The Waldorf Astoria - 2005

Advantages: Superb location and communal areas
Disadvantages: Hotel rooms being allowed to deteriorate

...The Waldorf Astoria, An iconic, Landmark Hotel. This hotel has been in many films, so....I suppose I should be saying wow. My husband and I visited New York in the February of 2005. I was treated to a stay at the Waldorf Astoria. When we entered the hotel, I was.......blown away. The entrance is plush, extravagant yet elegant, with a pianist playing music, for those that wish to sit and enjoy a drink and just take in their surroundings. The reception area again was stunning. That unfortunately is where the glamour of it all stopped, during our 10 day stay, I lost count of how many times their \"systems were down\". Checking in therefore took an age. When we eventually got our key and were directed to our room, the disapointment set in. The room was shabby, the bathroom, although ornate and I am sure impressive in it\'s time...

catkinsays 18.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Waldorf Astoria, New York

The Ataris - So Long, Astoria

Advantages: fun, catchy, great riffs
Disadvantages: not a vast fan-base

...Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Mest etc ??. a line of Green Day wannabes growing longer with every intake of breath. Yet, other than Good Charlotte, there is only one band that have earned the god given right to be spoken of in the same sentence as Green Day. That band hit the scene with the release of their album ?Blue Skies, Broken Hearts ?.. Next 12 Exits? in 1999 through Kung Fu Records. That album, however infectious, was nothing compared to the success they would see with the follow up album ?So Long, Astoria? (and no that?s not in reference to the London gig venue). Released in 2003 through Sony Music, ?So Long Astoria? came full to the brim with great lyrics and hooks so infectious that you wouldn?t want anything else. Oh ?.. And the name of the band ???? The Ataris. Hailing from San Diego...

ManUtdBoi 25.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of So Long Astoria - Ataris (The)

A grinder for cheaper than elsewhere

Advantages: Fresh ground coffee at a good price
Disadvantages: Loud, a bit messy and somewhat limited adjustment

...The Starbucks Barista grinder is a relabelled Dualit grinder which is offered at a reduced cost from Starbucks outlets. A grinder is essential for those who want fresh coffee. Coffee beans will last much better than ground coffee, and so grinding before use becomes the only way to ensure the freshest coffee. A burr grinder like this one is essential for an even grind that doesn't burn the coffee. The coffee mills with spinning blades should be avoided at all costs, as they cannot evenly grind each bean and give consistent grounds. Added to their shortcomings of a mill, is that the speed of the blade heats and alters the coffee as it is ground. The burr grinders like the Barista crush the beans between grinding wheels and allow for each bean to be ground to an even consistency, without build-up of heat. The machine has an easy load...

summi335 25.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Starbucks Barista Burr Coffee Grinder

Waldorf Astoria Hotel, NYC

Advantages: 5 Star hotel in central location
Disadvantages: Some areas could be improved upon

...I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 2004, which was my first (and only so far) trip to New York, and at the time only my second trip to the USA. Given that I didn't feel I'd be regularly jetting off to New York, I'd decided to check us into the hotel I'd always heard about and hence had always wanted to stay at. We arrived late evening by taxi which dropped us off at the main entrance to the hotel on Park Avenue. The lobby area is large, with the reception being located right at the back, meaning you have to walk through the lobby and past the main lifts to get to check in to your room. It's not a problem as such, but you are left following your nose and common sense, which, when your body is telling you it's 2am, you're not really up to doing. We booked the hotel stay through BA Holidays rather than directly...

sally.jenkins 04.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Waldorf Astoria, New York City

Bosch GWS 8 115C Angle Grinder

Advantages: Reliable, efficient, well-made
Disadvantages: None

...I should say at the outset that I am NOT a handyman type. However, my late father in law was a stonemason and I inherited some of his tools when he died, and our small patio badly needed relaying. So, remembering some of the tricks of the trade he'd imparted to me I set about cutting some paving slabs to size with a club hammer and a bolster chisel. What had seemed effortless when he did it suddenly became hard graft and, sure enough, the fourth slab toppled when I tried to turn it over and off I went to A&E with a broken finger. A friend heard about my accident and, when he'd finished laughing at my ineptitude, he lent me his angle grinder, a Bosch GWS 8-115C. I was amazed how quickly this contraption ripped through the paving slabs and straight after returning his I immediately bought one of my own. It came in a smart, neatly...

bundook 14.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Bosch GWS 8-115 - Angle Grinder

the grinder that doesn't grind - useless

Advantages: cheap
Disadvantages: lots: the main being that it doesn't do what it claims to!

...Not to be recommended - do not buy! This is a very simple product that mashes well - but only if the foods are VERY soft before you grind them in this food mill. Root vegetables such as potatoes have to be floury and almost mashed already for it to work. Fruit and veg such as avocado and banana etc have to be super ripe (bananas need to be brown!) - otherwise the food grinder doesn't actually grind the food, it just gets stuck. When foods are this soft and mushy you might as well just use a fork on a plate - in fact you'd be better off as the food grinder is tricky to clean! Also, we all know that foods that are overcooked like this have little nutritional value, in fact Annabel Karmel herself has been busy writing about it in her books! I bought this product mainly for the purpose of ridding husk/skin off garden peas, dried...

Lini_M 04.01.2008 (07.01.2008) · Read review
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Review of Annabel Karmel Baby Food Grinder

Into the Grinder

Advantages: Shows the bad side of Slaughter
Disadvantages: NONE

...^^^Into The Grinder^^^ This poem is about the barbaric treatment that sheep get when being sent to the slaughter. Although many people say that sheep don’t have feelings because they’re animals, would you like to be fighting your friends and then crushed? I wrote this in senior school, so I hope you will account for that. Into The Grinder With a prod and bleat they’re shepherded on Into the darkness where the sun never shone, Held in transit, ovine confinement, Dread journey begins the lambs are silent. Into the grinder, mince is the dish, Fields and blue skies, a far distant wish, No chance to sit, crushed they stand, Afraid and alone, their pen unmanned. Panic sets in, they spit and bite, Why, Oh why must they in-fight? With loathing and fear, on each other they turn, As the teeth of the grinder...

Robgingin 16.12.2002 · Read review
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Review of Poetry

One of London's Most Popular Venues

Advantages: Central location, friendly security, seating available upstairs
Disadvantages: Overpriced drinks, shabby interior, early curfews

...~~Venue Details~~ Address: 157 Charing Cross Road, London Directions: At the North end of Charing Cross Road, opposite Centre Point at the crossroads with Oxford Street. Tube: Tottenham Court Road Parking: None Capacity: 1600 Age Limit: No Under 14's. Under 16's only admitted with an adult. No under 18's for club nights. ~~History~~ The Astoria was originally a Crosse and Blackwell pickle factory. It has since been reincarnated as a music hall, theatre and the live music venue and nightclub it is today. The venue was acquired by the Mean Fiddler group (now part of ClearChannel) in May 2000. Bands to have played on the Astoria's stage include Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Metallica, David Bowie, Oasis, Prince, U2, Eminem and The White Stripes. ~~Inside the Venue~~ The Astoria has been used in its current guise as a gig...

Draugen 04.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Astoria (London)

Amazing venue

Advantages: great sound, venue, atmosphere!
Disadvantages: quite dark!

...I have been to the Astoria quite a few times now and so far i have managed to see Less Than Jake, Vanilla Pod, Frenzal Rhomb, Goldfinger and King Prawn there. Each and every gig was amazing, each gig being better than the one before it! This is not only due to the extremely talented bands, but a lot of the credit has to go to the actual venue itself. Although rather small compared to venues such as Wembley stadium, it actually out-does these larger places in viewing and atmosphere! Upstairs from the main standing area there is a bar and seating area which looks over the stage so if youre tired from standing up, you can still enjoy the great music and an amazingly good view of the band. It is a very safe venue as well with many friendly security guards who are there to ensure that people in the mosh pits are safe. They are there...

cherub3001 18.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Astoria (London)

Hotel in Portugal's Paris-Hint of Hercule Poirot

Advantages: Friendly Staff, Great location
Disadvantages: Doesn't have all the mod cons

...The Hotel Astoria is situated in Coimbra, one of the four major cities of Portugal. The other three are Lisbon, Oporto and Braga, and the Portuguese (bless them!) have a little ditty to describe all four. They say, in between mouthfuls of roast suckling pig, that 'Braga prays, Oporto works, Coimbra studies and Lisbon plays'. From that you can probably guess that Coimbra is the principal university town, their version of Oxbridge. It is, in my opinion the best-looking and friendliest major city in Portugal. The bulk of the city and the campus areas are on and around a dome like hill and is the usual Portuguese mix of white marble and redbrick squalor. The residential and commercial centre however is on the banks of a wide meandering river, the River Mondego. It is here that you will find the Hotel Astoria, overlooking the river and close...

bigush 03.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Astoria Hotel Coimbra