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Breast reconstruction can help restore the look and feel of the breast after a mastectomy. The surgery is done by a plastic surgeon.
Breast reconstruction can be done at the same time as the mastectomy ("immediate") or at a later date ("delayed").
Many women now get immediate breast reconstruction. However, the timing depends on:
Not all women can have immediate reconstruction.
It's important to discuss your options with your plastic surgeon, breast surgeon and oncologist (and your radiation oncologist if you are having radiation therapy).
Your plastic surgeon should be comfortable with you getting a second opinion.
Seeing a plastic surgeon from a different hospital or group practice can:
Learn more about getting a second opinion.
Breast reconstruction may help you feel more comfortable about how you look after a mastectomy.
Although a reconstructed breast will never match the look or feel of your natural breast, this area of plastic surgery continues to improve.
You may not live near the hospital where your reconstruction will be done. This can be a challenge because of the number of routine follow-up visits needed after reconstruction.
Most breast reconstruction methods involve several steps.
Immediate reconstructions and some delayed reconstructions require a hospital stay for the first procedure.
Follow-up procedures may be done on an outpatient basis.
If you need transportation, lodging, child care or elder care, there may be programs that can help.
Federal law requires most insurance plans cover the cost of breast reconstruction.
Learn more about insurance and breast reconstruction.
Breast reconstruction can be done with:
There is no one best reconstruction method. There are pros and cons to each.
For example, breast implants require less invasive surgery than procedures using your own body tissues, but the results may look and feel less natural [130].
Your body shape and anatomy may affect the types of breast reconstruction likely to give you the best results.
For example, women with larger breasts may need breast reduction surgery on the opposite, natural breast to create a more even look.
Your lifestyle may also affect the type of reconstruction you choose.
For example, some types use muscles from other parts of the body, causing weakness in the area. These may not be good options for athletic women.
Smokers and women who are overweight have an increased risk of complications for all types of breast reconstructive surgery [9,131-132].
If you smoke or are overweight, talk with your plastic surgeon about problems after surgery such as delayed wound healing, infection, reconstruction failure and problems with implant or flap procedures that may occur.
Sometimes, it's best to delay breast reconstruction until after quitting smoking or weight loss to lower these risks.
Your plastic surgeon may discuss ways to quit smoking and/or lose weight before you have reconstruction.
Your plastic surgeon will help you choose the type of reconstruction that will give you the best results and fit your lifestyle while minimizing the risk of complications.
Take time to study your options and make a thoughtful, informed choice after carefully considering the pros and cons of each option.
Each person is unique. Your breast cancer treatment, your body and your lifestyle affect not only your reconstruction options, but also the pros and cons of your options.
Although this decision may seem overwhelming, it may help to know that most women who have had breast reconstruction do not regret the method they chose [133].
If you are a good candidate for a procedure, there are fairly few complications with any of the current techniques [133].
The table below compares the basic types of breast reconstruction.
Specific types of reconstruction are discussed in more detail below.
Breast implants
Natural tissue flaps
Mimic the look and feel of a natural breast
Less able to mimic the look and feel of a natural breast (silicone implants look and feel more natural than saline implants)
Better able to mimic the look and feel of a natural breast
Loss of sensation
Will lose some sensation in the breast
Will lose some sensation in the breast and tissue donation site
Less extensive
Time in surgery is shorter
More extensive
Time in surgery is longer
DIEP, SIEA, S-GAP and I-GAP procedures require well-trained microvascular surgeons
Is a hospital stay needed?
Needed for the first procedure (1-2 nights) when done at the same time as a mastectomy (immediate reconstruction)
Follow-up procedures may be done on an outpatient basis
Needed for the procedure (3-4 nights)
Will the procedure need to be repeated?
Implants may need to be replaced during your lifetime.
Tissue flaps will not need to be replaced during your lifetime.
However, if there are complications, some procedures cannot be repeated.
3-4 weeks
Fewer scars
4-6 weeks
More scars
Risk of complications
Some risk of surgical complications
Some risk of surgical complications (certain procedures have more risks than others)
Adapted from selected sources [130,134].
Inserting a breast implant is a fairly simple procedure.
It may not require extra hospital time if it can be done at the same time as the mastectomy.
The shape of the reconstructed breast with an implant may not match the look or feel of the natural, opposite breast, especially as you age and your natural breast changes shape.
For this reason, implants are better for women with small or medium-sized breasts with little or no sagging [130].
It's possible to have surgery to enlarge or reduce the size of the opposite, natural breast to help make your breasts look more alike.
However, the natural breast will change in size and shape with weight changes and as you grow older, while the breast with the implant will not. This may lead to a less even look over time.
More surgery may be needed to maintain a similar look.
Learn about managing pain after reconstructive surgery.
There are 2 basic types of breast implants: saline and silicone.
For both saline and silicone implants, the outer cover of the implant (also called the implant shell) is made of a solid form of silicone.
The 2 types of implants differ in the substance used to fill the implant shell.
Different implant shapes are available to match the look of the natural breast.
Implants can be round or teardrop-shaped. They vary in the amount of projection and base width.
The best implant shape and size will depend on:
In the past, there were concerns that silicone implants might cause health problems.
However, most studies show no link between silicone implants and lupus, immune system disorders, connective tissue disease or rheumatoid arthritis [135].
Silicone implants are as safe as saline implants.
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a very rare, treatable form of cancer of the cells of the immune system. It occurs in breast tissue in about 3 in 100 million women [136-138].
The FDA is studying a link between breast implants (both saline and silicone) and a slight increase in the risk of ALCL [136-138].
Although the reasons are unclear at this time, the risk of ALCL appears to be linked to textured breast implants rather than smooth implants [136-138].
Inserting a breast implant (saline or silicone) is a fairly simple process.
Step 1: A temporary, modified saline device (called a tissue expander) is inserted in the envelope formed by the breast skin and chest muscle.
The expander has a valve that allows more saline to be added (with a simple injection through the skin into the valve) after surgery.
Step 2: Over a period of 2-6 months (in repeated office visits), the skin-muscle envelope is slowly stretched by injecting more saline into the expander until it reaches the desired size of the final implant.
The final volume may be limited by the quality and size of the skin-muscle envelope.
Step 3: A surgeon removes the expander and replaces it with the permanent implant (saline or silicone).
This is done in an operating room, but is usually an outpatient surgery.
Some women don't need tissue expansion and can have an implant (saline or silicone) directly inserted at the time of mastectomy.
In these women, the size of the skin-muscle envelope at the time of the mastectomy is large enough to cover the desired final implant.
For example, women who have moderate-sized breasts or excess natural breast skin, or who want to have a reconstruction smaller than their natural breast size may be good candidates for direct implant insertion.
However, these cases are exceptions rather than the rule.
The size of a reconstructed breast can't be changed without surgery to replace the implant.
However, changes in weight can impact the look of the breast with an implant. Weight gain may make the breast with an implant appear smaller. Weight loss may make it appear fuller.
The acellular dermis technique takes advantage of the entire skin envelope available at the time of the mastectomy [139]. It's often used in combination with an implant reconstruction to help cover the lower half of the reconstructed breast. (The chest muscle may not be able to reach far enough to cover this area.)
This technique creates a hammock under the mastectomy skin envelope to hold the expander or implant in place. The hammock is made from biologic material (called acellular dermal matrix) alone or in combination with your chest muscle. Most often, the biologic material is donated human skin. Acellular means the human cells that may lead to tissue rejection have been removed.
During the healing process, the hammock gets a blood supply from the overlying skin and soft tissue envelope and becomes part of your own tissue. This strengthens the support for the expander or implant. So, the technique requires a high quality mastectomy skin envelope that's thick enough give a blood supply.
Implant reconstruction with acellular dermal matrix can allow a larger volume fill at the time of surgery. This can shorten the implant expansion process.
Sometimes, acellular dermal matrix can be a 1-step implant process. The final implant can be placed at the time of the mastectomy without the need for expansion.Some findings show acellular dermal matrix may have a higher risk of complications (such as seroma (fluid collection)) compared to the multiple-step implant method [130,140].
Women with loose breast skin and women having a nipple-sparing mastectomy (so, keeping the entire breast skin envelope) generally benefit from the procedure [141].
Women with very small breasts and minimal droop may not benefit from adding acellular dermal matrix.
Talk with your plastic surgeon to find out if this procedure may be right for you.
Breast implants are usually placed under the chest muscle (subpectoral) to give as much soft tissue coverage of the implant as possible. Some of the chest muscle is cut during the procedure to place to implants underneath.
When women use and contract the chest muscle (pectoralis major muscle), the subpectoral implant breast reconstruction can look distorted (because the implant is below the chest muscle). This can be a problem for women who use their chest muscles a lot (for example, during upper body exercise, such as push-ups).
A new technique places the implant above the chest muscle (pre-pectoral), just under the mastectomy skin envelope, and uses acellular dermal matrix to cover the entire implant [142].
A pre-pectoral implant reconstruction doesn't cut through the chest muscle (since the implant is placed above it). So, this technique may limit some problems that can occur when the chest muscle contracts after a subpectoral implant reconstruction [142]. This can be important for women who do a lot of upper body exercises.
Not everyone can have a pre-pectoral implant reconstruction. It requires very thick mastectomy skin flaps (not everyone has thick skin flaps after a mastectomy).
The long-term results of this technique, and how it is affected by radiation therapy to the breast, are not known at this time.
Reconstruction of the nipple may be done when the permanent implant is inserted or at a later time.
Learn more about nipple and areola reconstruction.
There are pros and cons to each type of implant. These are described in the table below.
Discuss your options with your plastic surgeon to choose the type that's best for you.
Saline implants
Silicone implants
Mimic the look and feel of a natural breast
Less able to mimic the feel of a natural breast (may feel like a water balloon)
More likely to see rippling or an uneven contour (especially if the skin-muscle envelope is thin)
Better able to mimic the feel of a natural breast
Less likely to see rippling or an uneven contour
Can the size of the expander or implant be changed?
Size of the expander may be increased or decreased after the initial surgery
Size of the implant cannot be changed without surgery to replace the implant
Size of the implant cannot be changed without surgery to replace the implant
Risk of rupture
Equal chance of rupture
What happens if rupture occurs?
The saline is absorbed harmlessly into nearby tissues.
The reconstructed breast appears deflated, so you know right away the implant has ruptured.
The implant should be replaced before the entire surgical pocket that holds the implant has collapsed. (This is especially important after radiation therapy. Radiation to the pocket can cause it to collapse and it may not be possible to replace the implant.)
Some silicone gel might leak into the soft tissue pocket around the implant and rest there.
Since the silicone is not absorbed, the overall breast volume stays the same. So, a rupture in a silicone implant may take longer to be detected than a rupture in a saline implant.
Breast MRI can be used to check for implant rupture.
Side effects that may occur
Hardening of the tissues around the implant (called capsular contraction)
Infection (may require removal of the implant)
Typically lasts at least 10 years, but will likely need to be replaced during your lifetime (replacement requires surgery)
Adapted from selected sources [130,143].
Radiation therapy can cause problems for both implant and natural tissue reconstruction, including:
If you will have an implant procedure using a tissue expander and radiation therapy will be used after mastectomy, immediate breast reconstruction is recommended (rather than delayed reconstruction) [9].
Delayed breast reconstruction using an implant may not be possible after radiation therapy.
Skin that has received radiation and is later stretched to fit an implant is at high risk for complications and a poor cosmetic result [9,130].
Results are better when the procedures to expand the skin are done before radiation therapy begins.
However, the effects of radiation therapy to the reconstruction tend to continue with time and longer-term problems can occur. Radiation therapy, even when done before reconstruction, limits the size of the reconstruction and increases the risk the reconstruction may fail [144].
Many women who get radiation therapy to the reconstruction have chronic tightness and stiffness in the chest and upper arm areas. They may need physical therapy or long-term range of motion exercises.
Reconstruction using skin and soft tissue flaps from your own body tends to mimic the look and feel of a natural breast better than reconstruction with implants.
However, these procedures are more complex and invasive, and usually require a longer hospital stay and post-surgery recovery time.
They also leave scars in the area of the body where the tissue was taken (donor site).
The most common natural flap procedures use tissue from the back, abdomen, buttocks or thighs.
In some procedures, part or all of a muscle needs to be taken to provide blood flow to the flap tissue. This may cause weakness in that area of the body and limit certain physical or athletic activities. If you are active, discuss this risk with your plastic surgeon.
The latissimus dorsi muscle flap procedure removes a large muscle in the back along with skin and underlying fatty tissue. It uses these tissues to reconstruct the breast [130].
Using fatty tissue helps create a more natural looking breast.
In most women, the amount of soft tissue available on the back is limited and the flap itself is only about an inch thick. An implant is usually also needed to create enough volume for the reconstructed breast.
The soft tissue of the latissimus flap goes over the implant so it mimics the look and feel of a natural breast better than an implant alone.
The transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap uses skin, fat and muscle from the lower abdomen to reconstruct the breast [130]. It creates a natural-looking breast.
A TRAM flap usually does not require an implant as long as there's enough excess skin and fatty tissue in the lower abdomen.
If you don't have excess abdomen tissue, you may not be a candidate for a TRAM flap reconstruction.
The TRAM flap has some drawbacks.
Since an abdominal muscle is removed to provide a blood supply to the flap, its loss can cause some weakness in this part of the body. If you are active, talk with your plastic surgeon about this drawback.
Breast reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap uses skin and fatty tissue from the lower abdomen to form the reconstructed breast [130].
Unlike the TRAM flap, the DIEP flap procedure keeps the abdominal muscle intact. This may preserve abdominal strength after the procedure.
The DIEP flap has some drawbacks.
The DIEP flap procedure should only be done by microvascular surgeons well-trained and experienced with this technique.
The superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap breast reconstruction uses skin, fatty tissue and blood vessels (including the superficial inferior epigastric artery) from the abdomen to form the reconstructed breast.
The SIEA flap isn't as common as the TRAM and DIEP flaps because few women have blood vessels large enough (or any at all) for the procedure [130].
The SIEA flap leaves all of the muscles and most of the connective tissue of the abdomen untouched, so it leaves no weakness in the abdominal area. This can be important for women who are physically active.
Blood clots are more common with SIEA flap procedures than with other techniques [145].
The SIEA flap procedure should only be done by microvascular surgeons well-trained and experienced with this technique.
Gluteal artery perforator (GAP) flap procedures use skin and fatty tissue from the buttocks to reconstruct the breast.
Because no buttock muscle is used in either procedure, athletic ability after surgery is rarely affected [146].
S-GAP or I-GAP flap reconstruction may be a good option for women with more fatty tissue in their buttocks area than in their abdomen [146-147].
If the GAP procedure leaves the buttocks noticeably different in size, liposuction can be used later to remove fat from the opposite buttock to create a more even look.
As with the DIEP flap, GAP flap procedures are more complex than other types of flap procedures and require a microvascular surgeon.
They take longer than other types of tissue flap surgeries (even longer than the DIEP flap procedure), which may increase the risk of surgical complications [146-147].
If an S-GAP or I-GAP flap procedure isn't successful, it can be repeated using tissue from the opposite buttocks (either immediately or at a later time).
Transverse upper gracilis (TUG) flap procedures use skin, fatty tissue and muscle from the upper inner thigh to reconstruct the breast [130].
TUG flap reconstruction uses the gracilis muscle, which helps bring the leg toward the body. This isn't a critical muscle and most people don't notice a lot of weakness.
TUG flap may be a good option for women with excess fatty tissue in their upper inner thigh area who are not good candidates for TRAM, DIEP, SIEA or GAP flap procedures.
As with other microvascular flap procedures, TUG flap is a complex surgery that requires a microvascular surgeon.
If a TUG flap isn't successful, it can be repeated using tissue from the opposite upper inner thigh.
Radiation therapy can cause problems for both natural tissue and implant reconstruction, including:
For women choosing flap breast reconstruction who will need radiation therapy after mastectomy, it may be better to delay the flap reconstruction until after radiation therapy.
This greatly lowers the chances the look, feel and size of the reconstructed breast will be harmed by the radiation therapy [9].
Women may also consider having immediate reconstruction with a tissue expander to preserve the breast skin envelope.
Then, once radiation therapy is over, the expander can be removed and a flap reconstruction can be done.
If you're having immediate breast reconstruction, your surgeon may perform a skin-sparing mastectomy to keep as much of the skin of the breast as possible.
With a skin-sparing mastectomy, the tumor and clean margins are removed, along with the nipple, areola, fat and other tissue that make up the breast.
What remains is much of the skin that surrounded the breast. This skin can then be used to cover a tissue flap or an implant.
The major benefit of a skin-sparing mastectomy is that it avoids having to use skin from other parts of the body for reconstruction. That skin can have a different color, texture and thickness compared to natural breast skin, creating a "patch" look.
In the past, there were concerns skin-sparing mastectomy might increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence. However, although data are limited, most studies to date have not found an increased risk and the procedure is considered safe [9,148-150].
Creating the nipple and areola is the last step of breast reconstruction.
These procedures give the reconstructed breast a more natural look and can help hide some of the mastectomy scars.
Nipple and areola reconstruction are usually outpatient procedures and have few risks [130]. However, those who have had radiation therapy may have more surgical risks.
The nipple can be recreated using skin from the reconstructed breast itself after the implant or flap reconstruction has healed.
The areola can be created with a tattoo or by grafting skin from the groin area. Skin in the groin area may have a similar tone as the skin on the areola. The scar from where the skin is taken can be hidden in the bikini line.
Not all women can have these procedures.
Women who can't have nipple reconstruction surgery (or choose not to have it) can consider a 3-dimensional (3D) tattoo to create the look of the nipple and areola.
It's a good idea to check with your insurance provider before getting a tattoo as this step may not be covered.
A nipple-sparing mastectomy is a skin-sparing mastectomy that leaves the nipple and areola intact. This usually improves the overall look of the reconstructed breast.
For women who are good candidates for nipple-sparing mastectomy, the risk of breast cancer recurrence appears to be low [151-152].
Nipple-sparing mastectomy is a newer procedure and long-term outcomes are still under study.
Learn about clinical trials of breast reconstruction.
Not all women can have nipple-sparing mastectomy. For example, if the breast cancer is close to the nipple and areola, the nipple and areola are removed during surgery (to ensure all of the tumor is removed).
At this time, nipple-sparing mastectomy is only an option for [9,151-153]:
Some women are not good candidates for nipple-sparing mastectomy because of the size and/or shape of their breasts. For example:
With nipple-sparing mastectomy, the nipple will likely lose sensation and some projection. Sometimes, the position of the nipple can move after nipple-sparing mastectomy.
In some cases, the tissues may lose its blood supply and break down, and some or all of the nipple and areola may need to be removed [151].
Most women feel tired and sore for several weeks after breast reconstruction. Your surgeon or plastic surgeon may prescribe medications to ease the pain.
Talk with your plastic surgeon about specific instructions after your surgery.
You may need to wear a special bra while your reconstructed breast heals.
For some types of surgery, you may still have a small tube(s) called a surgical drain(s) in place when you go home from the hospital.
This allows extra fluid from the surgery to escape.
You will learn how to take care of the drain.
You will likely have some pain after surgery. For most people, this pain is temporary.
The bruising and swelling from the surgery may take up to 8 weeks to go away [154].
Learn about managing pain after surgery.
Overhead lifting, strenuous sports and sex should be avoided for 4-6 weeks after reconstructive surgery [154].
Most women can resume normal activity within 8 weeks [154].
Talk with your health care provider about activities to avoid and when you can get back to your normal routine.
Although breast reconstruction techniques continue to improve, a reconstructed breast will never look or feel the same as your natural breast.
Reconstruction results vary and may depend on the quality of the tissue left after a mastectomy.
How your reconstructed breast will look and feel depends on many factors including your natural breast anatomy and your treatment plan.
Sometimes, the types of treatments you will have (for example, if you need radiation therapy) limit your reconstruction options and can impact the final look and feel of your reconstructed breast.
Although this can be upsetting, keep in mind your treatment is planned to get rid of your breast cancer and keep it from coming back.
Your plastic surgeon will help you choose the reconstruction that will give you the best results.
Remember, it may take some time to see the full results of your reconstructed breast.
How you feel about the final results may depend on your expectations. Keep in mind a reconstructed breast will not look or feel the same as a natural breast.
Most of the scarring will fade and improve over time, but some scars may never go away.
As you age and the opposite breast changes shape, the reconstructed breast may look or feel less natural.
Most women have a period of emotional adjustment after breast reconstruction.
Feeling anxious or depressed is common.
It may help to talk with a counselor or other women who have had breast reconstruction.
Many states require all health insurance providers (including Medicaid) to cover breast reconstruction after a mastectomy (learn more).
The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires group health plans, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that pay for mastectomy to also pay for [155]:
The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act does not apply to some church and government insurance plans.
Many states require all health insurance providers (including those not covered under the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act) to pay for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy.
Check with your state insurance commissioner's office or your health insurance provider to find out which services are covered by your state's laws and your health plan.
You may not live near the hospital where you will have your surgery.
Sometimes, there are programs that help with local or long-distance transportation and lodging. Some also offer transportation and lodging for a friend or family member going with you.
There are also programs to help with child care and elder care costs.
Learn more about transportation, lodging, child care and elder care assistance.
Learn more about talking with your health care provider.It may be helpful to download and print Susan G. Komen®'s Questions to Ask Your Doctor card on breast reconstruction and take it with you to your next doctor appointment. There's plenty of space to write down the answers to these questions, which you can refer back to later.You can also download other Questions to Ask Your Doctor cards on many different breast cancer topics.
Komen Perspectives
Learn More
BreastCancerTrials.org in collaboration with Susan G. Komen® offers a custom matching service to help you find a clinical trial on breast reconstruction that fits your needs.
If you or a loved one needs information or resources about clinical trials, call our Clinical Trial Information Helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877- 465- 6636) or email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Learn more about clinical trials and find a list of resources to help you find a clinical trial.
* Please note, the information provided within Komen Perspectives articles is only current as of the date of posting. Therefore, some information may be out of date at this time.
Related Video
Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Flap
Breast Reconstruction with Implants
Facts for Life: Breast Reconstruction and Prosthesis After Mastectomy
What gives you strength during treatment?


text: The Weebly workshops begin this Tuesday - I am fine tuning the handout this weekend. I've spoken to a few excited parents that are looking forward to learning about Weebly (it doesn't get any easier) and having focused time to explore and comment. I hope you think about joining us.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sold Out
Video/'zine combo.
A journey through South American streets, New England scenery, Philly 'hoods, snow-covered Utah mountains, and the Eastern European countryside:
Act I: Christine's Revenge. Riding burnt-out and abandoned cars in Argentina.
Act II: Las Calles Provee. Coast to coast in South America, primarily Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile.
Act: III: Corridors. N.Y., D.C., and a bunch of places in between.
Act IV: Boundless. Snowbiking in Utah.
Act V: Duran Duran. Father/ son split section with Grimaldo Duran and George Duran.
Act VI: Henry's Voyage. Transition trek around New England in a vintage VW van.
Act VII: Antons. Cross country from Krakow, Poland to Kiev, Ukraine.
Video run time: 30 minutes
'Zine: 44 pages, 6" X 9", Full-color with DVD or digital download - SOLD OUT.
Rent/ own video: MAINTAIN II.V


text:
I remember briefly seeing the #everycanhelps campaign last year and feeling that I really wanted to get involved. I was too late though, it was the last day of the extended collection days.
Well, guess what? I decided to go bargain hunting at Tesco yesterday evening; I haven't done this in months. Evening bargain hunting are very tricky for me though; you see, I feed Precious Sparkle to sleep. My recent attempt was cancelled by a longer than expected feeding to sleep session. However, I was determined to go yesterday though I ended up leaving home too late.
Nevermind, I got more than I bargained for and I'm so delighted. I saw the setting up of the Tesco Neighbourhood Food Collection! This is their 6th one since November 2012/ they now do it twice a year, in the Summer and Winter.
Continue reading


text:
Hi there,
my name is Rob Pilley and I am a Zoologist and wildlife film maker for the BBC. I am one of the producers of the highly acclaimed BBC1 series entitled Spy in the Wild as well as an enthusiastic father of 2 children aged 11 and 8.
I have always raised my children out and about in countryside and have also waxed lyrical about my adventures whilst filming around the world. Recently I have started to film me and my children when we are out and about exploring and hunting wildlife using a a bespoke, multicamera rig that allows me to walk with my kids and look for and pick up animals without any encumbrance- allowing us to to film our real-life adventures without any use of a noisy camera crew in tow!
You might want to see some of our videos on our youtube channel/ facebook page, its entitled Robs Spy Adventures and features me and my kids plus some of my own recent adventures in Canada, the Amazon, Indonesia, Africa etc as well as in your own backyard!
What I am trying to do is embrace and reach out to a new generation of children who are largely living their lives through iPads, and so I am trying to create youtube and facebook content that will get their minds inspired and enthused, especially when they see me and my kids out and about in normal english countryside and the fun and adventures we get up to, all with minimal effort!
I look forward to any replies or requests for ideas or questions or even videos that you'd like me to go and shoot for you- remember it all has to be easily filmed live and uncut with no crew- just me and a subject and lets see what spontaneity and fun will happen!
Cheers for now
email@example.com or find me at Robs Wild Adventures on facebook or youtube
Hi Rob
If you are having difficulty replying.J
ust click the BLUE REPLY button
and you can DELETE your repeat threads ifyou click EDIT on left
In reply to SunnyKate2:
Thank you
We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy
The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership
© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654


text:
I don't normally read Daily Mail burrit were all thee 'ad left ont rack.
It were when I were linin' budgies cage wi' it that this article caught me eye.
It seems the bloke who invented the television remote control had dade.
Ay were ninety four year ode. I 'ave t'say his death caused a bit o' confusion.
Well, they didna know whether to bury 'im or stuff 'im down t' back o' sofa.
I were a bit purout about 'im 'avin' "invented" the remote control.
We 'ad a remote in 1961. I used to sit on sofa an' change channels wi'a snooker cue.
I have to say it weren't very efficient. Y'see 'r Harold played pool on Tuesdizz an' Thozdees so it only wocked about 70 per cent o' time. Still, wi' didna waste money on batt'ries.
Actually, 'ave just bin aht and bought a new tele, one o' them wi'a 52" screen.
I didna want to but time an' an electrical short meant it were necessary.
I say necessary... Its non' a necessity for me. I 'ardly watch it and when I do it's documentaries an' 'istory.
No, it's really for wife. She likes her tele and if it keeps 'er 'appy I'm 'appy.
As I said I dint want to gerra another tele but, wick before last, way sat watchin' Towerin' Inferno, y'know, that film wi' Steve McQueen an' Paul Newman.
Any'ow the tower's just got infernoin' when smoke starts comin' art o' back o' television.
I says to wife "By 'eck this is realistic."
At this point flames bost up'ards and scorched curtains.
I says to wife "I'm all for realism burra think that's gooin' a bit far."
I dint spot that this new tele were 3D. At fost I wondered what glasses were for.
I thought thid 'appen done a deal wi' Spec Savers. I can't say I am fligged wi' it, 3D that is.
It's bad enough watchin' Wayne Rooney weeout 'aving 'is face comin' art o' screen at you. Fost time that 'appened I spilt 'ot tea in me lap.
Wayne Rooney want only one wi' a groin injury that wickend.
I were watchin' other day. It were dinner time an' I were enjoyin' a san'wich that comprised o' ketchup an' sugar. Ad just sin an episode o' Crap In The Attic and were waitin' for Gok Wan You Look Good Naked t'start when this advert comes on for wash powder.
You musta sin it. Thi show you 'ow this particular wash powder'll get blood out o' your T shirt. It were rate graphic. I thought this is a pretty violent image.
As I chewed on mi san'wich I couldna help but think that if yad blood all ovver y'T shirt, int laundry least of y'problems. Surely y'priority should be gerrin' rid o' body.


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Town and Gown Relationships Forum
Town and Gown Relationships foster successful relations between colleges and communities. Today's theme is how to better connect with the Penn State Harrisburg Campus and how the university can reach out to the community. Susannnah Gal will provide different perspectives based on her various campus/community relationship experiences in Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and now in Pennsylvania. Results of a recent survey of PSU Harrisburg faculty and staff regarding their views of the relationship between the campus and the community will be examined.


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Hello Everyone!
Sometimes an experiment turns out really cool, and this just so happens to be one of those times! I did a class at ArtVenture in January of this year that taught us how to watercolor on fabric. Not quite like this example, but it got my creative juices flowing! I really wanted to explore this method and develop my own technique, and this is what I came up with- A Fabric Watercolor Landscape (actually the ocean, and it is abstract…. lol)
As always the video goes over all the steps, and it is a good companion to the blog post.
To start prep your canvas by painting it a light color, I used a slightly off white and painted the top and sides.
you will need a light gauzy fabric for the base layer. I had some in my stash, so use what you have, as long as it is a very light fabric. Take a Heavy gel and spread that all over the canvas, then coat each strip of fabric with a gloss gel. (this is the same procedure that I use on all my canvases) Once the strip is coated adhere it to the canvas. Add as many wrinkles as you want and create the texture you are going for. (I have to say I really like this stage, in fact I almost stopped here because it is so pretty, an all white fabric canvas. I might have to make one and just leave it as is. Some thing to think about, lol)
Once you are done with the fabric, let is step dry. I usually leave it over night just to make sure.
After it is dry it is time to start watercoloring! gently spray the canvas with water (this allows the watercolors to move freely on the canvas) and then start watercoloring! Slowly add colors and see where they go and blend to create new looks. You can dry in between layers if you want and just keep building until you get the look you are going for. I wanted to create a sunset on the water, it is a little abstract, but that is ok, I really like how it turned out.
Once the watercolors are dry you can start adding in texture. I added some iridescent micro bead to add some more shimmer and shine to the water. Just apply some gloss gel and pour on some beads. Let it dry over night before removing the excess beads.
Once the beads are dry you can add even more shimmer and shine by adding Metallic watercolors. I thought this would be the perfect way to add some more details. It is a little hard to see in the photos, but up close the metallic really added that perfect final touch.
Let everything dry completely and then spray it with a spray protector.
I really like how this turned out and I can't wait to try this technique on another canvas! What should I try to watercolor next? I love experiementing with my supplies and I would love suggestions on what to do next!
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- Prima Watercolors-Metallic https://amzn.to/2Nkx9Ew
- Liquitex heavy gloss gel https://amzn.to/2ILAMQ8
The post Fabric Watercolor Landscape appeared first on Take Time To Create.


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This case was referred from the High Court R (on the application of McCarthy and ors.) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWHC 3368 (Admin), and considered the applicability of Directive 2004/38 to situations not traditionally falling within the concept of a Union citizen moving to another Member State, and derivative rights for third-country family members.
The O and B decision of the CJEU had addressed some issues in relation to the rights of TCN family members of EU citizens residing in their home Member State, and this case sought to address the issue of what can be required of third-country national family members of EU citizens entering the UK.
Mr McCarthy is a dual UK/Irish national, his wife is a Colombian national, and their daughter is also a dual UK/Irish national. Mr McCarthy has lived in Ireland for 52 years, only residing in the UK for six years, from 1967 – 1973. The family has lived in Marbella, Spain since May 2010 where they own a property; they also own a house in the UK, to which they regularly travel. Mrs McCarthy has to travel to Madrid to renew her family permit every time she wishes to travel to the UK with her family. She has been refused permission to board flights to the UK when she has presented her residence card without the family permit.
The Secretary of State for the Home Department issued guidance to carriers to discourage them from transporting TCNs who are not in possession of a residence permit issued by the UK authorities. Under section 40 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, a carrier who fails to meet that requirement is required to pay a 'charge'.
The Advocate General's Opinion
AG Szpunar gave his Opinion on 20th May 2014, and argued that the provisions of Directive 2004/38 should apply by analogy to the current situation, which involved visits to the UK, where Mr McCarthy is a national, rather than to a Member State of which he was not a national. The Advocate General advised the Grand Chamber that the UK is in breach of free movement law in relation to the requirement of the family visa In addition to residence card, and that the UK's Frontier Protocol did not give it an opt out in relation to restricting fundamental free movement principles. Continue reading


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_Gossip_'s premise is simple. For a project in their journalism class,
university students Derrick (James Marsden), Jones (Lena Headey), and
Travis (Norman Reedus) decide to plant and then trace the growth and
evolution of a rumor: that freshman Naomi (Kate Hudson), known for her
strict attitudes on sex, did the dirty deed with boyfriend Beau (Joshua
Jackson) while drunk at a party. While the intent in harmless, the lie
quickly takes a life of its own, and soon everyone is suffering from the
fallout--not least of which the trio that started the whole mess.
The initial 20 minutes of _Gossip_, in which the three come up with
their bright idea and unleash it upon the campus, exploits the potential
of the premise. Director Davis Guggenheim employs a creative and
succinct way to show how the gossip spreads and mutates: numerous people
directly address the camera, recounting the story as they heard it (or,
rather, think they heard it). Straight-to-camera confessionals are a bit
clichť in the age of _The_Real_World_ and its ilk, but the energized
editing captures the excitement that accompanies a particularly enticing
piece of hearsay.
But much like how the Naomi-Beau rumor spins out of control, so does
_Gossip_. The interesting premise established, Guggenheim and writers
Gregory Poirer and Theresa Rebeck proceed to do nothing with it. Before
long, the subject that lends _Gossip_ its title comes to bear less
importance, and the film becomes a dismayingly conventional thriller
where characters end up having secret paths that provide needless added
motivation for certain actions. Even on these dumbed-down terms,
_Gossip_ falls far short of the mark, but that doesn't stop Guggenheim
and company from also making the film a high minded "issue" movie. I
won't say exactly what issue (to do so would reveal one of the film's key
"twists"), but the film tackles it with a fraction of the depth you'd
find in an afterschool special.
The cast certainly doesn't help the not-ready-for-the-big-screen feel.
Marsden doesn't do anything here to counter the vacuous _Teen_Beat_ pinup
image he projected in _Disturbing_Behavior_; in fact, his performance
here is even more embarrassing, making the credibility-straining turns
his character undergoes even harder to swallow. Headey is simply miscast
on a surface level. She clearly looks much older than the rest of the
cast, resembling a mature woman among a group of kids; her American
accent is also pretty shaky. Reedus does little to redeem what is
already a bad part: an artist who inexplicably finds a new, almost
obsessive inspiration in Naomi and her plight. Speaking of Naomi, Hudson
is the only person who delivers a slightly credible performance. More
seasoned stars, such as Sharon Lawrence, Edward James Olmos (both playing
police detectives), and Eric Bogosian (as the journalism professor) are
It's only fitting that _Gossip_ will undoubtedly fall victim to its own
hook. When word-of-mouth spreads--and it will, and quite quickly at
that--the film will take a much greater trouncing than the one felt by
its mischief-making characters.
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The European climate delegation in Durban is struggling to commit other actors to a binding agreement, reports AFP. Both China and the United States have opposed themselves to such an accord and have put the EU under pressure. Developing countries are equally unhappy with the EU's position, stating that developed countries should commit more funds and effort to limiting climate change.
The European proposal would entail a commitment by all major greenhouse gas emitters to a binding agreement by 2015 with a subsequent implementation by 2020.
The EU, in return, showed willingness to reduce CO2 further under the current Kyoto protocol. One of the developing countries' key tenets is that the Kyoto protocol be kept alive.
Source: AFP/CTA


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Help to fund vital areas and services in our Hospital
Every year Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation raises millions of dollars to ensure Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick remains at the forefront of paediatric healthcare – across medical, nursing and allied health specialists, state-of-the-art equipment, groundbreaking medical research and vital capital works.
Every department is close to capacity, so we need more space and new facilities. There are children without a diagnosis, let alone a cure, so we need more researchers. We need to keep pace with advances in medical technology and we need to make sure we continue to attract the best and most brilliant clinicians across all fields.
Partner with us
We have a range of partners who support us to ensure our Hospital continues to provide the quality of care our children need and deserve, now and in the future. If you'd like to partner with us please complete the form below or get in touch.
Volunteer with your colleagues
Throughout the year


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The top translation App in Japan will teach you Japanese
Top Japanese Translation App Released in English
Japan's top translation application for iPhone and Android has been downloaded over 1.7 million times in Japan. On Februrary 18, they released a version for native-English speakers interested in learning Japanese.
The application's success has been attributed to its high quality English-Japanese and Japanese-English translations, in addition to its user-friendly interface and smartphone specific features.
"We believe that this app will help millions of Japanese learning users in English speaking countries worldwide. Japanese Translation is an app to support learning and communicating in Japanese which would lead to better understanding of beautiful Japanese culture," said Hideyuki Okada, the General Manager of Smartphone Business Department of Excite Japan Co.
The application is now available at Google Play at the following link; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.excite.translate and in the iPhone App Store; http://appstore.com/japanesetranslation .
Smartphone translation apps have proven to be helpful for people learning new languages as well as travelers in foreign countries who need to make short translations during their trips.
- 24/7 human support
- 1 year guarantee
- 50,000+ business customers
TOMEDES.com is a leading translation company with more than 50,000 business customers. We are working with the biggest global companies but love our small clients all the same. We are a group of (young and handsome) people who believe in service and fairness.
You need a professional translation, you want to get high-quality service and you want to get it on time. The Tomedes website has everything you need for it. We invite you to get a free instant quote using the form at the top of this page. You can also contact us directly.


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The wind that blows,
the ship that goes,
and the lass that loves a sailor!
I just completed an awesome 101-104 class. Dave and Bonnie were with me for 101 along with Mark and Ann for 101 – 104. Let me says this about this group in general and Mark and Ann in particular: These folks showed a passionate thirst for learning this lifestyle. I often say, "I can teach a monkey to pull the strings but what I really try to impart on my students is the seamanship!" It's the seamanship that make someone that knows how to sail a sailor. Very few, come to embrace that level understanding, these two got it. Ann got a rope burn from wrapping a jib the wrong way, see ALWAYS, but rather than complain she wore it like a badge, exclaiming that it was her reminder to take the time to do it right! Full of questions and full of drive, quite frankly they wore my ass out! While there were moments of frustration for us all, we all had a great time. Heres to Mark and Ann! May your sailing future be bright with following seas!
Up coming for me is my favorite class, 105 and 106! I love navigation and the real world application that we get to practice in 106! YEAH!!!
This week's drink was first concocted at the Soggy Dollar Bar (named for the swimmers coming to the bar with ….soggy dollars) on beautiful White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, BVI. It is the deliciously intoxicating
4 parts pineapple juice
1 part cream of coconut
1 part orange juice
As many parts Pussers Rum as you dare
Shake with Ice and add a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg on top
Boating on Tampa Bay, with Sailing Florida Yacht Charters, is just awesome. Whether you choose to Bareboat charter a Powerboat or a Sailboat doesn't matter. There are so many places to go for a day, weekend, or longer you'll never get board. Book your adventure today! Hey, don't forget to take me with you!!
In the mean time, as always, I'll see you On the Water…With Captain Frank


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Wednesday, September 09, 2015
This Thing Called Marriage.
48 comments:
- Replies
OK we Don hear, and we Don see.Delete
Your comment will be visible after approval
I no dey watchReplyDelete
Thank you.Replies
I understand mami, u no get MB. Kikikikikiki!Delete
Her movies are always bamReplyDelete
I like her works...she likes featuring Tana in Adelana in her movies...
Wow, I know that this will be very interestingReplyDelete
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 11:09
Very interesting, I like last scene with the men talking about their pregnant wife's it's truly an eye opener.ReplyDelete
Can't wait to see the 2nd episode.
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 11:12
The first couple reminds me of a certain celebrity couple.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Emerald Creations9 September 2015 at 15:44
Maje and Toke yeah?Delete
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 22:06
Stupid idiot.....keep having an orgasm on their matter....go and marryDelete
Congrats they should continueReplyDelete
Pls who has MB to spare make I for fit watch ehhhhhh.ReplyDelete
D movies finish d remaining 4mb dat am managing...
wow! i actually watched d whole episode.i loved every minute of it..lol ifeyinwa and her preg.plz upload the next one so dat ppl like me will continue it.since i cannot access tv from hereReplyDelete
Gud to know. Marriage everywhere.ReplyDelete
I luv her works... Yippee finally I can comment on my favorite blog thanks to uc browser. I luv SDKReplyDelete
- babygirl9 September 2015 at 11:37
very nice, i love itReplyDelete
Hard working lady.ReplyDelete
Is it on Iroko TV?ReplyDelete
- events by tegz9 September 2015 at 11:46
seems interesting. I lld like to watch it.ReplyDelete
Nice. Waiting for episode 2ReplyDelete
I don't believe in marriage. Next!ReplyDelete
I like her work.ReplyDelete
In other news, who knows when Shuga Naija season 5 will be out?
Miss it so much.
Ok if I watch episode1, where will I watch d rest?.ReplyDelete
Pls where can I download all. I love it. Dat Edet is one funny guy with a silly attitude. LolReplyDelete
After watching this, i'm looking for more, OMG...Where can we watch the next episode oReplyDelete
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 12:12
Wow! very interesting nd à must watch!ReplyDelete
very interestingReplyDelete
25mins? Ahaah stella u no nice o..... Shey after watching d episode dey will dash me money ni?ReplyDelete
This Blessing is my favourite female producer. I love her work. Fine woman!ReplyDelete
Pls who can tell me how that hair style is achieved? I love it.
I lover her moviesReplyDelete
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 12:16
Hahahaha! Really nice and hilarious too. Can't wait for the next episode.ReplyDelete
I love dis! Wow, ll b so glued to my TV 4 dis series.ReplyDelete
- Heritage9 September 2015 at 13:00
NICE EPISODEReplyDelete
Hahahahahahahaha. So hilarious and interesting. I can't wait for episode 2. Ufuoma is a babe. Nice work Ms Blessing. I heart it!!!ReplyDelete
Nice one!ReplyDelete
Blessing is surely talented.She knows what She is doing .love her Works...#womenpowerReplyDelete
Another blockbuster from Blessing. Jennifer kudosReplyDelete
- Anonymous9 September 2015 at 16:29
wowowww! wonderful. best series this will be. where is episode two ooooooooooooReplyDelete
- Anonymous10 September 2015 at 01:04
Love her workReplyDelete
- GracieSDKblog'sCuteness10 September 2015 at 11:13
I love the REALNESS in this video. Nice one!ReplyDelete
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L Scott Harrell is a bounty hunter (retired), private investigator and competitive strategist. An international small business champion who speaks travel, technology, startups, marketing and social media fluently. In addition to sitting on the Board of Directors of his active private investigation agency, CompassPoint Investigations located in Pensacola, Florida, he is the Chief Executive Officer of a corporation currently developing two new online projects focused on video content.
He began a career rooted in military intelligence and investigative tradecraft when he was selected to work with several different wartime intelligence units while serving in the United States Navy. Since his discharge twenty years ago, he has continued to apply the very special skills honed in the military through an acclaimed private investigation and bail enforcement agency, highly successful digital media companies and as a high profile international business consultant.
His specialties include competitive advantage and business strategy through the ethical application of open source information collection, human resources, technology, social media and bleeding-edge marketing techniques. L. Scott Harrell is a powerful communicator, proven organizational leader and disruptive radical.
In November, 2012, L. Scott Harrell sold the digital training, e-media and social network portfolio he developed over 11 years including Pursuit Magazine, PIeducation.com, his bounty hunter website BeABountyHunter.com and private investigator website BeAPrivateEye.com, and decided to take a sabbatical from the bounty hunting and investigation professions. He accepted the offer to assume the role of Executive Director with an emerging aquatic conservation association, whose mission very closely reflects his own passion for preserving the marine environment amid the serious damage being caused by invasive species. He immensely enjoyed the challenges of leading that organization through a period of unprecedented membership growth encompassing some 23 different countries and Caribbean island nations. In June 2014, after two and a half years, he stepped down in order to find a new challenge.
Today, L. Scott Harrell lives in Cozumel, Mexico with his wife and two daughters. He serves as the CEO of Broadside Incorporated, an international business consultancy, which fits the summary of his strengths perfectly. Broadside Incorporate projects currently include Vtrep.com, an online journal for entrepreneurial filmmakers. As the Executive Editor, his mission is to position Video Entrepreneur Magazine as the leading media publisher and community resource for creative professionals who are ready to capitalize on the unprecedented business opportunities digital video and video marketing presents in 2014 and beyond. The second project is video VideoToOrder.com. Currently under development, they are not ready to fully pull back the curtain on this concept quite yet, but will share that they believe this video marketplace site will become a major hub for video content development. The Broadside development team is shooting for a public beta version of VTO to roll out December 1, 2014.
L. Scott Harrell says of the video marketplace, "We are building a vertical that we hope will one day provide shape and direction to entrepreneurial filmmaking and how the massive demand for commercial video content for business and personal reasons will be met."


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The European Parliament passed a law on 28 April to drastically cut down on single-use plastic bags. EURACTIV France reports.
Single-use plastic bags could soon become a thing of the past in European supermarkets. On Tuesday (28 April), MEPs approved the final version of a text drastically limiting the use of plastic bags in EU member states.
These bags, which are often only used once, are a scourge on the environment, take several centuries to degrade and are particularly harmful to marine ecosystems.
Around eight billion of these bags end up polluting the European environment every year, according to estimates.
Limits in 2019 and 2025
Gilles Parneaux, a Socialist Party MEP, said that in France alone "an estimated 122 million plastic bags pollute 5,000 kilometres of coast".
The new law requires member states to progressively reduce their use of plastic bags, with an initial threshold of 90 bags per person per year by 2019, followed by 40 bags in 2025. Certain countries like Hungary, Portugal and Poland and heavy plastic bag users and will have to make radical changes in order to comply with these limits.
At the other end of the scale, some EU member states like Finland and Luxembourg already find themselves on the right side of the future limits. With an average consumption of 79 plastic bags per person per year, France is already well below the first threshold.
>> Read: EU lawmakers vote to reduce plastic bag usePlastic bag use in the EU
"This legislation will create a genuine win-win situation," said the Danish rapporteur Margrete Auken, from the Group of the Greens. "We're talking about an immense environmental problem. Billions of plastic bags end up directly in nature as untreated waste. It damages nature, harms fish, birds, and we have to get to grips with this," she added.
In 2010, each EU citizen used an average of 198 plastic bags, and without regulation, the number was rising.
Flexible legislation
This binding regulation leaves the individual states free to choose their preferred approach to reducing plastic bag use. One popular method is to introduce a compulsory charge for single-use plastic bags.
Some countries have already successfully implemented a nation-wide charge for plastic bags. But other top performers, like Finland, have no legislation on the matter. The sale of paper bags in almost all of the country's supermarkets has rendered single-use plastic bags all but obsolete, and Finnish citizens use an average of only 4 plastic bags per year.
Member states have until 2019 to enact the new law, but "they can choose to act faster if they want", said French Green MEP Michèle Rivasi. France has already adopted a national ban on the distribution of single-use plastic bags, which will enter into force on 1 January 2016.
The dangers of "ersatz" plastic bags
While the adoption of the law has been broadly welcomed by MEPs, the future of bio-degradable plastic bags is still uncertain.
Supporters of this material insist it is a viable biodegradable alternative, but opponents say the plastic does not in fact degrade, but breaks up into toxic micro particles.
Michèle Rivasi said "Some producers are making biodegradable bags that leave behind plastic micro particles that we will then find in oysters, for example."
>> Read: Dutch want their mussels free from micro-plastic litter, call on EU to act
The new law requires the European Commission to investigate the environmental impact of these bio-degradable plastics, in order to decide whether to label them as plastic, bio-degradable or compostable in 2017.
"This is an emergency: plastic pollutes, plastic kills. In the Pacific, a continent of plastic has formed, covering an area of 3.5 million Km2. In the European Union, around 100 billion plastic bags are put on the market each year. Many end up in the seas or on the coast. In France alone an estimated 122 million plastic bags pollute 5,000 kilometres of coast!" said French Socialist MEP Gilles Pargneaux, a member of the Environment Committee.
The ECR Group's environment spokesperson Julie Girling said "We want action to cut down on plastic bag use, but we also need laws that we know will work. Instead, MEPs have plucked ideas out of the air without any understanding of what the costs and implications could be, or knowing whether they can be delivered. We cannot call for EU law to meet principles of better regulation one day, and then throw those principles out of the window the next. The objectives of this law are sound. We need to reduce plastic bag use, but we want clear rules that will work, not overly prescriptive burdens that even the European Commission fears could be unworkable."
"Plastic bags are a real environmental disaster. They are among the most abundant items of rubbish collected by the volunteers that clean up coasts all over the world and they cause virtually irreversible pollution to our planet. This legislation is a big step towards greater respect for our planet and respect for the generations to come," said Marc Tarabella, the head of the Belgian Socialist Party delegation.
EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur György Hölvényi commented: "Today's decision reflects a hard-earned compromise. As a result, the EU is getting rid of a bad habit and is taking an important step towards a cleaner Europe."
The European Commission released the proposals to curb the use of thin plastic bags in November 2013, arguing that they cause more damage to the environment than other forms of carrier bag.
>> Read: Brussels looks to cut plastic bag use
The European Parliament voted in April 2014 in favour of the legislation, which will curb the use of thin plastic bags in the EU by at least 80% by 2019.
>> Read: EU lawmakers vote to reduce plastic bag use
The draft laws call for EU countries to first reduce their consumption of the bags by 50% by 2017, compared to 2010 figures.
The new law will apply to lightweight plastic bags that are thinner than 50 microns, which are deemed the most polluting form of bag. They are the type of bag most prone to littering and can easily break apart, causing damage to the environment and ocean wildlife, in particular.
The stomachs of 94% of all birds in the North Sea area contain plastic, according to European Commission statistics.
Further Reading
European Parliament
- Press release: MEPs clamp down on wasteful use of plastic carrier bags (28 April 2015)
- European Parliament: Reducing use of plastic bags: MEPs strike deal with Council Presidency (21 Nov. 2014)
European Commission
- Press release: Environment: Commission proposes to reduce the use of plastic bags (4 Nov. 2013)
- Memo: Questions and answers on the proposal to reduce the consumption of plastic bags (4 Nov. 2013)
- Proposal to reduce plastic bag consumption
Other EU institutions
- Council statement: Use of plastic bags: agreement on phasing down
- Committee of the Regions: Plastic bags: local government hopes for outright ban dashed as EU leaders agree compromise
- Catherine Bearder MEP votes to approve targets to slash plastic bag use in EU
- The Greens/EFA: Historic deal on new rules a breakthrough for tackling plastic waste
- European Bioplastics: EU legislation on plastic bags paves way for compostable shopping bags
Press articles
- EURACTIV France: Le plastique bientôt banni des décharges?
- EURACTIV Spain : Vicente Aparici: "Se ha legislado, se legisla y se legislará para acabar con los envases y embalajes no sostenibles"
- EURACTIV Italy: Ambiente: buste plastica, ok commissione Envi
- EURACTIV Greece: ??????????: ?? ?????????? ?? ??????????? ??? ????????? ????????


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As each week passes we witness what seems like a relentless increase in gun and knife crime across the capital. Another shooting, another stabbing, another innocent victim becomes a causality, seems to be the daily news. Depressingly there is a growing and general consensus that cuts to public sector spending we will see an increase in these type of murders in London.
Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson's recently wrote a piece for the Evening Standard on the issue of gun crime. The Standard used selected quotes rather than publishing the entire piece. We have reprinted the full text below. Of course given the Commissioner's implicit criticism of Government and the Mayor you can see why the Evening Standard adopted this approach.
However a reading of the Commissioner's comments in full reveals that he has joined a growing consensus on the issues both I and others have been raising in relation to public sector cuts and serious youth violence in the capital.
His comments are an important contribution to this debate and represent a significant contribution in support of this debate. Many of us, for some time, have expressed concern about the acute failure of local and central Government and the Mayor of London, to understand the complexity of those risk factors that can lead vulnerable children from broken families into being seduced or being pressured into a life of gang violence.
The Met Commissioner makes a number of very important points on the recent spate of shootings in the capital that left five year old Thusha Kamaleswaren fighting for her life.
He stresses that the police alone cannot hope to tackle the complex issues that create the conditions where serious criminality flourishes and questions the wisdom of cutting the black voluntary sector and youth crime prevention and diversion projects.
"In a time of budget cuts are we going to prioritise schemes that may prevent the next generation being drawn into a life of crime? If London has had enough of seeing police cordons around blood on the street it will require dedicated, long-term investment to support and mentor those most at risk."
He is of course absolutely right. Black youth unemployment, poor schools and worse housing, cuts to both voluntary and statutory sector youth and community services and increases in student fees, have extinguished hope for some young black people in the inner cities whose families have neither the intellectual, emotional or economic capacity nor support resources to resist idle hands being seduced into crime.
As for those actively involved in criminality the Commissioner comments:
"And what can re-assimilate those currently involved in drugs, crime and guns into taking choices that protect them and others and prevent a future of re-offending, with the resulting costs to them, their families, the impact on their victims and the massive cost to society and the criminal justice system?"
Closure of youth services, crime diversion and rehabilitation schemes is criminally short cited and wildly irresponsible. The irony is that this folly will cost the taxpayer more money in the long term as more and more young people get drawn into gangs.
Reduction in the capacity of local authority Youth Offending Teams to monitor and supervise prolific and persistent offenders is particularly worrying and will lead to many young people who need constant supervision and support being left to fend for themselves.
The cost for every murder investigation is on average around one million pounds. Whilst the Government is happy to spend that money on police and prison it refuses to spend a fraction of that amount on youth services. There is a strong perception in the black community that the murder of our young people is sustaining a whole criminal justice infrastructure with wholesale funding. The implication being that black murders are profitable.
I charge Government and the Mayor of London of abandoning the black community in its fight against gun crime. How can we justify cutting back services at a time when the fear of gun and knife crime is at an all time high? This fear drives children into gang networks for protection, as their confidence in the police to protect them is minimal.
The Commissioner damns both Government and the Mayor with feint praise when he states:
" Projects like the Mayor's "Time for Action" campaign, and the Sure Start children's centers are a good start, but it will require politicians at a local and national level to provide commitment to these social policies beyond just one electoral term in order for us
to reverse the trend in the disastrous choices that our young people are making."
I believe the message from this Government and Mayor is quite clear. As long as black youth are, in the main, killing other black people we don't give a shit. Many in the black community hold the view that if the same numbers of middle class white youth were being killed in London there would be a national outcry and something would be done. What we certainly would not be seeing is the closure of front line crime diversion projects and youth support services.
We are in danger of gangs being the preferred provider of support for young people from deeply dysfunctional families – a kind of social services if you will. The gang becomes the substitute family for many of these young people.
Of course we want the parents of these children to take parental responsibility and reign in their wayward youth. But the reality is that some of these parents are part of the problem not the solution. These are people who themselves are immersed in the lifestyle epitomized by drink drugs and violence. When you look at these parents you understand that some children stand little chance of escaping the tragedy that is their life.
The rays of hope that offer the final lifeline's for those young people who aspire to make something of themselves are now all but extinguished. Cutting funding and making committed youth workers redundant, closing voluntary sector projects and community centers, whilst closing affordable access to education and failing to provide genuine employment opportunities is a recipe for disaster.
I fear the price we will all pay in the long term as a result of what appears to be a toxic combination of racism, poverty, a dangerous and malevolent degree of political ignorance, underpinned by an ideological dogma in relation to public spending, will be enormous.
Lee Jasper
Commissioner's article for the Evening Standard 19th April 2011
The frustration of having forced recuperation following the operations on my leg has had the one up side of giving me time to reflect on the Metropolitan Police with a bit more space than normal.
I wasn't relying on the headlines for my updates on events that have occurred in my absence but perhaps seeing more 24 hour news than normal reinforced to me that by anyone's standards it has been a busy and challenging time.
There has been significant recent attention on protests and the hard or soft, depending on your outlook, public order policing response. Given the breadth of views on the issue it often feels like a debate the police are never going to win.
However I think there are other issues that will have more widespread agreement and that these need the same level, if not more, public and political engagement.
Seeing the spate of coverage on the recent shocking shootings was one such issue that has particularly affected me. Normally when I'm sitting in the office having been informed of a shooting or stabbing I'm running through the check list of what is our police response to ensure that we are doing everything we possibly can. Seeing it with more distance I knew that both our local borough officers and our specialist investigators from Trident would be working all hours fully responding.
So that left me thinking that, for about a decade, the Metropolitan Police has had a dedicated shootings team, Trident, whose approach of working closely with communities to investigate shootings has led to vastly improved opportunities of bringing justice for the families left behind to cope with the pain and unfairness of losing a loved one.
Trident's work, alongside other specialist units and local police, and improved community relationships leading to information being passed to police, has meant that we have had significant results in targeting and seizing the weapons of those seeking to import or manufacture them as well as finding and bringing to justice those who choose to use guns.
In 2010/11 Trident investigations led to almost 1,000 years of imprisonment and numerous weapons taken off the streets. An indication of why our arrest and conviction rate for homicide is the envy of jurisdictions around the globe.
My concern is that this doesn't seem to be enough. Trident continues to be innovative.
The old approach of just targeting those involved isn't sufficient and Trident has extended its work in the last few years to engaging with young people to try and divert them away from getting involved in the first place. We are using our intelligence and resources more effectively, linking the work against knives, gangs and guns to ensure we are maximising opportunities to keep the capital safe.
As offenders get younger so do the victims. How has it come to the point that a five year old is left fighting for her life as the innocent victim of a shooting? If anything constructive is to come out of this heinous event I would urge it be for us to think again about what we can all do to tackle this problem.
Trident will continue its dedicated response to shootings (despite incorrect and frankly irresponsible speculation from some media that Trident is set to close), supported by all the specialist and local policing resources that together are taking guns off the streets and getting the gun men into jail, but I don't believe the police doing this alone is enough to turn this around.
One of the challenges is there isn't a simple cause of what turns people to gun crime so that means the answer has to be multi-layered and will therefore be complex.
As a society how do we support families that are fractured and often without the support of responsible male role models?
In a time of massive public budget cuts are we going to prioritise schemes that may just prevent the next generation of young people being drawn into a life of crime?
And what can re-assimilate those currently involved in drugs, crime and guns into taking choices that protect them and others and prevent a future of re-offending, with the resulting costs to them, their families, the impact on their victims and the massive cost to society and the criminal justice system?
This is not a problem that I can see being solved in the short term. If collectively London has had enough of seeing another police cordon around blood on the street it will require dedicated, long term investment to support and mentor those most at risk, and to turn our most impoverished communities that suffer the blight of gun crime into areas where young people can see, want and take other more positive life opportunities.
Projects like the Mayor's "Time for Action" campaign, and the Sure Start children's centres are a good start, but it will require politicians at a local and national level to provide commitment to these social policies beyond just one electoral term in order for us to reverse the trend in the disastrous choices that our young people are making.
With the recent emergence of "anti-snitching" websites how do we empower communities, so that everyone living in areas affected by shootings can confidently voice their intolerance of violence and drive out the "anti-snitching" voices who seek to intimidate to prevent their criminality being interrupted?
I don't have all the answers and I don't claim to be an expert in social policy, but I have for many years said that police should not, and never should have, been presented as the lead agency in social engineering. I am committed to the Metropolitan Police continuing to do all that it can but clearly Londoners deserves more and our young people desperately need an alternative. It is up to every one of us, whether in public or private sector or individually to find the answers. I am committed to being part of finding these solutions but together we could be a powerful force for change
Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson
|Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson


text: Is there some reason the ahci kernel module is *missing* from the 2.6.9-89.0.16.plus.c4 kernel? It is in the standard 2.6.9-89.0.16.EL kernel. Is this due to an oversight or is there some sort of conflict? I wanted to add IEEE1394 support to my system running CentOS 4.8. I *looks* like what I need to do is download the kernel SRPM and patch the config to include the IEEE1394 modules and re-build the kernel from source. Arg... -- Robert Heller -- 978-544-6933 Deepwoods Software -- Download the Model Railroad System http://www.deepsoft.com/ -- Binaries for Linux and MS-Windows heller at deepsoft.com -- http://www.deepsoft.com/ModelRailroadSystem/


text: While scanning my Google Alerts on investment-related articles, Antoine Gara's Goldman Offers Hedge Funds to the 99% grabbed my attention. The article describes Goldman Sachs' newly offered Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund (GMAMX). With more than a hint of cynicism, Gara states, "[GMAMX] will give ordinary investors the ability to put their savings and retirements in Wall Street's riskiest products such as convertible bonds, junk bonds, bank loans, mortgage backed securities, credit default swaps, structured products, swaptions, total return swaps, swaps on futures, variance swaps and contracts for difference, among other arcane financial instruments." The fund will be open to investors with as little as $1,000, but annual fees will be as high as 3.3%. Lucky them! Goldman's press release announcing the fund proclaims, "Many individual investors' portfolios and retirement accounts underweight alternatives, relative to their institutional counterparts." And this is a problem — why? Gara further articulates his well-founded cynicism: "It remains to be seen, however, whether 401(k) accounts need exposure to hedge funds and Wall Street trading." As IFA has noted in many different places such as here, the performance of hedge funds as a group has been deplorable. According to Simon Lack, author of The Hedge Fund Mirage, the bulk of the profits earned has gone to the operators of the hedge funds rather than the investors who took all the risk. In perhaps the cruelest of all investing ironies, hedge fund investors as a group would have been better off if they had simply invested in Treasury bills, the quintessential risk-free investment. While some may credit good intentions to the genius at Goldman who proffered the notion of hedge funds availability to the general public, I for one, cannot easily dismiss Goldman's past shenanigans that handily took advantage of retail investors. Remember Fabrice Tourre (aka "The Fabulous Fab")? He's the one who boasted in e-mails about selling "Frankenstein" derivative products to widows and orphans. And, just last year, we were granted an insider's view into that "toxic and destructive" culture that is Goldman when executive director Greg Smith tendered his resignation. To conclude, If Goldman truly wishes to serve 99% of the investing public, they should scrap their alternatives fund and opt to offer low-cost index funds. I, for one, will not be holding my breath. Step 5Manager PickersIntroductionHedge Funds Previous Article Next Article All Articles About Index Fund Advisors Index Fund Advisors, Inc. (IFA) is a fee-only advisory and wealth management firm that provides risk-appropriate, returns-optimized, globally-diversified and tax-managed investment strategies with a fiduciary standard of care. Founded in 1999, IFA is a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that provides investment advice to individuals, trusts, corporations, non-profits, and public and private institutions. Based in Irvine, California, IFA manages individual and institutional accounts, including IRA, 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing, pensions, endowments and all other investment accounts. IFA also facilitates IRA rollovers from 401(k)s and 403(b)s. To find out more about the value of IFA click here. To determine your risk capacity, take the Risk Capacity Survey.


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The biggest being the health of Julio Jones. Jones is recovering from a foot injury that cost him the final 11 games of the 2013 season and has been rested for all of the offseason.
While the word all offseason long has been that the team is resting Jones in preparation for training camp, there is no guarantee that he'll even see much action when camp does arrive.
The Falcons have been clear that they won't rush Jones back, which could lead to him missing all or most of the preseason if he's not 100 percent within the first week or two of camp. Expectations are that Jones will return for the regular season opener against the New Orleans Saints, but the Falcons probably won't risk jeopardizing that even if it means playing Jones at 98 percent.
That translates to the possibility that Jones will sit out all of the preseason with the possible exception of the third game against the Tennessee Titans. If Jones is not 100 percent by mid-August, it likely means that he will skip that Titans game and go into the regular season with limited work in pads.
In the meantime, the Falcons should have Roddy White and Harry Douglas to fill any void. White also missed much of the offseason as he was dealing with a family matters due to the murder of his brother. But expectations are that White will be back for training camp and may have a new contract as well.
Douglas is coming off a career-high season in which he led the Falcons in receptions and yards. His play this summer will be a big factor as he is the team's primary option to fill the void left by the retirement of tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons are expected to employ three wide receivers significantly more to try and compensate for Gonzalez's loss. Douglas played in 59 percent of the team's offensive plays in 2012, but that figure increased to 86 percent in 2013 (per premium website Pro Football Focus). It's likely that his workload in 2014 will mirror his 2013 one.
If Jones misses significant time this summer, it should lead to more offensive reps for both Devin Hester and Darius Johnson. Johnson got the bulk of first-team work during OTAs with White and Jones sidelined, but it could also be an opportunity for the Falcons to try and get Hester up to speed in the offense quicker. The team envisions Hester as a return specialist first and a wide receiver a distant second but the more time he receives on offense this summer, the stronger the Falcons depth will be.
Johnson is by no means a lock to make the roster, although his late-season surge where he surpassed Drew Davis as the team's third wide receiver makes him a relatively safer bet. Assuming he doesn't struggle and picks up where he left off last year, he should have a relatively easy road to the fourth or fifth spot on the depth chart.
Like Jones, Davis may too miss most of training camp. He will open up camp on the team's Physically-Unable-to-Perform list due to a foot injury. Projections indicate he should be ready to return by mid-August, but that could lead to him only receiving action in the Falcons' final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If that is the case, then it will be harder for Davis to make the roster because it gives others greater opportunities.
Davis' primary role this season was going to be as a gunner on punt coverage, but the Falcons added veteran free agent Courtney Roby, who is more than capable of winning that job in Davis' absence. Roby offers little offensively, but having spent a couple of years captaining the Saints' special teams unit improves the chances he could make the roster as the last receiver on the depth chart.
The Falcons will likely carry five or six receivers on the roster with a quintet of undrafted rookies on the outside looking in.
Bernard Reedy impressed the most during OTAs, but will be hard-pressed to leapfrog any of the players ahead of him unless he can carve out a significant role on special teams. With Hester returning kicks, Reedy's best chance of making the team will be to prove that his limited size is not a liability on coverage units.
The same can be same of the similarly small-statured Tramaine Thompson, who also has return abilities.
Geraldo Boldewijn has rare size relative to the rest of the Falcons receiver corps, which could help him stand out. Julian Jones and Freddie Martino have the speed to help them earn a spot on special teams coverage.
In the case of all five rookies, they are likely destined for a practice squad spot even with strong performances this summer.


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|Eschatology, video footage of the banks of the Thames
Performing with Langham Research Center and Peter Blegvad at Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall, as part of the Borealis Festival 2013. The video projection was based on material shot in 2008 around the Thames Estuary and the Isle of Grain for a project being developed in collaboration with Robert Worby. The initial project idea was shelved and the material lay dormant for several years until Robert suggested it could be used as part of Langham Research Centre's commissioned piece for Borealis. The layered electronic composition, based on analog sources, combined with Peter Blegvad's multi-faceted text and the almost photographic stillness of the video material complemented one another extremely well, and suggested new ways I could work with this kind of video material in the future.
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EPIK Dance Company features ASU students
EPIK Dance Company, founded by Sarah "Saza" Dimmick and Luis "Weezy" Egurrola, is a nonprofit dance organization that syndicates different styles of dance to incorporate in shows and performances around the state. Dimmick, who received her undergraduate degree in dance from ASU in 2004, teaches at the University and is pursuing a master's degree in dance as well. There are more than four current ASU students involved in EPIK and several ASU graduates. Dimmick spoke with The State Press about the diversity of the dancers and the company's upcoming show.
SP: How did EPIK get started, and how did you personally become involved?
SD: My co-director (Weezy) and I started (the company) in 2007. There was another dance company back in the day that broke up and once that happened there were not many other outlets for professional dancers. Weezy and I met while we were dancing with the Phoenix Mercury Hip-Hop Squad. It was shortly after my last season with them that we started EPIK. We knew so many amazing dancers that once you've exhausted these options you stop dancing unless you move to (Los Angeles). We thought, 'Let's put all these amazing dancers together and make a dance crew out of it.' Then we decided to go non-profit and turn into a professional dance company. We have an audition at the beginning of the season, but for the most part, it's invite-only.
SP: How often do you have practices?
SD: As we've been getting closer to the show, we've been rehearsing about four days a week and having nine-hour rehearsals. It gets crazy because you're putting together 90 minutes of an original show. It's a fully connected stage show with a theme, tied together with spoken word pieces and funny videos.
SP: What impact has EPIK had on the dancers and how have the dancers changed or improved the dance company?
SD: We provide a lot of performances and enrichment opportunities for the dancers. We do a lot of residencies at local schools and we are booked more than any dance company in the entire state. We perform five to 10 times a month and bring in guest teachers from all over the country to come and train us. On the flip side, each of our dancers is very different and has their own unique style. We typically invite dancers who have a niche and a lot of personality. It's a very eclectic group and everybody participates in the creative process. Many dancers choreograph the routines, not just the directors. It's a lot of different voices heard in the show.
SP: What can audiences expect from this weekend's performance?
SD: The overarching theme of the show is "sustainability." It's about how we live in an "I want it now" society, and we don't think about the decisions we make today and how they affect the future. We could be talking environmentally, and to the micro-level of how we can sustain ourselves. We dip into consumerism and how we are an over-medicated society. It sounds very deep, but the way we do it is very interesting and entertaining. It's all different styles of dance involving comedy and satire. We've been working on this show for more than nine months, and sustainability is very relevant to our times. It's a hot topic in Phoenix.
SP: What's next for EPIK?
SD: We are launching an anti-bullying campaign and traveling to local schools. Our next big show is "Common Ground" in October at the Tempe Center for the Arts. This is the biggest theater we've ever performed in, and I think we're one of the only local dance companies that's ever done a main stage. We're a very marketable and diverse group, and I think that's why we've done so well.
"The EPIK Effect" is showing at the Tempe Center for the Arts on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Purchase tickets at http://tca.ticketforce.com.
Reach the reporter at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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YOU ARE WATCHING: Little Hero 1978
Have a nice day! All The Best
Little Hero 1978
Silver Mask and Gold Mask and their gang of animal themed henchmen are after a magic sword entrusted to a little boy. It's Taiwanese madness with the star of King Hu's Dragon Inn.
Genres: Action
Actor: Lingfeng Shangguan, Barry Chan, Lieh Lo, Shu Lin Chang
Director: Hung Min Chen
Country: Taiwan
Movie: Little Hero 1978
Production Co:
Duration: N/A
Release: 1978
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More than 70 per cent of bookings for this year's Edinburgh International Festival have been made online, marking a record for the arts extravaganza's website.
The site is hosted by cloud computing firm Pulsant, which is currently working on the addition of two secure data halls at its South Gyle site in Edinburgh.
Regional sales director Chris Shields said: "We have worked with the Edinburgh International Festival for the last eight years and throughout that time they have seen a massive shift from internet access being a tool, to it being absolutely business critical.
"We are delighted to have played a supporting role in their record number of online bookings and wish the team every success at this year's event."
Nicola Kenny, digital marketing manager at Edinburgh International Festival, said: "With unprecedented numbers of visitors booking online this year, the constant availability of the website is key, as is the connectivity Pulsant provides between the website and the externally-hosted ticketing system.
"Since tickets went on sale at the end of March, the buying process has gone very smoothly even during the busiest, peak periods."


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The SFDPH and other municipal health service providers have ignored District 11 for decades. There is no hospital, and there are very few health clinics in District 11. We are in desperate need of public health campaigns and programs, like infectious disease prevention, substance use prevention, promotion of healthy family relationships, etc. Since even before Denti-Cal was discontinued, oral health services have been too limited and too expensive for working class people, especially for families with youth and children. Even if relatively accessible oral care is provided within city limits by dentistry schools, those schools are located on the other side of town from District 11, and prices are still too high. Also, families and parents cannot leave their jobs to complete the very slow process to access care. The same could be said for all types of health care for children and seniors.
To address these problems, we call for:
- Building a state-of-the-art municipal hospital in the area of the Cow Palace–oh wait. That is not San Francisco, but Daly City. Why? Because a border has been imposed that does not recognize the integrity of the metropolitan unit in which we live. We need a hospital that is easily accessible to residents of both cities without all the bureaucratic impediments that slow the delivery of medical services.
- Creating a health advocacy program for children in District 11 that would take responsibility for getting students to doctors' appointments—including vision and dental, keeping parents informed about students' health issues, and assisting students in following medical professionals' instructions.
- Opening up clinics in schools that can provide a full range of medical services to children, making it possible for students to attend doctors' appointments without their parents having to miss work to take them (please see A District of Youth and Children).


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My first chainmail project. The shirt is made from stainless steel wire. It weighs about 35 pounds and has about 20,000 rings; all made by hand. I've worn it to two renaissance festivals.
My new chainmail project. Planning to make another shirt; this one with a Templar Cross.
I purchased the dagger at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. I made the wood mount for it


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Antlerless Deer and Special Hunt Lottery - Application available with deer license purchase in early August. Deadline for lottery first Thursday after Labor Day.
For all other questions, please email [email protected].
Preference levels: Each year that you apply for an antlerless permit and don't get drawn for one, you earn a preference point until you are drawn. If you are a first-year applicant or a previous-year winner, you are a preference level 1. The higher your preference level, the better chance of getting a permit. For example, a preference level 2 has a better chance of getting an antlerless permit than a preference level 1. Group preference works the same way. You can apply as a group for some of our lottery drawings. Your group's preference would be the same as the preference level of the newest (lowest level) member of your group.


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Firstly, I want to let people know I am definitely NOT going to be doing the Geelong Tour and World Cup after all, so I'll be in the shop working apart from during the last week of February when I'll be on the Women's tour of NZ working for the Jazz Apples Team.
I'm not off to Australia because BikeNZ needed a mechanic who could do both the Geelong and NZ Tours, but because I had already committed to working for the JA in NZ and couldn't do both legs BikeNZ decided not to select me for Geelong. Hopefully I'll get to work for New Zealand again later on in the year...
I had a very cool day on Saturday guest wrenching for my friend Paul Larkin, who was managing Team Tabak in the Tour of Wellington. This means I swanned out to the Scorching Bay time trial on a stunning Sunday morning just in time to drink a Havana coffee from the ex-Chocolate Fish Cafe, do some major socialising with old mates like Justin Kerr, Fraser MacMaster, James Williamson and many other riders I have been lucky enough to work with over the last couple of years, then clutch a pair of wheels inside the ProTrain vehicle following Steve Elden as he defended his GC placing in the TT.
Team Tabak was a team full of talent, including Olympian Hayden Godfrey (guesting from Team Subway), Stephen Elden, NZ U23 Road Champion Tom Hanover, Matt Sillars and top Aussie campaigner Bernard Sulzberger, who rode in Europe last year for DFL-cyclingnews.com.
Stephen Elden and Paul Larkin in Scorching Bay
We then decamped in convoy to my usual crafty possie by Midland Park for the afternoon criterium, where we were able to grab some lunch and the essential coffee before watching the race around Lambton Quay alongside a very large crowd. The boys rode really well, especially Steve and Bernie, and Tom also showed his huge potential. I was stoked to catch up with NZ's 10 year Worlds and Olympics veteran National Team mechanic Dale Hollows, who all NZ's current National Team wrenches owe a huge debt to. Dale is a legend in the sport and a great guy.
Tabak's Steve Elden cornering alongside Justin Kerr (Delmaine Foods)
The final stage and Tour overall were won by Australia's prodigious talent, classy young rider Travis Meyer, who I am quite sure will go on to do great things in this sport. While I wasn't there for his Admiral's Hill stage win, his victory in the crit was a display of pure class like I haven't seen since watching Sarah Ulmer win the Wellington World Cup round in 2006 - he broke away with Mark Langlands, dropped him, then lapped the field once, attacked them again and almost lapped them twice! Very impressive and well deserved too. I'd already seen Travis race before in Canberra and Murwillimbah on my trip to Oceanias last year, and he was already being tipped then as a future Tour de France winner. I wouldn't be at all surprised...
Travis Meyer in yellow soloing his way to victory
After the racing was done we rolled back to the Tour base at the Angus Inn in Lower Hutt for the final packing up and a couple of quiet beers for Steve, Paul and I before I headed back home. Thanks very much to Paul and Team Tabak for the great day, and thanks to all the Tour crew for such a cool time. I'm not going to miss working on next years Tour no matter what!
Cheers, Oli