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7 Infections Athletes Could Get From Rio’s Contaminated Waters

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Misty, water-colored memories … of the route he was.

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After virtually 60 years on screen, Robert Redford announced Monday that he’s retiring from acting following the release of what will be his final film.

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Redford, 81, will star in upcoming crime comedy “The Old Man& The Gun” directed by David Lowery, which makes theaters in September, before hanging his hat up for good.

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“Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and[ I’ll] move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21, ” Redford told Entertainment Weekly exclusivelyin an article published Monday. “I supposed, Well, that’s enough. And why not used to go with something that’s very upbeat and positive? ”

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The film about real-life career criminal Forrest Tucker played by Redford also stars Elisabeth Moss, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and Danny Glover.

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“To me, that was a wonderful character to play at this point in my life, ” Redford told the outlet.

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The Hollywood legend revealed his designs on retirement two years ago in dialogue with his grandson and fellow filmmaker, Dylan Redford. At the time, he was still at work on two cinemas, including “The Old Man& The Gun” and Netflix’s “Our Souls At Night” co-starring Jane Fonda.

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Redford said he’d been impatient, which he blamed on “getting tired of acting, ” quoting the grueling schedule of working on a situated.

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“It’s hard for me to sit around and do take after take after take, ” he said. “At this phase in my life, age 80, it’d gives people more satisfaction because I’m not dependent on anybody. It’s merely me, merely the route it used to be, and so going back to sketching — that’s kind of where my head is right now.”

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He added: “I’m going to say,’ OK, that’s goodbye to all that, ’ and then just focus on directing.

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Redford has, of course, directed a slew of movies, including “Ordinary People, ” “A River Runs Through It” and “The Horse Whisperer” over his decades-long career. When asked whether he would still direct cinemas, he told EW, “We’ll see about that.”

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The two-time Oscar winner leaves behind a storied legacy on screen, as one of the most famous movie stars of the 1970 s and ’8 0s with roles in “All the President’s Men, ” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, ” and “The Way We Were.”

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Redford is also the founder of the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival.

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In 2016, President Barack Obama honored him with a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the number of Academy Awards Redford has been nominated for. He’s been nominated for five Oscars, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.

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By: Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer
Published: 08/03/ 2016 06:02 PM EDT on LiveScience

The coastal waters around Rio de Janeiro, where many Olympic water competitions will soon take place, are reportedly teeming with harmful viruses and bacteria. So what illnesses might people catch if they swallow some of the water?

If the water has been polluted with raw sewage, as has been reported, then a number of common pathogens could be lurking there and stimulate people ill, experts say.

“There are many types of microbes in raw sewage that have the potential to cause human disease, ” said Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.[ 10 Route the Beach Can Kill You]

A study of Rio’s beaches commissioned by the Associated Press found much higher levels of viruses and markers for bacterial contamination in some cases than would be considered safe in the United States.

The biggest concern for athletes, as well as beachgoers in general, will be the potential for infection with viruses, said Dr. Alisa Muniz Crim, a gastroenterologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. Although bacteria such as E. coli are found in sewage and can induce people sick, bacteria tend to break down in salt water, so there’s a lower danger of bacterial infections, Muniz Crim said.

In contrast, “Viral organisms can persist in the salt water and the sand for days, weeks and months, ” Muniz Crim told Live Science.

The following pathogens could be expected in water if it’s fairly contaminated with sewage 😛 TAGEND

Adenoviruses: Although best knows we causing respiratory illnesses, some types of adenoviruses are waterborne and can cause gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestine, Morse said.

Although best knows we causing respiratory illnesses, some types of adenoviruses are waterborne and can cause gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestine, Morse said.

Norovirus: Best known for causing outbreaks on cruise ships, viruses in this family are very common, and cause diarrhea and vomiting.

Rotavirus: This virus can cause severe, watery diarrhea, along with fever and vomiting. It’s a “very hardy virus” that’s a common cause of diarrhea in babies, Morse said.

Hepatitis A: This is one of the most common types of waterborne viruses found in human feces worldwide, Morse said. It causes a liver infection. Some people infected with hepatitis A don’t have symptoms, but the virus can cause fever, nausea, vomiting, dark-colored urine and jaundice( a yellowing of the skin or eyes ).

This is one of the most common types of waterborne viruses found in human feces worldwide, Morse said. It causes a liver infection. Some people infected with hepatitis A

Astrovirus: This virus isn’t as common as norovirus or rotavirus, but it does have the potential to cause big outbreaks in humans, according to a 2012 review paper published in the Korean Journal of Pediatrics. It causes acute diarrhea, most commonly in children under age 2.

This virus isn’t as common as norovirus or rotavirus, but it does have the potential to cause big outbreaks in humen, according to a 2012 review newspaper

Vibrio infections: These infections are caused by bacteria that live in warm coastal waters, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. They cause diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain for up to eight days, and can contaminate seafood, such as raw or undercooked shellfish, according to the U.S. Department of Health& Human Services.

Cryptosporidium: This parasite causes watery diarrhea. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/ AIDS, are particularly susceptible to a serious infection with this parasite.

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Anna Jones’s homemade ricotta recipe and three things to cook with it | The modern cook

Its easy to make your own ricotta from scratch. Its ideal for a gentle herb and citrus dip, as the main attraction on a tray of honey-baked figs, or stirred through a plate of spicy spaghetti with chard, garlic and herbs

There is so much to love about ricotta. First up, its clean, fresh cloud-like milkiness many of us think of it as a spring-time thing, but in fact, it works brilliantly as a much needed partner for the roots and roasteds and punchier flavours well be eating for the next few months. Next, its versatility in baking and desserts; to fill ravioli or spoon over warm vegetables. Best of all, though, is that its made from something that would otherwise be wasted. The ricotta that you buy in the shops is a byproduct of the cheesemaking process. Whey that has been drained off the cheese curds is reheated to construct ricotta hence its Italian name, which means recooked.

My recipe involves gently heating whole milk, then adding vinegar to promote little curds to form, which are then gathered and strained to form the softest and most gentle of the cheeses. Ive tried lemon juice, but vinegar somehow renders more ricotta. The sum of vinegar is key, too little and the curds wont form properly; too much and the end outcome will taste like a chip store. Because this recipe is so simple there is nowhere to hide, so use the best milk that you can afford( the best ricotta Ive savor was induced in Italy use raw, unpasteurised milk, but thats not as widely available in the UK ).

Some recipes require a certain type of ricotta. The kind you can buy in most supermarkets can be very soft, more mascarpone-like in texture than the firmer, strained ricotta I got used to working with when I cooked in Italy. Thats why I started attaining my own and Id urge you to try too its not as difficult as you might suppose. If thats a step too far though, you can induce the recipes below with supermarket ricotta. If you do, then leave it in a sieve to drain excess liquid for a few hours, or ideally overnight, so its a little firmer. If youre lucky enough to live near an Italian deli, most sell a good strained ricotta.

As well as a recipe for homemade ricotta, I have included three of my favourite simple ways to eat it. Aside from these almost any pasta would benefit from a little ricotta stirred through it, any pancake or waffle will sit blithely next to a spoonful, and most fruit will team up well with a clean white helping drizzled with a little honey.

straining The type of ricotta available in most supermarkets can be very soft. Strained ricotta is firmer, and much closer to what is available in Italy. Photo: Matt Russell for the Guardian

Homemade ricotta

How long you hang your ricotta for will depend on how you want to use it. To cook your ricotta whole or to use it to fill pasta you want something firm, so no moisture seeps out during cooking. For other recipes, such as the pasta or the whipped ricotta below, you could get away with a less firm texture, so hanging it for just a few hours would suffice.

Makes about 300 g
2 litres whole milk
A pinch of ocean salt
40ml distilled white vinegar

1 Pour the milk into a large pan, add a pinch of sea salt and put over a medium hot. Let the milk to heat up slowly, stirring from time to time.

2 When it is almost coming to the boil when steam and small bubbles begin to appear on the surface( if you have a kitchen thermometer it should be 82 C-8 5C) remove from the heat, add the vinegar and stir gently. You will see curds starting to kind. Continue to stir for 1 minute or so.

3 Cover with a clean cloth and allow it to sit for a couple of hours. Once the ricotta has rested, line a colander with a large piece of damp muslin and set this over a larger bowl or pan.

4 Spoon the ricotta into the colander and allow it to drainage for an hour or so, or overnight depending on your desired firmness( see note above ). To test whether the cheese is ready, gently lift the muslin up by the corners and twist softly the fluid are due to be slightly milky in colouring. The ricotta is now ready. Transfer to a container, seal and store in the fridge and use within 3 days.

Whipped herb and lemon ricotta

Quick and super-light, this mixture of herbs and ricotta is ideal for dipping. I use baby vegetables, but thumbs of good toast or crackers would work too.

Serves 4
450g fresh ricotta
Salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp mint foliages, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a good squeezing of lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

To serve
Baby carrots, beetroots and radishes, cut into sticks

1 Put your ricotta into a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then beat it with a wooden spoonful until light and fluffy. You can do this with an electric mixer if you want it really cloud-like.

2 Now stir in the garlic, herbs, zest and olive oil. Taste for balance and adjust the seasoning, if necessary, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit more of whatever you think it needs.

3 Serve in the middle of the table with your choice of veg or toast for dipping.

4 Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

Honey ricotta with baked figs

This is a faintly sweet take on ricotta that could be served as a dessert or a quick lunch, piled on top of toasted bread with some bitter foliages to counter the very slight sweetness.

Honey Any leftovers can be spread on warm toast the next day. Photograph: Matt Russell for the Guardian

Serves 4-6
250g ricotta
1 tbsp of runny honey
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1 orange, zested, juice reserved
6 figs
50g almonds

1 Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

2 Turn the ricotta out of its packet on to the lined tray, then drizzle it with honey. Grate over the orange zest and scatter the vanilla seeds on top.

3 Halve the figs and arrange them all over the ricotta. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and a bit more honey then put into the oven to cook for 20 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, roughly chop the almonds. Scatter them over the baking tray and roast for the last 5 minutes.

5 Serve straight from the oven in the middle of the table.

Spaghetti with chard, garlic, chilli and ricotta

One of the most wonderful pastas I know( the sauce is cooked in the time it takes for the pasta to turn al dente) and for my fund one of the nicest.

Serves 4
400g spaghetti
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
12 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
400g chard, rinsed foliages shredded and stems finely sliced
Grated zest and juice of 1 big unwaxed lemon( plus an extra lemon for juice, if needed)
Salt and black pepper
150g of ricotta
Parmesan or pecorino( optional)

1 Put a large pan of boiling water on to boil and add got a couple of generous pinches of salt. Once the water is at a rolled simmer, add your pasta and cook according to the packet instructions or until simply al dente.

2 Meanwhile, hot a good drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic, chilli and rosemary. Fry for a minute or so, until the garlic beginning to colour, then add the chard stubbles and sizzle for 1-2 minutes. Add the leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 34 minutes, or until the foliages have wilted a little.

3 Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Add a splashing of the pasta water to the greens and mixture well. Grate over the zest of the lemon and squeezing over the juice. Take off the hot and savor for seasoning. Crumble over the ricotta and stir it though. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and, if you like, a wispy grating of parmesan or pecorino.

Anna Jones is a chef, writer and author of A Modern Way to Eatand
A Modern Way to Cook( Fourth Estate ); annajones.co.uk; @we_are_food

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Alternative medicine treatment put four-year-old boy in A& E – BBC News

Image copyright Thinkstock

The plight of a four-year-old boy who nearly died after his mothers devoted him 12 alternative medicines has inspired doctors to warn against the treatments.

Doctors at Newham Hospital in east London said the mothers were “devastated” that their good intentions had constructed him so unwell.

The boy took a dozen supplements supposedly to help treat his autism.

The National Autistic Society said it was crucial for physicians to talk through the risks of alternative therapies.

The boy developed a potentially fatal condition after taking supplements from a naturopath( natural health practitioner) for a number of months, which included vitamin D, camel’s milk, silver and Epsom bath salts.

He was admitted to A& E after losing 6.5 lbs( 3kg) over three weeks, suffering from symptoms including vomiting and extreme thirst.

Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption ‘Often parents think that supplements are natural, safe…but this is not true in many cases’

Dr Catriona Boyd and Dr Abdul Moodambail, writing in the British Medical Journal Case Reports , said it was not until the son had been at Newham Hospital, which form part of St Bart’s Health Trust, for several days that his mother told them about the holistic supplements.

Dr Moodambail told the BBC: “This happens on many occasions with other patients as well.

“Often the mothers think that these supplements are natural, safe and do not cause any side effects or adverse effects, but this is not true in many cases like this.”

He added: “The situation was stark because the child developed vitamin D toxicity leading to very high calcium levels, constructing the child quite unwell and you are able to even be fatal as well.”

The boy made a full recovery in two weeks after being treated with hyperhydration and medications to reduce his calcium level.

What are complementary and alternative therapies?

Complementary and alternative medicines( CAMs) are therapies that fall outside of mainstream healthcare Generally when a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medication, it is considered “complementary” When a non-mainstream practise is used instead of conventional medication, it is considered “alternative” Examples of CAMS include homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic and herbal medicines Some complementary and alternative medications or therapies are based on principles and an proof base that are not recognised by the majority of independent scientists Others have been proven to work for a limited number of health conditions, such as osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture for treating lower back pain When a person uses any health therapy – including a CAM – and experiences an improvement, this may be due to the placebo effect Osteopaths and chiropractors are regulated in the same way as mainstream medical professionals There is no statutory professional regulation of any other CAM practitioners

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Are you sitting down? Because someone devised a wearable chair.

I think we can all concur: Standing up for long periods of time is just … it’s really hard.

The struggle is real. GIF from “Arrested Development.”

No one knows this struggle better than a surgeon.

It takes a lot of skill to keep your razor-sharp focus and stay on your feet for hours at a time while someone’s life is on the line beneath your scalpel.

That’s why one company fabricated the world’s first wearable … chair?

Yes, you read that right: wearable chair . Sure it voices ridiculous, but it’s actually quite simple and pretty cool.

The wearable chair, called the Archelis( a rough phonetic translation of “walkable chair” from Japanese ), supports key pressure phases on the legs to ease the wearer’s wearines, re-creating the sensation of sitting while maintaining an upright posture. It was designed through a collaboration between the Japanese company Nitto and Chiba Universitys Frontier Medical Engineering Center.

Basically, it’s a pair of high-tech leg braces that hold your butt( and thighs and ankles) while you’re standing .

GIF from Archelis/ Archelis/ YouTube.

Just a few years back, a Swiss company called Noonee introduced a similar creation called the Chairless Chair.

Wired described this hydraulic-powered titanium frame as, “a really bad-ass wearable or an especially lame exoskeleton.”

The company’s CEO, Keith Gunura, was of the view that the device can give the body “microbreaks” of three to 10 seconds to relieve the stress of standing and compared the sensation to sitting on a barstool. It could also come in handy in workspaces where there’s only not enough room to store chairs.

GIF from Noonee/ YouTube.

While the concept of a wearable chair was originally designed to aid surgeons during seemingly-endless shifts, the design has plenty of possibilities outside the hospital.

Aside from the general exhaustion of standing all day, musculoskeletal ailments caused by physical strain, repetitive motions, and poor posture factor into 33% of workplace injuries and illness.

And, of course, surgeons aren’t the only ones who face these types of hazard . A wearable chair could go a long way to ease the strain on all the people who work in restaurants, retail, and mill production line and stay on their feet for hours at a time.

GIF from “( You Drive Me) Crazy.”

You know who else could benefit from a wearable chair? Anyone who expends their day sitting at a desk.

It’s easy to understand the pain of someone who’s forcing them to stand all day. But it turns out that excessive sitting isn’t good for us either .

Aside from members of the general mind-numbing-ness of staring at Excel spreadsheets the working day, the passive lifestyle of a desk task could lead to a whole host of ailments, one of the biggest being hunched posture which can lead to migraines, back pain, exhaling problems, and much more.

This is all assuming, of course, that the boredom doesn’t kill you first.

Though not necessarily entail for all-day sitters, the Archelis does help the user maintain ideal posture and allows for easy switching between sitting and standing. Something like that could definitely come in handy for those working dreary desk-bound days.

GIF from “The Incredibles.”

At the end of the day , no one should have to expend six to eight straight-out hours sitting or standing.

Moderation is a good thing. In a perfect world, we’d find a way to restructure the entire labor system so that productivity and physical stres weren’t so intertwined , regardless of whether you’re on your feet or in a chair.

But until that happens, at least we have cool tech like the Archelis to help us reached that Goldilocks sweet spot between sitting and standing. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.

Read more: www.upworthy.com

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Some are in debt through no faulting of their own. Not me | Britni de la Cretaz

During a 12 -step recovery program, I called every one of my creditors and told them that , is not merely was I an alcoholic, but that I couldnt afford to pay them back

The first time I had to face the fact that I was in fairly substantial debt over $10,000 and with no income to speak of or any idea how I was going to pay it back I was sitting in rehab for medication and alcohol addiction. Dont get me wrong, there had been signs before then namely the unopened bills I maintained throwing in the trash, the collects calls I changed my phone number to avoid, and the people who showed up to my mothers house to arrest me but being in treatment was the first time I actually admitted that I couldnt run from this problem for ever.

The stack of bills arrived in a manila envelope, courtesy of my boyfriend who was back at home, and I began the anxiety-induced task of opening each and every one of them. I had no idea what I owed because I had spent the last eight years throwing out all my mail. All I knew was that, between the credit cards Id opened in my late teens and very quickly maxed out on luxury items, and the medical bills Id racked up from the consequences of drug- and alcohol-induced illness, it was a lot.

The thing that made my indebtednes different from so many other people is that it was not the outcomes of predatory lending, unjust student loan practises or employing charge card to fill gaps in my income. My indebtednes was 100% an expression of the results of my own irresponsible behavior.

As part of my 12 -step recovery program, I was required to take responsibility for my actions and to continue efforts to stimulate them right where I had been incorrect. I had been incorrect to hide from their own problems that were very much of my own induce. Instead of calling my creditors and owning up to the fact that I owed fund that I didnt have, I avoided the questions all together. Unsurprisingly, this built everything much worse.

Its a humbling experience to call every one of your creditors and tell them that , not only are you an alcoholic, but you owe them money that you cant afford to pay. But this was Step 9 of my 12 -step program making amends. At the time, I was living in a sober house and earning$ 7 an hour scooping ice cream; stimulating even the minimum monthly payments on all of my bills was out of the question. But what I observed was that, by being honest with the collect agencies, they were willing to work with me. I set up payment plans of$ 5 or $10 per month with everyone I owed. It was a start.

Over the course of the next four years, I slowly paid off all my indebtedness. After a while, I was able to increase my monthly payments because I get full-time job. But even with my debts down to$ 0, my past hasnt gone away. My credit rating is still very bad, constructing it impossible in order to be allowed to get approved for even small loans for things like necessary mends to my home or a vehicle that would be more appropriate for my growing family.

Its a constant reminder that fixing my blunders takes time. Ive already begun the painstaking undertaking of credit mend, working with a friend who specializes in the issue. Every month we satisfy, combing through my credit reports, stimulating calls to confirm that debts are mine, sending letters to access the information I require and doing the hard work of cleaning up the wreckage from my past.

This wreckage no longer only affects me Im married with children and the results of my irresponsible behaviour when I was in active addiction are affecting their own lives. But what this process, and my recovery, has taught me is that I have to change the route I deal with money.

No longer can I rob Peter to pay Paul. Its not an option for me to take money from one account to buy shoes with the intent of putting it back afterward. I cant open up credit cards that I wont are allowed to make payments on. I cant miss bill pays and, if I need to, it requires me to call the company and explain why. I know these arent options for everyone and I acknowledge that doing this requires some component of class privilege, but this is what works for me personally.

Being in recovery entails living frankly and changing past behaviors that were destructive. Some of those are around my relationships with people, but it also includes my relationship with money. Its a lot of work. I have a strict budget that I dont stray from and some months are incredibly tight. But I can go to sleep at night with a clear intellect and a clear conscience and thats a gift.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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The art of being Azzedine Alaia, darling decorator of style insiders

A stunning display at the Design Museum presents the master couturiers own vision although sadly he wont see it. By Kate Finnigan

When Azzedine Alaia, the Tunisian master couturier, died of a heart attack in Paris last November, aged 82, the Design Museum in London was seven months into preparing a big demonstrate dedicated to his run. It was to be the first style exhibition in the museum’s new building in Kensington and the choice of Alaia had been carefully attained.” The museum has very special architecture ,” says Alice Black, co-director.” What Azzedine Alaia generated over his career is also striking statue. We felt that his work against the backdrop of the museum would be amazing .”

Black had come to know the tiny and charismatic designer over the previous few months. The team had been working closely with Alaia himself, a human known for his perfectionism and hands-on approach.” Azzedine was the heart and soul of his label. For a while I wondered if the exhibition could still go ahead ,” says Black.” But because he had really wanted it, everyone took it on themselves to make it happen. It was his theory, his idea, so we hadn’t been left to second guess .”

Azzedine Alaia: The Couturier, curated by Alaia’s long-term collaborator and friend, Mark Wilson of the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, opens this Thursday. The museum has defied the temptation to turn it into a retrospective and has bided with the designer’s original vision for it to be a study of technique and craft, with more than 60 examples of couture pieces. It is the first-ever UK show dedicated to Alaia, who is less well known here than in his adopted France. But those who know style revere Alaia almost like no other. The industry loves a secret and there has been a cult surrounding Alaia for five decades, inspired not only by his unique- although much-imitated- style but by his longing for perfectionism( a dress could take five weeks or five years ), his refusal to be dictated to by commercialism and his personal style of business, largely conducted in his atelier-cum-apartment in the Marais around a kitchen table, where Alaia served guests with his own cuisine.

Turning
Turning heads: Azzedine Alaia with Tina Turner, Paris, 1989. Photo:( c) Peter Lindbergh( Courtesy Peter Lindbergh, Paris)

The Alaia aesthetic is so powerful that, to those who know it, merely uttering the name will summon up a vision- a living, exhaling woman, her form enhanced by textiles that sculpt and mould, clinch and cling.” He’s the master of cut and fit, a sculptor,” says Wilson.” He didn’t do depicts that somebody else translated. He designed everything directly on to the body. That’s how he made things .” In both his couture and ready-to-wear collects his materials were Lycra bandages, smooth velvet, stretch wool and leather- lots of it, moulded or cut like lace by laser or riveted with silver eyelets. Wilson is presenting the couture garments, choice with Alaia, in themed clusters- velvet, African-inspired, bandage gowns.” You get to see everything in 360 degrees and the groupings mean the viewer gets a better understanding of the craft and the technique ,” says Wilson, who has now curated six Alaia reveals.” If you looked at these pieces separately, you would ensure less how each of them is very special in its own way. You can really ensure the cuts and seaming and building, which in other exhibitions you might not be able to appreciate .”

Alaia find the exhibition as an installation and asked artists to stimulate screens as a backdrop to his run.” I came up with the idea and Azzedine selected the artists, who include Marc Newson, Tatiana Trouve and the Bouroullec friends. Wrapping around the walls is a collection of pictures taken by Richard Wentworth, who expended two years documenting Maison Alaia.

” I stimulate clothes; girls attain manner ,” the designer said. For Black, the magic of the Alaia look is that it is timeless.” They are garments that you look fantastic in today, much as you would have done 20 years ago, or will do in 20 years’ period ,” she says.” It’s that workmanship, the perfection. In the exhibition you do ensure patterns and attires that he’s been working on and reworking throughout his career, but in parallel you assure very interesting fluctuations of cloth. He’s always bringing innovation in there- the laser-cutting or working with a glass powder that gives fabric an iridescence. There’s innovation as well as a respect of a certain tradition .”

When Michael Jackson made the 1992 video for In the Closet– directed by Herb Ritts, co-starring Naomi Campbell and with a voiceover by Princess Stephanie of Monaco- Alaia Campbell’s barely there clothes, white crop top and flippy skirt. This was the glitzy stratosphere he occupied. The designer was stimulated more famous by a line in the 1995 film Clueless when Alicia Silverstone’s fashion-obsessed Cher is robbed at gunpoint and refuses to are going to the ground with the immortal words:” You don’t understand, this is an Alaia !”

But Alaia himself was not a flashy person. The term most used about him is “humble”. He was kind and empathetic, a friend and guide to many people, including Mark Wilson who knew him for 22 years.” Oh, he was a sweetheart. I loved him ,” says Wilson.” We were family. He was my favourite artist and he also opened his home to me .” He was a father figure for Naomi Campbell, who knew him as Papa, and moved into his apartment in Paris when she was 16. The model made a compassionate speech about him at the British Fashion Awards after his death last year:” Back in the day, our fridges weren’t stuffed with food: we bought what we eat on a daily basis and if there was one egg left in his fridge, Papa would offer it to me to make an omelette .”

Born in Tunis, the child of wheat farmers, he studied statue before transfer, self-taught, to fashion. He moved to Paris in 1957 and got a job at Christian Dior, but was rejected after five days for not having the correct newspapers. After working with Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler he set up on his own, but it wasn’t until 1979 that he opened his own atelier, where he garmented Greta Garbo and Marie-Helene de Rothschild.

He is perhaps most recognised for dressing the supermodels who bestrode the 1980 s and 90 s- Elle Macpherson, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell- as well as the awesome frames of Grace Jones and Stephanie Seymour. The height of these women and his lack of it often demonstrated irresistible to photographers; images of the 5ft 3in Alaia, towered over by some 6ft super-beauty, possess something of the fairytale. But his clothes were not only for Amazons. The Kardashian sisters, with their curves and gloss, was like they were conceived to wear Alaia and are followers. So, too, is his friend the gallerist Carla Sozzani, as was her late sister Franca, who was editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue . Pale blonde Italian waifs, they slipped their slim frames into wide-tiered skirts with flat black shoes so that the architecture of the dresses sway around them like kinetic sculpture.

” He was at the service of women ,” says Black.” Some have been his couture clients for a lifetime- once “youre starting” wearing Alaia you only never stop. But even with his ready-to-wear he set so much attention into the structure. They don’t crumple and don’t fall the wrong way. A plenty of the women we’ve talked to mention this feeling of empowerment they have while wearing his clothes. When you feel so beautiful, you feel confident and you can go out and take on the world .”

The museum will exhibit a few dress in the public foyer, alongside photography, as a taster for a wider audience. With a new flagship three-storey Alaia store recently opened on London’s New Bond Street, this is perhaps the biggest year ever for the once tiny label. Alaia may have left us, but his legend will endure.

Azzedine Alaia: The Couturier is at The Design Museum from 10 May to 7 October ( designmuseum.org )

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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President Trump Just Cost Americans Saving For Their Retirement $3.7 Billion

Donald Trump talked a big game on the campaign trail about standing up to big corporations and putting the interests of hardworking Americans first.

But as chairwoman, Trump has repeatedly broken his promises and now, hes dealing a blow to Americans saving for retirement.

In February, he set in motion a process to kill a common-sense rule that would keep fiscal advisers from siphoning off money from the clients who trust them. Right now, predatory financial advice cheats investors out of about $17 billion every single year. Under the new regulation, that fund would stay with the customers.

This new consumer protection, also known as the fiduciary regulation, was slated to take effect today, but President Trump has delayed it for 60 days and may kill the rule altogether. The rule would require financial consultants to act in their customers best interest not in their best interests or in the interest of their investment firm. Just like physicians take an oath to act in the best interest of their patients and lawyers take an oath to act in the best interests of their clients, fiscal consultants responsible for protecting the long-term financial health of Americans should be required to follow a high standard of care.

Before this rule existed, fiscal advisers could recommend products whose sales produced bonuses , commissions, or awards for the advisers, but that could cost their clients significantly more in higher fees.

The Trump White House has picked special interest and industry groups over hardworking Americans.

But with the new rule, ordinary Americans can trust that their financial adviser is working for them and not recommending investments to line the advisers own pockets. And the many fiscal advisers who already do put their clients interests first would no longer have to compete on an uneven playing field with those who are more interested in making a quick buck than they are in making sure their customers can build a secure retirement for themselves and their families.

Even though the rule hasnt been fully implemented yet, its already benefitting working families. Because the proposed rule was scheduled to go into impact, some major investment firms have slashed costs on their monies. Some have taken their worst, highest-fee products off the shelves. Others have eliminated some of the most predatory commission-based marketings practices altogether, and some have even generated brand new products that are less expensive and better for customers. In other terms, the facts of the case are clear: this rule is good for investors and good for advisers who put their clients first.

But despite these clear benefits, the Trump White House has picked special interest and industry groups over hardworking Americans. He has picked giant corporations over retirees.

Sixty days may not seem like a big deal, but according to economists at the Economic Policy Institute, simply this two-month delay will cost Americans saving for their retirement a collective $3.7 million dollars. And this is just the beginning. If President Trump succeeds in delaying this rule further or in killing this important consumer protection, the special interests and big corporations he rallied against will score a victory a $17 billion a year victory and the American people will be the ones left with the bill.

President Trump should make good on his campaign promises to stand up to the financial industry and give up on reversing the new fiduciary rule.

Saving for retirement is hard enough. Recent reports suggest that nearly one-third of running Americans have no retirement savings through retirement pensions or 401( k) . The least Washington can do is stand up to special interests and make sure the money Americans do manage to save isnt being siphoned off by predatory financial advice. Hardworking Americans shouldnt have to worry that their consultants dont have their best interests or their financial security in intellect. Its hour for President Trump to get on board with the fiduciary criterion or get out of the way by letting this common-sense rule come into effect. Americans have already waited long enough.

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Fidel Castro, Communist Former Leader of Cuba, Succumbs at 90

Fidel Castro, who established a communist regime in Cuba that survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, inspired revolutionary movements and brought two superpowers close to nuclear war before stepping down after 49 years in power, has died. He was 90.

The former leader died at 10:29 p.m. Friday local hour, two brothers, President Raul Castro, who has ruled the country since 2006, said here on country media Nov. 25. He will be cremated early on Saturday and the government defined a funeral for Dec. 4.

Reaction to Castros death, like his life, was deeply divided. World leaders including South Africas President Jacob Zuma, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Latin American politicians issued statements and tweets highlighting Castros achievements and extolling his virtues.

President Barack Obama issued a statement offering condolences to Castros family, acknowledging the powerful emotions being experienced by Cubans, and said the U.S. widened a hand of friendship: the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.

President-elect Donald Trump said Castros legacy is one of firing squads, steal, unimaginable agony, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.

Our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and autonomy, Trump said in a statement.

Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro tweeted: To all the revolutionaries of the world, we have to continue with his legacy and his flag of independence, of socialism, of homeland.

At the same time, crowd of exiled Cubans and their advocates collected on the street of Miami to celebrate the happen of a sometimes unyielding ruler who divided households and ruled with an iron fist. Havana, meanwhile, remained quiet.

Cuban Revolution

French President Francois Hollande wrote in a statement that Castro personified the Cuban revolution, in the hopes it had aroused and then in the disillusions it had provoked and carried his condolences to Raoul, his family and the Cuban people.

The Cuban government said public events to mark Castros death will begin Monday, with a rally a day afterwards at Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana and then a three-day procession to carry his ashes to Santiago de Cuba for a funeral on Dec. 4.

This strong and wise man always seemed with confidence to the future wrote Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the relationship between the two countries. In a telegram read on China Central Television, President Xi Jinping said Castro was the founder of Cuban communism, and a great figure in our times and history.

One of the worlds longest-serving political leaders, Fidel Castro led rebel forces that wrested control of Cuba from Fulgencio Batista in 1959. As prime minister and then chairperson, Castro boosted literacy and health care for the islands poor, while jailing thousands of dissidents, confiscating private property and triggering an exodus of Cubans who braved dangerous water on homemade rafts to reach U.S. shores.

Its not yet clear how Castros passing will impact the delicate detente between the U.S. and Cuba. Relations between the two countries have thawed since 2014, with President obama visiting Cuba this year and promising to ease sanctions that have crippled the islands economy for half a century. However, on the campaign trail President-elect Donald Trump blamed Obama for attaining concessions to the regime.

Fidel
Fidel Castro waves to a cheer crowd upon his arrival in Havana, Cuba in 1959.
Source: Bettmann Collection via Getty Images

The bearded Castro claimed a place on the world stage at the height of the Cold War by making Cuba an outpost of the Soviet Union merely 90 miles( 145 kilometers) from Florida. He pushed the superpowers toward nuclear war in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and dedicated military and political support to revolutionary groups and Marxist governments in Latin America and Africa, cementing his reputation as a foe of the U.S.

Deep Impact

Starting in the 1960 s, Cuba has been a huge player, disproportionate to its sizing, on the world stage and thats largely because of Fidel, said Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America. Cuba and Fidel are the symbol of the little guy standing up against the hemispheric giant. People still have this romantic image of Cuba as a symbol of revolution.

His regime withstood a U.S.-sponsored invasion, known as the Bay of Pigs, in 1961, while he personally survived at least eight assassination plots by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Castro always defended the Cuban revolution.

I have not one iota of regret about what weve done in our country and the way weve coordinated national societies, he told author Ignacio Ramonet for Fidel Castro: My Life, an oral history published in 2006.

Castro,
Castro, left, confers with his brother Raul Castro in 1999.
Photographer: Adalberto Roque/ AFP/ Getty Images

That year, he started to ease his grip on power when he conceded temporary control to his younger friend, Raul, while retrieving from surgery. He resigned as chairwoman and commander-in-chief in favor of Raul on Feb. 19, 2008. The switching of leadership led to reform, though not the democracy that successive U.S. the chairmen and generations of Cuban-Americans had hoped for.

Recognizing Revolution

On Dec. 17, 2014, President Obama announced plans to restore diplomatic relations and ease the five-decade embargo on the island, steps many Cubans and Cuban-Americans supposed would never occur in Fidels lifetime.

The following month, Castro lent his support to a thaw in relations while remaining skeptical of U.S. motives.

I do not trust the policy of the United States nor have I exchanged a word with them, he wrote in a letter published by country media. This does not mean, however, that I would oppose a peaceful solution to conflicts or threats of war.

Obama
Obama visits Havana, Cuba in March 2016.
Photographer: Eliana Aponte/ Bloomberg

In March 2016, President Obama visited the island nation. I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas, he said.

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on Aug. 13, 1926, in Biran, Cuba, one of seven children parent by Angel Castro y Argiz, a Spanish immigrant laborer, with Castros mother, Lina Ruz Gonzales, a are part of private households staff.

Castro was sent to schools run by the Roman Catholic Marist and Jesuit religious orders. He was passionate about baseball and was named Cubas outstanding collegiate athlete in high school.

He told writer Ramonet that his rebellious streak developed early. I didnt like authority, because at that time there was also a lot of corporal punishment, a slap on the head or a belt taken to you, Castro said.

Law School

Fidel
Fidel Castro in his 1945 high school yearbook .
Source: AP Photo