The Mysterious death of Keith Moon

 

In mid-1978 Moon moved into a flat in Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, renting from Harry Nilsson. Cass Elliot had died there four years earlier, at the age of 32; Nilsson was concerned about letting the flat to Moon, believing it was cursed. Townshend disagreed, assuring him that "lightning wouldn't strike the same place twice".

 

After moving in, Moon began a prescribed course of Heminevrin (clomethiazole, a sedative) to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal symptoms. He wanted to get sober, but due to his fear of psychiatric hospitals he wanted to do it at home. Clomethiazole is discouraged for unsupervised detoxification because of its addictive potential, its tendency to induce tolerance, and its risk of death when mixed with alcohol.

  

The pills were prescribed by Geoffrey Dymond, a physician who was unaware of Moon's lifestyle. Dymond prescribed a bottle of 100 pills, instructing him to take one pill when he felt a craving for alcohol but not more than three pills per day.

  

"Baba O'Riley"'s backing track was derived from the Lifehouse concept, where Townshend wanted to input the vital signs and personality of Meher Baba into a synthesiser, which would then generate music based on that data. When this idea fell through, Townshend instead recorded a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ using its marimba repeat feature as the backing track.[6] This modal approach was inspired by the work of minimalist composer Terry Riley.

 

Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English drummer who played with the English rock band the Who.

 

Moon's style of drumming was considered unique by his bandmates, although they sometimes found his unconventional playing frustrating; Entwistle noted that he tended to play faster or slower according to his mood.

  

The Who - Baba O'Riley (Live)

 

TheWho.Info YouTube

 

Published on Aug 24, 2015

youtu.be/aH-xoD3oVU8

Opium Poppies in morning sunshine with a few raindrops in the air.

Although it is well known that lemons are good for one's health, there are many benefits which are only now being recognized and taken advantage of. Because of its high level of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), for example, lemons have been known to help out against infections and skin diseases like scurvy; they may also be a potent weapon against cancer.

Among the less-well-known health benefits, however, are the following:

1. A remedy against heartburn?

Because of its high acidity, it may come as a surprise that lemons could possibly help out in the area of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Lemons, however, appear to be good for the digestion, thus helping to relieve many of the symptoms that come with GERD, including indisgetion, bloating, and belching.

2. Relieving hiccups?

Drinking lemon juice may help to treat and help reduce the chances of succumbing to hiccups. The strong sourness of lemons is usually a strong medicine against the involuntary nerve spasms that constitute what we call "hiccups."

3. Dissolving gall, kidney, and pancreatic stones?

Some sources have suggested that lemons may be useful in the fight against stones that develop in the kidneys, gallbladder and the pancreas. Medicine may find this lithotripsy ability useful in the coming years, if this can be further confirmed through clinical studies. Because this remedy carries such low risk factors, however, it may be something people facing these problems may use on a trial basis, preferably by first contacting their physician.

4. Reduction of the phlegm your body produces?

Supposedly because of its natural antiseptic prowess, lemons (which contain, among other things, anti-microbial saponins) may help your body produce less phlegm, possibly by helping to strengthen your immune system.

5. Helping to fade burn scars?

Burns can greatly damage skin cells, often leaving ugly scars behind. By helping to cool and heal damaged skin, however, lemons may reduce the ugliness of said scars.

6. A weight reducer and diuretic?

Much of the weight gain some people experience comes in the form of water retention. Lemons (possibly consumed as lemon juice mixed with warm water and honey) may aid in the fight to keep water retention to a minimum, supposedly by helping the kidneys and the other fluid-management organs to work more efficiently.

7. Strengthening the heart?

Because of its high potassium content, lemons may help to keep the heart healthy and strong. Its cardiovascular benefits may also lie in its ability to keep high blood pressure low.

8. Used as a sedative?

Lemon juice is said to help against dizziness, stress, and depression, ostensibly by helping the body to stay calm and relaxed--especially when consumed in conjunction with other stress-reducing foods (e.g., green tea, honey, yogurt, etc.).

9. Remedy against respiratory problems?

Lemons may help (most probably because of their anti-inflammatory properties) people who suffer from breathing problems such as asthma.

10. An anti-aging supplement?

Lemons may help in the fight against premature aging, most probably because of their anti-oxidant capacity. They can help to prevent and remove wrinkles and blackheads, as well as to keep skin looking healthy, shiny and supple. Among other things, lemons are thought to be able to help the body restore pH balance.

Conclusion

Although for centuries lemons have been known to provide many health benefits, it's only relatively recently that we can to some extent understand why. Simply put, we did not have the technology to pinpoint some of the scientific reasons; what is more interesting, though, is the fact that there may be even more benefits we have yet to identify or discover.Source : Fred Fletcher To know more visit www.yogagurusuneelsingh.com Pic by Rohit Suri

The Opium Poppy, Papaver somniferum, from which opium and derivative narcotics such as codeine, morphine, noscapine and papaverine are made. The oil-containing seeds are widely used as food. Known as the common garden poppy, they have a wide variety of petal colours, the example above being lilac and purple and of a variety commonly grown commercially in France.

I had great time yesterday at the Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve,

On a week day everyone is at work at 1 pm, so I was the only one there,

In case some of my Long Island contacts want to know,

Please check the link and phone number on the previous photo,

You call to get the combination to the lock you enter with your car and lock

the gate behind you, when ready to leave you do the same,

I was waiting for this about a year, it was worth it!

 

One must not loose the drive to learn just because we think we saw it all, most satisfying your curiosity is the ultimate reward!,

 

***Orchids often have swollen, ball-shaped tubers that were regarded in traditional practices as having medicinal value. The root of lady's slipper was used as a remedy for nervousness, tooth pain, and muscle spasms. In the 1800s and 1900s it, and other orchids, were widely used as a substitute for the European plant valerian for sedative properties.

 

Theme Song: By The Sword - Slash, ft. Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother

 

Well they claim they'd like to know,

anyone could let you go,

and the people gather 'round for the last show,

 

Well there is no reward,

to live and die by the sword.

Well they tried to complicate you,

but you left it all behind...

 

Day 6 - Third Dream: Beginning of the Tormentor

 

The next ghost to appear was my third Kitten, Aspira Tsarchon - or Aspie Kitten, as I had once affectionately called her. So much was going on at this time in my life as Ioh. I had come off the loss of my second Kitten and soon found Aspie. We had hit it off really well. She was unlike my last two Felixi, as I called them. Their proper title was Felix Amans, meaning 'loving Kitten'. The idea was that they were to be my happiness.

 

But with each passing on of the title from one female feles to the next, the title seemed in some way a mockery to that happiness I sought for. It was beginning to take an ironic twist, to which the lesson should have been how unattainable happiness was for me. Others took a different view on what this 'changing of the guard' really meant, about how I supposedly changed women as often as some changed their underwear. Maybe they were right in some ways, but only by a fraction. They did not have the full story. They never had it, and they never will. Even if by some miracle they happen to come across my pondering in this astral plane, they will never fully understand, and most likely don't care to. But that's fine. This telling of it is not for them, but for me.

 

This is my Purgatory. I've binged on the poison of holding these things in my soul for far too long. It's now time to let them depart from me and leave. That's if, whatever torments me still in this new existence will allow it. Maybe I can will it to be gone - however this works, anyway. Who knows? Maybe I'm condemned to Hell, and this is only the beginning of my sorrows and torments. Only progression through this backwards flow of memory in this place without any real frame for time will tell.

 

What remembrance brings to me of this Kitten is many days and nights upon the Den talking. About what? I cannot remember most of it. Much of it, at first, could be summed up in the usual talk that comes with courting between a female and male feles - actions of learning each other's scents, seeking names to go with the scents, to become familiar and recognized. Oh, of course there was taking in the visual physique as well, to eye her up as she sizes me down - all to see if we're suitable for each other. It would seem to not take too long to come to the conclusion that we were.

 

Reason would have said to take longer to get to know her. Who said I ever worked fully by reason? A feles is a cat, and cats work on instinct. So, where reason is lacking, instinct takes over. With falling in love, instinct reigned supreme in the character of my feles. On that note, I will bend that my detractors may have gotten it part right in their derision. Yet, if they were true to their instincts, which many of them were, they too were in and out of mates just as often, and likely for the same reason - the nature of their instinct. 'Judge not, lest ye be judged' would seem to have been the appropriate phrase to speak to them while living.

 

Now I am dead. I face the judgment of the ghosts of my past alone.

 

Regarding this ghost, I had thought that maybe I had found the one to turn the tides. Maybe Ioh could finally settle down. But, again, distractions came. This time it came by way of a promotion - one that led me into a covert operation that, for a time, defied even the rules of the Pride.

 

You see, there was this young female human soldier that had a habit of coming around the Den, causing trouble for the Catwalkers. Her name was Satomi Ashbourne. I suppose she had thought she was some Bourne Supremist style Black Ops sort of military girl. Maybe it was because her character came from a long line of military heroes that carried the last name of that famed fictional character of the books, which were made into movies in the decades to come - even up to the decade that this Another World RP was happening in. The data records of the Pride might still have the report of one of her attacks. Such a report I once had in my hands and glossed over, having gotten the original from the very source, a kitten who was working as a Ghost then. It had this to say:

 

Doings with the Military

 

Johnny and I came back to the Den after a walk. We were met by the sharp crack of gunfire. I hit the catwalk and peered over the edge to find Aspira down there with a UAC recruit. The recruit was on the ground with a gun in her hand. Aspira was bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.

 

Johnny and I dropped down to see what was going on. Aspira wasn't in good shape. But she told us that she'd found the recruit (I'm not sure where, Aspira was not clear) and she obviously wasn't well. The recruit was acting as though she had been mauled, but didn't have any physical damage to her. Aspira tried to help her, and the recruit shot.

 

The recruit, Ashbourne was her name, dropped her empty gun. I kicked it away. Johnny and I tried to talk to her, but that didn't go well. I could sense from her that she was afraid of us - of feles. I sent out a text, but Johnny was the closest thing we had to a stitcher on hand. I went up to the Gore Den to get a sedative, and Johnny administered it to Ashbourne.

 

It didn't put her fully out, but mellowed her some. She calmed down until I told her I'd get her back to the bunker where she belonged. She couldn't talk. She withdrew a sheet of paper and began to point at letters, spelling things out. She told me that she was afraid to go back to the military compound. She didn't want them to know she was unfit for duty.

 

Aspira told me that this was the person who'd shot Dui. She also said that Calle had tortured the recruit, and that someone had put the idea into the recruit's mind that she'd been mauled by cats. I could sense that about her - she was deeply afraid to be near us, and something wasn't right with her mind - she was altered.

 

The recruit kept pointing to her sheet of letters. Only then did I realize what the paper was. It was a military duty roster.

 

I sent Johnny up to the roofs to tend Aspira's wounds. Kittenwalker trainee Requiem came down to me to help move the recruit. I couldn't let her stay here, even if we were helping her. I felt we needed to get her back to her own people.

 

That's when a military doctor showed up, Dr. Avro. She came into the alley and asked what had happened. I explained as best as I knew. She and Requiem got the recruit to her feet. I carefully slipped the duty roster out of the recruit's limp hand. She tried to snatch it back, but failed.

 

Avro and Requiem carried the recruit back to the bunker. I went with them. Ioh also came along. I was thankful to have him along, going into military territory as we were. We got there without incident, and then came back to the Den, also without incident. It's been quiet since then.

 

The partial list of names on the duty roster:

 

McDunnough

Allen

Bury

McCallen

Zenovka

Ashbourne

Avro

 

Tober, I'm giving you the list with my report in case you see any other information on it. I hope it's not too badly crumpled from having been tucked in my boot...

 

Elise

 

Not long after this recruit had been taken back to her military compound was she found out and about. Near the Den again. One of the Pride's protected mice was there helping the enemy. And so, the event, from what I recollect, went something like this:

 

"Hey, help me get her to the MC, ey?" said the mouse.

 

I replied, "Didn't she attack the Den earlier?"

 

The recruit recognized me from her first night. Whimpering, she pulled away from the mouse to try and find a corner to hide in.

 

The mouse nodded, "Yeah, and she attacked it again. But I don't make a habit of killing people if it's not absolutely necessary."

 

I smirked at the mouse, "Since when have the Catwalkers taken intruders to the hospital? We could just as easily fix her up in the Gore Den and hold her hostage until she can answer us on why she's so committed to come back every time we shoo her off."

 

The recruit tried to pull away.

 

Looking at me, the mouse blinked, then shrugged. "That works for me."

 

"Here." I handed him a roll of medical gauze I carried, normally for medical emergencies. "Take and wrap her ankles, I'll get her wrists"

 

The recruit saw the gauze and looked down nervously at her upper leg.

 

"Not like she's in a position to do much, but fair enough." The mouse moved down to her legs, taking the gauze and wrapped it tightly about her ankles, tying it into a secure knot.

 

I then took her wrists, put them behind her back and tied them tightly together, "Alright, now help me carry her to the Gore Den."

 

The mouse nodded, and lifted up the tied ankles of the prisoner. "After you?"

 

I nodded back to the mouse and then proceeded to carry Satome by the upper body, mindful, but not terribly so, of her shoulder.

 

Reaching the Gore Den, Elise and Johnny were found inside. Johnny had just put Elise to sleep as I and the mouse came in with Satome.

 

"Anything new out there?"

 

Johnny asked as we were coming into the door. I nodded to him as I dragged Satomi to the medical bed, holding her down. I then looked to the mouse and asked, "Can you get some medical belts? I'll look her wound over after she's secured."

 

"Sure, replied the mouse as he padded over to a cupboard and opened it. He took out the belts and placed them on the bed beside Satomi.

 

"Alright," said Johnny as he looked curiously over the situation I and the mouse brought into the Gore Den. He then asked, "Anything you want me to do?"

 

Satomi quivered upon the medical bed, looking around the slightly-familiar room. Her eyes were wide with fear. Rational fear. Not the blind panic of her earlier confrontation with the Catwalkers.

 

Taking the belts, I strapped them upon Satomi. One around her chest. Another, her waist. And another, her legs. Unceremoniously, I tore away the gauze at her wrists and ankles. Looking to Johnny, I replied to his earlier question. "Sure, you got medical experience? If so, how about checking her shoulder out?" Whether I had been out of the loop for some time, or was just messing with the Stitcher, I cannot remember now. Both were likely possible then.

 

Johnny gave me a look and said, "Yes, I do have plenty of medical experience" He headed over to the medical bed to take a look at Satomi's shoulder.

 

I nodded to him. "Good, we'll patch her up a bit so she doesn't die, then see if she's willing to talk after some rest."

 

"Two rounds in her shoulder. Should be easily removed." Johnny then turned and readied his set of tweezers, then sighed, "How many bullets am I gonna pull out of people today..."

 

Satomi whinced and looked at the tweezers.

 

Casually, I gave Johnny my own assessment of the wounds upon the recruit. "Looks like she's got a gunshot wound to her left shoulder, her left knee, and neck - oh yeah, " I took out my pistol, and shot her right knee, "And there too!" I smirked, then looked to the recruit, "Sorry, but that was payback for shooting my Kitten earlier."

 

Satomi's back arched in pain. She looked at me with confused pleading eyes in her eyes. I grinned, "Don't worry, that bullet will be personally taken out by me." Picking up my own medical tweezer, I then asked Johnny, "What do you think, should we sedate her first before operating?"

 

Satomi's right knee is pulsed in pain. Bone was fractured where the bullet lodged into her kneecap. Blood flowed onto the Gore Den's medical bed. She was busy chewing on her lip to keep from crying, and looked at me again, still not understanding.

 

Johnny sighed. "I'm really not in any shape to be taking care of someone who shot my mate. So I honestly don't know what would work"

 

The mouse sighed as well. "She's already been beaten up enough as it is, just do it properly."

 

I shrugged and looked at the stitcher, "Sedation, or no sedation, Johnny? It's your call."

 

"Alright then." Johnny replied, "Not like I'd harm one of my patients. Hand me a sedative vial then."

 

I shrugged at his reply, "Alright, guess that is the least we could do for her."

 

The mouse handed Johnny one of the marked vials. His tail gave a flick as he did so. "Not like torturing her further is going to make it easier to get answers."

 

Johnny shook his head and took the vial. Injecting a syringe into it. He drew up a set amount of the liquid before tapping the needle to remove any air in it.

 

Satomi nodded slowly in gratitude to the mouse. Her face seemed a hair more relaxed knowing the sedative was coming, and that the pain would finally abate. Something at least was going her way.

 

I shrugged at the mouse's comment, "It may or may not."

 

Johnny then leaned down to look in her eyes. His own hazel ones narrowed in on her. "Before you get anything, you're going to have to tell me why you have been attacking our kitties."

 

I looked to Johnny, "So how long should the sedative take to take effect?"

 

"Well, after I get what I want to know, it should take around a minute or two."

 

I nodded, then sighed, "She may not speak tonight though."

 

Satomi didn't burst into tears. Rather, they just welled up and slid down her cheeks. She looked at Johnny and shook her head slowly, trying to make writing motions. Her frustration was visible.

 

I then shrugged, "If she's not going to speak, I'll just pull the first bullet out without the sedative."

 

Johnny spoke to her with a sigh. "You can tell me later." He then moved in and injected the sedative. "Know this: if you hurt my family, or mate ever again, I won't miss the next time I shoot at you." He continued to talk to her as he went to get his tweezers ready to pull out the first bullet "I'm really not a bad person. But what you did was enough for me to show my nasty side."

 

Before leaving, I added an extra sedative. Enough to put her out for the night. Before she fell asleep, I looked into her eyes, "Alright soldier, you rest here. Don't try anything stupid, and you just might live. You got it?" I didn't wait for her answer, knowing by now that waiting for a response from her now would be useless. I tugged on the belt straps to make sure they were secure, and then headed out of the Gore Den.

 

But for all the securing of the prisoner made, it would seem my efforts where vain. After stitching the girl up, I left the Den for a while to take care of a few other things. When I came back to the Den, I decided to be friendly to a Kittenwalker before checking in on Satomi in the Gore Den when I found out the news.

 

"Hello, you're a fairly new recruit, right?"

 

The Kittenwalker stopped doing what he was doing for a moment as he saw me there. He gave a small shrug of his left shoulder, then replied back, "Pretty new. I've helped defend the Den and went on patrol with Nevs so far."

 

As he spoke, I heard Dui merr at me and felt her bump into me. I mewed back, "Hey there." I nodded to the Kittenwalker and said to him, "Don't think I got your name yet." Turning back to Dui I asked her, "How you been?"

 

Dui folded her arms, feeling the cool of the evening. "Good. I guess." She gave Requiem a polite nod.

 

"Requiem, Sir." Said the Kittenwalker.

 

"Nice to meet," I said to him, then turned back to Dui, "So what you been up to?" Fiddling with with my PDA, I sent out a text: *txt* hey Nevs, so how's our hostage?**

 

"Besides healing up? Not much." She shrugged, then continued on to say, "Got the talk from the Matron today about my broadcasts."

 

Requiem gave Dui a bow before he raised to nod to Ioh. "Likewise."

 

I blinked at the gesture and looked to Dui, curious. "Healing up, from what? And what about the broadcasts?"

 

Dui chuckled, "It's the downside to me being away from the Den so much. Anyway, that military girl in the Gore Den put a bullet in me at the rave last week."

 

The text came back from Nevers:

 

*txt* Linds let her go with 2 military medics**

 

I mrred, being somewhat in confusion at the response back from my text. I raised an eyebrow, then smirked at Dui. "You mean the one that was in the Gore Den." I mumbled a bit, and sent another text: *txt* what?**

 

"You didn't kill her, did you?" Dui looked to Requiem, "Did he kill her?"

 

"I almost did before she got to the Gore Den." Requiem replied.

 

I mrred again. "Maybe I should have." I grumbled as I waited for a response back from Nevers. I then smirked, as I snapped at the Kittenwalker. "Yeah, and you and Elise handed her to the military compound ealier after the raid she had done on the Den yesterday" I then looked at the received message, and the virtual conversation went as follows:

 

Nevers Decatur: *txt* Matrons decision.**

Iohannes Crispien: *txt* but why? We didn't get any answers from her about why she's attacking us.**

Nevers Decatur: *txt* don't ask me I just follow orders.**

Iohannes Crispien: *txt* alright then. I guess I'll handle this personally on my own. 'Cause you know she's coming back**

 

Dui sighed, "Not like I care. I just don't need the heat right now. And the Canis didn't want her."

 

Requiem smirked a little. "She still came back."

 

Dui Zhang smiled as she added, "I think she's into the kinky stuff."

 

As Nevers came onto the Den rooftop, he glanced at his phone as he walked up to me. "I know, Ioh. But we do what they want us too right?"

 

Requiem turned as he heard Nevers come up. "Greetings, Sir."

 

Dui glanced over to Nevers, and added with a wink. "Hey mister."

 

My nod to him was reluctant, and I grumbled at Nevers' reply. I then gave him a look that would seem to say, "Just don't mention my last message."

 

Nevers nodded back. "Hadn't intended on it"

 

I grinned. Then, looking to a rooftop, I said, "I think I need to go, patrol, for a little while."

 

Nevers snickered, "Do whatcha gotta."

 

Dui blinked, looking at me suspicious as I readied to depart. "Uhm, OK. Be good!" She looked to Nevers expectantly.

 

Nevers tilted his head at Dui's look. "What?"

 

I gave a final nod, then mewed to Dui, "Take care all."

 

I could hear Dui's merring as I left, then her reply to Nevers, "I was just wondering if you were leaving, too."

 

And so began my hunt for Satomi. But, as this journaling of sorts is not about Satomi as much as it is of Aspira, I will save the rest of the story for if, or when, my dreams come upon that scenario of Ioh's life. Rather, I need to return to that first turning moment in my life with Aspira, which should have sealed our fates together. That is, Apira's confession:

 

I was looking down from a ledge, spying my Kitten on an awning above the main street. To someone I did not know, she held her hand up as if to say stop right there. "I don't accept food from strangers either."

 

Cez was there and, in that usual dramatic flare she was known for, threw herself at someone else I didn't know, and hugged him. The stranger that Cez embraced grinned big, hugging her in return "Hey girl."

 

The stranger who had tried to give something to Aspira snorted and shook his head, dropping the fish on the ground. "People just don't seem to like the one guy who goes out of his way to help."

 

Cez giggled at the familiar stranger. "How are you hon? All good?"

 

Aspira watched the strange stranger and replied, "Thanks but like I said I don't accept things from those I don't know."

 

I hopped down from the shadows of the roofs. Seeing Aspira, I grinned behind my mask, saying in a familiar voice, "Did you call me a stranger Kitten?"

 

The familiar stranger to Cez nodded his head slowly and purred deeply from his throat. "Aaaaaall good. How are ya?"

 

The strange stranger snorted again and walked away.

 

Cez smiled and nodded to her familiar stranger. "I'm good too..." She then shrugged. "The city is kinda calm."

 

Aspira turned around to see me crouched behind her. My identity was hidden from her. "No," she replied to be, "but I will now. Is there something I can help you with?" She eyed me while slowly taking a step back.

 

Cez nudged her familiar stranger. "So, up to something special?"

 

I walked closer, still, to Aspira, speaking again in a familiar voice, "You still don't recognize me, do you Kitten."

 

Sensing something familiar in my voice she whimpered softly. She knew the voice, but everything about the person crouched in front of her was wrong. "No. I don't recognize you."

 

The familiar stranger nodded to Cez replied to her, "Sure is." He tickled her a bit on her side, then stuck out his tongue playfully. "Not up to nothing."

 

Cez's eyes looked up to the awning when she heard Aspira speak. "What the - Aspira?" She stared at her familiar stranger. Then, mumbling, she said, "Sorry. Gotta take care of something." She then jumped up on the awning. Raising a brow, she asked, "Aspira, how are you?"

 

I smiled at Aspira, "Good. Then my disguise is working." I grinned again behind my mask.

 

The familiar stranger watched Cez as she went up onto the awning. He furrowed his brow, scratching the side of his head confused. He shrugged and sprinted down the street before deciding to take a seat.

 

Aspira looked to Cez. "I'm ok for the moment." She looked over her left shoulder again. "There's always ground."

 

Having assessed the situation, Cez hopped down and went to her familiar stranger. "So, how's it going with the Pack? And are you still on your own?" She winked at him.

 

The familiar stranger nodded and smiled "Not bad." He tilted his head to the side confused. "Huh? On my own?"

 

Cez giggled. "Yeah. Aren't the Pack females fighting for ya?!"

 

Back on the awning, Aspira looked at me in my disguise and took a deep breath. "I don't think this is funny at all." She softly mewed disheartened, because she knew the voice by heart, but she could not smell me, nor see me, as and I was acting so secretive.

 

The familiar stranger grinned and shook his head to Cez's questioning. "I've got Kuja, for always and ever."

 

Cez smiled. "Awww, how sweet. And too bad." She stuck her tongue out playfully.

 

His brow perked, the familiar stranger looked confused again, and asked, "Why too bad?"

 

Another stranger leaned in to give Cez a hug saying, "Well I'm gonna go patrol. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

 

Cez turned around, hugged the other stranger and smiled. "Yeah, talk to you later. Take care hon."

 

While this was going on in the streets, I looked to Aspira, and smiled behind my mask. "If you know my voice, and you trust me, then come with me to the rooftops above."

 

Aspira watched me a moment. "I know the voice. And I trust I know who it belongs to, but sometimes my trust is misplaced and I end up hurt. But I will go with you."

 

Yet another stranger crouched on the edge of a roof. He looked around for Cez, then spotted her. He called out to her. "Cez! Can you help me out with something for a moment?"

 

Cez laughed at the initial familiar stranger's comment, and smiled. "You're too cute. But good to hear you're all good." She looked up at the newcomer stranger and replied to him. "Yeah, sure. What?"

 

The familiar stranger blushed a bit at Cez's comment and felt relieved when her attention went to the roof. He looked to the ground, smiling lightly.

 

The newcomer stranger threw a thumb over his shoulder, indicating yet another stranger. "I have a friend here who just arrived. She needs a place to hang out in Midian. She's a feles, so I figured you might be able to help me out."

 

Back up to the awning with my Kitten, I nodded to her, hugged her close, then shot a grapple towards the upper rooftops. I whispered in her ear, "Hold tight."

 

Aspira nodded back at me and held tightly while closing her eyes.

 

Cez could be heard on the street calling out "Comin'!" even as she turned to the familiar stranger to ask. "Is it okay if I help them out?"

 

I made my way with my Kitten up to the Police rooftop, then set Aspira down. I removed my mask and smiled. "Hello again Kitten."

 

Aspira opened her eyes just so she could watch me. When I removed my mask, she almost instantly bursted out in tears and hugged close to me. Feeling her hug, I purred, then asked, "You miss me?"

 

She nodded while burying her face into my chest. Tears stained my shirt. "I was worried sick Ioh." A soft loving mew slipped past her lips against my chest.

 

Suddenly, I heard a voice, presumably from a cop say, "I've never actually been here before."

 

I held Aspie close, then mrred as I saw the cop with my eyes. "Wasn't expecting company. Let's move Kitten."

 

The cop looked at the two of us, probably wondering what we were doing up there.

 

I grappled off with Aspira towards the rooftop of a club I was certain at that time would not have anyone come up and intrude. I murred after landing and set Aspie down on the rooftop. "Sorry about that - unexpected company."

 

She mewed softly and nodded, still holding close to me, and still crying. "Ioh you're a monster." She pouted softly.

 

I tilted my head, "A monster. What do you mean?"

 

Aspira peaked up at me from the folds of my shirt. "This is the first time I've ever in my whole entire life cried. And you made me do it."

 

I hugged her close and sighed, "I'm sorry Kitten. It's, business," I said, hesitantly, "Have to keep the Pride safe, you know?"

 

Aspira mewed softly and licked my lips gently. "I love you so much is why." She pointed to her hair, "Do I have gray hairs here?" She grabbed her tail, pulled it around and looked at it, then nodded to him. "I know Ioh, but you just poofed and it scared me."

 

I slightly chuckled at her comment about grey hairs, then shook my head, "You'd have lovely silver locks, my love." I then sighed, "Aspie...." I looked at her stitched shoulder, "How is the wound?"

 

She sighed at the change in subject so quickly. "It's fine Ioh. It hurts, but I'm a big girl and ignore it." Her head is hung. "Ioh, I want a gun. I don't want to be forced to fight with my bare hands against someone with a gun again. Arcann was right."

 

"You should at least have a pistol, if not something with a little more firepower for some of the mech types around." I shrugged, "But no matter, a gun is the last resort in a fight."

 

Aspira looked up at me. "I know that, but twice I've been staring down the barrel of the same gun. Next time someone puts a gun in my face I want them to pay for it. I'm tired of looking down everyone else's weapon and have to rely on just my hands to get out of a situation like that."

 

I held her close, "Kitten, just remember, though there's a slight leverage to having a gun, you still have to be ready to be firm in negotiating. In most cases, you try to get them to back down. But that doesn't always work." I looked her straight in the eyes, piercing hers with the seriousness in mine, "Do you think you can pull the trigger, if worse comes to worse?"

 

She looked back into my eyes and nodded slowly. "Ioh, I don't think I could stop pulling it. I might be nice and innocent. But if someone is threatening my life, I am not scared to take one. I'm tired of everyone else having to rescue me. I want to rescue myself too.

 

Don't get me wrong, Ioh. I love when my hero saves me, but you can't be by my side every waking moment." Her hands rubbed lightly up and down my body as she purred softly.

 

"I understand that you want to protect yourself." I sighed, then added, "But Kitten, if there's something that worries me as much, if not more, is going trigger happy. A gun gives power, yes. Especially to decide if someone lives or dies. But remember, the person you shoot has a life, and possibly people he or she loves, or at least loves them."

 

Aspira buried her face in my chest tightly. "I won't go trigger happy. You've seen me try to talk my way out of situations. Especially when a gun was involved." She then softly mumbled, "I just want to prove that I'm not a worthless Kitten."

 

I murred, then held her close. "Kitten, you are not worthless."

 

She listened to my heart while closing her eyes. "Kitty, when you've been told you can't do something so many times it makes you feel worthless. Especially when you've been told that you are worthless." As she exhaled her cheeks grew red hot as if she were embarrassed to say that.

 

I rubbed her back, then brushed her cheek with my other hand, bringing her chin up so I could look her in the eyes, my own showing tears welling up, "You're not worthless. I don't care what anyone else has said. You are the most valuable person to me, my love." My heart fluttered a bit when I said it, indicating my strong passion then.

 

She placed her hand over my heart as she kissed me deeply. Tears started to well up in her eyes again just seeing mine. The other hand lightly scratched at my stomach, trying to calm me. Softly she purred. "You are the most valuable person in my life too Kitty. And I'd announce it to the world if I could."

 

Turning she cupped her hands over her mouth and screamed into the open air. "I LOVE IOH WITH ALL MY HEART AND HE IS THE MOST SPECIAL PERSON IN MY LIFE. FOREVER AND ALWAYS. HE STOLE MY HEART FROM THE BEGINNING, AND I'VE LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT." Turning back to me she softly kissed my cheek and looked into my eyes.

 

I blinked at her shouts. My heart still fluttered - both surprised and enamored. "Kitten." I could not say anything more, as words seemed to mount to nothing adequate enough to describe my joy then in hearing my love's confession. I held her in tight embrace and kissed her. I then purred a whisper in her ear that seemed to echo in the night skyline, "I love you too."

 

Aspira kissed me back deeply. She smiled as I purred my words of my affection in her ear. She seemed calm. As if she had meditated for hours. But it was my effect on her. "Kitty, I can't even speak how much you mean to me. I would give everything I have and more for you. I couldn't dream of life without you. It would be impossible." Mewing, she whispered into my ear. "You are the one I want to turn gray- er, 'silver' with. Because you pull my heartstrings in such a way that without you I'd never be able to live again."

 

I held her close in a hug. Leaning in to kiss, purring upon her lips as our lips embraced. He smiled, "My Felix, you bring me great joy in your words. I then bind myself to you here and now to be your Kitty for as long as we both shall live."

 

Aspira mewed, looking up after kissing me back, loving the feel of my purr on her lips. "Really? You would do that?" Tilting her head to the side some she smiled wide. "In that case, I bind myself to you Kitty, to forever be your kitten." She purred loudly, letting me feel the vibrations - the joy showed on every inch of her body.

 

I nodded. My own purrs intensified in passion as I felt her own purring. Then I kissed her. "I love you, my Aspie Kitten."

 

Aspira kissed me back. "I love you too, my Ioh Kitty!" She nuzzled and smiled.

 

*sighs*

 

Tears fall to my eyes, as even now, in the darkness of my personal prison. I remember this pinnacle moment in a life and love lost. I could forget that, in reality, she had a boyfriend then. I want to forget that, not long after this, she was raped ICly by a yaoi bunny boy, and all the implications of consent that went with RPing such a scene. And, I could easily forget my own treachery in which another love began blooming not long after that rape brought the division of its scandal upon this Felix. I would forget all that just to be able to hold that happiness of that night on the rooftop when my Aspie Kitten had then confessed undying love. I almost could come to believe in undying love, if not for the fact that the tragedies afterwards happened and destroyed that sentiment and hope in what now seems a fool's dream. This too foreshadows one of my last times in dreaming such a dream, and striving for that happiness to be a reality. But no. A darker reality was my fate. Cursed love. Forever to fall in and out of love. To seek happiness, but never really find it. Now I suffer the result of that fate. This deep darkness of my own surrounding in this existence - the prison of my own making.

 

And maybe that is justice. I blindly loved, and so now, I am eternally blinded and left alone in the dark, never to hope for happiness of any sort to come to me ever again.

 

***

 

Well there's those who choose to run

Following the setting sun,

And now it seems the journey has begun.

 

They tried to complicate you,

But you left it all behind,

All the worldly possessions,

Are left for recollections,

And finally it's all gone!

I didn't slide much today, except with the backdrop, but just a little..:)

Prickly Poppy can be seen with its distinctive yellow blooms.

All varieties exude a yellow sap that has been used by Native Americans for many ailments. Records of its use date as far back as the Aztecs, when their priests would use the plant in their sacrifice rituals. The Comanche’s so revered the plant for its many uses that they made offerings to it during harvesting. The sap was used to remove warts, treat cold sores and other skin ailments. A concoction from the flower can be made to treat lung congestion from colds or flu.

The seeds can be used as a laxative or as an emetic to induce vomiting or make a mild sedative. A tea brewed from the entire plant can be used to treat bladder infections, prostrate pain or the throbbing pain of a migraine. A wash made from the tea can be used to treat sunburn or scraped skin. To produce both a euphoric and mild sedating effect the plant was smoked in important ceremonies. It should be noted however that as with many beneficial plants if not used properly they can be very toxic.

 

Click on picture

From the underground steel cage fight matches at Silent Sam's, Ben 10 prepares for combat!

 

Character Biography

 

Benjamin Kirby "Ben" Tennyson is the titular main protagonist of the Ben 10 franchise. He was an ordinary 10-year-old boy until he found the Omnitrix, a powerful watch-like device that allowed him to turn into 10 different aliens.

 

Though initially immature and clumsy, Ben grew to be a true hero. By the time he was 16, he had become famous in not only his hometown of Bellwood but on Earth and beyond. Ben has also been deputized by the Plumbers and has gained more aliens as time progressed.

 

Appearance

 

Ben's physical appearance has changed throughout the series from a 10-year-old to a 16-year-old. However, he retains some recurring characteristics. He has brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and he is quite skinny for his age, though he shows a lot of muscle definition due to being athletic.

 

Regular Appearances

 

In the Omniverse flashbacks in which he was five years old, Ben wore green overalls with a white shirt underneath it. White numbers saying "5 1/2" were on a black square in front of his overalls.

 

In the Original Series and Omniverse flashbacks, Ben's usual clothes consisted of a black-striped, white shirt with short sleeves, military green cargo pants with side pockets with a black belt hidden under his shirt, and black and white sneakers with black stripes. Ben wore the original Omnitrix on his left wrist.

 

In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans, and a green jacket with white stripes on his left sleeve and the number 10 on the right, white socks, and black and white Converse-style shoes. His hair is also shorter than it was when he was 10/11 years old. Ben wore the reconfigured original Omnitrix in Alien Force and the Ultimatrix in Ultimate Alien on his left wrist.

 

In Omniverse, Ben wears a black shirt that has a green stripe in the middle with a white 10 and green stripes on the sides of his shirt. He wears brown cargo pants with pockets at the knees with a brown belt hidden under the shirt and green and white shoes. He has also grown out his hair. He wears the Omnitrix on his left wrist.

 

During water-based activities in the Original Series, he wore a blue swimsuit in The Krakken and A Small Problem and a red and yellow swimsuit in Divided We Stand and Big Fat Alien Wedding.

 

In a daydream in The Galactic Enforcers, Ultra Ben looked like Ben with a stereotypical superhero costume in a grey, black and white color scheme.

 

In Back With a Vengeance, he wore a yellow raincoat while touring Niagara Falls on a ship.

 

In A Change of Face, he wore a pilgrim outfit.

 

In Merry Christmas, while cursed as an elf, he had pointy ears, and his eyes were fully green.

 

In Game Over, while inside Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he wore brownish-green armor and had longer hair, tied in a ponytail.

 

In The Unnaturals, he wore a blue baseball shirt with the letter "C" at the front and number 23 at the back, white shorts, blue and yellow socks, blue and white shoes, and a blue baseball helmet. Before the baseball game and after he battled the Squires and Coach Finn, he wore a blue and yellow baseball cap with the letter "C" in the middle.

 

In Secret of the Omnitrix, he wore light blue pajamas. Later in the movie, he wore a pale blue spacesuit with white stripes on the sleeves and thighs, along with a white helmet with pale blue stripes.

 

In a dream in Perfect Day, Ultra Ben wore frameless blue goggles with horn-like extensions, a cyan shirt and white pants. He also donned a white cape.

 

In Big Fat Alien Wedding, during the wedding ceremony, he wore a purple tuxedo with a red bow tie and white polo shirt.

 

In Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2, he temporarily wore a visor in the Mt. Rushmore Plumber base.

 

In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1 and War of the Worlds: Part 1, Ben's soccer clothes consisted of the T-shirt he wore as a 10/11-year-old but with the number 10 at the back, a long-sleeved green undershirt, green shorts, gray gloves with black stripes, and knee-high socks.

 

In a flashback in Ben 10 Returns: Part 2, Young Ben wore his T-shirt from the Original Series and shoes from Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, along with military green shorts, white socks, and a bluish grey bicycle helmet.

 

In What Are Little Girls Made Of? and In Charm's Way, he wore green trunks.

 

In Save the Last Dance, he wore a white bicycle helmet.

 

In Birds of a Feather, when on the Moon, he wore an orange spacesuit with four arms.

 

In Alien Swarm, he briefly wore a dark grey hoodie. While riding Max's motorcycle, he wore a black helmet.

 

In The Final Battle: Part 1, when held captive by Kraab, he wore an orange cuff.

 

In Duped, The Perfect Girlfriend and Of Predators and Prey: Part 1, Ben briefly wore 3D glasses. In Duped, along with the glasses, he also wore a black wig in the style of a bun.

 

In Ultimate Alien, Ben wore a standard Plumber suit during a few of his off-world excursions.

 

In Video Games, he wore a blue full-body motion capture suit with white balls on it.

 

In Fused, Revenge of the Swarm, and Night of the Living Nightmare, Ben's sleeping clothes consisted of his usual black T-shirt and white shorts.

 

In Basic Training, while at the barracks in the Plumbers' Academy, he wore an olive tank top and black shorts.

 

In Inspector #13, he wore a green T-shirt and black shorts.

 

In Catch a Falling Star, he wore a white cast around his right arm.

 

In The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2, he wore full-body armor while wielding Ascalon.

 

In Omniverse, Ben sometimes wears a white hooded jacket with green stripes on both arms and a green number 10 on the right side.

 

In Omniverse, while riding the Tenn-Speed, Ben wears a white helmet with the number 10 on it, a green visor, a short-sleeved black T-shirt, long white pants and a belt with the number 10 on it.

 

In Malefactor, 11-year-old Ben wore a Psycholeopterran-proof visor.

 

In Arrested Development, 11-year-old Ben's gym clothes consisted of a white T-shirt with a red outline, and red shorts with a vertical white line.

 

In Bros in Space, he wore a ceremonial female Revonnahgander outfit.

 

In Special Delivery, while working for Mr. Baumann, he wore a pink and white cap and a pink apron with a black 'B' on it.

 

In From Hedorium to Eternity, 11-year-old Ben's pajamas consisted of a green T-shirt with a white "10" on it, as well as white shorts.

 

In The Most Dangerous Game Show, Ben wore a crown bestowed upon him by Charles Zenith.

 

Personality

 

“You think I don't know? When it's hero time, if I mess up, somebody could die. From what you told me, if we mess up this time, everybody could die... Maybe that's too much to have in your head when you have to win. Maybe if I pretend everything is a big joke, when the time comes, I'll be able to do what I have to do.”

– 10-year-old Ben to 17-year-old Kevin asking him to be serious.

 

Initially cocky, childish, and selfish, Ben's immaturity and attention-seeking behavior often led him to joke around, regardless of the situation, which landed him in trouble with adults. When he was 10 years old, he often used the Omnitrix improperly in order to benefit himself instead of actually helping others, such as using Grey Matter to search cereal boxes for a gold Sumo Slammer card.

 

His allies often criticized his attitude, unaware of the fact that he used humor to mask his fears. It was also implied that, on some level, Ben helped people to get rewards and for the thrill of being a hero, rather than because it was the right thing to do.

 

Despite some childish attitude, Ben was heroic, caring and generally good-natured, always willing to save others at any time even at the risk of himself. In spite of this good nature, heroism, and his moments of maturity, Ben could occasionally get carried away when it came to fame and recognition.

 

This led him to act rather arrogantly and recklessly, and occasionally made dire mistakes and alienated his loved ones. However, he was quick to realize his mistakes and is quick to take responsibility and knew not to take things too far.

 

Over the years, Ben has displayed good leadership skills, as well as the ability to adapt his attitude to a situation, becoming serious when it's called for. He became more mature, responsible and sensible. He continues to be kind-hearted and willing to lay down his own life for others, such as when he attempted to sacrifice himself to set the sentient Ultimate Forms free from the Ultimatrix.

 

His idealistic views and unwillingness to compromise his values – aspects condemned by Azmuth, yet commended by others – sometimes drive him to act against reason, such as helping his enemies if they need it (most remarkably Vilgax).

 

Professor Paradox has praised Ben's good nature, going so far as to say he had the gift to make the right choices at the right moments, and even Azmuth himself states that Ben ultimately always does the right thing.

 

Also, Ben doesn't give up and wouldn't let anyone stop him from doing what's right for those in need, especially his family, friends and mentors, or to bring enemies down, even when he once got a broken arm.

 

However, even as a teen, Ben still displays some of his negative childish traits at times, which usually comes to light when Ben gets too caught up with fame.

 

Ben also has a violent, aggressive side: when Ben fails to save someone, is worried about the well-being his loved ones, or if people get hurt because of his failure, he becomes angry and lashes out, even at people he cares about.

 

Perhaps the most notable of these instances is when Kevin willingly mutated himself to stop Aggregor, Ben was determined to kill Kevin, even fighting Gwen when she refused to help him.

 

During the episode, Ben confessed to Max that he felt guilty for letting fame get into his head and claimed that he was trying to act more mature for once. He also threatened to hunt down and destroy the Forever Knights if Driscoll did not promise to cease hunting down aliens.

 

Ben has experienced trust issues, when it comes to automatically trusting everybody and teaming up with people whose true colours are later revealed and turns against the team.

 

Though often perceived as unintelligent because of his immaturity and constant joking, Ben is cunning and resourceful when needed, quickly adapting when the Omnitrix doesn't provide him with the alien he wanted. He has once admitted that people assume he's not paying attention, but he actually is.

 

In Omniverse, Ben started thinking of himself as more of a superhero than a Plumber, often remarking that he's not a cop, but a superhero.

 

Powers and Abilities - Street Fighting Proficiency

 

Ben is a fairly proficient fighter, even as a human, being able to hold his own against Pierce.

 

Although he mainly employs a loose street fighting style, he also knows martial arts, having been trained in savate and karate by Gwen, and Marquess of Queensbury boxing.

 

On top of that, he has gained practical experience from years of fighting aliens. He copied a lot of his fighting moves from Kangaroo Commando.

 

Ben has also received basic Plumber training, having succeeded in the Plumbers' Academy with a 95 out of a 100.

 

Ben has good reflexes, being able to easily dodge shots from Manny's blasters before disarming him while in human form, dodge Sunder's axe attacks, Zed's lunges, and a laser blast from Tummyhead.

 

Ben has an extraordinarily sharp memory, as he was perfectly capable of remembering and writing down the mystic rune-like symbols for entering the inter-dimensional realm of Legerdomain with just one glance from a distance. This is even more true for things that interest him.

 

Ben is surprisingly a natural at hoverboard-based combat, which generally requires intensive training and the use of holographic simulators. Relatedly, he is also good at snowboarding.

 

Ben has shown himself to be quite proficient in using weaponry, such as a DNA Repair Gun and Ascalon.

 

Ben is proficient at driving, having been taught by Max. For example, he was able to swerve out of the way at the last second to avoid coming into contact with Eunice's crashing pod.

 

Ben has impressive piloting skills, as shown when, at 10 years old, he could adequately control a gyropod (a small ship designed for alien pilots) within seconds of testing, and at 16 years old, could pilot the Rustbucket 3. He gets this skill from a combination of playing video games and tap lessons Sandra made him take, though he would never admit it. Despite this, Kevin is considered to be a better pilot than Ben.

 

Ben is proficient at baseball.

 

Ben is proficient at soccer, serving as a goalie for his high school team. In fact, he was the first freshman start as goalie on his school's team.

 

Ben is a decent musician, as he knew a variety of electric guitar techniques like shredding, hammer-ons, and pinch harmonics, and on drums, was able to keep up with a professional rock band.

 

It is evident that Ben is smart in some respects, possessing an above-average to high intelligence and maintaining a B+ average at school. Gwen even stated that he really is not working up to his potential at school.

 

Equipment - Omnitrix

 

“"You are...one of us?"

"I'm one of everybody."”

– A Necrofriggian Guard and Big Chill.

 

Ben is the wielder of the Omnitrix (formerly the Ultimatrix and first Omnitrix), which gives him the power to modify his own genetic code in order to turn into various alien creatures. Traditionally, he could only transform into ten aliens at the beginning of both the Original Series and Alien Force, but he later gained additional forms by either unlocking them or by scanning the DNA of aliens he met.

 

When transforming into an alien, Ben gets all the creature's features, including its appearance, voice, all of its unique and special abilities and powers, strengths and weaknesses. Though he mostly retains his personality, there are some cases where the transformation causes a change in it, like with Rath and Juryrigg.

 

Though he usually uses his alien forms to fight, he can impersonate aliens as he did with Waterhazard to convince P'Andor to go home, though he was only successful at getting P'Andor to believe he was Bivalvan.

 

In addition to transforming into aliens, the Ultimatrix included what is referred as an "evolutionary function", that allowed Ben to evolve his alien forms, referred to as Ultimate Forms.

 

In addition to the primary transformations and evolutionary function, the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix can both be used for various purposes. Both have a built-in Universal Translator that allows Ben to communicate with most aliens that do not speak English.

 

The original Omnitrix displayed the ability to manipulate and repair genetic damage, a function he used to cure DNAliens and save the Highbreed from extinction. Azmuth also mentioned that Ben could use the original Omnitrix to bring back to life any species stored on Primus.

 

The current Omnitrix also has a failsafe to help prevent Ben from dying.

 

Ben formerly owned an X321 hoverboard, given to him by Tetrax. It was destroyed when it fell into a vat of nuclear waste. Tetrax gave him a second hoverboard which was later destroyed by Khyber. The second hoverboard was later either rebuilt or replaced.

 

Plumber Badge

 

Ben has a Plumber suit, allowing him to survive in unsuitable environments. Kevin modified his suit by installing a propulsion unit and neuroshock pulsers.

 

As a Galactic Enforcer, Ben had a badge which allowed him to activate some features from the team's ship remotely.

 

Ben formerly had a hazmat suit, given to him by Max. The suit protected him from the effects of Corrodium and allowed him to survive in space.

 

Ben temporarily wore a spacesuit, given to him by Tetrax, which allowed him to survive in space.

 

Ben temporarily used an ID Mask to disguise himself as a DNAlien to navigate a Highbreed ship.

 

Ben temporarily drove Kevin's car when Kevin had been aged into an old man by the Time Monster.

 

Ben formerly wielded a DNA Repair Gun, which he used to revert the DNAliens back to human. Simian later sold it to the Incurseans.

 

Ben temporarily used Max's motorcycle during Alien Swarm.

 

Ben formerly owned the Mark 10, given to him as a birthday gift by Kevin. The car is now owned by Sandra.

 

Ben temporarily wielded Ascalon, which also covered him in armor.

 

Ben, as Juryrigg, created the Tenn-Speed from parts of the destroyed Proto-TRUK. It was later damaged by Ben off-screen prior to Let's Do the Time War Again, and its parts were used by Ben 10,000 as Uprigg to create the Time Cycles. Both Time Cycles were destroyed when Ben and Rook crash-landed onto the Contumelia Ship.

 

When in Sumo Slammer Smackdown, he had access to a sword.

 

Weaknesses - Coulrophobia

 

Ben appears to have a short attention span and very little patience at times. More often than not, it can get him into trouble, such as not reading the directions when trapped in Sumo Slammer Smackdown.

 

Though he has matured substantially since receiving the original Omnitrix, he is still a teenager with much to learn and is prone to irrational impulses and recklessness.

 

Ben has coulrophobia (i.e. a fear of clowns), which was indirectly caused by Max.

 

Ben is vulnerable to the cold virus.

 

Ben is vulnerable to hypnosis.

 

Ben is not immune to Corrodium and will be mutated when exposed to this mineral unless he either wears special protection or transforms into an alien.

 

Ben can be rendered unconscious by sedative quills, such as those generated by Argit's species.

 

Ben has an allergy to peanuts.

 

Ben can experience pain from electricity, such as that generated by a Nosedeenian, Phil as a Terroranchula, a Conductoid or a Cerebrocrustacean.

 

Ben's worst fear is that of peacocks.

 

Ben's worst subject is Physics.

 

Whenever the Omnitrix times out, Ben is left powerless until he either dodges or switches to a new alien form. In addition to gaining the selected alien's powers and strengths, he gains its weaknesses.

 

Whenever Ben unlocks a new alien form, he is at a disadvantage of not knowing its abilities and weaknesses until he gains experience with using that alien. However, this was not an issue when he wielded the recalibrated original Omnitrix, as the device granted him full understanding of the aliens' powers.

 

Despite his experience in using the Omnitrices and Ultimatrix, Ben still does not know every function of them. Due to his inquisitive nature and impatience, he has accidentally unlocked new functions such as the Master Control and the randomizer, which can at times do more harm than good.

 

Though the current Omnitrix is designed to work only for him, Ben still has not mastered it. According to Azmuth, Ben may get the Master Control on his 18th birthday.

 

The current Omnitrix does not actually mistransform, but rather it is due to Ben hitting the Omnitrix too hard, thereby causing the time-out function to select another alien at random.

 

At times, the natural biological behavior of certain aliens can override Ben's behavior, such as Big Chill's reproductive phase or Swampfire's blossoming process.

 

Any illness Ben is experiencing in his human form will affect his alien forms.

 

Family

 

Ben has stated that he loves and cares about his mom and dad, and that they're good parents and raised him well enough to become the person he is today.

 

Ken Tennyson

 

Ben looked up to Ken as a role model, and Ben practically "worshipped" Ken when he was 10. Ken took Ben to his first soccer practice.

 

Gwen Tennyson

 

In the Original Series, Ben's relationship with Max seemed to be that of a father and son, because the majority of the series took place in the summer and Max was the only guardian available. When he was seriously injured in The Alliance, Ben went full strength with Four Arms and brutally destroyed Vilgax's Mechadroids as they were the catalyst for his injury. His relationship with his grandfather has not changed much at all during Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse.

 

In Ben 10 Returns: Part 1, he yelled at Gwen when she jokingly wondered how Max's cooking hadn't killed him, as he was worried about where he was.

 

Lucy Mann

 

Ben and Lucy get along quite well in both the Original Series and Omniverse, though Ben was nervous about dancing with her in Big Fat Alien Wedding. During the Omniverse flashbacks, he was shown to enjoy her company, which she reciprocated.

 

Allies

 

Azmuth

 

Ben's initial thoughts of Azmuth before meeting him were never stated, but he did find it to be somewhat surprising that he was a Galvan. After meeting him, he thought of him as a jerk who cared about no one but himself. However, his perception of him changed when Azmuth fixed the Omnitrix.

 

Five years prior to Omniverse, Ben and Azmuth interacted more frequently after the latter's reintegration into Galvan society. Ben was disgusted towards Azmuth's refusal to correct Malware, but they still respected and assisted each other. In a flashback in Showdown: Part 1, Azmuth warned Ben to not overuse Feedback, but Ben did not heed his warning and Feedback was lost from the Omnitrix after a fight with Malware. and during a flashback in Showdown: Part 2, Azmuth offered Ben advice and comfort after he lost Feedback.

 

In Alien Force, Ben respected Azmuth as the creator of the Omnitrix, though he was willing to go against his orders when he deemed it necessary, such as when he refused to stay out of the final battle against the Highbreed. In Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2, Ben lost Azmuth's trust after hacking the Omnitrix.

 

Professor Paradox

 

Ben first met Professor Paradox in Paradox to stop a Trans-Dimensional Creature. Professor Paradox claimed he would help Ben save the "whole entire universe".

 

Paradox puts great faith in Ben, even stating to Azmuth that he was destined for greatness.

 

Jimmy Jones

 

Jimmy revealed Ben's identity to the public on Earth by linking alien sightings along with the intergalactic peace symbol all on their chests matching that of a picture of Ben ready to activate the Omnitrix and leaking it to his own personal website.

 

In Ultimate Alien, Ben considered him a reliable source of information. However, in Omniverse, Ben is shown to be very skeptical and dismissive of Jimmy's claims and theories.

 

Skurd

 

Initially, Ben and Skurd had a strenuous relationship, with Ben finding Skurd's snark to be annoying and Skurd finding Ben to be nothing more than a "free lunch". During their tenure together, they would frequently bicker. However, over time, the two grew closer, with both saying they owed the other their life. Ben 10,000, upon seeing Skurd for the first time in years, recalled fond memories.

 

Romantic

 

Elena Valadis

 

Elena Valadis is one of the Plumbers' kids and a former member of Ben's soccer team. Ben met Elena when he was 13 and had to convince his soccer teammates to let her join. She appeared in the live-action film Ben 10: Alien Swarm.

 

Elena also appeared in Revenge of the Swarm, where she served as the Queen of the Hive. Victor Valadis attacked Ben at night, so the trio went to her to find whether she knew anything about the Microchips.

 

Later, when Ben mentioned Julie, it made her angry and jealous, and she kidnapped her in order to keep Ben all to herself. They almost kissed, but her plan was revealed to Ben, and he saved Julie. Elena, being possessed by the Hive Queen, encountered Armodrillo and choked him with the Microchips.

 

However, she was convinced by Julie to not to do so. She willingly sacrificed herself in order save Ben, proving how much she liked him and that there was still the Elena that cared for him. Ben became sorry for her, understanding how much she had liked him. At the end of the episode, the Microchips reformed, revealing she was still alive.

 

Elena appeared in The Perfect Girlfriend disguised as Julie. As Julie, she tried to do everything to make Ben happy. Once Ben found out Julie was Elena, he tried to reason with her, but when the real Julie turned up, he ended up fighting her as Ultimate Echo Echo, during which she choked him with the Microchips again. Julie told Elena that if she killed him, then no one could have him. At the end of the episode, Elena retreated into the sewer, "knowing what hate feels like" indicating that she now had a hatred for Ben and promised to return.

 

Eunice

 

The Unitrix's pod was discovered in the forest at the same time Ben's team was driving for a camping trip. After encountering her, she stayed with them for the day, bonding with Ben (who had recently broken up with Julie).

 

The two of them were soon attacked by Sunder, who shut Eunice down and attempted to get away before Gwen and Kevin stopped him as Kevin restarted the Unitrix again. While the four of them scuffled with Sunder that led to a muddy area, Azmuth arrived, broke up the fight, and cleared things up. Following a brief argument, Ben allowed Azmuth, under a compromise, to take on Eunice as one of his assistants on Primus.

 

Emily

 

Emily briefly dated Ben, but the reason they broke up was that Ben went "hero" and left Emily on a 200-foot-tall watchtower, causing Emily to get angry at Ben.

 

Ester

 

When Ester first met Ben in Hot Stretch, they fought for the fusion device. When she realized the other Kraaho were doing evil things, she joined Ben's team. She introduced him to her friends, and they played an alien version of hockey.

 

Ben turned into Waterhazard and splashed everyone with water to cool them down, even when Ester told him not to. He then brought her a towel, and she blushed as he gazed at her.

 

She turned the water floating around him into snowflakes and ran off laughing. Rook told Ben she liked him. When she became the chief, she hugged Ben and told him she and her kind would be good neighbors. Later Ester's friends called Ben her boyfriend, and Ben at first denied it, but then excitedly asked Rook if he had a chance with her.

 

In Rules of Engagement, Ben offered to help clean up the Hot Spot with her. She excitedly agreed, wrapping her arms around his arm. She also stated that she is fond of Mr. Smoothy.

 

Sometime before Return to Forever, they went on a movie date.

 

In Catfight, Ester was in a double date with Ben, Rook, and Rayona. Later in the episode, she hugged Ben, and the two ran off to watch Sumo Slammers 6 3D again.

 

In Fight at the Museum, Ester invited Ben to the Bellwood Museum for a date, but Ben, not knowing it was a date, brought Rook since Rook enjoys museums. Ester was shown to be horrified when she heard that Ben and Kai end up together in the future Spanner comes from, while Ben himself stated there was no way that was going to happen.

 

Later in The Most Dangerous Game Show, feeling that Ben really was destined to be with Kai, Ester decided to let go of him. While trying to talk to Ben, who she couldn't get in contact with, Ester ultimately fell in love with Antonio. Eventually, Ester made her feelings known to Ben, breaking up on good terms, even stating she still liked him while remaining friends.

 

Empress Attea

 

In The Frogs of War: Part 2, Bullfrag infiltrated Attea's team and from the moment she saw him, Attea had a crush on him. When they met in the cell block of Plumber Headquarters, Bullfrag came up to her and started flirting, taking note that his new form showed her in a whole new light. Attea was a bit flustered, but started flirting back, only to be knocked out by a mana blast by Gwen. Bullfrag blamed his crush on Attea on his Incursean DNA.

 

At the end of the episode, when leaving Earth, she gave Ben the offer to come with her and "Ditch that monkey face and turn into Bullfrag again". He promptly declined. Attea gave him a kiss to the back of his head with her long tongue, winked, and took off.

 

She later decided that Ben was her only option for a mate in Catfight. However, Ben later convinced her that she was capable of ruling on her own.

 

Drew Saturday

 

In T.G.I.S., Ben gained a crush on Drew Saturday the minute he saw her. She responded to Ben saying, "right back at ya". When Doc told Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk that Dr. Animo and his Chupacabra army were attacking Mr. Baumann's store, Drew offered to stay behind to look after the petrified Gilford Bromley.

 

Ben, though, suggested that Rook stay behind, and Drew come with him, telling them that they might need her medical expertise. Later, when Ben, Rook, Zak, and Fisk arrived at the airship to stop V.V. Argost and his army of cryptids, Doc and Drew revealed themselves and told them that they escaped moments before Argost showed up. Ben then instantly told Drew that he was happy that she was okay, causing Zak to remind him that Doc was okay too. At the end of the episode, Ben told Zak how it was a pleasure to work with him and his mom. He then took a photo with Zak, Doc, Drew, and Fisk as Four Arms.

 

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

 

A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.

 

Ben 10

Sumo Slammers

Ben 10

2006, Bandai

  

French postcard by Editions P.I., no. 269. Photo: Paramount, 1950.

 

Alan Ladd (1913-1964) had his big break as a killer in the film noir This Gun For Hire (1942). Throughout the 1940s, his tough-guy roles packed audiences, but he is best known for his title role in the classic Western Shane (1953).

 

Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA in 1913. His mother, Ina Raleigh. had emigrated from England at age 19, and his accountant father, Alan Ladd, died when his son was only four. At age five, Alan burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City, where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter. Alan was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed 'Tiny', and the family moved to California. Alan picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. For a short time, Ladd was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. His size and blond hair were regarded by Universal as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio. There talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. He appeared in a string of bit parts in B-pictures - and an unbilled part as a newspaper reporter in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941). Late in 1941, he got his big break when he tested for This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle, 1942) based on the novel by Graham Greene. His fourth-billed role as psychotic hitman Raven made him a star.

 

Alan Ladd and his co-star in This Gun for Hire, Veronica Lake, made seven films together. These included The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler, 1942), The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall 1946), and Saigon (Leslie Fenton, 1948). Ladd was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. His cool, unsmiling tough-guys proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was one of the top box office stars of the decade. In an adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Elliott Nugent, 1949), Ladd had the featured role of Jay Gatsby. Four years later he appeared in what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (George Stevens, 1953). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From then on he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films . By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart. In 1963 Ladd's career looked set to make a comeback when he filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964), which became one of the most popular films of the year. He would not live to see its release. In January 1964 Alan Ladd was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives. Ladd was only 50. He was married twice. After his divorce from Marjorie Jane Harrold in 1941, he married former film actress Sue Carol in 1942. Carol was also his agent and manager. The couple had two children, Alana Ladd and David Ladd. He was the grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

 

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is a Mediterranean native that was introduced as an ornamental and medicinal plant in the 17th century. It spreads by seeds and is found in a variety or environmental conditions. Black henbane is narcotic and poisonous to humans. Livestock avoid it unless other forage is not available. Two alkaloids in black henbane tissues (hyoscyamine and scopolamine) are useful sedative/ anti-spasmodic drugs when used under controlled conditions.

 

I;m not sure if anyone else sees this weed when out and about...but it is very poisonous....and should be avoided. The scientists who I worked for told me not to even go out to where they were to photograph...there was a huge thick patch of them! Below is the dry seeds pods...aren't they so cool? They were right behind where we worked.... but the image above I found over by the river.

French postcard in the Collection 'Western' by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 40. Photo: Paramount Pictures Inc. , 1954. Alan Ladd in Red Mountain (William Dieterle, 1952).

 

Alan Ladd (1913-1964) had his big break as a killer in the film noir This Gun For Hire (1942). Throughout the 1940s, his tough-guy roles packed audiences, but he is best known for his title role in the classic Western Shane (1953).

 

Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA in 1913. His mother, Ina Raleigh. had emigrated from England at age 19, and his accountant father, Alan Ladd, died when his son was only four. At age five, Alan burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City, where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter. Alan was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed 'Tiny', and the family moved to California. Alan picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. For a short time, Ladd was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. His size and blond hair were regarded by Universal as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio. There talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. He appeared in a string of bit parts in B-pictures - and an unbilled part as a newspaper reporter in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941). Late in 1941, he got his big break when he tested for This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle, 1942) based on the novel by Graham Greene. His fourth-billed role as psychotic hitman Raven made him a star.

 

Alan Ladd and his co-star in This Gun for Hire, Veronica Lake, made seven films together. These included The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler, 1942), The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall 1946), and Saigon (Leslie Fenton, 1948). Ladd was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. His cool, unsmiling tough-guys proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was one of the top box office stars of the decade. In an adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Elliott Nugent, 1949), Ladd had the featured role of Jay Gatsby. Four years later he appeared in what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (George Stevens, 1953). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From then on he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films . By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart. In 1963 Ladd's career looked set to make a comeback when he filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964), which became one of the most popular films of the year. He would not live to see its release. In January 1964 Alan Ladd was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives. Ladd was only 50. He was married twice. After his divorce from Marjorie Jane Harrold in 1941, he married former film actress Sue Carol in 1942. Carol was also his agent and manager. The couple had two children, Alana Ladd and David Ladd. He was the grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

 

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Italian postcard by Bromostampa, Milano, no. 82.

 

Alan Ladd (1913-1964) had his big break as a killer in the film noir This Gun For Hire (1942). Throughout the 1940s, his tough-guy roles packed audiences, but he is best known for his title role in the classic Western Shane (1953).

 

Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA in 1913. His mother, Ina Raleigh. had emigrated from England at age 19, and his accountant father, Alan Ladd, died when his son was only four. At age five, Alan burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City, where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter. Alan was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed 'Tiny', and the family moved to California. Alan picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. For a short time, Ladd was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. His size and blond hair were regarded by Universal as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio. There talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. He appeared in a string of bit parts in B-pictures - and an unbilled part as a newspaper reporter in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941). Late in 1941, he got his big break when he tested for This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle, 1942) based on the novel by Graham Greene. His fourth-billed role as psychotic hitman Raven made him a star.

 

Alan Ladd and his co-star in This Gun for Hire, Veronica Lake, made seven films together. These included The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler, 1942), The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall 1946), and Saigon (Leslie Fenton, 1948). Ladd was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. His cool, unsmiling tough-guys proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was one of the top box office stars of the decade. In an adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Elliott Nugent, 1949), Ladd had the featured role of Jay Gatsby. Four years later he appeared in what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (George Stevens, 1953). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From then on he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films . By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart. In 1963 Ladd's career looked set to make a comeback when he filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964), which became one of the most popular films of the year. He would not live to see its release. In January 1964 Alan Ladd was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives. Ladd was only 50. He was married twice. After his divorce from Marjorie Jane Harrold in 1941, he married former film actress Sue Carol in 1942. Carol was also his agent and manager. The couple had two children, Alana Ladd and David Ladd. He was the grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

 

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

extremely experimental

poppies are a symbol of death because of their blood red color, sedative properties, and symbolistic use for dead soldiers during World War I

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a perennial and annual plant, native to the United States, and the official state flower of California.

 

Habitat:

California, extending to Oregon, southern Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Mexico in Sonora and northwest Baja California.

 

It grows well in disturbed areas. In addition to being planted for horticulture, revegetation, and highway beautification, it often colonizes along roadsides and other disturbed areas. It is drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens.

 

History and uses:

 

Eschscholzia californica was the first named member of the genus Eschscholzia, which was named by the German botanist Adelbert von Chamisso after the Baltic German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, his friend and colleague on Otto von Kotzebue’s scientific expedition to California and the greater Pacific in mid-1810s aboard the Russian ship Rurik.

 

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is located in northern Los Angeles County, California. At the peak of the blooming season, orange petals seem to cover all 1,745 acres (706 ha) of the reserve. Other prominent locations of California poppy meadows are in Bear Valley (California, Colusa County), Point Buchon and numerous other locations.

 

Medicinal uses:

 

California poppy leaves were used medicinally by Native Americans, and the pollen was used cosmetically. The seeds are used in cooking.

 

Aqueous extract has sedative and anxiolytic action.

 

Extract from the California poppy acts as a mild sedative when smoked. The effect is far milder than that of opium. California poppy contains a different class of benzophenanthridine alkaloids:

 

"An aqueous alcohol extract of Eschscholzia californica has been evaluated for benzodiazepine, neuroleptic, antidepressant, antihistaminic and analgesic properties. The plant extract did not protect mice against the convulsant effects of pentylenetetrazol, and did not cause muscle relaxant effects, but appeared to possess an affinity for the benzodiazepine receptor. The extract induced peripheral analgesic effects in mice but did not possess antidepressant, neuroleptic or antihistaminic effects."

This is a red cultivar of yarrow (Achillea millefolium). The traditional white-flowered version of this plant grows as a native wildflower here in California and in other temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Yarrow has been used in many cultures to treat wounds and digestive upsets and to reduce headache, inflammation, and pain. It has a sedative effect that a modern study found helpful over both the long and the short term for anxiety sufferers.

 

The genus is called "Achillea" because Achilles reportedly carried yarrow into battle to treat wounds.

  

Quince tree is a tree native to Asia. In Latin it is called CYDONIA oblongata.

People, says little quince or small lemon. Quince fruits are particularly flavorful.

It is akin to the apple tree orchard and hair.

It is known from ancient times, its fruits are used in cooking or in folk medicine, along with seeds and leaves.

Quince-Natural Treatments

Quince is recommended for patients who have stomach lazy.

Quince properties are soothing on the stomach and sedatives.

Either syrup, jelly, marmalade or food quince fruit relieves these states of diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and bleeding of the uterus. Quince pits used in the preparation of tea that heals cough, bronchitis and wheezing.

This tea is prepared from a teaspoon of the quince seed crush, scald with a cup of boiling water and leave for a minute.

Then sweeten with honey or less sugar. Dried quince leaves (contain astringent substances) A tea to combat diarrhea. Due to exceptional taste of quince leaves, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, hawthorn fruit, raisins, dried fruit, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry a tea flavor called Lady M's SPECIAL TEA. read more

 

Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky 25 January 1938 – 25 July 1980, was a Soviet singer-songwriter, poet, and actor who had an immense and enduring effect on Soviet culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which featured social and political commentary in often humorous street-jargon. He was also a prominent stage- and screen-actor. Though the official Soviet cultural establishment largely ignored his work, he was remarkably popular during his lifetime, and to this day exerts significant influence on many of Russia's musicians and actors.

 

Vysotsky was born in Moscow at the 3rd Meshchanskaya St. (61/2) maternity hospital. His father, Semyon Volfovich (Vladimirovich) (1915–1997), was a colonel in the Soviet army, originally from Kiev. Vladimir's mother, Nina Maksimovna, (née Seryogina, 1912–2003) was Russian, and worked as a German language translator.[3] Vysotsky's family lived in a Moscow communal flat in harsh conditions, and had serious financial difficulties. When Vladimir was 10 months old, Nina had to return to her office in the Transcript bureau of the Soviet Ministry of Geodesy and Cartography (engaged in making German maps available for the Soviet military) so as to help her husband earn their family's living.

 

Vladimir's theatrical inclinations became obvious at an early age, and were supported by his paternal grandmother Dora Bronshteyn, a theater fan. The boy used to recite poems, standing on a chair and "flinging hair backwards, like a real poet," often using in his public speeches expressions he could hardly have heard at home. Once, at the age of two, when he had tired of the family's guests' poetry requests, he, according to his mother, sat himself under the New-year tree with a frustrated air about him and sighed: "You silly tossers! Give a child some respite!" His sense of humor was extraordinary, but often baffling for people around him. A three-year-old could jeer his father in a bathroom with unexpected poetic improvisation ("Now look what's here before us / Our goat's to shave himself!") or appall unwanted guests with some street folk song, promptly steering them away. Vysotsky remembered those first three years of his life in the autobiographical Ballad of Childhood (Баллада о детстве, 1975), one of his best-known songs.

 

As World War II broke out, Semyon Vysotsky, a military reserve officer, joined the Soviet army and went to fight the Nazis. Nina and Vladimir were evacuated to the village of Vorontsovka, in Orenburg Oblast where the boy had to spend six days a week in a kindergarten and his mother worked for twelve hours a day in a chemical factory. In 1943, both returned to their Moscow apartment at 1st Meschanskaya St., 126. In September 1945, Vladimir joined the 1st class of the 273rd Moscow Rostokino region School.

 

In December 1946, Vysotsky's parents divorced. From 1947 to 1949, Vladimir lived with Semyon Vladimirovich (then an army Major) and his Armenian wife, Yevgenya Stepanovna Liholatova, whom the boy called "aunt Zhenya", at a military base in Eberswalde in the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany (later East Germany). "We decided that our son would stay with me. Vladimir came to stay with me in January 1947, and my second wife, Yevgenia, became Vladimir's second mother for many years to come. They had much in common and liked each other, which made me really happy," Semyon Vysotsky later remembered. Here living conditions, compared to those of Nina's communal Moscow flat, were infinitely better; the family occupied the whole floor of a two-storeyed house, and the boy had a room to himself for the first time in his life. In 1949 along with his stepmother Vladimir returned to Moscow. There he joined the 5th class of the Moscow 128th School and settled at Bolshoy Karetny [ru], 15 (where they had to themselves two rooms of a four-roomed flat), with "auntie Zhenya" (who was just 28 at the time), a woman of great kindness and warmth whom he later remembered as his second mother. In 1953 Vysotsky, now much interested in theater and cinema, joined the Drama courses led by Vladimir Bogomolov.[7] "No one in my family has had anything to do with arts, no actors or directors were there among them. But my mother admired theater and from the earliest age... each and every Saturday I've been taken up with her to watch one play or the other. And all of this, it probably stayed with me," he later reminisced. The same year he received his first ever guitar, a birthday present from Nina Maksimovna; a close friend, bard and a future well-known Soviet pop lyricist Igor Kokhanovsky taught him basic chords. In 1955 Vladimir re-settled into his mother's new home at 1st Meshchanskaya, 76. In June of the same year he graduated from school with five A's.

 

In 1955, Vladimir enrolled into the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, but dropped out after just one semester to pursue an acting career. In June 1956 he joined Boris Vershilov's class at the Moscow Art Theatre Studio-Institute. It was there that he met the 3rd course student Iza Zhukova who four years later became his wife; soon the two lovers settled at the 1st Meschanskaya flat, in a common room, shielded off by a folding screen. It was also in the Studio that Vysotsky met Bulat Okudzhava for the first time, an already popular underground bard. He was even more impressed by his Russian literature teacher Andrey Sinyavsky who along with his wife often invited students to his home to stage improvised disputes and concerts. In 1958 Vysotsky's got his first Moscow Art Theatre role: that of Porfiry Petrovich in Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. In 1959 he was cast in his first cinema role, that of student Petya in Vasily Ordynsky's The Yearlings (Сверстницы). On 20 June 1960, Vysotsky graduated from the MAT theater institute and joined the Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre (led by Boris Ravenskikh at the time) where he spent (with intervals) almost three troubled years. These were marred by numerous administrative sanctions, due to "lack of discipline" and occasional drunken sprees which were a reaction, mainly, to the lack of serious roles and his inability to realise his artistic potential. A short stint in 1962 at the Moscow Theater of Miniatures (administered at the time by Vladimir Polyakov) ended with him being fired, officially "for a total lack of sense of humour."

 

Vysotsky's second and third films, Dima Gorin's Career and 713 Requests Permission to Land, were interesting only for the fact that in both he had to be beaten up (in the first case by Aleksandr Demyanenko). "That was the way cinema greeted me," he later jokingly remarked. In 1961, Vysotsky wrote his first ever proper song, called "Tattoo" (Татуировка), which started a long and colourful cycle of artfully stylized criminal underworld romantic stories, full of undercurrents and witty social comments. In June 1963, while shooting Penalty Kick (directed by Veniamin Dorman and starring Mikhail Pugovkin), Vysotsky used the Gorky Film Studio to record an hour-long reel-to-reel cassette of his own songs; copies of it quickly spread and the author's name became known in Moscow and elsewhere (although many of these songs were often being referred to as either "traditional" or "anonymous"). Just several months later Riga-based chess grandmaster Mikhail Tal was heard praising the author of "Bolshoy Karetny" (Большой Каретный) and Anna Akhmatova (in a conversation with Joseph Brodsky) was quoting Vysotsky's number "I was the soul of a bad company..." taking it apparently for some brilliant piece of anonymous street folklore. In October 1964 Vysotsky recorded in chronological order 48 of his own songs, his first self-made Complete works of... compilation, which boosted his popularity as a new Moscow folk underground star.

 

In 1964, director Yuri Lyubimov invited Vysotsky to join the newly created Taganka Theatre. "'I've written some songs of my own. Won't you listen?' – he asked. I agreed to listen to just one of them, expecting our meeting to last for no more than five minutes. Instead I ended up listening to him for an entire 1.5 hours," Lyubimov remembered years later of this first audition. On 19 September 1964, Vysotsky debuted in Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan as the Second God (not to count two minor roles). A month later he came on stage as a dragoon captain (Bela's father) in Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time. It was in Taganka that Vysotsky started to sing on stage; the War theme becoming prominent in his musical repertoire. In 1965 Vysotsky appeared in the experimental Poet and Theater (Поэт и Театр, February) show, based on Andrey Voznesensky's work and then Ten Days that Shook the World (after John Reed's book, April) and was commissioned by Lyubimov to write songs exclusively for Taganka's new World War II play. The Fallen and the Living (Павшие и Живые), premiered in October 1965, featured Vysotsky's "Stars" (Звёзды), "The Soldiers of Heeresgruppe Mitte" (Солдаты группы "Центр") and "Penal Battalions" (Штрафные батальоны), the striking examples of a completely new kind of a war song, never heard in his country before. As veteran screenwriter Nikolay Erdman put it (in conversation with Lyubimov), "Professionally, I can well understand how Mayakovsky or Seryozha Yesenin were doing it. How Volodya Vysotsky does it is totally beyond me." With his songs – in effect, miniature theatrical dramatizations (usually with a protagonist and full of dialogues), Vysotsky instantly achieved such level of credibility that real life former prisoners, war veterans, boxers, footballers refused to believe that the author himself had never served his time in prisons and labor camps, or fought in the War, or been a boxing/football professional. After the second of the two concerts at the Leningrad Molecular Physics institute (that was his actual debut as a solo musical performer) Vysotsky left a note for his fans in a journal which ended with words: "Now that you've heard all these songs, please, don't you make a mistake of mixing me with my characters, I am not like them at all. With love, Vysotsky, 20 April 1965, XX c." Excuses of this kind he had to make throughout his performing career. At least one of Vysotsky's song themes – that of alcoholic abuse – was worryingly autobiographical, though. By the time his breakthrough came in 1967, he'd suffered several physical breakdowns and once was sent (by Taganka's boss) to a rehabilitation clinic, a visit he on several occasions repeated since.

 

Brecht's Life of Galileo (premiered on 17 May 1966), transformed by Lyubimov into a powerful allegory of Soviet intelligentsia's set of moral and intellectual dilemmas, brought Vysotsky his first leading theater role (along with some fitness lessons: he had to perform numerous acrobatic tricks on stage). Press reaction was mixed, some reviewers disliked the actor's overt emotionalism, but it was for the first time ever that Vysotsky's name appeared in Soviet papers. Film directors now were treating him with respect. Viktor Turov's war film I Come from the Childhood where Vysotsky got his first ever "serious" (neither comical, nor villainous) role in cinema, featured two of his songs: a spontaneous piece called "When It's Cold" (Холода) and a dark, Unknown soldier theme-inspired classic "Common Graves" (На братских могилах), sung behind the screen by the legendary Mark Bernes.

 

Stanislav Govorukhin and Boris Durov's The Vertical (1967), a mountain climbing drama, starring Vysotsky (as Volodya the radioman), brought him all-round recognition and fame. Four of the numbers used in the film (including "Song of a Friend [fi]" (Песня о друге), released in 1968 by the Soviet recording industry monopolist Melodiya disc to become an unofficial hit) were written literally on the spot, nearby Elbrus, inspired by professional climbers' tales and one curious hotel bar conversation with a German guest who 25 years ago happened to climb these very mountains in a capacity of an Edelweiss division fighter. Another 1967 film, Kira Muratova's Brief Encounters featured Vysotsky as the geologist Maxim (paste-bearded again) with a now trademark off-the-cuff musical piece, a melancholy improvisation called "Things to Do" (Дела). All the while Vysotsky continued working hard at Taganka, with another important role under his belt (that of Mayakovsky or, rather one of the latter character's five different versions) in the experimental piece called Listen! (Послушайте!), and now regularly gave semi-official concerts where audiences greeted him as a cult hero.

 

In the end of 1967 Vysotsky got another pivotal theater role, that of Khlopusha [ru] in Pugachov (a play based on a poem by Sergei Yesenin), often described as one of Taganka's finest. "He put into his performance all the things that he excelled at and, on the other hand, it was Pugachyov that made him discover his own potential," – Soviet critic Natalya Krymova wrote years later. Several weeks after the premiere, infuriated by the actor's increasing unreliability triggered by worsening drinking problems, Lyubimov fired him – only to let him back again several months later (and thus begin the humiliating sacked-then-pardoned routine which continued for years). In June 1968 a Vysotsky-slagging campaign was launched in the Soviet press. First Sovetskaya Rossiya commented on the "epidemic spread of immoral, smutty songs," allegedly promoting "criminal world values, alcoholism, vice and immorality" and condemned their author for "sowing seeds of evil." Then Komsomolskaya Pravda linked Vysotsky with black market dealers selling his tapes somewhere in Siberia. Composer Dmitry Kabalevsky speaking from the Union of Soviet Composers' Committee tribune criticised the Soviet radio for giving an ideologically dubious, "low-life product" like "Song of a Friend" (Песня о друге) an unwarranted airplay. Playwright Alexander Stein who in his Last Parade play used several of Vysotsky's songs, was chastised by a Ministry of Culture official for "providing a tribune for this anti-Soviet scum." The phraseology prompted commentators in the West to make parallels between Vysotsky and Mikhail Zoschenko, another Soviet author who'd been officially labeled "scum" some 20 years ago.

 

Two of Vysotsky's 1968 films, Gennady Poloka's Intervention (premiered in May 1987) where he was cast as Brodsky, a dodgy even if highly artistic character, and Yevgeny Karelov's Two Comrades Were Serving (a gun-toting White Army officer Brusentsov who in the course of the film shoots his friend, his horse, Oleg Yankovsky's good guy character and, finally himself) – were severely censored, first of them shelved for twenty years. At least four of Vysotsky's 1968 songs, "Save Our Souls" (Спасите наши души), "The Wolfhunt" (Охота на волков), "Gypsy Variations" (Моя цыганская) and "The Steam-bath in White" (Банька по-белому), were hailed later as masterpieces. It was at this point that 'proper' love songs started to appear in Vysotsky's repertoire, documenting the beginning of his passionate love affair with French actress Marina Vlady.

 

In 1969 Vysotsky starred in two films: The Master of Taiga where he played a villainous Siberian timber-floating brigadier, and more entertaining Dangerous Tour. The latter was criticized in the Soviet press for taking a farcical approach to the subject of the Bolshevik underground activities but for a wider Soviet audience this was an important opportunity to enjoy the charismatic actor's presence on big screen. In 1970, after visiting the dislodged Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at his dacha and having a lengthy conversation with him, Vysotsky embarked on a massive and by Soviet standards dangerously commercial concert tour in Soviet Central Asia and then brought Marina Vlady to director Viktor Turov's place so as to investigate her Belarusian roots. The pair finally wed on 1 December 1970 (causing furore among the Moscow cultural and political elite) and spent a honeymoon in Georgia. This was the highly productive period for Vysotsky, resulting in numerous new songs, including the anthemic "I Hate" (Я не люблю), sentimental "Lyricale" (Лирическая) and dramatic war epics "He Didn't Return from the Battle" (Он не вернулся из боя) and "The Earth Song" (Песня о Земле) among many others.

 

In 1971 a drinking spree-related nervous breakdown brought Vysotsky to the Moscow Kashchenko clinic [ru]. By this time he has been suffering from alcoholism. Many of his songs from this period deal, either directly or metaphorically, with alcoholism and insanity. Partially recovered (due to the encouraging presence of Marina Vladi), Vysotsky embarked on a successful Ukrainian concert tour and wrote a cluster of new songs. On 29 November 1971 Taganka's Hamlet premiered, a groundbreaking Lyubimov's production with Vysotsky in the leading role, that of a lone intellectual rebel, rising to fight the cruel state machine.

 

Also in 1971 Vysotsky was invited to play the lead in The Sannikov Land, the screen adaptation of Vladimir Obruchev's science fiction,[47] which he wrote several songs for, but was suddenly dropped for the reason of his face "being too scandalously recognisable" as a state official put it. One of the songs written for the film, a doom-laden epic allegory "Capricious Horses" (Кони привередливые), became one of the singer's signature tunes. Two of Vysotsky's 1972 film roles were somewhat meditative: an anonymous American journalist in The Fourth One and the "righteous guy" von Koren in The Bad Good Man (based on Anton Chekov's Duel). The latter brought Vysotsky the Best Male Role prize at the V Taormina Film Fest. This philosophical slant rubbed off onto some of his new works of the time: "A Singer at the Microphone" (Певец у микрофона), "The Tightrope Walker" (Канатоходец), two new war songs ("We Spin the Earth", "Black Pea-Coats") and "The Grief" (Беда), a folkish girl's lament, later recorded by Marina Vladi and subsequently covered by several female performers. Popular proved to be his 1972 humorous songs: "Mishka Shifman" (Мишка Шифман), satirizing the leaving-for-Israel routine, "Victim of the Television" which ridiculed the concept of "political consciousness," and "The Honour of the Chess Crown" (Честь шахматной короны) about an ever-fearless "simple Soviet man" challenging the much feared American champion Bobby Fischer to a match.

 

In 1972 he stepped up in Soviet Estonian TV where he presented his songs and gave an interview. The name of the show was "Young Man from Taganka" (Noormees Tagankalt).

 

In April 1973 Vysotsky visited Poland and France. Predictable problems concerning the official permission were sorted after the French Communist Party leader Georges Marchais made a personal phone call to Leonid Brezhnev who, according to Marina Vlady's memoirs, rather sympathized with the stellar couple. Having found on return a potentially dangerous lawsuit brought against him (concerning some unsanctioned concerts in Siberia the year before), Vysotsky wrote a defiant letter to the Minister of Culture Pyotr Demichev. As a result, he was granted the status of a philharmonic artist, 11.5 roubles per concert now guaranteed. Still the 900 rubles fine had to be paid according to the court verdict, which was a substantial sum, considering his monthly salary at the theater was 110 rubles. That year Vysotsky wrote some thirty songs for "Alice in Wonderland," an audioplay where he himself has been given several minor roles. His best known songs of 1973 included "The Others' Track" (Чужая колея), "The Flight Interrupted" (Прерванный полёт) and "The Monument", all pondering on his achievements and legacy.

 

In 1974 Melodiya released the 7" EP, featuring four of Vysotsky's war songs ("He Never Returned From the Battle", "The New Times Song", "Common Graves", and "The Earth Song") which represented a tiny portion of his creative work, owned by millions on tape. In September of that year Vysotsky received his first state award, the Honorary Diploma of the Uzbek SSR following a tour with fellow actors from the Taganka Theatre in Uzbekistan. A year later he was granted the USSR Union of Cinematographers' membership. This meant he was not an "anti-Soviet scum" now, rather an unlikely link between the official Soviet cinema elite and the "progressive-thinking artists of the West." More films followed, among them The Only Road (a Soviet-Yugoslav joint venture, premiered on 10 January 1975 in Belgrade) and a science fiction movie The Flight of Mr. McKinley (1975). Out of nine ballads that he wrote for the latter only two have made it into the soundtrack. This was the height of his popularity, when, as described in Vlady's book about her husband, walking down the street on a summer night, one could hear Vysotsky's recognizable voice coming literally from every open window. Among the songs written at the time, were humorous "The Instruction before the Trip Abroad", lyrical "Of the Dead Pilot" and philosophical "The Strange House". In 1975 Vysotsky made his third trip to France where he rather riskily visited his former tutor (and now a celebrated dissident emigre) Andrey Sinyavsky. Artist Mikhail Shemyakin, his new Paris friend (or a "bottle-sharer", in Vladi's terms), recorded Vysotsky in his home studio. After a brief stay in England Vysotsky crossed the ocean and made his first Mexican concerts in April. Back in Moscow, there were changes at Taganka: Lyubimov went to Milan's La Scala on a contract and Anatoly Efros has been brought in, a director of radically different approach. His project, Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, caused a sensation. Critics praised Alla Demidova (as Ranevskaya) and Vysotsky (as Lopakhin) powerful interplay, some describing it as one of the most dazzling in the history of the Soviet theater. Lyubimov, who disliked the piece, accused Efros of giving his actors "the stardom malaise." The 1976 Taganka's visit to Bulgaria resulted in Vysotskys's interview there being filmed and 15 songs recorded by Balkanton record label. On return Lyubimov made a move which many thought outrageous: declaring himself "unable to work with this Mr. Vysotsky anymore" he gave the role of Hamlet to Valery Zolotukhin, the latter's best friend. That was the time, reportedly, when stressed out Vysotsky started taking amphetamines.

 

Another Belorussian voyage completed, Marina and Vladimir went for France and from there (without any official permission given, or asked for) flew to the North America. In New York Vysotsky met, among other people, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Joseph Brodsky. In a televised one-hour interview with Dan Rather he stressed he was "not a dissident, just an artist, who's never had any intentions to leave his country where people loved him and his songs." At home this unauthorized venture into the Western world bore no repercussions: by this time Soviet authorities were divided as regards the "Vysotsky controversy" up to the highest level; while Mikhail Suslov detested the bard, Brezhnev loved him to such an extent that once, while in hospital, asked him to perform live in his daughter Galina's home, listening to this concert on the telephone. In 1976 appeared "The Domes", "The Rope" and the "Medieval" cycle, including "The Ballad of Love".

 

In September Vysotsky with Taganka made a trip to Yugoslavia where Hamlet won the annual BITEF festival's first prize, and then to Hungary for a two-week concert tour. Back in Moscow Lyubimov's production of The Master & Margarita featured Vysotsky as Ivan Bezdomny; a modest role, somewhat recompensed by an important Svidrigailov slot in Yury Karyakin's take on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Vysotsky's new songs of this period include "The History of Illness" cycle concerning his health problems, humorous "Why Did the Savages Eat Captain Cook", the metaphorical "Ballad of the Truth and the Lie", as well as "Two Fates", the chilling story of a self-absorbed alcoholic hunted by two malevolent witches, his two-faced destiny. In 1977 Vysotsky's health deteriorated (heart, kidneys, liver failures, jaw infection and nervous breakdown) to such an extent that in April he found himself in Moscow clinic's reanimation center in the state of physical and mental collapse.

 

In 1977 Vysotsky made an unlikely appearance in New York City on the American television show 60 Minutes, which falsely stated that Vysotsky had spent time in the Soviet prison system, the Gulag. That year saw the release of three Vysotsky's LPs in France (including the one that had been recorded by RCA in Canada the previous year); arranged and accompanied by guitarist Kostya Kazansky, the singer for the first time ever enjoyed the relatively sophisticated musical background. In August he performed in Hollywood before members of New York City film cast and (according to Vladi) was greeted warmly by the likes of Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro. Some more concerts in Los Angeles were followed by the appearance at the French Communist paper L’Humanité annual event. In December Taganka left for France, its Hamlet (Vysotsky back in the lead) gaining fine reviews.

 

1978 started with the March–April series of concerts in Moscow and Ukraine. In May Vysotsky embarked upon a new major film project: The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (Место встречи изменить нельзя) about two detectives fighting crime in late 1940s Russia, directed by Stanislav Govorukhin. The film (premiered on 11 November 1978 on the Soviet Central TV) presented Vysotsky as Zheglov, a ruthless and charismatic cop teaching his milder partner Sharapov (actor Vladimir Konkin) his art of crime-solving. Vysotsky also became engaged in Taganka's Genre-seeking show (performing some of his own songs) and played Aleksander Blok in Anatoly Efros' The Lady Stranger (Незнакомка) radio play (premiered on air on 10 July 1979 and later released as a double LP).

 

In November 1978 Vysotsky took part in the underground censorship-defying literary project Metropolis, inspired and organized by Vasily Aksenov. In January 1979 Vysotsky again visited America with highly successful series of concerts. That was the point (according to biographer Vladimir Novikov) when a glimpse of new, clean life of a respectable international actor and performer all but made Vysotsky seriously reconsider his priorities. What followed though, was a return to the self-destructive theater and concert tours schedule, personal doctor Anatoly Fedotov now not only his companion, but part of Taganka's crew. "Who was this Anatoly? Just a man who in every possible situation would try to provide drugs. And he did provide. In such moments Volodya trusted him totally," Oksana Afanasyeva, Vysotsky's Moscow girlfriend (who was near him for most of the last year of his life and, on occasion, herself served as a drug courier) remembered. In July 1979, after a series of Central Asia concerts, Vysotsky collapsed, experienced clinical death and was resuscitated by Fedotov (who injected caffeine into the heart directly), colleague and close friend Vsevolod Abdulov helping with heart massage. In January 1980 Vysotsky asked Lyubimov for a year's leave. "Up to you, but on condition that Hamlet is yours," was the answer. The songwriting showed signs of slowing down, as Vysotsky began switching from songs to more conventional poetry. Still, of nearly 800 poems by Vysotsky only one has been published in the Soviet Union while he was alive. Not a single performance or interview was broadcast by the Soviet television in his lifetime.

 

In May 1979, being in a practice studio of the MSU Faculty of Journalism, Vysotsky recorded a video letter to American actor and film producer Warren Beatty, looking for both a personal meeting with Beatty and an opportunity to get a role in Reds film, to be produced and directed by the latter. While recording, Vysotsky made a few attempts to speak English, trying to overcome the language barrier. This video letter never reached Beatty. It was broadcast for the first time more than three decades later, on the night of 24 January 2013 (local time) by Rossiya 1 channel, along with records of TV channels of Italy, Mexico, Poland, USA and from private collections, in Vladimir Vysotsky. A letter to Warren Beatty film by Alexander Kovanovsky and Igor Rakhmanov. While recording this video, Vysotsky had a rare opportunity to perform for a camera, being still unable to do it with Soviet television.

 

On 22 January 1980, Vysotsky entered the Moscow Ostankino TV Center to record his one and only studio concert for the Soviet television. What proved to be an exhausting affair (his concentration lacking, he had to plod through several takes for each song) was premiered on the Soviet TV eight years later. The last six months of his life saw Vysotsky appearing on stage sporadically, fueled by heavy dosages of drugs and alcohol. His performances were often erratic. Occasionally Vysotsky paid visits to Sklifosofsky [ru] institute's ER unit, but would not hear of Marina Vlady's suggestions for him to take long-term rehabilitation course in a Western clinic. Yet he kept writing, mostly poetry and even prose, but songs as well. The last song he performed was the agonizing "My Sorrow, My Anguish" and his final poem, written one week prior to his death was "A Letter to Marina": "I'm less than fifty, but the time is short / By you and God protected, life and limb / I have a song or two to sing before the Lord / I have a way to make my peace with him."

 

Although several theories of the ultimate cause of the singer's death persist to this day, given what is now known about cardiovascular disease, it seems likely that by the time of his death Vysotsky had an advanced coronary condition brought about by years of tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as his grueling work schedule and the stress of the constant harassment by the government. Towards the end, most of Vysotsky's closest friends had become aware of the ominous signs and were convinced that his demise was only a matter of time. Clear evidence of this can be seen in a video ostensibly shot by the Japanese NHK channel only months before Vysotsky's death, where he appears visibly unwell, breathing heavily and slurring his speech. Accounts by Vysotsky's close friends and colleagues concerning his last hours were compiled in the book by V. Perevozchikov.

 

Vysotsky suffered from alcoholism for most of his life. Sometime around 1977, he started using amphetamines and other prescription narcotics in an attempt to counteract the debilitating hangovers and eventually to rid himself of alcohol addiction. While these attempts were partially successful, he ended up trading alcoholism for a severe drug dependency that was fast spiralling out of control. He was reduced to begging some of his close friends in the medical profession for supplies of drugs, often using his acting skills to collapse in a medical office and imitate a seizure or some other condition requiring a painkiller injection. On 25 July 1979 (a year to the day before his death) he suffered a cardiac arrest and was clinically dead for several minutes during a concert tour of Soviet Uzbekistan, after injecting himself with a wrong kind of painkiller he had previously obtained from a dentist's office.

 

Fully aware of the dangers of his condition, Vysotsky made several attempts to cure himself of his addiction. He underwent an experimental (and ultimately discredited) blood purification procedure offered by a leading drug rehabilitation specialist in Moscow. He also went to an isolated retreat in France with his wife Marina in the spring of 1980 as a way of forcefully depriving himself of any access to drugs. After these attempts failed, Vysotsky returned to Moscow to find his life in an increasingly stressful state of disarray. He had been a defendant in two criminal trials, one for a car wreck he had caused some months earlier, and one for an alleged conspiracy to sell unauthorized concert tickets (he eventually received a suspended sentence and a probation in the first case, and the charges in the second were dismissed, although several of his co-defendants were found guilty). He also unsuccessfully fought the film studio authorities for the rights to direct a movie called The Green Phaeton. Relations with his wife Marina were deteriorating, and he was torn between his loyalty to her and his love for his mistress Oksana Afanasyeva. He had also developed severe inflammation in one of his legs, making his concert performances extremely challenging.

 

In a final desperate attempt to overcome his drug addiction, partially prompted by his inability to obtain drugs through his usual channels (the authorities had imposed a strict monitoring of the medical institutions to prevent illicit drug distribution during the 1980 Olympics), he relapsed into alcohol and went on a prolonged drinking binge (apparently consuming copious amounts of champagne due to a prevalent misconception at the time that it was better than vodka at countering the effects of drug withdrawal).

 

On 3 July 1980, Vysotsky gave a performance at a suburban Moscow concert hall. One of the stage managers recalls that he looked visibly unhealthy ("gray-faced", as she puts it) and complained of not feeling too good, while another says she was surprised by his request for champagne before the start of the show, as he had always been known for completely abstaining from drink before his concerts. On 16 July Vysotsky gave his last public concert in Kaliningrad. On 18 July, Vysotsky played Hamlet for the last time at the Taganka Theatre. From around 21 July, several of his close friends were on a round-the-clock watch at his apartment, carefully monitoring his alcohol intake and hoping against all odds that his drug dependency would soon be overcome and they would then be able to bring him back from the brink. The effects of drug withdrawal were clearly getting the better of him, as he got increasingly restless, moaned and screamed in pain, and at times fell into memory lapses, failing to recognize at first some of his visitors, including his son Arkadiy. At one point, Vysotsky's personal physician A. Fedotov (the same doctor who had brought him back from clinical death a year earlier in Uzbekistan) attempted to sedate him, inadvertently causing asphyxiation from which he was barely saved. On 24 July, Vysotsky told his mother that he thought he was going to die that day, and then made similar remarks to a few of the friends present at the apartment, who begged him to stop such talk and keep his spirits up. But soon thereafter, Oksana Afanasyeva saw him clench his chest several times, which led her to suspect that he was genuinely suffering from a cardiovascular condition. She informed Fedotov of this but was told not to worry, as he was going to monitor Vysotsky's condition all night. In the evening, after drinking relatively small amounts of alcohol, the moaning and groaning Vysotsky was sedated by Fedotov, who then sat down on the couch next to him but fell asleep. Fedotov awoke in the early hours of 25 July to an unusual silence and found Vysotsky dead in his bed with his eyes wide open, apparently of a myocardial infarction, as he later certified. This was contradicted by Fedotov's colleagues, Sklifosovsky Emergency Medical Institute physicians L. Sul'povar and S. Scherbakov (who had demanded the actor's immediate hospitalization on 23 July but were allegedly rebuffed by Fedotov), who insisted that Fedotov's incompetent sedation combined with alcohol was what killed Vysotsky. An autopsy was prevented by Vysotsky's parents (who were eager to have their son's drug addiction remain secret), so the true cause of death remains unknown.

 

No official announcement of the actor's death was made, only a brief obituary appeared in the Moscow newspaper Vechernyaya Moskva, and a note informing of Vysotsky's death and cancellation of the Hamlet performance was put out at the entrance to the Taganka Theatre (the story goes that not a single ticket holder took advantage of the refund offer). Despite this, by the end of the day, millions had learned of Vysotsky's death. On 28 July, he lay in state at the Taganka Theatre. After a mourning ceremony involving an unauthorized mass gathering of unprecedented scale, Vysotsky was buried at the Vagankovskoye Cemetery in Moscow. The attendance at the Olympic events dropped noticeably on that day, as scores of spectators left to attend the funeral. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of his coffin.

 

According to author Valery Perevozchikov part of the blame for his death lay with the group of associates who surrounded him in the last years of his life. This inner circle were all people under the influence of his strong character, combined with a material interest in the large sums of money his concerts earned. This list included Valerii Yankelovich, manager of the Taganka Theatre and prime organiser of his non-sanctioned concerts; Anatoly Fedotov, his personal doctor; Vadim Tumanov, gold prospector (and personal friend) from Siberia; Oksana Afanasyeva (later Yarmolnik), his mistress the last three years of his life; Ivan Bortnik, a fellow actor; and Leonid Sul'povar, a department head at the Sklifosovski hospital who was responsible for much of the supply of drugs.

 

Vysotsky's associates had all put in efforts to supply his drug habit, which kept him going in the last years of his life. Under their influence, he was able to continue to perform all over the country, up to a week before his death. Due to illegal (i.e. non-state-sanctioned) sales of tickets and other underground methods, these concerts pulled in sums of money unimaginable in Soviet times, when almost everyone received nearly the same small salary. The payouts and gathering of money were a constant source of danger, and Yankelovich and others were needed to organise them.

 

Some money went to Vysotsky, the rest was distributed amongst this circle. At first this was a reasonable return on their efforts; however, as his addiction progressed and his body developed resistance, the frequency and amount of drugs needed to keep Vysotsky going became unmanageable. This culminated at the time of the Moscow Olympics which coincided with the last days of his life, when supplies of drugs were monitored more strictly than usual, and some of the doctors involved in supplying Vysotsky were already behind bars (normally the doctors had to account for every ampule, thus drugs were transferred to an empty container, while the patients received a substitute or placebo instead). In the last few days Vysotsky became uncontrollable, his shouting could be heard all over the apartment building on Malaya Gruzinskaya St. where he lived amongst VIP's. Several days before his death, in a state of stupor he went on a high speed drive around Moscow in an attempt to obtain drugs and alcohol – when many high-ranking people saw him. This increased the likelihood of him being forcibly admitted to the hospital, and the consequent danger to the circle supplying his habit. As his state of health declined, and it became obvious that he might die, his associates gathered to decide what to do with him. They came up with no firm decision. They did not want him admitted officially, as his drug addiction would become public and they would fall under suspicion, although some of them admitted that any ordinary person in his condition would have been admitted immediately.

 

On Vysotsky's death his associates and relatives put in much effort to prevent a post-mortem being carried out. This despite the fairly unusual circumstances: he died aged 42 under heavy sedation with an improvised cocktail of sedatives and stimulants, including the toxic chloral hydrate, provided by his personal doctor who had been supplying him with narcotics the previous three years. This doctor, being the only one present at his side when death occurred, had a few days earlier been seen to display elementary negligence in treating the sedated Vysotsky. On the night of his death, Arkadii Vysotsky (his son), who tried to visit his father in his apartment, was rudely refused entry by Yankelovich, even though there was a lack of people able to care for him. Subsequently, the Soviet police commenced a manslaughter investigation which was dropped due to the absence of evidence taken at the time of death.

 

Vysotsky's first wife was Iza Zhukova. They met in 1956, being both MAT theater institute students, lived for some time at Vysotsky's mother's flat in Moscow, after her graduation (Iza was 2 years older) spent months in different cities (her – in Kiev, then Rostov) and finally married on 25 April 1960.

 

He met his second wife Lyudmila Abramova in 1961, while shooting the film 713 Requests Permission to Land. They married in 1965 and had two sons, Arkady (born 1962) and Nikita (born 1964).

 

While still married to Lyudmila Abramova, Vysotsky began a romantic relationship with Tatyana Ivanenko, a Taganka actress, then, in 1967 fell in love with Marina Vlady, a French actress of Russian descent, who was working at Mosfilm on a joint Soviet-French production at that time. Marina had been married before and had three children, while Vladimir had two. They were married in 1969. For 10 years the two maintained a long-distance relationship as Marina compromised her career in France to spend more time in Moscow, and Vladimir's friends pulled strings for him to be allowed to travel abroad to stay with his wife. Marina eventually joined the Communist Party of France, which essentially gave her an unlimited-entry visa into the Soviet Union, and provided Vladimir with some immunity against prosecution by the government, which was becoming weary of his covertly anti-Soviet lyrics and his odds-defying popularity with the masses. The problems of his long-distance relationship with Vlady inspired several of Vysotsky's songs.

 

In the autumn of 1981 Vysotsky's first collection of poetry was officially published in the USSR, called The Nerve (Нерв). Its first edition (25,000 copies) was sold out instantly. In 1982 the second one followed (100,000), then the 3rd (1988, 200,000), followed in the 1990s by several more. The material for it was compiled by Robert Rozhdestvensky, an officially laurelled Soviet poet. Also in 1981 Yuri Lyubimov staged at Taganka a new music and poetry production called Vladimir Vysotsky which was promptly banned and officially premiered on 25 January 1989.

 

In 1982 the motion picture The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe was produced in the Soviet Union and in 1983 the movie was released to the public. Four songs by Vysotsky were featured in the film.

 

In 1986 the official Vysotsky poetic heritage committee was formed (with Robert Rozhdestvensky at the helm, theater critic Natalya Krymova being both the instigator and the organizer). Despite some opposition from the conservatives (Yegor Ligachev was the latter's political leader, Stanislav Kunyaev of Nash Sovremennik represented its literary flank) Vysotsky was rewarded posthumously with the USSR State Prize. The official formula – "for creating the character of Zheglov and artistic achievements as a singer-songwriter" was much derided from both the left and the right. In 1988 the Selected Works of... (edited by N. Krymova) compilation was published, preceded by I Will Surely Return... (Я, конечно, вернусь...) book of fellow actors' memoirs and Vysotsky's verses, some published for the first time. In 1990 two volumes of extensive The Works of... were published, financed by the late poet's father Semyon Vysotsky. Even more ambitious publication series, self-proclaimed "the first ever academical edition" (the latter assertion being dismissed by sceptics) compiled and edited by Sergey Zhiltsov, were published in Tula (1994–1998, 5 volumes), Germany (1994, 7 volumes) and Moscow (1997, 4 volumes).

 

In 1989 the official Vysotsky Museum opened in Moscow, with the magazine of its own called Vagant (edited by Sergey Zaitsev) devoted entirely to Vysotsky's legacy. In 1996 it became an independent publication and was closed in 2002.

 

In the years to come, Vysotsky's grave became a site of pilgrimage for several generations of his fans, the youngest of whom were born after his death. His tombstone also became the subject of controversy, as his widow had wished for a simple abstract slab, while his parents insisted on a realistic gilded statue. Although probably too solemn to have inspired Vysotsky himself, the statue is believed by some to be full of metaphors and symbols reminiscent of the singer's life.

 

In 1995 in Moscow the Vysotsky monument was officially opened at Strastnoy Boulevard, by the Petrovsky Gates. Among those present were the bard's parents, two of his sons, first wife Iza, renown poets Yevtushenko and Voznesensky. "Vysotsky had always been telling the truth. Only once he was wrong when he sang in one of his songs: 'They will never erect me a monument in a square like that by Petrovskye Vorota'", Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov said in his speech.[95] A further monument to Vysotsky was erected in 2014 at Rostov-on-Don.

 

In October 2004, a monument to Vysotsky was erected in the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica, near the Millennium Bridge. His son, Nikita Vysotsky, attended the unveiling. The statue was designed by Russian sculptor Alexander Taratinov, who also designed a monument to Alexander Pushkin in Podgorica. The bronze statue shows Vysotsky standing on a pedestal, with his one hand raised and the other holding a guitar. Next to the figure lies a bronze skull – a reference to Vysotsky's monumental lead performances in Shakespeare's Hamlet. On the pedestal the last lines from a poem of Vysotsky's, dedicated to Montenegro, are carved.

 

The Vysotsky business center & semi-skyscraper was officially opened in Yekaterinburg, in 2011. It is the tallest building in Russia outside of Moscow, has 54 floors, total height: 188.3 m (618 ft). On the third floor of the business center is the Vysotsky Museum. Behind the building is a bronze sculpture of Vladimir Vysotsky and his third wife, a French actress Marina Vlady.

 

In 2011 a controversial movie Vysotsky. Thank You For Being Alive was released, script written by his son, Nikita Vysotsky. The actor Sergey Bezrukov portrayed Vysotsky, using a combination of a mask and CGI effects. The film tells about Vysotsky's illegal underground performances, problems with KGB and drugs, and subsequent clinical death in 1979.

 

Shortly after Vysotsky's death, many Russian bards started writing songs and poems about his life and death. The best known are Yuri Vizbor's "Letter to Vysotsky" (1982) and Bulat Okudzhava's "About Volodya Vysotsky" (1980). In Poland, Jacek Kaczmarski based some of his songs on those of Vysotsky, such as his first song (1977) was based on "The Wolfhunt", and dedicated to his memory the song "Epitafium dla Włodzimierza Wysockiego" ("Epitaph for Vladimir Vysotsky").

 

Every year on Vysotsky's birthday festivals are held throughout Russia and in many communities throughout the world, especially in Europe. Vysotsky's impact in Russia is often compared to that of Wolf Biermann in Germany, Bob Dylan in America, or Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel in France.

 

The asteroid 2374 Vladvysotskij, discovered by Lyudmila Zhuravleva, was named after Vysotsky.

 

During the Annual Q&A Event Direct Line with Vladimir Putin, Alexey Venediktov asked Putin to name a street in Moscow after the singer Vladimir Vysotsky, who, though considered one of the greatest Russian artists, has no street named after him in Moscow almost 30 years after his death. Venediktov stated a Russian law that allowed the President to do so and promote a law suggestion to name a street by decree. Putin answered that he would talk to Mayor of Moscow and would solve this problem. In July 2015 former Upper and Lower Tagansky Dead-ends (Верхний и Нижний Таганские тупики) in Moscow were reorganized into Vladimir Vysotsky Street.

 

The Sata Kieli Cultural Association, [Finland], organizes the annual International Vladimir Vysotsky Festival (Vysotski Fest), where Vysotsky's singers from different countries perform in Helsinki and other Finnish cities. They sing Vysotsky in different languages and in different arrangements.

 

Two brothers and singers from Finland, Mika and Turkka Mali, over the course of their more than 30-year musical career, have translated into Finnish, recorded and on numerous occasions publicly performed songs of Vladimir Vysotsky.

 

Throughout his lengthy musical career, Jaromír Nohavica, a famed Czech singer, translated and performed numerous songs of Vladimir Vysotsky, most notably Песня о друге (Píseň o příteli – Song about a friend).

 

The Museum of Vladimir Vysotsky in Koszalin dedicated to Vladimir Vysotsky was founded by Marlena Zimna (1969–2016) in May 1994, in her apartment, in the city of Koszalin, in Poland. Since then the museum has collected over 19,500 exhibits from different countries and currently holds Vladimir Vysotsky' personal items, autographs, drawings, letters, photographs and a large library containing unique film footage, vinyl records, CDs and DVDs. A special place in the collection holds a Vladimir Vysotsky's guitar, on which he played at a concert in Casablanca in April 1976. Vladimir Vysotsky presented this guitar to Moroccan journalist Hassan El-Sayed together with an autograph (an extract from Vladimir Vysotsky's song "What Happened in Africa"), written in Russian right on the guitar.

 

In January 2023, a monument to the outstanding actor, singer and poet Vladimir Vysotsky was unveiled in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, in the square near the Rodina House of Culture. Author Vladimir Chebotarev.

 

After her husband's death, urged by her friend Simone Signoret, Marina Vlady wrote a book called The Aborted Flight about her years together with Vysotsky. The book paid tribute to Vladimir's talent and rich persona, yet was uncompromising in its depiction of his addictions and the problems that they caused in their marriage. Written in French (and published in France in 1987), it was translated into Russian in tandem by Vlady and a professional translator and came out in 1989 in the USSR. Totally credible from the specialists' point of view, the book caused controversy, among other things, by shocking revelations about the difficult father-and-son relationship (or rather, the lack of any), implying that Vysotsky-senior (while his son was alive) was deeply ashamed of him and his songs which he deemed "anti-Soviet" and reported his own son to the KGB. Also in 1989 another important book of memoirs was published in the USSR, providing a bulk of priceless material for the host of future biographers, Alla Demidova's Vladimir Vysotsky, the One I Know and Love. Among other publications of note were Valery Zolotukhin's Vysotsky's Secret (2000), a series of Valery Perevozchikov's books (His Dying Hour, The Unknown Vysotsky and others) containing detailed accounts and interviews dealing with the bard's life's major controversies (the mystery surrounding his death, the truth behind Vysotsky Sr.'s alleged KGB reports, the true nature of Vladimir Vysotsky's relations with his mother Nina's second husband Georgy Bartosh etc.), Iza Zhukova's Short Happiness for a Lifetime and the late bard's sister-in-law Irena Vysotskaya's My Brother Vysotsky. The Beginnings (both 2005).

 

A group of enthusiasts has created a non-profit project – the mobile application "Vysotsky"

 

The multifaceted talent of Vysotsky is often described by the term "bard" (бард) that Vysotsky has never been enthusiastic about. He thought of himself mainly as an actor and poet rather than a singer, and once remarked, "I do not belong to what people call bards or minstrels or whatever." With the advent of portable tape-recorders in the Soviet Union, Vysotsky's music became available to the masses in the form of home-made reel-to-reel audio tape recordings (later on cassette tapes).

 

Vysotsky accompanied himself on a Russian seven-string guitar, with a raspy voice singing ballads of love, peace, war, everyday Soviet life and of the human condition. He was largely perceived as the voice of honesty, at times sarcastically jabbing at the Soviet government, which made him a target for surveillance and threats. In France, he has been compared with Georges Brassens; in Russia, however, he was more frequently compared with Joe Dassin, partly because they were the same age and died in the same year, although their ideologies, biographies, and musical styles are very different. Vysotsky's lyrics and style greatly influenced Jacek Kaczmarski, a Polish songwriter and singer who touched on similar themes.

 

The songs – over 600 of them – were written about almost any imaginable theme. The earliest were blatnaya pesnya ("outlaw songs"). These songs were based either on the life of the common people in Moscow or on life in the crime people, sometimes in Gulag. Vysotsky slowly grew out of this phase and started singing more serious, though often satirical, songs. Many of these songs were about war. These war songs were not written to glorify war, but rather to expose the listener to the emotions of those in extreme, life-threatening situations. Most Soviet veterans would say that Vysotsky's war songs described the truth of war far more accurately than more official "patriotic" songs.

 

Nearly all of Vysotsky's songs are in the first person, although he is almost never the narrator. When singing his criminal songs, he would adopt the accent and intonation of a Moscow thief, and when singing war songs, he would sing from the point of view of a soldier. In many of his philosophical songs, he adopted the role of inanimate objects. This created some confusion about Vysotsky's background, especially during the early years when information could not be passed around very easily. Using his acting talent, the poet played his role so well that until told otherwise, many of his fans believed that he was, indeed, a criminal or war veteran. Vysotsky's father said that "War veterans thought the author of the songs to be one of them, as if he had participated in the war together with them." The same could be said about mountain climbers; on multiple occasions, Vysotsky was sent pictures of mountain climbers' graves with quotes from his lyrics etched on the tombstones.

 

Not being officially recognized as a poet and singer, Vysotsky performed wherever and whenever he could – in the theater (where he worked), at universities, in private apartments, village clubs, and in the open air. It was not unusual for him to give several concerts in one day. He used to sleep little, using the night hours to write. With few exceptions, he wasn't allowed to publish his recordings with "Melodiya", which held a monopoly on the Soviet music industry. His songs were passed on through amateur, fairly low quality recordings on vinyl discs and magnetic tape, resulting in his immense popularity. Cosmonauts even took his music on cassette into orbit.

 

Musically, virtually all of Vysotsky's songs were written in a minor key, and tended to employ from three to seven chords. Vysotsky composed his songs and played them exclusively on the Russian seven string guitar, often tuned a tone or a tone-and-a-half below the traditional Russian "Open G major" tuning. This guitar, with its specific Russian tuning, makes a slight yet notable difference in chord voicings than the standard tuned six string Spanish (classical) guitar, and it became a staple of his sound. Because Vysotsky tuned down a tone and a half, his strings had less tension, which also colored the sound.

 

His earliest songs were usually written in C minor (with the guitar tuned a tone down from DGBDGBD to CFACFAC)

 

Songs written in this key include "Stars" (Zvyozdy), "My friend left for Magadan" (Moy drug uyekhal v Magadan), and most of his "outlaw songs".

 

At around 1970, Vysotsky began writing and playing exclusively in A minor (guitar tuned to CFACFAC), which he continued doing until his death.

 

Vysotsky used his fingers instead of a pick to pluck and strum, as was the tradition with Russian guitar playing. He used a variety of finger picking and strumming techniques. One of his favorite was to play an alternating bass with his thumb as he plucked or strummed with his other fingers.

 

Often, Vysotsky would neglect to check the tuning of his guitar, which is particularly noticeable on earlier recordings. According to some accounts, Vysotsky would get upset when friends would attempt to tune his guitar, leading some to believe that he preferred to play slightly out of tune as a stylistic choice. Much of this is also attributable to the fact that a guitar that is tuned down more than 1 whole step (Vysotsky would sometimes tune as much as 2 and a half steps down) is prone to intonation problems.

 

Vysotsky had a unique singing style. He had an unusual habit of elongating consonants instead of vowels in his songs. So when a syllable is sung for a prolonged period of time, he would elongate the consonant instead of the vowel in that syllable.

Stage 1 - Guzman is served the drugged wine containing the slow release powerful sedative by the Cuban asset dressed as a waitress while he is at dinner earlier that evening in the dining room of the hotel. The sedative has been supplied to her by Dr Cohen.

 

"Senor Guzman please try this vintage I am sure you will enjoy it" she says. She watches as he consumes the wine and has a slight smile on her face as her task is completed successfully.

Even though it was so much calmer at Oracle House than anywhere else Taylan could ever remember, he still couldn't shake that panicky feeling he got anytime something woke him suddenly. Dante was really good at talking him back down from panic attacks, but Taylan hated the fact that he couldn't seem to handle the attacks on his own. Ainley, Oracle House's doctor, had privately offered him some gentle sedatives he could take if he needed them and he kept a store of them around for the really big ones.

 

Aster, one of the newer arrivals, had been around the other day when Taylan had been startled in the library by, of all things, a log popping in the fireplace. She hadn't said a word, just took Taylan by the hand and made him start matching her inhale and exhale. And then she started showing him poses and ways to move his body.

 

Stretching into the deep bends and careful balances that the forms required helped Taylan to focus his thoughts and quiet them down again. Aster made sure that he was doing them correctly and then she left him alone in peace and quiet to practice as long as he needed.

 

It worked like a charm. By the time thirty minutes had gone by the shaking was gone, his breathing was calm and even, and he felt like a person again.

 

When he used the techniques again a few days later, while Dante was getting dressed, he felt Dante's eyes on him and he turned and smiled.

 

"I didn't know you knew yoga."

 

"Aster showed me. I didn't know it had a name." Taylan said.

 

Dante stood near Taylan and gently eased into a stretch next to him. "I learned it from my Gran. I should have thought to teach it to you."

 

Taylan closed his eyes exhaling into a pose. "I only know the few poses."

 

Dante gently kissed Taylan's forehead. "Sounds like we can learn new ones from Aster. I don't know the ones you're doing."

 

Taylan giggled and smiled as he leaned towards Dante.

 

Dante raised a questioning eyebrow.

 

"Well, she said she knew some that... well... increased your flexibility in ways that one's partner could really appreciate.

 

Dante blushed. "Ah, I see."

 

Taylan brushed his fingers over Dante's warm cheek. "Maybe I'll be able to teach you a thing or two."

 

Dante nuzzled into Taylan's fingers.

 

Taylan leaned in. "Because I'll bet you your Gran never taught you those."

 

Dante almost choked on a laugh. "I'll bet you're right." He met Taylan's gaze with a smile. "I will look forward to your... educational enrichment."

 

----

 

Taylan is a Luts Delf Event Head on a Type 4 Body

Dante is a Luts Senior Delf Flood.

 

Taylan belongs to me and Dante and Aster and Ainley all belong to Elaby :)

 

ADAW: 4 - Arch

Traditionally, Oneiromancy refers to divination – seeing the unseen in the past, present, or future – through the use of dreams. Here I will refer to a whole system of Magic which includes dream recall, dream interpretation, lucid dreaming, protection spells for the dreamer, and spell work through dreams. Why Dreams? Dreams are our primary connection with the unconscious mind. They occur along the boarder between conscious mental activity and the unconscious, and a good deal of mixing occurs between these two levels of consciousness in dreams. Because of this, dreams may reflect a number of different things, and may be interpreted at different levels. 1) Dreams can be genuine spiritual experiences containing messages from the gods, deceased loved ones, or personal guardian or familiar spirits. 2) Dreams may be messages from deeper aspects of ourselves warning us of problems, or giving us insight into our fears, insecurities, and desires. 3) Dreams can sometimes be just silly play, containing nonsense imagery and conscious ego fantasies, with little or no deeper meaning. Or, a single dream may incorporate all three levels in one twisted surrealist serving. Deeper awareness of our dreams can effect us at different levels as well – it gives us deeper knowledge and understanding of ourselves, a stronger connection to the spiritual, and a healthy outlet for fantasies and creative inspiration. It therefore benefits one to become more aware of the dream experience. Remembering Your Dreams The first step toward any type of dream work is to remember more dreams and to keep a record of them. The dream journal is a record of dream experiences over a period of time. It is a tool not only for recording specific dreams in detail, but also for documenting recurring themes and patterns that can be observed by comparing several different dreams over the course of a few weeks or months. The dream journal can be any blank book or notebook used specifically for the purpose of recording your dreams. Keep this beside your bed with a pen, and as soon as you awaken from a dream, write it down in as much detail as possible. You may find, that as you are writing, previously unremembered details and images will emerge. Jotting down a few notes before writing out the whole dream will help you to remember more. Begin with the end of the dream, the first detail you will remember, and work backwards. Then go back and describe the entire dream in as much detail as you can. An easier way to record dreams is to use a digital voice recorder, and dictate the dream upon waking. This method is especially useful for recording dreams in the middle of the night quickly and returning to sleep. You may forget that you even woke and recorded a dream. Listen to the recordings once a week and record the dreams in a dream journal. Even if you don’t remember your dreams at first, get yourself in the habit of writing something in your dream journal every morning, even if it is “I don’t remember any dreams.” Consistent use of the dream journal will help you to remember more dreams. Dream Interpretation There are many books on dream interpretation in both the psychology section and New Age section of every major bookstore. A few of them contain helpful guidelines. Most of them are crap. Avoid “dream dictionaries,” books that contain alphabetized listings of “common” dream symbols and a dictionary definition of what they mean. Dream symbols and their meanings are never precise, always changing, and are different from person to person and culture to culture. Take as an example, the snake. In the Hebrew Bible, the serpent is the tempter of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and is seen as a symbol of evil. A person in such a culture who dreams of a snake would interpret it as a very grave omen. However, because the snake sheds its skin, it was a symbol for healing, regeneration, and growth in certain Greek mystery cults. This is the origin of the Caduceus, the winged wand entwined by two snakes which was carried by Hermes – and is now the universal symbol of the medical profession. The same symbol may mean different things to different people, or may mean something different to the same person at different stages of life. It is necessary, therefore, to interpret your own dreams, because only you can interpret them with the greatest accuracy. Try to record an entire week of dreams, then go back and read over that week’s dreams, looking for recurring themes and patterns. Think carefully about the details of each dream – how did you feel during the dream? What were your emotional reactions to strange events in the dream? How would you respond to those events in waking life? What does this dream mean to you? Does it offer any insight to problems and concerns you are having now? Does the dream seem to touch something deeper? Also, pay attention to recurring places and events. Are there particular memories, people, or places from your past that keep coming up? Take note of these, and think about why they keep coming up. Over the course of a few months, watch your dreams and the circumstances of your waking life carefully. Do you notice any interesting sychronicities between the dreams and your waking life? Did the ream seem to foretell, or foreshadow something that eventually happened? Or, do particular dreams seem to coincide with particular events? For example, you dream about finding the milk carton empty, and a week later your wife gets her period. If this happens a few months in a row, then you can conclude that a dream of an empty milk carton is an accurate prediction of the arrival of Aunt Flo. Then, if you dream of a full carton of milk, this may be a positive omen that your family is about to get bigger. No single book can teach you how to use your dreams as oracles better than your own experience, and there is no better oracle than your own dreams. Lucid Dreaming A Lucid Dream is a dream in which the dreamer knows that they are dreaming, and can control their own actions, and to some extent with practice, the events, content, and duration of the dream. The first step in Lucid Dreaming is to train yourself to know the difference between dreaming and waking reality while you are dreaming! After working with the dream journal consistently for a few weeks or a month, look back through it and read each dream. As you read over each dream, make a list of little details that don’t seem to posses much meaning, but that are consistent with many of your other dreams, yet divergent with reality. These are dream signs; little clues in the dreams that, once recognized, will alert the dreamer that they are dreaming. Common dream signs are; “No one seems to notice that I’m bare-ass naked in the middle of this Christian bookstore,” or “In real life, cats don’t talk, and they are even less likely to turn into hot Goth chicks.” A dream sign can be something subtle, like the text of the newspaper printed upside down, or in strange characters, or interspersed with the word “fnord.” Or it could be something stranger and more obvious that you’ll kick yourself for not noticing when you wake up. Like seeing Gene Simmons sitting on a toilet at the bus stop with a purple tiger on a leash eating a dead platypus (Gene, not the tiger). In waking life, get yourself into the habit of questioning your state of consciousness several times during the day. Ask yourself the question, “am I dreaming?” and look for dream signs How can you prove to yourself that you are awake, or are not? How is this state of consciousness like or unlike a dream? How is it like or unlike waking? Do this often enough and eventually one of two things will happen; 1) you will have a cataclysmic existential crisis and wind up in a rubber room eating pre-cut meat with a plastic fork, or 2) you will ask yourself if you are dreaming, while you are dreaming! Once you know you are dreaming, anything can happen. You can meet, talk to, have sex with, famous or historical persons that are either dead or otherwise inaccessible. You can bid farewell to dead loved ones or pets. You can travel the worlds, meet Gods, tame mythical beasts, rescue yummy maidens from being maidens, or anything else you can imagine. You can do things that would otherwise be unsafe, foolish, or impossible in waking life. Lucid dreaming can be used as an exploration of fantasy and play, as and exploration of self and inner healing, or magically to bring results into the waking world. In dreams, you can act out that which you want to happen in waking life, to bring that goal closer to manifestation. For example, you want a new job. Dream about the interview. How will you dress? How will you be received? What questions will be asked? Practicing potentially stressful trials, such as job interviews and first dates, in dreams can help to alleviate the stress of the event, and give you greater confidence because you’ve done it once before. Also, if you practice daily rituals or meditations, try doing them in your dreams. It is also exciting to think that two people can have the same dream. Two experienced lucid dreamers can experiment with having the same dream, and communicating in dreams. Protection for the Sleeper People once believed that nightmares were caused by evil spirits, or black Magic Because of this belief, a number of spells and protective amulets were devised to protect the sleeper from the negative influence of bad dreams. Modern psychology now tells us that bad dreams are manifestations of anxieties and fears that plague us at the edge of consciousness, and that we may or may not be consciously aware of. Therefore, bad dreams are often more productive than good ones because they force the dreamer to be aware of problems that may hinder their growth. Whatever the cause, however, nightmares can be extremely unpleasant and frightening, and magical protection is an effective way to prevent nightmares. The simplest way is to cast a circle around the bed before going to sleep. The ancient Egyptians practiced a version of this by drawing a circle in the dirt floor around the bed with a ritual dagger. Stand on or in front of your bed. (You can face East if you want. You don’t have to, if it’s not important to you. Some people like to, though, for some reason.) Visualize a ball of white light at you center, in the region around your heart. See this ball of light glowing brighter with each breath. Take a few deep breaths to concentrate your personal energy at your center. Point toward the air in front of you with your index finger, wand, or athame (magic knife), and feel your whole arm tingle as the energy moves from your center and flows through your fingertips. Walk clockwise around the bed, or pivot where you stand, and as you do imagine that your finger is drawing a circle of light in the air around your bed. This circle becomes a sphere, a protective globe of energy surrounding you and protecting you from negative influences and bad dreams. State in a firm and certain voice that this circle of light will keep out all harmful energies and entities, and allow only positive energies and entities to enter, and that it will hold strong all night and vanish like mist with the coming sun. One common form of nightmare is called “the Old Hag” or “the Witch riding your back,” also known as “night terrors,” or “incubus attacks.” This type of dream occurs during the in-between state as the sleeper is just waking up. The sleeper thinks they are awake, but are unable to move and may feel as though they are under attack by an unseen entity. It was once a common belief that these dreams were caused by evil spirits or malevolent witches. Several protective measures against suck attacks are found in European and American folklore traditions. One was to make sure the toes of your shoes were pointing away from the bed before going to sleep. Another was to sleep with either the Bible or a knife under the pillow (if you decide to do the latter, I suggest using the witches’ athame, and place it between the pillow and the pillowcase so that it doesn’t slip out from under the pillow and cause traumatic injuries while you sleep). Sleeping on your side is another way to avoid this type of nightmare, since it seems to only occur when you are sleeping on your back. The cause of this type of dream is unknown, but I believe it has something to do with the neurotransmitter your brain secretes when you sleep to paralyze the body and prevent you from acting out your dreams. Sometimes this paralysis lingers for a few seconds after the sleeper has awaken. Although the physical body is paralyzed, the astral body is not. Personal experience has told me that this state of consciousness can be ideal for astral projection(or inducing lucid dreams), and can be induced by falling asleep on your back (if you’re married, or have a frequent bedroom companion, I do not recommend this, as it also causes snoring. Unless you use a CPAP mask. If so, then go with your bad self, and sleep on your back!) Dream Pillows A dream pillow is a small pouch or pillow placed on or under the pillow to bring pleasant dreams, and keep bad dreams away. It can be made out of any old cloth, or cloth pouch, of any color that represents dreams to the sleeper. The dream pouch is stuffed with sweet-smelling herbs and should be blessed by the deities of your choice (I chose Morpheus and Aradia). In my dream pouch, I used hops, jasmine flowers, lavender, mugwort, Valerian, and chamomile. Sweetgrass, star anise, marigold, or skullcap can also be used, or a few of these herbs in different combinations. Also, different books on herbalism and witchcraft will have different recipes. As long as it smells good and dreamy to you. Dream Tea Some of the above listed herbs, such as sweetgrass, marigold, and star anise, were chosen because of their pleasant smell, and symbolic or magical associations. The others were chosen because they have a sedative effect when taken in tea. Here is a brief description of these sedative herbs. Chamomile and jasmine are sweet smelling flowers, that make an equally sweet tea. Chamomile can be steeped in hot water by itself, or with a little jasmine, and a little honey for a light, relaxing evening tea to curl up with a book with. Valerian root contains a naturally occurring oil which is very similar to Valium. It has a rich, earthy taste and smell, which some people find unpleasant. Adding a little peppermint, chamomile, or both to the tea helps to improve the taste. Valerian and skullcap are great sedatives, and can be used alone or together for a restful night’s sleep. Mugwort is an herb associated with the moon, and has been used in teas for prophetic dreams, and for feminine moon-related discomfort. It is also an oneirogen, an herb that can induce dreams, or create a dream-like state of consciousness. Mugwort grows along the side of the road with goldenrod and ragweed, and should be avoided if you suffer from hay fever (late summer/early autumn allergies). Hops is used in brewing beer. While it is useful for getting a good night’s sleep, it is a depressant, and should be avoided by individuals who are taking anti-depressants. Any good book on herbalism will go into more detail on the uses and effects of these herbs. Here is a simple recipe for a tea to induce restful sleep and pleasant dreams; 1 tbs. Valerian root 1 tbs. Skullcap 1 tsp. Jasmine blossoms 1 tsp. chamomile (add a pinch of mugwort for prophetic dreams) steep in 1 cup of hot water, covered for 20 minutes. An even simpler recipe is to mix 1 tbs. Valerian root with 1 tsp. Mugwort. Drink 20 minutes before bedtime. Relax and let the tea take effect. For further reading;Cunningham, Scott, Sacred Sleep; Dreams & the Divine, The Crossing Press, Freedom, CA, 1992 LaBerge, Stephen, Ph. D, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, Ballentine Books, New York, 1990 Miller, Richard Alan, The Magical and Ritual use of Herbs, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, 1993; the Oneiromancy texte by Fred

 

Performing ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY

without sufficient anesthesia

without sedatives......

 

Every day hundreds of people in India get electrocuted through their brain without their consent while they are fully awake. A new law being debated by Parliament would ban the use of electroshock without anaesthesia and muscle relaxants. However, the Indian Psychiatric Society and the World Psychiatric Association support the view that this current, terrifying and dangerous practice is acceptable for poor people. They are both on the wrong side of history.

  

ECT is quite effective for certain mental illnesses but rarely done today in the USA.......

 

I performed a lot of it in the 80's............

   

Photography’s new conscience

linktr.ee/GlennLosack

linktr.ee/GlennLosack

  

glosack.wixsite.com/tbws

  

This is an old shot of me and my best childhood friend, Ginger. She was a Boxer/Cocker Spaniel mix, and was the best dog ever. I can still remember the feeling of her fur, especially around her neck, and the soft fur on her ears. I can really get sentimental over this girl because she was so special to me.

 

Ginger used to love to chase pinecones or tennis balls. She would get so tired that her tongue would hang out to the ground, but she was always ready for more no matter how tired she was.

 

I had a friend, Lynn, that was petrified of dogs, but Ginger taught her that dogs were not bad. It took a while, but she finally got over her fear of dogs with Ginger's help. My friend passed away recently, but she had rescued two Dalmations, and they were her children. Ginger really did her job well.

 

To this day, I love a good thunderstorm because Ginger used to get to sleep in the bed with me during storms. She was so scared of them, that sometimes, depending on how bad the storm was, she had to be given a sedative.

 

Ginger was 16 years old when she died from heartworms.

Tenerife.

Costa del Silencio.

 

These were growing on the roadside, a very pale pink.

It's an endemic subspecies of the classic opium poppy.

 

Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine. The Latin botanical name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to the sedative properties of some of these opiates.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_poppy

 

Please no invites to mandatory comment/award groups.

And especially NO BIG GRAPHICS.

To admins of of those groups: I will just click OK add it if you take no notice and invite me anyway.

 

my most interesting on black: www.fluidr.com/photos/lindadevolder/interesting

 

This photo appears in the gallery Elles me plaisent 18

The rose, the family Rosaceae , is a genus that includes about 150 species , with numerous varieties endless hybrids and cultivars , native to Europe and Asia, varying in height from 20 cm to several meters , includes species bushy , ramblers , climbing , crawling , shrubs and small trees in bloom big or small, in bunches , panicles or solitary, single or double , with achene fruits contained in a false fruit ( hip ), the wild species in Italy are more than 30, of which we mention the R . hip ( the most common) , the R. Gallic ( uncommon in the moors and rocky places ) , R. glauca (common in the Alps) , the R. pendulina (municipality on the Alps and the Northern Apennines ) and R. sempervirens .

  

The generic name is derived from Latin rosa , with scholarly tradition or semidotta (absence of ascending diphthong - u - sound and pronunciation of the -s- even in the Tuscan dialect ), perhaps because the tradition of the rose cultivation had been interrupted in the Middle Ages and was started back in the Carolingian period . [1] The Latin pink is not of Indo-European origin , although there are connections with the ancient greek Ϝ ρόδον wródon and the Iranian - WRD * (see Persian gul ) [2] , where [3] Armenian vard [2] . It is likely Mediterranean origin of the word [2 ] , from a rough shape wr ( o) d ( ya) - [3 ] . Rosa is then passed to the Insular Celtic ( Irish rós ) and the Germanic ( Anglo-Saxon Rose, Old High German rose)

  

use

  

warning

The information contained herein is not medical advice and may not be accurate . This item is for illustrative purposes only and does not replace the advice of a doctor : Read the warnings .

As an ornamental plant in gardens, for splashes of color , borders, trees , or vines to cover the sarmentose pergolas , trellises or fences, the dwarf species from the brilliant hues and blooms with prolonged for growing in pots on the terraces or in rock gardens.

Industrially cultivated varieties erect stems and large flowers , for the production of cut flowers , which occupies approximately 800 hectares in Italy , located in more than half in Liguria, in the rest of Tuscany , Campania and Puglia.

Petals are used for medicinal properties , for the extraction of rose essence and aromas used in perfumery , essenziera industry , in cosmetics , confectionery and liquor . It is one of the most unfailing bases used in perfumery .

As a medicinal plant are used in addition to the petals with astringent, antidiarrheal as the leaves , fruits rich in vitamin C diuretics , sedatives, astringents and wormers , the seeds for the anthelmintic action , and even the galls produced by insects of the genus Cynips rich in tannins for the diuretic and sudorific .

In aromatherapy rose oil are attributed aphrodisiac , sedative , antidepressant , analgesic , antiseptic , tonic, heart , stomach , liver , regulating the menstrual cycle. [4]

The young leaves of wild roses are used for the preparation of a tea rose

  

Methods of cultivation

  

The Rose Garden in Florence

It adapts to any type of soil as long worked in depth, well-fertilized with manure mature . The plants are placed planted in the fall or late winter in areas with heavy frosts , fertilization occurs at the start of vegetative growth , incorporating manure into the soil ripe .

The pruning is important for good flowering.

The re-blooming variety , not intended for forcing, are pruned in late winter or early spring , removing old branches and shortening the new ones , leaving 2 to 6 buds per branch depending on the vigor and variety , generally vigorous pruning to encourage flowering exclusion of very vigorous variety for which the rule is to the contrary.

In the re-blooming species are eliminated as the branches that have flowered to stimulate the production of new flowers .

Polyantha roses should be pruned in late winter , after the first flowering in May and subsequent blooms until fall .

The 'rose ramblers ' not re-bloom , like hybrids of R. wichuraiana who have strong hunted , several meters long , requiring the deletion of the branches of three years , the curvature of driven than 1 year , which will bloom the following year.

The ' climbing roses ' re-bloom , should be pruned according to the vigor , removing old branches ( old wood ) and raccorciando the new branches .

The multiplication is done usually by cuttings of woody and jets of the year already planted in the box at the end of the summer, or by grafting eye vegetating in spring and summer.

In industrial crops with varieties grown for cut flower , is practiced grafting of subject R. indicates var . majors that provides the top-graft the right place.

To obtain plants resistant to drought or frost is used as the subject R. Canine obtained by seeding, but getting little objects vigorous and underdeveloped.

Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are derived. Opium is the source of many drugs, including morphine (and its derivative heroin), thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine. The Latin botanical name means the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to the sedative properties of some of these opiates. (Wikipedia)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Schlafmohn (Papaver somniferum) ist eine Pflanzenart aus der Familie der Mohngewächse (Papaveraceae), die aus dem östlichen Mittelmeerraum stammt. Der Samen kann als Nahrungsmittel sowie zur Ölgewinnung verwendet werden. Die Pflanze führt außerdem einen Milchsaft, welcher in getrockneter Form Opium genannt wird. Der botanische Name leitet sich aus dem Lateinischen ab: somniferum = Schlaf bringend. Er verweist auf die Verwendung als Schlafmittel für Kinder in der griechischen Antike. (Wikipedia)

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Radicchio - which tastes as good as it looks. :-)

I didn't know:

>>Pliny the Elder claimed radicchio was useful as a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs in Naturalis Historia. In fact, radicchio contains intybin, a sedative/analgesic, as well as a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin which is used for making dye-sensitized solar cells.

 

Modern cultivation of the plant began in the fifteenth century, in the Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino regions of Italy, but the deep-red radicchio of today was engineered in 1860 by the Belgian agronomist Francesco Van den Borre, who used a technique called imbianchimento (whitening), preforcing, or blanching to create the dark red, white-veined leaves: radicchio plants are taken from the ground and placed in water in darkened sheds, where lack of light and ensuing inhibition of chlorophyll production cause the plants to lose their green pigmentation.<<

from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio

Flower Aparajita or Clitoria ternatea (Sanskrit: श्वेतां, विष्णूक्रांता)is a plant species belonging to the Fabaceae family. A Macro shot.

  

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This plant is native to tropical equatorial Asia, but has been introduced to Africa, Australia and America.

 

It is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its leaves are elliptic and obtuse. It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist neutral soil. The most striking feature about this plant are its vivid deep blue flowers. They are solitary, with light yellow markings. They are about 4 cm long by 3 cm wide. There are some varieties that yield white flowers.

 

The fruits are 5 – 7 cm long, flat pods with 6 to 10 seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.

 

It is grown as an ornamental plant and as a revegetation species (e.g., in coal mines in Australia), requiring little care when cultivated. Its roots fix nitrogen and therefore this plant is also used to improve soil quality.

 

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it has been used for centuries as a memory enhancer, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and sedative agent.

  

Flower and pods in different states of ripenessIn Southeast Asia the flowers are used to colour food. In Malay cooking, an aqueous extract is used to colour glutinous rice for kuih ketan (also known as pulut tai tai in Peranakan/Nyonya cooking) and in nonya chang. In Thailand, a syrupy blue drink is made called nam dok anchan (น้ำดอกอัญชัน). In Burma the flowers are used as food, often they are dipped in batter and fried.

 

In animal tests the methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea roots demonstrated nootropic, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant and antistress activity. The active constituent(s) include Tannins, resins, Starch, Taraxerol & Taraxerone.

 

Clitoria ternatea root extracts are capable of curing whooping cough if taken orally[citation needed]. The extract from the white-flowered plant can cure goiter. The roots are used in ayurveda Indian medicine.

 

Recently, several biologically active peptides called cliotides have been isolated from the heat-stable fraction of Clitoria ternatea extract. Cliotides belong to the cyclotides family[4] and acvities studies show that cliotides display potent antimicrobial activity against E. coli, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa and cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. These peptides have potential to be lead compound for the development of novel antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents.

 

Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clitoria_ternatea

 

German postcard by Wilhelm Schulze-Witteborg, Grafischer Betrieb, Wanne-Eickel. Photo: Paramount.

 

Alan Ladd (1913-1964) had his big break as a killer in the film noir This Gun For Hire (1942). Throughout the 1940s, his tough-guy roles packed audiences, but he is best known for his title role in the classic Western Shane (1953).

 

Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA in 1913. His mother, Ina Raleigh. had emigrated from England at age 19, and his accountant father, Alan Ladd, died when his son was only four. At age five, Alan burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City, where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter. Alan was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed 'Tiny', and the family moved to California. Alan picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. For a short time, Ladd was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. His size and blond hair were regarded by Universal as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio. There talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. He appeared in a string of bit parts in B-pictures - and an unbilled part as a newspaper reporter in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941). Late in 1941, he got his big break when he tested for This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle, 1942) based on the novel by Graham Greene. His fourth-billed role as psychotic hitman Raven made him a star.

 

Alan Ladd and his co-star in This Gun for Hire, Veronica Lake, made seven films together. These included The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler, 1942), The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall 1946), and Saigon (Leslie Fenton, 1948). Ladd was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. His cool, unsmiling tough-guys proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was one of the top box office stars of the decade. In an adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Elliott Nugent, 1949), Ladd had the featured role of Jay Gatsby. Four years later he appeared in what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (George Stevens, 1953). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From then on he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films . By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart. In 1963 Ladd's career looked set to make a comeback when he filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964), which became one of the most popular films of the year. He would not live to see its release. In January 1964 Alan Ladd was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives. Ladd was only 50. He was married twice. After his divorce from Marjorie Jane Harrold in 1941, he married former film actress Sue Carol in 1942. Carol was also his agent and manager. The couple had two children, Alana Ladd and David Ladd. He was the grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

 

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Pentax P3n, Fuji 400 film

"Oh dear," I chuckled when I came to investigate the giggles and yelps.

 

Apparently, the Stormies laced Scotty's drink with a sedative, then while he was asleep, superglued him to his chair, then glued it and console to the ceiling. Needless to say, he woke up quite confused.

 

"I hope those trousers of yours are strong, Scotty," I told him. The Stormies roared with laughter.

 

"Ge'me doon!" he cried.

 

"Alright, that's enough. I'll get the acetone. And a new pair of pants for you."

 

At least they kept their promise of no violence. I am a bit worried though at where this is going next. I'm sure Scotty won't take this lying down. Or glued to his seat.

 

Score another for the Stormies.

German postcard by Kunst und Bild, Berlin-Charlottenburg, no. T 879. Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Alan Ladd in The Deep Six (Rudolph Maté, 1958).

 

Alan Ladd (1913-1964) had his big break as a killer in the film noir This Gun For Hire (1942). Throughout the 1940s, his tough-guy roles packed audiences, but he is best known for his title role in the classic Western Shane (1953).

 

Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA in 1913. His mother, Ina Raleigh. had emigrated from England at age 19, and his accountant father, Alan Ladd, died when his son was only four. At age five, Alan burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City, where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter. Alan was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed 'Tiny', and the family moved to California. Alan picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a studio carpenter (as did his stepfather) at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. For a short time, Ladd was part of the Universal Pictures studio school for actors. His size and blond hair were regarded by Universal as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio. There talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. He appeared in a string of bit parts in B-pictures - and an unbilled part as a newspaper reporter in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941). Late in 1941, he got his big break when he tested for This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle, 1942) based on the novel by Graham Greene. His fourth-billed role as psychotic hitman Raven made him a star.

 

Alan Ladd and his co-star in This Gun for Hire, Veronica Lake, made seven films together. These included The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler, 1942), The Blue Dahlia (George Marshall 1946), and Saigon (Leslie Fenton, 1948). Ladd was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. His cool, unsmiling tough-guys proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was one of the top box office stars of the decade. In an adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Elliott Nugent, 1949), Ladd had the featured role of Jay Gatsby. Four years later he appeared in what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (George Stevens, 1953). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From then on he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films . By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart. In 1963 Ladd's career looked set to make a comeback when he filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964), which became one of the most popular films of the year. He would not live to see its release. In January 1964 Alan Ladd was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives. Ladd was only 50. He was married twice. After his divorce from Marjorie Jane Harrold in 1941, he married former film actress Sue Carol in 1942. Carol was also his agent and manager. The couple had two children, Alana Ladd and David Ladd. He was the grandfather of Jordan Ladd.

 

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

The mental illness known as dissociative amnesia can include a number of complications in daily life, like short-term memory loss, loss of memories associated with a specific event or time, or complete loss of personal information.

 

Although this specific type of amnesia is not the result of substance abuse, substance abuse can cause memory loss. Drugs can make significant changes in the brain. Substance abuse can lead to memory loss, referred to as drug-induced amnesia. This amnesia is temporary and returns when drug use has stopped. However, with an addiction, stopping the use of substances can be challenging and memory loss issues may continue.

 

Drug Abuse as a Hindrance to Dissociative Amnesia Treatment

When people with dissociative amnesia develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol, they may risk developing complications. Drug abuse can cause ongoing social and financial problems in addition to the original trauma issues that led to the onset of dissociative amnesia, making treatment difficult.

 

Effective treatment should focus on both the amnesia as well as the substance use disorder. In most cases with these two co-occurring conditions, a patient should go through detox before therapy begins. Therapy may not be as effective if patients continue to abuse alcohol or drugs because of the likelihood of future drug-induced memory loss.

 

Effects of Substance Abuse on Dissociative Amnesia Symptoms

People with dissociative amnesia already suffer from confusion and forgetfulness; adding a brain-altering substance can increase the unwanted symptoms that they experience. Alcohol or drug abuse can not only increase the symptoms that are already present, but they can also create additional undesired feelings and circumstances, like headaches, nausea, hangovers, withdrawal, blackouts and poor decision-making.

 

Dissociative Amnesia and Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most common substances that cause amnesia, often referred to as blackouts. Someone may maintain normal functioning during this blackout, though they may not make long-term memories from the situation.

 

According to the CDC, it only takes one or two drinks to show evidence of memory deterioration. For people already dealing with dissociative amnesia, consuming alcohol could increase their memory loss for the time being.

 

Patients may look to alcohol as a support system to help them relax or deal with the underlying issues of amnesia. People with dissociative amnesia may have depression as well and alcohol use can contribute to worsened depression symptoms.

 

Dissociative Amnesia and Marijuana

Marijuana use can impair a person’s memory, sense of time and perception. Like alcohol, dissociative amnesia patients may use marijuana to calm their nerves and to escape their subconscious problems that caused the amnesia.

 

Long-term use has been shown to slow blood flow to the brain and reduce brain activity, which impacts memory recollection. Marijuana use may contribute to further memory loss and additional confusion, making treatment more difficult for the patient.

 

Dissociative Amnesia and Stimulants

If the frustration of dealing with memory loss becomes too much, patients may use stimulants to help them focus on the more important things going on in their life. According to the US National Library of Medicine, once a person is addicted to amphetamines, it is possible that they can permanently damage their body and brain. Memory loss and disturbed thought processes are permanent effects of amphetamines. The overuse of stimulants can rewire the brain, creating more challenges when trying to treat drug abuse and dissociative amnesia together.

 

Statistics on Dissociative Amnesia and Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that since 2012, there have been more than 12 reported cases of people who use opioid drugs experiencing amnesia for up to a year. These drugs include narcotic painkillers and heroin. Drug-induced amnesia does not only occur when a patient has an addiction, but it can be a serious side-effect from drug or alcohol abuse.

 

According to the CDC, prescription drugs can cause drug-induced amnesia, even when patients use it as directed.

 

Prescription drugs are known to cause memory loss, whether when used as directed or when abused. The medications that to lead to dissociative amnesia include benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, painkillers and sleep aids.

 

Drug Abuse as a Cause of Dissociative Amnesia

Trauma can cause amnesia, but drug use can also contribute to it. Drug-induced amnesia refers to memory loss caused by misusing a substance. It is not difficult to determine when someone has amnesia but realizing when drugs or alcohol cause the memory loss may be more of a challenge.

 

Drug-induced amnesia is not a common co-occurrence, though when someone uses drugs, the drugs have the potential to cause memory loss. Examples of anti-anxiety drugs that may produce amnesia include opioids and alcohol. These drugs link to higher chances of substance abuse. Treatment for addiction usually resolves the patient’s amnesia when it is drug-induced, but it must be ongoing to prevent recurrence of use.

 

Some people with amnesia may try to hide their memory loss by making up stories of the forgotten period. Amnesia may be drug-induced if the memory loss occurs soon after using the drug or the individual regularly uses drugs. Drug-induced amnesia is not necessarily a sign that an individual has a substance use disorder. However, the more often an individual abuses drugs, the greater their risk of experiencing episodes of memory loss.

 

If you or someone you love is struggling with a substance use or co-occurring disorder like dissociative amnesia, The Recovery Village can help. A team of professionals offers a number of treatment programs for substance use and co-occurring disorders. Call and speak with a representative to learn more about which program could suit your needs.

 

Medical Disclaimer: The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

 

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Background

Sedative-hypnotic drugs not only increase sedation, but also impair memory as serum concentration increases. These drugs also produce profound changes in the auditory event-related potential (ERP). The ability of various ERP components to predict changes in sedation and memory produced by various drugs was tested.

Methods

Sixty-five healthy volunteers randomly received intravenous placebo, midazolam, propofol, thiopental, fentanyl with ondansetron, or ondansetron alone at five different stable target concentrations (three increasing, two decreasing) using a computer-controlled infusion pump to produce varying degrees of sedation without loss of consciousness. ERPs were recorded while volunteer participants detected a deviant auditory stimulus and made a button-press response to a target tone (standard oddball paradigm, 80:20 ratio, to elicit a P3 response). At each target concentration, volunteers learned a list of 16 words. The predictive probabilities (Pk) of various ERP components were determined for word recognition at the end of the day (memory) and log reaction time to the deviant stimulus (sedation).

 

Results

The N2 latency of the ERP consistently predicted log reaction time in all groups (Pk +/- SE from 0.58 +/- 0.04 to 0.71 +/- 0.04). The N2P3 amplitude of the ERP was the best predictor of memory performance for midazolam (Pk, 0.63 +/- 0.04), propofol (Pk, 0.62 +/- 0.05), and thiopental (Pk, 0.66 +/- 0.04). There was a differential ability to predict memory performance from sedation for midazolam and propofol.

Conclusions

Midazolam and propofol affect memory differentially from their sedative effects, and these are indexed by specific components of the auditory ERP. These components of the ERP are associated with specific, but not necessarily unique, neuroanatomic structures. Thus, these drugs act by additional mechanisms beyond general central nervous system depression to produce the effects of sedation and memory impairment.

 

pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/95/4/896/39144/Drug...

Purple Passion Vine

Purple passion flowers are strongly associated to passion and permissiveness because

of their subtle purple color. There are numerous species of purple flowers, some of which

are shrubs and some vines. Also known by the scientific name of passiflora incarnata, this

is a semi-tropical vine that is popularly cultivated all over the world with great pursuit. There

are more than 500 species of the purple passion flower, some of them bearing edible fruits.

Purple passion flower vine is also grown as a medicinal plant for its usefulness, in treatment

of insomnia and as a sedative in many nervous disorders. In herbal medicine they are made

into a tea to treat epilepsy, anxiety, and hysteria. The passion flower is very highly valued for

its pain killing properties. In some regions of the world the leaves are often dried and smoked.

The passion flower is also known to contain antidepressant properties. Usually eaten fresh

or used in beverages.The other name of purple passion flower is Maypop. The name Maypop

comes from the hollow, yellow fruits that pop loudly when crushed. The maypop is one of the

hardiest passion flowers and grows wild in regions that commonly freeze during winter. The

vine dies back to the ground and pops back to life the following season, thus also another

reason for the name "may pop" but then could be a reason to call it the passion and

resurrection vine too. Cultivation of the passion flower vine, as an outdoor decorating plant,

has really boomed in recent years.

Purple passion flower shares certain Christian beliefs related to crucifixion, The plants were

given the name Passionflower or Passion vine because the floral parts are said to represent

aspects of the Christian crucifixion story, sometimes referred to as the Passion. The 10 petal-

like parts represent Jesuss disciples, excluding Peter and Judas; the 5 stamens the wounds

Jesus received; the knob-like stigmas the nails; the fringe the crown of thorns.

 

INGER STEVENS::

DEAD BUT NOT DECEASED::

She broke into show biz in 1954.

By 1957, "The Fowl Arm Candy"(she liked to shoot birdie's) starred in her first film, "Man On Fire" with everyone's favorite Deadbeat Dad, Bing "Shit Head" Crosby.

The relationship came to an abrupt end when Miss Fowl read a fowl about the Shits elopment with a little known "actress" named Kathy Crosby.

Kathy by the way was cheating on her boyfriend of the time, Gary Crosby(yeah, Shit Head's son).

Miss Fowl reacted to the "marriage" with her first suicide attempt.

Unfortunately, she recovered.

Miss Fowl than did a de Mille film, "The Buconeer" with Anthony "Dick Head" Quinn.

However when filmin of the movie was complete, Quinn kicked Miss Fowl to the curb.

Miss Fowl swore Never again to fall in Love.

However the Fowl played Fowl & lied!

Next was Harry Belafone, her leading man in "The World, the Flesh and the Devil"

Guess who was the devil?

Harry returned to his very happy marriage upon fruition of the flick.

This resulted in.....

Suicide attempt number two!!,

Miss Fowl overdosed on pills

Yet, stupidly the pill count was incorrect.

In 1961 the bird killer was the last passanger to exit a plane before an explostion due to fire.

The pyromanic was spared death with her rapid walk.

Miss Fowl than starred in everyone's second favorite s starred in everyone's second favorite Twilight Zone episodes(Room 22 is # 1, of cause),“The Hitchhiker.”

She played Nan Adams, a young woman trying to cheat death, as personified by the hitchhiker stalking her throughout the episode. Nan was Not intelligent enought to know that she like Fowlie was already feedin' the worms..

However her demise did not become a reslity until...

At approximately 7:30 pm Wednesday evening, April 29, 1970, Burt Reynolds left Inger Stevens’ house after having an argument with her.

At 11 pm Fowlie called her personal assistant, Chris Bone, and said she had argued with Burt, and had drank two glasses of wine.

Fowlie told Chris she was going to take a sleeping pill and go to bed.

The next morning a friend came by Fowl House and found her laying face down on the kitchen floor.

She was dressed in a nightgown and a filthy pair of slippers.

Fowlie opened her eyes, tried to speak, and fell unconscious. There was a cut on her chin covered by a band aid, and an abrasion on her arm.

An ambulance took Fowlie to Hollywood Receiving Hospital.

DOA!!!.

DEAD & DECEASED:

At 1:30 pm an autopsy was performed at the County Coroner’s office. Her blood alcohol content was 0.17.

It was estimated there were 25-50 barbiturate pills in Steven’s stomach. The cause of death was labeled "acute barbiturate intoxication due to ingestion of overdose."

A man named Ike Jones stepped forward to claim the body, saying he was Inger Steven’s husband. Inger’s brother Carl and her father and step mother came into town. The group had a private memorial service on May 4. The next day Inger’s body was cremated and the ashes scattered into the Pacific OceanTurns out Inger and Ike married in Tijuana, Mexico on November 18 1961. Jones was an athlete at UCLA and had a versatile career as a musician, actor, and movie producer. The two kept there marriage a secret for fear it would damage Steven’s career. Marriages between black men and white women were not popular in the 1960’s, as evidenced by actress Mai Britt’s career plunge when she married Sammy Davis Junior.

Jones’ claim to be Steven's husband was challenged in court. Inger’s brother Carl supported Jones’ claims, and although there was considerable conflicting evidence on the matter, Jones was eventually awarded Inger Steven’s estate. He said that after all the bills got paid there was nothing left over - kind of like their marriage. It seems Ike’s relationship with Inger was like her relationships with other men: often strained, with long periods of separation. It does not seem that either husband or wife took their vows of fidelity seriously. At the time of her death the two were estranged.

For most, that is the end of the story. How could there be any other conclusion than that Inger Stevens finally completed a suicide attempt? She had already attempted suicide once. Her strained relationship with Burt Reynolds was perhaps the final straw, the final failed relationship she could stand.

But to some the answer is not that easy. Steven's family and close friends are unanimous in their belief that Inger did not commit suicide. They point out that up until the morning of April 30 1970, Stevens gave every impression of being happy with her life. She was focusing on short term and long term plans for her career. She was getting roles she liked and was staying in the public eye. True, she was having relationship problems, but that was nothing new, and besides, she had sworn off suicide as a remedy.

Inger’s personal assistant, Chris Bone, does not believe Stevens killed herself either. She believes that if Inger was really going to kill herself she would have worn makeup and dressed properly. Stevens herself said she had learned enough from her first suicide attempt to never go down that road again.

William Patterson is a private investigator who wrote a book about Inger Stevens. He also doubts the official verdict. He examined the physical evidence in the room, noting a bottle of pills that did not belong to Stevens. The cut on the chin and abrasion on the arm indicate someone had been physically violent with Inger. She also had an IUD in place, which Patterson thought was significant. From the physical evidence in the room it seemed that Stevens had been in the middle of making her favorite sandwich when she died.

Patterson notes there were asthma pills containing Phenobarbital (a barbiturate) laying on the living room floor. They came from a small pill bottle labeled Tedral that did not contain doctor or pharmacy information. The bottle probably did not belong to Stevens, as she did not have asthma. There were also Seconal tablets scattered on the bedroom floor. Inger typically did not take sedatives to get to sleep. Patterson has a murder suspect who he does not name for legal reasons. His theory is that someone who knew Inger visited her but then forced her to swallow enough pills to kill herself. The motive is unclear, but it can be assumed to be personal.

At any rate it was time for Miss Fowler to head over to Pergutory for Killing all those birds.

As Fowl headed over to the big house to atone for her sins,

the birds chirped happily away::

Ding Dong, The Bitch is Dead!

And the birds lived happily after after!

The End

Folkloric

• No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.

• In Latin American traditional medicine, used for asthma and allergies.

• In Mexican traditional medicine, used as a sedative and tranquilizer for mental disorders and nervous excitement.

  

source: stuart xchange

A graviola (Annona muricata) é uma planta originária das Antilhas, onde se encontra em estado silvestre.

Nos Andes do Peru, a folha é tradicionalmente usada como chá no tratamento de catarro excessivo. As sementes tem ação anti parasitaria, as raízes e as folhas eram utilizadas para diabetes; no Brasil, tornou-se subespontânea na Amazônia. Prefere climas úmidos e baixa altitude.

A gravioleira é uma árvore de pequeno porte (atinge de 4 a 6 metros de altura) e encontrada em quase todas as florestas tropicais, com folhas verdes brilhantes e flores amareladas, grandes e isoladas, que nascem no tronco e nos ramos. Os frutos têm forma ovalada, casca verde-pálida, são grandes, chegando a pesar entre 750 gramas a 8 quilogramas e dando o ano todo.

Contém muitas espinhas, vermelhas, envolvidas por uma polpa branca, de sabor agridoce, muito delicado e considerados por muitos que o comeram semelhante ao fruto abóbora (ou jerimum, no nordeste do Brasil). Estão a realizar-se estudos para saber se a graviola cura ou não o cancro (ou câncer, em português do Brasil).

O óleo de graviola oferece muitas propriedades na qual inclui bactericida, adstringentes, hipotensor e sedativo para citar alguns. Seus usos tradicionais são para tratar a asma, calafrios, febre, conduto, pressão alta, insônia, nervosismo, reumatismo e doenças de pele. Usá-lo em cremes, loções e bálsamos para aliviar a coceira de pele seca e para eczema e sintomas de psoríase. A semente tem alto valor de magnésio e potássio em relação a polpa da fruta.

 

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Soursop fruit (Annona muricata) is a plant native to the Antilles, where it is found in the wild.

 

In the Peruvian Andes, leaf is traditionally used as a tea in the treatment of excessive phlegm. The seeds have antiparasitic action, roots and leaves were used for diabetes; in Brazil, became subspontaneous in the Amazon. Prefers humid climates and low altitude.

 

The soursop is a small tree (reaches 4 to 6 meters high) and found in almost all tropical forests, with bright green leaves and yellowish flowers, large and isolated, that are born in the trunk and in the branches. The fruits are oval shaped, pale green bark, are large, reaching between 750 grams to 8 kilograms and giving the whole year.

 

It contains many red spines, surrounded by a white pulp, bittersweet in taste, very delicate and considered by many who ate it similar to the pumpkin fruit (or jerimum, in northeastern Brazil). Studies are being carried out to determine whether or not graviola cures cancer (or cancer, in Brazilian Portuguese).

 

Graviola oil offers many properties in which it includes bactericidal, astringent, hypotensive and sedative to name a few. Its traditional uses are to treat asthma, chills, fever, flue, high blood pressure, insomnia, nervousness, rheumatism and skin diseases. Use it on creams, lotions and balms to relieve itchy dry skin and for eczema and psoriasis symptoms. The seed has a high value of magnesium and potassium in relation to fruit pulp.

shape of news.

created from headlines of The Times 5 April 2019 and The Financial Times 5 April 2019.

Latin name - Cantharanthus roseus

Some of the health benefits of Sadabahar, periwinkle or vinca rosea plant are :

 

The leaves and stems are a source of alkaloids that have anti tumor and anti cancer properties.

The leaves are used to control diabetes and high blood pressure.

The alkaloids also offer sedative and tranquilizing properties.

It relieves muscle pain and depression.

Because of its property of detoxification and counteracting poison it is used to relieve wasp stings.

Sadabahar controls nosebleeds, bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and sore throats.

It is useful in treating gastritis, cystitis, enteritis, diarrhea, diabetes, etc when taken internally.

The vinca rosea plant ensures brain health. Its active ingredients improve blood supply to the brain, increase the level of oxygen that the brain can utilize. It also raises serotonin levels and prevents abnormal coagulation of blood.

The alkaloid vincamine keeps the blood thin and has memory enhancing properties. It is therefore useful in preventing dementia, especially vascular dementia.

Properties and uses

Ancient Egyptian funerary stele showing a dead man, named Ba, seated in the center, sniffing a sacred lily.

 

This lotus is used to produce perfumes since ancient times; it is also used in aromatherapy.

 

Recent studies have shown Nymphaea caerulea to have mild psycho-active properties. It may have been used as a sacrament in ancient Egypt and certain ancient South American cultures. Eating Blue Lotus can act as a mild sedative. Nymphaea caerulea is distantly related to, and possesses similar activity to Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred Lotus. Both Nymphaea caerulea and Nelumbo nucifera contain the alkaloids nuciferine and aporphine.

 

The mildly sedating effects of Nymphaea caerulea makes it a likely candidate (among several) for the lotus plant eaten by the mythical Lotophagi in Homer's Odyssey. : wikipedia

 

Thank you to share something interesting through images from camera:)

Thanks to Thomas Lester - now i know what is it in a real ! Yes - its a loquat ( pipa, 芦橘, biwa, Japanese medlar, magnório, reed orange, nespola , níspero, lokaat , nèfle du Japon, Bashmala, Nor Ashkhar, mushmala, mespilia, Malta Eriği , Maltese plum )

From Wiki: "The Loquat is a fruit of Southeastern Chinese origin. It was introduced into Japan and became naturalised there in very early times, and has been cultivated there for over 1,000 years. ... The Loquat was often mentioned in ancient Chinese literature, such as the poems of Li Bai.

Eaten in quantity, loquats have a noticeable but gentle sedative effect, with effects lasting up to 24 hours. "

 

"The loquat is low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium, and is high in Vitamin A, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese. The nutritional value and health benefits of loquat make them ideal for weight loss."

 

Nikon D60 + Nikkor H 85mm f1.8 . Florida.

Thanks sunjin for the idea for the title from "Austin Powers"! Don't feel too sorry for him! He didn't get to eat this because of the bones and because one of the humans wanted it, but he did get to eat lots of turkey! If he appears to be really droopy and more pitiful than usual, that's because he was on sedatives...

 

Found this funny clip from the movie:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl_Llt1LtwU

Auberge, Camargue. Can you feel it?

 

My blog.

Geigy Basel advertisement for a sedative designed by Igildo Biesele 1955.

On Wednesday night, I managed to dislocate my hip replacement. I could hear it pop as I tried to stand up, then I fell down. My kind neighbors called an ambulance and I spent that night in the emergency room. I am smiling here because the position of my leg was so absurd. I didn't feel pain as long as I didn't move. They gave me lots of painkillers and sedatives and tried to pop it back in. The next day an orthopedist finally got it back. They kept me another night as a precaution, and then I got to come home yesterday afternoon. I still have pain but lots of meds and people to help out. I'm doing a lot of sleeping, too.

Flowering Calluna Vulgaris, the Common Heather, or Ling in August (towards the end of the month, simply heather; wrzos zwyczajny, wrzos pospolity, or wrzos sierpniowy). A magical plant for the Celts was a symbol of passion and love. The flower of the earth is now a symbol of the passing of summer. It has become an invasive weed in some areas and is found widely in the Notecka Forest where the plant grows widely. Heather honey has a characteristic strong taste (complement to many dishes, tea, or cocoa; with warming effects). The herb has been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea for treatment of disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract. Other healing properties: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, sedative, diaphoretic; the herb used in prostate hyperplasia, rickets, and respiratory diseases.