text:
Kim (KP) Pritekel
Disclaimers: Sadly enough, I dont own them. Only nocturnally do I. RenPics owns them
in the light of day.
Subtext: Yes. Though its more of a "Maintext" thing.
Violence: Nothing major.
Note: This was my first attempt, so do be kind. : ) Also, as we head into the 6th season this might be a nice review for it delves back into the earlier seasons.
If youd like to tell me what a wonderful writer I am, or that I royally suck, feel free at:
The campfire blazed sending out its warmth on the cool autumn evening. Xena and Gabrielle had traveled through the small town of Rinus that day, and had picked up some good beef stew for the evening meal, as well as a fresh baked loaf of bread. Xena sat against a fallen log fixing one of her gauntlets that had began to come unstrung. She eyed Gabrielle who sat across the fire from her, her bowl of nearly untouched stew sitting atop her thighs, chunk of bread forgotten in her hand. She was staring off into the flames. Xena put her gauntlet down, focusing her attention on her companion.
"Wanna talk about it?" Xena asked. Gabrielle shook her head.
"Gabrielle?" Gabrielle's head flew up, her eyes wide in surprise. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. I guess I just got lost in thought." she smiled weakly, and looked down at her bowl of stew as if she had never seen it before. With a sigh she ate a spoonful. Xena returned to mending her gauntlet, eyeing the bard all the while from under her bangs, her mouth twisted in thought. Gabrielle had been acting strange since they had left the last village. She seemed to be lost inside her own head, not aware of her surroundings, or her friend. This was the first time Gabrielle had completely shut Xena out. They had been traveling together for nearly two years, and Xena felt she knew Gabrielle better than she knew her own face. She was as readable as her unending scrolls. Why couldn't she read her now? What was Gabrielle hiding?
Gabrielle dutifully ate her stew, though she didn't want it. She had had no appetite since they had left Rinus. She had been having strange thoughts dealing with her, and with Xena. Odd curiosities that she had thought she had outgrown back in Potidea. Strange, uncharacteristic jealousies would pop up at the most inopportune times, once nearly getting her hurt or worse. Such as today back in the village where they had bought their dinner. Xena had wanted to house Argo in the stables, and them in a room for the night. Generally Xena hated inns, but tonight it was chilly, and she didn't want for either of them to possibly get sick. Gabrielle loved to stay at an inn occasionally. The nice, warm, soft bed beat the hard ground. But it didn't matter as long as Xena was there. Gabrielle was bargaining with the mistress of the inn. The woman was nice enough, pretty though lined with years of hard work in harsh conditions. She wore a dress that was a bit too small in the top, her ample bosom straining to get out.
"Okay, I'll go down to ten dinars for a cute little thing like you." the woman said with a smile.
"Six. I've seen these rooms. You have to go out into the hall to change your mind." Gabrielle said matter-of-factly.
"Seven, and I'll throw in dinner."
"Deal." Gabrielle smiled triumphantly. Just then Xena entered the small cramped main room of the inn from feeding Argo. She looked around at the small gathering of people who ate and chatted amiably amongst themselves, her eyes cold, face stoic. She looked at Gabrielle. Gabrielle thought that just for a moment she saw something wash through Xena's eyes, but she couldn't be sure. It was almost as if for an instant a fire blazed behind those baby blues. Then she became stone once more.
"We set?" she asked stepping up beside Gabrielle and looking at the other woman.
"Sooo," the woman said, drawing out the word. " you, too will be staying with us?" the woman asked as she openly looked Xena from her boots to her breast plates. "You know, I did not tell your young friend this, but we do give complementary massages for our weary travelers. So tired from the road." the woman leaned over the counter a bit, her bosom looking as though it would fall out of the frail neckline of her dress. She looked into Xena's face, her eyes full of meaning. Xena looked at the woman for a moment without saying a word. Gabrielle looked from one to the other, her mouth open in disbelief, and, and something else. Burning anger. She could feel her insides boil as the woman raised an inquisitive brow at Xena.
"Not interested." Xena said, her voice a monotone shadow of its usual timbre, her eyes cold and warning.
"Are you sure? You don't know what you're missing. It's free-"
"Not interested." Xena repeated. She put her hand to Gabrielle's lower back. "Come on, Gabrielle." Gabrielle gave the woman an assessing glance, then led the way to the stairs with Xena close behind.
Gabrielle threw open the door to the tiny room and tossed her bag on the bed. The room was only about five paces in any direction with a bed that took up most of the space, and a small table in the corner with a large clay pot for water. A single window lined the wall above the bed.
"Not bad." Xena said looking around. "At least its clean. Been in worse."
"Hm." Gabrielle said absently as she walked over to the bed and sat down and looked at her hands that played in her lap. Xena looked at the bard, concern lining her face.
"What is it? Did something happen while I was with Argo?"
"No. I can't believe that woman." Gabrielle blurted.
"What woman?" Xena sat next to Gabrielle on the edge of the bed. The frame squeaked under their weight.
"At the desk. Free massage. How dare-"
"She was just trying to make a few extra dinars. These are hard times, Gabrielle."
"Yeah, but," You're mine, she wanted to say, but didn't dare. Xena would probably hack her up into a million pieces.
Gabrielle sopped up the last of her stew with the bit of bread and put the bowl aside. She looked across the fire at Xena who was pulling the leather cord taught with her teeth to put her gauntlet back together.
"Xena?" she asked, her voice quiet.
"Yeah?" Xena answered, her fixed gauntlet put aside.
"Did you think that woman was pretty?"
Xena looked at the bard, her brows drawn in surprise and confusion. What was it about that village woman that bothered Gabrielle so much? Her feelings for Gabrielle and her hope rose, but she quickly pushed them down so she could get to the bottom of this objectively.
"She was alright, I guess. I didn't really notice that much." Xena leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "What is this all about, Gabrielle? What is bothering you?"
Gabrielle stared deep into Xena's eyes where she could see a tempest of swirling emotions. Once again she thought she could see that same fire that she saw in the inn. Was it a fire for her, as she hoped? She had had her suspicions for a while that Xena had feelings for her, feelings that went beyond friendship. It was only in the last few months or so that Gabrielle could start putting a name to her own feelings. At first it had started out as admiration, and then respect. Then she felt so safe and comfortable with Xena. Even in those moments at night when each of them was thinking back on the day there was a feeling of togetherness in that silence, a feeling of belonging. At night when Xena would frequently have her nightmares of past horrors Gabrielle would hold her until she could fall back asleep, then roll over and go back to sleep herself. Now she realized that, though she did not wish those nocturnal torments on her friend, she waited for them just to have an excuse to touch Xena, hold her in her arms and feel Xena's body next to hers. She would find any excuse to touch Xena, and she knew that Xena did the same for her. Gabrielle marveled at the fact that Xena could fight a dozen men, teeth bared, animal released, but as soon as the fight was over she would turn to Gabrielle and give her the most gentle, kind and reassuring smile. It was almost as if Xena's gentle side was reserved only for Gabrielle. That had to mean something, right? Gabrielle shrugged off her thoughts and turned back to a reality with Xena looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.
"Xena, you've had a lot of loves, havent you?" she asked as she fingered the threading on her staff.
"A few. To be more honest I'd say I've had a lot of lovers. Not many loves, no."
"That woman today, she wanted, ah, wanted you, right?" Gabrielle asked, her head cocked to the side as she thought about what she was saying.
"Yes." Xena said simply.
"How did that make you feel? I mean, did you want her, too?"
"No. But if you're asking if that's happened before, then the answer is yes."
"Women, you mean," Xena nodded. "Did you want any of them?"
"Yes." Gabrielle looked at her, surprised at Xena's candor. She had hoped she would say that.
"So then you've been with women before, like that."
"How-" Gabrielle was cut off by the sudden sound of movement far off in the trees. Xenas head snapped in that direction, her eyes wide. "Xena," Xena put a hand up to silence her.
"Im going to go check it out. Wanna come?" Gabrielle shook her head.
"No. Ill clean up the dinner dishes." Xena nodded. She grabbed her sword in her right hand, chakram in her left, and headed into the foliage.
Gabrielle leaned back against the large rock behind her and tilted her head up to look at the stars that winked down at her as if they knew something she didnt. Suddenly Callisto came to mind. She hadnt given her a thought since she had murdered Gabrielles husband, Perdicus last spring. She remembered the first time they had come across her when she was sacking and burning villages in Xenas name. She had been a striking figure in all her rage and intent. Gabrielle knew that in some primal way Xena had an admiration for the small warrior. She admired her determination and focus. She thought back to that incredible fight on the ladders at Callistos hideout. Gabrielle had been strung up by her wrists over a burning pyre while Xena fought her way to save her. Callisto had looked at Xena with blood lust. Or was it just plain lust? Gabrielle knew that what Callisto felt for Xena was an intense love/hate. How about Xena?
Gabrielle bolted upright when she realized that even then, in their first year traveling together, she had been jealous of the bond of hate and destruction that Xena and Callisto had shared, and did until the day Xena had let Callisto die in the quicksand. Had she loved Xena for that long and not known it? She then thought back to when Callisto had managed to trap Xena with the help of Ares, and get to Xena through her guilt. When Xena had conquered Callisto yet again, but had been stuck in her body for those weeks, it had been torture. Not only did Gabrielle have her best friend in the body of her dire enemy, but also she had lost Xena in some ways. She felt loath to touch Xena. She had kept her distance completely from her. Gabrielle remembered one night laying on her bedroll across the remains of the fire from Xena, wide awake, just staring at her as she slept on her side, her back to her. Gabrielle had lain there with her head resting on her arms, her hands clenching and unclenching in the dirt as her fingers burned to touch her. When Ares had finally switched their bodies, Gabrielle had been so overwhelmed with relief that she had run to Xena on that beach, and had wrapped her arms around her with unimaginable gratitude to the God of War. She let out a sigh and studied the stars in the sky.
Xena quietly made her way through the dense trees, sword at the ready. She thought of Gabrielle. Suddenly she had a vision of the young bard leaving her. She put her hand to her chest, and leaned against the trunk of a near by tree for a moment. The thought took her breath away. With a deep sigh she continued on. She thought back to the war in Thessalay when she and Gabrielle had to set up the hospital in the temple, and Gabrielle had been stabbed in the shoulder. When Gabrielle had gone into shock, and had been on the edge of death Xena had been beside herself with grief. No matter what the priests or the general said, she just could not accept the fact that Gabrielle was dead. She would have done anything, prayed to any god to save her. When Gabrielle had taken that first breath in the land of the living Xena had felt a wave of relief like she had never felt before. She had known at that moment that she did not want to go on without her. Then she thought of the day Gabrielle had married Perdicus. Xena shook her head to clear it. She didnt want to think about that. Besides, she had a possible situation to focus on
Gabrielle rinsed her stew bowl with water from the water skin, and placed it with Xenas in Argos saddle bag. She threw another log on the fire and sat back against her rock. She remembered the time when she had been turned briefly into a Baccae. A wave of heat shot to her groin. When Baccus had demanded that she bite Xena it had been a task that was bitter sweet. She had been connected to her old self enough to dread having to put Xena through that, but then again.... Gabrielle smiled to herself. She could feel Xenas back pressed to her front again as they had stood on that ledge. Gabrielle had held Xena to her with one arm around her front caressing her neck, the other holding her into place. She had let that bite go on much longer than had been necessary. She knew that Xena had been pleasured from it, so she had massaged the side of her neck with her tongue, barely scraping the large fangs over the tender skin when she had finished to send a final chill though Xena that Gabrielle had actually been able to feel. Gabrielle drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them as she smiled at the memory.
Without making a sound Xena swept some low branches out of her way to see the source of the commotion in the near by clearing. She re-sheathed her sword with a roll of her eyes.
"Joxer. Big surprise."
"Xena! I mean, hey, Xena. Ah, could you kind of help me out here?" the bumbler said with one of his silly grins. Xena walked over to him and pulled the knife that she kept in her boot, and cut away the vine that somehow Joxer had managed to entangle himself in.
"What are you doing here, or dare I ask?" she asked as she put her knife back in her boot.
"You guys. I heard that you were here, hey. Wheres Gabby?" he asked looking over Xenas shoulder. Xena only stared at him with the usual cold, impatient stare she saved especially for him. "Okay. I thought you guys might need the help of another warrior, so I came running."
"One, were not in trouble, though you might be soon, and two, I wouldnt call you if we were. Tell you what, Joxer. In that village, Rinus over that hill,"
"Go to the inn. Ask the inn mistress about the free massage shes offering."
"Yeah? Think shell give me one?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Id bet on it." Xena smirked.
"Great. Gee, you know a warrior of my talents should have a massage to get rid of all those war, ah, pains." he said as he rubbed his shoulder that had been pinned against the tree from his vegetation incarceration. "Thanks, Xena. Catch up with you guys tomorrow, then?" Xena smiled winningly. Joxer straitened his helmet, and with a huge grin ran into the darkness of the Forrest. Xena rolled her eyes again and turned back toward camp. One of these days that idiot was going to get himself killed by trying to sneak up on them like that.
Xena smiled to herself again as she thought of Joxer running full gallop into that inn like a stallion ready to go. The smile disappeared as she thought back to when she and Gabrielle had been in that same inn. They had gone to the room, and that was when Xena had noticed something was really wrong with Gabrielle. She had just plopped herself down on the bed like a lost little girl. Xena knew she had been angry at the loose inn mistress, but didnt realize how much until a bit later when there had been a knock at the door. Xena had been sharpening her sword, and Gabrielle had been writing in her scrolls, staring off into space every couple of words, a sly grin spreading across her lips at other times. What did she write in those things, anyway? Xena stood from the bed and walked the couple of steps to the wood plank door.
"Yes?" she had asked as she opened it, sword still in hand. It had been that pesky inn mistress again. She looked down at the blade, then back up at Xena who towered over her.
"What do you plan on doing with that?" she had asked, her eyes twinkling. Xena stared at her, eyes half-lidded, mouth opening ready to bare teeth.
"Can I help you?" Gabrielle demanded, suddenly at Xenas side. She glared up at the woman. "Why do you keep bothering us?" she pushed herself in front of Xena, hands on her hips.
"I just came to,"
"To what? Offer your massage again?" Gabrielles green eyes were flaming emeralds. Xena looked down at her, blue eyes open wide in surprise, and also pleasure. So she would fight for her, huh?
"Okay," Xena gently pushed Gabrielle behind her and took a step closer to the intruder.
"You obviously dont take hints real well, so Ill spell it out for ya. We paid our bill, so scram." she smiled sweetly. "Any questions?"
"No I, Im sorry." the inn mistress said, her cheeks flaming from anger and embarrassment. She turned and hurried down the hall.
"See, thats all you gotta do," Xena turned to see Gabrielle rolling up her scroll and shoving it into her bag followed by her quill. She tied up the drawstring, and grabbed her staff.
"Coming?" she asked Xena, her eyes still ablaze.
"Yeah, Gab-"
"Im not staying here with that woman on the prowl!"
"Gabrielle, shes harmless. I dont think shell be back." Xena said with a smile. But one look into the bards eyes, and the smile faltered. "Okay. Well go."
The vision of Gabrielle leaving flooded behind Xenas eyes again. She remembered back to not that long ago when the Fates had given her a chance to live her life over again as a normal woman in Amphipolis with her beloved younger brother, Lyceus alive, and the chance to settle down and have a family. It had been perfect until she had seen what Gabrielle would have been. Since Xena would not have been there to save her and the others form being taken by Draco and sold to Mazentius, Gabrielle had turned into a hardened, bitter slave girl. That had just about killed Xena. In the end she had given up everything, including Lyceus just to have her Gabrielle back, her bard.
Gabrielle heard someone coming. She jumped to her feet, staff ready in the defensive position. Xena emerged from the trees. Gabrielle let out a sigh and relaxed.
"What was it?"
"Joxer." Xena laughed.
"Where is he?" Gabrielle asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"I sent him on a wild goose chase quest." Xena smiled. She didnt think it wise to bring up the inn mistress again.
"So where are we headed tomorrow?" Gabrielle asked lightly as she unrolled her bedroll.
"No, no. Youre not gonna get off that easy, Gabrielle." Xena said, a glint in her eye. "I want you to tell me whats going on in that head of yours." With a sigh part relief, part fear, Gabrielle sat next to Xena on the log. She picked up a stick and began to make designs in the dirt as she spoke.
"Xena, what do you think love is? How do you know if you love someone?"
"Well," Xena said with a sigh. "Love is different to everyone. Who knows why it is, or how it happens. It amazes me that something like it can come from a god like Aphrodite." she smiled at her friend. "To me loving someone means that your life is complete. You feel whole, and maybe even fulfilled." she looked into the bards eyes. "Because of them." If only Gabrielle knew that Xena was explaining to her how she felt about her. "It means doing whatever necessary to keep it safe, keep it near you, at any cost."
"Hmm." Gabrielle smiled to herself. "Thats what I thought."
"Surely thats how you must have felt with Perdicus," Xena said, her voice trailing off.
"Xena," Gabrielle said quietly. "Can I tell you something about Perdicus?"
"Of course." Gabrielle dropped the stick to the ground, and took a deep breath. She faced Xena once more.
"I loved Perdicus, and still do. I guess part of me always will. When I married him I knew I didnt love him as much as he loved me, but I thought that in time," she paused as she looked down at her hands.
"You shouldnt feel shame, Gabrielle. Often marriages start out that way."
"I know." Gabrielle said quietly. "I was afraid that he would go off and get into trouble, or never reach home. It would be my fault, Xena. I would never be able to forgive myself." she looked into Xenas eyes for any sign of horror or disgust, and only saw kindness and understanding. And something else? "On our wedding night Perdicus was so kind, so gentle. I told him I had never been with a man before. It felt good to have someone I cared about touch me, and want me. But I could not give myself fully to him, Xena. He may have had my body, but my heart wasnt there. My soul. I could not give those to him; they are already somewhere else. Xena, I could not reach out to him. He was not you." Gabrielle said simply, her green eyes clear and honest. Xena blinked in surprise. Gabrielle reached out and placed her hand upon Xenas cheek. Xena covered the hand with her own. "I wanted you that night, Xena. Still." Xena closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She opened her eyes, and ran her hand down Gabrielles arm up to her shoulder. She cupped the back of Gabrielles head and gently pulled her toward her.
"Ive wanted you since I saw you in Potidea." Xena breathed, and touched her lips to Gabrielles. "I love you."
"I love you, Xena." Gabrielle said breathlessly. Xena placed a palm on either side of Gabrielles face and kissed her again. This kiss was soft, tentative as each woman tested and tasted the boundaries of the other. Gabrielle rested her hands on Xenas shoulders, and slowly moved them up into her raven locks. Xena teased Gabrielles lips with her tongue until the younger woman opened to her. Gabrielles mouth was hot, her tongue in a desperate search to take in all of Xena. Without breaking the deepening kiss, Xena stood and pulled Gabrielle up with her. She wrapped her strong arms around the smaller womans waist and pulled her close, their bodies pressed together.
"Take this off. I want to feel you." Gabrielle breathed into Xenas mouth as she began to work on the clasp of Xenas armor. With nimble fingers Xena began to untie the laces that held Gabrielles green top together. The metal breast plates fell to the ground with a muffled plop. Gabrielle ran her tongue down Xenas throat as she reached around her to unclasp the leather warrior dress. Xena closed her eyes and arched her neck as she pushed the material from Gabrielles shoulders. The leather garment fell around Xenas boots. She stepped out of it and gingerly kicked it aside with her armor. Gabrielle looked at the light brown material under dress.
"By the gods you wear a lot of clothes." she smiled up at Xena, her eyes full of intent.
"Im just glad you dont." Xena smiled back, one brown raised mischievously. She looked down at Gabrielles revealed breasts. "Beautiful." she whispered as she traced the gentle curving slope of first one then the other, the nipples already hard in anticipation. Xena captured Gabrielles mouth again in a slow, sensual kiss as her thumbs gently rubbed over the hard nubs. Xenas dress momentarily forgotten, Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Xenas neck to bring her even closer. Xena reached down and unfastened Gabrielles skirt and let it slide down her beautiful legs to gather around her boots. Not breaking the kiss, Xena gently pushed Gabrielle back toward their bedrolls. Gabrielle stepped clear of her fallen garments as she walked backwards. She could feel the heat of the fire on her already scorching bare skin. Xena lowered her to the blankets, then removed the rest of her own clothing as well as her and Gabrielles boots. She looked down at Gabrielle who lay sprawled on the dark wool material staring up into her eyes expectantly. Gabrielles well-muscled arms lay at her sides, palms down. Her beautiful breasts, round and firm heaved with her hurried breaths. The flat of her stomach danced with strange shadows thrown by the fire. One leg raised, bent at the knee, the other relaxed. The patch of dark reddish-gold hair between glistened as a beckoning to her. Xena looked into her face that was framed by her golden hair spread around her like a halo. Gabrielles clear, green eyes that always held so much life and kindness and innocents were now dark and stormy with desire. Desire for her. She loved her. Xenas body was flooded anew with love and desire for this woman who had been with her for so long, yet had been so untouchable. What had she done to deserve her?
With grace and ease Xena lowered herself to the blanket and stretched out on her side next to her lover. Gabrielle turned to face her. Xena reached out and tenderly pushed a fallen strand of hair behind Gabrielles ear.
"I dont know what to do." Gabrielle said, her voice small and unsure. Xena smiled and gently kissed her.
"Do whatever your heart tells you, Gabrielle." She answered in earnest.
"I want to please you."
"You do. Immensely."
Xena pulled Gabrielle closer to her and kissed her again, long, deep and hot. Gabrielle moaned deep in her throat and rolled to her back, pulling Xena on top of her. Xena rested on her forearms and looked down into the bards face. The full contact with Xenas body drove Gabrielle to a new pitch of excitement. She brought both legs up on either side of Xena to bring her closer to that part that ached for her, and had been for so long. She thrust her hips up into her as she captured Xenas mouth again. Xena responded with an intensity that left both breathless. She broke the kiss and began to leave a hot trail of kisses across Gabrielles jaw, and down to the hollow of her throat. Gabrielle arched her neck and closed her eyes tight. Xenas mouth followed the path that her hands laid until finally Xena reached Gabrielles breasts. She circled the taut nipple with her tongue before taking it into her mouth and pulling gently with her teeth. Gabrielle sucked in her breath and clutched Xenas shoulder with a claw-like grip. Xena held for a moment before moving to the other, her fingers caressing and massaging Gabrielles stomach and thighs. Gabrielles hips began to move with the rhythm of Xenas tongue on her nipple. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. Xena ran her tongue over the taut skin of Gabrielles stomach, her skin on fire. Finally Xena dipped her fingers into the reddish-gold curls where she could smell the intensity of Gabrielles need for her. She brought her fingers to her mouth and savored her first taste of her bard. She opened her eyes and looked into Gabrielles face, one final go-ahead.
"Dont stop," Gabrielle barley managed to utter. Xena slowly parted Gabrielles thighs, running her tongue down the inside of one ending at her pulsing center.
Gabrielle sucked in her breath and arched her back as Xena took her inside her mouth, her tongue darting in and out before she replaced it with one finger, then two, her tongue now massaging her at the same time.
"Xena!" she breathed, her hand reaching down into Xenas hair, needing to have some contact with her. As Xena felt Gabrielle getting more excited, getting closer to the edge she quickened her rhythm until Gabrielle was in a frenzy of movement. Suddenly she held her breath as her body went completely rigid, her neck and back arched as Xena held on. Finally she went limp. Xena stretched out next to her once more. Gabrielle lie still with her eyes closed as she took deep breaths to try and control herself. Xena noticed that her cheeks were stained with tears. She gently kissed her lips.
"Why are you crying, Gabrielle?" she asked gently as she ran her fingertips over the wet trails.
"I dont know," Gabrielle sighed. She turned on her side to face Xena. She trailed Xenas jaw down to her throat with her finger. "I just had so much emotion in me. Ive wanted this for so long, Xena. Ive dreamt about it, and even wrote about it once." she smiled impishly. Xena grinned. "I love you." Xena looked her in the eye, and in response kissed her slowly, gently pulling her still trembling body close. "Now I want to love you." Gabrielle whispered.
"I can wait. I just want to hold you." she closed her eyes and sighed . "Thank you, Gabrielle."
"For what?"
"For giving me a reason to get up every morning. You are what I live for. Best friend. Bard. Lover. I love you." Gabrielle sealed Xenas words with a kiss as she slowly rolled on top of her.
Gabrielle gently brushed back dark tendrils of hair off Xenas forehead, and kissed her closed eyelids. She ran her fingertips down the side of Xenas face, caressing her cheek with the back of her fingers. A soft moan escaped Xenas lips. Gabrielle looked into Xenas face and sighed. She had lost her heart to this woman so long ago, and now that what she had only dreamed, and written of in her scrolls of her deepest, darkest desires was finally happening, she didnt want to believe it for fear that she would wake from this dream.
"Are you for real?" Gabrielle whispered. "Am I going to wake up tomorrow, and be back in Potadia?" Xena opened her sky blue eyes and looked into Gabrielles face that held so much emotion. "Promise that youll always be here. With me."
"I promise."
"I love you, Xena. Always."
"....with Gabby as his sidekick, fighting with her little stick, singing songs..." Joxer stopped as he spotted the inn that Xena had told him about. "Yep. Here it is. Now maybe someone will treat me like the great and mighty warrior that I am." Joxer smiled to himself as he pushed the double swinging doors open with a flourish, only one of the hinges was stuck, and sent the heavy wooden door directly into his nose. Joxer flew to the ground.
"Ow, my nose!" he exclaimed holding his nose between both hands. With a grunt he got to his feet, and straightened his personalized, hand forged armor, and entered the inn.
The room was full of road weary travelers eating and drinking their fill before disappearing into the world again.
Joxer looked around and spotted who must be the inn mistress Xena had told him about. She stood behind the counter looking bored as she watched the patrons frolicking amongst themselves. Her brow was drawn as if she were in deep thought.
"Probably wishing a mighty warrior would come in to sweep her off her feet." Joxer said to himself with a lopsided grin. He made his way to the counter.
"Excuse me, ah, a friend, that is, a fellow warrior told me that a brave, strong, tough man like myself could get a free massage." he leaned onto the counter, his brows raised expectantly. "You wouldnt happen to know where I can get it, do ya?" he said, grinning like Attis looking for Princess Guia.
The inn mistress straightened to her full height and looked the would-be warrior in the face. She smiled sweetly. She drew her arm back as if she were going to grab one of the room keys off the wall board behind her.
"You heard that, did you?"
The End
Return to the Academy


text:
Jailed Benghazi Suspect 'Not Cooperative': Congressman
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Libyan militia leader accused of being part of the deadly 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been "compliant but not cooperative" with U.S. interrogators, Representative Mike Rogers said on Sunday.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, captured in Libya earlier this month by U.S. forces and held for nearly two weeks aboard a U.S. Navy vessel, was transferred to federal custody on Saturday. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Washington and, through a translator, pleaded not guilty to a terrorism charge in the attack that killed Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three other Americans.
Rogers, a Republican and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program that Khatallah was being held in the Washington, D.C., area after his arraignment.
"He's being held in, I would argue, an appropriately secure environment given the nature of his crimes against the United States," Rogers said. U.S. officials have not said where Khatallah is being held.
Khatallah was captured on June 15 by U.S. special operations forces and had been under interrogation since then on a Navy warship that brought him to the United States.
Rogers said the interrogation had not been especially fruitful. "He's been compliant but not cooperative," he said.
"You can imagine that he was not obstinate, he was not pushing back, but he was likely not providing information ... not to the point where an FBI agent would say, 'Hey, bingo, here we go. We've got something that would turn into actionable intelligence.'"
The Benghazi attack on Sept. 11, 2012, has been a long-running political issue, with Republicans contending the Obama administration initially misrepresented the circumstances and did too little to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel. Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time and is a potential presidential candidate in 2016, has been the focus of much of the criticism.
Khatallah denied in a Reuters interview in October 2012 that he was a leader of Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist group Washington accuses of carrying out the assault on the consulate.
Rogers, echoing criticism by other Republicans since Khatallah's capture, said it would have been preferable to treat him as an enemy combatant, hold him at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and put him before a military tribunal rather than try him as a criminal through the civilian justice system.
"If we're going to do this for everybody engaged in terrorism around the world, we'd better start building prisons up by the dozens," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
College student from Rye missing in Rome
John Durkin missing for two days
Bates College student John Durkin, of Rye, N.H., is missing in Rome.
Bates' Associate Vice President of Communications Meg Kimmel said Durkin is among six students that are part of an exchange program.
The group is studying abroad for the semester.
The students left for Rome in January through a program at Trinity College, which has a campus in Rome.
Friends traveling with the group said Durkin has not been seen for two days. They said he went out to a bar and never returned.
Kimmel said Bates College is trying to find out more information.
The college has been in touch with Durkin's parents and said Durkin's father is on his way to Italy to assist in the search.
"I can't think of a nicer young man. This is something that is very scary, but we certainly feel like we are going to bring him home safe," said Spence Lockhart, a family friend.
Durkin is a member of the Bates College football team. He is a junior and attended high school at the Governor's Academy in Byfield, Mass.
Friends traveling with Durkin said they have searched hospitals and the American Consulate and have not found him.
"We don't know where he went. His cellphone has not been used. The Visa card has not been used. We checked all of that," Lockhart said.
Friends gathered at Durkin's New Hampshire home Friday night to support his mother and his 16-year-old dog, Rex, who are devastated by his disappearance.
"It's terrifying, and so when you get the news, it's something that knocks the wind out of you, and then you figure out how you're going to put the pieces back together, and that's what we're doing now," Lockhart said.
Bates College released a statement and called the situation deeply distressing.
"We are very concerned. We wish we could pick up the phone and find out more, so it is hard to get information," the statement indicated.
"We're really relying on someone over there that might have seen him go somewhere, walking out. Was he with a group of people or anything like that that might track down? At this point, our effort is to get that info out and bring him back home safe," Lockhart said.
For updates from social media on the search of Durkin, you can follow @JDurkinmissing on Twitter or go to the "Missing Person -- John Durkin" Facebook page.


text:
The First World Barefoot Championships
The History of Barefooting
The first man reported to meet the challenge of barefoot skiing was Dick Pope Jr, on March 6, 1947. In fact, it was the first time barefooting was recorded in pictures. According to sources at Water Ski Hall of Fame and witnesses of the event, it was actually the then 17-year-old A.G. Hancock, who made the initial attempts, the same year in Winter Haven, so they both stepped off into the unknown….Three years later, the first barefoot competition was held at the 1950 Cypress Gardens Dixie Championships. As the tournament began, the first participants ended up with nothing but headaches, until Dave Craig of Miami successfully stepped of the ski. Then Stew Mc Donald of Tampa managed a short ride without skis. Pope, unaccustomed to the rough water of the tournament area had a difficult time, but was able to move into the first place with the longest ride. Finally, a young skier from Mexico named Emilio Zamudio was up. He kicked off his ski, stood up high, and waved joyously at the crowd, winning the competition.
As the story goes, Ken Tibado of Lake Wales introduced the two-ski jump out in 1953, and the beach start in 1956. In 1958, Joe Cash was the first to accomplish the front deepwater start, taking off in the water with no skis at all. The "tumbleturn" was invented purely by accident in 1960, when Don Thompson and Terry Vance were performing a double barefoot routine, on the lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. As Vance stepped off his skis, he began to fall, but while he continued to hang on, his feet spun around, returning almost in front of him. Thompson, still on his skis, reached over and pulled Vance's legs around, so that he could stand up.
Backward barefooting brought a new dimension to the sport. In 1961, Randy Rabe of St Petersburg started on a trick ski, then turned around, planted his foot in the water, and finally stepped off the ski. A friendly rivalry developed between Thompson and Rabe, who were both determined to learn new and different tricks. Rabe first accomplished the front and back toeholds, while Thompson perfected the piggyback barefoot ride with Joline Paoli Nathey. Thompson and Rabe share credit for the introduction of front-to-back and back-to-front surface turns, with Thompson even attempting back deepwater starts in 1965.
Meanwhile, barefooting interest was taking hold on the other side of the World. In March 1960 at Sackville, the Australian Water Ski Club was founded by such great exponents as Jack Murray, Ray Leighton, John Hollands and Ron Marks. In April 1963, Australia held its first official national competition, patronized by 38 skiers and eventually won by Irwin Luthiger. It was the first step toward barefoot tournaments, as we know them today. The Australians had their innovators: Garry Barton and John Hacker, considered to be the World's best in the late '60s, having developed many new maneuvers, including the back deep, stepover back to front, and backward flying dock start. In Europe, a show team included a barefoot act in 1963. In 1968, the first tournament in Europe was held at Cirencester in Great Britain and the rules were a simplified version of the rules developed by the Aussies. The first successful jump in Europe – of 10.30 m -was performed during 1969, but before that time, jumping was already a regular event in Australian competitions.
In 1973, Cypress Gardens invited the Australians for an international competition. Garry Barton, Peter Trimm, Grant Torrens and Mary Mc Millan – Australia's best footers -accepted the invitation. As expected, they astonished everyone and make a clean sweep of the tournament. No one Australian came close to be beaten by a Yank, and the overall winner was 16 year old Grant Torrens. The seeds were planted here for the next wave of U.S. barefooters and this competition was the beginning of the active promotion of the sport in the United States. Other tournaments were held in Wisconsin and other parts of the country, consisting only of endurance and starting methods.
In 1977, Australian John Hacker acting as an ambassador for the sport, returned to the United States, to promote the first World tournament to be held in Canberra, Australia in November 1978. Meanwhile, the first European Championships were held at Princes Club in London, during August 1976, with 18 men and only one woman. At that time, there were already national championships in England, The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium South Africa, New Zealand and of course Australia. During summer 1978, five regional competitions were held in the United States and in September the first barefoot nationals took place in Waco, Texas. Randy Filter won the men's overall title, but show skier Mike Botti had the most outstanding performances, placing first in start methods, wake crossing and tricks.
Because he elected not to enter the jump event (Mike Seipel too !), he was ineligible for the overall title. Following the tournament, the first official U.S. barefoot team was selected to represent the United States at the World Championships. During November 1978, barefooting history was made in Canberra, where 54 barefooters representing 10 countries gathered on the banks of the Molongo river. Even with the increased level of competition in the United States, Australia's talent and influence stunned U.S. footers. The Aussies were performing then unheard maneuvers, like backward and forward toehold starts, 360 degrees surface turns and even toe turns! Brett Wing and Colleen Wilkinson captured the men's and women's overall honors, but Mike Botti showed the potential threat of a strong U.S. team, by placing third in tricks and fourth in jumping. In addition, he was the first to complete a wake front-to-back and a wake back-to-front in competition.
This was compiled with the help from:
John Gillette's " barefooting ", 1987
Zenon Bilas, 1989
Charles Ramsey, 1987
Silver anniversary programm from Australian Barefoot Club, 1987.
History of barefoot water-ski jumping
As with many water sports, the history of barefoot water ski jumping is a bit sketchy until the mid `70s. Water ski historians such as Zenon Bilas were unable to discover exactly who was the first jumper, when he jumped and why on earth he considered it in the first place. Bilas theorizes, "Maybe they thought it was so sick that they didn't want to report it."
Early jumpers hit the ramp without benefit of padded suits, helmets or knowledge of the best technique for jumping without skis. They toughed it out, though not without consequences: Higher boat speeds mean barefooters go much faster than traditional skiers, and the combination of speed, ramp and height means bruises on nearly every part of one's body. Jumping lore has it that a few early jumpers paralyzed themselves after falling on the ramp.
Timeline 1922: Ralph Samuelson, generally regarded as the father of water skiing, straps two 8′ X 9″ pine boards to his feet and takes off behind a motor boat on Lake Pepin, Minnesota.
1947: Barefoot water skiing is born in Winter Haven, Florida, when water ski pioneer Chuck Sligh theorizes that skiing without skis might be possible if boat speed is increased. Seventeen-year-old A.G. Hancock, proves him right but leaves on a family vacation before he can show the trick to Cypress Gardens' Dick Pope Sr. Pope's son, Dick Pope Jr., successfully drops a ski and gets all the glory– photographs, newsreels, the works. Hancock sees one of the newsreels during his vacation.
1950s/1960s: Barefoot skiing primarily remains a novelty in the U.S., showing up in ski shows such as those at Cypress Gardens and in Wisconsin. Without helmets or the padded barefoot suits worn today, footers learn tricks such as barefooting backward, piggyback-style and with one foot through the ski handle (toehold). Dominance in barefooting shifts from the U.S. to Australia during the 1960s.
1961: Australia organizes its first barefoot nationals, more than 10 years ahead of the Americans. Of course, it doesn't include jumping, since no one has jumped yet.
1967 (approximately): Australian barefooters begin experimenting with jumping a water ski-style jump ramp.
1969: The American Water Ski Association's magazine, "The Skier," shows a picture of U.S. show skier Mike Pierce jumping in a 1969 issue.
1973: Cypress Gardens hosts the International Championships, the first international barefoot competition. The Australian team demonstrates barefoot jumping to the U.S. footers. 16-year-old Grant Torrens of Australia is the overall winner.
1977: U.S. skiers begin barefoot jumping. Australian footer John Hacker, one of the skiers at the 1973 Cypress Garden event, returns to the U.S. to teach U.S. skiers how to jump. The earliest U.S. jumpers include William Farrell, Ed Finley, Mike Seipel and Bill Price. Finley wins the Bougue Falaya barefoot tournament in Covington, Louisiana–the first U.S. barefoot tournament to include jumping. Richard Mainwaring of the U.K. becomes one of the first barefoot jumpers in Great Britain.
1978: The American Barefoot Club, an affiliate of the American Water Ski Association, formed, giving a denied credibility to skiing without skis in the U.S. The first Barefoot World Championships in Canberra, Australia, and the first U.S. Barefoot Nationals. The tournaments feature three events: wake slalom, tricks and jumping. Greg Adams, Australia, wins the jump event; fellow Australian Brett Wing takes the overall title.
The U.S. sends its first U.S. barefoot team to the Worlds. Team members include Mike Seipel and William Farrell. Farrell didn't know how to barefoot backward when he was chosen for the team; he won a spot because he could jump. He utilized a technique known as bum jumping- -the skier went up and off the ramp on his buttocks, jumping farther than feet-to-feet jumpers but often uncontrollably. In November, Greg Rees of Australia sets the first world record, 44 feet.
1979: Paul Jones of Australia sets a new world record of 49 feet. He breaks it with a 49.5-foot jump within the next two weeks. Mike Seipel wins his first of seven national barefoot jump titles.
1980: Vaugan Cox of New Zealand breaks Jones' world record with a 50.2-foot jump. Twenty-one days later his record is broken by South Africa's Peter Lindenberg, who jumps an incredible 57.4 feet. Australian Brett Wing wins the jump event and the overall title at the Barefoot Worlds in California. Mike Seipel gives mainstream America a taste of barefoot jumping when he appears on the TV show That's Incredible.
1981: The Australians take back possession of the world record with Brett Wing's 61.3-foot jump, a record that stands for more than three years.
1982:Ron Scarpa of the U.S. wins the jump event at the Barefoot Worlds in Acapulco. Brett Wing takes home his third consecutive overall title and then retires undefeated.
1984: Mike Seipel sets a new world jump record of 65.9 feet.
Mid-1980s: Not everyone in the barefoot community is a fan of jumping. Well-known U.S. barefooter John Gillette, president of the American Barefoot Club and author of the first comprehensive book on barefooting (1980), opposes jumping so strongly that he lobbies to remove the event from sanctioned competition. Although he has some support, the attempt fizzles.
1985: Quentin Posthumus of South Africa gets his turn with the world jump record after soaring 67.2 feet. The record will not be broken until 1988. Peter Wellham of Australia wins the jump event at the Barefoot Worlds in Canberra, Australia, and Mike Seipel wins his first world overall barefoot title.
1986: Ron Scarpa jumps out of a helicopter 67 feet above the water and barefoots away for the Guinness Book of World Records. In Kelheim, West Germany, Gavin O'Mahoney of Australia wins the Barefoot Worlds jump event, but Mike Seipel captures the overall for the second time.
1988: Mike Seipel sets his second world record: 69.2 feet. Bum jumping is prohibited in competition after the 1988 Worlds: Members of the barefoot community say barefoot jumping isn't barefoot jumping if it's not done on the feet. The unofficial reason may be that bum jumpers have learned to control and ski away from their jumps. Australian jumper Rod Trevillian wins the jump event at the Worlds bum jumping. Rick Powell of the U.S. takes the overall title.
1989: In Feb., Australian Dodd Dwyer takes the world record Down Under when he jumps 70.2 feet. Brett Sands breaks the record 13 days later by jumping 72.5 feet. Ron Scarpa's book on barefooting, "Barefoot Water Skiing: An Illustrated Guide to Learning and Mastering the Sport", illustrates the still controversial nature of barefoot jumping by not mentioning it once in the entire book.
1989/1990: Mike Seipel makes his first inverted jump — unintentionally. He says it happened because he had learned to relax his body while jumping, to the point that after he went off the ramp, his feet went out behind him. The first time it happened, he let go of the handle because he thought, "I'm going to kill myself." But he realized he had jumped farther and so tried it again, skiing away from the jump on his third try.
1990: Mike Seipel unveils the inverted jump in competition at the 1990 Barefoot Nationals in Illinois and jumps 72.8 feet for a new world record and, of course, the national jump title. Zenon Bilas says the lightbulb went off in his head when he saw Seipel's new jump style. "I said to myself, 'This is it. This is how it should be done.'" Few share his opinion, saying inverted jumping is even more dangerous than traditional jump style.
U.S. skier Casey Scalise is the second skier to master inverted jumping as he trains with Seipel for the 1990 Worlds in Florida. Seipel, further refining his inverted jump technique, sets another world record of 76.4 feet less than two months later at the Worlds. But it's Rick Powell of the U.S. who earns the overall world title.
1991: The floodgates open. After training with Mike Seipel during the winter, Jon Kretchman of the U.S. switches to inverted jumping and sets a new world jump record of 86.3 feet. (The record isn't broken for a year and a half.) Apparently, Seipel's and Scalise's inverted jumps weren't so much farther than most jumpers believed they ultimately could match or better jumping in the traditional style.
Kretchman's new record eclipses Seipel's by a whopping 9.9 feet, and until that event Kretchman wasn't known as a particularly strong jumper. Barefooters around the world quickly began learning the inverted jump to avoid being left behind in the dark ages of 60- to 75-foot jumps.
1992: Ron Scarpa acquires the world overall title. Lane Bowers, a U.S. skier, wins the Worlds jump event. Barefoot skiers from South Africa compete for the first time at the Barefoot Worlds. They hadn't been allowed to compete in the tournament since its inception because of international sanctions over Apartheid.
1993: Dodd Dwyer of Australia sets the world record for the second time in his career with an 88.9-foot jump.
1994: Jon Kretchman recaptures the world record with an 88.9-foot jump, only to be bested by the U.K.'s Richard Mainwaring the following month. Mainwaring, Europe's top barefooter but until now not at the top of the international barefoot jump heap, jumps 90.2 feet. At the Barefoot Worlds in Sydney, Australia, the Aussies dominate as Brett Fritsch wins the jump event and John Pennay foots his way to the overall title.
1995: The 1995 U.S. barefoot season opens with the Budweiser Pro Water Ski Tour stopping in Orlando, Florida. Peter Fleck wins the barefoot jump event with an 88.75-foot jump. He is the only jumper at the event to land all three of his jumps. The tour stop also introduces a new barefoot jump format in which competitors get extra points for doing barefoot tricks during their approach to the ramp. The same format is used for the Extreme Games where Australia's Justin Seers tops veteran Ron Scarpa to win the title. The world record is smashed again as Italy's Massimiliano Colosio jumps 92 feet.
The inverted jumping style is the norm. Every top barefoot jumper is being more aggressive in the inverted style, and jumps are going farther and farther. In 1994, there was one 90-foot jump. In 1995, there were four. In 1996, a 90-foot jump is probably needed for one to win. Peter Fleck says it's now the standard and, provided the conditions are good, anyone could top the 90-foot barrier. The 100-foot mark may also be challenged this year for the first time ever.
(Courtesy of E-S.P-N)


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Aug. 10, 2009— -- By the time Dan hit 57, he didn't recognize himself. He was always tired, fell asleep after dinner and was angry all the time.
"My libido was less and I was beginning to have a loss of erection while having sex, but I thought that was part of the normal aging process," said Dan, who did not want his real name to be used.
"I had just changed doctors and he asked me, 'Are you more grumpy and less interested in things like sex?'" Dan, now a 60-year-old California counselor, said.
"Yeah, I am more grumpy, get less enjoyment out of life and certainly am having less sexual activity with my wife of 40 years," Dan answered. "I had excellent health all my life and he said there was a name for it -- male menopause."
The doctor ordered a series of blood tests and found Dan had low levels of testosterone. "My levels were in the basement," he said.
Dan, according to his doctor, has andropause, what is now euphemistically being called low-T syndrome.
Television ads for low-T syndrome have cropped up on prime-time nightly news programs, joining direct-to-consumer drug ads for erectile dysfunction, or "ED," as well as other aging ailments such as high cholesterol, enlarged prostates and dry eyes.
Andropause is a "term of convenience" in describing the complex symptoms in aging men with low testosterone levels, according to one study at the University of Toronto Department of Medicine.
Some studies show only 25 percent of all men with low testosterone levels ever experience symptoms such as Dan's, as well as bone loss and fracture, sleep disturbances and lethargy.
The very existence of andropause is contentious and large-scale studies on hormone treatment are only a decade old. Many say the underlying cause of some men's complaints are part of the normal aging process.
Two Canadian studies cited by the National Institutes of Health illustrate the debate on low testosterone and its treatment.
Dr. Richard Casey, director of the Male Health Centers in Oakville, Ont., argues that andropause is primarily market-driven, "largely promoted by industry, accepted by a handful of physicians and embraced by some patients who are looking for an antidote to aging."
"We need to resist the marketing efforts and consider the science," writes Casey. "The range of normal testosterone levels is quite broad; levels depend on time of day and no consensus exists on what measurement of testosterone correlates best with symptoms or treatment success."
But Dr. Alvaro Morales of Queens University in Ontario supports the concept of "testosterone deficiency syndrome" (TDS) and advocates well-monitored therapy.
"The absurd view that TDS is an invention of industry blatantly and conveniently ignores medical observations and reports going back 500 years and accelerating since the mid 20th century," writes Morales in his study. "It does not merit further discussion."
'Male Menopause Is Real'
"Male menopause is real," said Jed Diamond, a psychologist and author of a series of books on the topic, including, "Irritable Male Syndrome."
"I describe it as adolescence, the second time around," he said. "Everybody goes through it, just as no one can say I didn't go through puberty. Some have a fairly easy time and, for some, it's more difficult."
Part of the normal part of aging, male menopause is accompanied by a gradual decline in their sexuality, mood and overall energy. For most men, it arrives between the ages of 40 to 55, but for some it happens as early as 35 and as late as 65.
"Men are more in denial about this than women," said Diamond, who has a Ph.D. in international health and a master's degree in social work. "It's taken guys a little longer for the medical evidence to come out and for doctors to find ways to treat this. But more men are getting help."
More men are also taking testosterone treatment in creams, gels or injections, Diamond said.
Dan began a holistic course of treatment that included testosterone shots and more exercise, better eating habits, herbal supplements, as well as a multivitamin and zinc.
"Those made a big difference," he said. "But exercise has been the most profound thing. Without it, the other wouldn't work. I do weights and yoga twice a week."
After Treatment, Noticing Fewer Aches and Pains
"After a year, the injections worked," Dan said. "It's not like I am doing physical feats that I was not doing before, but I was noticing a change when I would take groceries out of the car and move wood into the pile. Before, I used to groan as I did it and had more aches and pains."
Diamond, who runs the Men Alive Clinic in Willits, Calif., said all men treat menopause differently. Some are in denial and others treat it medically.But male menopause is more complex than just increasing testosterone levels -- involving hormonal fluctuation, changes in brain chemistry, interpersonal and societal changes.
"The changes have to do not only with hormones, but also sex changes that have to do with relationships and self-esteem changes. We evaluate all of these different areas," he said, "We don't just look at the test."
Unlike women's hormone replacement therapy, which uses estrogen from horses, doctors treat men with bio-identical testosterone, Diamond said.
"Biologically, it's the same and it isn't as expensive and they can manufacture it in large quantities," he said.
That's why doctors say the pharmaceutical companies are pushing treatment for low-T syndrome on television. Interestingly, direct-to-consumer advertising is only allowed in two countries in the world -- New Zealand and the United States.
"The drug companies want to figure out new ways of making money," said Dr. Robert Butler, president of the International Longevity Center in New York City and author of the landmark book, "Human Aging."
All men do not experience low testosterone levels, he said. "Not everyone goes through a decline, though there is a small category of men in their 50s and 60s, but it's a new market," he said.
Men should be monitored while taking testosterone because it can cause problems for those with heart conditions or prostate cancer that is underway, Butler said.
"I don't fault [the drug companies] for being good marketers," he said. "But I think the public should beware in terms of endangering themselves."
But Dan said he has confidence in his doctor and, oddly, the regimen has had the least impact on his sex life.
"I don't have to be fearful and anxious and I feel like I am equipped to meet whatever comes my way," he said. "When you are 18 to 20, you think you are immortal. At 30 and 40, you think you have the world by the tail."
"I began to lose that sense for no good reason," Dan said. "Now, I feel a psychological sense of completeness and robustness and maleness."


text:
"If the story is true (and, given that it comes from the Daily Mail, which never lets the facts get in the way of marshalling popular outrage, that is a considerable 'if'), it implies two things:They've developed a cover story to protect 'the Machine', as we're not supposed to know about it until the enslavement is complete.
- The US border control agency (not the CIA or NSA or some other super-elite agency that hunts threats through the shadows, but the guys who scan passports) has a feed of intelligence gathered from the public Twitter feeds of anyone seeking to enter the US (and possibly other social media connected to their identities). This has a number of implications: where does the data come from? Is it just what is publicly linked to the poster's profile online, or does it come from clandestine sources (i.e., a list of user-generated content sites posted to from the visitor's home internet connection, as hoovered up by ECHELON)? Is there some NSA supercomputer quietly building up profiles on several billion internet users, with parts of these being sent to border security if some other part of the surveillance apparatus detects a keyphrase (say, the words "destroy America") in a feed linked to a particular individual?
- Given the nature of the tweet (which any reasonable person, had they overheard it in a pub, would conclude was a joke), it implies that, as far as the US Department of Homeland Security is concerned, the entire internet is an airport security zone, where joking about, say, carrying bombs or even an absurdity such as destroying America (how exactly would one go about accomplishing this?) is a punishable offence. There is a reason why joking about bombs at airport security screening lines is prohibited; namely that constraining the allowed range of behaviours whilst passing through a security checkpoint allows the checkpoint to operate. This rationale doesn't extend to applying the same rules to any idle banter uttered by a traveller within earshot of electronic intelligence gathering apparatus, and immediately punishing wisecracks."
In case you haven't noticed, the Jews are discussing amongst themselves which terms gentiles will be allowed to use in referring to Jews, and have issued an order that 'Israel-firster' is off the permitted list (luckily for us, 'the most wonderful group of people in the universe' is still allowed). I'm not too put out on this restriction in my vocabulary, as the term 'Israel-firster' is highly inaccurate - as there is no second loyalty - and I already have the replacement term 'treasonous motherfucker'. I think it is truly wonderful that the chief arbiter of gentile-permitted speech, and in particular the term 'Israel-firster', is Jeffrey Goldberg, a man whose first adult act as an American was to go and join the army . . . of Israel. Who better to decide how the other 98% will be permitted to speak?
"because policing the discourse is punk rock":
"All of this happens for a purpose: to make it clear to anyone who might have a moral conviction about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians scared to talk about it. I know many people who have political stances on everything, and voice them without regard or fear, on questions of race, abortion, poverty, Afghanistan, gay rights, health care.... But about Israel, they won't speak. It has simply been drummed into their heads, by people like Spencer Ackerman, that this is no-go territory for them. They are mostly gentiles, as I am, and they know that speaking on this issue could easily result in accusations of anti-Semitism. So they shut up. And here comes Spencer Ackerman, and his red-baiting essay, and the predictable Hitler graphic. And so the task of pressuring "a recalcitrant Israel to come to its senses, especially about the insanity of attacking Iran" just becomes harder."
As pointed out here before, Jews don't fear violence or hate from the gentiles, they fear love. They need to stop the only real threat to the group, assimilation. Thus, the need for a place where there are only Jews. It may even be worse. Treason may be the only thing holding American Jewish identity together.


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- see-through clothing
- mini-skirts, mini-dresses, shorts, skorts, or culottes (at or above the kneecap)
- form-fitting clothes such as leotards, spandex, and leggings
- clothes that expose a person's midriff, side, or back
- tops or dresses that have revealing necklines and/or excessive splits
- coats, jackets, shawls and scarves will be placed in an appropriate area.


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Juckes and the Euro Team spent a lot of time on the topic of MM normalization, stating as follows (continuing the academic check kiting initiated by claims made in Wahl and Ammann (Clim Chq 2006) using the rejected Ammann and Wahl (GRL 2006)):
Wahl and Ammann (2006) ascribe the difference between MM2005 and MBH1998 to another apparent error by McIntyre and McKitrick: the omission of the normalisation of proxies prior to the calculation of proxy principal components.
Juckes, in his usual style, raised this issue again on the blog as follows (in the same message as his claim about failing to "disclose" "machine-specific" code):
re #29: Using your code, I can show that the sensitivity you describe only exists when you use your own "arbitrary" normalisation for the calculation of the proxy PCs (ranging from a standard deviation of 0.0432 for wy023x to 0.581 for nm025). Why do you use this normalisation? Is the effective elimination of much of the data intentional?
Remarkably enough, this very issue with the specific series wy023x has already been discussed in print (Huybers Comment and Reply to Huybers). My published corpus of work is not large – indeed, I receive many criticisms for it not being larger than it is. Given that we're talking about only 5 papers and given Juckes' preoccupation with matters MM, you'd think that Juckes would have familiarized himself with prior discussion of this issue before making various attacks, both here and in his submission to Climate of the Past.
The discussion of the density series wy023x was initiated by Huybers as follows:
NOAMER records are standardized chronologies [Cook and Kairiukstis, 1990], reported as fractional changes from mean tree ring width or maximum ring density after correcting for the effects of increasing tree age. The variance of the chronology is a function of both environmental variability and the trees' sensitivity to the environment. Sensitivity depends on factors such as species, soil, local topography, tree age, location within a forest, and what quantity is being measured [Fritts, 1976]. The most striking example of varying sensitivity is that the two NOAMER chronologies indicating changes in tree ring density (co509x and wy023x) have variances roughly thirty times smaller than the other chronologies indicating changes in tree ring width.
From this, Huybers concluded that the most informative method of applying PCs to tree ring networks would be dividing the chronologies as standardized in the ITRDB data bank by their standard deviations, while elsewhere noting that it might make the most sense simply to take the mean of the ring widths. Note Huybers' recognition that ITRDB chronologies are already standardized – although not converted to unit standard deviation. ITRDB chronologies are in dimensionless units with a common mean of 1.
In our Reply to Huybers, we made it clear that we were not advocating covariance PCs (or PCs at all) as a method of extracting information from the ragbag North American tree ring chronologies, but had simply (and logically) applied covariance PCs as the most logical implementation of the stated MBH98 method ("conventional" principal components).
We re-emphasize that our comparison between the MBH98 method and a covariance PC1 was not presented as an attempt to "Å"Åremove the bias in MBH98's method", and that we take no position on the relative merits of using a mean, a covariance PC1, or even using PC analysis at all, in paleoclimate work. The onus for demonstrating validity of a statistic as a temperature proxy rests entirely with its advocate. Any valid climate reconstruction should not depend on whether a correlation matrix or covariance matrix is used in tree ring PC analysis. No variation on PC methodology can overcome the problems of using bristlecones as a temperature proxy.
In our Reply to Huybers (and elsewhere), we took the view (see citations in Reply to Huybers: Rencher 1992, 1995; Overland and Preisendorfer 1982; also North et al 1982; quotations here) that tree ring networks were already in common dimensionless units and that, under such circumstances, statistical authorities recommended the use of principal components on a covariance matrix. Jean S, who is knowledgeable in such matters, has endorsed this. Neither Juckes nor any other Team member have ever given a single countervailing statistical authority; they merely assert that use of a correlation matrix is the "correct" methodology.
However, regardless of whether correlation or covariance PCs are the "correct" methodology, in our Reply to Huybers, we provided compelling reasons why the decision in the case of the AD1400 North American network should not be based on the standard deviation of wy023x. In this network, there were only 2 density series and 68 ring width series. Both density series were also represented by ring width series at the same site (and in the case of co509x, it was additionallyhad quadruplicate use in the SWM network). We stated:
One of Huybers' [2005] principal justifications for proposing a correlation PC1 is his observation that the covariance PC1 underweights density series, which have lower variances. But in the MBH98 network, only 2 of 70 series are density series, and both are from sites also represented in the same network with a ring width series. Indeed, the Spruce Canyon site (density series co509x and ring width series co509w) also occurs in 4 series in the MBH98 Stahle/SWM network. Accommodating these 2 density series should not be at the expense of the most appropriate treatment for the other 68.
So I would submit that Juckes' question is asked and answered and that this was an issue that Juckes should have been familiar with before submitting his article to Climate of the Past (which does not cite either the Huybers Comment or our Reply, although both papers deal at considerable length with issues of "normalization" of the North American network).
In addition, this very issue was specifically visited by the NAS panel (also not cited by Juckes et al), which stated, referring to Huybers 2005.
Huybers (2005), commenting on McIntyre and McKitrick (2005a), points out that normalization also affects results, a point that is reinforced by McIntyre and McKitrick (2005b) in their response to Huybers. Principal components calculations are often carried out on a correlation matrix obtained by normalizing each variable by its sample standard deviation. Variables in different physical units clearly require some kind of normalization to bring them to a common scale, but even variables that are physically equivalent or normalized to a common scale may have widely different variances. Huybers comments on tree ring densities, which have much lower variances than widths, even after conversion to dimensionless "standardized" form. In this case, an argument can be made for using the variables without further normalization. However, the higher-variance variables tend to make correspondingly higher contributions to the principal components, so the decision whether to equalize variances or not should be based on the scientific considerations of the climate information represented in each of the proxies.
In our Reply to Huybers, we had stated that the "onus for demonstrating validity of a statistic as a temperature proxy rests entirely with its advocate" – a position that is surely reflected in the conclusion of the NAS panel. For Juckes et al to assert that a calculation demonstrating the impact of a covariance matrix is an "error" is pretty insolent.
Another point – it's pretty annoying to listen to Juckes (following Wahl and Ammann) falsely accuse us of "omitting" consideration of the impact of dividing North American chronologies by their standard deviation. In MM05(EE) we stated:
If the data are transformed as in MBH98, but the principal components are calculated on the covariance matrix, rather than directly on the de-centered data, the results move about halfway from MBH to MM. If the data are not transformed (MM), but the principal components are calculated on the correlation matrix rather than the covariance matrix, the results move part way from MM to MBH, with bristlecone pine data moving up from the PC4 to influence the PC2. In no case other than MBH98 do the bristlecone series influence PC1, ruling out their interpretation as the "dominant component of variance" [Mann et al, 2004b]
Now these sentences are expressed in terms of correlation and covariance matrices, but PC with a correlation matrix is identical to PC using a covariance matrix on series standardized by dividing by their standard deviation. PC using the covariance matrix of the Mannian network is relatively close to PC on the correlation matrix (up to the difference between the standard deviation over 1400-1980 and 1902-1980). Huybers acknowledged the first point acknowlelged. Juckes et al (and Wahl and Ammann) should have been familiar with both points. In retrospect, I'd rephrase the last sentence quoted above a little – the bristlecones do not "dominate" the correlation PC1, but they do "influence" it, a point that was discussed in the Reply to Huybers. In our Reply to Huybers, we illustrated the correlation PC1 and various other permutations and combinations as follows:
This figure clearly shows not just the covariance PC1, but the correlation PC1 – indeed, even a correlation PC1 standardized with an autocorrelation-consistent standard deviation. Our Reply to Huybers contains a detailed analysis of issues pertaining to correlation and covariance PCs. For Huybers (or Wahl and Ammann) to assert that we "omitted" a discussion of "normalized" chronologies can only mean that they are somehow unaware that correlation PCs are the same as PCs from chronologies divided by their standard deviation. Having failed to cite our prior discussion of correlation PCs, they then have the gall to allege that we committed an "error" by omitting a discussion equivalent to discussing correlation PCs. They make it worse by omitting to consider the NAS panel's specific consideration of the topic.
Now going back to Juckes' question – the way that he framed the question is very odd. Juckes accuses me of using
your own "arbitrary" normalisation for the calculation of the proxy PCs (ranging from a standard deviation of 0.0432 for wy023x to 0.581 for nm025). Why do you use this normalisation? Is the effective elimination of much of the data intentional?
The way that this question is expressed suggests, among other things, that Juckes is not using a principal components algorithm to do principal components, but uses svd on data matrices (an observation confirmed by inspecting the archived series). As we stated clearly and illustrated, the results follow directly from a conventional principal components analysis on a covariance matrix.
Juckes' use of the terminology "effective elimination of much of the data" is simply realclimate rhetoric. All that happens is downweighting of bristlcones – for which realclimate and Juckes use the code word "much of the data" – they never use the word "birstlecone" in this context. In an unguarded moment, Wahl and Ammann 2006 admitted that the downweighting from use of covariance PCs is precisely equivalent to bristlecone downweighting – I've got a pretty graphic in my Stockholm/Holland presentation illustrating this.
At the time of our 2003 paper where the differences first emerged, we had no idea that it was the bristlecones that caused the problem. We used covariance PCs because that is "conventional" PC methodology in a network denominated in common units and that's what Mann said that he did. Obviously he did something different than what he said he did, but that's a long and different story. We only became aware of the role of bristlecones by tracking what Mann's biased methodology did – gradually realizing that all the series in what Mann described as the "dominant component of variance" came from Graybill and Idso's strip-bark bristlecone and foxtail network. Later we realized that Mann's CENSORED directory contained a sensitivity study of what happened without the bristlecones and foxtails – so he realized what was going on long before we did.
A covariance PC emphasizes different data than the bristlecones emphasized by Mann's data mining method. We do not argue that this index is a plausible temperature indicator – the obligation to do so rests with the proponents of PC analyses as a means of extracting temperature from tree ring networks. We can categorically say that we did not select a PC methodology with a view to downweighting bristlecones; it was only through patient detective work that we learned of the effect of bristlecones.
Update: For convenience, here are relevant quotations from statistical authorities on the selection of PC methodologies (keep in mind that tree ring networks are already in common dimensionless units through standardization):
Preisendorfer is cited in MBH98 as an authority for principal components. In Overland and Preisendorfer [1982], Presiendorfer stated:
In representing the variance of large data sets, the covariance matrix is preferred" (p.4)
I have not found a comparably explicit statement in Preisendorfer [1988]. However, this text nearly always talks in terms of "covariance matrices", rather than "correlation matrices", such as the following quote:
The first step in the PCA of [data set] Z is to center the values z[ t,x] on their averages over the t series… If Z… is not rendered into t-centered form, then the result is analogous to non-centered covariance matrices and is denoted by S'. The statistical, physical and geometric properties of S' and S [the covariance matrix] are quite distinct. PCA, by definition, works with variances i.e. squared anomalies about a mean. (p. 26)
Preisendorfer [1988] never suggested a change from the position of Overland and Preisendorfer [1982], which is cited approvingly on several occasions in Preisendorfer [1988]. The standard examples in Preisendorfer [1988] are data sets (e.g. sea surface temperature, sea level pressure defined over regions), which are not scaled to unit variance. While Preisendorfer explicitly calls for centering over the time average, he NEVER calls for scaling to unit variance on these data sets which are in common units but have differing variances. Preisendorfer discusses the covariance matrix on virtually every page, but only mentions a correlation matrix on a couple of occasions. The only occasion in which Preisendorfer calls for scaling to unit variance is when a data set is a composite of two data sets denominated in different units, e.g. sea surface temperature in one region and sea level pressure in another — which is not the case in the dataset under discussion here as discussed above.
Rencher [1995] is another prominent statistical authority (cited by Huybers), who also stands as authority for use of covariance matrices as follows:
Generally extracting principal components from S [covariance] rather than R [correlation] remains closer to the spirit and intent of principal component analysis, especially if the components are to be used in further computations. (p. 430)
This follows almost verbatim a similar comment in Rencher [American Statistician 1992, 46, p 221], which said:
"For many applications, it is more in keeping with the spirit and intent of this procedure to extract principal components from the covariance matrix S rather than the correlation matrix R, especially if they are destined for use as input to other analyses. However, we may wish to use R in cases where the measurement units are not commensurate or the variances otherwise differ widely."
The only exception contemplated by Rencher [1992] is a circumstance in which a few series measured in different units have much larger variance than the bulk of the data, because it would dominate the analysis:
"When one variable has a much larger variance than the other variables, this variable will dominate the first component".
This is the exact opposite situation to MBH98, where the exception is two density series that have much smaller variances, and moreover are from sites already represented by width series in the major partition of the dataset.
I have been unable to locate any third-party statistical authority that recommends use of correlation matrices in networks denominated in common units. I'm not saying that such a reference doesn't exist anywhere, but the challenge to produce one has been outstanding for some time and so far no one has located one.


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Colorado '16 poll: Paul beats Clinton
Sen. Rand Paul appears to be the man to beat in Colorado in 2016, a new poll says.
Colorado voters would favor the Kentucky Republican over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 48 percent to 43 percent in a potential 2016 presidential race, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Paul also has a higher favorability rating than the other three possible Republican presidential contenders listed in the poll — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Paul's favorability ranking is 41 percent and his unfavorability ranking is 30 percent. Huckabee has a favorability rating of 37 percent and an unfavorability ranking of 30 percent. The other two GOP candidates both have higher unfavorability than favorability rankings.
( WATCH: POLITICO's Driving the Day)
For her part, Clinton scores 48 percent in favorability and 47 percent in unfavorability with respondents.
The poll comes as speculation is rising about the 2016 GOP presidential field and provides insight into a state that was crucial in the 2012 election.
The poll might also shed some light on where Paul could outflank his GOP counterparts — among young voters. While Clinton leads Bush by 21 points and Huckabee by 11 points among 18-to 29-year-olds, Paul matched the former secretary of state in the age group, with both scoring 43 percent.
Paul also had a strong edge against Clinton among respondents who identify as independent voters. 48 percent of independent voters favored Paul, while just 37 perfect favored Clinton.
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted April 15-21 with 1,298 registered voters on landlines and cell phones. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.


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PARADISE — A young girl played in her driveway on a gray this morning, and a car that was accidentally shifted out of gear rolled into her.
Responders called out an airlift for medical aid, but dispatchers canceled the helicopter"s mission once they reached the site.
Gracie Carmack died shortly before 10 a.m. She was 5 years old.
Paradise police at the scene blocked media access to the home on Seneca Drive. The pain they felt showed clearly enough, and their first request was that members of the family not have their pictures taken.
"There"s not much to say, really," Lt. Steve Rowe later said. "Not much you can say to help the family."
The police recognized the full tragedy after a little time passed.
The car slipped out of gear because a 10-year-old child was innocently playing in it, according to the department"s investigation.
Rowe said while he is not an investigator in the case, those who are indicated the child was not left in the car by parents as some have reported.
Rowe did not release the name of the child playing in the car, saying the child was clearly distraught.
"There is every indication this was a tragic accident and the members of the Paradise Police Department send our heartfelt condolences to the family members of the victim," Rowe said in a press release.
The final police vehicle left Seneca Drive at about 2:30 p.m. Family members stood outside but declined to comment.
Authorities will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but beyond that, the department plans to leave Gracie"s death as an accident.


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Rodgers raises hope for Congo
On a cold Monday night, thousands of screaming students and activists are gathered for a rally for Congo. As the stage lights brighten, the crowd's anticipation and excitement is palpable. Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are here to welcome hometown legend and Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and to hear his important message about the conflict in Congo.
This is a scene from a rally held at one of the largest college campuses in the nation last month. Rodgers, who has a general tendency to keep to himself, took the stage with the Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign to make bold statements about corporations' responsibility to humanity, a greater responsibility that comes with a celebrity platform and his desire to stand in solidarity with the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to see an end to their conflict.
"I thought about how my legacy was going to be remembered here. I remember sitting on the bus after we won [the 2011 Super Bowl] in Dallas and thinking to myself, 'I'm on top of the world,' we just accomplished the most amazing goal in football. But I'm sitting here with a semi-empty feeling. I had a moment. I said to myself — 'is this it? Is there more to life than this?' And the answer was resoundingly yes."
( Also on POLITICO: Houston Astrodome voted down)
Having traveled around the country speaking about the Congo and the connections we have to the conflict, I have seen the class size, the audience and the supporters grow significantly. Students come to events more engaged, more knowledgeable, and more eager to join the movement.
Fast forward to Madison, Wisconsin and a mass of university students on their feet, energized and ready to engage on Congo. Although an earlier student movement sprang up when fighting erupted in Congo in the 1990s, the student advocacy movement has struggled to keep momentum between fleeting moments of international attention. This year, I have seen this student-led movement reach new heights as the results of sustained organizing. Students are a critical part of the activist movement surrounding Congo, and their support for key advocacy and policy goals continues to drive change.
Fellow Packer Andy Mulumba, and the only Congolese NFL player, echoed this sentiment and expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the students, "On behalf of the Congolese people, we are really grateful. You don't have to go to Congo to make an impact; everything you do here will have a direct impact to what's happening in my country."
( Also on POLITICO: Costas: Redskins name 'an insult')
He's talking about using consumer pressure to encourage responsible sourcing to stem the conflict minerals trade. Raise Hope for Congo has leveraged the electronics industries' key demographic, college students, to pressure companies into making socially and ethically responsible choices when it comes to investing in Congo. This new student movement, propelled by the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative , has quickly spread to more than 150 campuses, and works with university students to urge administrators to shift electronics procurement practices to promote the purchase of conflict-free products across campuses.
"We are all indirectly linked to this war, and we have the power to make a change," said actor-activist Emmanuelle Chriqui, who holds a long record for Congo activism. "I'm here to promise you that the smallest action has a ripple effect."
Earlier this year, Emmy nominee and human rights champion Robin Wright joined Congolese activist Neema Namadamu in delivering Neema's petition to the White House, which called on President Obama to appoint a special envoy to help resolve the conflict in Congo. Soon thereafter, Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry put former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold on the job, taking the bold step advocates knew was necessary to help end the war.
These are huge strides, but the unfinished business of peacemaking remains. Feingold and his counterpart at the United Nations, Mary Robinson, should work with African leaders to organize the next critical part of the peace process: negotiations between Congo, Rwanda and regional leaders on key issues in security, economics, accountability and refugees. Furthermore, Feingold must press the leaders of Congo and Rwanda to help transform the minerals trade by implementing the certification process that they put in place and transforming financial incentives from war to peace.
JD Stier ( @JDStier ) is the Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign manager.


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Zakka Life shows us how to get started using Mizuhiki cord with this gorgeous gift-wrap project.
The knot on the box is called an abalone knot. It's also referred to as awabi musubi, the Josephine knot, or a good luck knot. This is one of the easier mizuhiki knots to make.
2 thoughts on "HOW TO – Mizuhiki Cord Knots"
I want to try this. Thanks for the link. :)
Comments are closed.


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Hard on the heels of my post about Living under drones, the joint report from the International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic at Stanford and the Global Justice Clinic at NYU, comes another joint report, The civilian impact of drones, this one from the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School and the Center for Civilians in Conflict. Download it here.
It's particularly valuable for its careful parsing of 'personality' strikes (against named individuals) and 'signature' strikes (based on 'pattern of life' analysis) and, most of all, for its detailed discussion of the blurring of CIA operations and military operations carried out by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
I drew attention to this in 'Lines of descent' (DOWNLOADS tab), using many of the same sources, but while I applaud the report for its principled reflections on the ethical and legal implications of these (c)overt operations in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, it does not accord USAF operations in Afghanistan the same level of scrutiny. For reasons I also set out in both 'Lines of descent' and 'From a view to a kill' I think this is a mistake: military protocols are indeed more public, even transparent, as the authors note, but the space between principle and practice is still wide enough to inflict an unacceptably heavy burden on the civilian population.
And, as I've argued before, these issues cannot be resolved by co-ordinated Congressional scrutiny or by demands for 'transparency' alone.


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After our day in Reno we'd left to Virginia City, an old town that still looks like the Wilde West. Leaving Reno we weren't sure if we're going to stay in Virginia City or maybe go back to Reno for the night. We even had considered going back home the same day.
The ride from Reno to Virginia City was really awful as it always is for me on the very curvy roads. I wasn't ready for such a hot weather, I hadn't been drinking enough water and when we got to the city I was shaking, whatever I would say I'd heard echo in my head, I felt like I'm going to throw up… . I felt miserable. The whole being-in-a-middle-of-a-dessert thing… ugh… I am totally not used to it. I don't count those few trips to in-laws where for the most of the time we are indoors anyway 🙂
As soon as we got there my husband got me a cold, iced (not very tasty) milkshake which made me feel much better. We had sat in the old retro saloon re-made into a small casino-like place until I regain my energy.
Then we went for a walk looking for some place to have late lunch-early dinner. As soon as we got there I knew I want to stay there for the night. This place was really nice and unique, I wanted to see more. So while kids and I had been finishing our lunch/dinner the husband went for a hotel seeking trip. He came back with a good news. After we had eaten we all left to the hotel where we got some rest, posted a few pictures from the trip on facebook, got a bandage for our daughter's blister and we'd left for another walk.
This time the weather was MUCH COOLER and there was MUCH LESS people on the streets.
| click "play" to watch the slideshow
Both places, Reno and Virginia City were great, but Virginia City was my favorite. It's such a great thing to be able to see the real, old and historical wild west and be able to walk those old streets and visit the old buildings. The words "old building" have such a different feeling to it when I think about old buildings in Poland, or Europe in general. Some buildings are almost 1000 years old like this church dated back to 1079!!! The difference is huge between the European and American history and I'm always excited and happy when I am able to compare it with my own eyes and body 🙂
Our trip would've been even better if we hadn't had such a rough time going back home. We were all really tired of being on the road a lot, not sleeping well, walking with blisters or being trapped in the car seats. The drive back home was just too much. What normally would've taken 4 hours this time took almost 8!
Luckily we got home just in time for Next Food Network Star!!!
Related articles
- Visiting Nevada – Day One: Reno (momphotographer.wordpress.com)


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I was unfortunately unable to vote for former Missouri prosecutor Kenny Hulshof during his 2008 gubernatorial race. Fortunately I now have the chance to vote for Mr. Hulshof; over at The Agitator, Radley Balko has a poll up for worst prosecutor of 2010. You may recall that several of Hulshof's murder convictions have either been overturned due to egregious prosecutorial misconduct or are likely to be overturned in the future.
38.899000 -92.239000