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Smith and Damon: Waiver Wire
With the fantasy playoffs nigh, here is a pair of outfielders who can help patch injury-induced holes in your lineup.
Seth Smith (Yahoo: 32 percent owned, ESPN: 53 percent owned)
While Smith has a devoted, vocal following, he doesn't yet have the widespread name recognition that leads to really high ownership rates. This is good news for owners who need power, as Smith is widely available and is wrapping up a month in which he clubbed 7 HR, which ties him for the 10th most in baseball for the month of August. There's good news in the fact that Smith isn't purely a Coors Field mirage — he hits nearly as well on the road as he does at home — but that doesn't mean Smith is a set-and-forget player. He's set in a platoon with Eric Young Jr., which keeps him facing righties, and while it means owners need to keep an eye on the Rockies' lineup, it's better than having him face lefties on a consistent basis. Like the Rockies, you'll get the most out of Smith if you pair him with a partner — ideally one with consistent playing time.
The Rockies play more than half of their games at home in September, including 13 of 15 games from September 5th to the 21st, which keeps Smith where he's been most successful this year for the end of most leagues' playoffs. If you're in a league that plays until the dying day of the regular season, Smith does close the season with 10 games on the road, though the first four are against the Astros. Smith is certainly playable on the road, especially in Houston, but utilizing your platoon partner exclusively for the last three days of the season is a wise move, as Smith finishes the year in AT&T Park, a place that has been unkind to him over his career.
Johnny Damon (Yahoo: 42 percent owned, ESPN: 70 percent owned)
The difference between the way Damon began August and the way he has ended it is, somewhat literally, the difference between night and day. Damon's resurgence began during the second game of the Rays' August 16th doubleheader against the Red Sox. He entered the nightcap hitting .163/.236/.265 for the month, went 2-for-5 in that game to start an eight-game hitting streak, and has hit .309/.333/.636 with 3 HR since.
Like Smith, Damon is playable at home or on the road, but he, too, is clearly better at one place. Damon has substantially better road rate stats, though his home counting stats are very similar to his away numbers. Still, like Smith, Damon will spend those crucial days in mid-September in his preferred venue as a 10 game road trip takes the Rays to Baltimore, Boston, and New York. While a slog up the eastern seaboard seems like might pose match up problems, Damon has actually played better against the Sox and Yankees than he has against the Orioles.
I'm not terribly concerned that this is a dead cat bounce as Damon was hitting .279/.327/.426 prior to suffering a hand contusion against the Twins on July 6, an injury that lingered longer than expected, though Damon did not land on the disabled list. I see his improvement since then less as resurgence and more of an extension of his early season play with an interlude of ineffectiveness between acts. While he's unlikely to make you forget that Nelson Cruz is languishing on your DL during a playoff chase, Damon is at least a functional stopgap.
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Flow diagram demonstrates the in vitro model used. Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has a dermal and basement membrane surface (A). Specimens were placed on type I collagen plugs (B) and then fibroblasts were added to the surface of the specimens (C). The culture media, with and without GM6001, were added at this point and replenished every 2 to 3 days until the end of the experiment at 20 days. These experiments were performed in triplicate for each fibroblast phenotype.
Fibroblasts cultured with GM6001 demonstrate a reduced ability to thin the basement membrane (A) and infiltrate the dermal surface (B) of the acellular dermal matrix. HPF indicates high-power field; bars, the mean; and limit lines, standard deviation. In photomicrographs of hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections representative of 2 experiments (C) (original magnification ×200), the arrows point to fibroblasts invading the dermal surface.
Fibroblasts deficient in matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) demonstrate a reduced ability to thin the basement membrane (A) and infiltrate the dermal surface (B) of the acellular dermal matrix. HPF indicates high-power field; bars, the mean; and limit lines, standard deviation. In photomicrographs of hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections representative of 2 experiments (C) (original magnification ×200), the arrows point to fibroblasts invading the dermal surface.
Lindman JP, Talbert M, Zhang W, Powell B, Accortt NA, Rosenthal EL. Promotion of Acellular Dermal Matrix Resolution In Vitro by Matrix Metalloproteinase-2. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2006;8(3):208-212. doi:10.1001/archfaci.8.3.208
© 2017
Author Affiliations: Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery (Drs Lindman and Rosenthal, Ms Talbert, and Messrs Zhang and Powell), and Department of Biostatistics (Dr Accortt), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Correspondence: Eben L. Rosenthal, MD, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Boshell Building, Suite 563, 1530 Third Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0012 (email@example.com).
Objective To determine whether acellular human dermis is degraded by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a large class of matrix-degrading enzymes.
Methods The degradation of acellular human dermis specimens was evaluated in vitro. Wild-type murine fibroblasts with a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor, GM6001, and MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts were placed on the basement membrane and dermal surfaces of acellular human dermis. Matrix degradation and fibroblast infiltration into the matrix were assessed after a 20-day incubation period.
Results The basement membrane thickness of the specimens cultured with wild-type fibroblasts was significantly less than that of specimens cultured with GM6001 (P<.001), and the infiltration of fibroblasts into the dermal surface was limited by the addition of GM6001 (P=.002). To determine whether MMP-2 was involved in this in vitro phenotype, MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts were assessed in comparison with wild-type fibroblasts. Wild-type fibroblasts degraded the basement membrane surface (P<.001) and infiltrated the dermal surface (P = .003) more efficiently than did MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts.
Conclusions The results from our in vitro experiments suggest that MMPs and specifically MMP-2 may play an important role in the resorption of acellular human dermis. Addition of MMP inhibitors to implanted dermal matrices may slow fibroblast infiltration and improve their longevity in vivo.
Implanted extracellular matrices (ECMs) used for reconstructive and cosmetic purposes are resorbed within weeks to months. Serial histological analyses of implanted acellular matrices have demonstrated resorption rates that exceed 50% within only 3 months (mean percentage persistence at 1 month, 83%; at 3 months, 48%).1 Jackson et al2 clinically noted a 40% to 80% resorption of an acellular human dermis (AHD) product (AlloDerm; LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ) 1 year after their patients underwent nasal dorsum augmentation. Improving the durability of implanted material requires an understanding of the mechanism by which implanted matrix resorption occurs. Collagen or dermal derivatives are some of the most commonly used implants, including hydrolyzed type I collagen and human or porcine dermis (Cymetra [LifeCell Corporation], Permacol [Tissue Science Laboratories plc, Covington, Ga], and AlloDerm). Collagen degradation of these implants over time is believed to occur as a result of fibroblast-derived proteases that are elaborated during the remodeling process.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a diverse group of zinc-dependent endopeptidases considered critical in the remodeling of ECM components. They are produced by a wide number of cell populations, including fibroblasts, tumor cells, mesenchymal cells, and glial cells. Matrix metalloproteinases play a role in wound healing, tumor proliferation, and tissue morphogenesis by degrading collagen and other components of the ECM. Recent observations also suggest that MMPs direct non-ECM molecules important in wound healing such as growth factors.3 To date, more than 25 mammalian MMPs have been identified. Of these, MMP-2 (gelatinase A, 72-kDa gelatinase) has been implicated in the normal turnover of ECM in wound healing and tumor cell invasion. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) can degrade several matrix components (including collagen types I and IV and laminin) and has been implicated in tumor metastasis4 and wound healing.5
Human ADM (AlloDerm) is widely used in soft tissue augmentation as an allograft or an implantable material.6-10 Acellular dermis processed for this purpose contains an intact basement membrane and an overlying ECM (referred to as the dermal side). Descriptive studies1, 11 have characterized the rate of resorption, histological characteristics, and tensile strength of ADM implanted in humans. The mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. To this end, we assessed the role of MMPs in the resorption of ADM in vitro. Understanding the proteases involved in resorption may lead to improved durability of acellular dermis and other similar implantable biomatrices.
We used fibroblasts recovered from wild-type and gene-deleted murine (MMP-2) embryos. Fibroblast phenotype was confirmed by results of histological analysis. These cell lines were routinely kept in Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium (Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif) supplemented with penicillin (10 000 U/mL), streptomycin (10 000 μg/mL), and 20% fetal bovine serum (all from Mediatech Inc, Herndon, Va). All cultures were maintained at 37°C in a mixture of 5% carbon dioxide and 95% air.
In separate experiments, we assessed the ability of the fibroblasts to invade the dermal and basement membrane surfaces of the ADM. There were a total of 3 experimental groups: wild-type fibroblasts (control), wild-type fibroblasts with GM6001, and MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts. Each experiment was performed in triplicate. Acellular dermis (AlloDerm) was washed in phosphate-buffered saline solution for 15 minutes and then, under sterile conditions, cut into squares (5.0 × 5.0 mm). The squares were then placed with the dermal or basement membrane surface facing outward on freshly prepared rat-tail tendon type I collagen plugs within the upper chamber of transwell dishes (Corning Inc, Corning, NY). Fibroblasts from each cell line (2.5 ×105 cells/well) were then added to the surfaces of the ADM specimens and incubated at 37°C for 2 hours to allow complete gelling. A total of 3 mL of 20% fetal bovine serum and Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium was then added to each transwell dish. We subsequently added GM6001 (Galardin; Chemicon International, Inc, Temecula, Calif) at a 5μM concentration to the appropriate dishes. Because of the minimal degradation seen with MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts, GM6001 was not added to these cultures. Media were changed every 2 to 3 days, and 5μM GM6001 was again added to the 2 respective chambers at this time. The cells were incubated for a total of 20 days. Specimens were then removed and processed for histological evaluation and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (Figure 1). We used the Axioplan 2 imaging microscope and accompanying software program, Axiovision, version 3.1 (Carl Zeiss Microimaging, Thornwood, NY).
For the sections in which the basement membrane was up, the slides were viewed at 400× power, and the depth of the basement membrane was measured 20 times per high-power field (HPF). Ten such HPFs per sample were measured, yielding a collection of 200 depths per sample. These values were averaged to obtain a mean. For comparison, the basement membrane depth of ADM without fibroblasts was similarly measured. For the specimens with the dermal surface up, the slides were viewed at 200× power. The number of invading cells was counted on each HPF. Ten such fields were viewed and the values were averaged to obtain a mean.
Means and standard deviations were calculated for the control and experimental groups. We used unpaired t tests to detect differences between the control (wild-type) and experimental (MMP-2 deficient and GM6001) groups for the basement membrane measurements. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to detect differences for fibroblast invasion into the dermal surface.
Wild-type fibroblasts derived from late-gestation mouse embryos were cultured on the basement membrane surface or the dermal surface of the acellular dermis for 20 days (Figure 1). To determine whether fibroblast-mediated invasion was MMP dependent, the invasion assay was conducted in the presence of GM6001, a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor (Figure 2). Although cultured fibroblasts did not invade the basement membrane surface of the dermal matrix, they eroded the matrix, which could be measured. Fibroblast-mediated erosion of the basement membrane was inhibited by GM6001. The basement membrane thickness of the specimen cultured with wild-type fibroblasts (mean, 14.14 μm; range, 6.19-27.36 μm; SD, 3.62 μm) measured significantly less than specimens cultured with GM6001 (mean, 22.4 μm; range, 10.57-42.78 μm; SD, 6.29 μm [P<.001]) (Figure 2A).
Because fibroblast invasion is considered to depend on matrix degradation,12 we measured fibroblast invasion into the dermal aspect of the ADM as a surrogate of matrix degradation. Fibroblast invasion into the matrix was 6 cells/HPF in the presence of MMP inhibition compared with 11 cells/HPF on the dermal surface (P=.002) (Figure 2B and C). To determine whether GM6001 is toxic to the cells or whether MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts have a decreased growth rate, we assessed the number of fibroblasts on the matrix surface in the histological sections obtained from the in vitro experiments. No significant differences in cell number were identified.
Because a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor reduced fibroblast-mediated invasion and basement membrane degradation, we considered the possibility that this process was mediated by MMP-2, which is capable of type I collagen degradation (dermal surface) and type IV collagen degradation (basement membrane). Using fibroblasts derived from MMP-2 knockout mice, we assessed the potential of MMP-2 to degrade the ADM. The basement membrane thickness of the specimen cultured with wild-type fibroblasts (mean, 14.14 μm; range, 6.19-27.36 μm; SD, 3.62 μm) measured significantly less than specimens cultured with MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts (mean, 19.16 μm; range, 8.73-37.54 μm; SD, 5.06 μm [P<.001]) (Figure 3A). The dermal surface was more readily infiltrated by wild-type fibroblasts (11.4 cells/HPF; range, 8-15 cells/HPF) than MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts (6.4 cells/HPF; range, 4-10 cells/HPF [P = .003]) (Figure 3B and C), suggesting the requirement for MMP-2 in this process.
The term resorption is derived from the Latin resorbere, which means "to swallow again." The objective of this study was to investigate a role for MMPs in implantable ECM resorption. To this end, we used an in vitro model to assess fibroblast penetration into human ADM. Treatment of ADM with an MMP inhibitor (GM6001) impeded in vitro fibroblast penetration into the dermal surface and reduced thinning of the ADM basement membrane. We found similar but less pronounced results when using fibroblasts deficient in MMP-2.
The ECM is a complex structural entity surrounding and supporting cells that are found within mammalian tissues. The ECM is often referred to as connective tissue. The ECM is composed of 3 major classes of biomolecules: (1) structural proteins including collagen and elastin, (2) specialized proteins (eg, fibrillin, fibronectin, and laminin), and (3) proteoglycans, which are composed of a protein core to which is attached long chains of repeating disaccharide units termed glycosaminoglycans. Although the total thickness of the ADM specimen may vary, we measured the dermal basement membrane thickness, which is unlikely to vary significantly,13 especially within a particular sheet of AlloDerm. We measured matrix degradation on both sides of the ADM to determine whether the same process occurred on the basement membrane surface as on the dermal aspect.
As a model of in vivo degradation, we assessed fibroblast-mediated degradation and cellular penetration of a commercially available ADM. Cellular invasion through complex matrices has been shown to be an MMP-dependent process.14-16 In fact, fibroblast invasion has been shown to require proteolytic degradation.17 Matrix metalloproteinase–dependent cellular penetration precedes remodeling in physiological conditions such as angiogenesis and wound healing.18-19 We chose MMP-2 from among the available MMPs because it degrades the type IV collagen found in the basement membrane and the type I collagen present in the dermal surface of the dermal matrix. In our study, wild-type fibroblasts degraded the basement membrane significantly more than did the MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts or those cultured with GM6001. Similarly, MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts and those treated with the broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor showed a reduced ability to invade the dermal surface when compared with wild-type fibroblasts.
It is possible that MMP-2–deleted fibroblasts do not migrate as efficiently as wild-type fibroblasts; however, this would not affect the degradation rate. In addition, multiple MMPs acting in concert could be responsible such that deletions of other MMPs may limit matrix degradation or cellular penetration. Other possible mediators of ADM degradation include serine proteases and, in animal models, the host's immune response to the injury incurred from implanting the material. Future experiments that include in vivo models would further enhance our understanding of the role of MMPs in implantable matrix resorption.
In conclusion, although it is unlikely that a single MMP is responsible for the resorption of bioimplantable matrices, these results suggest that ADM is resorbed in part by an MMP-2–dependent process. Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors may be important in future attempts to improve the longevity of implantable matrices.
Accepted for Publication: January 6, 2006.
Additional Information: Wild-type fibroblasts were provided by Henning Birkedal-Hansen, PhD, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, Md; and MMP-2–deficient fibroblasts, by Lynn Matrisian, PhD, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. The AlloDerm was a gift of LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ.


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Today, Vince makes his very first appearance on Maskurbate. We asked the 24 year old, with a 9" uncut cock, some questions to get to know a little about the man behind the mask.
Tell us your story. How did you get into the adult industry?
I started dancing, part time, doing ladies night in a local club in Montreal when I got approached to do a solo. I hesitated at first but decided to give it a try. I thought it was cool, then wanted to do more.
What are the things you like most about doing porn? Any dislikes?
I'm an exhibitionist. I like to be watched, that turns me on. I pretty much like everything about porn. Maybe the only exception would be the long photo shoots prior to video shoots. That is way too long.
What's your preference... Top or bottom? Does that change when you aren't filming?
I'm a straight guy, very open-minded but not in front of the camera. So I would answer that I'm a top.
What are your biggest turn-on and turn-off? Any sexual fantasies you'd like to share?
I like oral sex. Sometimes I go to Facebook and write to some friends in the middle of the night to know if there are available to give me head! Lol That's true! On the spurs of the moment, that's exciting! A turn-off? Someone who smells bad or is too pushy. I back off.
Who are your favourite porn stars?
I don't have any really. I'm into fitness so I'm amazed at Johnny Sins' shape.
What do you like to do when you're not working? Any hobbies? Are you in a relationship?
I am currently in a relationship. That takes a lot of my time. But I must go to the gym at least 4 times a week and like to spend time with friends. I'm a huge fan of snowboarding and spend too much time playing with my Xbox! ;)
Do your friends and relatives know you do porn? How did they react when you told them or found out?
My family knows I dance but I have no idea how they would react to see me in a porn scene. I really don't care though. I assume my decisions and having a great time doing it!
What can we expect from you in the future? Do you have any upcoming projects?
I will be back on Maskurbate for sure. Really enjoyed working with Pascal. He respects my limits and the shootings are so fun and relaxed. Cannot tell you what kind of scene yet. He's trying to convince me to do more than a solo. Time will tell! lol
Where can new fans find you? Do you have a Web site, Facebook or MySpace account, Blog or Twitter?
No I don't have any of those. For now at least. I'll see how things go and maybe if it builds up I'll think about creating a Social Network profile. For now, you can get news about me on Maskurbate's Facebook page and Twitter account.


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First I gotta say, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants because they not only made this series extremely memorable, but what they've accomplished in the past five seasons is truly awe-inspiring. Not that Bruce Bochy wasn't already a lock for the HOF, but I have to think this championship propels him into the greatest managers of all-time discussion. At the very least, he has to be among the 15 greatest managers in the history of the sport.
But before the parade begins, it seems like talk radio this morning is already taking a huge piss on them with this "dynasty" talk. Are they a dynasty? Well how can they not be? They won 3 World Series titles within 5 years. That is unheard of. I would like think they are now a dynasty, right?
So how can people quickly dismiss this? Well, the fact is, they weren't the best team in baseball this year. They weren't even the best team in their own division. They were 6 games out of 1st place to end the season. They weren't by any means a dominating team this year. Buster Posey had a very good year. Hunter Pence had another Hunter Pence kinda year. But aside those two, you could say this team battled a lot of injuries (Belt, Cain, Morse) and some very underwhelming performances. If you could define the 2014 Giants, you would have to say this was all about Madison Bumgarner. He single-handedly carried this team to the playoffs and then to the World Series and then to their 3rd championship. The bullpen certainly deserves some credit too because when Bumgarner wasn't pitching, the team relied heavily on Machi, Romo, Petit and Affeldt.
All of this is part reason why a lot of people many people dismiss them as being a "dynasty" team. In all fairness, apart of me understands that. The Giants were not a dominating team, full of dominating players. They had piece players and got hot at the right time and found a way to win. If Bumgarner didn't set the record with 48 2/3 IP, then I think we all can agree none of this would have happened.
In recent years, there has been several dynasties but let's take a look at two in particular. The San Francisco Giants won 3 championships in 5 years. Within those 3 seasons they won a total of 274 times.
From 1988-1990, the Oakland A's won just 1 championship, yet they appeared in 3 consecutive World Series. In those 3 seasons they won a total of 306 times. Where is this going? Well, they were a bona-fide dynasty team because they appeared 3 consecutive years in the World Series. They weren't just the best team in their division, they were the best team in the American League. They were the best team in all of baseball for that matter. The difference between the A's dynasty years and the Giants are 30 more wins. The A's featured some of the greatest players of our era; Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, Dennis Eckersley and considering all things, even Jose Canseco. They were pure dominance from start to finish and that is why despite just 1 ring within those 3 years, they are considered a dynasty.
Since the 00's, The New England Patriots are more of a dynasty than the New York Giants. Doesn't matter the outcome of those Superbowls, the team (Pats) were just a better team, with better players, better coaching, better records and had more success consistency than the Giants. In 98-00, The New York Yankees went to the World Series and won all of them back-to-back-to-back. That was a truly dominating dynasty team.
So what's this all mean? Nothing. A dynasty is a dynasty is dynasty. Just like there will always be better teams, coaches, players, movies, flavors of ice cream or dime pieces. We can dissect all the different reasons why the Giants, a team full of many unspectacular players, that are kind of reminiscence of a AAA team are not the best dynasty team we've seen. We can talk about how just 1 person is truly responsible for their recent success but we can also talk about how they find ways to win. How their 2nd best pitcher (Cain) had season-ending surgery and didn't give this team more than 90 innings pitched all season. We can talk about how former 2x CY Young award winner Timmy Lincecum hasn't even been the same guy in over 3 seasons now. Despite his recent no-hitter, he was pretty much a non-factor for the Giants as he pitched all of 1.2 innings this entire World Series. E-40 did more for Giants baseball this World Series than Timmy L. Baseball is unlike any other sport. The best teams don't always win. This year two wild card teams found their way into the World Series. That's the beauty of the sport.
Some other takeaways I have after this World Series…
Just last month I ranked Madison Bumgarner #10 among the best pitchers in baseball. Some questioned it, but I'm really thinking the separation between him and Kershaw is a lot closer than you think. Maybe its hyperbole. But careers are made in the post season and at age 25, Bumgarner is just about to get even better. Having success when it counts (post season) means a lot. It's why I value guys like Curt Schilling higher than most HOF voters do. Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in baseball, but after these past weeks, I think Bum went from star to super-star status. He is 1 year younger than Kershaw. They both have similar frames. Both throw lefty but Kershaw has thrown significantly more pitches than Bummy so in a few years we might be seeing a change at the throne.
This much I know. If I'm a manager and I need to pick one of those guys to pitch for me in the World Series, I would be taking Bumgarner every fucking time. That's gotta mean something.


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Best Western Queens Hotel Pforzheim-Niefern
Top Business Hotel
Quiet location, nice food in restaurant. Helpful service staff. My room has a bad odor, which does not go off even after 24 hours. Suggest staff to do more thorough cleaning including air freshners for each room.
Excellent menu choice - friendliness of all staff. Just that the first floor corridor appeared to have Cigarette Smoking smell.
The hotel is close to the highway Munchen - Karlsruhe and is very convenient when travelling from northern europe to southern europe as a one night stayover hotel
After asking for an extra pillow it arrived 1 hour later. Informed "Oh sorry forgot" not particularly the best side of the hotel. Ask for a room away from street, noise from there starts at 5.30 am
the hotel lives upto its well deserved european hotel to stay at, reputation, the ambiance was good and the breakfast was even better. for being an excellent hotel, it unfortunately let it self down by the state of the carpark, which was under a great depth of snow and if it had not been for the kindness of other guests i would still be stuck in even with a shovel and snow chains,
Nice Restaurant. Close to the highway. Free internet connection. No air conditioning and ventilation system in the rooms.
A comfortable hotel with excellent food. Close to the autobahn. An excellent spot to break a journey back to UK Some road noise.
We have stayed there before and the comfort is as expected. 3rd bed is a little uncomfortable !!!!!
Great location for travellers as so close to the motorway. Stayed in the new section which was excellent and great staff
The restaraunt is very good Rooms too small
The rooms (including bathroom) are so small that one barely can move!
The hotel can be very easily reached from the highway Karlsruhe - Stuttgart. As we wanted to stay only 1 night, the location was the main reason, why we have chosen it. On the other side, the hotel is a bit noisy (noise coming from the highway and the very busy road in front of the hotel).
The hotel was a good choice but as the weather was hot, the lack of air-con meant we slept with the windows open and the associated traffic noise.
All of the items in Q.2. Breakfast was particularly good.
Breakfast very noisy, traffic start very early in the morning. Due to lack of air-conditioning you have to open window. Lobby and especially bar is not very cosy. No restaurants and pubs in area aroudn hotel.
The surface of the bedroom, the newspapers available in the room
Being in a very quiet atmosphere Yes, the unability to get a wireless internet connection even if normally this was available. And noone was able to give right information.
clean comfortable and good value for money no restaurant - a pity as there is not much choice nearby in Pforzheim
Breakfast food, dining room and service was fantastic. Front desk staff could have been much wamer and friendlier. Would be nice if you could use an ironing board/iron in your room
better space in comparision to other hotels I experianced in Europe
Very nice and comfortable rooms, excellent restaurant and breakfast buffet (prices accordingly!), good position close to the park and to the town centre The reception staff during check-in could have been a bit more welcoming
Nice spacious rooms, quiet with a pleasant view, excellent breakfast. An extra bonus was that Nigel Kennedy was staying there and invited us to his room for a drink.....or two ! Arriving was fine, but one has to labour up a steep incline to get to the railway station.
rooms, restaurant, hotel garage internet access not included; room ac not individually adjustable
Wonderful breakfast! The sauna facilities didn't open until 14.00 making them impossible to use on the day of departure - dissappointing.
Very quiet at night. Excellent breakfast.
Nice, relatively modern hotel. Good breakfast selection. Nice location. Friendly personnel. Extra charge for Internet access (T-Mobile); breakfast not included in room rate.
The staff was extremely kind and helpful. If I could request on thing....I would want to see and upgrade in the fitness room.Maybe another treadmill and up graded equipment. Maybe more, two or three, english channels on the telly, though I respect that we are in Germany....Thank you
The food was excellent No english-speaking TV except CNN
Very modern hotel situated in a beautiful and convenient setting in Pforzheim. Enjoyed the hotel amenities like the free wireless internet and the free breakfast. Definitely a plus that the reception staff all spoke English, as I do not speak German. And they exchange foreign currency which is very convenient when traveling abroad. I would have liked a more extensive and varied dining menu for the room service.
nice friendly people good food a great location the elavator buttons to the third floor did not work so good. needs some maintenance. it was ok to use stairs
That the hotel keeps up good old standards. You have enlarged the hotel in fine traditional style.
Everything. Staff was excellent and attentive. Room was easily accessible and the spa/pool area was fantastic. Nothing.
Good service, nice decor, good food, beautifull suroundings
food, location, apperance & atmosphire, service tv, luck of english tv chanels, bar was poor.
Good position for Black forest The evening meals had a very limited choice and no one in our party (4) enjoyed the food. On this basis alone we would not stay there again
The surrounding "forest" area , great place for relax and hike, restaurant waiters are good and friendly. The hotel needs total renew, the rooms are not as expected at all, we arrived with standard room reservation, and it was disaster, the receptionist offered all available room classes, but we did not change due unfair "compare to price" rooms quality , the breakfast is just bellow our expectation, the dinner was oily but fine, but the waiters were so kind, nothing to do if u want to have dinner in the surrounding area, even with a car, so u need to stick with the hotel restaurant.
Quiet, relaxing,excelant suroundings 1st class pool area
Everything just perfect. I love this place,will be back soon.
Excellent surroundings, friendly staff!
The staff was very helpful and they also spoke English.
great breakfast and friendly service
the breakfast cost for the quality of romm
Convenient location for access from autobahn. Secure Garage parking
Easy location just off the Autobahn. BUT beware the speed cameras. Didn't eat at the hotel restaurant; seemed a bit pricey. But next door is a good sports bar/restaurant.
Everything was ok but it's a bit bland. More of a business stopover type of hotel. Parking was good and the Italian restaurant downstairs was good. Breakfast was excellent if a little expensive.
Clean, modern and well located. I was told by staff over the phone that the breakfast buffet was included in the quote rate, it was not! Large window in shower stall. We could not close curtains, so bright lights shown into room all night.
Nice and clean with character. Able to walk into the forest from the hotel - about 15 minute walk to the outskirts of the forest. Friendly. A bit out of the way and not too easy to find and the food was variable in the restaurant (tasted a bit too artificial, though the salad was good). The breakfst was good though.
The room was very goed ,large well appointed bathroom,Breakfast excellent.Look for Birkenfeld enzkreis when using navigation instrument/
Diner, breakfast No airco
The restaurant and kitchen, which belong tot the Hotel, are very good - recommendation!
The restaurant is excellent As we had a dog we had to stay in the old building and there was no air con.
PREIS-lEISTUNG; Sauberkeit und Funktionaliät des Zimmers Der Besitzer und Chef war eher muffig!
the relaxed atmosphere in a small village, with friendly people and the surprisingly well equipped room for its orice
very friendly hotel staff, very quiet location, very good breakfast the young lady in the restaurant & receoption - hardly spoke any english, except for "yes", TV did not work at all
Lovely location, extremely friendly staff and although little English spoken staff went out of their way to understand our requests and explain the menu, etc. Decor a little dated but all v.clean and well presented. Will definitely stay again and next time for a few nights.
Discrete, and nice hotel. Beautiful setting. Excellent food. Comfortable room.
Extremely friendly and helpful staff, went out of their way to make our stay pleasant and enjoyable. Added bonus of sauna and associated facilities, could not be classed as a genuine spa hotel but they're not selling it as such. Good, local dishes, superbly cooked. SIgns to hotel few and far between and not easy to spot, make sure you have a printout of map & directions or that your sat nav definitely has the correct location.
location, price, staff courteous and helpful Reception was only open for a few hours a day and parking was very limited
Staff were cooperative and flexible with check out time. Breakfast was pleasant. Room was comfortable and in very good condition
Quiet place, beautiful center of the town, clean and well equipped room, not expensive.
The stuff was very very nice, the hotel is close to the plaza and to the train station. great value for the money! nothing
Relatively large room. Good breakfast buffet. Nice personnel
The room was clean. Free parking is almost impossible in the neighborhood, but you can get private parking for 7 euros a night. Otherwise Achat is miles away in quality than Etap hotels.
Car parking available under cover. Convenient restaurant next door
nice and comfortable room, free underground parking, restoration right in hotel yard, free WiFI in the lobby, very close to city center. The Bretten is small but very interesting old German city. I'd like to advice the hotel for any kind of trip - business or tourist.
excellent location, very close to the old town. Good breakfast in a very pleasant setting
Great Hotel, Super friendly staff. The food was great as well. The hotel is located on the road to the castle, which not only had an east access it was very easy to find.
The hotel is old and very well preserved. The rooms are very comfortable. Our room was standard and had a large bed. Very pretty lighting, and other lovely features, such as marble double sinks in the bathroom, and a cute little balcony. The food was great !!!
Very noisy!!!
comfortable and close to sighting seeing spot noisy if the room facing the main road and the window has to be opened
The surrounding environment is excellent, place is nice and cozy.
Very helpfull Wine was very expensive
It's snobbish and asked for an extra charge.
Great food, wonderful service, excellent English speaking people. Highly skilled hoteliers. This place was a real jewel.
Very good location. Just right down the hillfoot of the castle. Easy to find. Ample of parking space. Beautifully decorated. Good food.
the breakfast was not bad, even if the kindess of the hotel staff left a lot to be desired. it was not mentioned the hotel was very close to the main road with a very heavy traffic, awfully noisy. Without air conditioning, we had to close the 3 windows and could not sleep the 3 nights we have spent there because oppressive heat and noise ! A nightmare !!!


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One of the essential things to keep a pet safe and healthy is using proper products to bathe it. To keep your pet clean and neat and chic as ever, now that is pet goals. What better than natural, organic products to give your pet the love it deserves. If we can buy organic products for ourselves, then our pets deserve the same kind of love too and rightly so. Research says pets are more likely to catch allergies than us humans, their skins being more sensitive. By using these well suited products, your pet will be always healthy and a healthy and happy pet, means a happy you.
The main step you need to take, is to choose a perfect organic soap for your pet for bathing the pet.
Here is why you need to use natural organic soap for your pet:
Pets are more prone to get skin diseases, if we use non organic soaps to wash them. More necessary is to remember the fact that we should never use the soap we use for ourselves on them.
Organic soaps will cleanse your pet clean and give it a natural fragrance.
The said project contains neem, camphor and coconut oil, which are all that makes the product amazingly reliable for use.
These products are free of the harmful toxic pollution causing elements. They are not artificial. They are truly natural, and if you are nature loving and want something toxic less for our pet , this is the way to go.
Remember how irritating it got, when that one time you caught lice from someone? Or when you wanted to badly kill the mosquito which kept following you around? Well, your pets feel the same way too. They might get exposed to these vicious creatures and suffer too. So what is the remedy, what can we do to keep our pets lice free, insects free, ticks free; To save them from all things evil? The best way to do this is to use repellant sprays. But what is best of use is any kind of herbal repellant sprays.
You are spraying these sprays in the place your pet lives, it would be advisable to keep the place free from toxic pollutants and natural for the long and safe life of your pet. At this point if your sprays aren't herbal, it can cause problems like skin allergies, itching etc to your pets. Herbal sprays also have a very nature kind off fragrance to it, which is nice and relaxing and removes the odor from pets.
Some precautions that must be taken while spraying herbal repellant sprays on your pets :
In all, it is very necessary to treat the pet as family. Do everything for it, as we do for ourselves. Using proper organic and herbal products, will keep your furry friend away from all things toxic and increase its life span.
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On the shoulders of giants we stand! Join Collage Dance Collective for a powerful concert that honors the legacy and contributions of giants and pioneers, from past to present. RISE features the company's professional dancers alongside Collage's dance stars of tomorrow and dancers from the historic Jones Haywood Dance School.
General admission advance: $25
General admission door: $30
For tickets go HERE.
Learn more about Collage Dance Collective at www.collagedance.org!


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I was a pretty fucked up kid I must admit, nothing short of a juvenile delinquent. Not huge crimes I mind you, small things like threats and petty thievery. I could tell you about many of my crazy stories, ranging from getting shot at by drug dealers to driving into a mail box, but I decided I'm going to tell you about one of my more "disturbing" encounters.
It started back in Needles, Arizona. This town wasn't too big and was in shambles. Half the town was nothing but ghetto and I was merely a product of my environment. I hung out with some people on a regular basis. One person I used to hang out with everyday however was Reggie. Then I stopped, my parent's thought he was a bad influence, which he was to be honest. Our favorite thing to do would be sneaking out at near-midnight, breaking into old houses and sweeping it clean, it was more of a hobby than a job and it still earned us a few hundred each time.
We broke into foreclosed houses, burnt down houses, abandoned houses, you name it and we have probably been into at least one, seeming as they're common here. There is one that I could unfortunately add to my long list, a rather large house. It used to belong to a man named Oat Buckley, a rich man gone mad, who lived just on the outskirts of town. His house was surrounded by brick walls on each side, and the only way to get in was by getting through the now locked gate. The only way to get to Oat's house was by traveling a several mile long dirt road into what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
We planned the sweep out well, we spent several weekends drawing up plans. Reggie's dad let him borrow his utility van, so we already had transportation. We had to make up lies, we told him we're going to a friend's party, and he lived on the farther side of the city. We were going to act it out like usual, we each carried two or more satchels and we snatched anything that looked of value. This plan seemed kind of narrow, but you wouldn't expect any danger, we still carried a crow bar, in case we ever needed to pry ourselves out or defend ourselves from something. I let Reggie handle the crow bar, he's stronger than I am. At around eleven we set out on a forty-five minute trip to the house. We turned off into the dirt road and slowly progressed downward.
"I don't know if anything's down here anymore." I said after a good thirty minutes of driving down the road.
"No keep going," Reggie persisted. "There has to be something, even if it's just a foundation, at least we'll know we can turn back." Minutes passed slowly and it seems like we've been driving for hours, though it's only been a bit less than a half an hour. The headlights were only able to illuminate a bit in front of us making it harder to spot oncoming rocks and tumble weeds. The darkness engulfed us, and my anxiousness soon turned into disappointment, as we have actually been driving for a good hour and a half now.
I was just about to turn back when the light shone in the right spot to reflect off some kind of crossing guard vest. It sat just a couple feet from the front gate. Reggie leaned onto the dash to get a closer look.
"Damn, man musta had it good!" He said, slinging a dark green pack on his left shoulder. He was anxious to get in I could tell, but something about this unnerved me to the point where I started to feel sick. I collected myself and nestled my backpack onto my shoulders, opening the van's door as I looked at the house. The house was surrounded by a long maroon brick wall. The entrance gate was rusting and bending, the black paint was peeling off too. The house itself looked in decent condition. A good coat of light yellow paint complimenting the white-bordered windows. I walked up to the gate's buzzer. Buttons were missing and it was unresponsive.
I walked around the corner with Reggie through dry bush and weeds to find an easier way in. He was straying far from the wall while I was almost hugging the wall. Just when I thought the terrain couldn't have been worse, my foot slipped into a hole and I nearly fell onto my face.
"Hey, I think I found something..." I said, getting up and wiping my hands on my jacket. Reggie turned on his LED flashlight and shone it in the hole.
"Looks like someone dug this, maybe we're too late." I said, half-hoping he would say that we should turn back, to no avail. He pushed his backpack through and crawled in. After a few seconds of silence he called me through. I went in feet first and reach through for my back pack after I was through. I replaced the backpack onto my back once more and took my flashlight out of my pocket. We searched for an entrance and he found a sliding glass door. He tried to open it but it wouldn't budge.
I walked over behind Reggie, as he tried and tried to yank the door open.
"Here let me try." I said, pushing him aside. I pulled as hard as I could but it wouldn't move.
"Oh, must be locked, maybe we should-" My words were cut off by the shattering of glass. I was startled and jumped back. Reggie was hitting the door with a lawn chair while I was still trying to catch my breath.
"Goddamn, warn me before you do that next time." I said, still holding my chest as if having a panic attack. In a matter of second he broke a rather large hold into the face of the door, he removed an old, stained shirt from his pack and proceeded to knock out some more glass before stepping in, I followed. I turned on my flashlight and pointed above to see a chandelier. I looked back down and saw that fine china and glasses were shattered and dusted. Reggie picked up fragments of plates.
"Damn dude, would have sold for a lot." He said, dropping the shard on the floor and continuing his search. He approached a cabinet and opened it. Silver platters and china lined the shelf, Reggie smiled and began placing several dishes at a time in his pack. He motioned me to help and in minutes we filled both our packs. He zipped his up and I did the same.
"Here let me see your pack," He said, reaching out towards me. "There's still more shit to explore, I'm going to go empty our earnings so far into the van, this is going to make us rich!" I asked why we couldn't both go, but he snatched my bag before I finished. I decided it would be best to stay here and scout out the area. As he left and entered the living room. It wasn't too fancy, a nice little sofa, a glass coffee table, a rather rustic lamp, a fire place, and a TV. Everything was dusty, and just watching the dust bunnies roll around because of the draft was enough to make you want to wear a mask.
This place was a hazard zone though. Broken shards placed up right, misplaced power tools, water leaking onto electronics, as if suffocating because of the massive amounts of dust wasn't enough to kill you. All though, at this point in time I wasn't too paranoid, but looking back on it, everything was positioned perfectly enough to cause someone harm that it was almost too suspicious. I could have blamed it on people breaking in, but there were too many valuable things left unattended and ready for the taking for it to be that. I quieted down and listened for Reggie, but it was dead silent. When I finally found serenity in this old creepy place, a toy car came thumping down the stairs. I was frozen in fear. I inched slowly towards the stairs, not to be attacked by a crazy drug addict or something that now resided in this house. I felt something down my neck, like, a breath. I stood in place, before I turned around sharply ready to run. Reggie yelled out, "Boo!" and stomped a foot down. I nudged him in the arm.
"What the fuck man, stop that!" I said, still scared shitless, almost forgetting about the car. "But did you see that car man? Scary shit! Come on lets go check it out."
Reggie ascended the stairs and I trudged reluctantly behind. I picked up the car. It was an old matchbox car, a really old matchbox car. I placed it in my pocket hoping to score a few tens from a collector. Only one of the few mistakes I made already, like following Reggie in here or even breaking into to any house for that matter. The steps creaked as Reggie and I climbed up the oak wood stairs. I glided my hand along the dusty railed, then I wiped it off on my jeans. Just then there was a thump loud enough to scare the shit out of Reggie even. Being the fearless muscle clad man he is, he continued on after a moment of shock. If it were me right now, I would have turned around at the sight of the house, but now here I am going upstairs. What the fuck was I thinking? The upstairs didn't look promising. Five doors, each were closed. Reggie reached for the first door and pushed it open. It was an empty office room, not much to describe about this room except the beige shag carpet and the navy blue walls.
The next room was the bathroom. The medicine cabinet was empty and the plumbing had been turned off, so no water was in the toilet. We continued to the next room. It was a bedroom, a little girl's room. The walls we're peeling off, strips of flower covered wallpaper hung and swayed slightly in the draft. We continued in and searched the room. We found dolls, and doll houses that were pricey looking. We weren't too big on girl's toys and dolls so we looked some more. We didn't have much success, snagging a porcelain dog or cat ever few minutes. I heard a faint sound in my left ear and a breeze flow across the back of my neck. I took no notice of this and went back to rummaging through a box of toys. The wind blew slightly on my neck again, except this time I swear I heard the voice of a child, a little girl. I looked over and saw the window cracked up. I took no hesitation to shut it, and in an instance, all sounds stopped dead in their tracks, save for the sound of Reggie pillaging a dresser. Except for this nothing else happened in this room.
The next room was that of a storage room. Boxes on boxes, bins on bins, it was a good sight to see when you though you've already seen the best of it. The light bulb was missing from the over head bulb socket. We started pulling out boxes. I pulled out one with the word "appliances" on it. I opened it up and found a single light bulb placed neatly on top of all the junk. I twisted it into the socket, pulled the cord, and it flicker to life. I squinted my eyes, as I haven't seen any light except that from my flashlight for a good hour now. The room's walls were an eggshell white, and as we pulled more boxes out we noticed something strange. There was some black writings on the wall. Someone of them were scribbles and others were random words like: "please," and "door," and "birds". It didn't help that a cardboard cut out of Michael Myers from Halloween was standing in between two stacks of bins, peeking out, as if there weren't enough jumps tonight already.
I felt a chill across my neck, the same one I felt in the girl's room. I heard a whisper, a faint whisper. I couldn't make it out, but just as I was ready to forget it, the whisper came back, this time more clear.
"The garage," it said. Normally I wouldn't have been frightened at such arbitrary words, but since it obviously wasn't Reggie, ankle deep in spilled boxes, I left that room. I sat by the door way while Reggie filled his back half way up and then turn off the light before exiting, closing the door with him.
There was one final door though. Something about it seemed off. It was newer than the others, and a cold draft blew from under it. I grabbed the handle to turn it, and it felt like ice on the skin. I shivered as I twisted the knob and pushed the door open. It was a master bedroom. A small house plant sat in the far corner of the room. The bed was neatly made, and it look like the bathroom was cleaned out neatly, everything in there shined. What was odd enough was the water in the toilet was running. The same cold rush went over my neck, and I held Reggie back with my left arm.
"I don't think we should go in, we have enough stuff." I said, nervous.
Something else was in this house, it wasn't an animal, it was another person, or so I thought. Reggie pushed me out of the way and continued on.
"Come on dude, don't be a pu-" His words were cut off from sheer terror. He looked into the corner of the room that was not visible from where I was standing. Something that could scare him, had to be bat shit insane. I stood there trying to get a read on what was happening, but before I could speak, a long bony arm reached out to Reggie. It wasn't human like, leathery skin, long black nails, dark red skin, almost like some kind of animal. It grabbed hold of Reggie's shirt and pulled him to the corner. The last sounds I heard from that room were Reggie's screams, the sound of an animal's howls, and the tearing of cloth and skin. I slammed the door shut and ran for my life.
I was just about halfway down the stairs when a noise stopped me. It was the door, of the little girl's room. Eyes, yellow, glossy eyes peak out from the door. Not ground level like you'd expect, but upside down, suspending from the ceiling. I didn't have time to study it before I ran, dropping my flash light and my back pack. I bolted for the nearest door. I opened it, went inside, slammed it shut and locked it. It was dark, besides a small amount of moonlight shining through a small window. I thought I was breathing heavily, but I noticed the sound of many tiny breaths. My heart sunk as a crowd of tiny yellow eyes opened, all hanging from the ceiling. The next thing that happened was me making a mad fucking dash, accompanied by the howls and hoots of the creatures. A couple snagged my shirt, but I shook them off, and dove through the thankfully unlocked window. I crawled through the hole and made a hasty retreat back to the main roads on foot. It ran for miles before collapsing on a street corner. Someone must have seen me because the next thing I know, I awoke in a hospital bed, next to me were my mom and dad. I went home the next day, no complications.
I lived out my days as a good kid from then on. I got my grades up, hung out with different crowds, and must noticeably stopped breaking into abandoned houses. Nothing much else to my story. I could go into more detail but I have to get back to my psychiatrist. I've been seeking some mental help ever since I thought over the fact I could have been dead. It's not because of the snagged shirts or Reggie dying, but the fact the whispers were not coming from next to me, but above me. Thank god I didn't look up.


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Find a Therapist in Albany County
Emily Siegel, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker
Age groups I work with: Teens, Adults
"Transformation comes through awareness. When we can turn our attention to something in a way that allows for curiosity, reflection, and compassion, w"... Read More
Laramie, WY 82070
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Meet & Eat With JB And The Moonshine Band Friday at Rudy's BBQ
JB and the Moonshine Band are traveling up from East Texas to play at the Midnight Rodeo on Friday night. Not only do they want to enjoy your company at the show on Friday night, but they'd also like to have some dinner with you. If you'd like to join KATP and JB, Gabe, Hayden , and Chris for a free meal at Rudy's BBQ, enter to win.


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Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. announced an increase to the borrowing base under its revolving credit facility agreement with its bank syndicate.
The syndicate of 13 lenders completed its regular semi-annual redetermination of the borrowing base, resulting in an increase from $450 million to $500 million.
The next redetermination of the borrowing base is scheduled for October 1, 2014.
Northern Oil and Gas
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Let's go shopping!5:00 AM
I had the pleasure of having lunch with one of my fabulous readers yesterday (Hi Tracey!) and the majority of our conversation revolved around shopping so I was inspired to do a shopping post today. :) I'm loving this time of year with all the discounts and sales. My favorite thing to buy right now is skincare, cosmetics and hair products as you rarely get a discount on those things the rest of the year. I know we've already covered the Sephora Friends and Family discount (which ends today!) and this week it's beauty.com's 20% discount!
Since I stocked up on my basics at Sephora, I had fun looking for some sets and kits that I could play around with. That's the best part about beauty products isn't it? :)
Foot Petals Luxury Kit
Foot Petals are my high heel secret weapon!
And then for clothing stores, one of my favorites, ASOS.com has a 20% discount on your entire order that ends on 11/22. Use code PSWLOVESASOS. BTW, I got this code from my People StyleWatch magazine, which is one of my favorite shopping magazines. For those of you online shoppers like me that love an extra discount, that magazine has so many exclusive discounts for different stores each month. I always can't wait to see which stores they give discounts for. I'm easily influenced when there's a discount code involved!
I just bought this to add to all my winter coats. I hate it when my neck gets cold so I have a ton of scarves but I also love the look of the fur collar. (and don't worry it's faux fur!)
Isn't this coat adorable? It's like wearing a dress!
Cute Collar Trim Drop Smock Dress
Adore this cutie dress. I can see it with black tights, black heels and chunky knit cardigan!
Drape Cowl Back Dress
I love love long sleeve dresses. I just think they look so classy and you can look dressed up without too much effort at all. The color of this dress is so pretty and love the draping.
Whistles Intarsia Spectacle Sweater
Too cute!
Now off to wait for my packages to arrive! :)
9 comments
Oh to be shopping.ReplyDelete
Actually on ASOS I found a pair of wrist warmers that would match the snood quite well.
They are on my post from today as well (shamless self pormotion I guess), but I do think they are adorable for the colder climate.
Have a great day.
<3 Nicole Lisa
http://www.blushcode.com/2010/11/wednesday-wishes.html (the post)
How is Asos in terms of petite sizing? I've been eyeing a cute coat but I'm worried it'll be too long! Would you say the sizing is comparable to Topshop?ReplyDelete
I adore the fur snood and the dip back coat looks so elegant. I also love the fur hat the model is wearing!ReplyDelete
Great buys and lovely blog.
The doll on fashion
I love ASOS! great shopping list :)ReplyDelete
i took advantage of the sephora FF and purchased the Clarisonic MIA :)
I have a set similar (Verbana) to the one you mentioned and I love it!
It was so nice to meet you. You are as fabulous in person as you are on the blog =)ReplyDelete
Zoe - ASOS sizing is a bit iffy. I always err on the bigger side as I find that a lot of their stuff fits smaller or doesn't have much give. For me, it's easier to alter something that's too big than too small.ReplyDelete
They do have petite sizing which might be better in terms of length.
I haven't bought much from Topshop so I can't really compare.
Drape Cowl Back Dress is amazing:)ReplyDelete
OMG Tiffany!ReplyDelete
I LOVE LOVE all your choices!
Normally, a couple of items aren't entirely my style (and hey that's what makes fashion great- everyone has different styles)but this time, every single item has me drooling !
I LOVE that long sleeve dress. I could pair it with lots of jewelry and high heels, or go low key with ballerina flats or booties. Hmmmm.ReplyDelete


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Check out the latest performance by Lisa Halling + The Pacific Public, "Kingdom of Sunshine," part of our #LSTNsessions concert series! Stay tuned for another video of their performance coming later this week!
If you want to hear more from The Pacific Public , check them out on Instagram! @pacificpublic @lisahallingmusic


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Separatist, Para-military, Military,
Intelligence, and Political Organizations
Organizations Using the Internet
Democratic People's Republic of [North] Korea
Modified 6 December 2008
Pro-DPRK —
Yes, there are web sites run by (or at least
on behalf of...) the Democratic People's Republic
of [North] Korea.
Motto: "Better Red Than Fed."
- North Korea has some strange representation on the net, like the collection at dpr-korea.com run by a Japanese businessman. A master of irony, one of his pages is dedicated to "Delicious Meals". It includes, no joke, "gasoline-baked clams" and "Wiener Coffee". No details of tree bark soup, though...
North Korean Press Agency
tracerouteindicate that a dissident Japanese group is a "`fellow traveler" and provides their Internet presence. If you miss the shrill propaganda of the Cold War, check this out.
- Silibank is a Pyongyang-based bank, their web page includes an e-mail link for the very few DPRK citizens allowed to use it.
- The People's Korea is a newspaper based in Japan, serving as the unofficial mouthpiece of the DPRK government.
- Another DPRK page is hosted on the same Japanese-based server: www.korea-np.co.jp.
- Loads of DPRK propaganda is available at kimsoft.com.
- Another DPRK page is rendered in only Hangul and Japanese at chongryon.com.
- Kuguk Chonson — National Democratic Front of South Korea, is actually a North Korean front that also runs the clandestine shortwave broadcast station Voice of National Salvation (3480, 4450, 4457 kHz), broadcasting the "ideo-theoretical wisdom" (i.e., nonsensical ramblings) of Kim Jong-Il. Again, it is hosted by a Japanese organization.
- Policy and Information Center for International Solidarity — Allegedly based on Seoul, but obviously in solidarity with North Korea. Some very shrill jingoism here.
- Want to visit the DPRK? Really? See: this pedropoint.com page.
Anti-DPRK —
Shiokaze (Sea Breeze) —
is a shortwave broadcaster attempting to reach
the Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea
beach raiders over the past few decades.
- Shiokaze site.
- Either another site of theirs or discussion at senryaku-jouhou.jp.
- Discussion at mt-shortwave.blogspot.com.
- Discussion at clandestineradio.com.
- Free North Korea Broadcasting — an "Internet radio broadcasting station", which will be of limited value getting information to North Koreans since they are not allowed to own radios or use the Internet — http://www.freenk.com/
- Shiokaze (Sea Breeze) — is a shortwave broadcaster attempting to reach the Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea beach raiders over the past few decades.
General alarmism re DPRK
"A Look at Mirim College,
Hotbed of Cyber Warfare",
Daily NK, 2011-05-06, Lee Seok Young and
Kwon Eun Kyoung.
Mirim College, founded in 1986, located then in Mirim-dong, Sadong district in Pyongyang. Now relocated to Chesan-ri, Hyeongjesan district, Pyongyang. Its name has been changed to Command Automation College of the Chosun People's Army, and then in 2000 the Kim Il Political Military University, officially the Number 144 Military Camp of the Chosun People's Army.
Basic coursework takes five years to complete, and there are some 120 students on each grade. It consists of two educational tracks: a five-year college track and a three-year research course, which is similar to a master's degree. In the first track, authorities select model students from graduates of the first senior middle schools — special high school for talented students — and also recruit exemplary young scholars attending Kim Il Sung University and Pyongsung College of Science. For the research course, students from National Defense University and Hamheung College of Mathematics are also recruited.
There are five professional departments: electronic engineering, command automation, programming, technical reconnaissance, and computer science. Notably, the command automation department teaches defensive and offensive programming and hacking tactics in a course entitled "South Chosun's Early Warning System and How to Respond to It."
After graduation, students are dispatched to the Nos. 32, 101, and 121 offices, which exist under the General Bureau of Reconnaissance of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces. In addition, Mirim College graduates are frequently assigned as Staff Officers of Technology, in which they research automation warfare for the two electronic warfare brigades, which were established in 1992.
- "N.K. hacking ability matches that of CIA, analyst says", The Korea Herald, 2010-04-06.
- "A Look at Mirim College, Hotbed of Cyber Warfare", Daily NK, 2011-05-06, Lee Seok Young and Kwon Eun Kyoung.
Intro Page Cybersecurity Home Page


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The Affordable Care Act has now provided relief to high prescription drug costs for more than one million Medicare beneficiaries, according to U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that more than one quarter of the four million checks that Medicare expects to distribute have now been received by eligible beneficiaries.
"Senior citizens and people with disabilities continue to benefit from the new law's step-by-step approach to closing the Medicare "donut hole,' "Congresswoman Kaptur said.
Eligible beneficiaries receive a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate check.
More beneficiaries will receive checks in the coming months as they enter the coverage gap, Congresswoman Kaptur said. Eligible beneficiaries get the checks automatically when they reach the "donut hole," and need not sign up in order to receive the rebates. They are receiving these benefits because of the health care law Congress passed to strengthen Medicare, lower costs for seniors, and give seniors more control over their medical care.
"Congressional Republicans have voted to repeal this law and undercut Medicare by making it a voucher system," Kaptur said. "We should focus on closing the donut hole once and for all and making Medicare stronger."
Rebate checks will help people with their drug costs this year. Starting in January, those who fall into the donut hole will receive a 50 percent discount on covered brand name medications while in the donut hole. Every year, the amount Medicare beneficiaries pay in cost sharing will decrease significantly until the coverage gap is closed.
The law also provides new benefits to Medicare beneficiaries, including free preventive care services such as mammograms and certain colon cancer tests and a free annual physical starting in 2011 in Original Medicare. Additionally, seniors can expect to save on average almost $200 per year in premiums by 2018 compared to what they would have paid without the new law. Most beneficiaries will also see a significant reduction in their Medicare coinsurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act also contains important new tools to help crack down on criminals seeking to scam seniors and steal taxpayer dollars. HHS and the Department of Justice are collaborating on fraud prevention by bringing together law enforcement experts, providers and seniors to help utilize these new tools to fight fraud and protect seniors.
The Affordable Care Act strengthens the screenings for health care providers who want to participate in Medicaid or Medicare, enables enforcement officials to see health care claims data from around the country into a single, searchable database, and strengthens the penalties for criminals. The reduction in waste, fraud and abuse returns savings to the Medicare Trust Fund to strengthen the program into the future.
Seniors are encouraged to contact 1-800-MEDICARE to report any solicitations of personal information, or go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Source: http://www.kaptur.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=643&Itemid=97


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SPAC marks racetrack's 150th year
Saratoga Performing Arts Center will pay tribute to the 150th Anniversary of Saratoga Race Course by presenting the world premiere of an original orchestral composition by Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour on Aug. 8, 2013.
The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the new piece, whose commission was sponsored by Saratoga 150 Committee Chair Charles V. Wait and his wife, Candace.
"Saratoga Springs owes so much of its remarkable history, development and success to the presence of Saratoga Race Course," Marcia J. White, SPAC's president an d executive director, said in a press release.
"The crown jewel of the racing world for 150 years, the track has helped grow Saratoga into a vibrant, unique and culturally rich community; the type of place where Saratoga Performing Arts Center could be envisioned, founded and sustained."
Marking 150 years
The Saratoga 150 celebration marks the sesquicentennial of the inaugural thoroughbred meet in Saratoga Springs in 1863. The first four-day program was such a success that founder John Morrissey and his partners built Saratoga Race Course in 1864. Today, Saratoga Race Course is the oldest sporting venue in the country still in operation and was named one of the top 10 sporting venues in the world by Sports Illustrated.
The Saratoga 150 Committee is planning and organizing a five-month celebration, from May to September, that will feature more than 150 community events for residents and visitors to the region.
Danielpour is celebrated for influential commissions in the areas of orchestral, chamber, and choral music. His work has been performed by many of the world's leading institutions, including the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Baltimore Symphony among many others. His work has attracted an illustrious array of champions, including Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Sarah Chang, Dawn Upshaw, and conductors Kurt Masur, Charles Dutoit and David Zinman.
Ballet, jazz
SPAC is also announcing today that the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, appearing July 24 and 25, will perform choreographer Norbert de la Cruz's "Square None," and that celebrated world music singer Carmen Souza will be part of the lineup of Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, set for June 29 and 30.
SPAC 2013 season dates announced so far include:
• New York City Ballet: July 9–13
• National Ballet of Canada: July 16–18
• Aspen Santa Fe Ballet: July 24–25
• The Philadelphia Orchestra: Aug. 7–24
• Saratoga Chamber Music Festival: Aug. 4–20
• Cabaret Series: July 19–Aug. 3
• Opera Saratoga: June 23–July 7
Tickets for these programs and all SPAC events will go on sale online to SPAC members at www.spac.org in late February and to the general public in mid-March.


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Fritz's Frozen Custard Map
815 Meramec Station Rd. (Crescent Ave.)
636-225-8737 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
Now that you know where you want to enjoy a meal, it's time to find the restaurant. Print out this Fritz's Frozen Custard map and take the driving directions with you so you can locate the restaurant easily.
Find out which restaurants and chefs top the list of GAYOT's 2016 Annual Restaurant Awards.


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My Favorite New Years
A personal history of the 60s Talk about your sound and fury signifying nothing! As a cause for celebration, the commemoration of an arbitrary marking of time -- be it the New Year or the Millennium -- has always left me a little cold. Every other holiday commemorates something, whether real, imagined or both. But exactly what were celebrating as the calendar page turns to January 1 has always somewhat mystified me.
Perhaps New Years seem flat to me because once, just once, 28 years ago, I was privileged to experience one New Years Eve where the turn of the calendar page was actually a matter of life and death. Well, at least figuratively a matter of life and death. For me, it remains the definitive story of the 60s, or anyway, my 60s, involving as it does the Vietnam War, the draft, the Nixon administration, student life, drugs, booze and the vagaries of the Postal Service -- all of it set against the ticking of the clock, the descent of the illuminated ball into Times Square, as 1971 turned into 1972. I have other you-shoulda-been-there 60s stories (as my friends will wearily attest): like the time, returning to New York from a giant Capitol Mall protest of the Cambodian invasion and the Kent State killings, when traffic on a jammed northbound I-95 came to a total halt for 30 minutes, and people got out of their cars and passed joints around to one another across all the lanes. But for sheer drama and historic resonance, nothing can top the final night of 1971 on the sidewalks of New York.
The tale actually begins a couple of days earlier, on December 29. I was staying at school (Columbia) over Christmas break that year, and on the 29th, a story on the front page of The New York Times caught my eye. It began, straightforwardly enough, with a report that the secretary of defense, Melvin Laird, had announced that there would be no draft call-ups for the first three months of 1972. (This was an election year, after all, and as weve learned since, Richard Nixon was willing to do all kinds of things to ensure his eventual re-election.)
Then, abruptly, the story entered the realm of greatness. Around paragraph five, the reporter, whose name I wish I could remember, added as an aside the helpful tidbit that if anyone with a draft deferment dropped that deferment in the remaining days of calendar 1971, his period of eligibility for the draft, by law, would be whatever remained of 71 and the first 90 days of 1972 -- the very period that Laird had decreed a draft-free time. All you needed was to get your letter dropping your deferment postmarked by the 31st, and poof! You need never again worry about the draft board knocking on your door.
Upcoming Events
(In recent years, theres been a vogue in some circles for something called public-interest journalism. Every time I hear those words, I flash on that story in The New York Times. There, goddammit, was public-interest journalism at its finest.)
The reason I was such an appreciative reader was the basest of self-interest. I was a senior that year at Columbia, and in a few more months, my 2-S student deferment would be gone with the wind. At that point, Id be at the mercy of my draft number. As my fellow fogies will recall, at some point in the 60s, the Selective Service Administration started annually putting every date of the year into a fishbowl and drawing them out one by one, then ranking the dates from 1 to 365, and assigning that ranking to every 18-year-old male in the land. If your birth date came out first, your number was up -- or actually, it was 1, and, the moment your deferment expired, you could start planning your trip to Mekong Delta. If your birth date was number 365, on the other hand, you could plan at your leisure your tour of Europe by thumb.
My number was 29.
There followed an immediate round of calls to my parents, friends and, more important, lawyers who specialized in keeping guys out of the draft (a flourishing and noble practice of the time). And so it was that on the afternoon of the 31st, I found myself in the long line for Registered-Mail-With-the-Postmark-Stamped-on-the-Receipt at Manhattans General Post Office -- a sprawling Mead-McKim-and-White-esque edifice across the street from Penn Station, with the sentiment Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds inscribed over its doors. The Registered Mail line wasnt distinctive just for its length. Everyone in it was a young man, every one of whom clutched a letter in which he selflessly gave up his draft deferment. We exchanged grateful mutters about that Times piece, swapped tidbits about what our respective draft lawyers had told us (in essence: Do it!), went to the window, and left clutching our postmarked receipts, a crazed grin adorning our faces.
I returned to my room at Columbia. And around 5:15, Steve called.
Steve had been one of my freshman-year roommates, and wed stayed friends in the years ensuing. In a tumultuous time on a tumultuous campus, he was just about the most mild-mannered, levelheaded friend I had.
And his draft number was 3.
Id called Steve on the 29th, shortly after Id read the article, but he wasnt in. He wasnt at his place on Morningside Heights, and he wasnt at his parents home on Long Island. He was, they told me, somewhere in New Hampshire -- where, exactly, they had no idea -- skiing. Hed be back on either the 30th or 31st, and theyd have him call me right away.
I called both his numbers on the 30th, and he wasnt back yet. Likewise on the 31st. Then -- 15 minutes after every post office in the Eastern Time Zone had closed for the year -- he called from his parents.
As best I can recall, I said something like I dont know what your plans are for tonight, but you really should write a letter dropping your 2-S, come into the city, go to the General Post Office and somehow get it postmarked. This required some explanation, but in short order Steve was trying to raise a draft lawyer by phone -- no mean feat on New Years Eve. That having failed, he called again, and we agreed hed meet me at my place around 8 p.m. Wed draft the letter together (inasmuch as I was the closest thing to an expert he could find on such short notice) and trundle down to the post office.
And so, at 9:30 on New Years Eve, I was back again, this time with Steve, at the venerable P.O., which at first glance looked to be profoundly closed for the night. We circumnavigated the building, though, and found the employees entrance, which to all intents and purposes was for the duration of the evening solely an employees exit. Postal workers were whizzing out of the building as if theyd been shot from a cannon. Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night stays these couriers for so much as a nanosecond from getting the hell out of there.
Steve and I surveyed this stampede with some alarm. Somehow, we had to stop one of these speedsters and persuade him or her to take Steves letter, go back inside, postmark it and bring him a postmarked receipt. Somehow, we had to figure a way to explain this situation to a postal worker at full gallop.
For the first 20 minutes, we simply approached the fleeing workers and said, Excuse me in a polite but urgent tone. This accomplished nothing. Steve, growing steadily more apprehensive, then changed the mantra to I need your help. Twenty more minutes of rejection (running the verbal gamut from No to Fuck you!) followed. Our next plan was a more careful targeting: Just try the workers with long hair or any other sign of countercultural identification. Yet another 10 minutes of failure. It was now 10:30, and fewer and fewer workers were coming out at all.
Clearly, it was time for drastic action. When the next longhair emerged, Steve -- decorous, mild-mannered Steve -- shouted, Help! and tackled the guy at the knees. That at least stopped him, and in the next 30 seconds, we somehow managed to explain just enough to rouse his sympathies. He took the letter and Steves postage money, went back inside, and five minutes later re-emerged with the postmarked receipt, handed it to Steve and vanished into the night.
Stunned, numbed, we stood there for a good five minutes more in the 15-degree cold. Then -- it was New Years Eve, after all -- we went to a party.
I cant recall if it was a friend of Steves or a friend of mine whod invited us to this party, but it was some party -- way out of our league. It was in a swank building in the East 70s, looking down on the East River and the lights of Queens, a much-higher-rent district than we were even remotely accustomed to. The apartment was dazzling and so were the women, though not in that order.
Then again, Steves and my ability to perceive, as such, was probably not at its apex. We arrived around 11, still shaking from our near brush with whatever it was we had had a near brush with. In the ensuing 20 minutes -- with all the moderation and decorum characteristic of the 21-year-old male -- we got instantly and hugely drunk and stoned. So that when, at 11:20, someone said, Lets go down to Times Square! we both said, Sure! in what must have sounded like a slurred chirp.
This, too, was a race against time. We -- there were about a dozen of us -- managed to hail two of the old-style cabs with those little jump seats in the back, and proceeded downtown. At around 11:45, we were in the 40s, but still way over on the Eastside. Our cabbies tried to go cross-town, but the streets were clogged with traffic. At 11:55 or 11:56 or thereabouts, we clambered out of the cabs between Madison and Fifth, I think on 47th Street. And we started trotting westward, hoping to get to Seventh Avenue by midnight so we could be in Times Square when the ball dropped.
Between Fifth and Sixth, it became apparent that trotting was not going to do the trick. There was just a minute or two to go. We began running across Sixth, then sprinting toward Seventh. And then came the roar from Times Square: 10-9-8. The crowd was counting down, the ball evidently had been lit and was dropping, refulgent, into 1972, while we still had several hundred yards before us. Steve had taken the lead and was flying down 47th, a bat out of hell. 6-5-4.
Suddenly, Steve stopped dead in his tracks, still a couple hundred yards from Times Square. He looked straight up and pointed. Look! he shouted. There it is! -- it being the dropping ball, shining brilliantly in the night sky.
Except, it wasnt the dropping ball. It was the moon. And Steve -- sweet, mild-mannered, swacked-to-the-gills, just-reprieved-from-a-date-in-Vietnam Steve -- genuinely couldnt tell the difference.
Now, that was a New Years Eve. And a happy Millennium to you all.
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Evenflo started a voluntary recall of convertible car seats and booster seats late last week that could impact a number of Chicago families.
The recall involves seats made between 2011 and this year, including select Momentum, Chase, Maestro, Symphony, Titan 65, SureRide, SecureKid, Snugli All-in-One and Snugli Booster models.
In a press release, the company said that while the harness crotch buckle meets crashworthiness requirements, the buckle may become resistant to unlatching over time when food and drinks are spilled on it and prevent parents from getting their child out of the seat.
Evenflo said it is doing the recall in light of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordering a recall of Graco Children's Products in February for the same buckle issue.
A free remedy kit is available. Visit buckle.evenflo.com or call (800) 490-7591 to see if your seat is on the list.
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