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Is there a holiday tradition more highly anticipated than baking cookies? Whether you like yours festively frosted or decked out in dark chocolate, cookies are pretty much guaranteed to spread the holiday cheer. We're celebrating 31 Days of Cookies here on the blog, but if you're not sure where to start, try these five favorite recipes.
1) We nominate Spritz Cookies (pictured above) as the most giftworthy holiday cookie. Rich, yet delicate in flavor, these winners hold up well days after baking, and have an elegant, classic look.
2) Who says ice cream sandwiches are only for summer? Add some zing to the dessert table with Giada's Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches. Use amaretto liqueur to spike the vanilla ice cream filling and give this frosty treat a grown-up spin.
3) Warm up your guests with a holiday cookie that packs not just the sweet, but also some heat. Alton's Chocolate Diablo Cookies earn their wicked name from a kick from cayenne pepper.
4) If you consider eggnog a holiday tradition, try shaking things up with Eggnog Shortbread Cookies. The thick and crumbly cookie wedges are spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon and topped with a bourbon glaze to one-up — or pair perfectly with — the holiday cocktail.
5) Half the fun of holiday baking is the decorating. And with these simple Butter Cookies, you can cut and frost them into anything you your holiday-happy heart desires.
More Cookie Recipes from Friends + Family:
Feed Me Phoebe: Gluten-Free Ginger Cookies
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Sorghum Cookies
Dishin & Dishes: Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Bites
Daisy at Home: Eggnog Cookies
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chocolate Italian Cookies (Biscottini Glassati al Cioccolato)
Red or Green: Biscochitos (New Mexico State Cookie)
Swing Eats: Florentines (gluten-free)
Virtually Homemade: Soft Sugar Cookies (gluten free)
Weelicious: Molasses Roll Out Cookies
Dishing With Divya: Eggless Coconut Cookies
Taste with the Eyes: Heavenly Fried Cookies with Ginger, Honey, Pine Nuts
The Cultural Dish: A Taste of Tradition: Italian Pizzelle Cookies
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: 5 Favorite Holiday Cookies
The Mom 100: Crystallized Ginger Shortbread
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Rugelach – Your New Go-To Holiday Cookie
FN Dish: 10 Recipes to Win Your Holiday Cookie Swap


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Napoleon Perdis Gloss Patrol
- 3 reviews See the Breakdown
- Product Info | Add Your Review
Napoleon Perdis Gloss Patrol Reviews
Heart the red!I have the red in this gloss and love the color, feel and shine. It doesn't stay on too long though — 6 years, 1 month agoSpitfire_jen | 40 reviews
Good stuffVery moisturizing gloss. Comes in a great variety of colors too-some look weird in the tube but are still completely wearable. More opaque than other glosses, so you won't be disappointed that i's too sheer. — 7 years, 11 months agorockhopper | 83 reviews
if you're a gloss girl then you'll love this!this brand is relatively unknown, due to i think poor distribution and maybe some worthless products. but Perdis' glosses are amazing. The Gloss Patrol line is exactly what you want your gloss to be : perfect consistency, perfect wear and great smell. there aren't that many colors however, but sometimes that's refreshing when we're inundated with products in the beauty market. with names after maj...read moreor cities (sydney, tokyo, dallas, cairo, paris, sao paolo)it also pleases the traveler in me. "Sydney" is a very opaque slightly mauvish pink. the glosses are superrrrr shiny and they color is exactly how they appear in the tube-very pigmented. make sure your lips are moisturized as the opaque colors don't tend to self-level. the lid is super secure, no leaking and a little goes a long way. good to know for the $20 price tag. — 8 years agolissasioux | 44 reviews
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subset: commoncrawl


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Noah's Naturals Milk Cleanser with Soapwart Extract
- 1 reviews See the Breakdown
- Product Info | Add Your Review
Noah's Naturals Milk Cleanser with Soapwart Extract Reviews
NOAH'S MILK CLEANSERi USUALLY USE THIS WHEN I TRAVEL BECAUSE OF CONTAINER BUT IT REALLY IS GREAT ALL THE TIME. CLEANS VERY WELL AND DOESN'T DRY MY SKIN , LEAVES IT FRESH . — 4 years, 11 months agoredjackel | 1 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
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Archive for September, 2008
MySQL Pop Quiz #29Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Yet another quiz inspired by Freenode#mysql IRC discussions. If you haven't been around on the channel lately, you should have a peek. Lots of interesting discussions going on!
mysql> SELECT c1, c2 FROM t WHERE c2 LIKE 'a%';
| c1 | c2 |
| a | abc |
Is the following construct for the LIKE clause legal?
SELECT c1, c2 [...]
MySQL Pop Quiz #28Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Don't forget to send in your suggestions for new quizzes!
This quiz originated on FreeNode#mysql, where someone asked how to count the number of newline-separated "fields" in a TEXT column. For the purposes of the quiz, I've changed the idea slightly but you should be able to appreciate the usefulness of this method for any x-separated [...]


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'Family secrets are revealed,' and 'the spell that kept them in Storybrooke is finally broken' when 'The Cricket Game' returns to ABC on January 6, 2013.
A new promo for "Once Upon a Time" season 2 episode 10 has been made available for viewing pleasure. It promises that the upcoming episode of the twisted fairy tale series will wrap up the story of hope, love, revenge and power in a "magical package." The Evil Queen herself teases that "things are about to change radically."
Compared to previosly-released preview, this new one gives more look at some new scenes. Building the anticipation of the new episode, the footage also gives clues that fearsome rivalries will flash, "family secrets are revealed," and "the spell that kept them in Storybrooke is finally broken."
In "The Cricket Game", Regina is accused of murdering one of the town's most beloved fairytale characters -- but only Emma senses that she may be innocent. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, after capturing the Evil Queen, Snow White and Prince Charming set about planning her public execution in order to rid the land of her murderous tyranny.
The fantasy drama series will go on hiatus and return with the second half of the sophomore season in January 2013. The next episode will air on January 6, 2013 on ABC at 8/7c.


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I was extremely disappointed with the incredibly biased headline used for an Aug. 15 article in the News Tribune about metals mining. It read, "EPA lauds PolyMet environmental review." "Laud" means to "praise" or "applaud" or "glorify." Nowhere in the article did it state the EPA even "approved" of PolyMet's plan to begin mining, let alone praise it. The article did state, "Alan Walts, the agency's director of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, stopped short of endorsing the mining project." That means questions still remain about the reliability of PolyMet's ability to clean up the pollution to our land and water that practically is guaranteed to happen.
I'm afraid misinformation from our local media is going to allow this potentially poisonous and destructive project to happen — to the detriment of our water, land and quality of life. I urge people to speak out if they, too, see the danger of allowing copper-nickel-sulfite mining to take place in our region. This mine is not needed. It will not benefit the majority of us. Most of the profits and metals will leave not only our state but also our country. To allow this kind of mining to proceed is extremely shortsighted and disastrous for ourselves and for future generations.


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U.S. to Join Iran, Syria at Baghdad Security Conference
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
GWEN IFILL: When Secretary of State Rice announced yesterday that the United States would willingly join Iran and Syria at a regional conference in Baghdad next month, it represented a departure from previous administration policy. This is what Secretary Rice told the NewsHour's Margaret Warner just this past December.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. Secretary of State: We've given the Iranians a chance to talk; in fact, we've said we will reverse 27 years of policy. I myself have said I'll show up any place, any time, anywhere to talk with my Iranian counterpart, with other European leaders, if the Iranians will just do the one, simple thing that the world has been asking them to do for almost three years: suspend their enrichment capabilities — enrichment activities so that they'll continue to perfect the technologies to produce a nuclear weapon.
GWEN IFILL: So what changed? And what can this new multilateral approach accomplish?
For that, we turn to two columnists with extensive experience covering the Middle East: David Ignatius of the Washington Post and Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Trudy, that was a very important "if" that Secretary Rice told Margaret last December, which is, yes, I'll go to this meeting, if these other things happen. That "if" was not repeated yesterday. What changed?
TRUDY RUBIN, The Philadelphia Inquirer: I think what changed is that Secretary Rice realized that you can't have stability inside Iraq unless there is some kind of contact between the United States, Iraqi leaders, and Iraq's neighbors, and that includes contact between the United States and Iran.
Because, right now, you have a civil war inside Iraq, and it threatens to spill out outside, with Sunni Arabs supporting one side, Shiite Iran supporting its coreligionists, who are Arabs, inside Iraq. And there's really a danger of explosion.
And a lot of tension has been ratcheted up by overt U.S. pressure on Iran recently. And I'm surmising that the secretary understood that this was getting really dangerous and that it was time, perhaps, for the kind of diplomacy, maybe, recommended by the Iraq Study Group.
'Breaking the ice'
GWEN IFILL: But, David Ignatius, why are talks the solution here? Even Secretary Rice has said, and I quote her, "You can't just talk about talks. You have to say what will come out of them." What would come out of these talks?
DAVID IGNATIUS, The Washington Post: Well, the first thing to say is that these are not going to be direct, bilateral talks between the U.S. and Iran or the U.S. and Syria. Everybody will be around a big table together in this first meeting.
It's a way of breaking the ice. You know, I think of it as tiptoeing toward the kind of engagement that the Baker-Hamilton report...
GWEN IFILL: Including Britain and China and you name it?
DAVID IGNATIUS: Yes, all of the permanent five representatives to the Security Council will be there. So it's a way of gathering all the interested parties in Iraq's future together and talking about Iraq. And that's the thing I think that administration officials are stressing.
This is really about Iraq. Iraq is calling the conference. It does have real symbolic importance. Even if absolutely nothing comes out of this meeting, the fact that it's held, the fact that all of the neighbors are there recognizing the government, sitting at the table with this new Iraqi government that the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China, all of the dominant powers in the world are there supporting it, it's going to say something to the world about this poor, frail government, its seriousness.
I think, you know, the hope is in the administration that this will be the beginning of a process, both for Iraq and in some kind of real discussions between the U.S. and Iran and Syria, about how to stabilize that country. That's the first step.
'A big table' for talks
GWEN IFILL: Trudy Rubin, it seems interesting that we're talking about, first of all, no bilateral talks, no direct talks, just U.S.-Syria or U.S.-Iran, and that, in fact, as David described, there's going to be a big table, and the very fact of the meeting is significant.
But how do you keep all those other subjects off the table? We've heard Dick Cheney talking about all options being on the table when it comes to speaking to Iran's nuclear ambitions. We know there are warships in the Gulf which are supposed to be threatening Iran. There are all these other things up in the air.
TRUDY RUBIN: I think this puts the pointer towards the essential issue here: What does the United States want out of these talks?
In 2001, there were talks over Afghanistan, multilateral talks, the Bonn talks, in which the United States and Iran participated. And the significance was that behind the scenes, in the middle of this multilateral gathering, the U.S. and Iran were talking on the side lines, out of the glare of publicity, and they actually cooperated tremendously to stabilize Afghanistan.
These talks will only actually have meaning and create possibly a road to stabilization in Iraq if there is some kind of behind-the-scenes talking, confidence-building between the United States and Iran. It's not clear yet whether the United States wants that.
But if it's just a multilateral gathering, there was one of those in 2004, a conference about helping Iraq's economy, at which Secretary of State Colin Powell sat next to the Iranian foreign minister, and they were only able to have chitchat, because their governments weren't speaking. If that's the way it works out, I don't think these talks will help very much.
GWEN IFILL: Do you agree with that, David?
DAVID IGNATIUS: No, I think the symbolic importance of everybody gathering in Baghdad, sitting at the invitation of the new Iraqi government is something. It is not going to solve the fundamental problems between the U.S. and Iran. It could contribute to that solution.
I think that it's important to understand why the administration has done this now, after saying in the clip that you showed at the beginning of the program and many other statements that it wasn't interested in talking to Iran.
I think there was a fear back in December, when the Baker-Hamilton report, the Iraq Study Group report, was issued, that the U.S. was seen in Tehran as so weak that, if we made an approach to them at that point, the Iranians would think we were coming to negotiate the terms of our surrender in Iraq, the surrender of our position in the Gulf.
And there is a feeling that -- for various reasons, sending the warships in, sending more troops into Baghdad, taking a tougher stance on many levels -- that the U.S. is more credible now in Tehran and that that's having some positive effect. And it's for that reason easier for us now, not feeling so weak, to sit down and talk with them.
But, you know, it remains to be seen what the Iranians want to do. I do think the U.S. and Iran do share a national interest in helping this Iraqi government, which leans towards Tehran, after all, succeed. The Iranians want that, they say, and we obviously want it.
North Korea comparisons
GWEN IFILL: Let's try to draw a comparison, Trudy, about what happened in the most recent talks in North Korea, another country which is not considered to be a terrible friend, which also has nuclear ambitions. It emerged after that agreement was reached that this latest agreement, six-party agreement, was reached, that, in fact, there had been private, bilateral meetings in Berlin involving the chief negotiator and the North Koreans. Is that something which -- why doesn't that apply here, I guess?
TRUDY RUBIN: I think that's a very interesting comparison. The North Korean situation is actually much easier than the tensions between the United States and Iran, even though it's very difficult.
But, in reality, in the North Korean talks, the six-party talks basically were dragging on, going nowhere, until Ambassador Chris Hill, the U.S. ambassador, finally got permission to have bilateral talks within the multilateral framework. And that's when the whole thing took off.
And I think that there will be a tremendous opportunity missed here, if something like that doesn't happen. After all, last spring, Ambassador Khalilzad, our ambassador to Baghdad, offered to talk to the Iranians, and they accepted.
And something quite amazing happened: Their supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, publicly endorsed talks with the United States, which hasn't happened in the whole awful history of our relations. And then the U.S. backed off.
I think, at this point, these sticks that have been applied by the United States may have had some results, but if some advantage isn't taken of that, if there isn't some attempt to capitalize on that with some carrots, and some behind-the-scenes talks, and making clear to the Iranians that their cooperation on many things, in return the United States would no longer be seeking regime change, if you don't have that quid pro quo somehow inferred in the background and communicated, I think these talks would be a waste.
Best and worst outcomes
GWEN IFILL: So, given that, let me ask you both a final question, starting with you, Trudy. What is the best possible -- and I suppose the worst possible -- outcome of talks like this, if they actually happen?
TRUDY RUBIN: Well, I think that the most wasteful outcome would be if you had a situation like in 2004, where the Iranian and U.S. representatives simply made meaningless chitchat. And then what would you have is a continuation of this build-up of Shiite-Sunni tension in the region, which runs the risk of having a wider civil war fought over the bleeding body of Iraq.
The best outcome, I believe, would be if behind-the-scenes talks created some kind of confidence-building between the two countries, which led to further talks on their common interests in stabilizing Iraq, and maybe had some positive feedback on nuclear talks.
GWEN IFILL: David?
DAVID IGNATIUS: Yes, I think the best outcome, in terms of Iraq, would be that you have now a regional group, with backing from the world superpowers, that's trying to help contain the civil war in Iraq, reduce violence there, and gradually you find political stability.
And, you know, in terms of the U.S.-Iranian relationship, which is crucial, that this is a first, small step toward really talking. And the big talk that we have to have with Iran is about its nuclear program. That's very complicated for both sides, but this is a step in that direction.
The worst outcome would be that this is a diplomatic food fight. I mean, these neighbors all are furious at each other. The Saudis are angry at Iran, and everybody is angry at Syria. So the conference could be a forum for very bitter exchanges.
I don't think that will happen. I think symbolically it will be a photo opportunity. And then we'll see what follows.
GWEN IFILL: David Ignatius of the Washington Post and Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, thank you both very much.


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Maybe Mel Daniels can come back under Pritchard? Stuff has a way of coming around sometimes.
This explains a lot. The disconnect between the rumors behind the scenes and the appearance of engagement at his end of season presser.
I like Larry Bird, but he is a my way or the highway kind of guy. I've always liked Prichard. and never cared one way or the other about Morway. So if this is what Bird wants, I'm OK with it.
Why should we believe this guy?
Wojo is a great source for breaking news. For a while, he was easily the best at breaking trades and who teams were drafting before their pick was announced.
However, everyone should consider who his main sources (i.e. sports agents) are when reading one of his new stories. I 100% believe he was told information from his sources, but the agenda is typically what I question.
Wonder whats up with Morway?? Seems weird to to jettison Morway after this recent success. Could be Simon consolidating power and salary...
You can't get champagne from a garden hose.
It would seem to me that if Simon and Morway were not in favor of Pritchard coming in to start with, it would be just as likely that Morway stays and Bird leaves, although Simon would not want to upset the apple cart due to having the Executive of the Year leave.
Here is the full article so that we can discuss it better:
The highlighted part concerns me. * The Owner and the GM needs to be on the same page and see "eye to eye".Larry Bird plans to promote Kevin Pritchard to Pacers GM
By Adrian Wojnarowski | Yahoo! Sports – 48 minutes ago
As Larry Bird finalizes his deal to continue as Indiana Pacers president, he plans to elevate Kevin Pritchard to become the franchise's general manager, multiple league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Pritchard has become a favorite of Bird's since his hiring as the Pacers' director of player personnel a year ago. Pritchard's promotion will spell the end of David Morway's successful tenure as GM, sources said.
Despite joining the organization as a subordinate to Morway, Pritchard rapidly usurped power and influence since his hiring a year ago, league sources said. Pacers owner Herb Simon and Morway were wary of bringing Pritchard into the organization, sources said, but Bird trusts Pritchard's counsel and has pushed for this change.
Bird still has to finalize a deal with Simon for Pritchard's promotion to be made official. Pritchard had a modestly successfully, but tumultuous three-year run as the Portland Trail Blazers' GM from 2007-10. He drafted LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy and Nic Batum, but also had some first-round picks – that cost the Blazers millions of dollars to acquire – never pan out. Pritchard's self-aggrandizing management style alienated those inside and outside the Blazers organization and ultimately led to owner Paul Allen firing him on draft night in 2010.
Geez...talk about a back-handed compliment.In some ways, Pritchard is best known for jumpstarting the Oklahoma City Thunder's rise to prominence in the Western Conference after he chose Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Landing Durant turned out to be a seminal moment for the freshly crowned 2012 Western Conference champions.
I admit that there is a part of me that is holding out for Pritchard because of the possibility that he can transform this Organization the way that the Blazers were when he took over.....then I remember that he had problems with the Owners....and I have some concerns. The only hope that I have is that the Simons remain as "hands off" with Pritchard as they did with Bird.
Last edited by CableKC; 06-08-2012 at 06:50 PM.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
I think if Bird retires after another 2-3 years morway will become president of basketball operations.
Whose higher in the food chain? the GM or the President of BasketBall Operations?
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
The last paragraph is why other teams are very interested in Morway as GM. They have knowledge about Morway's abilities Pacers fans don't.
The way the Pacers are structured, being the GM isn't the same as being the GM of most other teams... President of basketball operations is the decision maker, and the GM is his assistant/ right hand man.
If Bird wants Pritchard to be his right hand man, then let him.... it also raises questions about Morway if Bird doesn't want him as GM, as well as the role Morway had chasing out Mel Daniels. Seems like to me Morway rubs everyone wrong other than Simon.
Also been reported why Portland has had issues getting/keeping a GM is b/c Allen is a complete control freak. Yes owner GM needs to be on same page, but what is the point of having a GM if the Owner controls so much?
"George's athleticism is bananas!" - Marc J. Spears
So if Pritchard is a GM.....then wouldn't there be a President of Basketball Operations that is Pritchard's Boss?
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
For basketball decisions Bird is #1, Pritchard would be #2/Bird's right hand man
"George's athleticism is bananas!" - Marc J. Spears
Could this be the issue that Bird was waiting to discuss with Herbie before he agreed to next year.
Sign me up. Pritchard is very aggressive. I like his style.
Ask Cuban. He has a championship now.
Yep Pritchard has a reputation of being very aggressive. This could be a very interesting draft if Pritchard/Bird are in charge.
Well, the draft just got a helluva lot more exciting.
Ok, what's the point of being the GM if the Owner doesn't let you do the job you were brought in to do. - Also I was referring to Allen/Pritchard relationship, and last I checked Allen doesn't have a championship. And the GM job was left open for like a year.
"George's athleticism is bananas!" - Marc J. Spears
It's always been my opinion that Cuban is the self appointed Pit Bull of his basketball front office team. If they say they need so and so, Cuban tries to get so and so for them. In other words Cuban asks who do we need, and then takes the lead in trying to obtain them.
Wells says Bird and Simon are expected to meet sometime next week.
Wait....I'm assuming that Bird is leaving and that Pritchard will be promoted to run the FO.....am I totally reading this wrong?
Is Bird intending to stay and he intends to promote Pritchard to Morway's spot?
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 3/4/2012 (1964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A handful of reporters has Jamie Hall pinned up against the kitchen counter and are peppering him with questions.
In less than two weeks, the downtown nightclub employee and part-time writer will be moving into his chic new apartment in one of the city's most talked-about downtown revitalization projects -- the $12.4-million conversion of the long-vacant Avenue and Hample buildings on Portage Avenue into a modern apartment/commercial complex.
Hall and several other tenants were on hand Tuesday to field questions from reporters as part of the grand opening ceremony for The Avenue on Portage and The Avenue West, as the two buildings are now called.
Hall said he can't wait for the city to issue the occupancy permit so he can move into his one-bedroom suite, which faces onto an interior courtyard.
"I love it!" Hall said of the modern, open-concept design, with its stark white kitchen cabinets, black granite countertops and a bright orange dividing wall separating the living room from the bedroom. "And I really like the deck (the wooden deck off the living room)."
Fellow tenant Brian Chipman is also counting the days until he takes possession of his sixth-floor, one-bedroom suite, which faces Portage.
"I work downtown and as soon as I saw they were going to convert it (the Avenue Building) into apartments, I knew I had to be here," said the 26-year-old event co-ordinator with True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. and nephew of Winnipeg Jets Governor Mark Chipman.
"It's one of the most exciting things that's happened in my life."
Chipman said he's not worried about the street noise on Portage.
"I'm up on the sixth floor, so I don't think there will be a ton of noise."
And Hall said downtown safety -- something else the reporters were also curious about -- was a non-issue for him.
"The downtown has been revitalized in the last few years. I walk around downtown all the time and there's no concern."
Premier Greg Selinger and Mayor Sam Katz were on hand for Tuesday's event, singing the praises of the new complex and Mark and Rick Hofer, the developer brothers who turned two former eyesores into the new poster child for downtown renewal.
Selinger described the Hofers as "very brave and pioneering developers," while Katz told media and guests, "This is exactly what we need downtown."
Mark Hofer, the more outgoing of the brothers, said, "Today is a huge day for us. We've had a big passion for the downtown for a long time."
He stressed that the redevelopment would never have happened without the roughly $3.8 million in financial assistance from the city, the province, and the city's downtown development agency -- CentreVenture Development Corp.
This is the third downtown heritage building redevelopment the Hofers have tackled. The others were the conversion of a former warehouse on Pacific Avenue into an office building and the conversion of another nearby warehouse on Princess Street into The Edge apartments.
The Hofer brothers already have a couple of smaller projects lined up.
One involves converting the basement of The Edge into six apartments, which should only take a couple of months. And the other involves erecting a new apartment block on some vacant land they own in the suburbs.
But that's just to keep them busy until they can find another downtown project to tackle.
20 units down, 55 more to go
ALTHOUGH Tuesday marked the grand opening of The Avenue on Portage and The Avenue West, it will likely be a couple more weeks before tenants begin moving in.
Developers Mark and Rick Hofer said the final safety inspections still have to be done before the city can issue an occupancy permit.
But they expect that can be completed within a week or so, and the residential tenants can begin moving in by April 15.
And it's likely going to be April 23 before Employment Solutions for Immigrants Inc./Manitoba Starts, the not-for-profit agency that has leased the ground floor of the Avenue Building and the bottom three floors of the Hample Building, can take possession of its space, Rick Hofer said.
He said crews are still busy developing the space to meet the agency's requirements.
Sabrina Treyturik, leasing manager, said only about 20 of the 75 apartments have been leased. But she's confident the rest will soon be taken, especially now that the scaffolding has been removed to reveal the mirror-finished aluminum-clad archway stretching across the front of the two buildings.
"Since they took that down (on Monday) my Twitter account has just exploded," Treyturik said.
"People are hopping on the bandwagon."
She said most of the tenants who have signed up so far are single, urban professionals -- the kind of people experts have predicted would be attracted to living downtown.
"But there are a few couples who are also very interested in living downtown because they work close by," she said.
All but eight of the apartments are one-bedroom units. The rest have two bedrooms. Treyturik said units range from 400 square feet to just over 1,000 square feet. Rents begin at $925 a month, with the top-end still to be determined.
The basement of the buildings has been converted into an underground garage, with 37 stalls.


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Open Thread: Steele Defends GOP Chairmanship
Starter topic: In an interview with Human Events editor Jason Mattera, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele defends himself against a number of criticisms of his tenture:
Overall, Steele gives his performance in the last two years a "solid B," and says he's running for re-election because he's "not one to quit half-way." While acknowledging that he has "stumbled along the way," Steele believes he was unduly targeted by Republican apparatchiks from day one. "[T]he moment I assumed the gavel of the Republican National Committee, I was under the scrutiny and the attack, in some cases, of people who lost, people who supported individuals who lost, and the establishment as a whole," he told us. [...]
Steele's even more upbeat about his fundraising efforts because he says that they came at a time when high-profile Republican leaders urged donors to quit giving to the RNC and instead channel their money to conservative 527s, such as American Crossroads.
"We've done exceedingly well given the obstacles that been placed in front of the Institution by those who don't want us to be successful for some reason, telling major donors—and I can list all the names of the major donors that I've talked to—'well, so and so said not to give, I didn't know why, but they said not to give.' "
Steele will continue to defend himself today at a debate sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform which will be broadcast live starting at 1pm ET on C-SPAN. NB's Matthew Sheffield will be covering it live via Twitter) between himself


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EPA scientists say bioremediation may not be good fit for the the Allied site, but if it works, rather than burying the toxic waste under a cap it would leave behind a clean field. Full story »
Interstate 94 near Galesburg has a bad reputation. Full story »
It would have been easy to say the job was too big for a small group of volunteers, despite their interest and dedication. Full story »
The Mylan episode is a stark reminder that we live in a global economy and the forces of Wall Street can have a real impact on Main Street, even in little towns like Allegan. Full story »
The $144 million investment is sizable, but we think the district has made its case that it's also worthwhile. Full story »
Kalamazoo has long been known for its philanthropy and generosity, and the United Way plays a key role in distributing the dollars coming in. Full story »
Editor's note: The following opinion reflects the position of the Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board. Recently, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported that Kalamazoo Public Schools had the second-highest number of expulsions and long-term suspensions in the state in 2013-14. In online discussion, some parents and community members applauded KPS for taking, in their view, a tough stance on student behavior.... Full story »
If this piece of history is erased, it will be a blow to our community, and sorely missed. Full story »
We have a better idea: Let's honor the Constitution by paying our fair share of taxes. Full story »
We are not here to endorse a specific future use for the property. Nor do we endorse any particular developer. But the idea of the city of Kalamazoo unloading this property makes good sense. Full story »
We urge township and county officials to come together and work this out. Full story »
Expanding the research park, which is essentially full, makes good sense and it will benefit the Kalamazoo-area economy. Full story »
By approving a tax hike that would fully fund special education, voters would actually be benefiting all children. Full story »
Kalamazoo's guitar heritage has tremendous potential to make our community an even more attractive place to live, work and play. Full story »
The donation itself is significant, but the decision the Browns made in directing the funds toward the art school makes the gift even more meaningful to Kalamazoo. Full story »
High school teachers and students are being asked to do much more with less -- and yet, they have risen to the challenge. Full story »
We urge you, whether or not you have a child in the district, to embrace this year's theme: "The Promise We Keep." Full story »
As we're waiting for the thawing to begin, let's remember to check in on our friends and neighbors, particularly those who live alone or are elderly and may not know how to ask for help or find resources available to them. Full story »
To remain stagnant on this proposal would have done nothing for our city's growth. Full story »
Make no mistake: This is a very big deal for Allegan County students. Full story »


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Quote: People can learn to fight well without TMA. I feel they would be better had they started with a TMA.
Quote:One can say that a hip chambered punch has many rewards when trained traditionally, yet in full contact, open competitions allowing either kickboxing rules or stand-up to ground, I have yet to see one applied. But of course, it doesn't mean that either of the competitors doesn't have to use this traditional technique. Only, if you accomodate it, then you open up your head for someone else's fist.
Quote:So again, it begs the question of training something a particular way that you wouldn't apply the way you train it when used against people who are margingally trained in less tradtional formats.
Quote:Michael, I guess this is where we disagree and I think there's very little proof in your contentions, since there are still those who train effectively without the traditional aspect in theirs, even if you think they would be better served with a different foundation. I have personally known traditionalists to drop their training and pursue more modern ways for practicing effective use of their techniques (kickboxing, MT, boxing, BJJ and MMAs). I have yet to see the reverse.
Quote: Of course, front kicks and thrust punches are just 2 traditional "forms" that are disregarded.
Quote: IMO TMA is the best way to train for fighting. If a fighter can learn to stay within a set of rules (unlearn some trained responses), those same skills can be applied for sports like boxing, kickboxing, mma etc...
Quote:But in my opinion if your goal is to do well in a sport, specialize in that sport and use the proven methods for that sport. If your goal is fighting, train in a TMA. There are cross-over skills for both focuses. But, being great at one will only make a person (at best) good at the other.
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The first release from popular Korean actor Shin Hyun Jun's new production company, "Sin of a Family" is a dark detective mystery revolving around the tragic death of a child and the possible involvement of his family in the crime. Directed by Min Byung Jin ("Out of Justice"), the film premiered at the 2010 Puchon Fantastic Film Festival, and along with Shin Hyun Jun himself in the lead role also stars Lee Ki Woo ("The Classic") and television player Jeon No Min ("Royal Family").
Shin plays the shabby detective Cho, a man with more of an eye for the ladies than on his job and whose past dalliances have left him without much chance of promotion in his career. Inadvertently, he lands himself a big case after the body of a murdered young boy is found in the woods, and along with his partner Lee (Lee Ki Woo) he sets about investigating the family, in particular the under pressure father (Jeon No Min). As more details come to light about the family's unfortunate situation, Cho is forced into some difficult moral decisions, re-evaluating his life and his relationship with his own wayward son in the process.
Despite its grim subject matter, "Sin of a Family" starts off surprisingly funny and fast moving. Whereas most other Korean child murder dramas are relentlessly depressing and moody affairs, for its first hour or so the film has a markedly energetic air, with director Min going for more of a thriller feel, with several chase scenes, flashy editing, and scenes of the two bad tempered cops beating up a variety of suspects. There's also a fair amount of comedy during these earlier stages, with Cho making for an engaging and amusing protagonist, drinking and flirting too much, and clearly considering himself quite the handsome charmer – resulting in an odd though funny sequence in which the tables are turned after a possibly gay witness takes a shine to him. Min spends a lot of time fleshing out Cho as a character and charting his developing bond with his son, and this is actually one of the film's strongest aspects, mainly thanks to a likeable performance from Shin Hyun Jun.
The film does become less like a traditional police drama as it goes on, gradually working in flashbacks regarding the dead boy and his life. Min shows himself to be a skilful storyteller, and the film is one of the few which makes good use of such scenes, weaving them well into the present narrative, and employing some effective voice over work to ensure that they never break the flow. The flashbacks build up quite naturally to a long period of exposition in middle of film, at which point it diverges from a traditional investigative format almost entirely and moves into humanistic drama territory.
This actually works well, and Min does a good job of exploring the difficult life of the poor family and the many troubles they faced in trying to raise their children. Through this, and its various other relationships, the film tackles some impressively tough moral questions, and whilst it does get a little melodramatic towards the end it has a powerful sense of social justice that sits well with its increasingly intimate feel. Quite bravely, Min refuses to deliver any easy answers or to shy away from the harshness of reality, adding a further layer of complexity.
As a result, "Sin of a Family" holds the interest both as a mystery and as a very human slice of bleak, though thankfully not needlessly depressing or heavy handed drama. Benefitting from an economic running time of an hour and forty minutes and boosted by the presence of the always agreeable Shin Hyun Jun, it should be enjoyed by anyone looking for a detective film with a little more depth and attention to character and storytelling.
Min Byeong-jin (director) / Min Byeong-jin (screenplay)
CAST: Shin Hyeon-joon … Detective Jo
Wang Hee-ji … Ko Hyeong-sook
Jeon No-min … Jeong In-soo
Lee Ki-woo … Detective Lee
Jo Sang-yeon … Jeong Myeong-hwan
Kim So-hyeon-I … Jeong Myeong-hee


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Assault charges dismissed against 2 golfers in Fayette County
Assault charges against two Fayette County golfers accused of fighting over rules of the game were dismissed on Wednesday during a preliminary hearing.
Roger Lee Harris, 63, had been charged with aggravated and simple assault for allegedly hitting another golfer, Bryan Louis Bandes, 42, on the head with a club on the seventh hole fairway at Springdale Golf Course.
The argument occurred at about 1 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Trooper George Mrosko said the defendants refused to testify against each other.
District Judge Robert Break-iron dismissed the charges.
"They've come to the realization that if no one testifies, nothing happens," Mrosko said.
The two men were in a party of five golfers who knew each other as friends or acquaintances, police said.
The argument began on the fifth hole of the South Union golf course over a water rule and led to the alleged assault on the seventh hole.
Police alleged that Harris, a North Union native who lives in Egypt, used a three-wood club to strike Bandes, of North Union, in the head and arm. A scuffle allegedly ensued, and Bandes punched Harris in the face and lower lip.
Both were treated at Uniontown Hospital, police said. Their attorneys said both men are doing fine.
Jeremy Davis represented Harris and said the defendants "decided to put this behind them with the hopes that something like this never happens again."
Attorney Brian Teslovich said the dismissal of the charges was the "right resolution" for Bandes, his client.
"I think he just wants to put it behind him," Teslovich said.
Bandes had been facing a simple assault charge. Phone numbers for the two golfers could not be located.
Renatta Signorini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.


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Decent AFL debuts for Dan Murphy and Eddie Kunz, who helped the Peoria Saguaros win 9-3.
Murphy went 2 for 4 with a sac fly. Kunz pitched an inning of relief and allowed a hit and a walk and recorded a strikeout.
Three other guys played as well. Jason Vargas pitched an inning and escaped unscathed despite allowing three hits. Shawn Bowman, a Class AA and AA third baseman, went 2 for 3 with a walk. Tobi Stoner, a Class A RHP, allowed a run over two innings and earned the victory.
Key thing: The Saguaros committed an error — alas, it wasn't Murphy.
The Mets' two other farmhands didn't play: Bobby Parnell and 20-year-old Class A catcher Josh Thole (batted .300 in 111 games at Port St. Lucie this year).
It'll be interesting to see what role Parnell plays down in the desert. At 153 IP this year, Parnell has only thrown nine more innings than he did in 2007. I'd imagine the Mets want him to throw at least 20-25 more in Arizona.


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Data breach notification laws are expected to be introduced into parliament this week in what may be considered a surprise move by the Federal Government.
Download PDF
Although it was a specific recommendation of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) in its report, For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice, it was thought that the government wasn't going to introduce specific data breach notification laws for some time.
The proposed laws, to commence on 12 March 2014, require notification of serious data breaches that will result in a real risk of serious harm. This commencement date coincides with a number of other privacy reforms that will come into force at that time.
The Privacy Commissioner, Mr Timothy Pilgrim, has welcomed the mandatory data breach notification laws saying "I have supported the introduction of mandatory data breach notification laws in Australia since they were first proposed by the ALRC in 2008. Currently there is no legal requirement in Australia for government agencies or private sector organisations to notify individuals when a data breach occurs, except in limited circumstances under eHealth laws".
Under current legislation, companies have no legal requirement to disclose that they have compromised customer personal data. On this point Mr Pilgrim said "I am concerned that we are only being notified of a small percentage of serious data breaches that are occurring. Many critical incidents may be going unreported and consumers may be unaware when their personal information could be compromised".
Since 2008, the Privacy Commissioner has provided the business community with data breach notification guidelines on what a business should do if a data breach occurs. Over the last couple of years there have been a number of high profile data breach cases both in Australia and overseas that have caused great concern.
In commenting on these reforms the Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, said the mandatory data breach notification laws "will be a very useful measure" and that it "is a piece of legislation that will be welcomed by the whole community".
Until the reforms are introduced into parliament we are not sure what they will entail, however, it is likely that:
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14kt close 14KT: Karat (abbreviated kt or K) is a unit that indicates the purity of gold in the metal. 14kt is 58.33% gold. In the United States, 14K yellow gold is most favored and used in jewelry. Yellow Gold close YELLOW GOLD: Gold is a precious metal with a natural yellow color. It is quite soft and often alloyed with other metals to increase its strength. The purity of the metal is indicated by a unit called a "karat," with 24kt having the highest percentage of natural gold.
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Dr Alison Walker has been named as the new executive medical director for South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT).
She will join the organisation in April from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) where she currently has the same role.
Dr Walker brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the newly-enlarged SWASFT. In addition to her role at YAS, she is medical director for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
In 2012, she became chair of the National Ambulance Service Medical Directors' Group and has been regional chair of the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care Group (Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) since 2007.
SWASFT chief executive Ken Wenman said: "I am delighted Alison is joining the trust to expand the important clinical leadership role. She is passionate about working with all frontline staff to ensure patients receive the very best clinical care."
Dr Walker will spend four days a week with SWASFT. Dr Andy Smith will continue to work for the trust as associate medical director, together with Dr Phil Cowburn, associate medical director — acute care, which further enhances the clinical focus and support within the trust.
Dr Walker's other roles have included medical advisor to the Chief Fire Officers Association Immediate Emergency Care Group and member of the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC).
She said: "I am delighted to be joining South Western Ambulance Service. Ambulance clinicians and systems can make a real difference to patient outcomes and I am keen to apply my experience for the benefit of staff and patients."


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Townsend, Tennessee - Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina
Welcome to the Fishing Report form the Great Smoky Mountains. It is foggy and 63 degrees in Townsend this morning. Traffic is light. When I pulled into the street in front of the store, Rob Fightmaster was pulling out with a client in his truck. They were headed to the mountains.
I've been on a fishing trip since Sunday. It doesn't look like we got any rain while I was gone. Little River is flowing at 75 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.40 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 102 cfs. The water temperature at 7:55 am is 68.1 degrees.
It is going to be hot today and tomorrow. We may see the high reach 90 degrees or better. It will be fairly cool at night, in the mid 60's. Rain is in the forecast beginning Sunday and extending through Thursday. That should help our low water situation.
Fishing is pretty good according to Daniel and our customers. You will need to use light tippets and blend in so the trout don't see you. I would fish in the backcountry in shaded streams. I would probably use a dry fly of some sort and drag a Green Weenie behind it.
Due to the heat we are expecting, I would also fish the higher elevations to the very high elevations where the water is cooler. The trout will be more active in the cooler water and you won't be bothered by warpaint shiners as much as you would in the lower elevation streams.
Terrestrial insect imitations like beetles and ants will work well. Most any reasonable dry fly will produce. The trout will be hungry and willing if you fish the cooler streams.
My buddy Frank and I stayed at Lake Cumberland Resort Park at Jamestown, Kentucky for a few days. We arrived Sunday afternoon and got home yesterday. We had a great time. We floated the Cumberland River tailwater with guide Hagan Wonn Monday and Tuesday. Hagan is a great guide and person to spend two days fishing with. I had fished with him before this trip. He has the most beautiful all-wood drift boat you will ever see. We floated about 8 miles each day. Fishing was great, especially on Monday. Hagan keeps count of what his clients catch using a click counter. We caught 35 trout Monday and about half that Tuesday.
The trout were a mix of rainbow, brook and brown. We didn't land any larger than 19 inches. But, larger trout were there. Someone caught a 30 inch brown days before we were fishing. We were always looking for that one.
We used double nymph rigs with a strike indicator and streamers. I even fished a Knucklehead of course. I did catch one good rainbow that slammed my foam fly. Hagan took a photo of the trout's head with the fly in his mouth. He did it because nobody would believe it.
Frank and I spent a lot of time wandering around Hatchery Creek. This will be a man made, 1+ mile long stream, with spawning areas and a catch and release section. It is under construction now.
Water, exiting the National Fish Hatchery will be re-routed further downstream and enter the Cumberland River. The cost of the project is $1.9 million, which is funded partly from coal mine mitigation money. I am anxiously watching this project, which was 5 years in planning. Once this stream is proven to be successful, and there is no doubt it will, other opportunities to do the same thing below other dams exist.
Like Joe Congelton said on our Message Board, all it takes is money and planning. I think this stream will be a model for the future. Once we have a successful model, let the planning begin.
Please enjoy the photos below. Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
August 28, 2011
Frank Brown and guide Hagan Wonn with a nice Cumberland River rainbow.
Frank with an early morning trout.
Hatchery Creek outflow below the National Fish Hatchery at Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky.
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NEW CONCORD To say Muskingum College first-year mens soccer coach Seamus Reilly and the Fighting Muskies struggled last year would be an understatement.
The Muskies suffered through a 2-16-1 season and left Reilly still looking for his first Ohio Athletic Conference win finishing 0-9 in the conference in 10th place.
However, heading into this, the second year at Muskingum for Reilly, his and the teams expectations and optimism is running high.
With a 28-man roster including 13 letterwinners, five offensive and three defensive starters returning and the infusion of some international students there is the felling of optimism and excitement.
I am optimistic and excited for the players that are returning, Reilly said. We are re-establishing some pride and getting some recognition in the community and the season record will demonstrate that.
The off season was incredible, he added. There was a lot of preparation over the summer and the players came in in good shape. We also have a very talented freshman group.
The roster this year includes a pair of players Azael Nava Lopez (Fr., midfielder) and Daniel Quirozmar (Fr.. midfielder) from Mexico, Lewis Marara (Fr., defender) from Zimbabwe and Nalin Sayal (Fr., midfielder) from India.
It is going to take a while for us to attract the best American players, Reilly said, and Muskingum has a strong international program, so I am working closely with them.
Returning lettermen include senior forward Keith Widing (Chesterland/West Geauga), who led the Muskies in scoring last year with six goals and a pair of assists.
Other seniors returning are goalkeeper James Duling (West Lafayette/Coshocton), midfielder Nicolo Fioritto (Wooster/Triway), midfielder Jan-Michael Gintz (Dover), defender Mike Miller (Beaver Falls Pa./Riverside), defender Spence Pinion (Groveport/Madison), forward Dan Schmidlin (Springboro), midfielder Zach Scisciani (Steubenville) and defender Rob McBurney (Malborough, Mass.).
Gintz scored three goals last fall, McBurney added a goal and an assist and Pinion had three assists.
There are no juniors but sophomores Jeff Butcher (midfielder, Pickerington), midfielder Brian Delgreco (Bowling Green), defender Paul Hughes (Mount Vernon), Kevin Weaver (Columbus/Whetstone), and midfielder Adam Fitzgerald (New Concord/Zanesville) all return.
A total of 15 freshmen round out the roster and include goalkeeper Matthew Humphrey (Dover) who is expected to contribute immediately.
Widing is expected to be a key scorer for us, Reilly said. Pinion and Humphrey will also play leading roles. We will play a similar style as last year. It is a passing game and we want to keep the ball on the ground.
Other freshmen candidates include, keeper Jarod Cope (Zanesville/Philo), Devon Duling (West Lafayette/Coshocton), Rod Gibson (Zanesville Christian), Brad Guindon (Martinsville/Wilmington), Tim Reister (New Philadelphia), midfielder Rob McClain (Duncan Falls/Philo), defender Jamie Miller (Cambridge), midfielder Zack Zealer (Circleville/Teays Valley), goalkeeper Chad Dixon and defender Kenny Randazzo (Cuyahoga Falls).
The 28 players will give us a lot of depth, Reilly said, and we will use a lot of them. We have four good goalkeepers.
Reilly also has new assistants in Rob Gibson and Danny Leavey.
The coach believes it is very important for the Muskies to get off to a good start.
Expectations are high and with that comes standards which we have set high, he said. This year it is a must for us to start well. The OAC is the strongest Division III conference in the nation, but this year I believe we will be very competitive and we cant wait to get started.


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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Because cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) aids in prognostic assessment of heart disease, there is rising interest in its utility for cardiovascular risk stratification of patients with OSA. However, the relationship between OSA and exercise capacity is unclear. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that OSA is associated with impaired exercise capacity.
Fifteen subjects with moderate-to-severe OSA (apneahypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 15 events/h) and 19 controls with mild or no OSA (AHI < 15 events/h) were enrolled. Subjects underwent standard polysomnography to determine AHI and exclude other sleep disorders. Resting metabolic rate was measured via indirect calorimetry, followed by maximum, symptom-limited CPET. Subjects completed a sleep diary and physical activity questionnaire characterizing behaviors in the week prior to testing.
Percent predicted peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2) was significantly lower in OSA subjects than controls (70.1% ± 17.5% vs 83.8% ± 13.9%; p = 0.02). Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed AHI was associated with a decrease in percent predicted peak O2 of 3.20 (95% CI 0.53-5.88; p = 0.02). After adjusting for baseline differences, this association remained significant (p < 0.01). AHI alone explained 16.1% of the variability observed in percent predicted peak O2 (p = 0.02).
OSA is associated with impaired exercise capacity. Further study is needed to evaluate the utility of CPET for prognostic assessment of patients with OSA.
Beitler JR, Awad KM, Bakker JP, Edwards BA, DeYoung P, Djonlagic I, Forman DE, Quan SF, Malhotra A. Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with impaired exercise capacity: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(11):1199-1204.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has numerous adverse cardiovascular effects.1 Increased systemic hypertension, nocturnal arrhythmia, and both nonfatal and fatal cardiovascular events have been associated with OSA.2–4 Because cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) aids in prognostic assessment of patients with heart disease,5–7 there is rising interest in the potential utility of CPET for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with OSA.8–10
The impact of OSA on exercise capacity remains unclear. Prior studies examining exercise capacity in OSA patients have yielded conflicting results, with some demonstrating reduced exercise capacity11–16 and others suggesting exercise capacity is not impaired.8–10,17,18 These studies have several methodological limitations that make reconciling their findings challenging. In some studies, peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2) was calculated from estimating equations rather than direct gas exchange measurements,11,16 diminishing reliability of the assessment.19 Others relied only on a thermister to detect respiratory events during polysomnography (PSG),8,16 which underestimates such events compared to nasal pressure sensors20 and likely led to enrollment of OSA subjects in the control group. In one study, controls did not undergo PSG testing at all.17
Current Knowledge/Study Rationale: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing aids in prognostic assessment of heart disease, raising interest in its utility for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with OSA; however, the relationship between OSA and exercise capacity is unclear.
Study Impact: This study demonstrated that OSA is associated with impaired exercise capacity. Further study is needed to evaluate the potential role for cardiopulmonary exercise testing in cardiovascular risk assessment of patients with OSA.
Other potential confounding factors limiting interpretation of prior studies include absent reporting of duration10,12–16 and severity13,15,16 of hypoxemia during sleep, sleep behavior in the days prior to testing,8–18 and use of β-blocking medications.8,9,11,12,14–17 Furthermore, differences in age, gender, body mass index, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) make definitive comparison across studies challenging.
The present study was designed to address these limitations in evaluating the association between OSA and exercise capacity. We tested the hypothesis that subjects with moderate-to-severe OSA have lower peak O2 during CPET evaluation than control subjects with mild or no OSA. We also tested whether a dose-response relationship exists between AHI and peak O2 after adjusting for differences in baseline covariates.
Two groups of subjects were studied: subjects with newly diagnosed untreated moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15 events/h) and controls with mild or no OSA (AHI < 15 events/h). Subjects with OSA were recruited from the sleep clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and controls were recruited from the community. All subjects underwent PSG testing to confirm the diagnosis of OSA (in the OSA group), evaluate for previously undiagnosed moderate-to-severe OSA (control group), and exclude other sleep disorders. Subjects were eligible for participation if between 18 and 65 years old, capable of performing exercise testing, and in good physical and mental health without other comorbidities or therapies that could influence excessive daytime sleepiness. Subjects were excluded if receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, as well as for sleep disorders other than OSA, including central sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorder, REM sleep without atonia, periodic leg movements of sleep index > 15 events/h, insomnia, and narcolepsy. Subjects were also excluded for known heart disease, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alcohol or other drug abuse, and pregnancy. The Brigham and Women's Hospital Institutional Review Board approved the protocol, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Standard in-laboratory PSG testing was performed on all subjects and consisted of an electroencephalogram, bilateral electrooculogram, submental electromyogram, bilateral leg electromyogram, standard electrocardiogram (ECG), measurements of airflow via thermister and nasal pressure, monitoring of respiratory effort with chest and abdominal bands, and pulse oximetry. The PSG was performed and scored in accordance with American Academy of Sleep Medicine standards21 by a registered PSG technologist blinded to the CPET results. Sleep behavior in the prior 7 days was recorded using a self-report sleep diary.
To account for potential differences in routine physical activity that might lead to improved physical conditioning and higher exercise capacity, physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. This well-validated self-report survey evaluates physical activity over the preceding 7 days.22 Results are reported as estimated metabolic equivalents of task (METs) × minutes per week.
Resting metabolic rate and respiratory quotient were measured with indirect calorimetry (Vmax Encore 29N Metabolic Cart, CareFusion, Yorba Linda, CA), using the ventilated hood technique. All measurements were performed between 08:00 and 12:00, with subjects fasting overnight prior to testing. Subjects were positioned lying supine at 45 degrees in bed in a quiet room and were instructed to limit movement while watching a non-stimulating video. This position was maintained ≥ 20 min and until steady-state measurements were achieved.
Immediately following indirect calorimetry, subjects underwent maximum, symptom-limited CPET on a cycle ergometer (Lode Corival, Groningen, Netherlands) under supervision of a trained physiotherapist and cardiologist. Breath-by-breath respiratory gas exchange measurements were obtained with a metabolic cart (Medgraphics Ultima, St. Paul, MN). After a 2-min resting interval and 1 min of active cycling without resistance, a ramp protocol of 10-15 W/min was used. All subjects were encouraged to exercise until exhaustion.23 During testing, heart rate, ECG, and pulse oximetry were recorded continuously. Blood pressure was recorded in 2-min intervals. Peak O2 was calculated as the maximum oxygen uptake in the final 20 sec of exercise. The ventilatory threshold was defined by the V-slope method as the exercise level at which exhaled CO2 increased exponentially relative to O2.
Results for peak O2, the primary outcome, were reported relative to age- and weight-predicted norms using the Wasserman formula24,25 to allow comparison across subjects with different baseline characteristics.23 Maximum predicted heart rate was calculated using the Astrand formula.19 Ventilatory efficiency, the E/ CO2 slope, was calculated as the slope of the linear regression line relating E and CO2.26 Peak oxygen pulse was calculated by dividing peak O2 by peak heart rate. Good effort was assessed using a threshold peak respiratory exchange ratio of ≥ 1.10.
Data from OSA and control subjects were compared using Fisher exact test for categorical variables and t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables as appropriate. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine the association between percent predicted peak O2 (primary outcome measure) and AHI (a priori predictor of interest), adjusting for differences in baseline covariates that reached statistical significance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the proportion of total variability in percent predicted peak O2 explained by the PSG predictor variables before and after adjusting for baseline differences. To approximate better a normal distribution, AHI was log-transformed for all regression and ANOVA analyses. In an exploratory secondary analysis, multivariable linear regression was also performed to determine the association between percent predicted peak O2 and other PSG indices that differed significantly between OSA and control subjects in univariate analysis.
Data for continuous variables are expressed as mean ± SD for normally distributed variables and median [interquartile range] for non-normally distributed variables. A two-sided α level of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Fifteen subjects with moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15 events/h) and 19 control subjects with mild or no OSA (AHI < 15 events/h) were enrolled. Baseline characteristics are presented in Table 1. OSA subjects were significantly older than control subjects (age 47.9 ± 11.5 years versus 34.3 ± 12.0 years, p < 0.01) but did not differ significantly by body mass index or resting metabolic rate. Two OSA subjects were taking atenolol. No other subjects were receiving treatment with a β-blocker at the time of study.
Baseline characteristics.
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AHI was significantly higher among OSA subjects than control subjects (37.6 [26.8, 55.3] versus 1.5 [0.7, 5.4] events/h, p < 0.01; Table 2). OSA subjects had more severe hypoxemia during sleep as measured by minimum oxygen saturation (81 [75, 82] vs 92 [87, 93] %, p < 0.01), mean oxygen saturation (94 [93, 95] vs 97 [95, 98] %, p < 0.01), and sleep time with oxygen saturation < 90% (21.9 [16.3, 81.0] vs 0 [0, 0.9] min, p < 0.01). Total sleep time during PSG and subjective report of sleep time in both the 24 h and 7 days immediately prior to exercise testing did not differ significantly between groups.
Polysomnography and clinical sleep data.
All control subjects and all but one OSA subjects demonstrated maximal effort (peak respiratory exchange ratio 1.06 for remaining subject). Peak O2 expressed as a percent of the predicted maximum was significantly lower among OSA subjects than controls (70.1% ± 17.5% vs 83.8% ± 13.9%; p = 0.02; Table 3, Figure 1). This significant difference remained when peak O2 was expressed per kg body weight (19.1 ± 6.4 vs 25.2 ± 9.5 mL/kg/min; p = 0.04). Differences between OSA subjects and controls in other key exercise parameters, including ventilatory efficiency (V̇E/V̇CO2 slope), ventilatory threshold, maximum voluntary ventilation, and peak oxygen pulse did not reach statistical significance.
Cardiopulmonary exercise data.
Box plots illustrate the median and interquartile range (boxes), mean (diamond), and maximum and minimum observed values (whiskers) of percent predicted peak O2 for moderate-severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15 events/h; n = 15) and control (AHI < 15 events/h; n = 19) subjects.
OSA is associated with impaired exercise capacity.Box plots illustrate the median and interquartile range (boxes), mean (diamond), and maximum and minimum observed values (whiskers) of percent predicted peak O2 for moderate-severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15 events/h; n = 15) and control (AHI
In a sensitivity analysis, data were reanalyzed, grouping subjects according to an AHI threshold of 5 events/h. Peak O2 again was significantly lower among high-AHI subjects (AHI ≥ 5 events/h) compared to low-AHI subjects (AHI < 5 events/h), both when expressed as a percent of the predicted maximum (71.5% ± 15.5% vs 87.9% ± 14.3%; p < 0.01) and per kg body weight (19.0 ± 5.7 vs 28.2 ± 9.9 mL/kg/min; p < 0.01). Peak diastolic blood pressure also was significantly higher among subjects with AHI ≥ 5 events/h (81 ± 7 vs. 74 ± 10; p = 0.05), while the proportion of subjects with hypertension did not differ significantly.
The association between percent predicted peak O2 and AHI was assessed using linear regression and ANOVA with and without adjusting for age, the only baseline characteristic to differ significantly between groups. In the unadjusted analysis, each 1-unit increase in loge(AHI) was associated with a decrease in percent predicted peak O2 of 3.20 (95% CI 0.53 to 5.88; p = 0.02). After adjusting for differences in age, the association between log-transformed AHI and percent predicted peak O2 remained significant (β = -4.78; 95% CI -1.30 to -8.26; p < 0.01). Log-transformed AHI alone explained 16.1% of the variability observed in percent predicted peak O2 (p = 0.02). When age was added to the model, log-transformed AHI and age together explained 21.4% of the variability observed (p = 0.03). The association between percent predicted peak O2 and AHI remained significant in post hoc univariate and multivariate analyses excluding the 2 OSA subjects on β-blocker therapy. In an exploratory secondary analysis, other PSG indices that were significantly different between OSA and control subjects were not significantly associated with percent predicted peak O2 after adjusting for age.
The central finding of this study is that OSA is associated with decreased exercise capacity, measured by percent predicted peak O2. Increasing OSA severity, as reflected by higher AHI, predicts impaired exercise capacity in a dose-response fashion both before and after adjustment for significant baseline differences.
Several potential mechanisms exist by which OSA may both impair exercise capacity and increase cardiovascular risk. Decreased maximal lactate concentration and delayed lactate elimination have been observed in OSA subjects during exercise compared to age- and BMI-matched controls, suggesting impaired glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, respectively.14 Muscle biopsy studies have demonstrated structural and bio-energetic changes in skeletal muscle fiber in OSA subjects,27 as well as increased microvascularization in skeletal muscle,11 similar to changes observed in other states of chronic hypoxia. Several studies have demonstrated an abnormal cardiovascular response during exercise or recovery in OSA patients, including increased diastolic blood pressure, decreased stroke volume, attenuated heart rate during peak exercise and recovery, and global ventricular dysfunction.8–10,13,17,28,29 OSA may contribute directly to left ventricular dysfunction via hypoxia and intermittent increase in afterload during apneic and hypopneic events.30,31
There are several key differences between this study and prior reports, which had yielded conflicting results on the association between OSA and impaired exercise capacity. The present study rigorously evaluated for OSA and other sleep-related breathing disorders by requiring that all subjects undergo standard in-laboratory PSG using current gold standard techniques. Electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, and submental electromyogram were used for reliable determination of sleep-wake and sleep staging. Nasal pressure was used in addition to a thermistor to measure airflow more accurately. Respiratory effort was evaluated directly with chest and abdominal bands. Moreover, assessment of sleep behavior over the 7 days prior to CPET ensured differences could not be attributable to variability in short-term sleep deficit. Finally, usual physical activity and resting metabolic rate were measured to exclude their potential contribution to residual confounding.
Despite this study's strength in rigor, there are a number of important limitations. First, age was significantly different between OSA subjects and controls. Age is unlikely to have led to substantial bias because percent predicted peak O2 accounts for age in its calculation.24,25 Moreover, adjusted analysis including age as a covariate did not alter the findings. Second, emphasis on extensive characterization of the study population resulted in a small sample size, which makes the effect estimate less precise, as reflected in the wide confidence intervals. Third, two OSA subjects were taking β-blockers at the time of evaluation, which may limit exercise capacity independent of other factors.32 Excluding these patients from the analysis did not change the findings. Fourth, subjects were grouped according to an AHI threshold of 15 events/h rather than by diagnosis of OSA; this approach was chosen a priori and is supported by the dose-response relationship observed between AHI and percent predicted peak O2. Re-analysis using a lower AHI threshold of 5 events/h did not change the study findings. Finally, because the data are cross-sectional, the possibility of reverse causation exists, whereby limited exercise capacity contributes to OSA rather than vice versa.33 Future studies would benefit from longitudinal follow-up including assessment of exercise capacity following initiation of CPAP for OSA.
The present study demonstrates an important relationship between increasing AHI and impaired exercise capacity. Probable mechanisms for this association overlap considerably with that between OSA and adverse cardiovascular events, leading to the possibility that CPET may provide an early window into cardiovascular risk stratification of patients with OSA. Future studies are needed to determine whether CPET offers prognostic significance in OSA, and importantly whether treatment of OSA effectively modifies this risk.
This was not an industry supported study. This study was supported by a grant from the American Sleep Medicine Foundation PSTA Program of Distinction and by the Harvard Catalyst, funded by NIH UL1 RR025758-01. Dr. Beitler is supported by NIH T32 HL007633. Dr. Edwards is supported by the NHMRC CJ Martin Overseas Biomedical Fellowship (1035115). Dr. Quan is supported by NIH P01 AG009975 (Overall PI: Czeisler), HL101151 (PI: Archbold), HL095748 (PI: Parthasarathy) and a grant from the American Diabetes Association (PI: Perfect). Dr. Malhotra is supported by NIH R01 HL090897, NIH K24 HL093218, NIH P01 HL095491 (Overall PI: Saper, Brigham PI: Malhotra), NIH R01 HL110350, NIH UM1 HL108724 (Overall PIs: Talmor/Loring, Brigham PI: Malhotra), NIH R01 AG035117, and NIH R01 HL085188. Dr. Quan receives compensation as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and has consulted for Saatchi and Saatchi. Dr. Malhotra has consulted for and/or received research support from Philips-Respironics, Pfizer, SHC, SGS, Apnex, and Apnicure, but has received no personal outside income after May 2012. All other authors have no potential conflicts of interest to declare. Data were collected at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.
apnea-hypopnea index
continuous positive airway pressure
cardiopulmonary exercise testing
events per hour
obstructive sleep apnea
oxygen uptake
95% confidence interval
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Easy to find the Fraser Suites in Glasgows Albion Street seemed a good base for a nights stay in Glasgow City Centre. There is a Q park multistory carpark adjacent to the hotel where you can park at a discounted rate if you are staying at the Fraser Suites (£10.40 for 24 hours), just ask the receptionist for a discount voucher.
The suites entrance and reception look lovely smart and clean as did our room 101 we did however notice straight away an over whelming smell of takeaway food from the restuarants below, this may be more noticeable on the first floor than on higher floors.
The apartment itself was smart, clean and spacious with a nice cooking area including a fridge, microwave and hob. The bathroom was lovely and a small selection of toiletries was provided.
There was also a selection of drinks and biscuits and information about the surrounding area.
The only downpoint I discovered in the room was there was nowhere I could plug straighteners in which would also give me access to a mirror, not easy for a girl getting ready.
Location although central also meant it was very loud on a Saturday night, we were awake till 4am with the noise from outside, not something the hotel can do anything about but definitely something to be aware of if staying at a weekend or with young family. I think rooms on the other side of the hotel may be quieter.
The continental breakfast was pleasant with a good variety of cereals, pastries, hams and cheeses.
Fraser Suites location at Glasgow's Trongate (at one end of Argyle Street where the shops peter out) doesn't initially seem like a very good draw. Glasgow is suffering the effects of recession as much as many other cities across the United Kingdom and as the boutiques and high street regulars are looking a little ragged, with the few new stores opening consisting of pound shops and other discounters.
There are ambitious plans for the area and I hope they reach fruition. Having left Glasgow after living there for fifteen years I'm sadly too aware of the fact that so many attempts at regeneration have fallen by the wayside in the city and it would be sad to see a great shopping location turn into a ghost town.
Finding Fraser...
The suites themselves are discreetly tucked away on Albion Street (address at the end of this section) and the attractive while not particularly memorable 19th century façade designed by architect JT Rochead is a bit like the hotel - discreet, tasteful and excellently maintained.
1-19 Albion Street
Glasgow, G1 1LH
0141 553 4288
Rather reasonable rates...
I have to confess that I didn't pay for my stay at the Fraser Suites. I was in Glasgow for a work event and chose it using the standard rationale, which consists of seeing which hotel in our approved list comes highest on Trip Advisor and booking accordingly!
That said, looking at the rates online I think that they're very good value for money if you want a suite with all mod cons with a degree of class, as opposed to another soulless chain hotel room. The Fraser Suites website claims to offer the cheapest prices available online for their rooms and at the present time you will pay £80 a night for a studio (I stayed in one of these), or £99 for a one bedroom apartment. The only downside to this price is the fact that breakfast isn't included, but this probably won't be a deal breaker for most.
Check in...
One word for check in - smooth! The helpful member of staff asked my name, checked one list and told me everything that I needed to know. I was presented with my room key card, told where to go for breakfast and where the fitness centre was (conveniently on my floor) and made aware of when the front door was locked for the evening etc. Having travelled for business a few times over the last year, this was far and away my best luck at a hotel reception.
Call this a studio? It's bigger than my house!
When I chatted with the member of staff from our travel team she seemed a little disheartened when she said that I was getting a studio. Any doubts, however, were quickly dispelled when I walked into the cavernous room that passes for a studio in the Fraser Suites.
It was a lovely merchant city room, with a generous open plan expanse and windows that were easily 10' high. These flooded the room with light during the day and my only gripe is that the curtains were actually physically hard to close as they were so long.
The neutrally decorated entrance hallway led on to a tastefully furnished sitting area (a comfortable leather couch, chairs and a low coffee table), a small kitchen area and a large bedroom/sleeping space. Everything was clean and tidy and while the provision of 'stuff' (decoration) was minimal, this was very much in keeping with the style of the hotel and the rooms.
The bed was spacious and soft and I was sad to be going home to my own less comfortable bed once the trip ended. There was more storage space than any man travelling for business could have needed, but this would have been very useful if my girlfriend had com with me, or if I was there for a longer stay.
The bathroom was everything you'd expect - with a deep bath, a shower that could skin you alive with its powerful blasts of hot water and a profusion of puffy soft towels. The free toiletries were by L'occitane and had a refreshing herbal scent to them.
The kitchenette consisted of a small combi oven/microwave, a two ring hob, a fridge and all the pots, pans utensils and other chicanery you'd expect in a small kitchen. There were even a few more unusual accessories including a colander, various wine openers and some kitchen cleaning products.
Let me entertain you...
Whether travelling for leisure or business, everyone appreciates a little entertainment to help them relax after a busy day doing whatever. Every room in the Fraser Suites has a good sized TV with a selection of terrestrial and Freeview channels, in addition to various radio stations.
There was a small stereo complete with CD player tucked away in one corner of the room over the desk and while the radio reception was terrible, this seems a minor complaint.
I didn't use the gym as I only had hand luggage with me (and because I'm a lazy sod), but it looked very modern and had a reasonable selection of exercise machines and the like. There was no extra charge to use these facilities and they weren't too busy when I went to inspect them.
I find it hard sleeping in a new bed...
My two nights at the Fraser Suites didn't really let me sleep very well, despite the soft bed. The lack of familiarity and the fact that I was missing my girlfriend weren't made any easier by the low level but persistent noises of the occasional reveller passing by outside. Glasgow's merchant city can be fairly loud at times and my first floor room perhaps exacerbated this. I spoke to a colleague who had a room on the fourth floor and he had no complaints... Despite feeling somewhat washed out, I couldn't really blame the hotel for outside noise, as they had provided robust blackout curtains to baffle noise and exclude light.
Food - it's what you make it!
The Fraser Suites doesn't have a restaurant, although I don't think that's a drawback. Glasgow caters to most tastes - from black pudding suppers and Irn Bru to a gourmet feast at some of Scotland's most highly regarded eateries. I hadn't been expecting a kitchen, but probably would have used it if I had been on holiday. As I was travelling for work, I was able to claim back reasonable expenses and went out to explore and get food (I recommend this approach to anyone unfamiliar with the city).
There is a breakfast room, which is where I traipsed in the morning to fill up on carbs! Conveniently for me this was also on the same floor as my room and I felt very spoiled very quickly.
The selection was good for the price (about £6 for breakfast) and there were juices, hot drinks, a range of cereals and granola, bread, toasters (important!), croissants, muffins, fresh fruit, cheese, spreads and jams and a few other light snacks. Breakfast was decidedly continental (not the continental which means platters of cheese and ham as is often practised in London hotels). I felt relaxed and able to fill up for the day watching the news on the breakfast room TV, all the broadsheets were provided and the staff were polite and unobtrusive - pleasant when you're trying to wake up in the morning.
Other bits and pieces...
In addition to the features already mentioned, there was:
'Telephone with private number and voicemail facilities
Additional line for fax/internet with broadband access
Alarm clock radio
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board
In-room electronic safe
Individually controlled heating
Self service laundry'
This small section was lifted from the hotel website and I've included it for the sake of completeness.
I'd love to go back...
As my family stay seven miles outside of Glasgow, I only really get to stay in hotels there when I travel for work purposes. Tourists, or those who don't have relatives so conveniently placed will struggle to do better for a hotel in Glasgow.
Check it out!