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Electroencephalographic slow-wave activity (SWA) in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep is directly related to prior sleep/wake history, with high levels of SWA following extended periods of wake. Therefore, SWA has been thought to reflect the level of accumulated sleep need. The discovery that euthermic intervals between hibernation bouts are spent primarily in sleep and that this sleep is characterized by high and monotonically declining SWA has led to speculation that sleep homeostasis may play a fundamental role in the regulation of the timing of bouts of hibernation and periodic arousals to euthermia. It was proposed that because the SWA profile seen after arousal from hibernation is strikingly similar to what is seen in nonhibernating mammals after extended periods of wakefulness, that hibernating mammals may arouse from hibernation with significant accumulated sleep need. This sleep need may accumulate during hibernation because the low brain temperatures during hibernation may not be compatible with sleep restorative processes. In the present study, golden-mantled ground squirrels were sleep deprived during the first 4 h of interbout euthermia by injection of caffeine (20 mg/kg ip). We predicted that if the SWA peaks after bouts of hibernation reflected a homeostatic response to an accumulated sleep need, sleep deprivation should simply have displaced and possibly augmented the SWA to subsequent recovery sleep. Instead we found that after caffeine-induced sleep deprivation of animals just aroused from hibernation, the anticipated high SWA typical of recovery sleep did not occur. Similar results were found in a study that induced sleep deprivation by gentle handling (19). These findings indicate that the SWA peak immediately after hibernation does not represent homeostatic regulation of NREM sleep, as it normally does after prolonged wakefulness during euthermia, but instead may reflect some other neurological process in the recovery of brain function from an extended period at low temperature.
- slow-wave activity
- non-rapid eye movement sleep
- rapid eye movement sleep
- electroencephalogram
- spectral analysis
- sleep deprivation
- caffeine
cortical slow-wave activity (SWA, 1.0–4.0 Hz) of the electroencephalogram (EEG) in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep reflects prior sleep/wake distribution (1, 6, 8, 9, 11, 31, 32). After extended periods of wakefulness, when it is presumed that a large sleep need has accumulated, SWA in NREM sleep is high. The level of SWA is directly related to the duration of prior wakefulness, with sleep deprivation protocols resulting in higher peak SWA in recovery sleep (31). During sleep, SWA declines monotonically. SWA is very low toward the end of sleep periods, when the animal has been asleep for many hours and the sleep need is presumed to be minimal. Because of the tight correlation between prior sleep history and SWA, SWA is often used as an indicator of sleep homeostasis. The homeostatic control of sleep has been investigated by enforcing wakefulness then measuring SWA in subsequent recovery sleep. Two methods for experimentally enforcing wakefulness are manual sleep deprivation by gentle handling and pharmacological sleep deprivation using caffeine. Both manual sleep deprivation and caffeine-induced sleep deprivation are followed by increased levels of SWA in recovery sleep in rats (12, 28).
Recent studies using manual sleep deprivation on ground squirrels indicate that sleep immediately after arousal from hibernation may not be homeostatically regulated (19, 29). In these studies ground squirrels were sleep deprived during the first several hours of euthermia, when SWA levels were normally high. In both studies there was no rebound in SWA in recovery sleep after the sleep deprivation. This lack of a response to the sleep deprivation was particularly striking because similar manual sleep deprivations later in the euthermic interval or in summer squirrels did show an increase in SWA after a 3-h sleep deprivation (19). These results indicated that the sleep during the first several hours of euthermia after arousal from hibernation differed from sleep at other times in that SWA did not respond to sleep deprivation.
One possible shortcoming of these manual sleep deprivation experiments on grounds squirrels is that there is no way to quantify what portion of the response is to the sleep deprivation itself and what is to stress from handling. The stress from handling could be a major impact: in the field golden-mantled ground squirrels hibernate alone in their burrows throughout the hibernation season and are not accustomed to any disturbance during this time. Therefore, gentle handling when they have just returned to euthermia may have a far greater impact than to a laboratory-born white rat. While there are indications that the squirrels in the previous study were not overly stressed from the manual sleep deprivation, it was not possible to quantify the handling effect.
This study investigated the apparent lack of homeostatic regulation of sleep in the first several hours of euthermia after arousal in the golden-mantled ground squirrel using caffeine-induced sleep deprivation. Our goal was to test whether the lack of homeostatic control of sleep and SWA could be seen using an alternative sleep deprivation technique. This pharmacological method also allowed us to determine the effects on sleep homeostasis from the caffeine and the effects of handling stress from the technique itself of the saline injections.
Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) were captured in the Sierra Nevada of California at least 1 yr before the studies were undertaken. Animals were caged individually in an environmental chamber (5°C, 12:12-h light-dark cycle) year round. Surgical implantation of EEG and electromyogram (EMG) electrodes and thermocouple reentrant tubes to measure brain temperature (Tbr) followed methods previously described (20). Hibernation status was assessed by daily visual checks of animals in their home cages. EEG recordings during the hibernation season were taken from animals that had been in hibernation consistently for a minimum of 1 mo.
For recording sessions, animals were placed in 12-in. diameter Plexiglas cages provided with woodchips and cotton nesting material. Food (Purina rat chow and sunflower seeds) and water were available ad libitum. Recording cages were in an environmental chamber with air temperature (Ta) maintained at 5–11°C and a 24:0-h light-dark photoperiod (20 lx). During recordings animals were connected to a Grass model 7 polygraph by a commutator, which allowed full range of movement, and were assumed to have acclimated to the recording apparatus when they reentered hibernation.
Data acquisition and analysis. The EEG signal for each animal was calibrated to a 200-mV signal at the start of the recording. Tbr was measured by a thermocouple inserted into the reentrant tube. The EEG signal, integrated EMG, Tbr, and Ta were recorded in 10-s epochs on a personal computer. Vigilance state determination (NREM sleep, REM sleep, and wakefulness) followed methods previously described (20). Epochs containing artifacts were not included in the spectral analysis of the EEG that was performed by fast Fourier transformation. SWA was calculated as the mean power density (μV/Hz, 1.0–4.0 Hz) in NREM sleep per hour, and sigma activity was calculated as the mean power density (μV/Hz, 10–15 Hz) in NREM sleep per hour. SWA and sigma activity were not calculated for a given hour if <5% of that hour was spent in NREM sleep. Mean Tbr, percent vigilance states, and SWA were calculated for each hour of recording. For each animal, SWA was normalized to the mean value in NREM sleep during a baseline, undisturbed euthermic interval (Tbr > 34°C). NREM sleep bout duration was determined for all NREM sleep bouts equal or greater than six epochs. The NREM sleep bout was determined to have ended if it was followed by three consecutive epochs of either wake or REM sleep. The number of brief arousals (nBA; defined as 1 or 2 epochs of either wake or REM sleep in an NREM sleep bout) was calculated for each NREM sleep bout to provide a measure of sleep fragmentation. Slow-wave energy (SWE) was calculated as the product of SWA and time spent in NREM sleep.
Caffeine administration. Animals (n = 7) were allowed two to four undisturbed hibernation-euthermia cycles to determine the hibernation bout length and the duration of euthermic interbout euthermic intervals for each animal. All experimental recordings followed provoked arousals in which animals were placed at 22°C for 10–20 min to initiate arousal to euthermia. The provoked arousals were timed so that the hibernation bout lengths were equal to the average hibernation bout length terminated by spontaneous arousals for each animal. Each animal underwent three experimental protocols:1) undisturbed controls were recorded to determine the effect of provoked versus spontaneous arousals on subsequent sleep, 2) saline controls were recorded to control for the handling stimulation associated with intraperitoneal injections (animals were injected with 0.5 ml saline when Tbr = 33.5°C), and 3) animals receiving caffeine were injected with 20 mg/kg caffeine (Sigma) when Tbr reached 33.5°C during provoked arousal. Preliminary trials of 10 mg/kg caffeine dose showed this dose to be ineffective in promoting wake. The durations of the euthermic interval and subsequent hibernation bout were measured for each condition, as well as hourly values of SWA, %NREM sleep, %wake, %REM sleep, NREM sleep bout length,nBA, and Tbr. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare the effects of the different treatments. To determine the effects of handling disturbance, sleep after saline injection was compared with sleep in undisturbed control euthermic intervals after provoked arousals. Sleep after caffeine (20 mg/kg) injection was compared with that after saline injections to determine the effects of caffeine on sleep, assuming the same handling disturbance from the injection of saline versus caffeine.
During the hibernation season, sleep and SWA during the undisturbed interbout euthermic baseline intervals were similar to those reported in previous studies (Fig.1 A). Squirrels spent the majority (70%) of the euthermic intervals asleep. SWA, NREM sleep bout length, and %NREM sleep were all highest immediately after arousal from hibernation and during the first 3 h of euthermia. When the duration of the previous hibernation bout was the same, the type of arousal (spontaneous versus provoked) had no effect on sleep parameters during the baseline euthermic intervals. Neither euthermic duration, subsequent hibernation bout length, %NREM, %wake, SWA, nor Tbr were affected by the type of arousal (data not shown).
Injection of saline at the onset of euthermia caused a brief disturbance, but sleep during the remainder of the euthermic interval was similar to the undisturbed control. Animals were awakened by the handling and saline injection for 5–15 min, resulting in a significant reduction of %NREM sleep and increase in %wake during the 1st h of euthermia (Fig. 2). However, the saline injection did not significantly affect subsequent SWA or Tbr. There were no differences in any of the sleep parameters between the undisturbed and the saline control conditions during the remainder of the euthermic interval (Figs. 2 and 3). There was also no difference in SWE accumulation between baseline and saline controls (Fig.4 A). The disturbance of the saline injection resulted in a significant lengthening of the euthermic interval from 14.3 ± 2.0 to 17.2 ± 2.0 h compared with undisturbed control euthermic intervals (1-samplet-test,P < 0.05). This slight lengthening in euthermic duration did not result in any significant increase in total SWE for the entire euthermic interval (baseline SWE 100 ± 14%, saline SWE 113 ± 15%, ANOVA,P = 0.84). The duration of the subsequent hibernation bout length was not significantly affected by saline treatment compared with baseline controls (98.3 ± 1.5 vs. 98.4 ± 7.5 h, respectively).
Caffeine injection (20 mg/kg) resulted in a sustained period of wakefulness, lasting 45–120 mins. Even after sleep was initiated after caffeine treatment, the caffeine reduced sleep time and quality for several hours. During the first 3 h of euthermia after caffeine injection there were significant increases in %wake, decreases in SWA and %NREM sleep, and more fragmented NREM sleep, as indicated by shorter NREM sleep bout lengths and higher rates ofnBA (Figs. 2 and 3). SWA was significantly lower than baseline or saline treatment duringhours 1–3 andhour 5. Saline treatment did not significantly reduce SWE during the first 3 h of euthermia compared with baseline levels of SWE [100.0 ± 10.1 vs. 80.5 ± 13.5% for saline, Fisher's protected least-significant difference (PLSD), P = 0.19]. However, caffeine treatment did significantly reduce SWE during the first 3 h of euthermia compared with saline treatment (25.4 ± 3.9%, Fisher's PLSD, P < 0.0001). NREM sleep bout length was almost halved (3.9 ± 0.6 min) in the first 2 h after caffeine treatment compared with baseline (7.5 ± 0.9 min) or saline (7.4 ± 1.5 min) controls. ThenBA per minute of NREM sleep was higher after caffeine treatment (0.95 ± 0.06nBA/min) than during baseline or saline controls (0.55 ± 0.04 and 0.69 ± 0.06nBA/min, respectively). By the 4 h of euthermia, the effects of caffeine treatment on the measured sleep parameters were no longer discernible and there was no difference in data from caffeine treated, saline treated, and baseline conditions. In contrast to the other parameters measured, neither REM sleep nor Tbr were affected by caffeine treatment at all (Fig. 2) and sigma activity was only affected during the 1st h of euthermia (Fig. 3).
There was no apparent rebound in SWA after the period of caffeine-induced wakefulness (Fig.1 C), just as there was no apparent rebound in SWA after manual sleep deprivation (Fig.1 B, data from Ref. 19). During the remainder of the euthermic interval, SWA remained at baseline levels (Fig. 3). The lack of recovery of SWA after caffeine treatment can also be seen by looking at SWE. SWE duringhours 4–10 of euthermia showed no significant difference in SWE accumulated during that time (baseline 100.0 ± 7.7, saline 92.6 ± 7.7, caffeine 84.0 ± 4.5%, ANOVA, P = 0.0797). Total SWE for the first 14 h of euthermia (duration of baseline euthermic intervals) was similar for baseline and saline treatment, but was significantly lower for caffeine treatment (Fig. 4 A, ANOVA, P < 0.0005). The total SWE accumulated during euthermia depended on the duration of the euthermic interval (regression,r 2 = 0.799,F = 63.573, degrees of freedom = 17), and duration varied greatly after caffeine treatment. Analysis of SWE in baseline euthermic intervals and in euthermic intervals in which squirrels were manually sleep deprived during the first 4 h of euthermia also showed that the sleep deprivation effectively reduced SWE accumulation (Fig. 4 B, ANOVA,P < 0.0005) and that there was no compensatory rebound in SWE accumulation after the termination of the sleep deprivation (19).
There was no significant effect of caffeine treatment on either the euthermic interval length or subsequent hibernation bout length in relation to the saline control. In five cases, caffeine-treated euthermic intervals were the same length or shorter than saline-treated intervals (saline 17.5 ± 1.9 vs. caffeine 16.8 ± 1.9 h, ANOVA,P = 0.90) with corresponding total SWE (saline 95 ± 9.6 vs. caffeine 71.0 ± 12.5%, ANOVA,P = 0.116). Of the seven caffeine-treated animals, two showed substantial lengthening of the euthermic interval to 37 and 39 h, and the total SWE for the entire euthermic interval was correspondingly larger (190 and 225%). This extreme lengthening of euthermia was not associated with any increased effect of the caffeine treatment on SWA or sleep. The duration of the hibernation bout after caffeine euthermic intervals was 99.4 ± 12.1 h, which did not significantly differ from hibernation bout length of 98.3 ± 1.5 h after saline injection.
The lack of a rebound in SWA after caffeine-induced sleep deprivation immediately after arousal from hibernation supports findings from previous studies that showed no rebound in SWA after manual sleep deprivation during the first several hours of euthermia (19, 29). Both 20 mg/kg caffeine treatment and manual sleep deprivation disrupted and greatly reduced sleep during the first 3–4 h of euthermia, although the manual sleep deprivation was more effective in this regard. However, both sleep deprivation techniques effectively prevented the intense NREM sleep with high SWA and long NREM sleep bout length, which characterizes sleep immediately after arousal from hibernation (Fig. 1). SWE accumulation, a measure of the total SWA expressed over a period of time, also showed that both manual sleep deprivation and caffeine treatment effectively disrupted SWA and that this loss was not recovered in subsequent sleep (Fig. 4). We demonstrated in our previous study that the lack of responsiveness of SWA to prior sleep/wake history is limited to the first several hours of euthermia after arousal from hibernation (19). During the remainder of the euthermic interval, SWA is homeostatically regulated in that SWA is heightened after prolonged periods of wakefulness, creating a positive correlation between SWA and the duration of prior wakefulness. Also, characteristic of NREM sleep homeostasis, SWA falls monotonically during sleep episodes during interbout euthermia (19).
This study confirms 1) that sleep during the first several hours of euthermia after a bout of hibernation is anomolous because SWA is not homeostatically regulated and2) that the results from the initial study were not confounded by handling stress. In that study (19), squirrels repeatedly tried to sleep during the deprivation period and fell into consolidated sleep soon after the termination of the manual sleep deprivation, suggesting that they were not overly disturbed by the manual sleep deprivation protocol. However, it is possible that the lack of SWA rebound, the lengthening of the euthermic interval, or shortening of the subsequent hibernation bout could have been due to general handling stress and not been due specifically to disturbing sleep homeostasis. Although it was not possible to have a control for the handling stress of the manual sleep deprivation, there was a control for handling and injection in the present study, the saline injection control. This saline control showed that a brief handling disturbance and intraperitoneal injection, which typically took <1 min, disturbed sleep minimally in the 1st h of euthermia and not at all during the remainder of the euthermic interval. However, the saline injection did cause the euthermic interval to be lengthened by 3 h. Although caffeine injection significantly disturbed sleep during the first 3 h of euthermia, it did not reliably extend the euthermic interval beyond saline. This indicates that even mild disturbances early in the euthermic interval can delay reentrance into hibernation and suggests that the extreme lengthening (by 14 h) of euthermic intervals after manual sleep deprivation and shortening of subsequent hibernation bouts (by 31.5 h) were very likely the effect of handling disturbance and were not due to an effect on sleep homeostasis. The pattern of lengthened euthermia and shortened hibernation bouts is typical of squirrels who have been affected by generalized disturbance (35). In a study on arctic ground squirrels that did not record EEG or measure SWA, it was shown that the euthermic interval was significantly lengthened when squirrels were sleep deprived immediately after arousal compared with squirrels sleep deprived during the middle of the euthermic interval (4). These findings may indicate that squirrels may be more sensitive to disturbance immediately after arousal from hibernation, because it has been shown that the sleep deprivation immediately after arousal has no effect on sleep homeostasis, whereas the sleep deprivation during mideuthermia does affect sleep homeostasis (18). Thus the lengthening of the sleep deprivation euthermic intervals and shortening of the subsequent hibernation bout seen in our previous study may well have been due to general handling disturbance. However, the lack of a response of SWA or SWE to either sleep deprivation or caffeine-induced wakefulness does not appear to be a simple disturbance artifact.
The lack of a rebound in SWA after two modes of sleep deprivation is unusual, because these treatments in other studies resulted in unmistakable increases in SWA during recovery sleep. In golden-mantled ground squirrels and Siberian chipmunks, manual sleep deprivation during the summer active season did result in a compensatory increase in SWA during recovery sleep (11, 18). In rats, 15 mg/kg caffeine treatment kept animals awake for >3.5 h, and both this caffeine dose and an equivalently long manual sleep deprivation were followed by significant increases in SWA during 8 h of recovery sleep (28). It should be noted that squirrels in the present study were given a higher doses of caffeine (20 mg/kg) and did not stay awake as long. Manual sleep deprivation of the squirrels at this time also required a high rate of intervention (19), indicating a high sleep drive at this time, although SWA was apparently not homeostatically regulated.
The assumption that the high SWA after arousal from hibernation reflected accumulated sleep need was disproven by this study, in conjunction with studies using manual sleep deprivation (19, 29). In light of these findings, the evidence that was thought to support this assumption should be reexamined to help determine what this SWA peak may actually represent, if it is not sleep homeostasis. There are three basic characteristics of SWA after arousal from hibernation that have been consistently observed in multiple species of hibernating mammals.1) The peak level of SWA after arousal is a saturating exponential function in relation to previous hibernation bout length (20, 30). Because this same saturating exponential function in SWA is observed after sleep deprivation of varying duration in rats and humans, this was thought to be supporting evidence that sleep need accumulated during hibernation as it does during wakefulness. 2) The peak level of SWA is temperature sensitive and is negatively correlated to the Tbr during hibernation (20,30). This was thought to demonstrate the temperature sensitivity of sleep homeostasis during hibernation, particularly the temperature sensitivities of continuous sleep need accumulation versus sleep need reduction. 3) SWA decreases monotonically during NREM sleep during the euthermic interval (7, 20,33). This was thought to demonstrate that the sleep need that had accumulated during the hibernation bout was reduced during euthermic NREM sleep. On the basis of extensive studies in a wide range of mammalian species (10-12, 18), our assumption in these earlier studies was that the high level of SWA immediately after arousal from hibernation served as a reliable indicator of sleep homeostasis and accumulated sleep need. Our recent studies on manual sleep deprivation and caffeine-induced wakefulness indicate that this assumption was invalid. However, whatever process is proposed to underlie the SWA peak after arousal from hibernation should be consistent with these three basic characteristics of the SWA peak.
If the SWA peak after arousal from hibernation does not reflect accumulated sleep need and sleep homeostasis, as it does in summer-active squirrels and in nonhibernating species, it may instead reflect some other neurological event associated with recovery from the low temperatures of hibernation. We have proposed two candidates for the physiological basis of the nonhomeostatic SWA (19):1) heightened SWA has been shown to be associated with hypoglycemia (2, 5, 21, 27) and2) high SWA has also been correlated with periods of intense synaptogenesis during postnatal development in rats and humans (13, 14, 17). We will briefly reexamine both of these possible explanations for the nonhomeostatic SWA after arousal from hibernation.
Although high levels of nonhomeostatic SWA have been seen during hypoglycemia in rats and humans (2, 5, 21, 27), there is no direct evidence that hibernators become hypoglycemic during arousal. The arousal from hibernation involves an enormous metabolic effort, but there is no evidence of hypoglycemia after arousal from hibernation. InS. lateralis, glucose levels remain steady throughout the hibernation bout (3, 34). Measurements of plasma glucose, brain glucose, and brain glycogen during arousal from hibernation have given no indication of hypoglycemia during arousal (15, 16, 22, 23). Rather, plasma and brain glucose levels increased during the arousal. Analyses of plasma glucose during the course of the euthermic interval also indicated no hypoglycemia in the hours after arousal that could coincide with the SWA peak (15, 16, 22-24). These measurements, however, may not tell the whole story. Neurons require a constant supply of glucose and that is a function both of blood glucose levels and cerebral circulation. Brain electrical activity increases early in the arousal process. It is possible that regional shortages of glucose occur due to lack of perfusion, even if blood glucose levels are normal. Relations between brain energy metabolism, arousal from hibernation, and SWA require more investigation.
Possible relationships between high SWA and neural structural recovery after hibernation at low temperature also warrant attention. During postnatal development in rats and humans, the developmental courses of SWA level and synaptic density and cortical metabolic rate are strikingly similar (13, 14, 17). All three factors increase after birth, peak at the same developmental age, and then decrease to adult levels. However, postnatal development is not the only time at which high levels of synaptogenesis is seen. There is massive dendritic regrowth and synaptogenesis after arousal from hibernation, which coincides with the SWA peak. Studies of dendritic morphology and synaptic contacts in the hippocampus of hibernating squirrels have shown that there is a substantial loss of synapses and of dendritic branching during hibernation and rapid regeneration of dendrites and synapses after the initiation of arousal from hibernation (25, 26). The authors suggested that the loss of synapses and dendritic branching may be related to the decreased brain electrical activity during hibernation and that these losses may be even greater in the cortex than in the hippocampus.
Popov and Bocharova's (25) suggestion that the decrease in electrical activity in the brain may determine the amount of loss of dendrites and synapses provides interesting possible insights into the SWA patterns we have observed. The SWA peak after arousal from hibernation is negatively correlated to Tbr and EEG cortical activity during hibernation. Hibernation at lower Ta values is characterized by lower levels of cortical activity and higher subsequent peak SWA. In fact, when animals hibernate at a brain temperature >25°C, they display fairly normal sleep EEG patterns during hibernation and no elevation of SWA after arousal (20). Thus it is possible that the elevated SWA immediately after arousal from hibernation at low temperatures may represent temperature dependence of dendritic and synaptic loss during hibernation and recovery during arousal. This will be a fruitful area for future investigations.
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. E. Larkin, Department of Psychology, Univ. of California, Berkely, CA 94720-1650 (E-mail: jlarkin{at}socrates.berkeley.edu).
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. §1734 solely to indicate this fact.
- Copyright © 1999 the American Physiological Society


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If you are a Seeking Alpha reader, then you are likely an investor and you know that sometimes you wished you had some extra money to buy a discounted stock. It happens a lot. I wanted to find an investment plan that can be used to buy stocks when there is a selling spree or when the prices are depressed.
You can hold cash at all times, but you will be losing value steadily if the market enters into a bull run. As I kept digging, I thought it would be interesting to couple a broad-based market ETF with gold. The results are interesting. The index plus gold portfolio beats the market most of the time, and it's a lifesaver during a recession.
For analysis, I used SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD), the heavily traded gold ETF, and the SPY, which tracks the S&P 500. GLD only started trading in November 2004, so we will start our analysis from there.
Performance Since 2004
We are assuming that we are buying one GLD and one SPY every month starting November 2004. Dividends are not reinvested. Historical monthly price data from Yahoo Finance is used. For monthly prices, Yahoo uses the closing price on the last trading day of the month.
Portfolio Performance
Click to enlarge image.
- Out of 94 months analyzed, market value dipped below total investment value for 14 months. (10 months during 2008-09).
- Gold kept trading closer to 52-week highs during 2008 and 2009, while SPY kept making new lows.
- Between May 2007 and February 2009 (peak to low), SPY price dropped 52.20% while SPY plus GLD price dropped 28.60%.
The table below provides a comparison between the GLD and SPY portfolio against a SPY-only and GLD-only investments. For SPY-only and GLD-only investments, we use the same method (buying one ETF every month starting November 2004). No dividends are reinvested. Twelve-month return is derived by calculating monthly returns.
Gold is in a extended bull run that may end at some point, but the portfolio will be able to absorb some of the pain as it has equal number of SPYs. If the market enters into a recession, then investors will flee to safer instruments such as gold pushing it to new highs as happened in 2008, insulating the portfolio from heavy losses.
The portfolio can be used for many reasons. It can be used as an emergency cash vehicle or it can be used to buy stocks that are cheap. I think I will be better off buying SPY and GLD instead of holding cash or buying whole life insurance for my retirement. The returns are much better than some mutual funds and I don't have to worry about inflation.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
Disclaimer: The analysis is for illustrative purposes only. Brokerage commissions will reduce the returns.

subset: commoncrawl


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Criminal Minds: Season 7 Episode 18: Foundation
Starring: Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Thomas Gibson
Length: 44 minutes
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309133/
On Air Date: 4 Apr 2012
Criminal Minds: S07E18 Description: A boy named Angel is found wandering in the desert, and when another boy turns up missing, the BAU searches for the kidnapper.
Watch Criminal Minds: S07E18 Online Full Episode
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Los Angeles: Vitali Klitschko was bloodied but still willing. He had given Lennox Lewis all he wanted and more, yet after six rounds he sat bleeding on his stool as a ring doctor ended his chance of becoming heavyweight champion. Klitschko hurt Lewis during six brawling and sometimes brutal rounds, exposing the 37-year-old champion as an aging fighter, who just a year ago had looked devastating when he stopped Mike Tyson in the eighth round. An entertaining fight ended when the ring doctor ordered it stopped after the sixth round because of a bad cut over the challenger's left eye. Klitschko was winning the bout on all three scorecards. All three ringside judges had the Ukrainian winning 58-56 when the fight was stopped. Klitschko, bleeding badly from a cut over his left eye, jumped off his stool in disbelief, yelling "No, no, no" and going across the ring toward Lewis as if he wanted the fight to continue. "I can see very well," Klitschko complained. "I don't know why the doctor stopped the fight." Lewis was tired, but more than willing. "If the fight went on, I would have knocked him out," said Lewis, who became only the third heavyweight champion his age or older to successfully defend a title. "There is no way he could have finished the fight. He was just deteriorated anyway." The crowd at Staples Center booed wildly, and Klitschko held his arms up in victory. "Right now I feel like the people's champion," Klitschko said. "I did not want them to stop the fight. My strategy was to take it into the seventh or eighth round and my strategy was working perfectly. Even Lewis contended: "He's a legitimate No. 1 contender." Lewis, who earned a reported $10 million, improved to 41-2-1, 32 knockouts. Klitschko is 32-2 with 31 knockouts. Klitschko went into the fight - with just two weeks notice - a 4-1 underdog and wasn't even supposed to be the best fighter in his family. That honor belonged to his brother, Wladimir, who worked his corner against Lewis. But the 6-foot-7 (1.98-meter) Ukrainian came out and traded punches from the opening bell, rocking Lewis in the second and third rounds and hitting him with almost every left jab he threw. Lewis looked tired and old, but did enough to come back and land uppercuts and right hands. "We are big guys and any punch is going to hurt," Lewis said. "I do give him credit. I gave him a chance to fight. He has an unusual European style. I was just getting my second wind." One big right hand appeared to open a cut in the third round that proved to be the undoing of Klitschko. Because the cut was caused by a punch and not a head butt, it didn't matter that Klitschko was leading on the scorecards when the fight was stopped. Ring doctor Paul Wallace said he stopped the fight not because of the blood, but because Klitschko's eyelid was covering his eye and he had to move his head to see. "When he raised his head up, his upper lid covered his field of vision," Wallace said. "At that point I had no other option but to stop the fight. If he had to move his head to see me, there was no way he could defend his way against a punch." The normally mild mannered Klitschko, who speaks four languages and holds an advanced college degree, was visibly angry and had to be restrained by his brother at one point. "He is a great fighter. I won this fight in points," Klitschko said. "I want a rematch. I showed everybody that I can fight Lennox Lewis." He's not likely to get a rematch, assuming Lewis continues to fight. Lewis is eyeing a possible bout with Roy Jones Jr later this year that could mean huge money for both fighters. Klitschko was trying to become the tallest heavyweight champion ever and the two fighters combined for a record 504 pounds (227 kilograms) between them. Lewis weighed 256 pounds (115 kilograms), the heaviest of his career, and he appeared soft in the middle. For one of the few times in the 6-foot-5 (1.93 meter) champion's career, he was punching up at an opponent. "I knew his condition was not good, he's very heavy. He couldn't fight hard," Klitschko said. "I know I was hurting him with my punches." Klitschko landed a big right hand 1:45 into the second round that shook Lewis, whose chin had been questioned after being knocked out by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman in other title fights. "He woke me up," Lewis admitted. Lewis had a vast edge in experience, coming into the fight with 15 wins in 17 title fights. He had been off a year, but seemed to be in his prime at a time when most fighters are in decline. Klitschko was fighting for a major title for the first time and fighting in the United States for only the second time. Klitschko spent much of his career fighting on cards in Germany with his brother, and his record was littered with a string of unheralded opponents. (AP)
Topics : Boxing
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ENTJs want to see a lot of structure. They thrive in environments that are efficient and will work hard to make an inefficient environment better. To achieve goals, the ENTJ requires a certain structure. This personality works hard to make sure everyone on the team is working at their very best. Because of this desire to always be efficient, however, ENTJs are often seen as dominant, stubborn people who won't listen to reason.
Here are some of the other ENTJ strengths and weakness to consider today.
The Strengths of the ENTJ
1. They are highly energetic.
ENTJs love life. They get energy from helping others get closer to achieving their own goals. In a leadership role, the ENTJ looks forward to being the leader that helps the entire team succeed.
2. They are highly confident.
There is no doubt with the decisions an ENTJ will make. This personality type trusts its abilities and will quickly offer an opinion on virtually any matter.
3. They are very strong-willed.
An ENTJ is not going to give up when times get tough. They set their sights on the goals that they want to achieve and then they lay out a plan to achieve them. If roadblocks get in the way, then new plans are created to maneuver around those roadblocks. When an ENTJ can overcome something tough and finish strong, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world.
4. They love strategy.
ENTJs see the bigger picture very clearly. They'll outline steps to achieve a specific vision, yet still be able to manage an emergency situation with great effectiveness. Problems are like puzzles to this personality type and they do an excellent job of putting the pieces together.
The Weaknesses of the ENTJ
1. They can be intolerant.
Many ENTJs have an attitude that requires compliance. In a leadership role, there is no room to question authority when the ENTJ is in charge. If something goes "off mission," this personality type won't hesitate to tell people how they are wrong.
2. They can be impatient.
ENTJs are incredibly intelligent and because they know they can do certain things, it becomes expected for everyone to be able to do those things. If someone of a different personality type needs more time to determine the best course of action to take, the ENTJ will see this as incompetence.
The ENTJ strengths and weaknesses give us a glimpse of who these folks are at their core level. They might come across as arrogant, but it is more of a reflection of their quest for success than anything else.


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Talon Build Guide by s0ulskull
Not Updated For Current Season
This guide has not yet been updated for the current season. Please keep this in mind while reading. You can see the most recently updated guides on the browse guides page.
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Talon Build
Ability Sequence
Not Updated For Current Season
The masteries shown here are not yet updated for the current season, the guide author needs to set up the new masteries. As such, they will be different than the masteries you see in-game.
Talon is a melee assassin, he uses components such as stealth and speed to hunt down targets one-by-one. Talon is by far my favourite champion the League of Legends has provided us with.
Recently, Talon took some hard nerfs in the mana department since he was an incredibly spammy hero. Talon could no longer sustain himself within lane without either not having high creep kills or just being outlaned in general. This guide hopefully rectifies that problem not
Pros / Cons
+Good early-mid game
+Good chaser; can "stick" to enemies
+CD efficient abilities
+Great Farmer
+One of the best turret destroyers cus his q can hit turrets
-Susceptible to focus fire
-Mana inefficient hero whom requires spamming of abilities.
-Scaling into lategame depends wholly on itemization
+10% damage if target is under CC, decent passive
A decent passive, nothing too great but better than alot. A mistake that people do, is to build specifically to utilise this passive. Its not worth it, 10% is chump. Think of it as a nice bonus, nothing more.
Noxian Diplomacy
Nuke and applies bleed. Good nuke, use after initiate.
An incredibly nice nuke since it resets the attack timer which is core in this crit based build. The bleed is a nice bonus, but the revealing of the enemy champion can enable another ally to cut the retreat path of fleeing enemy to finish him off. Very nice.
* Resets attack timer so time an auto attack before using this.
* Bread and butter skill late game, main source of burst.
* Use this before cutthroating to an enemy for maximum burst.
* High cooldown so its usage is fairly limited. Use this to initiate along with a charged Noxian diplomacy for maximum burst.
AOE slow and damage. Bread and butter skill early, use to prevent fleeing
Similar to Sivir's throw, though does significantly less damage and range. Generally the bread and butter skill, since it provides a nuke but also most importantly, a slow enabling you to get close to unleash more crits and abilities (most notably Noxian Diplomacy)
* The main ability to slow enemies. Immediately use this after initiating to prevent fleeing.
* A staple ability to efficiently farm, especially against a tough lane enemy
* Post nerf talon is unable to spam this without running out of mana. Use sparingly and only to ensure creep kills or harass.
Blink towards enemy causing silence and amping subsequent attacks/ability. Initiate with this
Good skill to initiate with because of its silence which prevents immediate reactions; meaning a very short time to land some pot shots. You can also use this defensively. For example blinking to an enemy creep behind you, or using neutrals to juke and jive around shrubs.
* Standard blink towards enemy
* The ability does no damage itself however does briefly silence the target.
* Also resets attack timer.
* Use this ability creatively. When an enemy chamption comes to gank, cutthroat to them which silences them and puts you in a favorable position to escape.
Shadow Assault
Ultimate, on low CD, sick damage and speed boost. Use this as the killing blow.
Self explanatory, though the stealth does offer some utility in escaping messy situations. However this does do AOE damage, so if you place yourself correctly you can get some sick damage.
The cooldown is rather low, so don't be afraid to use it to clear creep waves to save a tower for example. Remember, towers win games, not potential kills.
* Positioning is very important, deactivate when you are in front of fleeing target to ensure the blades will hit
* Be careful of popping ultimate since the blades do fan out resulting in the potential loss of surprise
* Generally, use this ability as the killing blow so that you have the choice of either diving or fleeing; its a good escape tool
* If you get CC'ed while stealthed, the blades will not come back to you. Essentially it will only do half damage so be weary of oracles or wards during team fights.
If theres like bunch of minions 20-30 in late game usualy that much by turrets dont feel bad to use ur ulti if u cant get all instantly whit W cus beleive me u will get round 400-600 gold which is nice for minions


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The skies are clear and Mr. Sun shines brightly when I received a message from my sister that the travel agency needed my presence in their office due to some conflicts with the name of my mother that appears in the baptismal certificate. I immediately informed my head that I have an urgent matter to attend and will just return after the lunch break.
So I rush to home and photo copied all the additional documents to support my other files that were submitted. I access the every convenient and fastest means of transportation in order to get in travel agency's office before it hits 12:00 in the afternoon. I am so weary because of the scorching heat of the sun plus the driver is so slow that I wanted to hit him. I easily get pissed off when I ride any modes of transportation and then I am in a hurry but the driver is so effin` slow just like a worm crawling in the ground. pfffttt
After several minutes of suffering, I reached in the office and introduced my name and informed the staff that I was the applicant whose documents are lacking. The girl who entertained me scanned my documents and told me to bring the original and photo copied files on the day of my passport appearance. Holy cow! WTF! I was there for nothing? Shit it was totally absurd and crap! I curse the agent to death that I took an under time at work and traveled for how many kilometers for nothing?
What is more worst that I told the girl who entertained me that why did she text me in the first place when all those necessary docs will be shown on the day of appearance? To add insult to the injury, the agent texted me that my appearance will be tomorrow, which is a very big SUNDAY! Jeez, where did she put her brain nowadays? Did she pump up her smart cells? There is no working day on SUNDAY! *sigh*
The travel agency staff just felt sorry for me. Grrr, I wanted to whine but that is not my cup of tea instead I count 1-10 to manage my anger to that stupid agent. This is just a terrible day! I freaking hate it. Hopefully, on my day of appearance there will be no more hassles and troubles.
To answer my question of "What can dopey people do?"- TOTAL INCONVENIENCE!


text: Finally bought my Exmark HP and LOVE IT! What a machine. But I'm surprised it doesn't have any tow-behind accessories. I understand why, I guess, but I still expected the capability at least to be able to pull a large-sized spreader or something. Any thoughts or ideas you've seen to get beyond this limitation? Or do I have misinformation, and this easily accomplished?


text: Hi everyone, I'm interested in start baking my own flavor for Ally and would like to know from you dev's if there is a good kitchen for Ally and what's the best one. It doesn't need to be a beguinners kitchen. Well thanks for the atention and everything you guys being doing for us.


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MLB.com Columnist
Richard Justice
Two great teams, one final showdown
Giants, Royals ready to put finishing touch on outstanding baseball season
KANSAS CITY -- That this World Series will deliver a Game 7 just feels right. This is how this baseball season had to end.
The Royals and Giants have already given us a compelling six games, transforming the Fall Classic into a showcase for two gifted teams that have done themselves proud.
Remember that part of the story.
|Gm 1
|Oct. 21
|Gm 2
|Oct. 22
|Gm 3
|Oct. 24
|Gm 4
|Oct. 25
|Gm 5
|Oct. 26
|Gm 6
|Oct. 28
|Gm 7
|Oct. 29
These teams have the look and feel of champions, both of them. Years from now, players from both teams may very well look back and see these 10 days as the most fun they've ever had.
They're gifted and tough and talented teams. They've both taken some punches in this World Series and then delivered a few of their own.
That only one of the six games has been close adds to the storyline. One team lands a significant punch, then the other lands one.
There's no rhyme or reason to the thing, and that's perfect for Game 7 Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET air time on FOX, 8:07 first pitch) at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals returned home for Game 6 on Tuesday with no margin for error. One game from elimination, they responded with a resounding 10-0 victory over the Giants.
They once more seemed to feed off the energy of a roaring crowd, and they scored seven runs in the second inning and got seven shutout innings from 23-year-old Yordano Ventura.
The thing about a Game 7 is that both teams have gotten better and tougher and more resilient these past six months. Both teams are convinced they can write whatever ending they choose to write.
That's the feeling a team gets when its ride starts to feel magical. Here's the best part. We're the lucky ones, because we get to enjoy a moment that is as good as professional sports can give us.
This Game 7 is a tribute, not just to the Royals and Giants, but to a season in which very little separated the top 20 or so teams in terms of talent.
This season stands as a bright and shining example of the competitive balance Commissioner Bud Selig has worked for. This World Series might very well be symbolic of his proudest accomplishment.
Rather than postseason berths being decided by payroll size, they're going to the teams that are the smartest, the teams that do the best job evaluating talent and constructing rosters.
This is just the second time the World Series has featured two Wild Card teams, but that's significant, too.
The Giants are attempting to win the World Series for the third time in five seasons, but this has been a different season.
On Opening Day, if they'd known they wouldn't have Matt Cain and Angel Pagan for most of the season, if they'd known Brandon Belt would miss 101 games, if they'd known they wouldn't settle on a second baseman until the final weeks of the season, they probably wouldn't have guessed it would play out this way.
They're again on the threshold of a World Series championship because they're the prototype of a perfect organization, from stable ownership to shrewd management. The Giants also have a core of players -- Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, Madison Bumgarner and others -- who've grown comfortable on the big stage.
The Royals are in a far different place, making their first postseason appearance in 29 years. They got here because their owner, David Glass, hired a great baseball man, Dayton Moore, eight years ago. Moore came up with a blueprint to build a champion through scouting and drafting. That he has done. In Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez and others, the Royals have a group of players who came up through the Minor Leagues together believing they might eventually transform an entire organization. That they have done.
Now a postseason in which 15 of 31 games have been decided by one run, a postseason that has featured late rallies, extra-inning games and a lifetime of drama and tension, is down to this.
Baseball's beauty is that it's a daily thing. Teams are rewarded for their resilience, for their ability to keep emotions in check and to understand that there's always a tomorrow.
Game 7 is different. Managers will run the game differently. They'll be more aggressive with their pitching changes and in pushing their scoring chances. They, too, will deal with their nerves.
History loves the Royals, because home teams have won nine straight Game 7s. No visiting team has won a Game 7 since the Pirates won in Baltimore in 1979. From a larger perspective, the team with home-field advantage has won the World Series 23 of the past 28 years.
But the Giants are confident that those numbers mean nothing. In Bruce Bochy, they have arguably baseball's best manager to orchestrate one more victory. Again, this is as good as it gets.
Game 7s have delivered some amazing moments. Bill Mazeroski ended the 1960 World Series with a bottom-of-the-ninth home run. Jack Morris tossed 10 shutout innings to win Game 7 for the Twins in 1991. Remember the D-backs coming back against Mariano Rivera to win Game 7, 3-2, in 2001?
When Royals manager Ned Yost was asked about being in a Game 7, he said he didn't grow up dreaming of someday starring in a Game 5.
"It was always two outs, bottom of the ninth, Game 7 of the World Series," Yost said.
Perfect, huh?
Here's to Game 7.
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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"A first class service provided by first class..."
About: Queen Victoria Hospital (East Grinstead) Queen Victoria Hospital (East Grinstead) East Grinstead RH19 3DZ
Posted via NHS Choices
What I liked
I had a skin graft operation on my leg today and reported to the Outpatient Day Surgery Unit early this morning. From this moment onwards I cannot speak highly enough of every member of staff that took care of me from the receptionist, various nurses, (one especially, took care of me when I woke up and went that extra mile for me! which I really appreciated). Also the more senior staff in surgery (Plastics) who took the time to explain every detail before surgery and also had a great sense of humour that made me laugh and helped ease any concerns that I had. Even with the financial constraints and additional pressures that are being forced on the NHS, its reassuring to know that there are still hospitals with well trained, professional, caring staff that go the extra mile for their patient no matter who they are. In my opinion, based on my experience today, QVH is a fantastic Hospital, that deserves the highest recognition for the service it provides. Thankyou from a satisfied patient
What could be improved
Absolutely nothing other than a government wage increase to all NHS staff in recognition of there hard work . ( But we know this won't be happening any day soon!). The service provided was first class!!! and I don't give compliments unless they are deserved.
Anything else?
Just a very big thank you !


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Kelly Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Center
Program Leadership
Nancy Farruggia, R.N.
Administrative Coordinator, Survivorship Center
The Importance of Survivorship
All cancer survivors deserve high-quality, specialized health care. The Kelly Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Center is one of the only survivorship programs in the nation to offer care exclusively for women diagnosed with gynecologic cancers. Cancer is a life changing experience, but one that our skilled and compassionate nursing staff can help you navigate, providing care and management planning during and after your cancer treatment. At the Survivorship Center, we use our experience and dedication to help women's cancer survivors live their lives to the fullest.
2017 Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Conference
Join us for the 2017 Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Conference on Saturday, September 23rd at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards.
Register online at JHGynecologicSurvivors.com.
Featured Video
2015 Gynecologic Oncology Cancer Awareness and Survivorship Conference
The Johns Hopkins Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service hosted a Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Conference for gynecologic cancer survivors and their family members. This full day event included a wide variety of speakers, panels and break-out sessions – all geared towards leading the most meaningful life possible. Stop just surviving and start really living!
Our Survivorship Services
At the Kelly Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Center, our goal is to provide the finest, most innovative and comprehensive survivorship care for gynecologic cancer survivors who are treated at Johns Hopkins and other centers.
Your survivorship care provider will create an individualized treatment summary and care plan that will address your concerns about side effects of cancer treatment, including emotional, physical, cognitive or sexual health issues. In addition to this plan, our services include:
- Review of your recent medical history
- Physical examinations
- Assessment to detect cancer recurrence
- Identification and management of the effects of cancer and its treatment
- Screening referrals for other cancers
- Health recommendations and/or referrals for nutrition (e.g. Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center), exercise and smoking cessation
- Management of menopause and sexual health
- Treatment summary and follow-up care plan
- Quality-of-life evaluations
- Support groups including mentorship with other cancer survivors in a one-on-one setting
- Collaboration with your gynecologic oncology physician
If you would like to request an appointment with the Kelly Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Center, please call 410-955-8240.
Our Survivorship Events
Quarterly educational events and an annual survivorship conference hosted in Baltimore offer patients opportunities to stay abreast of the latest research and treatments for gynecologic cancer.
- Read about the 2015 Gynecologic Cancer Survivorship Conference
Kelly's Angels and the "Little Big Things" Program
Kelly's Angels is the charity and support arm of the Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service and was created to address the individual needs of our cancer survivors (and loved ones) that are beyond that of their cancer treatment or their oncology care. The mission of the Kelly's Angels is to help relieve some of the burden that patients experience during and after cancer treatment by helping with the "Little Big Things" in life. The "Little Big Things" program has provided a variety of services to our patients including: generous chemotherapy goody bags with items to help comfort and relax our patients undergoing cancer treatment, gorgeous hand-knit hats and scarves in the wintertime, help with parking support and transportation to clinical appointments, and visiting our patients in the hospital when they are undergoing surgery or treatment. For more information on this program, please contact Nancy Farruggia, R.N., at (410)-955-8240.
In support of gynecologic cancer awareness month in September, read more about how Kelly's Angels is offering support to women battling gynecologic cancer.


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Results 1 to 2 of 2
05-11-11, 19:17 #1Registered User
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Posts
- 30
Unanswered: sendobject wont update report before sending
I have a form where you can enter basic customer info. In the form you can select a class date and then use a command button to open a report that will display the chosen date from the form and send it as an email using acsendobject. My problem is that when I select a date and then click the command button it does not display the date I selected in the report until i save the record, move to another record and then go back to the one I was attempting to send an email from. any suggestions?
05-11-11, 20:09 #2Registered User
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Posts
- 340
try forcing the write to the table with
put that in the AfterUpdate event of the control you use to select the date
might work.www CahabaData com


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Plus Peachy Popover Chiffon Dress
Bring the new season in with a bang in this trendy sundress! It's crafted with flowing chiffon and a delicate flounce top. The stunning drop necklace adds a fashionable finishing touch.
- rue+ Collection
- Buttoned keyhole
- Removable necklace
- 100% polyester
- Machine wash
- Model wears size 1X
- Imported


text:
Both of you requested a critique rather than the gift card, and I would be happy to provide a critique for each of you. Email me your manuscripts (full picture book or first 10 pages) when you are ready to jhedlund33 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
Thank you again to everyone who left comments and participated in the contest. I truly appreciate your support of the blog and look forward to many more years of Write Up My Life!!Categories: Giveaway · Tags: Blogiversary, Critiques, Giveaway, Julie Hedlund, Writer


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*Looking to book hotels in Koh Samui? Click here to find the best deals online! This is an affiliate link, meaning I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your booking helps us keep this website running 🙂
General Thoughts
Koh Samui is just a 1 hour flight from Bangkok and is one of Thailand's most visited islands. With it's turquoise ocean water, precious golden sand, and luscious greenery, this place is the absolute definition of Paradise.
However, I must admit that if you want to see "authentic Thailand" and don't want to be overwhelmed with white people and other tourists, then you might not like Koh Samui. I saw three times the amount of tourists than locals and the prices were extremely inflated compared to other places around Thailand. I sort of felt like I was on a European beach, by the amount of Europeans (and Russians) everywhere. However, there are places around the island that you can go to escape the people and have a more tranquil experience.
My friends and I only spent 2 days on the island, because we headed to the Full Moon Party on a nearby island called Koh Phangan. Nonetheless, we did lots of awesome things and were constantly entertained.
Quick Facts
– Currency: Thai Baht (THB)
– Language: Thai
– Population: 65,000
– Koh Samui is the second biggest island in Thailand
– Over 1.5 million tourists visit per year
– The first inhabitants were fisherman about 1,500 years ago
– There weren't any roads until 1970, when huge investments were made on the island and now it is one of the most visited islands in Asia
– The entire island measures 25 kilometers long and 21 kilometers wide
Culture & People
Like mentioned before, most of the people you will see are Foreigners with the exception of some Monks around the Buddhist temples. The majority of them being Europeans, Russians and other white people. I usually don't prefer to go to places with a lot of tourism, but Koh Samui is an exception because it's so beautiful.
The beaches are packed with Europeans, with local Thai's walking by every 5 seconds to sell you coconuts or a massage. I felt kind of guilty being there, because us tourists were totally taking over their beaches. Well, at least we pump money into their economy!
During the daytime, everything is peaceful and quiet. The beaches are very relaxing and the waves are actually nice (at least when I was there). In town, you'll find lotsof little restaurants, shops, Thai massage places and souvenir shops. For transportation, everyone rides mopeds around the island. They are so cheap and convenient.
I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and make some new local friends! Click this link to learn the Top 10 Thai Words to keep in your back pocket
What to Do?
Our hostel organized an "all day" tour for a flat rate (around $40) and I highly recommend it. The tour was called the Island Safari Tour and they will pick you up the back of legit a pickup truck and drive you around (on the truck bed) all day to do various activities. Everything is included in the price, even an amazing Thai lunch on the top of a mountain.
Some key highlights of the safari were:
– seeing an elephant show
– petting a live Tiger
– seeing a monkey show
– feeding the elephants
– exploring a man-carved Park with awesome statues
– Go offroading 4X4 to a mountain top 650 meters above sea level- amazing viewpoint
– going to see the Big Buddha statue
– checking out the viewpoint from grandfathers rock
– Taking a swim in Namuang Waterfalls
– Visiting the Mummified Monk
^ALL of that^ for just $40!
It was a pretty awesome day. All the truck drivers are crazy (in a good way), so they'll blast music and drive like maniacs around the Island. For the price of the tour, this was really the best move as you'll accomplish everything and more around Ko Samui. In other words, it's the best bang for your buck!
On another note, you should definitely rent a scooter for $5 USD per day and ride it around the island. It's the best and cheapest way to explore around. But be careful because people drive on the left side of the road (as opposed to the U.S.), so it might be a little challenging at first- especially making a right turn.
The Food
The Food in Ko Samui, although quite expensive, was spectacular. Every Thai dish that I was was just as good as the one I ate before. Some of my favorite dishes that I ate in Koh Samui were Phanghan curry, green curry, pad thai and fried rice. Pad thai (shown in the pic) is one of my all-time favorite dishes.
There are also many Western food places, but who wants to eat that when they can eat delicious Thai food?
If you want to learn about the best local dishes, then please read my post on 7 Thai Foods to Try.
The Nightlife
The nightlife on Koh Samui is a great time. Given the fact that there are so many tourists, pretty much everyone is looking to party. There are some fun bars and clubs around town, but they are quite expensive. Green Mango is the best club!
To be honest, I did partied much harder on the neighboring island of Koh Phangan- debatably the biggest party island in the world. This is where all the fun happens! Koh Phangan is world famous for the Full Moon Party (read my story here!). It occurs once a month (on every full moon) and consists of 30,000 + people raving on a beach and drinking buckets of booze (shown in pic) until sunrise. Koh Phangan also hosts numerous other parties, like the half moon party, New Years party and new moon party. There is basically something happening at least once a week. It's only a 30 minute ferry ride from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to find your hotels on this link 🙂
Related Blog Posts
Top 10 Thai Words
7 Thai Foods to Try