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When Paris Marries, You Gain
The heiress Paris Hilton's marriage is also a marketing opportunity for the c-commerce site Italist. Fabulous?
By Mao Shan Wang
Paris Hilton is a married woman. I am happy for her; I truly am. Last month, she tied the knot with her venture capitalist fiancé Carter Reum in what CNN described as a "lavish ceremony". Meghan Trainor called it the "most beautiful wedding ever!! (yes, double exclamation marks all hers)" and Rachel Zoe said she was "the most beautiful bride." Yes, I am happy for her. To top the many compliments, Ms Hilton will have a new reality TV show, Paris in Love, on Peacock, after the inane Netflix series Cooking with Paris. Everything from the engagement to the proposal to walking down the aisle will be featured in Paris in Love. She gleefully posted of the show, "I want my fans to know how I found my Prince Charming, and a fairy tale. Happy ending". So, yes, I am Happy for her.
But I am not sure that. despite all the happiness I am feeling—in times of the ominous Omicron—that I would want to win a "Paris Hilton's Fairytale Wedding Giveaway", as curiously offered by the e-commerce site Italist. The wedding is over, but somehow it is still happening. We're still seeing her veiled face. Is this like one of those long Indian weddings that could last five days (although for most couples, it's just the average three), only now, with Ms Hilton, much longer? Wouldn't it be great if newly engaged Kim Lim and Club 21, too, give something away after the former's likely lavish-as-well wedding in the unknown future?
Would this be like those that guests receive at the end of wedding parties? Or, something akin to the Chanel advent calendar?
In Paris Hilton's name (also to "honor" her new show) and part of their "December Treats", Italist is letting "one lucky winner" walk away with a "Paris and Carter's (nope, not Cartier's!) Gift Bag". Would this be like those that guests receive at the end of wedding parties? Or, something akin to the Chanel advent calander? According to Italist, the gift, probably housed in a (now-trendy/trending) dust bag, includes "Wedding Sweatshirt, His & Hers Paris Hilton Perfume Set, Tote Bag, R3SET Botanical Stress & Anxiety Support Supplements, & Candles". Excited yet?
But that is not all. The winner will also be gifted with four certificates for a stay at, where else, a Hilton Hotel of their choice (valued at USD2,400), a wedding crystal figurine (worth USD500), a USD500 gift card to Jane (a "curated marketplace"), a USD300 gift card to The Dog Bakery (yes, a canine pâtisserie), a USD350 hair-care hamper from Keratase, USD500 worth of products from paw.com, and a USD500 gift card to Italist. If you include the Paris and Carter's Gift Bag, which, according to sweepstakes.com, is worth USD4,800 (oh yes, they, too, are giving that away), the total value of the haul is very close to a rather handsome US ten grand. (More) excited yet?
To be sure, Italist addressed their communique to: "Hilton fans" with the specific, "this one is for you". So that, technically, counts me out. I can be happy for Paris Hilton and not be a fan. There are enough of them around the world. Otherwise, why a show of her married life? Who really cares? Who even bothered when she was living The Simple Life? Truth be told, I am no fan of anyone. But, as a believer in the institution of marriage and its sanctity, I am glad that she is heading towards marital bliss and, despite numerous past engagements, a "happy ending". Do I want any of those giveaways? Yes, I am happy for her, but not that much.
The Paris Hilton's Fairytale Wedding Giveaway is open to US residents only. Photo: Italist
Posted in Celebrations, Celebrity Style, Shopping Online
Dec·16
'In America', The Europeans—And A Horse—Won
You'd think that with New York Fashion Week just concluded, attendees would have so much to choose from to meet the dress code that, on the invite, read, "American Independence". But on the steps of the Met Gala, who really cared? Why choose American when they could have European?
Two extremes: Kim Kardashian (top) in Balenciaga. Photo: Getty Images. And Billie Elilish in Oscar de la Renta. Photo: Shutterstock
By Emma Ng
The Met Gala is where, for one time in a year—even a pandemic year, you can look ridiculous and everyone will call it fashion. I sometimes wonder if Anna Wintour organises the event and encourages everyone attending to "dress up" so that she could have a good and hearty laugh later. There is something juvenile about the idea of the Met Gala—it's, to me, fashion folks' prom night. Fashion is, of course, not important as long as you're the belle of the ball, or whatever you call Saweetie's I-don't-have-enough-fabric-for-a-saree look. In fact, I do think that it is under Ms Wintour's watch (since 1999!) that the Met Gala is the circus of the ridiculous that it is today. In fact, if you Google Met Gala and 'ridiculous', you'll get at least six links in just one page ('outrageous' is in there too). The ridiculousness, sometimes teetering dangerously close to tackiness, is augmented by the chair's and co-chairs' outfits—often so bland and proper, they seem calculated to make everyone else look like they didn't get the memo.
Queen bee Ms Wintour and her four worker-bee co-chairs—all more than half her age younger—were in clothes, not quite the costume that has come to characterise the Met Gala. The "most powerful woman" in fashion was in a predictably pretty, tiered, floral Oscar de la Renta dress (was she attending a wedding at a country club?). Amanda Gorman was in a short, studded Vera Wang bustier-thingy, with a sheer overlay; Timothée Chalamet in a satin Haider Ackermann tuxedo jacket, and Billie Eilish in a cotton candy of an Oscar de la Renta gown, probably her first-ever floor-sweeping dress and of this volume (a truly sharp contrast to the black and baggy tunic-and-skirt combo by Takahiromiyashita The Soloist that she wore at the VMA a day ago). Only Naomi Osaka looked the Met Gala newbie and fashion victim in a combo by Louis Vuitton that supposedly celebrated her heritage. I was expecting all of them to lead (or set the standard) by example, but I did not see the American-ness in anything they wore, least so Ms Osaka, with the un-American obi belt, deliberately tied askew.
Anna Wintour in Oscar de la Renta. Photo: Getty Images
Perhaps, I took the theme and the dress code too seriously and literally. But why would I not. What was the point of a theme and dress code if not to abide by? Could the attendant exhibition at the Anna Wintour Costume Center and other parts of the Met, then, be a very chin chai affair too? Would Andrew Bolton gasak buta with A Lexicon of American Fashion? The American attendees looked to me devoid of wit and irony (okay, the latter not so trendy anymore) in the choices they made that were supposed to honour the American heritage of fashion (let's just say, for now, there is. Jeans are, to many Americans and non-Americans alike, a very real and iconic American fashion item). But, of course, country themes are tricky when the brands that can afford a (USD) six-figure table—or two—are mostly from out-of-country—European, specifically French and Italian. Common knowledge, at least in the US, would remind us that the stars and celebs do not buy tickets; they are invited by brands (and approved by Ms Wintour). Invitees, therefore, will be required to be outfitted by the brand doing the inviting.
Yet, according to Vogue's own pre-event reporting, "the theme for this year's Met gala is a celebration of American Fashion." E Online earnestly called it "a deep dive into American ingenuity." Yes, the livestream was quite early in the morning, but I was wide awake watching it. What celebration, what ingenuity? Although there was the discernible presence of Thom Browne and, to a lesser degree, Prabal Gurung (his deplorable excuse of a dress for Diane Kruger made me want to strike him out), I thought the Europeans won the night, in particular Iris Van Herpen, Valentino (even Ms Wintour's daughter Bee Carrozzini, expecting her second child, was dressed by the house), and Balenciaga. And, as Vanessa Friedman pointed out via Twitter, Cartier.
But, perhaps, it was Balenciaga who may have enjoyed the last laugh and a clear win when Kim Kardashian appeared incognito, completely swaddled in a black fabric, a look attributed to Balenciaga's Demna Gvasalia, and believed to be conceived with Ms Kardashian's (estranged, is it not?) husband Kanye West, who was also there on the Met Gala steps, in all-black, the kuroko (stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre) to the missus—the leading lady—(he was seen assisting her and adjusting her dress). Rihanna, the last to arrive, wore Balenciaga too, but it was the two Ks who stole the show with their black nothingness. Was Balenciaga mocking the excesses of American red carpet looks? Some Netizens think the couple were mourning the death of American fashion. I think they were merely acknowledging that it does not exist.
The Co-Chairs
Clockwise from top: Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Gorman, and Timothée Chalamet. Photos: Getty Images
Her fans are not wrong. Billie Eilish, in her Met Gala debut, "killed it". She did not come ready to be filmed for TikTok, but, with her old-Hollywood styling (Marilyn Monroe is really rather close), she could be filmed for a major movie role. She truly played a—and her—part. Would she be invited back again? I'm not sure if that would be in the affirmative if the question is posed to Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka. Ms Gorman might be disappointed that few saw the poetry in her Prom Store dress and Ms Osaka might be similarly let down to learn that her fussy outfit and the amateur kabuki makeup were no victories for her. Timothée Chalamet bravely tackled more than one brand for his total look. Apart from the satin Haider Ackermann tuxedo jacket, he wore a Rick Owens turtleneck under that, and unidentified sweatpants. On his feet were Converse Chuck Taylors. There were even some 1920s Cartier brooches pinned to the sweats. Okay, that's a bit much. No pin should ever go so near there!
The Show-Stopper
Lil Nas X in three different costumes. Photos: Film Magic, Wire Image, Film Magic
Someone had to do it. Why leave it to only Rihanna when just as willing was Lil Nas X, the fashion sponge who'd wear anything, and would come wearing everything. Lil Nas X is not one to shy away from an outfit that looks like a haberdashery fell on it. At his Met Gala-as-VMA appearance, he was inspired by Met Galas past. Either that or he forgot that Lady Gaga already did multiple costume changes back in 2019 (she revealed four, while he showed three), that the exhibition Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination (2018) is over, ditto for Manus ex Machina (2016). The only look that the Met has not quite paid tribute to is Michael Jackson as Catwoman. So Lil Nas X, with the help of Atelier Versace, did the most fashionable thing: at the end of the strip-down, he wore a derriere-enhancing, exotically-patterned catsuit.
The Actresses
Clockwise from top left, Kristen Stewart, Yara Shahidi, Sienna Miller, Lupita Nyong'o, Hailee Steinfeld, Indya Moore. Photos: Getty Images
For Kristen Stewart, it's all in a days work, in Chanel. It is not a bad look if she was going shopping at Bloomingdale's. Or lunch nearby. Actresses are not pop-stars—no day is the Grammy's. So safe is the best dress. When an actress turns to the present-day Dior, safe is what she seeks, and safe was what Yara Shahidi got. And secure in the body-skimming Gucci was Sienna MIller, in a colour so safe, it's called nude. Or, match-the-carpet! Conversely, Carey Mulligan braved a bright-pink Valentino, but looked just as safe, if not safer. Some actresses try. Lupita Nyong'o opted for denim and some bling by Versace and appeared rather like Wakanda royalty, not American. More challenging was Hailee Steinfeld's Iris Van Herpen mini-dress with wispy leaf shapes, arranged artfully, revealing almost nothing, even if it came this close to a nude dress. Indya Moore, in Saint Laurent, clearly wore shorts (with a velvet bow as waistband), but it's hard to be certain if she had anything else under that coat.
The Models
Clockwise from top left, Kaia Gerber, Cara Delevingne, and Kendall Jenner, Imaan Hammam, Gigi Hadid, Winnie Harlow,. Photos: Getty Images
Models, like actresses, are drawn to safe. They are supposed to be better at fashion since fashion is basically their job, but safe is chicer than sorry. Kaia Gerber, in Oscar de la Renta, looked like she prefers the taste of girls who won't (can't?) grow up. Cara Delevingne, in Dior, seemed like she was on her way to fencing class, but changed her mind. As for the red text—"Peg the Patriarch"—on the vest, there's no doubt it's a political message. If you were hoping for her to throw some light on what "peg" means, she said to an interviewer that people should look it up "because I'm not going to explain it, right now". If an explanation is needed right now, pegging is, simply put, a sex act in which a cis woman plays the role of the opposite sex in a heterosexual union. Okay, that's far enough! Kendall Jenner did not look like she the pegging sort. She wore a nude dress by Givenchy that, to me, flashed 2015, the year both Beyonce and Kim Kardashian wore see-through gowns to this very same event. Not to be outdone was the Dutch model Imaan Hammam in vintage Atelier Versace. And similarly see-all were also on Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent and Irina Shayk in Moschino. Gigi Hadid did safe too—old-Hollywood safe—in Prada. Vogue.com reported that she "offered a modern take on Audrey Hepburn". I saw not. It was more like a modern take on Julia Roberts. Which brings us to Winnie Harlow in Iris Van Herpen. Even when I still do not see America, what's there not to like?
Clockwise from top left: Olivia Rodrigo, Teyanna Taylor (photo: Shutterstock), Jennifer Lopez, Megan thee Stallion, Rosé (photo: Wire Image), Jennifer Hudson. Photos: Getty Images
Super-young pop star Olivia Rodrigo wore a Saint Laurent lace catsuit with a wide marabou fichu, looking every bit the teen that she is, testing the dangerous waters of sexiness. Ms Rodrigo does not have a powerful breakout look as Billie Eilish did, so this was far enough for an 18-year-old newbie to show her granny knickers. Going the other extreme was Teyana Taylor, who wore so little in the Prabal Gurung that I hesitate to call the held-together-with-cords clothing. Surely there's a difference between dress up and dress not? Surely the Met Gala deserved more cloth than rope, more dress than train? Even Jennifer Lopez, the one-half of born-again Bennifer, had to show cleavage and thigh, which I remember to be her very thing. But getting Ralph Lauren to do sexy is like asking Bob Mackie to do preppy. Surprisingly, Megan thee Stallion chose sweet, but Coach gave her part shrink-wrapped strawberry cheesecake, part dalgona froth. Blackpink's Rosé, escorted by Anthony Vaccarello, was one of the few Asians in attendance, which was unexpected, given that this is the year of Shang Chi. In Saint Laurent, Rosé looked the ingenue I never thought she could be. By contrast, Jennifer Hudson picked a custom AZ Factory gown and a massive matching coat only for them to be underwhelmed by her bigger, bubbly personality. At some point on the stairs, Ms Hudson removed the coat to pose. Unfortunately for her, somewhere in the crowd, Isabelle Huppert, in Balenciaga, was in a similar fish-tail dress.
The One-Names
Rihanna, Grimes, Lorde, Maluma, Saweetie, Rosalía, Photos: Getty Images
Rihanna was the last to arrive, as expected, but there was no equivalent of an omelette to be seen. In fact, she was cocooned in Balenciaga couture of rather intense black. While the shape of cloak is beguiling, Rihanna needed heavier clothes for her to conquer those cumbersome stairs (that omelette coat was 25kg!). Grimes chose Iris van Herpen; she looked less a couture wearer than a cosplay newbie. Lorde had an unusual look. Her gaping Bode two-piece (interest-arousing also because designer Emily Bode is a menswear designer), with the floral appliques, was fetching, but why the headwear? Spanish pop star Rosalía's Rick Owens heavily-fringed shawl wrapped more fetchingly than some dresses. Case in point: Saweetie. In Christian Cowan, she really showed how she punished her misbehaving boobs, and saw, I believe, many did. The Colombian singer Maluma wore a red leather Versace trucker jacket that was studded and fringed. There were matching pants and shoes too. Okay, no rhinestone cowboy here, but definitely a strutting Beng gaucho.
There has not been this many athletes at the Met Gala. Maybe it's the Olympic year and athletes are making the news. But many sports people are not necessarily fashion folks. Sure, Lewis Hamilton bought a table and invited designers of colour, but they did not make the scene (Mr Hamilton curiously wore a sheath of café curtain on his right leg). It would take Serena Williams in a Gucci cape of ombre feathers to trail the spotlight on athletes, reminding us that, like her rapper sisters, sports stars enjoy OTT clothes too, especially those not made of plain fabric. As with Ms Williams, Simone Biles (fellow gymnast Nia Dennis attended too, outfitted in blue bodysuit to do cartwheels!) enjoyed relief work on the surface of her bustier-gown, which she wore over a floral (were they sparkly snowflakes?) bodysuit. The silver embroidery of the former reportedly weighed 40kg. The design team at Area X Athleta that put the outfit together might have forgotten that Ms Biles is a gymnast, not a weightlifter.
The Guys
Guys on the red carpet are usually no news, but on the cream carpet of the Met Gala, the guys are a braver breed. Surprisingly, the more unusual look didn't come from a celebrity, but a techie, specifically Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, who wore a Bode suit with diamond-shaped pieces stitched to the bodice and arm. Others who abandoned the tuxedo, I'm not sure, did so for better choices. Poor A$AP Rocky—Rihanna was looking all couture-serious, but he appeared to have been dragged out of grandma's bed. I think only Rihanna knew why he saw it fit to turn up at the Met Gala in a blanket made by ERL, the abbreviation of the name of the LA designer Eli Russell Linnetz, collaborator to Lady Gaga and Kanye West, who, by the way, was there, and equally blacked-out as his (former yet?) wife. Aussie, Troye Sivan, in choosing a slinky dress that Kim K might have worn 20 years ago (with cut-outs on each side of the waist!), continued to push the non-binary agenda on the red carpet—okay, cream. But the most begging-to-be-understood look went to Dan Levy, in Loewe. I don't know why, but the getup, with puff/balloon sleeves and a map of the world in the shape of two men kissing (powerful message, no doubt), made me see a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I don't know why, but I did.
Clockwise from left, Donatella Versace, Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Virgil Abloh, Kerby Jean-Raymond, Tom Ford. Photos: Getty Images
Designers often take the bow at the end of runway shows in very nondescript, practical work clothes. But I think deep down inside they want to dress up. Some designer dress others better than they can dress themselves. I mean, look at Vera Wang. Did she spend too much hours making the bloomers that she had time only for a curtain as the rest of the outfit? Donatella Versace, on the other hand, dresses others as she would dress herself: not at all subtly. Tory Burch wore an interesting dress, but she looked too eager to please. The guys might score a tad better. Tom Ford couldn't break away from black tie (it's also safer), playing the suave charmer he has cultivated himself to be. Kerby Jean-Raymond, in a red Pyer Moss suit held in place with a matching hybrid vest-harness, was beaming with designer-to-watch energy. I'm just surprised he didn't come in a peanut butter jar. Wouldn't that be American? Meanwhile, Virgil Abloh, presumably in Louis Vuitton, came as the Easter bunny, lost in a party he shouldn't have crashed.
Clockwise from top lfet, Whoopie Goldberg, Iman, Erykah Badu, Kim Petras, Debbie Harry (photo: AP), Ella Elmhoff. Photos: Getty Images
Whoopie Goldberg does not really wear dresses, so when she does, the world takes notice. Her yurt of a gown by the esteemed house of Valentino was, to be sure, not the same tent that Carey Mulligan wore, both flanking Pierpaolo Piccioli when they arrived. While Ms Mulligan was predictably saluting pretty, fashion iconoclast Erykah Badu took a different route: she abandoned her famous towering turbans in favour of a top hat and a lace face-screen that, together with the tuxedo skirt-suit and quilted cape, was designed by Thom Browne, seemingly the most worn American designer name of the evening. Ella Elmhoff, famous for being Kamala Harris's stepdaughter, wore Stella McCartney to prove that the WFH look, even if more amped up, was still relevant, however glamorous the occasion, no matter how many women still preferred trains for evening wear. The biggest outfit of the night went to Iman. The former model wore a massive hooped cage that was the result of the collaborative effort of Dolce & Gabbana and the young, Central Saint Martin alum Harris Reed. With the just-as-large hat, she looked like some African fertility goddess. Rock star (still!) Debby Harry also wore a hooped cage (by Zac Posen), visible under a crinoline made of panels of fabric that, together with the deconstructed denim jacket, represented the colours of the American flag.
Perhaps nobody does America better than a foreigner. German singer Kim Petras (now based in LA) certainly expressed herself. In a wearable—aka piñata—by the sustainable brand Collina Strada, Ms Petras seemed connected to her animal spirit. The dress came complete with a face of a horse (could it be a donkey?) with eyes strategically covering the breast, pannier for the animal's body, and hair styled as a long pony tail to represent the beast's tail. Frankly, I could not tell where the head began and the tail ended. Or, was this the night's best visual lexicon of American fashion and designers—heads or tails, they're just horsing around?
Posted in Celebrations, Celebrity Style, World Watch
It's Still Busy
Rose Bakeries in Tokyo are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but looking inside their Marunouchi café, you probably won't know
Tokyo's Marunouchi (丸の内), at this time of the year, is normally packed with shoppers and people coming out to enjoy one of the prettiest Christmas light-ups of the capital city. Flanked by the Imperial Palace East Garden and the stately Tokyo Station, it is a financial district with a formidable shopping stretch that, to us, could rival nearby Ginza. This year, being what it has been thus far, the main retail thoroughfare Marunouchi Naka-Dori Avenue is unusually quiet. This could be because the light-up is turned off at 8pm (usually till midnight) to discourage people from staying late or to throng the area to enjoy some seasonal illumination. Similarly, many shops have chosen to close early, which further augment the stillness of the area.
But one of those that has decided to shut—temporarily—is the English-French café Rose Bakery. There are four Rose Bakeries in Tokyo (the fifth in the trendy neighbourhood of Kichijoji [吉祥寺] was shuttered permanently in 2017), and all of them have chosen to close for the time being. The Rose Bakery at the Comme des Garçons' store in Marunouchi (My Plaza), a stone's throw from Tokyo Station, is closed until next February as a response to "a change in the business situation due to various circumstances," according to a company statement. This has been one of our favourite of the Rose Bakeries, primarily because it is at street level, unlike the others housed in Dover Street Market London and DSM Ginza, both with the cafés in the topmost floor (we do not know why there isn't a Rose Bakery at DSMS other than Como Lifestyle, linked to DSMS, also runs F&B outlets in the same area known as Como Dempsey). Although it is now closed, this Rose Bakery still caught our attention because it is still 'packed'.
Rather than let the lights go out on the area it shares with the CDG boutique (as well as the Play corner) or have the space cordoned off, Rose Bakery has allowed its tables to be busy with customers—mannequins all togged in CDG. Of course. And the mannequins weren't just standing, as in a typical window display. They were gathered around tables, some seated, others huddled: a veritable tableau of on-season CDG wearers (a few bag-totting), partaking in something festive, even when there was nary a tinsel in sight. These silent revellers, of course, needn't practise social distancing. And, although faceless, they appear, like the celebrity guests at Jeffery Xu's birthday bash and Max Lim's wedding party, rather happy for it.
It is admirable that there are brands using temporary closure as a marketing opportunity with long-term effect. Charm can, indeed, be created in the clutches of crisis. And, as a consequence, hope too. If retailers are sanguine about future prospects, consumers will be as well. Does it only happen in Japan, where, despite a year that has to surrender to the vagaries born of a still-raging pandemic, retailers are expressing a will to survive, and creatively? On our island, the same cannot be said of those who had to shut during the Circuit Breaker. Shops were left completely dark, with some tightly covering their mannequins with plastic, as if to suffocate them, and others remained as if hastily abandoned. Perhaps looking real is a better way to survive than daring to dream.
Photo: Jiro Shiratori for SOTD
Posted in Celebrations, Retail, Shopping
Happy, Happy New Year!
It has been a remarkable 2019, even if it has been fairly quiet on this dot we call home. Fashion is increasingly difficult to grasp. So much that is thought to be fashion today wouldn't be considered so only a couple of years ago. No matter, we try to make sense of them, even if that may ultimately be a senseless thing to do. Here at SOTD, we'd like to thank you for your unwavering support and for continuing to read us, despite the lengths of some of the posts! From the team, have a blessed year ahead.
And a stylish one, too.
Photo: Jim Sim
Posted in Celebrations
Something Is Missing
Rows and rows or cascades after cascades of fairy lights on holiday leave at Christmas Light-Up 2019
By Ray Zhang
After 35 years, perhaps the novelty of the Orchard Road Christmas light-up has worn off. I look forward to it as I would the arrival of noon-day heat or the opening of another bubble tea shop. Still, it is the only Christmas draw that Orchard Road can offer, and even that increasingly borders on the lame. It is not clear what purpose the Light-Up now offers other than obligatory decorating of a street that otherwise would have as much pull as Far East Plaza.
A week before the Light-Up was officially switched on, I was in Orchard Road. Seeing just the lamp post decorations up, I thought perhaps, the work was incomplete. Last night, when I was out to catch the festive lights in their full glory ("A Great Gift", as this year's theme will have you believe), I was quite surprised—shocked would have been a better word, but I resist—to see emptiness directly above Orchard Road itself. There was nothing, not even a string of fairy lights. You could see the blackness that was the dark sky clearly. Unobstructed.
This year, for reasons not entirely clear, Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA, ) and its design company opted for a noticeable change: just road-side adornments, mostly lamp-post decorations and scant ornaments dangling from the trees that line both sides of the "great street". This year's decoration, however colourful pedestrians think it is, looks half-done.
ORBA's executive director Steven Goh told The Straits Times that "The Christmas street light design is refreshed in a new showcase format with the objective to create a more immersive pedestrian experience designed for visitors who walk along Orchard Road during this festive season." If, in addition, there were no decorations from the buildings on both sides of the street, I wonder how immersive those one-dimensional "great gifts" up there can be.
As with window displays, street light-ups during this time of the year are notoriously unable to please everybody. I would be the first to admit that I'm not at all easily thrilled, especially when the embellishment and trimming look like they need more work—and lights (even when we're told that the exact length of LED lights are the same as last year's, some 60,620m of it)—to complete. A street light-up just has to have lights strung across or along the road. Call me old-fashioned.
I am baffled, too, as to why Mr Goh thought that the "light design is refreshed" when it looks to me a total break from last year's much-maligned Disney theme-park blandness. The "commercialisation" of Christmas—as new as Santa itself—upset quite a few last year, rather that the light-up's aesthetic value. Some, for whom Christmas must not move away from tradition, took umbrage at the crassness of Mickey Mouse enjoying Christmas. It was as if Be@rbrick characters were doing the nativity scene.
I sometimes wonder if there's a need for complete design change to our light-up every single year. Would that not result in eco-unfriendly waste? Could we not have recycled past decorations with thematic variations? If we don't put up new ornaments on the same plastic tree every year in our living room, why should Orchard Road boast a new festive wardrobe every November/December? Some argue that the same light-up every year may be repetitive. But in other cities, where street illumination is festive necessity and tourist draw, recognisable consistency is not necessarily unvaried or uninteresting.
In London's Oxford Street, light canopies of one colour have been used for many years, yet each time, the light-up seems different as the themes are changed (this year, it has been reported that there will be an upgrade to "LED light curtains"). And, the Oxford Street light-up has not seen a decrease in visitors. Similarly, closer home, the decorations on Tokyo's Marunouchi Naka-Dori Avenue (just across from Tokyo Station) has remained somewhat identical through the years, yet the queues to get into the stretch with the most dazzling lights in the days leading up to Christmas have not, as I am aware, shortened.
Orchard Road's aspirational days are, sadly, left behind like the fairy lights in this years Christmas light-up. Its feeble display is a lady of a certain age togged in finery that are no longer fine. Even the christmas.orchardroad.org website strains to convince us to "revel in the gift of the holidays at this wonderland of light and colour". Wonderland. No characters or avatars except jolly Santa. This year, Orchard Road is carefully staying clear of controversy.
Posted in Celebrations, Rituals
Tagged Orchard Road


At his first conference presentation.
Pictured, right: Dr Holger Becker, Symposium Chair and Award sponsor Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH, Germany; 2nd year PhD student, Panagiotis Galanis; and Symposium Chair, Professor Bonnie Gray, Simon Fraser University (right).
Southampton, UK – ORC second year photonics PhD student, Panagiotis Galanis, has been awarded Best Student Paper at SPIE Photonics West, San Francisco, earlier in February. This was Panagiotis' first ever presentation at a conference.
Panagiotis (Panos), who belongs to the Optoelectronics Research Centre's (ORC) research group Laser Direct Write Technologies for Biomedical Sensors, received a certificate and cash prize of $1000USD from the Award sponsor, Microfluidic ChipShop.
His paper, entitled "Laser-direct-writing to enable filtration in paper-based devices for point-of-care-diagnostics", was presented during the 'Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems' symposium.
Panos is using a laser-based technique to pattern paper in order to enable an add-on functionality of filtration within these devices. The application of the work is to selectively filter particles based on their size, with an end-goal of separating plasma from red blood cells.


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Sweet Memories Blackjack
CIRCLE Entertainment
Flyhigh Works
12th Jul 2012 (USA), $3.99
31st May 2012 (UK/EU), £3.60
Review Sweet Memories Blackjack
Not fond memories
Sweet Memories Blackjack is a strange arrival on the 3DS eShop, with a Japanese concept and style that typically doesn't make it outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. While card games are common on DSiWare, this 3DS exclusive follows a different approach that aims to bring a relationship dynamic to proceedings. This title may...
Thu 7th Jun 2012
Sweet Memories Blackjack is a card game that allows you to play blackjack with a number of different girls,
These Japanese high school girls are cute, and sweet additions to the poker club you've created.
One day, an old neighbour named Kasumi enrolled at your school, after moving back to the city. Your parents are acquaintances, so she is staying at your home.
You have sweet childhood memories of the time spent with her. One look at Kasumi, and the memories will return. The time you spend playing blackjack together increases the connection between you, and you will find out that she is the perfect match for you.
In Normal mode, you can place higher wagers with different members of the poker club
In Score mode, you beat your opponent by gaining a higher score
At any time of the morning or night, you will learn more about Kasumi
Completing special achievements unlocks gallery items
tovare
Sun 3rd Jun 2012
It's a nice spin on a simple game. It's fairly easy to win for beginners applying the most basic blackjack strategies, the opponent doesn't automaticly hit hard and sometimes stays on 13,14 etc and it appears to be a single deck only.. A few of the opponents are not available in the evening, which is a shame because blackjack is suited for mindless procastination. It seems to take a lot of grindig to get anything to happen, and there's not a lot in there. The soft music and japanese speech makes this a release to consider as a meditation exercise. Presentation and user interface is flawless.
Unlocked memories can be replayed from the main screen, I do wish there was a much larger story to be played through. (There probably should have been zombies in the story too )
Nintendo Download 31st July (North America)
Thu 31st Jul 2014
Nintendo Download 8th May (Europe)
Mon 5th May 2014
Nintendo Download 13th February (Europe)
Mon 10th Feb 2014
Nintendo Download 12th July 2012 (North America)
3DS Virtual Console
Nintendo Download 31st May 2012 (Europe)
Mon 28th May 2012

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Poor nutrition can manifest itself in many ways. The more obvious symptoms of a nutritional deficiency include dull, dry or shedding hair; red, dry, pale or dull eyes; spoon-shaped, brittle or ridged nails; bleeding gums; swollen, red, cracked lips; flaky skin that doesn't heal quickly; swelling in your legs and feet; wasted, weak muscles; memory loss; and fatigue.
The best evidence that ALA can protect the heart comes from the Lyon Diet Heart Study, a randomized clinical trial in Europe. It tested the effects of an ALA-enriched Mediterranean diet in 605 patients with coronary artery disease. Over a four-year period, the high-ALA diet produced a 72% reduction in heart attacks and cardiac deaths and a 56% lower risk of dying from any cause (including cancer). The Mediterranean diet differed from the standard Western diet in many respects, but because it contained a special canola oil margarine, the greatest difference was in its ALA content, which was nearly eight times higher in the protective diet.
MPOWER Fitness was started with the goal of encouraging, inspiring and motivating people in a way that equips them to do anything they set their minds to do. We started as a small group of 15 in an extra room at a friend's house on May 1st, 2015. We quickly outgrew that space and had to move our training to a local park. I soon realized that there were more and more people that needed this idea of teaching movement within exercise that transferred over into our daily movement in life. I knew immediately who would be able to help me with this goal. Looking to move back to the BCS area, I called my now head trainer, Andrew Ramirez, and asked him to join me on this very risky, yet exciting journey. Andrew agreed, and with the help of some close friends, MPOWER Fitness was born. In just 6 short months, we went from exercising in parks to opening our doors November 1, 2015. With some incredible employees, friends and family by my side, we have created an environment where people not only feel safe but are being taught how to "move" properly. The instruction taught inside MPOWER Fitness is based upon exaggerated movements that mimic everyday life. We believe that simple equipment yields simple movement and our philosophy is such that a strong mind is the prerequisite for a strong body.
Nutrition interventions that target mothers alone inadequately address women's needs across their lives: during adolescence, pre-conception, and in later years of life. They also fail to capture nulliparous women. The extent to which nutrition interventions effectively reach women throughout the life course is not well-documented. In this comprehensive narrative review, we summarized the impact and delivery platforms of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions targeting adolescent girls, women of reproductive age (non-pregnant, non-lactating), pregnant and lactating women, women with young children<5 years, and older women, with a focus on nutrition interventions delivered in low- and middle-income countries. We found that though there were many effective interventions that targeted women's nutrition, they largely targeted women who were pregnant and lactating or with young children. There were major gaps in the targeting of interventions to older women. For the delivery platforms, community-based settings, compared to facility-based settings, more equitably reached women across the life course, including adolescents, women of reproductive age, and older women. Nutrition-sensitive approaches were more often delivered in community-based settings, however, the evidence of their impact on women's nutritional outcomes was less clear. We also found major research and programming gaps targeting overweight, obesity, and non-communicable disease. We conclude that focused efforts on women during pregnancy and in the first couple of years postpartum fails to address the interrelation and compounding nature of nutritional disadvantages that are perpetuated across many women's lives. In order for policies and interventions to more effectively address inequities faced by women, and not only women as mothers, it is essential that they reflect how, when, and where to engage with women across the life course.
Women, as we age, are also more susceptible to the breakdown of our bones, which may result in osteoporosis over time. Genetically, women have a particularly high risk of osteoporosis compared to men, so it's recommended that women monitor their calcium intake to be sure they're getting enough. Weight training is another great way (and my favorite!) to build bone density, which is another great reason you should hit the weights!
Calories. Most times, women need fewer calories. That's because women naturally have less muscle, more body fat, and are usually smaller. On average, adult women need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day. Women who are more physically active may need more calories. Find out how many calories you need each day, based on your age, height, weight, and activity level.
It takes a lot of discipline to turn down a cupcake or roll out of your warm bed for a cold morning run. To make staying on track easier, it's important to make a real connection with your motivation, says Tara Gidus, R.D., co-host of Emotional Mojo. So think less about fitting into your skinny jeans or spring break bikini and more about emotional ties to the people you love. "Your relationships will grow stronger when you are physically healthy and taking care of yourself," she says.


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Currently, all 3-4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours per week of government funded education/childcare during term time. From September 2017 children of working parents may be eligible for an additional 15 hours a week (30 hours free entitlement). To find out if you are eligible please visit the government's Child Care Choices website.
We also have a breakfast club that starts at 8.00am.
The majority of children start at Nursery in the September after their third birthday and stay with us for three terms prior to going in to primary school. If we have places available we can also offer places to children in January or April if they have turned three.
We also have a number of places for 2-year-olds who are eligible for the government's Funding for 2's. If you are eligible you should receive a letter just before your child's 2nd birthday, but if you haven't you can check online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
You can complete a Nursery application form to register your child following their second birthday [downloadable form to the right of this page]. We need to see proof of date of birth and proof of address when you bring the form in to Nursery and then your child can be put on our waiting list until offers of places are made.
If your child is already three or four and you have moved into the area, there may be places available at different points in the year – it is worth ringing or calling in to check the availability of places.
For the past few years we have been able to accommodate all children who have registered from the Huntingdon area including: Oxmoor, Hartford, Sapley, Stukeley Meadows, Godmanchester, Brampton, Buckden, Wyton and Abbots Ripton.
Please click here for more information about children with additional needs at Nursery.
Please print off the application form (Word doc) from the link below and complete it. Bring it along to Nursery with some form of identification for your child (something that states their date of birth) this is usually their birth certificate, but it can be a passport or NHS card, and a proof of your address (e.g. utility bill). If anything is unclear on this form please ring the Nursery and we will be happy to help.
We have an optional uniform at Nursery. Sweatshirts and t-shirts are available from our suppliers Orchard Clothing. You can order direct from their website by clicking on the link below. Sweatshirts are avaliable in red, green or royal blue and cost £10.00 each. T-shirts come in yellow, sky blue or red and are £6.50 each.


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'Lightly Looked'
An in-real-time synopsis of today's T-Rump events, a view of America to the world, as presented by a villainous-moron, scared shit-less of the truth (USAToday):
On Twitter, the former developer described a proposed development his company pursued in Russia as "very legal" and "very cool," pushing back on criticism that has emerged after his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to lying about that deal.
In a followup tweet, Trump said he "lightly looked at doing a building somewhere in Russia."
But he said he "put up zero money, zero guarantees and didn't do the project."
Leaving/not-leaving his American legal woes behind, the T-Rump was in Buenos Aires today for a meeting of the G-20, and the entire affair is soap-opera and idiotic — the T-Rump is getting played by the world, bigley.
Via the New York Times:
When the president encountered Prince Mohammed on the sidelines of the meeting, "they exchanged pleasantries," according to a White House official, as Mr. Trump did "with nearly every leader in attendance."
Mr. Trump later told reporters: "We had no discussion. We might, but we had none."
As if to prove that the prince was not persona non grata, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry posted photos of him chatting with President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, though not Mr. Trump.
He even exchanged a modified high-five with Mr. Putin before they sat down next to each other at the first session of the leaders.
High-fiver:
This is sad — you can actually see the T-Rump in the background, and he looks lost, pathetically-bewildered. One wonders at how this piece of obvious-bat-shit-crazy could have done anything at all his entire life, much less possess the shit he acquired — he had massive help, from his dirtball-daddy on down: A weird-ass, nasty-ass cretin.
Newsweek:
President Donald Trump apparently struggled to understand the English-language translation of his Argentine counterpart's Spanish words on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
Following Argentine President Mauricio Macri's remarks Friday at a news conference at Macri's Casa Rosada residence, Trump shook the South American leader's hand before quipping, "I think I understood you better in your language than I did on this, but that's OK."
Trump then dropped his earpiece on the floor and began his own comments, in which he discussed the leaders' shared history of family business during the U.S. president's "civilian days" and of which he had "fond memories."
"We're going to be talking about lots of good things for Argentina, for the United States, including trade, including military purchases, and other things. But we have a lot to talk about—a little bit of old times; about 95 percent business, I would say," Trump said.
"But this is a great honor to be with you. You're my friend, longtime. Great family. And you're doing a fantastic job, and I want to congratulate you," he added.
Notwithstanding disagreement on China:
Still, the two men appeared in good spirits, despite the fact that Trump been haunted by the "Trump Baby" balloon, which has followed him on his latest international visit.
The inflatable protest prop made its debut during Trump's visit to the United Kingdom last year and was spotted again earlier this month in France, where Trump traveled during the World War I centennial memorial.
Inherently, making America great again is a failure from the get-go — the world doesn't really give a shit. Good view this afternoon from Samantha Vinograd at the Daily Beast on the T-Rump and the summit in BA. She was a member of Obama's National Security Council, and earlier, worked at the US Treasury under GW Bush
High points:
So, if we're being honest about what's taken place in Buenos Aires, Day 1 for Individual 1 (this president) was a clear signal that they won't cry for Trump in Argentina.
G20 leaders are moving ahead with their own agendas whether President Donald J.Trump likes it or not.
The world isn't waiting for President Trump.
Despite his absence other leaders are moving ahead with their agenda while he watches (and tweets) from the sidelines.
While the U.S. used to lead coalitions of allies to hold murderers and other global bullies accountable for killing people and breaking international laws, Trump made very clear before the Summit that he was on the team of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) no matter what.
While American allies cut arms sales and weigh other options to punish MBS's crimes against humanity—in Yemen, in Turkey where Jamal Khashoggi was killed, and more—the president went rogue and issued a statement absolving the prince of any crime worth punishment.
And even if he's being pressed by several G20 members, it's Putin's party in the USA today—because while he's high-fiving MBS and mingling with G20 leaders in Buenos Aires, his mission to sow divisions in the U.S. got a whole new hook courtesy of Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Friday when she blamed the Russian witch hunt hoax—also known as the special counsel's investigation into Russia's complex counterintelligence operation against our country during the 2016 election that may have involved members of the Trump campaign—for undermining our relationship with Russia.
Bad moon rising until the sun comes up…
(Illustration out front: 'President Trump,' by Jonathan Bass, found here).
Posted by: Bruce Maulden // Articles // November 30, 2018
← Pot Research 'The Confused US President' and 'Self-reinforcing Feedbacks' →


In this 163rd episode, Mike chats with 102.1 the Edge broadcaster Kid Craig about the origin of his name, his work at The Wolf, CHFI and Virgin 999 and how things are going at the Edge. This episode is exactly 57:16.
In this 162nd episode, Mike chats with broadcaster Don Landry about his years at The Fan 590 co-hosting the morning show with Pat Marsden and Gord Stellick, why I should have Vic Rauter on the podcast, what he thinks of skinny cable packges and Gord Martineau's exit and what he's been up to with the Argos and curling and much, much more. This episode is exactly 1:32:47.
In this 161st episode, Mike chats with Sportsnet sportscaster Hazel Mae about the Blue Jays, her career in broadcasting, her time in Boston and what it's like being married to a former Blue Jay. This episode is exactly 37:31.
In this 160th episode, Mike chats with broadcaster Liz West about her work at ENOW, Canada AM, City TV, CP24, CHCH and her new podcast venture with Mark Hebscher. This episode is exactly 1:17:28.
In this 159th episode, Mike chats with Rob Johnston, a man who worked at CFNY 102.1 from 1989 to 2015. This episode is exactly 1:26:50.
In this 158th episode, Mike chats with TSN's James Duthie about his years at TSN, being recruited by Rogers Sportsnet, whether he'd follow Jay and Dan to the USA, and what he thinks of Rogers Hockey. This episode is exactly 1:30:51.
In this 156th episode, Mike chats with TSN Radio 1050 morning show host Mike Richards about his years on The Fan 590, The Team, Calgary's FAN 960 and why he chose 1050 over 590. We also discuss TSN Radio ratings, going against Dean Blundell and his battle with rectal cancer. This episode is exactly 1:48:55.
In this 154th episode, Mike chats with singer-songwriter Emm Gryner about her work with David Bowie, Chris Hadfield and Trent Severn, her role in One Week, and her song Visiting Hours about my dear friend Mike Kic. This episode is exactly 51:05.


A figure sits in a natural landscape with a celestial globe at her side. She is an allegorical figure, to represent Invention, or Genius as one of the four elements of art. The wings on her head and her raised arm suggest the elevation of intellect, which is required for invention. A rocky landscape with mountains in the background represents nature, which was considered the first invention.


High level Steps to migrate OID to OUD?
This question is from one of the trainees from our Oracle Fusion Middleware Training. Q. The default URL for Oracle Discoverer is http://octlebsdisca20.7-11.com:8090/discoverer/viewer How can I change the port 8090 to 8010? Could you please provide me the steps to direct me to MOS?
Question1: have received a userid/password to connect from OUD server to AD server and it is used to install at the time of proxy set. Does it require to have a read-only or read-write on AD server? [AK] when you are using the Proxy server with OUD on behalf of AD server its required only read only mode on AD sever. Proxy server will do the operations. Question2: while running OUD-proxy_setup. .i am getting multiple realms after passing correct AD server details. do I need to pass the details related to AD login user or everything? [AK] you would be selecting the realms of the user at present which require to do the authentication at the database.


text:
Smoldering spots in the brain may signal severe MS
NIH study provides hope for diagnosing and testing effectiveness of new treatments for more disabling forms of multiple sclerosis
Aided by a high-powered brain scanner and a 3D printer, NIH researchers peered inside the brains of hundreds of multiple sclerosis patients and found that dark rimmed spots representing ongoing, "smoldering" inflammation, called chronic active lesions, may be a hallmark of more aggressive and disabling forms of the disease.
"We found that it is possible to use brain scans to detect which patients are highly susceptible to the more aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis. The more chronic active lesions a patient has the greater the chances they will experience this type of MS," said Daniel S. Reich, M.D., Ph.D., senior investigator at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the senior author of the paper published in JAMA Neurology. "We hope these results will help test the effectiveness of new therapies for this form of MS and reduce the suffering patients experience."
Affecting more than 2 million people worldwide, multiple sclerosis is a disease for which there is no cure. The disease starts when the immune system attacks myelin, a protective coating that forms around nerve cells in a person's brain and spinal cord, to produce a variety of initial symptoms, including blurred or double vision, problems with muscle strength, balance and coordination, and abnormal sensations. Treatment with anti-inflammatory medications designed to quiet the immune system has helped some patients fully or partially recover. Nevertheless, a significant subset of patients will eventually suffer from a longer lasting, progressive form of the disease, which can cause further problems including paralysis, loss of bladder control and problems with attention, thinking, and memory.
Starting in 2013, Dr. Reich's team showed that by using a high-powered, 7-tesla MRI scanner, they could accurately identify damaging, chronic active lesions by their darkened outer rims, in agreement with previous studies.
"Figuring out how to spot chronic active lesions was a big step and we could not have done it without the high-powered MRI scanner provided by the NIH. It allowed us to then explore how MS lesions evolved and whether they played a role in progressive MS," said Martina Absinta, M.D., Ph.D., the post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Reich's lab who performed these studies.
To do this, the team scanned the brains of 192 multiple sclerosis patients who had entered a trial at the NIH's Clinical Center. They found that, regardless of the treatment they were receiving, 56 percent of the patients had at least one rimmed lesion. Further analysis showed that 44 percent of patients had only rimless lesions; 34 percent had one to three rimmed lesions; and 22 percent had four or more rimmed lesions.
They then compared the brain scans to the neurological examinations the patients received upon enrollment. Patients who had four or more rimmed lesions were 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with progressive MS than those without rimmed lesions. Moreover, these patients developed motor and cognitive disabilities at a younger age than the patients who had no rimmed lesions. When the researchers analyzed key parts of the patients' brains, they found that patients who had four or more rimmed lesions had less white matter and smaller basal ganglia than those who had no rimmed lesions.
"Our results point the way towards using specialized brain scans to predict who is at risk of developing progressive MS," said Dr. Reich.
The team then analyzed a subset of patients whose brains had been scanned once every year for 10 years or longer. Their results suggested that, while the rimless lesions generally shrank, the rimmed lesions either grew or stayed the same size and were particularly damaged.
Finally, the team used a 3D printer to compare the spots they had seen on scans to the lesions they observed in brain tissue samples autopsied from a patient who had passed away during the trial. They found that all expanding rimmed spots seen on the scans had the telltale features of chronic active lesions when examined under a microscope.
"Our results support the idea that chronic active lesions are very damaging to the brain," said Dr. Reich. "We need to attack these lesions as early as possible. The fact that these lesions are present in patients who are receiving anti-inflammatory drugs that quiet the body's immune system also suggests that the field of MS research may want to focus on new treatments that target the brain's unique immune system – especially a type of brain cell called microglia. At the NIH, we are actively seeking patients who want to participate in studies like these."
In a previous article, Dr. Reich's team openly shared instructions for programming lower powered MRI scanners, found at most clinics, to detect rimmed chronic active lesions. They hope researchers around the world will use the instructions to develop and monitor better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for MS patients.
Absinta et al. Chronic active multiple sclerosis lesions are destructive on serial MRI and associated with disability in vivo. JAMA Neurology, August 12, 2019 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.2399
National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke
NINDS Division of Intramural Research
Multiple Sclerosis Information Page
NIH Clinical Center
NINDS is the nation's leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
Smoldering brain spots and MS
NIH researchers found that dark rimmed spots representing ongoing, "smoldering" inflammation, may be a hallmark of more disabling forms of multiple sclerosis. Courtesy of Reich lab, NIH/NINDS.
What is Myelin?
Myelin is an insulating layer, or sheath, that forms around the nerves. Myelin protects fibers from injury and speeds the flow of electrical nerve signals.
Date last modified: Thu, 2020-01-16 15:53


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Will vaping help you quit your nicotine feen, or will you just be interchanging one addiction for another?
This trend in varying modifications, juices and nicotine levels. There has been speculation about using nicotine vapor to help people quit the use of nicotine products such as cigarettes. CNN went as far as to publish an article stating that vaping works better at helping people quit than patches and other nicotine quitting products.
The New England Journal of Medicine has recently decided to develop more evidence regarding whether electronic cigarettes are a better alternative to other smoking-cessation devices. The study consisted of over 800 random people that wanted to quit smoking.
They had 886 total participants in the study, randomly quit using either e-cigarettes and or gum, and patches. The end of the study showed that 18 percent abstinence from e-cigarette users, while the patches only had 9.9 percent success rate.
Other sites, including the Center on Addiction, do have growing concerns. This is because many vape companies seem to target younger kids. A growing concern is early addiction. Use of the products with zero nicotine is a possibility but also a rarity. Even with zero nicotine levels, the addiction to the device still exists.
There has been some speculation on the benefits of vaping. Vaping can be expensive upfront, because users are buying the new mod and different juices. However, the cost of buying a pack of cigarettes weekly, and even daily for some people, can add up just as fast.
"According to NerdWallet, disposable e-cigarettes will mug you an average of $1,387 per year if you're a pack-a-day smoker—considerably less than the $2,569 equivalent yearly cost of the real thing," said Ethan Wolff-Mann on Money.
Wolff-Mann goes on to write that e-cigarettes are known to be up to 95 percent healthier than the real deal. The article insinuates that there is no evidence connecting vaping and smoking. It also reiterates that vaping along with being a less harmful alternative can help people quit smoking.
A benefit to vaping is that the juices have levels. This means that if you are attempting to quit smoking through the use of vaping, you can in fact lower the amount of nicotine your body is taking in. Think of this process like weaning your body off of its addiction.
Just because people are able to lower the levels of nicotine, does not mean their body will not develop a new addiction just puffing away throughout the day. Like everything there are pros and cons. Take a look at the facts, do the research and decide for yourself if this is how you want to try to decide to quit smoking.


Dads are so hard to buy gifts for right? As it is Fathers Day on Sunday we thought we would pop a quick DIY in that you can make in a jiffy and give to your Dad as the perfect personalised gift. You can use any fabric you like to make these, find some fabric with a print your Dad will like. I picked this awesome Superman print from Frumble Fabrics. I have been waiting for a reason to use Lamifix for a while and this was the perfect tester project to try it out.
Lamifix is an iron-on transparent film that can be used to fix appliqué motifs to table mats, cover fabric toiletry bags, make-up bags and any other crafts that require protection from getting dirty, once it has been ironed in place - to clean them, don't wash it just wipe with a damp cloth. The perfect thing to make these coasters wipe-proof.
You will need: A pack of cork coasters, Mod Podge, a paint brush, fabric scrap, Lamifix, scissors and an iron.
Start by placing your Lamifix matt side down onto your fabric and as per the instructions iron it in place. Now you have wipe proof fabric! Paste your cork mat with Mod Podge, make it a nice even thin layer.
Wait for 30 seconds or so until the glue is tacky rather than wet and place it face down onto the back of the fabric. Press down on the mat and leave it to dry for about 20 mins, you can pop a book on top to keep it pressed down firmly. Once the glue has dried, take a super sharp pair of scissors and cut around the cork mat. Continue the steps again until you have a full set of matching coasters.
I had a couple of coasters spare, so I made a Batman one for Steve and a Wonder Woman one for me. All these fabrics were from the DC Comics collection from Frumble Fabrics. Also, just a side note about this yummy new coffee I found at Sainsbury's by Beanies, Cinder Toffee flavoured coffee! I am loving it at the moment, it smells amazing. It makes great iced coffee. I am packing a jar of this up with my Dad's coasters as his Father's Day gift.
I love the finish you get with the Lamifix. What would you use it for? I think I am going to use it to make a make-up bag for my Mother-in-laws birthday next month and maybe a notebook cover. I bet it would be great for baby bibs too. I would love to hear what else you think it might be good for.
I've never used lamifix before but the result is wonderful! I'm thinking of trying it out on a notebook too!
Hi, I know this is off the topic of coasters, but would you know if Lamifix works on a mouse pad, or would it be too slick? And is mod podge strong enough to adhere paper or fabric to foam? Also, would this same method you use to make your coasters work on tile coasters? Sorry about all these questions, but I'm pretty new at this and I don't want to end up wasting everything I bought. Any info you have I would really appreciate!
I have used the same technique to cover mouse pads and it works just fine. Yes mod podge is fine for use on fabric/ paper and foam, but always let your glue go tacky before you stick things together, you get a better bond that way.
Thanks so much for your advice! I'm going to give it my best shot.
Thanks for featuring usNicole! What a great round-up. I love the Star wars can cozies.
I love Beanies Cinder coffee too! These mats are lovely. I have some round cork ones from IKEA. I feel that I need to try this.


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Field Target är en sportskyttegren där man med luftgevär utomhus försöker träffa uppsatta mål.

Field Target startade i Storbritannien runt 1981. Sporten sågs som ett alternativ till jakt. Målen bestod av metallsiluetter liknande smådjur. Målområdet bestod i början av ett klistermärke som gav poäng vid träff. Senare byttes målfiguren/klistermärket ut mot ett mål som faller om man träffar det då 50 mm stora hålet på frontplattan. Dessutom gick det att resa upp målfiguren från skjutpositionen med hjälp av ett snöre. Vanligast vapen var ett fjäderdrivet brytgevär med 5,5 mm kaliber. Anledningen till vapentypen var helt enkelt att det var den vanligaste typen vid denna tid. Kalibervalet styrdes av att det var den kaliber som erbjöd mest precision vid längre avstånd. Avståndsbedömning gjordes med hjälp av ögat och mycket träning, kikarsikten hade sällan högre förstoring än 9 gånger.

Numera skjuter man klasserna pcp/fjäder. Internationellt är det numera den engelska energigränsen som gäller, ca 16 joule. Man har minst 40 fallmål på mellan 8 och 50 meter (mellan 10 och 50 meter i Sverige) med killzones på 15–40 mm i en normal tävling. Godkända skjutställningar är sittande, knästående och stående.

I Sverige arrangeras tävlingar av: Onsala LGK, Laxå SKF, Falubygdens JSK. Piteå LVK, Mörrums SG, Stockholms Luftjaktskytteförening, Skepplanda, Vittsjö SkF samt Örgryte SF.

Externa länkar
 webbplats för sporten i Sverige
 www.luftvapen.info
 Vad är Field Target
Sportskytte

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Politics U.S. WND News CenterWND
Court greenlights lawsuit over state's failure to clean up voter rolls
Judge's ruling rejects claims legal case should be dismissed
By Bob Unruh
Published August 24, 2021 at 7:41pm
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan D. Berlier)
A court ruling against the state of Colorado means that a lawsuit over its failure to clean up its voter rolls can advance, according to government watchdog Judicial Watch.
The organization filed its lawsuit last year, and now Judge Phillip Brimmer, of U.S. District Court in Colorado, has ruled that there is enough evidence that the state has refused to follow the National Voters Registration Act of 1993 requirements for a trial to be held.
"The court finds that plaintiffs have met their burden and have plausibly alleged that Colorado's list maintenance program does not comply with the NVRA," the ruling said. One indicator is that over a 60-month period, 20 counties had registration rates exceeding 100%, and "39 counties had rates exceeding 100% during a single month of that period."
Judicial Watch argued that Colorado officials simply were refusing to update their rolls by deleting names that should have been removed, skewing the results and creating the potential for fraud.
The lawsuit by Judicial Watch on behalf of several individual voters is against Jena Griswold, Colorado secretary of state.
The decision means Judicial Watch can proceed on its key claims.
"The court ruled that the individual plaintiffs have standing to sue based on the fact that 'noncompliance with the NVRA undermines the individual plaintiffs' confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and discourages their participation [in elections],'" the organization reported.
Brimmer wrote, "[Judicial Watch's] claims that the secretary is not complying with the NVRA are based on public records and statistical analysis. Plaintiffs insist that they have shown not only high registration rates, which they claim courts have found indicative of an NVRA violation, but also that the secretary sends too few Confirmation Notices, removes too few registrants, and has too high a number of inactive voters on the rolls. . . . [T]he court finds that plaintiffs have met their burden and have plausibly alleged that Colorado's list maintenance program does not comply with the NVRA."
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Judicial Watch had noted a 2019 study showed most of Colorado's counties had more voter registrations then residents of voting age.
"Data Colorado itself provided to the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) showed that Colorado was lagging in the processing and removal of certain classes of ineligible registrations belonging to those who had moved out of state," the organization further explained.
In some Colorado counties, inactive voters totaled more than one in six registrations.
Judicial Watch is asking the court to declare that Colorado and its secretary of state need to "develop and implement a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the registrations of ineligible registrants from the voter rolls in Colorado …"
Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch chief, said, "Dirty voting rolls can mean dirty elections. And this court victory highlights how Colorado citizens and voters have a right to expect that the state's voting rolls are reasonably kept up to date, as federal law requires."
Judicial Watch earlier has fought for cleaner voter rolls in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
And in 2018, the Supreme Court upheld a voter-roll cleanup program that resulted from a Judicial Watch settlement of a federal lawsuit with Ohio. California settled a federal lawsuit with Judicial Watch and in 2019 began the process of removing up to 1.6 million inactive names from Los Angeles County's voter rolls, the group said.
Other cleanup programs have been sought in Kentucky and Illinois.
Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
Bob Unruh
Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially.
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Report: 19 federal agencies spying on Americans with religious exemptions!


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I am confused…In the casting it says kids? is this show only available for kids to do or can adults do it for Community Theatre too? Would love to do this if rights available in Rochester, NY…
The question you're answering.
Submitted by bobbyline2 on Wed, 05/11/2022 - 17:10
By bobbyline2
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Submitted by maryh on Wed, 05/11/2022 - 18:13
Staff Answer
By maryh
Hi! That refers to the roles of Young Charlie and Young Lola/Simon, which are roles to be played by children.


The web giant took to its Google+ page on 20 March to debunk some of the most common "myths" about its high-tech specs — and admitted that they're not quite ready for primetime.
Speaking of Glass Explorers, Google said they're not all "technology-worshipping geeks" as you might have thought. Some even have cool professions like brewmasters and zookeepers. And despite the headset's hefty price tag, not all Explorers are rich.
While there has been pushback against wearing Glass behind the wheel, in some bars, and at the cinema, it hasn't been banned everywhere, Google said. The company conceded that it might not be appropriate for places like changing rooms or a casino floor, but argued that the rules governing mobile phones should also apply to Glass as well, since the devices share similar functionalities.


text:
Published online 6 November 2016
Climate change has a life raft in the Paris agreement, but is the Arab world on board?
Candotti (left) with speakers at Greenaccord 2016.
© Associazione Culturale Greenaccord
World leaders will gather in Marrakesh this week to discuss the 2015 Paris Agreement, much lauded for finding international consensus on the need for action on climate change.
The deal aims to limit the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2°C through capping emissions in whatever way each country determines is possible. Ultimately the goal is zero emissions by 2050, and the agreement sets out a framework for international cooperation to enable that target to be achieved.
But the Arab world has mixed feelings.
Although 18 countries of 22 in the MENA region eventually signed the non-binding deal, four countries – including Saudi Arabia, the region's top oil producer and the largest CO2 emitter in the region – did not. So far, only the UAE, the Palestinian territories, Morocco, and Algeria have ratified the agreement.
During the 2015 Paris negotiations, Jamal Jaballah, head of the Department of Environment, Housing, Water Resources and Sustainable Development in the League of Arab States, had deemed the temperature target too ambitious for the Arab world, and said that it may well reduce food security and increase poverty.
On the sidelines of Greenaccord 2016, a forum that brings together scientists and media to discuss environmental issues, Nature Middle East sat with Michele Candotti, principal advisor to the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, to discuss the region's commitment to the Paris agreements in light of its own ecological burden.
NME: What is the significance of the conference in general and for the Middle East region?
MC: COP 22 is the first [climate change] conference of parties after the Paris agreement. The world will come to terms with what they agreed a year ago and see whether the agreement still holds some prospects. Symbolically, whenever a geographic region hosts these conferences they have an opportunity to act as a refractory to international exposure. In this case, [they can] connect to the broader environmental agenda, the climate change agenda, exchange notes with other governments and be exposed to best practices, and also learn about private sector operators that are providing technological and financial alternatives.
NME: Some Arab countries have a big ecological footprint both in terms of the oil resources that drive their economies and the energy resources they use per capita. But the region also bears witness to the effects of climate change; longer summers, less water, greater human migration. What opportunities does this conference give Arab nations?
MC: In terms of mitigation, this region contains the majority of oil-producing countries at the heart of the fossil fuel dilemma. The region can prospect, analyse and compare notes on alternative solutions to fossil fuels for the longer, immediate and shorter terms. Also, these countries are exposed dramatically to climate-change effects, particularly water provision, and sustainable agricultural production. It is an opportunity for the region to learn how less endowed countries have already started preparing ahead of climate emergencies.
NME: Saudi Arabia has not signed the agreement. It is one of the biggest contributors in the region to the problem, and one of the few that has the infrastructure and capacity to support research into alternative solutions. At Marrakech, can you re-engage countries that have not signed up?
MC: The fact that the agreement has entered into force does not mean that the membership is now blocked. Marrakesh will be another opportunity to push and create a broader consensus on an agreement that is already in force. For some countries, particularly oil-producing countries, it is difficult to agree on dramatic shifts immediately.
I am sure that they will be the ones that eventually will be faster in taking up the contents of the Paris agreement even without signing. What they are not willing to do is to give up sovereignty in terms of their own economic choices. They will change at their own pace.
NME: What about other North African countries? Egypt, for example, signed the agreement but is struggling with the idea of making changes because the economic burden it implies is too great when the nation has not contributed substantially to the damages.
MC: Many developing nations ask why they should suffer the burden of responsibility when the problem has been generated somewhere else, mostly developed countries. This debate always focuses on the negative side -- what we are giving up. Instead we should look at the new economic and investment prospects that these agreements open up.
One example is in energy. Morocco is one of the countries with the biggest current investment in renewable energy, solar in particular. What does it mean? It means employment, technology, innovation, infrastructure development, the opportunity to reconfigure the way you live and develop the energy profile of the country. With energy solutions come the skills required to maintain them. It's a new era for new skills, producing green jobs. It is important.