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To my delight my cherry tomatoes at the plot have finally started to ripen. They look like little jewels. Im very pleased with them. The 'Sungold' and 'Sweet baby' plants have produced a bumper crop. Now all I'm waiting for are my main tomato plants to ripen at home. They are still green. I just need the first one to start to turn red and then the rest tend to follow.
So this is my blog all about growing your own. Im use to growing my fruit and veg in pots, however i have just been lucky enough to take on a new plot. This blog charts my journey to go from 'pot to plot'...
Friday, 6 September 2013
Back from holiday
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
The harvests keep coming
This is the time of year where your hard work is really rewarded as the veg is producing bumper crops. Every time I visit the plot I always come away with a trug of lovely edibles. The main problem is trying to find ways of using up all the produce!
This is definitely a bumper year for courgettes. They weren't very good last year because of the poor wet summer, but they are making up for it this time. If I've not been to the plot for a few days I find the courgettes have quickly turned into marrows- good thing I love courgettes!
My broad beans have also made up for their poor performance last year. I sowed these a lot later than I normally would but it has paid off. I've still got plenty to harvest.
Finally my tomatoes are looking glorious. The plants are looking good and healthy and have big fat tomatoes hanging by the trusses. All I need now is for them to start to ripen. I keep checking them every day for the slightest hint of red. It just takes the first one to start to ripen and the rest follow suit.
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Redcurrant delight
Ive got a bumper crop of Redcurrants this year. The birds have already stared to feast upon them so I decided to start to harvest them before I have non left. The bush looks beautiful laden with red jewels.
I harvested all these and there is still plenty left on the bush. The problem is trying to think of what to do with them all. Ive still got jars of redcurrant jelly left from last time so I decided to give redcurrant jam a go. It basically just a bit sweeter than redcurrant jelly (and because im not too keen on the seeds in redcurrants then I've turned it into a jelly as well!).
Redcurrant Jam:
1.2kg redcurrants
1kg caster sugar
Put the redcurrants in a pan with 500ml of water. bring to the boil and simmer till the berries are soft and have begun to release their juice.
Strain the redcurrants. ( I do this through a sieve lined with a jay cloth).
Then add the sugar to the juice and let the sugar dissolve. Then bring to a rolling boil. Try the jam test to know when its done.
Then put into sterilise jars. This made three and a half jars of jam for me But they were large jars so it should make about four jars depending on the size.
Soaking up the sun
All the plants are thriving in the glorious sunshine. After having an almost non-existent summer the last two years, it has really made a change to have a decent spell of warm weather.
My sweetcorn plants are looking strong and healthy. They are planted in a grid with a few squash plants at their bases and courgette plants around the edges. I cant wait till the super sweet cobs will be ready for harvesting.
The tomato plants are looking good. The first trusses of fruits are appearing now. These are 'Ferline' and they are always a reliable variety for growing outdoors.
Ive planted out a row of Swiss Chard. I love the range of colours you can get from 'Bright Lights'. Ive never managed to get a real harvest from Chard plants before so Im hoping things will change this year.
My broad bean plants are further behind than normal due to the cold spring. They are in flower at present with no sign of black fly.
These are my 'Electric Daisy' plants from the home grown revolution by James Wong. The idea of a fizzy numbing sensation from the flowers fascinates me. They are ready to be planted out now and at the moment small buds are just starting to form.
I've got a mass of brassicas waiting for space to become available. I've just continued to pot them on to keep them healthy. Hopefully they will be able to follow on from my potatoes when they all get dug up.
This is my edible hanging basket. Ive done this for the last two year but its looking at its best this year. It consists of three tomato plants - 'Fountain' and 'Rambling Gold Stripe', which were started off in a heated propagator towards the end of March. It then has nasturtium plants which provide edible flowers for salads.
This is my first courgette harvest. I've grown 'Best of British', 'Safari' and 'Soleil'. I like to have a variety of colours as they look good in dishes. Courgettes are one of my favourite plants to grow so I say bring on the glut! I just hope the hot dry weather doesn't reduce their productivity. I've already had a few courgettes which have been withered at one end which I think may be due to a lack of water.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Hedgerow Bounty
I've not posted in a while. With starting a new job I've not got round to posting, but that doesn't mean things haven't been growing. Things have had a slow start this year due to the cold almost non-existent spring. However this week the sun seems to have finally made a late appearance and the plants are loving it. The hedgerow is also benefitting from the sun and the elderflowers are in full bloom. There's just masses of flowers which means time for a bit of creative cooking. Normally I make elderflower champagne but I've decided to try making a cordial this year and for the price of a few lemons and a kilo of sugar I've got a lovely drink to keep me refreshed. Its also great added to fruit dishes especially any gooseberry puddings.
Monday, 18 February 2013
Lets get started
I got the egg boxes out and put them to good use. I use them to chit my potatoes in as they are the perfect holder for the seed potatoes. This year I'm just growing salad varieties due to the blight that keeps striking at the plot. I'm growing three types this year: 'Belle de Fontenay', 'Kestrel', and 'Arran Pilot'. Chitting potatoes always feels like the start of the new growing season.
I also decided to plant my shallots into modules. I'm growing 'Longor' variety this year. The bed isn't quite ready for them to go out and be planted directly ( it still needs to be weeded and dug over!) so this way i hope they will get off to a good start.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
First harvest
I finally dug up my Jerusalem Artichokes. I had planted the majority at the plot but also planted a few tubers into a pot. Well from the pot I got a bumper crop of...... one artichoke! It just looked like the rest of the tubers hadn't developed. So off to the plot I ventured to dig up the rest of the tubers with my fingers crossed they would be more bountiful. It felt good to be digging again and to be harvesting. Luckily the tubers in the ground had done better than the ones in the pot. I had never had Jerusalem Artichokes before so i copied a recipe I saw Alys Fowler do on her series and I made an artichoke gratin. It was very nice and I will certainly be growing them again this year. I just need to find a few more recipes for them.
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Terence Bay
Situated along a rocky outcropping that overlooks Back Bay, the buildings that make up Peter Braithwaite Studio are sited within the culturally rich community of Terence Bay. This small fishing community, located along Nova Scotia's eastern shore, is made up of rocking cliff faces and rolling hillsides that extend down to the ocean's edge. It is along this shoreline you can find the modest homes, boat sheds and supply buildings that exemplify an honest and humble vernacular material culture.


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Traditional craftsmanship
On a journey of discovery through the Thuringian Forest, the Thuringian Slate Mountains and the Franconian Forest, you can follow the tracks of different crafts which have marked the mentality of the population in part for centuries, and which even today are still being maintained. For the special delight of the visitor: Some traditional trade activities you can try out on the spot.
Gold of all colours
Between Stockheim in the Franconian Forest and Neuhaus-Schierschnitz in Thuringia, the mining nature trail points out the several hundred-year-old hard coal tradition. Close to Stockheim, a seam of the black gold lies exposed in the open. The Thuringian Lauscha, not far from the Rennsteig scenic trail, is considered to be the birthplace of blown glass. Lauscha has kept up this tradition for over 400 years, and presents this handicraft in the Museum for Glass Art, as well as in numerous demonstration workshops. Equally connected with glass is Kleintettau in Franconia, which explores glass art in the new European Flacon Glass Museum. Not far from here, Tettau and Schauberg are home to important companies in Franconian porcelain manufacturing. One of the factories is embellished with the royal stamp of approval, and is the oldest porcelain factory in Bavaria. It is possible to buy the "white gold" in a factory shop here and there.
Trying things out can be addictive
A bit of a spending spree is unavoidable once you have tasted the seductive filled chocolates from Lauenstein. Two confectionery shops try and outdo each other in the art of chocolate delights. In some chocolate cream seminars you can even try out making them yourself. From chocolate delicacies to "blue gold": In the Technical Memorial of the slate town of Lehesten - as well as in the Ludwigsstadt slate museum - you can get a good idea of the effort involved in extracting slate that is more than 400 million years old. If you want, you can also try and split slate yourself, under expert guidance.
Finger exercises for fine lace
More filigree dexterity is required in Nordhalben. In the lace school you can learn how fine lace is made. It takes quite a lot of practice to guide the bobbins properly. Not far away is Wurzbach, where you can experience the history of iron founding in the "Heinrichshütte" Technical Memorial. Twice a month, an impressive smelting show takes place. The museum for tannery and municipal history in Hirschberg demonstrates the over 500-year-old tradition of leather making in the city.
Further information:


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text: The British Unit by Connor Bock | Wednesday, July 1, 2015 | 0 comment(s) S cience was never my thing. Not that I didn't find it interesting, it's just some of the numbers… they freaked me out. Mathematics was the same beast. But unfortunately, those numbers always lead to knowledge, and I don't know about you, but I usually welcome knowledge. Unless it's a Monday. Coming to work at Discount Hearth has been an interesting experience, considering I had maybe 2% knowledge of the hearth business. Okay, maybe 1%. So many different combinations of letters and numbers… NG, LP, FPK, etc… it gets exhausting, but it's vital information. This all brings me to one thing that all of you seeking to buy your first grill… your grill's BTUs. "BTU" stands for British thermal unit, and these are the units that measure the heat given off by your gas burner. A good way to look at this in a general sense is that 1 BTU will raise the heat of one point of water by one degree Fahrenheit. When I first did some research on BTUs, I wasn't quite sure on what I needed to know, but as it turns out, quantity is the common question. You'd think "the more the merrier", right? In this case, having a high BTU-level stovetop isn't ideal unless you're for some reason constantly cooking high-heat food. Your premium will also be more expensive- you could be spending much more money for a cooking level that you normally wouldn't be working on. The most efficient way to look at how many BTUs your stove needs is to know that your stove should have enough to boil a large pot of water in a relatively short amount of time. But at the same time, you need a stove that can also do low temperatures as well as high. You need to be able to simmer on low, fry on medium, and sear on high. It's also vital to know your BTUs for when you are shopping a vent hood, as they are adjusted to fit your stove's specific amount of BTUs. There you have it. The definition, meaning, and importance of BTUs, explained in a non-boring non-scientific manner, just for YOU. You can thank me later, I'll understand. In all seriousness, understanding BTUs will benefit you in the future when picking out your first, or any stove/grill for that matter. Be sure to check us out our Instagram and stay tuned for next week's blog post! This entry was posted in no categories. 0 Comments Add a Comment to this Post You must be logged in to post comments.


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Choose Vehicle Type
Inspired by the functional principle of string instruments, Continental is reinventing the car audio system by replacing conventional loudspeakers with actuators that create sound by vibrating certain surfaces in the vehicle.
The speaker-less audio system brings many advantages:
The mix of tweeters (high frequency speakers), midrange speakers and subwoofers which together make a conventional high-end car audio system frequently interrupts the original interior surfaces with the typical look of a speaker front. With Ac2ated Sound, it is not necessary to integrate speakers with oscillating membranes as the surfaces that are needed to do the job are available in the car already. The rationale behind this invisible audio system is to utilize existing components for even better results.


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Nothing says summer picnic like gingham! The next time you host a fun and casual backyard get together, you'll impress in this sweet and stylish lace-up back tank top. In your choice of beautiful blue or vibrant yellow, this OSO top features a V shaped back with large silver-tone grommets. They allow a cute gingham patterned ribbon to crisscross through for a cute and stylish accent.
Please see the Garment Measurements tab for the actual measurements of this garment. Use the above link to find the best size for your figure.
About the Collection
Take a relaxed approach to style with OSO Casuals® fashions, available exclusively ShopHQ. With easy-to-wear, comfortable tops and bottoms in denim, twill, cotton knits and more, OSO Casuals offers perfectly fitting styles for your relaxed lifestyle.
Designed to meet the needs of modern women on-the-go, OSO Casuals fashions are easy-wear, easy-care, so you can spend more time enjoying life and less time worrying about your wardrobe.
As a woman, you play many roles - from busy working professional to wife and mother. For you, comfortable wardrobe staples are a necessity. With OSO Casuals, you'll find the perfect balance of comfort and fashion...designed for real life.
About the Guest
With more than 25 years experience in the entertainment and modeling industries, Becky Wright has worked alongside some of the best stylists in the business. Through this experience, she's gained a unique understanding of the fashion industry that helped her develop the philosophy that "personal style transcends the trends." As a busy mom of two active teenage boys, Becky searched for a wardrobe that worked as hard as she did. Teaming up with OSO Casuals, Becky has found the perfect blend of fashion and comfort.


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The Secret to Ending Unconscious Eating
Speed eating. Unconscious eating. Eating until whatever you are eating is gone. If you tend to overeat—either often or on occasion—you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's eating so fast, as if to "get rid of the evidence" as one client used to say. It's getting to the bottom of the potato chip bag and wondering what the heck just happened. It's eating until not a thing is left on your plate, even though you were physically full seventeen bites ago and now you are stuffed. To overeat, you have to disconnect from your body. Your mind takes a mini-vacation while you're eating, only to return after the food is gone to commence in the mental beat-down that sounds something like this: "Why did you do that? You're such a pig! You will never lose weight now. You're disgusting! I hate you for doing this—again!" Though you are the one doling out the harsh words, you are also on the receiving end of this verbal tirade, and you end up feeling worse, which often fuels even more overeating.
Eating is such an automatic thing. We've been doing it our whole lives that the mechanics of eating can be performed unconsciously. Kind of like tying our shoes or brushing our teeth, we've been doing it for so long, that it takes no thought to perform these tasks. This morning, I discovered (quite by accident) a way to practice paying attention while you are eating. Let me share the story with you.
I am babysitting two dogs while their family is on vacation for Spring Break. This morning, I found a small puddle next to the refrigerator. As I swiped a paper towel under the fridge to mop up the puddle, I sliced the top of the knuckle of my middle finger on the edge of the metal grill. OUCH! That freaking hurt! And it bled like a mo. Once I got the bleeding to stop, I put ointment on it and one of those fancy knuckle bandages. I thought, "Great, now I have to keep it dry," and decided against making the breakfast I had planned to make, as that involves a lot of prep and clean up. Since I was hungry, and the Farmers Market didn't open for another two hours, I foraged in the kitchen for something to eat that didn't involve dishes.
On the top of my fridge was a bag of BBQ potato chips. Yes, not the best breakfast for my body, but I wasn't willing to let myself get over-hungry while I waited for the Farmers Market to open. I opened the bag and started eating with my left hand since I didn't want to get BBQ powder all over my right hand with the bandage. My right hand is my dominant hand, so it was awkward as ass to eat with my left. It took focus and attention to pinch the chips and bring them up to my mouth. I was forced to eat slowly and thoughtfully. Eating that slowly, I could really taste the chips and their texture in my mouth. And then it dawned on me, "I'm done. I don't want any more of these." It was so easy to stop eating, and I put the rest of the bag of chips back on top of the fridge. Why was I able to do this? Because I was present.
If you find it hard to slow down or stay present while you eat, I invite you to try eating exclusively with your non-dominant hand for the entire day and see how it impacts you. What do you notice when you slow down? Does the food even taste the same? When you slow down and actually taste it, you might discover that you don't even like the taste or texture of what you're eating and decide that you don't want to keep eating it. For some of you, it might even taste better, because when you are eating so fast, you often miss the experience of actually tasting the food you're eating. When you slow down and are present with your food, you are likely to find that you are easily satisfied with less.
Try eating with your non-dominant hand for a day. It's a cool experiment! If you like the new awareness it brings, why not commit to this practice for an entire week and see what happens? Eventually, you will go back to eating your meals with your dominant hand, but maybe you'll consider making it a practice to only eat fun foods (chips, ice cream, cookies, candy etc.) with your non-dominant hand to maintain that connection with yourself and not slip back into the mindless eating like before. What might your body look like if you did this one practice for a month, or six months, or a year? Any time you do something differently than the way you are doing it now, you will create different results. And then you can applaud yourself with both hands.


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The reading will take place at 3 PM Sept. 23 and 6 PM Sept. 24 at the Cherry Lane Studio (38 Commerce Street). The readings are private.
The play concerns a family incapacity to grieve the death of a son. It has been produced at Alan Ayckbourn's Stephen Joseph Theatre and the Edinburgh Royal Lyceum.
The other New York theatres taking part in the exchange program are the Atlantic Theatre Company, Primary Stages and the New Group.
According to a press release, "The Old Vic New Voices initiative is central to the famous London theatre's new prominence under its artistic director Kevin Spacey and chairman Sir Elton John, and affirms The Old Vic's commitment to the cultivation of exciting new work on both sides of the Atlantic, for the benefit of both theatrical communities."
Burke has starred in Into the Woods and several David Lindsay Abaire plays. Chalfant has made her mark in plays such as Angels in America, Wit and Talking Heads. Gerroll was last seen in Enchanted April.


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Step by step instructions to utilize a series of highly profitable money-making and marketing techniques that will make them a full time income online. Affiliate marketers are free to highlight their advertising content however they wish provided that it is obvious prior to engagement which links and associated content are advertising within each article. It is rather essential for you to have your personal webpage in thinking about online marketing as your skilled profession.
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Instantly, you get gain to a enthusiastic tracheophyte of affiliate programs acquirable for you. Likewise, you shouldn't let yourself be seduced by the tactics of less ethical affiliate marketers. It may not be as refined as those of Internet marketing professionals or that of super affiliates.
I research stuff to death and then go directly to a retailer…most of the affiliate marketers out there just become part of the research stage. If you're interested in building long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with companies that sell amazing products, Affiliate Marketing the Smart Way is for you.
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text: Chris Milillo Drum Studio Address: . Brewster , NY , . Phone: 845.279.3279 41° 23' 50.3376" N, 73° 37' 1.4592" W See map: Google Maps http://email@example.com name: ChrisType: Arts EducationMusic instruction - private lessonsSubjects: Arts: PerformanceMusicGuitarDrumsSeasons: All seasonsAges: 4-5 years6-8 years9-12 yearsTeenagersAdults without kidsOffers drum, guitar and bass instruction, as well as band workshops and band coaching for all ages and levels.Click For More InformationWeb Service Pinterest Share on Facebook Tweet Widget


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Who wouldn't like to get a shot at creating your own personal perfume? I surely would love to give it a try! Last Thursday I was invited by Jo Malone London to try out their 'Fragrance Combining' and learn more about the process of creating a cologne. I invited the bloggers Taria-Ann Verburgt (Survivor on Stilettos) and Isabeau van Maastricht (By Isabeau) to come along with me… bloggersdate it is!
Getting to Know the Fragrances of Jo Malone London, you can check out the options of fragrances we had here.
After choosing our favorite scents – mine were Orange Blossom with Peony & Blush Suede – we got a little hand/arm massage with those fragrances. I spent the rest of the day smelling my arms, which looked kinda weird, but it was just SO good! After our Fragrance Combining experience with Jo Malone London, me and the girls went for a drink in the city, and of course we had to take some pictures together!
Btw, what do you guys think of my outfit? I was wearing my new shirt from B- UNDAUNTED and this supercute shoe candy from Pinned by K. Simple, but always with a fun touch!
This is my last weekend in the Netherlands, I'm coming back to Barcelona soon! Not for long though, I will be back in the Netherlands again the first week of july for Fashion Clash in Maastricht and Amsterdam Fashion Week! YAY!
Do you guys have any cool plans coming up? Let me know!
Lots of Love,


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I am back to this blog after a break of 4 days :-) We had been on a weekend trip and it took me a day to settle down and come to the cooking and blogging mood. So, here is an easy recipe for a spicy chicken fry. Do adjust the quantity of spices given below to suit your taste buds.
1. Chicken - 500 gms
2. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Corn Flour - 2 tsp
3. Oil to deep fry
Curry leaves
1. Cut the chicken to small pieces and marinate with ingredients listed as item 2 for a minimum of 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the chicken peices till it is cooked and gets a brown colour. Adding curry leaves along with the chicken while frying gives a different aroma to this. You may also fry green chillies along with chicken.
Serve hot. Sprinkle a little lemon juice if you like.
Sending to Signature Recipes hosted by Saras


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Gaelic Forge posts
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Tag Archives: hand forged jewelry
6 New Pairs of Celtic Copper Earrings!
Six new pairs of Celtic copper earrings will arrive in our shop this coming week. As usual, these copper earrings are full of ancient Celtic vibes and artistic flair! Made entirely of copper these open hoops are dimensional with a … Continue reading
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Large Celtic Style Hand Forged Hoop Earrings
What kind of new hand forged earrings will we have at Gaelic Forge? I always wonder about this myself, as we have many different designs. Some are very complex and some are simple. I actually have a number of new … Continue reading
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Scottish Highland Games of Central California
The thirty-fifth Annual Fresno Highland Gathering and Games was held this past September 15, 2012. Gaelic Forge was open for business and my guys wore the Henderson tartan and took their place in the clan march.
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Posted in Uncategorized Tagged California, Celtic, Gaelic Forge, hand forged jewelry, Henderson tartan, jewelry, kilt, music, Scottish Leave a comment
Where and How Gaelic Forge Started
Gaelic Forge sits on the Eastern side of California up against the Sierra Nevada foothills. This is where we live and work, surrounded by foothills on one side and agriculture on the other. We have raised our six kids here in the country. Now we work to create awesome hand forged Celtic jewelry.
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Posted in Uncategorized Tagged blacksmith, California, Celtic, family, Gaelic Forge, hand forged jewelry, jewelry, Sierra Nevada Mountains Leave a comment


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(This page may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)
The Osun State government, yesterday, dismissed insinuations that the state would not pay salaries of workers this month owing to the paltry N6 million it received as federal allocation for February. The sum was arrived at after deductions.
It, instead, assured that the workers would get their January salaries this week.
A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said the considerably reduced federal allocations were no more news to the state.
"As at today, the process for the payment of January salaries is at the final stages. Osun workers will receive their salaries from this week in preparation for Easter holidays," he assured.
The statement noted that the state, by virtue of its poor allocation, has never had the opportunity of ample resources that corresponds to the humongous responsibilities of payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities as well as implementation of capital projects.
"But due to prudent management of resources, creative infrastructure financing, this government has been able to fulfill its obligations in all these critical areas of governance.
"The fact remains that Osun, under Aregbesola, did not have to wait for the day the state would get N6 million as allocation before proffering solutions towards sustainable economic self-reliance.
"This is why Osun has reduced the cost of governance, moved aggressively to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), sought to attract investments into the state through provision of hitherto non-existent infrastructure and enabling environment and instituted performance-driven governance.
"It must be noted that all hands are on deck towards more convenient repayment schedule of existing loans as part of plans to free the state's resources for critical needs of governance. This is in addition to the drive for internally generated revenues, the performance of which is very encouraging," Okanlawon added.
Meanwhile, it was yesterday learnt that the state had received less than N150 million from October till date due to repayment obligations for infrastructural projects.
It was also gathered that the state had paid more than N5 billion in salaries within same period.
The Guardian News


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at Brentwood Theatre
Sunday, December 15, 2013
at Brentwood Theatre
1 comment:
Oh what joy, a delightful show that isn't shouting its head off both verbally and musically. The result is magical in its effect on both the child and the adult audience. No more overactive, hyped-up little darlings (unless they'd been at the Old Woman's sugar) and we crumblies could enjoy the sheer delight of a tale simply, yet imaginatively told by just four actors.
Director Joseph C Walsh used the multipurpose, transformational set to good advantage while his talented cast wove the spell of a good story. This adaptation by Mike Kenny is set is deprived modern times with Andrew Dodge's songs MDed by Ian Southgate and choreographed by Sarah Sullivan proving that they don't have to be brash to be effective and entertaining.
Inside David Zelly's really homely woodcutter's cottage just about every detail was multipurpose with the clothes horse becoming prison bars and a sock turning into a little mouse.
Hannah Douglas's Gretel and Stephen O'Riain's Hansel were very easily identifiably squabbling siblings. Charlotte Bradford's Mother and Old Woman was suitably warm and hardhearted while Paul Tonkin's Father was mostly rendered useless by their circumstances.
Joy Dunn and Lynn Trubridge's simple costumes were also often multipurpose.
This was an excellent, entertaining and fun production, obviously done on a shoestring, yet never threadbare and always full of seasonal spirit.
Mary Redman
- 7:54 pm


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So this is my first ever OOTD post! I don't know if I'll do anymore, mainly because I usually dress for comfort. Style too, but mostly comfort. I'm still trying to balance it.
I changed the laces to multi-coloured ones. Aren't they adorable?
Top - Old Navy
Vans - Vans
Laces - Suck UK
Leather Jacket - Top Leather
Skirt - Boohoo
P.S. Quote of the day: You have to be odd to be number one.


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LightsFest 15…
…the switch on that nearly wasn't.
Gale force winds meant the cancellation of the annual switch of the West Didsbury lights around the Christmas Tree on Burton Road, on Saturday 5th December. BUT, the council still turned out to flick the switch so that West Didsbury was lit up and the Stretford Brass Band relocated to The Metropolitan.
Our independent businesses lit up their stars, which had been donated by The Metropolitan, from their recent Community Award, showing a real sense of community festive spirit.
On Saturday evening, which was very blustery, I did try to get all windows photographed but some weren't possible on the evening – some restaurants had people dining in window seats, interiors were in darkness etc, so will keep adding festive images as I can get them. Apologies if any businesses are not included on montages below – am sure they will totally understand & not bat an eyelid. But just in case anyone does feel left out, will be rectified as soon as I can.
Happy Christmas!


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Last week, we let you know that Knack wouldn't have a demo available on the PlayStation Network at launch, though you are more than free to play it on one of the demo stations popping up across the US.
When someone said that the missing Knack demo
was whack showed a lack of faith in the game, Associate Project Manager at SCEA Nick Accordino offered up his two cents on the matter:
When you're working on a global release of a product, you do your best to give gamers as great of a taste of something as possible. For Knack, we had 3 separate demos across the course of the year, which is a lot, given that we're also trying to complete the main game, push out a companion application and have everything set in time for release on a brand new console with exciting new features. (That Remote Play – man do I love it!)
I can assure you, there is no lack of faith in Knack – Mark and the team at Japan Studio have built a fantastic game, and I can't wait until people have their hands on it.
Give it a try – you'll see what I mean!
Also, with Killzone: Shadow Fall's digital file taking up around 50GB and NBA 2K14 likely taking up 50GB, PS4 games are going to take up quite a bit of room when you download them from the PlayStation Store. Though he didn't say a specific size, Nick did let someone know they should expect to save a bit of space on their PS4 HDD for Knack:
Knack's a big game, both in length and scale! I would count on saving a bit of space on your HDD, although with that 500GB that comes packed-in, I don't think you'll have any problems!
What's great about the PS4 is that you can start playing a digital game before it has even finished downloading, and Knack's a great example of this.
Are you going to get the retail version of Knack, or go for the digital one? Let us know in the comments below.


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8 Things to Consider When Choosing an OB/GYN
When it comes time to pick an OB/GYN, it can be confusing. You may not even know which factors to consider and what questions to ask—especially if you are pregnant for the first time. We sat down with Dr. Michelle Quinn, OB/GYN at Women's Healthcare Affiliates, located at the Mary Potter Physicians Pavilion (2850 W….Read More


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In this day of disposable everything, consumers are resigned to the notion of replacing (with regular frequency) virtually everything they own. Called "planned obsolescence," the principle is applied when, from their conception, products are manufactured with an intentional "end of usefulness" (style, fashion, function, etc.) lifespan.Planned obsolescence results in the necessity of repurchasing the same tool, appliance or gadget repeatedly, as the current version reaches its built-in termination/failure point. Some producers are incredibly overt about the tactic. Apple releases updated versions of its technologies on a regular schedule, enticing customers to continually re-buy many of the same functions to gain access to a few new ones. Not surprisingly, today's buying public is so inured to the practice that it accepts the "fact" that every product available for purchase will fail within a few years and need replacement.
Solar power systems are different, however. A residential solar power system is unique from other power systems because it has no moving parts, and its components are intentionally designed to last for decades. For homeowners considering purchasing a solar power system, however, there are circumstances unrelated to manufacturing that can reduce the system's capacity and sometimes even cause it to fail.
Atmospheric conditions
Because the solar panels that generate electricity usually are attached to a roof, they are subject to environmental hazards that are typical of the general atmosphere. Dirt, dust, bird droppings, etc., can cloud the surface of the panel and reduce its efficiency. Hail, rocks, tree limbs and other falling debris can crack the surface glass, which will reduce efficiency and may require replacement.
Installation materials failures
Even with the highest production standards, the substances that make up hardware of any kind can erode over time and cause a failure. Solar panels can slip off their mountings, or movable arrays can come loose, causing breakage or damage that might require replacement.
Equipment quality matters
In 2011, Bloomberg New Energy Financing issued a tiered system of rating solar panel manufacturers to identify those that consistently crafted the highest quality panels in comparison to the hundreds of other international panel manufacturing companies. The tiers established a ranking system, and companies that ranked highest were those that had been manufacturing solar panels for 5+ years, accessed significant research and development data, and used robotics over human labor in manufacturing processes. High-quality solar panels have exceptionally long life-spans without failures.
Warranties on purchased systems eliminate worries
Since 1978, RGS Energy has been installing and maintaining the highest quality solar panels available and offering warranties on all the parts and materials. From the start, RGS solar power systems are designed not to fail. The 25-year warranty is fair to both RGS and the homeowner because the panels actually do last for 25 years, and longer. However, in the event of breakage or damage to the panels or other components of the system, RGS will help the customer RMA (return merchandize authorization) the component from the manufacturer according the manufacturer's warranty and will replace the component for the cost of their highly-skilled labor.
If purchasing a solar energy system is not for you, there is the option of a "Power Purchase Agreement" (PPA), which enables a homeowner to buy just the electricity generated by an RGS-owned solar energy system. The ownership of the system remains with RGS, so RGS is responsible for maintaining it. Any problems that arise in the system over time are addressed by RGS. The homeowner need only notify the company that something has gone awry.
Solar power generation can save homeowners and businesses thousands of dollars and eliminate thousands of tons of carbon emissions from the atmosphere. And the longevity of the systems ensures that every solar-power convert is relieved of maintenance and repair hassles and can enjoy their system for decades. No planned obsolescence here.
Visit www.rgsenergy.com for more information and a free quote.


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What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the first decentralized digital currency. So what does that mean? Well to put it simply, the network that maintains and processes the trading of Bitcoin is distributed across thousands of machines located all over the world so that there is no single point of failure.
With traditional banking, if the bank's computer network fails or is overloaded you can't get you money out. Bitcoin however has so many nodes processing payments, that even if a hundred of those nodes went offline at the same time it wouldn't make any difference to the time it takes to make a transaction.
How does it work?
Ok, so I'll try and break this down into the simplest explanation I can.
Bitcoin all starts with the 'ÄòMiners'; computers setup to process Bitcoin transactions. Every 10 or so minutes one of these miners will generate what is referred to as a block. Any pending transactions at the time a block is generated will be selected by the miner and placed within the said block. This block is then added to the 'ÄòBlockchain' which is a sort of record that contains a giant list of every Bitcoin transaction ever made.
Every Wallet, node and miner has a copy of the Blockchain. Whenever a new block is added, they download it, add it to their current version of the blockchain and verify that the transactions within the block are legitimate and have not been faked in anyway.
So what makes Bitcoin better than my local currency?
There are a few things about Bitcoin that make it a far better alternative than the current monetary system:
- Near instant transactions – A transaction with Bitcoin can be received within 10 minutes of sending, regardless of who you are sending it to. No more waiting for outdated banking software that takes 24 hours to send out your money.
- Low fees – compared to the current banking system, Bitcoin has very low transaction fees.
- Send money to anyone – With Bitcoin you can send your money to anyone anywhere in the world without having to wait and without having to pay outrageous wire transaction fees.
- No limits – there are no arbitrary limits to how much or how little Bitcoin you can send someone, unlike the current banking system that imposes a maximum transaction sizes.
- Bitcoin can't be inflated – due to the way Bitcoin has been set up, there will only ever be 21,000,000 Bitcoins in existence. There is no way for the government to print more and devalue the currency.
- You are in control – there is no way someone can freeze your account or charge your money on your behalf.
- Anyone can use it – there are no prerequisites for using/owning Bitcoin, all you need to do is download a wallet program and you are good to go.
Still not convinced that Bitcoin is the way to go?
Well there is one other reason to get into Bitcoin that I have not yet mentioned, and that of course is that the value of it keeps going up. In just over a year the value has risen from about $13 USD to over $400 USD and who knows when it will stop.
Jumping on board now might mean that in another year's time you may be able to sell it for a lot more than what you paid for it! If that's not a good enough incentive, then I don't know what is.
Want to learn more about Bitcoin?
Now that you've learnt what Bitcoin is, you might be interested in reading Why should I accept Bitcoin as payment method?
Can't wait to get your hands on your first Bitcoin? Check out our article on How to obtain your first Bitcoin


text: Heir to a real-estate dynasty, David Marks (Ryan Gosling) lives in the shadow of his father, Sanford (Frank Langella). He takes a chance at true love when he meets Katie (Kirsten Dunst), a woman of modest origins who sees David's real worth as a person, not just his family's wealth. David and Katie marry and plan to build a life together, but their once-loving relationship deteriorates after David gives in to his father's demand that he work in the family business.


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Denver International Airport's giant blue "Mustang" sculpture -- and the controversy surrounding it -- has gone national. Public debate sparked by local realtor Rachel Hultin's Facebook group "DIA's Heinous Blue Mustang Has Got to Go" -- a development first reported by Westword -- has spread across news outlets and this weekend reached the pages of the Wall Street Journal.
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One of the most interesting parts of the WSJ article was its use of the most outrageous, face-melting photo of Luis Jimenez' Mustang sculpture imaginable (above), an image destined to be tattooed on some drunken dude's neck. And it turns out the photo is courtesy of Denver International Airport! It takes some serious cojones to rock a promotional photo like this -- one that puts every other airports' wussy promotional materials to shame. To see what we mean, check out the slideshow linked above, in which we've pitted this official DIA Mustang photo with other airport promo images in a bad-assness death match. Two images enter, one image wins.


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Sony Mobile Communications
Sony shared some ground-breaking news just today, as huge plans to release the world's first ever ghost-catching device were unveiled. Branded The Proton Pack™, the device will be the first of its kind to capture ectoplasmic matter and is fully equipped with a state-of-the-art, miniaturized superconducting synchrotron, which accelerates injected protons from a hydrogen plasma cell.
The Proton Pack™ has been in development for 30 years and benefits from the newest innovations from Sony Corporation's acclaimed products. Weighing 6.66 kilograms/14.68 pounds, the Proton Pack™ incorporates the same STAMINA mode featured in Sony Mobile Communications' latest Xperia™ smartphones, allowing its user to keep the battery going longer.
Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai commented "The perfection of the Proton Pack™, long a dream of the world's greatest engineers since first pioneered by Dr. Egon Spengler of Columbia University, is an example of Sony's relentless pursuit of innovation. It absolutely delivers the wow factor that is so important to our company mission."
For full details about the device head to the website or watch the video we've shared below. So if there's something strange in your neighbourhood, or if there is something weird and it doesn't look good, make sure you get your hands on one.. *
As we've been keeping you up to date with the latest from the Sony World Photography Awards, we thought you'd love to hear that thirteen images have won the Open and Youth categories. The winners are from all over the world and the youngest in the Youth category, Anais Stupka from Italy, is just 12 years old! The winners will now compete to win the title of the overall Open or Youth Photographer of the Year, which will be announced at the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony in London on 21st April.
Speaking out about the Youth category, Scott Gray, CEO, World Photography Organisation said: "Nurturing and supporting photographers is at the heart of the Sony World Photography Awards. Nowhere is this more clear than in the Open and Youth competitions which each focus on identifying and promoting amateur and enthusiast photographers."
Remember that tickets are on sale now, just head over to the website to get your hands on some.
In case you missed it, this week we shared our latest instalment of our App of the Month. We took a look at Vysor, a Google Chrome extension that mirrors your Android screen to your desktop. An early beta of the app is available in the Chrome web store, so be sure to take a look. If you're keen to find out more, check out our post.
*April Fools, we got you! Unfortunately The Proton Pack™ won't be available to try, but if there are any freaky ghosts about, we're sure you can get through to the Ghostbusters on your Xperia.
That's all we have time for this week. Keep up to date with the latest news from Sony and Android on Twitter.


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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The daycare teachers held a one day strike today, but the director of my school did not participate. They are getting a "huge" pay increase - from 1800/mo to 5000/mo. But they want more. It costs my teacher 1800/mo for her own 2 kids school fees. Plus 300/mo for the rent of the day care center - no water, toilet or heat or supplies. She is fortunate her family took her back in after her husband died.
Last trip to McLeod (last shopping? - oooo the airport!), last day at the day care center, last hike home...eventually last glimpse of India. For now. Of all the places I have been on mission work, this is the one I will come back to first.
Six of us - 1/2 the group - leave now and will be together in Dehli for a day. Then I think I am the first one to get on the 12:15am flight on Saturday and be in Chicago by 5am the same day!
Not sure about internet in Dehli. Reflections after I get home.
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An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
London: Printed for J. Johnson, W.J. and J. Richardson, W. Otridge and Son, F.C. and J. Rivington, et. al. 1805. Twenty-first Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 2 vol., 510 pp.; 459 pp. Bound in mottled calf with board edges gauffered, spine decorated in fine gilt with a black morocco label on each..... More


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A few years before the establishment of State Education in Dalby a private school was conducted in very primitive premises on the eastern side of Myall Creek.
This school of approximately 30 pupils was conducted by a Mr. Meredith whose stipend was paid by the parents of children attending at the rate of one schilling per pupil per week.
Although now classified as State School No. 28, the Dalby State School was in fact the eighth Government school to be established in Queensland. It is indeed the fourth surviving school in Queensland to reach its 156th year of existence. With this in mind it is only fitting that the citizens of Dalby should feel justly proud on the school's contribution to the development of the State.
The first land sale held in Dalby was conducted on the 27 May 1857. The land on which the school buildings now stand was originally bought by Charles Coxen and Alexander Johnston and surrendered by them in 1860 for school purposes. In the Department of Education archives Brisbane, is a conveyance from Charles Coxen and Alexander Johnston to the Board of General Education fixing the location of Dalby State School, comprising two blocks, "containing by admeasurements two roods" each, and sold as lots 21 and 22 in pursuance of the proclamation of 27 May, 1857. This transfer was signed and dated 4 July 1862.
Thus the Dalby State School came into being, on an acre of land facing the present Cunningham Street and this land now comprises roughly the area covered by the present school buildings. The building, of slabs with a shingle roof
occupied the corner of Cunningham and Bunya Streets.
Opened on the 1 June 1861, the school was under the charge of Samuel Henry Ind, first Head Teacher. Unfortunately, no record is available of the attendance on the date of opening though there were 57 pupils present on the day of inspection later in the year. By the end of 1862, the enrolment had reached 111. Absenteeism among the pupils was apparently extremely high as the average daily attendance for the year was only 56. This was, of course, before the days of "free, compulsory, and secular" education, brought in the State Education Act of 1875. Indeed, it was not until 1870 that education became free to all who desired it. School fees continued to be paid until 1870 when education became free.
From its inception, the school was a mixed one until the 1st January, 1869, when a separate department for girls and infants was established, the first Headmistress of the girls' department being Mary Jane Roulston.
The innovation lasted for 24 years after which, on the 30 June, 1893 this girls' and infants'' section was closed and the school resumed as a mixed one. When the Boys' and Girls' schools were combined, it was found necessary to remove the old Boys' School which was reported, in 1894, as being "out of use and in a state of collapse".
Its condition is reflected by the fact that two tenders for its purchase for removal were received from James Clarke, hotel keeper, and S.W. Long for £20 and £10 respectively.
The removal of the building was completed by Mr. Clarke in October 1894. Immediately behind the school grounds, in the area now occupied by the playground, were the local sale yards. The presence of these yards was a constant source of irritation to the Head Teachers and School Committees of the day and continued representations by the latter bodies finally resulted in the removal of the yards and the inclusion of the area in the School Grounds in 1923. Records reveal that the Headmaster reported to the School Committee that "owing to the lack of fencing in the newly acquired land, he had been forced to have horses and cattle impounded by the town pound-keeper in order to try to protect school, property."
The school children in these early days walked to school, distances of up to five miles, particularly from the Branch Creek area. The shingle roof of the old school buildings was not conducive to a constant water supply and on many occasions the scholars were obliged to cart water to the school from a well that was at the corner of Cunningham and Drayton streets, the area now occupied by the Church of England. Old-timers vividly recall the goat-carts in which the eager lads transported this water, and of the many exciting goat races staged on the "Flats" after school were dismissed.
During the years, 1861 to the turn of the century, school population fluctuated, to a marked degree. This was an indication of the unsettled nature of the population of the town as a whole. Few, apart from the established landholders, could claim permanency of residence in the growing township. The combined school population had reached 218 by 1874 but by 1885 the attendance had fallen to 137. Apparently, a general exodus had taken place between the years 1880 and 1885. By 1888, the population of the town had reached 1500 approximately one seventh of who attended the Dalby State School.
As the new century ushered in any age of increasing technological development and as the population of the town continued to grow it was felt necessary by the School Committees of the day that secondary education should be established in Dalby. This finally came into being on 1 January 1914, when a secondary Department was added to the existing Primary School.
Of the 32 candidates who had previously sat for the qualifying examination, 26 were successful and were admitted to the High School division.
Miss Sarah Daisy Hooper B.A. was transferred from Brisbane to act as secondary teacher in the newly opened High "Top".
By April 1918, the attendance at this high School "Top" has reached 42 and steadily increased as the years went on. In 1920, the average attendance in the Secondary Department was 70 while in the Primary section the attendance had reached 260. At first this high School was housed on an enclosed veranda but as attendance grew a new wing was added in 1919 to accommodate the increasing numbers who desired secondary education. Records reveal the School Committee's awareness of the need for such secondary education. First moves for a High School and later a Technical College were put in motion long before the outbreak of World War I. During the 20's and 30's the school population remained static, with the enrolment in the Primary section around three hundred with sixty to seventy students in the High School section.
About this time, the scope of the Secondary department was widened by the establishment of a Domestic Science Course in 1922, and Woodwork and Commercial Courses in 1927. These classes filled a pressing need and were greatly appreciated by students and business and commercial interests alike since they provided the business community with an ever-increasing number of trained employees.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and the evacuation of people to the country, Dalby's population began to rise. The establishment of war-time industrial undertakings and the foundation of secondary industries in Dalby did much to bring about this increase. School enrolments rose to 491 by 1945.
However, it was not until the vast expansion in agricultural development in the Dalby district that followed World War II that this increase became spectacular. Although prior to 1939 agricultural production had been steadily progressing, the district was still predominantly a pastoral one. With land-hungry veterans just returned from active service clamouring for agricultural country, the rich black-soil plains of the district appealed most strongly to them. Under the government's Soldier Settlement Scheme many of the larger properties were cut up and converted into agricultural units. Thus began an influx of agriculturalists into the district, most of them with young families.
This gave a new lease of life to our town. The needs of the increased farming community had to be met. New businesses sprang up in the town, secondary industries were extended with the development particularly of Napier's Foundry, and machinery works were established while the business section of the town was greatly enlarged. All this was accompanied by an extensive home building programme which literally changed the face of this "City of the Plains". The population rose spectacularly and with it a came a corresponding increase in the number of children attending the school. Between the years 1945 and 1950, the enrolments at the Dalby State School rose to 772.
This progress continued during the 50's. With the establishment of School transports to convey country children to this growing central school, the progress accelerated until by the year 1954 the enrolment stood at 1024, as increase of some 106% over that of 1945.
By this time, in spite of the provision of temporary accommodation in the form of ten extra classrooms, the housing problem became acute. Mean-time, continued representations were being made for the establishment of a State High School in Dalby. This State High School became reality in 1954, while by 1957 the Seventh and Eighth Grades had also been transferred to the present Intermediate School. This tended to relieve the overcrowding at Dalby State School to some extend and the school population dropped to 930 in 1956.
In the year of the centenary, 1961 – Grades 1-6 were housed at the State School with Grades 7 and 8 comprising the Intermediate section of the High School. However, with the abolition of the Scholarship examination in 1962, Grade 8 became part of the High School proper and, in 1965, Grade 7 returned to the State School.
A significant reduction in class size, in line with departmental policy in recent years, has been one of many changes which have taken place. At present, the population at the school is divided into 23 class groupings. This includes the Special Education Program where students spend morning session in a Learning Enhancement Centre and are integrated into year level classes for the afternoon sessions.
The services of specialist's teachers in the fields of Music, Physical Education, LOTE, Speech Language, Support Teacher Learning Difficulties, Literacy Coach, Chaplain, Indigenous Education Worker, Curriculum Coordinator, Teacher-Librarian and a Guidance Officer are also attached to the school. Under the direction of the Music Specialist, there are two choral groups, Junior and Senior. We also have an Instrumental Music program in place.
Teacher Aides have become an integral part of the school and serve an invaluable function. At present, there
are 18 aides in the school, working casual, contract and permanent hours. During lunch time aides supervise students in extra activities including, sewing and music. Ancillary staff also includes Administration Officers, Business Service
Manager (Registrar), Schools' Officer (Janitor/Groundsman), Cleaners and Crossing Supervisors.
Parent help, apart from P & C involvement, has become another invaluable part of the school over the years. Parents help in the classrooms in many ways under the supervision and
direction and in cooperation and harmony with class teachers.
Advances in technology have not bypassed the Dalby State School. All classroom blocks are linked to a centralised local area network housed in Administration. This network allows classrooms access to the latest of technology equipment – internet, laptops and desktop computers, Electronic Whiteboards and Smartboards. The pride of the network is a computer lab that houses the latest in technology for full classroom access. Presently the ICT Committee are working on the Wireless Network Project – this will allow staff and students wireless access to the network and internet allowing all users to enjoy outdoor learning areas and a less restrictive classroom learning environment.
Over past 156 years Dalby State School has seen its fair share of changes within the development of the school and its grounds. From its original one room slab and shingle-roofed building to today housing seven blocks of classrooms, sheltered sheds and a multi-purpose hall, we have come a long way. In the early years the school saw changes in Teacher's rooms being added, temporary classrooms put in place, provision made for temporary classrooms underneath school buildings, verandas enclosed in, to accommodate specialised classes and the play shed being enclosed for Domestic Science. In recent times verandas have been enclosed, classrooms extended and the Administration area upgraded.
During 2007-2009, approximately $3 million has been expended in updating the school facilities. This school now boasts a gross motor activity room, a modern kitchen facility and modern Prep facilities to support an indoor/outdoor learning program.
Additionally, the areas around classrooms have become an outdoor learning area with many student activities. Classrooms have been refurbished to allow more co-operative teaching and air-conditioned rooms allow a more pleasant learning environment for the students and staff.A craft centre and an art shelter have also been added with a maths activity trail, "Access for All" playground and equipment and extensions to Groom Hall (where Arts Councils and small group performances are held), a fitness trail. The front of the school houses a gazebo. Relocation of shades, cubby and storage sheds from the preschool have been added to the school grounds. A bicycle compound has been installed.
In 2011, under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program we will see the completion of two classrooms added to the Library and a world-class, 21st century Multi-Purpose Hall costing approximately $2,300,000.
All of these improvements support student learning and make this school a great place for children to be.
The need for an assembly hall had long occupied the minds of School Committees, P and C Associations and Head teachers. Immediately after World War II the Parents' and Citizen's Association began work with the intention of making this a reality.
Energetic subcommittees worked diligently to raise funds for the project. At this time, many surplus R.A.A.F. buildings at Oakey were coming on the market, and it was felt that such a building could be converted to the needs of the school.
Negotiations were commenced and a building was purchased and removed to Dalby. Renovations and additions were made to convert the former hut into an adequate theatrette, equipped at a cost of more than £2000.
Opened in 1947, the theatrette was a tremendous benefit to the school, allowing for assemblies, music practice, film shows and drama.
Through the efforts of the school committees and the Parents' and
Citizen's Associations, the theatrette was equipped with dressing rooms,
pianos, a film projector and a public address system, all of which made school
Further improvements were made with the provision of a stack-a-by steel seating accommodation.
The school theatrette was of benefit, not only to the school but to the community at large. Adult Education activities, including film evenings, lectures by University Staff members, the work of the Little Theatre groups, the Photographic Society and other bodies, all contributed to the general welfare of the people of Dalby.
In 1962-63 the theatrette was removed and "E" Block was built. Upstairs housed classrooms and below became the new theatrette. This room was also used during election time.As the school continued to grow "F" Block was built and the theatrette was converted back to classrooms. Today lower "E" Block houses the Prep Rooms with an excellent outside deck facing the library.
In 1975, the $53,000 library block at the Dalby State School was officially opened.
The building was designed to provide for individual and group activities. The main reading area occupies more the 80 per cent of the space. In addition, there was a landscaped courtyard used as an outdoor reading area. In 2008, the courtyard was demolished and a large sensory garden was built which allows access for all.
Over the years the library has had minor works completed with the addition of an Office / Workroom.
In June 2010 the library and resource collection was moved to Groom Hall in anticipation for the extension of two rooms to the oval side of the Library. Under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) Program, an approximate cost of $680,000 will be spent on the upgrade.
The Dalby State School library aims to present a vital, stimulating environment which encourages the students to be involved in a variety of activities, rather than be simply a storehouse of books. With the new
extension students will be able to use laptops, with wireless connection, to
surf the internet, allowing them access to the latest up-to-date information.
The role of this clinic can be expressed in one word – Prevention. The clinic is staffed by a team of four, consisting of the Dental Officer, two Dental Therapists and a dental Assistant. Treatment is available to all school children in Dalby through years 1-7. A permanent dental facility is housed within the school grounds but is not associated with our school. The dentist generally visits our school on a 12-18 month basis.
In 1960, approximately $34,000 was expended on upgrading administration and staff room accommodation facilities. The classroom area at the northern end of Block B was remodelled to form offices for Principal, Deputy Principal and Infant Mistress, together with an administration office, store, work room and waiting area.
The existing administration rooms, with which most people would have been familiar, were re-modelled to form a new staff room. In 2006 the newly renovated Administration building was completed. Administration now features a Parent and Visitor entrance at the front of the school and a Student entrance from the rear of the building.
On the 1st October, 1966, at 7.50a.m., a fire destroyed five school rooms, furniture, teaching equipment and school books at the Dalby State School. The fire lasted 3½ hours and caused estimated $35,000 damage. It is understood that two children under the care of the Children's Welfare Department were later apprehended and dealt with in relation to the fire.
This fire occurred in the block under which the tuckshop is now located. This block having only been erected earlier that same year.
At first the school-master was accommodated in a house in Cunningham Street but in 1923, land in Drayton Street was acquired for the purpose of constructing a school residence. The residence was erected and occupied in 1931 while additions to it were completed in 1933.
The area that was occupied by the school residence was originally the site of the old Royal Hotel. Interesting reminders of the old "Royal Hotel" days were unearthed when excavations were being made in 1959 for the purpose of installing the septic system in the school and residence. Excavators brought to the surface what must have once been the dump for the "Dead Marines". Bottles of every shape, size, colour and composition were unearthed among which were some hand-blown specimens which must have dated back to the earliest days of the town-ship.
In the early 1990's the school residence was removed from the school grounds and relocated to the Anglican Church grounds where it houses an
administration office and meeting rooms. The vacated area on Drayton Street allowed for the extension of the Infant play area.
Most people who have attended Dalby State School since 1966 have a memory of tuckshop from their school days; this memory may be of sitting in the class room on a cold damp winter's day and having the aroma of meat pies or mince rolls being prepared wafting into the class room making hungry tummies rumble and knowing full well that in your school bag, the lunch that waited for you consisted of a cold vegemite sandwich. Or maybe it was one of the more fortunate days when the bread bin at home was empty and you had 20 cents burning a hole in your pocket. As soon as that lunch bell rang, off you'd race to the tuckshop to purchase a meat pie for 12 cents and a small bottle of soft drink for 8, and in 1969, the bonus was a 3 cent refund on the glass soft drink bottle; this then enabled you to purchase 3 apricot delights or some other special treat. The years have quietly slipped by but through that time children's tummies have stayed much the same, morning tea and lunch times being of utmost importance in their day.
Much credit and thanks must be given to the 74 ladies who attended a meeting at the school on the 7th of October 1966, which resulted in a Ladies' Auxiliary being formed with the view of raising money to recoup losses incurred in the fire earlier that year. Their first big venture was to conduct a tuckshop on Mondays with Mrs Nola Thams as Convenor and a team of
willing and valuable volunteers. Shortly after, the tuckshop was conducted
twice weekly, Monday and Friday, and then at a later date, daily, with all
labour being voluntary with the exception of the Convenor. In 1973 the Ladies Auxiliary ceased to exist as a separate entity and the tuckshop became, and is still today, an initiative of the P&C Association.
Recognition is given to all past Convenors who have worked diligently with the P&C through the years, co-ordinating and seeing to the smooth operation of all aspects of the tuckshop, their hard work is much appreciated.
Since 1994, with the foresight of P&C Committee Members, and dedicated Uniform Convenors, the DSS Uniform Shop has grown and developed, and today, offers a full range of good quality school uniforms and accessories and is provided as a service to the school community. The uniform shop is run in conjunction with the tuckshop with a volunteer uniform convenor seeing to the needs of all school uniform requirements.
The tuckshop as we know it today, operates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a paid Convenor and a backup Assistant when needed, and with a team of wonderful volunteers, is proud to be able to offer the services to the parents, children and staff of the school.
In 2011, you can still buy a meat pie at the tuckshop but the price has changed considerably, and it will be a low fat pie produced for sale through tuckshops to meet the new healthy eating guidelines set in place by the government. Through the years the children's health and wellbeing has always been the main focus in menu planning, with the menu offering a wide range of healthy and affordable foods. In 2006 we saw the Government implement a new programme into schools and tuckshops to help parents and children become more aware of the benefits of making healthy food choices at tuckshop and at home. Our award winning, colour coded 'Smart Choice Menu' was well received at Dalby State School and encourages the choice of 'Green' foods, such as salads, vegetables, fruit, wholemeal bread and low fat dairy items over 'Amber' foods, which include low fat pies, sausage rolls, chicken burgers, chicken dinosnacks, chips and ice blocks. All foods now sold at the tuckshop meet the criteria set out by the government in the 'Smart Choice Programme'. Cream buns and cream coffee rolls and other such foods are now listed as 'Red' foods and cannot be sold at the tuckshop.
Through the changes that have come about over the years at Dalby State School Tuckshop one thing remains the same as from that very first committee meeting in 1966, is that the most vital and valued part of the success of the tuckshop to this day, is the very hard working, wonderful volunteers who have given up their valuable time to regularly work in the tuckshop, be involved in committees, keeping the books, paying of accounts and many other endless jobs that have contributed to making the tuckshop the small business it is today. Those volunteer efforts have then gone on to helping the P&C Association provide improvements and equipment for the school through the funds generated.
We are proud to boast a range of fantastic facilities for all of our students. Read about our facilities.


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There's fierce competition in metropcs galaxy j7's segment despite that, does the Samsung brand value and the performance of the phone live up to expectations? let's find out.
This is our full review of the galaxy j7 prime, let's roll. Samsung's gone with its regular design language for the j7 prime which means it looks pretty much like any other Samsung red ranger that's it.
It has taken a leap forward from the samsung galaxy j7 prime by adding a fingerprint sensor to the front and metal to the back. There are plastic inserts at the top, in the bottom for reception but it doesn't seem to help at all the cellular reception is very poor. Holding it in a different position does help but not enough to not get frustrated.
To the front there's a 5.5 inch TFT display with a 720p resolution. If terms of resolution over the 720p display on the j7 2016 its sharp at about 400 pixels per inch the viewing angles are excellent and the visibility in the sunlight is quite good as well that's it. It is also a kind of downgrade since it trades in Super AMOLED from the J7 2016 for a LCD panel so the colors are a bit more muted you don't get the deep blacks but it's still a decent display but this being a Samsung might Ranger sometimes have again omitted to ambient light sensor. You will have the outdoor mode what it does is simply increase the brightness of all the regular levels.
Talking about sensors we don't have a gyroscope sensor either this could be a deal-breaker if you are planning to use the phone with a VR headset frequently. Below the display we've got the capacitive keys that are not backlit and an active fingerprint scanner first for a Samsung phone. This got me excited but unfortunately I had a terrible experience with it it is sad but at times it takes a few attempts the sensor often scans anything that comes in contact with it during my usage at least once a day when I took the phone out of my pocket I realized that already ran out of attempts to unlock the phone and the worst thing at times I've had to wait for 30 minutes to attempt to unlock again.
Anyway moving on to the left is the micro sd card slot and the dual sim tray that supports 4g volte. To the bottom you have the primary microphone a micro USB port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The audio quality via the jack is acceptable for the price the placement of the loudspeaker is something I actually found myself liking it's arguably but as an important placement the quality and the audio levels are above average.
For all its flaws the j7 prime has a pretty good design it weighs at about 167 grams it doesn't feel very heavy it's also quite thin at about 8 millimeters the display is covered by 2.5 degrees like glass the screen to body ratio is quite good at about 73% the sides are curved which help with the grip and the potentia tactile moving on the j7 prime just like the j7 2016 is powered by the 64-bit Exynos 7870 doctor called chip that consists of 8 cortex a53 cores clocked at 1.6 gigahertz each my expectations were at high for this chip but on a day to day usage scenarios the performance was quite good as in games loaded up quicker than I expected if they struggle to keep up with heavy usage but that's expected given that its 7th Ranger. The phone's got 3 gigs of RAM up from 2 gigs on the J7 2016 but it doesn't reflect well in memory management i opened up the exact same apps on the honour 6x well it managed to have all of them in memory the j7 primary loaded a lot of 10 the MAL ETA 30 NT to GPU takes care of dimming.
With light games the performance was great no major status of frame drops the experience was more with heavy titles though they experience deteriorated to an extent frame drops occurred frequently and there was quite some love it's also worth noting that the x1 of 7870 chip is fabricated using the 40 nanometer FinTech technology meaning it isn't all that power-hungry which in turn means great battery life with heavy usage which includes about 30 minutes of phone calls a few hours of social media dosage an hour of 2 of light gaming some video streaming an hour of music over Bluetooth a lot of push notifications periodic camera usage while on 2 SIM cards with either Wi-Fi or 4G on the g7 Prime easily lasted me a day with light usage it got even better I was able to go on for a day and a half before running out of juice you should be able to turn out more with battery saving modes on that note let's get the camera the gsm transporter 13 megapixel f1 boy named rear facing camera with a single LED flash this is the exact same camera that's found on the J7 2016 the camera performance is quite good for more in-depth information here's a card to my dedicated camera review of the day 7 camera has gone through an upgrade from f11 9 the selfies look good there's ample detail with good colors the dynamic range is decent a bit of software sharpening comes into play under artificial and low lighting conditions just like with most other Samsung phones that's it overall the camera performs good enough for the price the J7 frame runs on android 6.0.1 marshmallow there is quite some bloat and the apps are not uninstall able they can only be disabled but that didn't take a hit on the user experience which honestly was quite good TouchWiz feels refined it isn't like frequently Samsung's marketing favorites like the a spike mode and the ultra data saver are things that I've never had to use that's it there are some nifty little features as well like s power planning the easy mode and the signature quick launch shortcut among many others TouchWiz also lets you switch between sim one and some two for mobile data seamlessly something I don't understand though is why Samsung has a disabled haptic feedback it does work with third-party apps like G Bordeaux anyway the j7 Prime is currently priced at 5900 rupees at this price whether or not to recommend this phone is going to be a tough call for me on one hand we have really good upgrades from the j7 2016 like the higher resolution display but a bit more RAM better selfie camera and the presence of a pin your print scanner definitely sounds great for an extra 400 rupees as of today on paper at least but on the other hand there are a lot of annoyances the mr. fingerprint scanner the poor cellular reception the lack of gyroscope and ambient light sensors and the mediocre RAM management even if I didn't compare it with Chinese budget kings like the cool one redmi note 4g phi plus and the honor 6x into you know Samsung is a Tier one brand and all I still wouldn't recommend this phone right now due to the certain flaws that make it almost unusable maybe if Samsung fixes Tempe updates and if you fiercely hate Chinese brands even motto for some peered reason then yet the j7 crime would be a pretty good deal what do you think would you buy the phone right now if you could let me know in the comments below hit thumbs up if you agree with my take on the Galaxy j7 Prime.


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When I was in journalism school, I had big dreams to one day write hard-hitting, in-depth articles that would touch people's hearts and provoke society to think about issues that were important to me. Turns out what the people want from me are stories about hair dyeing gone awry and gagging at the sight of my nudey neighbor.
Oh, you don't know about the nudist who lives across from me? Borderstan posted my story earlier this week, and it's still getting a ton of hits. I wrote the article at the request of some other contributors when I told the story at a barbecue. When you go to as many parties stag as I do, you have to have a cache of good stories to tell or people will notice you're alone and talk to you about how hard it is to date in DC the whole night. So you have to preempt their sympathy with something shocking or hilarious.
That makes writer's block all the more mysterious -- if I have all these party stories, why don't I write them down? Well, I did, and now I know how to get my readers' attention: talk about a dude's junk. Eew.
Read the post here.


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By Sierra Pellechio, Hepatitis Delta Connect Coordinator
Historically, testing for hepatitis D, also known as hepatitis delta or HDV, has been difficult to access and often not commercially available. With the rise in awareness about hepatitis B and D coinfection, more tests are beginning to be offered by multiple labs for clinicians in the United States looking to test their patients. Because hepatitis D can only infect people who also have hepatitis B, the Hepatitis B Foundation's medical director and leading hepatologist Dr. Robert Gish recommends testing all hepatitis B patients for hepatitis D. "Screening all hepatitis B patients will allow a better understanding of hepatitis D prevalence and its impact on outcomes and will identify patients who can be offered treatment within or outside clinical trials."
The first step in diagnosing a hepatitis D infection is the HDV antibody total (anti-HDV) test. Patients who have recovered from or are currently infected with hepatitis D will be positive for the anti-HDV and will present high titers in later stages of acute infection and persist in cases of chronic infection. If the HDV antibody total test is positive, it should be followed by the HDV RNA (PCR) test to confirm an active infection. If this test is negative, a current infection is unlikely.
Testing hepatitis B patients for hepatitis D is important because when people with hepatitis B are exposed to the hepatitis D virus, 90% will develop a chronic hepatitis D infection1. Coinfection will alter treatment and management plans, because antivirals effective on hepatitis B do not control hepatitis D2. While the standard treatment of interferon is less than 30% effective in controlling coinfection, there are new drugs in development. With two of these drugs set to enter phase 3 clinical trials in 2019, it is more important than ever to identify coinfected patients and connect patients into clinical trials.
Until recently, only the anti-HDV test was widely available in the United States. In February 2019, Quest Diagnostics began offering HDV RNA testing, making it easier for patients and their physicians to access this more detailed level of testing. A complete list of labs offering hepatitis D testing is below.
Providers can order HDV testing from:
Tests Offered:
Tests Offered:
Cambridge Biomedical (US, Limited States)
Tests Offered:
Tests Offered:
Tests Offered:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (US & International)
Tests Offered:
- HDV Antibody Total
- Genotyping
Disclaimer: This may not be a comprehensive list of all available labs offering hepatitis D testing.
Please note, if you are a patient in the U.S. and wish to be tested for hepatitis D, these tests must be ordered through a clinician.
It is very important for hepatitis B and D patients to be managed by a liver specialist who is familiar with managing coinfected patients. For assistance in locating a specialist near you, please visit our Physician Directory page. For additional questions, please visit www.hepdconnect.org, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or call our hotline at 215-489-4900.
- Hooks, B., Billings, J., & Herrera, J. (2009). Hepatitis D Virus. Practical Gastroenterology.
2. Farci, P., & Anna Niro, G. (2018). Current and Future Management of Chronic Hepatitis D. Gastroenterology & hepatology, 14(6), 342-35