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Euro 2012 Team Previews: Germany
Die Mannschaft are gearing up for another European Championship where they expect to bring home the trophy.
By Phillip Quinn@philneezy Jun 8, 2012, 10:04pm EDT
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LEIPZIG, GERMANY - MAY 31: Mesut Oezil of Germany gestures during the international friendly match between Germany and Israel at Zentralstadion on May 31, 2012 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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For the last two major international tournaments, there has been a villain staring at Germany. That villain didn't budge. That villain didn't even flinch.
One - Zero.
Spain were crowned European and World Champions at the expense of Germany (final and semifinal). We were introduced and inundated with the "era of Spanish football" and their tiki-taka football. If you didn't worship the ground on which they walked, you were called "anti-football".
Germany have a clear target this summer of winning the European Championship. Finishing as runners up again is unacceptable, and the players are very aware of this. They dominated their qualifying group with 10 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses with a +27 goal differential. The group included Turkey and Belgium.
One could say that this group of German players is poised to emulate over the next four years exactly what Spain has accomplished. Players like Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been through the battles at the club and international level. As the veteran players on the team, they are properly equipped to guide the younger (yet experienced) players through this tournament.
Joachim Löw has turned the keys of his attack over to Mesut Özil, and the midfielder has not failed to deliver in the Die Mannschaft strip. His presence in the middle of the pitch allows Podolski and Thomas Müller to cut in from their wide positions and cause havoc against the opposition defense. Since moving to La Liga, Özil has refined his craft and is set to lead this offense on the European stage.
The real questions for this squad is in defense. Figuring out exactly which player will partner Holger Badstuber at centerback has been an issue. Löw seems to favor Per Mertesacker over Mats Hummels and Benedikt Höwedes. Hummels has failed to impress on the opportunities he has received in a Germany shirt. Yes, Mertesacker is slow and rather poor in the air for someone his size, but Germany will hope that Badstuber can cover his mistakes.
Putting a solid base underneath all of that attacking talent, if the defense holds and plays well, Germany will be there in the end.
Projected lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Manuel Neuer; LB: Philipp Lahm; CB: Holger Badstuber; CB: Per Mertesacker; RB: Jerome Boateng; CM: Sami Khedira; CM: Bastian Schweinsteiger; LM: Lukas Podolski; CAM: Mesut Özil; RM: Thomas Müller; F: Mario Gomez
Mesut Özil: You could go several different ways with the key player for Germany, but I lean toward the Real Madrid midfielder as the guy to keep your eye on in the European Championship. Özil is the key figure in the German attack. He finished the seasons with 7 goals and 24 assists in all competitions. After "coming out" at the 2010 World Cup, Özil had a fantastic qualifying campaign and will be looking to carry that into this tournament.
Final: Germany are one of the two favorites (along with Spain) to win the European Championship this year. Anything less than that will be seen as a disappointment. Will Mertesacker last at centerback or will Joachim Löw be forced to move Mats Hummels there? The group is by far the most difficult, and Germany could easily slip up against the Netherlands or Portugal. The goals should come for this team. The thing to be slightly worried about is the defense. There is only one prediction to make here: Germany will win the European Championship.
Euro 2012 Team Previews: Spain Still The Favorites
Euro 2012 Team Previews: Spain
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The Green Deal Group (APPG) was inaugurated with the election of officers completed in May 2012. A diary of events and activities are organised, that benefit from engagement with industry and associate external members.
run the campaign for obligating the large companies and corporations make corporate retirement gifts to its employees.
The group invites the active participation of external and industry wide stakeholders interested in forwarding these purposes. The external Associate Members include a broad cross section of the Green Deal ECO community, able to provide the legislators with ease of access to a full range of views and insights.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Green Deal, is a cross party group organised by parliamentarians for parliamentarians, and for a wider impact on policy.
They recognise that the DECC Green Deal applies to Great Britain, with comparable arrangements applying in Northern Ireland. Parliamentarians welcome, and meet with, industry stakeholders of all sizes and scale, directly and through established trade associations, and workforce representatives or local traders.
The Register of All-Party Groups shows which APGs are recognised by the House of Commons, who their officers are, and what support groups receive from outside Parliament. This is updated on a six weekly basis.


Nicola is the author/illustrator of our February 2018 feature book, What's Next Door? It is the sequel to Open Very Carefully. A fabulous read-aloud and fun interactive book about the very charming Carter the Crocodile.
MARMALADE BOOKS (MB): You were born in Swaziland, grew up in Singapore and spent time in numerous other cities including Edinburgh before settling in Los Angeles. What took you to these places and which was your favourite? Have you been to Canada?
NICOLA O'BYRNE (NO): My parents were international school teachers before they retired, and we moved around a couple times. I did a gap year in Kenya before I moved to the UK for university, where I met my Dutch/American husband during my first year at Edinburgh College of Art. He had always wanted to live in different places, and it felt normal for me. We moved to Los Angeles together a couple years ago. I do think moving gets harder as you get older, but it's always exciting and interesting, too.
I have been to Canada, several times, and I love it! I had my first ever apple bran muffin at the YMCA in Vancouver. I almost studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. I had to accept my place at Edinburgh before I found out I'd been accepted at Emily Carr. In the end, Edinburgh was a good choice for me, but I would move to Vancouver given half a chance. I'm still trying to persuade my husband! I love it there, the ocean, the mountains, and that lovely city tucked between... it's a special place. My sister studied at McGill in Montreal, and we visited her there, but it was a bit cold for me. I went on a camping trip with my family around Victoria, BC, and Whistler, and it's one of my most fondly remembered holidays. I went back to be a facilitator at a month long youth leadership seminar at Pearson United World College, also in Victoria, and I saw the northern lights on the drive over from the airport, just like that! I'll never forget it. Vancouver Island is beautiful. Japan and Canada are probably my two favourite places. This answer became long but I got excited thinking about it.
MB: You started drawing at an early age. Did you start writing at the same time?
NO: I was always writing stories when I was little. Once I wrote a fractured fairy tale, and my ever encouraging teacher laminated the cover, stuck a Dewey Decimal System label on the spine and catalogued it in the school library! I was so proud! The story I wrote then was not totally dissimilar to The Last Book Before Bedtime (Nosy Crow). I stopped writing fiction for a long time through my teenage years, and when I started again in University it was very hard going. It did not come naturally to me at all. I regret not keeping up my creative writing throughout high school; my English teacher encouraged us to do it, but I was always so tired. I still struggle with that aspect of my job, but I also very much enjoy it.
MB: While in Edinburgh, you studied at the Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 2010 with a BA in Visual Communication. You speak highly of the school. It seems they helped you on your way to a successful career with an amazing (if I'm correct) 9 books in 8 years.
NO: The Illustration Department at ECA is amazing. My teachers were all successful illustrators, and had diverse skill sets, from digital illustration to traditional woodblock printmaking. The Printmaking Department was completely open to us and free to use, and I took it for granted at the time, but thinking about it now, it was an incredible resource. I loved the mix of traditional methods and more modern techniques. There was an emphasis on drawing skills and life drawing, and sketchbook work. We had live briefs and lectures about book keeping. There was also an emphasis on independent study, which was frustrating for some visiting students who were more used to structured classes, but in my opinion, it was vital in my first few years as an illustrator to know how to work by myself without any outside motivation. Jonathan Gibbs, the Head of Department, is a talented printmaker. I always valued my tutorials with him because he'd glance at your work and provide insights into what you were trying to do when you felt like you'd been grasping at smoke. He'd always be right! I cannot recommend that department highly enough. I am still in touch with some of my teachers such as Jill Calder. She has recently had a beautiful book published with Bloomsbury called The Picture Atlas, by Simon Holland.
MB: Another graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art whom you said was a great influence on you, was children's author/illustrator Catherine Rayner (one of my favourites). Catherine was graduating as you were entering the college and you had an opportunity to meet. What was it like to meet her and have you stayed in touch?
NO: I met Catherine Rayner twice, once when she was a graduating student, and once when she came back to ECA to give a lecture. The first time she was kind enough to talk to my Mum and I about her experience as a student at ECA, and I do not think she realised the depth of the impression she left on us. The second time, having gushed about her at length to my Head of Department, Jonathan called out to her, "I THINK SOMEONE HERE WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOU!" at the end of her lecture. I blushed red as a tomato and couldn't think of what to say. She is very lovely. I have emailed her a couple of times with questions, but I'm not in touch with her. It's difficult to chat with people you admire so much.
MB: Was it your interest in baking that inspired The Great Dragon Bake Off? This book hasn't reached Canada yet, but with a recent popular Canadian edition of the Great British Bake Off, I'm hoping it will arrive soon! With a main character/dragon named Flamie Oliver and references to The Great British Bake Off, I'm sure it will be a big hit. Did you get any feedback from Jamie Oliver or the TV show?
NO: I love baking and I wanted to do a book filled with cake, but what inspired The Great Dragon Bake Off was actually the back story of one of the contestants. He was studying to be a lawyer but he really wanted to bake. His story resonated with me, because when I had wanted to be an illustrator several family members, particularly my Grandmother, had told me I was wasting my potential and I'd never amount to anything. After my first book was published, my Grandmother said she'd made a mistake, but that was 7 years later, which is a long time to carry someone's disapproval. I wanted to write a feel good book about being yourself, and about having some sense of self worth. The dragon character was originally named Heston, but one of the team at Bloomsbury suggested Flamie Oliver and I loved that name. I have never heard from Jamie Oliver, and I'm not sure he's read the book. If he has, I hope he likes it!
MB: Our feature book for February, What's Next Door, is a sequel to Open Very Carefully. You illustrated both books and took over writing duties this time around from Nick Bromley. I adore Carter the Crocodile and the interactive aspect of the books. Will there be more in the series?
NO: It's possible there will be more, both Nosy Crow and myself are up for it, but for now we have put it on hold. I have a new book coming out with Nosy Crow this year which is a bit different. The book still deals with some abstract concepts but has a more linear storyline. We're very excited about it and I hope to explore more ideas in this new direction, for now. As tempting as it is to want to continue stories with familiar characters (after all, they're like family!), I think you need a good reason to do it.
My thanks to Nicola O'Byrne for this interview. It was a pleasure getting to know more about this very talented author/illustrator.


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The role of second-line therapy in gastric cancer patients mostly stemmed from clinical trials with monochemotherapy carried out in Asian countries. Nevertheless, these results cannot be broadly generalized as molecular studies suggested the existence of different sets of deregulated gene networks correlated with ethnicity. In the present study, we investigated the activity and safety of FOLFIRI given as a second-line therapy in metastatic gastric or gastro-esophageal junction cancer patients who experienced disease progression on or after first-line docetaxel-containing chemotherapy.
Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic gastric cancer who failed docetaxel-containing first-line therapy and who received FOLFIRI in second line were eligible for the study. Seventy patients treated at three Italian cancer centers between 2005 and 2012 entered the study. Patients received every 2 weeks irinotecan 180 mg/m2 as 1 h infusion on day 1, folinic acid 100 mg/m2 intravenously days 1–2, and fluorouracil as a 400 mg/m2 bolus and then 600 mg/m2 continuous infusion over 22 hours days 1–2.
We observed 1(1.4%) complete response, 15 (21.4%) partial response, for an overall response rate of 22.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.4-32.3). Stable disease was recorded in 21 (30%) patients. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3.8 months (95% CI: 3.3-4.4) and 6.2 months (95% CI: 5.3-7.1), respectively. The treatment was well tolerated, as the most common G3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (28.5%) and diarrhea (14.5%).
FOLFIRI appears an effective and safe treatment option for pretreated metastatic gastric cancer patients, and deserves further investigation in randomized clinical trials.
Gastric cancer and cancer of the gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) are a significant global health problem, representing the fourth most common cancer diagnosed worldwide . The prognosis for these patients remain poor, as the majority of them are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease with a median survival of 7–10 months .
Several randomized clinical trials demonstrated the role of chemotherapy in the first-line setting, as different regimens determined an improvement in survival and in quality of life (QoL) compared with best supportive care (BSC) alone [3–5]. More recently, a wave of randomized clinical trials with superiority design was successfully completed, and novel active drugs such as docetaxel , S1  and trastuzumab  changed the landscape of the clinical management of gastric cancer. Other agents including capecitabine , oxaliplatin  and irinotecan  have proven antitumor activity, thus expanding the spectrum of therapeutic options available in the first-line setting. Even though novel active drugs and combinations entered the therapeutic scenario, second-line treatment has been historically considered largely empirical. Furthermore, geographic distributions exist in chemotherapy administration beyond first-line, being prevalently adopted in Asian countries. Indeed, the rates of administration of subsequent chemotherapy significantly differed among phase III studies conducted in front-line, spanning from 14% in the UK REAL 2 study  to 75% in the Japanese SPIRITS trial .
The clinical proof-of-concept for second-line chemotherapy stemmed from two recent randomized phase III trials, demonstrating the superiority of second-line monotherapy (docetaxel or irinotecan) over BSC [12, 13]. Nevertheless, it is foreseeable that a widespread adoption of second-line chemotherapy will further be limited by multiple factors. Firstly, the non-Asian study was prematurely closed when only one-third of the preplanned 120 patients were enrolled . As a result, evidence supporting second-line chemotherapy in non-Asian patients are still scattered being mostly extrapolated from the Korean study. Secondly, the different biological background of gastric cancer arising in Asian and Western patients must be taken into account as a potential confounding factor . Finally, single-agent therapy may result suboptimal, at least for patients with good performance status.
On this basis, we conducted a retrospective study in order to evaluate the activity and safety of FOLFIRI given as a second-line therapy in a cohort of docetaxel-pretreated metastatic gastric cancer patients.
The study population was composed by patients with metastatic gastric or GEJ cancer who experienced disease progression on or after first-line docetaxel-containing chemotherapy. Patients were treated at three Italian cancer centers between 2005 and 2012. The majority of patients was selected from the "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome. Medical records were reviewed in order to obtain information on demography, treatment received, safety and outcomes.
Patients with histologically confirmed, docetaxel-pretreated metastatic gastric cancer who received FOLFIRI in second line were eligible for the study. Other eligibility criteria included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤2 (ECOG PS), aged between 18 and 75 years, adequate bone marrow (absolute neutrophil count ≥1500/μl, platelet count ≥100 000/μl), renal (serum creatinine ≤1.5 mg/dl) and liver (serum bilirubin ≤2 mg/dL) functions, normal cardiac function, absence of second primary tumor other than non-melanoma skin cancer or in situ cervical carcinoma, no central nervous system involvement, no prior radiotherapy in target lesions, and no concurrent uncontrolled medical illness.
Patients received every 2 weeks irinotecan 180 mg/m2 as 1 h infusion on day 1, folinic acid 100 mg/m2 intravenously days 1–2, and fluorouracil as a 400 mg/m2 bolus and then 600 mg/m2 continuous infusion over 22 hours days 1–2. The dose of irinotecan was reduced to 150 mg/m2 in patients older than 70 years. Chemotherapy was generally administered on an outpatient basis for a maximum of 12 cycles. Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Toxicity was graded according to the National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria version 4.0 (NCI-CTC v. 4.0). Tumor response was evaluated according to the response evaluation criteria for solid tumors (RECIST 1.1). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from the date of therapy initiation to the date of disease progression, death from any cause or last follow-up evaluation, respectively. PFS and OS were analyzed according to the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for univariate analysis of prognostic factors for survival. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software version 20 (SPSS inc.,Chicago IL, USA). The study was approved by the coordinating centre's Ethics Committee at the "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, and was carried out according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. A written informed consent was obtained from all patients.
Seventy patients with a median age of 65 years (range, 32–75) were included in this study. Patients' characteristics are illustrated in Table 1. The primary tumor site was stomach in 54 patients (77%) and the GEJ in 16 patients (23%). The histology subtype was diffuse, intestinal and unknown in 33 (47%), 29 (41.5%), and 8 (11.5) patients, respectively. Primary tumor resection was carried out in twenty-five patients (36%). The ECOG PS was 0, 1 and 2 in 10 (14.5%), 40 (57%) and 20 (28.5%) patients, respectively. Fifty-three patients (76%) had two or more metastatic sites. PFS during first-line chemotherapy was ≥ 6 months in 42 patients (60%), and the chemotherapy-free interval was > 3 months in 38 patients (54%). Among regimens administered in the first-line setting, 25 patients (36%) received docetaxel, oxaliplatin and capecitabine , 20 patients (28.5%) received epirubicin, cisplatin and docetaxel , 19 patients (27%) were treated with epirubicin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel , and 6 patients (8.5%) received cisplatin and docetaxel .
Abbreviations: ECOG PS Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status.
Response to treatment is illustrated in Table 2. Among 70 assessable patients, we observed 1(1.4%) complete response (CR), 15 (21.4%) partial responses (PR), for an overall response rate (ORR) of 22.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.4-32.3). Stable disease (SD) was recorded in 21 (30%) patients, translating into a disease control rate (DCR) of 52.8%. Median PFS was 3.8 months (95% CI: 3.3-4.4), and median OS was 6.2 months (95% CI: 5.3-7.1) (Figure 1). In univariate analysis, the only significant predictors of OS were ECOG PS (0–1 vs 2: 7.0 months [95% CI: 5.7-8.3] vs 5.0 months [95%CI: 2.4-7.6], P = 0.01; HR 1.94 [95% CI: 1.13-3-33]) and PFS under first-line chemotherapy (≥ 6 months vs < 6 months: 7.1 months [95% CI: 6.2-8.0] vs 4.0 months [95% CI: 2.7-5.3], p = 0.04; HR 1.67 [95% CI: 1.02-2.34]). We did not observe any significant difference in efficacy nor in PFS and OS between patients who received fluoropyrimidine in the first-line compared with patients who did not (ORR: 24.4% vs 20%; PFS 3.8 vs 4.0 months, P = 0.79; OS 6.2 vs 6.5 months, P = 0.61).
Kaplan–Meier curves. (A) progression-free survival. (B) overall survival.
Toxicities are listed in Table 3. A total of 352 cycles of FOLFIRI were analyzed in 70 patients, with a median of 6 cycles administered per patient (range, 2–12). The most common G3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (28.5%) and diarrhea (14.5%). Treatment discontinuation was necessary in 4 patients (5.7%). A 50% dose reduction was required in 2 patients (2.8%) for recurrent G3 diarrhea, whereas a 25% dose reduction was needed in 11 patients (21.2%), mostly correlated with G3 diarrhea (7 patients). Five patients required granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for G4 neutropenia.
aFour episodes of febrile neutropenia in 3 patients (4%).
In the present study, we reported that the use of FOLFIRI in the second-line setting in docetaxel-pretreated metastatic gastric cancer is associated with an ORR of 22.8% and a DCR of 52.8%. Median PFS and OS were 3.8 months and 6.2 months, respectively. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest series presented so far with second-line chemotherapy combination in non-Asian patients.
In the second-line setting, only two recent studies exploring the benefit of palliative chemotherapy were presented in full text. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie (AIO) conducted in Germany analyzed single agent irinotecan (250 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, increased to 350 mg/m2 after the first cycle depending on toxicity) versus BSC . Primary endpoint was OS. Even though the hazard ratio for death was 0.48 (95% CI 0.25–0.92), results must be interpreted with caution. Only 40 patients of the preplanned 120 entered the study, which closed prematurely due to poor accrual. Regarding efficacy, no objective tumor responses were documented, and disease stabilization for at least 6 weeks was reported in 53% of patients. We are aware of the intrinsic limitations of both retrospective studies and indirect comparisons. In our study, patient characteristics were similar, with the exception that in the AIO study none of the patients allocated in the irinotecan arm received docetaxel in first-line. However, even though the DCR was similar (52.8% vs 53%), we reported an ORR of 22.8%. Apparently, FOLFIRI compares favorably when considering PFS (3.8 months vs 2.5 months) and OS (6.2 months vs 4.0 months). Surprisingly, FOLFIRI seemed to be better tolerated than irinotecan monotherapy (G3-4 diarrhea 14.4% vs 26%, neutropenic fever 4% vs 16%), probably because of the lower irinotecan cumulative dose and the different schedule.
In the second phase III trial, 202 Korean patients were randomized in a 2:1 fashion to receive either chemotherapy, consisting in biweekly irinotecan 150 mg/m2 or docetaxel 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks at the physician's discretion, or BSC . Docetaxel-containing chemotherapy was administered only in the 3% of patients. The intention to treat analysis showed an increase in OS with chemotherapy (5.3 months vs 3.8 months) with a HR of 0.657 (95% CI: 0.485-0.891, P = 0.007). No differences were seen in correlation with the type of chemotherapeutic agent, thus complementing the results from the Japanese phase III WJOG4007 study (reported only in abstract form) and from an European, randomized, three-arm phase II study which also evaluated a liposomal nanocarrier formulation of irinotecan [19, 20]. Even though these results have to be considered as a major step forward in the management of gastric cancer, we believe they cannot be broadly generalized. It is known that the topographic distribution (distal vs proximal), pathological features (intestinal vs diffuse) and, even more importantly, survival outcome differ between Asian and Western patients [14, 21, 22]. Treatment pattern is one of the factors proposed to explain such discrepancies, as extensive D2 resection in early stage gastric cancer is routinely used in Asian countries. Nevertheless, a comparison of surgical outcomes between patients treated at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where D2 resection is extensively carried out, and patients treated in Korea revealed better disease-specific survival for the latter group . Therefore, it is foreseeable that underlying biological differences play a crucial role, and growing evidence indicate that the molecular taxonomy of gastric cancer is influenced by ethnic factors. MicroRNA expression profiling, which is emerging as an excellent classifier in oncology, and next-generation sequencing studies are beginning to unveil the existence of different sets of deregulated gene networks potentially correlated with ethnicity [24–26]. Furthermore, the molecular analysis of the ToGA trial revealed that HER2 positivity is associated with the intestinal-type gastric cancer (32.5% intestinal vs 6.0% diffuse), the most common histology in Asia . Overall, the different ethnicity-related molecular landscape of gastric cancer might reflect a different expression of therapeutic targets and, in turn, sensitivity to anticancer agents. Beyond tumor biology, also pharmacogenomic differences should be taken into account. For instance, while S1 is extensively used in front-line in Asia, its use in the Western hemisphere was initially constrained by evidence of more severe toxicity in Caucasian patients . The different magnitude of toxic effects is thought to be correlated with CYP2A6 gene polymorphisms, affecting the conversion of S1 to fluorouracil. Indeed, in the phase III FLAG study conducted in non-Asian countries S1 was used at a lower dose compared to Japanese studies , despite the higher body surface of Western patients.
Next, in the European FFCD-GERCOR-FNCLCC trial 416 patients were randomized to receive two different sequential strategies in first- and second-line: epirubicin, cisplatin and capecitabine in first-line and FOLFIRI in second-line vs the reverse sequence . The sequence with FOLFIRI in first-line resulted superior for the primary endpoint (time to treatment failure), a benefit deriving from the better tolerance and the correlated lower rate of treatment discontinuation. However, no firm conclusions can be drawn from this trial having been only presented in abstract form to date.
Finally, a recent retrospective Turkish study reported data from 97 docetaxel-pretreated patients who received FOLFIRI in the second-line setting . Investigators reported an ORR of 26.8% and a DCR of 58.8%. However, it is worth considering that 19 patients (19.5%) had locally recurrent gastric cancer and 47 patients (48.5%) had only one metastatic site. In our opinion, the rather heterogeneous study cohort along with the inclusion of a consistent fraction of patients with lower tumor burden compared to those examined in our study led to an overestimation of the results, as investigators reported a median OS of 10.5 months.
FOLFIRI appears an effective and safe treatment option for pretreated metastatic gastric cancer patients. However, second-line chemotherapy comparative trials are needed to better define the role of FOLFIRI in gastric cancer (e.g. versus monochemotherapy).
LDL and MM-S conceived and designed the study, LP, DS, MB, FB, SIF, AA, SB and PV collected and assembled the data, DG performed the statistical analysis, MM-S and LDL wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


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Rapatac är en svensk ideell organisation grundad av Moussa N'diaye 2004.

Föreningen vill verka för att barn och ungdomar ska få en bra uppväxt genom att erbjuda hjälp med skolarbete och goda fritidssysselsättningar. Verksamhetens ledord är: Respekt, Gemenskap, Tillit, Ansvarstagande, Attraktion, Relation och Engagemang.

Föreningens största satsning är ett bygge av ett allaktivititetshus i Gävle, Sätra.

Moussa N'diaye fick 2009 ett pris som Årets Eldsjäl under galan Svenska hjältar.

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We congratulate and are excited by those who have gone on to realize their dreams of playing at the next level. Below is a list of athletes who who have played at some point on our high school teams and have gone on to play in college. Thank you for sharing your daughters with us!
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Are You Living Your Life on Purpose or by Accident?
In life, we can choose one of two strategies: we can either live our lives on purpose, or we can live our lives by accident. You can plan your life and live your plan, or you can simply let the flow of life events and circumstances sweep you down the river of time, taking you wherever it will. This is the quintessential example of "go with the flow." The latter, sadly, is the way most people live their lives—by accident. The former is how God created us to live—on purpose.
You can see this planning-ahead mindset in passages like Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV), where Paul says, Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Moses says it this way in Psalm 90:12, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Some might claim that there is something unspiritual about making plans, but we are in good company when we do. God made plans. In Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB) it says, 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' (See also Hebrews 11:40a, Ephesians 1:11) Paul made plans; in Romans 15:23,24 he states, I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain. (See also II Corinthians 1:15-17) And we are encouraged to make plans; Proverbs 21:5 declares, Plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. (See also Proverbs 16:3, 20:18a)
Unfortunately, when it comes to building our financial "empires" (we call this "getting ahead"), we can often find ourselves doing so without any real divine purpose behind it. Successful and disciplined people are able to continue building up their "pile of stuff" because they have become exceedingly good at what they do. They also find great emotional enjoyment and personal satisfaction in building, so they keep on building without ever giving much thought to where it will end up or even knowing when they are done.
With this in mind, there is a foundational question that we, as believers, need to ask ourselves. We must ask, "What is my purpose for continuing to accumulate more financial resources, especially when my pile of stuff is already higher than I will ever need it to be?" The key word here is need. In America the difference between needs and wants/comforts has become so blurred that we believe our wants and comforts have morphed into "needs," causing us to consciously or unconsciously redefine what a need is. Jesus tells us plainly that accumulating excess material possessions as a sole end in itself is entirely futile. Jesus poses it in the form of a question, 'For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?' (Matthew 16:26) Those who continue accumulating more "just because they can" could be likened to the rich farmer who planned to tear down his smaller barns and build bigger barns to hold his surplus wealth. In no uncertain terms, Jesus called him a "fool."
There is no greater example of the utter folly of building without a purpose than the story of Sarah Winchester. Sarah was the wife of William Winchester, the only son of Oliver Winchester, the founder and owner of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Sarah and William had a daughter who died shortly after birth in 1866. This was followed by the death of her father-in-law in 1880, and then her husband just a few months later, leaving her with a fifty percent ownership in the company and an income of $1,000 a day (about $21,000 a day in current dollars). Sarah believed that her family was under some kind of a curse and consulted a medium to determine what she should do. The medium told her that her family was indeed cursed by the spirits of all the people that the Winchester rifle had killed. She was told she should move out west and build a house for herself and all the tormented spirits who suffered because of her family. The medium also told her that if construction on this house were to ever cease, she would immediately die.
In 1884 Sarah moved to California and began one of the most bizarre building projects in American history. She began spending her $20 million inheritance and regular income to buy and begin renovations on an eight-room farmhouse in what is now San Jose, California. From that day forward construction continued nonstop, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until Sarah's death at age eighty-three—a total of thirty-eight years. She kept no less than twenty-two carpenters busy continuously. The sounds of hammers and saws could be heard throughout the day and night for almost four decades.
At its zenith, this seven story house contained 160 rooms, forty bedrooms, forty-seven fireplaces, seventeen chimneys, and 10,000 windowpanes. What made Sarah's lifetime building project so bizarre was that it had no discernable architectural purpose or plan behind it. Closet doors opened to solid walls. Windows were in the floor. Stairways led to nowhere. Railings were installed upside down. Drawers were only one inch deep. Trapdoors were everywhere. Useless chimneys stopped short of the ceiling. There were double-back hallways. Doors opened to steep drops to the lawn below. Many of the bathrooms had glass doors. The list of oddities runs into the dozens.
Could there be a better example of the ultimate outcome of "building without a purpose?" We may think that what we are building is not bizarre like Sarah Winchester's construction project. But the truth is that unless there is a divine purpose behind why we are doing what we are doing, God may actually find our building project just as meaningless and bizarre as the Sarah Winchester Mystery House. Paul addresses this very issue in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NIV) when he says, If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
We need to ask ourselves these questions: "What foundation am I building on? What materials am I building with? And why am I building what I am building?" I think John Wesley had it right when he said, "Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can." If we adhere to this compelling "financial triad" as we labor on our building projects, we will be building on a solid foundation utilizing building materials of heavenly "gold, silver, and precious stones." And in our building efforts we will discover that we are indeed living life on purpose.
RETURN TO LIFESTYLE CHALLENGES

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
and Speaking
Harrison Lauer
Harrison S. Lauer Director
Harrison is an accomplished banking, business, and real estate lawyer with three decades of experience.
He has served as the lead lawyer representing top five U.S. banks and major businesses – closing more than 90 commercial and industrial and real estate financing transactions in aggregate principal amounts exceeding $10 billion.
He represents many of the region's banks and other lenders in their commercial transactions. Over his career, he has led teams in the completion of more than 30 syndicated financings, including loan facilities for more than 10 large publicly held companies. He has represented lenders and businesses in commercial and industrial loans, real estate construction, development and acquisition financings, acquisition facilities, asset-based loans, equipment finance, crossborder transactions, and asset securitizations.
Harrison also serves as outside counsel for clients across industries and has closed multi-million-dollar business sales and reorganizations in the manufacturing, service, health care, and retail sectors.
Council Member, Fox Chapel Borough
Finance Committee Chair, Fox Chapel Borough
Planning Commission Chair, Fox Chapel Borough
Executive Committee Member, Harvard Club of Western Pennsylvania
Former Co-Chair, Harvard Club of Western Pennsylvania Schools and Scholarships
Member, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Endowment Committee
Former Chair, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Finance Committee
Fundamentals of Commercial Loan Documents
Taxation of Life Insurance Under Estate and Gift Tax Laws
The Tax Lawyer
Oysters Tickle the Taste Buds; Can They Entice the IRS?
University of Pittsburgh Law Review
Presentation on Commercial Loan Documentation
Banking Update Presentation
Represented a top five U.S. bank in a $200-million loan facility for a major U.S. homebuilder that included a shadow collateralization and springing lien on over 1,000 residential and commercial real estate properties.
Closed a series of blind pool commercial real estate acquisition facilities totaling over $300 million over a three-year period for a large U.S. real estate fund as counsel to lenders and agents. Each included pre-approved acquisition and collateral security criteria and procedures.
Closed over 100 middle market C&I and real estate financings for banks, other lenders and borrowers.
Closed multiple acquisitions and financings for the buyer totaling over $100-million in regional roll-ups in the telecommunications industry.
Created state-of-the-art syndicated loan documentation for a top five U.S. bank, including automated elections for optional provisions.
University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D. Executive Editor, Law Review; Order of the Coif
Harvard College, Harvard University, B.A. Magna Cum Laude
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Member Pennsylvania Bar Association
Member Allegheny County Bar Association
Member Association for Corporate Growth


text:
Die Méthode Charmat (italienisch: Metodo Martinotti) ist ein nach dem Erfinder Eugène Charmat benanntes Verfahren zur Schaumweinherstellung in druckfesten Großbehältern.

Geschichte
Der italienische Önologe Federico Martinotti, Direktor des l'Istituto Sperimentale per l'Enologia di Asti, erfand gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts eine neue Technologie zur Herstellung schäumender Weine. Er füllte die Tirage aus Grundwein, Zucker und Hefe in geschlossene Behälter, die geeignet waren, einen Druck bis zu 600 kPa bzw. 6 bar auszuhalten. Es wurden jedoch noch isobarische Geräte benötigt, um den erhaltenen Rohsekt weiterzuverarbeiten. Zwischenzeitlich tüftelten die französischen Wissenschaftler Jaunay und Maumené 1852 mit einem druckfesten Großbehälter zum Erhalt der Gärungskohlensäure. Bereits ab 1888 setzte auch in Deutschland die neu gegründete Deutsche Schaumweinfabrik in Wachenheim die Großraumgärung ein.

Erst der französische Önologe Eugène Charmat gilt als Erfinder der Druckbehälter, daher trägt die Methode der Schaumweinherstellung in Großbehältern seinen Namen. Die Méthode Charmat wird auch noch als Cuve-Close oder rein technologisch als Tankgärverfahren oder Großraumgärung bezeichnet. Charmat entwickelte seine Technologie im Jahre 1907 an der Universität Montpellier (Languedoc) und ab dem Jahre 1910 wurde sie in breitem Umfang eingeführt.

Verbreitung
Die bahnbrechende neue Vorgangsweise sollte bald für den Großteil der Produktion eingesetzt werden, da sie deutliche ökonomische Vorteile aufwies. Die Schaumweinindustrie in Europa wurde schlagartig verändert. Bereits 1930 wurden im Schaumweinkernland Frankreich selbst schon über fünf Millionen Flaschen Schaumwein mit dem Charmat-Verfahren hergestellt.

Frankreich und andere schaumweinproduzierende Länder wandten sich zunehmend den "fortschrittlichen Methoden" im Sinne der Verbilligung der Schaumweine durch Großraumgärung, gesteigerte Quantität, abgekürzte Gärungsverfahren und gar Imprägnier-Schaumweinen zu. Einzig die Champagne blieb eisern ihrer Tradition der aufwendigen Flaschengärung und höchster Rohstoff-Qualität treu. Champagnerschaumweine waren bereits weltweit renommiert und seit dem Friedensvertrag von Versailles auch als Herkunftsbegriff geschützt.

Insbesondere im technologiefreundlichen Deutschland wurde die Großraumgärung zur Bereitung von Sekt zunehmend genutzt. Und so wurde die Perfektion des Charmat-Verfahrens nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg in Deutschland vorangetrieben, als die neue Methode technologisch mit der 1913 erfundenen Schichtenfiltration zur Filtrationsenthefung kombiniert wurde. Nur das noch günstigere Imprägnierverfahren für Schaumweine konnte ökonomische Vorteile bringen. Um auch günstige Sekte mit der Bezeichnung Flaschengärung herzustellen, wurde das Transvasierverfahren entwickelt.

Methode Charmat
Methode Charmat
!

en:Charmat process
pt:Método Charmat


Essential oils are so amazing! Uses range from cleaning your house, helping to clear up skin conditions, relaxing your nervous system or soothing a cranky child.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes and tips for using essential oils for babies and toddlers.
Use 1 drop Roman Chamomile oil on a clean, damp washcloth, put in the freezer for 10 minutes. Let baby chew on it. Refreeze as often as needed. You can also tie a piece of organic cotton in a tight knot and use it the same way. The knots are the perfect hardness to rub on gums for the counterpressure of the teeth pushing through.
Mix together 2 cups of water and 5 drops of Lemon oil, or my CLEAN blend, in a spray bottle. It is safe to use on toys, to clean, disinfect, and kill germs. You can also add Lemon oil, or CLEAN, to handsoap. Or, use it in a spray for disinfecting the air. It has high antibacterial properties. It's antiseptic properties can last for up to 20 days. I also use this spray on baby's highchair and exersaucer.
Mix together 2 drops each of Orange, Mandarin, and Tangerine oils, or use 6-7 drops of my RELAX blend, with 1 cup of almond or olive oil. Add a few drops to your child's nighttime bath. You can also add to any unscented baby lotion. I use California Baby unscented baby lotion for sensitive skin. I give my baby a nice, relaxing massage after her bath each time. She now expects it as part of her bedtime routine. It always calms her down, and it relaxes me as well.
Sometimes when babies get fussy, it raises our level of irritation, and they are so in tune with our emotions, that they can feed off of it, getting even more antsy. I have found that taking a few moments to calm MYSELF, in turn calms my baby down. In my opinion, the best thing ever is cuddling a sweet smelling child!
*NOTE* Tangerine oil has a scent similar to Mandarin oil, but contains NO anthranilic acid ester and therefore has no sedative effects. Anthranilic acid esters are highly sedative. Mandarin is wonderful to use with children suffering from anxiety, nervousness or stress. Works wonders on anyone who has a high stress level.
Take a few cotton balls or even a folded up paper towel or small piece of cotton fabric, add a drop or two of Lavender oil, Geranium oil, Clary Sage. Or, add 2 drops of my RELAX blend. These oils are very calming, soothing and promote restful sleep. Place the item with the oil on it in the drawer with nighttime clothing. You can also place a tissue with a few drops of the oils on it in the baby's bed a few hours before bedtime, removing when you put baby into bed. Then slip in into your bed, or into your pillowcase, for you can also benefit for this treatment as well.
I highly recommend creating a nighttime routine as early in life as possible that gets baby relaxed. Start about an hour before bedtime. Begin with a bath using the relaxing oils and follow with a light massage. It can be a quick application of the lotion or oil, or it can be more extensive. I try to follow my baby's cues as to what she is in the mood for. Some nights she barely wants any massage, other nights she has more patience to lay still. Even if you choose not to have bathtime, you can do a gentle massage of the legs and feet with the calming oils/lotion while you get baby into their pajamas.
Turn down the lights, play gentle music, have a few minutes of quiet time. Soon your child will anticipate bedtime! When they know what is coming, they are more apt to enjoy the process. Make it an enjoyable experience, don't try to rush it. Try to schedule the time out for yourself so you look forward to this time also. When bedtime becomes a fight, nobody enjoys it, nor looks forward to it.
The older that children get, the more they crave routine. As your child gets teeth, be sure to start brushing them before bed. I try to get this out of the way first, as it is usually not the most fun. Then move on to the more relaxing aspects! Including a story at any age is a nice way to wind down.
I have found with each of my four children that when I make myself as relaxed as possible at bedtime, it all goes so much easier for everyone invloved. Knowing that I have this special time with my children keeps me focused on what is important. Any TV shows I want to watch can be recorded and viewed after they fall asleep. Giving them a half hour of my night is a pleasure. But I have definintely had to change my way of looking at bedtime to make it work well for us. You will find your own groove as you go along, and what works for some children, might not work for others. You know your child best, so decide what works for you, and most important, stay as consistant as possible. Routine makes children feel safe. We all feel more comfortable when we know what is coming, and the same goes for our children.
So listen to your heart, and most of all enjoy this special time with your children. Soon enough they will be teenagers who would rather listen to their ipod as they fall asleep rather that read a book with you! Blessings! Sweet Dreams!


text:
"""Test example scripts."""

import os
import subprocess
import sys

def test_example():
    """Test example.py."""
    path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..', 'example.py')
    env = dict(PYTHONIOENCODING='utf-8')
    if 'SystemRoot' in os.environ:
        env['SystemRoot'] = os.environ['SystemRoot']
    cmd = [sys.executable, path, 'print']
    assert 0 == subprocess.call(cmd, env=env, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
World Bioenergy Award winner announced
By World Bioenergy 2012
May 29, 2012, Jonkoping, Sweden - The winner of the World Bioenergy Award 2012 has been announced - Mr. Harry Stokes, from the US.
May 29, 2012, Jonkoping, Sweden – The winner of the World Bioenergy Award 2012 has been announced: Mr. Harry Stokes, US.
Mr. Harry Stokes has developed, funded and managed Project Gaia to improve the health, economic status and quality of life of a significant number of families in the developing world. Harry has led a global initiative that promotes alcohol fuel and their technologies for production and end use, for cooking and other household appliances.
The vision is clean, efficient, affordable and safe cooking for African homes, and the opportunity to move away from dependence on perennially scarce firewood, charcoal, dung, twigs, grass and similar fuels." Harry Stokes was one of the finalists also in 2010. The scope of his achievements is vast, and there are several dimensions to the benefits of helping developing communities rely more on clean, renewable and domestic fuels," says Kent Nyström, president of WBA and member of the jury.
Six main nominees
The aim of the award is to recognize a person who has made a contribution to the development of the bioenergy sector. During the nomination process, fellow colleagues nominated persons with great achievements within the international bioenergy sector. Six finalists were selected by the jury. The jury for the award is the board of World Bioenergy Association and the organizer of World Bioenergy 2012.
"This year's finalists are entrepreneurs, government officials and researchers from India, Russia, Spain, UK and USA. They have all made important contributions to different sectors and disciplines within the global bioenergy sector and they show the diversity of the global bioenergy sector – from small-scale cooking technology for families in poor countries to large scale biofuel production plants." Says Jakob Hirsmark, initiator of the award and member of the jury.
The first award was presented in 2010 to the Brazilian researcher Laercio Couto, who's implemented research on eucalypt plantations leads to large amounts of saved carbon dioxide emissions when this biomass replaces fossil fuels for energy production.
Some words from the each of the six worthy nominees:
Mr. Al Costa, Spain
"We live on an increasingly interconnected planet, and for a country not to take advantage of the experience and technological achievements of others simply makes no sense."
Mr. Aditya Handa, India
"Bioenergy has the capability to provide access to affordable clean energy solutions up to the last mile, protect and nurture the environment, integrate the bottom most layer of rural society into the country's growth story by creating incomes and opportunities, and make nations energy self-reliant"
Mr. Timur Ivanov, Russia
"The Bioenergy sector will play a key role in the distributed energy development in Russia because it can provide the synergy of energy production and waste utilization. There is a huge potential in Russia for the use of the abundant forests"
Mr. Robert Parker, United Kingdom
"In the long term, we will likely see changes in land avaliability based on agricultural demand and needs, and in the choice of energy crops, which define the biomass yield levels that can be obtained on the available land"
Mr. Dilip Ranade, India
"I envisage a very large number of biogas plants as well as biomass gasifiers coming up in India and other Asian , African and Latin American countries owing to rich agricultural produce"
Mr. Harry Stokes, USA
"Since the global environment links us all and since half the world's population living in energy poverty will jeopardize everybody, even those who have all the energy needs, it is within everybody's interest to promote the use of biofuels in the developing world, not only for export but also for local use."
Read more about the World Bioenergy Association and the conference at www.worldbioenergy.org
About World Bioenergy 2012
Organised every second year this major global bioenergy get-together is based on the unique "Taking you from Know-How to Show-How" concept, combining tradeshow, conference sessions, field excursions and matchmaking into one comprehensive event. Welcome to our web page to read more about the different parts of the event. 2012 the World pellets Conference is arranged as a part of World Bioenergy. Organisers: Elmia AB and the Swedish Bioenergy Association, Svebio. Venue: Elmia, Jönköping, Sweden. www.worldbioenergy.com
Biomass must be affordable to succeed
OkoFEN named "Best product of 2012"


There's nothing like grilling out on a Friday night. The work week is over, so we can finally relax and enjoy the freedom of the weekend.
This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Ultimate Five Ingredient Recipes cookbook. I love grilling chicken since it doesn't take very long at all, and there are so many things you can do with it. In this case, the chicken is filled with pepper jack cheese and topped with barbecue sauce, what's not to love? For sides, I made my Mom's creamy Italian noodles and some green beans.
Carefully cut a pocket in each chicken breast half. Fill with cheese; secure with metal or soaked wooden skewers (toothpicks work fine too).
Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with barbecue sauce.
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Coat noodles with butter; add remaining ingredients and mix well.
We enjoyed this meal with Leelanau Cellars White Sangria. This is a sweet yet slightly spicy wine with a variety of blended fruit flavors. It went quite nicely with the meal.


text:
Q: Promises nodejs readability improvements I have writting a few functions which returns a promise, to get data from google analytics api. I think what I've written is called a callback hell..
Can someone help me optimise this code (or give tips/best practices), so it's better readable.
var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();
var googleAuth = require('google-oauth-jwt');
var google = require('googleapis');
var app = express();

module.exports.getGoogleData = function (jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID){
  return new Promise(function(resolve, reject){
    return getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID).then(function (orders) {
      return getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID).then(function (users) {
        return getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID).then(function (searched){
          return getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID).then(function (pageviews){
            var returndata =[
              {
                "Orders":orders,
                "Onlineusers":users,
                "searched":searched,
                "pageviews":pageviews[0].pageviews,
                "usersToday":pageviews[0].users
              }
            ]
            resolve(returndata);
          });
        });
      });
    });
  });
}

Example getfunction
function getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,view_id){
  return new Promise(function(resolve,reject){
    analytics.data.ga.get({
        'auth':jwtClient,
        'ids': view_id,
        'metrics': 'ga:totalEvents',
        'start-date': 'today',
        'end-date': 'today',
        filters: 'ga:eventAction==Bestelling geplaatst',
        'max-results': '1'
    }, function(err, response) {
          // handle the errors (if any)
          if(err){
            console.log(err)
            reject(err)
          } else
            console.log('Response:',response)
            resolve(response.totalsForAllResults["ga:totalEvents"]);
        });
    });
}

A: There's no need for the new Promise in there at all, and in fact by using it, you leave it open to never settling if an error occurs in one of your calls. Remember that then returns a new promise. So you can just chain all those together if you want them run sequentially:
module.exports.getGoogleData = function (jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID){
  var result = {};
  return getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID)
    .then(function (orders) {
        result.Orders = orders;
        return getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID);
    })
    .then(function (users) {
      result.Onlineusers = users;
      return getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID);
    }).then(function (searched){
      result.searched = searched;
      return getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID);
    }).then(function (pageviews){
      result.pageviews = pageviews[0].pageviews;
      result.usersToday = pageviews[0].users;
      return [result]; // (Seems a bit odd that it's wrapped in an array, but
                       // that's what the original code did...)
    });
}

But, those operations look independent of one another. If that's really true, run them in parallel with Promise.all:
module.exports.getGoogleData = function (jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID){
  return Promise.all([
    getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID),
    getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID),
    getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID),
    getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID)
  ]).then(results => {
    return [{
      Orders: results[0],
      Onlineusers: results[1],
      searched: results[2],
      pageviews: results[3][0].pageviews,
      usersToday: results[3][0].users
    }];
  });
}

A: The only way to fix that ugly code is killing Promise hell, for doing that you must use:

ES2017 async/await syntax

So, take a look at this new code
var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();
var googleAuth = require('google-oauth-jwt');
var google = require('googleapis');
var app = express();

module.exports.getGoogleData = foo

async function foo (jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID){
    var orders = await getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID)
    var users = await getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID)
    var searched = await getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID)
    var pageviews = await getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID)

    return [{
        "Orders":orders,
        "Onlineusers":users,
        "searched":searched,
        "pageviews":pageviews[0].pageviews,
        "usersToday":pageviews[0].users
    }]
}

A: Below is the correct and readable way to chain your promises. Correct chaining reduce nesting by expanding it vertically. Also, you don't need to instantiate a new Promise because all your get methods already returns promises.
function (jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID) {
    var returndata =[{}];
    return getOrdersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID).then(function (orders) {
        returndata[0].Orders = orders;
        return getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient,analytics,VIEW_ID);
    }).then(function(users) {
        returndata[0].Onlineusers= users;
        return getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID);
    }).then(function(searched) {
        returndata[0].searched = searched;
        return getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID);
    }).then(function(pageviews) {
        returndata[0].pageviews = pageviews[0].pageviews;
        returndata[0].usersToday = pageviews[0].users;
        return returndata;
    });
}

A: Since you have the promises created already. You can use Promise.all() and pass it the array of promises in the order you want them to be executed.
Refer this for more details - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise/all
Alternatively, you can use async/await as well - https://javascript.info/async-await

A: As others have noted, these calls do not depend on each other, which means you don't need to sequence them and can instead execute them all simultaneously. Here is what that might look like:
module.exports.getGoogleData = function(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID) {
    return Promise.all([
        getOrdersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID),
        getOnlineUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID),
        getSearchedToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID),
        getPageviewsTodayAndUsersToday(jwtClient, analytics, VIEW_ID)
    ])
    .then(function(results) {
        return {
            "Orders": results[0],
            "Onlineusers": results[1],
            "searched": results[2],
            "pageviews": results[3][0].pageviews,
            "usersToday": results[3][0].users
        };
    });
}

But I think your question is a really good one, and I hope your interest in good patterns doesn't end just because this specific case calls for a different solution. As I have noted elsewhere, async patterns is a complicated problem domain.
So, let's pretend you need to make 4 calls, each depending on the results of the previous one, so they must be executed in sequence. We have access to this fictional API:
function fetchOne(null)   // returns opaque ONE
function fetchTwo(ONE)    // must feed it ONE, returns opaque TWO
function fetchThree(TWO)  // must feed it TWO, returns opaque THREE
function fetchFour(THREE) // must feed it THREE, returns opaque FOUR

And furthermore, let's pretend that at the end of this process, you wish to have access to all four of these return values so you can craft a response with all of them. After all, what good is a pattern if it can't accommodate the kinds of complicated workflows we see in the real world?
Thus, our goal is to flesh out the implementation of this function:
function doTheWork() {
    // DO STUFF somehow, finally...
    return {
        one: ONE,
        two: TWO,
        three: THREE,
        four: FOUR,
        checksum: ONE + TWO + THREE + FOUR
    };
}

A naively straightforward attempt might look like this:
function doTheWork() {
    return fetchOne()
    .then((ONE) => {
        return fetchTwo(ONE)
    })
    .then((TWO) => {
        return fetchThree(TWO)
    })
    .then((THREE) => {
        return fetchFour(THREE)
    })
    .then((FOUR) => {
        // all work is done, let's package up the results
        return {
            one: ONE // uh-oh...
        };
    })
}

This will execute, but the problem is that we no longer have access to the earlier values in the final handler.
There are really only two ways around this: (1) declare variables with a scope that will be shared by all the callbacks, or (2) pass all data between handlers in some kind of structure. I think solution 1 is really inelegant, and I recommend against it, but let's see what that might look like:
function doTheWork() {
    var A, B, C

    return fetchOne()
    .then((ONE) => {
        A = ONE // store ONE in A
        return fetchTwo(ONE)
    })
    // ...
    .then((FOUR) => {
        // all work is done, let's package up the results

        // at this point, A & B & C contain the results of previous calls
        // and are within scope here
        return {
            one: A,
            two: B,
            three: C,
            four: FOUR,
            checksum: A + B + C + FOUR
        };
    })
}

This will work, but I think it's bad practice and I dislike it. It's bad practice because these variables are now "public" in a limited kind of way, exposing them to everything else within doTheWork. They can be clobbered by statements anywhere in this function. And unless they are scalars, they will be passed by reference, which means any mutation bugs associated with them can manifest themselves in sometimes bizarre ways.
Also, each of these "temporary" variables now competes for good names in a shared namespace (the scope of doTheWork). Ideally, you should create as few variables as possible, and each should live only as long as necessary. This might save memory, but it definitely saves your "naming pool." Naming things is mentally exhausting. I am not kidding. And every name must be good -- never name variables in a slapdash way. The names of things are often the only clues within the code about what is happening. If some of those names are throwaway garbage, you are making your life and the lives of future maintainers harder.
So, let's look at solution 2. At this point, I want to point out that this approach works best when you can use ES6 destructuring syntax. You can do this without it, but it's a bit clunkier.
We're going to construct an array that will slowly accumulate all the data fetched by each of these async calls. At the end, the array will look like this:
[ ONE , TWO , THREE , FOUR ]

By chaining promises efficiently, and by passing this array from one handler to the next, we can both avoid the Pyramid of Doom and share async results among all of these methods easily. See below:
function doTheWork() {

    return fetchOne()
    .then((ONE) => {
        return fetchTwo(ONE)
        .then((TWO) => [ ONE , TWO ])
    })
    .then(([ ONE , TWO ]) => {
        return fetchThree(TWO)
        .then((THREE) => [ ONE , TWO , THREE ])
    })
    .then(([ ONE , TWO , THREE ]) => {
        return fetchFour(THREE)
        .then((FOUR) => [ ONE , TWO , THREE , FOUR ])
    })
    .then(([ ONE , TWO , THREE , FOUR ]) => {

        return {
            one: ONE,
            two: TWO,
            three: THREE,
            four: FOUR,
            checksum: ONE + TWO + THREE + FOUR
        }

    })
}

That's the whole thing, but let's step through just the first part:
return fetchOne()
.then((ONE) => {
    return fetchTwo(ONE)
    .then((TWO) => [ ONE , TWO ])
})

As usual, fetchOne returns ONE -- it's the third-party API we have no control over. And as you might expect, we use ONE to make the second call, making sure to return its promise. But that last line is the real magic:
.then((TWO) => [ ONE , TWO ])

The second API call still returns just TWO, but rather than us simply returning TWO alone, we instead return an array that contains both ONE and TWO. That value -- the array -- becomes the argument to the next .then handler.

This works because nested promises are automatically unwrapped. Here's a simple example showing that at work:
function getDogName() {
    return fetchCatName()
    .then((catName) => 'Fido')
}

getDogName()
.then((dogName) => {
    console.log(dogName);
})

// logs 'Fido'

This illustrates that you can attach .then handlers to nested promises, and the outer promises will return the results of those handlers. This is a really common pattern when using fetch to get JSON:
function makeApiCall() {
    fetch(api_url) // resolves with a Response object
    .then((response) => response.json()) // extracts just the JSON and returns that instead!
}

Going back to our code, since we want to avoid the Pyramid, we leave this handler along (rather than nesting the next call inside, as you originally did). The next line looks like this:
.then(([ ONE , TWO ]) => {

This is the ES6 destructuring at work. By destructuring the array argument, we can name the elements as they enter the function. And if we're doing that, we might as well give them the names we like best, the ones the came into the world as: ONE and TWO.
We then repeat the pattern, using TWO to invoke fetchThree, making sure to return its promise, but not before tacking on a tiny .then handler that bundles the newly-available THREE into the package that we pass forward.

I hope this helps. It's a pattern I worked out to deal with some complicated branching workflows in AWS, making calls against S3 and Dynamo and other platforms with a lot of parallel conditionals, mixing blocking and non-blocking behavior.
Async patterns are a special problem domain. Even with the right tech, it's can be hard to find clear ways to express behavior, especially when the underlying workflow is convoluted. This is often the case when exploring the data graphs that are so common these days.
Happy coding.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Intrepid pays $600k for seaweed. Is this a good investment?
Intrepid Travel's not-for-profit arm, The Intrepid Foundation, has announced the funding of Australia's first marine permaculture platform, using seaweed to draw down carbon from the atmosphere.
"This result is the second biggest in our fundraising history, which indicates just how passionate our travellers and the public are about positive solutions to climate change," Intrepid Travel co-founder Darrell Wade said.
The campaign has exceeded two fundraising targets, raising more than $600,000 since April this year.
The 'seaweed solution' will see the trial of Australia's first marine permaculture platform offshore in Tasmania's Storm Bay. Seaweed grows incredibly fast and was touted as a solution to the climate crisis in Damon Gameau's film 2040.
"The remarkable thing about the campaign has been the sheer volume of donors. Thousands have opted to vote with their wallet, even if only with a dollar, and invest in climate action at a time when politicians have failed to," Wade said.
In a climate action good news story, the first target of $350,000 was exceeded in four months, while the second-round target of $250,000 was raised in just over two months.
The Intrepid Foundation partnered with The Climate Foundation to fund the research through the University of Tasmania. They are currently exploring new projects to fundraise for further climate change solutions.
"One thing is clear: people are not done giving their support for climate action. And neither are we," Wade said.
Make the Australian Dollar Go Further in New York City #SeeYourCity
#SeeYourCity
Enjoy 2-for-1 Tickets to Broadway, Museums, Tours, Attractions, Performing Arts and Prix-Fixe Menus at Top Restaurants
NYC & Company, New York City's official destination marketing organisation, today announced the return of NYC Winter OutingSM, which will run from January 21 to February 9, 2020.
NYC Winter Outing combines NYC & Company's three signature programs—NYC Broadway WeekSM, NYC Restaurant Week® and NYC Must-See WeekSM—creating ultimate value across the five boroughs. During the three-week period, select Broadway shows, attractions, museums, tours and performing arts will offer 2-for-1 tickets and nearly 400 restaurants will feature prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner.
Additionally, the City's hotels offer the most attractive rates of the year. Further details on NYC Winter Outing can be found at nycgo.com/nyc-winter-outing. Reservations for these winter value programs commence on January 8, 2020.
The NYC Winter Outing landing page provides inspiration through a handful of mini-itineraries, curated to unique traveller interests, that include an NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week activity: "An Art-Filled Day in NYC," "A Classic Day in NYC," "A Family Day in NYC" and "A Glam Day in NYC."
"Following an overwhelmingly positive response, we're pleased to welcome NYC Winter Outing back for its second year, adding unmatched value to the enchanting experiences offered across the five boroughs during the winter months," said NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon.
Brooklyn Bridge Park in Winter © Julienne Schaer
New this year, NYC & Company's global partnership with Mastercard provides Mastercard holders with exclusive offers that take advantage of NYC Winter Outing, including early access to reservations and tickets.
"It is Mastercard's priority to provide cardholders with Priceless experiences in top travel destinations around the world across the passions that bring us together. Partnering with NYC & Company to simultaneously promote theater, dining and culture in NYC is the perfect way to emphasize that commitment," said Cheryl Guerin, executive vice president of North America Marketing & Communications at Mastercard.
NYC Winter Outing details—including the 21 shows participating in NYC Broadway Week; museums, tours, attractions and performing arts venues participating in NYC Must-See Week; and restaurants participating in NYC Restaurant Week—can be found at nycgo.com/nyc-winter-outing. This landing page also features nycgo.com's "favoriting" tool, which allows visitors to save a list of NYC Winter Outing participants that will be bookable once reservations for all three programs go live on January 8. Visitors can also sign up for nycgo.com emails to receive a reminder—including the "favorited" list—once the reservation period opens.
As of today, visitors can also book overnight accommodations at select hotels listed at nycgo.com/nyc-winter-outing to take advantage of some of the best rates of the year. For more comprehensive content on hotels, visit nycgo.com/hotels.
MSC: Is this the future of cruising?
[updated]
Our committed cruiser casts a critical eye over one of the world's most advanced cruise ships, the newly launched MSC flagship, the 6000-passenger Grandiosa. Words: Roderick Eime
We all know the cruise industry has attracted criticism in recent times for some environmentally unsavoury practices. Whether it is the discharge of wastewater, air pollution or overuse of single-use plastics, the global multi-billion-dollar cruise industry certainly has some questions to answer.
I'm here in Hamburg for the very festive launch of MSC Grandiosa, the brand new180,000 GT, 331m flagship of the world's largest privately-owned cruise line. We are fed and refreshed in regal style as this giant ship is welcomed into the world's luxury cruise fleet and screen idol, Sophie Loren, is on hand as usual for the ribbon-cutting in front of the world's travel media and more than 14,000 travel agents.
Sophia Loren is the godmother of MSC's entire cruise fleet (supplied)
But apart from her staggering statistics, the cruise line has integrated some of the latest maritime technology into Grandiosa's design, making her one of the most environmentally friendly such vessels afloat despite her ample proportions.
Grandiosa is the first of three MSC's Meraviglia-Plus ships, all of which employ state-of-the-art exhaust scrubbers to remove 98 per cent of such harmful emissions as sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide. As something of a tech geek, I was impressed to learn that extra catalytic converters (similar to those in your car) turn harmful nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen gas and water.
While most large cruise ships continue to burn Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) at the rate of about 200-250 tonnes per day, others are converting to light marine diesel, a fuel identical to that which we pump into road vehicles. Unlike HFO, it floats and evaporates if spilled and produces much less harmful byproducts when burned. New generation cruise ships currently under construction by MSC and others will employ Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) exclusively, vastly reducing - but not eliminating - emissions.
"Our focus on innovation since we built our first cruise ships only in 2003 ensures that we have one of the most modern fleets at sea as well as one of the highest environmentally performing, "said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises executive chairman in a press conference at the launch, "And, thanks to our long-term planning, this will allow us to already achieve a fleet-wide 29 per cent reduction in carbon intensity (rate) by 2024 vs. 2008, well on our way to meet the 40 per cent reduction target set for 2030."
We don't need to be mathematicians to work out that MSC Cruises will not meet its promised carbon neutral status by January 2020 while continuing to use fossil fuels, so an intensive carbon offset campaign is underway to supercharge their carbon neutrality efforts. Now obviously I haven't audited each of these initiatives, but I can report MSC's stated strategy.
"We will work with leading providers in carbon offsets able to offset CO2 emissions with the highest level of integrity," said Mr Vago, "Our vision is to also invest in projects that provide quantifiable community benefits, protect the environment and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals."
From press materials obtained from MSC and my own independent enquiries, I've been able to find out more about these 'green' mechanisms.
MSC Grandiosa and her environmental features. CLICK TO ENLARGE
No Discharge
One thing I can confidently report is that you won't see any ugly images of MSC ships emptying their bowels into the sea as has been seen elsewhere. All wastewater is processed on board with their Advanced Wastewater Treatment System (AWTS). The system separates solids that are removed from the cycle and treated separately. This bio 'sludge' is dehydrated and compacted into high-grade 'pellets' which can either be burned as a fuel source or offloaded to a certified shore facility. Because of their high-grade organic quality, these soil-like pellets can be added to landfills to enhance composting action or even used as agricultural fertilizer. The reverse osmosis filtered and UV-treated water is close to municipal 'tap' quality and is perfectly safe to return to the sea. I'm told that MSC executives even drank the water in a demonstration of its purity. Wish I'd seen that.
As evidenced by my own experience on board, Grandiosa is a silent ship. This is achieved by isolating and insulating the otherwise noisy machine spaces eg engines, generators etc. The massive engines themselves are mounted on 'silent blocks' and the whole space is insulated with sound deadening material. This not only creates a more comfortable space for guests, but also for marine mammals who are bombarded by ship-generated noise. The propellers too have a bubble generating feature that counters the noise created by propellers at full speed.
Slippery Ship
We've seen several new hull designs appear on the scene recently. MSC's state-of-the-art hydrodynamic hulls are not so much revolutionary, but rather a refinement of existing 'bulbous bow' design, where computer modelling has helped create the optimum shape that offers the least water resistance or 'drag'. Like in cars and airplanes, a 'slippery' design allows higher speeds without using extra power and hence emissions. The industry standard 'bulbous bow' is that big round protrusion at the front of a ship that sits below the waterline and guides the water around the hull, greatly reducing the engines' effort in propelling the vessel, hence less fuel consumed and less emissions produced. Non-toxic anti-foul paint is also used on the hulls to prevent marine growth build-up.
All ships generate their own electricity using generators powered by the same fuel as used by the engines. Obviously, the less work these engines need to do, the more efficient and the cleaner is the whole package. In the case of most modern cruise ships, the main engines are used to generate electricity for the electric motors that drive the propellers. These propellers are housed in massive rotating pods (Azimuth Pods or just 'azipods') beneath the stern that removes the need for old-fashioned rudders and makes the ships much more maneuverable, especially at low speeds when docking. If Titanic had installed azipods, there's a good chance she would have dodged that iceberg!
Other power-saving measures include ultra-low-power LED lighting throughout the ship and intelligent air-conditioning that monitors interior temperatures and redistributes heat instead of regenerating it. The 26 intelligent elevators fascinate me too. You select your floor and the next elevator is indicated. The computer system optimises elevator movements, vastly reducing wait times and minimises unnecessary lift travel.
One of the topical issues with ships in port is their burning fuel while berthed. While most modern ships have the emission controls already discussed, it nevertheless is beneficial if ships can switch off their oil-burning generators while in port. All MSC ships are shore power ready, meaning they can 'plug in' just like you would do with a caravan at a powered site. The problem is, as I've discovered, is that there are only about two dozen ports in the whole world able to offer shore power to cruise ships. This is a complex discussion for another time, but obviously needs to be addressed.
Plastic Fantastic
It seems every day there are heated discussions and finger-pointing in regards to plastic reduction, disposal and recycling. MSC and the other big lines are feeling consumer and regulatory pressure and responding – some more effectively than others. From my own superficial investigations, MSC does not yet have a perfect scorecard, but I'm pleased to report many of the most offensive single-use plastics like straws, cutlery and bottles are almost gone. Almost.
MSC have instituted many procedures to deal with this waste sensitively for example, I was told that the supply chain was intimately examined to identify where waste can be reduced if not eliminated. For example, many of the bulk cleaning liquids and detergents used behind the scenes are now delivered as solid concentrate, eliminating hundreds of tonnes of plastic packaging in one fell swoop.
An artist rendering of Ocean Cay
Of particular note is MSC's concern with the health of the oceans. To this end, they are embarking on projects which protect and restore ocean and coastal habitats while also absorbing more CO2 than current levels. These so-called Blue Credits are earned by dealing directly with the health of our seas and rivers, bearing in mind that the ocean is a very efficient absorbent of atmospheric carbon dioxide, accounting for the absorption of more than one-third of human-caused emissions thus far.
To this end, MSC in conjunction with marine biologists and conservationists, are rejuvenating a derelict sand mining island in the Caribbean, to be called Ocean Cay, turning it into a marine sanctuary that guests can enjoy during their cruise as an enriching shore excursion.
Geek Solutions and Tech Fun
Aboard ship, numerous hi-tech features makes guests' experience more enjoyable including Zoe, the virtual assistant that keeps tabs on your schedule, bill and children; smart elevators that direct you to the next elevator going your way; extensive adults and children's entertainment including a full-size F1 simulator and head-spinning VR games – all of which could easily be the subject of their own feature.
In summary, when you add in superior dining and guest service levels, well-appointed cabins and suites as well as class-leading theatrical shows including the only Cirque du Soleil at Sea, you have very near the perfect combination of features for the best possible cruise experience. But hey, don't take my word for it.
For more information on the MSC Cruises, visit www.msccruises.com.au or www.msccruises.co.nz
Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World Reveals 101 Great Sights and How to See Them
Includes Great Barrier Reef & the Daintree Rainforest, Uluru, and Lord Howe Island
From Antarctica and the Amazon to Victoria Falls and the Great Wall of China, Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World showcases 101 spectacular sights – and how to experience them on any budget.
Published November 2019, Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World is both inspiring and practical, with expert advice, best-value itineraries, beautiful photography, and local secrets.
Australia is represented by Great Barrier Reef & the Daintree Rainforest, Uluru, and Lonely Planet's number-five region to visit in 2020, Lord Howe Island.
The book features human-made wonders that people may already know, such as the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat. But Lonely Planet's destination experts have also selected less famous sights that are equally captivating: the entwined tree bridges of Meghalaya in India, the intricate Islamic architecture of Naqsh-e Jahan in Iran, and the massive Buddhist temple of Borobudur in central Java. Museums with remarkable collections of wonders have also been included, such as the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands and the British Museum in London.
The natural wonders chosen for the book are no less impressive: giant trees in California, cascading lakes in Croatia, multi-coloured hills in China, great waterfalls, the world's biggest cave, and such natural phenomena as the wave of cherry blossom (sakura) that sweeps across Japan each spring, and the light show of the auroras across the planet's northern and southern extremities.
Thanks to Lonely Planet's network of travel experts and 45 years of experience, the book also includes guides to each of these wonders, with recommendations on the best times to visit, how to get there, and where to stay and eat - however deep your pockets. Two sample itineraries cover short and longer trips to allow travellers to make plans based on the time and funds they have available.
To celebrate the launch of Wonders of the World, Lonely Planet in conjunction with G Adventures will be giving away a trip for two, including flights, to one of four destinations featured in the book. Consumers simply need to purchase a copy of Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World from any participating retailer, visit the competition website at
lptravel.to/wonders and enter their details to be in the running to win. The competition runs from now until 31 January 2020, and the winner will be drawn in February 2020.
LONELY PLANET'S WONDERS OF THE WORLD
368pp, hardcover
Price: AU$44.99
'Being Well' at Great Value in Bangkok During Holiday Season
#onlyinthailand
Outstanding Three-day, Two-night stay for two offer with a focus on well-being
The upscale lifestyle wellness 235-room and suites Well Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 is offering guests a $378 three-day, two-night 'Being Well' holiday season package for two.
Focused on well-being, the offer includes a 60-minute wellness activity with a choice of Aromatherapy Massage, Ancient Thai Massage, Muay Thai Class and Personal Fitness Training.
Also included are a daily buffet breakfast, complimentary in-room minibar, 15% discount on standard menu at Well Spa, 35% discount on food on a la carte menu at Eat Well Café, complimentary access to Well Fitness, outdoor salted water swimming and group exercise classes, and a special rate on extended nights. One free date change is available at least seven days prior to the original check-in date.
Available from now until 31 March 2020 with a supplement charge of $24 net per night applied for stays between 25 December 2019 and 10 January 2020.
More than half a million Australians visit Bangkok each year for holidays and business. Many like to stay where they feel welcome, at a home away from home, in the world's most popular travel destination.
The Well Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, supports good living in a city that rarely sleeps and is providing a distinct advantage for visitors looking to maintain healthy lifestyles.
The hotel is located in central Sukhumvit, a global tourism destination where you can experience everything Bangkok has on offer – restaurants and bars, clubs, retail malls, food markets, bespoke tailors, handicraft outlets and more. The Well Hotel is an easy walking distance from the BTS Skytrain (Asok), MRT Subway (Sukhumvit), Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre and luxury malls such as The Emporium, The EmQuartier and Terminal 21. On the pavements and streets in between, hawkers sell souvenirs and knock-off designer goods, luggage and footwear as well as roadside eats, beauty and massage.
From here, long walks can be launched, Yoga, Muay Thai or workouts hosted at the Well's open-air pool and fitness centre where high stress and demanding work lives are put back into balance.
Around the corner at the EmQuartier, guests can access Bounce, one of Bangkok's newer fitness and fun experiences. It is an adrenaline playground comprising interconnected trampolines, adventure features, padding and airbags. Suitable for all ages – pre-schoolers and teenagers through to fitness enthusiasts and corporate groups.
Nearby Benjakiti Park is one of Bangkok's most popular parks offering space for joggers, walkers and cyclists. Further afield is Lumphini Park providing 2.5-km of paths for walkers, joggers and cyclists who exercise at sunrise and sunset to avoid the heat of the day. Here you will find children's playgrounds, beautiful flora and magnificent trees, boats on lakes, hundreds of birds and even monitor lizards.
The RSM Academy at Rajadamnern Stadium, the original home of Muay Thai, offers a welcoming platform for enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to explore the art of Thai boxing.
The three-year-old Well Hotel Bangkok has five-room categories to suit all guest needs. All rooms and suites have comfortable beds, work desks, mini-bar, personal electronic safety box, 46-inch smart TV, telecoms, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout and LAN cable in room and mobile device charging stations.
Each Executive Suite and Executive Room is equipped with an exercise bike, yoga and Pilate's equipment. Guests can also join the free group exercise classes daily. In addition, a microwave and printer on request are provided in all Executive Suites.
Other facilities include the Eat Well Café, The Twist Bar & Bistro, Pool Bar, Well Spa, Fitness Centre and an outdoor rooftop swimming pool. Meeting and event spaces are available for corporate meetings or small to mid-sized events. For security, the hotel has HD CCTV in public areas and a key card system for guest areas and elevators. A 24-hour room service, in-room dining, baby-sitting service, currency exchange, laundry and dry cleaning, valet parking and shoeshine service are also available to ensure a relaxed and pleasant stay.
The Twist Bar & Bistro is located on the ground floor of Memory Wing. It is a perfect place for an intimate dinner, or with friends just to catch up for a chat, a memorable cocktail and a wealth of appetizing Thai and Western meals. The restaurant has a touch of Art Deco design with a modern twist evoking the glamour and romance of the prohibition-era of the 1920's and 30's. Besides the comfortable and cosy dining area inside, there is also an outdoor terrace where patrons can take in the scene. The menu changes seasonally and daily specials using fresh ingredients are offered with a main focus on Western cuisine.
Open during the day the Eat Well Café focuses on traditional fare and Asian fusion. The café features only healthy fresh ingredients. Breakfast is also served daily in the café.
The Pool Bar is located on the Level 7 of Welcome Wing offering, herbal drinks, juice, cocktails, beers and light snacks.
The hotel has the magic mix to bring to life the hotel mantra of "live a healthy lifestyle while travelling. The Wellness Centre has a Well Spa, Fitness Centre and Rooftop Saltwater swimming pool. Well Spa is offering 100% natural therapies with natural products and essential oils in all treatments and massages. The hotel prides itself as a lifestyle wellness hotel. The concept is highlighted by the three main messages which are sleep well, eat well and stay well.
Designed by leading Thai architectural and design company, BEGRAY. The project started with the renovation of a post-modern building which is now Memory Wing. Later the second building was built in the same fashion, named the Welcome Wing featuring the lobby. The architect was inspired by the old houses and buildings in Sukhumvit area that portray the classic Thai twist design harmonizing the old and the new with the touch of art deco. It is aimed to bring an exceptional hotel experience to the guests who appreciate classic design but do not want to compromise on the ideal location of the Well Hotel Bangkok.
A combination of health and wellness, comfort and style plus responsive staff are corner stones of the Well Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
See More Icebergs than People on Greenland Kayaking Getaway
Despite being the largest island on the planet, Greenland continues to retain a quiet air of serenity, offering the opportunity to enjoy an authentic wilderness escape in the midst of spectacular icy scenery, inhabited by seals, whales, caribou, arctic fox and hare.
For adventure lovers hoping to visit the island's most scenic waters, specialist tour operator, Swoop Arctic, welcomes both experienced and novice kayakers to join its 15-day South Greenland Kayak Expedition, with departures June through to September 2020.
Travelling via Reykjavik or Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq Airport, the kayaking adventure begins with a crossing of the great Narsaq fjord, with its many icebergs, low mountains, waterfalls that flow in to the sea and numerous seals for company along the route.
Throughout the trip, kayakers will marvel at the gifts provided by Mother Nature as they paddle past ice sculptures, under arches and alongside floating ice, sometimes venturing in to areas such as the Torsukattak fjord zone which, hitherto, have been relatively uncharted by kayakers.
Among the sights that leave a lasting impression on every visitor, are the three massive Qaleraliq glaciers, gateway to the 2,500km icy plateau leading to northern Greenland; the omnipresent Inlandis ice sheet and the second largest glacier in the world. The roar of ice cracking or collapsing from the glacier in to the sea is a colossal reminder of why halting global warming is imperative.
Paddling is interspersed with hiking and exploring on foot, with participants having the chance to trek to Lake Tasersuatsiaq, where they will be rewarded with panoramic views across the Greenlandic ice cap. Undoubtedly, local wildlife such as caribou, arctic fox and hare will be spotted along the way.
The final day of the expedition is spent exploring the striking agricultural town of Narsaq, where the houses are painted in vibrant hues of red, blue and yellow, kitchen gardens provide the locals with plentiful fresh produce, and inhabitants jokingly refer to themselves as cowboys, as a nod towards their sheep and cattle farming roots.
Paddlers may choose to take optional excursions (available at an additional cost) to Qaqortoq, described as Greenland's most charming town, and the norse ruins of Hvalsey Church.
In addition, following a boat transfer from Narsaq to Narsarsuaq, there will be time to explore the Bluie West One museum, the former US military base, where time has stood still since it was used in WWII.
Prices for the South Greenland Kayak Expedition start from £1916 per person, based on twin share. Accommodation is in hostels for two nights and under canvas for 12, with all meals, expedition guides, kayaking equipment, transfers and return travel to Narsarsuaq included.
For further information, visit https://www.swoop-arctic.com/greenland/south/kayak-expedition
www.swoop-antarctica.com
Chiva-Som Reopens for a New Era Of Wellness
The Chiva-Som International Health Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand, has reopened its doors, marking the completion of the fourth and final stage of its renovation - the first major works since its launch over 24 years ago - and welcoming a brand new era of wellness.
Doors open at Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, MGallery by Sofitel
The ribbon has been cut to mark the unveiling of Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, MGallery by Sofitel, with the first guests arriving last Friday (1 November) to enjoy Melbourne's newest luxury destination.
Qatar Airways A350-1000 makes its Australian debut
The first A350-1000 aircraft to touch down in Sydney and Canberra
Qatar Airways was the global launch customer of the A350-1000 in 2018
Canberra and Sydney today welcomed the first scheduled state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 flight, with Qatar Airways QR0906 Doha to Sydney-Canberra route landing at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport just after 6:00am on Friday morning, before making its way to Canberra Airport and touching down at 8:40am.
Sustainability at the Heart of New Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa New Zealand
Central Otago's new luxury lodge will have sustainability at its heart when it opens its door later this year.
Located amongst the vines of Central Otago's founding winery, the Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa will offer the ultimate in relaxed luxury, fine wine, culinary excellence and 5-star personal service.
Intrepid pays $600k for seaweed. Is this a good in...
Make the Australian Dollar Go Further in New York ...
Lonely Planet's Wonders of the World Reveals 101 G...
'Being Well' at Great Value in Bangkok During Holi...
See More Icebergs than People on Greenland Kayakin...
Doors open at Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, MGallery ...
Sustainability at the Heart of New Gibbston Valley...