text:
I bought this product in a packet just to try it out. I followed it up with a moisturizing conditioner when I used it and after I styled my hair it felt really dry.
If you have dry thicker hair, I don't recommend this product. It smells gooooood! Comes out like liquid gold. But its an illusion because if you pass a horse barn during feeding don't expect not to have the animals stampede after you mistaking your hair for dinner. Yes its that bad. I think if your hair is dry, then condition condition condition. This says weak damaged hair so its probably for those with finer thin sparse sprigs not thicker dry ones like what I got on my head. I tried to go outside the box and try something different. And I will keep doing that to spice stuff up. But for this. Its a No. For those that it works for yay and all that jazz, and all keep buying it. I know for me this is a thumbs down. I will stick with Aveda products.
Love this stuff. Use it in the shower once a week for 5 minutes and it really works wonders for your hair. The smell is pleasant and a little goes a long way, would recommend this for bleached/processed hair.
*dances* Ok! I get it! I see the awesomeness that is the Ion Reconstructor. I had previously used Ion Effective Care (their moisture/protein treatment) and it had worked well for me when my hair needed the extra boost. Over the past few months I discovered that my hair (fine, 2a/2b) seems to respond well to protein. I have tried Nexxus Emergencee and Joico K Pak...the Ion Reconstructor is better.
After washing with Redken Cleansing Cream, I apply the Reconstructor generously throughout my hair, root to tips, making sure to coat each strand. I then clip up my hair for 5 to 10 minutes (depending on how much time I have), and then rinse completely. Then I squeeze out excess water and apply a protein-free (and preferably silicone-free, just because) conditioner; I usually have GVP Conditioning Balm on hand for this. Leave that in for 5-10 minutes, rinse. My hair will then dry naturally into strong, shiny, beautiful waves. Highly recommended.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Not sure about this one yet. On the plus side, I got it for free when I renewed my Sally's membership. Another plus, it smells like old school Jergen's cherry almond lotion or hand soap. One of my favorites! What is it doing for my hair though? I dunno. Leaving it rough and tangled afterwards, yep. DEFINITELY follow this one with a really moisturizing conditioner. I'll give it a few more tries...
More reviews by Stephaniejeann
After one use of this product, I am less than impressed. If anything my hair feels worse than it did before I used this. After reading reviews I was expecting a miracle, but this product did not measure up. Although I've only used it once, which may skew my ability to review, I think that it's safe to say that I'll only use up the sample. It was a waste of time in my shower and did not make my hair feel any stronger or softer. My split ends felt worse when my hair dried, and I realize that nothing will help them except trimming them. Maybe with continued use I'd like this product more, but it really isn't that great for me. It was kind of expensive where I live, but luckily I opted to buy the sample size. I shampooed my hair, towel dried it, left this product in for ten minutes, rinsed, and used my conditioner. The product smelled nice and felt silky when I initially applied it. I only used about one third of the product in the sample seeing as my hair isn't that long. Overall I don't think this product is worth all the hype surrounding it. I'll try to use it again and edit my review if I change my feelings about it, but I doubt I will.
More reviews by definesinister
Yes! Yes! Yes! This stuff is fantastic for my fine, thin hair. Since I was about 13, I have been dying and perming my hair. I have been to all types of stylists, and I constantly got comments that my hair was damaged/dry and extremely thin. So finally, I found a good stylist three years ago and he recommended that I do a hair manicure at his salon. The results were great, but not long lasting (about a month). Then I was searching on MUA for a good product that will make my hair feel thicker and less damaged. In comes in the Ion reconstructor, and this stuff literally saves my life. The sales ladies at Sally's always push this stuff on me at checkout, and I always skip out and I regret it completely. When I went to get my regular trim from my stylist, he made a comment at the end and inquired what have I been doing to my hair. I didn't think on the spot, and I just said I'm not sure. Then it occurred to me, I've been using this product!! I immediately told him, and he completely approved. He told me my hair felt a little thicker and more healthy. Holy grail! That was the first time a stylist made a nice comment on my hair. My mom is worse than me with the blow drying and perming. What's worse is she does not put any heat protectant products in her hair, when she blow dries her hair every single day. My maternal side does not have good genes when it comes to hair either. I am determined to not have a huge bald spot on top of my head by the time I turn 45. I am about to buy her some reconstructor, heat protectant, and serum for Christmas.
As of lately, I also attempted to dye my hair from 1N to Dark ash Blonde (with a bleach). My hair became an absolute mess and I completely gave up after the first process. My hair is completely in knots, so I decided to give in and cut the dry ends off. Now I have a asymetrical bob, and I have to say the thickness of my hair is totally different from a few years ago. A few years ago when I got the same hair cut, my hair looked thin and flat. Now, you can see the texture and feel the fullness. I am definitely satisfied with this product and will never look back. Another good point of this product is, it is dirt cheap. There are plenty of other reconstructors in the market, that sell their stuff for a hefty price.
EDIT: The ION Moisture Cream Conditioner is great for a deep conditioning after washing the reconstructor our with warm water. Another great coonditioner is by Wen by Chaz Dean and Carol's Daughter Moni Hair Repair Mask. You will need a good conditioner afterward, otherwise if you color your hair, then your hair color will be stripped and also the hair ends will be extremely brittle, dry, and stringy. Not the best combination. ALso, make you wash out the reconstructor with warm water! Ths way the protein can penetrate the pores and help build some thickness or hair growth.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
Ok, first of all, stop using this every day. Just use it once a week. Twice a week if you absolutely have too, but using it too often can actually lead to damaging your hair... which is the opposite of what we're all trying to do here.
I have super bleached light blonde hair that I dye lilac (just so you can grasp how light my hair is). I wash my hair every 2.5 days. I don't have an oily scalp so I can get away with it. Um, anyway, use this once a week, some other non keratin deep conditioner the other times you wash. I use Aussie 3 minute miracle. By god it actually works. I've tried more expensive conditioners and meh, I actually prefer aussie.
So, now yinz all know my secret to pretty hair... also, if you have super damaged hair... don't brush it to death. The elasticity will have been compromised after processing your hair and you need to be gentle with it. Also, in this case, softly wring your hair out after a shower, for god's sake don't towel dry it by giving yourself a noogie. Also, try to minimize blow drying. Take a shower in the evening and sleep on damp hair. And always use a heat protectant when straight ironing. And again, not to beat a dead horse, but don't pull or tug on your hair ever. Treat your hair with some respect. Use kid gloves. Also, that Argon oil misting spray at sallys is awesome. moisturizing and leaves a really beautiful shine on damaged hair.
Just be careful, if you do any of the things I mentioned in the above paragraph, there may be no product on earth that can save your hair.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
This product did not work for me. It left my haor dry and in need of a mask. i could not even run a comb through it. Also, it smelled like I just permed my hair - all day long! I tried to make it work - i mixed it with with other products- still the smell lasted all day. I even tried using it before I shampooed because the reviews here were so good- but shampoo does not rid my hair of this chemical aroma.
Sorry Sally's- this one is a no go for me. If it actually left my hair soft - either using it as it said on the bottle or any other of the myriad ways I attempted I would give it a higher rating- but it was a fail
Just to reiterate- I did use it as the directions suggested and it did not work for me
This stuff is amazing!! I recently colored my hair for the first time ever, and while I was buying the dye at Sally's they were selling little packets of this stuff at the register, so I bought one on a whim. After coloring my hair, my hair wasn't totally fried but it was definitely feeling dry and a little weak and brittle, so I slathered my hair in this stuff and left it on under a cap for about an hour. All I can say is wow--I don't think I've ever used a hair product that does exactly what it says it will! My hair feels nice and strong and soft again, just as good as it did before I colored it. I only gave it 4 stars because I've only used it once so I don't know about long term results. But right now I'm loving it, and I'm definitely heading back to buy a full sized bottle.


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Posted on 07/06/2012 8:52:49 AM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
The United States government has assured its citizens that, much like zombies, mermaids probably do not exist, saying in an official post: No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.
Mermaids those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea are legendary sea creatures, read the online statement from the National Ocean Service (NOS).
The agency, charged with responding to natural hazards, received letters inquiring about the existence of the sea maidens after the Discovery Channels Animal Planet network broadcast Mermaids: The Body Found in May.
The show paints a wildly convincing picture of the existence of mermaids, what they may look like, and why theyve stayed hidden until now, a Discovery Channel press release says.
Conversely, the US government declaration offered no conclusive proof to deny the existence of mermaids.
The statement comes after another government agency, this time the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), declared there was no conclusive evidence for the existence of zombies.
The CDC had published instructional materials on how to survive a zombie apocalypse, in what the agency now calls a tongue in cheek campaign to engage new audiences with messages of preparedness messages.
The campaign was followed by a series of cannibalistic attacks in North America.
In one such attack on May 26, a 31-year-old Miami man stripped naked and chewed off most of a homeless mans face.
The Twittersphere was suddenly alive with people talking about the real and present danger of a zombie apocalypse.
The CDC was quick to respond to allegations of corpses rising from the dead to eat the living.
CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead, a government spokesperson wrote in an email to The Huffington Post.
While zombies would be a big problem, popular folklore holds that mermaids are relatively benign creatures.
But the NOS statement associated the finned friends with more threatening mythological beasts.
Half-human creatures, called chimeras, also abound in mythology in addition to mermaids, there were wise centaurs, wild satyrs, and frightful minotaurs, to name but a few, it said.
Obama awarded second Nobel Peace Prize.
In the interests of intellectual honesty, the CDC published a stated tongue in cheek surviving the zombie apocalypse a couple years before the mephedrone (bath salts) attacks as a way of capitalizing on the growing popularity of fantasy zombies (walking dead anyone?) to point out the ease in preparation for natural disasters using humor.
PLEASE get your facts right before griping, even if its at the Imperial Federal Government of the USSA.
I've heard that the National Archives still receives FOIA requests for the "classified autopsys" of the space aliens and the tests conducted on their "space ship."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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This sterling flatwaresale isoffered by VICTORIAN HOUSE OF SILVER. This listing includes a beautiful sterling service for 8 (40 pieces) in the Gorham 1895 CHANTILLY pattern. Old Gorham mark. 36.4 troy ounces (weight of knives NOT included). Nice used condition. Includes felt holders - J.W. Robinson Co. Los Angeles.
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NOTE: Over the next 2 weeks I will be selling my PERSONAL COLLECTION of unusual sterling and silverplate flatware and holloware. Offered will be Gorham STERLING SETS, SYRUPS, PITCHERS/CREAMERS/TEAPOTS, BUTTER DISHES, SUGAR BOWLS, CUPS, CASTER FRAMES, MERIDEN MEDALLION COMPOTE, MOSELLE SOUP SPOONS ETC. Check my listings often. You won't be disappointed. Look over my response and offer with confidence.
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Change – sometimes surprisingly fast change – remains the one constant we can count on. Despite this, many organizations fail to prepare for the most predictable change of all – the departure of their executive or other key leaders.
Success in leadership transitions is dependent upon readying the organization for change. One of the most critical areas of this work is with an organization's greatest asset – its people. Putting in place sound leader development and talent management practices, even at the most fundamental level, is critical to ensuring organizational sustainability and preparing an organization to weather changes over time.
Beyond leadership, organizational readiness must also encompass examining and shoring up strategy and resources and understanding how all of this ultimately impacts an organization's culture.
While this may sound like a daunting task, there is good news: you can complete the basics – a leader development strategy, emergency backup plan, and board adopted succession policy – in just a few months. This session will provide participants with a blueprint to get started and give an overview of systems and strategy to create a more "leader-ful" culture in your organization.
Workshop facilitated by Jeanie Duncan, President of Raven Consulting Group and Lead Consultant for TransitionGuides.
This sessions is a must for Development Officers, Executive Directors, leadership teams and board.
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Map of Liberia. Compiled from data on file in the office of the American Colonization Society, under the direction of the Rev. W. McLain, Sec., by R. Coyle. Baltimore: E. Weber & Co., 1845. [326 A-1845 Map] |
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Z Lager
- Fort Collins Brewing
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
279 Ratings
send 'em beer »
rAvg: 3.53
pDev: 17.28%
Reviews: 210
Hads: 69
Ratings Help
Brewed by:
Fort Collins Brewing
United States
Style | ABV
| 5.40%
bottle (198)
on-tap (11)
growler (1)
No notes at this time.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Served from the bottle into a standard shaker at the Pantry on 3/22/13. Pours a dark burnished orange like a worn sun-bleached oak barrel. There is a little cream colored head that dissipates quickly without much lacing left behind. The nose is off. It smells like a standard amber ale with hints of melted sugar and baked brown bread, but there is the smoke smell as well. They just don't work well together on the nose, and it reminds me more of just pure liquid smoke which is just a touch off-putting. The taste is not very smoky though. There is definitely a biscuit taste and some sweet caramel with just a touch of that artificial smoke flavor. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall this is just not working for me. Maybe the smoked flavor is more of a porter thing for me and I need to keep trying things, but I just didn't like it.
Serving type: bottle
03-23-2013 14:08:45 |
More by estlinska
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Fort Collins Z Lager has a medium, cream colored head, a clear, bubbly amber appearance, and minimal, splotchy lacing. The aroma is mostly of sweet, brown bread crust, but one can pick up a whiff of smoke in the sniff. Taste is of the same, with a nice, hearty, but not heavy, hop bitterness in the sip. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Fort Collins Z Lager finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and mellow. Overall, this is a much more approachable and drinkable beer that what is offered by the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers. Check it out and enjoy!
Serving type: bottle
03-05-2013 16:50:24 |
More by RonaldTheriot
South Carolina
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle.
Appearance: Pours an orange/rust color. A one finger head which quickly diminishes, minimal lacing.
Smell: Smells like a lager, hard to detect the smoky notes that are supposed to distinguish this style.
Taste: Tastes like a typical lager. I was expecting more of a smoky taste. I was halfway dreading what I thought might be an overpowering smoky, sooty taste. Not at all, in fact I was mildly disappointed with the lack of distinctiveness.
Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation, brisk, tingly.
Overall: A decent beer. I will not try this beer again, but I intend to try some of the other offerings from Fort Collins. I have a double chocolate stout chilling in the beer frig.
Serving type: bottle
Serving type: bottle
02-09-2013 18:38:10 |
More by LibrariansLoveBEER
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It seems that some of the smoked beers I've had the last few days here in Colorado were flirting with being a rauchbier, and I think some of the were closer to it than this. I think it really should simply be classified as it is labled, a smoked amber lager, not a rauchbier.
As a rachbier, it falls flat as it is not nearly aromatic enough, but if not constrained to that style, it is quite good.
It's very pretty in the glass. The aroma is not that of a rauchbier, so a huge ding. But the taste is great, and the mouthfeel is too. Another great Colorado beer.
Serving type: bottle
12-13-2012 03:48:38 |
More by schoolboy
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear amber color with maybe one finger of fluffy off-white head that leaves decent retention.
The scent is that of smokey malts, caramel, and some spice notes.
The taste is of slight sweet, smokey malt, some notes of earthy hops, and some caramel.
Light bodied, smooth and crisp, moderate carbonation.
I thought this was a nice, more mild version of the style, the smokiness isn't so dominant that you don't have a difficult time tasting what else is here.
Serving type: bottle
10-19-2012 18:43:01 |
More by BeerCon5
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I picked up a bottle of Fort Collins Brewing's Z Lager last week for $1.89 at The Lager Mill. It's been a while since I've have a Raunchbier, and I have never seen or heard of this beer, so I thought I would give it a try, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date, but the store just got it in so I assume it's fairly fresh. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.
A- The label looks nice and it's pretty well done, it also sticks out a little. It poured a nice amber color that took some burnt orange color when held to the light with a finger and a half worth of off white head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded to nothing and left hardly any lacing. This was a pretty average looking Amber Ale, the color was ok but the head and lacing were disappointing.
S- The aroma starts off with a lighter amount of medium smoke that impart a very woody aroma that resembles a campfire, after that comes the malts which have a higher amount of medium sweetness to them and impart some grainy, caramel, toffee, dark fruits, toasted malts and a light amount of coffee. Towards the end I get a light amount of citrus hops that add some nice complexity. The aroma is nice, but I feel like the smokey aromas don't blend that well with the dark fruit aromas.
T- The taste is a little similar to the aroma and it starts off with some medium sweet malts that impart some nice toasted, grainy, caramel malts, and slightly nutty flavors. Up next comes the Smoke which is on the lighter side but still noticeable and imparts a nice smokey and woody aroma. On the finish there is a light amount earthy hops that give this beer a lighter amount of bitterness, and a toasted malt and lightly smokey aftertaste. I liked the taste of this beer, it was nice and balanced, but the smoked didn't shine through as much as I would have liked.
M- Smooth, dry, on the light side of being medium bodied, with a higher amount of medium carbonation that made it a little prickly. The mouthfeel is ok, but the higher amount of carbonation makes it pretty average.
Overall I thought this was a decent beer, not true to style enough to be called a Rauchbier, but for an Amber Ale I would say it was a little above average. This beer was pretty drinkable, it was really smooth, and the flavor did an ok job at holding my attention, I could drink two of these but I think that would be my limit. What I liked most about this beer was the flavor and aroma, they were the highlights of this beer and were both pretty balanced. What I liked least about this beer was the lightness of the smoke and the higher carbonation, I needed more smoke and less carbonation. I would be buy this beer again when looking for a lightly smokey beer, but I wouldn't buy it often, I recommend giving this beer a try, it might make for a good gateway Rauchbier. All in all this was a lightly smokey amber, what it lacked in intensity it made up for in drinkability. This was the second beer I have had from this brewery and it was better then their Chocolate stout, I thought it was a pretty solid beer and I wouldn't mind trying some more beers from this brewery.
Serving type: bottle
09-18-2012 03:49:51 |
More by StoutHunter
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
12oz bottle into a pint glass.
Pours a clear reddish copper with a half finger tan head that fades pretty quickly. Ok lacing on the sides of the glass.
Aroma moderate smoke, light coffee, caramel, and toasted malt. Not really any hops detectable.
The taste has a pleasing smoke mixed with a healthy dose of toasted malt. Kind of tastes like an amber with a little smoke added. Some toffee and caramel. A slight tartness on the tip of the tongue along with a moderate bitterness finishing slightly sticky. Mouthfeel terrible though being extremely thin and watery.
Overall, an ok rauchbier but far from the top in the style. I would drink it again, though, purely for the ease of accessibility and lack of rauchbiers on the market.
Serving type: bottle
08-01-2012 00:12:52 |
More by rangerred
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
pint glass
a - pours amber in color with a thin cap of tan head. after calming i get a thin film and a few thin legs of lacing here and there.
s - molasses, campfire, dark fruits.
t - carmel malt with a bit of char and an odd, tangy sort of bitterness that lingers for quite a while. not entirely sure what's going on here.
m - heavier side of medium, adequate carbonation, finer co2 profile.
o - pretty good beer, but there are much better examples of the style that are easy enough to come by. wouldn't turn it down if someone offered me one though.
Serving type: bottle
06-01-2012 05:14:36 |
More by divineaudio
New Jersey
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A- Coppery red hue, not the best head formation
S- Smells like malt with a touch of smoke, very lovely but hard to really describe.
T- Malty and lightly sweet to start, followed by a smokey, bacon-like quality.
M- Full bodied, but still refreshing.
O- This is the first rauchbeir I have ever had, but it was a style I longed to try since I like other smokey things, so I can't tell you if it's a good example of it's style. However, it's well balanced, and come on it tastes a little like bacon. Who wouldn't like that? I was always told rauchbeirs were overbearing, so I don't know if they toned down the smoke, or if it's simply that I like smokey things.
Serving type: bottle
04-24-2012 02:05:30 |
More by CuteZombieDoll
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a rich, dark amber color. A finger of dark off-white head adorns and dissipates to a nice foamy ring.
The aroma isn't huge an in your face, but what's there is quite pleasant. There's an initial smoky, woody aroma, with a fairly rich, sweet caramel. There's also some faint chocolate notes that were unexpected, but not unwelcomed.
The taste has a pretty upfront caramel maltiness, with some touches of woody smoke. It's balanced pretty nicely by some bittering hops.
It's fairly light bodied, easy to consume.
I went into this thinking it was going to be meh, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, it's not a very in your face rauchbier, but it's a well put together beer and tasty, despite being on the mild side for the style.
Serving type: bottle
04-17-2012 23:52:46 |
More by EgadBananas
New York
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Hazy light copper with a slight head and no lacing.
Light woody smoke with hints of citrus hops. This is pleasant, however, there is little stimulant.
There is not much going on as the flavors follow the nose. While not significant, bitterness is the primary player. Malts are reserved to a wheat bread found in a long finish.
Z Lager has a medium body with no alcohol. It has light carbonation and is on the drier side.
A fine beer that could be sessionable, however, it lacks inspiration.
Serving type: bottle
03-10-2012 02:44:17 |
More by SLeffler27
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Delicate. Not complicated. But Delicate. Normally I'm used to being inundated with an overpowering campfire taste in Rauchbier's. Fort Collins does it right with imparting a very slight (albeit noticeable) smoke flavor and aroma. Hops are almost non-existent, but it tastes right. Why roast a grapefruit anyway? You get a little bit of sweetness from the malt, but again, nothing dominating. My only gripe is it tastes so light, giving it a watery mouth-feel.
I'd buy it again.
Serving type: bottle
02-21-2012 02:50:28 |
More by FungusBrewer
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
$16.99 for a mixed 12 pack. Newly available to our area. 30 IBU's per the website, 5.4% ABV. No ingredients listed other than beechwood smoked malt.
Pours out to a sparingly clear amber, forming a modest light yellow head with good retention and adequate lacing. Slightly less than moderate carbonation. The aroma when first cracked is overwhelmingly biscuit malt, smelling like a dead ringer for fat tire, however it is followed by a touch of caramelized malt. I know and love rauchbiers and I am not picking up on any smoke whatsoever. The mouthfeel is smooth with a medium body, fuller than one might expect from a 5.4% ABV lager. There is a husky graininess akin to GLBC Eliot Ness Vienna Lager. This tastes very similar to it. Again, I'm not getting any smoke in the taste either. Bitterness is herbal and medium in intensity, nicely balanced, with little to no hop or flavor.
This is a really nice easy to drink everyday amber lager. I certainly would not call it a rauchbier by any stretch of the imagination, but I would buy it again. Seeing as how it's a nice blend between two of my favorite beers (Eliot Ness and Fat Tire), this is a nice addition to our distribution.
Serving type: bottle
02-11-2012 06:51:25 |
More by Mitchster
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
one of the better fort collins brews. has a fantastic nose of smoked malt and dried pitted fruit. described as a lager, there is nothing lager about what i taste here. smokey like a grill fire, slightly sweet like caramelized malts, and quite refreshing despite its heavy flavors. this beer is in excellent balance and the mouthfeel is just right. fuller bodied for a lager, and well carbonated. i could easily down a sixpack of these in a session any time of year. not as smokey as some of the traditional rauchbiers, but in that vein. this is great
Serving type: bottle
01-09-2012 19:41:50 |
More by StonedTrippin
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bronze body, clear, with a very scant, tannish head. Leaves a ghost of a covering.
Sweet, smokey aromas, very peaty, and reminds me of hickory. Roasted almonds and some caramel.
Sweet hickory firewood taste. Nutty malts provide a backbone. Some caramel sweetness and another touch of smoke on the finish. There is a lingering sweetness that coats the mouth like sugar. Mouthfeel is slightly creamy.
Very interesting smoked beer. I like the flavors, but the lingering sweetness gets a little sickly after a couple glasses. Still, this is easily the best beer I've had from this brewery so far.
Serving type: bottle
01-05-2012 04:55:39 |
More by litheum94
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Definitely an interesting beer.
Z pours a dark cherry amber with a thin almond head that fades to a dusting. Very cool color for an amber. It smells like toasted malts, and a little bit like sawdust, but in a good way.
The taste kind of threw me for a loop though. On one hand it has this rich smokiness that I'd expect out of an ale, but it finishes smooth like a lager. There's not a lot of mouth feel, but the flavor is unique. It finishes with more of that smoke and a dash of charry hops.
I can't tell what to think about this beer. Is it an ale? Is it a lager? Do I even like it? I'm not really sure, but it's definitely worth a try. I might not buy it for myself, but I wouldn't turn it away if someone offered it to me.
Serving type: bottle
12-17-2011 05:04:10 |
More by Dmart1223
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
I got this as an extra in a trade with Exiled. Thanks bud!
A: Deep crystal clear amber with some reddish highlights. Minimal head with some lacing present.
S: Clean grainy malts with a slight smokiness.
T: Caramel malts with a slight hop twang for balance and subdued smoke.
M: Light bodied and thin, some what watery, but with nice carbonation.
O: Glad I got to try it. There are no off flavors and I did enjoy it, but it's not something I'd seek out. I may be in the minority here, but I wish a lot of the rauchbiers I've tried featured the smoke more as a main character, rather than an extra. Maybe all the smoked Texas barbecue I grew up with has desensitized me.
Serving type: bottle
10-24-2011 00:58:01 |
More by setexascustoms
North Carolina
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a pale amber with 1/4" of loose head that quickly fades. Smells of caramel malt, lager yeast, and faint wood fire. The taste is earthy with some obvious wood fire characteristics. There's a faint caramel flavor in the finish and just enough hops to add a balanced bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, crisp, and well carbonated.
This is very drinkable and would make a nice cold weather beer. Overall, though the flavor is mild and not very complex.
Serving type: bottle
09-25-2011 22:53:10 |
More by tdm168
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a nice dark tinted amber/copper colored ale with an off-white foamy head that stays pretty well throughout the session. Funky aroma. I am getting smacked in the nostrils with some smoked meat which is making me hungry. Meaty and campfire smoke abounds. There are some green olives and malt in there too. I think it's great! More smokiness on the taste and there is still some meat along with slight coffee and roastiness. Slight band-aid aftertaste which is a little putting-off. Overall I enjoyed my experience with this beer. I wouldn't say it is one of the greatest, but it has a lot going on and I enjoyed the session.
Serving type: bottle
09-25-2011 18:46:29 |
More by kaseydad
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours a dark golden amber color with orange hues and a one finger white head that quickly settles into a thin lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.
Toasted malt aroma that is only faintly smokey with hints of sweet malt and wintry spices. Very subtle smoke character with hints of charcoal, caramel and biscuit.
Medium bodied with a prominent spice character up front that takes away from what little smokiness is underneath. Hints of cinnamon and brown sugar along with faint bitter hops that are slowly countered by a sweet malt backbone. Very faint smokiness but it is completely overpowered by the other characteristics. Lots of sweet caramel along with some biscuit and toffee. As it warms the smokey elements become more evident but are still considerably weak.
Serving type: bottle
09-12-2011 08:28:18 |
More by corby112
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a bright copper color with a thin white head, a little lacing.
Aromas are nice, distinct caramel, sweet grains, and hints of smoke.
Taste is more smoky than the nose suggests. Light caramel sweetness, cereal grain, with brewed tea notes, and light creamy sweetness. Finish is has a nice crispness, with solid undertones of smoky wood. Nice balanced flavors.
Mouthfeel is nice and full, with good carbonation.
Overall a very solid smoked lager. This is well worth trying if you are a smoked beer fan.
Serving type: bottle
09-03-2011 19:06:43 |
More by flexabull
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
It pours a rich amber in color with a nice frothy head that fades fast but leaves spotty lacing.
The aroma is of caramel, toasted bread, rye, and faint, mild bacon notes. Low hop profile, some grassy touches.
Very mild with light caramel and toast, bready with spicy rye notes and very mild meaty smoke flavors. Dissapointing on the smoke, especially for such a light base.
A bit on the thin side, nice carbonation.
Overall, balanced well but too subtle on the smoke. Easy enough to drink.
Serving type: on-tap
08-29-2011 19:48:11 |
More by JayS2629
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The sweet-smoky interplay of caramelized malts, toast and bread provide a firm background for the decoration of savory smoke for a tasty lager that begs for barbecue.
The medium amber-copper beer shows bright clarity while building a dense froath of lightly tanned foam while leaving broken patterns of lace behind. A very classy look.
Dense malty aromas are chocked full of caramel, bread crust, medium toast, and overall elegant malt profile. But the overriding smoke character is unmistakable. Showing a lot of restraint, the smoke character offers complexity to the nose but not without allowing the subtle malt aromas to pronounce.
The grainy sweet flavors of sun dried barley, mild toast or the crust of freshly baked breads blend with caramel sweetness decorated by notes of light toffee- malty rich indeed. Low in hop character, the smoke character seems to bring about a more savory and meaty flavor from the malt sweetness and leaves a lingering impression of smoke, grain, and caramel on the mouth. The clean lager could use more malty flavor and less grain to win me over.
Medium-light on creaminess, the beer allows grainy textures to impeed the mouthfeel as well, but only in low intensity. Releasing the early creamy flavors and foregoing the grainy feel, the beer finish malty-dry with a slight linger of sweet smokiness and light alcohol warmth.
A very nice smoked lager that's about as formitable as Negra Modelo except with a balance of smoke aroma and flavor that's careful not to dominate the brew.
Serving type: bottle
08-24-2011 04:32:24 |
More by BEERchitect
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Very dark amber in appearance, no cloudiness at all, single finger cream-colored sticky head, nice lacing. A bit too thin in body, smells of mild bacon-ey smoke with a medium strong malt underneath, and tastes exactly the same as the nose, only with a heavy emphasis on the sweet malt. Did I mention that the smoke is really mild for a Rauchbier? This seems like its meant to be an intro to the style for those unfamiliar with it... Nice and mild, but not what I want when I seek out a rauchbier.
Serving type: bottle
08-22-2011 02:25:17 |
More by WastingFreetime
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Deep amber in color. It has a nice malty taste, almost chocolatey, and has a mild, smoky finish. If I didn't know it used smoked malt, I probably wouldn't be able to tell from the taste alone. It's pretty subtle to me, but very nice.
Overall, it tasted really good. I would drink this again for sure.
Serving type: bottle
08-22-2011 00:28:10 |
More by FarmerTed
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text: CIMB's branch in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei is overseen by CIMB Islamic. Being an Islamic sovereign state, Brunei has recently stepped up its efforts to develop its Islamic financial services sector. CIMB Brunei offers corporate and project advisory services, asset management expertise and services, private equity, private banking, and fixed income services to both onshore and offshore institutional and corporate clients. CIMB Islamic is supportive of Brunei's efforts to diversify its economy away from the oil and gas sector by leveraging on its experience and expertise, and the global strength of CIMB Group in investment banking services.


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A 19-year-old Ann Arbor woman was sexually assaulted early Monday morning as she walked in the 1800 block of Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said the woman was approached from behind by an unknown man. The man grabbed the woman's crotch and chest, according to Bush.
The woman then screamed and the man ran away from the area.
Bush said the man is described as Asian, in his late 20s, 5-feet-6 inches tall and wearing a baseball hat. The woman was unable to provide police with a clothing description beyond the hat. He was last seen running on Washtenaw toward Hill Street.
The incident caused the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety to send out a crime alert to the campus community Monday morning.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to call the Ann Arbor police anonymous tip line at 734-794-6939.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at email@example.com or you can follow him on Twitter.


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Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly (Hardcover)
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Fancy Nancy thinks butterflies are simply exquisite.
And that is why she can't wait for her friend Bree's Butterfly Birthday. It's going to be the fanciest birthday party ever! But when Nancy finds out she can't go because her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary party is the same day, she is furious. (Mad is way too plain for how she feels.) Will Nancy be able to overcome her disappointment?
About the Author
Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser are the author and illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy series. Jane lives with her family in New York City. Robin lives with her family in Southern California.
Desde la publicacion de Nancy la Elegante, el closet de Jane O'Connor cuenta con tantas boas, coronas y atuendos brillantes que a veces sus amigas no la reconocen por la calle. Aun reside (esa es una palabra elegante para decir que vive) en la ciudad de Nueva York con su familia y su companero canino, Arrow.


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Booster Seats |
Booster Seats What is a Booster Seat? A booster seat positions the vehicles safety belt properly on a child. The booster makes sure that the lap belt rests on the child's lap, over the strong hip bones and nowhere near the soft belly. The booster also makes sure that the shoulder belt rests between the child's shoulder and neck so the child is comfortable and wont put the belt behind her back or under her arm. When a child rides on a booster, he must use the vehicles shoulder AND lap belt across them. Boosters will not work with lap-only belts. Why should kids ride in a booster? Because the vehicle seat is too big and a childs bone structure is too small and underdeveloped to keep the safety belt in the proper place during a crash. A 4-8 year old child riding in a booster is 59% less likely to be injured in a crash than a 4-8 year old wearing a safety belt alone. Yes, there are two different types of boosters--backless boosters, and high-backed boosters. Which one to choose depends on your vehicle, the age, height and weight of your child, and you and your child's own preferences. Backless boosters are smaller and lighter and this makes them great for travel. High-backed boosters are better for sleeping and according to one study, are more beneficial in side impacts compared to seat belts or backless boosters. Please note that combination seats are also sometimes called boosters or hybrid boosters. These seats start off as a 5-point harness car seat and can turn into a high-backed and/or backless booster once the child is big and/or mature enough. Who Should Ride in a Booster? Kids, especially younger ones, are safer in a 5-point harness. Dont rush to graduate your child to a booster seat. If your child still fits in his 5-point harness car seat, leave him there! Kids who are AT LEAST 40 pounds AND AT LEAST 3-4 years old can start using boosters. If you can answer "Yes" to ALL the statements below, your child is okay to use a booster:
Do not stop using a booster seat unless you can answer "yes" to ALL of the questions listed here. Unless you can answer "yes" to all the questions, your child still needs a booster in order for the seat belt to fit correctly, no matter how tall, how heavy, or how old he is!
The 5-Step Test
©SafetyBeltSafe USA Why should kids use boosters? Can't they just use the seat belt? What the seat belt does
The Problem with Safety Belts on Children There are three main problems with vehicle safety belts and children. These three factors combine together in a crash to create an extremely unsafe situation which can only be corrected by the use of a booster. Problem 1: The shoulder belt is anchored too high The shoulder belt is usually anchored so high up in the vehicle (even with adjustable shoulder belt anchors in many newer vehicles) that instead of crossing the center of a childs chest and resting between the neck and the shoulder, it crosses only a small part of the chest and rests against the neck. This causes the child to be uncomfortable and most kids respond by putting the shoulder belt behind their backs or under their arms. If the shoulder belt is not going across the child's chest and shoulder, it cannot hold the child's upper body back in a crash--allowing the possibility of severe head, neck or spinal injury. Problem 2: The vehicle seat is too big and too deep The vehicle seat is too deep for most kids to be able to sit comfortably without slouching since their thigh bones (femurs) are too short. Slouching worsens the already poor belt fit by placing the lap belt further up on the abdomen and moving the shoulder belt even further off the chest and onto the neck. By creating a big gap between the childs back and the back of the vehicle seat, slouching introduces a large amount of slack in the safety belt, which can allow a childs head and body to move dangerously far forward in a crash. Problem 3: The child's body is too small and underdeveloped What does the difference in seat belt fit look like?
Why Boosters Work Boosters improve how the vehicle safety belt fits the child and how the child fits the vehicle seat. Boosters in Action: Booster vs. No Booster Lap and Shoulder belt worn correctly, No Booster In the second diagram, a child who should be using a booster is instead using just a lap-and-shoulder belt, albeit correctly. His head still moves quite far forward during a crash. Lap and Shoulder Belt worn correctly WITH Booster In the third diagram, the child uses a booster correctly. His head barely moves forward and he will sustain much less serious injuries than the other two children in the above diagrams.
If you are worried that your child might not be ready for a booster, take a look at some combination seats, which start off as 5-point harness car seats and then turn into boosters when the child is older, bigger, and more mature. See Types of Boosters for more information on choosing the right booster for your child. When can my child stop using a booster? There is no magic age, height or weight determining whether your child will be safe without a booster. Because a booster corrects poor vehicle seat belt fit, a child should use a booster until the vehicle seat belt fits him properly. This can be anywhere from age 8 to age 13. 50% of all ten year olds still need to use boosters for proper seat belt fit. Unless you can answer "yes" to all the questions below, your child STILL needs a booster in order for the seat belt to fit correctly--regardless of his height, his age, or his weight.
Also, please note that because boosters work in conjunction with the vehicle seat belt and vehicle seat cushion, an older child may need to use a booster in one vehicle but not in others. Make sure to perform the 5-Step Test the first time your older child rides in a new vehicle. The 5-Step Test Put your child in the car and have her sit like an adult, without a booster. Buckle the seat belt over her. Now answer these questions:
Types of Booster Seats Are there different types of boosters? Which type of booster is right for my child? Which type is right for my vehicle? Backless Boosters
Note: The vehicle seat MUST come up to your child's ears in order to use a backless booster. This is because the top of the ears is the same height as the bottom of the skull, which needs protection in a crash. If the seat back does not come up to the top of the ears/bottom of the skull, the child is more likely to suffer whiplash injuries in a crash. If your child's ears come up past the vehicle seat, he should use a high-back booster, where the high back of the booster itself will prevent whiplash.
There are two types of High Back boosters: Belt Positioning Boosters (BPB) and Combination Seats. Belt Positioning Boosters (BPB): Like a backless booster but also has a back and head support which goes up past the child's ears. Normally used as a high-back booster, many of these models also allow you to remove the back, turning the seat into a backless booster this option is very helpful for travel and for storage. Combination: Functions either as a car seat with a 5-point harness for children up to 40 pounds (a few models go to 50 or 65lbs) OR a belt positioning booster for kids over 40 pounds (you simply remove the harness and use the vehicles safety belt to secure the child). The back is usually not removable on these models.
Carpool Solutions Are you driving carpool this year and wondering how you are going to fit 3 boosters across the back of your minivan? Trying to fit multiple car seats & boosters can be a challenge - even in a big vehicle like a minivan.
Before you rush to buy a booster for carpool...
Kids, especially younger ones, are safer in a 5-point harness. Dont rush to graduate your child to a booster seat. Kids who are AT LEAST 40 pounds AND AT LEAST 3-4 years old can start using boosters. Remember also that kids should ride on a booster UNTIL they can pass the 5-step-test (usually age 8-10).
Which booster is the narrowest? The Bubble Bum is the narrowest on the market at just 13 inches wide. The Bubble Bum is an inflatable booster and weighs only 1 lb, so it's perfect for all sorts of travel and carpool situations. It has no armrests, so it fits more easily in tight spaces than most traditional boosters. The missing armrests also allow kids to more easily see where to buckle the seat belt, which means they're more likely to be able to buckle themselves in--definitely a plus in carpool situations! The Bubble Bum inflates in seconds for use in your car and then deflates quickly for storage in your garage or for transport in your child's backpack. BubbleBum in action: We were able to fit two BubbleBum boosters and one rear-facing Combi Coccoro convertible car seat in the third row of a 2011 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. This combination just fit! The Nania High Ride (backless booster) is the next narrowest booster seat currently available - at just 14.5 inches wide. You can order an individual High Ride online from the University of Iowa Children's Safety Store or you can purchase an industrial pack of 6-8 boosters (total cost comes to less than $20 per booster) from AllegroMedical or Child Source.
**Note: These are all BACKLESS boosters. In order to use a backless booster, the vehicle seat back MUST come up to at least the top of the child's ears in order to provide adequate head support. If the vehicle seat back does not come up to at least the top of your child's ears, then your child must use a high back booster.
Do you need something EVEN NARROWER?
The Ride Safer Travel Vest (pictured below) is a great option as it is only as wide as the child's body. This is a vest that functions like a booster by positioning the vehicle's seat belt properly on the child's body. The Ride Safer Travel Vest can be used with just a lap belt so long as there is a tether anchor available. For vehicles 2000 and newer, there are tether anchors in at least 3 seating locations in the vehicle - most older vehicles (as old as 1989) can have tether anchors retrofitted for free or at minimal cost. The vest was redesigned in 2009; please make sure to get the newer version. You can distinguish the new from the old as the old one was only available in silver and had 2 buckles in front whereas the new one is available in a rainbow variety of colors (but not silver) and has only one buckle in front. Want measurements on other boosters or car seats? Carseat Measurement and Data spreadsheet Does a child need to ride in a position with just a lap belt? One option would be to use a 5-point harness car seat with a high-weight-harness (a harness that accommodates kids who weigh more than 40 pounds). A list of such car seats can be found here thanks to our fantastic friends at Safety Belt Safe USA. The Ride Safer Travel Vest (discussed above) also works with a lap-only belt provided there is a tether anchor available.
Lap Belt Only Solutions Many vehicles do not have shoulder belts in one or more rear seating position. Instead there is a lap-only belt. Unfortunately you CANNOT use a booster seat with a lap-only belt, since it dos not protect a child well.
Replacing a Booster with a Bigger Car Seat
Other Options (Vests/Harnesses/Shields)
A Parent's Guide To Talking to Kids About Boosters As parents, we must pick our battles. Allowing a child to skip her vegetables one night or to go outside without a coat will not cause lasting harm. Riding without a booster seat could kill or seriously injure a child. Safety must be non-negotiable at all times. Remember that you are the parent and you are in charge. Your attitude affects how your child views booster seats, and if you are positive and enthusiastic about boosters, your child is more likely to feel that way also. Likewise, if you communicate (verbally or non-verbally) that boosters are for babies or are optional, your child will pick up on these views as well. Riding in a booster seat should not be seen as a punishment. Instead, it should be seen as a normal part of everday life. Involve your child in buckling up and explain to her how the booster seat works to keep her safe. Kids are much more likely to want to ride in a booster if they understand how it works, rather than because Mommy and Daddy say I have to. How to Talk to your Kids about Boosters The goal of this exercise is to show your child how they fit differently in the vehicle and in the safety belt when they sit on a booster compared to when they are not on a booster. (You can also watch the video in the Just For Kids section with your child.) Make sure you understand how boosters work first, before doing this activity with your child.
Now, take the child out to the vehicle and do the 5-Step-Test with them.
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right to keep him the safest. If your child needs a booster, repeat the 5-step-test with him sitting on the booster and show him how he sits differently on the vehicle seat and how the safety belt fits him properly now. When talking to your child, remember to emphasize that by sitting on a booster she will have more fun because:
When all else fails:
Misuse Patterns: Booster Seats and Safety Belts Children under 40 pounds receive better protection from a child restraint with a 5-point-harness than a booster seat.1,2 Unfortunately, 29% of 3 year olds (who weigh less than 40 pounds) are inappropriately graduated to a booster seat.
The other biggest source of misuse is simply non-use i.e. kids who should be in a booster using just a safety belt, or worse yet riding completely unrestrained.
Booster aged children wearing a safety belt alone (no booster) suffer their most serious injuries to:
Without restraint, the upper body rotates around the lap belt in a jackknife motion, allowing the head to travel very far forward with a good chance of contacting hard structures in the vehicle, such as the back of the front seat or even the childs knees. Typical injuries include concussions, cerebral contusions, subdural hematomas, intracerebral hemorrhage, as well as myriad facial injuries. When compared with children appropriately restrained in boosters, those inappropriately restrained were 1.6 times more likely to suffer facial fractures. 2-5 year olds restrained in safety belts were more than 4 times more likely to sustain a significant head injury when compared with their peers riding in child restraints (car seats and boosters.) The Abdomen: The area approximately from the bottom of the ribs to the hip bones is likely to be injured when the lap belt rides up over the bony pelvis (hip bones), concentrating the crash forces over the soft abdomen. The risk for these injuries increases when a child slouches or misuses the shoulder belt. Slouching places the lap belt on the abdomen even before a crash. Without a shoulder belt across your chest and shoulder bones (when you ride with a lap-only belt, or place the shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm) your body will double over itself in a crash, but since you bend at your waist (near your belly button) instead of at your hip bones, the lap portion of the belt rides up over the hip bones and into the abdomen. A large study on thousands of crashes found no cases of abdominal injuries among 4-to-8-year olds riding in boosters. Those 4-8 year olds who were suboptimally restrained - using a safety belt when they should have been using a booster - were more than 3 times more likely to suffer an abdominal organ injury than those optimally restrained (in a booster seat). The presence of bruises on the abdomen or flanks is strongly associated with underlying intra-abdominal injuries specifically those to the spine, bowel, and bladder. Four mechanisms for the lap belt riding up into the abdomen have been described in the literature, each with a different root cause and pattern of injuries. It should be noted that the 6 year old crash test dummy (Hybrid III) does not accurately represent the human pelvis-belt interaction as no submarining occurs, so much of this data comes from real-world crashes. 2. Dynamic Submarining: This can occur even if a child attempts to wear the lap portion of the safety belt correctly, because the child's pelvis is relatively small, cartilaginous, and lacks the prominent anterior superior iliac spines of an adults which keep the lap portion in place during a crash. The child is simply too underdevelped to allow the belt and pelvis to interact properly during a crash, so the lap portion rides up into the abdomen, causing bruising low along the pelvic and organ injuries to the abdomen. 3. Jack-Knife Kinematic: When a child uses a lap-only belt, or places a shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm, the unrestrained upper torso jackknifes over the lap belt. This leads to lumbar spine injuries and abdominal injuries. 4. No Shoulder Belt Used: The shoulder portion of the belt exerts a vertical force on the inboard side (the side where the buckle is) of the lap belt which helps to prevent submarining. Booster Seats help prevent submarining and jack-knifing by maintaining proper lap belt positioning.
The Spine/Neck: Spinal cord injuries can occur when both the shoulder and lap belt are used, but are more common when the lap belt is the only form of restraint. When the lap belt rides up over the pelvis, applying all of the forces to the spine and abdomen, the thoracolumbar (chest and back) spine is at risk for injury. Not using a shoulder belt (or placing it behind the back or under the arm) increases the loads (forces) in the lumbar spine by as much as 5 times. Many parents worry that the shoulder belt rubbing the childs neck might be dangerous thinking it could lead to spinal cord injury or even decapitation in a crash. These fears are completely unfounded; there is little, if any, evidence in the literature of cervical spine (neck) injuries resulting from poor positioning of the shoulder belt near the childs neck (in situations where the childs head does not strike anything in the vehicle). A shoulder belt that touches the side of the neck is not likely to cause injury unless the belt is very loose. Cervical spine injuries may occur when no shoulder belt is used as the childs head and upper body will travel forward, making the head likely to strike the front vehicle seat or even the childs knees. Selected References: Booster Seats Click on the PubMed ID (PMID) number after any citation to go to the abstract and (where available) a link to the full text. A Agran, P. F., Anderson, C. L., Winn, D. G. (1998) Factors Associated with Restraint Use of Children in Fatal Crashes, Pediatrics, Vol. 102, e39. PMID 9724687 Angulo-Vazquez V, De Santis JP. Booster seat or seat belt? Motor vehicle injuries and child restraint laws in preschool and early school-age children. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2005 Oct-Dec;10(4):183-90. PMID 16223377 Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Menon RA, Lincoln AE, Winston FK. The role of restraint and seat position in pediatric facial fractures. J Trauma. 2002 Apr;52(4):693-8. PMID 11956385 Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Winston FK. Evaluation of pediatric use patterns and performance of lap shoulder belt systems in the center rear. Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med. 2004;48:57-72. PMID 15319117 Arbogast KB, Kallan MJ, Durbin DR. Effectiveness of high back and backless belt-positioning booster seats in side impact crashes. Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med. 2005 Sep;49:193-206. PMID 16179149 Arbogast KB, Mong DA, Mari-Gowda S, et al. Evaluating pediatric abdominal injuries. In: Proceedings of the 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles; 2005. Paper 05-0046. Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. Position Statement: Need for booster seats for children between age 4 and 10. September, 2003. Available http://www.carcrash.org/booster.pdf Accessed January 21, 2006. B Byard RW, Noblett H. Child booster seats and lethal seat belt injury. J Paediatr Child Health. 2004 Nov;40(11):639-41. PMID 15469535 C Child safety. Too many are too small for a seatbelt. Child Health Alert. 2003 May;21:4. PMID 12772693 D Durbin DR, Elliott MR, Winston FK. Belt-positioning booster seats and reduction in risk of injury among children in vehicle crashes. JAMA. 2003 Jun 4;289(21):2835-40. PMID 12783914 Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Winston FK. Trends in booster seat use among young children in crashes. Pediatrics. 2001 Dec;108(6):E109. PMID 11731636 Durbin DR, Runge J, Mackay M, Meissner U, Pedder J, Wodzin E, Yoganandan N. Booster seats for children: closing the gap between science and public policy in the United States. Traffic Inj Prev. 2003 Mar;4(1):5-8. PMID 14522655 E Ebel BE, Koepsell TD, Bennett EE, Rivara FP. Use of child booster seats in motor vehicles following a community campaign: a controlled trial. JAMA. 2003 Feb 19;289(7):879-84. PMID 12588272 Ebel BE, Koepsell TD, Bennett EE, Rivara FP. Too small for a seatbelt: predictors of booster seat use by child passengers. Pediatrics. 2003 Apr;111(4 Pt 1):e323-7. PMID 12671146 Edgerton EA, Orzechowski KM, Eichelberger MR. Not all child safety seats are created equal: the potential dangers of shield booster seats. Pediatrics. 2004 Mar;113(3 Pt 1):e153-8. PMID 14993569 H Hout M, Brown J, Bilston L. Effectiveness of high back belt positioning booster seats in side impacts. Traffic Inj Prev. 2005 Jun;6(2): 147-55. PMID 16019400 K Klinch K, Burton R. Injur y patterns of older children in automotive accidents. Paper 933082, Society of Automotive Engineers; 1993. Koschel MJ. Boosting booster seat use: use simple education to help properly restrain youngsters. Am J Nurs. 2004 Aug;104(8):13. PMID 15300016 L Lee JW, Fitzgerald K, Ebel BE. Lessons for increasing awareness and use of booster seats in a Latino community. Inj Prev. 2003 Sep;9(3):268-9. PMID 12966019 Lutz N, Nance ML, Kallan MJ, Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Winston FK. Incidence and clinical significance of abdominal wall bruising in restrained children involved in motor vehicle crashes. J Pediatr Surg. 2004;39(6):972975. PMID: 15185237 M Miller T, Zaloshnja E , Sheppard M. Are booster seats needed: comparing occupant outcomes ages 4-7 versus 8-13. Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med. 2002; 46:249-59. PMID 12361511 Morris SD. Misuse of booster seats. Inj Prev. 2001 Sep;7(3):254. PMID 11565998 Morris SD, Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Winston FK. Misuse of booster seats. Inj Prev. 2000 Dec;6(4):281-4. PMID 11144628 N Nance ML, Lutz N, Arbogast KB, Cornejo RA, Kallan MJ, Winston FK, Durbin DR. Optimal restraint reduces the risk of abdominal injury in children involved in motor vehicle crashes. Ann Surg. 2004 Jan;239(1):127-31. PMID 14685110 Newman KD, Bowman LM, Eichelberger MR, Gotschall CS, Taylor GA, Johnson DL, Thomas M. The lap belt complex: intestinal and lumbar spine injury in children. J Trauma. 1990 Sep;30(9):1133-8; discussion 1138-40. PMID 2213946 P Pierce SE, Mundt MP, Peterson NM, Katcher ML. Improving awareness and use of booster seats in Head Start families. WMJ. 2005 Jan;104(1):46-51. PMID 15779725 R Ramsey A, Simpson E, Rivara FP. Booster seat use and reasons for nonuse. Pediatrics. 2000 Aug;106(2):E20. PMID 10920176 Rivara FP, Bennett E, Crispin B, Kruger K, Ebel B, Sarewitz A. Booster seats for child passengers: lessons for increasing their use. Inj Prev. 2001 Sep;7(3):210-3. PMID 11565986 S Safe Kids Worldwide. Facts about injuries to child occupants in motor vehicle crashes. 2005. Available http://www.usa.safekids.org/content_documents/CPS_Fact_Sheet_2006_MEDIA.pdf Accessed January 21, 2006 Sherwood C, Crandall J, Stevens S, Saggese J, Eichelberger M. Sled tests and CIREN data illustrating the benefits of booster seats. Int J Crashworthiness. 2005;10(4):351357 Sherwood C, Kent R, Crandall J. Booster seats and the transition from child restraints to adult seat belts. Top Emerg Med, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 21-29. Sherwood CP, Shaw CG, Van Rooij L, Kent RW, Crandall JR, Orzechowski KM, Eichelberger MR, Kallieris D. Prediction of cervical spine injury risk for the 6-year-old child in frontal crashes. Traffic Inj Prev. 2003 Sep;4(3):206-13. PMID14522645 Simpson EM, Moll EK, Kassam-Adams N, Miller GJ, Winston FK. Barriers to booster seat use and strategies to increase their use. Pediatrics. 2002 Oct;110(4):729-36. PMID 12359786 Sivit CJ, Taylor GA, Newman KD, Bulas DI, Gotschall CS, Wright CJ, Eichelberger MR. Safety-belt injuries in children with lap-belt ecchymosis: CT findings in 61 patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1991 Jul;157(1):111-4. PMID 2048507 Slavik D. Cervical distraction injuries to children.Society of Automotive Engineers; 1997. Paper 973306 Smith P. Emergency nurse urges booster seat advocacy after encounter at traumatic crash scene. J Emerg Nurs. 2005 Apr;31(2):185-L7. PMID 15834388 Stepanski BM, Ray LU, Nichols L. Booster seats: a community based study of installation and use by parents and caregivers. Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med. 2001;45:37-48. PMID 12214362 W Weber K. Crash protection for child passengers: a review of best practice. UMTRI Research Review. 2000 July-Sept:31(3): 1-28. Winston FK, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Moll EK. The danger of premature graduation to seat belts for young children. Pediatrics. 2000 Jun;105(6):1179-83. PMID 10835054 Citations: Misuse Patterns for Booster Seats and Safety Belts
Citations: Injury Patterns for Booster Aged Kids NOT USING Booster Seats
Klinich K, Burton R. Injury patterns of older children in automotive accidents. Paper 933082, Society of Automotive Engineers; 1993. Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Menon RA, Lincoln AE, Winston FK. The role of restraint and seat position in pediatric facial fractures. J Trauma. 2002;52(4):693698. PMID 11956385 Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Menon RA, Lincoln AE, Winston FK. The role of restraint and seat position in pediatric facial fractures. J Trauma. 2002;52(4):693698. PMID 11956385 Winston FK, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Moll EK. The danger of premature graduation to seat belts for young children. Pediatrics. 2000 Jun;105(6):1179-83. PMID 10835054 Arbogast KB, Mong DA, Mari-Gowda S, et al. Evaluating pediatric abdominal injuries. In: Proceedings of the 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles; 2005. Paper 05-0046. Sherwood CP, Shaw CG, Van Rooij L, Kent RW, Crandall JR, Orzechowski KM, Eichelberger MR, Kallieris D. Prediction of cervical spine injury risk for the 6-year-old child in frontal crashes. Traffic Inj Prev. 2003 Sep;4(3):206-13. PMID14522645 Sherwood C, Kent R, Crandall J. Booster seats and the transition from child restraints to adult seat belts. Top Emerg Med, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 21-29. Nance ML, Lutz N, Arbogast KB, Cornejo RA, Kallan MJ, Winston FK, Durbin DR. Optimal restraint reduces the risk of abdominal injury in children involved in motor vehicle crashes. Ann Surg. 2004 Jan;239(1):127-31. PMID 14685110 Lutz N, Nance ML, Kallan MJ, Arbogast KB, Durbin DR, Winston FK. Incidence and clinical significance of abdominal wall bruising in restrained children involved in motor vehicle crashes. J Pediatr Surg. 2004;39(6):972975. Sivit CJ, Taylor GA, Newman KD, Bulas DI, Gotschall CS, Wright CJ, Eichelberger MR. Safety-belt injuries in children with lap-belt ecchymosis: CT findings in 61 patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1991 Jul;157(1):111-4. PMID 2048507 Sherwood C, Crandall J, Stevens S, Saggese J, Eichelberger M. Sled tests and CIREN data illustrating the benefits of booster seats. Int J Crashworthiness. 2005;10(4):351357. Slavik D. Cervical distraction injuries to children.Society of Automotive Engineers; 1997. Paper 973306 Weber K. Crash protection for child passengers: a review of best practice. UMTRI Research Review. 2000 July-Sept:31(3): 1-28. Sherwood C, Crandall J, Stevens S, Saggese J, Eichelberger M. Sled tests and CIREN data illustrating the benefits of booster seats. Int J Crashworthiness. 2005;10(4):351357. |


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Xel Ha
Km 240 Carr. Chetumal Puerto Juárez , Tulum
The Maya christened the area Xel-Ha. Xel for source or spring, and ha for water, so the name roughly translates where the water is born.Delphinus Xel-Ha
Delphinus Xel-Ha lies inside a natural place known as one of the Mexico´s Natural Wonders and as the biggest natural aquarium of the world: Xel-Ha,
Tulum Eco Parks are some of the most spectacular spots where you can take a breather from the busy city life and get a chance to appreciate the many wonders of nature. Located in a coastline hugging the Caribbean Sea, Tulum offers the best in reef and aquatic activities. But the whole place is more than just the sea and the beach. To visit Tulum is to experience a unique adventure that goes beyond time.
The most popular among Tulum Eco Parks is Xel ha. This area is a collection of lagoons, coves, caves and cenotes where the pristine water from the underground rivers of the Yucatan unites with the Caribbean Sea. Xel ha has been existent long before the Hispanic era. In fact, the name of the place actually means "source of water" in Mayan language. Centuries ago, the place was a harbor used by Mayans to move through the coastal areas. Today, Xel ha is considered as the most breathtaking ocean park in the world, a natural aquarium where tourists can have their most unforgettable underwater adventures.
Tulum Eco Parks offer various water activities that visitors can really enjoy. For instance, tourists can swim with dolphin as part of the Dolphins World program in Xel ha. Here, one can experience and interact with dolphins in their natural habitat. The dolphins are actually housed in a dolphinaria, a natural reserve that has all the elements of the marine mammal's natural environment. To swim with dolphin in Xel ha is something that no tourist would want to miss. Dolphins World currently has 6 resident dolphins that have been carefully trained to amaze visitors. To swim with dolphin at Xel ha provides not just fun, but also a very enriching experience for visitors.
Finally, Tulum Eco Parks would not be complete without Xcaret. This ecological park in Riviera Maya used to be occupied by the ancient Mayans. Back in the day, Xcaret was a port and a trading center of great importance, the name itself is Mayan for small inlet. Archaeological traces of the ancient civilization, like the Polé site, are now housed in Xcaret Eco Park. Also, there is an active program that aims to restore, conserve, and showcase the region's flora and fauna. Here, tourists can travel back in time and see the different features of the Mayan culture that existed in Quintana Roo. But that's not all. Xcaret is also a place for thrill seekers who want to practice various water sports for fun.


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Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Marcus Hinton, military historian, carves model soldiers and his wife paints them - historically accurate to the last detail.
C/U of books with old fashioned drawings of soldiers. M/S of Marcus at work in a studio filled with military memorabilia: antique uniforms,...
We always welcome comments and more information about our films.
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Savings and Investment
Pension contributions (Table B)
There was some speculation in the period leading up to the Budget that further restrictions might be made to tax relief for pension contributions, but in the event no changes were announced. This means that the limit on contributions remains £50,000 or 100% of earnings, whichever is the smaller
It was announced last year that the limit on the value of a tax-advantaged pension fund will fall from £1.8m to £1.5m on 6 April 2012.Anyone with a larger fund taking benefits after that date could suffer an income tax charge on the excess at 55% unless a claim for protection has been made.
Tax Tip |
If you are a high earner, relief in 2012/13 at 50% will be better than 2013/14 at 45% |
Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
The annual limit on investment in tax-free ISAs increases by £600 to £11,280 for 2012/13. This limit increases in line with the Consumer Prices Index each year, adjusted so that the result divides by 12 to allow for regular monthly contributions.
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT)
Subscriptions for new shares qualifying for EIS or VCT relief enjoy a 30% income tax rebate. As announced last year, the limit for EIS investment will rise from £500,000 to £1m for 2012/13. A number of other changes are being made to make the reliefs simpler and easier to claim, including the removal of the £500 minimum for EIS and relaxation of some of the rules about being connected with the company through owning its loan capital.
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
No further details of the SEIS were given on Budget day, in spite of it appearing to be a very generous new relief that will apply for 2012/13. It has been announced in advance that a subscriber for shares in a new small trading company (less than 2 years old) will enjoy a 50% income tax rebate on up to £100,000 invested. If capital gains of up to the same amount are realised in 2012/13 and invested in a SEIS company in 2012/13, the gains will be exempt. These reliefs will become permanent provided a number of conditions are satisfied, but may be lost if the shares are sold or the company is liquidated in a short time. The combination of these reliefs mean that an investor can put £100,000 into a company at a cost of only £22,000.
Tax Tip |
The relief for SEIS is very generous can you benefit? |


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I always get somewhat reminiscent in the Fall.
The change of the seasons brings back a lot of difficult memories, and I usually end up feeling a bit down. Maybe it's SAD?
In the last few couple of years, however, I've learned to embrace these feelings instead of letting them upset me (I talked about this last year on the blog.)
So, last night I reminisced. I enjoyed some great memories and great food, no sadness allowed.
I had one of my favorite sandwiches from my college days with one of my dear friends whom I met in college.
More specifically, I had a delicious chicken cheesesteak from Texadelphia. It was spicy, cheesey, chewey and just plain marvelous. On the side were some standard chips and salsa and it was all washed down with a cold Miller Lite.
I loved Texadelphia in college. I only went there a handful of times, but those times were always memorable. Maybe because they didn't have their liquor license and I could actually remember it… but I digress.
They recently opened a new store in Bricktown/downtown, where I lived for a year after graduating.
The new location has an updated menu and a pretty cool interior, perfect for a quick bite before a Thunder game.
Speaking of the Thunder, last night they opened the season against the Bulls and won! Sweet. OKC is making a name for itself I tell ya.
Since Taylor and I didn't have tickets to the game, we wandered around for a bit to find a dessert option.
Maybe it was the brisk Fall day or the return to my old stomping grounds, but I was feeling bold and loaded up my froyo cup. I mean, I really didn't hold back.
My cup had:
- Chocolate froyo
- Peanut Butter froyo
- Cupcake froyo
- Cheesecake froyo
- Chocolate chips
- kiwi (that was ill-fitting in retrospect)
- brownie chunks
- Heath Crumbles
- Butterfinger flakes
- 2 peanut butter cups
It. Was. Legit.
The guy at the register so enjoyed my froyo enthusiasm that he gave me a discount! Thanks Peach Wave guy! I couldn't finish it all, but I made a valiant effort.
P.S. – Fat free chocolate froyo is not delicious. Steer clear.
Taylor and I chatted some more, and then wandered back to our cars.
As I headed home I got to thinking about how things change.
My favorite cheesesteak place got a makeover and is now a sophisticated "social grill".
My old neighborhood keeps growing and improving.
My friendships keep strengthening and changing.
The weather air is colder and the leaves are transforming.
Most of all, I've changed.
I'm kinder to myself.
I don't feel the need to bash myself for my past mistakes. Instead I rejoice in the good choices I'm making now.
I don't allow myself to feel fat and ugly. Instead I eat a cheesey sandwich and a ginormous cup of sugary sweetness with a smile on my face.
I walk outside, feel the cool air brush against my arms, and revel in the hope of new possibilities instead of the dread of a cold, lonely winter.
Times change. Places change. People change.
Bring it on, Fall.
Do you like cheesesteakes? I've never had a true Philly cheesesteak, but the chicken ones from Texadelphia are pretty damn good.
How have you changed in the past year?


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End Summer in a Private Villa in Santorini
A unique trip based on Aegean feeling and flavors awaits you at this exquisite sanctuary. The 400-meter villa includes private lounge pools, a spa, an open kitchen with wine and cigar bars, multiple suites and unparalleled views of the Caldera. Spa treatments can be provided inside the villa or at the spa gazebo, while services include your own personal concierge, airport escorts, afternoon cocktails and canapes, personal service attendants and business services for those who need to stay connected. If you want to go the extra mile you can have your own personal trainer, masseuse, security, and chauffeur. Yachting trips including a trip on the sparkling sea around the Caldera Basin, where you can swim in hot springs and visits to secluded bays can be arranged upon request. Alternatively, you can enjoy it all from above with a helicopter experience.
When you've built up an appetite, hotel chef Spyros Agious will take you on a culinary journey with his inspiring contemporary Mediterranean menu focusing on tasty yet healthy cuisine. His resume includes time spent at some of the world's best restaurants such as Maine's White Barn Inn, a Relais & Chateaux, AAA Five Diamond resort focused on New England cuisine; Michel Roux's La Gavroche in London, a Relaix & Chateaux Michelin two-star restaurant primarily focused on French cuisine; and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's Resort, also in London, a Michelin-starred restaurant which concentrates on Modern Europe Cuisine. The beautiful Caldera view and the deep blue sea that surrounds the hotel provide the main sources of Agious' menu inspiration. Agious selects the finest raw materials based on local products and creates dishes that will satisfy even the most demanding palate. Greek-inspired menu items include traditional pie with Fava split beans from Santorini, red mullet with citrus, traditional Kritharoto pasta with shrimp, fresh lamb patty with Greek yogurt and the unique home-smoked octopus.
"The Villa takes Grace Santorini's renowned standards of luxury to new heights with levels of space and amenity that are unavailable anywhere else on the island," says Grace Hotels' CEO, Philippe Requin. "Meanwhile, we have added enhanced personal services that will make guests at The Villa feel truly special."
The best part? Since this is the Villa's inaugural year there are special introductory rates starting from approximately $2,440 going up to $5,977 per night depending on the season. Sit back and enjoy the tranquillity of the sanctuary before returning to the real world.


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Right. I apologize for my "rare" unprofessionalism last time. Can we start over? I promise I'll keep it together this time because oh boy this faux-lobster roll is too delicious to miss out on. But it's strange to compose this post because the day I cooked it, my doggy-Armageddon-day had not been realized, and staring back on the make-funny-"when life gives you shrimp, make lobster roll"-line that I drew up then to mock my general cheap-ass style, it now seems to actually speak to me on a philosophical level… My words-in-past is making contact with my present inner-self. Wooh~ (believe it or not this is me keeping it together).
I'm going to push my opinion-quota by saying that the US is the least tea-cultured among the other places I've lived in (Taiwan, Vancouver, Hong Kong… Beijing). Americans aren't particularly keen on tea, evidently as some may now defensively refer to Snapple's along this line as a clownish counter-argument, and now… they shall stand to be mocked by public (no, it's too late to take it back).
Continue reading breakfast milk tea & honey pound cake 蜂蜜奶茶蛋糕
gateway charcuterie – goose prosciutto 入門風乾鵝胸火腿
I have not gone mad I assure you. I think. This is not a slap on my own face regarding what I just said about people not keeping it realz, I assure you again. I think… Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I tell you why.
Continue reading gateway charcuterie – goose prosciutto 入門風乾鵝胸火腿
the infinite kitchen sink hand pie 雜貨派
Sometimes I get a little personal when I take a stroll through the expansive, razzle-dazzling and star-crusted cosmic jungle that is food-blogosphere. I really don't mean to compare I really don't. Wise man once said that… "Go… just do your own things" or something… you know but put in a MUCH more profound and scholarly terms. But the thing is (and it's a big thing) that I can't help but feeling like Gimli the dwarf when self-put besides the others, whom I'd like to call the blogger-elves of the Woodland Realm (birds chirping pls) because I mean really, just REALLY, do people SERIOUSLY live like that? Prancing with in-season-only, tree-ripen fruits and vegetables galore by the farm-stands and POOF! an effortless display of fairy-salad and angel-tarts on a oh-my-granny-just-left-me-this antique table. Or picking WILD FLOWERS in pastel tea-dresses surrounded by rainbow and songs and THAT'S what she EATS on weekends!? For REALZ? I bet their body parts self-shave, too… Yeah. I'm jealous.
rock'n potato roll 摇滚馬鈴薯包
There were many aspects in life turned unexpectedly different after moving to Beijing. I didn't expect that in any foreseeable lifetime, I'd accessorize a biking trip to the grocery with an industrial-grade gas-mask instead of a summer straw-hat. I didn't expect neither that instead of battles on sample sale weekends, I'd be fighting other choking victims online in a gas-mask-shortage-frenzy when the days get worse. Yah I know there's a general wisdom to be applied here somewhere… positive psychology and affirmations do-kid-yourself kinda BS or whatnot… but then comes the unexpected irony.
steak's anatomy 牛排的結構
You people… yes YOU, who can't stop yapping about how the "grilling season" has begun. Wooh omg~ let's break out your Cadillac stainless steel monster-grill and park it so handsomely on your beautiful Martha Stewed deck, under that family peach tree looking out into your Ina-garden and get everybody all Bobby Flayed-up on your marbled rib-eye. Whatever, yah-dah yah-dah ya-dah… Yeah, you people. Please. Just. Zip it. SHUSH!


text: This was our second trip to Italy. We were so impressed with Your Tour in Italy's services the first time around, we decided to contact them again for their assistance on this trip. As expected, they performed flawlessly with their pick up and drop off services to the airport and to different cities. We had 4 different drivers who each... More