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US influenza activity continued a late-season surge in the second week of March, with widespread circulation cited in 40 states and another eight children reported as victims of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in its latest flu update.
Geographically widespread flu activity was reported in 40 states plus Puerto Rico, up from 37 states and Puerto Rico a week earlier, according to the Mar 18 update, which covers the week of Mar 6 to 12.
The count of eight flu-related deaths in children was four times as high as the previous week and raised the season's total to 28 deaths. Although the season isn't over, the death toll at this point is far below the cumulative pediatric death tolls in the three previous seasons, all of which were well over 100.
High ILI in 14 states
The CDC reported yet another increase in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases, with 14 states, New York City, and Puerto Rico reporting high ILI counts, as compared with 10 states and Puerto Rico a week earlier. The number of states with moderate ILI levels stayed the same, at 13.
A closely related marker, the estimated share of clinic visits prompted by ILI, was 3.7%, up from 3.5% the previous week. It stayed well above the 2.1% national baseline.
Another number that increased again was the proportion of respiratory samples that tested positive for flu: 23.1% of 25,855 specimens, versus 20.6% of 23,910 specimens a week earlier.
On the other hand, the share of deaths attributed to pneumonia and flu declined very slightly, according to the CDC's 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System. The number was 6.9%, down from 7.0% the week before, and was below the 7.2% epidemic threshold.
The CDC's other surveillance system for pneumonia and flu deaths, operated by the National Center for Health Statistics, put the number at 7.5%, but that covered an earlier time interval, the week that ended Feb 27.
As for flu-related hospitalizations, the cumulative estimate for the season reached 14.5 per 100,000 people, up from 10.4 per 100,000 a week earlier. Elderly people (65 and older) accounted for the largest share, with a rate of 37.2, up from 27.6 the week before. They were followed by the 50-to-64 age-group (21.3) and children under age 5 (20.9).
H1N1 continues to predominate
Although the last few weeks of flu season often bring an increase in influenza B cases, that doesn't seem to be happening this year. Of close to 6,000 viruses that were typed by laboratories for the week, 76.4% were type A and 23.6% were type B. For the whole season so far, the split is 74.0% type A and 26.0% type B.
Among type A viruses, 2009 H1N1 isolates continue to greatly outnumber H3N2 isolates, accounting for 79.9% of subtyped viruses for the week and 78.3% for the season, the CDC reported.
See also:
CDC FluView report

subset: commoncrawl


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Robert S. Wright, 89, of Cedarbrook, Allentown R.2, formerly of 1531 Liberty St., Allentown, died Friday in Allentown Hospital.
He was a janitor for Bell of Pennsylvania for 36 years, retiring in 1961.
Born in Allentown, he was a son of the late Samuel P.E. and Amelia V. (Werner) Wright.
He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Allentown.
Wright was an Army veteran of World War I.
There are no immediate survivors.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Kulik-Reinsmith Funeral Home, 225 Elm St., Emmaus. A calling period beginning at 9:30 a.m. Monday will precede the services.


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A severe flu season is prompting hospitals in the Chicago area to turn away patients. In a situation that is being described as "chaotic," hospitals such as Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago are on bypass status. Ambulances are being rerouted and walk-in patients may have to wait up to three hours or more to receive treatment.
While most patients are eventually discharged to continue their treatment at home, most of them will have to spend quite some time in the emergency room before that happens.
Infection control manager at Edward Hospital, Mary Anderson, has stated that during a normal flu season the facility confirms around 200 cases of the flu. As of last week they have already seen over 260 cases.
According to a report by Fox News, this season's flu is especially severe for the state of Illinois:
"Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said almost 150 people have been admitted to intensive care units with the flu this season and five have died. Forty-one states across the country are seeing an outbreak of the flu, and Illinois is among the hardest hit."
This flu season is hitting hard across the entire nation. according to a report by USA Today, as of the last week in 2012 18 children have died due to complications associated with the flu. 2,257 had been hospitalized.
Although patients in the Chicago area are being turned away from emergency rooms, they have alternative options. Patients who recognize flu symptoms early can make an appointment with their doctor. There is a prescription drug available for early treatment called Tamiflu.


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Quick Reference
In the W. long the normal, though not the most usual, form of the Mass. Its essential feature was the presence of the deacon and subdeacon assisting the celebrant. Since the Second Vatican Council the term has disappeared from RC official documents.
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Posted by: Jo Briton
Categories: Advertising,
Tue, 24 Jun 2014
These advertisements to promote Coca-Cola's
eco-friendly bottles leave me feeling mixed. They show a change in style from
Coca-Cola's usual advertising and I really like the simple, minimalistic style
of the ads. However, I'm just not that keen on the copywriting. For instance
this caption – 'Plants make us happy. They make us want to smooch, neck and
kiss'. Could they really not do better than that?
The adverts are being used to promote Coca-Cola's eco-friendly bottles that are partially made from plants. Created by agency Ogilvy New York, they use negative space and are rendered in the company's signature red and white.
The third advert is my favourite where an optical illusion is created showing the leaves moving from a distance, but they are actually still.
Source: Design Taxi


text:
Medically reviewed on Mar 19, 2018
Scientific Name(s): Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Family: Apiaceae (carrots)
Common Name(s): Common fennel , sweet fennel , bitter fennel , carosella , Florence fennel , finocchio , garden fennel , large fennel , wild fennel
Fennel has been used as a flavoring agent, a scent, and an insect repellent, as well as an herbal remedy for poisoning and GI conditions. It has also been used as a stimulant to promote lactation and menstruation. However, clinical evidence to support the use of fennel for any indication is lacking.
Fennel seed and fennel seed oil have been used as stimulant and carminative agents in doses of 5 to 7 g and 0.1 to 0.6 mL, respectively.
Contraindications have not been identified.
There are documented adverse reactions and emmenagogue effects. Avoid use.
One study suggested that the fennel constituent 5-methoxypsoralen has the ability to inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4. Therefore, fennel should be used cautiously with medications requiring this isoenzyme as a substrate.
Adverse Reactions
Fennel may cause photodermatitis, contact dermatitis, and cross reactions. The oil may induce reactions, such as hallucinations and seizures. Four case reports of premature thelarche (breast development) in girls have been reported with the use of fennel. Poison hemlock may be mistaken for fennel.
Fennel oil is genotoxic in the Bacillus subtilis DNA repair test. Estragole, present in the volatile oil, has caused tumors in animals.
Fennel (synonyms Foeniculum officinale All., Anethum foeniculum ) is an herb native to southern Europe and Asia Minor. It is also cultivated in the United States, Great Britain, and temperate areas of Eurasia. All parts of the plant are aromatic. When cultivated, fennel stalks grow to a height of approximately 1 m. Plants have finely divided leaves composed of many linear or awl-shaped segments. Grayish compound umbels bear small, yellowish flowers. The fruits or seeds are oblong ovals about 6 mm long and are greenish or yellowish brown in color with 5 prominent dorsal ridges. The seeds have a taste resembling that of anise. Besides F. vulgare , Foeniculum dulce (carosella) is grown for its stalks, while F. vulgare var azoricum Thell. (finocchio) is grown for its bulbous stalk bases. A number of subspecies have been identified, adding to the potential confusion surrounding the terminology of these plants.
According to Greek legend, man received knowledge from Mount Olympus in the form of a fiery coal enclosed in a stalk of fennel. The herb was known in the ancient Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations, and the Roman scholar Pliny (AD 61-113) recommended it for improving eyesight. The name foeniculum is from the Latin word for fragrant hay. During the Middle Ages, wealthy people routinely added the seed to fish and vegetable dishes, while the poor reserved its use for fasting days as an appetite suppressant. The plant was introduced to North America by Spanish priests, and the English brought it to their early settlements in Virginia. 2 All parts of the plant have been used for flavorings, the stalks have been eaten as a vegetable, and the seeds have served as a traditional carminative. Fennel has been used to flavor candies, liqueurs, medicines, and food; its use is especially favored for pastries, sweet pickles, and fish. The oil can be used to protect stored fruits and vegetables against growth of toxic fungi. 3 Beekeepers have grown it as a honey plant. 2 It is a purported antidote to poisonous herbs, mushrooms, and snakebites, 4 and it is also thought to be useful in treating gastroenteritis and indigestion, in stimulating lactation, as an expectorant, and as an emmenagogue. 1 Tea made from crushed fennel seeds has been used as an eyewash. 2 Powdered fennel is said to drive fleas away from kennels and stables. 3
Fennel seeds contain between 3% and 6% of an essential oil and approximately 20% of a fixed oil composed of petroselinic acid, oleic acid, and tocopherols. The essential oils of sweet and bitter fennel contain up to 90% trans-anethole, up to 20% fenchone, and small amounts of limonene, camphor, alpha-pinene, and about 6 additional minor volatile compounds. 5 Sweet fennel contains derivatives of caffeic acid and hydroxybenzoic acid. 6 The fruit (seeds) and leaves contain a number of flavonoid compounds, including quercetin 3-glucuronide, isoquercetin, kaempferol 3-glucuronide, and kaempferol 3-arabinoside. Low concentrations of isorhamnetin glycosides are found in the leaves. 7
Uses and PharmacologyStimulant to promote lactation and menstruation
As an herbal medicine, fennel is reputed to increase milk secretion, promote menstruation, facilitate birth, ease the male climacteric, and increase libido. These supposed effects led to research on fennel for the development of synthetic estrogens during the 1930s. The principal estrogenic component of fennel was originally thought to be anethole, but it is now believed to be a polymer of anethole, such as dianethole or photoanethole. 8Animal data
An acetone extract of F. vulgare seeds had estrogenic effects on the genital organs of male and female rats. 9Clinical data
There are no clinical data regarding the use of fennel as a stimulant to promote lactation and menstruation.Acaricidal activity
Animal data
Oil derived from F. vulgare fruit demonstrated acaricidal activity against Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (house dust mites). The median lethal dose (LD 50 ) for the oil was 119 and 103 mg/m 2 for D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus , respectively.
Twelve volatile compounds were identified from the oil of Foeniculum fruits. The main constituents were trans-anethole (53.2%), anisaldehyde (0.7%), beta-asarone (0.9%), beta-caryophyllene (1.1%), p -cymene (3.1%), estragole (12.7%), (+)− fenchone (14.2%), d -limonene (0.7%), 1,5,8- p -menthatriene (0.6%), alpha-pinene (0.8%), gamma-terpinene (0.7%), and thymol (1.4%). The compound most toxic against both species was p -anisaldehyde. Further research is needed to determine any safety issues for the use of F. vulgare in humans. 10Clinical data
There are no clinical data regarding the use of fennel for acaricidal activity.Repellent activity
Animal data
The repellent activity of constituents identified in F. vulgare against hungry female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was compared with N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) using skin and patch tests. With patch testing, responses varied according to the compound and dose. Fenchone caused 94% and 82% repellency at 0.01 and 0.005 mg/cm 2 . ( E )-9-octadecenoic acid gave 91% repellency at 0.01 mg/cm 2 and 73% repellency at 0.005 mg/cm 2 . At a dose of 0.2 mg/cm 2 , the repellent effects of a fenchone skin test were 100% and 32% with ( E )-9-octadecenoic acid. The efficacy for fenchone was only 30 minutes, compared with more than 1 hour with DEET. 11Clinical data
There are no clinical data regarding the use of fennel for mosquito repellent activity.Anti-inflammatory effects
Animal data
In mice, a F. vulgare fruit methanol extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg caused inhibition of paw edema (69%). Ear edema was also reduced by 70%. These results suggest that F. vulgare fruit methanolic extract may act on the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways. 12Clinical data
A study compared the effect and potency of mefenamic acid and an extract of fennel (2% concentration) for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in 30 women. Mefenamic acid was more potent than fennel on the second and third days of menstruation ( P ≤ 0.05). However, on the other days, the difference was not significant. With the doses prescribed, no complications were reported in the mefenamic acid treatment cycles (250 mg every 6 hours). However, 5 participants (16.6%) withdrew from the study because of fennel's odor, and one subject reported a mild increase in the volume of her menstrual flow during the fennel treatment cycle. 13Enhancement of transdermal drug delivery
Animal data
In animal studies, pretreatment of the skin with several essential oils increased the flux values of trazodone. Pretreatment with a solution containing 10% fennel oil in propylene glycol showed an enhancement ratio of 9.25 compared with the control. The incorporation of fennel in the transdermal device also produced an increase in the flux of trazodone but less of an increase than when the skin was pretreated. 14Clinical data
There are no clinical data regarding the use of fennel for enhancement of transdermal drug delivery.Other uses
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded, crossover study of 20 patients with chronic constipation, use of a tea containing F. vulgare , Sambucus nigra , Cassia augustifolia , and Pimpinella anisum was associated with improvements in colonic transit time as well as number of bowel evacuations, with the latter effects beginning during the second day of therapy. 15
A systematic review suggests a potential role for fennel in the management of infantile colic symptoms. 16
In a rabbit model, F. vulgare exerted oculohypotensive effects in both normotensive and glaucoma-induced models. 17
The chief component of fennel, anethole, had anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects through modulation tumor necrosis factor–induced cellular processes. 18 In a murine model, the tumor incidence was lower in mice with skin and forestomach papillomagenesis treated with fennel, suggesting a chemopreventive effect. 19
In a murine model, fennel seed methanolic extract had anticancer effects against a breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and liver cancer cell line (HepG-2). Additionally, antitumor effects occurred through modulation of lipid peroxidation. 20
The volatile oil of fennel increases the phasic contraction of ileal and tracheal smooth muscle in guinea pigs. The effect was generally greater with ileal muscle. 21 Administration of the volatile oil to rats has exacerbated experimentally induced liver damage. 22
Oil extracted from F. vulgare has a protective effect against the toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in rat livers. Although the responsible compound has not been identified, d -limonene and beta-myrcene have previously been shown to affect the liver. 23
Fennel has demonstrated inhibitory effects on the growth of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . 24 Bacteriostatic effects against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus epidermidis , and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have also been demonstrated. 25 In an in vitro study, F. vulgare exerted antifungal effects against Candida albicans . 26 Additionally, the essential oil and hexane extract of Florence fennel and anethole exerted antimicrobial effects against probiotic bacteria. 27
Fennel essential oil inhibited contraction of an isolated uterus that was induced by oxytocin and prostaglandin E 2 . The optimum dose of fennel essential oil was 100 mg/mL. Fennel essential oil may have a mechanism of action similar to that of diclofenac, although the exact mechanism of action of the oil is unknown. 28
F. vulgare fruit methanolic extract may have immunosuppressive properties. Antiallergic activity (type IV) was tested using 2,3-dinitrofluoro-benzene–induced contact hypersensitivity reactions. F. vulgare fruit methanolic extract showed an inhibitory effect. 29
Fennel inhibited rat lens and human recombinant aldose reductase; therefore, it may have a potential role in the management of diabetic complications. 30
Fennel essential oil and anethole exerted antithrombotic effects in an experimental model in guinea pig plasma. Specifically, antiplatelet effects were found against arachidonic acid-, collagen-, ADP-, and U46619-induced aggregation. In rat aorta, fennel essential oil and anethole exerted nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation. 31 Some data suggest a possible diuretic effect with fennel. 32
Fennel has been shown to be effective in the treatment of hirsutism in women. 33
Fennel seed and fennel seed oil have been used as stimulant and carminative agents in doses of 5 to 7 g and 0.1 to 0.6 mL, respectively. 29
There are documented adverse reactions and emmenagogue effects. Avoid use. 34 , 35
One study suggests the constituent 5-methoxypsoralen contained in fennel has the ability to inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4. 36 Therefore, cautious use of concomitant medications that require this isoenzyme as a substrate is warranted.
Adverse Reactions
Ingestion of fennel's volatile oil may induce nausea, pulmonary edema, seizures, and vomiting. 37 One case report describes a 28-year-old woman with well-controlled epilepsy who experienced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, remaining unconscious for 45 minutes, and involuntary diarrhea. 38 Laxative and cholagogic properties have also been described. 39 The oil's therapeutic use has occasionally induced epileptiform madness and hallucinations. 3 The principal hazards with fennel itself are photodermatitis and contact dermatitis. Some individuals exhibit cross-reactivity to several species of Apiaceae, characteristic of the "celery-carrot-mugwort-condiment" cross-reactivity syndrome. 40 Rare allergic reactions have been reported following ingestion of fennel.
Four case reports suggest that fennel tea given to infants for prolonged periods of time resulted in premature thelarche (breast development) in girls. All 4 subjects had serum estradiol levels 15 to 20 times higher than normal values for their ages. After stopping the ingestion, the premature thelarche resolved within 3 to 6 months. 41 A survey of fennel samples in Italy found viable aerobic bacteria, including coliforms, fecal streptococci, and Salmonella species, suggesting the plant may serve as a vector of infectious GI diseases. 42
Fennel oil was genotoxic in the B. subtilis DNA-repair test. 43 Estragole, which is present in the volatile oil, caused tumors in animals. A serious hazard is that poison hemlock can easily be mistaken for fennel. Hemlock contains highly narcotic coniine, and a small amount of hemlock juice can cause vomiting, paralysis, and death. 4
Animal studies have demonstrated toxic effects of fennel essential oil on fetal cells. However, no evidence of teratogenicity was seen. 44
No pathological toxicity was seen in the organs of dead animals, indicating that death may be caused by the effects of metabolite imbalance or nervous system toxicity. The value of LD 50 was 1,326 mg/kg. 28
In a murine model, fennel seed methanolic extract at doses of 100 mg/kg did not result in any deaths. However, doses up to 500 mg/kg were associated with adverse effects, including loss of appetite and piloerection; a higher mortality rate was noted at 1,000 mg. 20
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33. Javidnia K, Dastgheib L, Mohammadi Samani S, Nasiri A. Antihirsutism activity of fennel (fruits of Foeniculum vulgare ) extract. A double-blind placebo controlled study. Phytomedicine . 2003;10(6-7):455-458.
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36. Subehan, Zaidi SF, Kadota S, Tezuka Y. Inhibition on human liver cytochrome P450 3A4 by constituents of fennel ( Foeniciulum vulgare ): identification and characterization of a mechanism-based inactivator. J Agric Food Chem . 2007;55(25):10162-10167.
37. Marcus C , Lichtenstein EP . Biologically active components of anise: toxicity and interactions with insecticides in insects. J Agric Food Chem . 1979;27:1217-1223.
38. Skalli S, Soulaymani Bencheikh R. Epileptic seizure induced by fennel essential oil. Epileptic Disord . 2011;13(3):345-347.
39. Cuzzolin L , Zaffani S , Benoni G . Safety implications regarding use of phytomedicines . Eur J Clin Pharmacol . 2006;62(1):37-42.
40. Wüthrich B , Hofer T . Food allergy: the celery-mugwort-spice syndrome. Association with mango allergy [in German]? Dtsch Med Wochenschr . 1984;109(25):981-986.
41. Türkyilmaz Z, Karabulut R, Sönmez K, Can Basaklar A. A striking and frequent cause of premature thelarche in children: Foeniculum vulgare . J Pediatr Surg . 2008;43(11):2109-2111.
42. Ercolani GL . Bacteriological quality assessment of fresh marketed lettuce and fennel. Appl Environ Microbiol . 1976;31(6):847-852.
43. Sekizawa J , Shibamoto T . Genotoxicity of safrole-related chemicals in microbial test systems. Mutat Res . 1982;101(2):127-140.
44. Ostad SN , Khakinegad B , Sabzevari O . Evaluation of the teratogenicity of fennel essential oil (FEO) on the rat embryo limb buds culture . Toxicol In Vitro . 2004;18(5);623-627.
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Our Deepest Condolences
25/03/2015 Barcelona
The entire IESE community would like to express our profound sadness for the tragic loss of life in France yesterday.
Our prayers, thoughts and condolences go out today to families and friends of passengers on the Germanwings flight, among them an IESE alumnus. We extend our deepest sympathy to his loved ones and pray that they are able to find the fortitude and comfort that they need at this very painful time.


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New home for the bees
I'm being pretty useless at blogging about my beekeeping adventures at the moment (and it has been quite adventurous of late). Turns out it's tricky juggling motherhood, work and beekeeping, on little sleep I may add - if anyone has top tips on how to get a toddler to sleep past 5:30am I'd LOVE to hear it!
So, to summarise and bring you up to speed - the hives were in a lady's garden literally round the corner from my son's nursery in Hatton in the lovely Warwickshire countryside. The situation didn't quite work out as bees aren't always as mellow as you'd like them to be - circumstances in the hives and weather can play a part but also if they have to defend themselves. Wasps are a big problem (as you'll discover later) but so are 'robber' bees. These are literally bees from another colony that steal honey from another hive. This was happening in Hatton and the bees were being super defensive and my beehive landlady was stung twice in the face. Most people have a pretty bad reaction when stung on the face - who can forget what happened to me when that happened! She had a terrible reaction - blisters and extreme swelling - which made her pretty anxious and consequently she didn't want the bees in her garden anymore. Fair enough.
In the meantime, Mike (a lovely beek from my branch, who I have mentioned numerous times before) found a spot for the bees next to a paddock on Steve's, who is a retired beekeeper's, property in Norton Lindsey, which is about 3 miles from where the bees currently are and actually closer to my house. He had stopped beekeeping because his eyesight was poor but was willing for another beekeeper to have hives on his property.
So, last Tuesday Mike came over in his Land Rover and we waited for the bees to stop flying (about 9pm), closed up the entrances of the two polystyrene hives and moved them. So far so good until we got to their new home and found the gate locked (later I discovered that Steve had an emergency and was away from home for a few days). This meant that Mike and I had to balance the hives on the gate while one of us held the hive as the other climbed over. No easy task because if the hive had to fall, we'd have 20,000 angry bees on the loose! But we managed it and got them into position. Not a vey elegant solution at the moment (essentially two pallet boxes) but I'll address this in the winter months and perhaps even build something (i.e. get my husband to build something). Before we opened up the entrances, we placed a branch at the entrance (as above). The reason for this is that when the bees fly out in the morning, they realise that they're in a new place. The general rule with bees is that you can move them less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles. As this wasn't quite 3 miles (as the crow flies) the worry was that they'd all fly back to the previous hive site. Turns out this isn't happen - thank god.
Anyway, we placed the branch and then Mike opened up the entrances. He didn't have his veil on and the bees came pouring out and he got three stings to the face! I felt terrible!! I think they had been jiggled all about and wondered what the bloody hell was happening and then when they were eventually let out there was a a big mug in their face. (sorry Mike). I did take him chocolates and wine the next day.
Ok, we're pretty much up to speed. The next day, I went to check that all was alright. And the bees seemed ok - doing big circles above the hives but this is normal behaviour as they are orientating themselves. The hives are in a new location so they need to get their bearings before flying off.
The advice is to leave them bee (sorry) for at least seven days after moving them before inspecting. And in August you can inspect them less anyway as there is less chance of swarming now. I've also discovered from previous years, that inspecting in August and September isn't all that fun as the bees are super feisty because there are wasps and robber bees about. And this was my experience today. And, by way of photos, this is what happened ...
Now, I knew that the bees would not be the only residents in the paddock but I didn't think that when I came in the gate, the other residents would come towards me. But no, all four of them including a mini horse (a pony of some description) trotted over towards me. Now, I don't hate horses but I was thrown off one when I was about 11 and I have to admit I'm not their biggest fans. After some stern words with myself (surely horses don't bite!), I tried to relax and tried not to make eye contact as I skirted round them.
I watched at the entrances for a bit before going in and noticed that a wasp was attacking a bee on the landing board. It's absolutely normal for wasps to be around at this time of year and they can obviously smell the honey in the hives but you don't want a load of them near the hives because they can destroy a weak colony. But I've reduced the entrances so they can better defend themselves and I brought some wasp traps with me (basic jars with holes speared in the lids with a bit of jam, a touch of vinegar and water). Although I don't want the wasps attacking my bees, I didn't feel too bad about this one as it's a male bee (drone), which the ladies kick out at this time of year anyway. Essentially, the drones are lazy - they don't nurse new bees, forage, collect nectar or guard the hive - their sole purpose in life is to mate with the queen and when the mating season is over the females simply eject them from the hive. Life is harsh in bee land if you're a man.
So, after lots of smoking, I lifted the lid of the first hive. It was properly glued down with propolis and took a bit of effort to get off. The bees weren't that happy to see me - I knew this,as they were pinging off my head.
Decided I'd better be quick and just check that the queen was laying and general health
of the hive ok. All looked great, so put the lid back on.
Then onto hive two - they seemed calmer actually.
And I actually had the opportunity to look at the frames a bit more closely although didn't spot the queen.
But I did spot a lot of honey. Go bees!
I then closed up and made sure all was secure before leaving. Above is view of the hives and then if I turn around 180 degrees, this is the view of the paddock. It makes me feel pleased - I think the bees will be happy here and I'm going to be happy visiting them.
I have a few tasks this week. Going to get the clearer boards on this weekend - essentially this clears the bees out of the supers so that I can take them away to extract the honey. Now, because of the swarming activity we had earlier in the season, the super's aren't full but I reckon we have about 4 or more frames of honey. Yay! My local branch has an extraction facility that members can hire and I'm booked in for Wednesday evening. It's going to be a sticky night! And then, I'm going to get the varroa mite treatment into the hives later on in the week. This year I'm going back to Apiguard as opposed to MAQs. Will let you know how I get on...


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A sneak preview of the competition Simply Slim will be running starting 1 December 2009.
Let me know if you want to order, and I'll put you in touch with my "pusher".
1. Visit Simply Slim for more information (after 27 November 2009) and contact your agent for your promotional starter pack.
2. Purchase your pack for R235 and receive vouchers totalling R1200 (12 capsules included)
3. Register for your 12 week "Simply Slim Summer Solution Sensation" journey anytime between 1 December and 12 January 2010. Registrations close on 12 January 2010 (at midnight)
4. Conditions apply. For more information about the journey competition rules and regulations the website (after 27 November 2009)
Check out my other posts about Simply Slim to see my success and photos of my results.


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Ticket Deals for Beach Blanket Babylon San Francisco — Yay!
Beach Blanket Babylon, is one of those things that makes people say that old cliche, "only in San Francisco." All I can say is, if only your city could be so lucky. the musical comedy revue Beach Blanket Babylon has been a fixture at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach district for years. They may just be, as they say, "the world's longest running musical revue."
Locals go back again and again to see the new pop culture characters and costumes in this wild and wacky live show. The latest spoofs: Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Caitlyn Jenner, President Barack & Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Hilary & Bill Clinton, Kim Kardashian, Governor Jerry Brown, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Game of Thrones, and the San Francisco Giants.
Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon is a world renowned record-breaking success and the longest running musical revue in theatre history! Seen by nearly six million people from around the world, this San Francisco institution captures the wild, witty and wonderful world of creator Steve Silver.
Beach Blanket Babylon Reviews
A constant cascade of showstoppers! Beyond all other claimants to the title, this is the real San Francisco treat! Highest rating." —San Francisco Chronicle
It unlocks the golden feel good factor." –London Times
Beach Blanket Babylon Discounts
The following deals to BBB come courtesy of a couple trusted ticket discount partners (via my referral links).
- Beach Blanket Babylon discount tickets 50% Off — {Best Price}. This ticket source requires free sign in first. Print a voucher and take it with you when you go (will-call). NOTE: This source asks for free signup first (but you can unsubscribe anytime). Only a few dates available at a time, and tickets often sell out, but then they get more all the time.
- Beach Blanket Babylon discount tickets $9 to $5 Off — {Details & Price}, no added fees from this source (one of my faves). Most tickets available.
- Beach Blanket Babylon Tickets — {Details & Price} This source isn't discounted, but if the deal sources sell out, try this.
Beach Blanket Babylon — Know Before You Go
- Address — Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard (formerly Green St.), San Francisco, CA 94133.
- Hotels Nearby — Find SF North Beach hotel reviews & rates near Club Fugazi, location of BBB shows and other fun San Francisco live entertainment venues.
- Dates/Hours — Wed/Thurs/Fri 8pm; Sat 6:30 & 9:30pm; Sun 2pm & 5pm (Matinees). Shows are about 90 minutes long.
- Where to Park — Try the two parking lots on Green Street (pay kiosks), or the two valet parking lots around the corner on Powell Street. You'll also find a couple of parking garages on Vallejo Street just around the block.
- Public transportation — Use the Powell/Mason cable car or MUNI bus lines 30, 20, 9X & 45. Note: BART does not extend to North Beach, but there are several connecting transit lines from BART stations.
The easiest place to catch a cab after the show is down the street at the corner of Green Street/Columbus Ave./Stockton.
- Savvy tips — To make your visit a little savvier ..
- Bring cash — Beer, wine and soft drinks are available at the bar, which is cash only, so bring a few bucks.
- Get tickets early — If you're planning on going, get tickets well in advance because these shows tend to sell out. The holiday shows, which start in November, are among the most popular.
- Official Info — If the deals above don't work for you, full priced tickets ($25 to $130) may be available directly at beachblanketbabylon.com.


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The City of Clovis owns the Clovis Civic Center. The geographical area includes more than 22 square miles of Curry County. It is the mission of the City of Clovis to provide quality municipal services in the best, most effective and most economical manner; to operate in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration with all people and in every endeavor; to expect every employee of the City to perform to the highest of their capacity and to provide appropriate rewards for their performance; to provide leadership and resources in a community-based program of economic development; and to consider every issue on the basis that Clovis is a "Community for Family."
The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce is an organization of businesses representing industry, retail service, professionals and agriculture, in partnership with tourism and government to further promote economic growth and quality of life in Clovis. The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership and operated by a paid professional staff, offers a wide range of assistance and services to area visitors, residents and businesses


text:
Anti-clotting drug molecule
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Keywords: anti-clotting, anti-platelet, anticlotting, anticoagulent, antiplatelet, artwork, biochemical, biochemistry, chemical, chemistry, clopidogrel, compound, compounds, computer artwork, computer model, drug, illustration, medical, medicine, molecular, molecule, molecules, one, pharmaceutical, pharmaceutics, rod, rods, single
Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.


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reddishpink was born in April 2003 and started with a simple vision – to create a small, powerful agency that offers its clients very high levels of creativity and client service. To work with some great big clients, and lots of small ambitious ones. To have all the skills needed to produce engaging content and marketing media, in multiple formats, in house.
We think we've done exactly this because people say lovely things about reddishpink, our clients are very loyal, and we've been trading for twelve years.
See our first website (requires flash plugin).


text:
Direct contact for Lindab products and system in your country (local languages).
Image 1/2
Anchorage point which fits FF, IF20, IF35, IF45, IFLO, IFVÅ, IFBET, IFLÄB and FÄRN2. Seal with EPDM 35x160 if installed on flat roofs with roofing felt or PVC film.
There are no softwares available for download for this particular product.


text:
Yamaha RX-A2040
AVENTAGE 9.2-channel Wi-Fi built in AV receiver features 4K Ultra HD 50/60p support, advanced HDMI® zone switching, audiophile-grade design including symmetrical power amp layout, high-resolution audio support and two high quality ESS Technology DACs, and HD Radio Technology.
Supported Features:
Multicast, Program Info, Digital Sound
Bluetooth, iPod Port, USB Port, 3.5mm Aux Input
- HD Radio Built-In
- 140 W x 9-channel powerful surround sound
- 4K Ultra HD video up conversion using Yamaha's advanced video processing
- Support for HDMI® 2.0 specification (4K Ultra HD 50/60p compatible)
- YPAO™ - R.S.C. with multipoint measurement


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Russia Today – January 30, 2012
Iranian state TV has announced the production of laser-guided munitions and other advanced military equipment. But as the country prepares to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, the West may rain on their parade.
Among the latest developments announced Monday on Iranian state TV was the "Basir" precision-guided artillery shell.
Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi said the "Basir", which translates as "insightful", is an "intelligent" ammunition capable of identifying its own targets and effective at a range of up to 20 kilometers.
Vahidi also said "only five countries in the world" have the ability to produce such high-tech munitions, the semi-official Fars News agency reports.
Vahidi also announced the production of new a reconnaissance aircraft and cruise missile, as well as other domestically manufactured weapons and electronic equipment which would soon be implemented by Iranian forces.
Sources within the Iranian military say a series of major developments in weapons technology will be announced to coincide with the 34th anniversary of the 1979 revolution this coming February, Interfax reports.
Iran has long had to rely on domestically produced weapons since the United States smacked a weapons embargo on the country after the Islamic revolution.
As a result of the embargo, Iran's military capability is drastically limited in comparison with US and NATO forces.
Thus, the country's focus on smart munitions, light attack craft, mines, and ballistic missiles are part and parcel of the asymmetrical conflict war policy the country would rely on in the event of conflict with a global military power.
With western pressure mounting over Iran's uranium enrichment program, the ability to be self-sufficient in the production of precision-guided weaponry is of paramount concern to the Iranian military.
Whether it be the production of atomic energy or state of the art military equipment, the country's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar told RT Tehran views technological advancement as the only safeguard for the country's sovereignty.
"The great Iranian nation follows the path of searching for new technology. It wants to stand firmly on its feet by means of its own strengths, and produce its own knowledge. They disapprove of this progress, and they [the West] don't want to see other nations develop themselves," he said.
The Western military build-up in the region and economic sanctions strategically targeting Iran's economy have drastically increased tensions.
Tehran's desire to project military strength as the country gears up to celebrate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution comes as the threat of war looms larger than ever.


text:
For help selecting a product to for your application, contact our in-house technical support team
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Fast switching
500mW RF power output
Range over 5km
Offers a 500mW RF power output in the UK 458MHz band.
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Robust aluminium extruded casing.
Multi-channel, narrowband design
Suitable for licensed and unlicensed VHF allocations, FCC part 90 operation, and the 2M amateur band.
The RMX2 is an ETSI EN 300 220-3 compliant UHF FM narrow band semi-duplex radio data module. It is a high performance ransceiver designed for use in industrial applications requiring long range, high performance and reliability.
SHX1 is small multi-channel narrow band VHF transceiver with 500mW RF power output. It is usable for 144MHz band amateur, 151MHz US MURS and European 169MHz band high power applications.
SMX1 is small multi-channel VHF transceiver operating on 173.200MHz-173.325MHz band. SMX1 offers a fast-route to custom frequency on any VHF band from 130MHz to 180MHz with 25kHz channel spacing
SMX2 is small multi-channel UHF transceiver operating on 433.05MHz-434.79MHz European licence exempt band. SMX2 offers a fast-route to custom frequency on any UHF band from 431MHz to 436MHz with 25kHz channel spacing.
The TR1M narrow band multi channel transceiver module is intended as a general purpose VHF data communication unit. It is available on any frequency between 135 and 175MHz (in 3MHz bands) and delivers up to 100mW RF output
The TR2M transceiver module offers a low power, reliable data link in an industry-standard pin out and footprint. Two versions are available, covering the 458.5-459.1MHz UK band (at 100mW) and the European 433.05-434.79MHz band (at 10mW).
25kHz channel narrowband transceiver
Operating on the European 868MHz band Non-Specific SRD allocation.
Offers a low power, reliable data link in an industry-standard pin out and footprint.
Visit our online store - UK & Europe
firstname.lastname@example.com Copyright © 2010 Radiometrix Ltd. All Rights Reserved. +44 (0)20 8909 9595


text: Droid Life - You may have run this story today. It reads something along the lines of, "iOS makes so much more money from Google ads than Google's own Android operating system!" The various Apple blogs are having a field day with it, calling Android a "farce" or a "two-bit iOS clone" and suggesting that Google should drop it and continue to license their products to Apple or they may stop making money forever. I seriously didn't just make that up, some of these sucker sites actually wrote that today.


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Nationality: USA // Current City, Berlin
Who are you? What do you do?
I have many names. I perform and direct porn under the name Poppy Cox but when I work for other people, I use my real name. I make costumes for my performances and myself. My performance work is usually centered around feminism, femininity and sexuality. I also like to bring a lot of playful, DIY elements and work a lot with the concept of 'availabilism'. By designing costumes and props for film and theatre, as well as working in fashion I also help other people realise their visions. I'm the creative director of Bike Smut, which is an independent touring film festival of erotic bicycle movies.
Your style in 3 words?
Ridiculous, unashamed, playful. Your weakness? Your strength? Weakness: I need deadlines to create. Strength: I work great to deadlines. What makes you different? I don't feel like I fit into any one scene, but can adapt my work to many.
What do you find most fascinating about the creative process?
That limitations almost always make for the best results.
When did you decide to become a costumer and performer?
I don't feel like I ever had a choice. Being creative is just the only way I can survive.
A few words about your favourite creation?
My favourite creation is always changing. I was really happy with a set of Tetris shapes I finished this fall and performed with on the streets of Berlin. It was a vision of mine for a few years, but I was on tour with Bike Smut for a while, so could only just final realise my vision, and it was lots of fun!
Someone else's work that inspired or inspires you?
There are so many, but someone who should get more credit in this lifetime is the London-based performance artist Fancy Chance.
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
Currently working a on a few music-based performance projects. One is a country music duo, Poppy and Willy Coxon. We have matching western suits and be singing country duets in Berlin soon.
Do you have a vision?
Yes, I'm just not sure how to get there yet. Anything disturbing your vision? Too many emails. Where are we going? To a pile of plastic trash. Anything else? Ride a bike.
Your favourite spots in Berlin?
Sameheads (shop, gallery, bar). Monster Ronsons Karaoke. Exit Shop and the Carni Closet.


text:
Extended Stay America - Miami - Airport - Doral - 25th St
Select your stay dates to check availability
Extended Stay America - Miami - Airport - Doral - 25th St
About the hotel
Property Location
With a stay at Extended Stay America - Miami - Airport - Doral - 25th St in Doral, you'll be near the airport and close to Mall of the Americas and Miami International Mall. This hotel is within the vicinity of Dolphin Mall and Florida International University.
Make yourself at home in one of the 98 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchens with refrigerators and stovetops. 32-inch flat-screen televisions with cable programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Conveniences include microwaves and coffee/tea makers, as well as phones with free local calls.
Enjoy recreational amenities such as an outdoor pool and a fitness center. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access and barbecue grills.
For your convenience, a complimentary breakfast is served daily from 6 AM to 9:30 AM.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include laundry facilities, a safe deposit box at the front desk, and an elevator (lift). A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary during limited hours.
Hotel Facilities
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Outdoor pool
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Free airport transportation
- Free self parking
- Year Built 2002
- Smoke-free property
- Fitness facilities
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Total number of rooms - 98
- Free breakfast
- Free WiFi
- Elevator/lift
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Laundry facilities
- Free long-term parking
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Number of floors - 5
Room Facilities
- Weekly housekeeping provided
- Cable TV service
- Iron/ironing board
- Stovetop
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- DVD player
- Hair dryer
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Air conditioning
- Premium TV channels
- Shower/tub combination
- Free WiFi
- Flat-panel TV
- Free toiletries
- Cookware, dishware, and utensils
- Phone
- Free local calls
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
- Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section).
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Pet fee: USD 25 per pet, per day (maximum USD 150 per stay)
- Weekly housekeeping provided; fees apply for additional cleaning
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


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Nightmares From the Past by Paully Adams
Disclaimers: Xena, Gabrielle and any other characters featured in the actual TV series are copyrighted to MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures; just borrowing for this story. The rest of the story and other characters are mine. Please contact me before using any of my stuff. Thanks.
SPOILERS: This series takes place during season five. However in my timeline, anything to do with the twillight never happened! So basically everything up to "Succession" is up for grabs.
SERIES DISCLAIMER: This is part 1 of a series. However, this story also contains material found in "Sophia's Family" and "Sophia's Choice". You may want to read both stories to fully understand what is going on.
VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.
HURT/COMFORT WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story focuses on child abuse: physical, sexually and mental. As my beta reader Virginia said "[The stories] were intense but not so that a reader would be squeamish." If you think you would have trouble with this story or that this story will cause you discomfort, please find something else to read. I've suffered enough discomfort writing this for the both of us.
Thanks to my beta reader Virginia for editing this series.
"Come here, you little..." he didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he grabbed her and pulled her close. "Why do you have to be so bad?" He looked down into her eyes which were wide with fright. "You know its your fault. You tease men with your words and they fall under your spell." His breath was hot and heavy and it seemed to pound her flesh with every breath. "When you were younger, I tried to beat that evilness out of you. But it didn't work. You are so stubborn. Now, you are older, a woman." His left hand slid down her arm, her hand, and finally settled on her thigh. "And unfortunately, you have placed me under your spell. I am yours." He sneered and drew his face closer. "And now, I will make you mine."
"NO!!!" Gabrielle screamed out in her sleep as she swung her arms, trying to fight the ghost in her mind. Xena wrapped her arms around her."Gabrielle, wake up!"
But as soon as Gabrielle felt the arms holding her, a blood-curdling scream left her mouth. Xena removed her arms from the young woman and instead said words of love and affirmation in a soothing voice. "Gabrielle, honey. It's a nightmare. Your here with me, Xena. Calm down."
Gabrielle opened her eyes as the spell that the nightmare had over her was broken. Gabrielle began to sob uncontrollably. Xena reached out to her, but as soon as Xena's hand brushed her skin, Gabrielle winced. "Don't touch me!" Gabrielle curled her petite frame into a ball, her blond hair hid her face.
Xena looked over at her partner with concern shining through her eyes. "Gabrielle, you need to talk to someone."
"Xena, leave it be."
Xena pulled her hand through her raven hair in frustration. "No, I won't leave it be. Gabrielle, the nightmares are getting worst. Remember giving me this?" She pointed to her black eye. "Now, you won't even let me touch you, comfort you."
"Is that all you are worried about, touching me? Fine." Gabrielle rolled over on her back. "Go ahead, touch me...do whatever you want. I don't care."
Xena took a deep breath, and spoke through tight lips, trying to control her temper. "Gabrielle, get up now. I don't understand what is going on, but I'm trying to help you."
Gabrielle sat up. "You can't help me." With that, she stood up and walked off from the camp.
Xena couldn't do anything but watch her soul mate as she left. Usually it was Gabrielle who would calm down Xena after a nightmare. However, their roles would reverse once a year. For as long as she has known her, the same time every year, Gabrielle would have nightmares. The nightmares would come and hold Gabrielle hostage for a week. By the end of the week, Gabrielle acted like a frightened child, scared of every shadow and strange noise. Xena had in the past, tried to get Gabrielle to talk about it, or at least write down her emotions, but she refused. But this year, the nightmares seemed stronger. Last night, Xena received a black eye from a sleeping Gabrielle when Xena tried to wake her aftera nightmare. Tonight, Gabrielle refused to be touched.
*I wonder what is causing her nightmares to become worse?* Xena thought about the events from the pass couple of months. Nothing unusually. The same typical stuff: saving towns, rescuing villagers, taking a break at Amazonia, in fact nothing different, except for the trip to Poteidaea. I wonder if this trip has anything to do with it? Xena really did not look forward to this trip, but it'd been three years since Gabrielle saw her family and Xena thought it was about time for a visit, so she sent a messenger to let the family know that Gabrielle and she were on their way. Gabrielle seemed shocked and outraged by the surprise. Xena was mulling about this information, while Gabrielle came back to camp.
Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying. She didn't say a word, but took a seat on the other side of the fire and sat against a log. The night was warm, and the stars were bright. She looked up at the sky, and noticed the darkness of the sky. *Empty. Nothingness. I wish I could find that place. A place where I
could feel nothing at all.* She sighed.
Xena mistakenly thought Gabrielle was looking at something else. "The stars are beautiful, aren't they?"
"Huh, what? Oh, I guess so. Goodnight Xena." She leaned further on the log, and closed her eyes.
Xena's jaw dropped. We've have never slept apart, not since... I don't believe this.... Why won't she talk...ugh! Xena stood up, walked to Gabrielle and sat down. "Listen Gabrielle, is this about Poteidaea?" Xena knew the answer when she heard Gabrielle's sharp intake of breath.
Gabrielle opened her eyes and stared at Xena. Her eyes were crystal green, reflecting the anger and sadness she felt. *Damn it Xena, just leave it alone.* "Xena, you know that there are things about your past that you won't share with me. Well, everyone has a past, including me. And there are some things I don't share with anyone. Okay?"
"No, not okay. I want to help. We can face whatever is troubling you. Together we can solve anything."
"THERE IS NOTHING TO SOLVE!" Gabrielle lowered her voice. "Please Xena, let it go."
"I love you, Gabrielle. I don't like seeing you in pain. There is nothing that you can't tell me. If I can do anything to make it go away, let me do it, please."
"There is nothing you can do. It's late and I just want to go to sleep."
"You want to go asleep. Fine." Xena walked over to their bed pallets and blankets, and pulled them over to where Gabrielle was sitting. "We sleep, but don't expect us to ever, ever sleep apart. I'm going to help you through this, no matter what. I love you."
Gabrielle lowered her head. "For your sake, don't love me too much." She laid on the bed pallets and wrapped herself with one of the blankets.
Xena stood there stunned. What are you so scared of? Xena laid by her love. And every time a nightmare threatened to overcome her, Xena was there to stop it with her soothing words.
Three pairs of eyes looked down at the scene below. All three were concerned because someone that each of them cared for was involved. "Hey, sis, just where is my Guardian?"
Athena looked at her sister, the Goddess of love. Aphrodite just seemed to naturally sparkle. Her flowing white dress fitted her well. Athena never quite understood her sister. Talk about contradictions. Innocent, sweet, experienced, sassy, smart and yet foolish all rolled into one person; the perfect persona of love. *How does she pull it off?* Athena looked at herself and her other sister Artemis. Both looked like warriors, Artemis dressed in deerskin with her silver bow and arrows, her green eyes flashing; always ready for a hunt or a fight. Athena herself wore her silver breastplate armor, and a leather dress underneath. She carried her trusted spear in her left hand. "You know Aphrodite that she goes away to do what she has to do."
"Well, I need her here. These two are never going to make it."
"She's right, Athena. She may be the only one who can talk some sense in my Chosen One."
Athena sighed, and looked at her family. "You know, we have to do a better job and picking Chosen Ones and Guardians. Why do we always seem to pick stubborn ones?"
"Maybe it is in the bloodline." Aphrodite's smart side was starting to shine through. "I mean just look at the facts. My Guardian is your daughter through your former Chosen One and Ares. Talk about stubbornness, the child had no chance!" She looked at Athena, and saw anger flashed through her gray eyes. "Opps! Sorry Athena, you know what I mean." She swallowed and quickly continued, "and Artemis chooses some fast talking bard to be her Chosen One and Queen of the Amazons, who can be as stubborn as Artemis herself." She realized she said something she shouldn't, when she noticed that Artemis removed her bow, plucked at the string, and then looked back at her like she was some game to be hunted. "Anyway, Gabrielle was able to find her soul mate, your Chosen One Athena. And let me tell you, Xena has to be the most stubborn person I've had ever met. She's as stubborn as..." She did some quick calculating, as realized that she was the only one of the three that hadn't been insulted. "...Me!" She smiled. "And because they are soul mates who found each other, and have such great love they come under my care!"
Artemis looked at Aphrodite with new found respect. *She's not a dingbat after all.* "Wow, that almost made sense. Almost." She looked at Athena. "Well, can Sophia make it?"
Athena sighed. "She's going to have to. I'll tell Hades to send her up. I just hope her darkness doesn't overpower her."
"Don't worry, Athena baby. Love is the most powerful force. She'll do fine."
So far, the day had taken place in complete silence. Xena looked at Gabrielle, who quietly rode her brown steed. Gabrielle still did not have a name for her new companion, so Xena called him Horse. Gabrielle stared straight ahead, not paying attention to the flowers, the insects or to the summer sky. Xena decided to break the silence. "The sky sure is pretty, today. And look at the buttercups. They are so pretty. And the butterflies, They are so..." she paused trying to find the perfect word. "Pretty."
Tension and exhaustion crept into Gabrielle's voice. "Is everything pretty to you today?"
Xena bristled at Gabrielle's tone, and decided that silence was better. Xena's eyes focused on the road, while her mind focused on her bard. *We need to talk, and soon.* She took a quick glance at Gabrielle. *You are trying to shut everything out, but I won't let that happen.*
Up ahead, Xena noticed a lone figure dressed in black leathers, with silver adornment on the shoulders and the waist running towards them. *Thanks the gods, it's a friendly face.*
Gabrielle was lost in her thoughts. The nightmare had invaded the day. She could see him coming toward her. She wanted to run, but fear froze her body. Even if she could run, there was no place to hide. He would have found her, and his wrath would have been worse.
The lone figure stood in front of the horses, and waved at Xena before addressing Gabrielle. "Gabrielle..." Before anyone could blink Gabrielle had pulled out a sai and flung it straight at the figure. Sophia caught the sai right before the blade entered her chest.
Xena looked at Gabrielle with shock. "Gabrielle what is wrong with you!"
Sophia reached out and touched Xena, and shook her head no. She then walked over to Gabrielle, and gently but quickly pulled Gabrielle off the saddle. Gabrielle started to struggle and scream. "Its all right, Gabrielle. It's me Sophia. Everything is going to be all right." Sophia pulled her into a hug and gently caressed Gabrielle's head. Gabrielle scream lessened into sobs. Sophia continued comforting a confused and grief-stricken Gabrielle.
Xena jumped down from Argo, and watched as Sophia tried to reach Gabrielle. *She's in so much pain. By the gods, I feel so helpless.*
"Yes, it's me. Everything will be all right."
"By the gods, I'm so sorry. I thought..."
"I know what you thought. Hush, it's alright. I promise you, he won't hurt you again." Gabrielle's sobs softened as Sophia continued to comfort her. "Hey, you're getting pretty good with these things." Sophia's bad attempt at lightening the mood and changing the subject was wasted. She looked at Xena and motioned
Xena to take Gabrielle. Xena embraced Gabrielle as she sighed.
"Oh Xena, I'm so sorry, you must think of me as a monster."
"I could never think of you as such. I'm just worried about you. Gabrielle you need to tell me what's going on."
"No, I can't." She pushed Xena away. Gabrielle needed to change the topic. "So Sophia, what are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to Poteidaea for a visit."
"Really, that is where we are headed." Xena looked over to Gabrielle. "I thought it was about time that Gabrielle visited her family." *Now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea.*
Gabrielle could not believe that this was just coincidence. Therewas only three people who knew. "So are you here for pleasure? Or for business?"
"What do you think?"
"I think that maybe you should mind your business."
"This is my business, remember who I am Gabrielle. There are beings who care greatly about you. You don't need to be alone at this time."
Xena was getting frustrated. *What are they taking about? Damn this code-talk.
I'm going to get to the bottom of this.*
Gabrielle looked to Xena. "I'm not alone."
Sophia looked at Xena. "So I guess you know what this is about?"
"No, I don't. Gabrielle refuses to tell me." Xena swiped her hand through her hair.
"So you are going into this blind." She faced Gabrielle again. "You might as well be alone. No disrespect meant Xena, but there is no way you can help if you don't know what is going on. If fact, you might make it worse."
Xena raised her eyebrow. "Make what worse?"
Gabrielle silently pleaded with Sophia not to tell. Sophia sighed and shook her head yes. "I can't tell you. She has to." Sophia walked to Gabrielle and grasped both shoulders. "Tell her, for both your sakes. She doesn't need to hear it from anyone else." Sophia turned and walked away, giving the couple some privacy.
Xena looked at Gabrielle, who had started to shiver. There were plenty candlemarks of light left in the day, but Xena knew that Gabrielle needed to rest and regroup. "Come on, lets make camp, then we can talk." Gabrielle nodded her agreement.
Xena found a spot for camp in a meadow, about 60 paces from the road. As the three nearly finished making camp in relative silence Sophia stood up. "I'm going to go hunting; be back at sunset." She reached out a hug Gabrielle and whispered, "Tell her." She then took out her daggers, check the blades, and place them back. She walked to Xena and placed her hand on her shoulder. "She is going to need your strength." She headed to the woods leaving the two soulmates alone.
Xena sat across from Gabrielle. "I need to know. No matter what had happened in the past, I will always love you; you know that, don't you?"
Gabrielle leaned her head back and looked at the sky. She took a deep breath and lower her head, looking at the ground. Xena noticed that Gabrielle refused to look at her.
"Xena, you know I haven't seen my family in years." Xena nodded. "There is a reason for that. But before I tell you, promise me that you won't interrupt me. I might chicken out from telling you if you do." Xena nodded again, agreeing to the terms.
"People who live in Poteidaea follow the old way of thinking. Everything is an omen, a sign from the gods. When I was born, I had six toes on my feet." Xena smiled, remembering she made that discovery during their adventures in the dreamscape. "Well, my family took that was as a sign; a sign that I was different. My father...my father took it as a sign that I had some evil power." She swallowed again. "When I was a child, anything that I did that was different was frowned upon. Usually I got beaten for it."
I remember the first time I told a story, and everyone loved it. They bragged to my parents about how gifted I was. That night, my father beat me for telling stories. He said that my voice was a evil power that could control people. Then, another time my uncle captured a few horses. The men were trying to break them, but they were fighting a losing battle. Then one of the men got to close, and the horse kicked him and was about to trample him. I don't know what possessed me, but I went to where the horse was, and spoke to him, kind of like what I did with Horse. He clamed down, and the others were able to pull the injured man out. That day, my uncle gave me my pony, and within two hours I was riding him.
My uncle told my father that I had a gift for animals. That night, I was beaten. It was so bad that I couldn't leave the house for weeks."
But you know, no matter how many beating I received, I couldn't stop telling stories. In fact, making up stories was the thing that kept me sane. I would hide in my fantasy world of adventure. I guess he finally gave up. The beatings stopped after my 12th summer. I guess I was spending so much time at Sophia's home, that he worried that they would see the bruises. In fact, I realized that he would never hit me if I was over at Sophia's or if Sophia was at my house. He was afraid of her; she was so different, and if didn't help matters that she was part god. I guess he was afraid he would be struck down or something."
Anyway, when I was fourteen, my dad made this big announcement to the family that he realized that he and I should be closer, that he wanted to make up for the distance between us. So he told my mom that he wanted to take me on a fishing trip. He thought it would be a chance for us to get away, and make up for lost time. She agreed, and I went with him."
As Gabrielle told her story, her body language changed. Xena noticed at first Gabrielle she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. Then as the bard continued the story, her knees came closer and closer to her chest. Xena instinctively knew what Gabrielle was trying to tell her.
"The lake he wanted to get to was one days journey of horseback. After we got to the lake, he found a cave. And then, something inside of him snapped." She wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them closer. "He grabbed me, and told me that I was evil. He said that I wanted to be evil, that I was stubborn." She slowed down and her eyes glazed, for she was reliving the events as she told them. "He said that he tried to beat the evil out of me, but it did not good. Then he said that I had placed men under my spell, including him." She began to rock. "He pushed me to the ground. And he..." She remembered to breath. "And he raped me." She did not look up at Xena, fearing that she would see disgusted in her eyes. "For two days he kept me in that cave, doing whatever he wanted. I was so afraid. Afraid for myself, afraid that he would do the same to Lila, afraid of what he would do to Lila and mom if I told, so when we returned home, I said nothing to anyone. And he did not come near me again. Of course, I made sure he couldn't because I wouldn't let Sophia leave my side."
I stayed inside the house for the rest of the summer, refusing to see anyone, but Sophia and family. My mom asked me what was wrong, and I told her I was upset because I did not catch anything. She said that wasn't important, as long as father and I got closer. I guess she decided not to push it, since I became the perfect daughter after that trip."
After a while, I started to believe that he would never violate me again, that it was that one time. Then the next summer, he announced that he heard that a traveling group of actors was performing in a nearby town, and he wanted to take me to see them, since I liked stories and plays and such. And it happened all over again."
The following summer, Sophia decided to search for her destiny. She told my parents I needed to be with her, since I was the best friend of Athena and Ares daughter. At first my father said no, that he had other plans. But then, Sophia talked to him in private, and I don't know what was said, but he had changed his mind. Of course, it was all a lie. But it did get me out of town. I was worried about Lila though, and after two weeks, I needed to go home. Sophia understood. She stayed by my side for a week. After that there was no need for her to do so."
Xena forgot her promise. "Why?"
Gabrielle refused to lift her head. "Because you came into my life." She did not say anymore.
Xena did not believe that it was possible to hate someone as much as she did Herodotus. *When I get my hands on him, he is going to wish he was in Tartarus.* Nor did she believe that she could love Gabrielle any more than she already had. But she did and love overpowered hate at this moment. "Can I hold you?" The petite bard nodded and Xena wrapped herself around Gabrielle. "You have to be the strongest person I've ever known."
Gabrielle finally exhaled the breath that she had been holding, and started to cry. "You still love me?"
Xena looked into her eyes. "How can I not? Listen, it's not your fault. You are not evil. He is! You are the best thing that ever happened to me. And nothing, nothing can make me not love you. You are everything to me."
The weight of the world was finally lifted from Gabrielle's shoulder. And the freedom allowed her to finally let go. She cried for a while and Xena continued to embrace her. She finally fell asleep in Xena's arms. Xena continued to hold the woman that she loved.
Sophia came back to the camp with a ham and some goose eggs. Xena looked down at her sleeping companion and gently eased her to the pallet. Then she stood up, stretched and headed toward Sophia.
"Where did you get those?"
"Poteidaea is only a few candlemarks away. So I went to scout."
"And what did you find?"
"Did she tell you?"
*I hate it when someone answers a question with a question.* "Yes, she told me. Now answer mine."
"It looks as if the bastard has flown the coup. A couple of friends said that he left town to do some business."
"He must have left after they received the message I sent. Is Lila with him?"
"No, she's safe at home." Sophia showed off the grin she inherited from her father. "Trust me, he would never touch her."
Xena nodded. "Gabrielle told me about the beatings and the rapes. I now understand why she only talks about her mom and Lila and why we did not stay to explain about Hope and the Destroyer." Xena ran her hand through her hair. "Damn it, all the signs were there, and I did not even noticed."
"Xena, you can't blame yourself. There was no way you could have known."
"How did you find out? From what I gathered, Gabrielle did not want anyone to know."
"I found out about the beatings purely by accident. I knew something wasn't right. Every time I saw a bruise, she would claim she got it from falling or playing with the boys. I final figured out that she was lying. Gabrielle may not be the most graceful person alive, she is far from being a klutz. And she never liked playing with the boys. I did not know for sure until one night I went over to her house. Gabrielle's room had a back window, and she would always leave the shutters slightly opened for me to sneak in the house." Sophia saw Xena's eyebrow quirked."We use to sneak into each others homes because we were afraid that our parents would tell the other one to go home. Anyway, one night I was trying to sneak, um, I mean go into her room, I heard voices."
She paused as she tried to control the rage that was inside of her. "I peeked, and I saw Herodotus grabbing Gabrielle and shaking her, then he slapped her and she fell to the floor. Then he started to pound on her. After he had left, I climbed in and took care of her the best I could. Then I sneaked back out, and was determined to find Herodotus."
I sneaked into their barn and waited for him. He came out that night to check on the animals and that was when I attacked. I wanted him to die slowly, and painfully. I started to choke him, and I could feel myself slowly crushing his throat, he couldn't talk nor could he breathe. And I thoroughly enjoyed his pain and suffering. All the dark thoughts I had while I was waiting for him where coming to fruition. Then next thing I knew, Athena had pulled me off of him."
Sophia sighed. "There are many advantages of being a child of the gods, but there are many disadvantages as well. That night I learned that I had inherited some form of darkness, a darkness I couldn't control. It was about to break through. It would have been one thing if the darkness was aim at Herodotus only. But it wasn't. While I waited in the barn, I thought about ways to torture and kill the whole family and town except Gabrielle. I wanted to punish Hecuba for not protecting Gabrielle from Herodotus, and I wanted to hurt Lila for loving her daddy. I blamed the town because Herodotus seemed beyond reproach because he agreed with their old ways of thinking. I wanted everyone to share in Gabrielle's pain and to pay for it. Athena had sensed my thoughts and stopped me."
"I know about darkness. For ten years I let it control everything in my life. At times, I still struggle with it."
"Xena, no offense, but the thoughts I had in that barn that day would had made the old you look like one of Athena's virgin priestess. Athena knew that no one would be safe if she left me there. So she took me to Tartarus to work off my aggressions. It worked. Nothing is better for uncontrollable darkness than fighting with the eternally damned."
Xena looked at the Guardian. *A mortal who enjoys fighting against the eternally damned. Have to remind myself never to get her mad with me. One word from Gabrielle and I'm toast,* she thought to herself.
"Anyway, that little attack kept Herodotus at bay. I never saw another mark on Gabrielle after that." She looked at Gabrielle and grew somber. "But, it wasn't enough. I did not found out about the rapes until two summers after he had started. I've would have never found out, if it wasn't for love."
"Trust me, it was purely love."
Xena quirked up her eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
Sophia looked at the sleeping form that was softly snoring. "I mean what I said, it was love. Something told me to cancel my annual stay at Tartarus. So I decided to make plans with Gabrielle. But that same feeling lead me to go through their front door, instead of sneaking in the window. Hecuba was standing in the kitchen. I asked her where Gabrielle was, and she told me that Gabrielle had gone berry-picking. So I went to the woods to find her." Sophia shuddered at the memory.
"I found her alright. She was crying and I instantly thought that Herodotus had done something. She had gone berry picking, but the only berries in her basket were the poisonous kind. From the red streaks around her mouth, I knew she had eaten some. She confirmed this, and then she told me about the rapes. I did the only thing I could, I hit her in the stomach so hard that she vomited. I carried her back home. Her mom was out back, so it was relatively easy to sneak her in.
When Hecuba found us in Gabrielle's bedroom, I said that Gabrielle was sick from eating too many berries, and some of them were unripe. I spent the night there."
Gabrielle's father came in, and asked me to leave. I wanted to attack him right there, the anger was quickly rising, but just as quickly I calmed down. Instead, I told him no, and told him that Gabrielle needed to go to Athens with me. I told him that Gabrielle was needed in a ceremony, because she was my best friend. I also reminded him that it would be best not to get Athena mad. And he, being the coward that he is, eventually said yes."
"Yeah, Gabrielle told me about that. She thinks you lied to protect her."
"Well, you know the truth." She looked at the sleeping form of her friend. "If it wasn't for her, I would never had become a Guardian. You know, Aphrodite was not really sure about me as a Guardian because she had some concerns about my dark tendencies, but when I listened to her voice and my heart that day in Poteidaea, she knew. She knew I could hear loves voice and I would follow. So it was love that saved the day, and Gabrielle's life. If it wasn't for Aphrodite, Gabrielle may had died in the woods that day."
"I guess I owe her a big one."
"You do. So the next time you want to curse the gods, remember that a few of those cursed gods care for Gabrielle. You and I owe her for Gabrielle's life."
"So, Sophia the Guardian has come to lend us a hand, huh?"
Gabrielle gave Xena a smirk. "Just giving you guys a helping hand. Gabrielle wasn't going to tell you, she was going to try to suffer through this alone. She needed to be nudged in the right direction."
"So I guess you will be leaving?"
"Well, I have done what I needed to do, and I know you can handle it from here. But I would really like to tag along, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. I think she is going to need all the support she can get." Xena looked at Gabrielle. It was at that moment, Gabrielle started to twist and stir from another nightmare. Xena quickly sat down next to her and started to whisper words and comfort in her ear. Within fifteen candledrips Gabrielle had calm down.
Sophia looked at the display of love and comfort. A pang of jealousy stabbed her in the heart. She knew that as a Guardian, her life was dedicated to saving love, and that there was no room in her life for such companionship. She decided to turn her head, to give her favorite couple some privacy.
After comforting her love, Xena got up and walked back over to Sophia. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don't understand, how can someone hurt a child like that?"
"I don't know, Xena. You know, when I became a Guardian, I thought that it would be a great thing...you know, helping couples right each other again, love in the air kind of stuff, but it is not all it is cracked up to be. Most of the time I'm busy trying to protect someone's heart and spirit from those who claim to "love" them. Do you how many children are hurt by their parents? Too many. And even with the work of the other guardians, we can't save them all. Then we also have to deal with husbands who hurt their wives, innocents who are tortured. Everyday, many hearts and souls are permanently marred by so called love. There are times when I see someone as innocent and as loving as Gabrielle was, and I have to watch as that innocence is torn away, and that love is beaten and deformed into hate, pain and emptiness. And you know what, there is not a damn thing I can do. There is just too many of them. Too many."
Sophia took a few steps from Xena, took a deep breath and tried to reel in her emotions, which were starting to get out of control. Then she turned back. "But I made sure that at least one would not be hurt in that way."
"Yeah. When we came back from Athens, Gabrielle stayed with my family. Then the slavers attacked and you rescued the girls. I knew who you were thanks to Aphrodite. I knew that Gabrielle should be with you, but she wouldn't stay with you if Lila wasn't protected. She was so afraid that Herodotus would turn his wrath upon Lila if she ever left. So I had to find a way to protect Lila. The day before Gabrielle ran away, I showed Herodotus his future if he ever touched Lila in a harmful way. It was such a toasty scene."
Sophia saw the confusion in Xena face. "Xena, there are advantages to being a child of the gods. You get so many skills. I was able to show him what awaited him in Tartarus, thanks to Uncle Hades. Then I told him that I would come down to Tartarus once a year, and personally inflict more pain and suffering to his worthless carcass. And just so that he wouldn't forget, I arranged for monthly visits from Uncle Morpheus. Uncle would show him the vision in full color and sound."
Xena shuddered slightly. She wasn't sure if it was from her memories of walking through Tartarus and seeing the eternal pain and suffering that went on there, or from the cruel dark joy Sophia displayed as she thought about Herodotus' punishment.
Sophia was still relishing on her previous thought. "You know Xena, there are moments that darkness and love can fit together perfectly."
"Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Keep loving her and treating her well, and you never will."
"That's a promise I can keep."
Stay tuned for Part II, Pain of the Present
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Plump and red, sweet and sour, cherries are a delectable summer fruit. Here's how keep cherries at their tastiest:
• At the store, be picky: Select only those cherries that are glossy, plump and dark-colored for their variety. Pass on undersized cherries or those that are overly soft.
• At home, keep refrigerated: Cherries are highly perishable and don't ripen further after being picked — leaving them at room temperature will only speed up their decay. Keep cherries refrigerated, in a plastic bag or covered container.
• Don't wash until ready to eat: Hold off on washing cherries until you're ready to eat them — the excess moisture created by washing makes them spoil faster.
• Use within a week: Cherries will keep at top quality in the refrigerator for about a week; you can also freeze them for longer-term storage, as detailed here.
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For some time now the Town Council has been running a monthly councillor surgery on the first Saturday in the month between 10am and 12 noon. This is held in the Clerk's office at the Town Hall.
This is to give parishioners the opportunity to drop in, without the need for an appointment, to voice any concerns they have or to make suggestions about how the Council can improve the town.
The next surgery is on Saturday 4 November and gives you the opportunity to speak to Councillor Chris Webb.


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The Revival Home Church Melbourne Australia Paul Furlong
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Puppets are a powerful media to reach hearts with a lot of fun, laughter & joy. But also bring a powerful message directly to lives when you normally couldn't speak it straight out.
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