text:
Fernando VI de España, llamado «el Prudente» o «el Justo» (Madrid, -Villaviciosa de Odón, ), fue rey de España desde 1746 hasta su muerte. Fue el cuarto hijo de Felipe V y de su primera esposa María Luisa Gabriela de Saboya. Se casó en la Catedral de San Juan Bautista de Badajoz con Bárbara de Braganza en 1729, que fue reina de España hasta su muerte en 1758.

Príncipe de Asturias
Cuando Fernando nació el 23 de septiembre de 1713 —siendo bautizado sin gran solemnidad en la iglesia franciscana de San Gil, el 4 de diciembre— tenía por delante en la sucesión al trono a dos hermanos mayores Luis y Felipe Pedro, nacidos en 1707 y 1712, respectivamente —un tercer hermano, mayor que él, había muerto en 1709 al poco de nacer. Pero cuando tenía seis años falleció Felipe Pedro, por lo que Fernando quedó el segundo en la sucesión tras el príncipe de Asturias, Luis, seis años mayor que él.

La infancia de Fernando estuvo marcada por el hecho de que su madre, la reina María Luisa Gabriela de Saboya, falleció a los cinco meses de su nacimiento, y de que su padre contrajo nuevas nupcias siete meses después de haber enviudado con la princesa del ducado de Parma, Isabel de Farnesio, que le dio seis hijos que prosperaron —el primero fue el infante Carlos nacido el 20 de enero de 1716. Así la nueva reina se preocupó más por la suerte y el futuro de sus propios hijos —dedicando todos sus esfuerzos en conseguirles en Italia un estado propio sobre el que pudieran reinar, lo que determinó en buena medida la política exterior de la Monarquía de Felipe V durante las décadas siguientes—, que por la de sus hijastros. Además, el rígido protocolo de la corte impedía el contacto directo de los príncipes con los reyes —ni comían juntos, ni asistían a actos oficiales con sus padres—, así que Luis y Fernando se comunicaban con su padre —y con su madrastra— a través de cartas escritas en francés, que era la lengua que utilizaba la familia.

En 1721, tras cumplir los siete años, el infante Fernando fue dotado de «cuarto aparte para que en él le sirvan y asistan sólo hombres, y para el cuidado de su persona, su asistencia y educación [el rey] ha resuelto nombrar al conde de Salazar, con el título de gobernador de la casa de S.A.».

Lo que cambió definitivamente el destino del infante Fernando fueron los acontecimientos ocurridos en 1724, durante los cuales estuvo cerca de convertirse en rey a los diez años de edad. El 10 de enero de 1724 el rey Felipe V firmó un decreto por el que abdicaba en su hijo Luis, de diecisiete años, casado con Luisa Isabel de Orleans, dos años menor que él, pero Luis I de España reinó solamente durante ocho meses ya que a mediados de agosto enfermó de viruela y murió el 31. Al haber abdicado Felipe V, su sucesor tendría que haber sido Fernando pero la rápida actuación de la reina Isabel de Farnesio lo impidió. Isabel de Farnesio tuvo que hacer frente a ciertos sectores de la nobleza castellana que apoyaban la opción del príncipe Fernando argumentando que no cabía la marcha atrás en la abdicación de un rey y le costó convencer al propio rey para que volviera a reinar, pero el 7 de septiembre de 1724, una semana después de la muerte de Luis I, Felipe V volvía a ostentar la Corona de la Monarquía de España, y Fernando era proclamado como el nuevo príncipe de Asturias y jurado el 25 de noviembre por las Cortes de Castilla, convocadas con tal fin.

Durante la mayor parte de los veintidós años en que fue príncipe de Asturias (1724-1746), Fernando y su esposa, la princesa portuguesa Bárbara de Braganza con quien se había casado en enero de 1728, vivieron aislados de la corte y con las visitas restringidas. La orden de 1733 de «esta especie de arresto domiciliario» de los príncipes, como la llamó el historiador Pedro Voltes, partió de la reina Isabel de Farnesio, que quería impedir que mantuvieran contactos con los grupos «casticistas» y «contestatarios» de la nobleza castellana y de la corte, que propugnaban una nueva abdicación de Felipe, cuya salud mental continuaba deteriorándose.

Así, el reglamento de la conducta del príncipe de Asturias aprobado en el verano de 1733 —poco después de la vuelta a Madrid de la corte después de deambular por Sevilla y otras poblaciones andaluzas durante los cinco años anteriores para intentar restablecer la salud mental y física del rey— determinaba que «don Fernando y doña Bárbara podrían ser visitados cada uno por sólo cuatro personas, cuyo nombre y cargo se indicaba. No podrían recibir a otros embajadores que los de Francia y Portugal. Los príncipes no debían comer en público ni salir de paseo ni ir a ningún templo o convento. [...] Se suprimió también la asistencia del príncipe al Consejo de Gobierno y todo despacho con él, y en especial cualquier trato con [el «primer ministro»] Patiño y los ministros, y, en suma, toda visita suya a sus padres».

Durante los últimos años de su reinado, la enfermedad mental y el deterioro físico de Felipe V se fueron acentuando —«hasta los pintores de cámara como Jean Ranc y Van Loo, habían tenido que reflejar la decrepitud del rey, hinchado y torpe, con las piernas arqueadas y la mirada perdida»—, hasta que en la noche del 9 de julio de 1746 murió de un ataque cerebrovascular. Apenas transcurrida una semana de la muerte de su padre, el nuevo rey Fernando VI ordenó a su madrastra, la reina viuda Isabel de Farnesio, que abandonara el palacio real del Buen Retiro y se marchara a vivir a una casa de la duquesa de Osuna, acompañada de sus hijos, los infantes Luis y María Antonia. Al año siguiente fue desterrada de Madrid y su residencia quedó fijada en el palacio de La Granja de San Ildefonso —cuando la reina viuda protestó por medio de una carta en la que le decía al rey que «desearía saber si he faltado en algo para enmendarlo», Fernando VI le respondió con otra misiva en la que decía: «Lo que yo determino en mis reinos no admite consulta de nadie antes de ser ejecutado y obedecido».

El reinado

Cuando llegó al trono, España se encontraba inmersa en la guerra de sucesión austriaca, que terminó al poco tiempo (Paz de Aquisgrán, 1748) sin ningún beneficio para España. Comenzó su reinado eliminando la influencia de la reina viuda Isabel de Farnesio y de su grupo de cortesanos italianos. Establecida la paz, el rey impulsó una política de neutralidad y paz en el exterior para posibilitar un conjunto de reformas internas. Los nuevos protagonistas de estas reformas fueron el marqués de la Ensenada, francófilo; y José de Carvajal y Lancaster, partidario de la alianza con Gran Bretaña. La pugna entre ambos terminó en 1754 al morir Carvajal y caer Ensenada, pasando Ricardo Wall a ser el nuevo hombre fuerte de la monarquía.

El 30 de agosto de 1749, Fernando VI autorizó una persecución con el fin de arrestar y extinguir a los gitanos del reino, conocida como la Gran Redada.

Mediante la ordenanza del 2 de julio de 1751 prohibió la masonería.

Los proyectos de Ensenada

Algunos de los más importantes proyectos durante el reinado fueron llevados a cabo por el marqués de la Ensenada, secretario de Hacienda, Marina e Indias. Planteó la participación del Estado para la modernización del país. Para ello era necesario mantener una posición de fuerza en el exterior para que Francia y Gran Bretaña considerasen a España como aliada, sin que ello supusiera una renuncia de Gibraltar.

Entre los proyectos del marqués de la Ensenada encontramos:

 El nuevo modelo de la Hacienda, planteado por Ensenada en 1749. Intentó la sustitución de impuestos tradicionales por un impuesto único, el catastro, que gravaba en proporción a la capacidad económica de cada contribuyente. Propuso también la reducción de la subvención económica por parte del Estado a las Cortes y al ejército. La oposición de la nobleza hizo que se abandonase el proyecto.
 La creación del Giro Real en 1752, un banco para favorecer las transferencias de fondos públicos y privados fuera de España. Así, todas las operaciones de intercambio en el extranjero quedaron en manos de la Real Hacienda, lo que beneficiaba al Estado. Se le puede considerar el antecesor del Banco de San Carlos, que se instituyó durante el reinado de Carlos III.
 El impulso del comercio americano, que pretendió acabar con el monopolio de las Indias y eliminar las injusticias del comercio colonial. Así se apoyó a los navíos de registro frente al sistema de flotas. El nuevo sistema consistía en la sustitución de las flotas y galeones para que un barco español, previa autorización, pudiera comerciar libremente con América. Esto incrementó los ingresos y disminuyó el fraude. Aun así, este sistema provocó muchas protestas en los comerciantes del sector privado.
 La modernización de la marina. Una poderosa marina era fundamental para una potencia con un imperio en ultramar y aspiraciones a ser respetada por Francia y Gran Bretaña. Para ello, el marqués de la Ensenada incrementó el presupuesto y amplió la capacidad de los astilleros de Cádiz, Ferrol, Cartagena y La Habana, lo que supuso el punto de partida del poder naval español en el .
 Las relaciones con la Iglesia, que fueron muy tensas desde los inicios del reinado de Felipe V a causa del reconocimiento del archiduque Carlos como rey de España por el Papa. Se mantuvo una política regalista que perseguía tanto el objetivo fiscal como político y cuyo logro decisivo fue el Concordato de 1753. Por este se obtuvo del papa Benedicto XIV el derecho de Patronato Universal, que supuso importantes beneficios económicos a la Corona y un gran control sobre el clero.
 Florecimiento cultural con la creación en 1752 de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
 Prisión general de gitanos, un intento de exterminar a los gitanos mediante su arresto y posterior separación de los hombres y de las mujeres, obligándolos a trabajar a ellos en astilleros y minas y a las mujeres en fábricas. Los menores de catorce años fueron internados en instituciones religiosas.

La política exterior de Carvajal
Durante la Guerra de Sucesión Austriaca y la de los Siete Años, España reforzó su poderío militar.

El principal conflicto fue el enfrentamiento con Portugal por la colonia del Sacramento, desde la que se facilitaba el contrabando británico por el Río de la Plata. José de Carvajal consiguió en 1750 mediante el Tratado de Madrid que Portugal renunciase a tal colonia y a su pretensión de libre navegación por el Río de la Plata.

A cambio, España cedió a Portugal dos zonas en la frontera brasileña, una en la Amazonia y la otra en el sur, en la que se encontraban siete de las treinta reducciones guaraníes de los jesuitas, luego llamadas  Misiones Orientales o Siete Pueblos. Los españoles tuvieron que expulsar a los misioneros jesuitas y al pasar a manos portuguesas los Siete Pueblos y reducciones más pequeñas del sur sufrieron pillajes, masacres y fueron obligadas la abandonos y reconstrucciones en medio de las disputas territoriales entre las coronas lusitana y española, culminando en la Guerra Guaranítica.

El conflicto de las reducciones provocó una crisis en la Corte española. Ensenada, favorable a los jesuitas, y el padre Rávago, confesor del rey y miembro de la Compañía de Jesús, fueron destituidos, acusados de entorpecer los acuerdos con Portugal.

Conflicto con la Santa Sede

Tras la firma del "concordato de 1737" se puso en marcha la negociación prevista en su artículo 23 «para terminar amigablemente la controversia sobre el Patronato». Las conversaciones las inició el propio cardenal Molina pero tras su muerte fue sustituido por el confesor de Felipe V, el jesuita francés Jaime A. Fèbre, que contó con el apoyo de Blas Jover, fiscal de la Cámara de Castilla. Este a su vez recurrió en 1745 al jurista ilustrado valenciano Gregorio Mayans quien redactó un Examen del Concordato de 1737 en el que negaba su validez a partir de la defensa del episcopalismo regalista, y trayendo de nuevo a colación el antecedente de los Concilios de Toledo de época visigoda en los que se habría aprobado el patronato real sobre la Iglesia, por lo que los reyes españoles no necesitaban de la aprobación pontificia para ejercitar su potestad sobre la Iglesia de sus dominios, en ejercicio de las regalías a las que el soberano no podía renunciar. Tras la muerte de Felipe V y el ascenso al trono de Fernando VI las negociaciones con Roma pasaron a estar dirigidas por el confesor real, el jesuita Francisco Rábago y Noriega, y el marqués de la Ensenada, quienes al margen de las conversaciones oficiales entablaron unas negociaciones secretas, de las que solo tenían constancia, además de Rábago y Ensenada, el rey Fernando VI, el papa Benedicto XIV y el Secretario de Estado pontificio, cardenal Valenti Gonzaga.

Fue esta vía secreta, de la que no tuvieron conocimiento ni el secretario de Estado y del Despacho Carvajal ni el nuncio que llevaron las negociaciones "oficiales", la que condujo a la firma del Concordato de 1753. El papa se negó a reconocer el patronato universal como una regalía de la Corona —la tesis sustentada por la Monarquía española, apoyada en el escrito de Mayans—, pero aceptó el dominio de la Corona sobre los beneficios eclesiásticos —lo que suponía el reconocimiento de hecho del patronato universal—, excepto de 52 que se "reservó", precisamente, como prueba de que se trataba de una gracia pontificia. De esta forma se alcanzó, según Mestre y Pérez García, "el mayor triunfo del regalismo español. Al margen de que no se aceptaba el patronato como una regalía, las concesiones eran de tal calibre que el poder del monarca sobre la Iglesia española era absoluto y completo: nombramiento de obispos, canónigos o beneficios eclesiásticos, que pasaba a depender de la voluntad del monarca".

El concordato de 1753 abrió una nueva etapa en las relaciones Iglesia-Estado, pero el objetivo episcopalista y conciliarista perseguido por algunos regalistas e ilustrados como Solís y Mayans, no se consiguió porque la Iglesia española quedó bajo el control del soberano, no de del concilio de los obispos presididos por el rey como aquellos proponían. Prueba de ello fue que el análisis del Concordato que el marqués de la Ensenada encargó a Mayans, y que este tituló Observaciones al Concordato de 1753, nunca se publicó.

El último año: el «año sin rey» (agosto 1758-agosto 1759)

La reina Bárbara de Braganza no gozaba últimamente de buena salud. «Padecía especialmente una tos continua, que la obligaba a veces a suspender las cultas veladas que se organizaban casi diariamente en palacio». En la primavera de 1758 fue trasladada a Aranjuez pensando que allí se restablecería del asma, haciendo el viaje en etapas para que no se cansara. Aunque al principio pareció mejorar, pronto volvieron los dolores y la fatiga. En julio su salud empeoró. Padecía fiebres altas que aumentaban por la tarde y la madrugada. El 25 de agosto perdió la voz. Su agonía duró dos días, falleciendo en la madrugada del 27 de agosto de 1758. Su cadáver fue llevado al Convento de las Salesas Reales en Madrid, que había sido fundado por ella, y provisionalmente guardado bajo la cripta.

El fallecimiento de la reina produjo un agravamiento en la salud del rey (los reyes estaban profundamente unidos), hasta llegar a un alto grado de locura.

Fernando VI no participó en el cortejo fúnebre que condujo el cadáver de la reina a Madrid, sino que abandonó Aranjuez el mismo día en que murió doña Bárbara para instalarse en el castillo de Villaviciosa de Odón, acompañado por su medio hermano, el infante don Luis. Se pensó que sería un buen lugar porque allí nada le recordaría a la reina y podría distraerse con su afición favorita, la caza. Pero a los diez días aparecieron los primeros síntomas de la enfermedad.

Durante ese tiempo se mostró agresivo —«tiene unos impulsos muy grandes de morder a todo el mundo», escribió el infante Luis a su madre Isabel de Farnesio— y para calmarlo le suministraban opio; intentó suicidarse en varias ocasiones y pidió veneno a los médicos o armas de fuego a los miembros de la guardia real; bailaba y corría  en ropa interior, jugaba a fingir que estaba muerto o, envuelto en una sábana, a que era un fantasma. Cada día estaba más delgado y pálido, lo que se unía a la dejadez en su aseo personal. No dormía en la cama sino sobre dos sillas y un taburete. Mientras esto sucedía en el castillo de Villaviciosa de Odón, por la "villa y corte" de Madrid circulaban versos como estos:

Existe una discrepancia de opiniones sobre la enfermedad  que sufrió Fernando VI durante su último año de vida. Por un lado existe la idea de que Fernando VI era una persona que arrastra un trastorno mental grave, probablemente un trastorno bipolar, y que ese último año sufrió un episodio depresivo o mixto en el contexto de dicho trastorno y la descompensación psicopatológica que le produjo el fallecimiento de la reina. Existe otra corriente de opinión que enfoca la enfermedad como un trastorno neurológico, en el contexto de una demencia "orgánica" con un síndrome clínico que responde a un déficit rápidamente progresivo del lóbulo frontal derecho. Esta hipótesis se fundamenta especialmente en una clínica progresiva y característica de un síndrome frontal, y la presencia de crisis epilépticas de semiología frontal derecha, al igual que otros motivos. Independientemente de la causa de la enfermedad, las complicaciones médicas derivadas del encamamiento, desnutrición y complicaciones infecciosas, probablemente jugaron un papel esencial a la hora de acortar la vida del monarca.

Fernando VI murió el 10 de agosto de 1759, decimotercer aniversario de su proclamación como rey. Su cadáver fue trasladado al Convento de las Salesas Reales y, al igual que se había hecho con los restos de su esposa, los suyos fueron guardados en un sepulcro provisional debajo del coro. Los mausoleos del rey y de la reina fueron construidos luego durante el reinado de su sucesor Carlos III y terminados en 1765. El de Fernando, diseñado por Francesco Sabatini y labrado en mármol por Francisco Gutiérrez Arribas, fue colocado en el lado derecho del crucero de la iglesia del Convento y el de doña Bárbara en el coro bajo de las monjas, detrás del de su esposo.

Fue sucedido por su medio hermano, Carlos III, hijo de Felipe V y su segunda esposa Isabel de Farnesio, al no haber tenido descendencia propia.

Fernando VI en la ficción
 En la película Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, el rey Fernando VI es interpretado por Sebastián Armesto.

Ancestros

Referencias

Bibliografía
 , John, El siglo XVIII, Crítica, Barcelona, 1991 (1989)
 , D. (ed.), La diplomacia de Fernando VI. Correspondencia entre Carvajal y Huéscar, 1746–1749, Escuela de Historia Moderna, Madrid, 1975

Enlaces externos
 Diccionario Biográfico. Real Academia de la Historia Fernando VI

 Biografía de Fernando VI ofrecida por la Biblioteca M. Cervantes

Nacidos en Madrid
Fallecidos en Villaviciosa de Odón
Reyes de España
Casa de Borbón en España

Príncipes de Asturias
Caballeros de la Orden del Toisón de Oro (Rama española)
Antimasones
Antigitanismo en España
Grandes maestres de la Orden del Toisón de Oro (Rama española)
Caballeros de la Orden del Espíritu Santo
Caballeros de la Orden de San Miguel
Grandes priores de Castilla en la Orden de Malta


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Q: Pass by "Reference Value"? Some clarification needed I know that in Java, everything is passed by value.  But for objects, it is the value of the reference to the object that is passed.  This means that sometimes an object can get changed through a parameter, which is why, I guess, people say, Never modify parameters.
But in the following code, something different happens.  s in changeIt() doesn't change when you get back to main():
public class TestClass {

    static String str = "Hello World";

    public static void changeIt( String s ) {
        s = "Good bye world";
    }

    public static void main( String[] args ) {
        changeIt( str );
        System.out.println( str );
    }
}

I'm guessing -- and I'd like confirmation -- that when you say s = "something" it's the same or equivalent to saying String s = new String("something").  Is this why s doesn't change?  Is it assigned a whole new object locally which gets thrown away once you exit changeIt()?

A:
that when you say s = "something" it's the same or equivalent to saying String s = new String("something")

Yes, pretty much. (though the JVM might do optimizations so that the same string literal used several times refers to the same String object).

Is this why s doesn't change? Is it assigned a whole new object locally which gets thrown away once you exit changeIt()

Yes. As you say, everything is passed by value in Java, even references to object. So the variable s in  changeIt( String s ) is a different value from str you use in main(), it's just a local variable within the changeIt method.
Setting that reference to reference another object does not affect the caller of changeIt.
Note that the String object s refer to is still the same String as str refers to when entering the changeIt() method before you assign a different object to s
There's another thing you need to be aware of, and that is that Strings are immutable. That means  that no method you invoke on a string object will change that string. e.g. calling s.toLowerCase() within your changeIt() method will not affect the caller either. That's because  the String.toLowerCase() does not alter the object, but rather returns a new String object.

A: When you write
s = "Good bye world";

you are changing the value of s to be a reference to the new string. You are not changing the value of the string referenced by s.

A: Yes, now 'S' points to brand new object whose scope is limited to that method. String may not be perfect example to understand pass-by-value concept. Instead of string, let us say pass some mutable object reference and make changes to that assign new object inside the method. You don't see them outside of the object.
public class MyMain {

    private static void testMyMethod(MyMain mtest) {
        mtest=new MyMain();
        mtest.x=50;
        System.out.println("Intest method"+mtest.x);
    }
     int x=10;
    public static void main(String... args)
    {
        MyMain mtest = new MyMain();
        testMyMethod(mtest);
        System.out.println("In main method: "+mtest.x);
    }
}

Read second answers in this SO discussion.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Comments on Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820
Comments of members of the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition
on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's proposed rulemaking
"Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates"
[Docket No. CPSC-2014-0033]
We are writing these comments as members of the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition, which includes patients, consumer advocates, scientists, and physicians, regarding the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) proposed rule on the "Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates." We are pleased to see that it mirrors most of the 2014 recommendations of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP). Although we support most of the proposed rule, we have several concerns which we have detailed below.
We agree with the CPSC that the three permanently banned phthalates—dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)—should remain banned.
We agree with CPSC that the interim ban on diisononyl phthalate (DINP) (at levels greater than 0.1%) for use in children's toys and child care articles should be made permanent. We also agree with CPSC that the permanent DINP ban apply to "all children's toys and child care articles, rather than only children's toys that can be mouthed…because exposure occurs from handling children's toys, as well as from mouthing."[1] It should also be noted that in 2013, California declared DINP a carcinogen.[2]
We agree with the CPSC proposed rule to ban four additional phthalates: diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPENP), di-n-hexyl phthalate (DHEXP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), which are associated with adverse effects on male reproductive development. Also, applying the CPSC chronic hazard guidelines, the four phthalates are considered "probably toxic to humans."1 One of those phthalates, DIBP, is in a small percentage of toys and child care articles, according to CPSC staff. We agree with the CPSC that banning the four phthalates is necessary because it would prevent the future use of the phthalates in toys and child care articles.1
We strongly disagree with the CPSC's decision not to ban diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) on an interim basis as was recommended by the CHAP scientists. The CPSC stated that "CPSIA did not provide for an interim prohibition as an option," and cited a lack of studies on DIOP as justification for leaving it on the market. However, the National Institute of Health's Pub Chem notes that DIOP exposure in laboratory animals led to "a significant increase in…the percentage of fetuses with malformations…with dosing as low as 0.05%." Exposure to high doses resulted in "abnormal sperm, and sperm concentration in males."[3] Also, antiandrogenic effects are possible from DIOP.1 In its final rule, the CPSC should protect the public—including the most vulnerable such as children under 6 and pregnant women—from possible health risks from DIOP. If an interim ban is not possible, the CPSC should err on the side of safety and recommend a permanent ban on DIOP.
We also disagree with the proposal by the CHAPS and CPSC to lift the interim bans on di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP). The CHAP stated that DNOP and DIDP are not associated with antiandrogenicity and do "not contribute to the cumulative risk from other phthalates."1 However, both DNOP and DIDP are "associated with toxicological effects, including liver toxicity and developmental effects."1 Regarding DIDP, it is also associated in animal studies with kidney toxicity and developmental effects such as too many ribs. During the interim ban, manufacturers have not used DNOP and DIDP in toys and children's products; therefore, we suggest that the CPSC continue the ban on these phthalates, especially in light of the toxic effects associated with them.
The CHAP did not recommend prohibitions on dimethyl phthalate (DMP), di(2-propyl) heptyl phthalate (DPHP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) but recommended additional studies or assessments on them. It also recommended additional studies on the six phthalate alternatives[4] it reviewed. These studies are important because four of the alternatives are used in children's toys and childcare articles. In the final rule, there should be a timeline for when these additional studies will be done.
Industry Criticism
We have been very surprised by industry critics who claimed the CHAP is not sufficiently objective or transparent. We strongly disagree. As you know, CPSI required the CHAP to "consist of seven independent scientists" selected by the CPSC from a list provided by the National Academy of Sciences. This ensured that an unbiased panel was created to review phthalates and their alternatives. Also, four independent scientists peer-reviewed the draft CHAP report. The CHAP solicited public and industry comments and held 13 public meetings (six by teleconference), and to allow access to as many as possible and to be as transparent as possible, the meetings were webcast.
An industry association has criticized the CHAP because more recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data "show a marked decrease in overall phthalate exposure"[5] in people. That is only part of the story. A 2014 study looking at data over a ten-year period (2001– 2010) found that exposures to some phthalates have declined while others have increased. Americans' exposure to three substances permanently banned in toys and children's products—DEHP, DBP and BBP—has declined.[6] The decreased phthalate exposure should be interpreted as showing that the law is working, not that it is no longer needed.
Unfortunately, exposure to other phthalates such as DINP and DIBP, as measured in urine, has increased. The higher levels of DIBP and other phthalates "suggest that manufacturers may be using them as substitutes for other phthalates even though the US EPA has expressed concern about their use."2 That is why we support the CPSC's proposed rule that would ban DIBP. It is worrisome that DINP exposure has gone up since it was banned on an interim basis from children's toys and children's products.
Perhaps the most important reason CPSC should not give credence to industry's point about NHANES is because NHANES looked at phthalate data on "participants aged 6 years and older,"[7]which is not the most vulnerable population that is affected by phthalates. Prenatal exposure and exposure of young children are of greater concern.[8], [9], [10]
Evidence of Adverse Health Effects
The CHAP report noted that the phthalate syndrome in rats resembles the "testicular dysgenesis syndrome" (TDS) in humans.1 Research indicates that boys exposed to phthalates may be more likely to develop smaller genitals and incomplete descent of the testicles.[11] Boys who are born with undescended testicles are 2-8 times more likely to develop testicular cancer later on than men born with both testicles descended[12] (their risk is lessened if they get corrective surgery before age 13[13]). A new University of Pittsburgh[14] study reinforces studies done by Harvard researchers that show phthalates may alter human sperm DNA and semen quality.[15], [16], [17]
Researchers have shown that, unlike other chemicals, phthalates appear to have more serious effects at lower levels than at higher levels.[18] Usually, it is assumed that the higher the dose or exposure, the greater the harm, but that is not the case with endocrine disruptors. The director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Linda Birnbaum, says that chemical manufacturers are asking "old questions" when they test for safety even though "science has moved on."[19]
Scope of Phthalate Prohibitions
We are disappointed that the CPSC is not proposing to expand the scope of the phthalates prohibitions to include other children's items such as raincoats, footwear, backpacks, school supplies, and clothes.1 The CPSC justifies this by stating, "limited information available suggests that increased exposure to phthalates from most children's products outside children's toys and child care articles would be negligible."1 The key phrase is "limited information." Lack of data does not mean we should assume that there is no problem, especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers "found measurable levels of many phthalate metabolites in the general population," and that some phthalates affect the reproductive system of animals and more research is needed "to assess the human health effects of exposure to phthalates."[20]
For the reasons we've stated above, the coalition strongly supports most provisions of the proposed rule on the "Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates." However, we are disappointed with some of the provisions described above and strongly disagree with the CPSC regarding DIOP. In the final rule we recommend that the CPSC protect the health of consumers by permanently banning DIOP.
Annie Appleseed
Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support
Breast Cancer Action
Connecticut Center for Patient Safety
Consumers United for Evidence-Based Healthcare (CUE)
Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
Kids In Danger
MISSD
MRSA Survivors Network
National Center for Health Research
U.S. PIRG
The Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition can be reached through Paul Brown at (202) 223-4000 or pb@center4research.
[1] Federal Register (December 30, 2014). Consumer Product Safety Commission. Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates. Docket No. CPSC-2014-0033. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-29967.pdf
[2] Lee SM, (January 15, 2014). Banned chemicals replaced by worrisome ones, UCSF study shows.SFgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle).http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Banned-chemicals-replaced-by-worrisome-ones-UCSF-5144291.php
[3] National Institutes of Health Pub Chem. Diisooctyl Phthalate. http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Diisooctyl_phthalate#section=Top
[4] Six phthalate alternatives: acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), di(2-ethylhexy) terephthalate (DEHT), 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, diisonoyl ester (DINX), 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3 penatanediol diisobutyrate (TPIB), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), and tris(2-ethylhexyl) trimelliate (TOTM).
[5] American Chemistry Council (February 17, 2015). Letter to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Elliot F. Kaye.
[6] Zota A.R., Calafat A.M., and Woodruff T.J. (March 2014). Temporal Trends in Phthalate Exposures: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2010. Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1306681 http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306681/
[7] National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (November 2013). Urinary Phthalates and Plasticizers Metabolites (PHTHTE_G); years of content 2011-2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes2011-2012/PHTHTE_G.htm
[8] Yeni Kim Y, Eun-Hee Ha, Eui-Jung Kim, et al. (2011). Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates and Infant Development at Six Months: Prospective Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) Study, Environmental Health Perspectives. Retrieved September 14, 2011 athttp://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1003178
[9] Whyatt R.M., Liu X, Rauh, VA, Calafat AM, Just AC, Hoepner L, Diaz D, et al. (2012). Maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and child mental, psychomotor and behavioral development at age three years. Environmental Health Perspectives 120(2):290-5
[10] Miodovnik A., Engel S.M., Zhu C., et al. (2011). Endocrine disruptors and childhood social impairment, Neurotoxicology Mar;32(2):261-7.
[11] Main K.M., Skakkebaek N.E., Virtanen H.E., Toppari J. (2010). Genital anomalies in boys and the environment, Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab.Apr;24(2):279-89.
[12] Toppari J., Kaleva M. Maldescendus testis. Horm Res 1999;51:261-9.
[13] Pettersson A. et al. (2007) Age at surgery for undescended testis and risk of testicular cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 356:1835-41
[14] University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences (March 5, 2015). Pervasive Chemical Potentially Alters Levels of a Pregnancy Hormone that Influences Sex Development (Press Release). http://www.upmc.com/media/NewsReleases/2015/Pages/adibi-phthalate-fetal-development.aspx
[15] Duty S. M., M. J. Silva, et al., (2003). Phthalate exposure and human semen parameters. Epidemiology14(3): 269-77. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Duty%2C+S.+M.%2C+M.+J.+Silva%2C+et+al.%2C+(2003)Epidemiology+14(3)%3A+269-77
[16] Duty S. M., N. P. Singh, et al., (2003). The relationship between environmental exposures to phthalates and DNA damage in human sperm using the neutral comet assay. Environ Health Perspect 111(9): 1164-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Duty%2C+S.+M.%2C+N.+P.+Singh%2C+et+al.%2C+(2003).+The+relationship+between+environmental+exposures+to+phthalates+and+DNA+damage+in+human+sperm+using+the+neutral+comet+assay.+Environ+Health+Perspect+111(9)%3A+1164-9.
[17] Duty S. M., A. M. Calafat, et al., (2004). The relationship between environmental exposure to phthalates and computer-aided sperm analysis motion parameters. J Androl 25(2): 293-302. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Duty%2C+S.+M.%2C+A.+M.+Calafat%2C+et+al.%2C+(2004).+The+relationship+between+environmental+exposure+to+phthalates+and+computer-aided+sperm+analysis+motion+parameters.+J+Androl+25(2)%3A+293-302
[18] Vandenberg et al. (2012). Hormones and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Low-dose Effects and Nonmonotonic Dose Responses. Endocrine Reviews. First published ahead of print March 14, 2012 as doi:10.1210/er.2011-1050.
[19] Cone M. and Environmental Health News. Low Doses of Hormone-Like Chemicals May Have Big Effects. Scientific American. March 15, 2012. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=low-doses-hormone-like-chemicals-may-have-big-effects
[20] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Phthalates fact sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Middle-class taxes deal breakers on health plan
After an uproar over the projected costs and increased deficits from health care legislation, Democrats are considering taxing middle-class Americans who don't have health insurance and taxing some health coverage to pay for a plan.
But while more fiscally responsible, the ideas are proving no more popular.
The disagreement could come to a head this week, when the Senate Finance Committee begins drafting the bill under the leadership of it's author, panel Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Baucus announced he would cut some of the taxes in his bill and increase subsidies using about $28 billion in savings the Congressional Budget Office estimates his bill would save.
It may take much more than that to appease his own party, however.
If ever there was a strong indication that Democrats don't like Baucus' health care proposal, it came in the form of hundreds of amendments that lawmakers hope to use as a way of rewriting the bill, which Baucus and a bipartisan group of five senators crafted during more than 100 hours of meetings.
"It's a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen," one committee aide said.
Beginning on Tuesday, members of the Senate Finance Committee will try to add more than 500 amendments to the latest Democratic health proposal. Here is a sample.
» Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.: Would add a strong public health insurance option to compete directly with private plans.
» Olympia Snowe, R-Maine: A public option would be provided in any state where affordable insurance was not available to 95 percent of state residents. » Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Pat Roberts, R-Kan.: Would prohibit any expansion of Medicaid that would result in additional costs to the states, now or in the future. » Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.: Would exempt retirees from the excise tax on health insurance plans. » Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.: Would regulate lawsuits for health care liability claims related to emergency room services.
Many Democratic senators have offered amendments that would alter or get rid of a plan in the Baucus bill to tax insurance companies that provide "luxury" plans, which Baucus says he will reduce by an unspecified amount.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., for instance, wants to carve out an exception for high-risk professions, including the coal miners in his state. But the insurance tax would raise $215 billion, which Baucus wants to spend on insurance subsidies and making Medicaid available to anyone earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $29,300 for a family of four.
Other senators want to strike a provision that would impose a tax on people who do not enroll in an insurance plan. But that would kill a $20 billion revenue source.
Finance Committee Democrats are offering other alternatives to raise revenues, such as closing corporate tax loopholes. Rockefeller proposes capping itemized deductions for upper-income taxpayers at 35 percent. But that plan has already been floated in the Senate and many Democrats say they don't like it, in part because it would hurt charitable donations. In April, the Senate voted to reject a plan by President Obama to cap at 28 percent the size of itemized deductions by those earning more than $250,000.
And it is unlikely that Senate will look for revenue-raising solutions in the House, where Democrats propose paying for their $1 trillion bill with a "health tax surcharge" that they can double of they don't find ways to reduce Medicare costs. That plan is all but dead on arrival in the Senate.
"There will be controversy surrounding any financing choice," said Jonathan Oberlander, a health policy professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "There is no politically easy way to do this, especially given broader concerns about federal spending and the budget deficit."
sferrechio@washingtonexaminer.com
Katrina vanden Heuvel's preposterous tales of the 9/12 march
New poll: Democrat lead over GOP is smallest in five years; doubts about Obama continue to grow


Calcium Fluoride deficiency can be indicated with a clear line straight down the middle of the tongue.
Calcium Fluoride is used when muscles or fibres become hard of flabby. This mineral is wonderful in loosening muscles and brings back elasticity in the skin.
This is one mineral that can take some time to come back into balance within the body. Once re-established the positive effects can be deeply felt.
Calcium Fluoride needs to be taken with movement for best reabsorption – I always suggest taking it before you get in the shower as this action is helpful with assimilation.
***To get a detailed diagnosis and a tailored treatment please book in for a full facial and mineral diagnosis – I also add some flowery love information for you as a bonus.


The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police offers a complete series of testing products, such as the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST), the National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST), the National First and Second-Line Supervisor Tests (NFLST/NSLST), as well as Management Assessment Centers and Executive Searches. Membership is not required to take advantage of these services but members do get a discount on P.O.S.T. tests.
Order your tests, study guides, etc. from the ILACP by clicking on the desired test(s) below.
The POST measures reading comprehension, arithmetic, grammar, and incident report writing skills. The test is widely used across the United States by city, county, state, and federal agencies. Available in two formats; allowing an agency to score or return the tests to Stanard & Associates, Inc. for grading.
The NDST gives call centers the ablilty to objectively assess candidate's skill level in five important areas: Reading Comprehension, Listening, Problem Solving, Prioritizing, and Multi-tasking. You can enjoy the ease of using an off the shelf test that targets the areas you need most; those that have been shown to be important to the position of dispatcher. This test is also available in two formats: agency-scored and S&A scored.
The NFLST and NSLST are based on source materials covering patrol operations, major court cases, investigations, community policing, and management concept. The end result? Two cost-effective examinations that can be sued as stand alone promotional exams, or integrated easily into your agency's promotional process.
The ILACP through a joint partnership with Stanard & Associates, Inc. is pleased to offer Assessment Exercises and Promotional Oral Board Interview programs. These services are available to agencies looking to include work sample exercises or an oral board interview with scenario– and/or behaviorally-based interview questions as part of their promotional process.


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Toto Singapore : Toto SGP, Data SGP, Result SGP, Prediksi SGP
How to Play Toto Singapore
If you're interested in playing a lottery in Singapore, you've probably heard of Toto singapore. It's a traditional draw style pick six lotto game sold by the Singapore Pools, with a jackpot that starts at one million SGD. However, if you want to learn how to play Toto, keep reading. This article explains how to play Toto Singapore. Here's how it works and how to win the jackpot.
Toto is a traditional draw-style, pick six lotto game offered by Toto Singapore Pools
In addition to its popularity in the Philippines, Toto is popular in Singapore, where it is the second-most popular lottery game after Mega Millions. The TOTO system generates 12 random numbers between one and 49. Participants must choose five from these numbers, leaving the remaining 44 to roll. The sgp prize amounts are calculated from a series of numbers, with the Jackpot prize being valued at $5,000.
It is a legalized form of lottery sold in Singapore
The legalized form of lottery sold in Singapore is known as the Singapore Sweep. The Singapore Pools runs this lottery and the results are drawn on the first Wednesday of every month. Tickets cost $3 and contain 19 seven-digit numbers. Winning tickets will receive at least $1,000, but could win as much as $2.3 million. A winning ticket may also receive as little as $6 if the final two digits are drawn.
It has a jackpot starting at 1 million SGD
Toto Singapore is a six-of-49 lottery for residents of the Republic of Singapore. The lottery began operations in 1968 and has steadily improved over the years. In 1981, the lottery's jackpot switched from non-progressive to progressive, with a rollover. Today, it's the most popular lottery in Singapore, with 58 percent of residents playing at least once a year.
You can place your entries for Toto by visiting one of the Singapore Pools outlets, making phone calls, or entering the numbers online. You can play with six numbers from 1 to 49, or choose the Super Lotto option and play with up to twelve numbers. Each entry costs S$1, and the more numbers you select, the more ordinary entries you'll make, and the more you can bet on each draw. If you're unsure about how to play, here are some tips.
Odds of winning in Toto Singapore
If you have been to the Toto office and have ever wondered what the odds are for winning the lottery, you have come to the right place. Odds of winning Toto Singapore are calculated based on various factors, such as how many tickets are sold for each prize group, the number of winners in each group, and the winnings of the previous draw. As a result, the odds of winning the Toto Singapore lottery are a matter of personal choice, and there is no such thing as a "sure thing". Daftar slot online tercepat dan termudah di indonesia.
← Singapore Pools : Toto SGP, Result SGP, Data SGP Hari Ini
Result SGP : Keluaran SGP, Toto SGP Pools, Prediksi SGP Jitu →
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HK Pools : Togel HK, Datahk, Prediksi HK Master


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Kamiya Jani - Curly Tales
https://www.instagram.com/kamiya_jani/
https://www.instagram.com/curly.tales/
Her videos often pop up on our Facebook feeds and give major travel goals. Mother of one, Kamiya Jani quit her full-time job as an anchor to follow her passion for travelling and exploring the world. What started as a personal blog 'Curly Tales', is one of the most popular online platform that shares recommendations for food and travel. In a conversation with us, Jani talks about her journey, her venture, apart from her views on the present scenario of the travel industry. Excerpts: Q: When did you begin your journey as a content curator, and how has your journey been till now? A: Even though I started this journey by writing blogs and articles, I realised that not too many platforms were making videos around this. That is when I forayed into videos, which were very well received by everyone who watched them. The journey has been full of excitement, starting with just me and my passion for food and travel. I now have an amazing team of 25-30 people. What started as a food and travel platform where I would make 1-minute videos on topics of interest -- from street food, unique servings in restaurants, we have surely come a long way. We are now well placed to host celebrity interviews, wherein I invite renowned personalities for a brunch. They then discuss their journey, their passion for travel, and their food experience, through a very candid and free-flowing conversation. This concept became pretty unique and was well received by the audiences.
Q: What was your inspiration to start your journey in this field? A: I was working as a business news anchor at a renowned business news channel, and I had been a journalist for the past 10 years, before Curly Tales. Although I enjoyed that stint entirely, I used to feel pretty confined in the space. While on the job, I strongly felt that I wanted to enjoy myself exploring the world. When I switched, I was already a mom of a three-year-old daughter. I wanted to pursue my dreams with a simple thought -- if not now, then when. I wanted to follow my passion for travelling on a personal level. Initially, I just started documenting my experiences and publishing on Facebook, where I found a community of like-minded people that could relate to my content. Additionally, a lot of women started looking up to me, by telling me that despite being married and a mother I still pursued my passion. This only gave me more motivation and drive to continue my journey, document it and publish it, and engage the community with my recommendations and their suggestions. The whole journey from content has taken a shift to commerce. We are not just recommending but also selling some of these experiences now. Recently, we experienced a staycation package for a five-star hotel, and over 500 people bought that experience through Curly Tales on Facebook after watching our video on it. In all, our journey started from a passion, moved to content creation, to curation and it is now in the stage of commerce, where the transactions are happening based on recommendations through Facebook. Q: Given that you are also a part of Facebook's ongoing 'More Together' campaign which focuses on the power of connections, how do you relate to it? A: The power of connections is all about working together. The connection has been with my team who has helped me build the foundation of Curly Tales and the connection with the followers, who have been following us since we started with 300-400 followers. Moreover, some of those followers have now turned into our clients. I feel all this personifies the power of connections -- something that has happened through Facebook. This has brought me even closer to the essence of Facebook's More Together campaign.
Q: The pandemic-induced disruption in the travel space forced people and travellers to become homebound. How did you cope up with the situation? A: The pandemic allowed me to relook at my business. Even though Curly Tales is in the travel space, travel can never be replaced with an online experience. We did some virtual tours but the joy of travelling outdoors can never be replaced by anything else. We were positive that we will be back. The pandemic also allowed us to relook at our content strategy and position ourselves the way we wanted to. During the pandemic, we got an opportunity to focus on written content, and use instant articles on Facebook as travelling guides for people who needed to be reunited with their families. Through this process, we became a catalyst and a mediator of informing people as to how they can travel during tough times. Q: Share some insights into what went in the travel community during the last few months. Are you excited as travel opens up slowly? A: We definitely saw a lull period which started from March-end and went out till September-October, up until domestic flights started. Even when flight operations started, it was not much for leisure, and rather about emergency travel, where people were looking to reunite with their family members. Once travel started, the market bounced back due to the pent-up demand of people wanting to travel. The demand was clearly at its peak and there was a 'revenge travel', that we saw, where people were wanting to get out of their homes and explore, even if it meant to get away on road trips. I do think that domestic tourism is growing and has caught up already. This is also why we have started our new show "I love my India", where we discover hidden gems in India and where Indians can actually find international experiences right here in the home country. Q: What were some of the challenges that you faced, when you shifted to this from your job? How did you overcome them? A: I gave myself a time limit of one year, thinking that I will boomerang into my job. But as fate had it, there was no looking back. The biggest challenge for me in this journey has been to find people with whom I can share my passion. A shared vision fueled by mutual passion leads to the meaningful content of relevance and keeps the team motivated. I feel blessed to have an amazing team that meets these requisites, and have been instrumental in taking Curly Tales to where it is today.
indian magazine
tang magazine
tang magazine india
women's magazine
curly tales
kamiya jani
Top 5 hiking destinations in India for your New Year trip
A-list boutique experiences for last-minute year-end holidays
New book launches for the season


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Starting from December 25, a trademark owner in Malawi can file a Madrid Protocol application to pursue protection in one or more Offices outside of Malawi. And starting from that date, a trademark owner outside of Malawi can file a Subsequent Designation to Malawi (or can file a new Madrid Protocol application designating Malawi).
It is recalled that the Patent Cooperation Treaty entered into force on January 24, 1978, initially with 18 contracting states. But perhaps not all readers appreciate that Malawi was one of those initial 18 contracting states for the PCT! Saying this differently, Malawi was more trendy, modern, and up-to-date about the PCT than most of the 152 present-day members of the PCT. Nobody joined PCT sooner than Malawi!
The two-letter code for Malawi is "MW".


text:
8 Facts You Didn't Know About Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice'
It's time to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose. "Beetlejuice" is one of the funniest horror films ever made. The film celebrated its 30th anniversary in March 2018. The moody, cartoonish 1990 film was a breakthrough for many of the crew involved. Before he would go on to direct 1993's...
'Game of Thrones' Star Emilia Clarke Reunites With Her On-Screen Lovers
Emilia Clarke just turned 33, and it wouldn't be a birthday celebration without a reunion of some fan favorite "Game of Thrones" actors! Clarke teamed up with Kit Harington and Jason Momoa for a birthday photo for the 'gram – and fans are going wild over the "Game of Thrones" reunion. One thing is...
'Modern Family' Star Sofia Vergara Shares '90s Throwback Bikini Pic
She's a 'Modern Family' star but she's always had a timeless look. Sofia Vergara posted a throwback bikini shot of herself on Instagram on Thursday. The photo shows the actress in a small black bikini, standing next to a horse, staring ponderously out into the summer sun. View this post on...
12 of Katy Perry's Most Colorful Dresses and Fashion Looks
Katy Perry 's rocked the colorful looks as long as we can remember. The California girl has always had a penchant for channeling the vacay vibes in her clothes. To celebrate her birthday -- which is Oct. 25 -- we've put together a few of her most colorful dresses from over the years. Photo credit...
Eddie Murphy Talks Return to Stand-Up on 'Jimmy Kimmel'
Eddie Murphy may be in semi-retirement mode, but he's also opening up about his return to stand-up comedy. During an appearance with Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Kimmel asked Murphy to elaborate on what it might feel like to be entering back into the comedy world. Would there be any...
Sophie Turner Nears Top of 'Most Dangerous Celebrities' List
There are some celebrities you might not want to Google… According to McAfee, a cybersecurity firm, some celebrities are dangerous to search for on the Internet because they could lead you down a rabbit hole of malware and viruses. According to the 2019 list, Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls fame...
'I Love Lucy' Turns 68! A Jeopardy-Style Lucille Ball Quiz
"I Love Lucy" turns 68 today. The classic show premiered Oct. 15, 1951 on CBS and ran until May 6, 1957. The series aired for six seasons and 181 episodes. The show's star Lucille Ball had a long and fruitful career and was a pioneer for funny women in Hollywood. The titular character she played...
Catch Up With Our Favorite 'Breaking Bad' Characters As 'El Camino' Arrives
El Camino has officially arrived. The Breaking Bad sequel is now streaming on Netflix, and as soon as we bust out of this office we're going home to watch it. We can't wait to learn what happens next for Jesse Pinkman, but the whole thing has gotten us emotional about other members of the cast...
Sophie Turner Calls Out Joe Jonas on His 'Best Day Ever'
Between reuniting and being on tour, the Jonas Brothers have a lot to be excited about. But when Joe Jonas revealed that his band's new limited-edition Coors Light marked his "best day ever," wife Sophie Turner had some things to say about it. Jonas took to Instagram Thursday to post a photo of him...
SCREENSHOTS: Aaron Paul Is Here to Get You Ready for 'El Camino'
El Camino picks up right where Breaking Bad left off, but it's been six years since we last left Jesse Pinkman. Thankfully, Aaron Paul has provided a quick and hilarious recap to catch us up on all the details we might have forgotten since the finale. "Even the most hardcore fans need a refresher...


Ms. Oka has appeared as soloist with The San Francisco Chamber Ensemble, The Utica Symphony Orchestra and numerous other orchestras in the Philadelphia area. As a chamber musician she has appeared with The Marlboro Music Festival, "Chamber Music West" in San Francisco, The Theatre Chamber Players of The Kennedy Center, The Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series, Network for New Music, the Delaware Chamber Music Festival and The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. She has also toured throughout the United States with The Brandenburg Ensemble and Music from Marlboro.
She has performed and collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Jaime Laredo, Alexander Schneider, Leon Fleischer, Yefim Bronfman and Murray Perahia.
Ms. Oka is a faculty of Temple University and its Music Preparatory Division.


Dubai is a dream city enfolded by many exciting activities. Your excursion will never be complete without experiencing the extreme sports activities and adventures in Dubai. If you ready to take the challenge to rock, then Dubai offers a real treat for the thrill enthusiasts. There are many well known companies with some amazing extreme sports and adventure activities, including skating, dessert tours, fitness centers and motor-sports etc. No doubt, Dubai is an expensive city and these activities can cost you, but the safety and fun provided in return are matchless. People of all age groups are accommodated by the companies in order to make your trips memorable with your loved ones.
Driving on a race track is not an outlying dream for you anymore. You can enjoy an ultimate motor-sport experience in the UAE's best multi-purpose complex, Dubai Autodrome. The exciting high performance vehicles and the well-experienced instructors of Dubai Autodrome are guarantee of your memorable driving in the racing-track.
Crossfit Lifespark at Jumeirah Dubai is one among the world's most effective fitness systems. This amazing organization believes in exercising and put ting your body in order for activities. Crossfit Lifespark Jumeirah Dubai contains all the latest gym equipments to ensure that you have the best in fitness.
If you want to have a crack at the desserts of Dubai, then the Desert Road Tours is the right company for you to travel with. It is a well-established tour company, offering almost all kinds of pleasure trip packages. From desert safari to Balloon tour, you will love to travel with the Desert Road Tours as their advanced fleet of vehicles is the certification of your unforgettable dessert outing.
Its kid's time! The Rage Skatebowl located in the Rage Shop at Dubai Mall is especially designed for the children. The trained coaches polish the skating abilities of your children and lessons are conducted in the Rage Bowl. You will love to visit this amazing bowl with your family, especially kids.


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In a Galaxy Far Away: How to approach vulnerability assessment, Part 1
Rob Beeler
A long time ago—about 1.5 billion years to be exact—in a galaxy far away, two massive black holes collided. The impact of this collision set off a distortion of the time/space fabric known as "gravitational waves." The concept of gravitational waves is a heady one. Albert Einstein first theorized they existed over a century ago, then spent the rest of his career waffling back and forth on whether he was right. Then on September 14th, 2015, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected the waves from this collision using lasers over 2 miles long. This breakthrough has the potential to change the way we understand the origins of the universe. It's now possible that we'll be able to see what happened within seconds of the big bang over 13.8 billion years ago—something that was not possible with previous technology.
So, what does this have to do with cyber security? Like astronomers and astro-physicists, cyber security professionals need more than one way to measure what's happening around them. To get the full picture of what's happening, you have to be able to measure things from different angles, and overcome barriers that exist with just a single way of looking at things. It's not enough to look at things from the "outside," you have to get a comprehensive picture to really understand your environment. If you rely on a single approach to assessing your security, you are at risk of missing key issues that can compromise your posture.
For a comprehensive view of your security, you need to employ several different assessment techniques, including:
Vulnerability and best practice assessment. This includes scanning your existing infrastructure for known vulnerabilities and configuration shortcomings, both internally and externally. Ask yourselves:
Are our systems patched properly?
Are we running software with known security vulnerabilities?
Do we have sensitive ports opened to the outside world?
Are our cloud environments set up in a secure fashion?
A good vulnerability assessment and management process can help identify obvious gaps in your security posture, allowing you to focus on closing the most critical gaps.
Additional resource: For a detailed guide to vulnerability assessment scans, download our ebook.
Security controls assessment. By comparing your existing security controls—processes, policies and procedures—to industry standard frameworks (such as NIST, CIS, SOC, etc.), you can identify where your organization is most vulnerable to security attacks. Standards organizations have identified the key attributes of a secure company, and you can use this as a measuring stick on how you stack up. And most importantly, regularly assessing your organization against these standards will help you prioritize improvements to your security infrastructure.
Resources in small businesses are often limited, so a prioritized and methodical approach to improvement can help you invest wisely.
In Part 2 of this series, we'll examine simulations and threat assessments as two other ways to look at your organization's vulnerabilities.
Watch the video demonstrating Trava's risk assessment tool along with some practical insight.
Trava's Best Cybersecurity Hot Takes from 2021, Part 1
How should you as a small business leader be thinking about cybersecurity? Find out.
More challenges and solutions that cyber security professionals and astronomers share.
Find out how understanding the origin of the universe helps us approach cybersecurity.
Ready for better cyber risk management?
Talk to Trava
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Suite 1500, Floor 3
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Andrew Lincoln Opens Up About Making the Decision to Leave The Walking Dead
It was simply the right time to move on from the series.
July 25, 2018, 9:45 AM EDT
The Walking Dead series lead Andrew Lincoln finally made his departure official this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. As such, the panels and press conferences were rightfully filled with a lot of emotion as the cast and creative minds behind the show opened up and discussed what this means for the series going forward. To begin with, it was more about saying goodbye, but in the press conferences following the panel, Lincoln was able to get into a little more detail about when and why this decision was made.
Part of the nature of The Walking Dead straight from the comic series is that it's a story that keeps on going. That was never going to work for a television show, so bringing Rick's story to completion was something that has been on their minds for years now, as explained by Lincoln this past week.
Well, nine years I was thinking about it because that's where we live. I suppose it was a lot to do with a conversation Scott and I had a few years ago, maybe in season four about the shape and finding some way to complete something that was never going to be completed.
That said, what makes this the right time to exit the show? For the character of Rick, ending the story of the war with Negan is a pretty pivotal moment, especially opting to imprison the enemy instead of executing him. That alone is a big factor in not upsetting the future narrative too much, since this past major story arc was able to conclude definitively.
That element, along with the actor's family factor, combined to make this the right time to make a move and put the series behind him. Here's what Lincoln had to add to that.
And then not, obviously, disturbing the mothership. There was a sort of sense that the story has been a man waking up and you experience this world through this one man's eyes and it opens up into the extended family. Now, what's exciting, I think for me, is the fact that the narrative is being freed up. And it's already been freed up from the beginning of this season. You'll see the trailer. It's a different tone. It feels like the show that I always felt we would head toward when we wrapped the pilot. And so yeah, even sure it was something that I started to think about as my children got older and less portable.
These final statements put a nice wrap on the official announcement of Lincoln's departure from the long-running series. All that remains to be seen is how Rick's story ends for ourselves and how the show can carry on without him. The Walking Dead returns to AMC on October 7th.
Weekly Horror News Round-Up October 17: Friday the 13th, The Walking Dead, Day of the Dead
Plus, I Know What You Did Last Summer gets the green light, You adds to its Season 3 cast, and more.
Weekly Horror News Round-Up September 12: The Walking Dead, Candyman, Books of Blood
Plus, Scream 5 adds to its cast, get Freaky in a new trailer from Blumhouse, the original Friday the 13th is remastered to return to theaters, and more.
Amidst cast and character attrition, AMC has made the smart move in opting to gracefully end the flagship show at a time that will make sense to the story.


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Pinoy Craic
Where the Pearl Meets the Emerald
FILIPINOS MAKING WAVES IN IRELAND
Filipino PhD Scholars Join Research Programme on Artificial Intelligence in Top University in Ireland
New Filipino Christian Church Opens in Dublin, Ireland
Pinoy Technicians Embrace Warm Weather in Rural Ireland
"Tinig ng Pag-asa" – Voice of Hope for Youth Engagement
Modern Oriental Design Home with Traditional Filipino Elements, Nestled in Irish Pastures
PinoyCraic Online Radio
From the Philippines to Ireland: A Voyage of Discovery
Teaching Tagalog/Filipino (The Philippine National Language) in an Irish Home
"Tinig ng Pag-asa (Voice of Hope) – A Song for Youth Empowerment
GUIDE SONG WITH LYRICS & TRANSLATION
About the Philippine-Inspired, Ethnic Flavoured Song
Philippine-Inspired Youth Song Launched in Ireland
Music promotes solidarity and helps in the well-being of children. Developing musical talent among the youth also makes them feel worthy as they earn the respect and appreciation from other cultures. "Tinig ng Pag-Asa" (Voice of Hope) was launched in Ireland on August 29, 2020 to kick-off an online sing-along challenge for Filipino global youth empowerment. The ethnic-flavoured tune was created to honour UNESCO International Youth Day 2020 themed "Youth Engagement for Global Action." Embellished with unique Philippine indigenous instruments such as the kulintang, kubing, piri bamboo flute, kudyapi, bungkaka and tungatong, the Tagalog song was composed by 2021 Philippine Presidential Award Banaag Category Recipient Vanda Brady and produced and arranged by multi-awarded composer/musician Diwa de Leon, grandson of Philippine National Artist Felipe Padilla de Leon. The launch track was performed by 13-year old Teen Champion Vocalist Fiona Cassandra Vargas who was born in Ireland to Filipino parents. The song was a semi-finalist at the 2020 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) (World Music, Category), an annual international contest judged by a prestigious panel of music industry professionals. The global awarding body for the song writing competition received more than 26,000 entries, and semi-finalists make up only 9% of all entries, which makes it a remarkable achievement.
Ms. Brady, composed a melody on the piano while in her teens in her hometown in South Cotabato, Philippines, which developed into a music sheet 15 years later after collaborating with co-lyricist Divine Gil Reyes at J. Romero & Associates advertising agency in Makati, Philippines. It was produced and arranged in 2020 into a patriotic masterpiece by US-based Gawad Urian Awardee Diwa de Leon. Now an active volunteer community leader and cultural champion in Ireland, Ms. Brady is promoting the song to empower young Filipinos around the world by inviting cover artists, musicians and non-professional singers to concoct their own performance of the catchy and uplifting musical creation. "I hope "Tinig ng Pag-asa" will be heard and sung across the globe to encourage young Filipinos to take charge of their lives by engaging at the local, national and global levels. Parents, families, and various communities should inspire our young leaders to take action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes."
On arranging the song, Diwa de Leon said, "I'm honoured to be a part of this project. Vanda wrote a wonderful song and I'm glad to put my own cinematic-ethnic spin on it."
Launch singer Fiona Cassandra Vargas is a 2021 The Voice UK Semi-Finalist, 2020 Silver Medalist of the World Championship of Performing Arts, 2019 Ireland's Talent Search Contender, 2018 Kildare's Got Talent First Runner Up, and 2018 Role Model for Social Inclusion of South Dublin Council. "I am so happy be chosen as the teen artist to unveil an inspirational Philippine song for the rising generation. Singing it in the national language makes me appreciate my roots and my parents' home country even more."
The Philippine Honorary Consulate in Ireland has been implementing youth projects since Consul Raymond Christopher Garrett was appointed to his post in April 2019. "Tinig ng Pag-asa" is a virtual collaboration of talented Filipino professionals in three continents. To see it grow into a powerful song in only three weeks was phenomenal. We cannot wait to see Filipinos around the world perform their own rendition of the song which will bring Philippine talent and culture to the forefront."
"Tinig ng Pag-asa" (Voice of Hope) is open to the public for sing-along challenges and is an ongoing song celebrated in community events and fundraising campaigns.
"TINIG NG PAG-ASA" (VOICE OF HOPE) IS NOW THE PROGRAMME ID OF THE FIRST MIGRANT RADIO SHOW "MY JOURNEY HOME" ON Shannonside FM, A REGIONAL RADIO STATION IN IRELAND
The weekly show hosted by Vanda Brady starts and ends with the intro of the song which is embellished with unique Philippine indigenous instruments such as the kulintang, kubing, piri bamboo flute, kudyapi, bungkaka and tungatong. The Tagalog song was composed by Ms. Brady and produced and arranged by multi-awarded composer/musician Diwa de Leon, grandson of Philippine National Artist Felipe Padilla de Leon. Here is the first podcast of the show with the first African-Irish Mayor Uruemu Remu Omeru Adejinmi as guest.
HALLOWEEN VIRTUAL CONCERT FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT – SATURDAY OCT 31, 2020
Filipino youth engagement is imperative during the COVID pandemic which has caused a lot of stress for many families. This global virtual concert is a step towards bringing the community closer together in moral and social support.
Message from Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa Lagdameo, Consul General, Philippine Embassy United Kingdom
Message from Labor Attache Amy Reyes, Labor Attaché, Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Agenyc (POLO-OWWA) London
Message from Wendell Gaa, Desk Assistant for Socio-Cultural Matters at Office of United Nations and International Organisation at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
Listen to "Tinig ng Pag-asa" performed and arranged by Diwa de Leon
Tinig ng Pag-Asa by Vanda Brady arr. by Diwa de Leon
Launch Track by 13-year old Fiona Cassandra Vargas, Teen Champion Vocalist
In celebration of UNESCO's International Youth Day, the song was launched on August 29, 2020 by 13-year old teen champion vocalist Fiona Cassandra Vargas of award-winning youth band The Bright Lights.
Fiona Cassandra Vargas, 13 years old, was a 2021 The Voice UK Semi Finalist, 2020 Silver Vocal Award Winner at the World Championship of Performing Arts, 2018 Kildare's Got Talent First Runner Up and 2019 Ireland's Talent Search Contender. Fiona is a Second Year student in Holy Family Catholic School in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. She plays the ukulele, loves to dance, and admires Moira, Morissette and Sarah Geronimo. She was born in Ireland to Vic Vargas from Gattaran, Cagayan Valley and Shiela Vargas from Cebu. Fiona and Shiela have been living in Ireland since 2001where Shiela works as a Quality Assurance Supervisor at a confectionery. This launch track was mastered by Roel Mabeza and the lyrics were added by Don Kiram. Here's Fiona Vargas performing "Tinig ng Pag-Asa."
Learn the Lyrics & Share
Tinig ng Pag-Asa Performed by Fiona Vargas with Lyrics & Translation
We hope the message of the song reaches as many people around the world. Join the Sing-Along challenge, create your own version, perform on Facebook Live, do a Tik Tok, or simply share the song and nominate people who might be interested to join. Make your own solo cover or with a group by downloading the files and send your audio or video recording with a photo and a background about yourself to vandabrady@yahoo.co.uk.
SONG ENTRIES
LIV GREGORIO, 2019 – Semi-Finalist Ireland's Got Talent Season – Cork, Ireland
Theatre singer Liv Gregorio's message to the youth is: "Don't lose hope when things get tough. Just keep on trying until you achieve your dreams. Also don't forget to be joyful & share the love!"
Hailing from Cork, the second largest county in the Republic of Ireland, Liv's huge voice blew the judges away and got a standing ovation when she was the youngest semi-finalist at the March 2019 Ireland's Got Talent Season 2. She recently had her first opera concert performance in Jan 2020 where she played as the Little Girl in "Deirdre And The Sons of Usna" at Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork. On July 2019, she performed in 'The Summer Evening in The Quad' at University College Cork as a guest soloist of Tommy Fleming. For two summers (2018 and 2019) she performed in the College's Rocks Summer Concert and in 2018 she performed in Cork Opera House's Christmas concert as one of the soloist. Her first professional performance was when she played "Molly" in 'Annie The Musical' for Cork Opera House's summer production. Liv Gregorio is currently a 5th class student at Scoil Oilibhéir. She was born in Ireland on 2009 to Ram and Laverne Gregorio who moved to Ireland in 2006. Ram, a healthcare worker, is from Negros Occidental and is a healthcare worker while Laverne, a nurse, is from Valenzuela City. Subscribe to Liv Gregorio's You Tube Channel "Liv's Wonder World" and see her other fabulous performances.
NATHAN HEMBRADOR – Polomolok, South Cotabato, Philippines
Nathaniel Antonio Hembrador, a 21 year old college student currently studying BS in Information Technology at South East Asian Institute of Technology at Tupi. At the age of 8, his father (who passed away three years ago) taught me how to play the guitar and it has been his passion to play the guitar and write songs. Nathan was born at Dasmariñas Cavite, but great up in Polomolok, South Cotabato. Since he had a lisp, he found it awkward to sing my own compositions and resorted to playing fingerstyle. Nathan also made his own creative rendition of "Tinig ng Pag-Asa" on guitar. For him, the song is a direct and indirect message to the youth that should not be left behind and should be guided accordingly with love and care for them to embrace the world with compassion. His message to the youth — do not be afraid to show your talents and capabilities. The world is a harsh place without cooperation and compassion, and only through love and settling differences will make it turn around again. We are the youth, the new hope of the world, and we can change the world for the betterTo listen to Nathan's songs and guitar tracks, please like and subscribe to Nathan's YouTube Channel "Nathan Hembrador."
ORLY DELOS SANTOS – Germany
Orly is a nurse and used to live in Ireland for many years but has now moved to Germany to be with his partner. He was called the Balladeer and the Filipino Singing Nurse in Ireland. Orly joined the first season of Pinoy Idol Ireland talent search in 2004 and won as First Runner Up. Since then Orly to performed in many Filipino and Irish occasions like in hospital events, public and private parties. He also auditioned in `You're A Star´ a national tv singing competition in Ireland but he didn´t make it thru the finals. Orly took his voice lesson in Griffith College, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, Ireland. He was trained by the famous Soprano, Ms. Kathryn Smith and became one of the members of The Kathryn Smith and Singers. He was also a member of Voce Christiana Choir (Filipino Choir in Dublin). He was able to perform in some prestigious venues like The Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines, The Grand Canal Theater , the Dublin Convention Centre, The Victory Center, The Helix and The National Stadium, all in Dublin, Ireland. Orly had a his 2 major concerts called ORLY Live at The Griffith Conference Centre, Dublin last May 15, 2011 where he launched his first single and The Rhythm of East and West Concert at the Redcow Hotel, Dublin last March 15, 2013 where he launched his first CD Album entitled Love Heals. Orly has made his own rendition of Tinig ng Pag-Asa which was regularly played in an elementary school in the Philippines. Please like and subscribe to his YouTube channel entitled "DEAR KUYA ORLY."
NIGELLE RAMOS – Dublin, Ireland
Nigelle Larot Ramos from Kilternan Dublin 18 also made her beautiful version of "Tinig ng Pag-Asa," but today we will play her own original song called "Dreamers." Nigelle was born in Siquijor, Philippines, parents' hometown. She is now studying BA in Commercial Modern Music at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) Dublin. Nigelle wants to be a professional musician, hopefully gigging, once it is safe to do so." Her advice to her fellow young Filipinos is to keep their heads high, especially in these tough times. "Don't be afraid to reach for your goals no matter how big they may be, and that it's also okay if they don't have any at the moment. Be happy, be healthy, and strive to do the right thing!" Please like and subscribe to her YouTube Channel "Nigelle".
RODELLE BORJA – Ireland's Got Talent Semi-Finalist 2018 – Dublin, Ireland
Rodelle Borja is a Registered General Nurse at St. James's Hospital in Dublin. He moved to Ireland on January 8, 2018. Hailing from Pasonanca, Zamboanga City, Rodelle is also Ireland's Got Talent 2018 Semifinalist. His fascinating voice has wowed a global audience and he continues to use singing as an opportunity to unwind and get away from stress at work. Rodelle released his self-written compositions "Maybe Somewhere" and "Ngayong Nandito Ka" in all digital platforms this year and is now at more than 100K views and 60K views on Youtube, respectively. He is the first to submit his version of the song "Tinig ng Pag-Asa." Today he will sing for us a medley of songs. Please like and follow his YouTube Channel "Rodel Borja."
Tinig ng Pag-Asa performed by May Tanugan of Ten Foundations. Ms. Tanugan is one of the first youth scholars of the foundation and is now a permanent employee helping families and children in the area.
The Voice Kids UK 2020 top prize-winner Justine Afante. The 14-year old singing sensation from Swansea in Wales emphasised the need to encourage Filipino youth to engage and effect positive change in their respective communities.
The Composer – Vanda Brady
Tinig ng Pag-Asa was composed by Vanda Brady, Nominee for the 2020 Philippine Presidential Awards Banaag Category 2020. It started with an instrumental piano composition she made when she was 14 years old in Polomolok, South Cotabato, followed by a combined effort on the lyrics with her copywriting colleague Divine Gil at an ad agency in Makati in her 20's, then to a musical sheet when she was working in her 30's in London. Now an active community volunteer in Ireland where she helps Filipino migrants and other nationalities, she is focusing her efforts on the youth by engaging and empowering young Filipino talents through "Tinig ng Pag-Asa," an inspiring song to celebrate our young, future leaders and mobilisers.
Original Music Sheet
ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE – PERFORMED BY Vanda Brady, Produced & Arranged by Roel Mabeza
Help goes to Belfast-based charity Ten Foundations which supports vulnerable children living in Balayan, Batangas, Philippines, and Rotaract Gen San which runs a tutorial programme for children in Mindanao.
MAY TANUGAN, TEN FOUNDATIONS SCHOLAR – BALAYAN, BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES
MAY TANUGAN IS THE FIRST SCHOLAR OF THE BELFAST-BASED CHARITY THAT HELPS VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN BALAYAN BATANGAS.
CALL FOR HELP FOR VULNERABLE STUDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES: VOICE OF HOPE FUND.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for Ten Foundations and Rotaract https://www.gofundme.com/f/VoiceofHopeFund.
Voice of Hope or "Tinig ng Pag-Asa" is a song for Youth Engagement which was composed for UNESCO International Youth Day in August 2020.
This Fundraiser is for Belfast-based Ten Foundations Scholarship Programme which supports students in need in the Balayan, Batangas. Currently it has 18 scholars enrolled in the programme at various levels of education. Since it started in 2015, they have funded 3 high school teachers, 1 social worker, 1 business management graduate and 1 tourism graduate.
This is also for Klehe'w Akbasa, the Reading Tutorial Programme of the Rotaract Youth Club of Greater Gensan-Stratford International School Chapter. Klehe'w Akbasa, which means "Happy Reading" in the B'laan dialect, is for students in Mindanao who are affected by school closures due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 40 Youth Learning Volunteer Heroes who are Licensed Professional Teachers in the Philippines teach 118 students how to read in their homes located in Gensan, Polomolok, Malungon, Sulop & Malalag in Davao Del Sur, Bohol, and Malapatan & Maasim in Saranggani.
"VOICE OF HOPE FUND" VIDEO
Vanda Brady has been interviewed by 99.1 Spirit FM and 95.9 Radyo Totoo
A LATE BLOOMER THAT BLOSSOMED IN IRELAND
When you see her paintings, you would think she's perfected the art for many years. But no, Cleanne Marie Nañola only discovered two years ago that she had the flair for painting after an unprompted attempt to copy Van Gogh's "Starry Night," Now she is a natural artist with an instinctive ability to bring things to life on the canvas, which she keeps on the side as she frontlines as a full-time nurse. Cleanne is from General Santos City, Phillippines. She moved to Ireland to be with her aunt who has been working as a nurse for 17 years. She also came to join her Croatian boyfriend from Mallow. Cleanne is a staff nurse at the Surgical Department at South Tipperary General Hospital since October 2019. Apart from drawing when she was a child, Cleanne was born to a family of artists with uncles and aunts who are painters and graphic/interior designers. Her boyfriend, Carlo Melloni Homolka, who is an established fashion designer and painter in Croatia, also motivated her to explore and master the art. Anything inspires her and anything goes when she picks that paintbrush. She likes contemporary art, mostly with women and musicians as subjects using oil paint and vibrant colours, which for her, sets a happy mood. Among her Philippine-inspired works are an indigenous Tboli woman which she painted for the Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno, who now has it displayed on her wall in her Manila home, and the recent Tinig ng Pag-Asa or Voice of Hope for Youth Empowerment master piece. She made "4 Seasons" for the Philippine Honorary Consul to Ireland, which aptly depicts the unpredictable Irish weather. For Cleanne, being an artist is just a hobby, a sideline, a source of small income. It is not really a practical means of livelihood at the moment. In any case, we are glad she is honing her inborn talent while settling in Ireland. Thanks to Van Gogh's "Starry Night" which has made Cleanne a shining star in the Irish skies. Check out her Facebook Page Cleanne Art for more of her fab work. https://www.facebook.com/CleanneArt/
Download the Song
mp3 – Tinig ng Pag-Asa Guide Song – Vanda Brady arr. Diwa de LeonDownload
mp3 – Tinig ng Pag-asa (Minus One) – Vanda Brady arr. Diwa de LeonDownload
DOWNLOAD MINUS ONE – HIGH QUALITY .WAV
Written by Vanda Brady & Divine Gil Reyes, Translated by Joy Watford
Tinig-ng-Pag-asa-English-translation-2Download
Buy a SCHOOL BAG from TenFoundations.org or donate. A charity based in Belfast supporting vulnerable children, families and communities in the Philippines.
The Rotaract Club Of Greater Gensan-Stratford International School Chapter is composed of young men and women ages 18 to 30 dedicated to community and international services. children, families and communities in the Philippines.
Copyright © 2023 Pinoy Craic


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Marquette Difference
Build to Core
Value-Add
Developer lands financing for two big Chicago apartment projects
Alby Gallun, Originally published in the Crain's Chicago Business - Sept. 3, 2020
With many lenders and equity investors wary of big, risky apartment projects these days, securing financing wasn't easy for developer Darren Sloniger. "It was probably right up there in the top three of the heaviest lifts of my career," he says.
Undaunted by the worst downtown apartment market in two decades, a Naperville developer is moving forward with two rental projects totaling more than 500 units on the west end of the Fulton Market District.
Marquette has scored construction financing for the two developments near Union Park, an 11-story building at 1454 W. Randolph St. and a 26-story project at 1400 W. Randolph, said Darren Sloniger, the company's president and chief investment officer. That's tough to pull off in the current real estate market, which has pushed many lenders and equity investors to the sidelines, unwilling to finance big, risky developments.
"It was a lot of fricking work," Sloniger said. "It was probably right up there in the top three of the heaviest lifts of my career."
Apartment development, and construction generally, has declined substantially this year after a prolonged boom that added tens of thousands of units to the downtown market. The value of residential construction projects, including apartments, started in the Chicago area in the first seven months of the year totaled $2.24 billion, down 27 percent from the same period in 2019, according to research firm Dodge Data & Analytics. Many new projects no longer make sense amid falling rents and occupancies, and an uncertain economic outlook.
"Everyone is a little more cautious," Sloniger said.
But the slump has resulted in one positive change for developers: lower construction costs. Sloniger estimated Marquette's two projects will cost 7 to 8 percent less than they would have before the coronavirus pandemic.
In July, Marquette obtained a $40.9 million construction loan from St. Louis-based Stifel Bank & Trust for the project at 1454 W. Randolph, according to Cook County property records. New York-based J.P. Morgan Chase also provided about $17 million in mezzanine financing for the 243-unit development, which is believed to cost about $85 million.
Marquette also secured construction financing for the $112 million project at 1400 W. Randolph. Sloniger declined to identify the lender for the 278-unit building but said the total debt for the development accounts for about 58 percent of its cost.
Marquette plans to host a groundbreaking ceremony for the projects on Sept. 17. The developer's other Chicago projects include the Mason, a 263-unit building at 180 N. Ada St. completed last year, and Catalyst, a 223-unit property at 123 N. Desplaines St. The firm also owns several multifamily properties in the Chicago suburbs, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.
Because lenders and equity investors have pulled back the past six months, many downtown apartment projects are on hold for the time being. But with construction continuing among projects begun before the coronavirus and recession, developers will complete about 3,500 apartments in downtown Chicago this year, up from 2,935 in 2019, according to the Chicago office of Integra Realty Resources, a consulting and appraisal firm.
Yet the drop in construction starts this year will result in downtown deliveries falling to just 1,700 units in 2021. Integra forecasts that deliveries will rebound to 4,200 apartments in 2022, noting that figure could drop significantly if financing doesn't become more widely available.
Sloniger is confident that demand for apartments in downtown Chicago will rebound by the time Marquette finishes its two buildings, sometime in first-quarter 2022.
"We're experiencing some temporary pain that I don't think is going to last," he said.
He's also feeling good about Marquette's timing from a supply standpoint, expressing confidence that many downtown developers, unable to secure financing, will remain sidelined for a while. That will result in less competition for tenants when Marquette starts leasing the buldings.
"There's going to be zero supply, so getting a deal done right now is huge," he said.
Marquette has tweaked the design of its buildings for the coronavirus era, adding touchless controls for elevators and other device and air filtration systems designed to reduce the circulation of pathogens, Sloniger said. The developer also has redesigned fitness centers and amenity areas into smaller spaces to limit the number of people coming into contact with one another.
To obtain a zoning change for the Chicago projects, Marquette agreed to include lower-priced apartments that conform with the city's Affordable Requirements Ordinance. The firm is meeting its ARO obligation by including about half of the required 100-plus affordable units in Medical Center Apartments, a tower it's redeveloping near the Old Cook County Hospital on the West Side.
Marquette Companies
135 Water Street 4th Floor
©2021 Marquette Companies


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ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) este un cod alafanumeric non-proprietar, care permite indentificarea de o manieră unică a savanților și autorilor de contribuții academice și științifice. Acesta permite, de asemenea, rezolvarea problemei cauzate de omonimie, schimbarea numelor (de ex. la căsătorie), existența unei ordini diferite a numelor în diferite culturi și diferite sisteme de scriere.

Este similar cu digital object identifier.

Referințe

Legături externe

 Interview with ORCID Executive Director, Laurel Haak, on Editage Insights: A vision to transform the research ecosystem

Identificatori
Fondări în 2012
Coduri

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has congratulated minister Harish Rao for leading the party to a thumping victory at Narayankhed bypolls. "Harish toiled hard for the win. I compliment him and other leaders who followed him" he said at a public meeting in Khammam today. He has also expressed his gratitude to the voters of Narayankhed for giving his party a resounding win.


This clip is an excerpt from "Improving Emergency Services for Dementia Patients," which is a training DVD for Emergency Personnel with dementia expert Teepa Snow.
Teepa Snow is an occupational therapist and dementia expert who trains and consults for healthcare professionals and families privately. She has extensive experience as the keynote speaker at dementia conferences, presenting single sessions to small groups, as well as all-day in-depth trainings.
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For more on Teepa Snow, click here.


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Cape Island Boat Heritage
Construction Photos
Cape Sable
Dagley's Boatworks
Welcome to Cape Island Cruisers Ltd
Welcome to Cape Island Cruisers LtdWelcome to Cape Island Cruisers Ltd
Official Media Release
NEW OCEAN-FRIENDLY MOTORBOAT FOR PLEASURE CRUISING
A stylish new limited-production 38' ocean-capable motor cruiser aims to serve the growing market demand for accessible recreational boating options.
Hull #1 of the new Cape Sable design from Cape Island Cruisers Ltd. is well under construction by Dagley's Boatworks in Nova Scotia. The fibreglass hull has been completed; launch and sea trials are slated for early summer.
This new motor cruiser will become a cousin of Maine's well-known lobsteryachts. The Cape Sable hull design is based on the highly regarded, hugely successful "Cape Islander" — the origin of today's lobster boats. Based on commercial vessels that have long operated along rugged coasts and in North Atlantic fishing grounds, this new design provides an elegant and safe boating-home for a generation of Maritimers looking to cruise the wonderful waters at their doorstep.
A Safe, Comfortable Boater Home
In addition to boatbuilder Scott Dagley of Dagley's Boatworks, the Cape Island Cruiser team includes John Steele, blue water sailor and founder of Covey Island Boatworks. "I can't think of a more suitable power boat to explore and enjoy the coasts of the Maritimes, New England, the Caribbean," says Steele. "The Cape Islander concept is just so well-proven to this application it's a natural." The Cape Sable design is set up and equipped to be safely handled by a couple.
Steele believes Dagley's Boatworks is a perfect fit for Cape Island Cruisers, based on "the builder's reputation for good value and solid, honest workmanship." The company was founded by owner/manager Scott Dagley, a fourth-generation boatbuilder, in 1993. The shop has been handling new builds and repairs in fibreglass, wood composite and traditional wood for satisfied customers ever since.
A second release, with photo images, will be circulated following launch and sea trials.
For more information about the Cape Sable design contact
John Steele by cell (902) 521-8220 or info@capeislandcruisers.com
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