zaterdag 27 augustus 2011

paarse wortels... Waarom hebben die hollanders ze dan oranje gemaakt?

Take the carrot. Orange as an Oompa Loompa, of course, and always has been. Or not. Because the Afghans of the 7th Century would have been perplexed.

Their version, and the one from which all ours are descended, was a rather regal purple.

Even when they reached Europe, via the Moors, some time in the 14th Century, carrots were either purple or pale yellow.

Aptly enough, it was the Dutch who created the orange carrot, which quickly became the norm.

vrijdag 26 augustus 2011

yeay!! can't wait to see my `friends` again!

Crack open the Bolly! Ab Fab are back and Eddy and Patsy are shopping up a storm filming Christmas special

By SARAH FITZMAURICE

Last updated at 5:28 PM on 26th August 2011

We haven’t seen them crack into a bottle of Bolly since they last appeared on our screens in 2004.

But the dysfunctional and deluded Eddy and Patsy are set to return to our screens with a special episode of Absolutely Fabulous.

Earlier today Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were seen stepping into the shoes of the tragic middle aged women filming scenes for the Christmas special.

Shopping up a storm: Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Sunders have reprise their roles as Eddy and Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous

The pair were seen parading up and down Bond Street laden with designer bags from the likes of Louis Vuitton, The Kooples and Lanvin, in the never-ending quest to stay hip and cool.

Joanna, who plays Patsy, a magazine editor, is sporting her trademark beehive hairstyle with a black furry coat and a pair of stone coloured trousers, which she teams with a pair of nude heels and peaked sunglasses.

Sweetie, darling! The pair were seen filming a special episode shopping in Bond street in London

She's in fashion: The women were seen laden down with designer bags from Lanvin, The Kooples and Louis Vuitton

Meanwhile Jennifer as Eddy had gone bright and bold in a colour blocked pleated dress and a bright red jacket, finished off her look in a white felt hat.

In their quest to keep up with the latest looks Eddy is seen looking glum as she is refused entry to Stella McCartney’s boutique and stands outside the store looking glum.

That's not for you: Jennifer Saunders was seen pressing herself up to the glass of a Stella McCartney boutique after 'Eddy' was refused entry

Looking glum: The actress was then seen sitting outside the store looking rather annoyed

Eddy even presses right up against the store window desperate to get to the designs inside.

Another scene depicts the girls having lunch with Patsy proudly showing off her McCartney goods making it appear that she gained entry into the luxury boutique.

The show became a hit classic when it first aired in 1992 until 1995. Creator Saunders then revived the show in 2001 and it ran for another three series until 2003.

Mailonline revealed in April that the comedy duo would film three new episodes though the writing genius behind the show, Jennifer Saunders, had yet to come up with a script.

The new shows will be the first new shows for six years.

Feeling smug: A later scene shows the women enjoying lunch with Patsy proudly displaying her Stella McCartney goods

Still so fab: The girls in Ab Fb in 2003

Ab Fab has also enjoyed several spin off series and a number of television movies documenting the pair’s self-destructive behaviour.

Last year Jennifer fought and won a battle with breast cancer after finding a lump in her breast in autumn 2009.

The lump was caught early and she had it removed, followed by gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

In July Jennifer donned a cap and gown to receive an honorary degree from Edge Hill University.

woensdag 10 augustus 2011

Pech is nog zwak uitgedrukt voor deze mensen...

Mother and baby daughter BOTH diagnosed with cancer

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 8:32 PM on 9th August 2011

A mother and her baby daughter are both facing a battle against cancer.

Kezia Fitzgerald, 27, of Massachusetts, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January eight months after giving birth to her baby Saoirse.

In May, her baby daughter was also diagnosed with cancer and now both together fight to survive.

Mother and daughter: The Fitzgerald's face an epic battle with their toddler as both mother and daughter battle cancer

Mike, Saorisa and Kezia Fitzgerald: Kezia was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and Saorisa with Neuroblastoma in May

Of her own diagnosis, Kezia said: 'it was definitely a shock, of course at first we were scared.'

On the day she posted on her blog: 'New Mom….. New Cancer.'

Undergoing chemotherapy, she was determined to beat it, 'There’s no other options, you can't just crawl into a hole.'

But then - devastatingly - Saoirse, who is now fifteen-months-old, was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a common cancer in infants.

Different outcomes: Kezia's cancer is in remission while little Saorisa continues to battle with medication, chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant scheduled

Mike Fitzgerald, Saoirse's father said: 'I just couldn’t talk. I just kept crying. We all just sat there, holding each other.'

Now, after three months battling the disease together, Kezia's cancer is in remission but little Saoirse needs surgery to remove tumours.

Playing: Like most toddlers, Saorisa is 'ansty,' 'hyper' and eager to learn

She will also need a stem cell transplant in January.

'She is very hyper and very antsy. She loves learning; she’s not letting it get her down,' her father Mike said.

Kezia also remarked how facing the disease together has made them close: 'it does make it a little bit easier to keep on top of side effects because I know what she feels like.'

Doctors have said the youngster is responding well to the cancer medicine and that the two cancers were not linked or passed on from mother to daughter.

The family live in Danvers, Massachusetts - half-an-hour north of Boston.

With both parents no longer working, the Fitzgerald's have started a fund to pay for medical expenses, available on Twitter @fitzcancerfund.

MEDICALLY SPEAKING...

Hodgkins Lymphoma:

Kezia suffers from a cancer which typically affects men aged 15-35 or over 55.
Since many sufferers are young, its is common for them to live 40 years or more after treatment
Up to 98% of patients survive if they are given a favourable prognosis, whereas only 85% of patients survive of those with worse outlooks

Neuroblastoma

Saorisa suffers from the most common cancer in infancy
650 new cases each year in the US
Diagnosis is difficult as first symptoms are vague - fatigue, loss of appetite, fever
Between 20% and 50% of high-risk cases do not respond adequately chemotherapy
Most survivors have long-term effects from such as hearing loss, growth reduction, thyroid function disorders, learning difficulties, and greater risk of secondary cancers