Last

A last is a mechanical form that has a shape similar to that of a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and high-density plastics.

Production

Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations include simple one-size lasts used for repairing soles and heels, durable lasts used in modern mass production, and custom-made lasts used in the making of bespoke footwear. Though a last is made approximately in the shape of a human foot, the precise shape is tailored to the kind of footwear being made. For example, a boot last would be designed to hug the instep for a close fit. Modern last shapes are typically designed using dedicated computer-aided design software.

Historically, lasts were typically made from hardwoods and cast iron because these materials retain their shape, even when in contact with wet materials (like leather) and subjected to the mechanical stresses of stretching and shaping shoes on them. Today, wooden lasts are generally used only for bespoke shoemaking, particularly in Europe and North America.

Last (Unthanks album)

Last, the fourth album by English folk group The Unthanks, was released on 14 March 2011. It reached number 40 in the UK Albums Chart and was well received by the critics, receiving a five-starred review in the Sunday Express and four-starred reviews in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.

Songs

As well as traditional material, the album included a song written by band member Adrian McNally ("Last"), and versions of songs by Jon Redfern ("Give Away Your Heart"), Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan ("No One Knows I'm Gone"), King Crimson ("Starless") and Alex Glasgow ("Close the Coalhouse Door"). "Last" was also issued as a single, edited for radio play; this was released on 13 June 2011.

Production and release

The album was produced by Adrian McNally; he and Thom Lewis were the sound engineers. The album was mastered by Denis Blackham and was released in the UK by Rabble Rouser Music on 14 March 2011. It was released in Europe by Rough Trade Records and in Australia on the Fuse Music Group label.

Last (TV series)

Last (Hangul: 라스트; RR: Laseuteu) is a 2015 South Korean television series based on the webtoon of the same name by Kang Hyung-kyu. Starring Yoon Kye-sang and Lee Beom-soo, it aired on jTBC on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:40 from July 24 to September 12, 2015 for 16 episodes.

Plot

Jang Tae-ho is a successful fund manager whose seemingly fool-proof financial deal goes horribly awry, leading to a loss of ₩350 million and his business partner's death. In desperate straits, Tae-ho goes on the run from loan shark gangsters and descends into the underbelly of Seoul. He discovers a secret society of homeless people living inside Seoul Station, one that has its own strict hierarchy and rules. Tae-ho vows to find out what went wrong with his deal, claw himself up from rock bottom, and get his life back.

Cast

Last.fm

Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Using a music recommender system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of the tracks the user listens to, either from Internet radio stations, or the user's computer or many portable music devices. This information is transferred ("scrobbled") to Last.fm's database either via the music player itself or via a plugin installed into the user's device. The data are then displayed on the user's profile page and compiled to create reference pages for individual artists.

The site offers numerous social networking features and can recommend and play artists similar to the user's favourites; it also features a wiki system analogous to Wikipedia, wherein registered users can collaborate on hyperlinked information about tracks, releases (albums, etc.), artists, bands, tags, and record labels.

On 30 May 2007, Last.fm was acquired by CBS Interactive for UK£140 million (US$280 million). It claimed 30 million active users in March 2009, By April 2011, Last.fm had reported more than 50 billion scrobbles.