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Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Herculoids!
What is it about this insane collection of outer space zoo animals and their adoptive family that makes this show so attractive? The concept of the Herculoids is wacky beyond of all belief. The name is at once goofy, appropriate and memorable.
There's this royal family led by the father Zandor and made up of his wife Tara and their son Dorno. They live in the wilds of the planet Quasar and are surrounded by animalistic allies. There are the duo Gloop and Gleep, amorphous creatures that can change their shapes in all sorts of ways. There is Tundro a big old rhino-looking beast who can stretch his ten legs and fire molten rocks out of his horn. There is Zok a flying dragon who can unleash bolts of energy from his eyes and his tale. And finally there is Igoo a gigantic and powerful ape-looking creature seemingly made of stone.
Looking at the assembly they form a fantastically effective fighting force. Zandor is the general, Gloop and Gleep are the flexible defense and intelligence force, Tundro is the tank-like heavy weapons platform, Igoo the awesome one-ape infantry, and Zok the amazing air force. They can defend from all points and when riled they come on like gangbusters.
That's just a wild and wooly collection if ever there was one. For more details see this link.
Somehow the late great Alex Toth created them, and Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera agreed to create a cartoon show around the concept. It's so zany it defies explanation. And it worked like stink.
Aside from Space Ghost, the Herculoids are to my mind the most successful of the Hanna-Barbera 60's cartoon creations. Their loyalty to one another against bizarre threats spoke of the possibility of many different races to work together accomplish their goals. It's a message that makes the Herculoids almost an inspirational creation.
But they didn't sell all that well apparently. They are fondly remembered though, and at long last their original adventures are available on DVD from Warner Brothers. It's one of their limited on-demand releases, but there it is nonetheless. This show is one of those I promised myself I'd get no matter when it came out, and I have gotten my copy in mail. I've not yet had opportunity to screen them, but I'm eager to begin.
Here's a comic book cover gallery of all of the Herculoid cover appearances. I have all of these, so it might be time to dig them out and give them a good reading. If you want to see what the stories were like, check out this link to the Ol' Groove.
Rip Off
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Dell Universals!
For whatever reason, Dell Comics brought out a gaggle of comics in the 60's which featured the classic Universal monsters. Many of these monsters had been revived by Hammer some years before, but these covers suggest it's clearly the Universal renditions that inspired the comics. Vic Prezio is identified as the artist on many of these covers and perhaps he did all of them.
In three cases (Frankenstein, Dracula, and Wolfman) brief superhero/adventure series were spun off the names.
Rip Off
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Welcome Back To The Dojo!
Well I got my computer back and I find myself at square one. Everything on it had to be wiped out and consequently some upcoming planned posts will have to be recreated and/or revised.
It turns out I'm as much of a packrat online as I am at home, so a bunch of images and whatnot were just hanging around for no really good reason. Now they are all gone. It's actually kind of refreshing to have a fresh start.
Until later.
Rip Off
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Time For Reflection!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Spirit Reader!
This cover of The Comic Reader shows off the original artwork by Will Eisner that I assume was used by Ken Kelly to create the cover of the tenth issue of Warren's Spirit magazine.
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Ken Kelly,
The Spirit,
Warren Magazines,
Will Eisner
Meugniot's Femforce!
Femforce from Bill Black's AC Comics has been in its time a charming comic drawn by some superior "Good-Girl Artists". Not least among these was Will Meugniot who did a gaggle of covers for the series. Here are some of those covers alongside a close up view of some of Meugniot's artwork for them.
Rip Off
Friday, June 24, 2011
Gene Colan RIP
It's with sadness I read this morning that one of the titans of Mighty Marvel's heyday has passed away. Gene "The Dean" Colan drew the very first Marvel comic I got my mitts on, and his technique and style imprinted on my fanboy DNA.
Colan was truly a unique artist, and that's immediately evident in that there is no one in the business today who attempts to imitate him.
His way of drawing was instantly identifiable and almost always excellent. Most fans know about his hectic last years, and I hope he's found peace at long last.
Rip Off
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Romeo Lorenzo Ramos, 69, of Waipahu, a DCK Pacific Construction retiree, died in Honolulu. He was born in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. He is survived by wife Josephine "Pina"; sons Patrick Realin and Evan and Joseph "Joey" Ramos; daughter Deanna Boone; brother Erwin; sister Corazon; half brother Orlando Guillermo; and three grandchildren. Visitation: 9 a.m. Friday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, mauka chapel. Services: 10:15 a.m. Burial: 11 a.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire. Flowers welcome.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased

subset: commoncrawl


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At 'Chasing Coral' screening, an environmental alarm goes off
On Thursday evening, a few hours after President Trump had left open the door to reenter the Paris agreement, a group of people gathered in New York City to confer on an environmental crisis. They had just watched "Chasing Coral," Jeff Orlowski's new documentary about dying coral and the threat it posed, and they had many comments and questions for a post-screening panel.
"One thing we need to do is decarbonize buildings," said a man who identified himself as a sustainability engineer.
"Have you thought about screening in aquariums?" asked a woman who called herself an aquarium enthusiast.
"How do we get people outside their head? What's the call to action? It feels like we don't have to be passive consumers about this," said actor and environmental activist Adrian Grenier, who moderated the panel.
The movie won the audience award at Sundance in January, and from the crowd's reaction at the screening, which took place at the Explorers Club in New York, it was easy to see why.
"Chasing Coral" makes a surprisingly moving plea on behalf of the dying ocean bed. It centers on the filmmakers' and several scientists' efforts to document, via jury-rigged underwater cameras, the "bleaching" of coral — the whitening and death of it because of rising ocean temperatures. Netflix released the documentary worldwide Friday.
The movie focuses particularly on an eager-eyed young man named Zack Rago, a "coral nerd" who spent much of his Colorado upbringing obsessed with the stuff. Rago is seen participating in dives at ocean spots like the Great Barrier Reef only to watch them deteriorate in front of his eyes. As florid color gives way to flaky white death, he becomes increasingly distraught about the fate of the ocean.
The loss is tragic on poetic grounds — coral is the only skyscraper-like structure built by any living beings that are not human — but also on environmental ones. Coral is a self-feeding system that's literally at the bottom of our food pyramid. As much as one-quarter of the sea depends on coral as part of its ecosystem; if it dies, so could many up the chain, including human beings.
Orlowski, who previously made the glacier-themed "Chasing Ice," said he wanted to depend on techniques similar to those used in environmental documentaries such as "Blackfish" that rely on emotion to jolt people into awareness. (There is also a new song, performed by Kristen Bell, added post-Sundance.) The director said he struggled with how much despair to put in this film; afterward, he told a reporter that "the reality was far worse than what we showed and the means for solving it far more hopeful.""
To a question from the audience about what could be done, he said, "There is no single thing that each of you needs to do. There are dozens of things."
Rago, who has helped create a coral-themed school bus he takes to classrooms around the country, said he's had a lot of success with virtual-reality exhibits. "A lot of kids will never get to see the ocean, so you're cultivating their curiosity," he said, adding that it was good to give them a stake in cleanup efforts. "It's like they weren't part of the party, and now you're asking them to clean it up."
Ocean Agency founder Richard Vevers, who appears in the film as a voice of scientific warning, urged the audience to reframe its thinking on climate change activism.
"What I love is this is a moneymaking opportunity," he said. "More people need to look at climate change as an opportunity to be healthy, an opportunity to make money, an opportunity to improve lives.
"We need to be creative in how we think about it," he added of citizen responsibilities, "rather than think of them as horrible tasks we all have to do."
Grenier offered his own ideas on activism. "How many people have divested from oil," he asked the crowd. "Call your financial advisor and ask to divest from oil." He told the audience about his charity, an initiative aimed at wiping out plastic straws, called Stop Sucking.
The Explorers Club is a place of a certain early 20th-century charm, with hidden chambers and passage. It's filled with artifacts of past exploration-eras and eager elderly hobbyists wearing T-shirts imprinted with messages like "Here's Looking at Euclid."
The choice of venue made sense: Orlowski has striking underwater footage that makes the coral come alive and turns a movie screen into a suboceanic aquarium.
The director, who also had shown the film to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said he had a plan called "Chasing Congress" to show it to all 535 federal representatives. He also urged everyone in the crowd to find a friend and invite him or her over to watch a screening. "You can be casual, like let's have dinner or a beer and check out this movie. I don't know anyone who's anti-ocean," he added.
Grenier noted that the work was hard. "You have to put in the time. Everybody wants convenience," he said. "We have to wrestle the instinct for convenience."
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Say hello to your new favourite hair care range!
Do you struggle to find a hair care range that both suits your hair care needs but is also affordable to you?
Let me introduce you to Kristin Ess...
Who Is Kristin Ess?
Kristin Ess is a celebrity stylist, colorist, social media influencer, and co-founder of Thebeautydepartment.com. She is well known as the hairdresser of The Hills, Lauren Conrad, and we all know how beautiful her hair is!
She wanted to create affordable, luxury hair care that creates beautiful hair and it certainly does that! The range consists of shampoo, conditioners and styling products.
As I had heard a lot of good reviews about this product, I decided to try them out for myself.
Let me give you a quick overview of my hair.
My hair has been colored blonde for several years now, and it is quite fine. Due to this, my hair can tend to be very dry and brittle.
I tend to curl my hair after every wash, but I'm not a massive fan of using loads of products on my hair. I like simple!
Firstly, let's talk about the packaging...
I love everything about it! The color is beautiful, and I really like the simplistic design.
A key benefit of this range is that it is sulphate free, which is great because it can be used on most hair types.
I just want to clarify that sulphates are only a lathering agent (so the bubbles in the soap), unfortunately too much of this can be too harsh on the hair and can remove color, chemical services, dry out extensions, etc. So, it is really good that this range is sulphate free, however, it still makes your hair feel soft and shiny.
I was really happy with the way this shampoo and conditioner made my hair feel, it definitely does exactly what it says it will and I would 100% recommend it.
There are numerous other products in this beautiful range, and they all work beautifully on all hair types.
This mask is designed to restore moisture to dry hair, making it feel soft and tangle-free.
The great thing about this mask is that it does not feel heavy on the hair.
2. Weightless Shine Leave in Conditioner
This product is applied to wet hair, it is designed to detangle, add shine and seal in moisture.
It is definitely one of the best leave in conditioners on the market at the minute.
3. Style Reviving Dry Shampoo
This product helps to refresh hair and make it look oil-free. It has a nice scent and it deposits a good amount of powder onto the hair.
This product is great for adding texture and volume to the hair, making it easy to manoeuvre into updo's or braids.
This product is great for a wash and go hair style.
It is designed for any hair type, curly, wavy, or straight, and it smooths, adds shine, as well as adding texture to the hair.
6. Instant Lift Volumizing Mousse
This is a really great mousse as it does give a lot of volume, but it doesn't leave the hair feeling heavy or sticky, meaning it can even be used on finer hair types.


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ClickBank Reviews Vol.3
- /
- ClickBankReviews3_p
- Reviews
- 0-6 Pack Abs Review.txt
- 101 Super Foods Review.txt
- 101 Toxic Food Ingredients Review.txt
- Boost Your Bust Review.txt
- Eat Stop Eat Review.txt
- Get Rid of Herpes Review.txt
- Hyperthyroidism Revolution Review.txt
- Suspension Revolution Review.txt
- The Adonis Golden Ratio Review.txt
- Ultimate Miracle Cure Review.txt
- eCovers
- Product Review Articles eCover.jpg
- Product Review Articles eCover450.jpg
- desktop.ini
Clickbank Product Reviews For Top Selling Health Products!
Making money online comes in various techniques and procedures. One of these is called affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is simply selling other people's products in exchange for commissions.
And practocomg such technique also comes in various approach. You can directly offer your affiliate link to your friends or tweet it or create a product review blog post.
Doin so, you need to have a lot of information about the product you want to sell and if you are familiar with the product, you might want to outsource it which will cost you money.
Inside this article package, you are about to get high quality article which you can use for your product review campaign.
Below are the articles that you will immediately receive:
- 0-6 Pack Abs Review
- 101 Super Foods Review
- 101 Toxic Food Ingredients Review
- Boost Your Bust Review
- Eat Stop Eat Review
- Get Rid Herpes Review
- Hyperthyroidism Revolution Review
- Suspension Revolution Review
- The Adonis Golden Ratio Review
- Ultimate Miracle Cure Review
- [YES] Can be used for personal use
- [NO] Can be sold
- [NO] Can be packaged with other products
- [NO] Can modify/change the sales letter
- [NO] Can modify/change the main product
- [NO] Can modify/change the graphics and ecover
- [NO] Can be added into paid membership websites
- [NO] Can put your name on the sales letter
- [NO] Can be offered as a bonus
- [NO] Can be used to build a list
- [NO] Can print/publish offline
- [NO] Can be given away for free
- [NO] Can be added to free membership websites
- [NO] Can convey and sell Personal Use Rights
- [NO] Can convey and sell Resale Rights
- [NO] Can convey and sell Master Resale Rights
- [NO] Can convey and sell Private Label Rights


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A mobile hotspot is a quick and efficient way to share an internet connection with other devices like computers, iPads, or other mobile phones.
A hotspot is also a good alternative to WiFi – especially if the WiFi in your area is unbearably slow or won't connect.
Sometimes, you might experience problems connecting a device to your hotspot. This is almost always due to errors in the mobile network and internet settings, and faulty or outdated drivers on your computer.
In this guide, I will show 4 ways you can fix any error associated with a hotspot connection.
The first fix works on your Windows 10 PC, while the rest solve the problem right on your Android mobile phone.
How to Fix a Hotspot Connection Error by Updating Your Wireless Network Driver
Every device on your computer is controlled by a certain driver software. So a wireless network has a driver that controls it. If this driver is outdated or corrupt, then your hotspot and WiFi might be negatively affected.
So, updating your wireless network driver can help your computer connect to your hotspot again.
Follow the steps below to update your wireless network driver
Step 1: Right-click on Start and select Device Manager.
Step 2: Expand Network Adapters.
Step 3: Right-click on your wireless device and select "Update driver".
Step 4: Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software".
How to Fix a Hotspot Connection Error by Using an Open Network
Using a password-protected hotspot is undoubtedly secure, but it could cause issues with your connection sometimes. So switching to an open Network can give your computer a seamless connection. Just be aware of how secure it might or might not be.
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Tap Network and Internet.
Step 3: Select Hotspot and Tethering.
Step 4: Tap Security.
Step 5: Select "None".
How to Fix a Hotspot Connection Error by Changing your Access Point Band to 2.4 GHz
There are 2 AP Bands usually made available on Android devices – 5GHz and 2.4Ghz. 5GHz is faster, but some devices may not support it. 2.4GHz is widely supported, so you should make sure your hotspot AP Band is set to 2.4GHz.
Some Android devices have their default AP bands as 2.4GHz and it remains unchangeable, but yours could be 5GHz – which is always changeable.
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Tap Network and Internet.
Step 3: Select Hotspot and Tethering.
Step 4: Scroll down to AP Band and make sure it is set to 2.4GHz. If it is set to 5GHz, tap it and change it to 2.4GHz.
How to Fix a Hotspot Connection Error by Resetting Out of Box Configuration (OOB)
This will change your hotspot configuration to factory settings – which could bring things back to normal for you.
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Tap Network and Internet.
Step 3: Select Hotspot and Tethering.
Step 4: Scroll down and tap "Reset OOB".
Step 5: Choose "Reset OOB".
Final Words
This guide takes you through 3 different ways you can fix mobile hotspot connection errors on a Windows 10 PC and an Android phone.
Apart from the fixes discussed you should also make sure:
the password you entered on the receiving device is correct
your internet connection is turned on correctly on the device you're sharing from
you have not exceeded a data limit you might have set
Thank you for reading this article. If you find it helpful, please share it with your friends and family.


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This was published 7 years ago
Virtual reality tells Indigenous story in London as bones set to return to Australia
By Nick Miller
London: As old, stolen bodies return to Australia, Britain is being repaid in virtual reality.
In a neat coincidence this week, London's film festival was treated to a cutting-edge, VR demonstration of the story-telling-power of Indigenous culture – while across town British museums handed over Australian Aboriginal ancestral remains for reburial in their home country.
At the film festival, Lynette Wallworth presented Collisions, a 15-minute virtual-reality journey to the Pilbara homeland of Indigenous elder Nyarri Morgan – whose first contact with western culture was witnessing an atomic test in the desert.
Wallworth, who has been experimenting with immersive film for years, decided that Nyarri's story should be told through virtual reality, in 360-degree video viewed on VR headsets.
"In VR you're no longer a viewer, you're a participant," she said. "You're inside it, you recall it as though you were there. It can make certain stories more powerful.
"I can place you where Nyarri stood and it's as if it happened to you."
We are just at the beginning of discovering how incredible VR filmmaking can be, Wallworth said. It's democratic and portable because it can be delivered to a smartphone.
And because it is unfamiliar, people don't have the ironic comfort that they have when viewing a 2D screen.
"In the beginning of film, people ran away from the screen. For the moment, [VR] is that. You create the indelible memory. So why not use it to tell a powerful story?"
Clare Stewart – director of the BFI London Film Festival and former director of the Sydney Film Festival – said Collisions was a powerful and evocative piece.
"We've been following the virtual reality space for the last few years," she said. "What is fantastic about it, and what is fantastic about Lynette's work is that she is a filmmaker going into a space much more worked in by designers and programmers.
"We are seeing a shift. When filmmakers come in they use it in a way closer to the narrative forms of film.
"How do you take that out to wider audiences? I do think that it's a very nascent moment where in the right hands this could become something very pervasive.
"This is a way we will be consuming moving images in the future and now is the moment to start grappling with it creatively."
At the same time Stewart presented her work at the film festival, across town a delegation of Indigenous Australians were meeting with officials at the British Museum, negotiating the future return of old artefacts stripped from native lands.
They are trying to set up a deal where they take the old artefacts back "home to country", and make replicas using traditional methods for the museum to use in their place.
Delegation member Major Sumner from the South Australian Ngarrindjeri community said the conversation at the museum had gone well.
"Some museums are not Aboriginal-friendly," Mr Sumner said. "We want to start up a conversation, build up a relationship that's good for both sides.
"But our main reason for being in London is to get our old people's remains and take them home."
A handover ceremony for 13 Australian Aboriginal ancestral remains took place at Australia House in London on Friday. The remains come from the collections of Royal Pavilion and Museums Brighton, University of Birmingham, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the University of Cambridge.
One such piece is an old skull turned into a drinking vessel.
"That's part of our practice, we have the skulls of important people and drink the water so that their knowledge and wisdom will go into us," Mr Sumner said. "Now they're classed as 'modified objects' in museums. Tomorrow the one from Brighton is being handed over. Then we'll take it back home."
The Ngarrindjeri have to create new ceremonies for reburial of such objects – smoking ceremonies, songs, dances and the summoning of ancestors' spirits.
"We have an obligation to our peoples who are held over here," said Grant Rigney, also from the Ngarrindjeri. "There are spiritual values to these materials. We have an obligation to get these home, to rebury in country.
"They were dug up and carted to museums all over the world. We have to put them back to rest in country so their spirit can be at rest and can move on into the next world."
Nick Abraham, from the Nyoongar community in Western Australia, said when the remains returned to WA more research would be needed to be sure where they had come from – and then a reburial ceremony could be planned.
"My role here is to make sure that old person gets back home," he said.
In the long term the team wants to set up a system that will work without them and survive them, so the repatriation of thousands of objects can continue.
The Australian government provides some support, through its Indigenous Repatriation Program which helps with research, identification of remains and travel for community representatives.
But the delegation said they need more support from state governments, to pay for the time and work needed for repatriation and reburial.


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Carbon Fiber & Alcantara E-brake Handle
These OEM-inspired carbon fiber / Alcantara E-brake handles are the perfect touch for any interior. These fit most BMW vehicles and are replaced with just zip ties. Install is very very quick and should only take 10 minutes- even if you have not done it before.
Choose options
Carbon Fiber & Alcantara E-brake Handle
Sale price$119.99
Regular price


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Google+ filled many gaps in social media experience. The features like Hangouts were an all new experience. Google+ also gives more importance to privacy. Google+ Business pages also introduced new world of online brand building and marketing. The SEO activities that focus on Google search engine cannot move further without considering the importance of Google +1 and Google Business pages. Also the option to +1 a content has lot of importance in SERP rankings as far as Google search is concerned.
For most of the browsers there are many extensions available to improve usability of Google+ and cross social interaction between social media services like Facebook and Twitter. Here let us check few of the extensions available for Google Chrome browser that will help you to customize and improve the usability of Google+ social service.
Best and Most Useful Google Chrome Google+ Extensions
Google +1 Button
Using this +1 button Chrome Google+ extension you can +1 and share the pages you think are worth visiting.By installing the +1 extension, you can publicly +1 any page that you're visiting with one easy click. Once you do, look for the "Share on Google+" option to start a conversation.
Try Google +1 Button
Replies and more for Google+
Replies and more for Google+ chrome extension adds reply and reply-to-author buttons to Google+ comments and a number of other enhancements like adding a dropdown next to share with additional sharing options like Twitter/Facebook/Email etc.
Try Replies and more for Google+
Hover Zoom
Hover Zoom enlarges thumbnails on mouse over. Browse images galleries with ease: move the mouse cursor over thumbnails to view images in their full size without loading a new page. Pictures are automatically resized if they don't fit the window.
Try Hover Zoom
+Photo Zoom
+Photo Zoom is a useful chrome extension for Google+. This extension provides fast and simple zooming for photos within your Google+ Stream. Just hover over the image you wish to zoom and +Photo Zoom will load the enlarged version of the picture.
Try +Photo Zoom
This chrome extension solves the network cross-posting problem to a great extend. SGPlus automatically post to Facebook AND Twitter AND LinkedIn whenever you share something on Google Plus. It also adds a Gmail inbox notifier to the top bar; so that you do not have to keep a Gmail tab open. Clicking on the Gmail icon shows a menu with the unread messages that let you access your emails directly inside Google+
Try SGPlus
Move Your Photos
Move Your Photos helps you to transfer your Facebook albums/photos selectively to Google's Picasa and then you can share them with your Google+ Circles.
Try Move Your Photos
Nuke Comments on Google+
A link labelled "Nuke" will appear next to the +1 button on other people's comments on your own Google+ posts. Clicking it will prompt you to delete the comment, and once you confirm the deletion, the person will be blocked from your profile. You may also report the user as a spammer.
Try Nuke Comments on Google+
Uncircle Uncirclers+
Find & Remove People in your Circles who've not added you Back to their Circles. Unfollow Unfollowers, Uncircle Uncirclers.
Try Uncircle Uncirclers+
G+me for Google Plus
G+me for Google Plus enhance the Google+ web app to make it much easier to process a large stream of incoming posts and comments and unlock the potential of its real-time updates. It collapses the Google+ stream while keeping live updates: collapses posts, hides comments, etc.
Try G+me for Google Plus
Google Translate for Google+
This extension helps you to translate your Google+ stream using integrated, inline, Google Translate support. This is useful to some extent.
Try Google Translate for Google+
Helper for Google+
This extension adds twitter and translate link to every Google Plus post. Desktop notifications on new posts, also with sound. You can share Google+ Posts with people on twitter, Facebook and Delicious.
Try Helper for Google+
Google+ Notifications
Google+ Notifications
This extension adds a notification button next to the address box of Chrome. Once logged in whenever you have a new notification like new posts the extension button will turn red and show you how many updates are waiting for you. Once you click the button, a window will drop down showing you all of your most recent notifications.
Try Google+ Notifications
Surplus is a Google plus Integration for Chrome. This is notification extension which helps you to post or respond from within the popup, switch between multiple Google accounts etc.
Try Surplus
Facebook for Google+
Facebook for Google+ adds your Facebook Stream to your Google+ Profile. Simply Connect to Facebook, and get all the updates on your Google+ Facebook tab.
Try Facebook for Google+
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text: Though its name suggests a blend of Sour Diesel and Cherry Pie, in fact Sour Cherry descends from Sage 'N' Sour OG and Buddha's Sister, both Dutch hybrids. The smell is unique and not entirely pleasant, with strong notes of cherry and rotten fruit. This strain tastes of cherry, lemon, lime, and menthol, as well as sour notes of whiskey. Sour Cherry is a sativa/indica hybrid with an unknown ratio of sativa to indica, though the effects lean toward indica. There's no publicly available data on THC levels in this strain, and the same goes for CBD contents, but the lack of information on CBD alone suggests Sour Cherry isn't a great choice for patients who need that chemical to treat seizures or other conditions. The THC, however much there may be, produces a strong, calming body buzz that's ideal for relieving the symptoms of low mood, chronic physical pain, and sleepless nights. Reports on adverse effects are hard to come by, but users can expect red eyes and dry mouth, as well as possible paranoia and dizziness. Sour Cherry can be found in a handful of dispensaries in Oregon but isn't popular much of anywhere.


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1940s French Vintage Mobylette by Favor, type Mosquito, 38 cc
Vintage French Mobylette model or 'cyclomoteur' by Favor, type Mosquito, 38 cc.
Product info
Vintage French Mobylette model or 'cyclomoteur' by Favor, type Mosquito, 38 cc.
This type was produced from 1946, a bicycle with a small auxiliary motor.
Favor was a French company manufacturing motorcycles, mopeds and cycles in Chamalières near Clermont-Ferrand. Founded in 1898 by Étienne Guillaume, it closed its doors in 1977.
The 'cyclomoteur' has a great authentic patina. The motor has been standing still for a long time. The engine needs to be cleaned and checked. It is not known if it still runs or not. The pistons of the engine are moving, which is a good sign. The engine is "loose", not stuck. This model has been used for decoration purposes.
This is a great and fun project for any early motorcycle lover.
Height: 111 cm
Width: 58 cm
Length: 174 cm
Materials: Metal
Provenance: France
Period: Mid 20th Century
Condition: Wear is consistent with age and use. Overall good sturdy condition, with usual wear, and scratches.
Condition & Photography
Please keep in mind that we only sell vintage and antique pieces and none of our pieces should be considered new or in perfect condition. All of our vintage products show the rich beauty and history of their life with the knocks and bumps of many years of use. We restore our pieces so they will be clean and in a good working condition. However we try to minimise restoration to keep every piece as original as possible.
The physical object can differ slightly in colour from the object as presented online. We have made every effort to display colours accurately, but cannot guarantee that the pictures accurately reflect the colour of those goods in real life.
Transport & Delivery
Please note that the price on our website does NOT include delivery. Delivery/collection must be purchased and organised separate to product purchase. You can contact us if you want to receive a quote for the delivery of one of our items to your address.
We will of course organise the transport for you and help you with all your questions. We ship world-wide and have lots of experience with the transport of fragile items. All of our products are professionally packed, shipped and send via one of our partners. We will make sure we will always find the best custom solution for your transport.
Don't hesitate to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com with any question you have. We are always happy to answer your questions and help to transport your antiques safely to your home.


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ELK, Ruby E. 1897-1897
Posted By: Erica Jacobsen
Date: 1/7/2016 at 08:58:21
Ruby E. Elk
(January 1, 1897 - May 30, 1897)On Sunday morning (30 May 1897) death again entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. M.M. Elk and took away their precious babe. This is the third time this home has been visited by that terrible monster in the last four weeks. The sorrowing parents have the sympathy of all in their severe affliction.
Ida Obituaries maintained by Tonja Winekauf.
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There are so many mistakes you can make when signing up for Medicare. Some of these mistakes can be tacked onto your monthly premiums forever! Avoiding these missteps will help you to save money on medicare.
Many people don't know that they need to pay for Medicare at all! After all, you've seen those deductions knocked off of your paychecks for years. Although there are usually no monthly premiums for Medicare Part A, there is a monthly premium for Medicare Part B. Additionally, you'll need Medicare Part D for prescription drug coverage and possibly a Medicare Supplement Plan to help bridge all of the gaps! With so many decisions to make, it is very easy to make costly mistakes. However, if you do your research, you can avoid many of these mistakes and therefore, save money on medicare!
Medicare.gov is an excellent source for the most comprehensive Medicare information, but it can be quite overwhelming. The easiest and most fool-proof way to avoid these extra costs is to work with a licensed broker. A broker will serve as a third party liaison to help you navigate the world of Medicare and find the right plans for you at the lowest price. One of the first things a broker can help you with is understanding out of pockets costs.
Understand Your Out of Pocket Costs
Whether you choose Original Medicare alone, with a Supplement Plan or Medicare Advantage, there are certain out of pocket costs that you should be aware of. Costs like:
- Premiums
- Deductibles
- Copays
No matter what route you go, you will be responsible for some of these charges. While one plan may boast lower premiums, their copays could be through the roof. Another could waive the deductible, but there may be hidden costs. For this reason, it is very important to understand basic terminology.
PREMIUM: Your premium is what you pay to keep your insurance active. Usually this is billed on a monthly basis. For Medicare Part A, there are usually no monthly premiums. For Medicare Part B, the premium is determined by your income. The premiums for Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Supplement plans vary from carrier to carrier. Some offer very low premiums but this cost savings is usually offset by much higher deductibles, copays or coinsurance. A plan with a low premium may save you money if you are fairly confident you will not use your insurance regularly, but it may cost you in the long run, if you have unexpected medical needs.
DEDUCTIBLE: Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance "kicks in" so to speak. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself. After you pay your deductible, you will usually pay only a copayment or coinsurance for covered services. Your insurance company pays the rest. Some plans will cover certain preventive services before you meet your deductible. Generally, plans with lower monthly premiums have higher deductibles. Plans with higher monthly premiums usually have lower deductibles.
COPAY: Once you have met your deductible, you will only be responsible for either a copay or coinsurance. These are different things! A copay is a fixed amount for a given medical service or prescription. For example, your copay for a doctor's visit may be $20, a specialist, $30, and urgent care $50. Very often, these are printed right on your insurance card. You are responsible for these copays at the time of service.
Make Sure to Enroll On Time to Save Money on Medicare
Enrolling too late can cost you in a couple of ways. An easy way to save money on medicare is to enroll on time!
When you first turn 65, you will most likely be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A & B. At this time, you will enter into your individual open enrollment period. This will be the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday. Nowadays, many people are choosing to work past 65 and defer Medicare (namely Medicare Part B). If you choose to defer Medicare, you must make sure to do so through the proper channels. Make sure to return the card per the instructions on the back of the card. If you keep the card, you will keep Medicare Part B and you will be charged for it!
Additionally, if you defer Medicare Part B, you must make sure to maintain creditable coverage. You'll also need to re-enroll in Medicare Part B within eight months of the termination of your coverage or you will be charged a late penalty. This will be tacked onto your monthly premiums forever and is certainly a needless expense.
There can also be a late penalty associated with prescription drug coverage. You have two options for prescription drug coverage with Medicare: Medicare Advantage (also called Medicare Part C) and Medicare Part D. Your individual open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D is the same as for Original Medicare (Parts A &B). This would be the three months before you turn 65, the month of your birthday and the three months after. You may owe a late enrollment penalty if, for any continuous period of 63 days or more after your initial enrollment period is over you are without prescription drug coverage. After that, the charges will stack up for every month that you are without coverage.
Like Original Medicare, you may qualify for a special enrollment period if you maintain creditable coverage. Your special enrollment period begins month the plan notifies you that you don't qualify and ends two full months after the month of notification. After that, the late fees will begin to stack up. Again, a needless expense: save money on Medicare by thinking ahead!
Pick the RIGHT Supplement Plan
There are a variety of Medicare Supplement Plans available with different coverage levels. The first thing you need to determine is exactly what your coverage needs are and compare that with the costs. It is important to enroll in a plan that matches YOUR coverage needs. If you choose a plan with too little coverage, you may end up with large out of pocket costs. If you pick a plan with too much coverage, you'll pay higher premiums for services not used.
You can also rack up some extra costs by waiting too long to enroll in a supplement plan. You can enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan (aka Medigap Plan) at any time. However, you are only guaranteed enrollment with no medical underwriting during your individual open enrollment period. For Medicare Supplement Plans, your individual open enrollment period is the six months after you have turned 65 and have enrolled in Medicare Part B. After that period, you may be subject to medical underwriting and therefore denied based on your health. This could force you to enroll in a different and possibly more expensive plan.
Please remember, Medicare supplements are standardized. So, you will receive the same coverage regardless of the insurance company. Despite this, there is a wide range of prices based on the insurance company you choose. A more expensive company does not mean better coverage. Additionally, if your doctor accepts Medicare, they accept your Supplement regardless of who your carrier is.
Pick the Right Prescription Drug Coverage Plan
Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage can be a little more complicated than Medicare Supplement plans. The benefits and copays can vary widely dependent upon the carrier you choose. You can check out all of the plans on Medicare.gov by using the plan finder. However, because there are so many options, we really recommend working with a broker. We'll talk more about brokers vs. agents momentarily. Additionally, unlike Medicare Supplement plans, you cannot change Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plans year round. You can only switch or drop a plan during the annual enrollment period which is every year from Oct. 15th-Dec.7th. So, if six months into your plan, you discover it is not the right plan for you, you may be stuck with it until the annual enrollment period.
A Broker Can Help You Save Money on Medicare
This is a big one! Many people are under the false assumption that they will get a better deal by working directly with a carrier (speaking with an agent instead of a broker). This could not be further from the truth. A carrier's agent will only help you shop plans offered by that specific carrier. A broker can help you shop plans offered by multiple carriers to find the best plan at the best possible price.
Also, prices are fixed by law. You pay the same price whether you use an agent, a broker, or by calling the company directly. Any type of commission is already calculated into the regulated rate. When you use a broker, you have an impartial third party to help you navigate between carriers. That broker works for you, not the insurance company. If you call the company directly, you lose that third party because the agent you speak to works for the insurance company, not you. You'll save not only money, but time and hassle working with a broker and you can't put a price on that! BUT, if you want to research on your own, make sure to check out the plan finder on Medicare.gov so you can compare and contrast all of the different plans available.
Lower Your Monthly Premiums
If all else fails, there are a few ways you can save on your premiums.
MEDICARE PART B: Your Medicare Part B monthly premium is calculated based on your income. However, that income is based on your taxes from the two years prior. If your income has decreased since then, you apply for a reconsideration using form SSA-44.
MEDICARE PART D: You can also apply for a low income subsidy specifically for Medicare Part D. For that you will need form SSA-1020.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call at (888) 918-0518 or schedule a call today. Remember, we work for you, not the insurance company and we do it at no charge! Should there be any confusion down the line, we will handle it for you. Also, check out our youtube channel for more helpful videos.
Jesse Smedley is the Principal Broker for iHealthBrokers and the founder, president, and CEO of Smedley Insurance Group, Inc. and iHealthBrokers.com. Since the inception of SIG in 2007, Jesse has been dedicated to helping people save money on their health insurance by providing them with resources to educate themselves on all their health insurance options, both under age 65 and Medicare beneficiaries. He is featured in many publications as well as writes regularly for expert columns regarding health insurance and Medicare.
Jesse Smedleyhttps://ihealthbrokers.com/author/jsmedley/
Jesse Smedleyhttps://ihealthbrokers.com/author/jsmedley/
Jesse Smedleyhttps://ihealthbrokers.com/author/jsmedley/
Jesse Smedleyhttps://ihealthbrokers.com/author/jsmedley/


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- Research
- Open access
- Published:
The Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) as a potential reservoir and host of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary importance in South Africa
Parasites & Vectors volume 7, Article number: 366 (2014)
The role of endemic murid rodents as hosts of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary significance is well established in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, endemic murids are comparatively understudied as vector hosts in Africa, particularly in South Africa. Considering the great rodent diversity in South Africa, many of which may occur as human commensals, this is unwarranted.
In the current study we assessed the ectoparasite community of a widespread southern African endemic, the Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis), that is known to carry Bartonella spp. and may attain pest status. We aimed to identify possible vectors of medical and/or veterinary importance which this species may harbour and explore the contributions of habitat type, season, host sex and body size on ectoparasite prevalence and abundance.
Small mammal abundance was substantially lower in grasslands compared to rocky outcrops. Although the small mammal community comprised of different species in the two habitats, M. namaquensis was the most abundant species in both habitat types. From these 23 ectoparasite species from four taxa (fleas, ticks, mites and lice) were collected. However, only one flea (Xenopsylla brasiliensis) and one tick species (Haemaphysalis elliptica) have a high zoonotic potential and have been implicated as vectors for Yersinia pestis and Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia conorii, respectively. The disease status of the most commonly collected tick (Rhipicephalus distinctus) is currently unknown. Only flea burdens differed markedly between habitat types and increased with body size. With the exception of lice, all parasite taxa exhibited seasonal peaks in abundance during spring and summer.
M. namaquensis is the dominant small mammal species irrespective of habitat type. Despite the great ectoparasite diversity harboured by M. namaquensis, only a small number of these are known as vectors of diseases of medical and/or veterinary importance but occur at high prevalence and/or abundance. This raises concern regarding the potential of this host as an endemic reservoir for zoonotic diseases. Consequently, additional sampling throughout its distributional range and research addressing the role of M. namaquensis as a reservoir for zoonotic diseases in southern Africa is urgently needed.
Globally, rodents, particularly members of the murid family, are important hosts for ectoparasitic arthropods, many of which are vectors of diseases of veterinary and medical importance [1]. For example, ticks of the genus Ixodes, harboured by several common murid rodents in North America and Europe, are important vectors for diseases such as Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., B. afzelii, B. garinii), human babesiosis (Theileria microti) and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) [2–4]. In North and East Africa invasive Rattus spp. as well as several endemic rodents are hosts to flea species (e.g. Xenopssylla cheopis, X. brasiliensis and Dinopsyllus lypusus) that are vectors for bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis) but also Bartonella spp. including B. elizabethae that causes human endocarditis [5–11]. Many of the murid hosts of these vectors are also the dominant species in small mammal communities and may attain pest status while these vectors show low host specificity resulting in a high zoonotic potential locally [1, 5, 12, 13].
Within a host population parasites tend to exhibit an overdispersed distribution with only a fraction of the host individuals of a given species harbouring the majority of parasites [14, 15]. These patterns are generated by a suite of factors that can be divided into two general categories, i.e. abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. host sex) factors. Above all, seasonal fluctuations in parasite prevalence and abundance are commonly observed and particularly pronounced in ectoparasitic arthropods. This may be linked to the life-cycle and seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity, which often determines the duration of the developmental stages in these parasites [16, 17]. In addition, seasonal patterns may be generated by the susceptibility of such ectoparasites to desiccation during periods spend off-host [16, 18, 19]. Such periods may differ substantially between ectoparasite taxa and ixodid ticks can be encountered during the majority of their life-cycle in the environment. In contrast, many flea and mite species live in the buffered environment of their hosts' nest when not feeding on the host, whereas the majority of lice spend their entire life-cycle on the host [16, 18, 20]. However, changes in thermoregulatory demands and reproductive activity of the host in response to seasonal climate and fluctuations in food availability may also contribute to the seasonal patterns observed in many ectoparasite species [1].
In addition to seasonal patterns, sex-bias in ectoparasite burdens has been observed across a wide range of animal taxa and appears to be mostly male biased [21, 22]. Such differences have alternatively been linked to body size differences and physiological or behavioural mechanisms [21, 23, 24]. Elevated levels of testosterone have been shown to increase male susceptibility to parasite infestation [25]. Alternatively, but not mutually exclusive, behavioural mechanisms such as sex-specific ranging behaviour or social aggregation that affect exposure and/or transmission may cause sex biases in parasite burden [15, 26].
Although endemic murid rodents have received substantial interest as hosts of ectoparasite vectors of diseases in Africa e.g. [5, 6] such studies remain limited for South Africa and often only consider a single parasite taxon [27–30]. This appears unwarranted given the high densities that some murid populations can achieve locally and the presence of known disease vectors such as X. cheopis and X. brasiliensis[31]. In addition, a number of tick species with immature stages that may exploit rodents are of great economic importance in the livestock industry of this region including various Rhipicephalus spp. that may carry Theileria ssp., Babesia spp. and Anaplasma spp., but also Rickettsia conorii causing African tick bite fever in humans [3, 13].
In the current study, we investigated the ectoparasite community of the Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) in a nature reserve in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The species has a wide distributional range and occurs with few exceptions in eastern Mozambique across Africa south of the 18° latitude [32]. Rock mice are flexible in their habitat requirements but prefer rocky outcrops or hillsides as indicated by their common name. In their preferred habitat the species dominates the small mammal community and it may occur as commensal in rural communities [33]. They are nocturnal with an omnivorous diet [32]. Little is known about their social system and although some authors describe them as communal [32] females appear to occupy exclusive territories while male territories may overlap with several conspecific of either sex [34]. Rock mice breed during the rainy season which coincides with winter in the western coastal areas of South Africa while they breed during the summer in eastern parts of the country [34, 35]. A large number of ectoparasite species have been reported to infest M. namaquensis including 34 flea species from four families (Pulicidae, Hystrichopsyllidae, Leptopsyllidae and Chimaeropsyllidae, [36, 37]), three species of lice from two families (Hoplopleuridae and Polyplacidae [38]), 12 mite species from two families (Laelaptidae and Trombiculidae [39]) and 26 tick species from three families (Ixodidae, Argasidae and Nuttalliellidae [28, 30, 40, 41]), indicating their potential role as both a vector and reservoir host. However, for most of these only species accounts are available with little or no information regarding the locality or number of host individuals sampled and only a single study has sampled the same population on more than one occasion [29]. Rock mice have been identified as one of the preferred hosts for the tick Haemaphysalis elliptica that transmits Babesia rossi to dogs and wild canids but also Rickettsia conorii to humans [13, 28, 29, 42]. Although they are not necessarily the preferred hosts, rock mice may also sustain significant numbers of Rhipicephalus warburtoni which carries Anaplasma bovis and may also cause paralysis in goats [30, 43]. In addition, M. namaquensis has been shown to carry a number of Bartonella spp. including B. elizabethae in several South African provinces at a prevalence of up to 58% [44, 45]. The aim of the current study was (1) to conduct the first comprehensive assessment of the ectoparasite species parasitizing M. namaquensis in a single locality and (2) to identify key ectoparasite species that may be vectors of diseases of veterinary and/or medical importance. In addition, we aimed (3) to investigate the contributions of abiotic (i.e. season) and biotic factors (i.e. host sex) on the distribution of ectoparasite taxa among hosts.
Animals were sampled at Telperion/Ezemvelo Nature Reserve (25° 41' S, 28° 56' E) using 72 live-Sherman traps (H. B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahassee, Florida) per plot on 16 plots (8 rocky outcrops and 8 grasslands). The study site is located in the summer rainfall region of South Africa (October-April). During the study period a total of 6.4 mm precipitation was recorded from June to September 2010 while it was a minimum of 43.8 mm per month during the remainder of the study period and exceeded 160 mm in April, December and January (SA Weather Service). At the same time, the minimum and maximum temperatures recorded were 10.0 ± 0.3°C and 26.2 ± 0.2°C, respectively. The lowest (−5.6°C) and highest temperatures (36.1°C) were measured in June and November, respectively. Sampling took place five times between April 2010 and April 2011 (April/May, July/August, October/November 2010; January/February, April/May 2011) to cover all seasons. In the study area breeding occurs between October and March [35]. During the first trip (April/May 2010) sampling was limited to five rocky outcrops and one grassland plot. In addition, during the last trip mice were exclusively sampled from rocky outcrops (8 plots). Traps were baited with a mixture of peanut butter and oats and set over night in four parallel lines of 18 traps each approximately 10 paces apart. On each plot traps were set for four consecutive nights and checked around dawn. To limit trap related deaths as a result of environmental exposure, traps were closed during the day and bedding was provided in the traps during winter.
Animals were removed from the traps using Ziplock® bags and hand-restrained during examination. The sex of the animal caught was recorded and the entire body of each individual was carefully searched for the presence of ectoparasite by back-combing the fur with tweezers and blowing in the fur. In addition, ear margins, legs and the base of the tail were also checked for the presence of ectoparasites. The processing surface was covered with white sheets and ectoparasites that dropped or jumped off the host were caught by hand or with tweezers. Furthermore, the handling bag was carefully searched for ectoparasites and cleaned between animals to avoid cross-contamination. All ectoparasites encountered were removed using fine tweezers and stored in 70% ethanol for later counting and identification to species level. The body length of all mice captured was measured from the neck to the base of their tail using callipers. They were marked with ear notches and released at their site of capture in the afternoon. For the current study only the first capture of an individual during a capture period was included. For microscopic examination, fleas, lice and mites were cleared and mounted following the techniques described in [31, 37, 46], respectively. Fleas and lice were identified using the morphological key of [37] and [31], respectively. Mites were identified using [46] and ticks were identified to species or species group using descriptions provided by [13, 47].
All mice captured were considered for analyses and the age of individuals was unknown. However, since body size (measured as body length) may be a proxy for age and to confirm previous reports that body size was similar between the sexes [32] we carried out a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) including habitat, season and sex as well as the interaction between season and sex as independent variables. Study plot was included as a random effect to account for possible site effects. Since body length was not normally distributed and transformations were unsuccessful (Kruskal-Wallis test: p ≤ 0.05), we fitted a model with a Gamma distribution and log-link function. The results showed that body length varied significantly with season (F4,197 = 3.656, p = 0.007), with animals being significantly larger in spring (81.0 ± 2.4 mm) compared to autumn 2010 (73.8 ± 1.9 mm, t = 3.725, p < 0.0001) and autumn 2011 (76.11 ± 2.6 mm, t = 2.015, p = 0.045). There were no significant differences between any other seasons (p ≥ 0.057). This is likely a result of the recruitment of juveniles in the study population at the end of the breeding season. Neither habitat, sex (males: 76.91 ± 1.40, females: 76.45 ± 1.47) nor the interaction between season and sex was significant (p ≥ 0.137).
The prevalence and abundance (as defined by [48]) were calculated for each of the four higher taxa (i.e. fleas, lice, mites and ticks, see results) as well as the individual parasite species found. The effect of season (i.e. April/May 2010: autumn 2010, July/August: winter, October/November: spring 2010; January/February: summer, April/May 2011: autumn 2011) and host sex on prevalence and abundance of the different ectoparasite taxa were investigated using GLMMs fitted with a binomial (prevalence) and negative-binomial (abundance) data distribution, respectively. To account for possible effects of habitat type (grassland vs. rocky outcrop) this variable was added as an independent factor. Capture plot was included as random effect. We added body length as covariate in all GLMMs. All statistical analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS version 21 (IBM SPSS Statistics 21.Ink 2013).
Throughout the study a total of 358 individuals from eleven small mammal species were captured (Table 1). Namaqua rock mice were the dominant species in both habitat types and comprised 59.2% of all animals captured (Table 1). A total of 212 mice of which 120 males (56.6%) and 92 females (43.4%) were captured and examined for ectoparasites (Table 2). From these 6626 ectoparasites from four taxa were collected. Fleas and immature ticks were the most prevalent parasites recovered followed by mites and lice (Table 3). At the same time, mites were the most abundant taxon recovered (Table 3). Lice occurred at a low prevalence and abundance.
Ectoparasite species
A total of five flea species representing five genera were collected (Table 4). Of these, Xenopsylla brasiliensis was by far the most prevalent and abundant flea species (Table 4). However, Chiastopsylla godfreyi and Epirimia aganippes were also quite common though their abundance was low. In contrast, Dinopsyllus ellobius and Demeillonia granti only occurred at low prevalence and abundance (Table 4).
A total of three louse species were recovered of which Hoplopleura patersoni was the most prevalent and abundant (Table 4). However, the prevalence of H. aethomydis was not much lower while both prevalence and abundance of Polyplax praomydis was substantially lower than that of both Hoplopleura spp. (Table 4).
Mites were the second most speciose ectoparasite taxon harboured by M. namaquensis with a total of six species and one family being collected (Table 4). Unidentified trombiculid (chigger) mites were the most prevalent and abundant mite species followed by A. rhabdomysi. Unlike the fleas and lice, trombiculid mites occurred at high abundance. A total of 46 specimens of an unknown Laelaps sp. were found, consisting of five nymphs and 41 adults. The remaining two Laelaps spp. occurred at a substantially lower prevalence and abundance (Table 4).
Ticks comprised the greatest species diversity of the ectoparasite taxa found on M. namaquensis. They were represented by at least 8 species from three genera (Table 4). The larvae and nymphs of Rhipicephalus warburtoni and Rhipicephalus arnoldi resemble each other closely hence we chose to refer to them as Rhipicephalus warburtoni/arnoldi. Similarly, the immature stages of the Haemaphysalis spp. collected all belonged to the Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) group of species and have few distinguishing marks. Consequently, data for these species were pooled. Two nymphs that were allowed to moult were identified as H. spinulosa-like (Table 4). The immature stages of the genus Ixodes in Africa pose similar challenges as those outlined for the above species and were hence only identified to genus level. Only two of the tick species recovered occurred at significant numbers with Rhipicephalus distinctus being the most prevalent and abundant followed by Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) spp. (Table 4). The remaining tick species occurred at substantially lower prevalence and abundance.
Effects of season and sex on ectoparasite distribution
Both total flea prevalence and abundance varied significantly with season (Table 5). Post-hoc analyses revealed that flea prevalence was significantly lower in summer compared to winter spring and autumn 2011 (p ≤ 0.015 for all comparisons). In addition, it was significantly lower in autumn 2011 compared to winter and spring (p ≤ 0.045 for both comparisons, Figure 1a). None of the remaining comparisons was significant (p ≥ 0.053 for all comparisons). In addition, none of the other factors considered was significant (Table 5).
The flea abundance was significantly greater in autumn 2010 compared to summer and autumn 2011 (p ≤ 0.010 for both comparisons, Figure 1b). Similarly, it was significantly higher in spring than in summer and autumn 2011 (p ≤ 0.012 for both comparisons). In contrast, none of the remaining pairwise comparisons was significant (p ≥ 0.060 for all comparisons). The abundance of fleas was significantly lower in grassland (1.61 ± 0.65) compared to rocky outcrops (4.34 ± 0.78, Table 5). Neither host sex, nor the interaction between season and sex had a significant effect on flea abundance (Table 5). In contrast, the abundance of fleas increased with body length of the host (estimate: 0.025 ± 0.010).
The louse prevalence did not vary significantly with any of the factors considered (Table 5). Similarly, none of the independent variables significantly affected louse abundance (Table 5).
Both total mite prevalence and abundance varied significantly with season (Table 5). Mite prevalence was greatest in summer and it was significantly higher compared to all other seasons (p ≤ 0.034 for all comparisons, Figure 2a). In addition, it was significantly lower in autumn 2010 compared to autumn 2011 (t = 2.124, p = 0.034). None of the remaining pairwise comparisons was significant (p ≥ 0.100 for all comparisons). Neither sex, habitat type, body length nor the interaction between sex and season had a significant effect on mite prevalence (Table 5).
Mite abundance was significantly higher in summer compared to all other seasons (p ≤ 0.013 for all comparisons, Figure 2b). No other pairwise comparisons were significant (p ≥ 0.117 for all comparisons). In addition, none of the other factors considered was significant (Table 5).
Both the tick prevalence and the abundance varied significantly with season (Table 5). The prevalence was significantly lower in autumn 2010 than in spring, summer and autumn 2011 (p ≤ 0.015 for all comparisons, Figure 3a). None of the remaining pairwise comparisons was significant (p ≥ 0.125 for all comparisons). In addition, none of the other factors considered significantly affected the tick prevalence (Table 5).
The abundance of ticks was lowest in autumn 2010 and highest in January 2011 (Figure 3b). Accordingly, it was significantly lower during autumn 2010 compared to spring, summer and autumn 2011 (p ≤ 0.007 for all comparisons). In contrast, tick abundance in summer was significantly greater than during all other seasons (p ≤ 0.001 for all comparisons). None of the remaining pairwise comparisons between seasons was significant (p ≥ 0.095 for all comparisons). Furthermore, none of the other factors considered had a significant effect on tick abundance (Table 5).
In the current study individuals from eleven small species were collected. However, M. namaquensis far outnumbered the other species, irrespective of whether total counts or habitat-specific results are considered. This finding corroborates previous reports that the study species has a wide habitat tolerance [32] and hence may also be common in the vicinity of human settlements where they might be hosts for vectors of medical and veterinary concern. Nevertheless, capture numbers for M. namaquensis were more than fourfold higher on rocky outcrops suggesting that this habitat type is particularly suitable for the study species. However, the difference in animal numbers was not limited to the study species and capture numbers for all small mammals species combined were more than four times as high on rocky outcrops compared to grassland. At the same time the species composition for the two habitat types differed substantially with four species being unique to grassland (T. leucogaster, R. dilectus, Dendromys spp. and M. minutoides), while another four were exclusively caught on rocky outcrops (Acomys spinosissimus, Aethomys ineptus, Graphiurus spp.) suggesting that these species have narrower habitat tolerances.
We found a great diversity of ectoparasites harboured by M. namaquensis with 23 species from four taxa, of which ticks were the most speciose. Compared to the total species diversity of no less than 74 ectoparasite species recorded for M. namaquensis this may appear impoverished. However, the current study constitutes the first systematic long-term assessment of the ectoparasite community of M. namaquensis from a single locality and hence this ectoparasite diversity is rather remarkable. Furthermore, our data confirm that with regards to prevalence the two taxa with the highest vector potential, namely fleas and ticks, are the most important ectoparasite taxa sustained by M. namaquensis.
All fleas collected in the current study are widely distributed throughout southern Africa [37], however, only X. brasiliensis is of medical significance. It is characterised by a low host specificity and thought to be a plague vector and can carry Bartonella spp. [9, 12, 37, 49]. In contrast, C. godfreyi and E. aganippes appear to be specific for M. namaquensis[37] and hence the transmission potential of zoonotic diseases to other species is likely to be low. Nonetheless, apart from zoonotic Bartonella spp. closely related to B. elizabethae, host-specific Bartonella spp. have been found in M. namaquensis[44, 45] and it is possible that these are transmitted by such host-specific vectors. Demeillonia granti is host-specific for sengis (Macroscelididae), while the principal hosts of D. ellobius are grassland rodents such as gerbils (Tatera spp.), the multimammate mouse (Praomys natalensis) and the four-striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) and hence the observed infestation is probably accidental [37, 50, 51]. This is corroborated by the low prevalence and abundance of these species on M. namaquensis.
Little is known about the lice collected in this study but all have previously been found on the study species or the closely related red veld rat (Aethomys chrysophilus) [31, 49]. Given the recent revision of the genus and the overlap in the distributional range this may also have been the Tete veld rat (A. ineptus) that was also caught during the current study. The restricted host range reported for these lice species so far may indicate that they are specific for the genera Aethomys and Micaelamys.
Chiggers are known for their low host specificity and were encountered at high abundances in the current study. Various chigger species can cause skin irritations and have been implicated as vectors for Rickettsia and Toxoplasma in the Ethiopian region [31, 52]. However, nothing is known about the validity of this assumption for the study region [31]. The other common mite species (A. rhabdomysi) has only recently been described from R. pumilio in the Western Cape [53] and hence the current finding constitutes a new host as well as locality record. It was substantially more prevalent and abundant on M. namaquensis compared to its nominal host suggesting that M. namaquensis may be a more important host for this mite than R. pumilio. The remaining mite species have been reported for a number of rodent species and appear to show little host specificity with the possible exception of L. simillimus[39, 54]. For L. roubaudi this is a new host record and it has previously only been reported from the DRC, Nigeria and Ghana [54].
We collected several Rhipicephalus spp. of veterinary and/or medical importance including R. warburtoni, R. evertsi evertsi, R. decoloratus as well as two immatures of the economically most important Rhipicephalus spp. in Africa R. appendiculatus[13, 30, 55–57]. However, like Ixodes spp. all of these occurred at low prevalence. With the exception of R. warburtoni and R. arnoldi this is possibly linked to the preference of most of these ticks for hosts living in grassland habitats rather than the rocky outcrops preferred by M. namaquensis. Consequently, most of these infestations can be considered accidental and M. namaquensis is unlikely to play a major role in maintaining these ticks or act as an important reservoir for any of the diseases they transmit. In fact, it has been shown that M. namaquensis is a poor host for Ixodes rubicundus (causing sheep paralysis) and R. warburtoni (carrying A. bovis and causing goat paralysis) and these tick species exhibit a preference for sympatrically occurring eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus) as hosts [28–30, 58, 59]. In contrast, R. distinctus was the main tick species found on M. namaquensis at a high prevalence and abundance. As with R. arnoldi, little is known about this tick and substantial numbers have previously been reported from rock hyraxes (Hyracoidea) and rock rabbits (Pronolagus spp.) suggesting that these ticks share the habitat preferences of the M. namaquensis[13]. The vector status of both of these species is unknown but deserves attention in the future. Conversely, Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) elliptica, a member of the second most prevalent and abundant tick Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) spp. group, is of great veterinary and medical importance as it transmits B. rossi, the cause of the most important and virulent tick-borne disease of domestic dogs in South Africa [42, 60] and carries R. conorii causing African tick bite fever. Namaqua rock mice appear to be a preferred host for H. elliptica[28–30] and consequently the large prevalence of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) spp. recorded in the current study suggests that M. namaquensis may play an important role in the disease dynamic, a hypothesis that should be addressed in future studies.
With the exception of fleas, habitat type did not affect ectoparasite burdens observed in the study species. This may be linked to differences in M. namaquensis density, small mammal species composition between the two habitats and parasite taxon life-cycles that can result in similar outcomes. Since fleas are mostly directly transmitted, the lower number of host individuals in grassland compared to rocky outcrops may reduce transmission rates in the former habitat. However, studies in other African small mammal species did not find an effect of host population density within the same habitat type on flea burden [61, 62]. These were, however, based on comparisons within the same habitat type and small mammal species assemblages did not differ between densities in these studies. In contrast, species composition differed substantially between the two habitat types in our study and if any of the grassland specialist species is either a preferred host for fleas or acts as an ecological trap removing fleas from the system [63] this could account for the observed differences. Although large numbers of fleas have been reported to infest T. leucogaster and Rhabdomys spp. [27, 49] this hypothesis is currently speculative and deserves further attention in the future. Unlike fleas, ticks and the most common mites (chiggers) are not transmitted between hosts. The lack of habitat effects for these two taxa could be caused either by host behaviour and/or their abundance in the environment. If parasite density in the habitat differs between habitat types larger home ranges in grasslands with lower M. namaquensis numbers would result in comparable exposure rates in both habitats. Similarly, greater densities of these two taxa on rocky outcrops would lead to similar exposure rates in both habitats. Although we cannot distinguish these possibilities from the current data, support for the latter hypothesis comes from other studies which show that tick burden is a function of tick abundance rather than host density [64, 65]. Despite their direct mode of transmission, the low mobility and abundance may account for habitat effects on louse burdens.
Seasonal patterns in prevalence and abundance were apparent for all ectoparasite taxa collected in this study with the exception of lice. This might be related to differences in the life-cycle of the different taxa. Unlike fleas, mites and ticks, lice usually spend their entire life on the host and are thus likely to be less affected by climatic factors than the other taxa which spend substantial amounts of their life-cycle off-host [16–18, 20]. Such differences in seasonal patterns of various ectoparasite taxa have previously been observed in other rodent hosts in South Africa [27, 49, 66]. For fleas, mites and ticks seasonal peaks in abundance and prevalence coincided with the wet period of the year from October to April when rainfall may greatly reduce the risk of desiccation for these ectoparasites when they are not feeding on the host [19]. However, this peak occurred earlier for fleas (i.e. spring) than for mites and ticks (summer). Given that most fleas and mites spend substantial amounts of their lives in the nests of their hosts while ticks usually quest in the environment, the difference between fleas and mites is unexpected. However, the dramatic increase in mite abundance observed in summer was largely attributable to an increase in the abundance of chiggers (D.M. Fagir, personal observation) that are soil dwelling [52]. Consequently, the susceptibility of these mites may be expected to be more similar to that of the tick species in this study than to other mite species or fleas and chiggers may only hatch in response to rainfall that started in spring. In addition, as ectoparasites dwelling in the host's nest fleas may be able to respond immediately to changes in immunity in their host as a result of reproductive activity and the onset of breeding in the study species that commences in September [35].
None of the parasite taxa found in the current study exhibited a sex-bias. If the distribution of ectoparasites in M. namaquensis is body size dependent the absence of a sexual dimorphism in the study species [33] this study] may account for this observation. The lack of body length effects for three of the four taxa provides corroborating evidence for this hypothesis. In addition, female M. namaquensis appear to be more sedentary and use smaller home ranges than males [34], suggesting that body size rather than behavioural differences accounts for this observation. Also, it has been stressed recently that though frequently assumed sex-biases in ectoparasite burden are not as common as was previously thought [67].
The smaller size of younger animals may account for the observation that flea abundance increased with body size in the study species. Similar correlations between body size and flea burden have been reported for other rodent species and have proposed that resource size (i.e. host size) may be the determining factor for this relationship [68, 69]. However, this does not appear to be the case for other parasite taxa and [68, 69] we did not find evidence for a similar relationship in ticks and mites and their abundance appears to be rather a function of parasite abundance in the environment than host factors [64, 65]. The latter hypothesis needs to be addressed in the future.
M. namaquensis were the dominant small mammal species in the study area irrespective of habitat type. They harboured 23 ectoparasite species from four taxa in the study area with fleas and ticks being the most important ones with regards to prevalence and abundance. Although many of these are known vectors for diseases of veterinary and/or medical importance M. namaquensis is likely to play a significant role as vector host for one flea (X. brasiliensis) and one tick species (Haemaphysalis spp.) only. All ectoparasite taxa exhibited seasonal peaks in abundance coinciding with the warm and wet period of the year while no effects of host sex were observed and body size effects were only apparent for fleas. Additional research addressing the role of the study species as reservoir for zoonotic diseases in southern Africa is urgently needed.
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We are indebted to the management and staff of Ezemvelo/Telperion Nature Reserve for permission to collect animals in the reserve and their continuous support. The research was approved by the research ethics committee at the University of Pretoria (EC015-10). Numerous field assistants are thanked for their help in the field. We also thank Gauteng Nature Conservation for issuing the capture permits. DMF was supported by a doctoral grant from the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). IGH, NCB and HL acknowledge funding from the University of Pretoria and the NRF. The project was supported by a DST-NRF SARChI chair for Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology to NCB.
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Conceived and designed study: HL DM. Data collection and parasite identification: DM, IGH, EAU, Performed statistical analyses: HL, Contributed materials/analysis tools: NCB, IGH, EAU, Wrote the manuscript: HL, DM, IGH, NCB and EAU. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Fagir, D.M., Ueckermann, E.A., Horak, I.G. et al. The Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) as a potential reservoir and host of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary importance in South Africa. Parasites Vectors 7, 366 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-366
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-366


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This Tuesday night the Lilywhites entertain Watford at Deepdale and the programme's cover star is January signing Ben Whiteman.
Speaking to The One And Only, Ben says two former North Enders have helped him on the road to Deepdale.
The midfielder used to clean one-time PNE caretaker manager David Unsworth's boots at Sheffield United and it was ex-Lilywhites defender Russ Wilcox who helped Ben's move to Doncaster Rovers, where he snapped him from.
"David Unsworth was my U23s coach at Sheffield United and he, along with Chris Morgan, helped me massively. They were old school. I used to clean Unsy's boots and he was brilliant, he was just honest. I prefer people who say it as it is and Unsy is one of them, he is straight down the line.
"Russ knew me from Sheffield United, he did some training there, and he was the head scout at Doncaster Rovers and he was a big part of my move there, it was pretty much tied up I was going there."
Despite being only 24, Ben has had a varied career so far and has learnt valuable lessons with ups and downs along the way.
From Rochdale, he was spotted playing for junior team Bridge Colts where he was a striker.
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Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Manchester United were looking at him when he was around six, but there was only one place his family wanted him to go.
"My family are massive Manchester United fans, I can't remember a lot about it, but I ended up going there. My dad was definitely more made up than me!
"I played in the same age group as Josh Harrop, Otis Khan who is now at Tranmere and James Wilson who is a striker at Salford.
"When I was around 11 or 12 I had to drop down an age group as I was really small. It's weird as I struggled, I had a growth spurt when I was 15 or 16 and I am 6ft2in now, but it took ages for my body to catch up with my bones and I was dead tiny and struggled to move, I had problems with my knees.
"Probably the most famous name in that lower age group was Scott McTominay who is doing really well for Manchester United now. I always say things happen for a reason and that helped me as I played more games, I was more of a stand-out player and I enjoyed my football."
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Past and Present Fiesta Souvenirs Now for Sale at Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Old Spanish Days souvenirs are now for sale at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The display includes items from the current year, but also many sought after collectables from years gone by.
The special table in the museum gift shop is loaded with hats, shirts, cards, flags, and books related to Fiesta.
There is also one area full of pins that were for sale in past years, and just recently released for sale to the museum from Old Spanish Days.
This table of items is steps away from a new Old Spanish Days historical exhibit at the museum that dates back to the 1920's. It's called Project Fiesta!
(video of this story will be posted later)
Information on the museum can be found at : http://www.santabarbaramuseum.com/