Underpants and a somber summer at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS -- From wearing your underwear in the street to the very muted color schemes of big brands, some trends stood out from the spring-summer 2024 womenswear collections at Paris Fashion Week that ends on Tuesday.

Here are some highs and lows from 11 days of shows in the French capital, the climax of a hectic month of fashion weeks in London, New York and Milan.

Underwear is outerwear 

Get used to walking around in your underpants if you want to stay trendy next spring.

Already a popular look for celebs like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, it was everywhere in Paris this week.

Stella McCartney's billowing silk tops were worn over crystal-encrusted undies, Victoria Beckham had outfits that were little more than nightdresses, or swimsuits and socks, while Dries Van Noten had leopard-skin swimsuits under trench coats.

Somber summer 

A lot of designers were keen to drain the color from spring and summer.

Christian Dior, Saint Laurent, Victoria Beckham and hyped newcomer Peter Do were among the many brands with muted, often monochrome palettes.

Some observers were dismayed and also felt there was a lack of innovation.

"Where are your colors? Where are your ideas, except those that come from archives?" chided veteran fashion watcher Cathy Horyn, now of New York Magazine's The Cut.

Balmain's flowery recovery 

Balmain bucked the colorless trend with a shiny and exuberant show -- that it managed to pull together despite a dramatic robbery that saw dozens of its outfits stolen on their way from the airport just 10 days earlier.

There were lots of roses -- a woman seemingly lost in an entire red bush of them, another with a swoosh of golden feathers with roses on the tips, and a range of rose-print tops, dresses and mini-skirts -- as well as some ultra-bling glittering flower concoctions that verged on haute couture extravagance.

"Florals for spring? Groundbreaking..." designer Olivier Rousteing wrote with apparent irony on Instagram.

Balenciaga unpolished 

Balenciaga's Demna was humbled last year after highly controversial ads appearing to reference child abuse.

But after one low-key show earlier this year, he was back to his rebellious ways this week with surreal looks such as giant-shouldered suits and dresses made from retro tablecloths.

"March was very polished and I realized that I don't like it when it's polished. I like it when it's rough," Demna told Vogue.

It was also a very personal show, featuring his mother, husband and members of his staff as models.

"It was about me, it was about my story. I needed to do it... because I had a horrible year," he said.

Environmental activists 

Hermes had one of the prettiest stage designs, with guests nestled in a prairie of wildflowers and tall grasses recreated in the stables of the Republican Guard.

But animal rights group PETA does not like its style and briefly interrupted the show, objecting to its use of crocodile skin.

By contrast, Stella McCartney turned her show into a marketplace for "cruelty-free and conscious material innovations", with stalls promoting innovations like vegan leather, organic cotton and a seaweed-based yarn.

Her outfits included homages to her rock star parents -- Paul and Linda McCartney -- during their time on tour with Wings in the 1970s, including ruffled shirts and crystal-encrusted waistcoats.

Bye-byes 

Naomi Campbell was the star of the catwalk in a shimmering silver dress at Alexander McQueen, where Sarah Burton gave her final show as creative director after more than a decade in charge.

Business of Fashion called it a "typically fearless final flourish from Burton," leaving a tall order for her yet-to-be-named successor to meet.

It was also the last hurrah for designer Gabriella Hearst at Chloe, where her sustainability agenda brought acclaim but apparently not enough sales to keep her at the fabled French house and she is leaving after less than three years.

Agence France-Presse

Prince Harry accuses UK royals of hiding phone hacking from him

LONDON - Britain's Prince Harry has accused his family of withholding information about phone hacking from him to avoid sitting in the witness box and opening "a can of worms", a witness statement released Tuesday said.

The Duke of Sussex made the claim in submissions for a privacy claim he and other celebrities have filed against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers (ANL).

Lawyers for the group, which also includes pop superstar Elton John, claim ANL commissioned the breaking and entry into private property, illegally intercepted voicemail messages and obtained medical records.

The alleged wrongdoing dates from 1993-2011, but some went on as late as 2018, according to their lawyer David Sherborne.

In his partially redacted statement, Harry stated he "became aware that I had a claim that I could bring" only in 2018, in part due to the royal family -- which he refers to as "the Institution".

"The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me for a long time about... phone hacking," he added.

"That has only become clear in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with different legal advice and representation."

The prince went on to state: "The Institution made it clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the Royal Family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms."

The prince, who lives in California, made a surprise appearance at London's High Court on the first two of four days of hearings this week, on Monday alongside John and other figures involved.

'THE BUBBLE BURST'

ANL has described the allegations as "preposterous smears" and an attempt "to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal".

It is trying to end the legal claims by arguing they are "stale" and "based on no credible evidence", so should not go to trial.

A spokesperson for ANL said that Harry "has become a serial litigant against Mail newspapers with whom he seems obsessed".

Britain's phone-hacking scandal, which first blew up in 2006, saw journalists at the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World hack into the voicemails of royals, celebrities and murder victims.

It triggered the closure of the mass-selling Sunday tabloid, a mammoth police investigation, a judge-led inquiry and criminal charges that gripped Britain for years.

Harry, the younger son of Britain's King Charles III, has long had a difficult relationship with the media.

In his statement, he said leaving the UK had proved pivotal in bringing the lawsuit.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that the bubble burst in terms of what I knew in 2020 when I moved out of the United Kingdom," the prince stated.

He concluded by arguing he was bringing the claim "because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality" of the publisher.

"The British public deserve to know the full extent of this cover up and I feel it is my duty to expose it," he added.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Agence France-Presse

Adidas stuck with Yeezy gear after dropping Kanye

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany -- Adidas said Wednesday it was still weighing what to do with its huge inventory of Kanye West's Yeezy products after it ended its partnership with the controversial rapper.

Potentially not selling the apparel and shoes linked to West would lead to a revenue loss of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion), the group said, announcing its 2022 full-year results.

Adidas halted its tie-up with West -- now known formally as Ye -- in October after he made a series of anti-Semitic outbursts.

As a result, the group ended production of the highly successful Yeezy line designed together with West.

"Should the company irrevocably decide not to repurpose any of the existing Yeezy product going forward," it would have to write-off the entire inventory, it said.

That would lower the company's operating profit by an additional 500 million euros in 2023, it said.

Along with one-off costs projected to reach 200 million euros related to a company strategic review, Adidas said it could end up with an operating loss of 700 million euros in 2023.

Bjorn Gulden, the group's new chief executive, said the company will use 2023 as a "transition year to build the base for 2024 and 2025".

"We need to reduce inventories and lower discounts. We can then start to build a profitable business again in 2024," he said.

Next year was shaping up to be a key one for sporting apparel companies, with both the European football championships and the Olympic Games taking place.

Adidas on Wednesday also said net profit fell heavily by 83 percent to 254 million euros in 2022, confirming preliminary results released in February.

Besides its woes over the Yeezy line, it was also facing "elevated recession risks in Europe and North America as well as uncertainty around the recovery in Greater China."

"The company's revenue development will also be impacted by the initiatives to significantly reduce high inventory levels," it added.

Agence France-Presse

Sharon Stone takes in Dolce&Gabbana at relaxed Milan fashion

MILAN (AP) — Front-rows of A-listers and shoulder-to-shoulder seating gave Milan Fashion Week a pre-pandemic air.

So far this week, Sharon Stone has sat appraisingly at Dolce & Gabbana, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have rocked Gucci, and Kim Kardashian wore Prada, at Prada.

After two years of digital-physical mix, social distancing and travel restrictions that kept many overseas buyers and editors away, there was a sense of return to some new normal, one now that includes war on Europe’s eastern fringe. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Milan’s central Piazza Duomo to demonstrate for peace on Saturday, crisscrossed by weekend shoppers and fashionistas.

Highlights from Saturday’s previews of mostly womenswear for next fall and winter include:

DOLCE&GABBANA CREATES REAL WORLD AVATAR

Want to be your own real-life avatar? Check out the latest collection by Dolce & Gabbana, who brought the metaverse onto the runway.

Why leave all the fun to the digital universe, when there is a real-life version of a shiny red mini-dress with exaggeratedly puffy sleeves, or a shaggy Yeti-style coat in bold stripes or checks?

Whatever the real-life avatar, the catchword in Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s new collection is sexy. The season’s stable are sheer stockings with garters, that peek out of short hemlines, through sheer lace dresses and even, improbably, from one-legged trousers. Yes, apparently, that innovation will be of some advantage in the D&G metaverse.

Corsets defined the shape of many coats and dresses, and also appeared as silky outlines on fitted black dresses, tops and jackets. For better moving from digital world to digital world, there were sleek fitted tops and leggings with shiny finishes worn under cutout dresses and skirts. Large 3-D-style sunglasses finished the look, along with stilettos. The designers also showed off-beat humor in a series of pod-like garments — coats, jackets and knitwear — designed to be worn protectively over the head, almost like a nun’s habit.

Sharon Stone sat in the front row alongside Sam Webb, Lady Kitty Spencer and Adam Senn and rapper Gunna. She nodded appreciatively at looks as they past, mouthing, ’’Gorgeous” at a strappy faux fur black dress and “Wow” at a furry white number.

The designers recently announced they were giving up fur this year, but that they would continue to work with furrier artisans on synthetic alternatives to maintain the craftsmanship.

MARNI’S NEW BEGINNINGS

Each Marni look appeared out of nowhere, on an undefined runway inside an abandoned warehouse with dirt floors and overgrown with greenery.

The models walked as though stunned through the crowd, each followed by a hooded torchman guiding their way wearing a uniform of trousers with dragging hems and spikey plastic shoes.

The models themselves each wore a creation by creative director Francesco Rizzo, but also an object from their own wardrobe, part of Rizzo’s growing collaboration with a community around the brand that he calls collaborators. Elaborate head-dressings, including teddy bears sticking out of knit caps, twisted felt and wool, or wire devils ears, gave a sort of zombie menace to the slow, irregular procession.

Rizzo himself walked in the show, midway, wearing a geometric sweater he knit himself in two days, distressed trousers from the new collection and a worn tuxedo jacket that belonged to his grandfather.

“Things in our wardrobes become the meaning of who we are. Sometimes you forget about these things,” Rizzo said afterward. “Everyone has brought their objects. Each one is collaborating in different ways. This is part of the game of what we are doing together at Marni.’’

From the dark cavernous space, the crowd spilled into makeshift feast of fruit and cakes, bread and cheeses, served on mix matched china and silver under a bright blue sky.

One collaborator, Izzy Adams from Los Angeles, wore a bespoke pleated floral dressed created by Rizzo, that looked like it had ripped and frayed after taking a tumble with a can of blue paint. She layered it with childhood T-shirt decorated with palm trees that once fit and is now a crop top. It’s her fourth show with Marni. “There is a lot of really interesting people on board,” she said, as one model posed on the banquet table, holding up a glass of wine.

JIL SANDER’S NEW MINIMALISM

Designers Lucie and Luke Meier are redefining Jil Sanders’ minimalism with artistic gestures and intricately tailoring that give sweep to the silhouette.

Jackets in the new collection had a bell shape that hovered over mini skits; straight coats had built-in capes, worn over short flouncy skirts; flat bows adorn shift dresses on the straps or across the front. Necklines were defined with big V bibs, or nautical lapels. The textiles are mostly wools and crepes, some textured, but there were also soft silky dresses with neat foulard ties at the neckline.

“Every garment has the dignity and subtlety of couture,” the designers said in notes.

Reflecting the cool contemplative nature of the collection, the models walked around a runway decorated with classical sculpture. The color palette was soft, including off-white, butter yellow, pink and lilac gold.

ARBESSER’S DIVINE PRINTS

Milan designer Arthur Arbesser received his inspiration for this season’s prints through a sort of divine intervention. By sheer chance, the priest who baptized the Vienna-born designer saw him listed as the costume designer for a Berlin production of “Der Rosenklavier. ”

’’He recognized my name (after some four decades) and thought I might be the kind of person interested in photos of Baroque fabric prints in a museum in Salzburg, and he sent me the CD,” Arbesser said.

The images were sometimes just scraps, showing baroque florals in myriad colors, Arbesser turned it into a patchwork print, overlaid with his own brush strokes and elements from . Another print is taken from his own water paint scratch sheet, with streaks of colors and sharp black scratches.

He pulled it together in a forgiving silhouette that ranged from wrap skirts with sporty boxy jackets, pretty dresses with angel sleeves layered with handknit scarves and flourishes. Looks were topped with a Dante-styled cap, tied neatly under the chin with a nod to the 700th anniversary of the great Italian’s death celebrated last September.

-Associated Press

Young, rich and racy: South Korea’s livestreamers

SEOUL South Korea  – From a converted storeroom on the roof of his mother’s Seoul apartment, Kim Min-kyo plays video games for up to 15 hours a day — and makes a fortune from the thousands of fans watching him.

The cramped studio is an unlikely home for a budding millionaire, but the 24-year-old’s gaming prowess — mixed with quick-witted commentary and high-school-level humour — has seen his income climb to about $50,000 a month.

That puts him well into the top one percent of earners in South Korea, but has not affected his lifestyle.

“I’m not really into cars or spending lots of money,” said Kim, who eats, sleeps, washes and works in the small space.

“My mum manages all my income so I never have a lot of money on me,” he told AFP.

Livestreamers, known as “Broadcast Jockeys” or BJs in South Korea, are hard-wired to the digital infrastructure of youth culture.

They entertain for hours with an interactive mishmash of chat, gaming, dance, music, eating, getting drunk or even just sleeping.

Top livestreamers enjoy subculture celebrity among teens and 20-somethings, who consider them more relatable than traditional media stars.

A few can earn over $100,000 in a good month from broadcasting live on homegrown platform AfreecaTV, and uploading edited content to YouTube.

Kim, who often streams himself playing online battle game League of Legends in his pyjamas, builds on his content with conversations that flirt with the country’s social boundaries.

“Maybe sometimes you need to do something absurd to attract followers,” he acknowledged.

He makes money from fan donations, sponsorship — sometimes consuming local energy drinks midstream — and advertising on YouTube, where he has more than 400,000 subscribers.

There is regular controversy in South Korea over a lack of regulation on livestreaming, from undisclosed product promotion to “lewd” behaviour — a bar set relatively low in a conservative culture.

Some livestreamers have been called out for misogynist commentary and violent behaviour.

And at any given hour it is easy to find scantily-clad women on AfreecaTV willing to “talk cute”, “dance sexy” or send a private video for the right price.

Pandemic surge

For livestreamers, the coronavirus has been good for business.

Over the first four months of last year, as the South urged people to stay at home to control the outbreak’s first wave, time watching videos on smartphones surged, according to the Korea Communications Commission.

YouTube said it saw saw huge spikes in global viewership last year, including in South Korea.

AfreecaTV, which now hosts about 17,000 livestreamers, sells “starballoons” to viewers for 110 won ($0.10) each.

The audience can donate them while interacting with a livestreamer, who converts it back to cash with the platform taking a cut.

Donations on it climbed by more than 20 percent to 41.5 billion won in the third quarter of last year.

“Even though it’s sad that Covid-19 has happened, it would be a lie to say that it hasn’t helped BJs grow,” said Joshua Ahn, who heads local production company Starfish Entertainment.

The 44-year-old Maserati-driving media entrepreneur manages dozens of top livestreamers, and produces variety shows for some of the country’s biggest TV stations.

Only a small fraction of streamers make significant sums, but Ahn said the stars who were already earning tens of thousands of dollars a month have seen their takings “double or even triple” during the pandemic.

‘Anyone can have a channel’

The hyper-wired South is often at the forefront of technological change — it launched the world’s first nationwide 5G networks in 2019, two years after internet television subscriptions overtook cable TV.

Mobile advertising revenue tripled between 2015 and 2019 to 4.56 trillion won, according to regulators, overtaking broadcast advertising along the way, which fell by almost a quarter.

“Conventional media is at an important crossroads,” said Ahn, whose business activities straddle both traditional and new media. “Now with YouTube, anyone can have their own channel.”

Some livestreamers have moved into the mainstream, including appearances on TV variety shows and sports commentating.

Meanwhile minor celebrities, financial analysts and even some politicians have turned to livestreaming to boost their profiles.

And in a country that has long stressed academic qualifications, “content creator” ranked fourth in a survey of primary schoolchildren’s most desired jobs last year.

South Korea’s best-known contribution to the global livestreaming phenomenon has been “mukbang”, where the host commentates while eating huge plates of food.

Some broadcast activities are more controversial, such as scantily-clad suggestive conversation, or even criminal, for instance threats of violence against rivals.

“The reason why the content of these BJs is getting more sexual and violent is because they seek more attention,” said California State University Monterey Bay researcher Hojin Song.

“The more audience that they can draw in, the better chance they get at making better money.”

Agence France-Presse

Google Assistant to be ‘news host’ on devices

WASHINGTON — Google said Tuesday its digital assistant will serve as a “news host” on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners.

The feature called Your News Update will be activated by asking the Google Assistant to read the news.


The artificial intelligence program will deliver “a mix of short news stories chosen in that moment based on your interests, location, user history, and preferences, as well as the top news stories out there,” said product manager Liz Gannes in a blog post.

The assistant will offer stories from partners including CBS, Politico, Fox News and CNN based on user preferences and other factors.

It can offer news, for example, about the user’s favorite sports teams or specific local or business events.

“In between stories, the Google Assistant serves as your smart news host that introduces which publishers and updates are next,” Gannes said.


The feature is available in English in the United States and will expand internationally next year, for people with compatible smartphones and connected speakers.

It is activated by saying, “Hey Google, play me the news.”

Amazon offers a similar “flash briefing” feature for its Alexa-powered devices.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Devastated Venice braced for third major flood

Venice was braced Saturday for an unprecednted third major flooding in less than a week, with sea water due to swamp the already devastated historic city where authorities have declared a state of emergency.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro ordered the iconic St Mark’s Square closed on Friday as the latest sea surge struck with strong storms and winds battering the region.

After a brief respite on Saturday, the city forecast a high water of 160 centimetres (over five feet) for just after midday on Sunday, lower than Tuesday’s high of 187 centimetres but still dangerous.

Churches, shops and homes in the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, have been inundated by unusually intense “acqua alta”, or high water, which on Tuesday hit its highest level in half a century.

“We’ve destroyed Venice, we’re talking about one billion (euros) in damage,” Brugnaro said after the second major flooding of around 160 centimetres hit on Friday.

The Italian football team travelled to Venice on Saturday to show solidarity with the stricken city.

“On behalf of the whole team, we stand close to the city of Venice,” said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Italian football federation delegation visited several businesses damaged by the flooding, and chatted with Venetians, volunteers and police.

“Venice will overcome this too. Like an athlete who suffers a serious injury and then gets up again,” said delegation chief and former Azzurri international Gianluca Vialli.


The crisis has prompted the government to release 20 million euros ($22 million) in funds to tackle the devastation.

Surveying the damage, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini warned the task of repairing the city would be huge. More than 50 churches had suffered damage, he said.

Hotel reservations cancelled

Residents whose houses have been hit are eligible for up to 5,000 euros in immediate government aid, while restaurant and shop owners can receive up to 20,000 euros and apply for more later.

Most of the city’s cash machines were no longer working because of the water, making life even more difficult for tourists and Venetians.

Despite being used to the inconvenience of their city’s rising waters, some inhabitants expressed frustration.

“All the stock in the basement is lost,” lamented Luciano, a worker at a shop along St. Mark’s Square.

He said he remembered well the infamous “acqua alta” of 1966, when the water rose to a level of 1.94 metres, the highest since records began in 1923.

“These so frequent high waters have never happened before…this time there’s so much more damage than in the past,” he said.

Hotels reported cancelled reservations, some as far ahead as December, following the widespread diffusion of images of Venice underwater.

Tuesday’s high waters submerged around 80 percent of the city, officials said.

Many, including Venice’s mayor, have blamed the disaster on global warming and warned that the country prone to natural disasters must wake up to the risks posed by ever more volatile seasons.

The Serenissima, as the floating city is called, is home to 50,000 residents but receives 36 million visitors each year.

A massive infrastructure project called MOSE has been under way since 2003 to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, corruption scandals and delays.

The speaker of Italy’s Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, visited Venice on Saturday and called for the MOSE project to be completed.

“Once the emergency is over, the light on Venice should not go out,” Italian media reported.

“Venice needs attention. Now is the time to do it and if the MOSE serves as it should to avoid such disasters, then it must be finished.”

cjo/har

Agence France-Presse

Increasing women’s testosterone level boosts running capacity, new study finds

In the first study of its kind, a new European research has found that higher testosterone levels in females have a significant effect on a woman’s ability to run for longer.

Carried out at Karolinska University Hospital and Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, the new study looked at 48 physically active and healthy 18- to 35-year-old women and randomly split them into two groups.

One group applied 10 milligrams of testosterone cream to the outer thigh each day for 10 weeks, while the other 10 milligrams of an inactive (placebo) substance.

The women’s hormone levels and body composition—percentage of body fat and lean muscle mass—were measured at the beginning and end of the 10 weeks.

To test how the testosterone cream affects aerobic performance, the researchers measured how long the women could run on a treadmill before reaching the point of exhaustion, and to test the effect on anaerobic performance, which requires short bursts of energy, the women were asked to complete exercises such as squat jumps and standing vertical jumps.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that the women who used the testosterone cream experienced a rise in their levels of the hormone, with average circulating levels of testosterone increasing from 0.9 nanomoles/liter of blood to 4.3 nanomoles/l among these women.


Perhaps unsurprisingly, the women who took the inactive cream experienced no increase in testosterone levels.

The women who applied the testosterone cream also experienced a significant boost to their capacity to run for longer, with the team finding that running time to exhaustion increased significantly by 21.17 seconds (8.5%) in this group, compared with the women who took the inactive substance.

The testosterone group also experienced increases in muscle mass and leanness, though their body weight did not change.

However, there were no significant changes on any of the anaerobic performance measures, or any significant changes in weight.

It is already known that testosterone levels can impact sports performance. The researchers note that male athletes have, in general, an advantage of 10-15% in comparison with female athletes, which is most likely due to men having, on average, more than 15 times higher circulating testosterone than women.


There has been much discussion recently about whether women with levels of testosterone high enough to fall into the male range, as a result of rare inborn conditions, should be allowed to compete against women with normal levels of the hormone, although evidence is limited on the effect of testosterone on female performance.

However, the International Association of Athletics Federations has said that female athletes with high levels of the hormone must lower their testosterone levels to below 5 nanomoles/liter of blood to be eligible to compete at international level in middle distance races (400 meters to 1 mile), which has been widely criticized and legally challenged.

“Our results are therefore of great importance for the ongoing discussion of whether it is fair to allow athletes with naturally high testosterone to compete in the female category without reducing their hormonal concentration to the female range,” conclude the researchers. IB /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

How fast is society’s meat consumption evolving?

An Australian survey has revealed that although attitudes towards meat are changing, it could still be a long time before we ditch hamburgers for plant-based alternatives.

Carried out by food marketing expert Ellen Goddard at the University of Alberta, Canada, along with researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, the survey asked a nationally-representative sample of 287 Australian meat-eaters about their levels of willingness to make changes to their protein consumption.


In particular, participants were asked how willing they would be to reduce their meat consumption, to follow a meat-free diet most of the time, to avoid meat altogether, or to follow a strict plant-based with no animal products at all.

The findings, published in the journal Appetite, showed that participants had “varying levels of willingness to make changes to their protein consumption.”

More specifically, nearly half of those surveyed (46%) were unwilling to make changes to how much meat they eat, while 22% said they would be willing to reduce their meat consumption, but not go meat-free most of the time.

Only 15% said they would be willing to go meat-free, and the remaining 17% were undecided.


The findings come as plant-based protein alternatives like Beyond Meat hamburgers are surging in popularity, and popping up on the menus of big-name restaurants and fast food outlets. However, despite many people reducing their meat intake to benefit their health and the environment, the findings suggest that changing meat-eating habits could be a longer and slower process than first thought.


“The new products are not being developed for vegans or vegetarians, they are already convinced,” Goddard explained. “The products are important to encourage the rest of us to try, and perhaps like meat-free meals.”

“One of the things we found in our study was that committed meat-eaters often considered food choices in vegetarian or vegan diets to be inadequate and unpalatable, so these products might help change that perception.”

Goddard noted that the results, plus unpublished data that she has from a Canadian survey which shows similar findings, suggest that it could take years before the majority of us change our attitudes to meat.

Sven Anders, a University of Alberta food economist who was not involved in the study, commented that he is unsurprised by the findings.

“There is a very large body of economic and social science research that shows food choices are driven by habits established over our lifetime,” he explained. “What a person ate growing up will be one of the biggest determinants of an adult’s diet, and changing these habits takes time.” HM/NVG

source: technology.inquirer.net

New York’s huge Gay Pride fest launches with star-studded concert

New York’s highly anticipated World Pride festivities officially opened Wednesday with a benefit concert hosted by performer Whoopi Goldberg and featuring headliner Cyndi Lauper.

The event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center arena launches days of celebrations including more concerts, exhibitions, movie screenings, theatre shows and workshops as the city pays homage to those who took part in the 1969 Stonewall riots, a week-long protest against police harassment of the New York gay community at the time.

Ticket proceeds from Wednesday’s concert will go to three New York-based organizations supporting LGBTQ rights in the city.

Also set to perform are singers Chaka Khan and Ciara as well as Billy Porter, known for his showstopping red carpet looks and role on “Pose,” a television series about the primarily Black and Latino underground drag ball scene of the 1980s and early 1990s.

On Friday, a large crowd will gather outside Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn where on June 28, 1969 hundreds of gay and transgender people pushed back against the latest police raid on the establishment, sparking six days of unrest.

The weekend celebrations will feature concerts by Madonna and Grace Jones, winding up with a giant World Pride Parade on Fifth Avenue. It will be the sixth edition of World Pride, which began in Rome in 2000 and brought together droves of people from across the world.

New York’s Gay Pride is regularly one of the largest such events globally, but for this year’s milestone anniversary, authorities expect an additional two to three million visitors to attend.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Protein alternatives whet investors’ appetites

Cell-cultured meat, plant-based foie gras, algae milk and seaweed caviar are just some of the increasingly sophisticated alternative protein options flooding the market — and whetting investors’ appetites.

“For every company that’s looking for money, there are two or three investors. I’ve never seen that in Silicon Valley,” said Olivia Fox Cabane, founder of the Kind Earth startup and chair of the International Alliance for Alternative Protein.

Fox Cabane says she needs to update her list every other week and likens the dynamism of the alternative protein market to the buzz around social networks when they began to monopolize attention.

Beyond California, the early innovators are in the Netherlands, the birthplace of meat and other animal product alternatives, and in Israel.

Consumer demand is driving market interest in meat alternatives, according to participants in this week’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, which sees itself at the forefront of new trends.

New technology has refined alternative protein products for a broader public, according to Dan Altschuler Malek, a venture partner in the investing group New Crop Capital.

“Vegan food has been around for decades, since the late 60s, early 70s. At first, it was for ethical consumers who were willing to sacrifice,” said Altschuler Malek.

“We had to wait for the 90s for it to become more palatable. But now it’s a third generation with new technologies and the consumer does not have to sacrifice taste any more: people are just enjoying it because it’s good, not because it’s plant-based.”

For investors, taste has been the biggest factor in deciding whether to support a product. Price, says Altschuler Malek, comes second.

Mainstream in five years?

To make sure they don’t get left by the wayside, most of the major agribusiness groups have started investing in new proteins.

Even Tyson Foods, the second largest meat producer in the United States and the world’s biggest exporter of American beef, has joined the fray.

Impossible Foods is among several firms including California rival Beyond Meat developing plant-based or lab-grown meat substitutes that claim to offer products equal to or better than animal protect.

The company uses wheat protein, potato protein and coconut oil, and its “special ingredient” called heme which has elements of the hemoglobin in animal protein but is developed from soy.

There is much progress still to be made, including developing the logistics to offer these products on a large scale and providing substitutes to other commonly purchased meat products.

Altschuler Malek, for example, would like to be able to sell vegetarian “pork chops.”

He says a new tomato-based substitute for red tuna meat has the same texture and taste as the “real thing” used in Japanese sushi.

He believes that the new foods will no longer be seen as alternatives in five years but the norm, found “in every fridge.”

Most meat alternatives are primarily made with soy, peas, chickpeas and wheat gluten, but algae and mushrooms are also showing promise.

Insects, although favored by some startups, weren’t a hit with investors in Austin.

In addition to problems of health regulations, it would be quite a leap for the general consumer population to acquire a taste for anything with six legs.

Insect-based protein “might be more acceptable in some parts of the world, but I don’t think the average Western consumer will be going en masse to buy that kind of product,” said Andrew Ive, managing director Big Idea Ventures. NVG

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

5 Ways to Get out of Debt: Which Method Is Right for You?

Getting out of debt can improve an individual’s quality of life and open new doors. There are many unexpected events that can negatively affect a person’s personal finances and cause serious financial stress. Debt management is possible, however, and is available in many different forms. Some of the most common methods to get out of debt include credit counseling, debt consolidation, cash-out refinance, debt settlement, and bankruptcy.


Credit Counseling

Credit counseling is one of the best ways to help a person better understand the depth of their financial situation, and the options they have to improve it. A professional counselor acts as a liaison between the individual and their creditors to try to negotiate lower interest rates. They can also create a plan for the individual to organize and better manage their debt related expenses. This debt management plan allows the individual to make lower payments though their counselor, who then pays the creditors.

While credit counselors can be very beneficial, they do not have the ability to directly reduce the amount of debt an individual owes. Lowering interest rates is of course helpful, but the principal amount cannot be negotiated or changed. Speaking with a credit counselor can also give you a negative reputation among lenders. They may see you as a credit risk if you are having a counselor negotiate your account details. Also, credit counselors are not free, so the individual should be careful to know how much they are paying their credit counselor to avoid accumulating even more debt from this expense. Monthly payment amounts are often increased in debt management plans, which could leave the individual right back where they started.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is a very popular method that combines all outstanding debt across multiple creditors into one, single debt amount. A person can apply for a personal or debt consolidation loan so that they are only making payments to one creditor instead of multiple, often at a lower interest rate. All monthly payments are combined into one monthly payment of a determined amount.

Something to consider when using debt consolidation is that loans can at times require collateral. Collateral secures the loan through an asset owned by the applicant, such as their car or house. If the individual fails to pay the loan, these assets could be repossessed by the lender. Those who do not have collateral could expect to see higher interest rates when applying for a personal loan. Also, being approved for a loan will not reduce the principal amount of debt owed.

Being approved for a personal or debt consolidation loan requires good credit, which can be difficult for those who are already under financial stress. Fortunately, taking out one of these loans does not impact the credit of the applicant unless they are unable to pay the loan back. Terms of the loan are often customized to a certain degree to help the individual choose the best plan for their situation.

Cash-Out Refinance

Cash-out refinance lets homeowners work with a mortgage lender to help pay off their debt. Those who own a home can refinance their mortgage, add up the amount of debt they owe, then apply that amount to their current mortgage balance. They can then take that excess amount out in cash and use it to pay off the creditors, thus only having to repay the remaining balance to their mortgage company. This lowers the interest rate and creates one payment that is made each month.

Cash-out refinancing is only appropriate for homeowners with good standing credit, a steady income, and equity in their home. This is crucial to consider because many will need to choose this option before their debt gets unmanageable and hurts their credit, decreasing the chances of being able to use a cash-out refinance in the future. There are also other costs to consider when refinancing a home, including closing costs and the impact of increased mortgage debt.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement, also known as debt resolution, is when a company that offers debt settlement tries to convince creditors to allow the debtor to pay a lower total amount than what is owed. The individual would then pay the settlement company that lower amount. Much like a credit counselor negotiates to lower interest rates, debt settlement negotiates to reduce the principal amount owed. If done correctly, this can be extremely beneficial to the individual. They can save a significant amount of money if approved.

Debt settlement, unfortunately, can put a damper on a person’s credit. However, credit can be rebuilt by consistently paying the new smaller monthly payments. This may be a good option for those who have already become financially overwhelmed and are facing repercussions for not being able to make their current monthly payments.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is typically seen as a last resort for those who are entirely unable to pay back their debt. This is a legal process that is often extremely damaging to an individual’s credit and financial status. There are two different kinds of bankruptcy: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 is the most commonly used method that removes all debt from the individual, allowing them to start over. This can have devastating affects on the person’s credit, and they may even lose assets to cover the debt owed. Chapter 13 does not always completely clear a person of debt, but can lower the principal amount, so the individual owes much less. The individual then owes payments to the court who passes the money to the creditors. This can also severely hurt a person’s credit.

Can I Pay My Debt Myself?

There are ways a person can take control of their personal finances on their own. By organizing finances and using free tools online, those who are struggling to manage their debt can create a plan to help get back on track.

source: usa.inquirer.net

Eating vegetables, fish during pregnancy may help reduce risk of high blood pressure

New European research has found that eating a diet rich in vegetables and fish during pregnancy could help lower the risk of developing high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.

Carried out by researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Bristol, the new large-scale study looked at 55,138 women who took part in the Danish National Birth Cohort.


The women were asked to complete several telephone interviews, including two during pregnancy at 12 and 30 weeks and two interviews at six and 18 months after birth. They also completed a questionnaire on their dietary habits at week 25 of their pregnancy.

The findings, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics, showed that eating a diet rich in vegetables and fish appeared to reduce the risk of developing gestational hypertension by 14 percent and pre-eclampsia by 21 percent.

On the other hand, following a Western diet, which is high in potatoes, meat, white bread and margarine, increased the risk of developing gestational hypertension by 18 percent and pre-eclampsia by 40 percent.

On average, women with high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia also had a higher body mass index (1.6-2.3 kg/m2 higher) than those without the conditions.

While the researchers point out that the study only shows an association between diet and the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy, rather than a causal relationship, they add that the results do add to an existing body of evidence that supports following a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Author of the study Ms. Emmanuella Ikem also added that, “Our findings support the importance of eating a healthy and well-balanced diet in vegetables and fish and cutting out processed foods where possible. This will help to reduce a woman’s risk of developing high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.”

“Current advice recommends eating at least five portions of different fruit and vegetables every day, instead of foods high in fat. And generally it is safe to consume fish during pregnancy, no more than two portions of oily fish, such as mackerel or salmon, a week, and no more than two fresh tuna steaks or four medium-sized cans of tuna a week. Women should avoid eating shark, swordfish or marlin.”

According to previous research, high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects around 1 in 10 pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia, a condition related to high blood pressure which can cause serious complications for mother and baby, affects 2 to 8 in every 100 women and develops from around 20 weeks of gestation. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

12-year-old boy operated on after inserting 39 beads into penis

A 12-year-old boy from China who inserted beads into his penis had to undergo surgery after his kidneys stopped producing urine. 

The boy from Wuhan in central China first displayed symptoms of anuria, or the absence of urine. His family, concerned about his health, rushed him to the hospital last Jan. 13, as per a report by Kankan News via The Daily Mirror on Feb. 1

At the Wuhan Children’s Hospital, he complained of stomach pain and told doctors that he had swallowed magnetic beads.

However, a urologist found 39 magnetic beads, known as buckyballs, in his urinary tract. An x-ray showed that these formed a U shape along his urethra.


As to how they got there, the boy told the doctor he put them inside his penis because he was “curious.”

Doctors managed to remove the balls through surgery. He has since been able to urinate again and has been discharged.

Doctors at the hospital said such cases previously occurred, especially among children who are 11 or 12 years old and are just hitting puberty.   Niña V. Guno /ra

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

How Much Rent Can I Afford? How to Calculate a Rent You Can Afford

The question “how much rent can I afford”  is inevitable for those who plan to spend wisely. Your income is expected to be 40 times your rent. Before deciding on what apartment to rent, it’s advisable you deduct the tax payable on the income you earn. The money left after the deduction of the tax is what the planning should be based on.

The most important thing is that other expenses such as clothing, feeding etc. are put into consideration while determining how much rent one can afford. It’s also necessary to consider the bills that would accrue from the use of the apartment. Such bills include: electricity bills, gas bills, water bills, satellite TV subscription bills etc. It is also important to consider all other relevant bills

Finding It Difficult To Calculate Your Monthly Rent? Here’s How.

Are you having issues calculating your rent?

Do you wanna know the best rent calculation technique?

Don’t worry! This discourse proffers the necessary solutions to your housing problems.

Calculating your rent might seem difficult while looking at it superficially. But it’s one of the simplest tasks that you can ever attempt. In this write-up, you’ll be taken through the most convenient rent calculating method available.

Calculating your monthly rent from your weekly rent.

Most Tenants make the mistake of calculating their monthly rent by multiplying their weekly rent by 4 and their annual rent by 12. This approach is absolutely wrong.

Maybe this is the reason your calculations have always been different from your landlord’s. In calculating your monthly rent, the right approach is to multiply the weekly rent by 52. The result is then divided by 12. You’ve successfully calculated your monthly rent. Some examples shall be made to illustrate the points above.

Incorrect: 
Weekly rent = $200
Monthly rent = $200 X 4
Monthly rent = $800

Correct:
Weekly rent = $200
Annual rent = $200 X 52
Annual rent = $10,400
Monthly rent = Annual rent / 12
Monthly rent = $10,400 / 12
Monthly rent = $866.67

You can see there’s a great disparity between the results of the first and second approach. There’s a difference of $66.67 in the two approaches.

In some cases, the year has 53 weeks. It then follows that the weekly rent would be multiplied by 53.

Monthly Rent Calculator

Determining your monthly rent, as already established above, depends on how much you can reasonably spend per month. You need to factor things like utilities, renter’s insurance and transportation cost while using a monthly rent calculator. Apply the rule of thumb, which states that no one should spend more than 1/3 of your after-tax salary on rent.

For example, if your annual salary is $50,000, that leaves you with $4,166/month. After taxes, you should have around $3,270. One third of 3270 is about $980, and that is what your monthly rent should be on $50,000 a year.

Going by this logic, the $980 should include extra-costs you’d incur for amenities your apartment does not possess.

Rent-to-Income-Ratio Calculator

How much of my income should I spend for rent? To answer this, you’ve got to figure out the rest of your monthly budgeting. Since the largest percent of your monthly income goes to rent, it’s easiest to figure out the rest of your budgeting once you determine how much rent you can afford by using our Rent-to-income-ratio calculator.

A common budgeting strategy follows the 50-30-20 rule. Applying this strategy to your finances is a great way to maintain a focus on controlling your monthly spending while also planning out your future’s finances.

The 50: The 50 of the 50-30-20 rule means that you should aim to pay no more than 50% of your income towards your monthly necessities. These necessities include expenses such as:

The cost of your groceries per month
Your utility bills like your phone bill, water, and electricity
The cost of renter’s insurance
Driver’s insurance
Health & dental insurance
And of course, how much you should spend on rent
As given above, figuring out the amount of money you should to pay for rent gets you off to a good start on budgeting for the rest of your monthly expenses and helps you lay the foundation for figuring out the rest of your finances. If you’re looking at two different apartments and one is 40% of your income and the other is 25%, you might want to calculate how that slight difference will affect the rest of your monthly budgeting for your necessary costs.

The 30: The 30 represents how much of your income should go to discretionary spending. Basically, you should allocate 30% of your monthly income to cover entertainment, dining, the gas needed for out of town trips, the costs of your hobbies, and anything else that you can live without if you had to.

The 20: The last, and often what feels like the most distant, is the 20. The last 20, according to the 50/30/20 rule, is the percentage of income that should to go towards your financial goals. Whether that is putting down money for your retirement, paying off a car loan or student loan, or saving money for a down payment for your home.

Final thoughts

With this knowledge, I hope you’ll be able to independently determine your rent and make proper housing decisions.

Thanks for reading.

source: usa.inquirer.net

Pepe da Hepe

Joey “Pepe” Smith will be laid to rest at 3 p.m. today, Feb. 3, after a five-day wake at Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque.

When the 71-year-old King of Pinoy Rock died of cardiac arrest Jan. 28, members of three families he left behind were initially worried about funeral and burial costs.


Smith was not financially secure at the time of his death, but, just like in his roller-coaster ride of a career, help came shortly.

A fundraising campaign was launched on the website gogetfunding.com, and it didn’t take long before the target amount of P300,000 was completed. Red Horse Beer, the brand Smith had endorsed for years, pitched in.

Wally Gonzalez, who with Mike Hanopol and Smith, comprised the pioneering Pinoy Rock trio Juan dela Cruz Band, estimated Smith must’ve earned at least P30 million from his past Red Horse sponsorship deal. But apparently he didn’t save some of it, or worse, he didn’t see all the money.


He was too generous, “masyadong mabait,” Wally said.

If it’s an insinuation that Smith was a spendthrift at the peak of his successful comeback, after struggling to regain his rock-star status following his release from jail in 1994, there’s also proof that people felt responsible, if not obliged, to make life easy for him.

Smith had been a working musician since his teens. By 1966, he was famous as the drummer and, later, frontman of The Downbeats.

Almost down and out

But in 1994, he was almost down and out, having spent 19 months in jail on drug charges. He could’ve rotted in the slammer, were it not for auspicious timing—the owners of the then newly opened ’70s Bistro wanted him for a big concert at Luneta.

I was asked to visit him in jail and to get an update on his case, which he said had a good chance of being dismissed, but unfortunately his lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office died.

One of his well-meaning friends, Apa Ongpin, exerted efforts to have him freed, but it took lawyer Wijohn Reyes of ’70s Bistro to take over and argue Smith’s case, which led to his acquittal.

As it happened, I was also designated to fetch Smith from jail and bring him later in the evening to ’70s Bistro for a celebration. While treating him to merienda of Pancit Malabon in my sister’s eatery, I found myself telling Smith, then 47, that he was not getting younger; however, he could still make music, and that I would help by working as his manager (with Arthur Pimentel).

Those were damn difficult years, although Smith’s first comeback gig, held at Club Dredd, drew a full-house crowd that earned him and his band a princely sum.

Managing Smith meant abono, drawing cash from my own pocket or accumulating a listahan ng utang from my sis’ restaurant, where his kids would get their meals.

But many friends attended to Smith’s needs—dentists, surgeons, eye doctors, and a former manager who facilitated a one-time cash sponsorship of P500,000.

After my stint, Smith had around five more managers, the most financially rewarding being the one who handled the Red Horse Beer endorsement, which Gonzalez said lasted 10 years.

But even as Smith suffered painful setbacks in the last few months of his life, he was happy that his children had grown up fine and found gainful employment, some abroad.

The eldest, Queenie, Smith’s daughter from a past relationship with Gigi Laguyan, flew in from Myanmar where she’s a special education teacher.

Delta and Desiderata, two daughters Smith had with Rose Acuña, and now both living in Australia, also came home for the wake.

Curiously, Smith had sired another daughter, a Japanese, who’s now a scientist, said one of Smith’s musician friends.



Legacy

In the late ’70s, Ricky de Ungria, then writing for Jingle music magazine, asked Smith what he wished to be remembered for. “Basta ni-rakenrol ko ang Pilipinas,” he quipped.

Last week, fans and friends flooded Facebook with recollections and affirmations of Smith’s lasting legacy. Many of them had fond memories of chance encounters and good times with him, accompanied by photos of each of them with Smith.



But while most fans measure Smith’s musical influence via three Juan dela Cruz studio albums (1973’s “Himig Natin,” 1974’s “Maskara” and 1981’s “Kahit Anong Mangyari”) and two solo songs (“Summer Wind” and “Sa ’Yo”), they should also listen to his last recorded work, “Idiosyncracies,” a 12-track CD he did with longtime collaborator, guitarist Jun Lopito and bassist Dondi Ledesma, who also produced the sessions in his then home studio in Pasay.

The album encountered problems with the record label that released it, but is available via streaming on Spotify.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Philippines’ Catriona Gray is Miss Universe 2018

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ Catriona Gray is Miss Universe 2018.

Gray was hailed as Miss Universe 2018 during the coronation held at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.

The 24-year-old beauty queen from Albay bested Miss South Africa and Miss Venezuela in the Top 3, as well as candidates from 91 other countries, to take the crown.

South Africa’s Tamaryn Green finished 1st runner-up, while Venezuela’s Sthefany Gutiérrez finished 2nd runner-up.

During the Top 5 question and answer portion, Gray was asked about her stand regarding the legalization of marijuana.

“I’m for it being used in a medical use but not so for recreational use, because I think if people were to argue what about alchohol and cigarettes, well everything is good but in moderation,” Gray said.



For the final question, Gray and her Top 3 contenders were asked: “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life, and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe?”

Gray answered: “I work a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila and the life there is very poor, sad and I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look in the beauty of the children and be grateful.”

“I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson.”

“If I could teach people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster and children would have smiles on their faces.”


Gray was crowned by Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa.

The coronation was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey and supermodel Ashley Graham, while American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo performed at the competition.


Gray bagged the country’s fourth Miss U title, following Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, Margie Moran in 1973 and Gloria Diaz in 1969. /cbb

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Algorithm art fetches $432K at NY auction — Christie’s

A portrait made by algorithm smashed new boundaries Thursday, selling for $432,500 and becoming the first piece of Artificial Intelligence art sold at a major auction house, Christie’s said.

At first glance, “Edmond de Belamy”, the portrait of a gentleman dressed in black and framed in gold, could be any standard portrait from the 18th or 19th century.


Up close, the image is more intriguing. The face is fuzzy and the picture seemingly unfinished. Instead of an artist’s signature, it bears the stamp of a mathematical formula on the bottom right.

It’s the brainchild of French collective Obvious, whose aim is to use artificial intelligence to democratize art. To make the painting, artist Pierre Fautrel ran 15,000 classic portraits through a computer software.

Once the software “understood the rules of portraiture,” using a new algorithm developed by Google researcher Ian Goodfellow, it then generated a series of new images by itself, Fautrel said.

The French collective selected 11, calling them the “Belamy family”, one of which on Thursday fetched $432,500 at Christie’s in New York, the epicenter of the traditional art market.

The price smashed its pre-sale estimates of $7,000 to $10,000. Christie’s said the work was snapped up by an anonymous telephone bidder after a five-way battle on the phone, online and one would-be buyer in the room.

But is it art? Fautrel, 25, insists that it is.

“Even if the algorithm creates the image,” he told AFP “We are the people who decided to do this, who decided to print it on canvas, sign it as a mathematical formula, put it in a gold frame.”

“Tipping point”

He compared AI art to early photography of the 1850s, which he says critics rubbished at the time as “not being art and which would destroy artists.”

Richard Lloyd, international head of prints and multiples at Christie’s, persuaded the collective to put the print up for sale in order to foster a debate about artificial intelligence in art.

“I know it’s a debate that’s going on quite widely, I thought that in a way this marked a watershed — or slightly a tipping point,” he told AFP.

Leaving aside the art debate, there are legal questions. Is the collective or the algorithm the artist? What are the copyright issues?

For Lloyd, this is just the beginning of AI art.

“This is developing incredibly fast. Only in five or 10 years we will look back on this and it will look very different,” he told AFP.

“Artists who are great adopters of technology, they will seize AI,” he predicted. “Artists will use it to generate images which they will then modify… It will be quite seamless.”

There is also a benefit to the client.

“It gives you privilege that only very wealthy people in previous centuries had — to commission works of art painted just for you,” Lloyd said. CC

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Acne-prone skin? It might be the alcohol in your routine

If you’re still suffering from acne and dry skin past your early twenties, consider getting rid of all your skincare products that contain denatured alcohol, especially your toner. It’s the one skincare trick that I stand by. Since I eliminated denatured alcohol from my routine years ago, my other products work better on my skin.

Denatured alcohol is quite common in drugstore toners, if not the main ingredient. It’s also in some acne spot treatments. A few micellar water formulations also contain a bit of it too. That’s why it’s hard to defeat acne with these products. It’s also hard to believe that something so common in the beauty industry is creating more problems. But that’s the thing with skincare: it is different for every person and it can take a lot of trial-and-error to find something tailor-made to your needs.

A small disclaimer, though: I have encountered people who say that these denatured alcohol products do help them. And denatured alcohol’s prevalence proves that it works for most, given its anti-bacterial power. But if you’re someone like me, who never misses out on doing their nightly routine yet still sees bumps, you may need to go the alcohol free-route.

Pixi by Petra Glow Peel Pads 

A purchase I made last minute at the cashier, this product has rightfully earned its cult status. Not only did it keep my skin acne-free, it also helps lighten the dark spots caused by old pimples. Most skincare fanatics prefer the one which contains 20 percent glycolic acid. But if you’re just starting out, try first the 5 percent one and see how it goes.

Always Sunday Pink Punch BHA Clarifying Toner

This toner is from one of my favorite homegrown brands. It contains beta hydroxyl acid which makes pores smaller and unclogs them. The acid is balanced out by the calming effects of bearberry and tomato extracts.

Kiehl’s  Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner

If your skin is particularly sensitive, this is one sure choice. I like how this feels like water on the skin yet still keeps my skin clear with calendula, burdock root and allantoin. All these plant-derived substances make for a gentle but effective way to reduce oil production.

T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel 100% Natural Astringent 

If you’re not yet sure whether the cause of your pimples is indeed denatured alcohol, try using this one for a month. It’s what I did when I initially tested my theory. Buy a small bottle and if your skin is like mine, you’ll see no new spots plus reduced redness, damage and blemishes.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

The hype over this product from this social media brand is real. There’s a bit of a sting to this formula so I would only recommend this if you’re certain that you can take the glycolic acid. If the witch hazel proves that you and denatured alcohol don’t get along, move on to this one to quickly exfoliate all the blemishes  and old acne marks.  JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Call for entries to Hawaii student art contest

HONOLULU — Hawaii K8 students are invited to join the first annual Ohana Art Contest, which will display their art work at the Hawaii State Library.

The Filipino Association of University Women (FAUW), 3 Point Scholarship Hawaii, and Reiyukai America are sponsoring the contest “to promote stronger families that can affect stronger communities,” according to a contest press release.

There are two categories and there will be three winners in each category: 1) K-5 Division, Theme: My Favorite ‘Ohana Moment, Prizes: 1st $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $50, Teacher Prize for 1st Place: $50 Amazon Gift Card; 2) 6-8 Division, Theme: ‘Ohana, Prizes: 1st $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $50, Teacher Prize for 1st Place: $50 Amazon Gift Card.

Ohana Art Contest is open to all Hawai‘i K-8 students, who are encouraged to portray the contestant’s experiences with his/her ‘ohana, along with a paragraph describing the artwork. All the entries must be submitted physically by the organizing committee, postmarked on or before Monday, October 22, 2018.

All entries will be displayed at the Hawaii State Library from November 17th to December 8th, 2018. Winners will be awarded on Saturday, November 17th during the Final Presentation of the Letter to My Parents™ Contest in Hawaii 2018.

Winners will be contacted by the Organizing Committee. Visit www.OhanaArtContest.com for more information about the contest.

For more information, contact Rose Churma or Toshiro Obara at 808.358.2868, reiyukai@reiyukai-usa.org.

source: usa.inquirer.net