3rd Opulence Ball takes inspiration from '70s glamour

Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com

October 30, 2024 | 1:03pm

 

From left: Marina Summers, Solenn Heussaff, Mond Gutierrez, and Catriona Gray for the 2024 Opulence Ball

Photo release

MANILA, Philippines — The popular Halloween event, Opulence Ball, is returning for a third edition, this time taking inspiration from the glitz, glamour, and allure of the 1970s.

The Opulence Ball is the brainchild of host-entrepreneur Raymond "Mond" Gutierrez and events specialist Ashleigh Rye as part of the former's efforts to make Manila a premiere party destination in Asia.

The inaugural event held in 2019 carried a "Let Them Eat Cake" theme inspired by Marie Antoinette, and because of the pandemic, the ball made its grand comeback last year with a mythology and folklore theme.

The 2023 edition saw celebrities and invited guests hitting the red carpet with their fashion interpretations of deities from around the world.

With nothing to hold it back, the ball returns with a "The Velvet Underground" theme inspired by the '70s, an era filled with hedonistic pursuits and individualistic expressions.

Guests invited to the event on Halloween night in Makati's Manila Peninsula will be dazzling in '70s outfits, echoing the decade's creativity and beauty. Mond and Ashleigh tapped the likes of Solenn Heussaff, Catriona Gray, Isabelle Daza, Marina Summers, BJ Pascual, Jason Dhakal, and Christi McGarry for teasers of the 2024 Opulence Ball, and all are expected to be in attendance on October 31.

The challenge of our century

 

By

Klaus Döring

If I think about it, peace is first in my mind. But there is still another challenge. Worldwide population is expected to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050 – but agricultural lands won’t be able to follow the same pace. The problem is clear: something has to change. The question is what.

Sustainable food for everyone! Food – besides water!

The world’s population continues to grow – but the Earth’s surface doesn’t. And already one in nine people around the world suffers from hunger. Although fertility levels worldwide are declining, life expectancy is increasing – and therefore, the global population keeps growing. The United Nations estimates that the world’s population is increasing by more than 80 million people every year.

Forecasts offer a nonstop rise: The global population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. So allow me to ask: How can we feed all these billions without destroying the Earth?

Although it’s a dire picture, let’s face it: the situation is not as disastrous as it might seem. Food is not lacking – it is just poorly managed. I got the idea for this post after having watched an interview with Ralf Südhoff, head of the World Food Program of the United Nations in Berlin. He said: “Today, we would be able to feed many more people than we do”. “But we waste too much of the food we produce, and we lack efficient production – particularly in Africa”.

Forgotten are many rural areas. I agree with Südhoff who says that population growth is not the key cause of hunger, but rather a lack of efficiency in managing our resources. Indeed, farmers in rural areas of some African and Asian countries still lack the necessary means to maximize crop yields, misusing vast areas of land.

Imagine, the productivity of existing arable lands could be doubled, experts believe. And experts agree that productivity could be increased through very simple means. Allow me to quote again Ralf Südhoff: “Efficiency could be doubled or tripled in African countries by providing basic means such as training, credits and land rights”.

According to Valentin Thurn, director of the German documentary “10 Billion- Whats on your plate?”, farmers in rural areas are the most affected by hunger – and the ones most commonly left behind. He believes, and he is “deadly” correct, smallholders should get integrated into the modernization processes – until now, only limited to big industrialized farms.

While it won’t necessarily be easy to feed 10 billion people sustainably, it is possible, experts believe.

“We are producing at such a pace that the natural cycle cannot recover fast enough,” Klingholz said. “And this is mainly rich countries’ fault.” Global agriculture currently produces some 4,000 calories per capita per day – the double of what each person needs. Sad to say but it’s also true: we are already producing enough for 9 to 12 billion people – but we discard a third of the harvest worldwide!

Farmers are adapting to climate change. Yes, there is climate change! The World Food Program estimates that under climate change scenarios, the risk of malnutrition for children will increase 20 percent by 2050 – meaning 24 million more children could soon suffer from it. Industrialized countries are therefore even more responsible for mitigating the effects of climate change. Südhoff believes this and so do I and many others on this globe.

Megan Thee Stallion opens Weverse account

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Oct 30, 2024 09:08 AM

  

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Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion opened her Weverse account on Oct. 28, joining the superfan platform’s growing list of global artists. 

Megan Thee Stallion will engage directly with her fans through community posts, live streams, live chats, and digital “Fan Letters,” offering fans an exclusive channel to communicate with the chart topping artist. 

The platform also offers exclusive content and e-commerce for artist merchandise, creating a dynamic and streamlined space for superfans.  

The announcement followed the release of Megan Thee Stallion’s new deluxe album, “MEGAN: ACT II,” and her music video for “Bigger in Texas”. 

Megan Thee Stallion (Photo from Weverse)

Over the course of Megan’s illustrious career, she has earned three No. 1 placements on the Billboard Hot 100, including “HISS,” “Savage (Remix)” with Beyoncé and “WAP” with Cardi B. Her accolades include three Grammy awards, a spot on TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and becoming the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Forbes’ prestigious Under 30 issue. 

In line with  Megan’s arrival, Weverse rolled out a significant platform update that introduced personalized features tailored to its diverse global audience and each user’s unique preferences. 

Weverse will introduce advanced translation features that facilitate seamless content consumption. Artist posts, articles, and fan-generated content will be automatically translated into their initially chosen language. 

In addition, the new UI/UX will help fans pin up to four of their favorite artist communities at the top of their home screen, while region-based artist recommendations and local event updates create a more relevant experience. 

Later this year, Weverse Shop will also optimize its e-commerce experience by automatically detecting users' location. All the new features will be accompanied by a deep navy color scheme, symbolizing a fresh change and Weverse’s dedication to become a globally inclusive fan platform.

Building on its partnerships with Universal Music Group and a lineup of stars like Ariana Grande, Conan Gray, and now Megan Thee Stallion, Weverse currently has over 160 global artists on board. 

With a vibrant community of 10 million active users across 245 countries—90 percent of whom are international users from outside Korea—the global superfan platform continues to amplify artists’ global reach and influence.  

“As we continue to welcome global artists like Megan Thee Stallion in addition to Ariana Grande and Conan Gray, we are excited to expand our tailored fandom services to solidify our position as the ultimate global superfan platform,” said Joon Choi, president of Weverse Company, 

Choi added, “While we celebrate the expansion into various genres and a growing international audience, our commitment remains unchanged: continuously optimizing how fans connect with their favorite artists.”

In Rememberance

IN REMEMBRANCE The cleanup of cemeteries across the country, like here at the Manila South Cemetery in Makati on Tuesday, has begun for the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day this Friday and Saturday, respectively, which may turn out to be a rainy affair because of Typhoon “Leon.”—MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Entdecken Sie die 9 schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland und ihre Besonderheiten

Stand:25.10.2024, 13:32 Uhr

Von: Lea Creutzfeldt 

Der Dresdner Striezelmarkt ist einer der bekanntesten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland. © Sylvio Dittrich/Imago

Weihnachtsmärkte bieten eine festliche Mischung aus Kunsthandwerk, kulinarischen Genüssen und einer einzigartigen Atmosphäre. Entdecken Sie hier die beliebtesten Adventsmärkte Deutschlands.

Weihnachtsmärkte gehören in Deutschland fest zur Adventszeit und locken jedes Jahr Millionen Besucher an. Die schönsten Märkte zeichnen sich durch ihre besondere Atmosphäre, traditionsreiches Kunsthandwerk und regionale Spezialitäten aus. Ob in großen Städten oder malerischen Dörfern – jeder Weihnachtsmarkt hat seinen ganz eigenen Charme. 

So auch der Dresdner Striezelmarkt – er ist nicht nur der älteste Weihnachtsmarkt Deutschlands, sondern auch einer der bekanntesten weltweit. Besonders beeindruckend ist die liebevoll gestaltete Dekoration der Stände. Das Angebot reicht von erzgebirgischem Kunsthandwerk über frischen Stollen bis hin zu den beliebten Dresdner Kräppelchen.

Begleitet von weihnachtlicher Musik und sächsischer Gemütlichkeit begeistert der Markt Besucher jeden Alters. Zu den Highlights zählen zudem die weltgrößte erzgebirgische Stufenpyramide, der vermutlich größte begehbare Schwibbogen sowie ein tägliches Kulturprogramm für Groß und Klein.

• Adresse: Altmarkt, 01067 Dresden
• Zeitraum: Mittwoch, 27. November bis Dienstag, 24. Dezember 2024
• Öffnungszeiten: täglich von 10 bis 21 Uhr. (Ausnahmen: 27. November erst ab 15 Uhr, 24. Dezember nur bis 14 Uhr).

Die 9 schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland

In Deutschland gibt es in der Adventszeit eine große Auswahl an Weihnachtsmärkten. Hier können Sie sich unsere Übersicht zu den 9 schönsten Weihnachtsmärkten in Deutschland kostenlos als PDF herunterladen. Dazu müssen Sie sich einmalig und unkompliziert mit unserem Login-Service USER.ID registrieren.

Entdecken Sie die schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte Deutschlands in unserem Ratgeber. © Arnulf Hettrich/Imago 

Ein besonders stimmungsvoller Markt ist der Weihnachtsmarkt in der Ravennaschlucht, wo ein imposantes Steinviadukt über dem festlich beleuchteten Hüttendorf aufragt und Züge durch den Lichternebel der Schlucht fahren. Beim Bummeln zwischen den festlich dekorierten Holzständen entfaltet sich ein ganz besonderes Flair: Ausgewähltes Kunsthandwerk und der Duft von Schwarzwälder Spezialitäten laden zum Verweilen und Genießen ein. Der Markt zählt mit seinem besonderen Ambieten definitiv zu den schönsten Weihnachtsmärkten Deutschlands. 

Der Weihnachtsmarkt in der Ravennaschlucht zählt zu den beliebtesten Deutschlands. © Imago/Imagebroker

• Adresse: Höllsteig 76, 79874 Breitnau/Hinterzarten
• Zeitraum: Freitag, 22. November bis Mittwoch, 25. Dezember 2024 (Freitag/Samstag/Sonntag)
• Öffnungszeiten: Freitag 15 bis 21 Uhr, Samstag 14 bis 21 Uhr, Sonntag 14 bis 20 Uhr.
• Tickets: online im Vorverkauf ab 5,50 Euro. Kinder bis 15 Jahre frei.

Die schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland

Wer noch weitere Weihnachtsmärkte entdecken möchte, findet in unserer PDF-Bibliothek eine kostenlose Übersicht zu den 9 schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland, inklusive aller wichtigen Infos.

Laden Sie sich HIER das PDF zu den 9 schönsten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland kostenlos herunter.

Entdecken Sie Deutschland in der Vorweihnachtszeit von seiner schönsten Seite und genießen Sie besinnliche Stunden auf den beliebteste