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"Treatment of tobacco use in lung cancer: diagnosis and management of lung cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines." has been saved, and will be accessible from the My NGC page.
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Lung cancer
Lung cancer patients with tobacco dependence
Smoking cessation interventions including counseling and pharmacotherapy
To develop this article, a literature review was conducted to identify available evidence within several databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Collaborative. Google Scholar was also used to identify relevant reviews and articles that may have contained references not retrieved by the database search. The search was structured around the following population, intervention, comparator, outcome (PICO) questions (see also Table S1 in the supporting data [see the "Availability of Companion Documents" field):
Expanded search terms were used to identify the evidence, including terms such as cancer, neoplasm, lung cancer, lung nodule, nicotine, smoking, smoking cessation, tobacco, tobacco dependence, diagnosis, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, lung cancer treatment, and lung cancer screening. Search results were limited to those articles published from 1985 to present, relating to human subjects, and available in English. Initially, 989 unique citations met our search criteria. Following title screening for relevance, 568 unique relevant articles remained as candidates for inclusion in the evidence base, available for review by the authors. Study designs retained for this guideline included randomized controlled trials, cohort, case-control, secular trend, and case series. Each of the articles meeting inclusion criteria was then reviewed and mapped to the appropriate PICO question. An additional eight articles were identified by the authors through review of reference lists of primary reports and applicable review articles. Overall, 531 articles did not meet inclusion criteria, were found to be noninformative, or were no longer available, leaving a total of 37 articles for inclusion in the final evidence tables.
A total of 37 articles were included in the final evidence tables.
Not stated
Assessment of Study Quality
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were assessed using Documentation and Appraisal Review Tool (DART) (R. L. Diekemper; B. K. Ireland, MD; and L. R. Merz, PhD, MPH, DART, unpublished data, 2012), which was developed as an improved alternative to the existing tools for use in a clinical setting. However, this tool has been adopted for use in American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines and consensus statements since 2011.
Quality was assessed for each study as well as for the body of relevant evidence. Based on the population, intervention, comparator, and outcome (PICO) questions and volume of available literature, multiple study designs were included in the systematic reviews of the literature. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) primarily indicate benefits, but whenever observational studies met inclusion criteria they were often helpful in identifying harms. Observational studies were also examined when RCTs were not available to answer a particular PICO question. Allowing for multiple study designs resulted in the need for multiple quality assessment tools. Tools were chosen for assessing RCTs, observational studies, and diagnostic studies. The quality assessment tool for RCTs (R. L. Diekemper, B. K. Ireland, and L. R. Merz, unpublished data, 2012) was used for assessing the quality of RCTs, and a tool developed by the committee of the ninth edition of the Antithrombotics Guidelines was used for assessing the quality of observational studies. Diagnostic studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS).
If a recently published good-quality meta-analysis was available, then it was used to inform the recommendations. When a good-quality meta-analysis was not available, guideline authors were encouraged to perform their own meta-analyses. Meta-analyses were performed when the data were fairly homogeneous. If a study was deemed poor quality, then it was not included in the pooled analysis. Heterogeneity of the pooled results was assessed using a χ2 test and Higgins I2, and a forest plot was examined for consistency of the results. The random effects model was chosen a priori as the appropriate model for pooling the data because it accounts for heterogeneity among the included studies. Results from the meta-analyses are available in the supplementary materials that can be downloaded from the Journal website under the corresponding article in the table of contents.
Panel Composition and Responsibilities
A call for applications to serve on the 3rd edition of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Lung Cancer Guidelines (LC III) panel was put forth to the ACCP membership, to past panelists, and to other organizations that have previously endorsed earlier editions of these guidelines or appointed representatives to serve on those panels. Guiding the team was the LC III Executive Committee, composed of a Panel Chair, Vice Chair, Liaison to the Guidelines Oversight Committee (GOC), and two staff members, one serving as an adviser and the other as the lead methodologist. The GOC appointed the Liaison and the Chair, who was required to be free of conflicts of interest (COI). This Executive Committee provided general oversight and guidance; multiple reviews of research questions, article outlines, manuscripts, evidence tables, and other supporting documents; and facilitation of the final conference discussions and voting. As the scope was defined, content experts in each major area were identified to serve as topic editors and nominated by the Panel Chair to be advanced to the GOC for the requisite qualifications and COI review and approval process. These topic editors organized their research and writing teams, oversaw the work of the individual members, edited separate contributions into synthesized manuscripts, presented evidence at the final conference, and managed any of their committee members who were approved with management stipulations relevant to their COIs.
Each topic editor was initially charged with proposing individuals to support their topic committees with expertise in the content area and/or methodology. With the Chair's approval, these individuals were nominated for GOC reviews for COI and expertise. In some cases, GOC staff helped to locate additional methodologic support when it was determined to be necessary for various article committees. This resulted in an international panel of >100 multidisciplinary experts across 24 articles representing the fields of pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, thoracic surgery, medical and radiation oncology, pathology, integrative medicine, primary care, health-care research, guidelines methodology, and epidemiology. Nineteen international organizations that are also dedicated to advancing research and practice in the area of lung cancer were invited to appoint representatives to this guideline project as adjunct participants. These individuals, unless already approved panelists, were not considered full voting members of the panel, since they had not been through the same ACCP COI review, but were included at the final conference, participated fully in the discussions, and provided external review and feedback on the manuscripts and supporting documentation.
Formulating the Recommendations
In most cases the topic editors, along with the other completely non-conflicted members of the article committee, formulated the recommendations. The summarized evidence tables and profiles (where profiles existed) provided the foundation for the recommendations. In formulating the recommendations, panelists considered not only the body of evidence but also the balance between the benefits and harms and considerations of other factors, such as cost or resource availability considerations and patient values and preferences, which might vary widely for some recommendations. These additional considerations are described in a Remarks section, which appears just below the relevant recommendation in the publication, each time the recommendation appears.
Grading the Recommendations
Recommendations that are strong must be differentiated from those that are weak or weaker. Thus, the ACCP Grading System was used (see the "Rating Scheme for the Strength of the Recommendations" field), and the wording of the recommendations is explicit. This grading system has been used since 2005 and is based on two dimensions: the balance of benefits to harms and the quality of the evidence base. If the benefits clearly outweigh the harms or the harms clearly outweigh the benefits, the strength of the recommendation is considered strong and graded as a 1. In most cases, when there is strong confidence that the benefits outweigh the harms, most patients would choose the intervention endorsed in that recommendation. However, when the tradeoffs between desirable and undesirable consequences are not as clear, variability in patient preferences and values often becomes germane to the decision-making conversation.
Weak recommendations are those for which the benefits and harms are more equally balanced, and thus a clear choice is not as obvious; these are graded with a 2. Strong recommendations are phrased, "the panel recommends," whereas weak recommendations are phrased "the panel suggests." Accompanying these indications of the strength of a recommendation is a letter score (A, B, or C) representing the grading of the body of relevant literature.
In grading the quality of the evidence, RCTs start with a high score but might be downgraded to moderate or even low based on the following criteria: limitations in the study design or conduct of the trial, imprecision, indirectness relative to the specifics of the PICO question, inconsistency in the results, and risk of reporting bias. Observational studies, on the other hand, start off as low-level evidence but can be upgraded to moderate or even high if exceptionally large and consistent treatment effects increase confidence in the findings, especially if there is a strong dose-response gradient.
The final grades are combinations reflecting the strength of the recommendation and the quality of the evidence. Strong recommendations with high quality evidence, grade of 1A, are less common than in past editions of these guidelines, since the evidence is assessed with greater rigor for most topics, and few studies without important limitations are available.
However, recommendations that do attain this score are those for which the panel could state with confidence that new studies would be unlikely to change the direction of the effect. These recommendations apply to most patients in most circumstances. But as the grades decline, patient values and preferences likely would play an increasingly greater role in determining the best treatments or interventions for each patient.
The Final Conference
As the evidence reviews were completed and the tables and profiles prepared, the manuscripts and recommendations were drafted. Members of the article committees convened by phone or e-mail to discuss the evidence and work on drafting and grading the recommendations. These discussions generally resulted in agreement on both the quality of the evidence and strength of the recommendations.
The manuscripts and supporting tables were then reviewed by members of the Executive Committee and, after several iterations, the revised versions were shared among all panelists and the representatives of invited organizations in advance of the conference. The other panelists and representatives were asked not only to provide feedback but also to review the recommendations to identify any controversies. A recommendation was deemed to be controversial if at least one person disagreed with the wording or the grading, if there was controversy in practice, if there were wide variations in practice, or if at least one person asked that it be discussed among the broader panel and association representatives. These identified controversies composed the main agenda for the conference.
See the "Methodology for Development of Guidelines for Lung Cancer" (see the "Availability of Companion Document" field) for more information.
Strength of the Recommendations Grading System
Internal and External Peer Review
Once Executive Committee approval was received, the articles were submitted to American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) staff for several layers of review. All reviewers were required to undergo a full conflict of interest (COI) appraisal before being approved. In the first round of reviews, the Thoracic Oncology NetWork reviewed the content of the manuscripts and the members of the Guidelines Oversight Committee (GOC) assessed the manuscripts for adherence to the methodology and conformance with the evidence. The ACCP President also appointed members of the Board of Regents to evaluate the guidelines in depth. All comments were collated into spreadsheets to ensure that they were appropriately answered. GOC and board reviewers discussed each comment and determined which should be mandatory for the authors to amend and which were provided as suggestions for improvement. All reviews and comments were anonymous, and authors were required to respond to all mandatory issues either by revising the manuscripts or providing written justification explaining why they did not agree with the reviewers' comments.
The revised manuscripts were submitted for round II review, simultaneously with the Journal peer review. Once the GOC and board reviewers approved the manuscripts, the ACCP President, President Elect, President Elect Designee, and Immediate Past President reviewed the guidelines. Approval was granted pending confirmation from the Board of Regents, before submission to the journal for final review by the Journal Editor. In addition to this extensive review process, which included nearly 30 individual reviewers from the ACCP leadership, external organizations were provided with opportunities to provide feedback before, during, and just after the conference. This final version was submitted for consideration for endorsement to all of the invited organizations, whether or not they sent representatives to the conference. However, once the guidelines were approved by the ACCP Board of Regents, no further changes were accepted. Organizations that provided endorsements are listed in each article.
The grades of recommendation (1A–2C) and the approach to rating the quality of evidence are defined at the end of the "Major Recommendations" field.
Clinical Questions and Recommendations
Among Patients Who Smoke, What Is the Impact of Efforts to Screen for the Presence of Lung Cancer on Smoking Behavior?
The authors recommend that current smokers undergoing low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening be provided with cessation interventions that include counseling and pharmacotherapy (Grade 1B).
Remark: The act of screening alone is insufficient to promote smoking cessation.
Remark: The use of self-help materials is insufficient in achieving an increased rate of smoking abstinence.
Among current smokers with demonstrated smoking related pulmonary disease, the authors recommend providing intensive cessation interventions (Grade 1B).
Among Patients with Lung Cancer Undergoing Surgery, What Is the Best Approach to Smoking Cessation?
Among lung cancer patients undergoing surgery, the authors recommend perioperative cessation pharmacotherapy as a method for improving abstinence rates (Grade 1B).
Among lung cancer patients undergoing surgery for whom pharmacotherapeutic support is either contraindicated or refused, the authors suggest cessation counseling alone during the perioperative period (Grade 2C).
Among lung cancer patients undergoing surgery, the timing of cessation does not appear to increase the risk of post-operative complications; the authors suggest that cessation interventions be initiated in the pre-operative period (Grade 2C).
Remark: Small observed effect sizes and limitations in experimental design do not justify delaying surgical procedures in favor of longer abstinence duration.
For lung cancer patients attempting cessation in conjunction with surgical interventions, the authors recommend initiating counseling and pharmacotherapy at the outset of surgical intervention (Grade 1B).
Remark: There is substantial evidence suggesting that reliance on short, low intensity cessation interventions such as advice to quit does not improve abstinence outcomes.
What Is the Best Approach to Smoking Cessation Among Patients with Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy?
Among lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the authors recommend cessation interventions that include counseling and pharmacotherapy to improve abstinence rates (Grade 1B).
Among lung cancer patients with depressive symptoms, the authors suggest cessation pharmacotherapy with bupropion as a method to improve abstinence rates, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) (Grade 2B).
Among lung cancer patients for whom pharmacotherapeutic support is either contraindicated or refused, the authors suggest cessation counseling alone as a method to improve abstinence rates (Grade 2C).
What Is the Impact of Smoking Cessation on Patients with Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy (RT)?
Among lung cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, the authors recommend cessation interventions that include counseling and pharmacotherapy (Grade 1C).
None provided
The type of supporting evidence is identified and graded for each recommendation (see the "Major Recommendations" field).
Appropriate treatment of tobacco use in lung cancer
Dissemination and Implementation
These guidelines are widely disseminated through the CHEST journal publication, National Guideline Clearinghouse, and Guidelines International Network library. Additional clinical resources will soon be available to users of CHEST Evidence, an upcoming tool for searching the content of America College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines.
As the expanding research into diagnostic techniques and treatment options continues to evolve, the guidelines must be updated and kept current. This edition of the ACCP Lung Cancer Guidelines will be the last to be published as a complete collection, as the ACCP is now embarking on a new living guidelines model (LGM) for revising existing recommendations and developing new recommendations as the literature evolves. This will include a continual assessment of the currency of these recommendations relevant to new research studies as they are published. The review cycle for the ACCP Lung Cancer Guidelines will begin 1 year after publication unless the content experts who monitor the literature bring a recommendation or set of related recommendations to the attention of the Guideline oversight Committee (GOC), suggesting that those recommendations are in need of updating sooner. The new LGM will permit a more nimble approach to guideline development but also requires a point-of-care accessible vehicle, CHEST Evidence, for the users to readily search for the most current version. These features will be described in greater detail in upcoming publications. As a step in this direction, these guidelines will be published primarily online with a printed version of the Executive Summary, containing all of the recommendations, the introduction, and this article on methodology. All narratives for each article with their supporting tables, figures, and algorithms will be available online at journal.publications.chestnet.org .
Not applicable: The guideline was not adapted from another source.
American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Expert Panel on Lung Cancer Guidelines
Authors: Frank T. Leone, MD, FCCP; Sarah Evers-Casey, MPH; Benjamin A. Toll, PhD; Anil Vachani, MD
Electronic copies: Available to subscribers of Chest - The Cardiopulmonary and Critical Care Journal . Also available to Chest subscribers through the Chest app for iPhone and iPad.
Print copies: Available from the American College of Chest Physicians, Products and Registration Division, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook IL 60062-2348.
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Please note: This patient information is intended to provide health professionals with information to share with their patients to help them better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. By providing access to this patient information, it is not the intention of NGC to provide specific medical advice for particular patients. Rather we urge patients and their representatives to review this material and then to consult with a licensed health professional for evaluation of treatment options suitable for them as well as for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. This patient information has been derived and prepared from a guideline for health care professionals included on NGC by the authors or publishers of that original guideline. The patient information is not reviewed by NGC to establish whether or not it accurately reflects the original guideline's content.
This NGC summary was completed by ECRI on August 21, 2013.
This NGC summary is based on the original guideline, which is subject to the guideline developer's copyright restrictions.
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Oct 27, 2009 7:07 AM
Some people put pictures on their walls. Some of us prefer words, because typography is cool. Clean, crisp, and classic, the Typography Alphabet and Numbers Poster Set ($15) would be great in a nursery. Start educating your little ones early, just try to stave the nerdiness off as best you can.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:

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HENEK MANUFACTURING Inc. is dedicated to providing Quality Products and Service. Our 38 years of combined engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing experience can be helpful when multiple levels of professionalism are required. Our exposure to many industries (Utilities, Chemical, Environmental, Instrumentation) benefit each customer with innovation and pricing. From Machining, Fabricating to Coating we offer a complete turnkey product for filters requiring rigid adaptation and parts needing non-conductive coatings, texture, and polishing finishes. We have machines capable of manufacturing numerous alloys and plastics for many different industries. Low volume to high production CNC requirements are no problem. Our pleating machines can produce pleated paper, micro-glass, polyester and wire mesh medias with pleat heights from .250" to 2.00" and lengths up to 44". Filters are individually bagged to help reduce environmental contaminants and packaged to allow most any person to handle with ease. Our efficient service and friendliness help insure prompt deliveries and comforting communication. Normal manufactured filters are generally shipped the same day or the next day and non- stocking items are usually shipped between 4 - 5 working days. Machined parts are produced and shipped at lead times approved by our customers.
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Spring Party (11 photos)
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Spring in one of my favorite seasons. I hate the cold, so the warmer spring days, the chirping birds, the buzzing bees and scents and colors of the season make me feel all poetic and oh-so inspired! :)
Hopefully these ideas will show you don't need much time nor a huge budget to create something pretty and welcoming for your family and guests this Easter!
I styled and photographed this tablescape early March for Bird's Party EZINE Spring Issue, and it was a fun, very sweet and totally frugal project inspired by Spring itself, and the humble Daisy!
I recycled, re-purposed and rummaged through my home and (garden shed) to gather all the props to create a fresh, white and yellow, Daisy Inspired, Spring in The Country tablescape.
Old egg carton boxes painted in yellow make a cute "cupcake stand" for vanilla bean cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, decorated with edible Mimosa flowers (and daisies from my garden).
Egg shaped candles, birdhouses and cute ceramic birdies (from my equivalent of the dollar store) complete the look! All milk glass tableware and candle sticks are charity shop finds - Man, I love charity shops!! I feel all wholesome and sneaky when I find a good bargain - AND the proceeds go to a good cause - Double whammy! :)
And off course, in my opinion nothing beats fresh fruit and flowers to give a table a really fresh, spring look!
I also always keep empty, wooden vegetable boxes (the ones that come from a market), and with a lick of paint their are ready to carry items to and from the table, and also act as a whimsical centerpiece when filled with lanterns and fresh flowers!
Vintage lemonade bottles re-purposed as vases are always a must for me. For the country look tie a scrap of fabric to the bottle neck. I always get inquiries about where I get my bottles from. You can get them from vintage stores, flea markets and charity shop or buy new online here or here.
Read more: http://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2011/04/easter-in-country-daisy-inspired-spring.html


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While I've been aware of Twitter since it began, I never took the leap until now. To start with, I'm not narcissistic enough to think that small snippets of my personal life interest anyone but a few close friends. I also try to rebel in the face of the information overload we live in, attempting to get rid of the continuous sources of distraction, and dislike the idea of immediate gratification at all costs.
I decided to finally join Twitter nevertheless because: 1) I intend to write about stuff that interests me (and possibly other people) but that doesn't necessarily answer the question "What are you doing?"; 2) I can briefly talk about programming, but also about other subjects without having to write a whole blog post about them; 3) I noticed that very interesting discussions take place on Twitter, so, in a way, I was missing out something valuable.
Feel free to friend/follow/stalk me at http://twitter.com/acangiano.
If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to my Newsletter and/or Feed.
I sincerely welcome and appreciate your comments, whether in agreement or dissenting with my article. However, trolling will not be tolerated. Comments are automatically closed 15 days after the publication of each article.


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Swine Flu (H1N1 influenza A virus) Antiviral Treatment »
"The 2009 swine flu virus (otherwise known as H1N1 influenza) is caused by an H1N1 influenza A virus. H1N1 influenza viruses are the normal cause of influenza in humans and may also infect other animals, including pigs. This particular var"...
Read the Swine Flu (H1N1 influenza A virus) Antiviral Treatment article »
Provide the following information to the vaccine recipient or guardian:
- Inform of the potential benefits and risks of immunization with FLULAVAL.
- Educate regarding potential side effects, emphasizing that: (1) FLULAVAL contains non-infectious killed viruses and cannot cause influenza, and (2) FLULAVAL is intended to provide protection against illness due to influenza viruses only, and cannot provide protection against all respiratory illness.
- Inform that safety and efficacy have not been established in pregnant women. Register women who receive FLULAVAL while pregnant in the pregnancy registry by calling 1-888-452-9622.
- Give the Vaccine Information Statements, which are required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 prior to each immunization. These materials are available free of charge at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov/vaccines).
- Instruct that annual revaccination is recommended.
Last reviewed on RxList: 11/3/2015
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Flulaval FDA Prescribing Information
Additional Flulaval Information
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Mark Your Territory
So You've Got a Media Interview Confirmed, Now What?
By: Kerry Sutherland – October 1, 2013
Being well prepared will make your interview a success.
Christmas in July
By: Kerry Sutherland – July 16, 2013
Many editors are already working on their holiday gift guides.
Retailers Can Profit From Brand Power
By: Kerry Sutherland – July 3, 2013
Now more than ever, you need to be asking manufacturers about their PR strategy.
"That's a Nice Looking Media Kit You Got Right There."
By: Kerry Sutherland – January 16, 2013
While you may be stationed at your booth, and unable to personally engage with the media; a strong, informative media kit can extend a brand's presence.
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This month's issue features a variety of in-depth pet stories, business news and more.View Digital Edition »


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Nemcevic Leads Young Dawgs On The Rise
Washington's only upperclassman leads Washington both on and off the court.
No. 36 Washington Drops Portland, 6-1
Washington wins the doubles point and five of six singles matches on the way to victory.
No. 44 Washington Wins At San Diego State
The Huskies improve to 5-1 with a 5-2 victory over San Diego State
No. 47 Washington Improves To 3-0, Tops Cal Poly
Washington continues a perfect weekend, sweeping Cal Poly, 7-0.
No. 47 Washington Tops No. 54 Hawai'i
The Dawgs imrprove to 2-0 with a dominating win over a quality opponent.
High School and Personal: Born in Los Angeles ... mother is Deirdre Grimes and father is Shawn Kemp, former NBA all-star ... older brother Shawn Kemp Jr. plays basketball for the Huskies ... younger sister Cara Kemp was a frequent doubles partner ... ranked a three-star recruit by Tennisrecruiting.net, and rose quickly up the rankings her senior year, going from a career-best 443 national class ranking in 2011 up to No. 157 in 2012 ... in 2012, ranked No. 36 on the Prince Hot 100 list ... with her sister Cara, won the girls 18 doubles title at the 2012 Ojai Valley Tournament, which also hosts the Pac-12 Championships ... a four-year starter in high school, earning Most Improved her first two years and captaining the team as a senior ... trained at Rick Macci Tennis Academy ... interested in majoring in sociology.


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Sunday, May 12, 2013
So I rekindled my efforts to lose weight about 3 months ago. I had been taking a time out for a couple of reasons, not the least of which was a pregnancy and miscarriage. :( Sadness. I just didn't feel that I could face losing weight. I seemed like too daunting of a task. And if anyone knows me, then if I am not losing, I am gaining. It takes willful effort of eating right AND exercising for me to reduce, and I wasn't really doing either. My first goal was just to stop gaining. I had to take a nutrition class as part of my program of study, and the instructor, who is a registered dietician and nutritionist said that if you can't lose weight, a good way to start is simply to focus on not gaining. That rang true for me, and instead of cutting back by too many calories I just targeted eating enough to maintain. It was the first step.
I think the second good step was to decide to set a goal I normally would not have. To lose 50 pounds in about a year. In the past, I have always made the goal to lose EVERYTHING that I need to in that time. ( Im pushing on needing to lose 90 lbs.) So I set the goal, and Spark set my calorie range. I get to eat up to about 1800 cals a day, which is not in the least bit painful. In fact, it is quite satisfying.
Sometimes I feel that I am not losing fast enough, but have to remind myself that fast fat comes back as quick as it leaves. I have never tried the slow and steady approach, so I figured that it will be my key.. since it is the only thing I have not tried yet!
I know that 12 pounds lost is not the 20-30 I would have needed to be happy in the past, but I'm actually quite pleased with it. It feels like a different 12 pounds lost. Like it means more since it did not cause me hunger, distress and anguish to accomplish. I have not been perfect with my calorie targeting, but am doing well MOST days. If I am ever hit with hunger, or the "desperate munchies" then I let myself go over my goal by about 500 calories, which would land me at about the number of calories to maintain. Nothing gained is good :)
I guess my mentality is now not to lose it fast, but rather just keep on.. slow and steady, and not gain on those days I feel like taking a break. This has taken the guilt out of days I previously would count as a mess up. The guilt over these days tries to creep in, but more and more I reinforce with myself that there is no need to feel guilt. It goes a long way in preventing the "I messed up, now I will eat everything" binging.
So there we have it. And here's to a slow year of weight loss :)
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Located in Stark County, the 375-acre site is four miles west of Dickinson, N.D. south of I-94.
The site was selected for its proximity to critical infrastructure such as rail, highway, natural gas, electricity, water and sewer.
The Dakota Prairie Refining facility will have aggregate throughput capacity of approximately 20,000 bpd.


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Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have been hanging out with some famous names. On March 27, Ringo tweeted out a picture of himself and the legendary Van Dyke Parks. "The incredible bang (cq) Dyke Parks peace and love peace and look what a day we had R***" Here's hoping he's on Ringo's forthcoming album.
Earlier in the week, Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee tweeted out a picture of himself and Paul McCartney. "Your #Generalissimo gets a compliment from one of the greats, Sir @PaulMcCartney," Lee wrote.
New Julian video: Julian Lennon announced by email March 27 he released new videos for "Guess It Was Me" in both acoustic and album versions from "Everything Changes." The acoustic album versions are available as an mp3 download. In our interview with him, he discussed releasing songs from the album in separate acoustic versions. He says he will release additional acoustic videos throughout the year.
Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon best dressed: Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono were featured in a "Best Dressed" feature in Harper's Bazaar by Mr. Blasberg.
Epstein play kicks off in London: The cast and producers of "Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles," the play about Beatles manager Brian Epstein, visited London's Leicester Square Theatre last week to officially launch the show's initial six-week run at the venue this summer. Andrew Lancel ("Coronation Street," "The Bill") and actor Will Finlason return to the roles of Brian Epstein and the fictional character 'This Boy' respectively, from the show's run in Liverpool, where it premiered in November 2012 as part of the city's official Beatles 50th anniversary celebrations at the Epstein Theatre. Besides being poshumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Epstein will be honored this year with a commemorative blue plaque at the London offices of Epstein's company NEMS.
Album of the week: Amazon.co.uk's album of the week is Paul McCartney's "NEW".
March Madness contest: Abbey Road on the River announced a contest March 27 with a chance to tickets to their upcoming Memorial Day Weekend event headlined by the Beach Boys by predicting the final score of the NCAA basketball tournament. You can enter at this link.
Don't miss our special roundup of stories: Beatles 101: Read all about it: Our fab stories on the Beatles' 50th anniversary and Beatles 101: Paul McCartney Out There! tour news complete coverage.
We love to write about the Beatles and have been doing it since our time at a major metropolitan newspaper. If you aren't subscribed to us, you're missing all our unique and original (or is that uniquely original) Beatles news stories you won't get elsewhere. Subscribe to the leading source of original Beatles news on the internet in all our Beatles column pages at Beatles Examiner, Paul McCartney Examiner, George Harrison Examiner and Ringo Starr Examiner and please spread the word about us. And be sure to check out our Amazon.com "That's What I Want" Beatles store.
Copyright Steve Marinucci. Please feel free to spread our links on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Reddit, StumbleUpon and other social media sites. Connect with us on Facebook and Pinterest. And don't miss our weekly Beatles news podcast "Things We Said Today" available first on Fab4Radio.com on the weekends, then on iTunes and Podbean.com. We are also the author of the ebook "Meet a Monkee: Davy Jones," the stories of our two interviews with Davy.


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Josh Thomas Please Like Me to return to ABC
Out comedian Josh Thomas will return to TV screens this August when the second season of his hit TV series Please Like Me airs on the ABC.
Thomas who created, wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed series, has also been commissioned to write a third season by ABC TV in association with US company, Pivot.
Speaking from a press conference in Los Angeles Thomas said; "I'm just thrilled ABC TV and Pivot are proceeding so confidently with Please Like Me. I think it's such a lovely show. We learnt so much making Season 1 and I think we really stepped it up in Season 2, and will hopefully do the same in Season 3. Our team is just really terrifically good and everything is great and terrific."
ABC Head of Comedy, Rick Kalowski, said ABC's third season pickup of Please Like Me before season two even airs was unprecedented, but expected, given the show's cult status.
"It's fitting for a show which has become our most watched original ABC2 comedy series, and put Australian TV comedy on the world stage as never before. ABC TV couldn't be prouder to continue our association with Pivot in the US, or of the new season two, which is a cracker from start to finish."
Critically acclaimed in both Australia and the US, season one of Please Like Me was heralded as one of the best shows of 2013 by The New Yorker, TIME, Entertainment Weekly and the LA Times.
Pivot will broadcast season two in the US on August 8. ABC2 will air the first episode of season 2, Please Like Me on August 12 at 830pm.
Watch the trailer for season 1
- TOPICS: ABC TV, Comedian, comedy series, gay, gay actor, gay character, Josh Thomas
- CATEGORIES: Television, Entertainment


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Interpretive Tours Daily
9:00 - 5:00
Site Begins Master Planning
December 13, 2006
- Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will launch its master
planning process with a public forum on Tuesday, January
30th, from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.. at Gardner Webb University
Statesville Branch. The purpose of the meeting is to receive
public comment regarding development and utilization of
the site. The public input will be used by the Strategic
Planning Committee during a yearlong master planning process
to chart the site's future. The forum is open to the public
and all interested parties are encouraged to attend.
Page, President and Senior Facilitator of Cool Spring Center,
will moderate the session. A graduate of Davidson College
and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Page brings
with him over 33 years in facilitating and community work
in the region.
Christmas on North Carolina's Colonial Frontier at Fort
December 5, 2006
- Thrill to night firings of muskets and swivel guns and
the warmth of bonfires from 6-8 pm, Sat., Dec. 9th and 12-4
PM Sun., Dec. 10. Experience a nighttime, mid-winter French
and Indian War encampment at the fort and join in the evening
revelry of songs and entertainment. Sunday's programming
will include a Divine Service at 12:00 PM with the reading
of the Articles of War, military activities and drill, and
musket and artillery firing.
Christmas for most of the inhabitants of Western North Carolina
in the 1750s would have passed by like any other day. To
strict Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, the holiday would be
accompanied only by the usual religious observance as it
was not mentioned in scripture. For the soldiers stationed
at Ft. Dobbs, it would probably have been a similar story.
Regardless of whether or not they celebrated Christmas,
the people who lived on North Carolina's colonial frontier
250 years ago would have all been concerned with keeping
warm, making sure they had enough food and maintaining security
during wartime.
programs will highlight how soldiers coped with the cold
in wartime on the frontier. In the winter of 1755-1756 the
fort had not yet been constructed and soldiers were forced
to live in tents or perhaps even brush shelters. Programming
explores how soldiers kept themselves alive and fulfilled
their duty guarding the frontier of North Carolina.
the evening of Dec. 9 , visitors will have a chance to experience
what a military camp at night was like once dark fell. Bonfires
will warm the air as they listen and can join with soldiers
singing popular songs of the mid-18th century, some that
bring to mind loss and loved ones and other humorous tunes
as well as patriotic ballads defying their French and Indian
enemies. The night will be illuminated with musket and swivel
gun firings. Seeing the trail of flame exiting the barrel
of weapons at night will give the visitor a new appreciation
for the firepower brought to bear on 18th century battlefields.
Dobbs Alliance Becomes Friends of Fort Dobbs at Membership
August 28, 2006
- The Ft. Dobbs Alliance was renamed Friends of Ft. Dobbs
by a unanimous vote during its third annual membership event
at Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site Tuesday, August 22. Approximately
90 members and guests attended the shrimp boil held under
the picnic shelter at the historic site.
to Membership Committee Chair Sandra Gordon of Cornelius,
the name change "more accurately reflects the purpose
of the organization and resulted from thoughtful discussion
among board members." The Friends of Ft. Dobbs serves
to support the vision of the Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site
"to educate all citizens of North Carolina and beyond
on the history of the fort and North Carolina's role in
the French and Indian War (1754-1763). In particular, the
Friends support the fort's education programming and interpretive
development including the reconstruction of the 1756 fortification
through memberships and private fundraising efforts.
also reported that the organization currently has 616 members,
exceeding the 2006 goal of 600. The business for the evening
included the presentation of board of trustee officers for
the 2006-2007 year. The new officers are Chandler Bryan,
chairman; David Pope, vice-chair and treasurer; and William
Pope, secretary. Members voted to renew the terms of Shelly
McElwee, Louise Hunter and Tom Alexander. Marsha Cornelius
of Mooresville was tapped to fill a board vacancy and received
a unanimous vote of approval
Dobbs Historic Site Manager Beth Hill reported on the past
year's accomplishments including outreach to 50,000 attendees
at events, festivals, exhibits, conferences and classroom
presentations. The accomplishments also included securing
funding for archaeology, an addition to permanent staff
and the reopening of the site for daily visitation.
Walter Edgar, professor at the University of South Carolina
and director of the Institute for Southern Studies, was
the evening's featured speaker.
Walter Edgar to Speak at 2nd Annual Shrimp Boil
August 16, 2006
- The Fort Dobbs Alliance proudly announces that southern
historian Dr. Walter Edgar will be the guest speaker at
the not-for-profit support group's 2nd Annual Shrimp Boil
and Membership Meeting. The event will held at 6:00 PM on
Tuesday, August 22 at Fort Dobbs.
A renowned historian and author,
Edgar has written and edited numerous books including South
Carolina: A History and Partisans and Redcoats: The
Southern Conflict that Turned the Tide of the American Revolution.
Edgar graduated from Davidson College
in 1965 with an A.B. in history. He received his M.A. (1967)
and Ph.D. (1969) from the University of South Carolina.
After receiving his Ph.D., he entered the United States
Army where he served a two year tour (including one year
as an advisor in Vietnam). In 1971 he was awarded a post-doctoral
fellowship by the National Historical Publications Commission
and assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens (a South Carolina
political leader during the Revolutionary War) at the University
of South Carolina. From 1971-1976 he served as editor of
the South Carolina House of Representatives Committee on
Historical Research. He joined South Carolina's faculty
in the Department of History in 1972, was promoted to associate
professor in 1976 and professor in 1982. In 1995 he was
named to the Claude Henry Neuffer Chair in Southern Studies.
He was named director of the Institute for Southern Studies,
an interdisciplinary program of the university's College
of Arts and Sciences, in 1980. During the 1986 academic
year, he was Visiting Professor at Middlebury College and
Historian-in-Residence at the Sheldon Museum, Middlebury.
Since 1997 he has also served as Director of Graduate Studies
for the University of South Carolina.
All members and prospective members of
the Alliance are welcome to attend.
of Soldiers' Preparations for French and Indian War
August 7, 2006
- See how 18th century North Carolina soldiers prepared
for military campaigns during the tumultuous years of the
French and Indian War (1754-1763) August 12-13 at Fort Dobbs.
From 10-4 on Saturday and 10-2 on Sunday,
visitors can thrill to colorful reenactments of provincial
soldiers drilling and firing with muskets and artillery,
marching, guarding, cooking military rations and living
in a mid-1700s military camp on what was once an isolated
military post located on North Carolina's western frontier.
Other living history programs scheduled for the weekend
include a Sunday morning worship service and period music.
The program is free and open to the public.
The garrison weekend program will help
prepare the fort's historic interpreters for participating
in the Ft. Loudon 18th Century Trade Faire, scheduled September
9-10 in Vonore, Tenn.
Ft. Loudoun was also a French and Indian War
fort which the colony of South Carolina built in 1756 to
protect the Cherokee from French attacks. Today, the two
forts are among only a handful of French and Indian War
forts in the U.S. and are collaborating in the 250th anniversary
commemoration of the French and Indian War through the year
Dobbs State Historic Site Reopens for Tours
June 30, 2006
RALEIGH - Significant community interest
spurred the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites to open
Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site in Statesville for tours beginning
Tuesday, July 11, 2006.
Historic interpreters will be available
to lead public tours at 10:00 am and 2:00 PM each Tuesday
through Friday. Ft. Dobbs is North Carolina's only French
and Indian War (1754-1763) state historic site.
Since 2003, Fort Dobbs has been under
redevelopment and open only for special events and by appointment.
Upon hiring a new historic interpreter for Ft. Dobbs, it
was determined that public interpretive programming could
be offered on a daily basis. The site will continue undergoing
development while plans for reconstructing the 18th century
fort are made.
Interpreter Introduced at Fort Dobbs
June 30, 2006
- Ft. Dobbs proudly introduces historic interpreter Matthew
Keagle of Charlotte. Originally from Vermont, Keagle has
worked in historical interpretation and programming for
the past five years at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge,
Mass., Colonial Williamsburg and Historic Brattonsville
in McConnells, S.C. He is skilled in presenting such historic
trades as shoemaking, tailoring, farming, blacksmithing,
milling, pottery making, wigmaking and even apothecary,
a profession which in the 18th century, combined doctoring
and drug/remedy making and dispensing.
Keagle holds a bachelor's degree (magna
cum laude) from Cornell University in 18th century living
history and historical interpretation. Besides interpretation,
he has developed and planned public programs and reenactments.
For the past ten years, he has been involved with reenacting
such periods in American military history as the French
and Indian War, the American Revolution, the American Civil
War and the 1830's, when many small communities in the US
relied on local militias for self-defense. Drawing on research
and his reenactment experience, Keagle recreates his own
clothing, footwear, headgear and equipment, enabling him
to craft highly accurate impressions of historical figures.
Keagle is already developing interpretive
programs about the French and Indian War for schools and
other groups that visit the site. The interpreter also guides
volunteers who interpret the provincial soldiers stationed
at Ft. Dobbs 250 years ago. Hopes are that Keagle's continued
research will uncover more information about the soldiers
garrisoned at the fort, the civilians that took refuge there
and the structure itself. His proven attention to detail
combined with an understanding of the broader life and society
of the 18th century will provide a remarkably comprehensive
view of history for visitors to Ft. Dobbs.
Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site's educational
programming is supported by the not-for-profit Ft. Dobbs
and Cub Scout Camp Planned Week of June 19-23
June 16, 2006
NC - Early American patriot, diplomat and inventor Benjamin
Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge always
pays the best interest." Next week, archaeologists
and local Boy and Cub Scouts will try to prove this adage
at Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site in Statesville. June 19-21,
the site will publicly showcase an ongoing dig in a 560
sq. ft. area where archaeologists, assisted by volunteers
and local Boy Scouts, will be looking for remains of the
18th-century fort. As part of the 19th annual Cub Scout
Day Camp, from June 19-23 more than 300 Cub Scouts will
also be at the site of the former French and Indian War
fort, enjoying outdoor activities and studying the fort's
geology, archaeology and history.
NC Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison
said, "We hope that the experiences these youngsters
have at Ft. Dobbs will not only encourage them to learn
more about our state's rich history but will enhance their
ability to think critically about world events, both past
and present. We are pleased to host such an outstanding
group of local students."
Planned since last winter, the archaeology
dig will focus on searching for remaining architectural
details of the fort including a surrounding ditch, soil
stains and/or partial remains of wooden support beams, field
stone foundations and fence lines or palisades (a fence
of stakes forming a defense barrier). Local volunteers,
as well as a group of local Boy Scouts working on archaeology
merit badges, will help by screening excavated soil for
artifacts during the three-day public part of the dig. In
return, the archaeologists will outline typical scientific
methods (such as detailed mapping, photography and artifact
analysis) used in their field and present hands-on demonstrations
for the Scouts.
Assistant State Archaeologist John Mintz
said, "We also hope to recover other artifacts that
can help us reconstruct daily life at the fort. These might
include fire pits containing charred animal bones; fragments
of ceramics, gun parts, buttons, etc."
Public Archaeology Director Ken Robinson
from Wake Forest University, Dr. Larry Babits from East
Carolina University and other archaeologists from the Office
of State Archaeology will be on hand to supervise and analyze
any findings made during the dig. Also a military historian,
Dr. Babits researched and wrote a comprehensive study last
year on the archaeology that had been done at the site since
the 1960s. The archaeological research being undertaken,
which will continue for some weeks, is being funded through
a joint Ft. Dobbs Alliance and NC Historic Sites partnership.
For nearly two decades, the annual Cub
Scout Day Camp held at Ft. Dobbs has focused on a theme;
this year it is "Prehistoric Planet". The week's
activities will offer learning, fun and friendship for 301
Cub Scouts, a staff of 65 adult volunteers and 33 older
youth Scouts. Its highlights will include woodworking, archery,
sports and team building. Each activity a Cub Scout successfully
completes during the camp will enable him to advance within
the scouting program.
Campgoers will also have a chance to view
various vehicles on display at Ft. Dobbs including a medical
helicopter, fire truck and army vehicles. The special geology,
archaeology and the military history classes presented by
the site's staff will include a lesson on how to perform
a 1756 drill exercise done at the fort and military tactics
of 18th century colonial warfare.
History: Final Archaeology at Fort Site Planned for Spring
March 2006
NC - After almost 30 years since the last excavation, Fort
Dobbs will hold the final excavation of the fort area this
spring before beginning reconstruction of the 1756 fort.
Led by archaeologist Ken Robinson, Director
of Public Archaeology, Wake Forest University, the dig will
include a team of archaeologists from Wake Forest and the
Office of State Archaeology. Supporters of Fort Dobbs, including
Fort Dobbs Alliance members, will be invited to participate
in certain components of the archaeological work.
The excavation area will extend from the
inside of the open "cellar" pit westward to a
point 10-20 feet west of the extant ditch that is part of
the outer perimeter of the fort. The excavations will include
much of the 100 foot long excavation area and will cover
at least 560 square feet.
Archaeologists will seek to determine
the western post holes, palisade and ditch features of the
fort. Soil samples will help differentiate previously disturbed
soils from natural subsoil.
Funding for the archaeological research
has been made available through a partnership between the
Fort Dobbs Alliance and the Division of State Historic Sites.
Fence Distinguishes Site
March 2006
STATESVILLE, NC - Many thanks to Adam Weber, Todd and Stacy
Holden, Tall Bear, Greg Jones and Scott Hill for building
the snake fence that now beautifully surrounds the front
of the fort site. The locust split rail was purchased through
a grant from the Department of Cultural Resources.
Scouts Donate $900 to the Fort
March 2006
NC - The Iredell County Boy Scouts, Gemstone District, recently
donated $900 to the Fort Dobbs Alliance. The donation was
presented to Beth Carter, Historic Site Manager, by Bill
Hicks, Dave Nagy and John Elliot, Gem Stone District Executive,
Boy Scouts of America.
The Boy Scouts collected the donation
during the fall camporee held at Fort Dobbs in October 2005.
Fort Dobbs and the Cub Scouts are planning for the summer
day camp to be held in June.
Conflict that Led to Revolutionary War and Building of
Fort Dobbs is Focus of PBS TV Special
January 2006
NC - What if the French had won? This is a question North
Carolinians may ask when they watch the exciting, new PBS
two-part special on the French and Indian War entitled "The
War that Made America," premiering Wednesday, January
18 and 25 on WUNC-TV.
The conflict played out on several fronts
both abroad and in the American colonies, including North
Carolina. Two hundred fifty years ago, it became a battleground
in this pivotal conflict over control of the American colonies,
which pitted the French against the British.
Near Statesville, Ft. Dobbs State Historic
Site recalls where in 1756 a block house fort and palisade
was built on what was then the colony's western frontier
to protect local colonists from Indian attacks encouraged
by the French.
Today, the archaeological remains of the
colonial fort that served as the official North Carolina
frontier headquarters recall the only French and Indian
War fort constructed by North Carolina's colonial government.
Here North Carolina provincial soldiers commanded by Capt.
Hugh Waddell stood watch and in 1760, fought off a Cherokee
attack. Though the fort was abandoned soon after Britain
won the French and Indian War, today plans are underway
to reconstruct it.
Though now overshadowed by the American
Revolution of two decades later, the French and Indian War
actually set the stage for America's emergence as an independent
nation. Historians argue that it truly was "the war
that made America," one that taught a raw Virginia
lieutenant colonel named George Washingtonthen a British
army officerbitter, battle-scarred lessons he later
used to lead a ragtag band of American citizen soldiers
to victory against the world's most powerful military force,
the British army.
Dobbs Receives $2,000 from Wachovia Corporation
January 11, 2006
NC - A $2,000 contribution has been given to the Fort Dobbs
Alliance from the Wachovia Corporation through the Wachovia
During a recent "Director's Challenge"
event held by the local Wachovia board of directors, board
member David Pope won the opportunity to select a non-profit
organization to receive a $2000 donation. He selected the
Fort Dobbs Alliance.
Pope currently serves on the Fort Dobbs
Alliance Board of Trustees and has been an instrumental
supporter of the fort. He recently donated shingles for
the long hunter tri-face shelters that are currently under
construction at the site. The building's construction will
be interpreted this spring during special event programming.
Dave Fechtman, Market President, Wachovia
Bank, N.A. Statesville Community Banking, remarked, "I
was happy to see Mr. Pope's selection of the Ft. Dobbs Alliance,
given that I am also personally a member and believe in
the benefits it brings to our community."
With a mission to build strong and vibrant
communities, improve the quality of life, and make a positive
difference, Wachovia recognized that the Fort Dobbs Alliance
and Fort Dobbs State Historic Site, through efforts to preserve
and interpret the fort, are vital in accomplishing Wachovia's
goals as a strong community partner.
The donated funds will be placed into
a special fund for 2006 educational and special programming.
Fort Dobbs 438 Fort Dobbs Road Statesville,


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Expect Westwood to win major, says T. Watson
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (PA Sport) -- World No. 3 Lee Westwood might not have discussed how to win his first major with his third-round playing partner Tom Watson on Saturday, but eight-time major champion Watson is convinced that Westwood will break through.
Westwood's 71 was five shots better than the 76 carded by Watson, who at 62 is 23 years his senior. But it still dropped Westwood back to 4 over and so far back as to render a challenge for the Claret Jug almost impossible on Sunday's final day at Royal Lytham.
With Westwood's 40th birthday arriving next April, he finds himself constantly answering questions about how much time he has left.
It is not the sort of inquiry he looks on particularly favorably and there was no mention of it on the fairways with the five-time Open champion.
"We didn't talk about that," said Westwood. "I've played a lot with Tom -- I first played with him in Japan in 1996 -- and we chatted a lot.
"He is a pleasure to watch and play alongside, the crowds love him and he is a great ambassador for the sport," he added. "I don't really try to pick up any tips, but it's nice to watch the way he swings the club because he still swings it lovely."
Watson, who dropped to 9 over after sneaking into the weekend with a birdie at the last on Friday, was most complimentary about his playing partner's qualities.
"Lee is a wonderful guy in every way and is a really fine player," said Watson, who won the last of his eight majors at age 33 with a victory in the 1983 Open Championship. "I wish I could have inspired him with my play, I think I dragged him down with my play.
"Of course I see a major win in him. He's knocked at the door too many times not to win," he stated. "The only advice is you just have to shoot lower than everyone else in the tournament.
"He will be there again, I expect him to win a major championship," he added. "He has a lot of talent, has a variety of shots, and hits the ball with authority and he plays a lot like I do - very fast."
Westwood was not happy with his game heading into this week and once again failed to hit top form in the third round. He had three bogeys in his first six holes and despite correcting matters with four birdies in his next nine, he slipped up with two bogey fives at 16 and 18.
"I got off to a poor-ish start and it wasn't really going my way but I dug in and made a few birdies and hit it close," said the Ryder Cup player. "I birdied 15 to get to 1 under for the round but had a poor finish.
"I hit it to a terrible spot on 16 with my second shot -- a schoolboy error going long there -- and 18 I three-putted off the back but there was a chance of that because it is a cunning flag and it's quick from there," he continued. "I've not done anything differently this week, but I came in not hitting it great and I've continued not hitting it great and that's the reason I'm four over par and not better.
"Nothing has been up to scratch this week. I've not holed enough putts, my short game wasn't great the first couple of days, and I haven't hit it close enough although I've hit plenty of fairways," he said. "You need all of your game to be in shape to play one of these weeks."


text:
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All of the web sites referenced below are in English and are the best source of news, especially business news, about Saudi Arabia.
Arabian Business, a Dubai-based web site featuring business news from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Arabian peninsula.
Arab News, "the Middle East's Leading English-Language Daily."
Saudi Gazette, "one of the largest and most-read newspapers in Saudi Arabia for more than 30 years."
MEED — Middle East Economic Digest,
"A premium subscription site which features business news from the Middle East.
Asharq Alawsat newspaper, "the leading Arabic International Daily — English Edition"


text:
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Winter 2013/Southwest
NS501: NEW TESTAMENT 2: ROMANS-REVELATION. Ed Nelson.
DESCRIPTION: This course constitutes an introduction to the nature, structure, and message of the New Testament Letters and the Apocalypse of John in their historical, literary, and canonical contexts.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An understanding of these documents is foundational for developing a biblically informed theology that equips one for preaching and teaching, and for thinking carefully and creatively about Christian faith in today's world, and for faithful Christian discipleship.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated that they: (1) are familiar with the historical background, genre, content, structure, and message of the writings from Romans through Revelation; (2) have skill in the interpretation of these writings as appropriate for effective leadership in various contexts; and (3) can articulate the character of the NT letters and the Apocalypse of John as witnesses to the significance of Jesus Christ for the life and mission of his church.
COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet once a week for three hours for 10 weeks, for 30 hours total class time. Each student is expected to come to class prepared by reading assigned materials.
A careful reading of the 22 documents, Romans through Revelation, in the TNIV, NRSV, or CEB translation. [ca. 180 pp.]
Achtemeier, Paul J., Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye, Thompson. Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. [ pp. 271-608, ca. 337 pp.] ISBN: 978-0802837172. $40.
Duvall, J. Scott and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting and Applying the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. [ca. pp. 350] ISBN: 9780310492573. $39.
______________________. Grasping God's Word Workbook. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, [ca. pp. 125] ISBN: 978-0310262237. $20.
Hubbard, Moyer V. Christianity in the Greco-Roman World. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2010. [271 pp.] ISBN: 9780801046636. $25.
Wiles, Virginia. Making Sense of Paul: A Basic Introduction to Pauline Theology. Peabody, MA: Hendricksen Publishers, 2000. [148 pp.] ISBN: 978-1565631175. $20.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: MDiv.: NT2; MAT: NT2; MACL: NT2
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.
NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.


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Mission Statement
The Big Sur Food and Wine Festival is a giving organization that holds events to promote Big Sur as a culinary destination, supporting the overall health, character and vitality of the Big Sur community. Its intention is to stimulate the local economy and donate a large portion of event proceeds to support local nonprofits that benefit Health, Safety, Education and Arts. In addition, it gives scholarships to talented Big Sur residents who would greatly benefit themselves and the community through wine and/or culinary education.
In its first four years, the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival raised over $100,000 for the Big Sur community!
The Big Sur Food & Wine Festival was founded in 2009 by Toby-Rowland Jones. After contributing his wine event management talents to the Big Sur Jazz Fest, the Masters of Food & Wine, the Central Coast Classic and many other wine events, Toby felt it was time to create an event that blended fine food and wine with Big Sur character. Together he and a committee of like-minded friends brought the idea into fruition in less than a year while accomplishing the festival's mission.
Though the event is epicurean in nature by present day standards, its true nature is summed up by Epicurus himself, "Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends."
Meet the Team
Toby Rowland-Jones ~ Founder and "Top Hat"
Toby Rowland-Jones has a long history in wine event management. From the Central Coast Wine Classic, Masters of Food and Wine, to the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, he's done it all, and it seems, to him, sometimes a bit more "At every turn, there's something to think of or get involved in – I just enjoy the creative aspect of working with people on amazing ideas, and seeing them to fruition." At home, Toby spent 16 years as a volunteer firefighter, sat on the founding board for the Henry Miller Library, and organizes fundraisers for the Big Sur community. Toby loves the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival and what it brings to the community. "Great friends have come together to help with this remarkable event. I could not be more grateful for their support, hard work and dedication. This festival shows everyone that community outreach is still viable and more valid than ever before."
Aengus Wagner ~ Vice President and "Chief Ambassador of Instigation"
Big Sur native Aengus Wagner moved back to Big Sur in the summer of '91 and never left. He helped run the Big Sur Jazzfest for 8 years, until '03. In 2000, he met Karen MacNeil through famed wine maker and friend Gary Pisoni. There laid the grounds for total inspiration in the world of wine. Their passions got him. Aengus works at Nepenthe, where he received much education about wine and service. Now, with the Festival team, he's pleased to raise needed funds for the community through friendships fostered over years of of making friends as he goes about his daily life. These talented winemakers, chefs and volunteers all seem to have the same inspiration to celebrate the good life here in our "town."
Matt Peterson ~ Winemaker Coordinator "Swirl, Snif and Sipper"
With hospitality career and wine enthusiast parents, it's no wonder that Matt Peterson has been in the wine industry for more than eight years; and four of those as a proud resident of Big Sur. Matt began his wine industry career as a sales rep for Wine Warehouse and then moved on to J&L Wines, a major sponsor of the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival. He is currently Monterey County's representative for Swirl Wine Brokers, Martine's Wines and Wine Wise, as well as Sommelier at the fabulous Pacific's Edge Restaurant at the Highlands Inn in Carmel.
Adam Olthof ~ "The Pot Stirrer" (in a good way)
Adam Olthof has been in the wine, food, and hospitality industry in the Monterey Peninsula for more than ten years and believes that the culinary talent, local agriculture, and epic, rugged nature of the coast make Big Sur one of the most spectacular places to experience some of the finest hospitality, food,wine and, well, just amazingly good times! Adam joins us at The Gateway to Big Sur at the Hyatt to share his vast experience in stirring up excitement for a good party.
Kelli Foy ~ Event Coordinator "The Alchemist"
Kelli brings her love of events and hospitality and over 25 years of event planning experience to our beloved Festival. Her management career began in college when she ran the National Association of Hospitality and Home Economics and her local Utah chapter. This began her love of complexity that events offer. Spring-boarding into business administration and marketing, the natural progression was to open her own hospitality business! Event Marketing and Management is her focus, handling groups of 2 – 15,000. Currently, she owns FOY Events which she and her niece Nichole Foy run together. Kelli manifests alchemy by taking multiple and sometimes whacky fast moving parts and creating "gold", a coordinated success for yet another memorable experience for all who are involved with our Festival.
Nichole Foy ~ Event Assistant "The Apprentice"
This girl has no idea what magic she creates! Joining the Foy Events family business last year, Nichole's hospitality experience takes in restaurant management, customer service and baking experience. Nichole is a task master, sometimes a mir"acle worker and all along keeping our committee organized, calm and collected. Her apprenticeship compliments her heart's desire to know everything about food, wine and all that goes into the creating this kind of amazing festival.
Elsa Rivera ~ Event Facilitator "Harmonic Converger
Elsa Rivera is a Healthcare and International Business Management Consultant who puts her heart into community service events and other fun projects. Her networking brings out the best in people who truly want to champion their passion, vision and creativity. She has served as a committee member for The Big Sur Fashion Show and organizer for the show's Pre-Show and After Party. Her love of Big Sur as an extended part of her family, her passion for dance, the arts, great food and wine, inspires her to be a connecting force for the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival. (Photo Credit: Christine Holding)
Alicia Hahn ~ Band Leader "Magic Mystery Tour Goddess"
Alicia Hahn has always loved Big Sur, and in 1993 moved here from her hometown of Half Moon Bay. From a nearly 20-year career at Nepenthe and becoming a Certified Wine Professional at the CIA in Napa Valley, to gathering with friends to enjoy the bounty of fine foods and wines the Central Coast has to offer, this bon vivant shows us all how to lead a true Epicurean lifestyle.
Peggy Giles ~ Transportation Queen "Go to Girl"
Peggy Giles arrived in Big Sur in 1984, the year of the Rat Creek Fire. Impressed by community spirit and dedication to help each other, Peggy spent the next 25 years working, living and raising a family in Big Sur. During that time, other fires, road slides and disasters have come to pass; still the Big Sur community rises up to help those in need, and Peggy has always stepped forward quietly and with complete dedication. She contributes her talents to the Festival as it too demonstrates the spirit of community services. Here's our Go to Girl, shuckin' oysters at Hog Island!
Lisa Haas ~ Artistic Coordinator "Michelleangelo"
Lisa Haas brings to Big Sur a unique perspective as an artist and creative thinker. Lisa has always had a deep love of Big Sur. As an owner of a successful faux finish and design business, Lisa Haas Design, Lisa brings a refreshing energy to our crew with her perspectives of design for not just the look of the Festival, website and overall vision of the organization. When the rains come, you'll find Lisa in the hills looking for mushrooms to add to her repertoire as a culinary genius. Where you see decorative creativity and a crew of people running around putting up signs and lights and fabulous decorations, you know Lisa will be in the midst of it all.
Weston Call ~ "Good Call"
Jennifer Haydu ~ Volunteer Coordinator "Cat Herder"
Jennifer Haydu is a movement artist, instructor and owner of EVOLUTION studio in Pacific Grove. For twenty years she has been teaching, performing, and collaborating with others in the fields of dance, heath and healing artists. She works with clients of all ages, consults with businesses on employee wellness programs, and teaches yoga, dance and movement arts in schools. Jennifer also hosts a variety of workshops and trainings at her studio in Pacific Grove. In addition, she shares her gifts of healing touch through Thai Massage and Acroyoga. Jennifer spearheaded the successful grassroots movement to open the Pacific Grove Farmers Market. She consults and collaborates with the creators of the Independent Market Place and Happy Girl Kitchen, as well as the premier food and wine events in Monterey. Her favorite is the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival (of course!), and she is delighted to be part of the amazing team creating this uniquely delicious event.
Beccy Breeze ~ Sommelier Coordinator "Wrangler"
Beccy has twenty years experience working in the wine business. She has worked in direct sales, wholesale, education, hospitality, as a cellar master, sommelier, and wine director. She has worked with restaurant wine programs as diverse as wine bars to Michelin starred Wine Spectator Award Winners including Sierra Mar, Murray Circle, RN74, Aziza and Casanova. She currently works as a sommelier at Aubergine, at L'Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Châteaux property that recently received Forbes Travel Guide's highest rating of five stars. She is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Beccy is a veteran of the wine event circuit having worked Relais and Chateau GourmetFest, Pebble Beach Food and Wine, Los Angeles Food and Wine, Central Coast Wine Classic and Eat Drink SF. This is Beccy's fifth year working Big Sur Food and Wine and is excited to give back to the community she fell in love with while working at Post Ranch Inn.
Allan Kersgard ~ Chef Liaison "Social Bloodhound"
We are pleased Allan is working with Big Sur Food and Wine as he brings a wealth of fresh ideas and support to our Chefs and Staff. Allan is a keen communicator and problem solver, and enjoys bringing people together to share lifelong memorable experiences. A self imposed wine and food enthusiast that started when he was child hanging out in his Swedish mother's catering company making Hors d'oeuvres in the kitchen. Allan has been on a worldwide lifelong search for fabulous food and extraordinary wine. He comes to us with a background in Banking, Logistics and Communications. His passion for people, food and wine are a perfect fit for Big Sur Food and Wine Festival.
Kari Bernardi ~ "The Super Natural"
Kari Bernardi, aka Super Natural Chef, is a certified Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Instructor. She is the Founder/ Director of CSU Monterey Bay's Farm to School Partnership and former Faculty Member of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. She is also the owner and executive chef of raw vegan gluten free product line called Super Natural Foods Company in Carmel California. Kari has been instrumental in writing healthy school food policies and bringing fresh organic fruits and vegetables into schools as well as teaching farm fresh nutrition education to students around the world. Kari brings her super natural skills to our team in helping with the organized chaos of last minute festival coordination and helping the Bloodhound.
Rosalia Webster ~ "Merry Makers"
Merry Makers are the living muses of Big Sur Food and Wine, local born and raised Rosalia Webster creates and leads this welcoming, comfort providing parade- Enticing guests to taste and toast, to lavish and lounge in a bohemian living room of experience created from her cornucopia of socially enthralling skills, such as fire dancing, wine education, health consciousness and family inspiration, is certainly a Merry Magical talent! Be sure to meet one of her team member to laugh, learn and Make Merry!


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Cyclone Fanatic Radio: 3-1 Call-In Show Podcast
Chris Williams
The podcast from a jam-packed CycloneFanatic.com/Wilson Toyota of Ames Call-In Show from Buffalo Wild Wings in Ames.
Kelechi Osemele, Matt Abdelmassih and Billy Fennelly all joined Chris Williams and Tron Smith to talk all things Iowa State athletics. Listen to the podcast by clicking below.


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|Dark Horse Comics
(W) Brian Wood
The Rebels' covert ops go on the offensive as Princess Leia sends two of her top pilots-Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker-to be "captured" by the Empire! Meanwhile, Leia takes off on her own to locate a safe haven. But Darth Vader is on the alert! Collects issues #7-#12 of the ongoing series.
Item Code: DEC130071


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Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce any or enough insulin. Secondary diabetes is a form of the disease that develops as a result of, or secondary to, another disease or condition.
Secondary diabetes can be caused by a wide range of health problems that damage, injure, interfere with, or destroy the pancreas. For example, secondary diabetes may develop from inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), or cystic fibrosis. Some conditions increase the body's need for insulin, such as the overproduction of growth hormone or cortisol. Some medicines may also affect how the body uses insulin or prevent the pancreas from producing enough insulin.
If the underlying cause of secondary diabetes can be successfully treated, insulin production may improve or return to normal.
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerDavid C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology
Current as ofNovember 14, 2014
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise


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LG sold 8.6 million Android smartphones in Q4 2012, plans new F-series
LG announced that it sold a total of 15.4 million mobile phones worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2012, corresponding to a revenue of $2.58 billion. Of those 15.4 million devices, 8.6 million (hence more than half) were smartphones. Android smartphones, to be exact, because this is LG's business at the moment.
In Q3 2012, the South Korea company sold only 7 million smartphones – so shipments have grown 23 percent.
According to LG, sales of "premium LTE smartphones", including the Optimus G flagship (pictured below) and the Optimus Vu 2, have increased over the last quarter. And so did sales of the Google Nexus 4, and the L-series smartphones (L9, L7, L5 and L3 – 10 millions of them have been shipped as of early December).
Interestingly, LG has briefly mentioned it would introduce a "new F-series" family of smartphones. There's absolutely no info on what this might bring. The L-series is all about classy design and affordability, but I can't imagine what the F-series has to offer. Anyway, we will probably find out soon, so stick around.
This year, LG hopes to sell at least 45 million smartphones. And it's not going to be just Android handsets, but also Windows Phone 8 ones – the company intends to launch several devices based on Microsoft's mobile platform.
Via Press release


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Hot, mostly dry this week
It was nice to see some showers and storms over the weekend, considering South Florida remains under extreme drought conditions.
A few more sprinkles may fall today, as there is a 20 percent chance of rain.
The forecast also calls for mostly sunny skies, highs in the mid 80s and lows in the low 70s.
The rest of the workweek is expected to be hot in the afternoons and on the dry side, although storms are a possibility.
Photo: Point of Americas condominiums at the mouth of Port Everglades. Ken Kaye/Sun Sentinel


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The LA Farmer's Market is designed to offer both culinary and climatological delights. From a cosmopolitan array of eateries to the bountiful southern California sunshine, rarely is a food course such a pleasant destination. Monsieur Marcel Pain, Vin et Fromage is a genial restaurant in two stalls with an attendant grocery store. Its classic French offerings run the gamut from coq a vin to cheese platters to fondue. A basket of bread is complimentary.
There are a number of impressive wines available by glass. The number, frankly, is startling for an outdoor restaurant. But everything at M. Marcel starts out charming and then kicks it up a notch or three. As far as wine goes, French vintages are stressed both in the by-the-glass and by-the-bottle sections. New Zealander, Australian, Spanish and Italian wines elbow their way onto the menu, as do a couple South African wines. But from the Americas only Chile and Argentina make a showing. There's not a single California representative on the entire menu. Daring for a Los Angeles restaurant, but perhaps to be expected at an unabashed French eatery. Review the by-the-bottle section for dramatic and premier vintages.
Of course, as this is a restaurant wine is not available by the taste. However, simply ordering a glass of wine at the bar and taking in a beautiful summer's day is perfectly acceptable. In case of heat I heartily recommend pairing the Stormhoek pinotage with the rich dutch chocolate ice cream. The patient, attentive and knowledgeable waitstaff will understand.
Monsieur Marcel is located inside the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax at 6333 W. 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90036. Hours are 11-9 Monday-Friday, 9-9 Saturday and 9-7 on Sunday. Call 323 939 7792 for more information.


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After viewing last week's premiere of Fox's X-Factor , I ended up feeling a case of deflated joy. It seemed as if the show didn't have enough singers who ACTUALLY had 'vocal chops'. It had me wondering, at this point-- regarding reality singing competitions--if talent matters at all?
Granted, by the second night, things started looking better. However, there are way too many people becoming famous from short stints on singing competitions, who do everything under the sun except sing well--yet they reap golden opportunities.
I swear, some of these people know they can't sing worth a lick but still prance up on a stage to gain five minutes of whatever bottom of the barrel fame they can get, for instance, Mr. XXX-Factor's disgusting Full Monty . I think I had bigger aspirations for X-Factor, so the 'disappointment' was deeper for me than apparently some of my friends and associates, who think it's the best talent competition.
I'm seriously agged people. Gone are the days of Star Search. If it wasn't for Stacy Francis's golden voice, Caitlin Koch's take on a Supremes classic and Melanie Amaro's belting vocals, I would've lost complete hope in the show. I know people are hype about Chris Rene, but right now I'm not [I'll tell you why in my next commentary of X-Factor].
Now, there is something different about the show in general, and that is its deal with Pepsi to add a new spokesperson for its legendary commercial spot. This new X-Factor winner will walk in the same light as musical greats like, Michael Jackson.
Say whuuuuut?
Hmmm. Maybe as the season progresses things will get better [for me]. Here's hoping!
X-Factor airs on Fox, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm C.S.T. Follow me on twitter @kankan929 for tweets during the show.
If you're diggin' this article check these out:
A hot mess...the triple X-Factor
The plot thickens...Terry O'Quinn and Hawaii Five-0
There's no "I" in team...Wonder Twin powers activate
No you didn't Agent Kaye...(Hawaii Five-O 2011 Season Premiere)
Lemme break it down for you...2011 Season Monday night shows
NBC is UP ALL NIGHT with Christina Applegate
Amy Poehler needs to go big or go home
Oh Sookie, tell Snoop Dogg to get his own True Blood
About Blogger:
Kandie Delley is an author, actor and producer living in North Texas. Her book Tempestuous Tales is now available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook and other digital formats. Paperback coming soon!


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Aside from business and fashion, you'll also be surprised to discover a wealth of history beneath its glamourous facade. The grand gothic cathedral, the duomo, is a striking sight at the heart of city breaks to Milan - a must-visit for keen photographers for its spectacular architecture as well as its stunning views from the top. Nearby you'll find some fantastic destinations to escape the bustle of the city - head to La Spezia for a laid-back day trip with a dose of culture thrown in.
If its history you are craving in Milan, ensure you make time to drop into some of the city's finest churches. With some of the oldest religious buildings in the whole of Italy, you'll find beautiful architecture from varying time periods - from the renaissance feel of the Saint Mary of the Graces to the Romanesque architecture of Saint Ambrose. Simply by strolling its streets, you'll be revealed to countless churches, with most of them free to explore - head to the nearby city of Turin for catch a glimpse of even more fine religious buildings.
Of course, Milan city breaks are incomplete without embarking on a shopping trip and with the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle shopping mall on your doorstep, it'd be rude not to! A spectacular 19th century building with a stunning mosaic floor, you won't help but feel like royalty when you're laden up with shopping bags from its glitzy boutiques or sipping coffee at one of its stylish cafes. Alternatively you can head to the nearby destination of Genoa if you're looking for unique souvenirs.
The architecture across Milan is truly phenomenal, and one of its finest examples is the Renaissance church - The Duomo. This stunning building is made up of thousands of spires and statues that stand proudly amongst its exterior. San Babila is a charming Romanesque church that sits near the Piazza San Babila, which is filled with Art Deco buildings.
Shopaholics will find their heaven here, with a huge number of shops that range from upscale designer boutiques to high street stores. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a stunning shopping mall, with a glass roof and a mosaic floor. Fashion lovers should head to Via Montenapoleone, Milan's famed designer street, which is lined with only the best high end brands.
Milan is proud of its gastronomic heart and there is no better place to try a variety of Italian specialties than here. Its vast array of restaurants vary from upscale fine dining establishments to pizzerias and Chinese restaurants in Paolo Sarpi, otherwise known as Chinatown. Drinking in the city is a pleasure, with venues ranging from stylish clubs and cocktail bars on Commo Avenue, to the open air cafes and cosy bars of the Navigli quarter.
Hotel Sanpi sits in the centre of the city, with beautiful gardens furnished with contemporary sculptures and art work. This boutique hotel is ideal for visiting the historical centre and Milan's popular shopping area. The Ramada Plaza Milano is a unique, modern hotel found in the city's main shopping district.
Milan is filled with fascinating architecture, such as the Gothic Duomo church and the Medieval Chiaravalle Abbey. You can delve into the world of design at the Triennale di Milano architecture museum. Art is also found in every corner here, with magical sights you can enjoy together such as seeing Da Vinci's infamous painting, Last Supper, in the Saint Mary of the Graces church.
Shopping is phenomenal in Milan, from the designer boutiques that line the cobbled Via della Spiga, to the spectacular Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a 19th century palace shopping mall with a mosaic floor and glass roof. Those in search of romance can visit the La Scala Theatre, one of the most recognised opera houses in the world.
Milan really comes to life at night, with stylish cocktail lounges and wine bars where you can enjoy a romantic drink together. You will also find a choice of laid back bohemian clubs with live music and cosy atmospheres. Commo Avenue is a great place to head to for chic bars and stylish clubs, or you can experience a different culture at the Latin quarter of Brera.
Found in a building that was inspired by a fairy tale castle, Chateau Monfort if the perfect place to spend a romantic break. The hotel boasts an indoor swimming pool, sauna and a Jacuzzi. The Hotel Galles Milan is a beautiful hotel found in a 19th century building, with a spa where you can relax together.
Arguably one of Milan's most spectacular sights is the Duomo di Milano, a striking Gothic cathedral. This beautiful building is made from white marble, with hundreds of spires and statues. Children will also love visiting Milan's castles, such as the Sforzesco Castle which is home to several museums and art galleries. The city boasts a vast number of museums, showcasing exhibitions on subjects from art and antiques, to architecture and opera.
Milan is famed for its art and there is plenty to seek out whilst on holiday here. From the Italian Renaissance art in the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum to the modern sculptures and artwork at the Hangar Bicocca, works from every movement can be found across the city. Although the city stretches across a large area, the main sights are within a smaller cluster, so one of the best ways of seeing them is to join a walking tour.
Milan is a lively city once the sun sets but there are plenty of family friendly places that parents and children can enjoy together. The city streets are filled with warm and welcoming cafes that serve hot drinks and desserts which you can enjoy after a dinner out. The cuisine across the city is varied, so there will always be something to please even the fussiest young diners.
Families can enjoy a peaceful stay at the Leonardo Da Vinci Milan, which is found on the fringes of the city, and is surrounded by luscious green landscapes. The Concorde is similiarly a great hotel for families, close to the main attractions.
The Ibis Milano Centro hotel boasts a great location in the centre of Milan with public transport options close by, so exploring Milan city couldn't be easier! All 437 rooms are modern and provide good amenities including air-conditioning. Guests can also make use of the hotel's restaurant and 24 hour bar, or for those travelling on business there are eight conference rooms and Wi-Fi connection. This hotel is an ideal choice for families, couples and small groups seeking a memorable city break in Milan.
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Hotel Re is a modern style building situated just four miles from Milan's famous shopping district with other main tourist hotspots are within easy reach. All rooms are fully-equipped with a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, satellite TV and a private balcony or terrace. This hotel is an ideal choice for families and couples who want to discover all that Milan has to offer.
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The Hermitage hotel is found just a few steps away from Milan's historic district and provides guests with an elegant place to stay within easy reach of many of the city's top attractions. The hotel is home to the internationally known Il Sambuco restaurant which offers delicious cuisine and Caesar's Bar provides an excellent venue in which to relax and enjoy a quiet drink. All rooms are equipped with a satellite TV and internet connection. This hotel is a great choice for couples and small groups looking for an exciting city break in Milan.
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Situated in the heart of Milan, the Hotel Mediolanum makes an ideal choice for those seeking a modern place to stay in Milan. Guests can make use of the hotel's restaurant serving a daily buffet style breakfast, bar, fitness room and business centre during their stay. Popular places guests can reach with ease from this hotel include Milan's historical centre, shopping areas and main attractions. The Hotel Mediolanum is great choice for couples, families and those travelling on business.
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