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Stocking of Top Pond with Carp and Bream Monday…
Today Top Pond was stocked with 63 Carp weighing 1 to 3 pounds and 320 pounds of Bream sized 10 inches to 2 pounds.
Today Top Pond was stocked with 63 Carp weighing 1 to 3 pounds and 320 pounds of Bream sized 10 inches to 2 pounds.
On Sunday Tony Rees, who has been our Treasurer from the inception of the Alliance over 50 years ago until last Wednesday when he finally handed over the reins to Rhys, enjoyed his 80th birthday with his family, committee members and coaches. See the pictures below…….
The competitors who fished the competition at Riverside fishery near Llanbradach on Sunday 11 Nov stood in silence at 11am to remember those who have fallen fighting for our Country.
The result of the competition was: 1st Dave Couzens with 15lbs 12oz, 2nd John Coombs with 8lbs 4oz, 3rd Jim Howells with 6lbs 13oz.
Dave Couzens is the club champion for 2018 with 74 points, Dia Davies was 2nd with 70 points. Well done Dave Couzens.
From Chris White.
I have attached my notes from the meeting there were lots of good things raised but converting these into actions may be a different thing. As soon as I have the formal minutes I will send them to you. It remains to be seen what happens next. I am working with John, Mike and Reuben on putting the final touches to our evidence for the inquiry, there is a pre meeting on 7 November but I cant go as I am at finally fit enough to fish and I am going to the Tweed for 3 days fishing (Thurs/Fri/Sat), John will attend the pre inquiry meeting. I have included a flow chart I have produced for our evidence presentation and would be interested for any comments you may have on this diagram, the red areas should addressed but instead NRW has focused on the blue areas as we are an easy target which costs nothing..
The result of the senior Competition fished at Riverside Fishery (Silvers Only),
1st Dave Couzens 18lbs
2nd Jim Howells 9lbs
3rd John Coombs 7lbs
The next match will take place at Riverside Fishery on Sunday 11th November
Back Row: Sam Sales (1st Chair MTAA), Ray Oakley, Vic Skoledec, Jack Hynam, Byron Sales
Middle Row: Les Corchoran, Chris Isaacs, Graham Davies (Minute Sec) Gary Davies (Chair MTAA)
Front Row: Bernard Farr, Carwyn Williams
Senior Competition on Sunday 14 October at Redhill on Mollies Lake. 1st Dia Davies 67lbs 4oz, 2nd Jim Howells 41lbs 4oz 3rd Doug Hawkins 37lbs 8oz
Birthday Boy Doug Hawkins celebrates his 70th birthday this week, last friday we were invited to enjoy an evening with him as the photos show
Just a quick notification that DCWW have been authorised to lower the level within Pontsticill to enable them to continue to de-shoal the Nant Callan culvert (by Dolygaer Outdoor Centre). They will commence draw down on Tuesday morning 9th October and aim to release for around 5 days to reach the required level.
Below are 3 emails 2 from Chris White who is leading the fight against NRW who wish to impose Bye-Laws to impose catch and release on all Migratory fish catches
From Chris White
A freedom of information request was sent by Andy Nicholson to the Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) requesting details of communications between CEFAS and NRW/WG as NRW stated that they have the support of CEFAS for their bylaw proposals. The response listed 10 emails between 12 June 2017 and 6 July 2017 these emails refer to acknowledgement of receipt of the technical case and requests for further information. I have attached a copy of the final correspondence from CEFAS to WG dated 6 July 2017. Note that this refers to a public consultation and yet in August 2017 WG issued a statutory notice in the London Gazette of the proposed Bylaws asking for objections. This statutory notification was based upon the original bylaw proposals and not those that were amended following the objections received following the public consultation. We are seeking advice from Fish Legal if there is a need for WG to publish a further statutory notice before the proposed bylaws are put in place this is due to the amendments to the bylaws following the consultation.
There are some interesting observations from CEFAS in that they have taken the data on face value i.e. there has not been any challenge on how this data was produced (we should have the report on the validity of the data from our independent statistician shortly), this was their comment:
"…… However, these documents largely contained tables and figures (N.B. I have taken the raw data provided in these documents at face value), so the few comments I have on these documents have also been listed below."
There is recognition in item 2 that part of the decline has been due to adverse weather conditions:
2. Further, particular concerns have been raised about the very poor salmon fry levels observed in rivers across Wales (and England) in 2016. This appears to have been caused by a combination of abnormally high winter temperatures and, in some cases, elevated flows, alongside relatively low numbers of spawning fish. The unusual winter conditions experienced in 2015 are consistent with climate change predictions and highlight the increasing uncertainty that stocks are likely to face in the future. The low fry abundance in 2016 is likely to result in reduced smolt output and lower adult returns in coming years.
In item 6 it deals with the need for further conservation measures and recognises the wide range of environmental factors. The elephant in the room is the failure to mention the effect of agricultural pollution or avian predation on recruitment of salmon from egg to smolt and yet it is known from various smolt tracking exercises that up to 40% of smolts fail to reach the sea due mainly to avian predation (70% on the Aberdeenshire Dee in 2017 according to their smolt tracking survey). Addressing this would go a long way in reversing the decline, see attached estimate of the damage due to avian predators on the Tweed system. This is what CEFAS said:
6. The technical case thus makes a compelling case for further urgent conservation action to help arrest the decline in the status of salmon stocks, and to a slightly lesser extent sea trout, and to help restore stocks to healthier and more sustainable levels. The report recognises that both species are facing a wide range of environmental factors and stressors which are constraining productivity and stock status (and details some of the ongoing actions being made to address these). For salmon, the ongoing issues associated with poor survival at sea are a key concern, and highlight the continued importance of ensuring that conditions in freshwater are optimised.
This does not address the losses from river to sea; improving losses during smolt migration would have a far greater effect than imposing draconian measures on anglers and to a lesser degree netsmen.
There is a telling comment in item 7 which identifies that anglers are not the problem, this is what is said:
"7. NRW note that the current levels of exploitation are not the primary cause of the current low abundance and that the proposed measures will thus result in relatively modest increases in spawner numbers, although accumulated benefits would be expected over time. ……"
After 20 years of compulsory catch and release (C&R) for spring salmon there has been little or no improvement i.e. restrictions on angling has made little or no difference in reversing the decline, extending the C&R will not reverse the decline in fish stocks the perception is this being done to stop criticism i.e. it is the easy low cost option and will achieve nothing.
Item 7 then goes on to say:
"….Nonetheless, it is entirely justifiable to aim to maximise spawner numbers in the short term and, while it is clearly important to continue to address the many other factors affecting stocks (e.g. water quality, habitat), it needs to be recognised that such improvements are only likely to be achieved over the longer term. As such, it clearly makes sense to implement appropriate fishery control measures in the short term to increase the numbers of fish surviving to spawn and to facilitate recovery."
Addressing the survival from egg to smolt will have a far greater impact on restoring salmon stocks than imposing restrictions on anglers. The problem is neither NRW nor WG are addressing the other factors affecting salmon stocks the perception is that this is primarily due to staff and budget constraints.
In item 8 there is a recommendation to re-order the technical case and to effectively 'bury' the socio economic effects this is what is said: "…..with some of the other sections (e.g. wider issues, socio-economics) moved towards the back;" this implies a deliberate down playing of the socio economic effects in rural communities.
Item 10 endorses the proposals based upon the evidence presented in the technical case, which as was said at the outset has been taken on face value. The work carried out by John Eardley has demonstrated that the NRW data is deeply flawed and skewed in order to support their proposals. The justification for the bylaws is based upon data which is primarily from the 2014/2015 fry and parr counts which CEFAS have commented had been affected by the prevailing climate over those two spawning seasons, the reliance on Catch per unit effort (CPUE) in order to determine run size has also been skewed due to water conditions during the past few years which were not conducive to successful fishing. It was also declared at the NRW Board meeting in Bangor that the NRW electro fishing sites were those primarily used by grilse, this has again skewed the results in favour of the NRW proposals. There has been no mention of the improvements in fry and parr counts from the 2016 spawning season or for that matter the 2017 spawning season. Unless avian predation and agricultural pollution is addressed there will be no improvement in salmon numbers in our rivers and the CPUE will drop as fewer anglers will be fishing, this will further skew the assessment of salmon stocks in our rivers.
Finally in item 11 there is a comment that recognises the need for stakeholder support for these proposals, the way the stakeholder objections have been dismissed by NRW means that it is unlikely that NRW will get any co-operation from its stakeholders. This is what item 11 says:
11. In view of the detailed nature of the proposals, it seems likely that there will be a need for increased dialogue with stakeholders and enforcement effort once the measure come into force and become embedded.
Feel free to distribute this, it may be useful to send a copy to you local AM's.
Email reply to Chris from Guy Mawle
Chris asserts that: 'After 20 years of compulsory catch and release (C&R) for spring salmon there has been little or no improvement i.e. restrictions on angling has made little or no difference in reversing the decline,..'
and in his letter to the Minister that: 'The evidence from 20 years of compulsory catch and release for spring salmon demonstrates the futility of the recommendations in achieving the desired outcome'.
These claims are misleading and don't stand up to scrutiny across the country. They are similar to a comment made in an article in Trout & Salmon last year, which I responded to in the letters column, see attached. On a local level, here's a sample of last year's fly fishing on Isca Angling Club's waters on the Usk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D7bUQ4ugxw , as filmed by the club chairman; most are multi-sea winter (MSW) fish which would have entered the river before 16 June. The grilse runs have crashed.
However, the real issue for me is what action NRW and Welsh Government are going to take other than restricting angling. If it's little or nothing, then I agree that there's little point in pursuing mandatory c&r all season, as the gain will be relatively small on many rivers. In the face of poor marine survival, for grilse now, and extreme conditions in-river, as in November/December 2015, we need to make all the gains we can across a range of factors. Though the gains may be small individually, together they may be enough to sustain our fishing and the wider benefits.
In relation to the Usk, one gain that is being ignored by NRW, and more especially the Environment Agency, is the benefit of further restraining the Severn Estuary fisheries. A substantial proportion of the catch in this mixed stock, cross-border fishery is destined for the Usk. Indeed, I believe that the EA even intends to allow an increase in the allowable catch in 2018. I've formally objected to the EA byelaws myself and provided a document for the Usk Fishing Association, the Angling Trust, and others in support their own objections to these byelaws.
Email Reply from Chris White to Guy Mawle
I accept that there has been an upturn in MSW fish entering our rivers the problem is the claim that this due to C&R to 16 June cannot be substantiated. There is very little fishing effort until after 16 June and by then the fish which enter the river in Feb/march are almost impossible to catch once they take up residence in the deeper pools. The fish that run in May/June do get caught as do the summer salmon which arrive in July/August. I fish on Scottish rivers (Dee/Spey/Tweed) the Dee and Spey operate C&R and have been doing for the past 20 years – their salmon are also in decline. The sudden lost of grilse and 2 SW fish which return in the autumn tends to indicate major loss at sea. If this has been due to climate changes there should have been a variation in the numbers returning. In the case of the Tweed there was total collapse of the autumn run 4 years ago and this has continued into 2017. This tends to indicate the possibility of high seas netting on the migration routes. There are many pelagic trawlers operating in the Norwegian Sea fishing for mackerel and blue herring. Some of these trawlers operate in pairs with bag nets which can be up to 20Km with GPS these trawlers once they find a migration path can set their nets in the same place every year, if the migration routes are those used by both mackerel and salmon then a by catch of salmon may be occurring, whether this is a deliberate of accidental catch will never be known. Lets assume salmon are intercepted by paired trawlers using a bag net set at say 50ft when the bag is drawn closed any fish caught will be damaged (crushed) so even if they return salmon accidental caught the chance of survival will be slim.
I attended the salmon seminar in Penrith organised by the Angling Trust at which the Atlantic Salmon Trust presented a paper on the radio tracking of smolts from the Deveron it was believed that the smolts on entering the sea would turn left and head North, they don't they turn right and head south before heading across the North sea towards Norway. I suspect that returning salmon will follow the same route. The work of the SALSEA project demonstrated that smolts from West coast rivers travel around Scotland to their feeding grounds in the Norwegian Sea around the Faroe Islands. The return of adult salmon presumably follows the same route, this exposes them to Pelagic trawlers intercepting the mackerel shoals.
The MSW fish feed initially around the Faroe Islands but then head North West to feeding grounds around Greenland. The MSW fish return prior to the operation of Pelagic trawlers and so there is no accidental catches. In terms of evidence I have downloaded many research papers on salmon. I have attached one paper which looks at the effect of stopping the drift nest around Norway and Russia and how the Baltic rivers recovered. What is significant about this paper is it describes what we are seeing in our rivers i.e. the loss of grilse and 2SW salmon.
We have enough spawners returning to exceed the conservation limit on most rivers, I have attached two papers from consultants which we engaged to look at the statistical model used by the EA/NRW, I am not a statistician but the results hinge around the use of Bayesian techniques and regression curves. I have pointed out to both NRW and the EA that the issue is the survival from egg to smolts reaching the sea, this is what needs to be addressed but there is no appetite to take on agricultural pollution or saw billed duck predation, instead they impose draconian measures on anglers. I agree that we should return all of our fish but this should be voluntary, most already do this. The fishmongers will continue to kill fish irrespective on any byelaws in the sure knowledge that they won't be caught.
An extra senior coarse fishing competition has been added to the calendar on Sunday September 23rd on Cyfarthfa Park Lake, 8.30am draw fish 10am until 3pm
The Welsh Bank Fly Fishing Team are giving a demonstration in the Railway room in Cyfarthfa Park on Saturday 22nd September at 10am, all members are welcome to attend.
click heading below for full details………………….
The Cabinet Secretary Lesley Griffiths AM has now agreed the next steps in relation to the proposed 'All Wales' rod and net fishing byelaws 2017, which were submitted to Welsh Government for confirmation on 20 February 2018.
The Cabinet Secretary announced her conclusion that given "the level of response to the consultation, the number of outstanding objections to the byelaw proposals and the nature of the correspondence" it is "the most appropriate course of action to conduct a Local Inquiry which will allow independent scrutiny of NRW's proposals."
The Planning Inspectorate Wales has therefore been asked to initiate a Local Inquiry under the Water Resources Act 1991. At the conclusion of the Inquiry, the Planning Inspector will make a recommendation to Welsh Ministers, which will inform their final determination of the application for confirmation of the byelaws.
The Planning Inspectorate is currently contacting all those who responded to the consultation, giving further details of the Local Inquiry and what responders need to do if they wish to attend, by the 19th September.
When the details of the Inquiry (date and venue) are confirmed, we will advertise the details and update our stakeholders approximately six weeks before the Inquiry. We welcome the opportunity to present our case and evidence to the Inquiry.
The above is from NRW. Below is a explanation from the group fighting this proposal, led by Chris White….MTAA are in agreement that Chris White represents us during the inquiry
Many of you who objected to the NRW consultation may already have received a copy of this email asking you to respond to three questions:
1) I have nothing further to submit and do not wish to attend the inquiry.
2) I wish to attend the inquiry, but do not wish to speak.
3) I wish to attend the inquiry and present evidence to the Inspector.
Question 1 will mean your response to the consultation will be read by the inspector and taken at face value; your objections won't be ignored.
Question 2 means that you just wish to observe the way the inquiry is handled; your objections will have been taken note of as per question 1.
Question 3 enables you to attend the inquiry and present your objections to the inspector; you can submit additional evidence to that contained in your original objections submitted as part of the consultation. The inspector will question you about your evidence and you will have an opportunity to explain your concerns.
In terms of CPWF we intend to respond to question 3 and as such we will be representing our supporters but for us to do this we need your agreement to this, this wont stop you from also presenting your own evidence or attending the inquiry. We will be working with the Angling Trust in presenting evidence to ensure that we present the same message; we can't afford to be seen as fighting between ourselves. You will note that there is a short deadline (two weeks i.e. 19 Sept) to respond to the above questions, this is not the time scale for submitting your evidence we wont know that until they have assessed how many people will attend and want to present their objections but our expectations is this will be a short timescale. It was interesting to hear at our Gwynedd LFG meeting yesterday that NRW had been in contact with the Planning Inspectorate last Friday with the email from the Minister being sent to all AM's on the Monday it seems that our lobbying via AM's has put pressure the Minister to take note of what we have been saying. The Minister did not have an option as objections had not been with drawn and as such she could not make a decision. We were advised at yesterdays LFG meeting that there will be a press statement from NRW shortly. We still have a fight on our hands and it is essential that we present objective evidence and workable solutions to the inspector as he/she can only make a judgement on the evidence presented from both sides. The good news is we know what NRW will be submitting, things have moved on since the consultation and we now have further evidence to present which may sway things in our favour, we cant afford to loose.
Can you confirm that you agree that CPWF can represent you at the inquiry keeping in mind that this does not remove your option to attend or present evidence individually.
5 Anglers sat by the side of Middle Pond on Sunday in torrential rain hoping for a bite. Dia Davies managed 2 a small roach and a larger carp for a winning weight of 7lbs, second with a bag of small roach and perch was Jim Howells with 2lbs 2oz and in 3rd place was Mark Sweeney with 2lbs.
Wow what a Fishery Redhill is, especially Sophie's Pool. Once again lots of personal bests were achieved. The result was
1st Rhys Evans with 267lbs 8oz a new personal best
2nd Dia Davies with 210lbs a new personal best
3rd Mark Sweeney with 167lbs 12 oz
3 more anglers achieved weights of over 100lbs for MTAA an excellent club achievement. next competition to be held on Sunday 26th Aug on Middle Pond
On the Saturday Merthyr Juniors were treated to a day out on Molly's pool at Redhill fishery the weather remained fine for them. Hopefully more juniors will join next year.
1st was Jayden Rees with 46lbs 13ozs
2nd was Rocco Daniels with 30lbs
3rd was April Francis with 26lbs
All the Junior anglers thoroughly enjoyed their days fishing
The overall junior champion for 2018 is Jayden Rees with Rocco coming a fine second
Only 5 anglers turned up to fish Cyfarthfa Park.
1st was Dia Odd Socks with 18lbs 4oz of crucian carp and roach all the fish took sweetcorn
2nd was Dave Couzens with 14lb 7oz of bream, roach and perch
3rd was John Coombs with 10lb 12oz of roach, perch and 1 rudd
MTAA coaches had a day off and fished the first of 2 competitions on Sophie's Pool at Redhill fishery near Monmouth.
All the coaches had a great day and fishing weights were fabulous.
1st was Rhys Evans with 225lbs 8oz
2nd Dave Couzons 136lbs 4oz
3rd Malcolm Williams 119lbs 4oz
4th Dai Davies 114lbs 8oz
5th D Jones 104lbs 1oz
6th Doug Hawkins 88lbs
7th Tony Rees 84lbs 8oz
8th John Coombs 72lbs
Rhys proved that his 100 of a couple of weeks ago was no fluke by netting 225lbs of carp the biggest of which was 12lbs a fantastic result by a fantastic young angler. Malcolm is now making a habit of netting 100+ and Tony Rees thoroughly enjoyed himself using his old Richard Walker hollow fibre glass rod ( every time Tony hooked a carp on this rod the whole rod was slowly bending it has a lovely soft action with loads of power).


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The inaugural DAAFF Indigenous Film Festival was showcased at the iconic Darwin Deckchair Cinema from the 10-12th August 2016. Three feature films were screened very three balmy nights including: Ten Canoes, Putuparri and the Rain Makers and Bran Nue Dae.
Each night DAAFF raffled the generous donations of stunning art works from participating Art Centres. The screening of Putuparri and the Rain Makers was aptly chosen as DAAFF's fundraising evening, whereby a light meal was available for purchase, part of the proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to DAAFF.
At the very time that Putuparri and the Rainmakers was being screened, the decade long land rights dispute for which the film about, was being resolved. Spider Snell, Tommy May and the senior members of the Ngurra Kayanta claim were in the Great Sandy Desert with judges and representatives of government on the 10th August 2016, and received the official hand back of their native title. The major site of Kurtal along with many other important sites, was officially acknowledged as occupied land and given back to Traditional Owners. Whilst there are still some areas with petroleum licenses within the claim area, government has advised that they will supports future claims. This is a great relief for all to know that complete hand back of their Country is coming.
The feature films were preceded by incredible short films from participating Art Centres. The great breadth and depth of talent tucked away in our Art Centres is phenomenal, and DAAFF was proud to promote their film media talents and the stories they have to share. The short films included: Winner of the Golden Galah for best documentary at the Fist Full of Films Festival "Kuruyultu" from Tjarlirli Art, three new animations from Mangkaja Arts that give insight into traditional storytelling combined with historical and contemporary events, and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists Larapinta Valley Town Camp Videos.
Over 300 cinema buffs attended the film festival, comprising of dedicated local Darwin supporters, smattered with a strong presence of national and international visitors to Darwin. Intense discourses followed the screening of the films and much admiration of the Art Centre's short films followed. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the 2017 DAAFF Film Festival!
DAAFF would like to warmly thank the dedicated staff at Darwin's Deckchair Cinema and the Darwin Film Society for their generous support and the use of their iconic cinema!

subset: commoncrawl


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|Sam Kay (talk)
|Date Created:
|Please feel free to edit constructively!
|Retriever's Burning Gaze
|Arachnomancer Attack 1
|You raise your hand, revealing a burning eye, its gaze engulfing your foes in a burning inferno.
|Usage::Encounter ✦ Arachane, Fire, Implement
|Action Type::Standard Action
|Ranged 20
|Primary Target: One creature or object
|Attack: Charisma Vs. Reflex
|Hit: 2d8 + Charisma modifier fire damage. Make a secondary attack.
|Secondary Target: Each enemy adjacent to the primary target.
|Secondary Attack: Charisma Vs. Reflex
|Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier fire damage.
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Four faithfully restored reception rooms offer a truly majestic setting for hosting seminars in Aigle Château. From 10 to 200 people, for a simple reunion or for a large annual general meeting, the Aigle Château function rooms offer an exceptional backdrop for business meetings.
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At approximately 3:00 PM yesterday (Oct 30, 2012), ProntoForms re-enabled processing of all background and scheduled tasks related to ProntoForms. This includes the processing of all scheduled CSV Data Record Reports. We have been monitoring the condition of the servers since that time and are happy to report no apparent problems. At this time all functions and availability has been restored.
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60 Best Cars for the Money for 2020: Ranked by Price
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Setting a budget is an important part of the car buying process. This list of the 60 best cars for the money for 2020 shoppers, based on CarMax sales data from August 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020, will help you find the right car for your budget.
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Profiled in Jun 2005 (updated March 2013)
I was born in Wellington, the eldest of five children. When I was about four years old my family moved to a farmlet just out of Wanganui. I had a free and easy childhood, attending the little country school down the road. I went on from there to St Mary's Primary School and then on to Sacred Heart College. When I left school I worked in a clothing factory for a few years and there gained a certain amount of sewing expertise. I moved on to work as cook in a tea-rooms. I had always done the cooking at home as my mother was often quite sick.
I entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St Joseph about a month before my 20th birthday. I was one of the first to complete my training years at the newly purchased Mt St Joseph. There was a coal range there and as I had experience of one at home I did a fair amount of the cooking. I also went over to Sacred Heart to help out in the new laundry.
On completing my training I went to Sacred Heart to work in the kitchen with two or three other sisters. We had large Aga stoves to cook on for about 120 boarders and 60 sisters. I spent many years at Sacred Heart, but in between time had shorter periods in other houses. At another time at Sacred Heart, the kitchens were modernised and good gas stoves and ovens replaced the old Agas.
Other opportunities I had were to cook for Conference groups at the Little Company of Mary's Calvary Complex in Wellington. I also spent time attending Polytech catering courses in Wellington, which I really enjoyed. Later I worked at Marcellin Hall Conference Centre in Auckland for seven years, with responsibility for the kitchen.I travelled to participate in personal growth and spirituality courses on two different occasions at Baulkham Hills, Australia.As my cooking ministry came to an end I was able to help out with the craft work at Josophia in Wanganui. For a time I lived in a block of Council flats here in Wanganui. Having a stroke put an end to some activities, and I moved to live in a flat which was part of a block with three other Sisters. My health further deteriorated and I am now a resident of Nazareth Rest Home in Whanganui. In 2013 I celebrated the 60th anniversary of my Profession.
When I look back on my work I feel that it was rewarding despite the times when it was very hard work. We didn't have much time for any out-reach as we were pretty much full time keeping people fed! Now I have a prayer ministry as I can't get out much. The times I do go out for gatherings and appointments, I take the Josephite spirit with me.
"The water that I will give will become in you a fountain springing up into a wellspring of eternal lifeâ€.
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Pink Pig is perhaps the most interesting and unique name for any kind of boutique that I have ever come across, which is easily understandable since Pink Pig Cottage Antiques and the new Pink Pig on Main Street in Westport, New York offers truly unique collections of country cottage and farmhouse style furniture and country accents for home decorating. With just one, quick look around their website you are sure to be inspired to re-decorate your favorite rooms and even your entire house with the furniture and other items you see; I know I was.
When it comes to items for home, I am most interested in the small things–Knick knacks, wall decor, and most particularly, candles. I have a very large collection of different candles that I pull out depending on what kind of mood I'm in. Candles are very relaxing and work wonderfully for sprucing up the feel of your home, so I was delighted when presented with the opportunity to review Pink Pig's signature, natural soy candle.
Debbie Schrodt, owner of Pink Pig spent numerous hours developing a pleasantly scented candle sure to be loved by anyone. The candle is a blended scent of florals, including tuberose, Indian jasmine, lavender, geranium and white rose and is the first candle in what will be a series of six available at Pink Pig.
The first thing that I noticed about this candle was the packaging it came in. Pink Pig is indeed pretty when it comes to their packaging; the box the candle box came in was even lined with pink wrapping and the box itself came tied in a black bow.
The candle is all natural soy, which has more benefits than you may realize. The first thing that I noticed upon burning Pink Pig's candle is that the aroma was not only pleasant, but unlike a great deal of candles I have melted due to the fact that the aroma was stronger, but not overpowering in the least. I always have a candle burning in my office when I am working, and what I noticed about this particular candle is that it has lasted the last couple of days and with the amount of hours that I am in my office, that is longer than a great deal of candles I have come across. Upon further investigation, I found out that soy candles last longer than your average candle and this particular candle burns for approximately 60 hours, which is absolutely amazing, especially considering this candle is 7.5oz.
Pink Pig's signature candle is available for just $24 and I have to say that it is most definitely worth the price. You can purchase the candle at the Pink Pig shop in Westport or you can shop online at PinkPigWestport.com.


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The organizers of the GVF-EMP 'AeroConnect 2017: The Inflight Online Revolution' conference, which will be held at the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel, have announced the final program and latest speaker/panelist line-up for the October 31 event.
The October 24 event has attracted the participation of representatives of more than 70 organizations: 2010Connect; Access Partnership; Advantech Wireless; Aetheric Engineering Ltd; Airbus; Airbus Defence & Space; Arqiva; AST; AVEDEBE; Avison Aviation; British Telecommunications; Carlisle Interconnect Technologies; CETel GmbH; Comtech EF Data; CPI Europe; Device Management Forum; Eclipse; Eutelsat; General Dynamics Satcom; GetConnected.aero; Gilat Satellite Networks; GoGo; GoMedia Services; GPS Ltd; Guy Pelham Media / BBC News; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Honeywell; Hughes; Hunter Communications; Inmarsat; Inmarsat Aviation; Integrasys; Intelsat; IP Access; IRG; Iridium; ITS Electronics; Lockheed Martin Space Systems; Loreto Capital; Lufthansa Technik; M2M Insights; M4SAT; Media Broadcast Satellite GmbH; Neuco; Newtec; PCCW Global; PHASOR; Qatar Airways; Razor Secure Ltd; Rockwell Collins; Satellite Applications Catapult; SES; Spacepath Communications; SpeedCast; Telesat; Telstra; Ten Cate Advanced Composites Ltd.; Thales Alenia Space; Thorn SDS; UK MOD ISS Strategic Partner; UR Group; ViaSat; VT iDirect; WL Gore & Associates UK Ltd; Zuckert Scoutt & Rasenberger, LLP.
David Coiley, Vice President Aviation at Inmarsat, will open the conference with a keynote address which will provide a detailed overview of the findings and implications of the company's recent Inflight Connectivity Survey. He stated that the Inmarsat Inflight Connectivity Survey reveals some fascinating insights into the priorities held by today's airline passenger and provides vital new data. Gaining these insights will ensure that the satellite industry remains highly attuned to meeting the evolving demands, indeed the rapidly changing needs, of the inflight customer. His opening presentation — 'Online, Anywhere, Everywhere: The Passenger at 35,000 ft' — offers the AeroConnect event some further analysis and exploration of the implications for the industry.
The opening panel session of 'AeroConnect 2017' will focus on 'Technologies', covering: SATCOMS: Ku- and Ka-band in the Mix | GEO, MEO & LEO: the Hybrid Approach | Next Generation ATG Networks | The Integration of Space-Based and Ground-Based Networks, and will feature:
- Andy Lucas, Senior Vice President Operator Vertical, Comtech EF Data
- Marco Mirante, Regional Sales Director, Hughes Europe
- David Bijur, Senior Vice President, GoGo
- Alex Cowan, Chief Executive Officer, RazorSecure
- Ben Ash, Sales Manager, Special Applications, IP.access
- Roger Matthews, Managing Director, Go Media
Discussion of 'Aeronautical Applications & Passenger Services' will provide the substance of Session Two, including: The Cloud & Big Data from Gate-to-Gate | The Airline App Environment | The Passenger Online Environment (From Laptop, Tablet & Smartphone to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Skype, Whatsapp, Snapchat… and Beyond) | The Airline Carrier Operational Data Environment, with contributions from:
- David Coiley, Vice President Aviation, Inmarsat
- Julian Hewson, Director Strategic Accounts Europe, Global Eagle Entertainment
- Remi Challamel, Snr. Business Development & Sales Manager, Thales Alenia Space
'Terminal Equipment' themes form the substance of the third session, encompassing: Solutions Architecture, Design and Engineering Strategies | Terminal Design and Airframe Compatibilities | Terminal Capabilities for the Passenger & Carrier Requirement | Terminal Evolution & Future Proofing | Future Hardware Evolution: Antennas, Wireless Access Points, Servers and Routers. Featured panellists will include:
- Ally Lawson, Director of Business Development (Defence), Advantech Wireless
- Denis Sutherland, Vice President Business Development, iDirect
- David Garrood, CSO, PHASOR Inc
- Andy Lucas, Senior Vice President Operator Vertical, Comtech EF Data
The fourth session, 'The Expectations & Capabilities Matrix' will cover: The Passenger, the Airline, and the Connectivity Solution Provider | Deployment & Installation Planning: The Aircraft Manufacturer and the Airline Carrier | Broadband Bandwidth: Reconciling Supply and Demand Realities | Passenger Choice Drivers & Carrier Offerings | Future Proofing: Connectivity, Upgrades and Speed | Multiple Device Connectivity and the Second Screen. Panel members will include:
- Daphné Joseph, Manager Policy & Market Access, Access Partnership
- Jags Burhm, Senior Vice President Aero, Eutelsat Global Mobility
- Martin Coleman, Executive Director, IRG
- Graham Lake, Principal, Aviation Management
Registration and additional information is available at this direct link...


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Transform the lives of foster children and at-risk families today by donating to the Greater Hope Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible and support vital Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Programs.
Your gift makes all the difference!
❤ Give Online:
Click on the yellow Donate button above
❤ Give by Postal Mail:
Make your check payable to the Greater Hope Foundation and mail it to:14344 Cajon Ave., Suite 102 Victorville CA 92392
❤ Give a Basic Need Item for Child:
Infants, children and teenagers often enter the foster care system with only the clothes on their backs. Scared and confused, they immediately need basic items as they move into their Greater Hope foster home. While donating a pack of socks to Greater Hope may seem small, it can have a tremendous impact on a child, helping to bring them a sense of dignity and self worth. Show your love and support of foster children and donate one of the following items today.


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Happy Friday, my loves! What are your plans for the weekend? I really hope you could drop by the Supersale Bazaar at the World Trade Center and check out Digitaltraincase's booth. I'll be there from 12 noon onwards to give you some tips, product recommendations and probably a makeover! Please say Hi if you see me.
For today, I would like to share with you one product I couldn't live without:
Benefit Eye Bright
An instant eye brightener, also called coffee-break in a stick.
I've been using white eyeliner for years to give my eyes a more awake look. It does look unnatural, but it works. I first saw this magical stick during the Benefit Sneak Peek, and I immediately wanted to get one. I held myself back because the white eyeliner still works for me and I was being kuripot at that time, LOL! But during my trip to Dubai and Mr. X was being extra generous, I didn't pass on the chance of getting this. And I am glad I did!
this stick looks opaque pink when you swatch it
after a bit of smudging, it becomes a perfect blend of milky pink and white shimmer
How to use:
Apply on the inner corners of the eyes
and then, blend
(used Eye Bright only on the inner corners and lower water lines)
I'm really glad I decided to get this. It's such a multitasker, and though I initially thought that's it's just a nice-to-have product, now I can say it's one of the must-haves.
Creamy and easy to apply
Stays on the waterline a lot longer than other eyeliners I've tried
Instantly brightens the eye giving it an awake look just by applying it on the inner corners of the eye
Can also be used for an instant eye lift, by applying and blending it under the brow bones
Can also be used as a highlighter on the bridge of the nose, cheekbones and on your cupid bow
It works on all skintones because I've been using it on my clients too!
Fairly-priced at Php1100. Might be expensive for an eyeliner, but being a multitasker, this baby is one great buy!
I'll come up with another post on how to use it as a highlighter on other parts of the face, hopefully in a video.
Will I buy again?
Maybe, but not in the next few months. I've been using this almost everyday since January and I'm not even halfway.
So what do you think? Is it worth it?
Please like me on Facebook ( IambrigittePage ) and follow me on Twitter (Iamsutil) and Instagram (Iambrigitte)


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How to care for a corn snake
Most corn snakes for sale in the UK are bred in captivity. However, it's still important that the captive environment of a pet corn snake mimics the wild as much a possible.
Diet – what do corn snakes eat?
Mice should be their most common food, but you can feed them other prey such as suitably sized quails or rats.
Make sure prey is thoroughly defrosted and the width is no greater than 1.5 times the widest part of the snake's body.
Corn snake vivariums – temperature and lighting
An adult needs a vivarium that matches their length, allowing them to stretch out fully, and the minimum width and height must be a third of their length.
Make sure it's a secure and solid material that holds heat and will prevent escape.
Reptiles require a 'thermogradient' – meaning placing a guarded heat lamp at one end of the vivarium and leaving the opposite end cool.
The basking zone should range from 28 to 30 degrees C, and the cool end 20 to 24 degrees C. Monitor temperatu-res daily using digital thermometers at each end.
UV Lighting
You'll need to create a 'photogradient' that varies from light to shade. Fit a 2 to 7 per cent UV tube at the hot end.
Don't forget to set day and night light patterns – consider using a timer – 12 hours light followed by 12 hours dark.
A hygrometer measures the humidity, which should be around 40 to 50 per cent, essential to keep your corn snake's skin healthy and prevent breathing problems. If it's too high, you'll need more ventilation.
Keeping a corn snake healthy
Healthy corn snakes flick their tongue frequently and have clear, bright eyes. Their skin should be smooth without blisters. Monitor their health daily and seek advice from your specialist reptile vet if you're con-cerned.
Corn snake lifespan
Their lifespan is around 10 to 15 years. If you're interested in buying a corn snake, or considering adopting one instead, make sure you're ready to provide the care they'll need for their entire life.
How big do corn snakes get?
They can grow to around 150cm long. Female corn snakes usually grow larger than males.
Corn snakes can become used to regular handling. Gently lift them with one hand underneath the animal near the head and another hand nearer the tail, but never grab them.
Safe handling is around 10 to 15 minutes, any longer and their core temperature will drop too low.
Do corn snakes bite?
All snakes may bite under stress or if they smell food. However, they're not venomous.
When threatened, corn snakes may pull their head back displaying an 'S' sh-ped neck. If your snake does this, handle them another time.


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Tiny Homes Are Baby Steps Toward Reversing the Housing Crisis
A Baltimore nonprofit is pinning a lot of hopes on a small footprint.
Cambridge's Fleet of Smart Garbage Trucks Is Here to Sniff Out Problems
A collaboration between the city and MIT's Senseable City Lab, these sensor-equipped vehicles can detect gas leaks, potholes, and other urban hurdles across their paths.
How to Build a Better Skatepark
A Finnish skateboarder and landscape architect rethinks these historically community-aggravating youth spaces.
An Exciting History of Drywall
It's a staple in American homes, but at what environmental cost?


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Fort Worth — Trinity Shakespeare Festival's ninth season, in the summer of 2017, will have rotating repertory productions of Richard III and "problem play" Measure for Measure. Richard will be directed by Stephen Brown-Fried with Blake Hackler in the title role (Hackler's new play The Necessities will premiere at Second Thought Theatre right after his R3 run ends). Measure will be directed by T.J. Walsh, and feature Montgomery Sutton as Angelo.
The productions run June 13-July 2, 2017, on the campus of Texas Christian University. Tickets will go on sale in May.
TSF, which stages two Shakespeare plays each summer, has not repeated any titles so far. It'll be interesting to see if that continues in 2018 for the 10th anniversary (Othello is probably the most-produced play that TSF has not yet done, along with several of the Henry plays, or perhaps Antony and Cleopatra).
"Stephen Brown-Fried is the best young director of Shakespeare in the country," says Walsh. "To have him back again with Trinity this summer, examining a play like Richard III, is a gift for us and I could not be happier for our audiences, actors and our growing Shakespeare community in Dallas/Fort Worth."
"Measure for Measure, which I'll be directing, is a play that walks that line between drama and comedy that so many of Shakespeare's later plays beautifully balance," Walsh adds. "It is a powerful story of love and power and our job at Trinity is to find that balance and let the audiences into the world and care about these characters in a real way."
The design teams are made up of Trinity veterans: For R3, scenic designer Brian Clinnin, costume designer Aaron Patrick DeClerk and lighting designer Tristan Decker; and for M4M, scenic designer Will Turbyne, costume designer Lloyd Cracknell and lighting designer Michael Skinner.
Open auditions (Equity and non-Equity) are 6-10 p.m. Jan. 18-19, with call backs Jan. 20-21. Prepare a one-minute Shakespeare monologue, memorized. Bring two copies of your résumé and headshot. An online schedule sign-up will be available at trinityshakes.org two weeks before the first audition date.


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JCF's summer camp in Salt Spring, St James ends
ST JAMES, Jamaica — The four-week Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) children's summer camp in Salt Spring, St James, ended on August 16, with 120 children from the area benefiting from the initiative.
There are plans by the JCF to replicate the camp at other volatile communities in the parish, the police hierarchy said.
The camp began on Monday, July 22 at the Salt Spring Primary and Infant school, in Montego Bay, and forms part of social intervention efforts by the St James Police Division.
Children from six to 17 years of age were targeted and were engaged in educational and extracurricular activities, as well as motivational talks, geared at promoting proper etiquette and positive values and attitudes.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the Salt Spring Primary and Infant School, Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, said the summer camp represents the JCF's commitment to establish a meaningful relationship between communities and the police.
"This is really the JCF believing in you as the community of Salt Spring and you as the children of Salt Spring. This is how we see our role as police officers…so we can make people's lives better," the Commissioner added.
He commended residents for their commitment to maintaining the sense of peace that now exists in the community.
"We at the JCF appreciate the sort of commitment the community has made to peace, and building the relationship that we have over the past few months. The community has bought into this and we are doing great things together and this camp is one of those community activities," the Commissioner said.
"This is not a short term relationship that we are building here. This is not a sprint, this is a marathon and we are going to be here with you for the long haul and we will also be replicating this in other communities here in St. James and also in other parishes," he noted.
Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaperlive
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CONTINUING COVERAGE - Imphal Siege Continues
As the local government of Imphal attempts to negotiate an end to the four-month old siege of this eastern Indian city, skirmishes intensify along the narrow supply routes into the besieged city. The Indian Air Force, meanwhile, is attempting to keep the city supplied with fuel by airlifting tanker trucks in, to keep essential services running to the capital of Manipur State.
In related news, in the city of Kohima, the capital Nagaland to the north, an uneasy calm has returned to the city following three days of violence that left at least two dead. The violence stems from a requirement intended to be enforced during the current election cycle, that guaranteed 33% of municipal election seats to women, regardless of popular vote results. Local tribes claim that this is a violation of their traditional rights; although women traditionally have no political rights among the Naga, the tribe's issue was not women being allowed to run, but that 33% of the seats were guaranteed to women.
In light of our previous reporting, this attempted electoral move only serves to heighten tensions in an already explosive environment.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4] [Source 5]
Elsewhere in India...
Four junior officer trainees of the Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) were killed, and twenty wounded, when Naxalite guerrillas detonated a large IED in the Indian state's mountainous Koraput district under their bus, while en route to a police training college. The bus, carrying some seventy trainees, was blown off the road, and rolled almost one hundred feet down a slope. Further deaths are expected, as many of the trainees were severely injured in the attack.
In Bihar's Gaya district, Naxalites attacked a road construction camp along the famous Grand Trunk Road, burning two construction vehicles. However, there is evidence that this arson attack has more to do with extortion than anything political...After all, even Marxists need the fruits of capitalism.
Meanwhile, near Mumbai - scene of the brutal massacre in 2008 by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group - police questioned some twenty suspects this week, after posters promoting the ISIL terror group appeared in the megacity's suburbs.
To the north, in Gujarat, officials called for calm, as religious tensions skyrocketed, resulting in demonstrations by the Bajrang Dal activist group being broken up by police tear gas shells, with twenty activists arrested after burning some two dozen butcher shops, following the discovery of a slaughtered calf's head on a road in the Surat region. Although cattle are considered sacred in Hinduism, butchers are allowed to slaughter the animals in this multi-sectarian region, as long as certain methods are followed.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4]
Afghan security forces reported killing as many as fifty Taliban terrorists throughout Helmand Province, while to the north, in Kunduz, senior Taliban leader Abdul Wakil. In Faryab province, eight police officers - all from the same family - were drugged, then murdered in their remote station by a Taliban who had infiltrated police ranks. The unidentified suspected reportedly fled back to the Taliban.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4]
Syrian armed forces hammered ISIL positions in Suwayda, destroying a command and control center in in airstrike, and pounding ISIL positions in the area, destroying an arms depot and a large fuel tanker. Also this week, on the 5th, ISIL infiltrators cut a natural gas line feeding a 300 megawatt power station in the capital of Damascus. On the 2nd and 3rd, the Russian embassy in Damascus came under direct mortar attack; both Russia and Damascus condemned this direct strike on a diplomatic mission.
In southern Quneitra province, the Syrian Army repulsed an attack by the al Nusra Front with heavy losses to the guerrillas.
To the east, ISIL forces destroyed the last oil and gas refinery facilities in the city of Palmyra - whose ancient sites have been repeatedly savaged by the terrorist cult - as they prepare to retreat from the remains of the city, as Syrian forces continue their advance to recapture this important historical site.
In the north, Syrian forces continue to hammer away at ISIL forces, as the mopping up operations outside of Aleppo. Syrian Army forces retook the hamlet of Aran, south of Al Bab, cutting ISIL supply lines to the town. This comes as Turkey's "Euphrates Shield" operations conducted airstrikes in support of the operation.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4]
[Source 5] [Source 6] [Source 7]
Living up to the "terrorist" moniker, al Shabaab terrorists secretly poisoned a water well in the town of Masuubiy, near the city of Baidoa. At least 32 people - mostly women and children - have been killed by the poisoned water, while another twenty remain hospitalized.
Further west, Al Shabaab terrorists attacked a Kenyan Administrative Police post in the border town of Mandera on February 2nd. One police trainee was wounded, and the attackers made off with a police vehicle, a motorcycle, a rifle and other equipment. No fatalities were reported.
The Donbass fighting intensified this week, as heavy rocket and conventional artillery duels continued, in support of infantry attacks by both sides throughout the region. Reported gains are negligible, as the forces involved are more or less evenly matched.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4]
The "robo-call" bomb wave has returned with a vengeance, as schools throughout the country were locked down, and SWAT and bomb disposal teams swept the facilities for explosive devices, following automated calls warning of emplaced devices. In every case, no devices were found.
In Arizona, meanwhile, two people were hospitalized and later cleared for release after a suspicious powder was released when its containing envelope was opened in the offices of the "Alliance Defending Freedom", a Conservative non-profit law firm. "White powder attacks" have been increasing in frequency, as they are a cheap and easy method of attack that causes no casualties, but incites considerable psychological fear.
[Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3] [Source 4] [Source 5]
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I think I'll finish this post with some pictures...
Here's the bedding I'm considering. I'm still not sure. I think it's beautiful but I'll probably return it.
Aren't these flowers beautiful? This is the front and back view of the same arrangement. Every Tuesday I buy a bunch of flowers at Trader Joe's to bring to work. On Saturday I bring them home. Some of the flowers in the picture are two weeks old.
Why I need to power wash my house. It's embarrassing, don't you think? The builders planted a maple tree too close to the side of the house. It had terrible above ground roots that were growing under the foundation and I had to get it taken out. This is what was left behind. I think I'll admit I can't do this job myself and look for a professional. The siding on the rest of the house is fine.
I forgot to post this week's pizza. I bought new cast iron griddle to make pizzas on. One side has grates and the other, the pizza side, is smooth. I had leftover sausage & ground beef so that's the kind of pizza we had. It was delicious.


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There are picky eaters among us (or even us!). Some of them are your typical picky eaters; some are those that take it to Olympic levels of extraordinary unwillingness to try things. The latter are usually on the autism spectrum whether they know it or not. Not all ASD kids have food aversions, but it seems that most of them do. Anxiety goes hand and hand with autism, so often it's the fear of trying something that looks unappealing, or has a strong smell. This is one of the many issues we face when feeding our ASD kid. Logic often doesn't work ("you wouldn't know you liked pizza until you tried it"), incentives don't usually work either, once I offered my son and iPad to try eating actual food in his taco shell, he refused. Which was good, in no way could I have afforded to get one. But I figured he would say no, considering all of the other incentives I have offered over the years of things I could pull off, things he loves like money and iTunes cards. It was more a test to see if there was anything at all. Turns out, there wasn't, not that day. It comes down to keeping at it, for every now and then, when the moon and the stars align, and the wind is sweet (and most importantly his neurons are firing in a certain way) he will be open to try something. Sometimes it's just the once even if he likes it. (Oh couscous we were so close).
Most of the time when we are away from home on a vacation or short trip our son is more willing to try new foods. He is generally more relaxed, his needs are being met sensory-wise since we always wind up somewhere there is a pool. And all of our trips involve theme parks; they are one-stop shopping for stimulation and sensory playgrounds. Of course it can be too much, but we have learned with much practice how much is enough. For his birthday this year we will be heading to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA during the Food & Wine Fest, this means, Food will be the main event. I get the feeling, this will bring together the perfect elements to try new foods, and maybe with a little vacation magic, a better rounded diet when we return.
The food in Busch Gardens is not your ordinary theme park food of burgers and lousy sandwiches. So even when there is no special event you can dine in Italy on Manicotti, pasta, Eggplant or Chicken Parm, Or when you are in Germany there is a variety of sausages and German sides; over in France you can enjoy a smoke house of Chicken, brisket and ribs, and mac-n-cheese, or in England Fish and Chips. Ireland you can find Irish stew, and everywhere you can find salads, desserts and of course French fries. Prices are reasonable, with most entrees which include a beverage being around 9; up to 15 for a 3 course smoke house entree…desserts and sides are around 3.
Food & Wine Festival (May 23-June 29) take your taste buds on vacation for an extra special culinary tour through BG. Since the park is separated into countries already that showcase those countries food, (France, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, and Italy) you can find additional offerings in the form of tastings within those countries such as Pork Schnitzel in Germany and hand crafted German Beers. There will also be additional representatives like Spain, Canada in New France, Austria in Germany, Scandinavia in Ireland and this year a Caribbean themed menu will be added. Tastings range from 3-7. For your convenience you can buy a cashless wrist band that you either pre load with a specific amount or attach to a credit card. There are no additional fees and your account is settled at the end of the day. You can preview a map on the BG Website. There is also a special Wine on the Rhine, live Jazz music and delicious offerings while you cruise down the Rhine River. For $20 you can purchase cheese, fruit, crackers and gourmet truffle and 2 wine or beer samples. For guests 21 and over (younger guests will get juice and the cost is 5 less) and take 25-30 minute cruise down the Rhine River.
We will be attending the opening weekend I will report back how this goes and what he tries and doesn't. If we have any success I will share it.


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My children are growing up! My boys actually went away to sleepover camp for just under 2-weeks earlier this summer and that marked the first time my middle son was away from us for longer than one day. My oldest son had been away for a weekend at camp but never anything this long. I think we worried more than they did, to be honest.
We got them ready for camp at the end of last summer but talking about it a lot, and spending considerable amounts of time speak with different camps and upon deciding on Camp Arowhon we then spent 304 more months getting them ready and buying the stuff they needed for their stay.
We chose Camp Arowhon because of the owner, Joanna Kates' views on bullying. She has a zero-tolerance policy and she also carefully chooses councillors and who attends the camp. It almost felt like we had to get the go ahead nod before we wrote that cheque and there were times when I was not sure we were going to be allowed to send our kids there.
In the end it was all worth while as the kids loved it there. They rode horses, sailed, learned to canoe, paddle their own kayak and most importantly they grew up.
Another wonderful feature about Arowhon is the 100% ban on electronics. If it's found, it's taken away for good. Not just for the campers but also for the councillors too. Kids are there for fun, sun and learning, not for video games, texting and other electronic things. The camp also does not have a parents day, there are no pictures on the website and if kids and parents wish to communicate it's through hand-written letters. We actually received 7 letters from our kids and sent 3 of them That was a lot of fun too.
And the food… The food was great according to my kids. My middle son even went as far as to say that the soup was
better as good as the soup Mummy makes. Joanne, if you were not aware, is the food critic for The Globe and Mail newspaper – has been for 25-years – so if anyone knows anything about good food, it's Joanne.
So with our boys away for 12 days, we were left with our daughter – her first time as an only child – we were experiencing new and different things, so here are 13 things that happened / we did / while our sons were having the time of their lives at camp.
So sit back, grab the bug spray, leave the iPod at home, slap on the sun-screen and get read for the list!
- For the first time in her little life, our daughter had us all to her self, and she did not leave us alone for a second. It was amazing getting to spend so much time with her, not having to share that attention with her brothers and not having to compete with them for our time. Plus she's still at that age where by 7pm she's exhausted and ready for bed! .
We hopped in the car and made a run for the border – crossing at Niagara Falls (no line up whatsoever) and even after being questions over and over again as to why we were heading across on a Friday morning) we went, shopped, slept, shopped some more and slide back into Canada (only one car in front of us) without a hitch..
We took apart the kids bedrooms and put them back together again… Cleaner, with much less junk, and in a manner which we expect them to keep it in for at least one day when they get back.
The garden grew! Raspberries (red ones, purple ones and golden ones), green beans, yellow beans, currents… They all made an appearance and we eaten. Yum.
9. We slept in. All of us. By sleeping in, I mean past 6am. 7am is about the latest I've slept in the last 8-years. But 7:30am was an absolute dream!
- My wife and I went out… together.. on a date. I figures since we actually had to speak to each other for 12 days, it might be nice to take advantage of the relative calm and go out. You know what happened, folks… By 9pm we were exhausted. But we trooped, stayed out until 11pm, then went home to sleep.
We got caught up on laundry. We washed everything! Comforters, duvets, everything because we knew once camp was over and the house was back to 5 people, we would never catch up.
I got to bed early… Twice. Early for me used to be 11pm, but I've been finding that since I started my own business I never stopped having enough to do around the house, so early quickly became 2am. I actually got in to bed at 9pm one night and by 10:30 another night. Amazing.
5. I was outnumbered… In more than one way. Aside from being one male to two females, many long-time readers will recall that my wife kept her last name when we got hitched, and before we had kids we agreed that any boys we had would take my last name, and any girls would take her last name. I was in the minority.
- My oldest son returned with the new-found ability to play the guitar. As a matter of fact, the day after he arrived home, he asked me this; "Daddy, is that Sweet Home Alabama playing on the radio?" Then he said; "I can play that on the guitar!" Sweet!
3. My middle child learned to horseback ride and he loved it!! Who knew?!?
2. My boys grew up. They just seemed so different. My oldest son did not want to come home – he wanted to stay for a couple more weeks (even wrote a letter to us which arrived the day after he came home saying "send more envelopes! I'm staying for 2 more weeks, and tell my sister I love her and I miss her." My younger son, clearly no longer worried about spending time away from home seemed older, more relaxed, and cooler. Camp did him well.
As someone who never went to camp – I started working full-time in the summers when I was 14-years-old so I could buy plastic goalie pads for our street hockey games, I kept it up and paid for University. Camp would have been nice, but University was better. Now that I see how the kids have changed after just 12 days away, I wonder what it will be like next summer after a month away, and if this is the beginning of the kids independence.
- We missed them! Not at first and not always but in those moments when the chaos slows down and we get to breathe, live, relax and look around we realize what a huge part of our lives those children have become and we miss having them around to share with, listen to and teach.
Now they're back and we get to talk about camp next year! 2 weeks or 1 month…
Thursday Thirteen: You're turn!
Did you go to camp as a kid? What did you like the most and what did you hate? If you did not, what did you do instead?


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Before anyone gets firmly on my tits about this, let me just clarify, this is a follow on article from The Positives Of DSS Tenants. So please, no angry hippies or DSS tenants start protesting, this is just a simple flip of the coin.
But I must confess, this list is longer than the pro-DSS tenants' article! My bad.
1. DSS Tenants have financial difficulties
Whatever the case may be, whether we're talking about genuinely sincere and deserving claimants, or piss-taking parasites that prefer to leech off the Government than make a real effort of climbing out of the system, all DSS tenants are shackled by financial restraints. If they weren't, they wouldn't be claimants. That instantly makes them 'high-risk'
Being a landlord is about managing risk, but more importantly, minimizing risk. And since this is a business based on cash, we need to do whatever we can to keep the cash flowing, and that's easier to do when you're dealing with tenants that don't have financial restraints. But for a better example, we can use banks and their policy for loaning. Would a bank give a loan to someone on DSS? Very unlikely. Why? Because it's unlikely they'll have the means to make the repayments.
Why should landlords think any differently than banks? They really shouldn't. Fundamentally, we're all talking about exchanging commodities.
2. Landlords no longer receive rent directly
At one time, DSS tenants were sought after by Landlords because the council would pay the rent directly to the Landlord. Unfortunately, that changed a few years ago, consequently tenants now directly receive rent. The change occurred to encourage the tenants to become more responsible with money.
Historically, many DSS tenants caused a lot of anti-social problems for Landlords, but we tolerated it because rent was sent directly into our pockets. But since tenants have been responsible for their own allowance, there's been a predictable rise in tenants failing to pass on the rent, and presumably spending the money on other things.
The only real security and compelling reason landlords had to accept DSS tenants is no longer there. Or at least, not as easily accessible. There are certain circumstances whereby it's still possible for the landlord to receive payments directly, but it's not a 'default' arrangement anymore. It needs to be arranged with the claimant and council, and from what I'm told, it's 'possible'
However, I have no idea when or how it becomes a viable option, and my guess is that each council will have their own set of policies on the matter.
3. Rent from a DSS tenant is NOT Guaranteed
Following up from my previous point, and adjoining with some of my upcoming points…
I've heard many people claiming that rent is guaranteed when DSS tenants setup direct payments to landlords. That's nothing more than a vicious rumour. Of course, it's usually tenants on Housing Benefit (HB) that are spreading the rumour in order to sway landlords into thinking DSS tenants do have their perks.
I agree, taking on DSS tenants do have their [extremely limited] perks, however, saying that "rent is guaranteed" is total bullshit.
Firstly, most DSS tenants have a shortfall to cover each month, which the tenant is expected to cover on time every month. That shortfall is NOT guaranteed. Secondly, and most importantly, the council have the ability to seize/alter anyone's benefits at the snap of a finger, and there's nothing a landlord can do about it.
4. DSS tenants need to cover a shortfall
DSS tenants will typically need to cover a shortfall each month. For example, if the tenant's rent is £500pcm, they may receive an allowance of £400 per month. In that case, the tenant will need to cover a shortfall of £100. Bearing in mind, a lot of DSS tenants aren't working, so it's important to recognise that the benefits alone may not be enough.
I've had a tenant in the past that had to pay £150 in shortfalls. It was often late, and frequently required constant chasing. This may seem trivial, but believe me, having to keep track of multiple payments for the same tenancy every month is bloody annoying.
5. Difficult to get Landlord Rental Insurance
Rent Guarantee Insurance (RGI) is always a useful policy to have in place, especially if you're not 100% sure of your tenants credibility.
If your tenant fails to pay rent, your rental insurance company will cover the costs. However, many insurance companies won't insure your rent if you have a DSS tenant. And if they're willing to, they may ask for a higher premium than a private tenant.
If insurers are refusing to insure DSS tenants, or demand a higher premium to do so, you kind of have to put the dots together and realise that their figures show high claims when DSS tenants are involved. If that wasn't the case, they'd happily insure.
These insurance companies aren't fools, so it's safe to follow their lead.
6. The Council are useless
I've already raged about how useless the council are when problems occur with DSS Tenants so I won't drag on about it too much. Basically, on various occasions throughout my involvement with DSS tenants, I've needed to contact the council in order to resolve outstanding issues. It goes without saying that they have been less than helpful and outrageously rude. You can read a more in-depth discussion on how the council are rubbish when it comes to providing Landlords with support.
For a quick summary;
- The council don't give a shit when tenant's don't pay rent (even though they are giving them an allowance)
- They actively screw landlords over when the tenant falls into arrears by telling them to remain in the property until they can be legally evicted (e.g. after they have fallen 2 months in arrears)
- They randomly start and stop providing benefits to the tenants, and give no fair warning to the landlord. Then the landlord is effectively left with a tenant that has no income.
7. Even Letting Agents refuse to deal with DSS tenants
A letting agents job is to find suitable tenants for their landlords' as quickly as possible. If they don't find tenants, they don't get paid, it's that simple. So it must say something about DSS tenants if more and more letting agents refuse to deal with them.
When a letting agent prolongs filling in vacant properties by denying a certain type of tenant, alarm bells should ring. I'm sure letting agents have dealt with DSS tenants at one point, and on the back of their experiences, they're now refusing…
8. Claimant allowances can randomly change
I've been in the situation where my DSS tenant's allowance randomly changed overnight. I didn't get any warning from the local housing association, no notifications, just an unexpected phonecall from my tenant informing me rent would be short this coming month because their allowance had been slashed, and there was nothing they could do about it.
For several months she was receiving £400pcm, the next month it had been slashed down to £300 for some reason that will never be disclosed to me. It's not even uncommon for claimants to completely lose their housing benefits overnight.
You'd think the landlord would be entitled to a warning from the council, but apparently discussing their clients' personal finances is a breach of data protection regulations. Do me a favour, seriously! Meanwhile. I'm left with a tenant that can't afford the rent.
Most landlords take on DSS tenants on the basis that they are receiving regular financial support, and the council know that.
9. Claimants receive their benefits every 4 weeks
You'd think the council would want to make it easy for DSS tenants to receive their benefits and pay their rent on time. They don't, which makes it a terrible proposition for landlords.
The council pay every 4 weeks instead of per calendar month (which is when rent is typically due). This may sound like another trivial issue, but it can get terribly messy when enough months have passed and your tenant starts receiving rent on the 15th of every month and rent is due on the 1st. You'll soon find that the tenant has spent the allowance long before rent is due.
Anyone else got anything to add? If so, blurt your stuff…
Disclaimer: I'm just a simple landlord blogger; I'm not qualified to give legal or financial advice. Any information I share is my opinion based on my personal experiences as an active landlord, and should never be construed as legal or professional advice. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.


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Don't miss our first OstomyLife Newsletter with helpful information from Shield HealthCare! You'll find an introduction to our community, along with many articles written by Laura Cox, Shield HeatlhCare's Ostomy Lifestyle Specialist.
In this issue:
- Feature Article: What is Shield HealthCare's OstomyLife Community?
- Shield Healthcare has created a dedicated community, OstomyLife, to provide resources, support and a sense of community to people living with an ostomy. Learn more!
- How to Exercise with an Ostomy
- We discuss how to exercise with an ostomy safely-reintegrating yourself into an exercise routine and how to stay healthy while doing it.
- Proper Hydration
- Hydration with an ostomy can be difficult for some people. This article provides information about fluids, foods and tips that help you stay hydrated.
- Diet and Nutrition Tips for New Ostomates
- In this video, Laura talks about how to introduce new foods back into the diet, and foods that may cause or prevent different issues such as odor, gas, etc.
- Ask Laura
- Our Ostomy Lifestyle Specialist, Laura Cox, answers questions you send in. If you'd like Laura to answer a question, email firstname.lastname@example.com
Click here to download the Newsletter in PDF format.
Shield HealthCare | Stronger with Shield


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A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010): At least the trailer editors were awesome
8 comments:
WITH ANCHOVIES!ReplyDelete
Aw man. I was really hoping for a good one here. How did JEH do as Freddy? I don't think anyone could top Englund,ReplyDelete
Thanks for the spoiler preface, I almost skipped the review =DReplyDelete
Based on the trailer, I was expecting nothing better. If played out believably, the micronaps could definitely be an interesting new invention for the series.. Still debating whether I am going to see this one in theaters or not Becks.
Spot-on, yeah.ReplyDelete
I, however, didn't like the micro-naps plot device. It seemed like an excuse to justify an endless number of jump scares starring Freddy Krueger.
I'm with you....it can't hold a candle to even the worst of the original Nightmare On Elm Street films.ReplyDelete
Im sure I will have similar thoughts after seeing this and the comment he looks like a ninja turtle covered in pizza is hilarious and I actually thought that for a second when I was watching the trailer just beforeReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 4, 2010 at 5:03 AM
Such a completely lifeless movie.ReplyDelete
I think he looked like a hamster face myself.
I made the mistake of seeing this before checking your review. My wallet scolded me for the mistake.ReplyDelete
Honestly, the movie lost me when the Johnny Depp stand-in dropped by Nancy's locker with his "Joy Division" shirt proudly on display (it was a beautiful example of character advertising). I'd like to have sat in on that wardrobe discussion just to hear the actual conversation that lead to that decision.


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Thunder Storm back to Beat Magic
Kevin Durant scored 38 points and Russell Westbrook added 29 as Oklahoma City erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit en route to a 105-102 NBA victory over Orlando.
Durant scored 18 points in the fourth period, helping his team overcome the 33 points and nine rebounds of Orlando star Dwight Howard.
Jameer Nelson added 15 points with nine assists for Orlando, but the Magic could not hold off the Thunder's furious late surge.
Orlando led 81-70 going into the final period, but with Howard on the bench early in the fourth Oklahoma City began to turn the tide.
Durant capped an 11-2 scoring run with two free throws and a three-pointer as the Thunder took a 90-89 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
The Thunder did not trail again, although Daequan Cook left the door open for the Magic when he missed a pair of free throws with three seconds to play.
Orlando could not take advantage, and Jason Richardson was off-target with a potential game-tying three-pointer as time expired.
The Thunder claimed a seventh straight victory, improving to 29-7.