text:
The 10 best vacations for foodies
Some people travel to see the sites. Others, like us, go pretty much exclusively for the food. But while the list of culinary destinations around the globe is endless, there are certain places that really are all about eating. Here are ten trips every foodie needs to have on her bucket list.
We Heart It
Freshly made crepes, flaky croissants and piping-hot baguettes--no trip to Paris is complete without a daily dose of treats from the city's spread of chic cafés, patisseries and bakeries. Order a buckwheat galette with andouillette, ham, cheese and egg from the crepe stand at the Marché Président Wilson. Next up, baguettes, which you'll take with you on your bike ride to the Tuileries. Atthe boulangerie Poilâne, the bread is still baked in an antique wood-fired oven just downstairs. For dinner, you don't want to miss the lamb shoulder--with a bottle of wine, of course--at Au Passage.
Nick's Pics
Fun fact: Tokyo restaurants have more Michelin stars than anywhere else in the world. And we're talking so much more than sushi. Think steaming bowls of ramen, udon, soba and tonkatsu pork. Order the omakase menu from any stall at the Tsukiji fish market and pound sake with skewers of grilled meat at any izakaya. Queue up early (like, 3 a.m. early) for the best raw fish you've ever had at Sushi Dai. Then, for a taste of the upscale, be sure to score a reservation at the French-influenced Narisawa for nature-inspired dishes by visionary chef Yoshihiro Narisawa.
T-Styled Me
This is the land of El Bulli. In the wake of the famous, and now closed, restaurant by chef Ferran Adrià, you'll find no shortage of fresh seafood, sizzling tapas, paella and sangria. See and be seen at Albert Adrià's upscale tapas joint Tickets. Then take an afternoon and sample marbled jamón ibérico, freshly pressed oil from Catalan olives and fresh fish from fourth-generation fishmongers at the stalls of La Boqueria.
We all know that Italians take their food and wine very seriously. And while gelato, risotto and Chianti should be part of any trip, for a truly authentic experience, it's best to dig deeper. In Florence, make a reservation at the stylish Michelin-starred Ora d'Aria, and order a heaping bowl of spaghetti with smoked buffalo mozzarella and panzanella. Head to the lively port city of Livorno for torta di ceci, a street food made from chickpea flour that's almost like a tortilla. A short trip to Vicchio lands you at Villa Campestri--the first olive-oil resort in the world, where you can partake in tastings, get an olive-oil massage and eat a multi-course, olive-oil-laden meal, all of which comes from olives grown on-site.
Chasing a Plate
Scents of kaffir lime, lemongrass, chile, mint and coconut milk hang heavy in the air here, and the sound of sizzling woks rings louder than temple bells. In Bangkok, street food rivals haute cuisine for top billing, and at the trendy Taling Pling, beef massaman curry is king. For a meal that toes the line between street stalls and high-end eats, go to local favorite Supanniga Eating Room, where you'll drool over the best spicy crab you've ever tasted.
The Hungry Nomad
New Orleans
Fried-oyster po'boys, shrimp étouffée, spicy crawfish gumbo and jambalaya--these are just a few of the Cajun and Creole must-eats on any trip to NOLA. Go for French-Creole fusion in the French Quarter at Antoine's, Arnaud's or Galatoire's. And don't leave without a least a few (OK, a million) sugar-coated beignets from the world-famous Café Du Monde, which has been serving up these beloved deep-fried fritters since 1862.
Hong Kong
The former British colony is beloved for its Eastern flavors tailored to a Western palate. Steamed dumplings, dim sum, barbecued pork buns--we're reaching for our glass of water just thinking about all the salty goodness. Tim Ho Wan is your answer for buns, and, oh yeah, it also has a Michelin star. Head to The Chairman for steamed flower crab and braised bean curd with Chinese mushrooms. Of note: The chef here has banned MSG from his kitchen, so you might as well make it a double order.
La Pitanza y Yo
In 2014, Noma was named the best restaurant in the world, and its chef René Redzepi became something of a food god. You'll be hard-pressed to get a table here, but luckily, the Danish capital has much more to offer in the way of culinary treats. If pickled herring is too fishy for your taste, try a smørrebrød (the fancy Danish word for an open-faced sandwich) from Aamanns instead. We suggest the pork rillett with thyme, mustard, pickled squash and gooseberries. Wash it all down with a few brews from the world-famous Mikkeller Bar.
Plan-It Fez
With a mash-up of influences (France, Africa, the Middle East), the food in this Moroccan city is nothing short of eclectic. Less touristy and more authentic than Marrakech, the narrow alleys of Fez's medina are lined with colorful spices and clay pots. Learn to prepare classic Moroccan dishes--harira soup, Berber pancakes, tagines--at one of the many cooking classes on offer at Café Clock. Then reward yourself with a meal of salads, tagines and couscous at Maison Bleue.
Restaurante Catedral
Long known as a culinary destination, Oaxaca is much more than the fish tacos symbolic of Mexico. Instead, think complex moles, soups, tamales and giant tortillas (or tlayudas). Order the huitlacoche crepes in poblano sauce at the upscale Catedral, and try a pastry cone stuffed with hibiscus flower at the trendy La Biznaga. And OK, you have to at least try fried grasshoppers (or chapulines), a tradition that dates back to the 16th century.
This article was from PureWow and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
Best aviation-inspired museums to visit
With National Aviation Day right around the corner (August 19), a great way to celebrate is by visiting an aviation-themed museum. Many of the museums have hands-on, interactive exhibits —and some even have retired airplanes you can visit. Below are seven museums to visit this Aviation Day and beyond.
Seattle, Washington
The Museum of Flight in Seattle bills itself as the largest independent, nonprofit air and space museum in the world. The museum's 20 acres is home to more than 160 significant aircraft and spacecraft, including the world's first fighter plane, the first jet Air Force One and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It's also one of a handful of museums in the world that has a Concorde supersonic jet on display —located in its British Airways livery. The campus also includes the original Boeing factory, the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer and the only exhibit to house the original rocket engines used to launch Apollo astronauts to the moon. Additional activities include flight simulators that make you feel as if you're flying an airplane, a 3D movie theater and an aircraft exhibit that includes the world's only presentation of the first Boeing 727, 737 and 747 jets.
Tucson, Arizona
The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson boasts 2,600 acres and is one of the largest non-government funded aviation and space museums in the world. It features more than 350 historical aircraft, from a Wright Flyer to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Visitors can take an hour-long tram tour narrated by experienced docents who share stories about the planes' significance and personal stories of service. There are bus tours of its aircraft boneyard, home to more than 4,000 military and federal government aircraft. If decide you want to participate in the tour while visiting the museum, it's recommended that you make a reservation 10 business days ahead of time.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Each year, Oshkosh attracts nearly 500,000 spectators to what is considered the largest airshow in the world — EAA AirVenture. But if you can't make this annual event in July, you can still visit the EAA AirVenture Museum year-round. While there, check out the museum's display of more than 200 historic aircraft — aircraft like the 1918 Curtiss JN-4D 'Jenny', a 1945 Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair and a 1930 Cessna CG-2 Glider. For attractions, visit the Eagle Hangar, a tribute to World War II aviation. And lastly, make sure to take a ride in a vintage 1929 Travel Air E-4000 open-cockpit biplane located at Pioneer Airport.
Palm Springs, California
Named by CNN as one of the best aviation museums, the Palm Springs Air Museum is one of the few that actually allow visitors to go inside aircraft to explore the exhibits. It features 59 aircraft from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Aircraft include a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, an F-14A Tomcat and even a Russian MiG-21+. Take a ride in aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, the iconic plane flown by the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. The museum is also home to permanent and temporary exhibits, artifacts, artwork and a library.
Washington, D.C.
The National Smithsonian Air & Space Museum has two outposts — the original building in downtown D.C. and the more than 100-acre Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center facility near Washington Dulles International Airport. The downtown location has aircraft like the Bell X-1 flown by Chuck Yeager when he first broke the sound barrier, an Airbus A320 flight deck simulator and the forward fuselage of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, along with the popular "How Things Fly" exhibit.
The Udvar-Hazy center has thousands of aviation and space artifacts on display, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, an Air France Concorde, the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Boeing 367-80 — the prototype for the Boeing 707 and America's first commercial jet airliner. There's also the Airbus IMAX® Theater and the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, which gives you a 360-degree bird's-eye view of Washington Dulles International Airport and the surrounding area.
Denver, Colorado
The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum is located on a portion of land that used to be Lowry Air Force Base, a technical training center until it closed in 1994. The museum is home to aircraft including a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a Cessna O-2 Skymaster and even a Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter. The brand-new Boeing Blue Sky Aviation Gallery at Centennial Airport is phase one of the museum's second location that will focus on the present and future of aerospace. It offers interactive exhibits, the latest in general aviation technology and the chance to fly realistic Red Bird simulators as well as tours of the airfield.
New York, New York
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum complex in New York is located on a World War II aircraft carrier. Among its many exhibits are Enterprise, the prototype of NASA's Space Shuttle and a Harrier fighter jet. It also includes the British Airways Concorde that made the world's speed record for passenger airliners in 1996 when it flew from New York to London in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. Before leaving, make sure to check out the 4D aircraft simulator, something you won't want to miss.
Getting there
United flies to most of the destinations above, including Denver, New York, Palm Springs, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C. You can fly into neighboring Appleton, Wisconsin, to visit Oshkosh. Visit united.com or use the United app to plan your aviation-themed museum trip.
United and Special Olympics
Taking inclusion to new heights
Our shared purpose is to connect people and unite the world — and no organization better embodies that principle than Special Olympics.Learn more
Weekend inspiration: Savannah
The key to visiting Savannah in the summer? Planning outdoor and indoor activities, so you can enjoy all of the treasures this charming Southern city has to offer. If you only have a few days to spend here, it is even more important to plan your time and itinerary carefully. Luckily, we've gathered the best of the best to visit in historic Savannah with carefully planned air-conditioned stops along the way. Put on your walking shoes, grab some sunscreen and get ready to explore.
Day 1
Before your trip, make sure to make reservations for dinner at The Olde Pink House restaurant in advance. Adjacent to the Planters Inn, this popular spot has been serving Southern food at it's finest at one of Savannah's oldest mansions. While there, make sure you order the fried chicken — voted one of the best in Savannah and it does not disappoint. The braised pork shank is also a must-try. From there walk over to Leopold's Ice Cream. Choose a fancy pre-made ice cream or create your own treat. A Savannah tradition, this shop has been serving the best ice cream in Savannah since 1919.
Abe's on Lincoln | Photo credit: Kelsey + Courtney Montague
If you're looking for a dive bar instead of ice cream, drop in to Abe's on Lincoln. Create your own artistic rendition of Abraham Lincoln on your napkin, and your creation might end up on the ceiling where other patrons' artwork is displayed.
Day 2
The next morning get started before the crowds and visit the Waving Girl Statue. This statue commemorates Florence Martus who (from 1887-1931) became the unofficial 'greeter' of Savannah and waved at every ship that came into port. From there head down River Street to Huey's on the river for beignets and their potato casserole. Don't worry about the calories, you will walk them off.
The potato salad at Hueys on the river
Photo credit: Kelsey + Courtney Montague
The Georgia Queen on River Street
Photo credit: Kelsey + Courtney Montague
After Huey's, stop by the Savannah Bee Company and sign up for a mead tasting. For just a few dollars you will get to taste all sorts of variations and flavors from all over the country. Interestingly mead, created from fermenting honey, is one of the oldest alcohols in human history. Evidence of mead in clay pots dates back to 7000 BC. After you've had a few sips of mead and tasted the honeycomb, head out for a bit of shopping. We recommend Broughton Street, especially 24e and the Paris Market.
The Artillery restaurant | Photo credit: Kelsey + Courtney Montague
Stop by Juliet Gordon Lowe's birthplace (Girl Scout's founder) to see when the next tour is and make a reservation. Go to Husk for lunch while you wait. Husk, founded by James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock, uses local ingredients in his ever-changing, scrumptious menu. After your tour of Ms. Lowe's home, put on your finest and head over to Artillery for a fancy cocktail and then on to The Collins Quarter Restaurant.
Collins Quarter restaurant | Photo credit: Kelsey + Courtney Montague
The Collins Quarter restaurant is an Australian take on Southern food and is exquisite. Get the hot chicken — it's delicious. Wander over to Chippewa Square after dinner where the movie Forrest Gump was filmed. The exact bench he sat on for the movie is no longer there, but everything else in the park is the same. Nearby on Bull street is another boutique, Red Clover, you should stop at if you're in the market for a gorgeous new frock. End the evening with dessert at Chocolate by Adam Turoni. Adam's shop feels like you stepped into wonderland, complete with a grass floor and bookshelves full of delicious treats.
All that's left is to head home full of southern food and southern hospitality.
P.S. If you have a few extra hours rent a car and go see the Wormsloe Plantation. The entrance will take your breath away. Also check out the Bonaventure Cemetery where poets, revolutionaries and the founders of Savannah have ornate gravestones in a picturesque, photo-worthy setting.
How to prepare for your child's first flight
Traveling can be stressful at times, even when you're flying solo. But imagine what a child must feel, especially as they prepare to take their first flight. The key to any successful first flight is to take a cue from the Girl Scouts motto: be prepared. I'm a mother who started traveling the world with her child since she was 10 days old. So if you're planning your child's first flight soon, read on for my helpful tips to make your child's first flight a success.
Before the flight
Make sure to choose your seats as soon as you book your flight. Since restrooms are usually located at the back of the plane — and also near the front of the cabin, depending on the aircraft — you may want to choose seats near those areas so you won't have to go far if you and your child need the restroom or you need to change your baby's diaper. Additionally, children oftentimes enjoy looking out the window during a flight, so you may want to opt for a window seat so they can see other planes, a busy tarmac or clouds once you're up in the air.
Most airlines, including United, allow a child under the age of two to sit on a parent's lap. But if it fits within your budget, you could consider buying them their own seat and, depending on the child's age, bringing a government-approved child seat for them to use in the purchased seat. This allows you and your child to travel more safely and comfortably, and can help create a better sense of security for your child if they're used to the child seat you bring along.
Make sure to prepare your kids prior to the flight. Although airplanes can be exciting, they can also be scary for kids at first. Take time to explain what to expect during your journey, from the time they arrive at the airport until the plane lands at your destination. You can tell them about the kinds of people they will meet, such as gate agents, flight attendants and pilots, and the different events that occur, like boarding, the flight attendants' safety message and the sound of the aircraft engine during takeoff. This way they can enjoy identifying the people and events that make up their first flight.
At the airport
To avoid any unnecessary stress, print your boarding passes or download them to your mobile device before arriving at the airport. Also plan to check your baggage as soon as you get to the airport so you don't have to worry about carrying along extra gear.
You can check with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) if you're unsure about what's allowed past security checkpoints, but baby formula, breast milk, food and medications aren't subject to the 3.4 ounce liquid restriction, so you're able to bring larger amounts of those items with you. Just make sure to let TSA officers know right away that you're carrying those items so you're not slowed down during the screening process.
After you've made it through security and are waiting at the gate, make sure your children have entertainment to keep them occupied while you wait. While most flights offer entertainment, there may be times when the inflight entertainment is not available, so bring toys, games, a tablet, coloring books or whatever it takes to keep them occupied and happy during a flight. If you're traveling with babies or toddlers, be sure to double check your diaper bag and make sure it has clothing, baby wipes, lotion, toys and extra bottles. Also, pack a favorite blanket and pillow for inflight naps.
You'll also want to carry various snacks, such as sandwiches, fruit, nuts, crackers or popcorn, and account for possible delays because food options may be limited. It's also a good idea to pack empty sippy cups or water bottles to fill up with inflight beverages.
On board the flight
When it's time to board your flight, you can take advantage of United's policy that allows families with children two and younger to pre-board. This will give you that much-needed time to stow your items and get you and your children in your seats so you're comfortable and ready for your flight.
By request, strollers can be checked at the gate at no additional cost. Before boarding starts, simply ask the gate agent to put a baggage tag on the stroller and you can leave it at the bottom of the jet bridge as you board the plane. When you get to your destination, your stroller will be waiting for you on the jet bridge after you exit the plane.
Once you're on board and settled, it helps to have a bottle on hand during takeoff and landing because it can help alleviate ear pressure for babies and toddlers. For older children, tell them what's about to happen and encourage them to look out the window to see what's going on before take-off. While in the air, create easy access to all the things you need to keep your children entertained and happy, and before you know it, you'll be on the ground again in no time. With just a little preparation, flying for the first time can be an exciting experience for both you and your child.
United heroes: Saving the life of a newborn
Pediatrician Elizabeth Triche was so touched by how our employees went above and beyond to transport her critical ill newborn patient from Saipan to Guam then Honolulu to San Francisco and from there to their final destination of San Diego, that on July 27, she wrote the heartfelt note below to CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby.
"Mr. Munoz and Mr. Kirby,
I am writing to give you my greatest gratitude for running a company that just did everything possible, every step of the way, to allow us to get our critically ill newborn with a fatal heart defect to life-saving emergency specialty care in San Diego.
Geoff Larson [Customer Service De-escalation Senior Manager] had given me his cellphone number one month ago and said to call if we ever needed any help getting patients to critical care. When I did call 3 days ago, he burst into action. We exchanged at least 10 emails and phone calls over the next 36 hours as he opened seats on fully booked flights, got us cleared to use oxygen (a process that usually delays our exit by 48-72 hours), and called on colleagues to make sure that all of our "special handling needs" in the airports were met. He emailed me as our first (of 4) flights arrived, letting me know that he was available to help with any glitches.
In Honolulu they held everyone on the plane so that we could get TSA and customs clearance first, gate side, avoiding our having to carry a sick baby in a car seat through an entire airport to customs. Helpers met us at each destination as gate agents from our departing cities warned the gate agents at our next arrival destination that we would need a wheelchair and help with bags.
Finally, as we were 30 minutes from our final destination, the pilot of United Flight 284 on 7/26/2018 from SFO to SAN called me up to the front of the plane to chat, as [there was] fog in San Diego. He wanted to know if the baby would be adversely affected if he [diverted] the flight to LA to refuel. We truly appreciated his taking our patient into account.
Ultimately, we arrived in San Diego without any major mishaps, and our newborn is currently undergoing definitive treatment for his condition.
Mr. Larson and his colleagues at United helped to save a life yesterday, as this baby may not have survived to make the flights had we had to wait for an open seat. Now that he has gotten to care, he will likely have a great chance at a normal life.
I just wanted everyone know that there are truly compassionate, dedicated people working for your organization."
We fly Australian firefighters to wildfires
As parts of Oregon and California continue to battle blazing wildfires that have already consumed thousands of acres of land, we stepped up to help and flew a group of Australian firefighters to Boise, Idaho, over the weekend.
We created an extra section to fly a group of firefighters from all over Australia to Los Angeles International Airport, where they departed on a flight to Boise, Idaho on August 4.
Australia/New Zealand Contingent Field Liaison Officer Barry James explained that firefighters were selected to come help based on their qualifications, and they're all proud to support their fellow firefighters in the United States.
"We're flying to Boise for a couple of days of training and then we'll be splitting up. Some of us are going to Northern California and the rest are going to Oregon for a six-week deployment," explained Officer James, who flew United for the first time, but said it won't be his last. "It was an awesome, awesome experience; it was really hospitable," he added.
Our Los Angeles based employees and crews made sure the firefighters felt their appreciation by giving them a special welcoming message in the gate area, where they thanked them for their hard work.
"It was such an incredible honor for us at LAX to meet and fly these men and women, who are sacrificing their time and putting their lives on the line to help us battle the wildfire devastation in this part of the country," said LAX Station Operations Control Manager Maggie Ronan. "The crew in general was just outstanding. They were all so honored to fly this group and felt it was amazing that United built the extra section for their journey. There was a very special energy felt on the flight as we closed up to send them off to BOI."
We're teaming up with leading disaster relief organizations to provide aid to those impacted by the California wildfires. We will match up to $50,000 in total donations made to our charitable partners, Airlink, American Red Cross, Americares, North Coast Opportunities and Shasta Regional Community Foundation. For more information and to make a donation California Wildfire relief efforts, visit our CrowdRise fundraising campaign.
Lots of sweat, lots of on-time departures: Summer on the ramp
It's 10:30 in the morning and the temperature gauge already reads 89 degrees. The Texan summer sun beams down from above. Heat waves emanate from the ground. Sweat glistens atop Ron Davis's shiny, bald head.
This isn't bad at all, Davis says. "I played high school football. Two-a-day practices? Those were hot. Some of the really hot days out here? Those feel more like three-a-day practices. We got it easy today."
A few gates down, employees revel in the "relief" that this weather feels like compared to the prior week.
"This is nothing," quips Tom Saavedra.
"A few clouds up there and a bit of a breeze – it's our lucky day," Leroy Taylor chimes in, a wide smile on his face.
Air temperature nearing 90 degrees. Tarmac temperature eclipsing 100 degrees most everywhere you step. 10:30 in the morning. And this is "easy". Welcome to life as a United ramp service employee at Houston's George Bush International Airport (IAH) in the summer.
United isoperating more than 500 flights out of Houston each day this summer, and thanks in part to the hard work of our ramp service employees, more flights have left Houston on time this summer than any prior summer.
How? Hydration and nutrition have played huge roles.
Posters with hydration reminders adorn the walls of ramp break rooms and hallways. It's the first topic of every meeting. Regular reminders are sent out over the group's radio system.
Employees have a flight schedule to keep, but as leaders, we have to provide them with the tools to do their job, says Gary Snead, a United supervisor based at IAH. "That includes keeping them fit to work in the summer heat."
And provide they do. Here are the resources deployed in an average summer month on the ramp in Houston:
- Over 10,000 bags of ice, totaling more than 100,000 pounds of ice.
- 313, 5-gallon water coolers refilled at least four times per day.
- An athletic trainer on site.
- One day a month, the IAH ramp holds a fruit & hydration day, where supervisors distribute over 1,000 pieces of fruit to our sun-soaked employees.
- 1,000+ cooling towels distributed.
- 10 misting tents
The increased focus on hydration has helped increase productivity, and it's also resulted in a record-low number of heat-related illnesses among employees.
You take care of the employees, Snead says, "and the employees will take care of your operation."
That's proved true around the world, as we have flown more customers this summer than ever before, all while topping our competition in on-time departures in recent months. Our 13,000+ ramp service employees have played a huge role in that.
Summer heat? It's been beat.
Top 7 things to experience when visiting Las Vegas
When picturing Las Vegas, you probably see shimmering lights, felt-covered poker tables and the ecstatic sound of slot machines. But the truth is that the city offers visitors far more to experience than just gambling and excess. Located on the edge of the vast Mojave Desert, this uniquely American destination is constantly reinventing itself with every passing day, which makes it an ideal vacation spot for virtually every type of traveler. To help you get the most from your next trip to Vegas, here are seven attractions in and around the city that you won't want to miss.
The Neon Museum
Since 1996, this magical outdoor art gallery has collected hundreds of old and discarded neon signs from the Las Vegas strip and displayed them for visitors on a 2-acre plot of land. With so much colorful history available to see, it's no wonder that the Neon Museum is one of the city's top Instagram spots. Though new signs are constantly being acquired and refurbished, many date back to the glory days of the 1950s, when Vegas icons like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. were the entertainment headlines at the casinos.
Red Rock Canyon
This stunning nature preserve is just a 15-mile drive west of Las Vegas, and is the perfect place to experience all the scenic beauty that Nevada has to offer. Red Rock Canyon features 26 clearly marked hiking trails, indoor and outdoor conservation exhibits and a plethora of majestic wildlife and desert flora to view. There's even a picturesque waterfall, so bring your camera along with your sunscreen and bottled water. A variety of educational programs are held each month, including a popular "Bats in Our Belfry" presentation in which rangers take visitors on a bat sightseeing tour of the canyon.
The Mob Museum
Because the birth of Las Vegas is intricately connected with organized crime, this fascinating museum is a must-visit for anyone who wants to understand how a dry Nevada desert became a worldwide symbol of glitz and glamour. Filled with amazing artifacts, vintage photos and life-size recreations of some of the city's most infamous residents, the Mob Museum focuses on both the gangsters who built Las Vegas and the law enforcement heroes who pursued them. A rotating collection of exhibits brings the town's colorful history to life in a way that no movie or book could ever hope to duplicate.
The Hoover Dam
A monument to man's industrial spirit and a marvel of American engineering, the spectacular Hoover Dam is located less than an hour's drive from Las Vegas — and it's truly an unforgettable sight to behold. Tours of the 726-foot-tall dam are highly encouraged and will fascinate young and old alike. While you're in the area, why not spend some time cruising the beautiful waters of nearby Lake Mead, which was created by the dam itself. Boat tours are available all week long from several locations around the lake, so advanced reservations are not needed.
Dig This Last Vegas
Are you visiting Las Vegas with children? If so, then this one-of-a-kind experience should definitely be on your travel itinerary. Dig This Last Vegas lets you and your kids drive and safely operate heavy duty construction equipment like bulldozers and excavators on a massive outdoor playground in the heart of the city. Anyone who grew up with toy tractors and plastic earth-moving machines can now climb behind the wheel and try them for real. With the help of trained instructors, kids as young as 8 years old can make their dreams of operating a genuine Caterpillar D5 bulldozer come true at this hands-on attraction site.
Spring Mountain Ranch
This Nevada state park is a relatively short drive from downtown Las Vegas and will instantly transport you back to the region's historic past. The perfectly preserved old west-style ranch is an excellent place for an afternoon picnic when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the casinos. Thanks to the lush green surroundings and man-made lake, the temperature at Spring Mountain is noticeably cooler than you might expect of the hot Nevada climate. Explore further as gentle hiking trails allow you to stretch your legs in comfort while you navigate some of the loveliest scenery in the entire state.
Lotus of Siam
Widely considered to be one of the best Thai restaurants in the United States, Lotus of Siam earned its prestigious James Beard Award the hard way; by serving incredibly delicious Northern Thai dishes every day for the past 19 years. Owner and head chef Saipin Chutima recently opened a second location in Las Vegas, which means you'll have no trouble making reservations while you're in town. Considering that top foodie magazines like Gourmet, Saveur and Bon Appétit have praised this restaurant's incredible dishes for almost two decades, you'd be wise to book a table in advance. Try their crispy rice salad with house-made pork sausage for a flavor that will make your taste buds sing.
Getting there
When you're ready to experience the fun and excitement of Las Vegas, book your flight at united.com or by using the convenient United app, and share your story on social media with the #UnitedJourney hashtag.
The 8 most underrated American road trips
You've gotten your kicks on Route 66. You've wound through Highway 1. So how do you take another quintessential American summer vacation without repeating yourself? Good thing this country is not lacking in incredible vistas and varied landscapes—trust us: there is so much more than purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain (although, those aren't so bad themselves). From badlands to waterfalls, here are eight American road trips to consider.
RELATED: 10 Waterparks Worth Traveling for
RondaKimbrow/Getty Images
Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway, Colorado
This western road trip through and around the Rocky Mountains has three separate routes that converge in Leadville, Colorado (the highest incorporated town in the country at 10,152 feet above sea level). There's no rule against traversing all three, especially since each is pretty short (82 miles total). First, take in the five enormous mountains surrounding Leadville, two of which are the tallest in the state. Head up through Tennessee Pass and cross the Continental Divide to reach the majestic town of Minturn for incredible fields of wildflowers. The route through Independence Pass toward Aspen has unbelievable views of the Rockies and Twin Lakes. Driving along the Arkansas River through Fremont Pass to Copper Mountain is ideal for spotting ranches, old mines and—fingers crossed—some Colorado wildlife.
FilippoBacci/Getty Images
Overseas Highway, Florida
You do not need a boat to enjoy the Florida Keys, and we can prove it. The Overseas Highway is one of the most unique roads in the country, as it basically island hops along Florida's hottest vacay spots like Islamorada (home of the Florida Brewing Company) and Marathon (home of Long Key State Park). The Seven-Mile Bridge is a highlight nestled into the 113-mile trip, so make sure to cross during the day for sprawling views of turquoise water and boaters galore. Other fun pit stops: Swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, snorkel with sea critters at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and pose for a selfie at Southernmost Point Buoy, the farthest south you can get on the continental U.S.
Jason W Lacey/Getty Images
Columbia River Highway, Oregon
This stretch of highway was the first of its kind to be officially declared a National Historic Landmark, and it's easy to see why. Set out from Troutdale, Oregon, and immediately you'll see the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge. Get ready for a roller-coaster decent as you roll into Crown Point—the 600-foot drop toward the Columbia River is designed specifically for road trippers as it curves and winds through lush green forests. There are at least six notable waterfalls you'll pass along the way; step out at Multnomah Falls for a pic of its stunning bridge. Once you hit the town of Mosier, consider trekking through a tunnel of lava rock on the Mark O. Hatfield Trailhead. The road officially ends after roughly 70 miles at The Dalles, conveniently close to the Sunshine Mill Winery. Treat yourself to a glass of the wildly popular Nirvana, a white blend with touches of honey and melon.
Bobbushphoto /Getty Images
Hana Coast Highway, Hawaii
While Hawaii's island of Maui is a hot destination for tropical romance, the Hana Coast Highway is not for the faint of heart. The road is affectionately called the "Divorce Highway" in honor of its precarious turns and proximity to the edges of tall cliffs. That said, the frequent waterfalls, black sand beaches and eucalyptus trees along the country's lengthiest rainforest highway make the trip totally worth the adrenaline rush. Though it's only 52 miles, the 25-miles-per-hour speed limit (with blind spots and one-lane bridges galore; this is a very good thing) makes it a two- to three-hour trip. But we have a feeling you'll happily take your time—the views from Kahului to Hana are beyond breathtaking.
Scott_Walton/Getty Images
Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, New Mexico
If you're in the mood for dry heat and history up close, the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway is calling. West of Albuquerque is Chaco Canyon, an important ceremonial site for the Pueblo peoples between 850 and 1250 A.D. After taking in the incredible expanse of the canyon, drive south through the towns of Crownpoint and Grants toward the El Morro National Monument. Ogle the 2,000 or so signatures weary travelers have carved into the sandstone over centuries. Continue east through the Zuni Reservation to Zuni Pueblo, an arts community still practicing ancestral traditions and ways of life. Cap off this winding 360-mile desert tour in Farmington, where you can see Aztec Ruins National Monument and Salmon Ruins, both of which date back to the 1050s.
AndrewKrav/Getty Images
The Black Hills and Badlands, South Dakota
Together, the Black Hills and Badlands National Park in South Dakota offer 5 million acres of grassland, forest and rock formations. Might we recommend not hitting it all in one day? Instead, start out on the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway near the town of Interior. Check out the millions-year-old (literally) jagged geographic deposits before heading north to Spearfish Canyon, home of sky-high pink limestone and gorgeous waterfalls. Meander down through Black Hills National Forest to check out Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and (drumroll, please) Mount Rushmore. Set aside a few days for the entire 232-mile journey because you'll probably find yourself either driving slowly to take it all in or stopping the car every few miles to hike or swim.
NickJKelly/Getty Images
North Shore Scenic Drive, Minnesota
For a truly otherworldly experience, drive along the coast of the biggest freshwater lake in the world: Lake Superior. The northern Minnesota gem means ample opportunity to really get away from civilization. (Heading off the beaten path into the Boundary Waters just north of the coastline leaves you with no cell service, almost complete solitude and a chance to catch the northern lights!) Start your drive in Duluth and head north, scoping out the many lighthouses dotting the rocky coastline on your right and the distant Sawtooth Mountains on your left. Everywhere else is covered in pine and birch trees—and crawling with wildlife. Beaches pop up along the 142-mile ride, although Lake Superior is notoriously chilly, reaching 65 degrees Fahrenheit max during the hottest months of the year. But, in the height of summer, this might be exactly the cool-down you need.
Holcy/Getty Images
Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway, Maine
For the ultimate, rugged New England road trip, you must drive the Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway. On the western side of the state, near New Hampshire, the lake is flanked by Rangeley Lake State Park and rolling hills of trees, flowers and wildlife. Start at Smalls Falls, and let the Appalachian Mountain ridgeline be your guide on this 36-mile tour. The route is straightforward but provides sights of everything from lakes and rivers to valleys and farmland. Swift River and Mooselookmeguntic Lake (who named this lake?) are outstanding photo ops. Summer is always a good time to visit when it comes to temps, but come autumn, the bright colors pop along this route, and might just be worth a second trip.
RELATED: The Most Serene Spot in Every Single State
This article was from PureWow and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Trending stories
The comparisons between New Zealand and California are inescapable. Both are long and narrow with Pacific coastlines that seamlessly combine cliffs and beaches. Both boast some of the world's most spectacular national parks in the mountains and some of the most prized wine regions in the hills and valleys.
Some similarities are flip-flopped, because NZ straddles the 38th parallel south of the equator while California is on the 38th parallel north. That's why New Zealand's North Island shares Southern California's warm, dry climate and the South Island shares Northern California's cooler, wetter climate. That may also be why New Zealand's two largest cities (Auckland and Wellington) are in the sunny north, while California's (L.A. and San Diego) are in the south.
There are differences, too, and they favor New Zealand. Although it's about two-thirds the size of California, NZ is only about one-tenth as crowded (4.5 million compared to 40 million people). And NZ is surrounded on all four sides, not just one, by the Pacific.
But don't take our word for it — visit New Zealand to make your own comparisons and with new nonstop service between Auckland and Chicago, New Zealand is even easier to get to. Starting November 30, Air New Zealand will operate nonstop service between Auckland and Chicago, and vice versa three times weekly on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. And beginning in April 2019, we will extend our service between San Francisco and Auckland to year-round with service three times weekly on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft between November and March, and on the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft between April and October. Now that you have your travel plans set, read on for what to do while you're there.
Auckland highlights
From the 1,076-foot-high Sky Tower that dominates the Auckland skyline, you'll behold a city bordered by bays and peppered with parks. Locals take full advantage by sailing in the city's two harbors (Auckland is the "City of Sails") and participating in almost every other type of water and land sport — especially rugby, cricket, golf and tennis, all imports from the British who founded New Zealand.
Auckland's literal high points besides the Sky Tower include Mount Eden, Mount Victoria and One Tree Hill, three of the dozens of small dormant volcanoes with 360-degree views that punctuate the city. Another is Auckland Harbour Bridge across Waitemata Harbour, where you can climb the span or bungee off. Additional Auckland attractions include the Auckland Museum and Auckland Art Gallery; the family-friendly New Zealand Maritime Museum and Sea Life Aquarium; and sprawling Cornwall Park, where cricket enthusiasts share the grass with sheep.
Wellington and Christchurch
These two coastal cities south of Auckland are each about a quarter of the population of Auckland, making them favorites of visitors who prefer compact cities. In the capital city of Wellington, most attractions are along the waterfront promenade, always teeming with walkers and runners, while others are in the steep hills. Be sure to visit the Museum of New Zealand and ride the Wellington Cable Car. Christchurch is still recovering from the big 2011 earthquake, but the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park are still lush and lovely, and Quake City at the Canterbury Museum is both educational and moving as it chronicles the devastation of the quake and the rebuilding efforts.
South Island Mountains
New Zealand may be best known for its mountain hiking, known to the locals as tramping. The highest peaks are in the Southern Alps, topped by 12,218 foot Mount Cook, but surely the most famous hike is the Milford Track — so popular that reservations are required to tackle the 33 mile hut-to-hut walk through glacially carved mountain passes, fjords, majestic waterfalls and rainforests in Fiordland National Park. But you needn't hike at all to appreciate the beauty of New Zealand's mountains. Driving past them or through them, such as the drive to Milford Sound where the Track begins, or to Mount Cook Village, does the trick.
Beaches and volcanoes
Stellar surfing and sunbathing beaches are found throughout the country, even in Auckland, although keep in mind that "beach weather" is more likely on North Island. NZ's Volcanic Zone, however, is concentrated in one North Island region, not far from Auckland. It's there, especially in Tongariro National Park, that you'll discover recently erupted volcanoes, lava flows, steaming geysers and hissing ponds — plus thermal pools, springs and baths in the towns of Rotorua and Taupo. You may recognize some of this region's mountains, where the hiking is nearly as splendid as on the South Island, from scenes in "The Lord of the Rings" movies.
Towns, villages… and sheep
Sheep are everywhere in New Zealand, even in the cities. You can even observe them being herded and sheared at SheepWorld near Auckland, but mostly you'll see them in the countryside while driving between cities and national parks, such as on one of NZ's 10 themed highways. You'll also go past farms, vineyards, mountains, coastline and dense wilderness. But don't drive straight through. Your fondest NZ memories after the trip may be of conversations with locals at a village café over coffee or a country pub over a Double Brown beer.
Fine wine
New Zealand's 14 wine regions blanket the east coast of both islands, but the Marlborough region near Blenheim at the top of South Island has the most wineries, including dozens that offer tastings. This region's Sauvignon Blancs are internationally acclaimed. While you're in the area, you should also stop by the charming town of Nelson and visit Abel Tasman National Park, a marvelous mix of rainforest paths and beaches.
Fresh fish
Sauvignon Blanc pairs nicely with fish — and that's a good thing, because New Zealand fishermen operate in the sixth-largest fishing zone in the world, making seafood a NZ specialty. While myriad fish choices fill menus in coastal restaurants, expect a wide variety of cuisines (often broadly called "Pacific Rim cuisine") in the cities. That's especially true in Auckland, where nearly half of residents are non-natives from China, India, Fiji, Samoa and elsewhere. Wherever you dine, the food was probably grown or raised locally because importing ingredients is expensive — the nearest continent, Australia, is 1,300 miles away.
Additional islands
Besides New Zealand's two main islands, smaller islands off their shores are a treat to visit. The largest (about the size of Maui) is Rakiura/Stewart Island, a one-hour ferry ride from the southern tip of South Island, where a national park occupies 80 percent of the land. NZ's most populous small island (pop. 9,000) is Waiheke, a 45-minute ferry ride from Auckland, which features forest trails, beaches, restaurants and wineries.
Don't forget that the seasons are reversed in New Zealand, so their "summer" starts in December. Plan a trip between November and April to enjoy mild temperatures and to avoid too many rainy days. When you arrive, driving a rental car is the best way to see the country. (You'll soon get used to driving on the left side.) And driving won't be tortuous within the country because there are no "boring" stretches of road — and a scenic, 3 1/2-hour Interislander or Bluebridge car ferry connects Wellington and Picton, letting you travel freely between North and South Islands.
If you go
Service between San Francisco and Auckland operates three times weekly with year-round nonstop service launching in April of 2019. Starting November 30 of this year, Air New Zealand will operate service between Auckland and Chicago, and vice versa three times weekly. Air New Zealand code share service will be offered on around 100 flights across the U.S. for convenient connections to Auckland via Chicago. Visit united.com or use the United app to plan your trip.
Around the web
Explore more
We're listening
Check out our newest destinations
Follow us
Watch our most popular videos
Five magnificent stops between Honolulu and Guam filled with spectacular scenery along the way, and then back again. Join Big Metal Bird host, Phil Torres, as he explores our unique Island Hopper route, and discovers what the route means to the people of Micronesia.
It was an unusual sight: a flame on a plane -- but that's exactly what passengers on a flight from Boston to Chicago witnessed as we transported the very special cargo on July 18. The flame was enclosed in a secure lantern and accompanied by a Special Olympic athlete and two Guardians of the Flame – members of a group of more than 100,000 law enforcement officers whose role is to protect and ensure the delivery of the Special Olympics Flame wherever it travels.
This wasn't just any flame, however; it was the Special Olympics' Flame of Hope, the flame which lit the Eternal Flame of Hope to kick off Special Olympics' 50th anniversary celebration Friday morning.
CEO Oscar Munoz, General Counsel and EVP Brett Hart; and Community Affairs VP Sharon Grant, along with many employees and customers, greeted the Flame upon arrival to O'Hare International Airport, where it was presented to local Guardians of the Flame.
We didn't just transport the Flame of Hope on board one of our flights, said Oscar. "That flight symbolized how we are taking the values of inclusion and respect, which that Flame represents, fully on board as a company."
From O'Hare, the Flame traveled to Soldier Field, the site of the very first International Special Olympics Summer Games 50 years ago, and where the Law Enforcement Torch Run® took place the morning of Friday, July 20. More than 100 employees participated in the event, a four-mile course along the lakefront in downtown Chicago, along with hundreds of law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes from throughout Illinois and the world.
I saw people from all over the world come together for a great cause, said Global Catering Operations Projects and Performance Manager Yana Strutz, who participated in the Torch Run, "It is wonderful to see my colleagues take time out of their busy schedules to ensure that Special Olympics athletes get the time and attention they deserve."
The run concluded with the lighting of the Eternal Flame of Hope monument, a flame that symbolizes the eternal hope that Special Olympics provides to athletes and their families. The flame will stay forever ignited inside the permanent, 30-foot monument outside of Soldier Field.
United will go beyond just flying the Flame of Hope on one flight, we will 'carry the torch' everywhere we fly and spread the light of this inclusion revolution. We intend to be ambassadors for this movement everywhere we operate, said Oscar.
Our partnership with Special Olympics represents our continuing effort to break down barriers and further build on Special Olympics' remarkable legacy of inclusion by engaging our employees around the world.
On March 8, 2018, we announced a new global relationship with Special Olympics, an organization we've partnered with for many years focusing on supporting the spirit of inclusion with our employees through local communities and through our Charity Miles Program. United's increased sponsorship includes support for major Special Olympics events, including the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebrations in Chicago, site of the very first International Special Olympics Summer Games in 1968, and the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle.
In addition, United will engage with local Programs in our key markets around the world. Special Olympics embodies our shared purpose to connect people and unite the world. With more than 5 million athletes and 1 million coaches and volunteers in 172 countries, our employees and customers will join forces with Special Olympics to achieve our shared vision of inclusion. Together, we hope to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities.
Our relationship with Special Olympics represents a continued effort to break down barriers and further build on the organization's remarkable legacy by engaging our customers and employees around the world. Working together, we created new training that specifically reflects insights from Special Olympics, including training scenarios with real-life situations that individuals with intellectual disabilities face when traveling. By the end of 2018, more than 60,000 United frontline employees will have participated in the new training modules that reflect Special Olympics insights as United takes steps to deliver a world full of inclusion.
Check back this summer for coverage from Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebrations in Chicago and 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle.
Copyright © 2018 United Airlines, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Indicates an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.


text:
Dispositional Alternatives Program (DAP)
Alan's Story
"Alan" is a 14 year old boy who was referred due to severe truancy issues in 8th grade. He had been placed on PINS Diversion and was brought to court due to his continued truancy. His parents are divorced and he had recently begun rebuilding a relationship with his father. His DAP caseworker was able to make a connection with Alan and Alan really enjoyed participating in groups. The DAP caseworker worked with both of Alan's parents to encourage consistency in their rules and expectations for Alan. Both parents were able to improve their ability to set appropriate limits and consequences for Alan. Alan also worked with a therapist who identified anxiety and depression as contributing to his truancy. The DAP caseworker worked with Alan to increase his confidence and social skills. In the Fall, Alan started at a new, smaller high school which was a better match for him. His attendance greatly improved except for two weeks when he began demonstrating the same patterns as before. The DAP caseworker and the family discovered that Alan had stopped taking his medication and quickly got Alan back on track unlike the year before when the same pattern went on for months. After several months of sustained performance, Alan was discharged from DAP. DAP provided the family with referrals to the Ithaca Youth Bureau and the Learning Web for continued support and opportunities.
Kelly's Story
"Kelly" is a 13 year old girl who was referred for her aggressive behavior towards her younger brother. Her older brother had recently been placed in residential treatment. All three children had been sexually abused when they were very young. The DAP caseworker quickly identified that sibling support would be helpful in this family and a student intern worked with Kelly's little brother during the Spring. The caseworker and intern involved Kelly and her brother in groups with other children where they had the chance to interact with other kids and each other in a structured way. Through their involvement in the DAP groups, Kelly began to treat her brother more kindly and even began to stick up for him when other youth teased him. Their mother reported that their interactions at home improved as well and they were able to support each other when one was sad or worried. Kelly also gained confidence by interacting with other kids and gained a wider circle of social support during her time with the DAP program.
Kevin's Story
"Kevin" is a 12 year old boy who was referred by the FAR team at DSS after an incident with a beebee gun being shot at a car. Kevin's parents were concerned about his bullying behaviors at school and disrespectful attitude towards adults. The DAP worker engaged Kevin by involving him in groups with other youth with similar difficulties with anger and aggression. This provided opportunities to redirect Kevin's aggressive behavior. During the time Kevin was involved in DAP, his parents separated and later reunited. The DAP caseworker worked with his parents to provide ongoing consistency in his routines during this stressful time for the family. Kevin was excited to graduate from the program when he successfully transitioned to middle school with much improved behavior at home and at school.
*Names and details have been changed to maintain client confidentiality.
Return to DAP page

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In this competitive era everybody is trying to capture the market by its own means. Digital Marketing is very good approach to reach the target audience directly. For Effective Digital Marketing it is very important to know the different digital marketing channels and how to use them efficiently and effectively for your business to give your brand and business a very strong online presence. Website is must for all online business activity and show your visibility.
Time and budget, are the main constraints for any business so it is very important to know which Digital Marketing channel will be the best fit for our business and when we have to invest. To take full advantage of digital marketing for our business it is very important to have the complete knowledge of different marketing channels.
So let us discuss the different Digital Marketing Channels:
1)- Social Media Marketing
Social Media is an online platform which defines different activities that incorporate technology, social connection, integration, liking, sharing and commenting. There are several social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram etc. When you plan any campaign on social media platform always target your audience, define their location, engage them and give them the reason to response, and maintain strong relationship with them. Social Media Marketing is very effective now a day to make their trust on you and to maintain a strong network.
2)- Email Marketing
Emails are the foundation of every growing business. Email Marketing has proved itself the most efficient form of marketing. It is cost effective and result oriented in comparison to other marketing channels. There is nothing could be so customized like email marketing in all online marketing channels. Email marketing comes on top in the case of customization. If you are planning, you email campaign in fully systematic manner then it can give you the best result. If you have budget constraint, then email marketing is the best solution for the promotion.
3)- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Search Engine Optimization includes the activities which are done for your website rank improvement. There are two kind of SEO
4)- Search Marketing
Search engine marketing is the use of different search engines to drive the relevant traffic to your website. Different companies apply different kinds of strategies to drive the traffic. Always use maximum relevant content so that it could be fetch during search because different people use different kinds of word for the same product so the search easy.
In search engine marketing we generally count
5)- Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is 100% measured by performance which involves a business owner and one or more websites or affiliates. The affiliate website owners place ads on their own website to advertise the entrepreneur's products or administrations in return for a rate of benefits.
There are three main pays through which an affiliate can earn money-
6)- Display Marketing
Display advertising includes outlining graphical ads and putting them alongside substance on websites, emails and other computerized configuration, and texting applications. The commercials can be content, pictures, sound or video clasps, movement, or other intuitive substance. Cost-Per-Impression (CPM) and Cost-Per-Click (CPC) define the payment in the case of display marketing.
7)- Content Marketing
Content marketing is the essence of overall digital marketing. If your content is not effective and engaging your digital marketing is not going to work. Visitors visit your website just because of your content. So make your content action oriented to gain the maximum revenue from your digital marketing campaign.
Digital Marketing is the smartest way to keep your customer engaged and generate better revenue from your investment.
Providing "Tools/Softwares" to Grow Your Business.
Product :
EmailPush : Intelligent Email Marketing Platform
Managed Services :
"Email Campaign Management" as a Service
Subscribe to our Blogs


text: Under Armour seeks to work with third party suppliers that treat their employees with respect and provide appropriate working conditions for their employees. Under Armour also strives to work with third-party suppliers that meet their obligations to their employees and respect the principles summarized in the Under Armour Supplier Code of Conduct. Under Armour recognizes that conditions in its third-party suppliers facilities, and its supplier monitoring efforts may not be perfect. Nonetheless, Under Armours suppliers and their suppliers subcontractors are expected to meet their legal obligations to their employees, and are evaluated to assess whether they respect Under Armours Code of Conduct.


text:
Washington Pass Overlook Trail is a 0.2 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Mazama, Washington that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, birding, and mountain biking and is best used from May until November. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
wheelchair friendly
kid friendly
mountain biking
wild flowers
Directions from Early Winters: Drive Highway 20 west 5.0 miles to Klipchuck Campground. The trail begins between sites 7 and 8 and is signed.
Do not miss this overlook!
A must stop 'overlook'. We were the only ones around on a Monday night so that helped.
Not much of a walk, let alone a hike, yet the view is definitely worth stopping for, and with the car park within a few minutes' walk, there really is no excuse not to.
This is one of my favorite overlooks. It is stunning and absolutely worth the short, easy walk to get there.
It's a beautiful stop if you are traveling on highway 20. My wife and I are so glad we stoped to take a look. The views are amazing. Very well maintained walkways to the lookout points so no reason to not go out to them
I ♡♡♡ this place! Takes my breath away everytime! I wish I lived there! :) PNW makes me proud to be a Washingtionian! Great for all skill levels. Amazing views. Picnic areas, clean bathrooms, pet friendly on leash, big parking lot! You MUST stop here at some point, you will not be disappointed!
Beautiful View for little effort, paved paths, more like a walk in the woods, was there early so we were alone, not sure how busy it gets, but not much in North cascades ever seemed too busy, worth the 1/2 hour if you have the time!
Short paved fully accessible trail to a stunning view of Liberty Bell Mountain, Early Winters Spires and Kangaroo Ridge. Drive 30 miles west from Winthrop, WA on Highway 20, turn right onto 2 mile paved road to the Washington Pass Overlook parking area. As the highest point on the hwy. at 5477' elevation, Liberty Bell Mountain is a jagged edged precipice that looms above the Washington Pass Overlook at MP 162.2, with wide-angle views 700 ft. above the highway. While there is "no fee," a Northwest Forest Pass is required: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/passes-permits/recreation. The observation point is fully accessible and features views of the ridge uphill and the hairpin turn on Route 20 far below. A loop trail continues down along the rocky outcrops and back to the parking area. Since we were here, they have improved the safety of the area by adding protective railings. Still, be cautious as the cliffs are straight drop-offs. Definitely worth a stop in the North Cascades.


text:
FHF Higher Education Scholarship
Provided by: Folds of Honor Foundation
Up to $5,000
March 31, 2018
The FHF Higher Education Scholarship is available to students who are currently attending or have been accepted into a two - or four - year degree program at an institution of higher education, or a vocational, technical, or certification program. To be eligible, you must be the spouse or dependent of an active duty or reserve component service member who has been killed, disabled, or classified as a POW or MIA; A service member missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force, or forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power; a Purple Heart Medal recipient; or a deceased veteran.
You Might Also Like
Latest Student Deals:
Niche August Scholarship


text:
Popular Now
Popular Now
Popular Now
Popular Now
01803 865913
+44 1803 865913
Series: Mineralogical Association of Canada Short Course Series Volume: 38
Edited By: Edward W Sawyer and Michael Brown
Mineralogical Association of Canada
This volume fills the information gap between those who have a long-term interest in migmatites and those wanting to begin working with them. The field, petrographic, and petrological aspects of migmatites are emphasized. A two-tier classification scheme for the morphologies of migmatites is proposed.
There are currently no reviews for this book. Be the first to review this book!
Your orders support book donation projects
Search and browse over 110,000 wildlife and science products
Multi-currency. Secure worldwide shipping
Wildlife, science and conservation since 1985


text:
$('.demo_iframe').challonge('420team', {subdomain: 'mhperu', theme: '1', multiplier: '1.0', match_width_multiplier: '1.0', show_final_results: '0', show_standings: '0'});
The embedded bracket will set it's height and width to match it's containing element automatically. For responsive brackets, set your containing element to have 100% width.
Want to remove the ad? Checkout the Credits Overview. Or create a unique look for your bracket using the Theme Manager.


text:
Russia's ruling party is signaling that it wants Vladimir Putin to be its candidate for president.
The race for Russia's presidency broke out into the open Thursday when United Russia chief Yuri Shuvalov pegged Mr. Putin as the party's choice for presidential elections next March.
After three years of harmony, political ambitions now strain the relationship between Russia's two leaders - Prime Minister Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev.
On Tuesday, President Medvedev seemed to turn against his mentor, Mr. Putin, in an interview with Chinese state television.
"We need to change. We need to modernize economic and social life and political system. New people need to come. New politicians need to come," Mr. Medvedev said.
He ended the interview saying that a decision on the official presidential candidate should be made soon.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Putin responded by asking everyone to tone down the rhetoric:
He warned that "there is almost a year until elections and all this fuss does not contribute to a normal working structure."
For the past decade, Mr. Putin has held the post of president or prime minister of Russia. Drawing on this political experience, he warned of the lame duck phenomenon - where power drains away from an official who prematurely announces retirement.
He said that if clear signals are sent too early about candidacies, "half the administration and a large half of the government will stop working in anticipation of some kind of changes."
In the last three weeks, President Medvedev aggressively carved out an independent stance. He bluntly dismissed as "unacceptable" Prime Minister Putin's criticism of Russia's Libya policy. Then he announced that high government officials will no longer sit on state company boards. As a result, Igor Sechin, right hand man to Mr. Putin, stepped down on Monday as chairman of Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil company.
The stakes are high. Whoever wins next March will run Russia through 2018. A second term would bring this leader to 2024. Given state controls on the press and on political activity, there is not expected to be a viable third candidate.
Alexei Mukhin, director of the Center for Political Information, a research firm, believes that it would be too much of a risk for Vladimir Putin to allow Dmitry Medvedev a second term as president.
"Six more years of Dmitry Medvedev's presidency means build-up of his political power," he said.
Both men enjoy high approval ratings: 69 percent for Prime Minister Putin and 66 percent for President Medvedev. These have dipped slightly over the last year, but are still higher than the electoral performance for United Russia. In regional elections last month, the ruling party won 46 percent of votes cast.
Gleb Pavlovsky, a political analyst close to the Kremlin, said that both men see themselves as candidates with good prospects for winning. He believes that Mr. Medvedev has the power of the incumbency:
"If Putin wants to fight for the office, he has to offer something extraordinary," Pavlovsky said.
With the race to power beginning to heat up, analysts may have to sharpen their skills in an old Soviet era art: Kremlinology.


text:
Emily Barre '17
Q: What are 3 words you would use to describe Madeira to someone?
Second-home. Community. Exploration.
Q: What is it like being a day student at a boarding/day school?
There are a lot of perks of being a day student at a boarding school. When I was applying to Madeira, I worried that I might have trouble making friends because the boarders would be around each other more. I found this worry to be completely false. Day students and boarders absolutely form great friendships and can even help each other in ways you wouldn't get at an all-day school. For example, if you need to sleepover, you can just stay with a boarder friend. It's also really convenient to get three meals at school (if you want to) and to not have to worry about getting picked up right after school--this campus never empties so you'll never be left alone waiting for your parents to come pick you up. Another piece of being a day student that I love is being able to bring my boarder friends home with me. It's a really fun experience for everyone involved, both boarders and day students.
Q: In what ways have you changed since coming to Madeira?
When I came to Madeira, I had never been in a show before and I decided to try out for the musical my freshman year just to see how it was. I've been in the musical every year since, and absolutely love it. The friendships I've formed through the musical, the joy of performing, and the community of creating a show together have been important parts of my high school experience and I had never tried that before Madeira. I also discovered my love of math when I came to Madeira. Coming into Madeira, I wanted to be a creative writer, but over the last four years I have discovered how much I love math and science classes. I think that my time in an all-girls classroom definitely contributed to that discovery.
Q: Describe your favorite Madeira memory.
Many of my favorite Madeira memories (I could never pick just one!) are sitting backstage in the musical and happily watching my friends perform. The many laughs and hugs of backstage are memories that I will hold dear for a long time.
Q: What is your favorite Madeira tradition and why?
I have two favorite Madeira traditions (I can't pick just one!). My first favorite Madeira tradition is called "ring sisters" where a senior gives their class ring to an underclassmen friend and then the underclassmen gives it back at the end of the year. That tradition is just a whole lot of fun and shows the kind of sisterhood bonding that happens at Madeira. My second favorite tradition is Thanksgiving dinner, which is always the last Thursday before Thanksgiving break. The entire school comes together to share a Thanksgiving meal and it is always delicious. Before the meal, we stand around the oval and each light a small candle and our international classmates share thanks in their home languages. It's a really special time because the whole school comes together to be thankful.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give a student who is interested in attending Madeira?
The advice I'd give to a student interested in attending Madeira is to talk to a current Madeira student, whether a tour guide or revisit day host, about why they love Madeira. My email is email@example.com and I'd love to talk to you! Madeira girls are passionate about so many different things, but one thing that we have in common is that if you ask us about Madeira, we will want to tell you about our experience. One common answer that you might hear from many Madeira girls is that they love the community here. That would be my answer. This caring, crazy, fun community of sisters I have found here is unlike any other and I know that any member of it would love to share it with you and welcome you.
Q: Tell us about your Co-Curriculum experience. What has it been like to volunteer off campus?
My sophomore year, my Co-Curriculum placement was at Garfield Elementary school where I worked in both second and third grade classrooms. My experience there was amazing and if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. I love spending time with kids, and it was a blessing to get to do that through Madeira as a part of my school day. My junior year, I interned in the Senate, which was also an amazing experience. My time interning on the Hill was an opportunity to practice independence, as well as participate in a work environment, which was very rewarding and unique to Madeira.
Q: What is your favorite class and why?
My favorite class that I have taken at Madeira is physics. My junior year, I took introductory physics, and this year I'm taking AP physics. I really enjoy the labs in those classes, my favorite of which was last year when we built a model roller coaster. We timed the model car running through the track in order to understand more about gravity. Another piece of my physics classes that I have enjoyed is the collaborative nature of problem solving. Almost everything we do in AP physics is collaborative, and hearing everyone's thoughts on a problem definitely helps me to better understand the material. After my experiences in Madeira physics and math classes, I intend to pursue engineering in college.
Q: What activities, sports, and/or clubs are you involved with?
Being in the musical for the last three years has been a highlight of my time in high school. I'm also a member of Glee (Madeira's choir) and the Madeira Arts Council, which is a club that organizes and promotes arts events on campus. I've also been involved in athletics, playing soccer and lacrosse as an underclassman, and taking advanced fitness this year. I have participated in student government almost every year. Last year, I started a neuroscience team at Madeira that competed in a neuroscience competition called the Brain Bee where contestants are quizzed on neuroscience facts.
Q: What is the best thing about living near Washington, D.C.?
The best thing about living near Washington, D.C. is the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill. There are a lot of great restaurants, fun monuments and other destinations in DC, but I think that the most unique part of the city is that it is our nation's capital. I really got to experience that aspect through my junior year Co-Curriculum placement.


text:
By Mike Riley on Mon, 02/07/2011
Given the broad number of Office-related productivity applications available on the iPad, especially those focused on time management, it's about time that a professional-grade project management application has been released. Developed by FourthFrame Technologies, SG Project Pro has delivered an application that will make iPad-owning project managers very happy.
FourthFrame benefited from earlier releases of project management sub-set applications like SG Action Log and SG Risk Log by building on them while incorporating customer feedback. This helped elevate the number of features and the polished, colorful presentation of data that SG Project Pro encapsulates.
Master your iPhone in one minute a day:
Sign up to iPhone Life's Tip of the Day Newsletter and we'll send you a tip each day to save time and get the most out of your iPhone or iPad.
The Portfolio Home view brilliantly displays the list of Projects, Owners and a snapshot of start/end dates, % done, tasks, action items, risks, costs and a reduced Gantt chart of view of the schedule. Each of these summaries can be selected to drill down on more detail as it relates to the project, as well as the ability to add/modify/delete data. Even for someone who is unfamiliar with project management software, the interface is easy enough to get productive with in minutes. Conversely, project management experts will rejoice upon learning that their iPad can now host a serious Microsoft Project XML file-compatible project management application. While SG Project Pro is not a full MS Project replacement (there are no calendar views, for example), its feature set contains enough of the essential elements to make it a must-have application for iPad-toting project managers. These views can also be accessed via a drop down menu in the upper left corner of the screen, containing menu items for Portfolio Home, Task Planning, Action Items, Project Risks, Project Report, Owner Report, Portfolio Report and an About screen. Each screen is laid out in a very readable and easy to select/navigate manner.
Another feature that will please project managers is SG Project Pro's variety of report view options. Headers, overdue and upcoming items, tasks, action items and risks can be activated or deactivated for report generation. Activities can be sorted by date or project. Reports are displayed on screen, looking as good as those created by popular report generators like Crystal Reports. They can also be shared via PDF email attachment or Microsoft Project XML file-compliant data. Airprint doesn't appear to be supported yet (same goes for Dropbox or other cloud-based file repositories), but it's easy enough to shuttle the PDF to an email box for later output and file transport. And SG Project Pro's developer says that Dropbox support is high on the list, so look for this to be incorporated into the application in the months ahead.
One of the really slick features of SG Project Pro that caught me pleasantly by surprise was its print preview pop-up window. Why more iPad programs don't feature such a powerful function is beyond me, since it adds tremendous value and an extra level of over-and-above polish that will set this application above other project management iPad solutions for some time to come.
The only (and very minor) criticisms I have against the product is that it uses a non-standard look for its windows, menu icons and overall layout. I'm not sure how these variants slipped past the Apple UI police, but it took me aback, since I was expecting a more iWork app-style interface. Yet even without the 'standard look' that most other iPad productivity applications display, the interface is intuitive enough to navigate, select and change data with. And whether or not the unique UI has anything to do with it, scrolling through data does lag at times. Again, this is not a showstopper, but its behavior does take some acceptance and readjusting to get used to the lack of silky smooth movement found in other iPad productivity programs. I suspect that as SG Project Pro is elevated to the defacto project management solution on the iPad, FourthFrame will target this for improvement in future iterations.
FourthFrame advertises that "SG Project Pro is comprehensive, real Project Management on the iPad." I couldn't agree more. For anyone who is a fan of Microsoft Project, this is the best Microsoft Project-compatible project management software available for the iPad to date. And considering the cost of Microsoft Project versus the price of this application, SG Project Pro is also a steal.
Title: SG Project Pro
Developer: FourthFrame Technologies
Price: $39.99
Rating: 4/5 stars


text:
Matt Smith, (CNN) — It shook upper Manhattan for blocks, and when it was over, a five-story apartment building and its neighbor were gone.
After Wednesday morning's deadly building explosion in East Harlem, squads of firefighters dug through piles of shattered bricks and beams. Ladder trucks sprayed water into the gap where the buildings once stood. As Detective Martin Speechly, a New York police spokesman, put it: "1644 Park Avenue appears not to be there anymore."
Along with that structure — a five-story apartment building — a neighboring piano store and a Latino evangelical church collapsed as the blast rippled throughout the neighborhood. Angelica Avila told CNN she was trapped in her apartment down the block for a short time afterward.
"My neighbors came banging on my door. I guess they were evacuating the building, and I couldn't get out — my door was jammed," she said. "Everything off my windowsill fell, and I guess the impact of the explosion jammed the door as well."
Her stepmother had to sneak in through the back to try and open the door for her, she said.
Three blocks away, the blast knocked Klay Williams off his feet as he brushed his teeth before work. He told CNN's sister network HLN that his first thoughts were a possible terrorist attack, "as New Yorkers, we tend to do," or maybe a derailment of the nearby Metro-North commuter line.
"I went to my back window, because I'm on the very top floor," he said. Looking down the street, he saw "a bunch of people just running, as if they were running towards something."
Authorities suspect the explosion was the result of a gas leak reported a short time before.
Seven blocks away, Eric Boise could feel his apartment shake and saw others "pouring out of the apartment buildings at 116th and Madison Avenue." He followed himself, watching as firefighters hauled gurneys into the wall of smoke to bring out the wounded.
"I can see in front of me about 50 feet up until the explosion, and then it gets pretty thick," Boise told CNN.
Michael Mowatt-Wynn, the head of the Harlem & the Heights Historical Society, called the surrounding area "a community in transition." Its population of 100,000-plus was once largely Italian. In the late 1950s, large numbers of Puerto Ricans moved in — in part because of the similarities between their native Spanish and the Italian still spoken there.
The 1990s brought a growing Mexican population, and now the area is being gentrified, Mowatt-Wynn said. It's home to a lot of mom-and-pop businesses and restaurants, and New York University is building a new dormitory in the area, he said.
The full toll was uncertain early Wednesday afternoon, but at least two people had been reported killed. The gas leak had been reported only 15 minutes before the explosion, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters.
"This is a tragedy of the worst kind, because there was no indication in time to save people," he said.
CNN's Poppy Harlow, Rose Arce, Chris Kokenes and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.


text:
(This post is a part of the Audience Engagement blog salon curated by David J. Loehr for the 2013 TCG National Conference: Learn Do Teach in Dallas).
The Reduced Shakespeare Company have always been about "audience engagement", except we don't call it that. We call it Podcasting, Tweeting, and Facebooking. In fact, we were doing audience engagement twenty-five years before social media was even invented. Back then we called it going out to the lobby after every show, signing autographs, and shamelessly hawking our merchandise. We still do that after every performance, but now we also do it virtually, 365 days a year, even on days when we aren't performing live.
In our case, audience engagement is a natural extension of our performance style, which has always been to break the fourth wall and acknowledge and try to eliminate the barrier between performer and audience. In fact, in each of our shows we actually incorporate audience members into the performance, to the delight of everyone except those unfortunate few who are chosen.
We've always considered audience engagement fun, a way to extend the joy we get from performance. But lately we've come to realize it's also imperative: Although we play in magnificent venues all over the world, we're a theatre company with no building of our own. We also don't have a regular season or a consistent performance schedule, and having fans all over the world makes arranging tweetups a nightmare. We want to keep our audience engaged, interested, and entertained even when we're not onstage, and we can't always get them to come to us. We have to go to them.
That's why we're so happy Al Gore invented the internet. Even our very first early-90s website, a bare-bones affair put together by a fan, had a chat room and message board that allowed us to interact with the audience. It also allowed the audience to interact with each other and arrange to meet and attend performances together a decade before anybody started using the word tweetup.
Our current website ReducedShakespeare.com (maintained by company member Matt Rippy) is a great hub for all our performance information, venue and box office links, and press materials for venues and theaters that are presenting us. Our website also hosts our weekly Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast, which we started producing in 2006. Each episode reaches roughly 4000 listeners and is the centerpiece of our social media presence, a backstage audio blog that serves multiple functions:
• It's an entertaining value-added feature (like a DVD extra) for audiences looking for deeper insight into our performances (or simply more laughs);
• It's the only regular performance we offer. Every Monday, for almost 340 weeks now, whether we're touring or not, we offer weekly commentary, improvisation, backstage details, answers to questions, and excerpts from our shows and recordings;
• It's an extension of our school and community workshops, featuring interviews with comedians, actors, authors, broadcasters, and assorted mucky-mucks; and
• It drives traffic to our website, where almost as many listeners stream it as download it via iTunes or some other podcatcher.
Of course, our website isn't the only online neighborhood where our audience digitally lingers, so we try to keep them entertained on Facebook and Twitter, two extremely useful (and, again, fun) services that are outstanding ways to maintain relationships with our audience through amusing observations, informal conversation, funny one-liners, links to interesting articles, and silly pictures we hope will go viral.
The kids today are also big fans of the YouTube: We've had many audience members tell us they first discovered us by watching clips from our shows that are (legally or – sigh – illegally) posted there. (We should actually be more active on YouTube, now that I think about it.)
There are two dangers to all this, of course. Call these Pro Tips:
• Don't use all these social media exclusively as transmitters. Be receivers as well. Don't monologue. Dialogue.
• Don't post only promotional material. Your fans already like you, they'll get bored and stop listening if all you post is awesome reviews. Make your posts funny, irreverent, interesting. Give your audience something they can't get anywhere else. Think of it as entertainment, not advertising.
Sometimes the best way to promote your company is to promote another company. We use our social media to share links to the work of other companies we like. Sometimes we'll dedicate entire episodes of our podcast to theaters where we perform, introducing our listeners in other parts of the country (or the world) to institutions they might not otherwise get to visit.
There are other social media options, obviously; I've only listed the ones we use. But no matter what you call it, Audience Engagement is vitally important — and if done right, can be one of the most rewarding and entertaining parts of the job. Imagine a lively cocktail party filled with bright chatter deepening and strengthening the relationship between you and your audience. That's Audience Engagement via social media. To paraphrase Tennessee Williams, we've always depended on the laughter of strangers, and for that reason we've always considered the audience to be the fourth member of our three-person troupe.
Keeping engaged with that audience is not only the right thing to do, it's (as I think I may have mentioned) fun.
This blog salon is curated by David J. Loehr, the editor and artistic director of 2amt. For more posts and conversations surrounding audience & community engagement, and other ways of "thinking outside the black box", visit the 2amt website, or engage on Twitter at #2amt and @2amt.
This year, the Reduced Shakespeare Company tours six shows to five countries on four continents, including the world premiere of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in November 2013. Find us on Facebook and on Twitter @reduced and @austintichenor. The @reduced account also won a Shorty Award for Excellence in Social Media as a Cultural Institution, a category they don't even recognize anymore. Here's hoping they bring that back.
Austin Tichenor has been co-Managing Partner of the Reduced Shakespeare Company since 1992, and has performed with them off-Broadway, in London's West End, in the PBS version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), and at such theaters as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, American Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Austin wrote the play Dancing on the Ceiling and co-wrote The Complete History of America (abridged), The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) (Helen Hayes Award nomination, Best New Play), All The Great Books (abridged), Completely Hollywood (abridged), The Complete World of Sports (abridged), and The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), all of which have been published and translated into over a dozen languages. Television credits include recurring roles on Alias, 24, The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Felicity; and various guys in ties on ER, The X-Files, The West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Nip/Tuck, and shows like them. Austin is the co-author of the irreverent reference book Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged) and the comic memoir e-book How The Bible Changed Our Lives (Mostly For The Better). He produces and hosts the weekly Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast, available on iTunes and at reducedshakespeare.com. Follow him on Twitter @austintichenor.


text:
Is it possible to let go of judging others? How about letting go of judging ourselves? Many of us are familiar with the saying, "Judgenot, and ye shall not be judged." Maybe when we judge others what we are really doing is judging ourselves at the same time. Some say that our outer world is just a reflection of our inner world, how we truly feel about ourselves.
Often we do not even allow the other person a chance to explain, make amends or change. By judging we are drawing conclusions, it makes it final. How often are we wrong about our judgments? It seems to be unconscious human nature to categorize people by their race, colour, gender or religion and then pass judgment on them.
It might be that when we judge another we are holding ourselves above the other person. We do not always have all the facts or the whole story. This might be a difficult concept to grasp for many but I think that when we judge others it can be that what we see in the other person is what we dislike in our Self. We are rejecting something in our self that we are not consciously aware of. How can we truly judge when we don't know the other person's circumstances in life? I like the saying, "I am neither superior nor inferior to anyone."
Judgment can also come from feelings of inadequacy, envy and jealousy. It is not always easy to see that within us. We might think we are just making a comment or giving our opinion of the other person. Most of the time if we become emotionally charged while doing this it's an indication that some feelings need to be resolved.
Complete at Source: http://www.interfaithing.com/articles/judging-can-you-let-go/
by Helena Basso on Monday, December 7th, 2009


text:
The Facts on Fiber One Cereals
Dear Brand Doctor,
I recently began eating General Mills Fiber One cereal for breakfast. I know it's far better than the fattening muffin I used to grab on the run – or the big fat NOTHING I ate most mornings. I feel better. I have more energy. And I've even dropped a few pounds.
But is Fiber One a BestBrands contender that's really good for me? What about the better-tasting Fiber One Honey Clusters?
Thanks for your help!
Signed, A Regular Kind of Gal
Dear Regular Gal,
Congratulations on making the switch to a high-fiber cereal. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast is a great way to help maintain your weight and your overall health. Way to go!
And since you asked, here's the BrandAid stance on your General Mills Fiber One cereal.
Serving size: ½ cup, calories 60, total fat 1g, sodium 105mg, dietary fiber 14g, sugar 0g
INGREDIENTS: Corn Bran, Whole Grain Wheat, Wheat Bran, Corn Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Color Added, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Baking Soda, Corn Oil, Aspartame, and Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
Added Vitamins and Minerals: Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12.
A few years ago you would have found Fiber One on our BestBrands list because a half-cup packs only 60 calories and a whopping 14 grams of fiber – which is about 57% of your daily fiber needs! It also tastes pretty good compared to other high-fiber cereals. Since most Americans only consume about half of the recommended amount of daily fiber (25-35 grams), we really thought this cereal was a great solution for our fiber needs.
However, when we looked at the Fiber One ingredients list we noticed the second-to-last ingredient is the artificial sweetener aspartame. As shrewd BrandAid members know, ingredients are listed in order from most to least, so there probably isn't much aspartame in each serving. We overlooked the aspartame because we thought the fiber benefits outweighed the fake sugar.
But our views changed when we developed the BrandAid concept. Since the trend in food products over the past few years has been to include more and more chemical additives, we made the decision to tighten our standards in terms of which brands/products were eligible for our healthiest brands list.
Products with artificial sweeteners – regardless of the overall nutritional value – no longer have a place on our BestBrands list. However, we do recognize that sometimes a healthy choice might contain one of our least-favorite ingredients. Products in this group will never qualify as a BestBrand, but they can merit our SilverMedal distinction. It's still a good choice…but it's not the best choice.
The short answer to your question then: General Mills Fiber One is not a BestBrand, but it does get our SilverMedal distinction.
Healthy Food Imposter
You also asked about Fiber One's Honey Clusters variety. This product may taste good but it falls into our Healthy Food Imposter category.
Serving size: 1 cup, calories 160, total fat 1.5g, sodium 280mg, dietary fiber 13g, sugar 6g
INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Bran, Wheat Bran, Inulin, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Crisp Oats (Rice Flour, Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, BHT [Preservative]), Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Toasted Oats (Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Honey, Brown Sugar Molasses), Salt, Wheat Bits (Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Starch, Corn Flour, Sugar, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Color added), Barley Malt Extract, Honey, Modified Corn Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Malt Syrup, Tripotassium Phosphate, Color added, Cinnamon, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sucralose, Almond Meal, Nonfat Milk, Walnut Flour, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness.
Added Vitamins and Minerals: Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D.
When you compare the Nutrition Facts labels you see the Imposter's serving size is double that of the SilverMedal variety. Basically you're spooning up more than twice the calories to get the same amount of fiber. Plus, it has twice as much sodium and sugar as the regular Fiber One.
And worse still, the ingredients list reveals a wider variety of junk ingredients that are not found in the regular version. These include high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, trisodium phosphate, modified corn starch, and the preservative BHT.
If you're looking for a way to boost the taste of your high fiber cereal, try this Brand Doctor favorite:
Combine a quarter-cup of Fiber One (regular variety) with a quarter-cup of Kashi Good Friends Cinna-Raisin Crunch (a BestBrand contender with lots of taste and no junk ingredients). Add organic skim milk and a handful of blueberries and you've got a taste sensation that's packed with nutrition. You'll cut down on your intake of aspartame and other chemical additives, while still boosting your daily fiber intake! It's a win-win for sure.
Remember, when you're armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you're in control at the grocery store.