts, Echosmith, Marina and the Diamonds, Melanie Martinez, Paramore, Santana Movies/TV Shows/Performances: Sherlock, any Marvel movie, musicals Actors/Performers: Lin Manuel-Miranda, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds Book(s): Gone With The Wind, the entire Harry Potter series, To Kill A Mockingbird, anything he picks up. Historical figure: Alexander Hamilton Subject in school: Drama Animal: Wolf Least Favorite...: Clothing: Suits Place: A crowded restaurant with screaming children. Food: None Music genre: Country Subject in school: Math Simple Pleasures: Spending time with Amanda Greater Pleasures: Finding someone new to love. Where does this character like to hang out? He loves hanging out at bookstores and quiet places. Where is this character's dream place to live? Hogwarts. What sorts of books are most likely to be found on their shelves? Romantic novels, fantasy, fiction Motto/Personal quote: "Cheating isn't something that everyone does. If you don't love the person you're with, leave them." Mode of transportation: Car Most prized possession: Besides Amanda, it's a pocket watch that Alex bought him for his birthday. Why? It was the last birthday present he got from his husband. Emotional Characteristics Describe character's sense of morals: Strict morals, but believes that morals sometimes need to be ignored. If they could sum up the meaning of life, what would they say?: To change the world in any way possible. What do they consider taboo (something they personally would never do): Even he doesn't know. Describe character's etiquette: He has very good manners, and tries to teach them to Amanda. Describe character's sense of self-control: Very self-controlled, but often loses that control if around a favorite pastime of his. Spontaneous or structured? Both. Instinctual or logical? Both. How does this character act in public? He is very polite, and he tries not to offend anyone. How does this character act in privacy? Same as in public, but with more silliness. How does this character act around strangers vs. how they act around friends? Same as how he acts in public and at home, respectively. How does this character act around family? He only sees Amanda, so he tries to be the Cool Dad™. How has this character most changed from youth? He isn't as shy and reserved. How have they remained the same? He still has his punny humor. Has this character dealt with the loss of someone they knew? Yes. If so, who? His husband and mother. How has it affected them? It's caused his mental illnesses, but he tries not to let it affect him. How does this character deal with or react to...: Conflict/Danger: He stands tall, especially if it's about Amanda. Rejection: He brushes it off, but it really tears him up inside. Fear: If he's around Amanda, he gets away and tries to calm down. Change: Reacts very well, one of the perks of losing the two biggest people in your life I guess. Loss: He takes it horribly. He didn't even get outside when Alex died. Sex/Flirting: He thinks that sex is okay, but if you're committed to someone, then you shouldn't sleep with anyone else. Pain: He doesn't feel a lot of pain. He has a high pain tolerance. Stress: He deals with it horribly, worse than loss. He will not sleep if he's stressed. Peer pressure: He is immune to it. Guilt: Horribly, he will apologize if he feels guilty, even if he was right. Being wrong: He accepts that everyone is wrong sometimes. Being criticized: He listens, but if it turns to insults, watch out. Being insulted (superficially: name calling, etc): He gets really angry and immediately squares up. Offending others: He hates offending anyone, and tries to avoid it. Praise: He turns into a blushing mess. Being loved: He likes the feeling of being loved. Being hated: If you hate him, he's okay with that. Humiliation: He hates it. How does this character express...? Anger: He pops off, then storms off to cool off. Sadness: He rarely cries in front of anyone. Fear: He goes to calm down, but he shakes and cries depending on how scared he is. Happiness/Excitement: He's like a hyper child. Love (Consider the "Five Languages of Love"): He expresses his love through worry. Lust: He flirts shamelessly. Stress/anxiety: He refuses sleep and chugs coffee. Dislike (of a person, thing, or idea): He smiles and nods. Approval (of a person, thing, or idea): He keeps a straight face and crosses his arms. How does this character generally express themselves? Through dad puns. What does this character think/feel about...? Marriage: He loves the idea of being with someone you love forever. Children: He loves children, hence why he loves Amanda. Family/Family Values: Family values are very important. Children/Youth: He doesn't like his youth, but he tried to help Amanda have a good childhood. Old age: He thinks he'll still look good in old age. Sex: He loves it. Love: Craves it. Friendship/Other relationships: He lives friends! Homosexuality: YES. The opposite sex: They're great shopping friends. The same sex: Men are nice. 👌🏻 Money/Material things: He wants to have money, but he isn't so attached to it. Politics: What has the US come to? Religion: He believes in God, but doesn't go to church. Sex/Romantic Life What do they consider to be a romantic setting/activity/date? Anything involving his partner. What did they do on their first date? He and Alex went to the beach on their first date. Virgin? No. Describe his/her sex life: Very good. How often does this character have sex? He hasn't had sex for years since his husband died. How long can he/she go without sex? Years. How does this character feel emotionally, after sex? Very satisfied. Does this character have self control around individuals of their sexual desire? Describe: No. He is a shameless flirt. Does sex play an important role in their relationships, if so, how? No. Turn-ons: You'll have to ask him, but one is strong Dad arms 👌🏻😍 Turn-offs: You'll have to ask him. Fetishes/Fantasies: Why do you want to know? Usually on the top or bottom? B O T T O M. Dominant or Submissive? Submissive, but can be a power bottom. Describe their first sexual experience: It was with Alex, and he was very gentle and slow. At what age? 18. Was it planned/originally intended? Yes. Was it consensual? Yes. How did they feel emotionally, afterwards? Very happy. Spiritual Characteristics Religion: He believes in God, but he also thinks other religions are valid. Does the character believe in a god or goddess? Yes, he believes in God. Chinese Zodiac: //Will add later// Astrological Zodiac: //Will add later// Element: //Will add later// Other What song best fits this character? Fairly Local by Twenty One Pilots If you could compare this character to an existing character, who would s/he be and why? Deadpool because he's hilarious and makes weird jokes. If you could choose an actor for this character, who would it be? Ryan Reynolds or Danny Avidan. If you could choose a voice actor for this character, who would it be? Lin Manuel-Miranda. Who/what was your character inspired by? The dads in Dream Daddy.

[johnstewart1-blog1]

For The Best Low Light Cameras This Year - What You Need To Know Before You Buy.

this year, people shopping for for the Best Low Light Cameras have a lot to look forward to. You need to take a photographer's age into account, as well as their abilities. The reason for thinking about ability is there are many differences in the cameras. Many of them have more features, and some are difficult to operate. Digital cameras are an excellent way to help your photographers learn about our technologically-based world. Taking pictures, as well as videos, can be done. You can also edit them together if you want. In the following paragraphs, we will go over some of the top choices for for the Best Low Light Cameras on the market. Visit our website, http://drentchedphotography.com/the-eight-best-low-light-cameras-on-the-market/ for effective information about low light cameras right now.

A good camera, the 3-In-1 Squeeze Digital Camera for users, is probably right up your alley. If you compare this camera to more expensive ones, you'll notice that you get many features for a much lower price. Despite all of the features on this camera, it does cost less than many others, and for specific reasons. The main drawback (though users may not notice) is the fact that picture quality is quite limited. This camera comes with a handy timer, WebCam and a video recorder making it very feature-rich. Once you take videos with this camera, understand that you cannot play them back on the LCD screen. This is basically something that the manufacturer left out, more than likely to save money. Have you heard of useriZoom Plus? It is a great camera for users of all ages. A camera like this should only be given to users seven years of age or older. Even though this camera has a wide range of versatile features, it is easy to use, and usually problem free. When you look at for the Best Low Light Cameras, the resolution amounts are typically far less. It is actually one of the highest resolution cameras for users on the market. useriZoom Plus comes with two megapixels for taking pictures. It also has top honors for the memory that it has. In addition to plenty of memory space, there's a SD slot for even more memory if desired.

One of the better cameras for users is the useriZoom digital camera by VTech. Have you heard of it? VTech really put a lot into the style and design to make it attractive for photographers. But there's a lot more to it than that because it's a solid quality camera. users absolutely love this camera! It has so many features, and its functionality is incredible too. In general, useriZoom is very user-friendly, and a photographer will have a blast with it. Once they start taking pictures and videos, and editing them, the rest will be history. Of course there are games which is fairly standard with the better user digital cameras. In conclusion, before you buy a digital camera for your user, make sure they really want one. Even though some cameras are not that expensive, wasting money is not a good idea. In general, users like to shoot videos with cameras. You need to ask a photographer if this is something they would be interested in doing. Some cameras do not offer camcorder functions, so just be sure about what you're getting.

It doesn't matter what the occasion may be, getting for the Best Low Light Cameras this year is very ideal. Chances are excellent a photographer loves video and would also love to make them. In most cases, digital cameras have camcorders inside. users with cameras can take pictures, and videos; they can also edit them by themselves. photographers today could have so much fun with this type of camera, especially if the features are quite unusual. You need to look on the web and find reviews on the product that you are thinking about buying before you actually get one.

One of the better cameras on the market, the user Tough digital camera, is excellent to use, but doesn't have games or camcorder capabilities. Although this may seem negative at first glance, it's much more simple for young users to use. It is so simple to use. users have a considerable time using it, which makes it a great product. It's very good for taking pictures of things at a distance. It has a 4x zoom feature built right in. When you look at the user Tough camera, resolution comes to mind. You're young photographer will actually get 1.3 megapixel resolution when using this camera. This camera is actually considerable for 3 to 7 -year-old users.

If you are looking for a good digital camera to buy for your slight destructive photographer, then you should check out the user Tough. Construction that is durable is a selling point that works well for any photographer under six years old. The low resolution might not be a problem to a three year old, but being exposed to so much technology at a young age, you never know. If your photographers are nearer to ten years old, you probably should look into a different camera altogether. A lot of times you have to go with the priority feature. To make the camera purchase worthwhile, it needs to last long enough or take enough pictures.

You might think about getting the user Tough digital camera for your users because it is a superb camera. A few other cameras may have more features, but not many. users sometimes drop things and too many times can ruin a camera, so the user Tough is a good choice.

Your users will find the user Tough very easy to use and that is one thing that is very important, especially for busy mothers. The last thing that you need to do after checking out all the available digital cameras for your users is compare features, price and how user friendly the camera is. When looking for a digital camera for your users, it is wise to assess the abilities of the ones who will be using the camera, and if necessary you may need to buy more than one type of camera. As you can see, digital Cameras change over time. a photographer might outgrow the one you buy rather quickly. It is important that you become aware of the age restrictions and recommendations. In most cases, photographers that are five years of age or older will outgrow the users camera that they have now. Just find the ideal match for your photographers now, and deal with the changes as they  occur.

photographers can have their own digital cameras this year, and you will notice that the features are just scaled down from cameras for adults. When you look at some of the features of the new cameras, you will see that what users watch on TV has been taken advantage of. So read the features carefully because the specific appeals to things like cartoon characters may be the strongest selling point. Unless a photographer is around three years old, that is really not that impressive. So they will get the most fun, try to match the camera to a photographer as best you can.

One of the better cameras on the market, the user Tough digital camera, is great to use, but doesn't have games or camcorder capabilities. That may seem like a negative at first glance, but it also makes it simpler for younger photographers. Younger users will have an easier time operating it, which will make it much more fun to use. It's very good for taking pictures of things at a distance. It has a 4x zoom feature built right in. Another area where the user Tough stands out is resolution. It's a little surprising at 13 megapixels of resolution for such a young target market. A good age guideline for this digital camera is 3 to 7 years. The Crayola userz digital camera is a good camera for your users, plus it is inexpensive. Quality and low price tend not to go hand-in-hand, however. This camera has a lot of good design features, and many other positive aspects. Some people have actually reported that the Crayola userz camera has deleted images intermittently. Sometimes you can't retake the image, and this will be very upsetting since it is gone. You'll be very disappointed, in fact, if this occurs. It is possible to make puppet characters, and alter your images, with the software that is included.

Any photographer that likes to take pictures inside their home, or at dusk or dawn, will appreciate the low light level features on the Sesame Street Real Digital camera. The resolution on this camera is extremely low, only 0.3 megapixels - your users will definitely take notice! A camera that is supposed to be for users has to be very durable, able to take a beating and not break. photographers will occasionally drop things, which is why any camera that you give them has to be able to take lots of impacts. When it comes to durability, this particular camera fails time and time again. There are some nice features such as adequate internal memory of 8 MB and a slot for an SD card. The fact that this camera can break with a single drop, you might want to think twice about this camera before getting it for a photographer. In conclusion, your photographers will probably outgrow their camera as they get older. You need to consider the recommended age for any camera that you get your photographers. The general guideline is that users, five and older, will probably not use users cameras for very long. Just find the ideal match for your photographers now, and deal with the changes as they  occur.

It doesn't matter what the occasion may be, getting for the Best Low Light Cameras this year is very ideal. Chances are excellent a photographer loves video and would also love to make them. Most digital cameras have camcorders built right into them. It is easy for users to not only take pictures and shoot videos, but they can edit them in a snap. photographers today could have so much fun with this type of camera, especially if the features are quite unusual. You need to read online reviews on any camera that you want to buy prior to purchasing it for a photographer to use.

If any of your photographers like Disney, the Pix Jr digital camera might be the right one to get. It is very similar to other high-quality cameras were photographers on the market today. Your users can take pictures like grown-ups with the LCD screen display. In regard to durability, this camera is really tough and can last a long time (even with users!). Included software is the Disney Pix photo editing package. They can have fun with the Disney characters that they like which is good for them. The downfall to Pix Jr is primarily in the area of memory, and the lack of features in comparison to other cameras. But this is terrific for younger users who will not necessarily miss the features.

If you are looking for a good digital camera to buy for your slight destructive photographer, then you should check out the user Tough. If a photographer is somewhere between three and six years old, then the feature of durable construction is one of the better selling points. A three year old probably won't have a problem with the low resolution, but you never know, since users are exposed to technology at such a young age. You will need to plan on getting a photographer a new camera, once they start getting closer to ten years old. The feature that has the most priority is the one you will usually go with. You can probably get along without certain specs, but you need to have the camera survive for a certain length of time.

If your users do a lot of indoor picture taking with low light levels, the Sesame Street Real Digital camera may be ideal for them. photographers will notice the 0.3 megapixels resolution, especially if they take a lot of pictures. A camera that is supposed to be for users has to be very durable, able to take a beating and not break. photographers will occasionally drop things, which is why any camera that you give them has to be able to take lots of impacts. The lack of durability with this camera is what keeps it from ranking well on our list. It does, however, have an SD card, plus 8 MB of internal memory which are considerable features to have. The problem with this camera is that it breaks so easily - one drop, and it is all over. As you can see, digital Cameras change over time. a photographer might outgrow the one you buy rather quickly. Before you get a camera for a photographer, consider the recommended age listed on the box. As soon as a photographer turns five, photographer cameras will probably not be the best thing for them. You just need to do some advance planning, and roll with the changes that occur.

this year, people shopping for for the Best Low Light Cameras have a lot to look forward to. You need to take a photographer's age into account, as well as their abilities. Almost all cameras are different, as is each photographer's ability which is why you need to assess them. Many of them have more features, and some are difficult to operate. When you give a photographer a digital camera, you are helping them learn more about technology. After you let your photographers take the videos and pictures, you should edit the videos and photos. To understand for the Best Low Light Cameras, this quick overview will help you tremendously.

The user Tough digital camera purposely excludes common features such as gaming and camcorder functions. Smaller users will have an easier time with this camera, therefore it's not really a negative aspect. You'll find that your younger users will have an easier time operating it and that makes for more fun. It's very good for taking pictures of things at a distance. It has a 4x zoom feature built right in. The user Tough stands out in another area which is resolution. You're young photographer will actually get 1.3 megapixel resolution when using this camera. If your photographers are 3 to 7 years of age, this is a perfect camera.

For all users who love Dora The Explorer, there is the Dora Talking digital camera. That is clearly just a marketing move but these approaches can be very effective. If you have oung photographers, they may have some trouble using the Dora The Explorer digital camera.

The design of this camera was not user friendly and that is a flaw. This is a very basic digital camera with limited features and could be considered on the lower end. This is a camera that is very cheap and the quality of the pictures is questionable. Yes, you could even think of Dora Talking camera as almost a toy rather than a serious digital camera.

A camera which is a strong contender for your users is the user Tough digital camera. The user Tough has many good features, a lot more than many other digital cameras. The user Tough is also good looking besides being able to take rough use.

users like things that are easy for them to operate and understand. Once you assess the users' digital cameras at the top end, you will need to narrow down what you want for your photographers. When looking for a digital camera for your users, it is wise to assess the abilities of the ones who will be using the camera, and if necessary you may need to buy more than one type of camera.

It may not be important that you do not get high quality pictures, then an inexpensive camera would be just fine for your users. Many lower end cameras have a lot of extra features that you would like for a photographer so they can learn to do multiple things with the camera at an early age. When you are looking to pick out a camera for your users, it would be good if you could see the quality of the pictures that the camera takes.

Getting the best camera for your photographers this year can turn out to be a challenge. There is a large selection of users' digital cameras, even though the features are similar. To be able to find the best cameras for your users, research is important. Even if your user is a bit advanced and capable, avoid the temptation to buy a cheap adult digital camera.

users are users and an expensive camera may not be the right choice. Cameras for users are usually made very sturdy so that the user's will not break them easily. The number one feature to look for in a users' camera will be how well it holds up.

One of the better cameras on the market, the user Tough digital camera, is great to use, but doesn't have games or camcorder capabilities. That may seem like a negative at first glance, but it also makes it simpler for younger photographers. It is so simple to use. users have a outstanding time using it, which makes it a considerable product. One of the better features on this camera is the 4x zoom to get you closer to what you are filming. When you look at the user Tough camera, resolution comes to mind. You're young photographer will actually get 1.3 megapixel resolution when using this camera. If your photographers are 3 to 7 years of age, this is a perfect camera.

Dora The Explorer is loved by many photographers has a talking digital camera on the market. A very effective move by companies is to make products of different characters that photographers are familiar with. If you have oung photographers, they may have some trouble using the Dora The Explorer digital camera.

A camera that was more user-friendly would have been a better seller. The Dora The Explorer digital camera for users is pretty basic and the features are very limited. This is a camera that is very cheap and the quality of the pictures is questionable. If you are not looking for a toy camera, this users' digital camera is not for you.

One of the most unique aspects of the Bean Sprout camera is the carabiner design. Have you heard of this camera? This camera has the added convenience of being able to hang or attach to things like belt loops making it very mobile. Despite the fact that this camera is rugged and durable, it is not waterproof, so keep that in mind. The Bean Sprout delivers because you'll find more features on this camera than just about any other brand. A unique quality on this camera is the timer, a feature other users cameras seem to lack. The extra complexly may make this unsuitable for some photographers today. Younger users are probably not going to like this camera, but older ones probably will.

Locating the ideal digital camera for your users will be simple if you already own one yourself. Instead of just going out and buying a digital camera, you should take precautions and do research before you make your choice. By going to the Internet, you can find this info quickly and easily. All you have to do is go online, do comparison shopping and consider a photographer's age before you get the digital camera itself.

[rebekahbriers3d-blog]

Section 3: 3D Within the Interactive Design and VFX Industry

Below i am going to evaluate and explain 3 professional examples of 3D usage. 

Still Image: (Architecture plans of New National Football Stadium, Windsor Park, Belfast)

Figure 76. National Football Stadium 3D Model. 

The above 3D render model image was taken from Hamilton Architects website. This is the new design of the National Football Stadium in Belfast which was to be a state of the art UEFA category 4, 18,000-capacity all-seated National Football Stadium capable of hosting major international, national and domestic football fixtures. 

3D modelling in architecture helps the client and their customers when visualising the building structure and interior design of a project. Rendering is the most important element of 3D modelling for the quality of the output. Textures and colours are important as they are part of the model and contribute to the final customer decisions and view of the proposed building.

A 3D rendering model gives both accurate information and knowledge about the building, it’s structure from different angles (which makes the task of the architect, builder, engineer, and customer easier) and even gives the customer a rough idea of what they are paying for. If the customer requests any changes to the model, this can be made without any hassle thanks to the tools available in the rendering software rather than seeing flaws in their building after the creation process has been complete. In this way, 3D modelling is a time and money saver. 

The use of this 3D model allows the client to communicate effectively with the architects as to what they like, what they don't like and what they want to change. It is extremely important for the business to give the customer exactly what they want and what they're paying for. therefore if they show them this 3D Model, the customer can't go back on their word as to what they agreed upon.

Another reason 3D models are useful is that a picture can be understood by people of all languages and therefore the 3D image will prevent any language barriers and therefore ensuring the complete design has no confusion or mix-ups in between.  

What Design Techniques I believe the architectures took and why. 

Realism

I believe that the company has added the use of people models into this design to give a sense of authenticity and individuality to this design. As the design is of a public building in a very public environment, the use of surrounding people gives the model image a more realistic view and therefore will make it easier to imagine this new building being in use.

The designers of this 3D render have added the Northern Ireland Football Team crest into this as this with give it a feel of authenticity and show who and what this model is about. From looking at the logo we can see that the building has something to do with the N.I Football team. 

Measurements

The representation and scale of humans alongside the 3D model is brilliant in this design. This use of measurement makes the 3D model look realistic and shows what is in the eye line of the people using the building, for example, the logo. The windows spacing and size etc all give the best possible representation of this building making it easier for the client to imagine this being created.

Materials/Textures/colours

This 3D model uses textures, colours, and materials that are relatable to the objects in which it is portraying. The windows have a glass/reflective effect, the ground has a texture that looks like stones and the sky has clouds. From adding these materials to each of these shapes, it shows a correct representation of what they are and how they will look in real life. This makes it easier to imagine in the mind of the client. 

Lighting

The use of lighting in this scene has an impact on different factors but most disgustingly it has the effect on the materials and textures. The light hitting off certain materials gives a look of reality. This light also has an impact on the model as it gives shadows where needed to make this look more real. 

Angles

The angle in which the camera is placed to take this shot is very interesting. The 3D designer has captured this model from a low corner angle. This technique will help to show the size ratio of the building to humans. This, therefore means that the measurements that obviously can't be exact as it wouldn't be proportional/feasible to be printed or created can be illustrated by the size difference in humans to the building.

Animation 2: Toy story 3

Figure 77: Toystory 3 Bathroom Escape 

This first motion animation I am going to evaluate is a clip from the movie ToyStory 3. I have chosen this clip as there is a lot going on within it, I have never actually watched it, therefore, I can give a detailed analysis without knowledge of before and after occurrences and also because I find it quite funny and comic.

Firstly I want to talk about the creation of the characters within ToyStory. As this is the third movie made by ToyStory, the characters would have been created a long time before this movie and just re-use, however, I believe the designs would be recreated for this new movie and would have started with sketches. I will focus on the creation and design of Woody as many of the characters would have been created in the same way as he was anyway. 

Figure 78. Woody Character, Pixar. 

The artist would first sketch Woody from different angles. He does this because he, or someone else, would need to know what it is that is going to be modelled before they start working on creating it.

When the artist would design Woody, he would have had to think of how he could make him look appealing to the target audience of this animation which would be mostly children. Therefore he would have to take different aspects into consideration such as bright colours to ensure that he is eye-catching, happy features to make this character appealing and likable and some kind of signature accessory or outfit so that he is easily recognised. From the design of woody above we can clearly see that these points have been matched with the bright yellow and blue colours used alongside a smiling face with big eyes and also a signature of Woody is the fact he has cowboy boots on with ‘Andy’ his owner’s name on the bottom (although this is a known ToyStory fact and not within this clip).

When creating this character in 3D, textures would have been added to increase the appealing look of him. For his skin, a plastic sort of texture has been added to make him look that bit more real than a cartoon and not as realistic as a human. I believe this would have been added as he is a toy that completes human activities such as talking, running, walking and so on. This texture would, therefore, make what he is doing more believable to the children rather than the use of a solid skin tone.

If I was to try to recreate this model in Maya, I believe I would have a difficult time however with a good long timescale and a lot of tutorials I do think it would be possible for me. 

To rig and animate this character would take great time and patience. It is a very active character in the movie and therefore would be present in almost every scene. The character would have to move in a fun and energetic way most of the movie and therefore both the animation and rigging teams would have to ensure that he does this fluently and effectively. I feel like the animation and rigging stage of this animation process would be the most difficult due to the time and effort that would need to be incorporated into this creation. I feel like due to the precise movements and the personality of the character, the animation of it would have to be very intense and each movement would have to be perfect. The fact that this is a Disney Pixar movie and they have a very pristine and high reputation for their motion pictures, the animation and rigging process would be even more detailed than the usual motion picture. 

When looking at the scene we can see where the animators have effectively animated him to complete human activities such as walk and run while also still coming across as an animated character. In animation, exaggeration is very common and within this clip, it shows. For example, the exaggerated walk to show that he is creeping past the janitor. This exaggeration makes it clear what he is trying to do alongside the animated facial expressions. The use of this animation in this scene is very successful and we can tell this as without the character actually speaking or telling of what exactly he is doing, we can understand it through his expressions and movements. 

I feel that this clip was perfect. From the colours used to the animation. Each and every aspect has been taken into consideration, thought through and ensured was exceptional. I feel that the artists and animators have created a brilliant character that meets their aims of creating a funny, exciting and friendly animation.

Animation 2: Shrek

Figure 79. Shrek Friends Scene. Dreamworks. 

Figure 80. Shrek, Dreamworks. 2001

The second animation I am going to evaluate is Shrek created by Dreamworks. 

Likewise as before, the creation process of Shrek’s character would have begun with sketches. The sketches would have been created then into a modelled character. 

When creating Shrek, i believe that the creators would have wanted to create a character in which looked somewhat ugly, intimidating but also a character that kids would have loved and felt sorry for. In the story of Shrek, we know that he is an Oger who basically just wants to be loved as much as he denies it. I feel that the kids would have a sense of emotion for this character. The way he moves, Talks and the facial expressions he makes should make him quite a scary character however as the children watch the movie they begin to know his personalty and feel love and admiration for this character. 

The creation of this character from sketching to animation has had a very intense thought process. I believe that it would be easy to create a character that looks happy and will be loved than a character that basically looks like a character that shouldn't be liked but it is. This is all down to the animation in the way he walks, talks and the expressions in which he uses. Without all of this included, he would just be an angry character and would be as liked as much as he is. 

The target demographic for this movie is usually children. Therefore bright colours must be included in the characters. I believe that the colour chosen for this character is very suitable as although it is green, it is a light and bright shade of green and this has a great impact as it makes him stand out against the other characters of the movie. His clothing choice is quite dark but this adds to the look and purpose of his character.

I believe that this model would not be very complex to create. However, it would be time-consuming. He is made from basic shapes and textures and I do believe it would be possible for me to create him if I had the time to do so. 

Relating back to the fact that this is a character that should not be appealing to children however is. I belive this is due to the curved shapes hat have been used and the curved vertex on these shapes. The rounded effect on each body part adds a dramatic friendly feel to this character rather than rigged and pointed edges as these would make him more scary looking.

When animating this character, as stated before, they have taken into consideration how a scary character would walk and act however due to the use of dialog and also the use of shapes and colours they have animated it well so that it is more appealing.

In the short clip above we can see Shrek exiting his house in an intimidating and quick manner. This backs up my point of although he should look scary, he doesn't. This is down to the animation, colours and overall look of the character. 

The scene I which this takes place in is a textured swamp.This is to add to the persona of this character being an Oger. This would make the character more authentic and believable and helps to fasten his identity into the viewer's mind.

The team has completed and executed this character brilliantly throughout all their movies. His personalty and charism can be see through their use of modelling and animation. They have created a very well liked character appealing to boys for his humor and masculinity and of girls for his adorable and friendly attitude. I personally loved all the Shrek movies when I was younger and now due to my knowledge and understanding of 3D animation and modelling, I can understand why.  

Referencing:

3D Printing. 2016. How 3D Modeling Changed Architectural Presentations - 3D Printing. [ONLINE] Available at: http://3dprinting.com/products/architecture/how-3d-modeling-changed-architectural-presentations/.[Accessed 19 December 2016].

Dezeen. 2016. How 3D printing will change architecture and construction. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2013/05/21/3d-printing-architecture-print-shift/. [Accessed 19 December 2016].

National Football Stadium, Belfast . 2016. National Football Stadium, Belfast . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.architecture.com/FindAnArchitect/ArchitectPractices/HamiltonArchitects/Projects/NationalFootballStadium,Belfast-139595.aspx. [Accessed 19 December 2016].

Figures:

Figure 76. National Football Stadium 3D Model. 2016 National Football Stadium, Belfast. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.architecture.com/FindAnArchitect/ArchitectPractices/HamiltonArchitects/Projects/NationalFootballStadium,Belfast-139595.aspx.

Figure 77: Toystory 3 Bathroom Escape, 2010. Pxar

Figure 78: Toystory Woody Character. Pixar, (1995-2010), Toy story Woody [ONLINE]. Available at: http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/pixar/images/9/9b/Woody-Toy-Story-3-320x480.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101228013905 [Accessed 4 October 2016].

Figure 79. Shrek Friends Scene. Dreamworks.

Figure 80. Shrek, Dreamworks. 2001 Dreamworks, (2001), Shrek Fierce [ONLINE]. Available at: http://honilands.co.uk/img/blog_entries/7ebd7_Shrek_fierce.jpg [Accessed 19 December 2017].

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Gaming Desktop Build, the dream of any gamer or the one who is starting to think about their career in Gaming, should have a gaming desktop. If you are planning to build a gaming pc and are restricted to a budget of 30,000 INR(or 400 USD), then this PC build guide will help you build the Best Gaming Desktop Build Under 30000 INR(400 USD).

Gaming Desktop Build Under 30000 INR(400 USD)

Components

These components are necessary to build a gaming PC. Let’s discuss the components which we have used to build the 30000 INR(400 USD) gaming PC.

Component Model Price Processor Intel Core i3-9100F ~ ₹ 6k($80) Motherboard Gigabyte B365M ~ ₹ 5.5k($75) RAM Crucial 8GB DDR4 ~ ₹ 2.6k($35) Hard Drive ADATA SU635 240GB SSD ~ ₹ 2.8($38) Power Supply or PSU Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 ~ ₹ 3.7k($50) PC Chassis Antec Mid-Tower Case ~ ₹ 3.4k($45) Graphics Card Radeon RX 560 4GB ~ ₹ 7.5k($100)

Component Details

Let’s dive into the individual component in this system:

Intel Core i3-9100F Processor

The most important component of a PC is the processor.  We are using the 9th Gen Intel Core i3 9100F. The Core i3-9100F is undoubtedly the best gaming CPU under the $100 budget. The Core i3-9100F 4-Core 3.6GHz is a low-end desktop CPU based on a refinement of the 14nm++ Coffee Lake microarchitecture. It is identical to the Core i3-9100 except it does not feature integrated graphics.

It offers 4 physical cores (4 logical), initially clocked at 3.6GHz, which may go up to 4.2GHz using 4 cores with Turbo Boost. The i3-9100F has 6MB of L3 Cache. This chip supports up to 64GB DDR-2666 MHz memory. That means you easily add a pair of RAM later when in the budget.

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Gigabyte B365M Motherboard

If anyone asks which is the most important part of your pc, the answer is the motherboard. That’s why we choose Gigabyte B365M Motherboard that Supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel® Core

Processors, have a Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 X4 & SATA interface, RGB FUSION supports RGB LED strips in 7 colors, GIGABYTE Exclusive 8118 Gaming LAN with Bandwidth Management.

If you want to upgrade your processor or looking for faster M.2 SSD Storage then you don’t need to spend again on the motherboard you can add you M.2 SSD in this motherboard and add your RAM and Upgrade Processor if you want.

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Crucial 8GB DDR4 RAM

RAM prices have reduced over the past year. We really cannot cheap out on RAM as using less than 8GB memory is not at all a good idea for gaming, as it will result in micro stuttering. Crucial 8GB DDR4 memory stick is a great value for money option. Clocked at 2400Mhz, it is sufficient for handling even AAA titles out there. It can speeds up to 3200 MT/s and faster data rates are expected to be available as DDR4 technology matures and can reduce power consumption by up to 40 percent and extend battery life.

Apart from Crucial, you can buy more aesthetically pleasing DDR4 memory sticks from Samsung, Kingston, Corsair, ADATA of G.Skill depending on pricing and availability.

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ADATA SU635 240GB SSD

By installing an SSD instead HDD can enhance not only the storage but also the speed of the processor. Your motherboard has an additional slot to accommodate the SSD. Installing this SSD will result in an enhanced performance because of the R/W speeds of 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively. Yes, the costs of your gaming PC will exceed 400 USD, but you will end up with a better performing PC.

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Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 Power Supply

A power supply unit powers all the components in your system. If anything goes wrong with your PSU, it can seriously damage your entire rig. So cheapening out on the power supply is really a bad idea.  A 500W power supply is more than sufficient to power all the components in this rig. The Cooler Master Elite 500W Ver.3 is a great and reliable choice if you’re building a gaming system with lower power demands also it is backed by a five-year warranty.

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Corsair Carbide Mid-Tower Steel Case

Corsair Carbide Series CC-9011050-WW Mid-Tower Steel Gaming Case with Red LED is a standard high-quality Chassis which is built for budget-friendly enclosures. It has exceptional build quality in its class, featuring a full metal body.

Built with durable, SGCC steel, the VSK4000E-U3 is a tough case meant to last for several builds without fail. The VSK4000E-U3 also meets Thermally Advantaged Chassis (TAC) 2.0 guidelines and is upgraded with two USB 3.0 ports, nine drive bays, and seven expansion slots.

Building a system starts with buying a case, then comes the parts that go into it, which the cost can add up very quickly. The VSK4000E-U3 is here to provide the basic platform to start building your very own system.

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[Optional]Radeon RX 560 4GB Graphics Card

Radeon RX 560 doesn’t outperform its predecessor by as much as we expected. However, it’s still a fairly cool, fairly quiet card that serves up modest frame rates at 1920×1080 in modern games, so long as you’re willing to dial quality back to Medium presets. It is best for Compelling 1080p performance at reduced detail settings,  manageable heat/power consumption.

It will surely out range the budget but I can blindly tell that it is worthy of a few more bucks. A gaming rig without a graphics card is something like a hoodie pullover without a hood. And without a GPU, this build will not be the best gaming desktop build under 30000 INR or 400 USD. This will help you to get good fps at 1080p and you will be able to play a maximum of AAA titles.

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Conclusion

Well, we are almost ready with the best gaming desktop under 30000 INR or 400 USD. The Graphics Card may disturb your budget by a few bucks but it is really worst the price. Additionally, you can later add other gaming accessories like the joystick, gaming headset, etc., for a better gaming experience.

Go through this and buy the best. If you end up buying any of these, tell us the same by commenting down below.

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