text:
Then Sherlock shook his head. Katrya's long, lean frame leaned back to stare up at him. She crossed her arms and distinctly didn't look the silhouette of a woman admitting defeat.
John drew back behind the dust covered furnishings between their areas and sat on his bed. He couldn't keep from uttering a few chuckles as he strapped on the shoulder rig and pulled on his coat. He had hold of himself by the time he stepped into his boots. Sherlock settled on the bed across from him with a huff, and rubbed both his eyes as if they were itchy. "The Russians…"
"A fiery people," John said. And then burst into giggles. He covered his mouth with one hand.
"Oh, of course," Sherlock said fervently, his voice quiet and urgent, "of course you had to see that." He gave his face an uncharacteristic rub. "But no matter how unfortunate Katrya's taste in men, it shouldn't cost her life. As we left London last night, Zyza's men were also on the move. They successfully tracked her to St. Thomas' Hospital." Sherlock made a soft pop with his lips. "Slooow."
"How do you know?" John's eyebrows drew up. "How do you know they did that?"
"When you snatched my phone at the restaurant – this was before you looked at me like I needed to be skinned; funny, by the way – I was monitoring the cameras at St. Tomas'. Their system isn't terribly hard to hack. Either they had a criminal convention, or Zyza's men had a look around. Zyza must have considered that his wife would take their child to hospital, possibly for burns, certainly to have doctors check her pulmonary function. They will have seen the security tapes by now. I have a lot of enemies. It won't take them long to find out who I am."
John jolted. "Oh my God, Sarah!"
"Yes. I've already called to tell her. Likewise, I've arranged for Mrs. Hudson to head out of town. I paid her fare to visit with relatives, and, since the flat, Sarah, and even Molly is under police monitor by Lestrade right now, it's under control."
John sucked a heavy breath and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Sherlock snatched it away. "Don't panic and call her. She's not stupid. If you do that, she'll be inclined to panic. Have faith in three things – Sarah knows; Lestrade is overzealous; and the Russians really don't want to be noticed by the Met if at all possible."
Slowly, John settled back into the duvet. "What do we do to stop all this?"
"Well, we need to move rugs and get off the property in the cleaning van under the noses of the police," Sherlock pointed out. "Not so hard from there. We just need to get back into London and lure out Zyza with the one thing he wants most – Katrya."
John shook his head. "But…."
"Of course it won't be her," Sherlock sighed. "I have someone else working on that assignment." Sherlock got to his feet at the signal of Sir Ian's staff at the door. "Besides, can you see Katrya Vahtin Zyza hiking rugs in and out of this house?"
John smiled on the way down the stairs in Sherlock's wake.
He had a nagging desire to finish the conversation that Sherlock had cut short, but there was simply too much going on for that to be of any relevance anymore. Except for the fact that it persisted in John's mind long after they'd joined the other teams toting rugs in and out, vanished into vans, and escaped the property headed for downtown London.
London was muggy. They got out of one of three trucks lugging rugs. Sherlock slid between men unloading, and walked through the open doors at the back of the shop into a thick mist. He pulled up the grey hoodie on the black coat he wore against light rain.
The look on his face, as John pulled even with him, was just short of ecstatic. He was about to match wits with Zyza and his men, and Sherlock couldn't be happier about it. They hunched, together, against the drizzle. Sherlock hardly seemed himself his stalk down the road was so aggressive. John kept up, but was unable to match his chameleon friend for the brashness that was flashed in even his small movements. He was like a completely different man. On the way across a street, he plucked the cigarette from the fingers of a young smoker and winked at her.
But she only smiled and blushed. John was stupefied.
Cocky. Capable. Brilliant. Strange.
And yet, somehow, Sherlock fit into the crowd now. Now that he was faking it. He blew right by a parked police car, and two officers without a first look. John put his head down and followed. The man was mind-boggling.
They ducked into a line for chips. John happily bought a serving from the food truck. Sherlock stood aside and smoked in the clearing drizzle.
"What's the plan?" John said as he bolted down fries.
Sherlock finished the cigarette and snuffed the butt on the edge of a nearby bin. He chucked the thing once he was sure it wasn't burning. "We need to know where Zyza is?"
"Homeless Network?"
Sherlock was baffled. His dark brows drew up, "You think he's sleeping in a park? My God, that would be stunning."
John sucked the ends of his salty fingertips clean before he chucked the grease spotted newspaper into the rubbish. "So how do we find him?"
"He's looking for me." Holmes knit his fingers and stretched his arms in front of him. His joints popped soundly. Sherlock flicked back his hood and squinted at the sun breaking the clouds above him. "His people are watching the flat. They're very probably watching my associates. But where is Zyza? He's the one we want. If we find his men, there will be clues. We need one of them."
John blinked as they set off through the streets again. "Uh… What?"
"We need one of Zyza's men, and not just anyone. We need one who can get us his location. We don't have the money it would take to bribe one of them, so I'm afraid we're down to taking one and impelling cooperation." Sherlock turned and looked down at John. "We'd need to buy some drugs to help loosen his lips."
John's brows dropped down. "Yeah, no."
Sherlock blinked, "Not for me, John-"
"Not at all." John told him. "Somewhere inside that 1000-odd-kilometers of neurons you're carrying around up there, you've got something better than kidnapping a fellow and drugging him into telling us where Zyza is."
Sherlock's eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure I have something quicker given the limitations." He added onto the end of that, "Or more entertaining."
"Oh yes? Well, it's the world's biggest sugar powered lighting storm in there. Come up with something." John told him. He fussed with the new coat – the third he'd had on in a handful of hours. He didn't like this one at all, as it was too long. But it was a good disguise.
Sherlock, in a short coat with a hood, looked slimmer and taller than ever. It actually looked good on him.
Holmes shut his eyes in irritation. "Fine, we'll do it the long way then." Sherlock skirted a man exiting a cab, and ducked into the back in his wake. It was all one swift motion, so fast it was almost as if he'd dematerialized. In fact, John had to backtrack to find out where Sherlock had gone. Once he'd made the determination that he was inside of the cab, John tucked in beside the man, quickly shut the door and waited for direction.
Sherlock wasted no time in getting across town. The rain had mostly dried up with the sun shining brightly on the city, and there was nothing but puddles and a springlike freshness aloft to betray that the weather had been anything but perfect. Raindrops clung doggedly to traffic lights, mailboxes, and windows, but there was otherwise no hint. The cab first made its way into Lambeth, where it wove through traffic until it made the riverside neighbourhood bordering St. Thomas's Hospital.
They disembarked a good distance from St. Thomas'. Sherlock seemed content to continue on foot. He started with a very wide perimeter around the hospital, which seemed to form some kind of grid pattern inside of his mind. John was only dimly aware of the grid, and much more conscious of the delicacy and attention with which Sherlock examined the streets. His searching within the grid pattern was exhaustive, and mostly John's job in this, was to determine if the coast was clear without understanding how he did so. Holmes didn't seem inclined to give him details on exactly how this method worked. John decided he was satisfied as long as it was successful.
When finally it seemed safe enough that they could meet together, it was in a dim, out-of-the-way place, between hospital buildings. John rested against a brick wall – the outside of some building or other – to catch his breath. How irritating that Sherlock did not seem to be affected by the strenuous search, and instead, paced back and forth, often in the way of general foot traffic. However he had little worry they would be identified by police, or Zyza's men, because they looked like a pair of roustabouts waiting impatiently for a mate to emerge, healed, from St. Thomas'. Sherlock produced another cigarette from his pocket and lit it up.
"Where'd you get that?"
"Left in the cab." Sherlock tossed John the lighter and spoke at high speed. "Crest on the side with Scientia Imperii Decus et Tutamen, re. 'Knowledge is the adornment and protection of the Empire'. From the upkeep, price, and quality of this lighter, the owner is a senior professor at the Imperial College of London – gold embellishments on the crest. He collects lighters, because this is a quality piece, and it would have taken considerable planning to secure one for him. It has a date, thus, it is memorabilia of some kind, presented to him by his faculty of Aeronautics -- the engraving on the top: ὰήρ. Greek for Air."
"So we can return it." John sighed and glanced at Sherlock smoking. "I don't need to tell you that's a bad idea, right?"
"It's an excellent idea. As long as I can't get to my nicotine patches." Sherlock jerked his chin in the direction of the doors. "There. There's our first man. Don't stare."
John glanced down that direction and then back to Holmes. Even as he turned back, Holmes took off at a rollicking walk. He'd slipped into yet another character. He took out his phone and thumped against the man by the doors. When he turned, he rattled off the most natural sounding Welsh dialect at the man, "Sorry there." He turned and continued on.
"Idiot," the man muttered in a heavy Russian accent. He gave his expensive jacket a rough tug.
John followed down the walk several yards back. He passed the attention of the bristling Russian as if he didn't exist, and Sherlock certainly hadn't waited around for him. John saw that as he rounded the building. Sherlock was not to be found. John hurried along, caught himself, and turned back.
He… really hadn't seen Sherlock back there. Oh, but that wasn't quite true either – he'd zipped by Sherlock Holmes, but flatly hadn't recognized him. Holmes was in a throng of people. He was chatting, for God's sake. In particular, he paid compliments to a trio of pretty, young nurses. In fact, one long hand supported a girl by the elbow, as she leaned to adjust her sling-back on a dainty foot. When she was done, Sherlock turned John's way, clearly entertained by whatever expression his doctor friend wore. Sherlock waved himself out from their company, much to their dismay.
He had failed to spot the man. John shut his eyes a moment. His own flatmate.
Sherlock bent over him and said in his ear, "Are you happy?"
"What do you mean?" John opened his eyes and looked up at Sherlock's self-satisfied expression. He was pleased as a cat over spilled milk.
"I didn't grab him," Sherlock clapped John on both shoulders. "And you didn't have to shoot anyone. Aren't you happy, John? I always am, when I get my own way." He gave Watson's good shoulder a final thump and walked back to where they might catch a cab.
"I mean, well, yes, that is good news, Sher-" John hurried after.
"Well you shouldn't be happy. You were dreadful. You missed me completely back there. Honestly, your observational skills are backsliding." Sherlock tut-tutted critically.
John fixed him with a cross expression. "Unfortunately for you, I'm still an excellent shot."
The comment placed a broad smile on Sherlock's face. He was unable to contain his delight at the little exchange, not until they reached the last two cabs waiting about. "Hurry now." He checked his watch, with his lips compressing a little.
John spread his hands. "Wait, what… what did we just do?"
Twenty minutes later, they passed Baker Street. Sherlock used his cell to photograph the license plate of a man whose car idled by the curb. A young girl, on foot, jackknifed into traffic in an aborted attempt to cross the way, and tires squealed on the pavement at the nearby intersection. Sherlock breezed by the passenger door. John, close behind him, didn't miss the fact the man's fingers curled over the butt of a gun inside his jacket. It was certain Sherlock hadn't missed that.
John itched to touch the Browning. He ignored the sensation.
A few streets over, Sherlock paid the girl who'd very nearly caused an accident. She gave a soft nod at the 20£. "Easiest money I made all day." Her accent was so atrocious it made John grin as she took her leave of them.
"Ready?" Sherlock half-turned to ask.
"What are you doing?"
"Police up ahead, here, John. See the reflection of the stripe in the window there? They're by the coffee shop," Sherlock nodded in the direction of the car. "Drop behind me and slow down. We'll go by. Don't look at the car, or if you must, look no higher than the door. Don't look at the officer. Don't look at the car for longer than a count of three. So count in your head – each step is one."
Chameleon lessons. "Anything else?"
"Think of Sarah." Sherlock told him. "Changes your whole posture."
Sherlock walked by like a young buck on the way to pick up his girl. John followed with a baffled expression and did exactly as he'd been told – unable to prevent himself from looking at the police car. It was impossible to think of Sarah when he was questioning how thinking of Sarah could do something as radical as 'change his whole posture'. How did that make sense? It wasn't as if she was there. But the quandary helped him ignore the voice that said 'look into the car, see if you can put a name to the face of the officer'. That would've been a potential disaster.
It took hours of hunting the streets, incredibly physically draining stuff, before Sherlock dropped into the seat of an internet café. John left him there, and went next door for a sub sandwich which he ate in the lobby, as food and drinks weren't allowed around the computers. He bolted down his cup of tea and his lunch before heading in to check Sherlock's progress. He needn't have rushed.
Holmes released a happy, gratified sigh and looked up at John. "Draining but rewarding." He leaned back in his chair and stared at the terminal before him. Several screens were up, as if he was staring at more than one desktop, somehow. It made John cock his head as he grabbed a chair and sank gratefully down beside Holmes. His feet hurt. John watched Sherlock write a few more lines of code into his .bat file, lazily, just so glad to have stopped climbing fences, charging up and down stairs, hauling on fire escapes, running in back streets.
"I should have stayed back, I think." He rubbed his leg, which gave a twinge of complaint.
Sherlock stopped what he was doing and looked down at John's hand. "Stayed back?"
Now John smiled wanly and sighed. "I haven't got those long legs, Sherlock, and mine – psychosomatic, or not, is acting up. I think I'm slowing you down."
Holmes' brow wrinkled. "John," he said quietly, "if at any moment these people catch on to what I'm doing, they'll grab me, beat me, drag me down an alleyway, and shoot me in the face. I'd go out like a light. Just gone."
Not on my watch. The internal retort was reflex. What John actually said was, "I'm not feeling terribly useful to you." He'd ventilate anyone out to do anything on that list. They'd look like paper dolls by the end.
Sherlock renamed a score of files with a few clicks, and muttered, "You are."
John blinked and sat back in his chair. "Then you make it look easy."
"Mm, you were there," Sherlock returned to typing. "Was it easy?"
This made John stare at his friend. Holmes was, without a doubt, the single most intelligent person John knew – would ever know, he firmly believed – and, along with that, the man was massively physically gifted. He was quick, had remarkable stamina, his aim and balance were uncanny. Sherlock was tall and slender, but brutally strong. He could fast for days. He could go without sleep and stay sharp. Sherlock had so many gifts. And he'd just told John those gifts weren't enough on their own. He needed the things that John brought to their interpersonal mix. John cocked his head. Today, if he hadn't been with Sherlock, then Sherlock felt he wouldn't have been safe.
"It's not easy," John looked at the computer screen.
"Well… at least it's not difficult. There are over 10, 000 hours of struggle, trial, and error between me and this being difficult," Holmes laid his phone down beside the computer, pressed a few buttons, and began to move contents to the desktop.
"Is that how long?" John's brows quirked in curiosity.
"Well," Sherlock blinked up at him, "that's how long before I stopped second guessing myself."
Sherlock had the gall to be a wonder with numbers, science, behaviour, and technology too. John smiled at the far wall. What a handful this one was. How irreplaceable a person!
But he was God-awful with people.
Doomed with women.
Except for the movie-star looks.
It was a toss-up whether that irony was more a cruelty to the women, or to Sherlock himself.
John sucked in a breath. "All right then. What are we doing?"
"We're giving Lestrade a gift that keeps giving," Sherlock half smiled over his curled hand and glanced at John, "to me."
"To you, of course," John said with a slight smirk. "But, I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"I need to talk to him… but I don't need to see him. Not for this. Just hear." But Sherlock eased back in the creaking chair and chuckled. He clicked a file. Things… happened on the open windows. His long fingers turned the volume dial on the speaker between them up.
Across town, inside the glass and steel cocooning the heart of New Scotland Yard, business marched on as usual. The din, the undercurrent of excitement, capped by a hard shell of the banality of crime in such a place, unfurled in an orderly advance, like the hands of a clock, or the sun across the cloud-studded blue. This was especially true for the Homicide and Serious Crime branch. There were few in the building as no-nonsense as these people. Every day, 8 to 12 hours a day, their minds bent to the most horrible elements of human nature. They unwound what was twisted, and collapsed in their beds, just to take up arms and try again the next day.
Above their heads, the big screen televisions in Homicide and Serious Crime went black. The sound of the static which appeared afterward spiked above all other noise in the room, drawing attention. It slowly died back.
It was unusual enough that people looked up at the screens above them. They went to black again and white letters faded in.
In some parts of the room, police stood. Some hung up calls and looked to one another.
The words stayed on the screen. Of all the Detective Inspectors on the floor, it was Lestrade who came out of his office first. His meeting with several Sergeants on the London firebug cases fanned out in the room behind him.
"Afternoon? After…? What the hell is this?" one of the cops sputtered and looked at Lestrade askance. The DI's expression didn't contain an iota of surprise. Rather, there was resignation.
Lestrade sucked in a breath and called out, "Sherlock…?" He took a few steps deeper into the desks which were now grinding to a halt, and looked around him.
Very good.
"Freak?" Donovan was one of many who searched the floor for signs of him. When she found nothing she marched up to the televisions, grabbed hold of first one power cord, and then the other, and yanked them out of the wall.
For a moment, there was nothing.
"Donovan," Lestrade sighed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"We don't have time for his self-promotion! We need to-!" She caught who she was talking to and ground to a halt. "Sir… I…."
"And it didn't occur to you that he might be reaching out to us?" Lestrade crossed the intervening space steadily, patience wobbling. He was very used to relying on Sherlock's intelligence when all other methods yielded nothing. Lestrade was practical. He liked to solve cases and protect the city. Cutting him off from a proven resource to that end, particularly when he recognized the Yard was stuck, would have been a career limiting move for a lesser officer than Sally Donovan. She was saved by the fact she'd proven herself to Lestrade many times over. "He may have come to his senses and decided to cut us into-"
"Freak?" Donovan couldn't help her sudden laugh. "Freak will never come to his senses. He doesn't have any."
The computer monitors on the floor blacked out. A sudden hush filled the room. Chairs rolled, now most of the police rose. Faces turned to Lestrade. Other DIs on the floor exited their offices and asked about IT. The computer monitors blinked back on – black. White text flickered in size and position, as if unable to stay steady. It looked and acted angry.
Sally Donovan looked around her, stupefied. "Oh my God…. We're behind a bunch of firewalls. How is he doing this? How's he… we need to call Security."
"He's doing this because we keep letting him in the building," Anderson said crossly. "When we stop, then this sort of thing will stop too."
Optimistic. They were optimistic about that. Lestrade raised his voice above this to shout, "No one touch anything. And be quiet! Stop moving about! Quiet!"
There was swearing, seeing as this department had a very poor opinion of interruptions, but their opinion of Lestrade was something else entirely; within seconds, a hush fell around him. Lestrade looked at the black monitors, walked up, and plugged in both big-screen televisions.
The text on all the screens faded in, nice and steady: Hello, Lestrade.
"Yeah, hello Sherlock…" Lestrade sighed anxiously and walked backward – so many black screens all around him, all of them saying hi. He looked at the big screens, sighed, and opened his arms. "So I'm here… so show me."
What did Sherlock do today?
"Who cares?" Anderson crossed his arms and stared sourly at the screens in front of him. His phone pinged and he took it out and swore under his breath. Lestrade caught his hand and pivoted the screen in his direction. The text said:
'Shut it, Anderson. As relates to your intelligence, there is nothing left to prove.'
"God, can he hear us too?" Donovan glanced up from the screen to look around her, paranoid.
The screens lit fitfully, and then faded into video.
On his side of this show, where it was simply a video rolling on a 15 inch screen, both of them straining at the low-quality speakers, and Sherlock typing, John recognized the man in the slowed-down video as the same from St. Tomas' Hospital. This was him tugging his lapels into order. Sherlock had used video from his cell. The pinky ring the stranger wore sparked in the light as he raised his hands. Sherlock had zoomed in on it. The video froze and broke away to another picture of a highly similar gold ring – its large crest also had a hawk with an arrow in its breast.
Sherlock typed.
Lestrade turned and glanced over wide-eyed faces, and black screens from every corner that said one thing:
Ring with Semenov crime family crest.
The video of the man righting his coat sputtered back to action on the screen and stopped so that an arrow could draw itself to a break in the lines of his hand tailored suit.
The next arrow went to the man's curled lip.
Not happy to see you.
Two inch scar on upper lip.
Laid open in knife fight; Chelyabinsk; 20 years ago.
Grisha Tsitov, aka Ладья – the Rook.
The man's rap sheet scrolled so quickly it was mostly a blur with highlights on bolded words like 'kidnapping', 'extortion', and 'arson'. His arrest photos snapped over the scene, along with blurry video snippets from a prison fight in which he was shown throwing bloodied men over tables like crumpled papers.
Hired gun.
The screen flicked up to a shot of St. Tomas' Hospital.
Isn't here for a check-up.
The movie faded to black.
The scene changed to Baker Street. It oriented on the sky for a blinding moment that made police wince, but also established the early morning hour.
Home is not where you live...
but where they understand you.
The camera jostled across the license plate of a rental car and then came up alongside the doors. It slowed as they made the front windows.
"That's Baker Street," Anderson threw his hands up. "We have people watching Baker Street!"
"Where Freak lives," Donovan answered the DI from a few offices over, who had come to stand beside her, and stared at the screen, mystified.
The video slowed.
The man in the rental car's sunny driver's seat flipped his coat open and reached for the butt of a gun. The screen froze there.
A man who understands me.
Inside his coat, there was a small edge of some hauntingly familiar, waxen, blue material, the corrugated top of what looked like a hand-operated nut-cracker, and the unmistakable butt of a gun against the man's ribs. Lines drew themselves, pointing into the open jacket's inner pocket first.
Rubber gloves.
That's a butterfly knife to you, Anderson.
The type and brand of knife, with its distinctive handle, appeared in a window and rotated to show its action folding and unfolding. He showed the company address and date of purchase. When this vanished there were more arrows.
MP-446 Viking.
Illegal for carry in the UK.
Silver chain connected to butt-plate.
Chain leads to engraved casing.
The camera zoomed. Image sharpening took hold, and the pixilation became a rough image. Lestrade made it out and frowned. He'd seen it before. A copy of it was sitting on his desk right now, in fact. It had been faxed from Interpol at 10 AM.
Blue crest with white, winged lions.
Zyza household.
The images faded to black. A series of maps of the city popped up. Gold Stars appeared across the face of them.
Look what I found?
Pictures of large, aggressive-looking men in the London Streets flickered across the screens in the room. A lot of them were on foot, talking to people, searching for something, it seemed.
Organized crime!
It's NEVER a boring day with organized crime!
One of G. Lestrade's own badges appeared on the screen before them, his face its usual glaring self. Below it appeared a casual inquiry.
Would you like to arrest a Russian crime lord today, Lestrade?
One of these men
knows exactly
where to look.
Continued in Part 6.


text:
Dec. 13, 2012
STANFORD, Calif. - Matt Doyle has been named the 2012 FootballScoop Director of Football Operations of the Year, as announced recently by FootballScoop.com. Doyle was one of three finalists for the award, which is voted upon by previous winners.
"Matt keeps Stanford football organized," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "From budgets and schedules to spring practices and summer jobs, and from game one through our third BCS bowl game in a row, Matt keeps our coaches and players informed, in line and in position to be successful."
Doyle is in his 13th season with the Stanford program and sixth as Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Football Operations.
Doyle oversees the day-to-day operations of the Cardinal program, ranging from overall management of the football budget, team travel and bowl game coordination. Doyle works closely with the university faculty and staff and the athletic department's facilities, marketing, media relations and development offices. He also serves as a liaison to professional scouts and player agents.
Doyle currently serves on the Rose Bowl Game Advisory Committee, the Pac-12 Championship Game Committee and is a member of the AFCA Football Operations National Committee. He also serves on the board of directors for the Fit Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to after-school fitness programs in low-income schools.
In nominating Doyle, several other football operations staff noted that Doyle played a significant effort in facilitating the housing project for Stanford's coaches over the past few years, is charged annually with ensuring most of the players have appropriate housing during the summer term and has masterfully handled multiple coaching staff transitions.
Doyle will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January. Previous winners of the Director of Football Operations of the Year award are Tom Deahn (Temple, 2009), Mike Kerin (West Virginia, 2010) and Mike Sinquefield (TCU, 2011).
A 1998 graduate and of UC Davis, Doyle was an outfielder for the Aggies baseball team and later earned a master's degree in sport management from the University of San Francisco.
Matt and his wife, Hillary, reside in Redwood City with their children, Catherine and Matthew.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
New Hope for People with Hives
The itch that won't stop
Up to 20% of people will get hives at some point in their lives, an immunological reaction that causes small, red, itchy bumps to form on the skin. Certain drugs, foods, or contact with allergens are known to cause hives, though the cause usually can't be identified. About 2% of people develop chronic hives, which occur daily and last longer than six months.
Recently, vitamin D has been considered to treat chronic hives based on its anti-inflammatory and allergy-modulating effects. Vitamin D may lower levels of an antibody associated with allergic conditions in the body (IgE), and supplementing with it has helped people with hives who also have low blood levels of the vitamin.
This study compared the effects of 600 or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day for 12 weeks in 42 people with chronic hives, in addition to a standard medication protocol that included two antihistamines and an anti-inflammatory medication. Symptom severity, medication use, treatment side effects, and blood levels of vitamin D were assessed before, during, and after the trial. Here's what the study found:
- Symptom severity improved by 33% in both groups by the end of the first week.
- By the end of the 12th week, symptom severity in the high-dose vitamin D group improved by another 40%, whereas the low-dose group's scores didn't show additional improvement.
- Blood levels of vitamin D increased significantly in the high-dose group, but vitamin D levels and symptom severity weren't correlated.
- High-dose vitamin D also appeared to decrease the number of days each week that people had hives, as well as the extent of involvement (how much of the body was affected).
- Medication use didn't vary by group, and there were no adverse effects related to the treatment.
Making treatment safer
Most of the drugs used to treat chronic hives are associated with undesirable side effects, including increased susceptibility to infections, nausea, dizziness, and anxiety.
While vitamin D hasn't been shown to treat hives on its own, high-dose vitamin D3 (4,000 IU per day) may be useful as an "add-on therapy," said lead study author, Dr. Andy Rorie of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Some people have also found these strategies helpful for dealing with hard-to-treat hives:
- Vitamin C: High doses of vitamin C (2,000 mg per day) may reduce the severity of chronic hives by reducing histamine levels.
- Betaine hydrochloride: People with chronic hives that are caused by a reaction to food may find that taking a supplement with betaine hydrochloride will decrease their symptoms. People should have their stomach acid levels assessed by a physician before taking this supplement.
- Homeopathy: The popular homeopathic remedy, Urtica urens, may relieve hives in some people.
- Vitamin B12: When given as an injection, vitamin B12 may help relieve chronic hives in some people. Talk to your doctor if you are considering this therapy.
(Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2014;10.1016/j.anai.2014.01.010)
Copyright © 2016 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com


text:
Somerton House Surgery79A North RoadMidsomer NortonBath, BA3 2QETel: 01761 412141
If you need Urgent Medical help when the Surgery is closed:-
Dial 111 – the NHS Out of Hours service.Calls to 111 are free of charge.
In addition to routine surgeries, the following clinics and NHS services are held at the surgery – please telephone for appointments.
The Health Visitors are based at Paulton Hospital and can be contacted on telephone (01761) 408358
They are trained nurses and can give advice on general health care, particularly for expectant mothers, children, and the disabled. They visit all children under 5 years of age and hold a baby clinic every Tuesday between 10:00am and 11:30am at the Midsomer Norton childrens centre (appointment not required).
It would be helpful if you could contact the Health Visitors once you have registered with the Practice to give details of any children in your family under five years of age. They also hold a post-natal group for new mothers.
Patients should be aware that fees are charged for services not covered by the NHS. These include private certificates, driving licence, reports for private health insurance claims and other non-NHS reports, such as holiday cancellations or accident reports.
Fees are charged for examinations for special purposes such as HGV and PSV licences, elderly fitness to drive, fitness to travel, fitness to undertake certain sports end pre-employment medicals.
The fee scale is recommended by the British Medical Association and a price list can be obtained on the website or at reception.
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Every Sunday morning, cup of coffee in hand, I rifle through the three papers we have delivered each weekend morn, and find the Modern Love column in the New York Times. I've read it regularly for the past twenty years. If you've never read it, the Modern Love columns are, as defined by their editors, "deeply personal essays about contemporary relationships, marriage, dating, parenthood…any subject that might reasonably fit under the heading "Modern Love"." The columns are well-written, succinct snippets of the emotional lives of others. Some are funny, some are enlightening, many will break your heart.
Thus far, in 2012, the columns have dealt with infertility and adoption, what one gives up when one settles down, the shock when a lover suddenly leaves, the grief a father shares with his sons when his wife suddenly dies (this one made me sob), and, in last Sunday's paper, the dangers of trying to fix a marriage that isn't broken.
One of my favorite columns is one so sad; it makes me teary to think of it. It's written by the novelist Ann Hood and is about her inability to listen to the Beatles after her five year old daughter, Grace, died suddenly. Ms. Hood writes:
Sometimes now, alone, I find myself singing softly. "And when at last I find you, your song will fill the air," I sing to Grace, imagining her blue eyes shining behind her own little wire-rimmed glasses, her feet tapping in time. "Love you whenever we're together, love you when we're apart." It was once my favorite love song, silent now in its White Album cover in my basement.
How foolish I was to have fallen so easily for Paul while overlooking John and George, to have believed that everything I could ever want was right there in that family room of my childhood: cousins, TV, my favorite music. But mostly I feel foolish for believing that my time with my daughter would never end.
Or perhaps that is love: a leap of faith, a belief in the impossible, the ability to believe that a little girl in a small>town in Rhode Island would grow up to marry Paul McCartney. Or for a grieving woman to believe that a mother's love is so strong that the child she lost can still hear her singing a lullaby.
The column, written in 2006, will break your heart. But, if you are a long time reader of Modern Love, you would have been moved to tears of joy when, in 2009, Ms. Hood wrote about Annabelle, the child her family adopted two years after Grace's death in the Modern Love column To Nurture Again, with Courage.
Reading Modern Love each week has changed me, made me see my own relationships in new ways. It's my favorite part of the paper, the one thing I read with joy every week.
How about you? Is there a column or a part of the Sunday paper you treasure each weekend?
Dabney Grinnan


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Snapshots Journal- Flowers of Picnic Point
A selection of photos from Picnic Point, Toowoomba, Australia
Andrea J Sax
Toowoomba, a beautiful city situated on the edge of Queensland's Darling Downs region, celebrates the beauty of its flowers each Spring with the Carnival of Flowers. Let this beautiful and practical little book , styled as a journal, remind and inspire you of the dazzling beauty to be found here each year.
Perfectly sized for a handbag or as a gift that is sure to delight the receiver!
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Feeling a little blah lately? Trying to sell your house? Maybe it's time to brighten up your home—and shake off the winter blues—by planting a garden.
After the past winter, gardening may seem a daunting prospect; the yard may look as bleak as a lunar landscape. But never fear, spring is just around the corner, and with it, comes the perfect opportunity to resurrect your lawn with a new garden.
What to Plant
For the next couple weeks, play it safe by choosing plants that can withstand the cold. Pansies, of course, are the reliable favorite for early spring, but consider adding snapdragons and violas for variety. Perennials like peonies and daylilies are also a go-to for unpredictable Midwestern weather.
Once it gets warmer, look ahead to what could be a hot summer by growing plants that can deal with a little heat. Herbs like thyme and St. John's wort are surprisingly hardy—not to mention, have other uses besides sitting in the garden and looking pretty. If nothing less than flowers will do, dress up your garden with fun Mexican hat flowers, pretty, but low-maintenance basket-of-gold, or gorgeous sundrops.
When to Plant It
It's usually tough to gauge when your backyard is at its most fertile. But this year, it may even more difficult to plan your summer garden after a season of heavy snows.
The rule of thumb is to plant six weeks before the average last frost. For St. Louisans, that's typically the end of the first week in April. Some gardeners prefer to plant earlier—about eight weeks before that date—but this year, it might be wise to push it back as far as possible.
Even then, stick to the aforementioned cool-season plants and flowers, and hold off on trees and shrubs. However, it is an excellent time to prune your trees, which will stimulate new growth after the long winter.
With these tips in mind, it's time to venture outdoors once again, and see if you can't breathe new life into your home with a beautiful backyard garden.


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Got a minute?
Got a minute?
Nearly half of the people
we surveyed said they
were underemployed.
Find out why it's harder than ever for some people to launch a career while employers struggle to fill critical jobs.
As many as 22 million Americans can be counted as underemployed, according to how you define the term. PayScale has defined underemployment as having part-time work but wanting full-time work, or holding a job that doesn't require or utilize a person's education, experience or training.
Unemployment is easy to measure. Underemployment, on the other hand, is more nuanced. Our economy is still recovering from The Great Recession, and while some industries are booming, demand for work still outpaces supply for many job types and industries. People who can't find full time work in the field they went to school for often end up taking part time work, or working in jobs unrelated to their field of study. Yet at the same time, many employers report that they can't find people to fill the jobs they do have available. This phenomenon of having more college graduates than ever but not enough skilled workers to fill the jobs that do exist is known as the skills gap.
In this report, PayScale investigates the jobs where workers are most likely to identify as underemployed, why they think they fall into that category, the educational choices that lead to underemployment, and how you can overcome underemployment and make yourself a candidate employers want to hire.
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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Melrose Park and Cook County in Illinois. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Melrose Park, IL today!
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Futureportal… an ezine on the future, November 2010
Related Links
Welcome to Futureportal, an ezine of the Institute for the Future at Anne Arundel Community College (IF @ AACC), November 2010, volume 6, issue 10...We study the future to help build a better tomorrow.
Inside this issue...
- futures thinking... looking ahead
- applied foresight... using the perspective
- on the horizon... learning opportunities & events - local, regional and global
- futures thinking... looking ahead
Top futurists focus on teaching and learning about the future in a special symposium in the Journal of Futures Studies. The futurists discuss the need for futures studies, as well as methodologies and applications.
The Center for a Livable Future of Johns Hopkins University works to improve human living conditions worldwide while protecting the environment and conserving natural resources for the future. The Web site features information about its research, educational opportunities, and its ongoing programs: Farming for the Future, Eating for the Future, and Living for the Future. While the Center has a worldwide scope, it offers many ideas for sustainable choices on a personal level.
- on the horizon... learning opportunities & events - local, regional and global
The Brown Bag Lunch Series sponsored by IF @ AACC for November:
"Preschoolers View the Future"
by Heidi Gustafson
Director, Children's Think Tank and
Teacher, Bolton Hill Nursery School
Tuesday, November 16
1-1:50 p.m.
Careers Bldg, Room 129
AACC, Arnold, MD (map)
This event is free and open to the public.
Interested in a course on the future for college credit?
Check our Exploring the Future (FTR /BPA /SOC 105) course listing. This is a 3 credit-hour General Education course which also satisfies the diversity requirement. Fall Term registration is now over, but Spring Term registration will be available starting November 11 for both online and face-to-face classes.
Registration is now open for the WorldFuture 2011 Conference "Moving from Vision to Action", which will be July 8 - 10 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This is the annual conference of the World Future Society.


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Silliman University notes growing foreign student population as CHED pushes for 'education tourism'
By Rachelle M. Nessia
Dumaguete City — The country's potential as a premier alternative educational destination for students from foreign countries is already felt in the small yet vibrant academic environment in Dumaguete City.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has recently announced its initiative to position the Philippines as a premier alternative educational destination where neighboring countries could send their overflow student populations.
CHED Chair Lito Puno has come up with what is termed as "education tourism†strategy, a program that will position the country as an alternative educational destination to China or Russia.
Dumaguete City is a prime example of how Philippine education is a promising factor in drawing in international students.
Touted as a university town, Dumaguete's bustling academic environment has attracted several foreign students to pursue their education in the city, especially at Silliman University, the oldest American university in the country, which has lured a growing number of foreign students to study here.
SU currently has 251 foreign students from 19 countries enrolled in various courses for school year 2007 to 2008.
Of the total, 199 are enrolled in the college level and 52 in the School of Basic Education comprised of early childhood, elementary and high school levels.
Koreans top the number of foreign students on campus with 105, followed by Iranians, 49 and Americans, 44.
Other nationalities on campus include Indonesians, Germans, Tanzanians, Canadians, Japanese, and British, to name a few.
According to Mark Raygan E. Garcia, director of the SU Office of Information and Publication, majority of the Korean students are enrolled in business and language courses while Iranians are mostly taking up engineering and information technology studies.
Most of the American students are studying in the Nursing and Allied Health Sciences department.
The university's Masters in Business Administration course have likewise attracted foreign graduate students.
Data from SU shows a steady rise in the university's enrollment of international students. "The trend has been increasing. For example, at the college level, there were 123 foreign students enrolled in the 2002 to 2003 school year. And five years after, we now have 199 foreign students,†said Garcia.
Garcia attributes the trend to the university's affordable yet high quality education. "The cost of education here is lower compared to the countries where our international students come from. Plus, with the university's quality education, it is an investment for these students who after four years, get to earn a degree that make them competitive enough to land lucrative jobs abroad,†he explained.
The university likewise offers Filipino classes for foreign students in an effort to offer a holistic development for them, and help them break through the barriers of language and culture differences. "These classes are specially designed to cater to the needs of our international students, so they can learn the local language and culture as well,†added Garcia.
Garcia said the presence of foreign students in the university have benefited the city's tourism industry. "It is benefiting not only the academic institution but the city as well as these foreign students have also other needs that only the larger community of Dumaguete can provide,†he said.
He added that for now, SU relies on tie-ups with foreign universities such as those under the student exchange programs, its consortia with universities in Asia and the United States, and by "word of mouth†in pulling in foreign students.
CHED's 'education tourism' strategy has already earned the support of Malacañang after Puno discussed the program's blueprint during a weekly program aired over government channel NBN-4.
Puno said the strategy complements the government's tourist promotion program.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye explained that the country is an attractive alternative destination for Korean students because of three main factors: the short distance between Manila and Seoul, the affordability of Philippine education, and the Filipinos' fluency in English.
The Philippine government and China's Ministry of Education have signed recently a memorandum of agreement "allowing Chinese students who could not be accommodated in China's universities to study in the Philippines.†(PIA)
Incoming search terms:
- foreign students in silliman from what countries
- how many foreign students in silliman university
- what nationalities are studying in silliman


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Master of Science
(30 Credit Hours)
Few programs prepare students better for jobs in an array of industries than our Master of Science in Mathematics. Our graduates teach, work in industry and in government. And, many enter doctoral programs.
Classes are small, providing personal attention for students and multiple opportunities to work closely on projects with individual faculty members. These professors are actively involved in a wide variety of research areas including algebra, analysis, combinatorics, dynamical systems, geometry, Lie theory logic, mathematical biology, mathematical physics, number theory, numerical analysis, probability, representation theory, scientific computing, statistics and topology.
Admissions Criteria
- Official transcripts from all academic institutions
- Official GRE scores
- TOEFL scores if your primary language is not English
- Two letters of recommendation
- Three semesters of calculus, and one each of linear algebra, differential equations, abstract algebra and real analysis
2015-16 Tuition
in-state: $500 per credit hour
out-of-state: $1,304 per credit hour
Application Deadlines
Fall priority deadline for completed applications: March 15 (This deadline is for those students seeking scholarships and assistantships.)
Fall deadline for all other completed applications: July 1
Contact Information
Martin Jones
Program Director
Annalisa Calini
Program Director


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Top Three Ice Cream Spots in Bucks County
Posted on June 24, 2016 by Delaware Valley University.
For some, summer tastes like solstice sunsets with hints of sweet mint or pistachio cones by the pool. Whichever frozen flavor you fancy, here's the scoop on three ice cream shops you have to try in Bucks County.


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Program Overview
View Samples
Each workbook is divided into four sections that mirror the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Our Catholic Beliefs, Our Catholic Celebrations, We Live Our Life in Christ, and We Catholics Pray. These books are ideal for primary- and intermediate-aged children to use in a variety of ways, either in a parish/school setting, or home, for the following:
Knowing Our Catholic Faith is a bilingual, supplemental resource for children ages 5 to 10.
© 2013 Loyola Press. All rights reserved. 800-621-1008. Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.


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Theodore not worried about preseason woes so don't you
While I admit that Jose Theodore's two preseason games left a lot to be desire and made me miss Tomas Vokoun, however, let's not hit the panic button and remember a few things.
No. 1 Theodore hadn't been in the nets in like five months before the Lightning game. No. 2 I was with the Panthers from 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. on this one-day road trip and I'm not surprised that they had no legs in the third period while the Stars were sitting at home. Not sure why the Panthers put them through this other than prepare them for back to backs or be in Texas conveniently to drop off their two cuts (Tyler Plante and Tim Kenedy) for the farm team who were in Austin awaiting to play the Texas Stars. Theodore has a proven track record and his numbers are astonishingly similar to Vokoun's, except he won an MVP and Vezina – although it was 10 years ago. Also, several of his best forwards and defenseman were left at home. Here's Theodore's postgame thoughts on his slow start.
"It's not a good way to end it and for me personally obviously I got to be better. It's as simple as that. I've had training camps where I played well and had bad starts and the other way around. I've been around long enough so I know. It all boils down to – for my part – I got to be better.
He made nine saves in the scoreless first period before allowing three in the second and four in the third.
"It's kind of funny, you look at the result I made some good saves but a couple of goals I should have. You take the positives out of the game; there were some really big saves out there but again I got to focus and play well for 60 minutes and I got to be better for these guys."
I asked him what he had to do to rebuild his confidence?
"Confident-wise I'm pretty confident. Just use those days to work hard and usually if you practice hard and work ethic overcomes a lot of things and when you work on your practices that's how you get your game going. I'm confident for the start of the season. I just think we need a big week of practice and I expect more out of myself and I'm going to practice hard.''
The Rampage worked out goalie Manny Legace today. They may be shopping around for some veteran help if they're not fully convinced that Jacob Markstrom is ready to back up Theodore.
I'm off today but my cohort Dieter Kurtenbach is on the job and I've been told that Stephen Weiss still isn't practicing. I've talked to Weisser last few days and he's moving well and in good spirits. It's nothing serious.


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I told this sweet young gal to get a pregnancy test. She has a craving that will not go away. Hear her say:
I've been craving crab legs for DAYS. Where can we go to get some good, messy, down-and-dirty crab legs with some butta?
Read all of our latest online content in one place.
Making Dallas Even Better
I told this sweet young gal to get a pregnancy test. She has a craving that will not go away. Hear her say:
I've been craving crab legs for DAYS. Where can we go to get some good, messy, down-and-dirty crab legs with some butta?
Shuck and Jive on Greenville and Lovers. A very generous pound of snow crab boiled in the crawfish spices for under $20. Warning: Will make all future crab at other places seem quite bland.
My daughter was home from college this weekend and she had the same craving. We took her to Dodies on lower Greenville and for $16.00 she got two HUGE crabs with legs, potatoes and corn. She had to get a doggie bag there was so much. Bonus is they have really cold schooners of beer to go with it.
Forgo the legs and run straight for the claws. Truluck's has stone crab, which is food of the gods. Plus they have a day where you can get your fill for one low price. Crabby and fantastic. They have a great chocolate cake, too.
FIRST OFF: DO NOT EVER GO TO DODIES. The place is dirty and the food is horrible. I get a little green in the face just thinking about it. On MONDAY NIGHTS Trulucks has all you can eat stone crab, salads, and sides for about fifty dollars a person. The food is good and it is def worth it. The Boiling Crab up in Garland is where I am sure alot of people are going to tell you to go. Sure, go… if you like 12 year olds waiting on you and soggy, over cooked, old seafood. Dalals is very lacking on the seafood front. Try Flying Fish in preston Center… You can sit outside or in, and you won't feel like you are in another country (boiling crab) or like the place has not seen a chef or cleaning crew in years. (Dodies). Half Shells is also a great option. Enjoy!
Shuck 'n Jive! Love it for crab legs. I actually go through withdrawl if I go too long….
I agree on Dodies – ewwww!
I always head to Fish City at Frankford & the Toll.
All You Can Eat crab is usually Wednesay nights and it's $29.95
And now I have a craving!
Fishmonger's in Plano. SW of Parker Rd on 75. Plus you can overstuff yourself with Shrimp Tortilla Soup appetizer and finish off with Bread Pudding and Whiskey Hard Sauce.
HOV lane, here we come.
Aw Shucks Oyster Bar- lower Greenville Avenue. Perfectly spiced, with shrimp, corn and potatoes.
Flying Fish – Preston Center. Very reasonably priced, and $3.95 schooners of ice cold beer.
Shuck 'n Jive is also well worth it.
Hook Line and Sinker has the best crab legs with yummeh butta…
Tom Thumb – they'll steam 'em and season 'em to your liking.
I usually go to an TCU Sorority party when I have a hankering for crabs
Dodies food is repulsive. The people at Dodies (management and owners) are horrible people.
Here are my instructions for crab:
1. Proceed to Asian market and buy Dungeness crab ($7-8 per pound)
2. Boil crab in a big pot of broth made with water, Shiner Bock, ginger and garlic.
3. Boil for 12-15 minutes depending on siz of crab.
4. Enjoy with dipping sauce of Ma Ploy Thai chili sauce.
Fish City Grill & Half Shells serve Wild Alaska Snow Crab legs and they are deeeelicious!
My favorite place for many years for King Crab Legs is Daddy Jacks on Lower Greenville
king crab at daddy jack's.
that snow crab is too much work not enough crab.
Daddy Jacks.
heard Trulucks was lacking, but if steven says…lol
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I cannot, I repeat: cannot(!) believe I have only recently discovered the wonders of my bread machine.
Seriously though. Until yesterday night, I totally forgot I even had a bread machine. It was collecting dust in one of the higher cabinets of my kitchen. One of those I couldn't reach unless I stepped on a chair. I only unearthed it because my mother reminded me of its existence on the phone; amidst my rambling about a recent failure in making a whole-wheat loaf, my mother snickered and prompted me of the bread machine that had once helped her with my lunch sandwiches in middle school.
I'm sure she wouldn't have appreciated the fact that I stashed it away and had forgotten about it after she'd moved back to China… But no more! This kitchen gadget will now on be a staple on my counters. And I realize you can make more than just bread with the machine, so stay tuned for that!
Unlike the dry, dense bread I pulled out of the oven about a week ago, this one is fluffy, soft with a contrasting crust, and so much more versatile. I knew the difference right away when I pulled off a steaming piece after it came out of the machine. (See pictures for evidence… Oops).
I'm sure it is possible to make an equally delicious whole wheat bread by hand, don't get me wrong. But because
my kneading techniques suck I am not much of a bread maker myself, I'd rather let the bread machine do all the work while I prance around the kitchen making other pretty things. 😉
This bread is incredibly good for you. It contains a minimal amount of ingredients, and is 100% whole wheat. You can also add a variety of seeds to get those healthy fats in!
- 1¼ cups water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
- 3 to 3½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup sunflower, sesame or flax seeds, or a combination (optional)
- 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp instant yeast
- Put all the ingredients in your bread machine in the order it calls for. (Mine asks for dry ingredients first then wet.)
- Program machine for basic white bread, and press Start.
- Take the bread out immediately when it is done. Turn out onto a drying rack.
I actually didn't have any seeds in the kitchen when I made this, so I substituted for 1/4 cup of old fashioned oats instead. It turned out well nonetheless! I believe this is a very forgiving recipe, so play around with it if you'd like.
I'm sooo excited for lunch now. Sandwiches, anyone?
Much Love,


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Universities and colleges in Colorado are experiencing an incredible spike in out-of-state applications, but are quick to deny that has anything to do with legalized marijuana.
University of Colorado Director of Admissions Kevin MacLennan says that applications to the state-run university system are up 30 percent since Colorado passed Amendment 64, but he doesn't believe legalized marijuana had anything to do with it. Instead, MacLennan points to increased high school recruitment and adoption of a standardized online application system called "Common Application."
That excuse doesn't seem to hold water. Many universities throughout the nation have added "Common Application" and all of them recruit from high schools. It also doesn't explain how Colorado's smaller colleges without the big recruiting power of a pubic PAC-12 university, like the private liberal arts school Colorado College, are also seeing dramatic increases in enrollment applications. Their vice president for enrollment, Mark Hatch, thinks it's just part of a longer-term trend, explaining, "This year is no different, so there is no evidence that our increase [is tied] to Amendment 64."
Mike Hooker, spokesman for Colorado State University, said, "I have a hard time believing that someone is going to make that kind of significant decision about investing in their education based on whether they can smoke marijuana in the state." Will Jones, a spokesman for University of Denver, which saw a 81 percent increase in enrollment over the past five years, also doubts Amendment 64 made any difference, explaining that marijuana is just as illegal on campus as it has always been.
Meanwhile, a report from the National Student Clearinghouse from December 2013 found that overall college enrollment nationwide fell for the second year in a row in 2013. Part of that is a demographic change; there are fewer high school age people graduating and seeking college. The decline was seen mostly in private, for-profit colleges (like Colorado College), which dropped 9.7 percent. Public, four-year institutions saw a modest gain of 0.3 percent in enrollment.
Regionally, it would seem that enrollment somewhat correlates with marijuana tolerance. The Midwest saw the greatest two-year decline in enrollment, dropping almost five percent from 2011 to 2013, and the South dropped 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, enrollment in the Northeast dropped only one percent. So when Colorado University is experiencing a 30 percent increase in just one year following marijuana legalization, academic spokesmen have to work extra hard to avoid the bong-smoking elephant in the room.
"Radical" Russ Belville is the host of The Russ Belville Show, which airs live at 3pm Pacific.


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Late Goal Sends Minutemen
to Second Straight Loss
Sept. 18, 2002
AMHERST, Mass. -- The UMass men's soccer team played one of its better defensive games, but gave up a late goal in falling to New Hampshire, 1-0, in action Wednesday at Rudd Field.
UMass' record drops to 2-4-0 overall heading into Saturday's 1:00 p.m. game at Maine.
The two teams waged a physical, defensive battle for the most part of the game's first 45 minutes. The Minutemen, who had allowed 14 goals already on the season entering the game, held the Wildcats to four shots in the first period, while managing only six themselves. Neither team could get into a flow as 22 fouls, 11 each, were called in the first half.
The Minutemen started to put on more pressure in the second half, firing 12 shots on goal. UMass had several strong scoring opportunities, but it was the Wildcats who made the most of their chances. UNH had two shots in the second half, but Josh Herald's only attempt of the game resulted in the game-winner, as he moved right and fired a dart past a diving UMass goalkeeper at the 79:15 mark for a 1-0 lead.
The Minutemen had some offense left in them, sending several balls toward the net. UMass' best chance to tie the game when Derek Rhodes (DePere, Wis.) rocket from just outside the penalty box sailed over the crossbar in the 84th minute. UNH then ran out the clock to end a two-game losing streak to UMass. UMass has now been shut out in two straight games for the first time since the 1999 season.
Goals: UNH-- Josh Herald 1 (Eric Masi; 79:15)


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April 28, 2013
Box Score
NIU 3-Ohio 2
DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team completed the sweep of Ohio with a 3-2 victory over the Bobcats at Mary M. Bell Field Sunday.
Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) turned in a stellar pitching performance for Northern Illinois (20-28, 10-8), allowing one run on one hit, a solo home run in the first inning, and striking out three in five innings of work. Emily Norton (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) picked up the save, allowing one run on one hit in two innings of work.
"Jessica came in and did a good job settling in," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "I just wanted Emily to give them a fresh look towards the end there because we were going through the line up for the third time. I wanted to give them something different to keep their power hitters off balance. I'm glad it worked out."
Jennifer Barnett (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncali) went 2-for-2 with an RBI. The senior first baseman went 8-for-10, including a double and home run, with five RBIs and a run scored in four games this weekend.
"JB continues to be steady," Sutcliffe said of Barnett's play this weekend. "She's going out with a bang in her senior year. She prides herself in her offense and I'm glad to see her doing well down the stretch."
Nicole Gremillion (Missouri City, Texas/Elkins) and Sturm each went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Bobcats (24-25, 7-11) took the early lead with a solo home run in the top of the first. NIU responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame by Gremillion. Northern Illinois took the lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the third.
With runners at the corners with two outs, Barnett singled to right field to drive in Ashley Kopp (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale South) from third. Sturm helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, to score pinch runner Kristyn Barrett (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) from third to make the score 3-1. It would prove to be a big insurance run as the Bobcats scored a run in the top of the sixth.
NIU returns to action Wednesday when the Huskies travel to Chicago to take on DePaul. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. Fans can follow all the action live via Gametracker at NIUHuskies.com.


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A fight among students at the Medina High School cafeteria Wednesday afternoon sparked a firestorm of rumors on social media.
A post about the fight on the Medina City Schools Outrage Page on Facebook generated more than 100 comments from concerned parents and community members.
The page was created in March as a discussion forum for issues surrounding Superintendent Randy Stepp's new contract, particularly its $83,000 signing bonus.
One person commented on the page that police used a Taser on a student. School officials and police said this was untrue.
"No one was Tased," said Detective Mike Wesner, who is the school resource officer for Medina High School. On Wednesday, Wesner described the incident as "a small fight."
School officials, though, said they cannot share details of what started the fight because that would violate the privacy rights of the three students involved, who all are younger than 18.
Interim Superintendent Dave Knight said he couldn't say much more than that there was a fight among three students Wednesday afternoon in the lunchroom.
"It was handled as we handle any fight at the school," Knight said. "Obviously when there's a fight, we don't condone or tolerate that at all."
Knight said suspensions always result when there's a fight at one of the schools, but he would not say how many students involved were suspended.
"Any time a suspension occurs at school, there's due process rights for children and families," Knight said. "There will be a suspension hearing if parents want to find out more, so that takes a while for that process to play out."
Medina resident Mark Kuhar, who started the Outrage page, sent board members an email asking the school to publicize information about the incident.
Comments on the page said one of the students was standing up to someone who had been making fun of a special needs student when the fight started.
School board President Karla Robinson responded to the email, writing: "The rumors about bullying as it relates to this situation are untrue. We do not make information about student discipline issues public, due to the federal law FERPA that protects student privacy. We do not take public input on student discipline issues, as the public is not informed to the full extent of the information on the incident."
She added, "We cannot control the social media environment. Students will send what messages they will, as will parents. But most of the information that is being disseminated is completely untrue, exaggerated, or inaccurate."
Robinson said she preferred to not comment further, saying comments on the incident should be handled by high school Principal Bryan Farson and Knight, who both deal with day-to-day administrative issues.
"We have investigated the situation, and consequences have been dealt with," Farson said.
He urged students and parents to report any concerns about bullying.
"In any situation, the staff is always available, and we encourage them to report anytime a situation occurs," Farson said.
Contact reporter Kiera Manion-Fischer at (330) 721-4049 or email@example.com.


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A wide variety of fitness classes, yoga, pilates for all ages and all sorts!
Get yourself listed! If you are involved in a similar activity not mentioned here, just contact us and let us know.
Limited offer! 50% off personal training in January and February on the first 5 sessions booked
I am 45 and a Personal Fitness Trainer based in Marlow and also covering local surrounding areas.
I specialise in helping clients with Weight loss, Nutritional advice, Toning, Strength training, Core strength, Post natal fitness /weight loss and fitness in general but I can also train you for a specific event such as a 5K,10K, holiday or a wedding.
There is nothing like having your own personal trainer to help you set specific goals and then to smash them!www.davidharriswpt.co.uk E-mail address email@example.com / mob 07885508234
We specialise in outdoor fitness training and run bootcamps in Marlow and Hambleden. We offer a choice of daily classes 6am, 7am, 9.30am and 7pm varying from 30 minutes to 1 hour. No two sessions are the same, sessions vary from interval training, circuits, boxing, dumbbells, resistance training, sprint drills. We also provide one to one private training sessions, team building, corporate training, nutritional advice, obstacle race training. For more information: www.immortalfitness.co.uk Email: email@example.com / Phone: 07792 881255
My name is Jan and I am a Level 3 REP's Pilates, Body Balance and PureStretch instructor.
I absolutely advocate Pilates as I know what the results are. I suffer with sciatica and have spinal issues and Pilates enables me to live in a strong and healthy body. I incorporate all my disciplines into my Pilates based classes to make them functional, effective, challenging and fun with a holistic relaxation at the end of the class.
Classes are Mondays 1.15 and Wednesday at 6.50pm and 8pm at All Saints Church Hall, Marlow.
Please contact me for more information on email@example.com or 07966 273977.
FitSteps is a fitness class that uses simple Ballroom and Latin steps to create a FUN aerobic workout! Brilliant for fitness, muscle tone and flexibility. No partner or dance experience required! All ages. £6.00 per class.
Mondays at 9:30am – Marlow Sea Cadets. Tuesdays at 7:30pm – All Saints Church Hall.
Shari Pay 07701 067330 firstname.lastname@example.com
These classes for adults are designed to be safe, effective and fun. Keeping constantly up to date with developments in the fitness and dance industry, striving to maintain interest and motivation. You may participate from age 16 unaccompanied and from 14 years accompanied by an adult. There is no upper age limit and general classes are very mixed in age. Bring a mat, drink of water.
Tuesdays -Adult Dance Holy Trinity School Marlow 7.30 - 8.30 pm
Thursdays -Circuits Men and Ladies 7.30 - 8.30 pm Holy Trinity School, term time only
Professional Physiotherapy Service with treatment rooms based at the Marlow Club.
The club has an excellent gym, studio and pool providing all the necessary facilities for a complete rehabilitation service from pain, injury or surgical procedure.
For 13 years Mike Banks worked as head physiotherapist for Chelsea football club, leaving in 2006. He also developed and oversaw the injury clinic for the English National Ballet School.
His current work is based on experience gained working in these elite environments. Depending on the nature of your problem assessment is principally biomechanical, to determine the physical dysfunction. Treatment plans are designed to address this dysfunction.
Tel: 07702 543778 email@example.com
Yoga can make a wonderful contribution to your new baby's introduction to the world and to your new relationship with your baby. Our classes are taught by Deborah who will help mums to stretch and strengthen their postnatal bodies in a shared experience with their babies. Tuesdays 10 to 11 am at Monkton Barn Galleries, Monkton Lane, Marlow, SL7 3RF. Suitable for mums with babies from 6 weeks of age. Contact Deborah on 07971 663848 or via http://www.facebook.com/pages/RJ-Yoga/141746819209319
Pregnancy yoga boosts energy levels, relieves stress, anxiety and common pregnancy ailments. It connects you to your baby, cultivates breath awareness and helps you to prepare physically and emotionally to give birth. Jennie is a very experienced pregnancy yoga teacher and as a mother of 2 brings her first hand experience of pregnancy, labour and motherhood to her classes. Thursdays 10.00am to 11.15am Pugins Rooms, St Peters Church, St Peters Road, Marlow. £10 drop in, £54 for block of 6 classes. Suitable from 13 weeks onwards.
Contact Jennie Phenix on 07954 578 439 email@example.com www.phenixyoga.com
My name is Ryan Bashford of "Bashford Personal Training", your friendly, local personal trainer covering Maidenhead, Cookham, Marlow, Slough and the surrounding areas. I am a REPs registered level 3 Personal Trainer, fully insured with a wide range of equipment. Able to train outdoors, in a gym environment and in your own home. Whatever your goal I can help you work towards this with programme design, nutritional advice and fun and varied fitness sessions. For more information and to get in touch visit www.ryanbashford.co.uk or call/email me on email@example.com or 07779809614
I'm Harri, a Marlow based Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor (REPS Level 3) and a Leader in Running Fitness.
I'm passionate about helping women to keep fit whilst ageing successfully. I provide Personal Training, Body Conditioning and Pilates sessions in my home studio gym, either in small groups, or on a one-to-one basis and I also hold running groups for all abilities and ages.
Please contact me for more information at www.runwithharri.co.uk or on 07779 410382.
Personal training services 1-2-1 or for couples in the Bucks and Berks area. Come to us or we can come to your home, select gyms also available. Nutrition, fitness, muscle toning and more.
T: 0800 993 0001 W: www.pt-me.co.uk E: email@example.com
Outdoor bootcamps in Marlow, Henley and Hughenden Park High Wycombe. Fun filled fat burning sessions in great parks in Bucks and Berks.
See the website for full schedule.
T:0800 993 0001 M: 07888 824691 W: www.pt-me.co.uk E: email@example.com
Outdoor fitness class in Marlow for new mums wanting to get back into shape after giving birth. The class combines power walking with strengthening and toning exercises, and is a great way to improve fitness and meet other mums. Classes are £5 for 1 hour, no need to pre-book. We meet outside the cafe in Higginson Park on Tues and Fri at 10.30am. For more details call Zara on 07963 704671 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Ballet classes from 3 years old to over 60s. Daytime and evening classes for beginners to intermediate level held in central Marlow. Feel inspired to dance - with ballet there is no better way to develop healthy muscles, improve balance, poise and posture. For more information contact the Principal, Louise Parkes, a Royal Academy of Dance teacher on 07785 774087 or email@example.com www.louiseparkesschoolofdance.com
Mummy and baby yoga is a focused and targeted practice which safely rebuilds core strength, stabilizes the lower back and pelvis, opens the chest and shoulders, relaxes and restores energy levels. It combines practices for the mums with gentle yoga stretches and rhymes for the babies, promotes sleep and provides an opportunity to meet other mums. Jennie is a qualified yoga therapist specialising in postnatal recovery and shares practices which she has found to be highly benificial in her own postnatal recoveries. Thursdays 11.30am to 12.30pm Pugins Rooms, St Peters Church, St Peters Road, Marlow. £10 drop in, £54 for block of 6 classes.Suitable form 6 weeks after birth to crawling.
Contact Jennie Phenix on 07954 578 439 firstname.lastname@example.com www.phenixyoga.com
Classical Hatha Yoga focuses primarily on a sequence of postures that combine stretching, strengthening, core stability and balance whilst working in harmony with the breath. Finishing with a nice long relaxation to leave you feeling physically and mentally refreshed.
Satuday 09.30 TO 10.45. Sir Borlase's Grammar school, West Street. Drop-in £10, £50/6 classes. Contact Frederique on 07903 466 091 www.yogawestlondon.co.uk
Classes offer a combination of gentle Yoga postures to release, relax and strengthen; fluid movement and breathing techniques in preparation for labour; pelvic floors exercises, relaxation and visualisations, all in a warm friendly environment.
Saturdays 11.00 To 12.15. Sir Borlase's Grammar school,West Street. Suitable from 14 weeks to birth. Drop-in £10, £50/6 classes. Contact Frederique on 07903 466 091 www.yogawestlondon.co.uk
Realise your unlimited potential as a woman. As women, we learn to wear many hats at any given moment. By living this way, many of us have forgotten who we truly are. Using the tools of kundalini yoga and meditation, let us take a moment to remember who we are and allow creative energy to flow into our bodies. By doing this, we choose to open to the joy of life, to be beautiful, bountiful and blissful. Join us for a morning of dynamic exercise, meditation and a well deserved relaxation Liston Hall Chapel Street, Marlow SL7 1DD Friday 9.45 to 11.15 cost £10 contact Siri Arti on 07710 334 286 or email@example.com
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It is safe to say that the Cadillac Escalade has become an American luxury icon, and whether you agree or not, it's easy to see why, as the Escalade is way quicker and more responsive than you'd expect for such a big, heavy vehicle, with an interior that feels lavish, and very comfortable with amazing details going into every corner and angle of the cabin.
Recently we had the opportunity of test driving this large ute for several days in almost all different types of road and weather conditions and the more we drove it, the more we wanted to drive it... It is without a doubt, the ultimate in full-size luxury SUVs - capable of towing trailers of up to 8,300 lbs. and comfortably seating seven in its most popular configuration. It's a stylish truck, with a bold and sculpted look, and a great rumbly muscle-car exhaust note, equipped with a powerful 6.2-liter V-8 engine with Active Fuel Management, which shuts off half the engine's cylinders in certain conditions in order to reduce fuel consumption and puts out 403 ponnies with 417 pound-feet of torque, that can propel this full-size sports utility vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds, even though it weighs almost 6,000 pounds. It's also Flex-Fuel capable, meaning that it can run on up to 85% ethanol-gasoline mix. An abundance of low-end torque (great for towing) is key to that, along with a six-speed automatic transmission that performs as a willing companion.
The Escalade comes in two different sizes; the standard Escalade and extended-length Escalade ESV which is one foot longer than the standard Escalade which basically means that it will not turn and park as easily as the shorter version, but the plus side to the ESV is the more legroom for the third row, along with more space behind it. Access to the third row is improved as well and both versions get a fold-and-tumble second row.
Escalade and Escalade ESV are offered in Luxury, Premium and Platinum editions. The Platinum models get a long list of exclusive equipment, including Magnetic Ride Control (which helps further improve both ride and handling), distinctive LED headlamps, Airline leather with contrasting stitching, special leather surfaces with French-stitched seams and special wood and aluminum trim. The standard Escalade cabin is nearly as lavish, with Ebony and Cashmere interior surfaces, white LED lighting, heated-and-cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Additional high-tech safety features offered on the Escalade include Side Blind Zone Alert, which sounds an audible and visual alert if there are objects detected in the blind zones. OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation allows the driver to download directions from an operator-assisted call center directly to the navigation system, while XM NavTraffic enables live traffic updates.
Safety features on all Escalade models include anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes with EBD and Brake Assist; and StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing. Passive safety features include front seat belts with pretensioners and load-limiters, dual front airbags, side airbags for outboard front seats, and side-curtain airbags that span all three rows of seats.
The latest-generation OnStar system, with a one-year Directions and Connections service plan, includes the Advanced Automatic Crash Notification system, making crash data available to emergency services so they can potentially dispatch the appropriate life-saving personnel and equipment to crash scenes faster. If the vehicle is in a crash that activates an airbag, the OnStar system automatically notifies an OnStar Advisor, who will check on the occupants and summon emergency help. OnStar also can assist authorities in locating a vehicle if it is reported stolen or is off a paved road but still in contact with the satellites.
The Escalade cabin is roomy and luxurious and every attention to details went into the making of this amazing ute. The mix of soft, padded materials, genuine aluminum accents, chrome details and convincing faux wood combines with soft leather seats was very impressive indeed, and the Platinum version we tested had all of the upgraded goodies which made it even more impressive.
The driver is presented with clear, bright gauges, LED-backlit with white markings and blue pointers on a black background. Between the speedometer and tachometer is an information display that cycles through several menus via buttons on the steering wheel.
The Escalade comes standard with a 10-speaker (eight-speaker on EXT) stereo that features a six-disc changer that plays CDs and audio DVDs. Bose designed the speaker system, outfitting the vehicle with 5.1 Surround Sound, an eight-channel amplifier and a subwoofer. XM satellite radio comes standard.
A rear-seat entertainment system is available, utilizing a flip-down eight-inch screen that folds down from overhead. The DVD driver itself is mounted in front, but does not play the movie in the front seats. Rear-seat passengers can listen to the audio portion of their DVDs via all 10 speakers in the vehicle, the rear speakers only, or infrared wireless headsets. Order DVD entertainment in the ESV and you get a second eight-inch screen for the third seat, as well as an additional set of headphones. On Platinum models each front-seat headrest houses a DVD screen and each can be controlled independently.
Interior storage space is abundant. The glove box is large and the space under the armrest of the multi-level center console takes advantage of the wide cabin. Additional storage is found in pockets in the doors. The Escalade has four 12-volt power points, including one near the tailgate (the EXT gets three) as well an impressive amount of cupholders.
Cargo space behind the 50/50-split third row in the Escalade is on par with other luxury SUVs with three rows of seats -- loading cargo requires a 32-inch lift to the load floor, where tie-down hooks ease securing the load. A power liftgate is standard on Escalade and ESV. Overall, this luxury SUV is surprisingly agile given its mass. The steering is light and reasonably precise, despite having a live-axle rear suspension (as opposed to an independent rear suspension like that on the Navigator), the Escalade manages bumps very well, thanks to its three-ton mass and the road-sensing Autoride system.
Magnetic Ride Control uses a variety of sensors to measure road surface and vehicle parameters 1,000 times per second and adjust the shock damping accordingly. That adjustment is done magnetically, changing the thickness of the shock fluid (that's filled with tiny magnetic particles) for maximum control of the shock. This system has been used advantageously on expensive imports and the Corvette for a few years, and is often paired on the Escalade with the 22-inch wheels.
We were surprised by the ride, its dynamics, performance, ease of handling in almost every road surface and weather condition, but we were also very impressed at the Escalade's handling of corners and tight turns... it was remarkable indeed.
If you are in the market for a full sized SUV, the Escalade is very much worthy of you looking into!


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'Gossip Girl' Makes Us Color-blind
Our highly calibrated point system of... um... points.
So luckily last night's episode of Gossip Girl was delicious enough for us to get over the drama of yesterday's attack. It was the much-anticipated Masquerade Party, which somehow Blair seemed to be in charge of again — apparently that black girl and that Asian girl really can't do anything. Blair's mom, Eleanor, also had a party, which seemed way less fun ("Look, appetizers! Is that couscous?"), and this episode, the parents really got into the fun. Not only did Dan and Serena's mysteriously boyish-looking (yeah, both of them, we said it) dad and mom plunge further into the delicate depths of mid-adulthood flirtation, but Nate's dad does blow! A lot of it. Parents, they're just like "Us"!
Join us as we explore the line between the real (Dan is creeped out by the Ice Capades — as are all right-thinking people), the unreal (eye masks don't conceal who anybody is. Since when are chins so unrecognizable?), and everything in between (is Vanessa supposed to be black or white? We just don't know!). After the jump, our highly calibrated point system of... um... points.
As True As Dan and Serena's Like for Each Other
• Okay, so let's get into this new Vanessa girl, the one who threatened the burning fire of Dan and Serena's vague mutual interest. Is she, in fact, black? Let's look at the clues: She wears big gold hoop earrings and is kooky and "independent." That sounds like the show's creators are trying to tell us she's dealt with her minority status by becoming an individual in a sea of preppy clones. She reads the Observer! She wants her copy of The Crying of Lot 49 back! Plus 6, because as clichéd as that sounds, it also is just like a lot of girls we knew in high school. And minus only 1, because apparently the writers forgot that on this show, BLACK GIRLS DON'T SPEAK.
• Thinking she's been spurned by Dan, the day of the masquerade, Serena finds another date. His IM handle is "Rich Boy IV," and he goes to Dalton. We love that the existence of other real city prep schools is introduced in this episode, such as when Chuck thinks that Jenny is "some hot bitch from Chapin." We assumed that Rich Boy was going to be some dreamy rival for Dan, but we were pleasantly surprised. Plus 5 because when we see Rich Boy at the dance, the facts that he is (a) not as hot as his IM photo and (b) the gayest gay in gaytown are immediately, gloriously apparent.
• Darla's boyfriend shows up at the grown-up party with a young blonde. HOLY CRAP IT'S CARIDEE FROM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. Plus 2, because you just can imagine one of those whores stealing your boyfriend.
• Nate's mother arranges his marriage to Blair by dangling her grandmother's ring "the one that Cornelius Vanderbilt gave her," in front of Eleanor. Plus 1, because sometimes our moms are shallow bitches, too.
• Nate finds a ginormous-size bag of cocaine in a book in dad's study. "Maybe it's old!" Serena says, "left over from the nineties, the Limelight, Tunnel … our parents did way worse stuff than we do." Okay one: We are extremely, hideously ancient. Two: Serena's right – prescription drugs are the new cocaine. Only someone over 20 would think to actually pay a dealer for some disco dust. Plus 2, because Chuck calls it "yeyo" and that's exactly what he would think was cool. And plus an additional 1 for a giant fucking bag like that being found twice in one episode, because really, where on earth could you hide something that big?
• When Nate's mom (that's his mom, right? Not a trophy wife? Everyone on this show looks like they are aged five years apart – including some classmates) finds the coke, as usual, Nate's eyes dart stupidly from side to side. He has no idea what show (or drug, for that matter) he's even supposed to be on. Meanwhile, Nate's dad (his name is "The Captain." Hooray!) says nothing. Cool! Maybe he never will, and they'll send Nate to boarding school, or Promises, Riker's Island, anything to stop him from boring us with his stupid boring plotlines and stupid pretty face. Plus 3 for the possibility of that scenario.
• One thing the show always gets right is awkward teen conversation. Like when Dan and Serena try to ask each other to the masked ball and neither is really paying attention to the other. Or when Serena asks Rich Boy IV over IM, "How u doin." It's painful, but it's so, so true. So many a true love began with a simple, "How u doin"! Plus 2
Total: 21 reality points
As Fake As Eleanor Waldorf's Veneers
• A word about Dan. We've said this before, and we're going to elaborate now: No teenage boys are like Dan. Teenage boys are not quick-witted enough to make the right joke at the right time. They are not sensitive or unself-conscious enough to sit in the hallway with your bitch best friend and console her when she's having a hard time. They do not have values, or make "bold gestures." Nor are their jaws chiseled, their clothes artfully, sexily ruffled, their brown eyes deep and searching as they lock onto yours and tell you, "Just for the record, I like you." The generation of tweens watching Gossip Girl, take note: Dan is your Jake Ryan, and believing that guys like this exist can ruin your life. Minus 7
• When Dan blows off Vanessa, she says he can make up for it by buying her "pierogies at Veselka." True, pierogies will right most wrongs, but they live in Williamsburg, so why deal with a weekend L when they can just go to Kasia's? Yet Vanessa somehow mysteriously manages to make it all the way into the East Village and then to Billyburg to get to Dan's house (which we all know is in Dumbo) before he gets home. Don't tell us bitch took a cab. She wears scarves in warm weather! She is not a girl who ponies up for the yellow chariot. Minus 2
• Jenny gets revenge on Chuck for trying to date-rape her by locking him on the roof in his underwear. Minus 10 because even though chicks always do this in movies, no one ever does this in real life. What is this, Ally McBeal?
• On a related note: Chuck wears undershirts and boxers? No, no, no. Chuck wears 2xist underwear (even though he's not skinny enough to pull them off) and if anything, he wears a wife-beater. Come on, the joke practically writes itself! Minus 3
• Serena's mom tells Serena, "You know at your age, you should be playing the field." Okay, we know Mrs. van der Woodsen is wacked, but urging her daughter to be a ho? Doesn't she know Serena went through that phase when she was 15? Being 16 is all about long-term relationships! Minus 3
• Did anyone else notice the photos from Truman Capote's "Black and White Ball" that were shown at the beginning of the episode? Including Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow? We can't tell if that was hilariously satiric on the part of the show's writers, or oddly earnest. Minus 2, for confusing us.
Total: 25 unreality points.
Which leaves us four points on the fake side, which is a little wrong, because compared to the great rehab escape of 2007, this episode was basically a documentary. We may have to rejigger our point system. In the meantime, let us know what you think at firstname.lastname@example.com. We can't wait for next week — isn't it about time for the inexplicable first celebrity guest star to arrive? We're hoping for Ricki Lake!
Click here to read our previous Gossip Girl recaps and other dish about the show!


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#1 Ranked Children's Hospital by U.S. News & World Report
MyPatients provides referring primary care providers with secure access to their patients' information.
Boston Children's has launched the world's 1st program dedicated to offering hand transplants to children who qualify.
Innovation insider is a semi-monthly e-newsletter analyzes innovations at Boston Children's, other academic medical centers and from industry.
Read the latest blog by a Boston Children's doctor, clinician or staff member.
There are many ways you can help children and their families get the care they need.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells can become stiff, sticky and often shaped like the letter C. Normal red blood cells are smooth and flexible, like the letter O, and can move easily through blood vessels. But sickle cells tend to cluster together. These clusters can create blockages in your child's small blood vessels, stopping the movement of healthy, oxygen-carrying blood. These blockages can lead to sudden pain anywhere in the body, as well as damage to the body tissues and organs over time. The altered structure of the red blood cell also causes it to break down more rapidly, leading to a chronically low blood count, or anemia.
Sickle cell disease primarily affects children of African descent and Hispanics of Caribbean ancestry. It also occurs in children of Middle-Eastern and Indian descent.
Sickle cell disease treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's
Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is an international leader in improving treatment and quality of life for children with sickle cell disease. Our Sickle Cell Disease Program provides children with sickle cell disease access to world-renown pediatric hematologists, top-rated nursing care, and the latest treatment options including hydroxyurea and stem cell transplantation.
Learn more
The Dana-Farber/Boston Children's website provides in-depth information on sickle cell disease, including:
The future of pediatrics will be forged by thinking differently, breaking paradigms and joining together in a shared vision of tackling the toughest challenges before us."


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City Beat
Your latest City news. Information on projects, services and events. Watch new episodes and archived episodes.
Ask The...
Get involved, have your questions answered by government official on television. Watch and Submit your ?'s.
Watch live and past Council Meetings and Work Sessions on demand. Plus access to interactive agenda packets.
CLC-TV Documentaries
Watch all of the CLC-TV Award Winning documentaries. Compelling stories from within the community.
Watch Live
Don't get CLC-TV, no problem! Watch the live stream of CLC-TV Cable Channel 20 anywhere in the world from your computer.


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Useful Security Tools
Virus attacks are one of the most costly and destructive forces that networks face today. All computers on the UIS network whether owned by the campus or by individuals are expected to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed to ensure the best defense against these attacks.
All UIS computers have McAfee anti-virus software installed when they are configured for the network. All incoming UIS email is protected by Barracuda Networks Spam and Virus Firewall and McAfee anti-virus software, which is installed on all UIS email servers.
If you are not sure if your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software, please contact ITS Client Services at email@example.com. They will be happy to check your anti-virus software status and install or update your software.