Striker Shane Long is backing the Republic of Ireland's wingers to give manager Giovanni Trapattoni a major selection headache ahead of the Euro 2012 finals.
Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady are fixtures in the 72-year-old Italian's starting line-up, with the likes of Stephen Hunt and Liam Lawrence having provided solid back-up in the recent past.
However, the emergence of Sunderland's James McClean as a genuine contender to rival Trapattoni's big guns has left Long and his fellow frontmen singing his praises.
The West Brom striker said: "It's brilliant. They are obviously top-quality players, and seeing him with my own eyes this week in training, James, he can deliver a ball from anywhere.
"You know when he gets it, you just have to make a run and he will find you.
"We have different options on the wings and it's a problem for the manager coming up to the Euros."
McClean, 22, was handed his senior international debut in last night's 1-1 friendly draw with the Czech Republic having already made an impression with his new team-mates on the training pitch at Malahide during the days leading up to the game.
The Derry-born player, who opted to represent the Republic rather than Northern Ireland, received a rapturous welcome from a crowd of 37,741 at the Aviva Stadium when he was introduced as a late replacement for McGeady.
Long said: "It was brilliant. He's flying at Sunderland at the moment, and for him to pledge his allegiance to Ireland obviously means a lot to the Irish fans.
"It's nice to give him that confidence going through. He's a great player and hopefully he continues the way he is playing for the rest of the season."
On the night, Ireland emerged with a draw after being second best for long periods as Long's club-mate Simon Cox came off the bench to cancel out Milan Baros' opener with just four minutes remaining.
Trapattoni, with one eye firmly on the finals - in which his side will face Croatia, Spain and Italy in Group C - started with his strongest available team and asked skipper Robbie Keane to play a slightly withdrawn role behind lone striker Long.
In the event, his players were served with a timely reminder of how tough a task they could face in Poland and Ukraine by their fellow qualifiers.
Long said: "They are obviously a good side. They have a few big players in their team and they were going to be a good test for us.
"They play with five in midfield and we need to be able to play against that with the teams we have in our group, so it's a good learning curve for us and a good test before we go to the Euros."


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CEDAR RAPIDS - The high school team tennis state tournaments added a trio of Metro participants.
Defending Class 2A girls' state champion Cedar Rapids Prairie earned a spot for the third year in a row after a 5-2 victory over Cedar Rapids K ... »
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Jessica Heims set a personal best in the discus with an effort of 85-2 3/4 inches, good enough for eighth place at the Paralympic Games on Sunday at Rio de Janeiro.
Heims is a 17-year-old senior at Cedar Rapids Prairie.
Yao Juan of China won the gold medal with a fling of 146-1. The other American in the field, Natalie Bieule, was sixth.
Heims will compete in the women’s 400-meter final at 4:12 p.m. Monday.
l Comments: (319) 368-8857; firstname.lastname@example.org

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Av Luis Moreno Mora y Eduardo Malo, Cuenca, Ecuador
This destination can have additional per person taxes which are excluded in the prices below
Boasting a Jacuzzi, Rione Hotel Boutique is situated in Cuenca and provides comfortable accommodation. It is ideally located for those wanting to discover the area's attractions.
This 4-star ...
Distance to city centre
Distance to airport
Pets allowed on request. Charges may apply.
Policies vary by room type and provider.
+593 99 276 2294
The average rate for a night at Rioné Hotel Boutique is 26% less than the Cuenca average for similarly rated 4 stars hotels. The nightly rate at Rioné Hotel Boutique is typically $79, which is considered to be a good deal for a quality hotel room in Cuenca.
At 2.0 mi away, Cuenca is the closest airport to Rioné Hotel Boutique. The average expected drive time from Rioné Hotel Boutique to Cuenca is 4min. It’s a good idea to research traffic trends between your hotel and the airport.
Rioné Hotel Boutique has parking for hotel guests so for most visitors spending time in Cuenca, renting a car for around $68/day may be the best option. This will give you the ability to get to and from Cuenca, and also give you the flexibility to get around the area. Taking a taxi or rideshare service from the nearest airport, Cuenca, to your hotel is often the most cost effective transportation solution.
Yes. Most house pets, such as dogs, are welcomed guests at Rioné Hotel Boutique.
You can reach the front desk of Rioné Hotel Boutique at +593 99 276 2294.
Yes, Rioné Hotel Boutique has Wi-Fi available to hotel guests.
Check-out should be before 12:00 PM. For checking in at Rioné Hotel Boutique, guests should plan for any time after 2:00 PM on the day of their scheduled arrival.
Rioné Hotel Boutique room prices depend on your dates, room type and availability. The average price found recently is $79/night, with the best deals starting from $60/night. To see current deals, enter your dates in the form above.
Yes, food can be ordered from the Rioné Hotel Boutique restaurant. Opening times may vary.
Yes, there are laundry services usually available at Rioné Hotel Boutique, Cuenca, Ecuador.

domain: travel


Stunning Chanel Iman in Zuhair Murad Couture ball gown at Cannes amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS Gala.
Chanel Iman, love the updo with blacked out shades and dark red lips.
See all the runway and model photos from the Christian Dior Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear collection.
See Chanel Iman Cuddle Up with Baby Lions from InStyle.com
How to Show Some Skin This Winter - Chanel Iman-Wmag
Chanel Iman wearing Zuhair Murad at the Cannes amfAR Gala
Color has finally come back to the world, flowers are blooming, and your favorite stars are stepping out in Spring's prettiest pastels.
virid-escent: “ vogue-is-viral: “ Chanel Iman at the Cannes Film Festival in Zuhair Murad ” Ridiculously beautiful ”


34.205 acres of land zoned retail and commercial business district. The possibilities are endless, was formally used as a vet clinic. A majority of the property is thick with cover but does have some cleared pastures. The back corner of the property provides access to a government reservoir that is stocked with fish. Located in a area of town with higher traffic, having two sides with road frontage is sure to be an added bonus. The older building is present on the property along with holding and working pens. One can choose to use this idea or put your imagination to the test and use this property to its fullest potential. With some time and effort this property could be the beginning to something big!
Asphalt, City Sewer, City Water
Users may not reproduce or redistribute the data found on this site. The data is for viewing purposes only. Data is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS or NTREIS.
Listing information last updated on August 11th, 2020 at 10:30pm CDT.


Remember Wesley Clark, the former NATO supreme allied commander and 2004 presidential candidate? His pals still lament that President Obama didn't pick him as a running mate in 2008 or find the retired four-star general a choice cabinet spot. Lately, Clark has been appearing more often on CNN as a military analyst and ramping up his social media presence. (He has 132,000 Twitter followers.)
That has allies suggesting he's angling to be among those Obama might consider if he dumps Vice President Joe Biden or to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's post—or even defense secretary or United Nations ambassador—in a second Obama term. "It's a waste of brilliant talent," a Clark associate tells our Suzi Parker.
The White House has recently rejected talk that Obama would consider replacing Biden in a move to boost his popularity and recharge his administration as the president prepares for the re-election campaign. And it's unclear what greater help Clark would provide Obama, who already has in Biden a trusted foreign policy adviser.
But it's a different story in the cabinet, where Clark could provide able foreign policy advice as Clinton's replacement, calling on his diplomatic skills during his days in the military. However, some insiders suggest that Sen. John Kerry has the edge as Clinton's successor.
He's also be a good fit at the Pentagon should Leon Panetta be a short-term secretary, say associates.


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- Found some at Modern Textiles in Fargo! 1 Canoe 2 Jars Dark Love this fabric. Would make awesome aprons, or tablecloths. It is out of stock all over the place, but if anyone wanted to give me a yard or two.
This Canvas String Art Graffiti project is fun for kids and adults alike. While this is a spray paint project, you can use alternative paints or dyes for younger children. Makes a fun summer art project when your kids get bored.

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I’m a big believer in the “WHY?” You can look to numbers or trends or cycles for answers, but asking why something is happening will give you a clearer picture.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years you have probably heard that our real estate market has been very hot. Prices have already soared to new record highs in a relatively brief amount of time, so, why is this happening?
Everyone knows the Vancouver real estate market is hot and is predominantly fuelled by Chinese buyers, and that we are feeling the trickle-down effect or after-shock of the increasingly unattainable dream of home ownership by middle-class people in the Greater Vancouver area. In 2016 48.8% of all Powell River home buyers were from out of area, and roughly half of those out of area buyers – and approximately ¼ of all purchases – were made by people from the Lower Mainland. Those figures are very similar through October 2017, with 47.3% of all buyers coming from out of area, and 28.6% of all purchases coming from Lower Mainland buyers.
Virtually all corners of the province and most of the country are experiencing hot real estate markets. I was reading a 2016 article in McLean’s and the title alone summed it up brilliantly:
China is Buying Canada: Inside the new real estate frenzy
How China’s affection for Canada’s Real Estate is reshaping the nation’s housing market well beyond Vancouver.
The word in the title that struck me the most was ‘affection’. The largest populous on the planet feels affectionately about Canadian real estate…really? As I read on, I realized why they did, and where this ongoing love affair is going.
A desire for Canadian quality of life and familiarity with already established Chinese communities within Canadian suburbs which grew during an era of lax immigration standards is just the tip of the ice berg. More than that, Chinese buyers see western real estate as a safe place to park their wealth. It’s not just wealthy Chinese however; the article goes on to cite the experience of a middle class Chinese immigrant who came to BC because his family couldn’t afford to own in China. That year the Chinese real estate market jumped 60%. While China’s wealthy elite still dominate high end real estate purchases in Vancouver – one study of Vancouver’s three highest end neighbourhoods showed that 66% of all purchase were made by foreign buyers – the growing Chinese middle class also covet Canadian real estate. In fact, real estate is the preferred investment by Chinese. Adding to the desirability of Canadian real estate is the ability to keep these assets away from a shady Chinese Government. One Chinese investor said, “In China, even if the governments name is not on my account, whenever they want my money they’ll have my money.”
It was estimated that in 2014 One Trillion Dollars left China, and the government has placed very strict rules on the amount of money Chinese citizens can take out of the country, and with a low loonie Canadian real estate is a bargain to Chinese buyers whose Yuan is fixed to the US dollar. Vancouver real estate is skyrocketing so fast that the average single family dwelling is north of $2M, and the average Vancouver household would have to use 109% of their disposable income to cover the costs of owning the average Vancouver home.
One of the largest factors driving Chinese investment in Canada is the quality of our schools, and the value placed on education within the Chinese culture. Did you know that in 2016 over 130,000 Chinese students were enrolled in Canadian schools and colleges? That figure doubled from 2011. That makes China the biggest source of international students in Canada. And why not? A recent study has Canada 4th of 70 countries in a survey of science and technology, and second in the world for reading standards. Much of this is attributed to high government investment in education, ongoing training for teachers and competitive remuneration for educators, as well as quality facilities. And, again, you guessed it…it’s on sale! In 2016 Canada’s university tuition fees were a bargain, at 42% of the cost of post secondary education of our neighbours to the south, and significantly less than other Chinese Investor hotbeds like New Zealand, the UK and Australia. One other big reason why China likes Canada’s education system is our comparatively low mandatory IELTS scores. And on top of that, students who qualify for certain post-grad work permits can skip the foreign buyer tax.
Wow! There’s a lot there to consider. It’s obvious that foreign investment in Vancouver is displacing residents who are turning to smaller affordable BC communities, but figuring out why China is buying up Canada – more specifically Vancouver – leads me to believe this climate is not going to change. Why would it? After all a country whose shear mass and wealth we can’t fully comprehend sees our real estate as a vehicle to facilitate the thing they prioritize most for their children, our education system, while simultaneously sheltering their wealth from a crooked government and volatile market in a country with some of the highest quality of life available on earth, where their friends, relatives and culture are already established in enclaves throughout the nation, and to top it off they’re getting it for pennies on the Yuan.
Buckle up! We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
What an amazing sturgeon excursion with Fraser River Lodge and our expert guide Neil.
This 8’6″ leviathan was the biggest of the 13 we landed, and my buddy Quinton’s second over 8′ that day.
You don’t have to be an avid fishermen to enjoy this experience. Scenic beauty and the rush of cruising the mighty Fraser in a jet boat, and the opportunity to battle a prehistoric River monster is fun for all.
Don’t forget my Tight Lines Photo Contest is underway and we’re in the voting stage. Head over to this link and vote for your favourite entry!
It was difficult to hear over the weekend about the death of Tom Petty. 66 is way too young for anyone to pass, least of all someone who had such a huge impact on music during his life.
Not much else to say other than rest in peace to a legend of the industry, and someone who’s legacy will continue to live on.
Just got back from a week on Savary Island with the family, recharged and ready for the rest of this busy summer real estate market. While we were away some friends visited, and they hadn’t been to the Indian Point side of the Island before, and really hadn’t been in their adult lives – I was shocked! People, if you live in PR and don’t regularly enjoy the benefits of Savary Island, whether day tripping or enjoying an extended stay, you have to find out what you’ve been missing out on:
Down Time: I don’t know how to explain it, but nothing has gotten me more relaxed than a week on Savary in my entire life. I read three and a half books, and we have two kids!
Strolls: There are endless trails and walks to explore.
Diversity: From Mace Point to Indian Point and all points in between, Savary is a collage of unique locations, each with its own different qualities and benefits; try them all, and see what you like best. Some say they love the action of Savary Shores and the area nearer to the government dock, plus access is great here. The Meadows is a picturesque area, but a climb down to the beach. If you are under 30 you probably already know what South Beach has to offer. Sunset Boulevard has great boat access, and, of course, stunning vistas. My personal favourite is Indian Point. Best beaches, great boat access and mooring, sunsets, hikes, I could go on…
Sugar Shack: While Riggers’ wasn’t open this season, the Sugar Shack in the Meadows was worth the walk from Indian Point. It was our first visit to the shack, and we didn’t know what to expect, but this shack if a Candy Land in reality. Probably the highlight of Claire’s trip.
Sea Food: You can’t beat harvesting fresh shell fish, and if you’ve got any kind of boat access, the crabbing is terrific too. Mace Pt. Is a great local hot spot for anglers.
Diversity: This place is an interesting mix. I love the many galleries around the island with island inspired art, and the eclectic vibe. Savary seems to speak to people from every walk of life, whether it’s your year round home or once a year fortress of solitude.
Sunsets: They’re better on Savary…period.
History: For the history buff, this place has got folklore galore. Our friend and island resource Rick Thadeus can give you one amazing tour, and find you a nice little vacation property too!
Market: The Savary Market probably does as much volume as Costco in a torrid two hours every Tuesday.
So, here are just a few reasons Statham Style to enjoy Savary. Do yourself a heap of good and come experience your own.
Last week I posted a great infographic on the first half of 2017 in Powell River Real Estate. I even did a Facebook Live video on this topic yesterday. However I wanted to provide a more in depth look at everything that’s happened up to July 1st.
With just 1.5 months of available Single Family Detached Home (SFD) inventory, our real estate market continues to favour sellers. There are just 67 residential listings on our MLS, and a mere 56 actively listed SFD Homes on mainland PR, just 23 of which are under $400,000.00. With a lack of supply and constantly increasing demand the real estate market has become incredibly competitive.
52 of 177 SFD Home sales through the end of Q2 2017 have been full price or above! 2017 is so far similar to 2016 in many ways. SFD Home sales volume is up 5.3%, but total volume of residential sales is down 6.5%. In 2016 the first quarter was very slow, and the second quarter was a record setter, but this year has been more even, and should continue to be. 2016’s strong second quarter saw a drop in volume in Q3 where often they’re similar, which should again be the case in 2017. Total sales fell 24% between the second and third quarters on 2016, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re very close in 2017. Overall, residential sales are on pace to be +/- the same volume as 2016.
While sales volume is stable, sale prices are climbing fairly quickly. At the end of Q2 2016 the average SFD Home sale price was $301,913. When Q2 2017 ended, that number was up to $332,925, a jump of over 10% and trending higher. Comparing each second quarter, the increase was almost 14% as homes sold from April – June this year averaged $346,098. At the close of 2016 the average SFD Home price was $320,058. If the current average increase continues SFD Home sale prices will average north of $350,000 by the end of this year, and if volume doesn’t increase it most certainly will be all of that.
In recent news some Canadian banks have increased rates marginally only on certain products as they anticipate a long expected increase to the Bank of Canada’s key benchmark rate. CIBC and BMO increased longer fixed term rates with 25 year amortizations between 5 and 20 basis points. Rate increases have been long coming, but should not have a negative effect on our real estate market.
Despite the rapid appreciation the average home is still very affordable in Powell River, and a few points either direction is not going to make or break most transactions as it might in major markets.
Canada Day has come and gone and so has the mid point of 2017. Six months and 181 days are behind us, so it seems like an appropriate time to look back at the first half of 2017 in Powell River Real Estate, and look ahead at what’s to come.
Check out this great infographic featuring a few of the key stats from 2017 thus far. I’ll have more in a few days as I take a more detailed look at the second quarter of 2017 and the year overall so far.
It was about a year ago the Matterport 3D Imaging system finally arrived at my office. It was like Christmas in June. I had just listed a beautiful lakefront home, ideal to showcase this groundbreaking new technology. Alex (my right hand man) had just started, and on day one I asked him to research how we could get this machine that creates 3D living models of homes, and if he could run it. Well, the latter was a synch, but considering the company wasn’t direct shipping to Canada yet (that’s how exclusive this technology is), we had to send it from California, to Florida, to Vancouver and up to the beautiful Sunshine Coast.
My business philosophy is predicated on adding value to the listing process; it’s the reason I do what I do. So, to acquire a technology that can put a buyer right in your home, along with my already exciting suite of value added services was a dream come true. To me, anyone can put a home on the market, it’s marketing the home to its full potential that’s so critical, and there’s no better way, especially when nearly half of all purchases in Powell River in 2016 were made by someone from outside of PR. It’s called digital curb appeal. Let’s face it, everything sells online, so, make sure what you’re selling – in this case pretty big ticket items like houses – show to their full potential.
When I meet a buyer at a home who has already told me they enjoyed the 3D model, I know they’ve already made the purchasing decision in their mind because they’ve already experienced everything the home has to offer…seeing it in person becomes a formality. Showings become more like pre-offer meetings.
Our first Matterport 3D listing was in Cranberry on a beautiful two storey home right on the lake. 7032 Cranberry presented amazingly for our new 3D camera and what you get most from the final product is the size and space available from the huge family room to the beautiful entrance way and upstairs master bedroom. You can’t get that from photos, you get a sense of it on video, but only the 3D scan allows you to see every inch of the home, how its laid out and just how big everything is.
Shortly after, we ventured over to Savary Island to capture a pair of homes including a stunning custom build overlooking the south side of the Island and back to Powell River and Texada Island. Take a look at this scan and see how it handles the outdoors by standing on the back deck and checking out the view and landscaped gardens.
In September, we scanned a beautifully renovated home that was staged expertly by Relish Interiors. This two floor family home on Field Street was showcased to its maximum by capturing beautiful photos and creating a 3D walkthrough that allowed prospective buyers to see all the improvements and upgrade, see the views out the window and see how the house was laid out.
Overall, in a year we’ve scanned 36 properties in Powell River and Savary Island. 36 homes with unprecedented digital curb appeal and 36 properties that appeal like nothing else on the market to a growing contingent of out of town buyers. In 2016, almost half of all buyers (48.8%) were from outside of Powell River and it’s no longer an option to cater to that pool of prospective buyers…it’s a necessity.
It doesn’t matter what you call home, you can benefit from my exclusive 3D technology when its time to sell…at NO EXTRA COST! You don’t have to have a million dollar listing to reap the benefits of unparalleled real estate marketing technology, you just have to give me a call. I believe everyone deserves the ability to sell their biggest investment for maximum return, whether you’re down sizing, up sizing, cashing out an investment property, or relocating altogether.
Looking back at all the homes we’ve scanned in the first year it just amazes me the effect this cutting edge technology has when it comes to selling real estate…seeing how this machine brings the beauty of my clients’ home to life.
If you haven’t heard of, or seen it yet, click here for some more examples of local homes we sold in the past year with the help of the Matterport 3D system, and when it’s time to hire an agent remember I’ll be happy to put this high tech marketing tool to work for your benefit.
This is something that I’ve wanted to put together for a long time and I’m happy to now begin offering this moving forward. Every month we collect various stats and information about the transactions in Powell River for Real Estate. These range from where buyers and sellers come from to why they’re coming or leaving Powell River. Combine that with our up to date MLS data featuring asking and sales prices, number of units and much more and you get a pretty complete look at the region.
So we took all that information and put it into an easy to view infographic. The numbers are quite interesting.

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Autumn is pretty much over and this means winter season temperatures are soon to establish in your garden. In regards to landscape gardening professionals, among the major chores to process at the present is to safeguard your garden’s water features.
Such garden features are usually expensive, which means any damage sustained by them throughout the winter season is going to dig a hole in your wallet. Thus, it is better to stay on top of your garden winter preparation chores and invest some time and effort. Except for money, you will reduce the beauty and utility that water features introduce to your garden and that’s one thing you do not want. Simply follow these tricks to make sure it does not happen:
Maintain movement in the water – among the necessities for water features is to keep water running in case you have fish swimming in them. To accomplish this, you must keep the pump on max power so as to avoid freezing. Remove remains, if there is any.
Remove plants – water plants shouldn’t be kept around. Even in case they are some strong type that tolerates cold season temperatures, you should be cautious and pull them out from the water. In case they start to decompose in the middle of winter, your water feature will be in trouble.
Inspect for leaks – you should make a full examination of the water feature and spot leaks. These should be fixed instantly, as it’s simpler and prevents much bigger problems when temperatures go below 0 and the problem gets worse.
Get the water feature clean – cleaning is surely not among your favourite chores, but it must be competed nonetheless. Begin by cleaning out debris, for example fallen leaves and garden waste that has fallen in the water. Check for algae and treat the issue with a special product if you find one. Cleaning’s best done with no water in the water feature, because it makes things simpler and lets you make one more check before winter hits.
Take out the pump – if you do not need to keep the water flowing (which is possibly the best option), you should pull out the pump. This minimises the risk of freezing and breaking, particularly during very cold temperatures. Assure you store it properly, as it’s probably the most costly piece of equipment of the water feature.
Cut back tree branches and bushes – it’s a smart strategy to cut back any trees and branches surrounding the water feature so that you don’t have to worry about debris falling into the water. Naturally, trees tend to create the most debris as continue to fall in the winter and can clog the pump when ignored for too long.
Provide care for fish – fish has quite different needs throughout cold season and it’s necessary to identify them. Some breeds don’t require food so they can enter a slower, hibernation-like state for the winter season.
Landscape gardening professionals recommend these steps for addressing your water features in the winter season. Pay attention to them all and your options will be ready for use next spring.
To acquire more information, try to call 020 3322 6097.
Copyright @ Fast Landscape Gardening

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Location: Houghton & Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, Kettering, Northamptonshire and finally Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK
It‘s been a brilliant couple of weeks of catching up with family and friends. Purely by chance we ended up staying at a fabulous National Trust campsite in the area my mother grew up in, and Catherine and I ended up retracing the last day out that I had with my parents (map of our route).
From there we visited one of Catherine’s cousins I hadn’t met before, Elizabeth (plus her husband, Jason and son Michael) living in the small village of Swavesey just down the road. What a talented, lovely bunch her family are and I feel all the richer for spending time getting to know them. Another unintended benefit of not being able to travel to Europe!
From there we went and had a nose around the small village of Old Weston, where my research into family trees on Ancestry.com had told me my great, great grandfather had lived. It’s a spooky feeling looking at some of the same buildings they would have passed in their daily lives.
Then on to the “ancestral seat” of my family, the small town of Raunds. I found my grandmother‘s grave, the one I had never met as she died before I was born, and where my mother’s ashes were scattered.
A somewhat emotionally wearing day, but was capped off my a visit to my old friends in Kettering in Northamptonshire, and my home town growing up. We had our usual night out of superb curry and beer, and the only photos from the evening I am not allowing Catherine to post! Yup…I fell asleep in a chair in their lounge clutching a glass of red…again!
From there it was on to the city of Milton Keynes, and a weekend I had been so looking forward to with my daughters and grandkids. It sure didn’t disappoint. Dinners and lunches out and in their lovely homes, visits to animal farms and walks in the wood. Reconnecting with a family I‘ve seen so little of over the years – blissful.
One of the delights for me has been watching Catherine helping Hayley experiment with her cooking, and a chicken vindaloo at her fab pad was proof of both of their talents.
Milton Keynes has certainly matured since my time living there in the 80’s.
We are Wagamama fans – but two days on the trot? Why not.
Then it was a trip out to the Green Dragon Eco Farm with Zoe and her son Jacob, a bird show and animal feeding all part of this great day out.
Then Sunday was a walk in the woods with Hayley and her two boys, Luke and James. Much fun was had chasing each other around.
I couldn’t have hoped for a better time – I can just wish, and plan, for more times like this.
Location: Tittesworth Resevoir, & The Winking Man, Staffordshire, Mam Tor, Buxton and Castleton, Derbyshire, UK
The impromptu days are often the best, and our dash up to the Peak District from Shropshire was a great example of that. We drove past a large reservoir and decided it looked like a top location for a spot of lunch and a bit of a leg stretch. The weather brightened up, the forest was giving off that freshly rained on perfume. and we just had to keep walking (8.5km circuit – map).
Half way round and we came across a couple, one using a wheelchair, who were struggling up a steep bit of path. So we gave them a bit of a hand, and we ended up chatting and walking the rest of the way with these two absolutely delightful people. At 91 years of age, Derek was determined to get round a walk that the majority of the folk there that day clearly hadn’t attempted, ably assisted by the super strong and fit Rosie. Now I admit to never having tried to push a wheelchair up a hill, and when I did, I was even more admiring of Rosie’s prowess behind the chair!
They were such great company, and it really made our day to share theirs. We gave our farewells, and headed off to a pub we were going to park at for the night, intriguingly called The Winking Man (spelled carefully).
We were just looking at the drinks menu when I noticed one of the barmaids having an animated conversation on the phone, and glancing over our way and smiling. Odd I thought..what have I done now? it was Rosie and Derek. They had remembered the name of the pub we were going to and were ringing to buy us a bottle of wine to thank us for the help that afternoon. What a kind thought and action. In these difficult times, such gestures mean even more to us. Sometimes we do feel disconnected from community and friends. A moment like this reminds us the potential for friendship is all around us.
The next day, with finally a rain free forecast, we headed over to do one of the Peak District’s classic walks, the circuit around Man Tor (map). I must have done this in the Scouts, we were up in that area regularly, but it was all fresh to me this time. The incredible views across a landscape so deeply green it looked unreal. Despite the cold northerly wind there were a few people about, but as usual once away from the car park the numbers really thinned out.
The blemish on the day came when Catherine noticed her two week old Salomon boots were already starting to come apart at the joins, so a few phone calls later and we were off to Buxton to post them back to the retailer. Now, some towns just create a poor first impression, and then get worse. So this was Buxton. From a car park machine that made us pay a premium rate for a day (in coins) when we needed an hour, to the complete disinterest in enticing us to buy anything in the shops we visited. We tried to find somewhere that looked appealing for lunch, gave up and left and made our way over to our campsite just outside Castleton.
What a drive over it was, as the unfenced road wound down through the hills. Not a quiet road though. This is definitely an area to explore off peak. Even now its super busy, our campsite completely full. I can’t imagine what school holidays were like trying to get around. No wonder there seemed a higher proportion than usual of irate drivers.
The next day (Friday) was another wet one, so we decided we would just stay local. I volunteered to head into the local bakery to equip us for a bacon and egg brekky – I’m all altruism. Hot out of the oven I was sold a crusty “white bap” (how many words are there in the English language for a loaf? Even Google didn’t know that) – what a lovely start to the day.
It kept getting better, when we wandered into dinky Casterton and found four outdoor shops! A beanie and warm gloves were purchased for me. Things are cooling down here pretty rapidly, evidenced by the fact that we had several freezing hailstorms batter us. We did see though see many walking signposts through the village, a hiking mecca’s this place and somewhere we really want to come back to.
But for today the only thing to do was to retire to one of the six pubs we noticed in the space of a few hundred metres! We got chatting to the folk on the next table, as you do in an English pub. We have so missed that. Europe was wonderful last year, but without the local language it was hard to engage.
With heavy downpours predicted, and Catherine devoid of walking boots after having to return hers, we headed back to Truffy and some lazy time with music and books. Perfect..but not quite purrrrfect ….without Miss Tassie to warm our laps 🙁
This has been an all too brief dalliance with the Peak District – “We’ll BeBack”
Location: Cliff top near New Quay, mid Wales coast, Ceredigion, UK
We had picked this next camp site because of its location right next to the “Wales Coast Path:”, another long distance path with 1,600km available to put one foot in front of the other and contemplate the natural world in all its glory. Unfortunately that evening Storm Alex paid Europe a visit, and despite Brexit, thought he would cross the Channel and give the Brits a bit of what for.
Well we had a rocking and rolling night, even with our hydraulic legs down and trying to anchor us, our location on the edge of a cliff in the direct path of the winds gave us a troubled night, then day, then night, then another day. For two and a half days we were confined to the 2 square metres of Truffy floor, as gusts of over 80kph blasted across our very desolate looking field. So my fellow inmate and I sucked it up and did our time in an area about the size of a third world prison cell. A good reminder of what having our freedom to roam really means.
Its now over three years since we took to the road, and became what the UK tax office defines as “vehicle dwellers’, that is people who for whatever reason primarily live in a caravan, motorhome or the back seat of their car. We have been back into our house for two 6 weeks spells, done a couple of house sits, and rented for a few months in lockdown, but we have no “home” we can access in situations like this when the weather turns rough, or lockdowns happen. Its something we have learnt to deal with, and it has changed our view, I think, of what “home” actually is. I came across this quote from a songwriter I have just started listening to, Amanda Shires. She said “Home is being content with yourself wherever you are”. I put her song “You Are My Home” on my September playlist (click here or search Spotify for ‘Mr A’s September favs’), a bit of a fun thing I started doing in lockdown to share with friends every month what we have been listening to on Spotify. As she sings in one verse:
“You are my home,
Wherever you go
Anywhere that you stand,
Is my piece of land,
You are my home.”
Amanda Shires, You are my home
And that sums it up. Wherever Catherine is, that‘s my home (it‘s just missing our beautiful Burmese Miss Tassie!).
Thankfully the storm finally passed and we were able to venture out along the cliff top walk into the small sea side town of New Quay (not to be confused with the much bigger and glitzier Newquay in Cornwall). No one could accuse this one of being glitzy.
The setting was stunning, with the Welsh hills framing a perfectly curved bay, but the town itself was pretty down at heel, so after a very ordinary Sunday roast (looked like a school dinner) we smartly moved on back to camp and walked a little way down the coast in the other direction.
A lookout gave us 180 degree views, but the dolphins we had booked sadly didn’t show. A kestrel did though, hanging upside down intently watching for a late afternoon snack, perhaps hungry after several days of what we would think would be impossible flying conditions, even for these masters of aeronautical acrobatics.
Its such a relief to finally stretch our legs after the enforced confinement, and the Welsh Coast Path is clearly something we need to explore further!
Location: Caerfai Bay, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
A short drive along this magnificent Pembrokeshire coast brought us to our new home for the next three nights, high up on the cliffs overlooking the calm waters of St.Brides Bay. By lunch time a bag of washing is done and hung out, an egg and bacon brunch (well it was Sunday) laid down to fortify us for a hike along the coast (walk link).
Do we turn left or right? This was the toughest decision of the day. Left won out and we headed east along our first chunky section of the Pembrokeshire Coast path. At 299km long, this is another tremendous asset that has been hard fought for over the years by community groups negotiating with hundreds of landowners to get a continuous path for all to enjoy. This path also connects with the 1,400 kilometre Welsh Coast Path. Could you ever run out of walking destinations in the UK?
As we headed out along the cliff top, it became immediately evident that nature is clearly still in charge here, with massive land slips, deeply eroded bays, and plants and trees shaped by the wind.
We watched a seal in the clear water far below us hunting for lunch, its shining spotty white belly briefly exposed when coming up for air before resuming the chase. Mrs A then spotted a bird rare to the UK, with only around 300 breeding pairs, a member of the crow family called a chough. So excited, she emitted a (unusual for her) squeal of delight!
At our turn round point we looked out over an unusual topography, and with a bit of help from Dr Google, realised we were looking at the highly eroded remains of an Iron Age fort (so around 2-2,500 years old). You cannot escape from the deep history that is everywhere around you in this country. Even at the westerly edge of the British Isles, the waves of invasions, rebellions, migrations, assimilations, and recurring nationalism, are evident all around us. We can feel this is going to be a rewarding foray into a country we both know so little about.
Well, with the sun going down behind the off shore islands, it was time to retrace our steps along the cliff top and settle in for another night of splendid social isolation in Truffy.
Our second day here was less energetic, with drizzly rain and very poor visibility. It was a short walk up the road from the campsite to the UK’s smallest city, St Davids. A quick look at the cathedral for Catherine, where the bones of the patron saint of Wales (yes…St David) are buried (walk link).
We felt a little cheated at the lack of opportunity to turn right along the cliff after yesterday’s poor weather, so seeing a better forecast, and seeing such a glorious dawn, we headed out early (for us) in the other direction.
It became obvious after an hour‘s walking that this was a stretch of path that was something special, with dizzyingly stunning views. So I called the campsite and booked us in for another night. This is the joy of travelling off peak – the flexibility to be spontaneous when everything doesn’t have to be booked weeks in advance.
We just didn’t want to stop walking. Looking at the map, we saw we would be heading out along a peninsula that would bring us quite close back to St Davids, so we agreed to keep going and take a chance we could get a bus or taxi into the village (oops, city).
It was glorious weather, Pembrokeshire was showing off her early autumn glory. The bracken was turning a more golden brown, the heather flowers were largely gone, the remaining blackberries plump and almost over ripe, but especially with no lunch or breakfast with us, absolutely delicious. A small apple each was all we had with us, but what a spot to sink our teeth into them.
After a few hours we had only seen a couple of other walkers, then a couple told us there were seals around in the next bay. Their plaintive calls echoed around the cliffs, mums calling to their pups and vice versa.
We watched them for ages, spellbound as they occasionally seemed to look up at us on the cliffs above them. “What are they staring at?” framed in a bubble over their flickering whiskers.
What a perfect day. We walked, we talked, we laughed, and we gazed in wonderment. What more can you ask?
My last visit to the Brecon Beacons was as a 14 year old Boy Scout, being dropped off from an old Land Rover with two weeks‘ worth of dehydrated rations in the middle of a rain storm. The sheets of ice cold water being chucked at us continued for the next ten miserable days of thick fog, wet feet and chafed legs from the cheap, heavy ex-army surplus gear that I was wearing.
Well, some things haven’t changed. The weather is still unpredictable, making it uncertain how long it would rain for that day. But we donned our light, comfy, expensive Gortex jackets (who says money doesn’t matter?) and headed along the Brecon Canal, handily adjacent to our campsite, into the not-so-bustling Brecon town centre.
We immediately injected what looked like some much needed cash into the local economy, (so many empty shops for let) and bought Catherine some new fancy dancy (read expensive) walking boots, and me some very comfy (not chafing!) walking trousers. Well, we don’t have much else to spend money on at the moment. We eat in, we drink in, we only wear walking clothes and PJ’s. We can’t fit another thing into our dinky motorhome, so there is no point shopping for anything else!
Walking has become our path to health and happiness. I’m still researching the science, but all we know is we feel better than we EVER have before (touching wood). More on this in a blog to come.
So the canal was our focus for the next day as well. There was no point in going up onto the tops with zero visibility. It seemed lots of other people had the same idea! It was a busier walk (Strava) than on the coast paths of the south-west in Cornwall. Interesting..
The Monmouthshire and Brecon canal, to give it its correct name, and to be even more optically correct in Welsh Camlas Sir Fynwy a Brycheiniog, winds for a very picturesque 56km of its navigable length, through the south Wales countryside.
At the end we were exploring was the Brecon basin, lovingly restored by volunteers and government grants, as they increasingly realise the potential of this once neglected asset.
We stopped to talk to a couple of guys who had hired their narrow boat for a few days and were lucky to find a hire company with any availability. I had looked during the summer at a number of canals and had seen how busy they were right though autumn It’s so good to see how the UK has stepped back from the brink of letting the waterways be demolished in the 1960s, and thanks to community initiatives has restored much of the network.
The next day brought more rain, but we were determined to not be put off getting out and about. We moved to the western end of the Brecon Beacons National Park and a pub car park in the tiny settlement of Trap. I think the pub made up for 50% of the houses there in fact. We had noticed on one of the apps we use the pub had welcomed over nighters in self contained motorhomes. The only down side that we discovered when calling the owner on the way there, she hadn’t reopened after lockdown! Ah well…another night in then!
Waterproofs were donned and a walk up to nearby Carreg Cennen Castle planned and executed (Strava) at a brisk pace to warm us up.
We were accosted at the little cafe at the entrance to the castle grounds, and accosted felt like the right word to use. A very brusque lady said, “So are you going to the castle or walking round it? If it‘s the castle, then you need tickets”, looking very grumpy that we seemed to have disturbed her day. No other information was offered, so I started to say we were out for a walk, and she turned her back and stalked off. In these strange times I guess we need to make allowances for people being jittery, but given her cafe was empty, and there were two staff doing nothing, I would imagine whoever owns the place is feeling the pinch and would have wanted her to offer more details as inducement.
We are trying to carry on injecting our little contributions into any business that welcomes us on our travels, but a small percentage seem to be staffed by people who seem determined to drive customers away. I do acknowledge that many have no choice about where they work, and having contact with the general public right now is a risky business. This was in such stark contrast to the shop we bought our outdoor gear from (Gibb Outdoors in Brecon), where we were welcomed into the store by friendly staff, who were knowledgeable about their product, and that took no increase in risk on their part, and were rewarded with £350 of our money.
So we spent our quiet night at the back of the pub, while I anxiously ruminated about how we would be getting back up the rather steep (for little town-tyres Truffy) slope back to the road, but with plenty of right foot he romped up and we were not Trapped in Trap…I just had to say it 🙂
Location: West Bagborough, Quantock Hills, Somerset
During lockdown, the tiny village of West Bagborough in Somerset had become our home, our safe little bubble. The world went crazy around us, but we just strapped on our boots and headed for the hills. While there we had got to know the owners of the local campsite, Quantock Camping.
We decided to pay them a visit on our journey between Cornwall and Wales. We arrived after lunch and got Truffy settled on to a lovely grassy pitch. Catherine cooked up one of her fab spaghetti bolognaises for us all, and the conversation and laughter flowed, with the odd bottle of wine to lubricate us. Their Great Dane, Genevieve, tended to dominate the skyline somewhat, and the odd cat or chicken made its appearance, all the usual stuff at their place! So lovely to be back among these people who welcomed us into their lives when we so needed to feel part of somewhere safe.
On Saturday morning, with some fresh eggs inside us, we once again strapped on our walking boots and headed up into the Quantock Hills, walking straight from the campsite (Strava). After leaving the village, within minutes we were enveloped in the sights and smells of the countryside we have come to love so much.
Autumn is just starting to make its presence felt, with a few leaves turning a bright gold, and some giving up to the inevitable and scattering themselves on the welcoming ground. We chose a route that would take us back to a hidden valley we had only walked through once, dissected by a perfect little bubbling stream. The last time we were here in the full bloom of early summer, now it looked and smelled so different.
We pressed on to the next little village, only passing a couple of other walkers on the way. Tea was supped from our flasks sitting on a bench in the churchyard. I have rarely felt so content in my life as I did at that moment. We wanted for nothing. The sun was warming our faces, a fresh Somerset-grown apple to munch on, and we headed back over the hills for a fish and chip supper with our hosts. What a perfect day.
The next day we joined our friends and their dogs (Strava) on a walk through ancient birch forest. There is hardly a sentence said between us without a laugh while the dogs romp around, Genevieve crashing though small trees like they’re not there. We got a little lost, a crumpled map was produced, ignored and good humoured debates raged about directions, But it doesn’t matter, we are all just loving being enveloped in this stunning countryside where there’s a new view around every corner, and another bed of nettles to keep you honest.
We just made it to a pub for last orders. A beer never tastes as good as when its drunk after a walk like that. Shared with friends in a sunny garden, and brewed just up the road on Exmoor.
Sadly we said our goodbyes, but knowing we have a safe refuge we can head back to if things go pear shaped makes all the difference to our confidence as we head off to Wales. Well, it’s only 90 minutes down the road!
I had been researching rail trails we could ride in the South West (and there’s many to choose from, bless you Devon, Cornwall and Somerset councils), and up comes one called The Camel Trail near Bodmin. I immediately had visions of cycling along past lines of dromedaries munching scones and jam. But no….the trail gets its name from the river it runs beside. In Cornish the river is called “Dowr Kimmel”, meaning crooked river. Kimmel became camel.
Now that begs a series of questions born out of the ignorance I had for this delightful part of the world. I only have vague memories gleaned from long childhood car trips from the Midlands on an annual pilgrimage to find a patch of sand to sit on, with thousands of other hanky-on-the-head wearing, beetroot-coloured Brits.
So firstly, Cornwall does have its own language, derived mainly from over the water in Brittany, France. Cornish is even taught in some schools, all as part of a national cultural revival. Dig a bit further and apparently a person from Cornwall from 2010 onwards was able to identify themselves, should they wish, as seperate ethnic minority. There was even a movement to devolve Cornwall from the rest of the “United” Kingdom, an affiliation that you wouldn’t currently describe as a happy, close-knit family. Perhaps we are all reacting against globalisation and seeking to retain, or recoup, our cultural uniqueness?
I digress, as is my prerogative, being old…so back to the cycling. The Camel Trail runs traffic free for nearly 30 wonderfully wooded kilometres through rural Cornwall. It is extremely well used, even before the lockdown fuelled surge in bike riding here, the trail was contributing over £3 million to the local economy. Judging by how packed the tea shops along the trail were, this must have sky rocketed. So a good investment by the council. New South Wales (Australia) state government take note,: build it and cyclists will come. The UK has 8,400km of traffic free paths and the South West of England is punching above its weight in having so many of them.
Our first day along the trail took us to the small fishing port of Padstow, home of celebrity chef Rick Stein‘s original seafood restaurant in the 1970’s.
Some say the town should be renamed Steinstow, given old Rick now has a deli, gift shop, fishmonger, cafe, bistro, cooking school…and chippy. The crowds were too much for us, and we rode on out of town with no real plan, and doesn’t that sometimes work out the best? We cycled down some gravel tracks and I chatted to a local who suggested a route to a lookout. Check out these views!
We loitered and punctuated the gobsmacked silence with the odd “wow”. What a seascape.
Things did go downhill, literally, as we rode into the small settlement of Trevone at the bottom of the valley, then also when we tried to have lunch. Couldn’t have been further from Steinworld. This is what the only cafe in town produced for a tuna melt, without cheese. White bread and….tuna. I had emphasised she could have mayo, but no there was no tomato, or lettuce or onion…nothing.
And this is so England. In one town the most amazing world class food, and 4km away a village packed with tourists that serves food even British Rail would be ashamed of. Always keeps you guessing does Blighty – whether its the weather (did that sound right?) that is stormy and wintery in August and now in September positively tropical. Or the people, who are on the most part the most courteous, friendly, do anything for you types, then you mention the B word (Brexit..to be clear…not Beyoncé) and they go all mad crazy!
The following day we rode up to the start of the trail (Strava link) and followed it to the small town of Bodmin, and underwhelmed, left quickly, and looped back round to camp. The day before, Catherine got sunstroke, today we wore long sleeved sweat shirts and wind-proofs. and felt disappointed we forgot our gloves!
I think Autumn will suddenly spring upon us (that didn’t sound right either…but I’m leaving it in) and another season will delight us with its changing colours and smells. England…oh England …the land that keeps you guessing…and dressing….
A birthday always gets me musing. Another year, what has been accomplished? What has it taught me? What will I do differently this next year? Given the current challenges that face the world and impact us , those are particularly difficult questions to answer this year. We are not in as much control to shape our lives as we wish, given the constraints of travel and risk to health. Throw in financial uncertainty, and you have a real mix to try and navigate a path.
Compared to so many, we are living a wonderful life, we are still travelling around, albeit not where we planned to, but still enjoying exploring the great outdoors in England. So many places we are finding that are still away from the crowds.
Falmouth is our first big town for a while, and it remind us of that when we can’t even book a table at any of the nice restaurants there for a celebratory dinner. But we are living with a really big risk. If we get the virus we have no home to run to and recover. Our tiny motorhome is not somewhere you want to be seriously ill in., and what campsite would accept us anyway? What rental property would have us?
Its a risk that we understood we were taking when we got on the plane to Europe last March – but then we thought it would be over in weeks, not years. Now it looks like a second wave is hittingt the UK. It is a threat that seems very real, espcially if there is even the sign of a sore throat or cough. Are we putting ourselves uneceassrily at risk? Should we have come home on the repatriation flights? Our decision not to was based on the better access to specialist medical resources here that Catherine would need, plus an unwillingness to give up our plans. Being treated for COVID-19 when you already have an impaired airway requires understanding of her specific disease. Here in England (in fact especially where we are in the south-west) there are multiple senior doctors who know her and would understand how best to care for her. In Australia there’s only a couple.
So in the middle of these musings, our flights back to Australia were cancelled. We had not been following the situation closely, naively thinking that as we had tickets booked months ago, our airline would be obliged to find us an alternative option to fulfil their contract. Apparently not. There are currently between 20-30,000 Australians who want to return, and only a few airlines who are still flying to Sydney. Plus the Australian government had said in the early stages of the pandemic, get back quick or settle in for the long haul where you are. So they are now severely restricting the numbers of incoming international passengers they will process. Sydney is 300-350 a day, Brisbane and Adelaide 75 a day each, not sure on Darwin and Perth, but it means at this rate it will be a long long wait. Meanwhile, the airlines are bumping people off economy and just selling business and first class tickets. Bless them…I guess they have to make money to survive.
So what this year will bring? It‘s hard to tell. We only know we want to get back to Australia to see our friends and fur child, check on our assets (car and caravan still stored and all our house contents). When and how are unknown. And what about next year? When we store our beloved little home on wheels here, when we will be able to return? We have no idea. Should we just move back into our property when the current tenant’s lease is up in December, give up our travel dreams for a year? We don’t know…it depends on so many variables connected to the pandemic and therefore out of our control.
Meanwhile the historic port city of Falmouth shows us her beautiful side. On my birthday we took a cab into town. Even that felt a bit weird…then a couple of outdoor drinks and an Indian. That will do us. Some lovely digital catch ups with people the next morning then on with the walking boots once again.
We wander around the harbour foreshore on a blue sky day, watch the boats come and go, sit and have a lovely lunch by the beach, its like a mini Sydney!
No harbour town visit is complete without a boat trip, so off we scuttled over on a little ferry to the little village of St Mawes, famous for the artillery fort built by Henry the VIII to keep those pesky French Catholics at bay.
On the way across we got a good view of “The World”, largest luxury yacht in the world. If you have US$10 million in assets you can buy in to have a cabin ranging from a few million up to US$15 million and then you have your “maintenance fees” of…around $900,000 a year! I’d love to have a look around the wine cellar, with 12,000 bottles of wine in their collection…mmm. And now…moored up – for the first time in 18 years, it has stopped moving. So many firsts in this new world we live in.
So you can see by the blue skies in Cornwall at the moment, there is no shortage of vitamin D in our systems to fight off that virus, fingers crossed.
A burger for dinner, sat on a bench by the harbour and we are done with Falmouth. A little too busy with tourists for us, too many crowds to distance from, and many of them don’t seem to bother. Was this the best birthday I’ve had? No, but under the circumstances pretty damm good. What was missing was physically being around some friends and family, to feel connected with them. But thats how it is, and with Catherine by my side, not much else matters other than our health.
Locations: Dartmoor, Devon and Pentewan, Cornwall UK
A couple of weeks ago we had “discovered” (i.e. a new to us) a gastro pub, The Dartmoor Inn, which was… you guessed it, right there on the moor‘s doorstep. We had lunch there last time, this visit we were splurging for dinner. With my birthday coming up on Wednesday, we had tried to book up some restaurants in the town we will be at then, but each one was either closed or booked out. Its ‘Staycation UK’ time still. So “Carpe Diem” I said, quoting a Roman poet with the somewhat ridiculous name of Horace. Let’s seize the day.
We arrived to find the car park full of vintage Bentleys, and a modern Aston presiding over them. Truffy looked positively clunky, but we didn’t care. None of those cars would be providing a home for the night like ours does. We had sought permission from the Inn to stay overnight in the car park, a very small stagger in mind to bed. But before dinner we had too earn our supper, and marched up one of the highest tors (read small hill) on Dartmoor called Great Links (Strava link).
With thankfully not a golf course in sight, and at 582m above sea level, we were treated to a pretty special view. We have come to love this largest area of open space in the southern part of England. It has a Scottish Highland feel to it, and so easy to get away from the other ’walkers’ who barely stray from the car parks. We came across one young lady on the trail as we walked our final kilometre back to Truffy. She was stood in the middle of the path with her phone on speaker while she shouted into it: “IT IS SO QUIET AND PEACEFUL UP HERE”. I groaned at the irony lost on this millennial .
Dinner was a sumptuous affair. Catherine had tender scallops, for me it was the wood pigeon. I tried to withhold the thought of it flying around, cooing in the treetops, unsuspecting of its coming fate. I picked a wine from Saint Emilion, one of our favourite terroirs in France. This was a classic of the area with a blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Cab Sav. Simply delicious with my main of slow roasted shoulder of beef. Maybe a little powerful for Catherine’s fish dish but hey…I was claiming birthday voting rights.
Saturday dawned for us a little groggily, a pre-dinner drink and a whole bottle of wine between us more than our usual quota these days! We decided to clear our heads and hike up to a church we had noticed up on a hill, anticipating another magnificent view, which indeed we were rewarded with.
Brentor Church sits presiding over the rolling country, and is a favourite (very short) walk it would seem, so we moved on.
So next it was off to our home for the new two nights down in the south-east corner of Cornwall in a small coastal settlement called Pentewan.
This was not our usual type of campground, it was a massive holiday park. Feeling a little underwhelmed we donned our walking boots and pottered down to the beach. Wow! Its so rewarding to have low expectations! What a gorgeous stretch of coast we had landed at.
Off we trotted up the ever present South West Coast Path (well, if you’re in the south west of England between Poole in Dorset and Minehead in Somerset!). What a feast for the eyes, and the belly with all the plump blackberries we were scoffing on the way. Even the locals were friendly here, having a chat with one out gardening. A pleasant change from Rude in Bude.
On the way back we had a poke around the old harbour that once had been bustling with ships carting away the china clay mined locally. Now all silted up, it did provide a lovely backdrop to the pub perched on its edge. Oh that was a beer well earned on the steep paths (Strava link).
Sunday dawned with the rainy showers that have been ever present since the dry spring, but we donned our cycle gear and headed off anyway. We had noticed a rail trail (the Pentewan Valley Trail), our favourite traffic free riding option, and had an explore inland initially, then up and down some country lanes and just followed our noses. once again with no expectatations we were delighted to emerge in the small port of Charlestown (Strava link). Another wow moment. I just love old harbours like this, and these old ships, the stories they could tell. It seems the port and its ships has been a favourite movie set for classics like Poldark. Catherine, with her movie star looks, blended in perfectly.
Returning to camp, the day was not done yet. After madly getting some washing done in our little on-board twin tub washing machine and hung out, it was once again on with the walking boots, and off up the coast path, this time in the opposite direction towards the small port of Mevagissey (Strava link).
Two ports in one day…lucky boy. The walk there was definitely in our ‘Top 10 Global Afternoon Wanders‘ (no we don’t have that list but if we did…). This is world class scenery though, and when we were more than a 5 minute stretch from car parks, not too crowded.
Walking into the village though, and the proximity of their cars, the crowds returned, but not enough to spoil the views of this quintessential Cornish fishing port. An ice cream savoured to fortify us for the return walk, we were off once again along this magnificent coastal scenery.
We are reminded this will be the third season in which we have seen and enjoyed a section of the South-West Coast Path. What a wonderful asset to the country this piece of infrastructure is. All praise to the many individual campaigners, as well as local and national councils who have fought off developers and landowners that sought to restrict walkers’ access to this fabulous coastline.
Last week was Storm Ellen, this week was Storm Francis’s turn to bugger things up. We had it all planned. Catherine’s sister and family were coming to camp with us for the week, and their childhood friend Karen and her family also joining us for a couple of days.
Well, Helen and family lasted one night before their tent was shredded by gale force winds, and holiday spirits drowned by rain squalls lashing; the field turned into a mud pit. Karen and her family sensibly decided to abort completely.
We just felt so sorry for them. This has been a super tough year for all of these folk for many reasons. They were so looking forward to a chance to get escape to somewhere different and hang out with each other. But nothing could be done. Their tent just buckled under the wind. It was pitched well, it just couldn’t stand up to the 52mph gusts that were buffeting us on Monday night. This was only the third night of use for this brand new tent. Poor show Outwell, and we’ve told them so, even posted a number of pictures on their Facebook site showing the broken poles. Not even an acknowledgment. It did make us realise how so much more robust, and good value, our Australian camping equipment is.
So that was that. We were back on our own. The wind subsided to a fresh breeze, and it stopped raining briefly, so we jumped on our bikes and rode into the local town of Holsworthy for a pub lunch. It was the last day of the “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme the UK government has been running to help the pub and restaurant industry by providing £10 a head subsidy at participating restaurants a few days each week in August. We’ve not managed to use it before, so was nice to get a cheap feed.
The riding around here, as I’ve said before, is just magnificent. Several long distance cycle routes come through the area, often following old railways lines, and we headed out a short way on one towards Bude. We joined for a while two touring cyclists who were heading from land End to John O’Groats,. They worked for Sustrans, the national cycle body that has been the driver behind so much of the program of work that has transformed cycling in the UK. I envied them the ride.
With another forecast of rain, wind and more rain, we decided to drive over to the picturesque village of Clovelly, backdrop to so many films, including one of our favourites, The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. You have to park outside the village entrance, and then pay a small fee for entry before you are able to walk down the pedestrianised high street (we like that!) that descends precipitously 120 metres to the little harbour.
It’s while in the fisherman’s museum that we learn the link to Sydney’s expensive eastern suburb of Clovelly A Plymouth born pastoralist with links to this village of Clovelly in Devon sailed to Australia in the early 1800s. His name was Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur. He purchased a house in Watson’s bay which he named Clovelly after this village. Later, when Sydney’s Council was trying to name the suburb, they considered Eastbourne, but picked Clovelly instead, influenced by the name of his house.
With the rain lashing down it was a slippery walk on the cobbles, but the views were just tremendous. The sense of history once again was palpable. Its easy to see why a number of famous writers and artists have taken their inspiration from living here.
The weather certainly wasn’t suiting the feline population, with several practically knocking on windows and doors to be let in out of the cold and wet. We however braved it down to the harbour, and sheltered while we sipped our hot tea and contemplated what life would have been like heading out on a fishing boat. In 1838 twelve boats set out and only one returned, a storm hitting them and taking twenty six lives that day. We however, fortified by a Devon pasty, and educated by the shop owner about the difference between a Devon and a Cornish one (its all in the pastry folding apparently) and we headed back to Truffy somewhat bedraggled.
After another day of rain…we finally saw a window in the forecast, fortuitously for when we had booked a wine tasting. Yes…English wine….So off we went on the bikes, the winery (Torview Wines) conveniently being located on the same cycle route we had headed out on previously, when we visited Black Torrington and the delicious pub lunch last weekend.. Happy to repeat that stunning ride, off we pedalled with a freezing north wind causing us to wrap up warm. And yes… it is August.
Tim and his wife are the owners of the winery, and the only employees. Run as a family business they feel they can better control the inputs and outputs. We really enjoyed our visit here. Tim really did a great job of giving an overview of viticulture in this neck of the woods. They acquired the property from one of the many farmers whose cattle had been hit by foot and mouth.
Tim has been involved in the wine industry all his life, and felt he wanted to do things a little differently in his winery, based on what he felt would work best. For instance, the weeds are allowed to grow between the vines. The nettles were thigh high and it didn’t make for a pretty picture, but Tim is adamant it helps the wine because you are not running up and down the soil with vehicles compacting and damaging it, and the added stress on the vines ensures they produce fewer leaves and more fruit. With two pairs of barn owls living on the property, the longer grass also provides them with ample hunting ground.
He also has a novel way of sourcing his pickers for the harvest. He approached several local charities and offered to donate £30 a day for any volunteers they could find him. What a neat idea.
We tasted a number of his wines, with three main varieties, two we had never tried before. In this climate they need to be pretty robust! Climate change is having its impact here like everywhere else. Earlier springs for instance, which becomes an issue when there is a frost, which led to some varieties being decimated this year. Interestingly this is another business that sees its market as being almost exclusively local, with stock for instance going to bed and breakfasts for their welcome packs, and regional farmers markets. We left understanding a lot more than the zero knowledge we had. That counts as a good day.
This is our last day of the nearly a fortnight we have spent at Headon Farm. We have been made so welcome by the owners, Linda and Richard. They epitomise what we’d love every campsite owner to be like. Everything is so well kept and clean, and local knowledge always forthcoming. I wish we could store our Truffy here, they have a gold standard facility, and know they would be such good carers, but having to get back to Heathrow. with all of our luggage…tricky.
For the people who drive here in cars and come back year after year, what a fantastic base to explore Devon and Cornwall. The weather hasn’t been kind, but we can’t control that. We have still enjoyed our time here, just wish we could have shared more of it with friends and family as we planned. It wasn’t to be.


text: Well met at this site, where it’s possible to get the most popular ringtones for your smartphone. Today we have a ringtone of “Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity” by Dream Theater as well as 1478 other ringtones by Dream Theater. “Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity” is the best track from the “Scenes from a Memory” album that was recorded and mixed by Dream Theater at their recording studio together with other 20 tracks. You can listen to all 8 Dream Theater – “Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity” ringtone variations available here and download it for free to your computer. You can also browse other 22 albums produced by Dream Theater for all time. “Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity” is referred to progressive metal, and we bring you a huge amount of progressive metal videos absolutely for free. And finally, we have collected lyrics for this track and you can view it here as well. So feel free to browse, listen, download ringtones at Audiko.net. Make your phone sound cool!


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Marco Polo: Excellent Restaurant by the Sea
My boyfriend and I were staying in Nice, France and decided to drive the coast. We first drove to Canne, had lunch, and then proceeded towards Monaco. The drive was fantastic! We made a snap decision to enter Italy for dinner, not really knowing what to expect. We ended up stopping in Ventimiglia. What a wonderful surprise! We stopped a woman on the street (wearing Christian Dior sunglasses) to advise us of a nice restaurant. She recommeded Marco Polo. The restaurant was situated on the beach. It was so quaint and the service was excellent. We ordered Fruite de Mare as one entree. The chef prepared it tableside. The bread was served warm with intense green olive oil. The wine was simply perfect. We received the most personal attention and had a romantic meal on the beach!
Favorite Dish: All of the dishes were prepared perfectly and were fresh.
Cocktail Bar Gelateria: Sea front - peaceful and simple
UPDATE: This restaurant has closed. Nearby one also closed due to a mysterious fire. Usually a symptom of being reluctant to pay protection to the local hoodlums. This is Italy you know.
Instead super restaurant along the sea front direction San Remo, called "La Grotta"
Pastas are brilliant, with rose frizante, and go for the profiteroles - with cream.
Favorite Dish: Pasta and Profiteroles
Station Buffet, Ventimiglia: Sometimes you find things where you least expect.
Having travelled much of the world, the one place your expectations are near zero is a railway station buffet. Think again.
OK, its not Maximes, but the station buffet at Ventimiglia is really welcoming and stylish. The cappucino came out of one of those black and chrome fifties things that hisses and splutters at pressure of 200 pounds per square inch and tasted better that a hundred anodyne Starbucks at a fraction of the price. Sandwiches looked appetising filled with Milano salami and emmentale, or roast vegetables and goats cheese. The hot food looked terrific too.
I guess in England we are too used to over-priced pre-prepared "marketing formula" food. The railway infrastructure operators screw the food franchise operators, who in turn screw the public, and everybody loses.
How different things can be. Nice one, Italy. I salute you.
Now all you have to do is get the trains to run on time.
- Budget Travel
This charming town offers to visitors a vast range of services; thanks to temperate climate, the coast has developed with hotels, campaigns, bathing establishment, and sport equipment. Meeting-places aren't missing too: bars, discos and restaurants which offer rich fish-based menus and refined Ligurian cooking with a great choice of inexpensive wines.
The Buffet Stazione: the best station cafe ever
A fantastic station cafe - you would actually choose to go here for reasons other than convenience. The food looked really nice and it's very clean.
Favorite Dish: The hot chocolate is divine! Less than 1.50 euros to stand with it. It's really thick and gorgeous.
La Grotta: Great earthy Italian, unprentious, inexpensive
Pizza and Pasta and a selection of others, but the Pasta is done to perfection with Italian pride in doing it right. Full of noisy talking Italians a testament to that. Easy going atmosphere, very low prices.
Favorite Dish: Pink Frizzante chilled, the Arrabiatta, and Profiteroles with cream. Sounds ordinary, but its anything but.
- Budget Travel
- Food and Dining
La Vecchia Napoli: Italian pizza and wine!
My girlfriend and I ate lunch at Ristorante Pizzeria La Vecchia Napoli during our visit to Ventimiglia in May 2009.
We were visiting Ventimiglia for the day from Nice in France, and the fact that we had crossed the border into Italy had me longing for pizza, wine and ice cream. In my mind, I had visions of a nice little Italian pizzeria, home-cooked pizzas and chilled white wine. This place was just what I was looking for.
La Vecchia Napoli enjoys a peaceful location, separated from the town centre by a bridge that crosses a narrow inlet of the sea. The beach is just metres away, while the snow covered mountains are visible on the horizon. The surrounding buildings perfectly fitted my stereotypical image of urban life in a small Italian town – faded walls, washing hanging from the upstairs windows, small flower-filled balconies, scooters parked out front.
As you’d expect, the menu is dominated by pizzas and pasta dishes. I had my heart set on the former, so I only briefly skimmed the latter. There was the usual array of spaghetti, tagliatelle, penne, lasagne and tortellini dishes. The choice of pizzas was fairly extensive, and featured the usual toppings, especially local items such as Italian prosciutto ham, buffalo mozzarella cheese, seafood, tomatoes and black olives.
Large pizzas cost between 6 and 8 Euros, somewhat cheaper than the prices in Nice where we had come from. The wine was considerably cheaper than in Nice.
I opted for:
Capricciosa pizza - Cost: 6.50 Euros
A large, thin based pizza topped with mozzarella, tomato, ham and mushrooms. This was unmistakably Italian pizza, and I was impressed!
My girlfriend opted for a pizza topped with cured ham (larger, thinner, more raw looking slices of ham than on my pizza), mozzarella and rocket. Cost: 7.50 Euros.
White wine - Cost: 6 Euros
We shared a half pichet (50cl) of local white wine. It was chilled, slightly sparkling, but not too fizzy. Perfect!
Good pizza and chilled white wine, between the beach and the mountains. A wonderful family-run pizzeria and the perfect place for lunch in Ventimiglia. Highly recommended!
Il Gelato: Italian ice cream near the train station
On our day trip to the Italian town of Ventimiglia during a holiday in Nice in May 2009, I was determined to indulge in Italian pizza, Italian wine and Italian ice cream. With the first two ticked off at lunchtime at Pizzeria La Vecchia Napoli, that just left the ice cream to find.
We found Il Gelato, a small ice cream vendor, on Via Stazione immediately outside the train station. You’ll recognise it by its red canopy and the large ice cream cornet shaped waste bin out front.
Il Gelato offers 20 or so different flavoured ice creams and sorbets. A cornet with 3 scoops of ice cream costs 3 Euros, so my girlfriend and I set about deciding which 3 flavours we’d have.
I opted for peach, a very refreshing lemon sorbet and a strong tasting red cherry.
My girlfriend had meringue flavour (which she particularly liked), crème caramel and a very tasty pistachio.
Italian ice cream near the train station!
Balzi Rossi: My favourite
One of my favourite place near Ventimiglia is Balzi Rossi restaurant.
Overhanging the cliff just a stone’s throw from the French border. The elegant dining room seems suspended over the sea. There is a spectacular view from the terrace over the Cote d'Azur.
The cuisine is classical Ligurian and seafood dishes.
Be aware that this is not an Osteria. It is more a grand chique place. The food is extraordinary as the price, ranging 75-100 euro.
One star on the Michelin Guide.
closed from 8 to 25 January, Monday, Tuesday at midday and in August also Sunday at midday
Here you can see lot of pics of the restaurant (and an Italian review).
Favorite Dish: Seafood
- Food and Dining
- Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
- Road Trip
arcu d'u su: great food but you'll have to find it!!
we actually strolled up to the charming little town of san biago dellacima, looking for a bit of "away from the highway" when we accidentally stumbled upon this little restaurant.they turned out to be just opened, and boy did we feel lucky!! was a stunningly set restaurant (medieval vaulted ceilings) with apparently on nice days a terrace outside on the square.friendly service and great food homemade food. we both had the ravioli with artichokes . it came with a gamberone sauce, very good.. afterwards my compagnon had the grilled steak on vegetables and i had the seabas , puree of asparagus with rivierasca sauce, excellent. even the desserts where homemade and excellent. recommended!!
Favorite Dish: ravioli di carciofi con salsa di gamberone
- Castles and Palaces
- Gay and Lesbian
- Food and Dining


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DOWNLOAD THE SONGSHEET
Delightful! Thanks to Chris Hill for bringing this song to BUG. Tune down one semitone to play along with video. On the last G of each verse, you can try some sort of rhythm like:
[C7] Ain't that a [F] shame, you're the one to [G] blame [G] (d dud)
"Ain't That A Shame" was the first song to crossover from the R&B charts to the mostly white pop charts of the day. Like several other songs previously heard exclusively in black bars or nightclubs, this was covered by the crooning Pat Boone. Concerned about how educated, upper-class whites would respond to the title, he originally wanted it changed to "Isn't That a Shame," but the producers realized the original title would sell better and kept it.
Boone's cover was a huge hit, going to #1 on the US Pop charts and reaching #7 in the UK. This gave Domino's original recording a boost, and helped it cross over. This was Fats Domino's first hit song that was not recorded in New Orleans, where the singer lived. He recorded it on March 15, 1955 in a Hollywood studio when he was on tour in Los Angeles. Imperial Records had the engineers compress Fats' vocals and speed up the song a bit to make the song sound less bluesy and give it more mainstream appeal. This also made it more difficult for other artists to cover the song.

domain: entertainment


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35 East 110 Street
Manhattan, NY 10029
Northside Center fosters the healthy development of children and families and seeks to empower them to respond constructively to negative societal factors including racism and its related consequences. Through comprehensive, high quality mental health and educational services, coupled with research, children and families are aided in developing to their full potential.
Arts & Crafts, Sports, Academics
5 Years Old, 6 Years Old, 7 Years Old, 8 Years Old, 9 Years Old, 10 Years Old, 11 and up
What Others are Saying

domain: sociology


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Shawnee Trucking Co. expanded its footprint in North Jersey late in 2019, thanks to a $11.5 million loan from ConnectOne Bank and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the agency announced Jan 17.
The trucking and logistics company bought a 6-acre property in Clifton – which includes a 121,000-square-foot warehouse, 4,000 square feet of office space and a 2-acre parking lot – to serve as its national headquarters, the EDA said.
Under the financing scheme, Shawnee received $11.5 million – $2 million contributed by the EDA and the rest from ConnectOne bank – through the Premier Lender Program, a loan incentive initiative that offers financing to businesses looking to move into New Jersey or expand current operations in the state.
“The transportation and logistics sector is a major contributor to our economy, accounting for close to 200,000 private-sector jobs and $23 billion into the economy,” Paul Ceppi, managing director of business development at the EDA, said in a Jan. 17 statement.
Shawnee employs roughly 125 New Jersey residents with plans to hire more in the coming years. Its fleet of 180 trucks and trailers services hundreds of customers between New Jersey and Virginia.
“We chose to base our operations in the Garden State because of its strategic location at the center of the Northeast Corridor, its proximity and easy access to ports throughout the region, its first-rate infrastructure and its dynamic workforce within the state,” Balram “Chris” Lall, Shawnee’s founder, said on Jan. 17.
“We’re grateful that NJEDA and ConnectOne Bank support has enabled us to grow our business and expand our customer base.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 3:32 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2020 to clarify the amount and breakdown of funding received by Sahwnee Trucking Co., and to correct that company’s founder’s name.=


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Body found during Princeton fire investigation on March 13
On Monday, March 13, at 12:50 a.m. the Green Lake E911 Communications Center received a call of a house fire at 103 S. Farmer St., Princeton.
The Princeton Police and Green Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the fire and the Princeton Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services were paged.
As the units arrived on the scene they reported an active house fire and requested assistance from other jurisdictions to bring the fire under control.
During the course of the fire investigation, during the day on Monday, an individual was found deceased within the home, who has yet to be positively identified.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office is assisting the Princeton Police Department in determining the cause and origin of the fire. The Green Lake County Coroner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday, March 14.


text: Pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has announced that it has produced 180,000 treatment pills ready for use this year and plans to produce at least 80 million in 2022. According to Pfizer, the final analysis of its antiviral COVID-19 pill showed close to 90 percent efficacy in preventing hospitalisations and deaths in high-risk patients.The company says recent lab data suggested the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus. There are currently no oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 according to the WHO.Pfizer’s remarks came on Tuesday, December 14, after it said last month the drug was about 89 percent effective in preventing hospitalisations or deaths when compared with placebo based on interim results in about 1,200 people.But the new data includes an additional 1,000 people.Nobody in the trial who received the Pfizer treatment died, compared with 12 deaths among placebo recipients.The Pfizer pills are taken with the older antiviral ritonavir every 12 hours for five days beginning shortly after the onset of symptoms.The drug’s name will be Paxlovid, if it is authorized by health authorities.Pfizer also released early data from a second clinical trial showing that the treatment reduced hospitalisations by approximately 70 percent in about 600 standard-risk adults. “It’s a stunning outcome,” Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten said in an interview.“We’re talking about a staggering number of lives saved and hospitalisations prevented. If you deploy this quickly after infection, we are likely to reduce transmission dramatically,” Dolsten added. The US government has already secured 10 million courses of the Pfizer drug for $5.29bn. The post New COVID pill almost 90% effective in clinical trials – Pfizer appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.

domain: health


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Republicans have flung a lot of misinformation in this race, so let's briefly dig into where Democratic challengers Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff stand on essential issues like health care, criminal justice reform, reproductive rights, climate, and that very essential topic of cannabis legalization.
Despite what incumbent Sens. Loeffler and Perdue want voters to believe, neither Ossoff nor Warnock supports a "Medicare for All" plan. Ossoff went as far as to say that he will "defend every Georgian's rights to choose between private and public insurance." While Ossoff and Warnock recently accepted progressive kingmaker Bernie Sanders' endorsement—a new frontier for the moderate Democrats—don't expect either Georgian to cram socialist health care down your throat. Drats.
Warnock has called health care a "human right" and says he wants to improve the Affordable Care Act, drive down insurance costs, and make sure everyone is covered. In an interview with Atlanta Magazine, the reverend characterized expanding access to health care as his goal on day one in the Senate. He says he wants to expand Medicaid in Georgia, one of 12 states not to have done so.
Ossoff also characterizes health care as his day-one priority and supports expanding Medicaid.
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) December 17, 2020
Ossoff has gone hard on criminal justice reform, centering several ads around the issue and invoking his mentor, the late Congressman John Lewis, at every turn. The Democrat has repeatedly voiced his support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and a New Civil Rights Act, which "strengthens civil rights laws and advances comprehensive criminal justice reform." Ossoff supports the demilitarization of the police, banning private prisons, ending cash bail, abolishing the death penalty, and ending incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses.
Warnock's brother was recently released from being imprisoned for a nonviolent drug offense, and Warnock has made criminal justice reform a core part of his campaign. He supports ending privatized prisons, reforming the bail system, and ending mass incarceration. He's backed the creation of a federal body to "probe officer use-of-force misconduct" and says he would support legislation that would allow the formerly incarcerated to transition back into society more easily.
Though both Loeffler and Perdue have claimed that their opponents want to defund the police, Warnock and Ossoff repeatedly have said they are against the idea. Warnock went as far as creating a cop-filled ad to show his support for the police force. Ossoff told WSB radio that the answer isn't to defund the police but to reform and demilitarize. Loeffler and Perdue routinely make both men sound much cooler than they actually are.
In the Georgia runoff, Republicans have attacked Democrat Raphael Warnock as an anti-cop radical who wants to defund the police.
Warnock's latest ad features current and retired Georgia law enforcement officers who back his candidacy: "He does not support defunding the police." pic.twitter.com/fORsX1VEVL
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) November 21, 2020
Former sexual health educator Rev. Warnock describes himself as a "pro-choice pastor," a fact that conservatives have blasted time after time during this election season. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL, Warnock believes in a "woman's right to choose" and frequently characterizes that right as a decision between a woman and her doctor—not the government. He's also pledged to stop partisan attacks on health care providers like Planned Parenthood, defend Roe v. Wade, and supports access to affordable reproductive care.
I am a pro-choice pastor.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) December 9, 2020
NARAL and Planned Parenthood have similarly endorsed Ossoff, who vows to "only vote to confirm federal judges who pledge to uphold Roe v. Wade."
Warnock supports decriminalizing cannabis, linking it to the fight for bail reform which disproportionately impacts Black, Latinx, and poor people. In one sermon, Warnock said it's "not enough" to only decriminalize cannabis. "Somebody's gotta open up the jails and let our children go." Loeffler, of course, ran with this line (sans context) during their debate earlier this month, but was called out on it.
Ossoff is also pro (regulated) weed. "I'm not just for decriminalization, I'm for outright legalization of cannabis nationally," said Ossoff in a July interview with Atlanta's DJ Scream. "I think that the prohibition of this substance is irrational." He also said he's for expunging the records of people who have nonviolent weed-related offenses.
Warnock and Ossoff's support for cannabis could prove pivotal in the Senate, as more opportunities for the country to reverse our backward stance on the tiny green plant make their way through Congress.
While both Ossoff and Warnock say they support rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, investing in clean energy, and reversing the Trump administration's detrimental rollbacks on environmental protections, they emphatically do not support the progressive-approved Green New Deal.
Ossoff has gone on the record frequently about his lack of support for the non-binding resolution. In an interview with the New York Times, Ossoff says he commends Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for linking environmental and infrastructure policy, but he does not believe that "fighting climate change requires the abolition of the private health insurance market." I could dedicate an entire post to unpacking that quote. Another time, maybe.
While it would be comforting to have two more people elected to office that believe in climate change, don't expect a Democrat-controlled Senate to pass Green New Deal legislation anytime soon.


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The subject that has been on so many of our minds of late dovetails quite neatly with a story from my own life.
Here's that story. It's the latest episode of the Written Out Loud podcast.
Thanks for listening. I'd really love to hear what you think about this one. I suspect this is a subject we'll all be grappling with for some time.


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Michel Foucault: key concepts. Although it was critically acclaimed by Maurice BlanchotMichel SerresRoland BarthesGaston Bachelardand Fernand Braudelit was largely ignored by the leftist press, much to Foucault's disappointment. Therefore, Foucault argues, it is always crucial to continue with the practice of "critique".
One example michael bordo sex offender in Darwin the age distribution in a population. To Foucault, even the idea of absolute knowledge is a historically contingent idea. Oksala also argues that the goal of critical theories such as Foucault is not to liberate the body and sexuality from oppression, but rather so question and deny the identities that are posited as "natural" and "essential" by showing how these identities are historical and cultural constructions.
The Foucault reader.
Augustine lived. In the new motivation, the cause of the war was said to be that Saddam Hussein had committed crimes against his own population. Retrieved 16 November His decision to do so was largely because his lover, Defert, had michael bordo sex offender in Darwin posted to the country as part of his national service.
According to Richard A. Tactics is power on the micro-level, which can for example be how a person chooses to express themselves through their clothes. In modern times, when disciplinary power is dominant, criminals are instead subjected to various disciplinary techniques in order to "remold" the criminal into a "law abiding citizen".
Wikimedia Commons Wikibooks Wikiquote. Continental philosophy Post-structuralism. Inthe court that evaluates sex offenders determined Bordo should be released because he was no longer highly likely to commit a new sex crime. Another example mentioned by Taylor is taken from a different industry, where Taylor had calculated the "optimal" workload for each worker.
Philosopher Philip Stokes of the University of Reading noted that overall, Foucault's work was "dark and pessimistic. Marshall 30 June
With "sovereign power" Foucault alludes to a power structure that is similar to a pyramid, where one person or a group of people at the top of the pyramid holds the power, while the "normal" and oppressed people are at the bottom of the pyramid. In modern times, when disciplinary power is dominant, criminals are instead subjected to various disciplinary techniques in order to "remold" the criminal into a "law abiding citizen".
Rorty writes:. Although many young students were enthusiastic about his teaching, they were critical of what they believed to be his right-wing political views, viewing him as a "representative of Gaullist technocracy", even though he considered himself a leftist. He remained largely unpopular, spending much time alone, reading voraciously.