text:
__ There's no need to be disenfranchised. Just start your own nation. __
The king of Talossa lives with his father and sister in the house where he grew up, a turn-of-the-century Tudor on a tree-lined street of professors' homes near the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. The ruler sits in the only room with lights on, a cramped study off the kitchen. Heaps of paper - magazines, notebooks, computer printouts, books - spill over every available surface. World War II histories and Babylon 5 videos crowd the bookshelves. Bulging file boxes encroach from the walls. But a clutter-repellent force field seems to surround a small, relatively tidy patch at the room's center. A computer on a prefab rolling desk dominates this haven of visible floor, in front of which the king swivels back and forth in a desk chair - the office's only seat.
"This is pretty much where it all happens," he says, his arms outspread. "The command center, I guess you could say." From this computer, he rules over 60 kindred souls who join him in simulating life as Talossans. The spot he sits in is, if you look at things through his eyes, a portal to an alternate universe.
King Robert Ben Madison, 34, wears an outfit more functional than magisterial - black button-down shirt, wrinkle-resistant slacks, leather shoes with rubber soles. A sandy beard and owlish glasses adorn his round, youthful face. His voice is confident and warm, though clipped with a slightly obsessive precision. He bears little resemblance to a monarch; his confined office makes a shoddy throne room.
But appearances have never bothered Madison. In fact, his gift has always been seeing things that, strictly speaking, don't exist. This gift first allowed him, at age 14, to proclaim his bedroom a sovereign nation called Talossa, from a Finnish word meaning "inside the house." And this gift, 20 years later, keeps him at the spiritual core of the vast and tricky entity that Talossa (www.talossa.com) has become.
Until a more precise term comes along, one might as well call Talossa a micronation. Micronations, also known as counternations and ephemeral states, consist of one or more people united by the desire to form and/or inhabit an independent country of their own making. All micronations have governments, laws, and customs; the main distinguishing factor is whether their citizens want to establish a physical home country and seek international recognition, or whether, as is the case with Talossa, they're happy just to pretend.
The principality of Freedonia (www.freedonia.org), an earnest collective of secessionist superlibertarians based in Boston, falls into the first category. Its monarch, Babson College student Prince John I, and his handful of fellow citizens seek a small spot on the globe where they can practice their brand of ultra-free-market capitalism. But they face a typical problem: There really isn't a corner of the world that wants to be ruled by a band of skinny college students quoting Atlas Shrugged. Prefab islands, remote areas of Africa, and partially submerged Pacific atolls have been proposed as solutions to this dilemma; Prince John I considered purchasing an artificial floating island from an associate in the floating-dock business for about $5 million. To fill their treasury, the Freedonians have minted their own line of currency to exchange for US dollars, but for now, Freedonia's impoverished capital continues to be Prince John I's Boston residence.
Most micronations in the first category - those with serious secessionist tendencies - want independence based on some political principle, but some, like the principality of New Utopia (www.new-utopia.com), a proposed chain of constructed islands in the international waters west of the Cayman Islands, have been accused of harboring more insidious purposes. The country's founder, Howard Turney, aka Prince Lazarus Long, recently ran afoul of the Securities Exchange Commission for selling citizenship "bonds" over the Web for $1,500 a pop. The SEC claims he's operating a classic securities swindle - with only a coral reef in his name. Turney, however, firmly maintains his intention to build the archipelago paradise once he raises enough cash.
Micronations in the second category don't want actual nationhood. Some claim physical territory - the family farm, a square foot of Scottish fen, the bottom of the ocean, or, in Talossa's case, the east side of Milwaukee plus a chunk of Antarctica and a small island off the coast of France - but none would actually take power even if it were offered to them. Most feature a founder with the requisite lofty title, and almost all make their home, in one form or another, on the Web.
Some are simply jokes, like fantasy author S. P. Somtow's Zoe Katholika Church (somtow/zoe.html](http://www.primenet.com/Honorable/index.htm](http://members.tripod.com/[www.primenet.com/somtow/zoe.html](http://www.primenet.com/somtow/zoe.html)), an imaginary Catholic-inflected theocracy that boasts "All of the spectacle, but none of the guilt." Other micronations are little more than psychotic delusions coded in clumsy HTML. For example, "HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS King Dr. h.c. mult. Eric de Marré, M.A.," ruler of the kingdom of Zaire (not the African nation - it's a long story: [members.tripod.com/Honorable/index.htm](http://members.tripod.com/Honorable/index.htm)), banned the following people from seeking citizenship in his fictional world: Fidel Castro, Jiang Zemin, and Pol Pot.
An entire subcategory of micronations owes its existence to adolescent alienation. These empires of angst betray themselves in one of two ways - either with hackneyed origin myths, usually involving benevolent sultans and distant tropical seas, or with paranoid rants against authority punctuated by proclamations of universal domination and reprinted Rage Against the Machine lyrics. Though almost all teen kingdoms claim legions of subjects, more often than not, populace, ruler, and disaffected youth are one and the same. The Kingdom of Triparia (www.triparia.cx), founded in 1998, is a classic of the genre: 17 citizens, with fancy titles and a penchant for posting overintellectualized bulletin-board messages, united in an act of collective imagination.
What about Talossa? It clearly fits into the role-playing category. Like many other micronations, it began with a lonely kid. But where most realms ruled by pimply-faced princes collapse when their founders grow up, Talossa has flourished. King Robert and his subjects are content with their dual citizenship - and against a generally shoddy micronational backdrop of poor grammar, downed links, and digitized Polaroids, Talossa stands in stark relief.
Talossans, it must be said, have it pretty good. They enjoy a body of law stretching back two decades, plus four political parties, an online journal, local holidays, and a flag. "And it isn't just some Web graphic," Madison says. "It's a real flag made of fabric. You can put it on a pole and it'll flap in the breeze."
Talossans also claim their own wholly invented language. The kingdom's print dictionary - 28,000 entries on double-sided, triple-columned pages in 8-point type - outweighs most city phone books. A faux etymology traces the language's origins to a 5th-century sect of Latin-speaking North African Berbers. The first line of the Lord's Prayer reads, "Ar Phatreu, qi isch à çéu, sanctificaðuâ estadra Tù nhômina�." A Talossan requires just one word to say "love at first sight." The language came into being with 18 irregular verbs.
The Talossan government is basically a benign oligarchy with a functioning legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senäts, and a lower house, the Cosâ. It meets monthly via the Web. (Once a year, Talossans residing in or journeying to Milwaukee gather in person for TalossaFest, which includes a daylong legislative discussion called the "living Cosâ.") Voting results are published online monthly in The Clark, the Talossan equivalent of the Federal Register. All Clarks are bound together into a thick volume called L'Anuntziâ dels Legeux, the official annals of Talossan law. According to a typical Clark, the legislature considered 29 measures in a single month. A bill that called for severing diplomatic relations with the micronation of Triparia failed (but passed with subsequent revisions), while a resolution labeling Wal-Mart a "fascist state" sailed through, as did an amendment to the Talossan constitution easing immigration restrictions.
Nonetheless, becoming a Talossan is nearly as difficult as becoming a US citizen. Law requires prospective immigrants to read 1 online book about Talossa and purchase at least 2 of the 16 others for sale on the nation's Web site. Candidates for citizenship must then pass a test on Talossan history, compose an essay titled "What Talossa Means to Me," and receive judicial and legislative approval in both parliamentary houses to earn naturalization.
__ Like many micronations, Talossa began with a lonely kid. But where most such realms collapse when their founders grow up, Talossa has flourished. __
In the old days, when Talossa consisted only of a few of Madison's acquaintances in Milwaukee, immigration wasn't so formal an affair. Madison stumbled across people he thought might be interested in his project and invited them to join, and the parliament generally granted them citizenship. The Web launch necessitated the tougher, more standardized citizenship rules in place today. But these rigorous entrance requirements - and the occasional xenophobic flare-up in online posts - haven't limited Talossa's expansion. In a micronational world composed primarily of one- to five-person Liechtensteins and Christmas Islands, most of which beg for new members, Talossa has experienced a virtual population explosion. More people joined the country in 1996 - its first year on the Web, during which several browsers placed it under their What's New buttons - than in all the previous years combined. The growth shows no signs of abating.
Talossans hail from Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Cyprus, Brazil, Poland, Argentina, the Netherlands, California, Florida, and Milwaukee. They are grad students, journalists, carpenters, teachers, legislative aides, musicians, retail clerks, parents, and teens. They're mostly men - only 3 out of the 60 citizens are female - and they spend from less than an hour a week to more than 20 "in" Talossa. Usually, this means posting discussion-group gossip and jokes to a bulletin board. But the Talossan board, called Wittenberg, is also the forum for political dialogue, which gets heated, even though there aren't really any issues to debate. The citizens compensate for this lack of substance with a firm sense of histrionics and a well-developed ability to foster controversy. Discourse gets overblown and bombastic. Citizens are passionate and occasionally less than considerate, denouncing ideas - and often their proponents - as fascistic or moronic.
One might think that so specific an activity as pretending to be a citizen of a fictional country would attract a certain sort of person. In fact, Talossans are more different than alike. Take Ken Oplinger, a pillar of the Visalia, California, business community. Oplinger, 30, is president and CEO of Visalia's chamber of commerce, where he spends his days reviewing proposed laws, working the press, and lobbying politicians. Outside of the office, he does more of the same - but in a different realm.
"I'll hear him on the phone discussing legislation," says his fiancée, Diana Stein, "and I'll assume it's for work. Then I'll realize, 'Wait, Visalia doesn't have a king.'"
In real life, Oplinger belongs to a drinking group called Viva Visalia that meets in various bars around town. He plays pickup basketball on the weekends, visits his family in Phoenix regularly, and just recently bought a house with Stein. He joined Talossa in 1996. Soon thereafter, he started his own political party and launched a campaign to rewrite the constitution, granting equal rights to citizens living outside the physical territory of Talossa. Oplinger says his real-life job as a lobbyist "sometimes frustrated me because I had to represent interests I didn't necessarily believe in. Talossa gave me the opportunity to speak my mind without fear of the ramifications of speaking one's mind in the real world."
Fellow Talossan Chris Gruber spent half the year after his 20th birthday in a homeless shelter. His fiancée had left him and his parents refused to take his calls. "Playing my guitar," he says, "was the only thing that kept me sane." Now 25, he's a husband, father, and software consultant in Tallahassee, Florida, and Talossa's minister of propaganda. He's also an eager conversationalist who can discuss with equal volubility the decline of 1970s rock and the challenges of raising his 3-year-old son.
"The great thing about Talossa," he says, "is that all these people are doing stuff that would otherwise be very solitary, but they're together. Like, I design and play my own games, I write and play music, I'm interested in writing sketch comedy and parody, and for years I've designed my own religions. So I'm sitting here doing all this stuff, but it's all solitary - I'm alone. And I think everyone in Talossa feels that way. We all have our selfish indulgences we do by ourselves. But Talossa is a place where we can do them together, rather than as isolated geeks all over the country, which is essentially what we are."
Thomas Leigh, 29, spent the summer of 1999 touring the East Coast music-festival circuit playing pop renditions of Gaelic folk songs with his fiancée. Leigh doesn't just sing Gaelic, he speaks it fluently, and he's conversant in Czech, French, and Esperanto. He taught himself Talossan in six months, thereby upping the planetary total of fully fluent speakers to two. He calls his adopted tongue "the most beautiful and expressive language I've ever seen." He's at work on a Talossan translation of Winnie the Pooh.
Leigh, Gruber, and Oplinger live outside the physical boundaries that Talossa claims. They and others who became citizens after Talossa went on the Web are known collectively as cybercits. Cybercits now comprise a majority of the population, but the original citizens, the old-growthers, established much of the country's tradition and lore.
Of the dozen or so old-growthers, many of whom were friends with Madison around the time he created Talossa, John Jahn (pronounced "yan") is probably the most important presence, second only to Madison in influencing Talossa's development. The two met during Madison's sophomore year in high school. Madison describes Jahn at that time as "a raving Nazi racist whose amicable character saved him from total condemnation." Over the years, Jahn played a vocal, rabid, occasionally fascist foil to the more liberal Madison. For nearly two decades he put out a newspaper, The Talossan National News, to rival Madison's own weekly, Støtanneu. TNN featured Germanic logos of eagles and helmets, and diatribes against bleeding-heart liberals, do-nothing minorities, homosexuals, and other "sexual deviants." Then Jahn came out of the closet.
"After he admitted he was gay," chuckles friend and fellow old-growther John Eiffler, "he mellowed quite a bit."
__ Every Talossan mentions a feeling of camaraderie. "I feel sort of like an ethnic minority," says one cybercit, "a Talossan-American." __
There is one thing almost all Talossans have in common - a Y chromosome. The few Talossan women tend to be passive participants in the national culture, notwithstanding the leadership of the short-lived Vacillation Party a few years back by former prime minister Sandee Macht (neé Prachel). The king's theory on the preponderance of men goes back to the fiery nature of Talossan debate: "The discussions can get a little hot. I think most women, for whatever reason, might not be comfortable with that." Thomas Leigh agrees. "The political debates can get rambunctious, the insults and accusations can fly," he says. "The friendliness behind the superficial nastiness is not always obvious or perceived." Diana Stein, Ken Oplinger's fiancée, has a different take: "Most of us have enough to juggle in real life."
Aside from the fact that they're almost all men, most Talossans share little beyond a desire to be Talossan. Oplinger posits that if they all lived in the same physical community but didn't have Talossa, "I'd be very surprised if many of us would even be friends." Each citizen talks a lot about the fun of it, how it's a great way to escape, like a role-playing game. They comment willingly on the absurdity of the endeavor, often with baffled near-embarrassment. But every Talossan, in explaining his continued participation, mentions a subtle feeling of camaraderie. "When I'm walking down the street in Boston," says Leigh, "I don't feel Talossan, exactly, but Talossa is always with me. I guess I feel sort of like an ethnic minority - a Talossan-American."
The king of Talossa steps over some papers lying on the floor in front of a bookcase, stands on tiptoe, and pulls a large computer-paper box from the top shelf. "Box 1, file 1," he says. "The Talossan archives."
Box 1, file 1 contains the earliest documents of Talossan nationhood, starting in 1979, when 14-year-old Madison was its sole citizen. Naturally he became king and, for the next year or so, kept things interesting by regularly switching the national language and periodically overthrowing himself. On slow days, he produced and attended to paperwork - the Magic Marker manifestos that now fill box 1, file 1. Madison titled one representative document from this period "Outline of T.L.R.P. (the Talossan Land Reclamation Program). Goal: A Clean Talossa." He broke the plan into seven steps, including phase two, "Remove the table," phase six, "Clean the closet," and phase seven, "Map the nation."
A later document shows a bird's-eye schematic of an adolescent bedroom, dashed lines indicating its boundaries. Outside the dotted line, the letters "U.S.A." cover the hallway and steps. Inside, the word "Talossa" stretches diagonally from the corner of the room near the record player to a bookshelf near the window. The bed is one province, the desk another. The piece of floor between them is called the Great Plains. In the southwest corner of the country, in a region called Vaate-Komero (the closet, apparently), an asterisk designates a spot named Vanha Hylly. Next to it, in bold letters, appear the words "Highest Point."
Box 1, file 1 also contains a small stapled booklet, lettered neatly in green felt-tipped marker, bearing the title Talossan for Travelers. Among the phrases deemed essential for a visit to Madison's bedroom: "May I have my bill?" "I have nothing to declare," and "May I listen to some ABBA?"
"In the early days," Madison admits, "ABBA wrote most of our national anthems."
This is clearly not the work of a future high school football captain. And, indeed, in one of his dozen books on Talossan history, Madison describes - in third person, as always - a childhood spent "persecuted by violent, snowball-throwing mobs of 'sport-infested youth' chasing him home every day." But if Madison was a loner, he wasn't lonely. When he got to high school, he made new friends, like fellow outcasts John Jahn and John Eiffler. By 1981, he'd awarded the first titular positions in his government.
Madison's magnum opus, The History of the Kingdom of Talossa, Part I, runs 200 pages. It renders with compulsive precision both the autobiographical details of his life - run-ins with classroom bullies, the storylines of invented fifth-grade comic books - as well as political and cultural episodes from Talossa's history: breakdown and analysis of election results, recaps of editorial feuds in the Talossan press. Often, personal and national history are inseparable. In 1980, for example, a neighborhood kid named Gary Cone, who had a rival micronation called the Glib Room Empire, splashed ink on the Madison family garage. Madison dubbed the incident the Cone War and awarded it an entire chapter. (He declared victory by tattling to his own father; Cone has since become a citizen of Talossa.) And since Madison himself created most of Talossa's written record, the self-referential citations in the History can be dizzying. It's not uncommon for Madison to cite a Talossan newspaper article he wrote in which he quotes a statement he made as king.
The newspapers, proclamations, translations, treaties, laws, and edicts, and the dozen or so supplemental histories of Talossan culture and politics, almost all of which Madison wrote himself, span two decades and fill a pair of computer-paper boxes and 20 or so large three-ring binders. They bear witness to neighborhood rivalries, religious conversions, Desert Storm, and Madison's marriage. They chart the stages of Talossa's evolution from solitary boy's imaginary world to a game his friends shared, then to a loose confederation of coworkers and college classmates, and finally to an Internet microempire.
An attic stuffed with historical analyses of an imaginary country might call into question Madison's grip on reality, if not for the pesky fact of his sanity. He has a life - and, by all indications, it's a healthy, even enviable one that includes active involvement in a church, travel, and summer cookouts. For years he worked toward a PhD in history, but he stopped, quite sanely, to pursue a career path with more job prospects. He's almost finished with the course work for his Wisconsin teaching certificate. What's more, Madison's History is a surprisingly entertaining read, peppered with a wry, occasionally nerdy wit and an unexpectedly affecting tone of tongue-in-cheek megalomania:
- Talossa's Monarch returned to his country on 3 July, with souvenirs from Florida in hand for his friends who gathered at Josh Macht's ... for a Ceremony of Knighthood. Photocopied "Certificates of Knighthood" had been prepared and signed by the King, carefully rolled and tied in red and green ribbon. Each Royal friend ... received a Certificate, honourary citizenship in the Kingdom of Talossa, and a handshake. Later, all marched to the beach where the King, overwhelmed as usual by the hugeness of the lake, mused and thought. *
Still, no matter how ironic the History is, the fact remains that he traded years of naps, dinner parties, sex, TV, and conversation to do it. Since Talossa's founding, Madison has sacrificed, on average, roughly eight hours a week to serve as king. That's all day Saturday, all day Sunday, or a couple evenings during the week for the past two decades.
__ Ruling an imaginary country might call into question Madison's grip on reality, if not for the pesky fact of his sanity - and his enviable real life. __
The History contains some clues to the origin of Madison's obsession. In the chapter called "Crucifixion and Interregnum," written in 1981, he describes his first and only real crisis of faith in Talossa. Soon after he'd knighted all his friends, Madison became filled with doubt about Talossa and "the label of eccentricity that it pinned upon him. It was easy to explain Talossa to his closest friends; they understood his whimsicalities and even enjoyed playing the game. But how to explain it to strangers? ... A trickier problem still: How to explain it to girls?" He decided to end Talossa.
Talossa didn't disappear for long, of course, and a few weeks later, his romantic exploits having achieved the same degree of success post-Talossa as pre-, he was back on the throne. But what the adult Madison makes of his adolescent self's attempt at normalcy is telling. "Mediocrity and averageness had abruptly replaced the old goal of independence and identity that Ben Madison had striven for over the past half-decade," he wrote. "What had been sacrificed was not just Talossan independence, but Ben Madison's personal independence. Eccentricity had been exiled, peculiarity had been purged."
Like others on the margins of the mainstream, Madison coopted the terms of his oppression and embraced his freak status. Instead of turning into a stoner or joining a punk band, Madison seized on Talossa, choosing "imaginary-nation builder" as his ID tag in weirdo society.
That's one theory. Another, darker one presents itself in an earlier portion of the History detailing Madison's entrance into high school. He spends most of the chapter, titled "Freshman Year, 1978-1979," outlining the impact a trip to Europe had on his intellectual development. Suddenly, without fanfare, he announces his mother's death, dispatching the news with uncomfortable brevity. Amid pages and pages of political philosophy and abandoned science fiction novels, Madison spares his mother's demise just one slim paragraph:
- February saw tragedy with the death of Ben Madison's mother, who died in her sleep of unknown causes. The family met to discuss the future, and it was decided to put the event behind them, and not get bogged down in sentimentalities. It was an event that gave young Ben his first experience with death, and he learned that a strong will was the only way to respond. *
It seems possible that Madison created the imaginary world of Talossa to retreat from his loss. Less than a year later, after all, he was crossing national boundaries every time he went to the bathroom. But Madison displays no interest in exploring the connection between his mother's death and his kingdom come. About her passing, he says only, "I got over it pretty quickly" and "It didn't really affect me that much."
It's odd that Madison can write a 20-page critical analysis of imaginary election results but can't muster the slightest reflection on the death of his mother - presumably one of the most important events in his psychological and emotional development.
He displays the same lack of insight when he tries to explain Talossa. "I've always been fascinated with dictators," he offers, shrugging his shoulders, "their posturing and flair for public spectacle. There's something about that image - the man in a uniform issuing proclamations to the assembled masses from a balcony. I'm doing basically the same thing - taking normal events and giving them this pompous ballyhooing. It's just a way of feeling that what you do means something."
Madison struggles to describe the reasons he created Talossa in the same way artists try to explain why they paint or musicians why they play - the way anyone struggles to explain a method of self-expression. If he had never convinced his friends to join Talossa, had never conscripted dozens of outcasts and eccentrics, not to mention a few bemused high school teachers, into participation in his fantasy, he probably would have maintained Talossa to this day as a kingdom of one.
What's miraculous about Talossa is what's miraculous about great art: not simply that Madison has channeled a deep and private need into an act of creation, but that, in doing so, he has forged a vision that others can share.
It's early evening, the end of the workday and already dark, and the king of Talossa steps across a strip-mall parking lot in the bustling district not far from the university and his house. Streetlights make halos in the winter air, and cars bunch in rows at red lights, then stream forward when the colors change. A drowsy snow has begun to fall. The king is discussing his year-old decision to abandon his PhD program in history and pursue a high school teaching certificate instead.
"If I'd become a professor, I would have had to move," Madison says. "That would've meant leaving this."
__ Lunatics see a different world than the one around them - but so do visionaries. What Ben Madison sees is real, because others see it too. __
He sweeps his arm in an arc encompassing North Avenue in front of him, the Kinko's on the corner, a sports bar's neon beer can, the UWM students - caught unprepared by the sudden snowfall - skidding along the sidewalk in loafers and thin leather jackets. "This is where I belong," he says, "in Talossa."
Lunatics see a different world than the one around them - but so do visionaries. Though Madison sees something other than what he's looking at, he's not deluded. What he sees is real, because others see it too.
Chris Gruber hasn't spoken to his parents in three and a half years - which, he says, "is probably the best thing." They were distant and bitter, and Gruber has few fond recollections of growing up. His best memories from childhood are of the times he and his brothers, huddled in upstairs rooms, spent inventing a new world. They named it Pacaria, from the Latin word "to make peace." Gruber, his two brothers, and their stuffed animals were the country's only citizens as they ran base paths in the playoffs of their very own Pacarian baseball league in the backyard of their Tennessee home. At that time, 10 years had already passed since Ben Madison, in a small ceremony before his family and friends, announced the secession of his bedroom from the city of Milwaukee.
"When we were growing up," says Gruber, "maybe we looked around and things were OK. Maybe we saw both good and bad. But we kept looking up, kept thinking, 'There must be people like me somewhere out there.' And then when we find Talossa, we think, 'Holy moly, this is what I've been thinking about all my life.'"
"In a way," he adds, "I feel like I've always been Talossan. I just didn't know it before."


text:
By December 2020 most browsers will no longer support Flash.
Since much of SonicFit uses Flash, we made a decision in 2017 to build a new product from scratch, rather than update SonicFit.
This has allowed us to modernize all of the code, and also change fundamental features to align with things that work best for instructors and students.
The new product is MyMusicianship.com. As of Sept 1, 2019 it is not officially launched, but feel free to peek at the site to see
its current state of development.
SonicFit will continue to work through the 2019-20 school year on most browsers, notably, Chrome Safari and Firefox.
And instructors may continue to use it for free for the remainder of 2020, just register here.
However, you may notice that it is now more laborious to unblock Flash.
Sorry for the extra hassle- its their way of making sure users prepare for the end of Flash.
The below video shows how to unblock flash on Chrome.
SonicFit has lessons in music theory and ear training (aural skills) organized in a comprehensive curriculum. After learning about each topic, students take quizzes to check for understanding, and then work exercises to develop fluency.
The lessons begin with rudimentary concepts such as line notes and space notes, and advance through successive topics such as the staff, note names, letter names, ledger lines, clefs, note values, note durations, rhythm, meter, time signatures, key signatures, scale degree recognition, scales, intervals, chords, keyboard skills, the circle of fifths, modes, major and minor keys, and chord function. Ear training begins by systematically establishing the diatonic framework of scale degrees with exercise drills and a kodaly inspired sight reading generator. Minor keys and modes are taught next, followed by introducing each chromatic note according to its tendency resolution. Further aural skills development accompanies topics in music theory including interval and chord ear training, beat division ear training, harmonic progression ear training, sight singing material using melody generators and more advanced pitch ear training such as melodic fragments and close chromatic framework ear training exercises.
Choir directors can use SonicFit to develop beginning singers into fully literate musician, able not only to sight read their part, but also understand how it fits in the full musical texture. Music Theory instructors use SonicFit to advance their students through material with a solid foundation in aural skills. Any musician can use SonicFit to learn music theory and develop ear training and aural skills in a gradually paced and comprehensive program. Click on the lessons tab of the menu bar to see the table of contents and begin.
Want to focus on one skill? You can access the exercises by clicking on the exercise tab of the menu bar. While exercises embedded in the lessons have fixed settings to correspond with the lesson content, exercises accessed through the exercise tab have adjustable settings, allowing you to match your needs and abilities. There are also several ear training exercises that are more advanced than material currently covered in the lessons. more
Read more about what these terms mean here. Find out more about our pedagogical approach here.
Classes: Find registration and other information under the info tab. Looking to login? The student login is in the very top right corner of the page. The instructor login requires a different page: http://instructors.sonicfit.com/login.php. This link is also found under the info tab.
You can access help documentation under the info tab.
If you are having difficulty accessing material on a tablet or smartphone, Learn ways to make it work here.
Cost: The lessons and exercises available here are free. Development is supported by the fee-based databasing of student progress- an optional component where instructors can set up classes, assign students work, view scores, etc.
Register without an instructor! If you do not have an instructor but still want to track your progress by saving your scores, then you can register for a SonicFit course. By registerring you can contribute money to keep SonicFit developing. More details >here.
The optimal browser for SonicFit is Chrome. Firefox and Safari are working fine to our knowledge. If it does not look quite right on another browser, please consider using Firefox or Chrome, and send us an email so we can address it. Please note, SonicFit will not work in Explorer versions before 8. Thank you! *SonicFit is currently untested with Microsoft's Edge.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Alright, Nokia. We know you've ben hurting since N-Gage passed away, but apparently in your despair you forgot that Nintendo wouldn't take kindly to a promo video featuring emulated SNES games. Oops!
The video has since been pulled from Youtube, but the screen grab above shows how Nokia went out of their way to demonstrate how well SNES emulators run on the N900. The rub here isn't the emulator itself; as Nintendo Life points out, Android features a bunch of emulators in its app catalog. As long as those emulators don't come with ROMs, everything is peachy.
The problem was that Nokia actually showed video of Super Mario World and Super Ghouls and Ghosts running within that emulator. They even acknowledged that "some emulators require separate ROM images to play games," and claimed that "[m]ost publishers allow individual title usage provided that the user is in possession of the original title." Yeah... pretty sure Nintendo doesn't like that idea.
So now Nintendo's got its claws out for Nokia. Pretty bold of you to push emulators now that N-Gage is no longer with us, Nokia, but really, you must have seen this coming. [Edge Online via Nintendo Life, Thanks Nintenboy01.]


text:
« Mass. Union, Advocacy Group Strike Seniority Deal | Main | At Unions' Behest, Website to Drop Stand For Children, StudentsFirst »
AFT Partners With Private Firm to Provide Common Standards Resources
The American Federation of Teachers and British publishing firm TSL Education have invested $10 million together in an online repository of lesson plans, tools, and supports aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The union hopes it will become the premier destination for teachers seeking to align their instruction with the new student expectations.
Called "Share My Lesson," the site will be free for any K-12 teacher in the United States. Teachers will be able to download, rate, share, and upload tools ranging from lesson plans to videos to assessments, all organized by grade level, content area, and particular skills.
"People on both sides of the pond have been working 24/7 to make this site uniquely American and make sure it's ready for September, when teachers are coming back to their classrooms and will be expected to start teaching to the common core," said Randi Weingarten, the president of the AFT.
The product of this unusual partnership arrives right as the field of digital repositories of tools for educators has begun to expand rapidly. Depending on the source, such content can be free or require a paid subscription, be state-designed or business-designed.
TSL publishes the Times Education Supplement, the U.K.'s primary and secondary education trade magazine—essentially, its version of Education Week. Four years ago, it also launched an online platform for teachers to share resources, called TES. TES is now the largest such network in the world. (TSL reported operating profits of £8.4 million in 2011.)
Share My Lesson's infrastructure is largely drawn from that of TES. About 100,000 U.S. teachers already belonged to the TES, and those teachers will be transitioned to the Share My Lesson platform.
Teacher volunteers from more than 70 AFT districts helped to comb through TES resources, translate them into American English where necessary, and align them to common-core skills. They also played a role in designing the new system's features.
New Features?
Louise Rogers, the chief executive officer of TSL, outlined elements of the site that she says sets it apart from other teacher-resource networks. For one, all the resources, ratings, and reviews will be driven by teachers. The site's look, design, and interface were also designed by teachers, and its resources are categorized and organized to reflect American teachers' thinking. Finally, the resources will be free and open to K-12 teachers, and their personal data will never be sold, Rogers said.
One interesting feature identifies the user who contributed each resource, allowing teachers who have created the most popular and highest-rated lessons to receive recognition for their efforts.
"It makes superstars of particular teachers," Rogers noted. "The teachers that create and share the best resources become celebrities because of the quality of their work."
The partners hope to make Share My Lesson the No. 1 destination for teachers seeking resources for the common core, though that remains an open question in light of the increasing number of similarly themed sites.
For example, the Council of Chief State School Officers last year announced plans for an open-source platform to aid states and districts in the development and dissemination of resources aligned to the common core. This effort, now known as the Shared Learning Collaborative, is currently being piloted in six districts and five states (with four more scheduled to come on board); like Share My Lesson, it has a "crowdsourcing" feature for rating resources.
Some states, such as California and Kentucky, have also begun to devise networks for teachers to share common-standards resources on their own. And finally, the two assessment consortia that are designing tests aligned to the common core are planning to put out model curricula and tools.
These efforts come in addition to other common-core courses and curricula that major for-profit companies like Pearson, as well as smaller nonprofits, are devising.
It's not clear how far the partners' initial $10 million investment will go to maintain the site: A long-term cost strategy hasn't yet been decided on, they said. Charging for some degree of premium content is one potential option. Another possibility is Web advertising, of which the TES has a minimal amount, but "you can't put [a lot of] it on a teacher site and keep it credible," Rogers acknowledged.


text:
When you arrive at the Cape Cod vacation home designed for comfort and unwinding, innkeepers Jane and Hank will be there to greet you and help you settle in. Emulating the true essence of a Bed and Breakfast as you welcome the quiet, but become intrigued by the ambiance and decor offering hints of their own worldly travels. Having several sitting rooms to choose from, relax in the quiet atmosphere of the living room to read, think, and talk or play cards in the Nook. Enjoy a ride on the beautiful Cape Cod Bike Trails or just relax in or by the heated pool.
Alleviate your luggage woes and take use of our full service elevator upstairs to one of our three luxurious and comfortable rooms. All your amenities are at your fingertips including but not limited to fridge, hair dryer, iron, and more. Awake in the morning to the delicious aroma of your home made breakfast.
We look forward to making your time at our Inn of Treasured Memories a memorable one. So come and make yourself at home during your Cape Cod stay.
The Inn of Treasured Memories is one of the few 100% wheel-chair accessible homes on Cape Cod.
|Visitors: 990,304
|Site Last Updated: October 23, 2020
|© 2020 Inn of Treasured Memories, LLC
|Hosting • Design • Development: Community Internet Cape Cod Web Design


text:
Since the founding of Palm Beach Atlantic University in 1968, the mission of the library has been to be "the central learning space for the Palm Beach Atlantic community."
Originally the library was named after E.C. Blomeyer, the former chair of the board of what is now GTE Corporation. His wife originally donated $80,000 in her husband's memory out of respect for Dr. Jess C. Moody, PBA's founder and the former pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. Mrs. Blomeyer also made gifts for additional library resources for many years to come.The library's Lassiter Rotunda, dedicated in 2009, began as the church's sanctuary in 1932, after the great hurricane of 1928 leveled most of West Palm Beach. The church was built after an enterprising group of men used bricks from places such as a saloon and bootlegger's establishment that were damaged or destroyed in the hurricane.
The Warren Library, dedicated on Jan. 26, 2007, is named after longtime PBA supporters the late Dr. Donald Warren and his wife, Bebe. With their help, guidance and inspiration, the University undertook the $32-million project. During Phase 1, the old library was demolished to make way for the current, four-story, state-of-the-art facility.
The Lassiter Rotunda (below) is named after longtime PBA supporters Aneice and William G. Lassiter Jr. The $12-million renovation of the historic octagonal building, completed by the library's contractor, the Weitz Company, included returning the structure to its 1932 grandeur. The steel roof was assembled on the ground and then was placed atop the structure with a crane. A cupola, 73 feet above ground, tops the building. The rotunda also features stained glass windows, designed by McMow Art Glass of Lake Worth, Florida.


text:
Leapster Explorer: tslib Touchscreen Library
Tslib is an abstraction layer for touchscreen panel events, as well as a filter stack for the manipulation of those events. Examples of implemented filters include jitter smoothing and the calibration transform. Tslib is generally used on embedded devices to provide a common user space interface to touchscreen functionality.
Building tslib
Follow the steps below to build tslib for Leapster Explorer. (We leverage the existing event device)
Download tslib from the github repository:
git clone http://github.com/kergoth/tslib.git
In the tslib directory, create a folder called build:
cd tslib mkdir build
Set up your cross compiler's environment variables accordingly (ex: source crosscompile)
First time configuration requires that you run tslib autogen.sh script to generate configure script:
Now you can configure the compilation:
./configure --build=i386-linux --host=arm-linux --target=arm --prefix=$PWD/build
fix ts_calibrate app before you compile tslib you need to edit one of the test applications, ts_calibrate, otherwise it doesn't quite calibrate properly, edit lines 238-244 so they look like the following:
get_sample (ts, &cal, 0, 10, 10, "Top left"); clearbuf(ts); get_sample (ts, &cal, 1, xres - 10, 10, "Top right"); clearbuf(ts); get_sample (ts, &cal, 2, xres - 10, yres - 10, "Bot right"); clearbuf(ts); get_sample (ts, &cal, 3, 10, yres - 10, "Bot left");
Now you've changed the screen position of the calibration boxes closer to the corners it should calibrate a lot nicer than it did.
Compile tslib
Populate the build directory with the result
make install
edit .build/etc/ts.conf file and change line 2 so it looks like this:
module_raw input
Copy the etc/ts.conf file to the LX in the /etc directory.
Copy the contents of lib to the LX in the /usr/lib directory.
Copy the contents of bin to the LX into a directory of your choosing.
Add the following lines to the LX file called /etc/profile:
export TSLIB_TSEVENTTYPE=INPUT
export TSLIB_CONSOLEDEVICE=none
export TSLIB_FBDEVICE=/dev/fb0
export TSLIB_TSDEVICE=/dev/input/event3
export TSLIB_CALIBFILE=/etc/pointercal
export TSLIB_CONFFILE=/etc/ts.conf
export TSLIB_PLUGINDIR=/usr/lib/ts
Then, 'source' the file:
. /etc/profile
Once that is done, boot the fbdev kernel, modprobe lf1000_ts, then run ts_calibrate and ts_test.
To include this library in your applications: Copy the contents of lib to your compiler's lib directory (in buildcross: sys-root/usr/lib) Copy the contents of include to your compiler's include directory (in buildcross: sys-root/usr/include)
To Do
Using tslib in your applications.


text:
Hot or HOT may refer to:
Hot is the first extended play (EP) and first solo album by Korean singer Taeyang, member of Big Bang. The album was well received by fans and critics alike, winning two trophies from The 6th Korean Music Awards for the 2008 Best R&B/Soul Song (나만 바라봐, "Only Look At Me") and the 2008 Best R&B/Soul Album (Hot). Taeyang is the first "Idol group" or boyband member to receive such awards.
Two singles were released from the album, "Gido" (Hangul: 기도; "Prayer") and "Naman Barabwa" (Hangul: "나만 바라봐"; "Only Look At Me"), with music videos produced for each song. "Make Love" from this album was remade by Big Bang to be featured in their Japanese album Number 1. Bandmate G-Dragon recorded a "Part two" version of "Only Look At Me", and released it as a digital single, "나만 바라봐 Part 2 (Only Look At Me Part 2)." Both versions were performed at the M.Net MKMF Awards, where each member of Big Bang performed a song with Korean singer Hyori Lee.
Sample credits
"Hot" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, taken as the third single from her third studio album, The Best Damn Thing (2007). The song was written by Lavigne and Evan Taubenfeld, while it was produced by Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. The pop rock ballad talks about her feelings about a boyfriend, who makes her "hot". The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its "old-style" vibe and its anthemic nature. A version of the chorus in Mandarin was released in China and Japan.
Commercially, the song was more successful in Australia, Canada and a few European countries, while it was a commercial disappointment in the United States. Lavigne performed the song at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, American Music Awards, on The Friday Night Project and many more. The music video directed by Matthew Rolston shows Lavigne in a more "sexy" way, with a "1920s burlesque" theme.
After the success of her debut album, Let Go (2002), Lavigne released her second album, Under My Skin (2004), which debuted at number one in more than ten countries, went platinum within one month, and further established Lavigne as a pop icon. Later, a song that was co-written by Lavigne and ultimately cut from the final track list -- "Breakaway"—was later given to Kelly Clarkson, who used it as the title track and lead-off single for her Grammy-winning second album. In July 2006, Lavigne married Sum 41's Deryck Whibley and spent most of the year working on her third album, enlisting blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to play drums, and cherry-picking a variety of producers (including her husband) to helm the recording sessions. Lavigne described the album as "really fast, fun, young, bratty, aggressive, confident, cocky in a playful way."
[Chorus: x2]
I be that chick on the other side, down til I die
When you need me I'll be there boo, I ain't gon' lie
Tell wifey I said hi, lick this, give her a kiss
As I, sit back and laugh about the ep she just missed
[Verse One:]
The chosen one, young lady never shady
Can't fade me, I'm gettin money
No dummy I'm actin funny, only true
thug niggaz with figures, six oh-oh's, I love them oh's
Peep' opposed, so I gotta get mine
The boy is mine, laid up in the whip
Gettin hit, that's the shit
Leanin to the back, gettin freaky like that
Who's fuckin with that, a 600 to a Hatch
Catch my flows, hittin you with low blows
Real chick on the side, take em for a long ride
Watchin my flicks, talkin slick
Kickin in doors, with the four-four
Smash you tricks, not your average chick
I cop guns and whips for you whores, mashin
It's all thugged out, your wife lose your her life
[Verse Two:]
Girl I can't stand when he ain't around
He makes me nervous, takin trips out of town
to knock off this weight, but I truly understand
Money's sweet in Albany he gettin two hundred a gram
God forbid he get locked, or even worse bodied
What the fuck I'ma do, besides him I got nobody
Do he cheat? Probably, so what? I plays the mistress
in a see-through dress, then guess, what's in the chest
Nothin but gold and diamonds
Young thing, hard to find one
Bobby Brown on the lips, petiteness
Hotness, whoo, I'm talkin slick
[Verse Three:]
Start a new beginnin never endin now I'm spendin
If enemy do', I got to let you know
I like the taste of moolah, do I have to school y'all?
His and hers mountain bikes, always livin right
My man keeps me tight, dressed in the best
Nothin more nothin less, caressin, blessin never stressin
Laid back fessin, it's early mornin, break of dawn and
now I'm yawnin, I take a sneak peek
Still how sweet my man creeps in stash box I hear a knock
Who is it? He said Feds, I'm here to visit
I opened the door, he pushed me on the floor
Searchin my house, why them tricks had to run they mouth?
Thangs ain't like it used to be can't you see
Bitch ass wannabes wannabe me
To-tti, whatchu gonna do when I come for you?
The same thing you been doin
Hot or HOT may refer to:
WorldNews.com | 28 Oct 2020
Russia Today | 27 Oct 2020
BBC News | 28 Oct 2020
Russia Today | 28 Oct 2020
China.dot.org | 28 Oct 2020


text:
ROUND MOUND OF REVIEWMonday, June 20th, 2011
OUTSIDE THE PAINTMonday, June 20th, 2011
Time for Dan Le Batard to get sized for a new suit – a Speedo that is. Barkley and South Florida radio personality Le Batard bet on the outcome of the Heat-Mavericks championship series when it was tied up at two all. Chuck wanted to wager dinner at hot spot Prime One Twelve. But when Dan boldly suggested raising the stakes, Barkley proposed taping the "Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" live from a South Beach bar, with the loser suited up in a Speedo. Dan took a gamble that will probably haunt him for the rest of his career in sports journalism when he agreed to the "unholy" parameters. Understandably rattled after Miami dropped Game 5, Dan admitted to being scared going into elimination Game 6. And surely Dan is the Heatles fan who's most upset about the outcome. Check back to see if Le Batard will take the heat and make good on his bet with Barkley!


text:
Edward Lear#86 on top 500 poets
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Limerick:There Was A Young Girl Of Majorca
There was a Young Girl of Majorca,
Whose aunt was a very fast walker;
She walked seventy miles,
And leaped fifteen stiles,
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
The Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) is a global nonprofit organization founded by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. We are dedicated to sharing Nonviolent Communication (NVC) around the world, and, to that end, we offer International Intensive Trainings and we certify individuals as trainers.
NVC is about connecting with ourselves and others from the heart. It's about seeing the humanity in all of us. It's about recognizing our commonalities and differences and finding ways to make life wonderful for all of us.
Let us help you discover:
- Ways to Learn NVC
- How to connect with CNVC Certified Trainers
- How to Donate to CNVC
Please contact us?if you have questions or celebrations, or if you need assistance.


text:
Learn more about Doreen Virtue, angel therapy, and angels in general . Angels are identified as messengers of God, in the Hebrew tradition, Christian Bible and Quran. The word comes from a Greek translation of the word mal'akh (messenger) originally found in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The word messenger is interpreted in different ways, as either a messenger from God, an aspect of God, or God Himself as the messenger.
The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of spiritual beings found in many other religious traditions. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks. The theological study of angels is known as angelology. In accordance with the descriptions in Revelation 4:6-8, angels are often depicted with wings; however, in the Bible, only the higher grades of angels (cherubim and seraphim) are described has having wings, and in ancient pictures they are often showing only their faces and wings, in heavenly contexts and not performing tasks on earth.
What is AmAre?
In Italian, AmAre means "to love"; in English, interconnectedness: (I)Am (we) Are. AmAre stands for being:
A – Aware and Accepting
M – Meaningful and Motivated
A – Active and Attentive
R – Resilient and Respectful
E – Eating properly and Exercising
You can measure your AmAre Index on https://amareway.org/ which also publishes daily updates about spiritual insights and evidence-based research, to facilitate living a happy and meaningful life for the benefit of all beings. It hosts guest-posts from leading researchers and practitioners in different fields, from neuroscience to First Nations' wisdom, from Dharma to positive psychology, etc.
Doreen Virtue and angel therapy
Doreen Virtue was born on 29th April 1958. She is an esteemed author, and facilitator of workshops centered around angels, and angel-oriented therapy, chakras, goddesses, Ascended Masters, Indigo Children, and other spiritual topics.
Doreen is best known for her book Messages From Your Angels, which has sold over 700,000 copies, and her Angels themed deck of cards. As a child, Doreen said to see dead people. She now says to be able to see guardian angels of everyone, even over the telephone.
Doreen has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from California Coast University. She has spoken and written on a range of concepts such as Indigo Children and numerology. Her first published works were in the genre of psychological self-help and healthy-eating. It is Doreen's carjacking attempt in 1995 that brought her to her current career path. She says that the attackers were driven off after a voice told her to scream at the top of her lungs and passers-by came to her aid. She says she rediscovered clairvoyant abilities she had possessed since childhood and dedicated herself to following and teaching about divine guidance.
Doreen primarily publishes through Hay House, which focuses on New Age books and materials and was started by author Louise Hay. Hay House also sponsors her internet radio show and many of her workshops and seminars worldwide. Books authored by Doreen Virtue include:
Angel Therapy published November 1997 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-397-4
Chakra Clearing published October 1998 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-566-7
Healing With the Fairies published May 2001 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-807-0
The Care and Feeding of the Indigo Children published May 2001 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-846-1
Angel Visions II published October 2001 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-850-X
Earth Angels published September 2002 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0048-8
Messages From Your Angels published April 2003 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0049-6
The Crystal Children published June 2003 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0229-4
Archangels and Ascended Masters published March 2004 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0063-1
Crystal Therapy published January 2005 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0467-X
Angel Numbers published March 2005 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0515-3
Angel Medicine published August 2005 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0235-9
Angels 101 published June 2006 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0759-8
Divine Magic published June 2006 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-1033-5
Goddesses and Angels published January 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 978-1-4019-0474-6
Fairies 101 published January 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 978-1-4019-0760-0
Realms of the Earth Angels published January 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-1718-0
The Lightworkers Way published June 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-390-7
Doreen Virtue created her Angel Therapy as a non-denominational spiritual healing method. She works with a person's guardian angels and archangels, healing and bringing Divine Guidance to her clients. In her experience, we all have guardian angels, and these angels perform God's will of peace for us all.By opening to our angels' messages, every aspect of our lives become more peaceful.
By Alban Butler
God does not abandon to mere chance any of His handiworks; by His providence He is everywhere present; not a hair falls from the head or a sparrow to the ground without His knowledge. Not content, however, with yielding such familiar help in all things, not content with affording that existence which He communicates and perpetuates through every living being, He has charged His angels with the ministry of watching and safeguarding every one of His creatures that behold not His face. Kingdoms have their angels assigned to them, and men have their angels; these latter it is whom religion designates as the Holy Guardian Angels. Our Lord says in the Gospel, "Beware lest ye scandalize any of these little ones, for their angels in heaven see the face of My Father." The existence of Guardian Angels is, hence, a. dogma of the Christian faith: this being so, what ought not our respect be for that sure and holy intelligence that is ever present at our side; and how great should our solicitude be, lest, by any act of ours, we offend those eyes which are ever bent upon us in all our ways!
Reflection.—Ah! let us not give occasion, in the language of Holy Scripture, to the angels of peace to weep bitterly.


text:
You don't have any saved vehicles!
Look for this link on your favorites:
Once you've saved some vehicles, you can view them here at any time.
Call (888) 846-2986 to schedule a VIP appointment. Voted the #1 Pre-Owned Car Dealership since 1997. All vehicles come with FREE NH State Inspections, 1st Mini Service, 1 FREE CAR WASH per WEEK and most vehicles come with a 1 year or 12,000 mile engine repair agreement. Check out all our reviews on Google, Dealer Rater, BBB (A+ rated) and Cars.com. 8-Speed Automatic, 4WD, Gideon/Very Dark Atmosphere w/Perforated Leather Appointed Seat Trim. CARFAX One-Owner.
Vehicle pricing includes all offers and incentives. Tax Title and Tags not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by the purchaser. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at 603-669-4100 or by visiting us at the dealership.
**With approved credit. Terms may vary. Monthly payments are only estimates derived from the vehicle price with a month term % interest and % down payment.
*Number of views in last 30 days
† Based on 2019 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
You don't have any saved vehicles!
Look for this link on your favorites:
Once you've saved some vehicles, you can view them here at any time.
603-669-4100Call Now
1278 Hooksett Rd • Hooksett, NH 03106Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 10am-7pm
Open Today! Service: 8am-6pm


text:
Services on Demand
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in Google
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research
On-line version ISSN 2219-0635
Print version ISSN 0030-2465
Onderstepoort j. vet. res. vol.77 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2010
Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XLVIII. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting domestic cats and wild felids in southern Africa
Ivan G. HorakI,II; Heloise HeyneII; Edward F. DonkinIV
IDepartment of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
IIDepartment of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, South Africa
IIIARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Onderstepoort, South Africa
IVDepartment of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Ticks collected from domestic cats (Felis catus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), caracals (Caracal caracal), African wild cats (Felis lybica), black-footed cats (Felis nigripes), a serval (Leptailurus serval), lions (Panthera leo), and leopards (Panthera pardus) were identified and counted. Thirteen species of ixodid ticks and one argasid tick were identified from domestic cats and 17 species of ixodid ticks from wild felids. The domestic cats and wild felids harboured 11 ixodid species in common. The adults of Haemaphysalis elliptica, the most abundant tick species infesting cats and wild felids, were most numerous on a domestic cat in late winter and in mid-summer, during 2 consecutive years. The recorded geographic distribution of the recently described Haemaphysalis colesbergensis, a parasite of cats and caracals, was extended by 2 new locality records in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Keywords: domestic cats; ixodid ticks; 19 species; southern Africa; wild felids
Although several surveys on the ticks infesting domestic dogs in southern Africa have been conducted, little has been done about collecting ticks from domestic cats (Felis catus). The only reported surveys of ticks on domestic cats are those of Horak & Matthee (2003), who identified ticks in 20 collections from cats presented at a private veterinary practice in Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, Apanaskevich & Horak (2008), who identified ticks collected from 4 cats at Colesberg in the Eastern Cape Province and a single cat at Prince Albert in the Western Cape Province, and Horak et al. (2000), who collected ticks from 7 feral cats in the Kruger National Park. Horak & Matthee (2003) recorded 5 ixodid tick species from cats at Stellenbosch, Apanaskevich & Horak (2008) described a new species, Haemapysalis colesbergensis, from the collections which they had examined, and Horak et al. (2000) recovered 7 ixodid tick species from feral cats in the Kruger National Park.
Considerably more time has been devoted to the ticks infesting wild felids than to those on domestic cats. Horak et al. (1987c; 2000) examined collections from 6 wild felid species, of which caracals (Caracal caracal) and lions (Panthera leo) accounted for the majority. They recorded 22 ixodid tick species from the 90 felids that were examined.
Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, Horak and Heyne have identified ticks in chance collections made by themselves and others from domestic cats and from wild felids. Furthermore, Donkin has collected ticks regularly from his family cat over a period of 26 consecutive months. This paper documents our findings on the identities and numbers of ticks collected from domestic cats and from wild felids in southern Africa.
Ticks were collected from 130 domestic cats (Felis catus), 23 cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), 21 caracals, 3 African wild cats (Felis lybica), 5 black-footed cats (Felis nigripes), a single serval, Leptailurus serval, 9 lions and 8 leopards (Panthera pardus). The collections from domestic cats, caracals, African wild cats, black-footed cats and the serval were all made in South Africa. Those from cheetahs were undertaken in South Africa and Namibia, while the collections from lions and leopards were carried out in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The ticks were gathered from domestic cats by their owners or by us, and we have construed the 26 consecutive monthly collections from Donkin's cat as though they were taken from 26 separate cats. Ticks were taken from wild felids by veterinarians, animal health technicians, or researchers, while the animals were immobilised for translocation or other purposes; however, complete collections were rarely possible. The species of animal which were host to the ticks, the date and the locality of the collection were recorded. If ticks were not immediately stored in 70% ethanol in glass or plastic vials until assessment, they were transferred to this medium as soon as they had been examined.
The Donkin family cat appeared to be a dominant male that roamed freely around the surrounding properties in the 'Die Wilgers' suburb of eastern Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa. From June 2004 to July 2006, all visible ticks were taken from this cat at weekly intervals or less. The ticks collected during each month were pooled and separately preserved as described, until they were identified and counted, and their numbers used to determine the seasonal abundance of adult Haemaphysalis elliptica.
The numbers and species of ticks collected from domestic cats, the number of cats infested with each species and the province in which a particular tick species was collected are summarised in Table 1. A total of 13 ixodid tick species and 1 argasid species were recovered from the domestic cats, and of these, H. elliptica, followed by H. colesbergensis were the most predominant. The ticks taken from various wild felids, and the province or country in which they were collected, are summarised in Tables 2-6. Of the 17 ixodid tick species recovered from wild felids, H. elliptica was again the most numerous. Eleven ixodid tick species were common to the domestic cats and wild felids.
Amblyomma hebraeum
Adult Amblyomma hebraeum are parasites of very large herbivores such as domestic cattle, African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), elands (Taurotragus oryx), giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), and white and black rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum and Diceros bicornis) (Norval 1983; Horak et al. 1987b; Walker 1991; Horak, Golezardy & Uys 2007). The immature stages, particularly the larvae, attach to the same hosts as the adult ticks, as well as small domestic ruminants, a large variety of smaller wild ruminants, domestic and wild carnivores, scrub hares (Lepus saxatilis), ground-frequenting birds and leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis) (Horak et al. 1987b, 2000, 2007; Dower, Petney & Horak 1988; Horak, Emslie & Spickett 2001). It is thus not surprising that two of the cats and a leopard were infested with immature ticks, while a single cheetah and a lion harboured a few adult ticks.
Amblyomma marmoreum
The adults and nymphs of Amblyomma marmoreum are parasites particularly of leopard tortoises (Horak et al. 2006), whereas the larvae will infest leopard tortoises and the same hosts as those listed above for the larvae of A. hebraeum (Horak et al. 1987b, 2006). Wild felids feature prominently amongst these host species, with collections recorded from feral cats, cheetahs, caracals, lions and leopards (Horak et al. 1987c, 2000).
Haemaphysalis colesbergensis
This tick has been described only recently in collections made from domestic cats in the Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces (Apanaskevich & Horak 2008). It had already been recorded on caracals in the Eastern Cape Province during 1984 and 1985, but at the time was incorrectly identified as Haemaphysalis leachi (Horak et al. 1987c). Upon re-examination, the species proved to be H. colesbergensis.
The preference of H. colesbergensis for domestic cats and caracals as hosts is now confirmed by the collections reported here. This tick species harvested from domestic cats at Fraserburg and Calvinia, in the Northern Cape Province, indicates new locality records. Taken in conjunction with previous records (Apanaskevich & Horak 2008), the species is present in the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces in regions with a semi-arid to arid climate.
Haemaphysalis elliptica
In South Africa and parts of southern Africa, this species was known as H. leachi, with which it had previously been synonymised. However, Apanaskevich, Horak & Camicas (2007) resurrected the name H. elliptica, and proved that it was a valid old southern African taxon. Furthermore, they showed that H. leachi sensu stricto is a separate taxon, which is present further north in Africa, and after re-examination of many of the specimens from earlier surveys in South Africa, came to the conclusion that all of those identified as H. leachi were, in fact, H. elliptica.
H. elliptica is a three-host species of which the larvae and nymphs use murid rodents as hosts (Norval 1984; Matthee et al. 2007) and are only exceptionally encountered on the same carnivore hosts as the adults (Apanaskevich et al. 2007). It is one of the major species that was collected from domestic dogs in two surveys conducted in Mozambique (Neves, Afonso & Horak 2004; De Matos, et al. 2008), and in several surveys conducted on dogs in South Africa (Horak et al. 1987c, 2001; Horak 1995; Jacobs et al. 2001; Horak & Matthee 2003; Nyangiwe, Horak & Bryson 2006). It was also the most abundant and prevalent tick on domestic cats in a study conducted in the Western Cape province (Horak & Matthee 2003). Furthermore, large numbers have been collected from the three largest wild cats in South Africa, namely cheetahs, lions and leopards (Horak et al. 1987c, 2000). With the exception of the survey carried out by De Matos et al. (2008), in which the name H. elliptica was used for this tick, all of these surveys refer to this species as H. leachi.
The relatively large number of domestic cats now recorded as infested, and the large numbers of ticks regularly collected from the Donkin family cat, establish H. elliptica as a major parasite of these animals. It is the vector of Babesia rossi in dogs (Lewis et al. 1996 [then referred to as H. leachi]), but whether it also transmits Babesia felis to cats remains to be demonstrated.
Seasonal fluctuations in the monthly numbers of adult H. elliptica harvested from the family cat are illustrated graphically in Figure 1. Although deducing the seasonality of a tick species from collections taken from a single host animal is decidedly risky, the fact that the collections were made over a period of 2 years and resulted in a reasonably similar annual pattern, somewhat underpins the results obtained by this approach. The number of ticks recovered monthly from the cat increased erratically from the commencement of the survey in June 2004, reaching a peak during January 2006. Within this increasing pattern of infestation, tick numbers reached minor peaks in August 2004 and 2005 (late winter), with major peaks during the mid-summer months of January and February 2005, and December 2005 and January 2006. Despite the smaller numbers of adult ticks present in late summer and winter, their presence during these seasons indicates that the life cycle of H. elliptica continues throughout the year in Pretoria. This pattern of seasonality is similar to that on domestic dogs belonging to people in rural communities in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (Horak et al. 2001).
Only 13 nymphs were recovered along with the total of 1785 adult H. elliptica collected from the cats, and 12 nymphs from the wild felids, indicating that these animals alone would not be able to maintain this species. It also implies that there must have been an abundance of murid rodents in the vicinity to serve as hosts for the immature stages of the tick (Braack et al. 1996).
Haemaphysalis zumpti
According to Walker (1991), the adults of Haemaphysalis zumpti are parasites of small carnivores. The presence of H. zumpti on a single domestic cat, 5 black-footed cats and 6 caracals, while none were collected from cheetahs, lions and leopards, confirms this observation.
Hyalomma truncatum
Adults of Hyalomma truncatum prefer domestic cattle and large, wild bovids as hosts (Norval 1982; Horak et al. 2007), but a single tick has been collected from an African wild cat and 4 from a lion in Zimbabwe (Norval 1982), while in South Africa single ticks have also been taken from a cheetah and two lions (Horak et al. 2000). The 3 infested lions were all examined within the core distribution range of this tick in southern Africa (Theiler 1962; Walker 1991).
Ixodes corwini
The original description of Ixodes corwini by Keirans, Clifford, & Walker (1982) is based on a tick collected from a Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) in the Western Cape Province, and it was also recorded by them as present on mongooses and genets. Horak et al. (1987c) recovered I. corwini from dogs on smallholdings near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province, and we now report it as present on domestic cats in the same region, as well as from East London in the same province, and from Knysna in the Western Cape Province.
Ixodes pilosus group
There appear to be 3 possible species within this group (McKay 1994). Although ticks in this complex have a very wide host range, including domestic dogs, caracals, various antelopes and scrub hares (Horak et al. 1987c; Horak & Boomker 1998), large numbers of adult ticks are seldom taken from a single host. The collection of ticks from 2 cats and 2 caracals in this study and from 7 cats in a survey by Horak & Matthee (2003), confirms a partiality of this group for felids. Horak et al. (1987c) recorded adult ticks mainly from January to May on 22 caracals examined in the Eastern Cape Province.
Ixodes rubicundus
Although Stampa (1959), Theiler (1962), Horak, Moolman & Fourie (1987a) and Walker (1991) all record caracals amongst a variety of other mammals as hosts of adult Ixodes rubicundus, none of them has mentioned its presence on domestic cats or dogs. Jacobs et al. (2001) report the occurrence of 7 ticks of this species on dogs and Horak & Matthee (2003), who harvested ticks from dogs and cats, record the presence of 9 such ticks on dogs, but none on cats. The presence of I. rubicundus ticks on 2 domestic cats in our study suggests that they may be good hosts of this species, but that their usually owner-restricted home ranges preclude the likelihood of their becoming infested. Ticks of this species were collected from 2 of the 3 African wild cats examined and 8 of the 21 caracals. Stampa (1959) recovered ticks from both these felid species. The immature stages of I. rubicundus infest elephant shrews (Elephantulus spp.), and Smith's red rock rabbits (Pronolagus rupestris), and the adults infest sheep, goats and cattle, as well as various wild bovids (Stampa 1959; Horak et al. 1987a; Fourie, Kok & Heyne 1996; Fourie, Horak & Woodall 2005). Careful examination of caracals has, however, indicated that they are infested by all stages of development of this species (Horak et al. 1987a, 1987c), and that they can therefore most likely support the life cycle of the tick in the absence of all other host species.
Other Ixodes species
A single Ixodes myotomus female was collected from a domestic cat. This species normally infests bush Karoo rats (Otomys unisulcatus) (Walker 1991), and the cat may have become naturally infested, or it could have acquired infestation by eating a rat on which an unattached or loosely attached female tick was present. However, the geographic distribution of O. unisulcatus does not include the Pretoria district, where the tick was recovered, and we must therefore assume that other murid rodent species can also harbour I. myotomus. A relatively large number of Ixodes spp. nymphs, of which the largest proportion probably belonged to the Ixodes pilosus group, were recovered from domestic cats, and two were taken from caracals. A cat also harboured a single Ixodes sp. male, and cats and caracals Ixodes spp. females, which we were unable to identify.
Rhipicentor bicornis
The genus Rhipicentor contains only two species, and the distributions of both are restricted to Africa (Theiler 1961, 1962; Walker 1991). The hosts of the immature stages of Rhipicentor bicornis are unknown, but as in the case of Rhipicentor nuttalli, are likely to be rock elephant shrews (Elephantulus myurus). Theiler (1962) records adult R. bicornis on jackals, genets and several wild felids. In this study, 10 cheetahs, a lion and a leopard in Namibia, as well as a single caracal in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, were infested with adult ticks.
Rhipicentor nuttalli
Fourie et al. (2002) have demonstrated that rock elephant shrews are the preferred hosts of the immature stages of this three-host tick. The adults target domestic dogs, hyaenas, lions, leopards, South African hedgehogs (Atelerix frontalis) and porcupines (Hystrix africaeaustralis) (Theiler 1962; Norval & Colborne 1985; Walker 1991; Horak et al. 2000). In this study, a single domestic cat, 5 cheetahs, 2 caracals and a leopard were infested with adult ticks. Theiler (1962) mentions that the adults are common on domestic dogs in the Clanwilliam district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, and in the Omaruru district, Namibia, during late summer. Infestation with adult ticks can lead to paralysis in dogs (Perchman 1976; Norval & Colborne 1985).
Rhipicephalus capensis
The distribution of Rhipicephalus capensis is restricted to South Africa in a narrow zone along the western coast of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, with a single occurrence recorded in the Eastern Cape Province (Walker, Keirans & Horak 2000). We collected a single female tick from a leopard in the Western Cape Province in this study.
Rhipicephalus gertrudae
Rhipicephalus gertrudae is present only in South Africa and Namibia (Walker et al. 2000). It is a three-host tick and its adults feed on cattle, sheep, wild bovids and domestic and wild carnivores, while its immature stages prefer murid rodents (Walker et al. 2000; Matthee et al. 2007). Until 2000, only three adult R. gertrudae had been recorded on domestic dogs and none from cats (Walker et al. 2000). However, as soon as surveys were conducted within its distribution range, this situation changed. Jacobs et al. (2001) collected R. gertrudae from 7 dogs examined in central Free State Province, while Horak & Matthee (2003) found 83 instances on dogs and 2 on domestic cats in the Western Cape Province. We now add a further 5 instances from cats, and 3 from caracals to the existing 3 records for caracals, as well as a cheetah in Namibia, as a new host record.
In the southern and north-western winter rainfall regions of South Africa, R. gertrudae is found predominantly on sheep and dogs during May to October (Horak & Fourie 1992; Horak & Matthee 2003). In Namibia and in the semi-arid regions of the western central summer rainfall region of South Africa, it is most abundant on cattle from September or October, to February or March (Biggs & Langenhoven 1984; Fourie, Kok & Heyne 1996).
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
It may appear illogical to include a discussion on a tick species that was not even collected in this study, but the mere fact of its absence is significant. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and H. elliptica have been the most abundant tick species found on domestic dogs during the various surveys conducted on these animals in southern Africa (Goldsmid 1963; Horak 1995; Bryson et al. 2000; Jacobs et al. 2001; Horak & Matthee, 2003; Neves et al. 2004; De Matos et al. 2008). However, not a single R. sanguineus was recovered from domestic cats or wild felids in our survey, or in that conducted on 23 species of wild carnivores by Horak et al. (2000), or that by Horak & Matthee (2003) on domestic cats in the Western Cape Province. These findings serve as additional confirmation of the near-strict host preference of R. sanguineus for domestic dogs.
Rhipicephalus simus
Rhipicephalus simus replaces R. gertrudae in the more moist eastern regions of South Africa, and its immature and adult stages have the same host preferences as R. gertrudae (Walker et al. 2000). Although Walker et al. (2000) list only a single collection of R. simus from a domestic cat, they record several from wild felids. Horak et al. (2000) added 2 instances of R. simus on cheetahs, 17 on lions and 2 on leopards to this list, while this study adds 4 from domestic cats and 1 each from a cheetah and a lion.
Rhipicephalus turanicus
The identities of Rhipicephalus turanicus and R. sanguineus have been confused so frequently that numerous incorrect host records for R. sanguineus have been published. Both ticks occur on domestic dogs, sometimes even simultaneously (De Matos et al. 2008), but with extremely rare exceptions, it is R. turanicus, and not R. sanguineus that is recovered from hosts other than domestic dogs (Walker et al. 2000). The adults of R. turanicus have a very wide host range, including nearly all domestic animals, as well as wild canids, felids, suids, equids, bovids, leporids and even some of the larger species of birds (Walker et al. 2000). Walker et al. (2000) record 4 occurrences of R. turanicus on domestic cats and 35 on wild felids, to which we now add 2 from cats and 2 from lions.
Other Rhipicephalus species
The collection of a Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi nymph from a caracal and its adults from a leopard should be viewed as accidental or opportunistic infestations, as this tick does not normally target felids (Walker et al. 2000). The stable cat from which an adult Rhipicephalus zambeziensis was recovered is likely to have acquired infestation from a stray tick during a study involving this tick species. R. zambezienis adults have been collected previously from cheetahs, lions and leopards (Horak et al. 2000; Walker et al. 2000).
Otobius megnini
The spinose ear tick, as this argasid tick species is known colloquially, is dependent for its survival on man-made structures and the micro-environment in its immediate vicinity. Hence its presence in the ears of cattle that are confined at night in stone kraals, calves reared in unplastered calf-pens constructed from bricks (Howell, Walker & Nevill 1978; Fourie & Horak 1990), stabled horses, people that ride or that are associated with horses (Naudé et al. 2001; Huchzermeyer 2002), or dogs and cats kept in the vicinity of infested premises. Some of the cats examined in this study were stable cats, and one of them harboured 40 Otobius megnini nymphs in its ears.
Nineteen ixodid tick species were recovered from domestic cats and the seven species of wild felids that inhabit South Africa. The cats and wild felids are good hosts of only one tick species of veterinary importance, which is H. elliptica, the vector of B. rossi to domestic dogs.
The authors acknowledge with gratitude the collections of ticks made from domestic cats by Drs Maureen Baker, Jenny Randles, and the late Amy Jacot Guillarmod, from black-footed cats by Dr Nadine Lamberski, and from cheetahs and a leopard by Prof. H.J. Bertschinger. The study was funded by the University of Pretoria, the University of the Free State and the National Research Foundation.
Apanaskevich, D.A., Horak, I.G. & Camicas, J.-L., 2007, 'Redescription of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) elliptica (Koch, 1844), an old taxon of the Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) leachi group from East and southern Africa, and of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) leachi (Audouin, 1826) (Ixodida, Ixodidae)', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 74, 181-207. [ Links ]
Apanaskevich, D.A. & Horak, I.G., 2008, 'Two new species of African Haemaphysalis ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), carnivore parasites of the H. (Rhipistoma) leachi group', Journal of Parasitology 94, 594-607. [ Links ]
Biggs, H.C. & Langenhoven, J.W., 1984, 'Seasonal prevalence of ixodid ticks on cattle in the Windhoek District of South West Africa/Namibia', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 51, 175-182. [ Links ]
Braack, L.E.O., Horak, I.G., Jordaan, L.C., Segerman, J. & Louw, J.P., 1996, 'The comparative host status of red veld rats (Aethomys chrysophilus) and bushveld gerbils (Tatera leucogaster) for epifaunal arthropods in the southern Kruger National Park, South Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 63, 149-158. [ Links ]
Bryson, N.R., Horak, I.G., Höhn, E.W. & Louw, J.P., 2000, 'Ectoparasites of dogs belonging to people in resource-poor communities in North West Province, South Africa', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 71, 175-179. [ Links ]
De Matos, C., Sitoe, C., Neves, L., Bryson, N.R. & Horak, I.G., 2008, 'Ixodid ticks on dogs belonging to people in rural communities and villages in Maputo Province, Mozambique', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 75, 103-108. [ Links ]
Dower, K.M., Petney, T.N. & Horak, I.G., 1988, 'The developmental success of Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma marmoreum on the leopard tortoise, Geochelone pardalis',Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 55, 11-13. [ Links ]
Fourie, L.J. & Horak, I.G., 1990, 'Parasites of cattle in the south-western Orange Free State', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 61, 27-28. [ Links ]
Fourie, L.J., Kok, D.J. & Heyne, H., 1996 'Adult ixodid ticks on two cattle breeds in the south-western Free State, and their seasonal dynamics', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 63, 19-23. [ Links ]
Fourie, L.J., Horak, I.G., Kok, D.J. & Van Zyl, W., 2002, 'Hosts, seasonal occurrence and life cycle of Rhipicentor nuttalli (Acari: Ixodidae)', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 69, 177-187. [ Links ]
Fourie, L.J., Horak, I.G. & Woodall, P.F., 2005, 'Elephant shrews as hosts of immature ixodid ticks', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 72, 293-301. [ Links ]
Goldsmid, J.M., 1963, 'Ticks infesting dogs in the Salisbury area of Southern Rhodesia', Journal of the South African Veterinary Medical Association 34, 609-610. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., 1995, 'Ixodid ticks collected at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, from dogs diagnosed with Babesia canis infection', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 66, 170-171. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., Moolman, L.C. & Fourie, L.J., 1987a, 'Some wild hosts of the Karoo paralysis tick, Ixodes rubicundus Neumann, 1904 (Acari: Ixodidae)', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 49-51. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., MacIvor, K.M. De F., Petney, T.N. & De Vos, V., 1987b, 'Some avian and mammalian hosts of Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma marmoreum (Acari: Ixodidae)', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 397-403. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., Jacot Guillarmod, A., Moolman, L.C. & De Vos, V., 1987c, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXII. Ixodid ticks on domestic dogs and on wild carnivores', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 573-580. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G. & Fourie, L.J., 1992, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXI. Adult ixodid ticks on sheep in the Cape Province and in the Orange Free State', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 59, 275-283. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G. & Boomker, J., 1998, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXV. Ixodid ticks and bot fly larvae in the Bontebok National Park', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 65, 205-211. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., Braack, L.E.O., Fourie, L.J. & Walker, J.B., 2000, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXVIII. Ixodid ticks collected from 23 wild carnivore species', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 67, 239-250. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., Emslie, F.R. & Spickett, A.M., 2001, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XL. Ticks on dogs belonging to people in rural communities and carnivore ticks on the vegetation', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 68, 135-141. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G. & Matthee, S., 2003, 'Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XLIII. Ixodid ticks of domestic dogs and cats in the Western Cape Province', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research70, 187-195. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., McKay, I.J., Heyne, H. & Spickett, A.M., 2006, 'Hosts, seasonality and geographic distribution of the South African tortoise tick, Amblyomma marmoreum', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 73, 13-25. [ Links ]
Horak, I.G., Golezardy, H. & Uys, A.C., 2007, 'Ticks associated with the three largest wild ruminant species in southern Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 74, 231-242. [ Links ]
Howell, C.J., Walker, J.B. & Nevill, E.M., 1978, 'Ticks, mites and insects infesting domestic animals in South Africa', Part 1, Descriptions and biology, Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Republic of South Africa, Science Bulletin, No. 393, 69 pp. [ Links ]
Huchzermeyer, H.F., 2002, 'Another human ear tick case', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 72:2. [ Links ]
Jacobs, P.A.H., Fourie, L.J., Kok, D.J. & Horak, I.G., 2001, 'Diversity, seasonality and sites of attachment of adult ixodid ticks on dogs in the central region of the Free State Province, South Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 68, 281-290. [ Links ]
Keirans, J.E., Clifford, C.M. & Walker, J.B., 1982, 'The Ixodes (Afrixodes) oldi group (Acari: Ixodidae) from sub-Saharan Africa with descriptions of five new species', Journal of Medical Entomology 19, 309-329. [ Links ]
Lewis, B.D., Penzhorn, B.L., Lopez-Rebollar, L.M. & De Waal, D.T., 1996, 'Isolation of a South African vector-specific strain of Babesia canis', Veterinary Parasitology 63, 9-16. [ Links ]
Matthee, S., Horak, I.G., Beaucournu, J-C., Durden, L.A., Ueckermann, E.A. & McGeoch, M.A., 2007, 'Epifaunistic arthropod parasites of the four-striped mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in the Western Cape Province, South Africa', Journal of Parasitology 93, 47-59. [ Links ]
McKay, I.J., 1994, 'Two new species of ixodid ticks closely related to Ixodespilosus (Acari: Ixodidae)', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 65, 158. [ Links ]
Naudé, T.W., Heyne, H., Van der Merwe, I.R. & Benic, M.J., 2001, 'Spinose ear tick, Otobius megnini (Dugès, 1884) as the cause of an incident of painful otitis externa in humans', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 72, 118-119. [ Links ]
Neves, L., Afonso, S. & Horak, I.G., 2004, 'Ixodid ticks on dogs in and around Maputo and elsewhere in Mozambique', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 71, 279-283. [ Links ]
Norval, R.A.I., 1982, 'The ticks of Zimbabwe. IV. The genus Hyalomma',Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 13, 2-10. [ Links ]
Norval, R.A.I., 1983, 'The ticks of Zimbabwe. VII. The genus Amblyomma' Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 14, 3-18. [ Links ]
Norval, R.A.I., 1984, 'The ticks of Zimbabwe. IX. Haemaphysalis leachi and Haemaphysalis spinulosa', Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal, 15, 9-17. [ Links ]
Norval, R.A.I. & Colborne, J., 1985, 'The ticks of Zimbabwe. X. The genera Dermacentor and Rhipicentor', Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 16, 1-4. [ Links ]
Nyangiwe, N., Horak, I.G. & Bryson, N.R., 2006, 'Ixodid ticks on dogs in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 73, 305-309. [ Links ]
Perchman, G.E., 1976, 'Rhipicentor infestation in the dog: a case report', Rhodesian Veterinary Journal 7, 15-16. [ Links ]
Stampa, S., 1959, 'Tick paralysis in the Karoo areas of South Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 28, 169-227 + 1 map. [ Links ]
Theiler, G., 1961, 'A contribution to the knowledge of African Ixodidae. The genus Rhipicentor', Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 66, 297-308. [ Links ]
Theiler, G., 1962, 'The Ixodoidea Parasites of Vertebrates in Africa South of the Sahara (Ethiopian Region)', Project S 9958, Report to the Director of Veterinary Services, Onderstepoort. Mimeographed, 260 pp. [ Links ]
Walker, J.B., 1991, 'A review of the ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) occurring in southern Africa', Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 58, 81-105. [ Links ]
Walker, J.B., Keirans, J.E. & Horak, I.G., 2000, 'The genus Rhipicephalus (Acari, Ixodidae): a guide to the brown ticks of the world', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [ Links ]
Correspondence to:
Ivan Horak
Postal address: Faculty of Veterinary Science
Private Bag X04
Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 19 April 2010
Accepted: 10 Aug. 2010
Published: 24 Nov. 2010
This article is available at: http://www.ojvr.org
© 2010. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.


text:
Most Popular Searches
- Apartments for Rent
- Jobs offers
- Apartments for Rent in Abyei
- Apartments for Rent in Akobo
- Apartments for Rent inAweil
- Apartments for Rent in Bentiu (Bantiu)
- Cars for Sale
- classified Aweil
- houses Aweil
- mobile south sudan
- ads south sudan Aweil
- classifieds Aweil
- mobile version Aweil
- sudan Aweil
- local Aweil
- south Aweil
- afribaba Aweil
- Apartment for Rent
- Houses for sale in Abyei
- Houses for sale in Akobo
- Houses for sale in Aweil
- Property - Housing Aweil
Do you have something to sell, to rent, any service to offer or a job offer?
Post it at ss.afribaba.com, it is 100% free ✔, local ✔, easy ✔, reliable ✔ and super fast ✔
Sell, Offer, Rent, Bargain, Search, Buy all you want for free. Yes 100% free Aweil Property - Housing
Are you looking for a job? Upload your resume online at the Job search section of ss.afribaba.com 100% free.


text:
Crampton races to first Top Fuel victory
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Richie Crampton raced to his first career Top Fuel victory Sunday in the NHRA Summernationals to become the 100th category winner in NHRA history.
Crampton, the Australian making his ninth career start, powered his Morgan Lucas Racing-owned dragster to a 3.819-second pass at 320.51 mph to beat points leader Doug Kalitta at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.
"This is all surreal right now," Crampton said. "I'm really just living the dream. I know that sounds cliche, but I'm just lucky to be in the position I'm at in my personal life and my career."
Cruz Pedregon won in Funny Car, Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Pedregon was the class of the Funny Car field all weekend, going from No. 1 qualifier to the race victory with a 4.126 at 301.33 in his Toyota Camry over Del Worsham. Pedregon won for the first time this season to push his career total to 35.
Coughlin race to his second Pro Stock victory of the season and 58th overall, beating Greg Anderson in the final round. Coughlin, the defending and five-time season champion, has reached the final in the last three events, also winning in Georgia and finishing second last weekend in Kansas.
Hines beat Harley-Davidson teammate Eddie Krawiec in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final for his second victory of the year and 34th overall.