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Fairway woods: The stand-out models in our TrackMan testAugust 12, 2013 Golf Tips
Looking to invest in a new fairway wood? Here are the best three performers from our recent TrackMan test...
JaW: I sell a lot of these and it's not hard to see why – it looks good, is cheap as chips, and performs as well as anything. What more can you ask for? Benross have really hit the nail on the head with this.
RR: This is a proper club. The shaft is really strong and it flies off the face like a rocket. Serious distance and a gorgeous flight. You can feel the head much easier than most other budget clubs. I can't see why most professionals couldn't use this.
JoW: A very solid club. Feels fast yet consistent out of the middle. Not fiery by any means but more than enough to give you a nice gap with a driver. The shape is nice and the standard shaft is proper. Superb value for money. Performance-wise for me, it was narrowly inferior to the Titleist, but pound-for-pound there is nothing better.
PC: It feels good and looks fine, very conventional. It spins very low due to the shaft, which brought me a lot of distance.
JaW: I hit proper shots with this, it went a long way and right down the middle. Loads of control and superb consistency. I was fitted for the shaft and the flight was unreal.
RR: A really good club. Solid, stable and went a long way consistently. I would put this in my bag in a flash.
JoW: Undoubtedly beautiful to look at but at address it is quite intimidating. However, confidence is quickly clawed back when you see the gorgeous flight, hear the brilliantly solid sound, and see the numbers on TrackMan.
Indeed, both dispersion and distance were extremely consistent – long but not too long to close down the gap between my driver. Expensive but worth it if you can afford – if it was more accessible price-wise this would be comfortably the best on the market for me.
PC: Easily one of the best fairway woods I've ever used. Quick off the face and long. I didn't think I would be able to hit this properly but forgiveness wasn't an issue.
JoW: As a high-spin player, this was right up my street as it dramatically lowered the rpm and improved distance.
Additionally, I found the larger head to be more forgiving than the standard and thus gave me more confidence. Although bigger, it can still be used effectively off the deck.
JaW: It is certainly all about distance with this club, and if that's what you're after it's hard to look past it. It fires off the face like a rocket and is easy to hit. This has definitely put Callaway back on the map.
RR: This felt really good off the face and went very high and long, almost like another driver.
JoW: The head is a bit too large and deep to be versatile from all lies. Indeed, it is certainly most effective off the tee.
PC: I like the head shape and the feel. It doesn't seem hard to hit and was among the longest on test for me.
We are dedicated to providing unbiased and accurate tests, thus offering readers a trustworthy guide on golf equipment. We use TrackMan launch monitors and a team of enthusiastic and skilled golfers.
OUR TEST TEAM: James Whitaker (pro), Ryan Rastall (pro), Dan Murphy (4hcp), Joe Whitley (7), Pete Chippindale (12)


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Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock ? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh ! Callay !'
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One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twasbrillig, and the slithytoves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the momerathsoutgrabe.
`Twasbrillig, and the slithytoves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the momerathsoutgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumiousBandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought –
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
'And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
6 And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,
8 By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
11 Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
12 When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
13 So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
14 So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
(from sonetto, meaning "little sound or song")
There are many types of traditional verse. Each type is known for a specific stanza length, rhyme scheme, and rhythm. Here are a few you may have heard of:
When identifying the rhyme scheme of a poem, readers and writers around the world have agreed on a simple system. Use the Alphabet!
Little Miss MuffetAsat on a tuffetAeating her curds and whey. B
When along came a Spider C
and sat down beside her C
and scared Miss Muffet away. B
Those eyes, 'neath which my passionate rapture rose,
The arms, hands, feet, the beauty that erewhile
Could my own soul from its own self beguile,
And in a separate world of dreams enclose,
The hair's bright tresses, full of golden glows,
And the soft lightning of the angelic smile
That changed this earth to some celestial isle,
Are now but dust, poor dust, that nothing knows.
And yet I live! Myself I grieve and scorn,
Left dark without the light I loved in vain,
Adrift in tempest on a bark forlorn;
Dead is the source of all my amorous strain,
Dry is the channel of my thoughts outworn,
And my sad harp can sound but notes of pain.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delightThan in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I knowThat music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rareAs any she belied with false compare.

subset: commoncrawl


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Working for the community with the community
Wild and Woolley is a knitting and craft group on Thursday evenings (6pm till 9pm). Every fortnight.
The 2016 dates that are left are...
2nd, 16th & 30th June
14th & 28th July
11th & 25th Aug
8th & 22nd Sep
6th & 20th Oct
3rd & 17th Nov
1st & 15th Dec
The sessions are Free and the sessions are for adults only.


text:
Booty CrashersFavorites [+]
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Running Time: 100 minutes
Released: 12/2010
Studio Name: Strongman Productions
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Women's Safety Class
When it comes to bicycling, women account for only 24% of all trips made by bicycle. It doesn't have to be this way. This class will provide a safe space for anyone who identifies as a woman to learn how to bicycle safely and with confidence. This course will be taught by women who have years of experience as full time bicycle commuters.
What will we be covering?
- Essential skills and strategies to keep you safe when riding on open streets
- Tips on commuting to work while still arriving presentable
- How to comfortably dress for all types of weather
- Ways to carry personal items on your bike
- Effective route planning
- Riding at night
About Our Instructors
Molly Pearson is a League of American Bicyclists' Certified Instructor, and has been bicycle commuting for nearly ten years. With professional experience in bicycling advocacy and an academic background in gender studies, she strives to make bicycling an accessible option for all.
Jordan Worthington is a recent transplant and full-time bike commuter who has worked with DC non-profits to host skill-sharing events, rides, and mechanic classes for women. She's excited to bring her love of building inclusive cycling communities for women to St. Louis.
- I'm scared to be out alone on my bike. How do I get over this? Not only will we work on building confidence on the road, we will also discuss ways to get involved and find other women to ride with.
- How do I sign up? Please visit our Eventbrite page to sign up for all of our classes and events.
- How much does it cost? $20
- How long is the class? All of our classes are scheduled for 2 hours but can occasionally run a bit over.
- What do I need to bring? Nothing is required. It might not be a bad idea to grab a pen and paper in case you want to jot some notes.


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4:00 AM wake up call for another news appearance. Matt Sterbenz fresh as a spring chicken. Watch us live on KSL right now.


text:
Reflex and elastic properties of the triceps surae (TS) were measured on 12 male cosmonauts 28–40 days before a 3- to 6-mo spaceflight, 2 or 3 days after return (R+2/+3) and a few days later (R+5/+6). H reflexes to electrical stimulations and T reflexes to tendon taps gave the reflex excitability at rest. Under voluntary contractions, reflex excitability was assessed by the stretch reflex, elicited by sinusoidal length perturbations. Stiffness measurements concerned the musculoarticular system in passive conditions and the musculotendinous complex in active conditions. Results indicated 1) no changes (P > 0.05) in H reflexes, whatever the day of test, and 2) increase in T reflexes (P < 0.05) by 57%, despite a decrease (P < 0.05) in musculoarticular stiffness (11%) on R+2/+3. T reflexes decreased (P < 0.05) between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 (−21%); 3) increase in stretch reflexes (P< 0.05) on R+2/+3 by 31%, whereas it decreased (P < 0.05) between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 (−29%). Musculotendinous stiffness was increased (P < 0.05) whatever the day of test (25%). Links between changes in reflex and stiffness were also studied by considering individual data. At R+2/+3, correlated changes between T reflexes and musculoarticular stiffness suggested that, besides central adaptive phenomena, musculoarticular structures took part in the reflex adaptation. This mechanical contribution was confirmed when data collected at R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 were used because correlations between changes in stretch reflexes and musculotendinous stiffness were improved. In conclusion, the present study shows that peripheral influences take part in reflex changes in gravitational unloaded muscles, but can only be revealed when central influences are reduced.
- musculotendinous stiffness
- musculoarticular stiffness
- H reflex
- T reflex
- stretch reflex
since the beginning of manned spaceflight, a weightlessness environment has apparently abolished the vital stimulus for the maintenance of musculoskeletal function. The most striking feature of exposure to weightlessness has been reported as the loss in muscle mass in animals and humans due to atrophy (for a review, see Refs. 12 and14). Nevertheless, orbital microgravity also represents a unique environment, which allows the study of adaptation in muscle elastic properties and reflex excitability assumed to be involved in postural and movement control mechanisms.
Some insight into mechanical adaptations, by use of a simulated nonweightbearing environment, has been gained from animal and human experiments, in which a decrease in muscle and tendon stiffness was observed (1, 7, 23). A balance between an increased musculotendinous stiffness and a decreased passive musculoarticular stiffness has recently been reported after long-term spaceflight (26). This increase in musculotendinous stiffness was mainly attributed to changes in neural drive already hypothesized by others (4, 22). Thus it can be suggested that muscle control can also be affected by microgravity, in reflex as well as in voluntary conditions.
Changes in reflex excitability after a period of microgravity (real or simulated) have already been reported in the literature, but such studies remain scarce. In humans, results of Russian teams, cited in the review of Edgerton and Roy (12), were the first to report higher H reflexes when tested in a lying position after bed rest or dry water immersion. In a bed-rest case study, Duchateau (11) confirmed these results and ascribed the reflex potentiation to a higher synaptic efficacy. The same type of interpretation was proposed to explain the higher H reflexes in awake rats after a period of unloading by hypokinesia-hypodynamia (3). Reschke et al. (38) also found a potentiation of H reflexes after spaceflight, tested during vertical linear acceleration; this increase was considered to reflect changes in the influence of the vestibular apparatus on the reflex pathway. Only the study of Yamanaka et al. (42) reported a decrease in H reflexes after bed rest in standing subjects and attributed it to a higher presynaptic inhibition in such a position (5).
As reviewed by Edgerton and Roy (12), Russian studies also concerned changes in T reflexes due to simulated or real microgravity. However, no consistency of the direction of changes was found, even if decreases in the Achilles tendon reflex were more often reported than increases. After simulated microgravity, Anderson et al. (3) reported a decline in T reflexes in awake rats. The reverse changes between H and T reflexes illustrate that mechanically elicited reflexes are also influenced by peripheral mechanisms such as tendon stiffness and muscle spindle sensitivity (36). Thus the lower T reflexes in rats can be related to a decrease in muscle and tendon stiffness (1, 7).
To our knowledge, no study has been undertaken to investigate changes in stretch reflex activities after a period of unloading. Stretch reflexes of voluntary contracted muscles in response to imposed joint perturbations, studied to assess the effects of a specific training method (24, 41), mobilize the reflex pathway in a more natural way than electrical stimulations or tendon taps.
The present study dealt with the question of whether reflex excitability is altered by long-term spaceflight and whether possible changes in reflex excitability are due to central and/or peripheral mechanisms. For that, reflexes were tested at rest (H and T reflex) and during isometric contractions (stretch reflexes elicited by sinusoidal perturbations). Changes in H reflexes should reflect central mechanisms, with the knowledge that this reflex is obviously not influenced by changes in elastic properties of peripheral structures. On the other hand, changes in mechanically elicited reflexes could be influenced by such changes in elastic properties. Therefore, changes in passive musculoarticular stiffness were related to changes in the T reflex. In the same way, changes in musculotendinous stiffness were related to changes in the stretch reflex.
Subjects and Apparatus
The experiments were performed on three male cosmonauts who participated in EuroMir'95 and '98-E space missions. Thanks to a special agreement between the French and the Russian space agencies, further experiments were done on 11 male cosmonauts (Mir missions EO 19–24). From these 14 cosmonauts, two cosmonauts were not able to perform the entire protocol. The remaining 12 cosmonauts (C1 to C12) performed a set of experiments 28–42 days before flight [baseline data collection (BDC); BDC1, BDC2], soon after spaceflight [return (R); R+2/+3], and on R+5/+6.
The cosmonauts spent ∼180 days aboard Mir station, except for two (C1 and C2) who spent 90 days in flight. The cosmonauts were familiarized with the experiment during a preliminary session some days before starting the preflight tests. Cosmonauts gave their informed, written consent, and experiments were carried out according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The experimental protocol was approved by the committee of hygiene, safety, and ethics at the University of Compiègne and by the medical boards of the missions.
The experiment to test the neuromechanical properties of the triceps surae was performed by using a specific motor-driven ankle ergometer (29). Achilles tendon taps were carried out by using a custom-made electromagnetic reflex hammer. The reflex hammer was mounted on the foot support of the ankle ergometer. Electrical stimulations were applied using a commercially available isolated stimulator (Digitimer, DS7) with adjustable stimulation intensity. A round-headed transcutaneous electrode was used as cathode, and a silver plate was chosen as anode. Electromyograms (EMGs) induced by these stimulations were sampled at a frequency of 10 kHz.
The technical support of the ankle ergometer to characterize the elastic properties of the plantarflexor muscles has been described in detail by Tognella et al. (40). Briefly, the ankle ergometer consisted of a power unit that contained the actuator, its power supply unit, a digital optical position transducer, a strain-gauge torque transducer, and a tachometer to capture angular velocity. The instrumentation included a 486 PC-type computer equipped with an analog-digital interface and a timer board. A specific menu-driven software controlled all procedures and recorded mechanical variables and EMG (1-kHz sampling frequency) for later analysis. A dual-beam oscilloscope gave the cosmonaut a visual feedback on the procedure in progress.
All EMG signals were recorded differentially, amplified, and band-pass filtered (1 Hz and 1 kHz).
Experimental Procedure
The cosmonaut lay comfortably in a prone position on an adjustable table with his left foot rigidly attached to the actuator of the ankle ergometer and maintained by restraint systems to keep his thigh and shoulders immobilized during the test. The horizontal bimalleolar axis coincided with the axis of rotation of the actuator. The hip angle was at ∼170°, the knee was extended to 120°, and the ankle was placed at 90° (i.e., reference position), the approved position for H-reflex studies (19). These angular positions were the same in pre- and postflight tests; meanwhile, hip, knee, and ankle positions currently adopted in microgravity were modified. This could influence the reflex excitability. Position of the hip was recently proposed as a controlling factor of spinal reflex excitability (21). However, such influences were of minor import in the present protocol, in which maximal H reflexes, less susceptible to be affected by such mechanisms than submaximal H reflexes, were elicited (9). Furthermore, it was necessary to test the reflexes in the same joint positions in pre- and postflight experiment; otherwise it was difficult to compare the reflex changes.
Surface EMGs were detected on each part of the triceps surae muscle group (TS), i.e., the soleus (Sol), the gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and gastrocnemius medialis (GM), by using standard Ag/AgCl surface electrodes. In addition, EMG signals of the tibialis anterior (TA) were recorded to evaluate possible antagonist EMG activity. To reduce the electrode impedance to below 5 kΩ, the skin areas over the electrode application sites were rubbed with an abrasive skin cleaning paste and cleaned with an alcohol pad. Electrode gel was used with all surface electrodes for good electroconductive coupling. The surface electrodes were placed over the belly of each gastrocnemius muscle, 2 cm below the insertion of the gastrocnemii on the Achilles tendon for the soleus and over the belly of the tibialis anterior. The ground electrode was placed over the tibia. Anatomical landmarks of surface electrode positions were retained during the first test session to replace the electrodes over the same muscle sites at each test.
During an experimental session, tests were done in the following order:1) application of electrical stimulations to record H reflexes and maximal M waves at rest, 2) application of Achilles tendon taps to elicit T reflexes at rest, 3) requiring of maximal voluntary contractions under isometric conditions,4) performance of quick-release movements to determine the musculotendinous stiffness, 5) sinusoidal perturbations under voluntary contractions to record stretch reflexes, and6) sinusoidal perturbations at rest to determine the musculoarticular stiffness. Resting periods were standardized in terms of intratest (1-min) and intertest (3- to 5-min) periods. The total duration of the experimental protocol was limited to 90 min, imposed by the medical board of the missions.
Reflex Characteristics
H and T reflexes.
The H reflex was elicited by a submaximal electrical stimulus (1-ms duration) to the posterior tibial nerve, with the cathode located in the poplitea fossa and the anode placed over the knee, proximal to the patella. The intensity of the electrical stimulus was progressively increased in 5-s intervals, until a maximal Sol H reflex (Hmax) with no (or minimal) motor direct response (M wave) was obtained. Because of the restrained total experimental time, it was impossible to repeat the H recording at stimulus intensities giving the maximal H response on each part of the TS. Thus we chose to analyze the H response of the TS muscle group at the intensity at which the reflex of the highly excitable Sol was maximal. Then the stimulus intensity was increased until the maximal motor direct (Mmax) response was obtained on each part of TS. The Mmax response was used to normalize all reflex responses and thus to take account of different conditions of skin and surface electrodes impedance in signals recorded on different days.
Finally, taps to the Achilles tendon by means of the electromagnetic hammer were applied. The hammer was positioned as to obtain optimal responses, i.e., at a right angle to the Achilles tendon, a few centimeters above the sole of the foot, where the concavity of the tendon was maximal and, at rest, to keep a distance of ∼2 mm to the skin. The tendon tap corresponded to the maximal intensity delivered by the electromagnetic unit, which was the same in pre- and postflight tests. Furthermore, anatomical landmarks were carefully retained to place the hammer in the same position at each test.
Data processing consisted in averaging 10 H and T responses to get the Hmax and T responses. The Mmax response was obtained by averaging five M-wave records. Then Sol, GL, and GM EMG were rectified and the areas of the Hmax, T, and Mmax responses of each muscle were computed. Computing the area of each muscle instead of the amplitude takes into account the polyphasic response in some of the recorded H and T reflexes of the GL and GM muscles. The TS Mmax, Hmax, and T responses was obtained by summing up the corresponding Sol, GL, and GM areas. For test-to-test comparisons, Hmax and T responses of TS were normalized with respect to TS Mmax(Hmax/Mmax, T/Mmax ratios). Moreover, T/Hmax ratios were calculated to get an index of muscle spindle sensitivity and γ-drive (31).
Stretch reflexes.
Stretch reflex activities were elicited by using sinusoidal length perturbations superimposed on a voluntary contraction according to a methodology described by Rack et al. (36). First, the cosmonaut was asked to develop a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) against the actuator while no handgrip was allowed during contraction. The MVC of the day was defined as the highest of three attempts to generate the maximal voluntary effort. Then the cosmonaut was instructed to match an oscilloscope trace, providing feedback of his level of torque, and to hold it at 50% of his MVC during the test. After the cosmonaut reached the target torque, sinusoidal length perturbations were imposed on the ankle joint. The duration of the sinusoidal perturbations was 4 s, and the displacement amplitude was 3° peak to peak around the reference position. Frequencies of 4–16 Hz were successively presented by using steps of 1 Hz, except for frequencies higher than 12 Hz, for which steps were 2 Hz. When the ankle joint is considered a priori as a linear input-output system, imposed sinusoidal perturbations in displacement result in a sinusoidally modulated torque. Because the cosmonauts were asked to maintain a target torque, this task was facilitated by low-pass filtering the torque signal, visualized on the control oscilloscope to mask the oscillations in the torque trace. Thus all cosmonauts were able to keep their level of torque at the target value without any difficulty. The cosmonaut relaxed as soon as the perturbation stopped, and a resting period was given after each sequence to prevent fatigue (see Experimental Procedure). Experiments were done in the same way on R+2/+3 and on R+5/+6 by using the 50% MVC preflight target torque as reference value.
With regard to the processing procedure, data were first inspected visually to keep a number of successive periods where the required voluntary torque remained almost constant. It was also verified that TA antagonist activity, which can contaminate the agonist EMG by a cross-talk phenomenon, remained low whatever the timeline of data collection (BDC1, BDC2, R+2/+3, and R+5/+6). After this windowing, the EMG of Sol, GL, and GM were averaged over the remaining periods and then rectified and summed up to express the TS activity. This method is particularly adequate at relatively high frequencies (>6 Hz) at which the stretch reflex may consist in a more synchronous burst and the voluntary background EMG activity is low in relation to the reflexly evoked EMG response. At the lowest frequencies (4 and 5 Hz), reflex activities of the averaged and then rectified EMG signals were seldom detectable (see Fig. 1). Because the present study mainly concerned the analysis of the early, monosynaptic component of the stretch reflex, averaging before rectification favored the delineation of such time-locked, periodic EMG signals (13). Moreover, because the EMG of Sol, GM, and GL were first averaged and then rectified, no correction of the voluntary background EMG activity was necessary (see also Fig. 1). Thus data processing was conducted over frequencies ranging from 6 to 16 Hz. A mean stretch reflex amplitude (S̅R̅A̅), expressed by the ratio between stretch reflex area and duration, was normalized with respect to mean Mmax (M̄max: Mmaxarea/Mmax duration) and related to each frequency of the imposed perturbation. The area under theS̅R̅A̅/M̅ max-frequency curve obtained was defined as the frequency distribution of the S̅R̅A̅(FD-S̅R̅A̅). This parameter was validated to express changes in TS stretch reflex excitability (25).
Elastic Characteristics
Detailed information about the experimental protocol and the data processing have already been reported elsewhere (26) but will be reviewed briefly here.
Elastic properties of the musculoarticular system were determined by using sinusoidal perturbations with no participation of the cosmonaut (i.e., 0% of MVC). Sinusoidal perturbations (3° peak to peak) were imposed over frequencies ranging from 4 to 16 Hz and were used to construct frequency-response functions (i.e., Bode diagrams). To do so, averaged displacement-to-torque ratios and the phase shift between displacement and torque were plotted against the imposed frequency. Such a Bode diagram reflects the mixed mechanical contribution from inertia (I), viscosity (B), and elasticity (K) according to the formula Equation 1where T is the torque, Θ is angular displacement, tis time, dΘ/dt is angular velocity, and dΘ2/dt 2 is angular acceleration. Because measurements were performed in passive conditions, musculoarticular stiffness was expressed as Kp.
These sinusoidal perturbations were performed once in BDC1 or BDC2 and on R+2/+3. Because of the restrained time schedule of the cosmonauts, we could not conduct this part of the experiment on R+5/+6.
Elastic properties of the musculotendinous complex were evaluated by means of a quick-release technique (18) to determine the characteristics of the so-called series elastic component (SEC). Briefly, the cosmonaut maintained an isometric target torque (25, 50, and 75% MVC), and a quick-release movement was achieved by a sudden releasing of the footplate of the ankle ergometer. SEC characteristics were measured at the beginning of the quick-release movement, when the elastic elements are supposed to recoil and before any reflex changes in muscle activation are possible, i.e., within the first 20 ms. This was confirmed by inspecting visually the recorded EMG. SEC stiffness (S) was calculated as the ratio between variations in angular acceleration (as a derivative of angular velocity) and angular displacement, multiplied by the corresponding inertia value. Inertia was calculated by considering the equality between the initial target torque and the dynamic torque I · Θ̈max at the release, when acceleration is maximal (Θ̈max) (see also Ref. 26). Then the slope of the linear relationship between stiffness and the isometric torque initially exerted by the cosmonaut was defined as the stiffness index of the musculotendinous complex (SIMT).
Differences in the parameters observed between the different time schedules of data collection were analyzed by using a two-way ANOVA for repeated measurements with main effects of cosmonaut and spaceflight. A post hoc Fisher's least significant differences test was then applied to determine the significance of the differences. Linear regression analyses were used to check whether changes in reflex values correlated with the corresponding changes in stiffness values. Possible outliers were identified by Studentized residuals and significance was attested by Grubbs' test (Statgraphics). Data are presented as means ± SE. The level of significance was set toP < 0.05.
Reflex Characteristics
No significant differences were found between the two baseline measurements (BDC1, BDC2) for all parameters, so that they were averaged to get BDC data. Moreover, no significant changes in TS Mmax area were found whatever the tested timeline (BDC, R+2/+3, R+5/+6). The outlier identification analyses for each parameter indicated that cosmonauts C1 and C2, who spent 90 days in space, presented no significant departures from the other cosmonauts. Thus they were included in the population.
Mean Hmax/Mmax slightly increased between BDC and R+2/+3 from 30.0 ± 3.6 to 34.1 ± 3.7% and was 32.6 ± 5.9% on R+5/+6. The ANOVA indicated no significant main effect of spaceflight [F(2,22) = 0.77;P > 0.05] but a significant variability between the cosmonauts [F(11,22) = 3.79; P < 0.05].
Significant main effects of spaceflight were found for differences in T/Mmax [F(2,22) = 4.73; P< 0.05], whereas ANOVA indicated no significant main effect of cosmonaut [F(11,22) = 0.49; P > 0.05]. Mean T/Mmax increased significantly between BDC (9.6 ± 2.1%) and R+2/+3 (15.1 ± 3.9%) by 57% but decreased significantly between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 (11.9 ± 2.8%) by 21%. No significant differences were found between BDC and R+5/+6.
As for T/Hmax, this parameter changed from 33.5 ± 7.2% on BDC to 43.7 ± 9.1% on R+2/+6 and was still increased on R+5/+6 (46.5 ± 8.1%). The ANOVA indicated no significant main effect of spaceflight [F(2, 22) = 0.47;P > 0.05] but a significant main effect of cosmonaut [F(11,22) = 2.34; P < 0.05].
Significant main effects of spaceflight were found for FD-S̅R̅A̅ differences [F(2,22) = 4.87;P < 0.05], whereas the ANOVA indicated no significant main effect of cosmonaut [F(11,22) = 0.45;P > 0.05]. Thus mean FD-S̅R̅A̅ increased significantly by 31% between BDC (0.29 ± 0.03 s−1) and R+2/+3 (0.38 ± 0.06 s−1) but decreased significantly by 29% between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 (0.27 ± 0.02 s−1). No significant differences were found between BDC and R+5/+6. A summary is given in Table1.
Stiffness-Reflex Relationships
The results of microgravity-induced changes in mechanical properties of the human ankle plantarflexor muscles will be reviewed briefly, because they have been reported in detail elsewhere (26,27). Maximal torque during MVC decreased significantly by 17% when tested on R+2/+3, whereas no significant changes were observed between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6 or between BDC and R+5/+6. Significantly lower Kp values were reported when measured after spaceflight on R+2/+3, leading to a mean decrease of 11%. On the other hand, SIMT increased significantly by 25% between BDC and R+2/+3 and by 54% between BDC and R+5/+6. When compared between R+2/+3 and R+5/+6, SIMT still showed a significant increase of 24% compared with R+2/+3. A summary is given in Table2.
The relationships between individual changes in the elastic properties and the mechanically elicited reflex activities at rest and under voluntary contractions were constructed for the nine cosmonauts for whom all reflex and mechanical data sets were available. Thus changes in the mechanically elicited reflex activities at rest (TS T/Mmax) were related to changes in Kp, whereas changes in stretch reflex activities under voluntary contraction (TS FD-S̅R̅A̅) were related to changes in SIMT.
Figure 2 illustrates paired changes between T/Mmax and Kp for each cosmonaut in postflight conditions. This figure reveals that changes in T/Mmax were related to changes in Kp for eight of nine cosmonauts. Indeed, the Studentized residual of cosmonaut C7 was 4.96, and Grubbs' test indicated that this value represent a significant outlier (P < 0.05). Figure3 depicts the results of paired changes between FD-S̅R̅A̅ and SIMT for each cosmonaut in postflight conditions (Fig. 3 A) and in early recovery conditions (Fig. 3 B). As shown in Fig. 3 A, the increase in FD-S̅R̅A̅ did not correlate with the increase in SIMT in postflight conditions. On the other hand, Fig.3 B reveals that the opposite changes in FD-S̅R̅A̅and SIMT during the early recovery period were correlated when considering individual data (see Fig. 3 legend).
Removal of gravitational environment gives the ability to understand how earth's gravity has shaped the evolution of the neuromuscular system to control posture and movement. The present study examines changes in reflex excitability after long-term spaceflight and analyzes how central processes and peripheral mechanisms, like muscle and joint stiffness (26), interfere in the reflex changes found after spaceflight.
Central Adaptive Processes
Two or three days after landing, an increase in reflex excitability was assessed by the trend of higher H reflexes and by the significant increase in T and stretch reflexes. One possible mechanism to explain changes in reflex excitability can be an adaptive response at the level of the motor units. This adaptation was expected, because after exposure to a microgravity environment (real or simulated), an increase in the postural muscle content in fast type fibers is usually reported (for review, see Ref. 14). By analogy with studies about strength training effects (2, 8, 16, 28, 33,34), lower reflexes were expected for muscles with a higher content of fast fibers. Thus the reverse changes reported in the present study cannot be explained by a fiber-type transition phenomenon. This does not mean that this fiber transition was not present (the cosmonauts were not submitted to muscular biopsies), but, if present, the influence of this phenomenon on the reflex changes was masked by more prominent adaptive processes. When H reflexes were tested in a lying position, Duchateau (11) suggested that the higher H reflexes recorded after a 150-day bed-rest case study were due to an increase in synaptic efficacy on the unloaded motoneurons by a partial removal of presynaptic inhibitory phenomena. Indeed, Gallego et al. (15) demonstrated in animals that disuse enhanced the synaptic efficacy in spinal motoneurons. This increase in synaptic efficacy can mainly explain the trend for higher reflexes found after spaceflight. The reason for observing a trend but not a significant increase in H reflex amplitude like after bed rest could be that, in the space station, the concerned muscles remained active by the daily tasks and exercises performed by the cosmonauts. Thus the muscle unloading was less pronounced than in the case of a long-term bed rest. These in-flight activities probably varied in type and intensity from one cosmonaut to another, contributing to the large intersubject variability in the reflex changes. It must also be recalled that reflexes were tested 2 or 3 days after landing, i.e., when the recovery to a gravitational environment was already in progress. Unfortunately, it was not possible to apply the present protocol sooner and to analyze reflexes just after landing, but if such measurements were authorized, the H reflex changes probably should differ in intensity.
With regard to the T reflex, Russian studies (cited in the review of Ref. 12) reported opposite changes in nonnormalized patellar or Achilles tendon reflexes, measured on a few members of different missions. In the present study, the increase in normalized T reflexes can also reflect the increase in synaptic efficacy. However, T and H responses cannot be compared directly, because they differ, notably in the composition and/or temporal dispersion of the involved afferent volleys (6, 32). Furthermore, T responses were, for all subjects, lower than the H reflexes, and it is well known that small reflexes are more sensitive to excitatory and inhibitory influences than reflexes of greater amplitudes (9). Thus the increase in synaptic efficacy can be more effective on the smaller T reflexes than on the maximal H reflexes.
In the same way, the higher FD-S̅R̅A̅ values, found at R+2/+3, can also reflect changes in synaptic efficacy, such changes being susceptible to be more pronounced under voluntary contractions. Further analyses of which mechanism, supraspinal and/or peripheral (e.g., coming from cutaneous or tendinous afferents), would be responsible for the origin of these changes in synaptic efficacy go beyond the scope of the present study. However, it seems that this central adaptive process plays a large part in the changes of reflex excitability, observed 2 or 3 days after landing.
The decrease in all reflex responses at R+5/+6 compared with R+2/+3 comports with the hypothesis that the higher synaptic efficacy was mainly responsible for the reflex changes at R+2/+3. At R+5/+6, the muscle reloading is more effective, and a return to normal synaptic efficacy is probably in progress and contributes to the reflex decrease at that time. An increase in γ-motoneuron drive can also contribute to the changes in the reflex mechanically induced, as indicated by the trend for higher T-to-H ratios at R+2/+3 and R+5/+6. These changes affecting muscle spindle sensitivity to stretch have been reported as a result of postural instability (39) to which cosmonauts are subjected on their return to Earth. If present, this mechanism will be more pronounced in active muscles than at rest and thus will affect the FD-S̅R̅A̅ more profoundly than the T reflex.
Peripheral Adaptive Processes
In addition to central mechanisms, peripheral components, like tendon stiffness and/or muscle spindle responsiveness, may also influence the reflex responses mechanically elicited. Indeed, the T reflex activates the reflex pathway from the muscle spindles up to the motoneurons, whereas the H reflex bypasses the spindles. Furthermore, besides the possible changes in γ-drive, a comparison between changes in T and H reflex could also indicate that an externally applied stretch comes to the muscle spindles through more or less compliant musculotendinous structures. Such a link between muscle spindle activation and tendon stiffness can be expected, because, for example, in a long and relatively more compliant tendon some of the imposed movement is taken up in the tendon, and less of the imposed movement is transmitted to the muscle spindles (36). For instance, some studies suggested that alterations in T-to-H ratio values should be partly attributed to changes in tendon stiffness (2,3). In the present study, the expected link between changes in T reflex and changes in passive stiffness failed to be observed at R+2/+3 by considering changes in mean TS T reflex (57%) and in Kp(−11%). However, an individual analysis of changes in T/Mmax and in Kp reveals that changes in passive stiffness had an influence on the T reflex for the majority of the cosmonauts (see Fig. 2). The highest changes in T reflex were found for the cosmonauts who showed an increase in Kp values, and reversibly a strong decrease in Kp values led to a decrease in the T reflex. This supports the idea that peripheral mechanisms contribute to the changes in reflex excitability as a result of spaceflight.
Adaptation of the muscle spindles themselves can be proposed to contribute to T reflex changes. Some data are in favor of an increase in spindle sensitivity after disuse. For example, after immobilization, passive stretch led to higher static and dynamic indexes of primary endings in the cat peroneus longus (17). Morphological and histochemical alterations in muscle spindles of disused muscles were suspected to affect the elastic properties of muscle spindles (10, 20). Furthermore, Zelena and Soukup (43) reported an increase in the number of intrafusal fibers within the spindles of soleus muscles unloaded by deefferentation. However, for instance, the hypothesis of a spindle adaptation due to unloading by spaceflight remains entirely prospective, studies about this adaptive phenomenon are in progress.
Because contraction may improve the mechanical linkage between muscle and joint, changes in the elastic properties of the musculotendinous complex can also influence stretch reflex activities. When a muscle contracts, the stiffness of both tendon and muscle fibers increases, but not by the same amount, because a tendon acts like a spring with a constant stiffness from 20–30% of MVC and higher (for a review, see Ref. 35). The distribution of the externally imposed perturbation then depends on the relative stiffness between tendon and muscle fibers (37) so that it may become difficult to estimate how much of the external perturbation will be "seen" by the muscle spindles (36). Whatever the case, it is conceivable that an increase in musculotendinous stiffness should lead to higher muscle spindle activation. The increases in both SIMT and FD-S̅R̅A̅ in postflight conditions seemed to support this hypothesis. However, the reported increase in stretch reflex and musculotendinous stiffness (31% in FD-S̅R̅A̅ vs. 25% in SIMT) failed to show any correlation when individual data were considered (see Fig. 3 A). This lack of correlation shows, once again, the prospect for multiple origin of the adaptive response of the stretch reflex, with the ensemble of central and peripheral factors contributing to the enhancement of the stretch reflex 2 or 3 days after spaceflight. On the other hand, data collected at R+5/+6 improved the correlation between changes in FD-S̅R̅A̅ and changes in SIMT of individual data (see Fig. 3 B). Thus it appears that the stretch reflex was related to musculotendinous stiffness at a stage when return to a normal synaptic efficacy was suspected to be in progress.
In conclusion, this study where reflexes were elicited in different ways gives a better understanding of neuromuscular adaptations due to microgravity. Furthermore, changes in mechanically elicited reflexes were related to changes in the corresponding elastic properties. From this multiparametric approach, it appears that, soon after landing (R+2/+3), the increase in the tested reflexes could be due essentially to a higher synaptic efficacy. Other mechanisms are suspected to reinforce or counteract this main central influence on the reflexes, notably the changes in elastic properties, in motoneuronal excitability, and in muscle spindle sensitivity. When synaptic efficacy was suspected to be in the way to return to a normal level, an improved correlation between changes in reflexes and elastic properties illustrated the important role of peripheral components such as the elastic properties of muscle and tendon.
These multiple influences on the reflex excitability contribute to the large variability found in the reflex changes from one subject to another. This variability may also be due to the tasks and exercises practiced on board. One of the difficulties to interpret some of the results comes from the impossibility to be informed about the type, duration, and intensity of the exercises practiced by each cosmonaut. Despite these activities, reflex and mechanical functions of muscles unloaded by microgravity remained affected. In the future, it will be necessary to be better informed about the in-flight exercises. In these conditions, the testing protocol developed for the present study could be useful to attest the efficacy of new countermeasure programs, devoted to limit muscle atrophy and neuromuscular changes due to longer spaceflights.
The authors express their gratitude to the crews, their backups, the medical staff of Y. A. Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre at Star City, Moscow, and the staff of the European Space Agency. The technical assistance of Alain Mainar and Clotilde Vanhoutte for performing the experiments was highly appreciated. The authors thank Dr. Hosseini-Kazeroni for the English revision of the paper.
This study was supported by grants from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the Pôle Régional de Picardie.
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: C. Pérot, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Département Génie Biologique CNRS UMR-6600, F-60205 Compiègne cedex, France (E-mail:chantal.perot{at}utc.fr).
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
First published September 20, 2002;10.1152/japplphysiol.00666.2002
- Copyright © 2003 the American Physiological Society


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(Adds futures prices, company news items)
LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - European equity futures dropped lower on Wednesday as a relentless slide in oil prices hit world markets.
Futures on the Euro STOXX 50, Germany's DAX, France's CAC and Britain's FTSE were down by between 2.1-2.7 percent.
Energy and mining shares could again bear the brunt of a sell-off.
U.S. crude oil prices fell to their lowest level since 2003 after the world's energy watchdog warned the market could "drown in oversupply".
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index had closed up 1.4 percent on Tuesday, marking a rebound from 13-month lows reached earlier this month.
The head of one of the world's biggest aviation fleets played down the risk of a price war over big jets like the Boeing 777 on Tuesday, saying its U.S. manufacturer would rather sacrifice production than risk damaging its own portfolio.
French nuclear group Areva won several long-term contracts last year from four U.S. utilities for uranium enrichment services worth more than $300 million, the group said on Tuesday.
ASML Holding said on Wednesday its fourth-quarter net profit fell 4.3 percent to 292 million euros ($319.8 million) from a year earlier, but was ahead of analysts' expectations
Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut beat expectations for its first-quarter sales on Wednesday, with revenue rising more than three times as fast as forecast in a Reuters poll.
The sheer scale of EDF's 18 billion pound ($25.55 bln) project to build two nuclear reactors at Britain's Hinkley Point, puts the French utility at risk, the CFE-CGC managers union warned on Tuesday.
High-end watchmakers have signalled a shift in strategy with an expanded range of more affordable products to counter the most severe downturn the industry has faced since the 2008-09 financial crisis, executives at a watch fair in Geneva said.
Randgold Resources has signed three joint venture agreements with junior miners to explore potential gold deposits in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, its chief executive Mark Bristow said on Tuesday.
Vivendi's investment in Telecom Italia is not a point of entry for French telecoms group Orange into the Italian group, the CEO of the media group said on Tuesday, shooting down talk that it could facilitate a tie-up between the two telecom companies.
Europe's Industry Commissioner has written to the chief executive of Volkswagen asking for detailed information on cars affected by the emissions scandal and calling for Europeans to be compensated in the same way as U.S. customers.
Zurich Insurance on Wednesday flagged an estimated $100 million fourth-quarter business operating loss for its flagship general insurance (GI) business, largely due to claims from storms and floods in Britain and Ireland. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks hit 4-year trough as oil spirals lower > US STOCKS-S&P 500 ends unchanged; more carnage in oil stocks > Nikkei hits 14-1/2 month low on oil rout, stronger yen > TREASURIES-U.S. bond prices slip as stocks eke out gains > FOREX-Dollar retreats as crude oil resumes descent, yen gains > PRECIOUS-Gold edges higher as Asian stocks retreat, oil extends rout > METALS--London copper drifts lower as hopes grow for China stimulus > Oil falls more than 2 pct on surplus worries, as U.S. drops towards $27
Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta


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|Reviews for 40 years later, rise and fall
| wrestleingchick180 chapter 19 . 9/5/2009
you really sould write more, i mean i love your story and i think that you sould totaly write a book, this story is really good, keep writing PLEASE
| Lucy Twilight Lover chapter 20 . 7/8/2009
Danm that sucks, hope u find the keys soon
| Evilchick2010 chapter 20 . 7/7/2009
That's terrible. I hope you find you keys and pendrive.
| YoursTrulyxEveLynx3 chapter 20 . 7/7/2009
Can you please find it. This story is so good. There are a lot of authors notes. Please update really soon. You rock
| Edwardfan1997 chapter 20 . 7/7/2009
oh no!i was really enjoying this story!please try and update soon!
| QueenElsaSalvatore chapter 18 . 7/7/2009
good so far cant wait to read more
| Edwardfan1997 chapter 1 . 7/7/2009
this is a great story so far!
| Cullensforever123 chapter 2 . 7/7/2009
great story funny
| lilylunaweasleypotter chapter 19 . 7/1/2009
this is way good are u going 2 finish this story
| Lucy Twilight Lover chapter 19 . 6/21/2009
PLs write more soon i do love this story. oxox
| Evilchick2010 chapter 19 . 6/9/2009
That was awesome please write more soon.
| i lv Edward chapter 18 . 6/6/2009
hey that was funny! i almost spat out my drink all over the laptop when em said i can c ur doodle! i no its childish but its just so random and so hilarious!
| AddictedtoTwilightandWriting chapter 18 . 6/3/2009
This chapter was really funny. But I still dont understand what was wrong with bella the whole week... well anyway i really like dthis chapter xtodlesx
| twilight-vamp-sis chapter 18 . 6/1/2009
hilarious! i did that to my boyfriend once, he almost kill me and lets you say payback IS a bitch lol. can't wait for the next chapter :)
| wrestleingchick180 chapter 18 . 6/1/2009
keep writing it just keeps getting better... your writing is alsome! :P


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There is a continuous inflow of visitors from faceboook to my hubs though I am not a frequent visitor to FB. Traffic continues on a particular hub for few days then on other hub same pattern follows. I did not realize this potential of being a FB user since I did not find many visitors from FB for a long period. Now I understand the power of social networking site and suggest other hubbers to join FB & other popular networking sites. I would like to mention here that this inflow of visitors in thousands is in routine way and not due to advertising. However, there is not much use of this traffic in terms of revenue generation.
I have noticed a most unusual spike in one of my hubs too. Not sure where its from.
Thousands of visitors for the last couple of days.
I am very worried about this.
Recently there was a video that went viral called Kony 2012 that wound up with 85 million YT views. It seemed very popular on FB too. I wonder if the two anomalies are related? Maybe someone forgot to turn something off?
You sure these Facebook visits are "real"?
Latest rumor is that they are escaped Tribbles.
You are showing your age paradigm if you remember tribbles... I guess I am too... Bring back the original star trek.. lol
Hey! I actually owned an actual tribble when I was a teenager. It was one of the actual props from the show. Bought it at a Comicon in Pittsburgh for a ridiculous amount of money (for a teenager)... James Doohan was speaking.
Oh crap. Now I'm showing MY age... and my geekdom.
Fellow Geeks Unite!
Is it better or worse that I made a "walking" tribble with some fake rabbit fur wrapped around a wind-up toy?
Er, apologies to OP for not addressing question. FB scares me.
thanks to all for the replies. Now I am also convinced that these hits from FB are not real since they are in no way useful to us. Discussions on forum substantiate that they are being generated by someone with some malign intention using a software or bot.
I think someone else reported an unexplained FB surge not long ago. And a few weeks ago, several of us were targeted by a malicious site called Skylancers; we got thousands of hits with hours. If it's just one hub, I'd unpublish it ASAP to avoid any AdSense issues or Google issues. Be sure to report it to the moderators right away. If it's malicious, it's probably happening to others as well. I unpublished the hub with the traffic and then republished it a few days later. Good luck!
Just like Izzym submission, Google ignores them. Check your google analytics and you'll see that they actually does not count.
by Sheila Brown4 years ago
I'm almost afraid to ask...is there an error in anyones page views in the last 2 days? My views have gone from a little more than 1,000 to over 22,000 this morning! I have never had this happen before and...
by bbgolfer4 years ago
DearsSince 1st of August, all my hubs traffic dropped dramatically. I checked my ranking for some hubs that were always in the first page of SERP, however, they all GONE!!.Any ideas of what I can do to overcome this...
by Jim3 years ago
I just noticed that I have a sudden drop in traffic. About 50% or so. Pretty unusual. Anyone else seeing the same?
by Pooja Sharma6 years ago
Are you promoting your site through social networking sites? If yes then what you feel it works?
by citizen104 years ago
Hi guysI Recently had a big jump in traffic due to a couple of my hubs making it to the front page of Google. While I am obviously thrilled, I wanted to try and dissect why? Is it simply a matter of time before Google...
by Kdban1016 years ago
I am not an active Hubber anymore but today I want to share this information with fellow Hubbers. These are two images from Quantcast - showing traffic levels of Google and Facebook since last few months. Though they...
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text:
This song titled Papa feat Scar (Botswana), Lizibo (Botswana), Reason and Proverb.
The song is to celebrate fathers day by engaging fathers in the entertainment industry to relate their stories.
The song was recorded in Botswana and South Africa by Producers Playground for ProPlay Music. Botswana recordings were done by Dj Kuchi and Lil Boii.
The song was produced by Lil Boii.


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wikiHow to Get to Heaven (Christianity)
There are a lot of misconceptions among Christians on how to get to heaven. Some falsely believe they can get to heaven through doing good deeds, while others may believe that simply going to church every Sunday will get them there. Not so.
If you do not know the teachings of Protestant theologians such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, then learn using this article and your Bible--and turn to Christ, for this is the message of God's word--that Jesus came to die for sinners and to save them from the wrath to come. It is Jesus and only Jesus who can turn away the righteous judgment of God upon the sinner. Why? Read on...
1Ask yourself, are you a sinner? Have you ever lied, stolen, lusted, coveted, or been angry with someone unjustly? If you've lied, then you're a liar. If you've stolen, then you are a thief. You've broken the Law of God. God has said, "You shall not steal; You shall not lie; You shall have no other gods before Me; You shall not murder, etc." (Exodus 20:1-17). He has given the standard of righteousness; and if you have broken any of God's commandments, then you have fallen short of that standard and are under the inevitable judgment of God (1 John 3:4; Isaiah 59:2; Rom. 6:23). When you die, you will face Him; and on the Day of Judgment, he will deliver the proper judgment to all people. He must because he is righteous and holy. Here is the the salvation plan!
2Learn the gospel (the good news), starting with the historical events of Jesus who lived, taught, died for sinners on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Protestant theologians teach that His death was a sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (1 John 2:2). Historical Christianity has always taught that His death was a sacrifice of atonement, united to the Father in love (Heb. 10:12, 13:15). His grace is the only way to be saved from God's righteous judgment upon those who have sinned (for all have sinned) by breaking his Law.
3Hear the Gospel of Jesus, and receive the only good news you need. You need his grace alone. Your works alone won't help you (Rom. 3:10-12; Isaiah 64:6), but by God's grace your works can be meritorious (Matt. 10:42, James 2:24). With the help of Jesus, you can be good enough (Matt. 5:48, Philippians 1:6) and you can always offer your body as a sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). It is only by the love and grace of God found in Jesus and His sacrifice that you can be delivered from the righteous wrath of God upon all who have broken His law. Jesus saves you from God's righteous judgment.
- The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). That means that your sins have caused a separation between you and God (Isaiah 59:2), and the result is death (Rom. 6:23) and wrath (Eph. 2:3).
4Be saved from the wrath of God. "It is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.", (Ephesians 2:8-10). You must trust in what Jesus did on the cross to forgive you of your sins and not trust anything else--not even your own sincerity or works.
5Realize that Jesus is the one who died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). He is the only way to God the Father (John 14:6). He alone reveals God (Matt. 11:27). He has all authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). It is only through Him that you can be saved from God's just judgement (Eph. 2:3). He can forgive you of your sin (Luke 5:20; Matt. 9:1-8). He can remove the guilt that is upon your soul. Jesus can set you free from the bondage of sin that blinds your eyes, weakens your soul, and brings you to despair. He can do this because He bore sin in His body on the cross (1 Peter. 2:24) so that those who trust in Him would be saved.
6If you are not a Christian and want to be delivered from the righteous judgment of God, then come to the One who died for the sins of the world. Come to the One who died for sinners (Matt. 11:28). Believe and trust in Jesus. Receive Jesus, who is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14) and who died and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4), as your Lord and Savior.
7Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins (John 14:14; Matt. 9:1-8). Receive Christ (John 1:12) and the sacrifice he made on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). Repent of your sins. This means to change your mind about sin and agree with God that it is an offence to Him and is separating you from His fellowship. Only He can wash you clean from your sins, and only Jesus can deliver you from the future judgment of a holy and infinite God. Pray to Jesus. Seek Him. Ask Him to save you. Put your trust in him.
8After you are saved from your sins and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ there are some things that will help you continue to grow and live for God as you begin your new life with Him.
9Be Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. - Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
11Live a holy and consecrated life. Peter 1:16 - Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
12Read the scriptures; they say: Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
13Love God and others. - Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
14Tell the good news to others. - Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
15Remember that Jesus will come again. - Act 1:6-11 When they, therefore, had come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Community Q&A
I really want to believe in Jesus, but I have a small doubt. How can I strengthen my faith?wikiHow ContributorYou can strengthen your faith by reading the Bible, and praying for guidance. The Lord will give you answers to all your doubts.
How can a Christian get closer to God?wikiHow ContributorRead the Bible, pray often and talk to God during prayer as you would a friend.
If I am trying to improve and haven't done a lot of sins in a long time, am I still going to hell because I sinned in the past?wikiHow ContributorNo matter how hard we work to improve our behavior, we can never (in heart and actions) be perfect enough to deserve a relationship with God and eternity in heaven with Him. That's why Jesus came: our sins have opened a massive chasm between us and God, and Jesus laid his life down across that chasm so we could be reconnected and cross over from death to life. You need to accept Jesus as your Savior, believing that he died on the cross to save your sins. Once you do that, you have God's forgiveness for all past and future sins. At that point, when he looks at you, God sees perfection because Jesus is in you. You are a new creation.
How do I ask Jesus to save me?wikiHow ContributorJust pray in your mind or out loud. Try saying something like this: Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I want you to come into my heart and forgive my sins.
Do I have to follow all the rules in the Bible so I can go to Heaven?Peyton CarterWell, yes. Try your absolute hardest to obey the Ten Commandments. But when you sin, as everyone does, you should sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness.
I have depression and gender identity problems. If I never told anyone about this, is it still a lie? And is being transgender okay? I'll never have any romantic interests in my life and I know that man must not lie with man.wikiHow ContributorDo not worry, God loves everyone and forgives their sins. Christianity is not here to judge and ridicule you, but to help you in a walk with Jesus Christ. Learn from the Bible by reading it on your own and with other Christians, then you may be able to find an answer to your questions yourself.
How do I ask in a sincere to God way to be saved and wash my sins away every time I do something bad?wikiHow ContributorAll people do many bad things, even though some self deceive about their perfection. Bad things include neglecting others, failing to care about an animal, not spending time on a hobby, putting work before family right up to stealing and lying, so the range is very wide! We could never ask God to forgive us each time. When you ask God to save you, He forgives all the sins you have done (apart from harming his precious creations), and every sin you will do. God knows what will happen in the future.
Once I have accepted Jesus Christ as the savior and I have faith, does that mean I am saved and I can continue living a sinful lifestyle without feeling bad about it?John DufresneNo. In the Bible it says we are supposed to live each day through Christ, imitating his good works and doing the best we can for ourselves and others. You must pray each day for the wisdom and strength to avoid sinful acts. Do not give the devil a foothold.
Is creativity a sin?wikiHow ContributorIn and of itself? No. God, as the ultimate Creator, made us creative as a reflection of Him. Creativity can be used for evil purposes, but it is not intrinsically sinful.
I have lied lots of times and I can't stop. Am I going to hell?John DufresneFirst you need to believe that Jesus died for us on the cross to clear our sins. You have to ask him for forgiveness and that he comes into your heart and shows you the correct way to tell the truth. Being true to yourself and others is how it is mentioned in the bible and this is the way we need to live as Christians. Read the bible and do your best each day to live thru Christ.
What if we don't want to love some people?
|This video shows the true power of the Gospel while putting to death false religion. It should be clear that, to a believer, Christianity is a FAITH, not a religion. Hopefully, this well help show you the difference.
- Tell the truth. Even white lies are counted as lies.
- According to the Bible, literally God's word to us, the only thing you have to do to be saved is Repent of our sin and place our (trust) Faith in Jesus Christ. It's the free gift of God, you just have to receive it. That's the Gospel. That's the only way you 'get into' heaven because we are all sinful people who could never be good enough to do it on our own. Read the Bible, it's all in there. Being baptized and 'being a good person' is great but Jesus never said that what saves you. He said that HE & HE alone has the power to save. No ritual or sprinkling of water or feeding every homeless person in the world can save you. Go pick up a Bible, it'll change your life. Pray that God will speak to you through it & show you the truth. And the truth will set you free.
- Be kind.
- Pray as much as possible. The Bible instructs to pray without ceasing, and this helps you to remember what God has done for you, reminds you to ask for forgiveness for your sins and keeps you in a good relationship with God.
- According to the Bible, there is only one way to get to heaven: Repenting of your sins, and placing your faith in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. It should be noted that it is by grace, through faith not by your works, but by the works of Christ alone, that you are saved. Everything that comes after, are fruits (proof) of this.
- Do unto others as you would want to be done unto you.
- Just love Jesus.
- Bless others and be blessed.
- Pray for those who do not have faith or believe in God. Also go to confession as often as possible. It is not easy to not commit those sins again, and you will, for we are human, but try to commit them less.
- Remember first confess your sins, next admit to God that you have sinned and then be baptized.
- Be able to be accepting of others, tolerate and accept.
- Live in the spirit, not in the flesh.
- Be fearless and faithful to the Lord.
- Follow the ten commandments.
- Remember to love others, share with others, and care for others.
- Once you become a Christian the world will begin to hate you, since you have passed from darkness into light, and the world is darkness and hates the light.
- Four things are guaranteed for a true Christian: Tribulation (suffering), Persecution, Temptation, and Eternal Life.
- To save yourself some pain go here... http://www.livingwaters.com/save-yourself-some-pain
Sources and Citations
- http://www.bbnradio.org/wcm4/bbnmedia/HowtogettoHeaven/Readtheanswer/tabid/639/Default.aspx
- http://www.allaboutgod.com/how-to-get-to-heaven.htm
- http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/get_wet.shtml
- http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html
- Paul Enns. "Heaven Revealed: What is it like? What will we do? and 11 other things you've wondered about." Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011.
Article Info
Categories: Christianity
In other languages:
Español: ir al Cielo (cristianismo), Italiano: Andare in Paradiso (per Cristiani), Português: Ir para o Céu (Cristianismo), Русский: попасть в рай (христианство), Bahasa Indonesia: Masuk Surga (Artikel untuk Umat Kristiani), Français: aller au Paradis (dans le christianisme)
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 176,732 times.


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Clean your lungs of nicotine quickly and efficiently and prevent the occurrence of cancer!
Some things sure are easier said than done. While the process of cleansing your lungs might not be the easiest of tasks, it certainly isn't an impossible one. Are you afraid of bringing drastic changes to your lifestyle? Well, there is no need to be demoralized, since you are not alone. Learn to take one step at a time.
The degree of the task at hand actually depends on the severity of the damage that your lungs have taken. If you have been an occasional smoker, the process could be much simpler than in the case of you being a chain smoker. Nonetheless, if you have quit smoking, we shall discuss some useful ways for the cleansing of your lungs. Try and add 1 of method to your routine every week. This will help your body get used to the new habits slowly and gradually, yet effectively.
The bottom line is to avoid smoking, which includes smoking yourself as well as passive smoking.
1. Choose the Right Environment
i. Stay in Ventilated places
- Stay as much away from any type of smoke or smokers as possible. (ofcourse only when they smoke)
- Make use of technology when you can. Consider getting home air purifiers installed which will help remove allergens and harmful particles from the air.
- Consider a device with a HEPA filter. It works even better than Ozone air cleaners. Moreover, Ozone air cleaners can have adverse affects on your lungs.
For those of you who are not allergic to pollen:
- Keep your windows open whenever possible during daytime. The idea is to keep yourself surrounded by fresh air, even when at home.
- If possible, sleep in fresh air or keep windows open while sleeping. If you cant open the window, open the doors to your living room.
ii. A Clean Home Will Lead to a Clean Inner You
- If you have carpets instead of tiles, make sure you keep them cleaned in a dry cleaner. Use the vaccum cleaner as often as you can.
- Keep your home shelves, furniture and objects dust-free. Consider dusting your place atleast once every 2-3 days.
- If you are using a wood-burning stove, or a fireplace, consider getting an electric stove system. Wood burning stoves release toxins in the smoke, which damages the lungs.
iii. Identify the Good and Bad Plants
During daytime, green plants take in Carbon Dioxide and give out oxygen. That leaves us with cleaner, more fresh air to breathe. Though, keeping green plants in your bedroom isn't recommended, since without light they will switch to absorbing oxygen.
But keep in mind, that even under sunlight, certain plants emit pollen, spores and other particles that can irritate the lungs. Even if you're not allergic to plants, go through your plant collection and eliminate the culprits.
Listed below are some plants that you should consider having in your garden.
- Aloe Vera
- Spider Plant
- Snake Plants
- Chrysanthemum
- Seeping Fig
- English Ivy
- Palm Tree
- Peace Lily
2. Diet
If you're suffering from bad lungs, you're also probably a victim of persistent coughing issues. Coughing is caused by the mucus accumulated in your lungs. Hence, you should try and avoid foods that catalyze mucus production.
Foods to avoid
- Processed Meat
- Frozen Convenience Food
- Fast Food
- Dairy Products like Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt
What to consume
Smoking is one of the menaces that can lead to an acidic PH in your blood. An excess of acid in your body fluids is a condition known as acidosis. It is gets too intense, this could lead to the infamous kidney stones or even Kidney failure.
To help this cause, eat more alakaline foods. Some examples:
- Vegetables: root vegetables, leafy greens
- Fruits: apples, bananas, lemons, berries, oranges, watermelons
- Proteins: almonds, chestnuts
- Spices: cinnamon, curry, ginger
To fight toxins, antioxidants are substances that you need in your body. They neutralize the excess of free radicals and shield your organs from damage. Some examples:
- Fruits: Blueberries, cranberries, grapes, blackberries
- Vegetables: artichokes, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes
- Other: green tea, fish, pecans, walnuts
To increase the oxygen intake in your body, you should consider adding more chlorophyll to your diet. It also additionally helps cleanse blood and tissues. There are supplements out there that fulfill this purpose, but you could always turn to nature's massive helping hand.
- Juiced wheatgrass
- Spirulina
- Blue-green micro-algae
- Sprouted seeds
3. Exercise
This might be the most underrated of the three remedies, but is surely mega-crucial. Staying fit and in good shape is extremely important for the healthy supply of oxygen to all our organs. Working out also releases endorphins, known as the feel-good hormones. They help relieve pain and lead to feelings of pleasure.
Recommended Exercise Plans for Lung patients
- 150 minutes per week (30 minutes 5 times a week) of moderate aerobic activity. That can be swimming, walking, gardening
- 75 minutes per week (25 minutes 3 times per week) of vigorous aerobic activity OR strength training. That can be jogging, biking, dancing, or playing soccer.
Outdoor sports are the most beneficial and effective. Try engaging yourself in outdoor sports activities as much as possible. They are all health enhancing.
Yoga works magically for ex-smokers. There are two huge reasons for you to add Yoga to your daily lives.
- Yoga makes you to Breathe Efficiently: You will learn and practice to breathe from your diaphragm. That helps to expand the lung capacity and strengthens belly muscles involved in breathing.
- Your Posture Will Get Better: A straight back position provides optimal space for your lungs and muscles to work on breathing.


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Downtown Joplin is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of the downtown community as a thriving, safe and attractive center of art, history, enterprise, commerce, culture, residence, and entertainment.
Dining In Downtown
Why get involved?
Downtown is home to some of the largest employers in a community.
Downtown supports the biggest concentration of locally owned businesses. Independent ownership keeps profits in Joplin.
Reflection of Joplin
This is critical to business retention and recruitment efforts. When a professional or company is looking at Joplin for potential relocation, they look at quality of life.Included in quality of life is downtown — is it healthy and viable, or does it represent local disinterest and failure?
Historic Preservation
There are a number of incentives to downtown development, including historic tax credits. Want to contribute to the environment and sustainability? The greenest buildings are already built.
Downtown is Unique
Downtown Joplin offers the most unique shopping and dining experiences in the region—Hackett's Hot Wings, Red Onion Cafe, Instant Karma, Midtown Pizza Kitchen, Wilder's, M&M Bistro, Club 609, Joplin Ave Coffee, Infuxn—there are just so many to choose from and we haven't even mentioned the night life!
Historic Core
The downtown buildings hold our history and heritage.
Our story is here.
Sense of Community and Place
It's where we gather, where we celebrate, and where our traditions are carried out.


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A late-1990s flashback, via some newly-acquired Mets baseball cards
This past weekend, I went out to Pennsylvania with my friend Greg to watch the end of the Atlantic League Championship Series. The Lancaster Barnstormers wrapped up their sweep of the Sugarland Skeeters on Friday night, so there was plenty of time for sightseeing during the rest of the weekend. (Feel free to check out my trip photos on Flickr.)
One of the places we stopped on Saturday was Don's Collectibles on Main Street in Strasburg, Pa. Don runs a very cool little shop with a wide variety of collectibles, but of course I went for the baseball cards. I picked up a few shrink-wrapped bricks of cards from late-1990s sets that I had never collected – they were a dollar a piece and they each included a number of stars and some potential future Hall of Famers.
But if you've been reading Paul's Random Baseball Stuff very long, you know I'm going to focus on the Mets cards. And for a while, I was starting to think some Topps photo editor was a really big Yankees fan.
The photo really isn't the most exciting one you could find, but considering the era I'm happy John Olerud is shown in the Mets' pinstripe jersey. But let's take a look at Al Leiter's card from the same set.
Really, is that the best photo Topps could find? They did a better job when he was a Florida Marlin. Look what I found in the next pack I opened.
Let's take a look at Matt Franco's card from the 1998 Stadium Club set.
I know Franco was a part-time player, but a head back shot of him trying to catch a popup is not very flattering. The next few Mets cards I found made me discard my photo editor conspiracy theory, though.
Jason Isringhausen got a classic photo showing him in the Mets' pinstripe jersey.
Edgardo Alfonzo made an appearance breaking up a double play attempt on Delino DeShields' card.
Bernard Gilkey has a pretty nifty baseball card in the 1998 Topps Finest set.
The recently-retired Bobby Abreu was one of the many former and future Mets that I found in the baseball card packs, but I couldn't resist showing off a card from his first year as a Philadelphia Phillie — look how young he is!
Posted on October 8, 2014, in Baseball Cards, New York Mets and tagged Al Leiter, Baseball Cards, Bernard Gilkey, Bobby Abeu, John Olerud, Mets, New York Mets, Topps Finest, Topps Gallery, Topps Stadium Club. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on A late-1990s flashback, via some newly-acquired Mets baseball cards.


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Grilling in Winter
Snow can't stop me from bringing the heat! I shoveled out the grill, cleaned her off, and smoked up some pork shoulder and ribs. As you can see, one of her wheels got lost in all of this snow somewhere along the way.
The night before I'd picked up some baby back ribs at Roma. Just a bit over $5 for a half rack. Not too shabby. Sure beats restaurant prices.
And I also can't say no to $2.99/lb pork shoulder.
I made my own rib rub up. A little spicy kick, but nothing outrageous.
Rubbed liberally on both pieces of pork, and let them sit over night.
Here they are after a night in the fridge.
Dumped the coals over half of the bottom of the grill with some applewood chips in tin foil on top of the coals.. Put a pan on the other side to catch any meat drips.
The porky duo hangs out above the pan, and then I cover the grill, shaking the bottom occasionally to release the dead ashes which clog up air flow. Wound up putting another chimney of coals on here.
Ribs smoked for about 5 hours before hunger set in. Good amount of smoke, I probably could have let them go another 30 minutes with some sauce, but overall I'm happy with how they came out.
The pork shoulder I let go for about 7 hours. Nice bark formation on the outside. Planning on using some of the fattier bits for split pea soup
Pork rib recipe here:


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Emma Mason Prints
Established in 2004 by Emma and Richard Mason Emma Mason Prints is a gallery based in Sussex specialising in original limited edition prints by British Printmakers working from the post-war period to the present.
About Emma Mason
"I started 'Emma Mason Prints' in 2004, which I run with my husband Richard. We specialise in original prints by printmakers working in Britain from the 1950s to the present day.
The story of the gallery began in 2002 when I met printmaker, Robert Tavener (1920-2004), just a few months after I had moved with my family from London to Eastbourne. I had seen Tavener's work at a local auction but failed in my bid to buy a print so I was thrilled to discover that Tavener lived locally. I contacted him about buying a "Sussex Boats and Nets" linocut for my husband's birthday. We met and found that we had much in common and a friendship began. I helped him organise his studio and archive of work. After his death in 2004 I set up the gallery, inspired to work with printmakers and promote the craft of printmaking.
Since then the gallery has grown and today we represent over fifty printmakers, both post war and contemporary, who demonstrate the very best in British printmaking. Our gallery is in Eastbourne, a short walk from the seafront, in one of the town's oldest terraces, 'Cornfield Terrace', so named because it once stood in a cornfield which ran down to the sea.
With many of our older printmakers we also manage their archives of remaining prints. We have worked with Denise Hoyle for many years on the archive left by her husband Walter Hoyle (1922-2000) and recently wrote about Walter Hoyle for the V&A book "Bawden, Ravilious and the Artists of Great Bardfield". I look forward very much to talking at the Cambridge Original Printmakers Biennale about Walter and Denise Hoyle's life and work".
Emma Mason studied History of Art and Italian at Leicester University, following which she worked for many years in the fruit trade as an importer, much of the time based at New Covent Garden in London. She is married with two grown-up children and an English springer spaniel!
For more information visit: www emmamason.co.uk


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Banana disease scare prompts border crackdown
Northern Territory Primary Industry Minister Willem Westra Van Holthe says he supports a Queensland decision to ban farmers and travellers from taking bananas from the Territory into the state.
Queensland's move follows the discovery of a damaging fungal disease known as banana freckle in fruit at two non-commercial properties near Darwin this week.
Mr Westra Van Holthe says Queensland is entitled to toughen up its biosecurity measures.
"I think that's a sensible move by Queensland to impose this," he said.
"Queensland needs to take its biosecurity very seriously, just as the Northern Territory takes its biosecurity status very seriously.
"My department has been talking with the Queensland department and we are collaborating."
Hundreds of other Territory properties are being checked and a control centre has been set up to manage the outbreak.
No commercial banana plantations have been affected.
It is believed to be the first time in Australia that banana freckle has been found in the Cavendish variety of the fruit.
The discovery is a concern as the Territory tries to re-establish a commercial banana industry.
The banana industry in the Top End was hit nearly a decade ago when Panama disease tore through the region.
Topics: fruit, pests, darwin-0800, qld
First posted


text: On Sat, Feb 28, 2004 at 02:49:20PM +0100, Lionel Elie Mamane wrote: > On Sat, Feb 28, 2004 at 09:18:03AM +0000, Ian Beckwith wrote: > > If I understand things correctly, their licenses would permit the > > move (ie meet the EAR requirements) , and in the case of rsaref2 and > > pgp5i, the only thing holding them in non-us is the RSA patent, > > which I believe expired in September 2000. > pgp5 isn't DFSG-free, if I remember well: It can be used only for > non-commercial purposes. Besides, the Unix has a bug in the way it (The Unix version) > reads /dev/random that make keys generated by it non-secure. I've read your message too fast. I've read "non-free" instead of "non-US". Ignore my reply. -- Lionel


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Stanford F.
Lesson Details
Stanford teaches
- Teaches students:
- Females 12 to 80, males 14 to 80 and special needs
- Teaching since:
- May 1998
Stanford Felix, D.M.A. has a national reputation as a bass-baritone singing classical and musical theater, and has been teaching private voice lessons since 1998. Stan is currently available to teach lessons at three locations in the Twin Cities area: his voice studio in downtown Minneapolis (see https://www.facebook.com/sfelixvoicestudio/), his home in Farmington, MN just south of St. Paul, The String Academy in Owatonna, MN, and online.
Dr. Felix works with all voice types, from beginning to professional and enjoys watching his students grow stronger every week as they reach to obtain their optimum vocal range and brilliancy of sound. Please contact him today!
Bio: Stanford Felix is the former Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of Minnesota Concert Opera, based in Minneapolis, MN, and currently teaches voice and performs primarily in the Twin Cities area. Having earned his B.F.A. in Theater and Voice from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, Dr. Felix based his singing career in New York City for twelve years, received his M.M. in voice performance from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, was on the Voice Faculty of Texas A & M University, Kingsville where he ran the opera department for two years, and then returned to Lawrence, KS to get his D.M.A. in Voice Performance. He then taught as Assistant Professor at Emporia State University in Emporia, KS for five years.
Private Voice TeacherJan 1998 - Present
Since 1998
Opera, Musical Theater PerformerJan 1982 - Present
Singing professionally since 1982
Executive/Artistic DirectorSep 2011 - Sep 2017
Assistant Professor of VoiceAug 2006 - May 2011
Taught Applied Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, Italian and English Diction, Class Voice.
Artistic DirectorJul 2007 - Jul 2010
Assistant Professor of VoiceAug 2001 - May 2003
Taught Applied Voice, ran the Opera Workshop, opera conductor, music appreciation.
Doctor of Musical Arts-Voice PerformanceAug 2003 - Aug 2007
Master of Music-Voice PerformanceAug 1999 - May 2001
Bachelor of Fine Arts-Theater and VoiceAug 1979 - May 1982
Teaches IPA, Italian, French, German and Latin Diction
Photos & Videos
5 ReviewsWrite a Review
Stanford has been an incredible instructor and has taught me so much about the voice. I hope to continue working with him for a long time
Wonderful experience!
Stan is an outstanding teacher and has an amazing understanding of the human voice. I am so much more comfortable and expressive with my voice since working with him over the past year and a half. I HIGHLY recommend him to anyone seeking to improve their abilities professionally.+ Read More
Lessons with Dr. Felix have improved my solo and choral singing immensely. I would definitely recommend him for anyone looking to improve their singing confidence and vocal technique.
Very knowledgable, gets points and techniques across very easily. Good repertoire to study.


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Rob Ryan motivated after getting 'feelings hurt' by Cowboys
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Rob Ryan figures his firing in Dallas will only help him relate to a Saints defense humbled by a historically bad season.
"I don't like getting fired," Ryan said Thursday during his first meeting with reporters since Sean Payton hired him in February to revamp New Orleans' last-ranked defense. "I know I got my feelings hurt and so did our players. We're looking to do something about it."
The Saints gave up 7,042 yards in 2012, the most ever in a single season in the NFL. Payton has said that performance forced him to make a change at defensive coordinator, even though he felt bad letting Steve Spagnuolo go after only one highly unusual season.
Spagnuolo never got to coach with Payton, who was suspended all of last season in connection with the NFL's bounty probe. Yet shortly after Payton was reinstated, the relatively calm, analytical Spagnuolo, who favored a read-and-react 4-3 defense, was replaced by Ryan, who runs a pressure-heavy 3-4 scheme (three down linemen, four linebackers).
Ryan also has been known to exhibit a brash demeanor more akin to that of Gregg Williams, the Saints' defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2011.
"Personality-wise they are very similar," Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "They're cut from the same cloth in that they know that players and matchups are what defense is all about and they have a lot of personality and they're aggressive in their play-calling."
Williams often referred to himself as a disciple of retired coach Buddy Ryan, who ran the defense of Chicago's 1985 Super Bowl championship team and later was a head coach for Philadelphia and Arizona. Rob Ryan is Buddy Ryan's son, and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan's brother.
"They're all from the same school, the Buddy Ryan defense, so there are a lot of similarities between what Gregg was running and what Rob is bringing," Jenkins said. "But I think Rob has a few more wrinkles with the 3-4 and everything, and I think we're going to have fun."
Williams used to boast brazenly of how nasty he wanted his defenses to be, and wound up being a central figure in the NFL's investigation into the Saints' bounty program. The league said Williams administered the program, which paid cash bonuses for big plays, including heavy and sometimes injury-causing hits.
Ryan's approach also fosters toughness, Jenkins said, and that is something Saints players embrace, even as they are mindful of the scrutiny they faced from the league in the past.
"There's a line and you don't cross it, but you want to get as close to that line as you can," Jenkins said. "We definitely want to be a physical, feared defense."
Because the Saints' offense, designed by Payton and orchestrated by quarterback Drew Brees, is perennially among the NFL's best, New Orleans has not always had to be good on defense to win.
They ranked 25th of 32 teams in 2009, when they won their only Super Bowl. They ranked 24th in 2011, when they went 13-3 and advanced to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs before falling to San Francisco in a thriller.
So Ryan, whose defense in Dallas ranked 19th last season, doesn't need to work miracles, but he does need to make the Saints' defense a little closer to average.
"It was bad last year," Saints safety Roman Harper said. "There's no sugar coating or anything like that, so we've got a lot of room to improve."
Payton said he did a lot of research on Ryan, interviewing players and coaches who have worked with him, before concluding he would be right for the job.
"I like his passion," Payton said. "I like the way players respond and I think he's a perfect fit."
Ryan has studied some of the schemes the Saints executed well under Williams and brought some of them back, even with the same terminology.
"I know our successes, where that's been. It's been a pressure team, I know that," Ryan said. "But I also know we can do more with our coverage, and we have to."
Jenkins said Ryan's scheme better suits the strengths of Saints defenders, noting that the roster includes cornerbacks who can hold their own in single coverage long enough for Saints safeties, who've been effective blitzers, to disrupt quarterbacks.
If successful, Ryan could for the first time serve as a defensive coordinator on a winning team, something he never did while holding that post in Cleveland, Oakland and Dallas. However, he did win Super Bowls as a defensive assistant in New England.
"I'm fortunate enough to be with great program like the Saints, led by Sean Payton. I haven't felt this way since I was in New England with Bill Belichick," Ryan said. "I just feel like a sense of urgency. I can't wait to give everything I have to this organization. I know everybody is on the same path."
Notes: The Saints waived DE Greg Romeus, a 2011 seventh-round draft choice out of Pittsburgh who never played because of injuries to both knees. … Charles Brown, one of the candidates to replace free-agent departure Jermon Bushrod as starting left tackle, did not practice because of an unspecified weightlifting injury. Payton said he preferred not to discuss injuries during the offseason. … Payton also held linebackers Jonathan Vilma and David Hawthorne out of practice and did not specify why.
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