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dt2017-07 | Juan Antolín-Díaz, Juan F. Rubio-Ramírez, 23/03/2017
We identify structural vector autoregressions using narrative sign restrictions. Narrative sign restrictions constrain the structural shocks and the historical decomposition around key historical events, ensuring that they agree with the established narrative account of these episodes. Using models of the oil market and monetary policy, we show that narrative sign restrictions are highly informative. We highlight that adding a single narrative sign restriction dramatically sharpens and even changes the inference of SVARs originally identified via traditional sign restrictions. Our approach combines the appeal of narrative methods with the popularized usage of traditional sign restrictions.
dt2017-06 | David Troncoso-Ponce, 16/03/2017
This article presents hshaz2, a new Stata command that uses d2 ml method to estimate discrete time duration models with unobserved heterogeneity. The main advantage of using hshaz2 is the gain in computation speed, that takes special relevance as the sample size increases.
dt2017-03 | Emilio Albi, 13/02/2017
El azar puede ofrecer el estímulo que contrarreste comportamientos no deseables de los partidos políticos en la elección de altos cargos, La aleatoriedad rompe el incentivo de seguir conductas políticas oportunistas ya que lo fortuito elimina saber quién hará tal cosa o conseguirá tal otra. "Cargos por azar" intenta despolitizar la elección de altos cargos en muy diversas instituciones del Estado.
dt2016-07 | Martin M. Andreasen, Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Juan F. Rubio-Ramírez, 06/09/2016
This paper studies the pruned state-space system for higher-order perturbation ap- proximations to DSGE models. We show the stability of the pruned approximation up to third order and provide closed-form expressions for Örst and second unconditional moments and impulse response functions. Our results introduce GMM estimation and impulse-response matching for DSGE models approximated up to third order and pro- vide a foundation for indirect inference and SMM. As an application, we consider a New Keynesian model with Epstein-Zin-Weil preferences and two novel feedback e§ects from long-term bonds to the real economy, allowing us to match the level and variability of the 10-year term premium in the U.S. with a low relative risk aversion of 5.
dt2016-01 | Sergi Jiménez-Martín, José María Labeaga, 14/01/2016
We present Generalized Method of Moments estimators for AR(1) dynamic panel data sample selection models. We perform a Monte Carlo study to evaluate the finite sample properties of the proposed estimators. Our results suggest that correcting for sample selection in many standard cases does not add much to the uncorrected estimates. In particular, the magnitude of the biases is similar and very small when estimating the model either correcting or not the equation of interest. This equivalence also holds in the dynamic model with exogenous regressors. These results are especially relevant for practitioners either when there is selection of unknown form or selection is difficult to model.
fpp2015-03 | J. Ignacio Conde-Ruiz, Carmen Hoya, 11/02/2015
This policy paper presents an analysis of the current situation of female representation on the boards of Directors of the 35 largest publicly listed Spanish companies. Whenever possible, it compares the situation in 2013 to that of 2007, the year in which the "Gender Equality Act" was passed. The law stated that in 2015 it would assess progress and decide whether or not to introduce more drastic measures or implement further actions if necessary. The paper finds there is still a long way to go until gender equality is reached. Female representation on the boards is still below the EU-28 average and more importantly well below the 40% objective the Spanish Government set in 2007 to be met in 2015. Moreover, even though female board members are paid on average less than male board members (even when comparing in the same job position and the same company), they are younger and more educated than their male colleagues. An analysis of the Spanish situation and of the EU context suggests that the only way forward is through binding legislation (i.e. gender quotas with sanctions for non-complying companies).
dt-2014-20 | Facundo Albornoz, Antonio Cabrales, Esther Hauk, 22/12/2014
We study a model that integrates productive and socialization efforts with network choice and parental investments. We characterize the unique symmetric equilibrium of this game. We first show that individuals underinvest in productive and social effort, but that solving only the investment problem can exacerbate the misallocations due to network choice, to the point that it may generate an even lower social welfare if one of the networks is sufficiently disadvantaged. We also study the interaction of parental investment with network choice. We relate these equilibrium results with characteristics that we find in the data on economic co-authorship and field transmission between advisors and advisees.
dt-2014-18 | Antonio Cabrales, Piero Gottardi, Fernando Vega-Redondo, 09/12/2014
We investigate the trade-off, arising in financial networks, between higher risk-sharing and greater exposure to contagion when the connectivity increases. We find that with shock distributions displaying "fat" tails, extreme segmentation into small components is optimal, while minimal segmentation and high density of connections are optimal with distributions exhibiting "thin" tails. For less regular distributions, intermediate degrees of segmentation and sparser connections are optimal. If firms are heterogeneous, optimality requires perfect assortativity in their linkages. In gen- eral, however, a conflict arises between optimality and individual incentives to establish linkages, due to a "size externality" not internalized by firms.
dt-2014-10 | Mikel Pérez-Nievas, J. Ignacio Conde-Ruiz, Eduardo L. Giménez, 15/09/2014
This paper explores the properties of several notions of efficiency (Α-efficiency, Ρ-efficiency and Millian efficiency) to evaluate allocations in a general overlapping generations setting with endogenous fertility and descendant altruism that includes, as a particular case, Barro and Becker's (1988) model of fertility choice. We first focus on the notion of Α-efficiency, proposed by Golosov, Jones and Tertilt (Econometrica, 2007) and show that, in many environments, the set of symmetric, interior, Α-efficient allocations is empty. To overcome this problem, we then propose to evaluate the efficiency of a given allocation with a particular specification of Ρ-efficiency –proposed also by Golosov et al.– for which the utility attributed to the unborn depends on the utility level achieved by those who get to be born in a given allocation. For a large class of specifications of the function determining the utility attributed to the unborn, every Millian efficient allocation, that is, every symmetric allocation that is not Α-dominated by any other symmetric allocation, is also Ρ-efficient. Finally, we restate the First Welfare Theorem by showing that a) every competitive equilibrium is a –statically– Millian efficient allocation; and that b) if long-run wages do not exceed the capitalized costs of rearing children, then competitive equilibria are also –dynamically– Millian efficient.
dt-2014-09 | Aranzazu Crespo, Marcel Jansen, 17/08/2014
This paper analyzes the role that global value chains (GVC) have played during the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, and the key policy challenges that Spain faces. First, we provide a comparative analysis of the export performance and FDI activities of Spanish firms, using the firm-level information of the EFIGE dataset. Then, we use input-output tables from the WIOD database to identify the industries whose participation in GVCs should be promoted since they retain a larger share of domestic value added. Finally, we analyze the capacity of GVCs to amplify or act as built-in stabilizers following economic downturns. To do so, we compute the first round impact on Spanish gross exports and domestic value added of a 10% increase in final demand in selected areas of the world. Spain's gross exports would be worth 2.28% of GDP while the domestic value added from export would grow by 2.34%, which suggests that GVCs act as stabilizers since the promote more the domestic value added components.
dt-2014-05 | Jesús Fernández-Huertas Moraga, 26/05/2014
Spain received more immigrants than any other European country during its boom between 1997 and 2007 but continued receiving them during the recession that followed. This paper documents the selection of these immigrants in terms of their productive characteristics both before and after the peak of the boom. Pre-crisis immigrants were typically positively selected although selection was less positive for some over-represented national groups. Post-crisis immigration became even more positively selected, as well as older and more feminized.
dt-2014-03 | Michel Beinea, Simone Bertolib, Jesús Fernández-Huertas Moraga, 13/02/2014
The use of bilateral data for the analysis of international migration is at the same time a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing since the dyadic dimension of the data allows researchers to analyze many previously unaddressed questions in the literature. This paper reviews some of the recent studies using this type of data in a gravity framework in order to identify important factors affecting international migration ows. Our review demonstrates that considerable efforts have been conducted by many scholars and that overall we have a much better knowledge of the relevant determinants. Still, the use of bilateral data is also a curse. The methodological challenges that are implied by the use of this type of data are numerous and our paper covers some of the most significant ones. These include sound theoretical foundations, accounting for multilateral resistance to migration as well the choice of appropriate estimation techniques dealing with the nature of the migration data and with endogeneity concerns.


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MOVIE SYNOPSIS [ General Audiences ] With production of USA, this film of 2015 has been directed by Dan Riddle. You can watch The Last Possession online on TV cable or theaters with original audio in English at different dates. This film premiered in theaters in 2015.
Rating: 5 by 10 users./
Runtime: 100 minutes
Stephen Brodie, Cassie Shea Watson, Tom Proctor, Patricia Rae, Sawyer Bell, Lourelle Jensen, Daniel Escudero, James Logan, Martin Ezelle and Aubrey Dupre.
100-minute film (full movie) directed by Dan Riddle.
The original audio of The Last Possession has dialogues in Dolby Digital, it was produced in USA.
It premiered in cinemas or television in 2015.
Screenplay written by Greg Shouse.
Alex Simon.
Daniel Alexander, Frankey Dey and John Alexander.
This film was produced and / or financed by FortWinter Films and Filmspire Productions.
Without commercial breaks, the full movie The Last Possession has a duration of 100 minutes; the official trailer can be watched in streaming on the Internet. You can watch this full movie free in EnglishDolby Digital in movie TV channels, renting the DVD or with VoD services (Video On Demand player, Hulu) and PPV (Pay Per View, Netflix).
See the page of this full movie, The Last Possession in FULLTV Movies.

subset: commoncrawl


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What Makes a Book Good?
I worked in the digital marketing department of one of the big five publishers for over six years, so like the rest of these ladies, I've read a lot of books. Like, a LOT a lot.
I'm a tough critic, but I'm far from being an editor! I've only read a handful of books that I really could not finish. And most of those involved a plot where girl is engaged, girl meets another boy, girl has overly sexualized affair with said boy, finance finds out…you get the idea.
I rate my books on a scale of 1-5, with a score of five being one of the best books I've enjoyed, and a score of one meaning that I couldn't finish the book. A score of five will be reserved for the best-of-the-best. Most good books will receive a score of four.
By genre:
Women's Fiction, Mystery/Thriller -
I want to read a book that has me thumbing the corners so much that by the last page, the width of the book has doubled in size from bent pages. A book that is so well planned and executed that tears pour from my eyes, or have me shouting "WHERE DID THAT COME FROM??!" – in a good way! A book that might have some purple prose, but written with a purpose.
Favorites: Shantaram (Roberts), The Dogs of Babel (Parkhurst), Winter Garden (Hannah), The Lock Artist (Hamilton), Andorra (Cameron).
I do, actually, enjoy reading business books, and I have a shelf devoted to them at home. It boils down to two things:
• Does this book work for me, right now, with where I am in my career? Or do I need to be a C-level executive to put what I've learned to good use?
• Does this book use too many business terms that nearly put me to sleep? I recently tried to read a book that came highly recommended by a senior executive, and couldn't make it past the first ten pages. Business ≠ robot. I want to be invested in the knowledge the book provides, not feel like I'm sitting in a college lecture.
Favorites: Managing Oneself (Drucker), What to Ask the Person in the Mirror (Steven), Reaching Your Potential (Kaplan). Almost anything by Drucker, Lencioni, Goleman.
I love food. I love running. I have to run because I love food so darn much. I try (and regularly fail) to be health-conscious, so I am always up for a good cookbook or running book that I can put to good use.
Favorites: The Juice Generation, Eat and Run (Jurek), Born to Run (McDougall), The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics (use the turkey recipe amended for your needs - it works flawlessly every single time).
I love a good memoir. There isn't much to say here aside from whether I deem the person worthy of writing a memoir (sorry, Lena Dunham!), but I love little nuggets and insight into the lives of people I admire.
Favorites include: After All (Moore), Eat, Pray, Love (Gilbert)


text: Efficacy and Physicochemical Evaluation of an Optimized Semisolid Formulation of Povidone Iodine Proposed by Extreme Vertices Statistical Design; a Practical ApproachFarzaneh Lotfipour, Hadi Valizadeh, Shahin Shademan, Farnaz MonajjemzadehIranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR2015One of the most significant issues in pharmaceutical industries, prior to commercialization of a pharmaceutical preparation is the "preformulation" stage. However, far too attention has been paid to verification of the software assisted statistical designs in preformulation studies. The main aim of this study was to report a step by step preformulation… (More)


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Equipment used:
Nikon D90
Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR II
Adobe Photoshop CS5 for stitching 4 single pictures together
Wildkögel, Neukirchen am Großvernediger, Austria
Road Map , Terrain , Earth
Background Information:
The Großer Rettenstein is a mountain with multiple peaks in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria. The main summit reaches a height of 2,362 m AA Although not the highest mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps (that honour goes to the Kreuzjoch at 2,558 m AA), the Großer Rettenstein is the most striking in this range of otherwise gentle grass-covered mountains. It also has a mighty, craggy, summit block made of limestone, four hundred metres high, that stands atop base of grauwacke and primary rock (Urgestein – quartz phyllite). The Rettenstein is the dominating peak of the Spertental valley. Its isolated location also makes the summit an outstanding viewing point and it is therefore a popular destination. To the north the Rettenstein sends a long ridge out to the Spiessnägel, that separates the oberer Grund and unterer Grund.


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Ben Hur Paperback
by Lewis Wallace
Part of the Wordsworth Classics series
An immediate best-seller on publication, Ben Hur remains a dazzling achievement by any standards.
A thoroughly exhilarating tale of betrayal, revenge and salvation, it is the only novel that ranks with Uncle Tom's Cabin as a genuine American folk possession.
This was the book that finally overcame the inherent suspicion of fiction that still prevailed in much of america in the late nineteenth century. Wallace writes with a freshness and immediacy that brings every action-packed scene to life and illuminates the geography, ethnology and customs of the ancient world.
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 400 pages
- Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
- Publication Date: 09/10/1995
- Category: Classic fiction (pre c 1945)
Other Formats
- Paperback from £4.75
- Paperback / softback from £14.35
- Hardback from £22.95
Free Home Delivery
on all orders
Pick up orders
from local bookshops
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 reviews.
Review by john257hopper
I have to say I did not find this novel as moving as I did Quo Vadis, that other 19th century novel about early Christianity. It rather dragged in places and some of the characters seemed rather flat. It covers a longer period of time than the famous film, as the first 50 pages concern the birth of Christ and in particular the progress of the Magi. As for other comparisons, the "real" Ben Hur sounds nothing like Charlton Heston, not only physically, but also in that here in the novel his desire for vengeance on Messala comes out more strongly as the chief personal drive of his life. Particular moving moments were the immediate aftermath of the accident that led to Ben Hur's arrest and that of his family and the later discovery of the appalling treatment and condition of his mother (unnamed for some reason) and sister Tirzah. In sum, I'm glad I read this novel, but it was a bit of a struggle in parts.
Also by Lewis Wallace | View all
Also in the Wordsworth Classics series | View all


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|Page (1) of 1 - 04/27/05
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Waterman Broadcasting Taps BitCentral's Play-to-Air SolutionBitCentral to install its Précis End-to-End Play-to-Air system into all stations (April 27, 2005)
BitCentral, Inc., a leading provider of video content management and distribution solutions, recently announced that Waterman Broadcasting of Ft. Meyers, FL has purchased the company's Précis End-to-End Play-to-Air system for all of the corporation's stations, located in the Southern United States. The stations set to receive Précis include both the ABC and NBC affiliates in Ft. Meyers, FL, as well as the NBC affiliate station in Charlottesville, VA.
The BitCentral Précis solution gives national and regional broadcast outlets the ability to immediately upgrade to a file based news workflow from ingest to air by providing a station's news team with the best tools possible to quickly deliver high quality news to its market. Précis is an integrated solution ingesting multiple analog NTSC sources, such as microwave feeds or SDI sources, into the station's digital workflow, and allows the news team to gather, edit, and file stories remotely. Précis also adds end-to-end, redundant digital news management solutions with non-proprietary storage and archiving capabilities.
In addition to the robust features and attractive price point of Précis, Waterman Broadcasting selected this product solution because NBC successfully deployed BitCentral's MediaPipe news management and distribution system in 2003 at the NBC NewsChannel for the clean and clear dissemination of national news to various affiliate stations nationally, including the two corresponding outlets owned by Waterman Broadcasting in Ft. Meyers, FL and Charlottesville, VA.
"BitCentral's Précis solution will greatly benefit Waterman Broadcasting's affiliate stations by delivering the ability to seamlessly integrate local news into the national news interface," said Fred Fourcher, CEO for BitCentral. "Our MediaPipe news management and distribution system has worked flawlessly at the NBC NewsChannel, and we look forward to our Précis solution to provide Waterman's stations a more efficient workflow process that will save these stations both time and money as well as generate better quality video. Since national stories are already delivered to two Waterman stations through our system, the Précis solution is the logical next step to further streamline their workflow. No other company can integrate local and national news as efficiently as we can and more importantly, Précis can be purchased for considerably less cost of other similar digital systems and installation is measured in hours instead of weeks."
"We thoroughly surveyed the market and found no other competing product to be as comprehensive, easy-to-install, or attractively priced as the Précis solution from BitCentral," concurred Dan Billings, Director of Engineering and Technology for Waterman Broadcasting. "The entire system is able to be installed and be on-line in a matter of hours and, more importantly, is very user friendly. Our station personnel have quickly adapted to the more efficient workflow, which is another benefit in the ever-changing news landscape where time is always a critical resource."
According to BitCentral, tape based stations can spend between 30 to 90 minutes to prepare a clip for air, which includes a significant amount of time 'sneaker netting' around the station, due to the lack of a networked environment. In contrast, Précis is a computer based solution using a file based system so raw footage can be ingested and edited in the field and the finished clip sent to the station over microwave or even over the internet. "Even if the clip is walked in the door on tape, it can be edited and ready to air in 3 to 5 minutes," continued Fourcher, "dramatically reducing the time to air, while offering a significant competitive market advantage."
"BitCentral is pleased to forge a relationship with Waterman Broadcasting and looks forward to the station reaping the benefits of our Précis End-to-End Play-to-Air system. We are firmly committed to changing the entire production workflow paradigm that has plagued the national and regional broadcast industry for some time," concluded Fourcher. "Ultimately, the Précis system will provide producers more control over their stories and give them the ability to create higher quality segments while also greatly increasing the speed-to-air time and improving the bottom line for station owners."
About BitCentral Inc.
BitCentral provides broadcast-quality digital media content management and distribution solutions to broadcasters, educators, government, corporations and operators of private networks. BitCentral combines broadcast and network computing technologies with its proprietary MediaPipe software to deliver an infrastructure that enables customers to ingest, manage, distribute, store and play video in diverse network environments and applications. The BitCentral Precis software solution facilitates end-to-end, all-digital play-to-air workflows at individual TV stations. The Company's turnkey solutions include integrated hardware and software, installation, training, maintenance and continuous 7 by 24 customer support. BitCentral's services help customers to lower costs, increase efficiencies and effectiveness, and recognize new revenues. BitCentral, formerly Miralite Communications, was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Irvine, CA.
For further information, contact Steve Cart at BitCentral, Inc. at: 18872 Bardeen Avenue, Irvine, CA 92612; Phone: (949) 417-4177; Fax: (949) 474-1885 or visit the company's website at www.bitcentral.com.
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Related Keywords:BitCentral, Waterman Broadcasting, Précis, MediaPipe, Fred Fourcher, Dan Billings


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Jason C. Heizer
Local Manager
P.O. Box 65601
Virginia Beach, VA 23467
Contact Jason C. Heizer
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
In addition to working out of our Virginia Beach, VA office, Jason C. Heizer also provides tree service from our Gloucester, VA and Williamsburg, VA offices.
South Hampton Roads Office Staff
Bobby Nance
Arborist Representative/Plant Health Care SpecialistLearn More
Jill Frantz
Administrative AssistantLearn More
What Our Customers Are Saying About Jason C. Heizer
I have great confidence in Jason and his crew. They are professional and knowledgeable.
Ettalea K., Hampton, VA
Everyone was very nice and quick to respond to questions and phone calls. Jason is very knowledgeable and shares information in a way everyone can relate to. We are very pleased with the service we have received during our first year with Bartlett and look forward to more improvement with our landscaping under your service.
Alma H., Virginia Beach, VA
The crew removed two large trees near my property under contract with the City of Hampton. The crew was very diligent in making sure they did not harm the new concrete. I am very appreciative!
Susanna K., Hampton, VA


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Apt 8 'Aquilla @ Bay View Centro
Apartment, Dunsborough
Rated 5 out of 5 stars 3 reviews
Confirmation within 24hr
From $173 per night {{quote.pricing.message}} Total {{quote.pricing.price | format:'currency':'short'}} for
Min 2 - 4 nights stay
Holiday in style with Dunsborough at your front door in this perfectly situated apartment in quiet location where you can make the most of all Dunsborough has to offer. 'Aquilla' is located within the Bay View Centro complex.
to inquire about availability please scroll down the page to the 'Have a Question' and send us a message The 7 commission charged by www.stayz.com.au to the property owner has been included in the tariff & mandatory costs. You can book direct with the property manager by lodging an enquiry.
'Aquilla' is a spacious three level modern townhouse offering 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, private laundry facilities and easy accommodates 6 people, only 100 metres from the centre of town, with 'Christian Fletchers' gallery and gorgeous 'Meelup' cafe as part of the complex.
Walk to Yallingup Coffee House or stroll just 200m to the blue waters of Geographe Bay.
With the large living areas, beautifully appointed bedrooms, well equipped kitchen and a balcony overlooking a park, this apartment is perfect for your next getaway down south.
So come and enjoy the experience of staying in a beautiful apartment with everything Dunsborough has to offer at your doorstep.
Bedding Configuration
Bed 1: queen1
Bed 2: queen1
Bed 3: double1, single1
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Feel free to send a message to the owner/manager if you have any specific needs, or if you require additional information before you can commit to a booking request.
Select request booking to access the quote calculator and to check availability.
Enter your check in and check out dates to see availability and a total price.
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Prices listed based on 7 adults. Property has 4 beds and can sleep a maximum 7 people.
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The workings of contraception is to seek to prevent ovulation, sperm Disable and Block the sperm meeting the egg.
Broadly speaking, contraceptive divided into two, namely hormonal and non-hormonal contraception.
Hormonal contraception.Hormonal contraception is one of the most effective methods for controlling fertility is reversible. Hormonal contraception is one way to prevent pregnancy that contains the steroid hormone. The requirements to be met by a method of contraception that is safe / harmless, reliable, simple, inexpensive, can be accepted by the people, and the long-term use.
Types of hormonal contraceptives
- Contraceptive tablets
- Injectable Contraception
- Contraceptive Implant / Norplant
Non Hormonal ContraceptionNon-hormonal contraception is a method of contraception used by blocking the sperm meets the egg. So no fertilization occurs resulting fetus.
Examples of non-hormonal contraceptives include: condoms, IUD (intra-uterine disease), etc.
In addition to the above methods of contraception, there are some traditional methods of contraception that can be used. Same function, namely to prevent pregnancy. Usually by using plants as medicine. One of these plants is Chasteberry - Vitex trifolia L. Chasteberry - Vitex trifolia L contains a substance that can reduce the quality of the male sperm. Thereby reducing the risk of egg fertilization. which aims to prevent pregnancy.
By consuming the root of Chasteberry - Vitex trifolia L regularly, it takes effect on male contraception. You do this by boiling the root of Chasteberry - Vitex trifolia L, then take water to drink.


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2017 Year Letter is "E"
Performance/Registry — Online Registrations
Register your Canadian Angus Online
The Canadian Angus Association is proud to offer its members the opportunity to register their calf crop online. If you have already signed up for online registrations, you may use the link for Authorized Users to go directly to the sign-in page.
If you are a member of the Canadian Angus Association and would like to register online:
- Read important information for Authorized Users
- Complete the Electronic Registration Agreement
If you have trouble with the registration process, please contact Stacy for more information (phone toll-free 1-888-571-3580 during regular business hours).
When doing on-line registration, please take care to not duplicate animals. Please return all RFI's (in writing) with updates to the registry staff for input.
Online Registration Instructions
It is recommended that you refer to the Online Registration Instructions to help you walk through the online form.
Online Registration Status Indicators
You may also wish to refer to the Online Registration Status Indicators to help you understand the meaning of system messages for online registration.


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Pop Culture
Hollywood Now: Chris Pine, Rachel Weisz & Ari Graynor, Plus So Many Babies!By Gerri Miller
New flicks with celebs in interfaith relationships and from interfaith backgrounds, plus their baby news!Go To Pop Culture
Tag Archives: Flood
Noah and The Flood: What You Don't Know
What to say about this Torah portion, Noah (Genesis chapters 6 – 10)? There are just so many different ways to view this narrative. Many people like to think of the story of Noah's Ark, the flood and the rainbow as a children's story, and that's fine–as long as you don't look too closely at it. Because once you take a closer look, you will understand that not only did all the depraved human beings drown in this cataclysm sent by God to undo all of God's own recent creation, all of the innocent babies, children, and animals also drowned, except of course, the fish, other sea creatures, and those saved on the ark.
So, first, let's agree that this is more than a child's fable, and it raises disturbing questions.
For the basic outline of the story, take a look at g-dcast for this parasha:
Who was Noah? Was he a "righteous man" as described in chapter 6 verse 9? And what does that mean? The rest of the phrase describing him is that he "was a righteous man IN HIS GENERATION." The rabbis of the Talmud debate: does this mean Noah was absolutely pious and good, with the right moral compass or rather, that he was just a good-enough fellow, and good only in comparison with the absolutely debased human beings populating the earth at that time? What do you think?
Then, let's agree that this biblical story has much in common with the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian tale recorded on clay tablets dating back to at least 2000 BCE, based on some even older accounts, written in archaic poetic style, found in the geographical area of what is today modern Iraq. Contemporary scholars believe that the biblical account fuses several traditions of near-eastern flood stories, and although there are dozens of similarities, the biblical authors have a different purpose in mind when they re-tell the story of the Flood. Instead of warring gods on a quest for immortality, the narrative in the Hebrew Bible is an argument for a Creator who demands adherence to a universal moral code. From this story, western civilization derives something called the Noahide Laws, which seem to be a precursor to the Ten Commandments and are laws incumbent upon all people, not just the Hebrews.
Finally, Noah gets off his Ark and builds an altar to God; he is witness to the sign of the covenant (the rainbow) when God promises never to destroy creation again with a flood. And what does he do? Plants a vineyard. And when the grapes are ripe, he gets rip-roaring drunk (chapter 9 verse 21). Why do you suppose this is included in this iconic story? And what do we think of the way his sons react and the consequences for the family? (verses 22-27) This is definitely some R-rated material, not just for kids!
If you're intrigued by the more "mature content" of this story, here are links to reading material that may catch your fancy:
Finally: here are some life lessons one could take from the Noah's Ark story; after you read the biblical narrative, pick which lesson is meant especially for you.
Bereshit! Again!
On Simchat Torah this year (Tuesday Oct. 9) we finished reading the entire Five Books of Moses and rolled the Torah scroll back to the first of the Five Books, Bereshit/In the Beginning, more commonly known by its Latin name, Genesis. This Shabbat, October 13, our parasha (weekly Torah reading) is called Shabbat Bereshit, and we start the annual reading cycle over again with Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. I don't know about you, but I think new beginnings are exciting in and of themselves, partly because we have an expectation that something new and surprising is going to unfold.
No matter that we may have read these verses before — in fact, we may have read them many times. And no matter that echoes of these verses have entered our lexicon and the consciousness of Western Civilization. After all, here is the biblical creation story — the poetic rendering of the way our world began. This is where we here sonorous, lofty phrases such as "Let there be Light!" This is where we meet some of the best known Bible figures: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel and Noah. Lots of us have memories of these guys from our childhood, from the comic book version of the Bible, or a beautifully rendered children's book.
These first five chapters and the first 8 verses of chapter 6 are so chock full of interesting things — so many puzzles, so many questions, so much angst and drama and so many beautiful images — that it is really hard to focus on just one thing. In fact, the creators of the G-dcast produced TWO renditions of this Parasha; watch both — each has different big ideas!
Chapter 1 gives us the famous creation story. But right away, in chapter 2, we get another creation story! How does that happen? What are the differences between these two stories? Which do you like more? Why do you suppose that the editors of the Torah kept both stories? Chapter 3 gives us the story of the Garden of Eden, and how the two humans interacted with their new pristine environment, with each other, and with God. In Chapter 4 we read more about this first human family, the two sons born to the first couple, and the first murder! Chapter 5 provides the first biblical genealogy, which some folks think has lots of fascinating tidbits to chew on. And in the first verses of Chapter 6, we get the set-up to the flood saga…
Doesn't it seem like this should be divided into at least a month of Shabbat readings instead of all being packed into one week??
Lots of people have favorite parts in Parashat Bereshit. I happen to love verses 27 and 28 of Chapter 1:
Why? Well, it embodies a core Jewish belief—that each human is created in the image of God, and, at the very beginning, the first human was both male and female, some mystical androgynous being that later was separated.


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1999 Frank Family Vineyards Winston Hill
Red Bordeaux Blend
- California
- Napa Valley
- Rutherford
Community Tasting Note
vintagedds wrote: (93 points)
November 15, 2012 - A great bottle of wine. Deep rub in color. The nose was not overpowering, but subtle hints of cherry, oak, licorice and cocoa. The flavors on the palate were enormous filled with blackberry, plum, cherry, spice, and an undertone of earhiness. The wine had a very long finish. Great Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.1,482 views


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All the information you need in one place! Each Study Brief is a summary of one specific subject; facts, figures, and explanations to help you learn faster.
List price: $133.80Edition: 7thCopyright year: 2007Publisher: Prentice Hall PTRPublication date: 1/27/2006Binding: PaperbackPages: 648Size: 8.75" wide x 11.25" long x 1.25" tall Weight: 5.104Language: English
Walter B. Denny is Professor of Art History atthe University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Joseph Jacobs was born in Sydney, Australia on August 29, 1854. After graduating from Cambridge University in 1876, he pursued a full and varied career, writing many essays for various periodicals including a famous series in 1882 on the Russian persecutions of the Jews. He also made his influence felt as a Jew by editing the first issues of The Jewish Yearbook (1896--99), serving as president of the Jewish Historical Society, and editing The Jewish Encyclopedia. He later served as professor of English at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. His interest in folklore grew out of his studies in anthropology. From 1890 to 1893, he edited Folk Lore, a British journal on the subject. He also edited the Arabian Nights and Aesop's Fables and produced a series of fairy tale books. These fairy tale collections were the result of regular research in folklore, literature, anthropology, and other fields, and they are, perhaps, the works for which he is best remembered today. While other collectors of English folk tales rewrote or left out the crude language of the originals, he brought the vigor of colloquial English into his folk tale collections, and such memorable phrases as Fee-fi-fo-fum and chinny chin chin remain the strength of his contributions. He died on January 30, 1916.
Penelope J. E. Daviesis Associate Professor at the University of Texas, Austin. She is a scholar of Greek and Roman art and architecture as well as a field archaeologist. She is author ofDeath and the Emperor: Roman Imperial Funerary Monuments from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius, winner of the Vasari Award. nbsp; Walter B. Dennyis a Professor of Art History at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.nbsp; In addition to exhibition catalogues, his publications include books on Ottoman Turkish carpets, textiles, and ceramics, and articles on miniature painting, architecture and architectural decoration. nbsp; Frima Fox Hofrichteris Professor and former Chair of the History of Art and Design department at Pratt Institute.nbsp; She is author ofJudith Leyster, A Dutch Artist in Hollandrsquo;s Golden Age, which received CAArsquo;s Millard Meiss Publication Fund Award. nbsp; Joseph Jacobsis an independent scholar, critic, and art historian of modern art in New York City.nbsp; He was the curator of modern art at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, director of the Oklahoma City Art Museum, and curator of American art at The Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey. nbsp; David L. Simonis Jetteacute; Professor of Art at Colby College, where he received the Basset Teaching Award in 2005. Among his publications is the catalogue of Spanish and southern French Romanesque sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters. nbsp; Ann M. Roberts, Professor of Art at Lake Forest College has published essays, articles and reviews on both Northern and Italian Renaissance topics. Her research focuses on women in the Renaissance, and her most recent publication is entitledDominican Women and Renaissance Art:The Convent of San Domenico of Pisa. nbsp; H. W. Jansonwas a legendary name in art history.nbsp; During his long career as a teacher and scholar, he helped define the discipline through his impressive books and other publications.nbsp; nbsp; Anthony F. Jansonforged a distinguished career as a professor, scholar, museum professional and writer.nbsp; From the time of his fatherrsquo;s death in 1982 until 2004, he authoredHistory of Art.
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Aurach - Ski Area Guide
Aurach, Austria
Ski Resort in Austrian Alps (800m to 1,973m)
A small spread out settlement but a nice alternative for skiing at Kitzbuhel. It has a small ski area of its own at Stuckkogel. Austria's most famous resort, a lively town with chic overtones which most skiers agree has Austria's best intermediate/expert skiing in the mountains above it.
Aurach Snow News
The next notable snow forecast for Aurach is 1cm, expected on 20 November, with around 6cm forecast over the next 7 days. There is some snow currently indicated by the long-range (7 days+) forecast; but too far ahead to be relied upon.
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Who is Aurach good for?
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The Austrian Ski Resort of Aurach has direct access to 22 individual pistes, served by 26 ski lifts.
There are three Airports within two hours drive, so ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Aurach are perfectly feasible. Salzburg Airport is just one hours drive away, in good driving conditions, so you can be on the piste quickly.
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All levels of skier ability, from Beginner to Expert, are well-catered for in Aurach.
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The terrain on Kitzbüheler Horn was rated with '3 hats' by the Mystery Boarder and is one of Tyrol's most scenic and popular snowboarding areas. Discover the perfect half-pipe with sound system at the sunniest & best location.
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Aurach Ski Resort is:
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NOTE:- Opening subject to Snow Conditions in Aurach.
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Snowmaking :- Aurach is able to augment natural snow, on 47km of ski runs, with 129 Snow Cannons.
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Ski Lift Capacity :- The 26 Ski Lifts of Aurach are able to uplift 28,990 skiers / snowboarders per hour.
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text: What are some things you have your employees do such as wearing a company logoed shirt, reporting accidents or customer wants, asking in advance for days off, etc. I am looking to a document including these and other ideas, was wondering what are the top few wishes or demands that other LCO's have set-up for employees. Thanks MN Wildwood


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Buckwalter Used Car Lots
Just wondering when both ends of the Buckwalter Parkway became used car lots? Am waiting for makeshift signs to be put up advertising Used Cars Sold Here across from Berkley Place and by the 46/Buckwalter intersection. Lord knows we can't leave cars out in the streets in any of our subdivisions, can't imagine it's ok with the authorities to be leaving these cars all hours of the day and night with for sale signs on them (unless the cars' owners are the owners of the properties where these are sitting).


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Burswood Limited
Burswood Limited(BIR)
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This Perth casino operator's first-half profit was disappointing. Net profit fell 61% to $4.5m and the interim dividend was slashed from 2 cents to 0.75 cents. The company is not as expensive as it was this time last year and we reiterate our recommendation of issue 116...


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Published: Friday 9th January 2015 by The News Editor
England batsman James Taylor believes new one-day captain Eoin Morgan is the "strong leader" needed to drive the side forward.
The squad convened in Australia this week without former skipper Alastair Cook, whose chronic lack of form saw him cut adrift and replaced with Morgan on the eve of the World Cup.
The Dubliner only has this month's Carlton Bank Tri-Series against the host nation and India to put his stamp on a team that has struggled to find a winning formula in 50-over cricket.
But Morgan is an entirely different character to Cook, having made his name as a dynamic short-form player rather than a Test lynchpin, and Taylor is confident he is the man to inspire a change in fortune.
"It's an exciting time for England under Morgs, it's a new era," he said.
"We're all looking forward to playing under him. I know the kind of guy he is, he's a strong guy and I'm sure he'll be a strong leader too.
"He'll be very similar to the way he bats: exciting and aggressive.
"I have played under him in a couple of ODIs against Ireland and he's a great captain."
Cook might find it hard to share in the sense of enthusiasm as he broods on his axeing and watches the side he led for three-and-a-half years on television.
But with the odds stacked against England in both the Tri-Series and the World Cup, the 15-strong squad who began their trip Down Under with a training session in Canberra on Friday cannot afford to ponder their former leader's fate.
"It was a tough call but we've got to move on," said Taylor.
"It's something we can't dwell on too much. You're judged on performances and that's what happened in the end with Alastair.
"Ultimately we're all judged on performances and winning games and that's what we're aiming to do.
"We're looking to get a bit of rhythm and form in the Tri-Series then in the World Cup who knows what we could do."
Taylor has just six ODI caps to his name but booked his place on the plane by cracking 90 and 68 in successive innings in Sri Lanka last month.
Cook's absence means a top-order shake-up is inevitable but what role the 25-year-old Nottinghamshire man has in it remains to be seen.
"Hopefully it does open up a spot for me to play but it's up to me to take the opportunity if it does appear," he said.
"I don't know where I'll be batting in the side, I'm just looking to get in the team. If it's in the middle order or at number three I'm not really fussed as long as I'm playing.
"I had a brief little taster in Sri Lanka and hopefully I can go one step further to cementing my spot in Australia."
England are in action on Monday, kicking off their trip with with a tour match against an ACT XI at the Manuka Oval.
Published: Friday 9th January 2015 by The News Editor


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It was one of the postseason's strangest TV moments: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg awkwardly standing by while Fox's Kenny Albert interviewed Yankees after Sunday's pennant- clincher.
With Election Day near, it was unclear whether Bloomberg was hoping to be asked a question, merely was looking for camera time or perhaps was engrossed in the interviews after the other dignitaries who had been introduced wandered off.
Albert didn't know, but he did say no diss was intended.
"They were telling me in my ear who to ask for next,'' he said. "I was just following orders from the truck.
"I noticed he was there, but I was turned a little to my right and he was to my left. I definitely knew it, but out of the corner of my eye. I didn't realize until I watched it on my DVR that at some point everyone had left except him.''


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South of Santiago
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Mumbai: Radio One 94.3FM, the brand owned by Next Radio Ltd, a subsidiary of Next Mediaworks Ltd, has completed 10 years and is planning to celebrate the milestone from 4th September 2017 ti... Read more
Mumbai: The promotions of Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer and Imtiaz Ali directorial 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' have stood out for its unique marketing strategies. Shah Rukh Khan's Red... Read more
Mumbai: The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards returns after two long years. The previous award function held in 2014 was a rather zealous event. Among the many celebrities who bagg... Read more
Mumbai: Planet Bollywood – the daily show on Bollywood channel ZOOM that gives its viewers their dose of Bollywood gossip and updates reached yet another milestone by completing 3000 episode... Read more
New Delhi: Actress turned producer Anushka Sharma has been in news recently for her second film as producer, 'Phillauri'. This week on Off Centre, Anuradha SenGupta talks to Anushka Sh... Read more
The 14th Sansui Colors Stardust Awards honoured the extraordinary performers of Bollywood industry during the year 2016 along with recognition for legendary icons who have been part of the... Read more
Traditional methods of promoting a movie are giving way to newer avenues where film makers not just want to reach out to the masses but also make a positive impact. The power of mobile canno... Read more
New Delhi: UCWeb India has charted a new success story through its tie-up with Fox Star Studios, India, Dharma Productions and Sony Music India to promote the highly anticipated Diwali relea... Read more
Mumbai: Hindi movie channel Sony MAX brings the story of Sultan Ali Khan, a man with no ambitions until he falls for a local wrestler, Arfa with the World Television Premiere of the romantic... Read more
Mumbai : One of the most awaited films, the Anurag Kashyap-directed Bombay Velvet starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar, has chosen the digital platform hotstar to connect w... Read more


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The hamstring reflex response has been suggested to play a substantial role in knee joint stabilization during anterior tibial translation. The present study was performed to determine which afferent pathways contribute to the hamstring reflex as well as the potential effects of specific afferent pathways on functional knee stability. Short- and medium-latency hamstring reflexes (SLR and MLR) were evoked by anterior tibial translation in 35 healthy subjects during standing with 30° knee flexion. Nerve cooling, tizanidine, and ischemia were employed to differentiate afferent pathways. Two hours of thigh cooling (n = 10) resulted in a significant increase in MLR latency and, to a lesser extent, SLR latency. No significant changes were recorded in reflex sizes or maximum tibial translation. The ingestion of tizanidine (n = 10), a suppressor of group II afferents, strongly reduced the MLR size while SLR size or latency of both reflex responses was not significantly affected. Maximum tibial translation was unchanged [5.3 ± 1.9 to 4.8 ± 2 (SD) mm; P = 0.410]. Ischemia in the thigh (n = 15) led to a highly significant depression in SLR size (89 ± 4%; P < 0.001) but only a slight and not significant decline of MLR size. In these subjects maximum tibial translation increased significantly (6.9 ± 1.6 to 9.4 ± 3.2 mm; P = 0.028). It is concluded that the hamstring SLR is mediated by Ia afferents, while group II afferents mainly contribute to the MLR. Suppression of SLR may increase maximum anterior tibial translation, thus indicating a possible functional role of Ia afferents in knee joint stabilization.
Excessive anterior tibial translation is one of the main causes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture (Woo et al. 1991). Although the underlying physiological mechanisms of knee joint stabilization are not well understood, it has been suggested that neuromuscular feedback mechanisms, in addition to the mechanical stability secured mainly by the ACL and other ligamental structures, may play a substantial role in the stabilization of the knee joint (Beard et al. 1993; Dhaher et al. 2003, 2005; Hogervorst and Brand 1998; Johansson et al. 1991; More et al. 1993; Mrachacz-Kersting et al. 2003). A direct reflex arc between the ACL and the hamstrings was postulated as a candidate for this mechanism (Dyhre-Poulsen and Krogsgaard 2000; Fujita et al. 2000; Gruber et al. 1986; Krogsgaard and Solomonow 2002; Krogsgaard et al. 2002; Miyatsu et al. 1993; Solomonow et al. 1987) This was recently confirmed by intraoperative mechanical stimulation of the ACL, but due to the small size of the hamstring reflex response, this particular reflex arc was not assumed to be protective (Friemert et al. 2005b). In human studies, latencies of the hamstring reflex activity in response to mechanically induced anterior tibial translation were published by several research groups (Beard et al. 1993; Bruhn 1999; Jennings and Seedhom 1994). In a previous study, we found in standing humans a multiphasic hamstring reflex activity with two distinct components: a short latency response (SLR) with a latency of ∼20 ms and a medium latency response (MLR) with a latency of ∼40 ms (Friemert et al. 2005a). In contrast to the aforementioned inconclusive intraoperative findings (Friemert et al. 2005b), it was suspected that this biphasic reflex response was mainly evoked by hamstring stretch reflexes (Friemert et al. 2005a). However, the afferent pathways of these different hamstring reflex components, and their potential for joint protection, have not yet been specified.
Therefore three different methods were employed to distinguish the afferent pathways mediating the hamstring reflex response after posterior-anterior tibial translation. Nerve cooling was used, as previously described (Grey et al. 2001; Schieppati and Nardone 1997), to identify the afferent fibers contributing to the SLR and MLR. Cooling evokes a decrease of conduction velocity depending on the fiber diameters (Franz and Iggo 1968; Paintal 1965) and likely results in delayed reflex latencies. Accordingly, the conduction velocity of small-diameter group II fibers is more affected than the conduction velocity of group Ia afferents that have a comparably larger diameter. Furthermore, tizanidine, an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist that distinctly reduces the transfer in the polysynaptic spinal pathway from group II afferents (Jankowska et al. 1998, 2002), was used to identify the reflex components transmitted by group II afferents (Corna et al. 1995; Skoog 1996). Ischemia, which mainly affects the larger-diameter group I fibers, was applied to assess the involvement of group I afferents within the different components of the hamstring reflex response (Priori et al. 1998). In a previous study, we were able to exclude a relevant contribution of cutaneous afferents to the MLR component after widespread local anesthesia of the calf (Friemert et al. 2005a).
To gain a better understanding of sensorimotor control of the knee joint, the present study aimed to determine which afferent pathways contribute to the different hamstring reflex components as well as their potential effects on functional knee stability.
The experiments were performed on a total of 35 subjects (26.5 ± 3.1 yr, 174 ± 3.5 cm, 74 ± 4.2 kg, 24 male, 11 female). None of the subjects had a history of neurological or orthopedic disorders. All participants gave written informed consent and the procedure was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Ulm in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
After baseline measurements in all 35 subjects, the participants were divided into three different groups, and the procedure was repeated. The first group (n = 10) underwent cooling of the thigh to assess the effect on the latencies of the hamstring reflex. The second group (n = 10) received oral medication containing tizanidine to assess the contribution of group II afferents. In the third group (n = 15), ischemia was applied to determine the contribution of group I afferents.
General experimental procedure
To evoke ventral tibial translation, the subjects were asked to stand freely on both legs with a 30° flexion of the knee and slight outer rotation of the foot (<5°). A 0.6-kg piston with an impact of 300 N was driven into the proximal aspect of the calf. Tibial motion was monitored by a potentiometric position transducer (independent linearity: ±0.25 to ±0.0075%; repeatability: 0.002 mm; stroke length: 0–30 mm; Novotechnik, Ostfildern, Germany) attached to the tuberositas tibiae. Application of the transducer at the actual onset of tibial translation was assessed and then used as a trigger for the determination of latency responses. Maximum tibia translation was assessed by visual control as the maximum value on the plateau which was ∼100–150 ms after the onset of tibia translation (Fig. 1). All subjects were tested in one series consisting of 15 ventral perturbations of the calf. Initial hamstring reflex activity was measured under baseline conditions in all subjects. The different procedures were then performed in groups consisting of 10 or 15 subjects, respectively.
Cooling procedure
A thin-walled plastic tube (size: 20 cm height * 60 cm length) was wrapped around the thigh, and it was ensured that concurrent cooling of ligamental structures of the knee did not occur. During the cooling procedure, the circulating water in the wrapped tube was automatically maintained at a temperature of 8°C by looping continuously through a basin containing a water cooler (Hilotherm, Pleidelsheim, Germany). Cooling was performed for 2–2.5 h. The flowing cool water generated a skin temperature of 10 ± 0.9°C as measured at various locations of the thigh. During the measurements, the cooling tube was taken off to ensure accurate EMG signals. Detachment of the tube was performed when the subjects stood correct, i.e., equal to precooling condition in the testing device. Each measurement took 3 min.
Tizanidine treatment
Ten subjects were treated with fast-acting tizanidine (Sirdalud, Sanofi-Synthelabo, Berlin) at a dosage of 150 μg/kg body wt. Data were recorded before and 2 h after the treatment. At this time point the drug was fully active, resulting in considerable tiredness in each subject.
Ischemic block was induced in 15 subjects by attaching a pneumatic cuff (250 mmHg, Ulrich Medizintechnik, Ulm, Germany) around the proximal aspect of the thigh. In the first 15 min of ischemia, the subjects leaned back on a chair, bending the knees to 10°. For measurement of the reflex activity, subjects were then placed in the experimental apparatus. According to the findings of Grey et al. (2001), measurements were conducted within the initial 15 min period to test whether or not there was a significant decrease in SLR. This procedure was repeated at 90-s intervals until a distinct decline in the SLR component was observed in the EMG. Within these intervals, subjects were instructed to remain upright in a unilateral stance on their nonischemic leg.
EMG recording
Using bipolar surface electrodes, the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the hamstring muscles, namely the semitendinosus and biceps femoris, was recorded. Self-adhesive electrodes (Arbo Ag/AgCl-Sensor, Tyco Healthcare, Neustadt, Germany, interelectrode distance: 2 cm) were positioned over the muscle bellies of the hamstrings. The reference electrode was placed on the malleolus medialis. Prior to placement of the electrodes, the skin was shaved and residual grease was removed with alcohol. EMG signals were automatically amplified (×1,000), band-pass filtered (10–700 Hz), and recorded at a sampling rate of 5 kHz. For EMG analysis, the raw data were taken without frequency filter and were analyzed by commercial evaluation software (Daisy Lab, Biovision, Weilheim, Germany). EMG signals were averaged and rectified.
EMG analysis
Latencies of the SLR and MLR EMG responses were calculated using the onset of tibial translation as the reference point (Fig. 1). In case of superimposed signal configuration, we used our evaluation algorithm to distinguish MLR from SLR (Friemert et al. 2005a). To predict the end of the SLR, i.e., to differentiate between SLR and MLR, the duration of the hamstring SLR was calculated by multiplying the time between the onset and the first peak of the SLR with the empirical factor of 3.28. This empirical factor was calculated from the ratio of the three parts of the hamstring tendon jerk reflex signal (for details, see Friemert et al. 2005a). A time window of 75 ms was sufficient to calculate both the latencies and the sizes of the SLR and the MLR. Whereas the SLR window (overall duration of baseline condition: 18.3 ± 2.9 ms) was analyzed by the evaluation algorithm developed by Friemert et al. (2005a), a time window of 30 ms was used for MLR analysis, which started at the calculating end of the SLR.
Statistical analysis
Results are expressed as mean values (±SD). During the cooling experiment, after tizanidine ingestion, and after ischemia treatment, paired Student's t-test was used to determine the statistical significance of the differences between SLR and MLR latencies and size, both before and after intervention. To allow for interindividual comparison, the postintervention EMG activities of SLR and MLR were expressed as a percentage of the baseline values. Changes in tibial translation were also tested by the paired Student's t-test. One-way ANOVA (post hoc test, Bonferroni) was used to test possible differences between the three groups for the preintervention values of tibial translation. For all testing procedures, a level of P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
The mean for the baseline condition in all 35 subjects showed after mechanically induced tibial translation a SLR after 20.6 ± 1.2 ms and a MLR after 37.8 ± 1.6 ms. A force transmission of 300 N resulted in a maximal tibial translation of 6.6 ± 1.4 mm. The interindividual differences between maximal tibial translation were not statistically significant among the three groups (P = 0.173). Regarding possible differences in SLR and MLR latency or reflex size between the lateral and medial hamstring, statistical testing revealed no significant difference for each testing condition. Therefore the following results represent the values of the medial hamstring.
Figure 2A shows the effects of nerve cooling. Cooling led to a significant increase in the latency of the SLR from 21.4 ± 1.3 to 24.6 ± 1.9 ms (P < 0.05). MLR latency increased from 37.9 ± 2.8 to 42.8 ± 3.3 ms (P < 0.05), representing a stronger increase in latency (3.2 ± 1.4 ms) when compared with the SLR value (4.9 ± 1.9 ms; P = 0.039). The calculated difference between SLR and MLR increased significantly from 16.5 ± 1.8 to 18.3 ± 2.3 ms after nerve cooling (P = 0.042). Regarding EMG activity, nerve cooling had no statistically significant effect on either the size of SLR (P = 0.125) or MLR (P = 0.120), although both showed a tendency to increase. Also no significant influences of maximal tibial translation were found (6.9 ± 1.3 to 7.4 ± 1.3 mm, P = 0.101). Typical traces of rectified hamstring EMG and tibia translation of a single subject before and after nerve cooling are superimposed in Fig. 2B.
The ingestion of tizanidine did not significantly change the reflex latencies (SLR latency: 20.3 ± 1.2 vs. 20.4 ± 1.3 ms after ingestion; P = 0.981; MLR latency: 37.7 ± 1.7 vs. 37.2 ± 2.1 ms after ingestion; P = 0.313; Fig. 3A). After tizanidine ingestion, the MLR size was strongly reduced by 61 ± 15% of the EMG activity prior tizanidine (P < 0.001), whereas the decrease of SLR size showed no statistical significance (25 ± 17%; P = 0.125; Fig. 3B). No significant changes were seen in anterior tibial motion (maximum tibial translation: 5.3 ± 1.9 vs. 4.8 ± 2 mm after ingestion; P = 0.410). Typical traces of rectified hamstring EMG and tibia translation of a single subject before and after ingestion of tizanidine are superimposed in Fig. 3C.
Ischemia resulted in an almost complete suppression of the SLR in all subjects. The reduction in the size of SLR was 89 ± 4% of its previous value (P < 0.001; Fig. 4A). Therefore SLR latency could not be determined after ischemia (Fig. 4B). For MLR, a nonsignificant size reduction of 26 ± 34% was found (P = 0.101). There was no change in MLR latency (37.8 ± 0.9 to 38.5 ± 1.2 ms; P = 0.227). During ischemia, maximum tibial translation demonstrated a statistically significant increase from 6.9 ± 1.6 to 9.4 ± 3.2 mm (P = 0.028, Fig. 4C). Typical traces of rectified hamstring EMG and tibia translation of a single subject before and after ischemia are superimposed in Fig. 4D. Note that the SLR is clearly depressed 15 min after ischemia. Immediately after ischemia, the maximum tibia translation is unchanged, but it is clearly increased 15 min after ischemia. Ten minutes after the end of ischemia, both SLR and tibia translation return to their values before ischemia.
The tibia translation typically shows a small bump after the SLR. In a subgroup of 20 subjects, the tibia motion traces were analyzed with respect to possible changes due to the latency of the SLR. The mean onset latency of the SLR in these 20 subjects was 21.2 ± 3.0 ms. In 17 of the 20 subjects, a small bump was seen that occurred with a mean latency of 23.2 ± 6.1 ms after the onset of the SLR. The mean duration of this bump was 31.0 ± 11.6 ms. This supports the view that the SLR may contribute to the restriction of anterior tibial displacement of the knee during the present experiments.
In standing subjects, a mechanically induced displacement of the anterior tibia produced a biphasic hamstring reflex response labeled as SLR and MLR. Nerve cooling evoked a delay in latency for both reflex components, whereas the MLR was more affected than SLR. Ingestion of tizanidine produced a moderate decline in SLR activity and a strong reduction in MLR activity; however, the latency of these reflex responses was not adversely influenced. During ischemia, SLR was significantly reduced, whereas MLR size was decreased only to a minor extent. Anterior tibial translation was significantly increased exclusively during ischemia. We could demonstrate that this increase in tibia translation was not simply a direct effect of ischemia but was related to the time of the mechanical manifestation of the decrease of the hamstring SLR.
Previous studies have shown that Ia fibers typically contribute to the hamstring SLR (Faist et al. 1999; Friemert et al. 2005a), whereas group II afferents are primarily responsible for the incidence of the MLR (Grey et al. 2001; Schieppati and Nardone 1997). It has to be considered that due to their conduction velocity, group Ib afferents and cutaneous afferents might also be involved in these reflex responses (Brooke and McIlroy 1989; Dietz 1998). Following the administration of cooling, tizanidine, or ischemia, the present results indicate that the neural reflex mechanism of the hamstring responses consists of two parts: a SLR component mediated by group Ia afferents and a MLR component in which group II afferent fibers make a significant contribution.
After cooling, the relatively longer delay in the MLR compared with the SLR indicates that afferents involved in the MLR may be not the same as those in the SLR. The increased latency seen in the MLR, as well as the greater delay between the two reflex components, are likely to be related to an involvement of small-diameter group II afferents in which conduction velocity is decreased in association with nerve cooling (Paintal 1965; Schieppati and Nardone 1997).
Tizanidine is known to selectively suppress group II afferents (Corna et al. 1995; Jankowska et al. 1998, 2002; Skoog 1996) but does not impart a negative effect on the activity of Ia and Ia/Ib-inhibitory interneurons (Hammar and Jankowska 2003). Consistent with previous findings (Bras et al. 1989, 1990; Davies 1982; Davies et al. 1984; Jankowska et al. 1998), our results demonstrate that the second hamstring reflex component can mainly be attributed to group II, rather than group Ia, afferents. Additionally, the constant latency of MLR in the present study corresponds to the data of Corna et al. (Corna et al. 1995; Skoog 1996).
Ischemia was found to have a substantial effect on the hamstring reflex response. The significant reduction in the SLR reflex component suggests that most of the small-diameter afferents (e.g., Ia afferents) were blocked during ischemia. On the other hand, the MLR showed a tendency toward depression but did not reach significance. This supports the view that the afferent pathways involved in the MLR are different from those mediating the SLR. A potential explanation for this differential regulation was given by Grey et al. (2001). The origin of the soleus stretch reflex during gait was investigated following an episode of ischemia with the results suggesting a possible contribution to the MLR of small-diameter Ia afferents with slower conduction velocity and polysynaptic interneuronal connections.
Although we could show that the contribution of cutaneous afferents in the hamstring reflex response is unlikely (Friemert et al. 2005a), the role of the Ib afferent pathway in the hamstring reflex response remains unclear. Based on our testing protocol, the results do not support a potential contribution of Ib afferents to either the SLR or MLR. Locomotion studies have demonstrated that this specific afferent pathway acts on the interneuronal system, primarily activating the extensor muscles and reinforcing muscle activity in motor-related tasks (Duysens et al. 2000; Faist et al. 2006; Pearson and Collins 1993). Dietz (1998) found in humans that Ib afferents may have a substantial conveying effect on the extensor muscles during the stance phase of gait. Grey et al. (2001) suggested that the latency of the reflex response mediated by group Ib afferents is slower than the Ia afferent pathway but faster than the group II afferent pathway. Histological studies have provided evidence that Golgi receptors, at least in the ACL, are connected with myelinated afferent fibers of 10–20 μm diam (Sjolander et al. 1989; Zimny and Wink 1991). As a result of the afferent diameter size, a conduction velocity of 75 m/s was assumed; this, in turn, allowed the assumption that Ib afferents contribute to the SLR. In a recent study by af Klint et al. (2009), it was shown that depending on the phase of the step cycle, force feedback contributes significantly to the soleus motor output with a latency within the MLR range. It was argued that this information may arise from the Golgi tendon organs in the Achilles tendon. In the present study, we cannot discern whether the afferent information is mediated from afferents of the muscle spindle or from Golgi tendon organs in the tendons of the hamstrings. It could also be mediated by afferents arising from ligamental structures such as the ACL.
Functional relevance
Regarding the potential contribution of the hamstring reflex components in restraining knee joint stability, the present findings led to the suggestion that the SLR component can stabilize the knee joint at least in the posterior-anterior plane. In contrast, the substantial decrease in the MLR following ingestion of tizanidine did not significantly change maximum anterior tibial translation. Previous studies have indicated that muscle stretch reflexes play a potential role in joint stiffness at the ankle and knee joints (Horita et al. 1996; Mrachacz-Kersting and Sinkjaer 2003; Sinkjaer 1997; Sinkjaer et al. 1988; Stein and Kearney 1995). In this manner, Toft et al. (1991) found that ankle extensor activity mediated up to two-thirds of the total ankle joint stiffness at low activity levels, whereas the reflex contribution at high torque level is of reduced functional relevance. Mrachacz-Kersting and Sinkjaer (2003) showed that the stretch reflex of the quadriceps muscle group strongly contributed to the total torque around the knee joint. Furthermore, Dhaher et al. (2003) found that reflexes of the thigh muscles after sudden valgus loading were probably elicited by receptors in the periarticular tissue, rather than by muscle spindle afferents, given the assessed latency of ∼87 ms. Moreover using a similar study design, the same authors (Dhaher et al. 2005) reported a significant increase in stiffness of the knee joint during adduction-abduction of the knee; this was coupled with the observation of significant thigh muscle reflex excitation from periarticular tissue afferents of the knee joint. A strong correlation between knee laxity and reflex timing was shown by Shultz et al. (2004). They reported that an above-average anterior laxity of the knee corresponds to a 16-ms greater delay in biceps femoris reflex timing in contrast to subjects with a below-average knee laxity. This indicates a close relationship between muscle reflex activity and knee joint stability. Despite a potential coherence between thigh muscle activity and knee stability, none of these studies was able to demonstrate which afferent pathway actually stabilizes the knee joint under functional conditions.
With respect to tibial translation, the findings of Wojtys et al. (1996) indicated for the first time that reflexive activity of the thigh muscles may play a role in anterior knee stability. They found that, following excessive thigh muscle fatigue and the associated decline in muscle reflex activity, there is a decrease in knee stability in the posterior anterior direction. Recently, selective muscle-fatiguing exercise of the hamstring was shown to have deleterious effects on neuromuscular function of the hamstrings and anterior knee joint stability (Melnyk and Gollhofer 2007). Furthermore, Gruber et al. (2006) found an improvement in knee stability after balance training. This beneficial effect was attributed to a higher reflex activity of the thigh muscles in response to knee joint perturbation. However, an afferent pathway as a potential candidate for restraining anterior tibial translation has not been identified thus far. The present data indicate that the SLR component plays a major role in knee joint stability. This notion is in line with findings of Horita et al. (1996), who found after stretch shortening cycle fatigue a direct correlation between SLR and knee joint stiffness. More precisely, it was observed that a decline in the short-latency component of the vastus lateralis muscle corresponded with a decrease in knee joint stiffness during the early postlanding phase of a drop jump. Despite differences in the mechanical conditions of knee joint loading between the present study and that of Horita et al. (1996), a substantial contribution of the SLR to knee joint stability can be suggested in the case of a destabilising perturbation stimulus of the knee joint.
In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that anterior tibial translation evokes a hamstring SLR that is primarily mediated by Ia afferents, whereas group II afferents mainly contribute to the MLR. Furthermore, the results suggest that the SLR component may play a functional role in knee stabilization after anterior tibial translation during standing.
The study was supported by Fraunhofer Grant FV InSan I 0102-V-1105.
Authors express their gratitude to all volunteers participating in this study and to Dr. M. Melnyk for valuable contribution to the performance of the experiments and analyzing the data.
- Copyright © 2010 the American Physiological Society


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Multifunctional, soft-sided makeup case made with heavy duty 1680d black nylon finish
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I don't think the anim is the problem. I think it's in the game.
@Nathanius (@PayDay): rom_ENT_resourcecontroller.DAE crashes because the keyframe interpolation type is a BEZIER curve, but there are no in/out-tangents specified on the rotation channels (DAEnerys ignores the in/out tangent values when the interpolation type is LINEAR).
Also, it appears RODOH completely, utterly, and absolutely killed your animations. I'll have to either wait until PayDay finishes updating the exporter to include animations, or you can try using the MAD files from the old HODs (try that first, and let me know how it goes).
(yes, I know those words all mean the same thing)
I've been using the old *.mads so far, well aware that RODOH munches the old anims for me... The old anims still have the problem with half the warp stuff being played though
Unfortunately I don't know enough about animating with MAX to know the difference between the two types of curves, rest assured I'll be a heavy user of Daenerys' animation feature once it's all sorted!
I didn't think it needed any rotation information though? It's only movement keyframes that I'm capturing...
Yes, one of the pitfalls of CFHodEd MAD animation support → unnecessary keyframe injection.
OK. The old mad files played just fine in HW2. Now all of a sudden they don't play correctly. This means the game has changed and it's a problem with the new game. Any amount of research or editing will not change the outcome. Bottom line: The game cannot handle the old mad files...
That's why I'm politely nagging for DAEnerys to import old MADs so they can be translated into the new format
It already supports animation exporting...
I know, but I don't think the problem is in the mad files. I think it's in the game...
Huh... I tried it, and it didn't seem to work... I'll try again...
Well, there's actually no difference in the file format. That isn't to say that the game may interpret the file differently than before...?
@BitVenom to the rescuuuuuueeee ^^
I'm sorry if it's not what you mean, I didn't read the whole topic, but there are changes between RM 1.0 and 2.0 .mad files. I've checked for example Hgn_Interceptor and the first obvious change is a much larger size for 1.0 file, there are also many changes in the content.
Very busy heading towards the Gearbox holiday week off (aka my week to work on my current project with nobody around, and some HW pokery)...
MAD file format didn't change. We still load old MAD files. I am 99.9% sure of this. HODOR is smarter than the old MAD tools though, and is better at nuking bad channels, dupe strings, etc - so an old MAD file saved will likely be smaller.
As for why a certain MAD file doesn't work - if it was made with something like CfHodEd, it could be just about anything... If I get time, I will look. But then again, every time I get free time, if I spend it looking at one person (or Mods) issue, I am not working on stuff that gets a patch out in the future. It is a hard balance to find.
Stay tuned.
Once again, and perhaps I didn't stress this enough, there's no difference in the format, as BitVenom confirmed. I never said there weren't any changes in the data, and more than once, I've brought up the
and duplicated keyframes issue.
I'm planning on taking a massive stab at animations this coming week, just to see what is and isn't allowed by the engine, unless BitVenom answers my questions before I ask them.
@PayDay I thought you were one of the folks who had grabbed our asset pack, but I may be thinking of someone else. Here's a subset with just the frigates, two of which cause the error in question and two of which do not.
Anything anyone can get you please, don't hesitate to ask
I'm hoping it doesn't because that means we have control over whether it's broken or not... if there's something in the game that has changed which means certain kinds of animations (like, inexplicably, my warp animations) don't work then that will be a longer wait for a fix
These two frigates have some GLOW and SPEC textures assigned that are not in library_images, causing Assimp to throw an error because it could not find them...
Seems like RODOH exports navlight parameters in separate child nodes... should DAEnerys parse them?
EDIT: Given all the problems with Assimp, I'm thinking of scrapping that alltogether and writing an own importer too...
With the blender importer I try to take the sub nodes for navlight parameters and put them back into the one node. That's really just because the blender toolkit uses lamps though. I'm pretty sure HODOR can process the sub nodes...
Okay, I'll add the processing to DAEnerys.
This was done (and works with HODOR on ANY node) to help keep the names of nodes shorter in instances where they overflow the max len allowed by any given software. HODOR just looks for Params, and if it can't find one the importer is looking for, it checks for a SUB_PARAMS (or whatever, that's from memory), and the child nodes of that.
@Nathanius: Give this a test. It's only the warp_in/warp_out animations.
Also, as a side thing (not part of DAEnerys):
I wasn't sure if the frame outlines were visible enough from the screenshot, so I outlined them in red.


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Originally, I planned two major posts summing up in detail the history of our species. Unfortunately, it turned into a big slog. I left the project a few years back, unfinished, and it would require several months of dogged research now. My life is too unsettled at the moment to allow that. But at the same time, it is impossible to sally forth into deeper explorations of early agriculture and social complexities without at least sketching a map of our "true history" — true, in this case, meaning a clear focus on the full span of our time as the species H. sapiens, not more, and not less.
Somebody ought to write a beautiful coffee table book, showing vividly the utter awesomeness of the Paleolithic world where megafauna roamed free, humans were just one species among many, and elephants were the "lords of creation" and doing an excellent job of it! An eye-opening and radicalizing bit of time travel it has been for me. So, here is a quickie, to share what I've discovered. Caveat: this is my own synthesis; others may disagree with some of the details; there is little in deep history that is not contested…
- Curtain opens at about 200,000 years ago, as the world is heading into another ice age. Sapiens in lower Africa; Neanderthals in Europe and northern Asia, and several other descendants of erectus in southeast Asia. Humans talk, use fire, hunt, cook, make rafts, fire-hardened spears and simple stone tools.
- Sapiens love to inhabit caves near rivers or the ocean; a number of them have been excavated and described in southern parts of Africa. Humans thrive in small egalitarian bands of 20 to 40 people; very local trade exists between bands.
- Ice age comes to an end around 130,000 years ago, and for a while it's quite hot. The vast majority of human artifacts from this interglacial come from the Neanderthals. Artifacts get more interesting. Humans love ochre and other pretty rocks. They invent fancy glue, make composite tools (wood and bone), fish hooks, bury their dead.
- The climate cools again toward another ice age. The massive Toba eruption (c. 71,000 ya) causes a 6 year winter and sapiens barely escape extinction.
- About 60,000 years ago, descendants of erectus float or sail to Australia. And sapiens humans start moving out of Africa.
- 50,000 years ago… many more tools, much improved; something is happening to sapiens brain, enabling a cultural shift into greater complexity of both language and artifacts. Art becomes common. Flutes. Sewn clothing. Conscience emerges.
- Sapiens are coexisting and occasionally mating with Neanderthals in Europe, until 25,000 years ago. Pockets of humans survive the ice age at higher latitudes in refugia where megafauna is particularly plentiful. In these spots, culture flowers, tools are finessed, caves are painted, rituals are performed. First child-dog bond in evidence some 33,000 years ago. America discovered and begins to be settled.
- R.I.P. our Neanderthal cousin
- Ice age maximum reached at 20,000 years ago. The cold drought kills perhaps 90% of humans in Australia. Abrupt warming fosters flourishing sapiens cultures in Europe and the near East; horses and reindeer actively cared for and seeds sown. Pigs domesticated by Anatolian foragers around 13,000 ya. Inequalities begin to emerge in some bands. Resurgence of ice during the Younger Dryas period (13,300 ya to 11,800 ya). The construction of monumental Göbekli Tepe begins.
- 10,000 years ago, a warm moist world of plenty; in a few areas, humans begin to settle down and build more permanent shelters and walls; cultivation of plants and animals intensifies, populations grow. Some human groups transition from egalitarian to Big Man (transegalitarian) social structures. First towns (and regional proto-civilizations) emerge in the Near East; people flock there voluntarily; peace and relative equality reigns. First regional environmental collapses resulting from human activity experienced toward the end of the Neolithic.
- 6,000 years ago, first transitions to advanced metallurgy, bronze weapons, domination, and war. The very first incarnation of "this civilization" emerges in Sumer. Women are actively marginalized, social stratification increases, and health and longevity deteriorate for those lower on the pecking order. Non-civilized tribes begin to be pushed out. Wholesale slaughter of regional megafauna emerges as a status sport. Amazing art and devious cruelty advance apace.
- First brutal empires (Akkadia, Babylonia and Assyria) emerge about 4,000 years ago. War and standing armies assume a menacing presence in a few places. But most areas of the globe continue to be settled by egalitarian or transegalitarian tribes (and on until recently). Sahara forms (without human help).
- By 2,000 years ago, many societies continue to intensify and great religions emerge and manage to modify somewhat the brutality of the age of empires. Civilized humans preen as rational beings and lords of creation and begin to take over everything they can reach. Writing spreads. So do plagues. Mathematics, science and frequent technological breakthroughs start to make a difference in the human condition. Oceania settled by intrepid explorers in outrigger canoes.
- 250 years ago, industrial civilization's "Satanic mills" move into "mow down the living planet" mode, encourage out of control human reproduction, and filthify everything. Last autonomous tribes on the way out. Planet increasingly devastated. At the same time, some humans reap unprecedented benefits — including longer life-spans — from advancing understandings of science and technology. Ideology of progress and sharing the pie quells unrest. Then, within the space of a few decades, this civilization begins to show serious cracks. Elites keep their heads firmly wedged, er, in sand. Humans are, overall, increasingly well-connected, educated, stumped, and suffering from multiple addictions. Will they survive?


text: Home > Business SM opens convention center in Davao ABS-CBN News Posted at Dec 17 2012 03:35 PM | Updated as of Dec 18 2012 03:45 AM Share Save Facebook Twitter GPlus LinkedIn MANILA - SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, a leading player in the country's MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) industry, recently opened a new convention center in Davao City. Located at the 3rd level of the newly-opened SM Lanang Premier Mall, SMX Convention Center Davao offers 5,240 sq.m. of total leasable space, consisting of function rooms, meeting rooms and the lobby. The convention center is 2.5 kilometers from the Davao International Airport, 4-6 kilometers from the domestic and international seaports, and is within close proximity to several hotels, business areas, and tourist destinations. As the largest privately-owned and managed convention center in southern Philippines, SMX Convention Center Davao aims to meet the increasing demand for leasable space, arising from greater numbers of MICE events in the region. The SMX Convention Center Davao is the latest addition to SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation's portfolio of convention and exhibit venues, which includes the largest privately-owned convention center in the country, the SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia Complex, as well as the Megatrade Hall in Megamall and the Cebu Trade Hall. A third convention center, in Taguig, is set to open in early 2013. Additional convention centers are the SM group's response to the projected increase in MICE events over the next few years. Share Save Facebook Share on Twitter GPlus LinkedIn Read More: SM Davao City malls Henry Sy mice convention centers /life/11/25/17/grupong-titos-and-titas-of-manila-sa-fb-paggunita-sa-mas-simpleng-panahon/video/news/11/25/17/panoorin-biyahe-ng-pasaherong-piniling-mag-bus-kaysa-mrt/video/news/11/25/17/stalls-itatayo-sa-baclaran-para-sa-mga-nais-magnegosyo-ngayong-pasko/news/11/25/17/pnp-internal-affairs-service-no-longer-deciding-on-kian-administrative-case/business/11/25/17/kulang-na-kooperasyon-ng-mga-bangko-dagok-sa-pagpuksa-sa-card-skimming


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Hello! My name is Anita. In one sentence, I am a mature solo traveling career woman from Latvia. I work full time and do my traveling on holidays and weekends. I plan all my trips by myself, and I'm fond of detailed plans with schedules and lists of sights to visit. But I may settle for a brief outline if the destination a familiar place I keep coming back to. In most cases I stick to my plan to some 80%.
I mostly travel solo, but sometimes take one or two companions along. I usually reach the destination by plane and then travel around by public transport, or, in rare cases, rent a car. I tend to stay at 3 to 5 star hotels, with some exceptions. I like nature and hiking very much. I also like classical art museums and have visited plenty. I try to add some musical experiences to my travels as well, preferably something local. Thus far I have visited 46 countries, European and Asian mostly, but also the US, Marocco, New Zealand and Australia.
My most memorable travel experiences to date:
- My first solo trip to Paris 2005
- My first trip to Asia, Japan 2006
Favourite places
- Hua Hin, Thailand
- Lake Como, Italy
- The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba two in one, Spain
- Lee river, China
- Tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
- Uluru, Australia
- California ocean shore, USA
- Longsheng rice terraces, China
- Angkor wat, Cambodia
- Bryce canyon, Utah, USA
- Queenstown, New Zealand
- Waiotapu Thermal Area, New Zealand North Island
Favourite cities
- Bergen
- London
- Barcelona
Memorable events
- A child laughing at me at the Longsheng Rice Terraces guesthouse, an adult woman not knowing how to use chopsticks
- How I did not fly to Thailand because rebels were taking over the Bangkok airport
- Feeling very happy when a Chinese minivan driver agreed to bring me to my hotel, holding 10 fingers up
- Sadness after I missed my plane from London Heathrow to Edinburgh because I'd lost my way in the underground – first time I had ever missed a plane!
I definitely do not want to have a picture with all the sights I visit, nor do I take any selfies. I am mostly behind the camera myself. Still I have a few pictures of me on my travels, and you can see them here.
Attending cultural performance in Whakarewarewa Living thermal village, Rotorua, New Zealand, 2014
In the desert near Arabian Nights Village, United Arab Emirates, 2015
Saklikent river canyon, Turkey, 2012
Tandem paragliding Oludeniz, Turkey, 2012
Jiuzhaigou national park, Tibetan village, China, 2013
Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge, China 2010
Near Lee river China, 2009


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Rooms, services If you are planning a trip to Indonesia and are just looking for a hotel to reserve a room at, we suggest to also consider the opportunities provided by Santika Premiere Semarang. The hotel is offering 128 nicely furnished rooms to stay in to those seeking accommodation in Semarang. If you wish to learn more about the exact scope of services provided by Santika Premiere Semarang (including any available for an extra fee), you will find them on the information sheet below.
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Looking for the best player in the Maryland area? Well you might just find him walking the halls at DeMatha Catholic high school. That is where we find 6-foot-8 power forward, Chris Braswell in rou...
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Tour of Turkey completed in Istanbul
- Published by Ozgur Tore
The final stage of the 51st Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey took place on Sunday in Istanbul with 150 cyclists from 21 teams competing. The 124 kilometer-long stage started at Sultanahmet Square in the historic peninsula at 10:00 a.m. local time. The cyclists returned to the same area for the finish after going through Karakoy, Kabatas and Dolmabahce districts. They also crossed the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects Europe and Asia.
Croatian cyclist Kristijan Durasek, racing for Lampre-Merida, has won the 124-kilometer stage in 2 hours, 45 minutes and 3 seconds, beating British cyclist Mark Cavendish and Spanish racer Carlos Barbero Cuesta at the finish line by a hair's length. He has also won the 51st Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. He completed the tour in 31 hours, 6 minutes and 44 seconds.
The eight-day event started last Sunday in Alanya district in southern Antalya and ended in Istanbul, after crossing Mugla, Denizli and Izmir provinces. The competitors pedaled for over 1,250 kilometers in total.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at the finish line to present the winners with awards in a special ceremony. "Our most important target is to make people love cycling here in Turkey," he said.