nonsense

Another day, another mountain of literature on boosting employee productivity and fostering workplace belonging. It’s almost as if we’re running out of ways to say the same thing. Building on yesterday’s discussion, my visit to TaiLong Bank unveiled an innovative practice that has proven effective—engaging employees’ parents. TaiLong Bank operates with a decentralized structure, empowering branches and sub-branches with significant autonomy. Notably, over 80% of loan decisions are made at the sub-branch level....

Zhejiang Tailong Commercial Bank (TLB) is the most renowned Small-and-Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) financing service provider in China. TLB has invested over ¥100 million in its charity fund and consistently allocates 2% of its revenue to its foundation. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship sponsored by TLB and even more so to be invited to their headquarters today for a face-to-face meeting with their chairman and the leaders of the Shanghai Branch....

When we’re all born, Saturn’s somewhere. And the Saturn cycle takes around about 29 years. That’s when we’ve gotta wake up and smell the coffee. Because if we’ve just been sort of relying on our cleverness, or relying, you know, just kind of floating along… Saturn comes along and hits you over the head, and says, “Wake up”. It’s time for you to get real about life And sort out who you really are....

Ariana Grande possesses a magnetic energy that attracts literally everything–from musical excellence to (possibly undesired) publicity. Among her songs, “just like magic” stands out as a testament to awe-inspiring confidence: Just like magic, I’m attractive I get everything I want cause I attract them. There’s a fine line between positive self-assurance and complacency. With her four-octave range and Mariah Carey-like whistle note capacity, Ariana Grande has never lacked a “hear-me-roar” attitude, reminiscent of ’90s divas....

means i wanna sixty-nine with yu, no…shit (mumbling) math class, never was good – 34+35, Positions Living under possibly the most draconian public scrutiny, Ariana Grande steered through the tumulous years of her rising music career accompanied by a terrorist attack during tour, several relationship melt downs, meanwhile delivered two of the best albums—and one of the highest-grossing tours—of 2018 and 2019. That she might finally be experiencing some release, which is what her return album in 2020 Positions sound like....

Thank U, Next got two seats out of the top-10 list. One is imagine, the other is needy. I do hate overly simple songs: cloying melodies consisted of banal, unimaginative motifs and too-obvious intentions are absolutely unforgivable. Referring the words of a professor’s architecture appreciation course I’ve taken two years ago, “sometimes overly obvious ‘signs’ or too straightforward expressions, despite appealing, are degrading for art.” BUT —- despite having shallow melodies (that one can literally anticipate the whole song after hearing the first few bars), needy sits on top of the list being simplicitly expressive and truthful....

As the opening track of Ariana Grande’s tumultuous album Thank U, Next, “imagine” sets the tone with mesmerizing minimalism. Listen here. This official music video of imagine features mosaiced icebergs melting to fall. The song gives an impression of a breathtakingly beautiful abstract painting, when one looks more carefully, there is so much pain tangled within. Imagine is an absolute masterpiece that particularly, adds depth to the album’s artistry. It employs a steady triple meter and firm beats to elegantly propel the flow forward....

Listen to get well soon on YouTube for the official audio release or the unreleased vide available on Bilibili) Get well soon (stylized in all lowercase) is the fifteenth and final track from Ariana Grande’s fourth studio album, Sweetener. The track is 5 minutes and 22 seconds long, paying respect to the Manchester bombing attack at Ariana’s concert on the 22nd of May 2017. There’s 40 seconds of silence at the end of the track, to commemorate those who lost their lives during the attack....

In the musical Hamilton (2015), in the song Satisfied, the rap verse, Angelica sang three reasons, literally “number one/two/three, …blah blah” to illustrate why she loved but cannot marry Alexander Hamilton and she backed up for her sister. It was possibly the most unimaginatively boring lyrics ever written. That is to say, when it comes to music, aside from serious discuss of production quality, vocal techniques or more general analysis, sometimes what matters most is appeals and feelings....

Listen here: Ariana Grande, “Sweetener” The title track of Ariana Grande’s fourth studio album “sweetener” (stylized in all lowercase) the pivotal nomination in my top-10 Ariana Grande list. This album, Sweetener, won Grande a Grammy. The artist herself has elucidated the essence of the album’s title, suggesting it’s an ode to the act of illuminating one’s existence or circumstances, metaphorically “sweetening” life’s myriad challenges: it’s kind of about bringing light to a situation or to someone’s life or somebody else brings light to your life....