Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2010- Day 2 Christian Siriano and Venexian

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Fuchsia with bow Cocktail dress

Photo courtesy of Salzburg photos

Friday, February 12, 2010,-Christian Siriano had his Runway Show. So many designs; so little time.

Observers were presented with styles that ranged from chic pants suits to dresses and gowns suited for balls.

As was expected from, and fulfilled by, Christian Siriano was the attention to detail. From our seat we were able to see shoes that complemented one of the dresses, high heeled with ruffles that would make any shoe “fetishista” drool.

But back to the designs for the upper torso, the pants suit with the button down top with up-turned shoulders stood out. Fuchsia was present in a short strapless cocktail number with the big bow on the right. Fuchsia also appeared adorning a model, this time, in a sheer graceful a-line dress with black boots to complete the stride.There was another piece in the red through fuchsia color range and that was the satiny raspberry dress.--a good match for a Cosmo. A long translucent indigo with large metallic sequins on the turtle neck going just beyond the shoulders and then ending in a “v” in front slinked by.

Venexiana: gowns, gowns, cocktail dresses and more gowns! Indeed, her specialty. There was the ¾ length with draped shoulder sleeves that slinked by us. Of course the spectacular gold gown that starts with those metallic colors in a tight fitting strapless bustier descending into slanted, huge gold flare ruffles going to the left in front and circling, that elegantly sits on the black lace finish which then meets the floor, was a stand-out. Not to mention, The sea foam strapless piece hugging to the waist, at which point has a bouffant t skirt surrounding the wearer and trailing behind her, (a la coy "jezebel" mode), was a welcome style

UN envoy to probe human rights in Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar — A top United Nations envoy was due to arrive in military-ruled Myanmar on Monday following the release from detention of the still-defiant deputy leader of Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party.
Envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana requested a meeting with the Nobel Prize winner Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest, and will evaluate progress on human rights in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
Criticized by the international community for its human rights abuses, the regime on Saturday released 82-year-old Tin Oo, who helped found the National League for Democracy with Suu Kyi, after nearly seven years of prison and house arrest.
"I am not happy with my freedom. I am very sorry about my colleagues who are still serving time in prisons," Tin Oo told reporters Sunday while praying for their early release at Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
Human rights groups say the junta holds some 2,100 political prisoners.
Tin Oo, a one-time defense minister, said he would continue to work for democracy, serving as vice chairman of the league and coordinating political activities with Suu Kyi and the party's 20-member Central Executive Committee.
League spokesman Nyan Win said the party welcomed the U.N. envoy's visit since gross human rights violations were continuing. "His visit won't be able to totally address the human rights issue but the visit can certainly cover human rights abuses," Nyan Win said.
Quintana is expected to meet several key ministers and members of the opposition during his five-day visit. He is also to tour Yangon's notorious Insein prison and another prison in the northwestern state of Rakhine.
In a statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Tin Oo's release and said he hoped it would promote "substantive dialogue" between the league and the government. He also urged the lifting of restrictions on Suu Kyi "without further delay" and the release of other political prisoners.
Tin Oo said he was "very hopeful" Suu Kyi would also soon be released, noting in 1995 he was released from an earlier stint in prison not long before Suu Kyi herself was set free.
Tin Oo said he would ask authorities to allow him to visit Suu Kyi, and thanked the United Nations, European Union and others for pressing for his release from detention, during which the junta tried to isolate him as much as possible. His telephone line was cut but he was allowed a radio.
"Thanks to the sweetness of the democratic media, I never lost touch with the world," he said.
Suu Kyi herself has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years. Her house arrest was extended in August by an additional 18 months, which would prevent her from taking part in the first national elections in 20 years. The government says the vote will be held in 2010.
Suu Kyi's party won the last elections in 1990 by a landslide, but the military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, refused to cede power. Suu Kyi's party has not yet decided whether to take part in the upcoming elections. Quintana said during the visit, his third to Myanmar, he would press for the release of political prisoners, review progress on reform within the armed forces and check on the revision of domestic laws to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

Microsoft to Unveil New Smartphone Technology at Barcelona Conference

Microsoft Corp. is anticipated to unveil the product of its phone software overhaul on Monday, the company’s attempt to regain strength in a market in which it long faded from prevalence.

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft is planning to present at the Mobile World Congress, the largest global cell phone trade show, taking place in Barcelona, Spain. At the conference Ballmer is expected to introduce Windows Mobile 7, which should hit the market, by the close of 2010.

Microsoft has been largely absent from innovations in the smartphone market for some time, though this does not mark the company’s first attempt to reenter the landscape. In fact, Microsoft’s numerous and often less than successful efforts to break back in to the market have convinced many there is too much for the company to overcome.

Whatever the case, Microsoft has not given up just yet and are expected to unveil new software that is decidedly more consumer-centric than their earlier attempts. The user-interface is expected to be more simply than that of many of its competitors a quality that may appeal to a more mature demographic.

The phone is thought to have worked off some the technology of their product, the Zune, Microsoft’s answer to the iPod. While many reviews of the Zune were positive, the product did not take off against Apple’s version, which had already defined the market.

Such is the plight of Microsoft in recent years. It’s seldom their products are met with poor reviews or riddled with glitches, but they often enter markets that have already been saturated without the novelty needed to make a splash

Saudi reaches out to diversify its economy

James Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president, centre, is intrigued by Saudi Arabia's attempts to diversify its economy. Charles Crowell / Bloomberg

For the fourth year in a row, Saudi Arabia succeeded in attracting some of the brightest stars in the galaxy of international business and finance to its Global Competitiveness Forum held here recently.

And most of them had nothing to do with oil.

As such, the forum underscored Saudi Arabia’s continuing determination to diversify its oil-dependent economy, not only by bringing in foreign expertise and capital, but also by creating Saudi companies that can be successful players in the competitive global market.

“Everyone knows that oil is not going to be here forever and now is the time to plan for the future,” says the forum participant William Barilka, the executive vice president for initiatives at DevCorp International’s Riyadh office.

Diversification of the world’s largest oil-producing economy has been a mantra of Saudi officials for years now. And strides towards this goal have been made, particularly in expanding the private sector.

Last year, for example, the non-oil private sector contributed about 47 per cent to the country’s economic output, almost twice what it was in 1974 (25.3 per cent), according to John Sfakianakis, the chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi in Riyadh.
The country “has diversified but more is required”, says Mr Sfakianakis. “The private sector’s participation has improved, but oil … still plays a very important role … as the principal revenue earner for the country.”

Since joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2005, the kingdom has improved its regulatory regime, opened up key sectors such as telecommunications and banking to foreign investors, begun developing new sectors – tourism stands out – and directed oil revenue into major infrastructure projects to attract foreign investment.

One reward for the kingdom’s efforts was its 13th place ranking in last year’s World Bank-International Finance Corporation Doing Business report, which measures the ease of opening new businesses. Its goal now is to become one of the top 10 by the end of this year.

“I think it’s doing well because it has opened up its banking sector, telecommunications … and besides, even in the oil sector there are various collaborations with foreign companies,” says Faisal Hasan, the head of research at Global Investment House in Kuwait.

Both Mr Sfakianakis and Mr Hasan, however, suggest there is still a long way to go on the diversification front.

One key strategy towards this goal is industrial expansion, with the aim of “raising the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP to 20 per cent by 1441 (2020) compared to its current level of 11.1 per cent now,” said the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency’s 2009 annual report.

The government’s industrial expansion strategy, the report says, “aims at achieving diversification, competitiveness, non-reliance on only one source, increasing sustainable growth rates, creating of job opportunities and achieving balanced development throughout the Kingdom’s regions”.

Power generation, natural gas exploration and petrochemicals are major areas getting government attention in efforts to grow its industrial sector. Other areas being pushed are financial services and mining.

A key component of the diversification master plan is construction of six planned economic cities around the kingdom. They are envisaged as hubs that will house 5 million people and create more than 1 million jobs. Originally due to be finished in 2020, the cities still are in various early stages, partly because they have not drawn the once-hoped-for level of foreign investment.

But as some observers note, initial progress was slow on the kingdom’s first two industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu. But today they are key parts of the Saudi economy.

For the foreseeable future, oil revenue will continue to be the fuel for expanding Saudi Arabia’s industrial, technological and service sectors.

As Mr Hasan says, “they want to broaden the base of their economy, but the money for that still comes from oil”.

Those willing to play a role in Saudi’s diversification flocked to Riyadh. The former UK prime minister Tony Blair was among the prominent personalities addressing the three-day conference. Others included: Michael Dell, the founder of Dell; Jeffrey Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric; James Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president; James Turley, the chairman and chief executive of Ernst and Young; ; and Glenn Lowry, the director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

John Chambers, the chairman and chief executive of Cisco Systems, applauds Saudi Arabia “for setting a number of ambitious goals” to improve its global performance. “I’m very comfortable making investments in this country.”

Alex MacGillivray, a senior partner with AccountAbility, a non-profit research and consulting firm in London and Washington, said one reason for the increased interest is a more outward-looking business community.

“A lot of family-held [Saudi] companies are beginning to look to scale up and get more ambitious,” he says. “To do that, they have to have a stronger brand and part of that is to be a responsible player.”

Several businessmen say the kingdom’s business environment has improved.

“I find that Saudi Arabia is far more competitive and conducive for businesses than it was three years ago,” says Thomas Searle, the group chief executive of CH2M Hill, an engineering company in Denver that announced a joint venture with a Saudi company during the forum. “I think this forum has been a significant contributor to having that happen.”

Mr Barilka says see has seen “tremendous change” in the 20 years that he has lived in the kingdom, including a greater willingness among Saudis to openly address economic problems.

But one difficulty that remains “horrific”, Mr Barilka says, is getting visas, with long delays and differing rules in various embassies complicating the task.

Mr Hasan agrees. “Definitely it is an issue, yes, if you compare to other Gulf countries like [the UAE], where you can get a visa on arrival.”

Saudi religious police see red on Valentine’s Day

THE RELIGIOUS police in Saudi Arabia are seeing red in the run-up to Valentine’s Day and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been warned not to celebrate the day of lovers openly.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, warned the more than 2.2 million OFWs in Saudi Arabia that the Feb. 14 celebration is banned in most, if not all, Arab Muslim countries.
OFWs, especially those in relationships, should celebrate Valentine’s Day “with utmost care,” said Monterona.
“In Saudi Arabia alone, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vices, also known as the religious police, strictly enforces the ban on the practice which they regard as an alien and unIslamic activity,” Monterona said.
The Saudi religious police launched Thursday a nationwide crackdown on stores selling items that are red or in any way allude to the banned celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Red roses, red gifts, etc.
Members of the feared religious police were inspecting shops for red roses, heart-shaped objects and gifts wrapped in red, and ordering storeowners to get rid of them, a Saudi official told The Associated Press.
The Valentine’s Day prohibition is in line with Saudi Arabia’s strict Wahhabi school of Islam that the kingdom has followed for more than a century. Even birthdays and Mother’s Day are frowned on by the religious establishment in the birthplace of Islam, although people almost never get punished for celebrating them.
Not so Valentine’s Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the third century.
Red-colored or heart-shaped items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb. 14 nears they become contraband.

No flying kisses
Most shops in Riyadh’s upscale neighborhoods have removed all red items from their shelves. A statement by the religious police was published in Saudi newspapers warning shopowners against any violations.
Monterona advised OFWs not to wear anything red or be seen carrying anything red-colored outside their homes, like flowers or heart-shaped gift items.
“Be careful not to be seen by the police or other locals blowing kisses to your friends or workmates. Also, don’t greet other nationalities ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in public or you’ll be in big trouble,” he said.
A better idea would be to call family members or friends in the Philippines or send Valentine’s Day greetings by e-mail or text messages, he said.
There are more than 2.2 million OFWs in the Middle East. Another 400,000 OFWs are based in the United Arab Emirates, while 200,000 and 150,000 are in Qatar and Kuwait.

Valentine's Day history is confusing, brief

Boxes of chocolates are always a favorite gift on Valentine's Day.

According to the History Channel web site, the world owes the season of love to St. Valentine. The legend of St. Valentine has been changed throughout the years and according to the Catholic Church there are three different saints sharing the name. One legend claims that after the Roman Emperor Claudius II banned young men from marrying, the priest Valentine performed marriages in secret, was caught and put to death. Another legend on the History Channel web site said while Valentine was in prison he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death he wrote her a letter signed ‘from your Valentine.’
The idea of Valentine’s Day caught on after the Saint's death. It became publicly celebrated in Great Britain around the seventeenth century and the tradition spread throughout the world.
Whoever he is and whatever he did, Valentine is responsible for the emotionally controversial holiday. So congrats to the loved ones and cheers to the singles.

Lovers, retailers embrace Valentine's Day

The chocolates have all been boxed and shipped, along with the cut flowers, greeting cards and other tokens of affection that convention says we should bestow on our beloveds on Valentine's Day."Feb. 14 is typically our strongest single sales day of the year," said Richard Van Doren, vice president at See's Candies, based in South San Francisco.
Throughout the year, women purchase most of the chocolates sold in the United States, but near Valentine's Day, purchase patterns shift.
"Frankly, a lot of shopping is last-minute purchases by men," said Mona Maher, a vice president at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. in San Leandro. "It's ideal when people are looking to impress and not mess up."
How the feast of St. Valentine became the day to demonstrate ardor is shrouded in mystery.
Some lore traces the tradition to an ancient Roman fertility rite and suggests that the day honors a priest who was martyred on Feb. 14, A.D. 269, for performing marriages in defiance of an imperial edict.
But in 1969, the Catholic Church decided that St. Valentine might not be a historical character and downplayed his festival.
Yet by then the aura of Eros had long since attached itself to St. Valentine, at least in the English tradition.
Geoffrey Chaucer makes a reference to his feast day in the "Parliament of Fowls," a 14th century poem that romanticizes how lovebirds find their mates.
By 1477, the link between romance and Valentine's Day had found its way into everyday English life, as evidenced by a letter written that year and held in the British Library.
In that love note, Englishwoman Margery Brews calls fiance John Paston "my right well-beloved Valentine," and tells him that she and her mother were both trying to persuade her father to increase her dowry whilst entreating him to marry her anyway "if you love me as I trust verily that you do."
For the record, historians think the couple wed and had two children, while the practice of exchanging handwritten love notes around St. Valentine's Day seems to have become a custom that English colonists spread to the future United States.
There, in the late 1840s, artist and businesswoman Esther Howland of Massachusetts began printing and selling ornate Valentine's cards, earning herself the title of the "mother of Valentine's Day."
By the 1920s, the practice of exchanging Valentines had infiltrated schools, fixing the practice into the American culture and setting the stage for the commercial event we know today.
According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentines are exchanged each year in the United States. The association says the holiday is also celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, France, Denmark and Italy.

Men spend much more

A National Retail Federation survey suggests that the average American man will spend $135.35 on Valentine's Day, while the average woman will shell out $72.28, to create a $14.1 billion holiday.
Robin Lakoff, a professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley, thinks it may be time to adjust that spending ratio.
"In this day and age, women are doing better economically, so maybe it should be time for them to be the wooer," she quipped.

Be patient, singles

Lovers who do exchange Valentine's gifts should not overspend, cautioned Hillary Mendelsohn, a shopping expert with the online service PayPal.

"It's a big red flag these days," she said, adding that men and women alike want financially prudent mates.
Matchmaker Carole Shattil of CheckMates Inc. in San Francisco said Valentine's Day often prompts angst among singles. Her advice: Be patient, and be certain that romance is waiting to be found.
"Love yourself," she said. "Give out the energy that there is someone else out there who also doesn't have someone rather than being in panic mode."
Kevin Westlye, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said Valentine's Day fills the tables, so reservations are advised. He suggested that anyone planning to pop the question over dinner talk should consult servers and managers in advance to make sure the moment is magical.

Valentine’s Day 2010 – A Day Dedicated To Love

Love is a powerful and universal emotion associated with a range of emotions revolving around affection, attraction, and attachment. February 14th, every year is a day devoted to the celebration of love in all its forms - be it romantic, filial, platonic, or friendly and is famously called Valentine’s Day all over the world.

Though Valentine’s Day celebration has evolved over the years, taking on a different color, flavor and fervor, yet what is still sacrosanct is the overpowering emotion of love behind the day. It is a day when promises of love are made or renewed amid the backdrop of fun and frolic. The symbol of love is written on the wall for all to see - the outline of a heart with a picture of Cupid engraved on it.

The word ‘Valentine’ is synonymous with love. Yet, how many of us actually know the history of this day?
History of St.Valentine is as mysterious as the famous emotion associated with the day. Legend has it, that St.Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. It is believed that Emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry during this time, as he felt that single men made dedicated soldiers. It is believed that Valentine saw gross injustice with such a move, and began to perform clandestine marriages. This enraged Claudius and Valentine was sentenced to death. 

Other stories about the history of Valentine’s Day suggest that Valentine may have been put to death while assisting Christians escape from Roman prisons. Another popular legend has it that during Valentine’s days in prison, he had sent a greeting to a young girl, thought to be the jailor’s daughter, who offered him companionship during the tough times. The famous expression, ‘From your Valentine,' may have begun in the letter written by Valentine himself to this young girl.

Love – In all Relationships
It is not just a day of romance but an opportune time to raise a toast to love in all its forms -that is how Valentine's Day has evolved over the years. On this day, tokens of love – gifts, flowers and cards  are exchanged between lovers, spouses, siblings , parents and children,  friends and just about anybody as an expression of love and affection in the relationship.

The Business of Valentine's Day
Along with Cupid who works overtime during Valentine’s Day, there are others who wait for this time in the year to turn this ‘love’ly occasion into a commercial one. Card makers, chocolate manufacturers, florists and  textile brands kickstart into action to make it one of the most profitable times during the year. Shops are seen displaying their wares aand publicity starts almost a month in advance, to rake in the moolah in the name of love.

Hotels and restaurants come out with attractive packages to get lovers to cough up for a magical evening. Catchy teasers often confuse the love struck youngsters, who fall completely for the brilliantly worded advertisements. While it is a time of brisk business and big bucks for some, for the heady rest, it is a time of gifts and gaiety galore.

Display of Love – Pleasure or Pressure?
Nowadays, shopping for Valentine’s Day is a big occasion. In fact, as the day is approaching, some lovers experience Valentine’s Day pressure – as if the heat is on to buy the best to impress their sweethearts. Many of them experience anxiety and stress as the day approaches, considering the ensuing comparisons and jealousy about Valentine gifts and celebrations. Peer pressure and ‘who is doing what’ appears to take precedence over genuine feelings. The stress of Valentine’s Day is all the more palpable during these present times of recession and shoe string budgets. In a materialistic world, where love is perhaps measured in terms of material gifts, will Valentines actually understand if their lover didn’t demonstrate love in a befitting or rather stereotype manner? Whoever said, Love also means understanding, scored a perfect 10!   Some simply heave a sigh of relief once the day is over and everything turns normal. Isn’t it time the medical parlance adds a new medical condition – Valentine’s Day Syndrome – and remedy for its associated anxiety and stress?        

No matter what, this is a time to love truly. Pure love is the eternal truth in this transient world. It’s a great blessing to love and to be loved and let’s cherish the true spirit of love on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day may come and go every year, but only love goes on forever!