Monthly Archives: January 2020

For Indian kids growing up, The Mask used to be the ultimate foreign fantasy movie experience, in which the weird green antihero would make us chuckle in enjoyment.

The Mask came out in 1994 and the year is considered to be Jim Carreys as he pulled off a streak no was able to before.

He released three movies, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, all of which managed to reach number one on the American box office that year.

Now, considered to be comedy classics, all of these stood witness to the acting prowess of Jim. He will go on to act in dramas, serials and more comedies, spreading his magic across all spectrum.

On the occasion of his 58th birthday, lets have a look back at some of Jim Carrey's most memorable roles.

The Mask (1994)

As we started with this, let us talk how iconic this is. Although it depended on deranged humour and sexist jokes at the expense of debutant Cameron Diaz, this remained to be one hell of a package of absurdity, violence, iconic sidekick.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

To explain the Michel Gondry-directorial is difficult, but to feel it is as universal as the sun rising in the east. Although the movie earned Jims costar Kate Winslet an Oscar nomination, to imagine anyone else as Joel Barish is impossible.

Bruce Almighty (2003)

Grossing millions at the box office, Jim had to play a God in this movie and served goals. The movie went on to have a sequel Evan Almighty starring Steve Carrel.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Use of animation to retell Charles Dickens classic saw Jim play both Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas that displayed the actor's range.

Dark Crimes (2018)

It stars Carrey as a Polish police officer, who tries something he has never done before.

The Truman Show (1998)

An insurance salesperson realizing his life is a reality show and trying to escape is the storyline this movie presents. What Jim does with this premise is a visual treat to stay etched in your brains.

The American-Canadian actor is a talented artist and keeps uploading drawings with interesting bends on his official Twitter handle.

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Happy Birthday Jim Carrey: Here're His 6 Best Films - News18

STATUS UPDATE: The Circle is a reality show on Netflix. Its an American version of a show with the same name that started in the U.K. in 2018. And it is perfect.

STATUS UPDATE: The Circle is a social media competition. What that means is

OK, you know how on most reality show competitions theres a group of players on an island or in a mansion or whatever and theyre all trying to win some kind of prize? The Circle is the same as thatit starts with eight players trying to outlast each other to win $100,000except all of the interactions among the players take place on a social media program called The Circle (picture Facebook, except you can access it only when it wants you to and only in the ways it wants you to, and also there are no Nazis). Nobody knows who anybody is in real life, they know only what theyre seeing on the screen in front of them. So rather than trying to figure out a way to make people like you in real life like you would on, say, Survivor, contestants on The Circle have to figure out a way to make people like them on social media, which requires a much different skill set. Every so often, the players all have to rate each other from I Like This Person the Most to I Like This Person the Least. The two most popular players (and sometimes the single most popular player) then have to choose someone to block from the group.

STATUS UPDATE: Several of the players on the show are catfishing the others. One guy, for example, is named Alex and hes married and kind of dumpy and, in real life, has probably often been described as a little bit weird. So instead of uploading pictures of himself to his player profile, he uploads pictures of a very handsome, extremely in-shape guy named Adam. Theres all sorts of stuff like that going on: A different guy is on the game pretending to be his girlfriend; two other women are on there pretending to be other women; one guy posts real pictures of himself, but his mom is also with him coming up with stuff to post during status updates and group chats. Its a lot to explain to someone whos never seen the show, but not a lot to understand when youre actually watching the showwhich is exactly the way talking about social media works, by the way.

STATUS UPDATE: Part of what makes The Circle so great is how despite early assumptions that a show like this would lean into the loneliness heavy internet users might feel has been baked into their bones, it somehow does the opposite. Once the novelty wears off several episodes in, everything and everyone begins to feel ultra humanized. The isolation somehow begins mushing people together through their TV screens. Its incredible to watch happen. There are of course fun and funny moments on the episodes that speed the show forward (the guy pretending to be a woman, for example, is routinely invited into woman-only chats, and every single time he gets invited in hes two or three sentences away from tipping his hand), but there are also big philosophical moments that ground everything in a I Wasnt Expecting This Water to Get So Deep way. Watching a catfish having to process why theyve chosen to catfish feels like peeking inside someones diary.

STATUS UPDATE: To address a point from earlier about how this show requires a different skill set than traditional reality competition shows, heres an example: In the very first episode, we meet Karyn, a 37-year-old lesbian from New York City. Karyn has many likable qualities: shes funny, shes charming, shes smart, shes engaging. But Karyn decides she might be more successful on the show as Mercedez, a slimmer woman whose pictures she found on the internet that she describes by saying, Guys see her, they usually drool. When girls see her, they usually wanna be friends. Shes Fenty all the way down, and I am not. So why not make myself approachable? For a good few episodes, her strategy mostly works. But when all of the players are given a chance to add another picture of themselves to their profile page, someone comments that the new picture Karyn chooses doesnt match with the other pictures that Mercedez has posted. (Its a picture of the same person, mind you, but its a picture that appears philosophically out of sync with the others.) Its a tiny misstep, and one that most people probably wouldnt even recognize, but the players in The Circle pounce on it, and ultimately its the reason that Mercedez eventually gets sent home. As soon as her new picture went up, the whole group turned on her. And just like thatbecause of a simple picture somebody said didnt quite fit with her other photosshe went from being one of the more powerful players on the show to not being on the show at all.

STATUS UPDATE: The five best, most interesting, most invaluable players on the show are the five who ended up making it to the finale. Theres Chris, whos from Texas (he produces the most amount of laughs per episode). Theres Shubham, whos from California (he starts out hating social media and then stumbles into winning several within-the-show competitions and realizing that he has a fondness for it). Theres Sammie, whos from Florida (her funniest running bit is that the men on the show try to flirt with her and when they do they think theyre doing a bang-up job, but shes on her side of the screen making gag noises and grossed out faces). Theres Seaburn, whos from Massachusetts (hes pretending to be Rebecca, his real-life girlfriend). And theres Joey, whos from New York (when the show starts you think youre going to hate him, but after listening to him talk for 45 seconds you are absolutely smitten). Each one of them is just different enough that watching them become friends with each other is intriguingbut each one is also similar enough that it makes absolute sense they would become friends on the internet.

STATUS UPDATE: Everything Shubham does and says is delightful. Theres a part at the end of the season before the winner gets announced when the final five players all meet each other for dinner. Shubham is the first one to arrive, followed by Seaburn (whos supposed to be Rebecca). When the two meet, of course Shubham is perfect in his open-mouthed shock. A few minutes later Sammie shows up, and immediately recognizes Shubham from his photos. Shes confused by Seaburn, though. And Shubham, a wonderful angel of light and love, covers his gigantic smile with his right hand, points at Seaburn with his left, and then, in the most charming moment of the season, says through his smile and through his teeth and through his hands, Its Rebecca. Its perfect. Its so fucking perfect. It comes pouring out his mouth, the words Its Rebecca. You can watch it 60 times in a row and it only gets funnier, and sweeter, and more endearing.

STATUS UPDATE: One of the things that happens on The Circle is each time someone is kicked off the show, they get to choose one person to meet before they go. Every time someone got kicked off, Seaburn, who was pretending to be Rebecca, would turn into a twisted knot because he didnt want to be exposed as a catfish. When it finally happens, thoughwhen he finally hears his door open and realizes that someone is going to see who he actually is its another catfish whos standing in front of him. And listen, its hard to fully describe how all-caps-and-italicized GREAT the payoff is to see these two guys standing in front of each other, figuring out that they were both catfishes, but its exactly that: all-caps-and-italicized GREAT. Its like a scammer reunion. And it is beautiful.

STATUS UPDATE: It doesnt make any sense that someone sitting alone in a room talking to a TV for two weeks could be entertaining at all, but Chris is totally captivating in that context. Hes Tom Hanks in Cast Away when Hanks is stuck on that deserted island for four years by himself without anyone to talk to or be with. There has to be an even money bet somewhere that Chris is going to spin his appearance on The Circle into his own show.

STATUS UPDATE: Chris and Karyn (who was pretending to be Mercedez) meet up after Mercedez gets eliminated. And watching those two bounce compliments and love back and forth make it clear very early on that The Circle is going to be a sneaky emotional show. As soon it was over, it felt like (a) we needed Chris onscreen as much as possible and (b) Karyn going home was going to be a real crusher. (Not counting the thing when the final five people meet up right before the finale, the Chris and Karyn meeting was my favorite IRL interaction. It was just so endearing and compelling watching them see each other, realize the insta-connection they had, and then become fast friends.)

STATUS UPDATE: A lot of people will say The Circle is a good-bad show or a trashy but satisfying show or a guilty pleasure show. And theyll do so because its a reality TV show about people making friends on the internet. But fuck that. Its a genuinely good, legitimately fun show. You dont need any qualifiers. Its good. ITS A GOOD SHOW.

STATUS UPDATE: Joey, who opened the show by saying people regularly tell him he looks like a young Robert De Niro and whose voice sounds like his trachea has been sitting in a humidor for six weeks, wins the first season of The Circle. He was just the right amount of fun (like the way he would start shouting SEND MESSAGE! whenever hed start getting worked up during private message sessions), just the right amount of threatening (he was the first one to confront another contestant in a way that made it clear he did not like them), just the right amount of sincere (minus the confrontation, basically every interaction he had with someone ended with him saying that hed die for them), and just the right amount of clever (he had the chance to eliminate a powerful player late in the game, but chose to save her because he knew if he did she would vote for him in the final ratings). It makes absolute sense that he won a social media-based competition.

STATUS UPDATE: I absolutely cannot wait for Season 2 of The Circle.

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The Circle Is the Perfect Reality Show for the Social Media Age - The Ringer

As social media algorithms and features have evolved, so have user behavior and expectations. Now a crowded space for marketers and consumers, social platforms have made strategic decisions to elevate individual user content over branded content.

Experiencing this decrease in organic visibility, brands have adjusted their strategies accordingly particularly when it comes to Facebook marketing. Perplexed, marketers often throw money at boosting content and ad campaigns to resolve stagnant follower growth and post engagement. But this creates more competition for Facebook audiences and doesnt necessarily result in improved or sustainable results.

What are marketers to do? First, we need to understand the problem: Why is it becoming so increasingly difficult to maintain or improve content performance on Facebook?

Facebook is collectively still the largest social media platform in terms of total users but dont let that deceive you, as the user and usage trends tell us otherwise. The Infinite Dial 2019 report by Edison Research shows that since 2017, Facebook has lost about 15 million active users in the United States.

When we compare this user loss to the growth other platforms are seeing even those owned by Facebook, such as Instagram and WhatsApp its clear that Facebooks popularity is declining. For instance, Instagram jumped from 800 million to one billion monthly active users in 2018. So its not just the algorithm changes that are causing decreased brand reach and engagement across Facebook its that there are literally fewer people using it consistently.

In addition to fewer active users, the Facebook app downloads have slowed. A Bank of America analysis found that downloads of the Facebook app were down 15 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2019. But this isnt an industry-wide trend Pinterest, Snapchat, and Twitter all experienced an increase in downloads during this same time frame.

Facebook was one of the original social media platforms, sucking up the interest of early adopters. The interest of those users has since diversified to newer and more instantaneous platforms. Younger audiences opt for these newer platforms, too, causing Facebook to see a massive decline in average time spent on its site, according to eMarketer. Daily time spent on Facebook among U.S. adults decreased by three minutes, or 1.9 percent, between 2017 and 2018.

The Pew Research Centers 2018 social media study found that almost as many U.S. 30- to 49-year-olds (78 percent) are Facebook users as 18- to 29-year-olds (81 percent). In contrast, 64 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use Instagram, compared to just 40 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds. The gap is even greater with Snapchat, which is used by 68 percent of those in the 18-to-29 age bracket and only 26 percent of those aged 30 to 49.

The Pew Research Center also found that while seniors are the smallest group of people using Facebook, theyre also the fastest-growing group of users nearly doubling since 2012. In 2019, 60 percent of baby boomers and 37 percent of the silent generation had a Facebook account, versus 43 percent and 21 percent in 2012, respectively.

Another contributing factor to the declining success of Facebook marketing is low user satisfaction. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index report released in July 2019 found that Facebook user satisfaction in the U.S. is at its lowest since 2015. This dip isnt standard across social media platforms, though. YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter all experienced year-over-year growth Facebook has fallen to the bottom of the industry when it comes to satisfaction.

So not only are there fewer people joining the platform and more people leaving it, but the users that remain arent happy with it. There are several things contributing to this gap in satisfaction, including privacy concerns, user experience for uploading photos and videos, and the amount of advertising that appears in user feedsa tell-tale sign of marketers attempting to combat the algorithm changes.

Photo attribution: Startup Stock Photos from Pexels.

Yes while its not as easy as it used to be, its absolutely still possible to appear in the feeds of your Facebook audience. However, you may want to consider dedicating more of your efforts beyond Facebook, or at least approach marketing on that platform with fresh eyes.

Using these approaches can help you land on an ideal social strategy for your organization. But keep in mind, tried-and-true best practices can only take you so far. Each brand and organization must try and test concepts until they find the sweet spot for their target audience.

If Facebook has led your social media strategy or is a big component of it, its time to rethink that. You can keep fighting the algorithms and puzzling over them and potentially winning but given all of the above insights, youre better off going where audiences are headed.

Simply put, dont overinvest in a declining platform. Transition your strategy and budget to other platforms where success is more likely. You dont need to totally abandon Facebook, but rather put it in its place.

If you decide to keep Facebook in your social media mix, be mindful of the audience. Since the largest growing groups using it are in the silent generation and baby boomers, cater your Facebook marketing strategy accordingly.

If these generations arent your brands target audience, then really evaluate how much you want to invest in developing a Facebook audience and leverage the platform for your marketing and business goals. Facebook can be an impactful platform for awareness and lead generation when used for the right audiences.

You can also leverage Facebook targeting options to reach those that are in your audience but dont force it. Social media users can sense a desperate marketing grab a mile away. Cater your message to your audience but dont put them off in the process. That means leaving cliches and sales-y language out of it completely. Think about what your audience will respond well to, or has in the past, and use that to drive future social efforts on Facebook and other platforms, too.

The moral of the story isnt that marketers should completely reject Facebook, but that they should be aware of its evolving user base and algorithm dynamics. To have a successful Facebook marketing strategy in 2020, awareness is key, but knowing your audience is perhaps even more important.

Featured photo attribution: Kev Costello on Unsplash.

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Why Facebook Marketing Performance May Drop in 2020 -- and What to Do About It - The Content Standard by Skyword

Born in 1994, Justin Bieber has always loved music. As a young child, he learned to play guitar, piano, drums...and even the trumpet. He was raised by his single mother, who worked as many jobs as she could to support her family.

When Bieber was 12 years old, he sang Ne-Yos So Sick in a local singing competition. While he placed second, he got a whole lot more when the video was uploaded to YouTube, because it was seen by his future manager, Scooter Braun.

Justin became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100. To this day, he is one of the best-selling musical artists in the world! But Justin isnt that little boy anymore.

Here are 20 photos that change the way we see Justin Bieber.

Justin Bieber was discovered when he was only 13 years old. Scooter Braun saw a video on YouTube of Justin singing...and brought Usher along to check out the Canadian native. It wasnt long after that we started seeing Justin Bieber pop up everywhere. Justin was young and sweet and still unaffected by fame.

Justin was charming in all his interviews and was courteous to everyone, including his fans. He seemed like a great role model and parents didnt mind letting their daughters idolize the young star. His early songs were also appropriate for younger audiences, yet catchy enough for the older crowd. Justin Bieber was a hit around the world.

Unfortunately, Justin didnt remain unaffected by fame and fortune for long. His attitude began to change and he started to get into trouble. One of these incidents was a fight with a member of the paparazzi.

Justin and his buddies also got caught with illegal substances on his private jet, on the way to the Super Bowl, although charges were eventually dropped.

One incident that really started to change the way that people looked at the sweet pop star was when Justin was caught drag racing. The officer said that he immediately smelled alcohol on the underage pop star's breath. When the officer attempted to arrest him, Bieber cussed and tried to resist.

Justin started to get tattoos as early as his sixteenth birthday. While tattoos can be a great expression of art and self, they can also be a little concerning, especially when a seemingly wholesome pop star starts getting them at such a young age.

Justin upper body is almost entirely covered in tattoos now, and he doesnt show any sign of slowing down.

Justins Calabasas neighbors might know more about his trouble-making than anyone else. They finally filed charges against Justin after he trespassed on their property and egged their house. They also claimed that Justin had spit in their faces.

Justin eventually settled, but he had to take anger management classes, do community service, and pay them $80,000.

Those close to him were concerned about his antics. They were scared they were going to lose him.

His managerScooter Braun said:"I thought he was going to die. I thought he was going to sleep one night and that he would have so much crap in his system that he would not wake up the next morning."

Scooter Braun and the rest of the team decided to pull Justin out of the limelight. Scooter admits that Justin wasnt happy about the decision, saying, "He used to yell and scream at me, and he wanted to put music out, he wanted to tour.

Justin eventually realized it was for the best and started to turn himself around.

After Justin realized how far off the path he had gone, he took time off to reflect and wrote his super honest and authentic album, Journals. It was the album that broke him out of the cute teen pop star mold. It let others see the toll that Hollywood and fame had taken on him.

Justin came out on the other side and realized how lucky he was that he didnt completely lose himself. He told Billboard Magazine, I started going through the motions. I felt like people were judging me all the time. I came out alive. I came out swinging. But I was close to letting [fame] completely destroy me.

Justin told fans that he wasnt the one who turned it all around; instead, he gave the credit to Jesus. He started uploading videos of himself singing Christian songs and going to church.

Justin wrote a heartfelt message on Instagram and ended it with, Be kind today, be bold today and love people today, not by your standards but by Gods perfect unfailing love.

In 2015, Justin came out of his rough patch a stronger person. He re-launched the Bieber brand to more closely align with who he is now. He wasnt a teenager anymore and it was time to show the world that he had made changes. He wanted to put his childish behavior behind him.

The next album Justin released was his 'Purpose' album, showing fans that he had found his purpose. It was still honest and real, like his 'Journals' album, but also showcased his new sound to the world. It was a mix of pop, EDM, and R&B, and some people called it his best work ever.

What some people don't know is that, in the midst of his partying and getting in trouble with the law, he was also dealing with a serious breakup. Justin and Selena had an off-and-on relationship for many years, but it eventually became public knowledge that the two stars were no longer a couple.

On September 13, 2018, Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin were seen entering a marriage license courthouse. Two days later, Justin announced on social media that the pair were in fact married.

Of course this came with drama, especially from those still shipping Justin and Selena. Despite everything, it seems the two are very happy!

I guess if youre going to let yourself go, you should wait until after youre married. At least that seems like Justins policy. Justin shed his cool hairstyle and polished, pulled-together outfits. You can now find Justin with shoulder-length hair and facial hair, wearing what looks like anything he could find when he woke up that morning.

Justin and Hailey are not afraid of PDA. They also love to gush about each other on their social media accounts. After their first Thanksgiving as a married couple Justin wrote on Instagram, Every day is a learning process, trying to be more like him, patient, kind, selfless, boy I got a long way! But God's grace is sufficient!

The happy couple recently got a new puppy together. In her Instagram Stories, Hailey shared all the difficulties that go along with having a puppy and a Christmas tree. Justin has also put his house on the market and Hailey has been seen looking at new houses, so it seems the pair are looking to settle down.

Justin posted a picture on Instagram of a side by side, with his mug shot next to a recent picture of him smiling. The caption said, I LOVE THIS because it reminds me IM NOT EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE BUT THANK GOD IM NOT WHERE I USED TO BE!!

Whether you see him as a naive boy, a troublesome teen, or a changed young man, Justin has continually proven that he is going to be his own man, regardless of what others want him to be. Beliebers continued to stick with him through his musical changes and trying times. It looks like theyll continue to stand with him.

Sources: E! News

Next19 Little Known Facts About Grey's Anatomy Star Justin Chambers

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20 Photos That Change The Way We See Justin Bieber | TheThings - TheThings

Are you stranded on how to end a cover letter? The conclusion of such a correspondence is as crucial as the address, introduction, and the body. To stand a chance of landing your dream job, you need to write an impressive letter and end it on a strong note.

Image: pexels.comSource: UGC

The process of shortlisting job applicants could be long and tiresome. During this exercise, recruiters review cover letters, CVs, and other relevant documents of potential employees. Applicants, therefore, ensure they write their best letters to appeal to the recruiters.

It is a piece of writing that describes an applicant's work history, professional skills, and interest in applying for a job. Recruiters use it to select the best candidates to interview.

It comprises of several elements, including the contact, a salutation, the body, the closing, and a signature.

The contact section includes details about the applicant's and employer's information. The salutation section has the name of the receiver. In the body, the applicant expresses their interest in the job and gives a review of their skills and qualifications.

The last part is the closing and sign-off section. Closing a cover letter may be quite a task to some people, but that does not imply that it is hard. There are simple rules and principles that one should have in mind when crafting a cover letter ending.

Every job application must have a closing paragraph to make it complete. It serves many purposes, including;

Here are some of the things to consider when writing a perfect conclusion of your application.

Image: pexels.comSource: UGC

As you write your conclusion, avoid the mistakes below:

Here are some excellent examples:

Signing off is a crucial part, and it comes at the very bottom. There are some salutations that you should avoid because they may appear rude, offensive, or unprofessional. They include;

When sending your application through mail, you need a hard copy with a handwritten signature and your full name.

Best regards,

(Your signature)

John Doe

Some organizations do not accept hard copy applications; therefore, you will need to upload it on their portal. To sign-off, write your name after the closing sentence.

Sincerely,

John Doe

You may also include a digital or scanned signature.

Image: pexels.comSource: UGC

The difference between signing for uploading and for emailing is that in the latter, applicants include their contacts.

Thank you,

John Doe

Email

Phone number

You may also include your street, country, ZIP code, and even professional social media accounts.

Hopefully, you have learned how to end a cover letter. With a good cover letter, you stand a chance of being shortlisted for an interview and even landing the job. Feel free to share this article with friends and help them improve their letter writing skills.

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How to end a cover letter: Tips and examples - Latest News in Nigeria & Breaking Naija News 24/7 | LEGIT.NG