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When Sally O'Neill's doctor told her she had an early form of cancer in one of her breasts, she didn't agonize about what she wanted to.
The 42-year-old mother of two young girls wanted a double mastectomy.
"I decided at that moment that I wanted them both taken off," says O'Neill, who lives in a suburb of Boston. "There wasn't a real lot of thought process to it. I always thought, 'If this happens to me, this is what I'm going to do.' Because I'm not taking any chances. I want the best possible outcome. I don't want to do a wait-and-see."
Today, 10 years later, O'Neill has no regrets about what most people would consider a radical decision. And as it turns out, she was at the leading edge of a trend.
O'Neill had ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS. The number of women who get double mastectomies because of DCIS is small — around one in 16 women (see accompanying chart). But the rate has doubled in the past 10 years.
DCIS is an abnormality that most specialists call "stage zero" breast cancer — on a scale of 1 to 4. In many cases it doesn't ever progress to invasive cancer, the type that can be life-threatening.
These women are in a very different position than actress Angelina Jolie,who recently chose to have a double mastectomy. She has a gene mutation that gives her a very high risk of breast cancer. Research shows
many of the women choosing double mastectomy have the same diagnosis as O'Neill, not Jolie.
The debate over appropriate treatment for DCIS is part of an even bigger debate about what many specialists call the "over
diagnosis" of cancer, especially cancers of the breast, prostate and thyroid.
This means the discovery of growths that look like cancer but are not destined to cause the patient a problem if they go untreated.
The National Cancer Institute recently convened a group to look at overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancer. JAMA, a journal of the American Medical Association, last week published a summary of its conclusions.
Overdiagnosis is a product of widespread screening programs that look for cancers before they cause symptoms, on the assumption that early treatment will invariably reduce the chance that a cancer will kill. There's growing evidence that's not necessarily true.
Routine mammography and PSA screening for prostate cancer are thought to reveal many malignancies that wouldn't show up otherwise. And many doctors worry that a federal task force's new recommendation to increase screening with CT scans to look for early lung cancer will also lead to overdiagnosis.
Stepping back further, the issues of cancer over
diagnosis and overtreatment are part of an even bigger concern about unnecessary medical care. It's a problem NPR intends to explore in coming months as part of a series we're calling "Less Is More." The series will focus on situations when less treatment may actually be better for patients.
DCIS is a touch point of the over
diagnosis debate. Nearly 70,000 women are diagnosed with it each year. Before mammography screening, only about 3 percent of breast cancers were DCIS. Now the condition accounts for about a third of all "breast cancers."
The reason for those quote marks is that, while most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer, a growing number say it really shouldn't be called "cancer" at all.
DCIS is an overgrowth of cells within the lining of a woman's milk ducts. Such growths are not dangerous unless and until they break through and invade other breast tissue and ultimately spread to lymph nodes and other organs.
"Many of these precancerous lesions are not going to go on to become cancer," says Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast cancer surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco. "I don't think we should label it as cancer. I think we should call it a 'ductal lesion.' I think people would be much more willing to be calm about it."
We'll come back to Esserman's ideas about how woman and their doctors should address DCIS. But first, let's go back to Sally O'Neill; her case capsulizes the dilemma.
Her decision to have a double mastectomy, even though she had DCIS in only one breast, was so radical that the first surgeon she consulted refused to do it without a letter from a psychiatrist. "His exact words were, 'You're cancer-phobic,'" she says.
So she found a different surgeon, Dr. Kevin Hughes at Massachusetts General Hospital. When it comes to treating DCIS, Hughes errs on the side of caution.
"We don't know what percent are not deadly, and we have no idea which patients do or do not have a deadly form of cancer," Hughes says. "So as a surgeon I need to treat every cancer as if it might be deadly, because I don't know which ones are and which ones aren't."
Hughes does not advocate removing a healthy breast that doesn't have any DCIS. But he'll do it if he thinks a woman wants it for the right reasons.
"If they want to take the opposite breast off to never experience breast cancer again, that ... is a good reason to do it," Hughes says. "If they are taking their opposite breast off so they will live longer, that's not a good reason to take the opposite breast off."
This is a critical point. Many women — perhaps assuming all breast cancers are dangerous — may believe that removing the healthy breast after a diagnosis of DCIS improves their chances of survival.
But DCIS is nearly 100 percent curable. Typically, the treatment is a small operation called lumpectomy, often but not always followed by radiation to the area. (About a quarter of women with DCIS have a single mastectomy, usually because the abnormal growth occupies too great a percentage of the breast to make lumpectomy feasible.)
The chance of DCIS later appearing in the opposite breast is not precisely known, but is thought to be well under 1 percent per year. And Hughes points out that if DCIS does appear in the second breast – or even if invasive cancer turns up –it would likely be highly curable, too.
"We normally find it at a very early, very curable stage," Hughes says. "We very seldom have patients die from cancer in the opposite breast."
Some say concern about survival is not the only thing that's driving some women to seek a double mastectomy.
Patients may be distressed about the experience of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and have a "very strong aversion" to going through it again, Seema Khan of Northwestern University writes in a commentary in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Whatever their reasons, some patients and some doctors are pushing back against what they consider too much treatment for DCIS.
Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., is one of those patients. She was stunned after she recently got a diagnosis of DCIS and discovered that all the doctors she saw thought she should have surgery to remove it — right away.
"Quite honestly," she says, "I just didn't like the options being presented to me. It didn't ... make sense to me."
None of the surgeons recommended that MacDonald should remove her healthy breast, but all agreed she should have surgery. She was almost ready to give in when one of her sisters sent her an article quoting Esserman, the San Francisco breast surgeon.
MacDonald made an appointment to see Esserman and discovered a different approach.
"She said, 'OK, I've looked at your MRI, I've looked at your mammograms, I've looked at your blood tests. Here's what I will tell you — this is not an emergency and you have options,'" MacDonald says.
Esserman stresses there's no need for women to rush into surgery after a DCIS diagnosis.
"I think we all need to take a step back and not be so hysterical," Esserman says. "When I see people who've been told they've got to make a decision within two weeks, that's just crazy! No one has shown a progression [from DCIS] to invasive cancer in a two-week period of time — ever."
After seeing Esserman, MacDonald decided not to have surgery, at least for now. Instead, the doctor put her on hormone suppression therapy. McDonald now takes a drug that blocks estrogen. Because her DCIS cells are fueled by estrogen, the hope is that once they are starved of the hormone the cells will shrink and perhaps even disappear.
MacDonald says she realizes she may end up needing surgery anyway, but if so she'll be clearer about the decision.
She's hoping her case will turn out like another of Esserman's patients, Barbara Mann. Mann took an estrogen-blocking medication as well, for six months. Today, an MRI scan and biopsy show no trace of DCIS in her breast.
"It's amazing," Mann says. "It's not even a case of less-is-more. This is a case of less-is-best. I am just hugely relieved, absolutely thrilled. And what I would really like is for every other woman in my position to know this is an option."
But it's an option that will require lifelong vigilance. Anyone who chooses not to have surgery will have to be watched carefully and have routine mammograms and maybe even MRI scans and biopsies.
And women who choose this alternate route must be willing to live with the risk, however tiny, that DCIS might return, and might turn into invasive cancer.
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.
And I'm Renee Montagne.
Today in Your Health, we begin an occasional series called Less Is More. It explores the idea that more health care may not be better health care. And as part of this, our science team has been learning about a condition called DCIS.
WERTHEIMER: It stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. It's controversial. Most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer. But some say it really is not cancer at all.
MONTAGNE: It's being diagnosed much more often these days, and treatment is getting more aggressive, perhaps too aggressive at times.
Here's NPR's Richard Knox and Patti Neighmond with a look at the hard choices patients are facing.
PATTI NEIGHMOND, BYLINE: Let's start our story with Sally O'Neill. She's a single parent raising two girls in a suburb of Boston.
RICHARD KNOX, BYLINE: When I went to see her, she told me that 10 years ago, life was good. She was happy and healthy. Then she went to the doctor for a routine visit, and everything changed.
SALLY O'NEILL: I had my yearly mammogram, and that's when they found the microcalcifications in a circle. And they said that usually when they're in a circle, that means that there's something inside of it.
KNOX: O'Neill had a second mammogram, then a biopsy. It showed she had ductal carcinoma in situ. DCIS is a collection of abnormal cells found only in the milk ducts of the breast.
NEIGHMOND: Now, doctors differ on whether these cells should be called cancer or pre-cancer. But they do agree that they're only dangerous when and if they invade surrounding tissue. There's only a 10 to 15 percent chance they'll ever do that.
KNOX: O'Neill told me her surgeon suggested a lumpectomy to remove the abnormal cells. But he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to get all of them. It might take several operations.
O'NEILL: That was too much, and I thought, I can't do that. I've got kids at home that are little that need, you know, my attention, and I can't be going in and out of the hospital, and going through surgeries and all the stuff that comes afterwards, how sick you are.
KNOX: So this is when Sally O'Neill made what most would consider a radical decision. She wanted the maximum treatment she could get. She asked the surgeon to remove both of her breasts - the one with the abnormal cells and the one without them - just in case.
NEIGHMOND: You might be thinking now about the high-profile decision that actress Angelina Jolie made to remove both of her healthy breasts. That was a very different situation. Her condition was not DCIS. She had a gene mutation that gave her an extremely high risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
KNOX: Sally O'Neill's risk was much, much smaller. But she's the kind of person who likes to make a decision and be done with it. She says she just couldn't live with any risk of her abnormal cells becoming cancer.
O'NEILL: People ask me all the time: How did you decide so easily? And it was just something I felt was right. It was right for me. It didn't matter what anybody else thought. I got a lot of negative input from people saying that, you know, oh, my God. Those are your breasts. And I thought oh, my God. This is my life.
KNOX: O'Neill's decision to have a double mastectomy was such a radical one that the first surgeon she consulted refused to do it without a letter from a psychiatrist. So she found a different surgeon, Dr. Kevin Hughes at Massachusetts General Hospital. When it comes to treating DCIS, Hughes errs on the side of caution.
DR. KEVIN HUGHES: We don't know what percent are not deadly. And we have no idea which patients do or do not have a deadly form of cancer. So, as a surgeon, I need to treat every cancer as if it might be deadly, because I don't know which ones are and are not.
NEIGHMOND: Now, Dr. Hughes does not advocate removing a healthy breast that doesn't have any DCIS. But he says he'll do it if he thinks a woman is doing it for the right reasons.
HUGHES: If they want to take the opposite breast off to never experience breast cancer again, that is a reasonable - it's a good reason to do it. If they are taking their opposite breast off so they will live longer, that's not a good reason to take the opposite breast off.
NEIGHMOND: Because any cancer in that breast would be caught early, when it's highly curable, since women with DCIS get more frequent mammograms.
KNOX: Sally O'Neill's story is about medicine-to-the-max. And, in fact, many women are choosing to remove both breasts when they're diagnosed with DCIS, and many surgeons are obliging. The rate has doubled over the past 10 years. But some patients and some doctors are pushing back against what they consider too much treatment.
NEIGHMOND: And I talked to one of those patients. Peggy MacDonald lives in Portland, Oregon. She was recently diagnosed with DCIS and was stunned when the first thing she was told to do was see a breast surgeon.
PEGGY MACDONALD: And it didn't, at this point, make sense to me that I should rush into removing a part of my body that had some issue with it, but it wasn't showing, you know, this dramatic, invasive cancer.
NEIGHMOND: But, in fact, all the doctors MacDonald saw were treating it like it was invasive cancer. And the only two options she was given involved surgery: lumpectomy followed by radiation, or mastectomy.
MacDonald describes herself as a calm person who doesn't like making hasty decisions. And she felt like she was being railroaded.
MACDONALD: The second breast surgeon that we met with, for the first 10 minutes she spoke in such a canned manner, it was like she goes through this spiel on such a regular basis with exactly the same information that she's got it down to like, this weird canned speech.
KNOX: Now, none of the surgeons recommended removing her healthy breast. But all agreed she should have surgery to remove the abnormal cells.
MACDONALD: Basically, I felt beat down and by the end of May, I was sort of mentally prepared for a mastectomy.
NEIGHMOND: Then, one of her sisters sent her a news article about doctors overtreating DCIS. It quoted Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco.
MacDonald went to San Francisco to see her. The office visit, she says, just felt right.
MACDONALD: It wasn't a canned thing. She says OK, I've looked at your MRI, I've looked at your mammograms, I've looked at your blood tests. Here's what I will tell you: this is not an emergency and you have options.
And time. Esserman stresses that there's no need to rush into surgery.
DR. LAURA ESSERMAN: I think we all need to take a step back and not be so hysterical. You know, when I see people who've been told they've got to make a decision in two weeks, that's just crazy. No one has shown a progression to invasive cancer in a two-week period of time - ever.
KNOX: Esserman even thinks the word carcinoma should be taken out of the disease name. She's insists it's not cancer.
ESSERMAN: It doesn't have the capacity to kill you, so that is not cancer, even though a lot of people call it and it has the word cancer in the name. I don't think that we should label it as cancer. I think it should be considered a ductal lesion. I think people would be much more willing to be calm about it.
KNOX: This point of view is very controversial among cancer specialists. Even so, after seeing Esserman, Peggy MacDonald decided not to have surgery, at least for now.
MACDONALD: I don't want to take it lightly. I don't want to say it's nothing, but I also don't want to treat it like it's invasive cancer when it's not.
NEIGHMOND: So, instead of surgery, Dr. Esserman has put MacDonald on hormone suppression therapy. She's taking a drug that blocks estrogen. Because her DCIS cells are fueled by estrogen, the hope is that without the hormone the cells will shrink and perhaps even go away.
MACDONALD: And I tell everybody now, I think my chances are 50/50; I may still end up needing to get surgery to take care of this. But I'll do that with a more of a clear conscience that I did more than the average person to come up with a decision that was a good decision for me.
KNOX: MacDonald's hoping her case will turn out like another of Dr. Esserman's patients, Barbara Mann. Mann took an estrogen-blocking medication as well, for six months. And, today an MRI scan and biopsy show no trace of DCIS in her breast.
BARBARA MANN: It's amazing; it's not even a case of less is more. This is a case of less is best. So, I am just hugely relieved, absolutely thrilled, and what I would really like is for every other woman in my position to know that this is an option for her.
NEIGHMOND: But it's an option that will require lifelong vigilance. Anyone who chooses not to have surgery will have to be watched carefully, have routine mammograms and maybe even MRI scans and biopsies.
KNOX: And be willing to live with the risk, however small, that DCIS might return and might turn into invasive cancer.
I'm Richard Knox.
NEIGHMOND: And I'm Patti Neighmond, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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PROVO — BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall's 10th recruiting class officially took shape Wednesday on National Letter of Intent signing day.
Recruits began faxing in their national letters of intent Wednesday morning.
Mendenhall held a news conference at 1 p.m. to discuss the players who have signed with the Cougars. The replay of the news conference can be watched at BYUtv Sports.
The following athletes signed letters of intent with BYU Wednesday — player bios provided by the BYU athletic department.
BYU's list of signees Wednesday morning:
Early signees
MICHAEL SHELTON: DB, 5-8, 170, Wakefield (N.C.) High School
Three star prospect by ESPN.com … No. 86 rated cornerback in the nation by ESPN.com … played both receiver and cornerback while helping Wakefield earn an 11-2 record and advance into the state playoffs … recorded a 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash and a vertical leap of 38 inches … made a team-high three interceptions on defense while adding 20 receptions for 277 yards on the offensive side of scrimmage in 2013 … averaged 13.9 yards per catch while scoring four touchdowns among his 20 catches … also recruited by Auburn … enrolled at BYU in January.
NICK KURTZ: WR, 6-6, 205, Grossmont (Calif.) College
Four-star JC prospect by Rivals.com is one of the nations most sought-after JC players … No. 4 receiver prospect and No. 22 overall JC player in the country according to Rivals.com … with 4.5 speed and exceptional size, produced 1,301 yards and 18 touchdowns for Grossmonts passing attack the past two seasons … recorded six multi-touchdown games, including two three-TD outings, while totaling more than 100 yards on four occasions, including a single-game high of 174 yards … averaged nearly 15 yards per catch while amassing 87 receptions overall … contributed 67.1 receiving yards per game as a sophomore in 2013 to ranked No. 6 in the Southern California Football Associations Southern Conference … named first team all-conference both seasons at Grossmont … enrolled in January at BYU as a junior with three years to complete his two remaining seasons of eligibility … Chose BYU among more than a dozen offers from programs including USC, Oregon and LSU.
Signing Day
FRED WARNER: LB, 6-3, 210, Mission Hills (Calif.) High School
Four star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com … two-year letterman is No. 15-rated outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 25 overall prospect from California … No. 27 outside linebacker in the nation by Scout.com … rated No. 26 outside linebacker by 247Sports and the No. 32 prospect overall from California … named All-California First Team by USA Today … named Cal-Hi Sports All-State First Team … as a senior, helped lead Mission Hills High School to a No. 9 ranking by MaxPreps in Southern California, compiling a 12-2 record and the San Diego Section Open Division title to advance to the Division I Regional Bowl … Despite not playing full games in five of 10 regular-season contests, Warner recorded 90 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, two interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovering and one defensive touchdown while also blocking three punts and one kick … recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Nebraska, New Mexico State, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State.
CHANDON HERRING: OL, 6-7, 270, Perry (Ariz.) High School
Three star prospect by ESPN.com … No. 17 overall recruit from Arizona and No. 73 rated offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN.com … played both offense and defense for Perry High School … totaled 30 tackles and one sack as a defensive lineman and played offensive tackle on the offensive attack … also throws shot put and discus on the track team, with top distances of 40-feet, 9 inches in the shot put and 117 feet in the discus … recruited by Air Force, Arizona, Arizona State, San Jose State and Washington State.
TREJAN KOROMA: OL, 6-0, 255, Allen (Texas) High School
Three star recruit by ESPN.com … No. 25-rated center in the nation by ESPN.com … key offensive lineman and team captain on the nations No. 2-ranked (Scout.com) Allen High School Eagles in Allen, Texas … won 5A-1 crown in 2012 with 15-1 record and repeated in 2013 with perfect 16-0 mark … helped offensive attack average 50.4 points per game in 2013 to extend winning streak to 27 straight victories … named 5A first team all-state by the Texas Sports Writers Association … as a senior was a 5A first-team all-state and a DFW class 5A all-area first team selection by the Associated Press … totaled 110 pancake blocks over his junior and senior seasons … recruited by Air Force, Arkansas State, Army, New Mexico, UTEP.
AUSTIN CHAMBERS: OL, 6-5, 297, Shawnee Mission West (Kan.) High School
Three star recruit by Rivals.com, Scout.com, 247 Sports.com and ESPN.com … No. 7 overall prospect from Kansas and No. 58 offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com … No. 13 overall recruit from Kansas by ESPN.com … VarsityKansas.com 6A All-State honorable mention … Kansas City Star All-Sunflower League selection … All-State, All-League and All-Metro honoree helped Shawnee Mission West High School to the 6A state championship in 2012 … recruited by Arkansas, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame.
TEANCUM "TICO" FUGA: DL, 6-1, 280, Edison (Calif.) High School
Three star recruit by Scout.com, 247Sports.com and ESPN.com … No. 68 ranked defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com and No. 78 ranked defensive tackle by ESPN.com … All CIF First Team, All-County, All-Sunset League and the Sunset League MVP as senior in 2013 at Edison High School … two-way player at defensive tackle and offensive guard … also All-CIF and All-Sunset League as a junior helping Chargers to Sunset League and Southwest Division titles and CIF Division II State Regional Championship runner-up finish … totaled 63 tackles, including 37 solo takedowns in nine games anchoring the defensive line … added nine sacks and one quarterback hurry … younger brother of former Cougar defensive line standout Romney Fuga … recruited by Boise State, Utah, Utah State, Washington.
TYLER COOK: LB, 6-3, 220, Vista Murrieta (Calif.) High School
Three star recruit by ESPN.com, Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … 4.51 40-yard dash … No. 37 outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 45 overall prospect from California … All-CIF Inland Division … had 226 tackles, 19 sacks, 37 tackles for loss and 70 quarterback hurries in three varsity seasons while adding 10 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries … as a senior helped Vista Murrieta to a 12-2 record, No. 9 ranking in California and No. 44 rating nationally with 90 tackles, including 49 solo takedowns, 37 quarterback hurries, five sacks and 14 tackles for loss … had 58 tackles, 21 quarterback hurries, 7.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss as a junior and 78 tackles, 12 quarterback hurries, 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore … All-Conference, All-County and All-Area and helped school to CIF-SS Inland Division title in 2011 … recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Duke, Fresno State, Hawaii, Kansas State, Miami (Fla.), Nevada, San Jose State, UCLA, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State, Yale.
Paced UTEP with 44 receptions for 612 yards and 7 touchdown catches on 2-10 Miner team in 2013 … averaged 13.9 yards per catch with a long reception of 75 yards … earned All-Conference USA honorable mention and Phil Steele All-Conference USA Third Team honors … has compiled eight career 100-yard receiving games, tying for the eighth-most in UTEP history … ranks ninth in C-USA in receiving yards per game (51.0) and 58th nationally in receiving touchdowns … registered three consecutive showings this past season with 100 yards receiving … as a sophomore in 2012 being coached by current BYU receivers coach Guy Holliday, led the Miners in receptions (51), yards per catch (19.1), yards per game (81.1) and overall receiving yards (973) and ranked second on the squad in touchdown catches (6) … ranked fourth in Conference USA and 39th nationally with his 81.1 yard per game … set career highs for both single-game receptions (10) and yards (218) while becoming the sixth Miner with 200-plus receiving yards in a game at Tulsa … blocked a punt that was returned for a TD against UCF.
DEVON BLACKMON: WR, 6-1, 185, Riverside (Calif.) City College
Four-star JC prospect by ESPN.com who helped Riverside City College to a 10-2 record in 2013 after transferring from Oregon … is No. 4 rated JC receiver by ESPN.com and 27th on ESPNs JC50 list of top junior college prospects … No. 9 rated JC receiver in the nation by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … rated as No. 14 overall prospect out of California by 247Sports.com … totaled 526 yards and 6 touchdowns on 29 receptions for the Tigers, averaging 18.1 yards per catch with long reception of 69 yards … added 265 on kick returns, averaging 29.4 yards per return … ran kick return back 98 yards for a touchdown … high school teammate of BYU running back Jamaal Williams at Summit High School in Fontana, Calif. … played in the 2011 Under Armour All-America game, producing one of the games top highlights with a 58-yard touchdown reception … also recruited by Arizona, California, Colorado, Fresno State, Illinois, Kansas State, Utah, Washington.
ISAIAH KAUFUSI: DB, 6-2, 175, Brighton High School
Three star recruit by ESPN.com and Scout.com … Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune 5A All-State First Team selection … USA Today All-State First Team honoree … earned first-team All-Region accolades as both a junior and senior … No. 11 overall recruit from Utah and No. 99 rated outside linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com … helped Brighton HS to a 12-2 record in 2013 and No. 4 rating in Utah by MaxPreps … three-year starter at receiver and defensive back … recorded 92 tackles, 4 sacks and 3 interceptions as a senior and 39.5 tackles, 2 sacks and 4 interceptions as a junior … also averaged 18.5 yards per catch on offense in 2013, totaling 609 yards and 6 touchdowns on 33 receptions … recruited by Hawaii, Utah, Utah State.
MATT BUSHMAN: TE, 6-5, 215, Sabino (Ariz.) High School
Three star recruit by 247Sports.com, ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com … No. 14 rated tight end in the nation by ESPN.com … No. 10-rated tight end prospect in the West by Scout.com … No. 13 overall player from Arizona by ESPN.com and No. 18 overall player from Arizona by Rivals.com … MaxPreps 2013 Medium Schools All-America First Team … 2014 Parade Magazine All-America High School Team honorable mention … 24-7Football.com 2013 Arizona All-D3 Team … Arizona Republic Division III All-State Team … Arizona Football Coaches Association Top 25 and Division III All-State Team … Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl invitee … helped Sabino High School advance to state quarterfinals with 9-3 record and 5-0 league mark in 2013 … totaled 123 receptions for 2,891 yards and 42 touchdowns during high school career … made 63 catches for 1,583 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior in 2013 … long reception went for 78 yards while averaging 25.13 yards per catch overall … totaled 27 TDs overall as a senior … two-sport athlete will also play college baseball with the Cougars … recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Duke, Nevada, Pennsylvania, San Diego State, Utah.
ZAC DAWE: DL, 6-4, 280, Pleasant Grove High School
Three star prospect by Scout.com, Rivals.com 247Sports.com and ESPN.com … No. 5 overall recruit from Utah and No. 52 rated defensive tackle prospect in the nation by ESPN.com … No. 10 overall prospect from Utah by Rivals.com … Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune and USA Today 5A All-State First Team as a senior in 2013 … two-time All-American heavyweight wrestler was a two-way player on Pleasant Grove High Schools offensive and defensive lines … earned all-state honors as a senior at both left tackle on offense and nose guard on defense … named Wendys Heisman Award for state of Utah, selected for excellence in athletics, academics and community service … Deseret News 5A All-State honorable mention as a junior in 2012 … recorded 104 total tackles, including 81 solo take downs during his career at Pleasant Grove High School … added 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and scored a touchdown for the Vikings … recorded 7 sacks, 41 tackles and 32 solo tackles as a senior despite playing more snaps on offense in 2013 … helped the Vikings to 9-3 record and No. 8 ranking to advance to state quarterfinals in 5A …runs 4.9 40-yard dash … recruited by Utah and Utah State.
KAVIKA FONUA: DB, 5-11, 185, Syracuse High School
Three star recruit by ESPN.com, Scout.com and Rivals.com … No. 9 overall prospect from the state of Utah by Rivals.com … No. 76 safety prospect in the nation by Scout.com … 2013 Deseret News 5A All-State First Team … Salt Lake Tribune All-State Second Team … 2013 Utah Region I Co-MVP … 2012 Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune All-State First Team … All-Area First Team in 2012 and 2013 … set eight school records at Syracuse High School … two-way player helped Titans to 8-2 record and 5-1 region finish in 2013 … totaled 175 tackles and 6 interceptions on defense during his high school career, while contributing to the offense 1,071 rushing yards on 143 carries and 413 receiving yards on 23 catches … totaled 16 rushing touchdowns and 5 receiving TDs … as a senior made 74 tackles with 2 interceptions on defense while rushing for 740 yards and 13 TDs and adding 214 receiving yards and an additional three scores … averaged 8.3 tackles per game as a junior to post triple-digit tackles on the season along with 4 tackles for loss, 2 safeties, 4 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles … posted a SPARQ score of 123.3 at Nike Football Training Camp (NTFC) in Dallas … earned Nike All-Defensive Team recognition at Texas, California and Oregon NTFC … also named Defensive MVP with 2 interceptions at Oregon combine … ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at NTFC … rated as No. 3 safety to attend Nike combines across the country … earned MVP honors at Mountain Elite Camp … recruited by Utah.
TREY DYE: WR, 5-9, 175, Cooper (Texas) High School
Three star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Texas Class 5A All-State honorable mention and 5A All-District selection by AP … totaled 670 receiving yards and 1,690 rushing yards in two seasons … averaged 7.8 yards per carry to total 1,690 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground on 218 carries … made 39 receptions for 670 yards and five touchdowns out of the slot to average 17.2 yards per catch … long run was 64 yards and long reception when for 32 yards … averaged 7.6 yards per carry and 19.5 yards per catch as a senior in 2013 to contribute 1,949 yards and 29 touchdowns … offensive player of the game in win 56-31 win over Abilene … rushed for 282 yards and two touchdowns against Arlington Lamar … helped Cooper High School advance to 2013 UIL State playoffs … 4.48 40-yard dash … son of former BYU receiver and return specialist James Dye.
JATERRIUS GULLEY: DL, 6-3, 325 Hoover (Ala.) High School
Defensive tackle on Hoover High School team that achieved a perfect 30-0 record over the past two seasons and was named the 2013 USA High School Football Public School National Champion … started as a junior and senior to anchor defensive line on back-to-back Alabama 6A State Championship teams … Hoover completed a perfect 15-0 record and 7-0 league mark this past season on way to earning the No. 1 ranking in Alabama by MaxPreps.com and the No. 5 overall ranking nationally of both private and public schools by USA Today … tallied 85 tackles for the Buccaneers as a junior, including 48 solo tackles … strong run-stopping presence in the middle played key role in Hoovers 2013 state title victory … 2013 All-Hoover/South honorable mention selection … 34-inch vertical jump, 405-pound bench press and 525-pound squat … recruited by Louisville, UAB, Hawaii, Memphis, Western Kentucky, Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana.
ISAIAH NACUA: DL, 6-3, 250, Timpview High School
Four star prospect by ESPN.com … No. 3 overall prospect from the state of Utah by ESPN.com … No. 28 defensive end prospect nationally by ESPN.com … 2013 4A All-State First Team by the Deseret News … Salt Lake Tribune and USA Today All-State First Team … helped lead Timpview to a 14-1 record and the 2013 4A State Championship … totaled 71 tackles and 18.5 sacks his senior year … totaled 59 tackles and 8.5 sacks as a junior at No. 15 Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas … helped Bishop Gorman to a 15-1 record and its fourth consecutive state championship … named Las Vegas Review Journal 2012 All-State First Team … also recruited by Arizona State, Utah and Utah State
SIONE TAKITAKI: LB, 6-3, 240, Heritage (Calif.) High School
Three star prospect by ESPN.com, Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … No. 24 inside linebacker in the nation and No. 49 overall prospect from California by ESPN.com … All-CIF Southern Section Central Division and Defensive Player of the Year … helped Heritage High School to a 13-1 record as a senior with 81 tackles, including 74 solo takedowns and 3.5 sacks … totaled 193 tackles over his three-year varsity career with 162 solo tackles, 21.5 sacks and 42.5 tackles for loss while also adding a blocked punt, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception … also played offense as a junior and senior, totaling 1,673 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns to average 7.12 yards per carry … long run as a junior was 53 yards and he broke off an 80-yard gallop as a senior … added nine receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown to average 13.9 yards per catch … recruited by Arizona, Boise State, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, Utah, Washington State, Wisconsin
EARL MARINER: DL, 6-4, 300, Washburn Rural (Kan.) High School
No. 15 overall prospect from Kansas by ESPN.com and No. 17 Kansas recruit by 247Sports.com … Topeka Citizen Journal All-Class 6A All-State and All-City selection … invitee to prestigious Kansas Shrine Bowl, 41st annual game featuring states top players … averaged 3 tackles per game as defensive tackle in middle of Washburn Rural defense … had 12 tackles, seven solo takedowns, two quarterback hurries and one interception for the Blues in four games of action in 2013 … No. 49 prospect from Kansas overall by MaxPreps.
URIAH LEIATAUA: DL, 6-3, 245, Dominguez (Calif.) High School
Three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … No. 33 weakside defensive end by Rivals.com … No. 69 defensive end nationally by Scout.com … All-CIF Defense First Team and All-CIF Southeast Division selection … San Gabriel Valley League MVP and second-team Press Telegraph Dream Team honoree … helped lead Dominquez High School to an 8-4 record and 4-1 league finish in 2013 … recorded 24 sacks over the past two seasons, tracking down opponent quarterbacks 13 times as a senior and 11 times as a junior … 4.8 40-yard dash with 275 bench press … exceptional student achieving a 4.2 grade point average including advanced placement credits … recruited by Stanford, Colorado, Colorado State, UCLA, USC, Washington State, Wisconsin, Yale

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Borrego Springs, Calif., population 3,400, in the middle of nowhere (actually, about 150 miles southeast of L.A.). Throw away the smartphone; this is a place to unplug. This designated Dark Sky Community offers breathtaking views of the stars at night. The days aren't too shabby either, as my husband and I learned on a late February getaway. Be sure to stop at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center (200 Palm Canyon Drive; [760] 767-4205, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638) to get the scoop on the magnificent 600,000-acre park. The tab: A poolside room for a night at La Casa del Zorro cost $242 (before taxes and a $25 resort fee), and we spent $105 for meals and drinks.
The bed
La Casa del Zorro (3845 Yaqui Pass Road; [760] 767-0100, www.lacasadelzorro.com), a classic desert resort, started as a 1930s adobe ranch house, then was bought in 1960 by newspaper magnate James S. Copley, who greatly expanded it. It flourished for decades until his heir sold it, then closed for a few years and reopened in June. Some of the 42-acre grounds were still a work in progress when we visited, but it has its charms: There are five swimming pools, a spa, tennis courts and a fitness center. The question is whether to choose a deluxe poolside room or to bring the gang and upgrade to a private rustic casita with multiple bedrooms and a private pool or spa.
The meal
Los Jilberto's Taco Shop (655 Palm Canyon Drive; [760] 767-1008) and Carmelita's Mexican Grill (575 Palm Canyon Drive; [760)] 767-5666) are downtown staples. For a meal with retro ambience, head to the Red Ocotillo at the midcentury Palms at Indian Head Hotel (2220 Hoberg Road; [760] 767-7788, www.thepalmsatindianhead.com), a former hideaway for Old Hollywood. Sit on the patio. La Casa del Zorro has good choices too. We lingered over lunch on the terrace of the Butterfield Room (a Cobb salad and a club sandwich) and had burgers and cocktails later at the cool Fox Den Bar.
The find
How did these strange creatures wind up in the middle of the desert? You don't need a Jeep to take your own desert safari adventure to see Ricardo Breceda's life-size metal sculptures of camels, horses, mammoths, giant birds, wild pigs and more. This gift to the town from the late philanthropist Dennis Avery is spread out in two areas easily accessible from Borrego Springs Road (www.galletameadows.com). Be sure to bring your camera.
The lesson learned
If you come expecting to see desert wildflowers, you may be disappointed. Because of the lack of rain, the wildflowers are playing possum. Even so, there are plenty of native flora and fauna to enjoy. With luck, the recent rain will bring some color.
A gem at the foot of Hearst Castle
Get a schooling in relaxation at Claremont


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3A, 250V Intelligent Power Module for Appliance Motor Drive Applications.
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TORONTO, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Serena Williams coasted to her eighth tournament title of the year Sunday, overwhelming unseeded Sorana Cirstea in the finals of the Rogers Cup.
Williams did not lose a set during the event and finished off Cirstea 6-2, 6-0 to win for the 42nd time in her last 43 matches. Her lone setback in that span came in the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she was surprised by Sabine Lasicki.
Other than the Rogers Cup title, the world's top-ranked player has tournament wins this year in Australia, Qatar, Spain, Italy and two in the United States. She also won the French Open, her only triumph among the three major championships played thus far in 2013.
Williams recorded the 54th tournament victory of her career, moving her past Monica Seles into ninth place on the all-time list. Another victory will put Williams in a tie with Lindsey Davenport and Virginia Wade for seventh place.
This was the third career meeting between the Rogers Cup finalists and Cirstea has won just seven games in those matches. Williams defeated Cirstea in the third round of the French Open this year.
Cirstea pulled off surprises over Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Petra Kvitova and Li Na to reach the finals.


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Photos of the ICA's 'First Fridays: Fashion Forward' event
Photos of the ICA's 'First Fridays: Fashion Forward' event
Models took the stage during "ICA First Fridays: Fashion Forward" at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
The show was inspired by the work of Brazilian street artists Os Gemeos.
From left: Anna Oliynyk, 28, of Newton and Olena Ivanina, 25, of Saugus.
Kristen Spellman, 30, and Jason Burrell, 33, got drinks from the bar.
From left: Patty Russell, Carley Teplow, Shahin Ali, Robin Coxe, Pardis Saffar, and Amy Tindell.
Model Annie Read, 18, had her hair and makeup done.
From left: Marti Borkent, Nimet Maherali, and Aerjen Tamminga looked at artwork by Os Gemeos.
Adjunct curator Pedro Alonzo led a tour group through the Os Gemeos exhibit.
Model Jessica Clements, 18, took the stage during the "ICA First Fridays: Fashion Forward" event.
Model Evelina Pinto, 13, took the stage during "ICA First Fridays: Fashion Forward" event.
A model took the stage.
The fashion show was so popular that a second, impromptu show was added later that night.
A model took the stage during the fashion show.
Hairstylist Leah Sugrue worked on model Annie Read's hair.
Model Jessica Clements, 18, had her hair spray painted by hairstylist Gary Croteau.
Model Jessica Clements, 18, showed off her finished hair.
Model Jessica Clements 18, had her makeup done by hairstylist Gary Croteau.
From left: Lauren Hendrix, and Sebastian Neumayer sit in the auditorium during "ICA First Fridays: Fashion Forward."


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Difference between revisions of "Rail travel in Europe"
Revision as of 15:00, 10 April 2014
This article is a travel topic
Trains are a convenient mode of short, medium and long distance travel across Europe. Western and central Europe has a dense and widely used railway network spanning the entire continent.
For short distances, European trains are fast, reliable and frequent. For longer distances they can be preferable to flying for several reasons. Trains have more spacious and comfortable interiors, may offer scenic routes, and do not require long waits at security like at airports. They usually run more frequently as well, and take their travellers to railway stations located in or very close to city centres, whereas airports, especially the ones that budget airliners fly into, can be up to 100 km away from the city centre, requiring expensive and time-consuming connecting services. Ultimately, many people may choose the train over the plane for the feeling of romantic travel they provide.
Trains are flexible in modern day society, the opportunities for destination travel in Europe are endless. Virtually any town larger than about 50,000 inhabitants has a railway station with frequent connections. The towns that aren't served by trains have good bus connections that are normally integrated with the railway system - railway stations normally also serve as hubs for local buses. Transfers are fast and convenient all over Europe; you rarely need to wait longer than 2 hours for a connecting service.
The quality, speed and price of train travel depends on the country, Western European countries generally offering higher speed and more luxurious trains at higher prices than Eastern European countries. When bought on the spot, trains tickets can be more expensive than cheap flights over the same distance, but this difference may disappear when the tickets are booked in advance. Not to forget the costs to get to the airport. Train travel is getting faster every year through the construction of new high speed lines which travel up to 320km/h (200 mph), and upgrading of conventional lines to 200 km/h (125 mph). Especially Germany, France, Belgium and Italy have extensive high-speed networks.
The one problem with rail travel is security. Railway passengers need to be alert about pickpocketing and luggage theft, especially on crowded commuter trains. Since baggage isn't screened, there is also the remote danger of terrorism, though the rarity of such attacks in Europe should not cause worries to the occasional traveller. Another problem with rail is overcrowding. Increasing numbers of commuters in Europe are switching to rail travel to escape congestion on the roads, and it is often impossible to find a seat in 2nd class at rush hours. Still plenty of seats often remain in the 1st class, and some travellers choose to stay there in such situations even though they have a 2nd class ticket. Although not strictly permitted, one often gets away with it because tickets are less frequently checked during periods of overcrowding. Overcrowding is especially common in urban agglomerations such as South-East England, Benelux, The Ruhr region, and the Po Valley.
All trains have coach seating or often labeled as 2nd class in the local language. Most long distance trains travelling from one large city to another large city will have first class seating too. In some countries, such as the UK, Netherlands, France and Germany, trains have so-called "silent" compartments, where you're not allowed to make noise or use mobile phones.
The only trains that have sleepers are trains that will take until the next morning to reach their final destination like the Amsterdam to Warsaw, Munich to Berlin or the Göteborg to Narvik route.
Planning your trip
Most countries have timetables and travel planners available on the sites of their national railways. The website of the German national railways [1] has a very convenient route planner [2] that covers almost the entire European railway network (and beyond), as well as bus, metro, and ferry connections in Germany. Price information is available for train rides which go through Germany only, however: for that information you still need the national websites. Locally, look for the departure timetables posted in the station. Staff at the ticket counter may be able to help you out with planning your trip.
An invaluable website for planning rail journeys is Seat61.com [3], is not a company or a travel agency, but a personal site. Still it has one of the most comprehensive guides to all aspects of rail travel.
When planning your trip, Mappy [4] is a good online tool for discovering if your hotel is near the train station. Mappy always indicates the location of the station with an engine icon. On other maps the station may be hard to find.
Regular tickets
The cost of rail travel varies greatly by country. Eastern European countries tend to offer very cheap travel. Italy is comparatively cheap as well.
Some countries price tickets based only upon distance traveled, so called KM-tariffs. These are still common in Eastern Europe, saving you worries of advance purchase and giving you more flexibility. Many countries still using this pricing have higher regular KM-rates but have discounts for trains that are less in-demand available for advance purchase (e.g. Denmark, Switzerland, Spain). Increasingly railways are using rates based on a number of factors and selling tickets based on demand, speed of the connection, etc. in a similar fashion to most airline pricing. In countries where this is the case (especially France, Germany, Sweden and Great Britain) you should try booking in advance rather than walking up to the ticket desk on the day of travel, as that becomes akin (also in price) to buying a flight at check-in. The up-side of countries with this scheme is that advance fares can be significantly cheaper, for instance tickets from Edinburgh to London are just £25 if booked in advance, saving 75% over common walk up fares of over £100. Germany and France sell tickets for their high-speed networks identically to airlines, meaning a cross-country advance ticket might cost €19 and same-day you can expect to pay €200 or more.
In many countries with KM-tariffs there is a higher per-KM price for faster trains (e.g. Finland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania) while in a few countries tickets are valid for any train of your choice (e.g. Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria) offering the highest flexibility and easiest to understand.
For decades, basic international rail fares have been subject to the TCV (Tarif Commun pour Voyageurs - Common Fare for Passengers) which provided a common basis for calculating fares (normally based on distance) and conditions of carriage (how much luggage you can carry, what you're entitled to if your train is delayed or cancelled, etc). In recent years more and more trains have been introduced whose fares are not TCV-based e.g. Thalys, CNL, Cisalpino, many of which are "global priced" - you pay the same fare regardless of how far you travel on the train. Global-priced trains are often problematic when you try to use a pass like Eurail or InterRail on them, as they may require you to pay a "passholder" fare to get one of a limited number of seats made available for pass holders. Most international tickets sold don't use TCV anymore either, instead railways have assorted partnerships and offer tickets and specials, especially if booked in advance. It is still possible in some countries (especially in the East) just to buy a domestic ticket to the border station, and buy the onward ticket then onboard from the conductor in the next country, meaning you pay a cheaper domestic rate in both countries. It also helps to be creative, for instance a trip from Vienna to Istanbul can be made by purchasing a special discounted CityStar ticket from the Hungarian railways from the Austrian/Hungarian border to the Bulgarian/Turkish border and just buying two cheap domestic tickets from Vienna to the Hungarian border and from the Turkish boarder to Istanbul, saving you as much as €200 off of a single ticket.
Advance booking can normally be done online, through the websites of the national railway companies. For international tickets use the railway website of either country you are travelling through. Compare the fares, as they may differ. In some parts of Europe you may not be able to book these online, you can try calling the railway's hotline or using a booking service like RailEurope (which will incur extra cost). Tickets can sometimes be printed at home, they may be mailed to you or made available for collection at a railway station. You will usually be offered the option to reserve seats or sleepers; seats may be free or cost €2-€5; sleepers are usually €20. Reserved seats are recommended especially on long trips.
Ticketing in most of Europe is based on a trust system: You simply buy the ticket at the station or online and hop on the train. Once you're on a train, a conductor will come around to check your tickets. Getting on a train without a valid ticket could land you with a fine, but purchasing a ticket on the train is often possible at a higher price, sometimes even without penalty (especially on lines where its not possible to buy tickets at all stations). The UK is an exception to this system, where tickets are often required to get on and off the platforms, particularly in major stations. Tickets either need to be inserted in the ticket barrier's slot or inspected by staff at the entrance to/exit from the platform. In some countries (e.g. France, Italy, the Netherlands) you need to date stamp your train ticket/pass before boarding. Similarly in the Netherlands as well, if you're using an OB Chipkaart you need to tap it against the reader found before the platform area for it to be validated. Otherwise, the ticket/card/pass is not valid and you will be fined (e.g. a €108 fine in France).
Group Travel
Group travel often incurs discounts, in some countries two people traveling together get a discount, in others a group of six or more is required for discount. In Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic there are discounted one-day network tickets for groups up to 5 people.
Return tickets
Some railway companies offer a discount for return ticket. On some routes, for example Budapest-Sarajevo and Budapest-Zagreb a return ticket is even cheaper than a one-way ticket.
CityStar is an interesting discount (about 20-40%) in international tariff, available in many of Central and Eastern European countries. If you travel in a group of 2-5 people, the second and next passengers have additional 30-50% discount. Conditions of use are:
Generally, City Star tickets are valid one month.
Discount Cards
Most railways have a discount card, normally with versions for youth, adults, seniors and the disabled offering a standard discount on domestic tickets. You may need local documents or residency to obtain it but often all you need is a passport photo and ID. Discounts vary. Cards are valid for one year unless otherwise noted.
RailPlus is a program offering a 25% discount on all border crossing train tickets in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary. It is included in some national discount cards, but must be purchased separately in other countries. In France, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, Spain and Norway the Railplus scheme is only for those under 26 years of age. The RailPlus card also provides a discount on some international ferries.
Advance Purchase
Both domestic and international advance purchase tickets are offered increasingly through a number of schemes. Some are unrefundable or even set to a specific person's name, others can be changed for a fee. Consider carefully whether there is any possibility that you may need to travel earlier or later than you booked. If you're making a day trip somewhere, are connecting from a flight, have reason to fear local road traffic or otherwise can't commit to an exact time, ask before booking what the penalties are for missing your train, and how much extra a more flexible ticket would be. If you have a restricted ticket, do take care to get the right train, as if you get the wrong one by mistake you may have to pay a full open single fare, a "penalty fare" or a fine, or you might even be prosecuted. So:
Don't expect too much sympathy if you get it wrong or if you miss your train. The only exceptions are, of course, if your train is cancelled (then you can get the next one) or if you miss a connection because of a delay to or cancellation of some other train on the same ticket.
Railway specific information:
Other Schemes
Normally these are not for set destinations, rather for a trip with in the country or from anywhere in the country to another country, but have other restrictions of how and when they can be used. It is possible to buy tickets from on-line auction and listing sites as many people end up with non-refundable tickets that they cannot use. Some railways, like Sweden's SJ sell left-over tickets via on-line auction themselves. Some countries offer specials on or around national holidays, others have special schemes offering train tickets combine with event tickets or incentives to foster tourism in a certain area.
Buying 2nd-hand early bird tickets
Often, (international) train tickets are much cheaper in pre-booking then bought directly before departure. Often also, people pre-book a ticket two months in advance, finding out that the planned, non-reimbursable itinerary doesn't fit their actual travelling need at the time of departure.
Luckily, through the Internet, other travellers can buy these tickets, often much cheaper than the last-minute price at the official counter.
For example: Amsterdam-Paris with the high speed Thalys costs 45 euros two months in advance, and € 145 directly at departure. The tickets are often not on name.
For France, check out
For the Netherlands:
For Germany:
Rail passes
If you plan a longer journey with many stops, but you don't like a fixed itinerary, a rail pass is the best choice. The rail pass allow you an unlimited travel on specified number of days. There are railway passes for almost every European country, as well as global passes for the whole Europe. See European rail passes for details.
Stay Safe
When travelling, you need to watch your luggage and stay alert. A simple and cheap solution is to buy a bike type steel safety cable with lock (around £3.00). Then use this to secure your suitcase to the luggage rack. This will stop an opportunist thief grabbing your case just before the train pulls out of the station and the doors close. This is true when you're on a train as well. Theft can be comparatively common on metros or trains with a lot of stops in short succession, since this will allow a thief to get off the train quickly. Trains that cover longer distances are usually safer; on high speed trains passengers routinely take laptops on their journeys. Late in the evening and on nights in the weekends, travel in well lit areas of the train and if possible in the same car as the conductor.
Always, report suspicious characters to the conductor and move to a more populated and lit area.
Historical/ Scenic
Passenger rail companies


text: Sleep is a critical factor in NYU students' academic success and general wellbeing. NYU students typically have strenuous schedules replete with class, homework, part-time jobs, extracurricular clubs and activities, in addition to all of the exciting events the surrounding city has to offer. However with these opportunities and responsibilities, students often do not get adequate sleep. Short-term effects of sleep deprivation include decreased cognitive function, memory, performance and alertness. In the long term, sleep deprivation can be associated with obesity, mental and physical health impairments, and attention deficit disorder.1


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Welcome to Rodney s Custom Cut Sign Company, an industry leader for over 25 years, where we are dedicated to providing the highest quality signs and impeccable service to each of our valued customers. From the most modern backlit sign designs, to the hand crafted stylings of a bygone era, our attention to detail and our skill at creating unique identities for our customers is unmatched. We have expanded our shop, added new and exciting services, and even revamped our website, all to provide you.. with an enjoyable experience and a product that is sure to exceed your vision. From a single office suite sign to full turn-key solutions for developers, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together.VIEW MORE »VIEW LESS »
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Gmund Urban Brasilia Grey Cardstock - 8 ½ x 14, 113lb Cover
- Description
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Product Description
Category Description: Gmund Urban Paper
About The Textures
Created using genuine pulverized stone, Gmund's line of Urban Cement papers are an experience like none other. Created in four simple colors of Dust, Powder, Grey and Black, the paper's speak of unparalleled sophistication, reminiscent to some of the world's finest cityscapes. The line was developed specifically to please the touch, and the effect is a strikingly rough, yet pleasant, surprise. As with the entire Urban line, Cement was inspired by contemporary architecture from all around the world. But don't let the name fool you. Cement is compatible with nearly all your printing needs; the paper a design in and of itself. When you purchase Cement, you own a masterpiece - as only Gmund, the world's finest, can accomplish.
If you think you know woodgrain, you'll want to think again. Gmund's new woodgrain paper line Brasilia combines a luxurious, tactile experience with warmth and luxury at first glance. Whether its Dust, Powder, Grey or Black, Brasilia makes a simple statement in a style all its own. It's with papers like Brasilia,from Gmund's Urban line, that you can see how Gmund's intense quest for pristine quality pays off: impeccable detailing, a ripple of texture, modern and artful, decorative and different. There is no doubt Gmund has created an extraordinary paper for extraordinary projects. When you work with Brasilia, you're sure to make a lasting impression.


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Marla Sokoloff delivered a daughter, Elliotte Anne Puro, at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 in California, her rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.
Baby girl weighed in at 7 lbs. and is the first child for the actress and husband Alec Puro.
"Mom, dad and baby are happy as can be and completely in love with each other," Sokoloff, 31, tells PEOPLE.
The Chateau Meroux star blogged about her pregnancy for PEOPLE, remarking in her last post that "in the grand scheme of things, these nine months went by pretty quickly."
"Yes, there were weeks that seemed endless and yes, I'm currently complaining about my feet swelling up like balloons and the general discomfort that comes with the end of pregnancy — but all in all the journey has been one that I will never forget," she wrote.
— Sarah Michaud


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Read the original story in The Oregonian here.
Portland State University and Lewis & Clark College, both in Portland, were named this week among the 23 "greenest" colleges in the nation, with top-tier efforts to help students learn about and live out environmentally sustainable practices.
The list was compiled by college guide publisher Princeton Review based on survey data it collected from nearly 900 colleges, looking at academic majors, energy use on campus, recycling, bike and transit promotion programs and the like.
Robert Franek, a senior vice president at the review, said in a statement that the universities that made the green honor roll "demonstrated truly exceptional commitments to sustainability across key issues we looked at from course offerings and recycling programs to plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Only two states, New York and California, had more colleges make the list than Oregon did. Only one Washington college, the University of Washington, made the cut. The review included on Canadian university, University of Victoria, bringing the total number of colleges on the list to 24.
Portland State officials said it was a big deal for PSU to make the list.
"This ranking is another acknowledgement that we're not just talking about sustainability, we're living it, teaching it, and promoting it," PSU President Wim Wiewel said in a statement.
Portland State now requires students pursuing many degrees to prove they know about or practice sustainability, officials said. It also tracks use of local and organic food in campus dining outlets, uses renewable energy generated on campus, has lowered its overall energy consumption and promotes low-carbon transportation via bicycle infrastructure and subsidized mass transit, they said.
Lewis & Clark also puts a premium on being a "green" school. It requires all new buildings to be LEED Gold certified, and 100 percent of the school's electricity is generated by "green power" sources, officials said.
This fall, Lewis & Clark will help host a national conference in Portland devoted to promoting sustainability in higher education.
The Princeton Review write-up of Lewis & Clark includes the following information:
Lewis & Clark has reduced greenhouse emissions by more than 30 percent since 2006. Lewis & Clark's location in the green mecca of Portland provides students with an abundance of opportunities to work with and learn from environmentally conscious organizations on and off campus. About a quarter of the food served on campus is grown within 100 miles of the school. Lewis & Clark works to help students get around by bike. Its student bike-sharing program, funded by the school's "Green Fee Fund," gives students access to bikes, safety gear and training. In addition, the college has started installing bike repair stations around campus for when students need a quick bolt tightening or tire pump. The school's latest construction, the LEED-certified Holmes Hall, has a free electric vehicle charging station.
The Princeton Review write-up of PSU's green practices includes the following information:
"The Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science is home to globally recognized transportation researchers and a Green Building Research Lab. The College of Urban & Public Affairs continues to push the leading edge of sustainable urban development. As a national leader in community-based learning, PSU puts students to work solving neighborhood-scale sustainability problems, and its campus -- home to eight LEED-certified buildings -- is a living lab, testing everything from ecoroofs to district-scale energy systems. Students can apply their learning in the real world with a Senior Capstone course, turn ideas into action with a Solutions Generator grant, and pursue a graduate certificate in sustainability. PSU's Institute for Sustainable Solutions serves as a hub for supporting student leadership training, cross-disciplinary research, and a curriculum that prepares students for change-making careers."
-- Betsy Hammond


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Brief SummaryRead full entry
Eumetazoa (Greek: εὖ [eu], well + μετά [metá], after + ζῷον [zóon], animal) is a clade comprising all major animal groups except sponges, placozoa, and several other obscure or extinct life forms, such as Dickinsonia. Characteristics of eumetazoans include true tissues organized into germ layers, and an embryo that goes through a gastrula stage. The clade is usually held to contain at least Ctenophora, Cnidaria, and Bilateria. Whether mesozoans and placozoans belong is in dispute.
Some phylogenists have speculated the sponges and eumetazoans evolved separately from single-celled organisms, which would mean that the animal kingdom does not form a clade (a complete grouping of organisms descended from a common ancestor). However, genetic studies and some morphological characteristics, like the common presence of choanocytes, support a common origin (Philippe et al. 2009).
When treated as a formal taxon Eumetazoa is typically ranked as a subkingdom. The name Metazoa has also been used to refer to this group, but more often refers to the Animalia as a whole. Many classification schemes do not include a subkingdom Eumetazoa.


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D Robyn Regehr is eager to chase a Stanley Cup after joining the champion Los Angeles Kings
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Robyn Regehr says he gladly waived his no-trade clause in Buffalo for the chance to chase the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings.
The bruising defenseman went through his first practice with the defending Stanley Cup champions on Wednesday, two days after they acquired him from the Sabres. Regehr should play a big role immediately for the Kings, who believe he'll fill the only obvious need in their lineup.
Kings general manager Dean Lombardi believes they've got a good shot at re-signing Regehr, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Regehr says he's only focused on getting up to speed with his new team in time for the postseason.
Lombardi didn't make a major move at the deadline, saying he's happy with his roster.


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Todos los comentarios (106)
THIS is a real orgasm, so of your girlfriend don't act like that she haven't an orgasm, When somebody lick my pussy i have the same orgasm !
may i lick you till you cumin cum
please get him out & I'll take his place, then watch her CUMMMMM also she can piss on my face as I rub my clit to orgasm,wow
i get like that. all wild but later on i fuck hard and strong. Any takers ;)
I don't agree at all. That sounds tedious.
Nice spazzing. and moaning. Too bad she didn't spray on his face.
Great orgasm
Well done! She feels her ass grabbed, grinds her pussy into the face and goes off! Shaky squishy electric spasm quiver (Release!)
just... lol :)
Bless her
she's hot and ready to orgasm with licking and riding (in another video).
Magnificent. fantastic.
aha. its more like her pussy tried to eat his face.
Bloody marvellous, she must of been gushing juice and smelt like a brothel, great to watch.
Now that's trust... How she didn't bite it off is a miracle. Love the Orgasm she's hot mmmm
I would love to see her face.
Great...we have Larry from the 3 Stooges doing a porn.
wow she came fast!!
Fuck I just blew a load watching that - I would love to eat her pussy and watch her spray everywhere. What a hot woman
Lol. Are you the Keymaster? Rawr!
That's fucking funny!! & then reading GstBstr's comment in reference to Ghostbusters just made it even more funnier!!!
GREAT... because it's REAL... Hope you will show more ...
just the way it should always be..... boys...???
Fantistic best clip I have witnessed
Watching and listening to her insane orgasm made me so hot I had to beat my meat. I'd tongue fuck the living shit out of her every night if she were my wife. Lucky man!
My wife is a gosher when she cums when i lick her ass and pussy. I cant wait for her to come home frome work to eat her for 20mins
fuck that's that hottest pussy eating i've seen on here
Outstanding this is pure passionate 69, take notes guys and give your girl a shattering O she will not forget.
I love that position so hot
lovely ass...
Wow...what a super "O".
les miens pas ml non plus !
veri nice 69, so comming, and good
I love the orgasms that creep up on you - BAM they're there!!
That's great! Love it when she cums and lifts up because it's just too sensitive.
wild mustang
She acts like she just got tased by a stun gun. very orgasmic.
dude, that was... superb orgams lol wasnt expecting the yell though...
magic tongue, isnt it ? great lick !
shit, that's a wild orgasm...
what a lovely ass, perfectly rounded...more plse
I just love doing this to my wife. I love to lick her pussy until she cum all over my face. I keep licking her cum and it taest so good.
She just started planking halfway through...
I was eating my wife out when she had a massive orgasm I thought she was going to rub a hole in my face as she kept going.
my my
to be honest...who thinks this ist the way how a woman orgasm should be... you know nothing about sex or u never seen a real great orgasm well boys like that havent ever got a girl to a orgasm
Ew she farted
This is the way my wife comes
Pfui stinkt !!!!!!!!!!!!!
She sounded like a fucking Klingon getting killed!
That was amazing! All men should be like that and they should love it.
The 69, is the best for the oral sex, compliments! Very nice wife, very nice feet....
way to go fella.....wife has nice arse and love the way she comes...hang on I recognise the way that women cums....same colour hair as ...shit!!!!
Is a bit weird but lile to see more
Nothing special I've that to females all the time ;P
uma bucerinha rozinha dessa ate merec uma chupada
Not my type of thing!!!
At his place I would enjoy a big fart in my face
All that's needed now is a long hard black cock to slide into her as she comes while he watches from below and waits for the streams of cum down his chin!
I wish i knew what i doing wrong when i lick my wife pussy because she doesn't make sound like she use and she tell me it doesn't fill good any more.I have ask her what i need to due different but she tells me nothing i can due make it fill good anymore
I wish i knew what i was doing wrong because there are times i due this and my wife doesn't cum. I wish i knew what i can due better so she can cum too
I like do it and eat wifes creamy orgasm. Cool!!!
Wonderfully real and super exciting
tickle, tickle, tickle that's good pussy.
I would love to get my wife to cum when i down there licking her pussy like he does. Last couple times i been down there she just lay there and let me lick her pussy
Watch out when she comes she might bite your Dick !!!
I think the future of porn has to be multiple camera angles where all angles of something like this can be seen...her face, his cock, from above, from the side etc.
ça les rends folle quand on leur bouffe la chatte et c'est tellement bon de les faire se tordre et hurler de jouissance superbe
My dad fucks me the same way
What a perfect arse she's got! Love it!
That could have hurt!!!! I finally had to tell the Guy to let me just rub/grind myself on his face and if I give him the lower half of my pussy to lick while I cum it's because it feels good.. It also helps him get most of my squirting in his mouth...
I'm with Lea on this one, my partner also gives me the same orgasm in a 69 everytime, huge turn on whilst i am working his big cock over, all 8inches i will add. Always so hot!
is difficult for women to reach orgasm quickly..!
ça s'apprend !
What a Brown-Noser!
Wow Wow Wow. She must be feeling great.
i am new to porno and can't believe there is smething like thjs
That's fucking hilarious
Im getting orgasem like her when I'm getting licked. It's true ang feels soooooooooo goooood
wie die abgeht
omg this has to be by far the best orgasm video I have seen in a while. Beautiful white skin and pussy looks damn fine. Please upload more of this woman dangggg..
My wife cums twice as hard and five times as long. It's truly amazing. :)
moi aussi
LOOOOL I'm in shock!! Like O_O
but a great one...
LOL!!! wasnt expecting that
LOL! Is she possessed or what? She seems to have been shocked with 1000 volts of electricity! I wish I see a woman like dat...
lmao that was a funny 1
Dont let her break your neck next time =)


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Reviewed By Liam B (WINTER HAVEN, FL) Reviewed for a 2001 Ford F-150 —4/15/2016 6:49 AM
Fits perfect and looks awesome! It was very easy to install and I Immediately noticed increased throttle response.
There are no customer reviews for this product
Reviewed By Michael B (PORTLAND, OR) Reviewed for a 2001 Ford F-150 —1/1/2015 12:12 AM
I have a 2001 f150 4x4,with a 5.4 v8. I tow a 5thwheel trailer with it,so I am trying to get all the HP I can out of it. With the 3" cat back that I put on,thisK&N air intake really makes this f150 come alive. I love it. Everything went on good,but had to drill out one bolt hole. Thats not bad.


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SOURCE: Mentor Graphics Corporation
June 11, 2010 12:00 ET
WILSONVILLE, OR--(Marketwire - June 11, 2010) - Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) today announced that it is working with GLOBALFOUNDRIES to provide mutual customers with a reference flow that addresses the complex verification challenges of IC development at 28nm and below. GLOBALFOUNDRIES' proprietary Library of Yield Detractors Patterns and their innovative DRC+ physical verification flow are now implemented on Mentor's Calibre® platform, which in addition to equation-based verification and comprehensive DFM, now includes pattern matching-based design rule checking capabilities for mutual customers, with support for GUI-based pattern creation and library management enabling custom rule development.
"By working closely with Mentor Graphics to combine our advanced foundry models and process data with Calibre's signoff and DFM capabilities, GLOBALFOUNDRIES DRC+ flow provides our customers with the ability to more quickly release their design to fabrication," said Andy Brotman, vice president of design infrastructure at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. "The new Calibre Pattern Matching product allows us to simplify the specification of advanced DRC and DFM rules, and improve the communication between designers and foundry personnel by moving from a text-based representation of yield-detracting geometries to a pattern-based one. As we all know from personal experience, a picture is worth a thousand words."
"Our experience over multiple nodes in developing tools that represent the manufacturing process to designers has shown us that success depends on close cooperation among foundry, EDA vendor and design teams," said Michael Buehler-Garcia, director of marketing for Calibre design-side products at Mentor Graphics. "DRC+ is based on collaboration that tunes our platform to GLOBALFOUNDRIES' manufacturing process, making it easier and faster for designers to create market-winning ICs on the most advanced processes available."
About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $800 million. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.
(Mentor Graphics and Calibre are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners).
For more information, please contact: Gene Forte Mentor Graphics 503.685.1193 firstname.lastname@example.com Sonia Harrison Mentor Graphics 503.685.1165 firstname.lastname@example.com
For more information, please contact: Gene Forte Mentor Graphics 503.685.1193 firstname.lastname@example.com Sonia Harrison Mentor Graphics 503.685.1165 email@example.com
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25 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY
Built: 1964
Houses: Family Court and Commissioner of Jurors
Judicial District: Eighth
Construction of Erie County Hall in Buffalo began in 1871 and was completed in 1876. It was originally built to house both county offices and courts as well as municipal offices for the city, with the cost of construction shared equally between them. This joint occupancy ended in 1932 when Buffalo built its own City Hall and turned the old building over to the County.
In 1964 a multi-story office building of mediocre design was built at the rear and connected to the old County Hall to accommodate a growing need for office and court space. Although functional and efficient, this "modern" building lacks the charm, grandeur, and craftsmanship of the older building.
Source: "Survey of Court Facilities in New York State", NYS Office of Court Administration...1981 pg 405