Entertainment

How to Take the Perfect Profile Picture

In the digital age, profile pictures count. As the first impression you give friends and potential followers, it is vital it’s flattering and representative, but it’s not always easy to get a photo that captures your personality. Whether you’re looking for a picture for a dating profile or for the latest social media app, you want to look at your best.

Below are five tips to ensure your profile pictures stand out from the crowd.

Good Lighting

Lighting can make or break a photo, so take time to make it work for you. Whether you let natural light do the heavy lifting or cheat with the help of a fluorescent ring light, make sure the light faces you front on to avoid overexposure. For a dramatic result, go bright or opt for a more natural glow with softer light. If you wear glasses, check for reflections in the lenses or the dreaded glare.

Dress to Impress

If you want a headshot, what you are wearing will be less important than if you are hoping to capture a full-length shot (headshots are generally a better choice for a profile picture, as it can be difficult to see details of a full-length shot in a thumbnail), but you can still showcase your personality from the neck up. Makeup, hats, and accessories can make a bold statement.

Plain and Simple

Although it can be tempting to have a striking backdrop, a plain colour is a better choice. You should be the centerpiece of your profile picture and a light-colored background is flattering and ensures you are the main attraction. Think of the actor and model headshots you see and you’ll notice how effective the simple background can be.

Looking Great

Decide what you want your photo to say. If you are staring straight into the camera, your image will portray that of a confident, assured individual. Depending on your facial expression, it might be alluring or may be aggressive. Looking beyond the camera or down to the floor can display a thoughtful or coy demeanour. Your expression changes your whole look, so try a variety of poses to find one that best represents you.

Filter-Free

Filters are commonplace on social media but consider whether the effects you are adding are benefitting your photos. If your photo will be seen by your boss, family, or potential dates, do you really want it to have kittycat ears and whiskers? Even ‘beauty’ filters designed to widen eyes or smooth skin can look false. Instead of using filters, try changing the brightness, sharpness, or saturation by uploading photoshop to the Lenovo laptop you use for schoolwork. This improves images without contorting features. Your profile picture should look like you, not a cartoon version of you!

Whatever you choose, you should feel comfortable and relaxed – a profile picture should encapsulate your essence. While you don’t have to smile on your profile picture, do consider that a happy resting face is seen as healthier and more attractive.

The Best Way To Celebrate Lunar New Year At Office

New year

Lunar New Year at the office is one of the biggest festivals of the year in our network of colleagues in the Asia Pacific. See our top ideas to welcome pig year to your workplace.

Co-workers, colleagues, and companies of all sizes are gearing up for the biggest and brightest festival of the year – the Lunar New Year. The festival will begin on February 5 and last for a full 15 days, during which towns will (literally) be painted red, houses will be lit with lights and lanterns, and amazing demonstrations will hit the streets as we bring in the year.

China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and many regions of Australia and New Zealand are expecting a year of prosperity in 2019. In Chinese culture, the pig is a symbol of wealth, fortune, and overall good fortune, while people born in this zodiac sign are considered hardworking, true, and generous.

Some Ways to Enjoy Lunar New Year At Office

Clean your workspace

Spring Clean doesn’t look that exciting but does it before the beginning of the Lunar New Year and you will get rid of bad luck and negative energy for the last 12 months. In the office, vacuum the floor, wipe your desk and clean any dirt from the tabletop. You can buy stationery and desk organizers to keep everything clean. And don’t forget to clean up your “virtual office” too – this is the right time to organize files and documents on your computer.

Make sure to get all the cleaning done before February 5 – then clean, sweep or sweep any cleaning and you will wash away the good luck coming in the new year. In some areas, people also avoid washing their hair during holidays as it is believed they will wash good luck.

Decorate with lanterns, flowers, and lights

Once you have cleaned up, decorate your office with red lanterns, flowers, cut-outs, and gold decorations to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival. Hang red lanterns from the ceiling and add some blooming flowers to the office space – traditional options are orchids, plums, and peach flowers and peons. You can cut zodiac signs, animals, and plants with red paper or write New Year couplets (best wishes and statements in Chinese calligraphy) and paste them on your windows as good omens.

Exchange money in red packages

The exchange of money in red envelopes is one of the most popular and traditional ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Red is a dark symbolic color in Chinese culture and it is believed that gesture provides good luck and happiness to the recipient. In the workplace, a red envelope on Chinese New Year is often used in place of Christmas or year-end bonuses that you can find in the Western office. They are traditionally given from employer to employee.

In China, a red envelope can keep up to a month’s salary in bonuses, but also in very small amounts is fine – this gesture that brings good luck, not the amount of money. And if you get a package, take it with two hands and wait later to open it because it is inappropriate to open it immediately.

Hire a lion dance performance

Go out and celebrate Lunar New Year at the office in style with a lion dance performance. Leo is a symbol of strength, knowledge, and superiority, so performing on festivals and special occasions is believed to bring good luck and chase evil spirits.

There are different costumes and styles of lion dance based on the country and region you are in. They usually involve one or two people in traditional dancing costumes based on martial arts movements. Drums, cymbals, and clocks make music – although, in modern times, music speakers are accepted as more practical solutions. Don’t forget to present red packets of money to the lion to bring more good luck.

Conclusion

Each person should be able to get himself to work, and that includes that cultural background as well. The Lunar New Year at the office is an extremely important opportunity for millions of people around the world. And chances are you have an employee who celebrates it. Take the time to learn more about your co-workers and their cultural background. It is a great way to build a sense of inclusion.

Who is Norman Julius “Boomer” Esiason?

norman julius esiason

Norman Julius “Boomer” Esiason

Norman Julius “Boomer” Esiason is a sports analyst and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft, where he spent 10 non-consecutive seasons.

In 1988, he led the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. He was named MVP of the game after passing for four touchdowns and rushing for another. In his post-NFL career, Esiason has appeared on multiple broadcasts for CBS Radio and Westwood One and is currently a commentator for NFL Network. He also co-hosts a weekday afternoon sports radio show with Mike Francesa in New York City on WFAN-AM (660) and WFAN-FM (101.9).

Early Life

Boomer Esiason was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in East Islip on Long Island. His mother, Carol (née Marchese), is a breast cancer survivor. He has a brother, David. Esiason was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family. Esiason attended East Islip High School, where he was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was an All-League honoree as both a quarterback and defensive back.

College career

Esiason attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and played for the Maryland Terrapins football team from 1981 to 1984 as a quarterback under head coach Bobby Ross. He finished his college career with 710 completions for 9,695 yards (both school records) and 73 touchdowns (tied school record). His 73 touchdowns rank second in school history behind Keith Van Horne’s 75. He was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) All-Academic team in 1982 and 1983, and the All-ACC team in 1983. In his senior year, he was voted the team’s most valuable player, and in December 1984 was named by The Sporting News as one of college football’s 100 “Superstars.”

Professional career

Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 288th pick in the 1985 NFL Draft but never played for them. Instead, he signed with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL). Esiason had a strong arm but lacked mobility and his accuracy was erratic. He threw a touchdown pass to Henry Ellard with 36 seconds left to play in the 1984 Sun Bowl, but his last-second Hail Mary pass to Charles Alexander fell incomplete with one second remaining in the 1983 Sugar Bowl. Norman Julius Boomer Esiason Net worth is estimated to be over $20 million.

How many Super Bowls did Norman Julius Boomer Esiason win?

Esiason was the USFL’s leading passer in 1985 and 1986. In 1985, he threw for 4,282 yards and 41 touchdowns (the latter still a league record). In the 1985 playoffs, he threw for 590 yards and nine touchdowns in a two-game total-points series against the Orlando Renegades. He was named the USFL’s Most Valuable Player both years. The Generals won the league championship both years.

Esiason signed with the Bengals prior to the 1986 season but remained in New Jersey until after that year’s USFL season ended. He led Cincinnati to Super Bowl XXIII following the 1988 NFL season, where they were beaten by John Elway and his Denver Broncos, who were led by NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP quarterback, John Elway. Esiason was selected to play in the Pro Bowl after that season.

How many Super Bowls did Boomer Esiason win with the Bengals?

Esiason played for Cincinnati for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993. He was a second-team All-Pro selection three times (1988, 1990, and 1992), and a first-team All-Pro selection in 1991. He was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls (1990–1994) during his time with the Bengals. In 1993, he threw for over 3,700 yards and led the league with 27 touchdown passes. In 1994, he set a career-high by passing for 4,339 yards, but the Bengals lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Esiason was traded to the New York Jets in 1994. He led the team to back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship Game in his first two years with New York. In 1997, he threw for 3,466 yards and 23 touchdowns and earned a Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro selection. He also set career highs with 355 completions and 521 attempts that season.