Yeah yeah i know this is a rather late post but i just have to post this up. Kudos to the Barracudas for thrashing the Patriots 95-70 last Sunday, 13th December 2009. I was, once again, one of the drummers and this time i pretty much overdid myself as i got NINE blisters on my hands from all the drumming. I totally forgot that i’ve ‘delicate’ skin hence i get blisters easily. This is by far, the most blisters i’ve got in one go in my entire life. Probably beats the time at China but then those times, the blisters were more painful as they were at my feet. Oh well, nevertheless i had fun watching the match and cheering as much as i want. At least i don’t have to restrain myself much as i can scream as many times as i want hahaha. Reminds me of the time when i was a Laksamana at MS, old memories lol. Here are some pictures from that day:

Finally had an opportunity to take pictures with Mike Pilgrim, though i could just find him at Batu Besurat lol

Still drumming after the end of the match

With Leo Avenido

We rocked! Can’t wait for the next home game. Go go Barracudas!

]]> http://scubadivingbrazil.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/diving-sites-cabo-frio-rj/ Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:26:50 +0000 Bonito http://scubadivingbrazil.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/diving-sites-cabo-frio-rj/

Overshadowed by the glamour of Búzios and the fame of Arraial do Cabo as a diving destination, Cabo Frio has gone almost unnoticed by Brazilian divers.

But one just needs to peruse a nautical chart to see that the place is promising. A wonderful archipelago made up of six islands that extends off the coast, providing more than 30 diving sites.

Sea conditions vary, as they do along the entire southeastern coast. Visibility can exceed 30 meters and 25 degrees centigrade and, the very next day, drop to 10 meters and 12 degress centigrade. All of this because of the famous upswelling -  a cold current responsible for the name of the cape. One of Cabo Frio’s biggest advantages is it proximity to diving sites.

Ilha Comprida – Face Norte
A rocky mesa that covers an area of approximately 40 m2,a t a depth of 4 to 6 meters. to the left, near the passage way to Laje da Alagada, there are large burrows and a high incidence of open-water fish, including barracudas. Night divings is recommended.

Ilha Comprida – Laje de Dentro
A long strip of fine sand at 10 meters, and the not-so-rare presence of large rays and small nurse sharks at rest. Near the southern tip, a large rock formation serves as shelter for many moray eels. Excellent spot for underwater photography.

Ilha Comprida
The inlet is sheltered from the Northeastern and eastern winds. A rock formation with a strip of sand in the center provides shelter for rays, turtles, lobsters, many nudibranchs and various species of fish. Tumpetfish can be found at night.

Ilha Dois Irmãos
Excellent place for open water fish, but the timing is restricted to calm ocean days. Rarely visited, it offers rich and peculiar animal life. On the western side, the current makes drift dives possible.

Ilha dos Papagaios
The site most visited by dive operators. Exciting marine biodiversity: octopuses, spotted eagle rays, soft corals, nudibranchs and tropical fish. The sea is always calm, ideal for begginers. Don’t miss the site that divides the second and third inlets: a rock formation rising up to 21 meters has beautiful entrances and small caves in its shallower part – a small cathedral. In the third inlet, passageways in a wall that descends to 28 meters.

Carolina
Carolina lies near the mouth of the Araruama channel, from where the boats depart. The shipwreck is in pieces, with only the boilers left. But its structure can be easily discerned. A good place for macrophotography and night diving.

Source: Brazil Diving Guide

Sonic Avenues: Frénésie Pop!

Stéfane Campbell

BANG BANG, novembre 2009

Connus jusqu’ici par une poignée d’initiés – disons La Mecque du rock’n’roll PQ –, les quatre fêtards de Sonic Avenues s’apprêtent à changer la donne avec un premier album qui devrait élargir son auditoire. C’est du moins tout le mal qu’on leur souhaite. Garage sur le fond, pop et sucré sur la forme et résolument rock dans le rendu, les dix pièces qui se conjuguent en 27 minutes bien comptées ont tout ce qu’il faut pour séduire. Et bien que trois de ses membres soient issus de Sorel, la fraternité avec Malajube ou encore Mille Monarques se limite, selon le chanteur et guitariste Maxime Desharnais, au copinage de quartier plus que musical : « Mat Denoncourt était mon ancien voisin et on connaît les gars de Malajube, mais je ne crois pas qu’on ait beaucoup d’affinités sur le plan musical. » Cela dit, quand un groupe conjugue pop et punk avec autant de doigté, ça nous titille. Rencontrez Max, musicien et fan fini des Undertones.

Bien sûr, ce n’est pas sans une certaine fébrilité que les quatre jeunes musiciens qui œuvrent ensemble depuis trois ans présentent ledit gravé. Après une année et des poussières passées à concocter l’essentiel de ce qui s’y retrouve – « On s’y est mis à temps plein, sans faire de shows ou presque et on s’est calmé sur le côté party… » – c’est sous la tutelle de Clément Goulet (The Dears, Creature) que la formation commet une immersion totale de power-pop hyperactive et référentielle au possible : « Il a très vite compris où l’on voulait aller avec tout ça », affirme sans ambages Max, quant à la contribution de Goulet. Et de quoi en retourne-t-il au final? Pensez Buzzcocks, Barracudas ou encore The Undertones, ce sur quoi Desharnais s’enthousiasme : « Je suis content que tu dises ça, The Undertones sont définitivement dans mon top 3 de bands préférés à vie! ».

Dans l’garage…

Loin d’être plaqué, disons que le mandat n’est définitivement pas donné d’avance considérant la rachitique proportion de formations issues de la fleur de lys qui s’adonne au genre susmentionné. Ce qui ne semble toutefois pas embêter notre principal intéressé outre mesure : « On y va tout simplement avec ce que l’on écoute dans la vie. C’est vrai que c’est plus rare par chez nous, mais si tu te promènes un peu partout dans le monde, il y a des coins où la scène est ultra présente », répond celui qui s’est époumoné chez nos voisins du sud au cours de l’année passée et projette une tournée européenne au printemps 2010.

Et s’ils ont vite été taxés de garage sixties à leurs débuts, Desharnais croit bien que l’étiquette perdra quelques plumes à l’écoute de l’album lancé vendredi prochain : « Je suis très heureux de la direction qu’on prend sur l’album. On a été associé au mouvement sixties un peu à tort et on tend à s’en dissocier plus que jamais ici. Ça s’approche beaucoup plus du power pop abrasif et intense. »

C’est dans un élan de redécouverte que le musicien est tombé – à nouveau – sous le charme des groupes-formateurs du genre ici défendu : « C’est des bands que j’écoute depuis que je suis tout jeune, aux côtés des Ramones, Beatles, Stones et que, comme plusieurs gens, j’avais un peu laissé de côté avec le temps. Et c’est en jouant de la guitare et en commençant à chanter que j’ai tout ressorti et réentendu sous un angle complètement différent. » Et s’il estimait les consonances d’un point de vue d’auditeur dans un premier temps, c’est la sensibilité du musicien qui, aujourd’hui, parle d’une musique à priori assez unidimensionnelle, mais qui témoigne bel et bien d’un sens aguerri de la mélodie à son plus simple dénominateur : « du punk, c’est très simple, mais certains éléments-clés, comme les breakdowns, relèvent carrément du génie. »

On the road

C’est soutenu par un « single» et quelques démos à tirage très limité que Sonic Avenues a tout de même déjà réussi à franchir les frontières et aller s’épivarder aux États-Unis sur un parcours qui les a vus fouler les scènes de New York à Boston en plus de quelque autres grands centres. Et c’est de son arrivée dans la Grosse Pomme que le musicien garde le souvenir le plus mémorable : « On arrivait de Boston, on avait fait le gros party la veille, mais on voulait quand même tout donner ce soir-là, à New York (au Lit Lounge du Lower East Side pour tout dire). En arrivant, on syntonise la station rock’n’roll garage WFMU à qui on avait envoyé un “press kit” des plus basiques. Et en roulant dans NY, une de nos pièces commence à y jouer, c’était carrément surréaliste. »

Ainsi, le groupe présentera la nouvelle galette ce vendredi au Divan orange en plus d’y introduire deux nouvelles pièces qui se retrouveront probablement sur le prochain disque. En fait, lors de l’entretien, Desharnais s’affairait à fignoler l’une d’elles afin de la rendre à son goût pour vendredi. Boulimique de travail le monsieur? « Bah… On est un band de même, on fait un set de douze pièces. No matter what. Et on essaie de la changer le plus souvent possible, c’est notre façon de rester motivés. »

Lancement d’album au Divan Orange avec The Walnut Kids, Mother’s Children et DJ Mlle Bacon, vendredi le 27 novembre, 22h

sonicavenues.com

Photo: Gordon Ball

The capital of Alagoas (Maceió) is know for its beaches, nightlife, highly competitive prices and the traditional friendliness of its people. Its infrastructure has improved considerably during the past ten years.

Additionally, Maceió has the largest number of know sites in the state. Water visibility is good, varying from 6 to 30 meters depending on winds and currents, as well as the rain season that usually goes from May to July. On the other hand, special days with visibility of over 30 meters are possible from September to March.

Itapagé

This is one of the most attractive shipwrecks off the Brazilian coast. Torpedoed by a German U-boat in World War II, the Itapajé appears twisted and became a giant artificial reef, offering many penetration possibilities into its interior. A huge number of small fish is present.

Dragão

The ship sank circa 1918 and became also known as the “Frenchman’s shipwreck”. It is a small shipwreck, less than 50 meters in length, but some of its compartments can be penetread. The main attractons are its gears and the intense marine life on the site. Barracudas, cobias and rays are frequently seen. Schools of very red squirrelfish stand out against the intense blue of the ocean. Some of the coral that covers the wreckage may harbor batfish. Visibility is excellent.

Praia do Frânces

The barrier reef runs parallel to the beach for 2.5 kilometers, 100 meters away. During low tide, the site is excellent for discovery scuba and check-out dives. Various tropical fish species can be seen, such as butterfly rays and sergeant fish. There are also the remnants of two seventeenth-century ships that carried tiles and brazilwood.

Sequipe

A barge built to navigate on sheltered waters that sank in rough seas. The shipwreck is about 20 meters in lenght and does not have cabins or nay type of compartment that may be penetread. A winch motor stands out among the wreckage. The site’s main attraction is its marine life. The wreckage is home to many rays, cobias and large schools of yellom jacks. Visibility is excellent.

Draguinha

The dredger is completely overturned. Its bow is formed by two hulls, separated by a space of approximately 3 meters where the dredging structure was located. It is still possible to see the dredger’s boom resting on the hull, firmly supported on the ocean floor.

Cabeço de Guaxuma

A short reef with a maximum height of three meters. The rock is literally covered by red squirrelfish. Their concentration in a single location is impressive. The coral formation is poor, but there are many lobsters in their crevices and some “well-behaved” moray eels. Schools of white angelfish make the dive even more interesting.

Pedra Baia

The rock formation is similiar to that Cabeço de Guaxuma. There are many tropical fish, including rock hind, blue tang, porkfish and blowfish. It is a good site for macro photography. Lobsters can be easily found, as well as small moray eels and barbfish.

Source: Brazil Diving Guide

11.September:
After arriving Caye Calker, we checked into a little hut at Bella’s hostel – a nice low standard place to sleep, but the common areas literally smelled like shit and the tap water was dirty – no wonder as the backyard was a swamp/junkyard/sewer with crocodiles lurking in the muddy waters! As the last part was unbeknownst to us, we went canoing in the shallow waters in the the back of the island. We had a little swim around the split. The split is the place where the island was divided into two parts during a hurricane back in the day. Later that evening we got some great shots of the sunset from the back of our hostel and from a watchtower in the hostel.

the sunset at Caye Calker

Caye Calker (the island) was even smaller and more laid back than San Pedro! The people on this island even thought that San Pedro was like a busy metropolitan(!) A few golf carts could be seen running around on this island as well, but as the island was so small the the golf carts were more of a status symbol than vehicles for transportation. Most people were just walking around bar feeted and as it was slow season, there were barely any tourists there except us.

The island was so relaxed that they had signs next to the road saying: “Go slow”. Whnen going to eat the first night we were kinda rushing as we were hungry. We then heard a rastafarian shouting from a little shack on the side of the path (not road): “Yo mon, walk slowly – peace”. Gotta say I loved this place. The water was turquise. Everyting was next to the sea. It was steaming hot outside and palms all over the place.

Sho Yur Luv Fo Di Barefoot Dem

chilling out next to Tina's hostel - a highly recommedable place

12.September:
We started the day off by cruising around in a sailboat with Big Steve as our captain. Listened to reggae in the hot sunlight while just kicking back relaxing on the deck. Then we went snorkling with some sharks around the many reefs in the outskirts of Caye Calker. A bit later we got bery close to three huge manatees (sjøkuer). The trip was great and the water was crystal clear (and very salty) with a turquis twist.

Sharks

Later the same night we went to witness the big happening off the day – the miss Caye Calker contest, to check out the local beauties. However, this turned out to be a children talent show with only two contestants and for some unknown reason it involved a thirty minute karate demonstration(!) We got dissapointed and left. Then we went for some grilled lobster in a dirty shack with Jolly Roger (the fatest guy ever) as our chef. However, we had to wait for the food for about an hour! Got pissed. Roger was not jolly anymore. Roger said he was sorry and as there was no more juice or dessert left, in the end we got a 5 Belize dollar discount each – hurray!

13.September:
Got up insanely early and went on a diving trip to the Blue Hole. Kristian went for the biggest challenge and dived to 40m (it is considered dangerous for dive masters to reach this depth and it is adviced to stay here for a maximum of 7-9min). He saw some great sharks up close and went into a stalagtite- and stalagmite cave. Kristian described the whole experience as floating around in outer space as it was dark and almost no living creatures down there.

the Blue Hole

We both did a 18m dive and saw sharks as well as barracudas (and of course heaps of fish and colorful corals). We had a lunch buffet at Half Moon Caye – a small yet beautiful paradise-like island filled with coconut palms and surrounded by crystal clear water. The island itself is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Half Moon Caye

We then did another dive, this time to about 12m, but we didn’t see anything truly spectacular. It was a great sunny day and the boat ride was eneded off by lots of rum punch on the way back. We had an Italian dinner and talked to the guy running the place for quite some time. He was a nice bloke and told us about his adventures around the world and all the different places he had lived. Additionally, he told us that Caye Calker was surrounded by sharks, crocodiles, barracudas and sea turtles. He often used to go fishing with a spear gun and he had been attacked by both sharks and barracudas. He also told us that one day he had barely escaped both a bunch of sharks and some crocodiles – a pretty crazy ass day I’d say!

14.September:
We left Caye Calker in the morning with a water taxi and arrived Belize City – the most dirty and disgusting city I’ve ever been to. Smog. Poverty. Old shacks of scarp metal. The smell of sewer. Trash everywhere. The city reminded me of Harlem in the early 90’s! Here’s a good piece of advice: Don’t go there!

‘Surfers Are Back’ é un documental sobre a xira de reunión que fixeron en 2004 os Barracudas con motivo do 25º aniversario da creación da banda e no cal se fai un breve repaso á historia desta fantástica banda mediante entrevistas a Jeremy Gluck & Robin Wills (únicos membros orixinais da banda) e Chris Wilson (ex-cantante dos míticos Flamin’ Groovies e membro ocasional das súas últimas xiras) e vídeos dunha actuación en directo no Dirty Water Club de Londres.

‘Surfers Are Back’

‘Somebody’ + ‘1965 Again’

‘Violent Times’ + ‘Inside Mine’

‘Slow Death’ (Flamin’ Groovies cover)

‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ (13th Floor Elevators cover)

‘Summer Fun’

Lo verás

Un disco con muy mala hostia.

De todo hay que pasar, como el calor abrasador penetrando tu garganta. Y mucho mas. Que gozada estar vivo.

Hay muchos que se fostian con la vida, pero por que si. En vez de tirar rio abajo: Hale!  <—— A contracorriente, a lo grande, con dos huevos, huyendo de la plaza de funcionario, aguantando el tirón de no vivir la vida de mierda con la que tanto te asustaron y previnieron para escapar hasta de tu propio destino y vivir mas en condiciones… Tus condiciones.

Sería como lo de los salmones remontando el río, pero para eso tendríamos que dejarnos llevar mucho mas por el instinto.

El caso es que la garra del oso espera aunque sea cruelmente en el remonte final, en los últimos 100 metros antes de la llegada para demostrarte de un bocado que NO. Que el destino es el destino y que tu no lo vas a poder cambiar.

Pero oiga: he remontado cientos de km de rio a contracorriente y ahora usted de un zarpazo me manda a tomar por culo, se acabó ya? SI.

Por suerte un porcentaje tira millas y llega hasta ese lugar donde nació para procrear y que la vida siga.

Pero la vida sigue igual, con todos los que palmaron, todos esos que con determinación lo intentaron. Esos tarados, algunos de los cuales tienes a tu alrededor, esos de los que no quieres saber nada -por aquello de las agujetas que te puede causar la contracorriente- pero de los que siempre por un motivo u otro acabas hablando. Casi siempre para compadecerlos por estar OUT.

Esos locos son los que hacen que tus hijos o tus nietos tengan algún día aquello por lo que tu no tuviste narices de mover un pelo. La cuestión es que ya habrán pasado 40, 50 ó muchos mas años. Mira el pobre Nietzsche como acabó… y dime tu ahora si en honor a la verdad no deberías llevar tatuado su nombre en el pecho viendo los tiempos que corren.

Hay mucho soldado de Zaratustra o seguidor de Blade Runner -qué mas da-, que está a hostias con las circunstancias ajenas a la época mental en la que viven, por que su momento físico y temporal no encaja con su perspectiva existencial. Pero pensad malditos cuánto se les debe a estos y que poco a la manah-manada de borregos que rio abajo “se va-se van por el barranquillo”

Esto pone de profunda mala hostia. Pensemos cuanto menos en lo que es la verdadera Rebeldía, la del camino de fuego, no la de la ONG antiglobalización -que no tenemos 20 años-

Estoy cansadísimo de la continua queja, sobre todo de los que menos razón tienen para quejarse, de la crítica feroz. Casi ridicula. Ya TODOS somos anti-sistema, todos somos radicales, y muy guais. Pero ¿qué coño hay tras la crítica sino soluciones? ¿ES que nadie se da cuenta? Nada de balsamos o tiritas: CIRUGIA INVASIVA. Y ahí, ahí se os quiere ver.

“DESAPRENDER”

Va por los que lo intentan aunque no lo consigan.

Va por los animales.

Va por el Langui y otros que están en lo alto.

Y sobre todo va por ti  ”Sir Rafael Conan Godzilla Obama” que hoy 20 de Julio cumples tu primer añito. Eres lo que mas quiero. Juntos aprendemos.

FUEGO EN LA BOCA

Turkey’s underwater world: a scuba-diving wonderland according to keen divers, areas such as Bodrum, Kalkan, Kemer, Antalya, Kas, Fethiye.

Turkey’s historical heritage and Blue-Flag beaches have made it a rising star in world tourism. Its underwater beauty also attracts many tourists each year. The coastlines of Antalya, Balikesir, Mugla, Canakkale and Mersin host rich underwater fauna, underwater caves and wreckages, attracting the attention of many underwater explorers.   
Many scuba diving schools can be found in Antalya’s Kemer district, which offers different kinds of diving opportunities. Near the Kemer Marina at a depth of 33 meters, there is a wreckage known as the “Paris shipwreck,” which all divers are encouraged to visit, and off of Tekirova there is an area called the “three islands,” which is an ideal place to perform different types of diving, including cave diving. Divers are likely to come across seals and schools of tuna in this area.

Since the winds are strong and the waves are high in Kalkan, which is another popular scuba diving area, it is ideal for more advanced divers. There are many ruins as well as thousands of barracudas and groupers in this area. The Patara Canyon, which is decorated with corals and sponges, attracts attention with its “lantern wall,” which goes down from 11 meters to 132 meters.

In the area between Antalya’s two big beaches Lara and Konyaalt, there are cliffs that are suitable for diving into the crystal blue water from the land. Another area that attracts divers is Sican Island, which is located a few kilometres away from the port of Antalya. The most interesting diving is on the northeast side of the island, the west side of which is relatively shallow and has a sandy bottom, with its rocky structure going down 22 meters. There is also a little cave on the east side of the island.

Gok Cave, located in Finike, is one of the deepest caves for diving in Asia. The cavern reaches the seabed and has a wide entrance as well as stalactites. Ayvalik, which according to one legend is the site of the lost city of Atlantis, offers unique diving options. Gunes Island, Yuvarlak Island and red corals make Ayvalik a special place.

The Datca Peninsula offers wonderful diving opportunities with many dolphins and Mediterranean seals at depths between 10-40 meters, especially around the nearby islands, which vary in size. Marmaris hosts 52 diving points and a large selection of ancient underwater ruins including Kutuk Burnu, Cennet Island, Kadirga Feneri and Kargi Island.

Bodrum, which houses one of the greatest underwater museums in the world, is also a diving haven with its caverns, colourful sea sponges, Orak Island, which is located on the eastern side, and its east wall, which has a depth exceeding 100 meters. The waters around Kargi and Kocek Islands contain antique ruins, with sea creatures of all sizes, and it is a good area for macro photography.

Saros also attracts divers due to its proximity to Istanbul and its submerged ruins. The area has fascinating underwater beauty, which includes unique fauna. Divers are advised to be aware of the current. Gokceada and Bozcaada are two points that are known for shipwrecks.

A sunken cargo ship at the western cape of Dana Island near Mersin is another popular diving site. Some popular diving points on the island are Kurt Burnu and Fok Burnu. There is a submerged island northwest of Sancak Bay, with large ancient oil jars. Among the popular wreckage areas where divers must obtain permission before going on an underwater visit is a B-24 American war plane near the coast of Manavgat; ancient ruins near the coast of Uluburun; ancient ruins in Gelidonya, located to the west of the Antalya bay; a French battleship located one kilometre away from the Antalya yacht harbour; and the Paris shipwreck, located one-and-a-half kilometres from the Kemer Yacht harbour.

Browse Property in Turkey in Major Scuba diving areas in Turkey:

Property in Bodrum
Property in Kas
Property in Kalkan
Property in Fethiye
Property in Antalya
Property in Kemer
Property in Side

Courtesy: Newsletter from www.propertyturkeyforsale.com

Would you like to make a donation towards Barracudas?

Please feel free to contribute as much of as little as you can afford to our not-for-profit organisation.

Your donation will be greatly appreciated!

UK Charity Number: 1101387

The search has been called off for the missing NFL players Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith William Bleakley. They were on a fishing trip in the Gulf Coast of Florida, and their boat capsized. So far, only one survivor has been found.

There are definitely risks to fishing in the great blue yonder, but many people continue to go out into the sea and come back with a bouty of adventure and fun.

Casey and his barracuda

Doogle went fishing in the ocean, off the coast of Fort Lauderdale on a guided tour. His friend Casey caught a giant barracuda.

The most exciting catch of the day was the last Barracuda that came on board. As the guide pulled in the rest of the line, he saw a Kingfish on the hook (missing some of his tail area) and another fish following. Realizing it was another ‘Cuda and wanting some ‘revenge’ he dangled the Kingfish in the water and we watched the ‘Cuda attack it several times until he got it next to the boat and put a gaf into it. He brought it into the boat and exacted his revenge. It was similar in size to the others. With the excitement done, we cleaned up and headed into shore.

-from “Fort Lauderdale…ALL DAY” – Fort Lauderdale, United States

 

Mikelaurence went surfing while his friend caught a shark (and got a major sunburn) on a chartered tour.

Howie and Dunph's catch of the day

Cowie and Dunph caught a shark at sea charter fishing while Huss and I surfed. Upon picking the guys up at the fishing docks, I figured it would be a good opportunity to get a picture. A fascinating creature that is in great danger due to overfishing.

-from “Cocoa Beach and surfing with sharks” – Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States

De nuevo vuelvo a colaborar con la prestigiosa revista de pesca Depredators, esta vez se trata de un artículo sobre la pesca de las barracudas o espetones, desde aquí os animo a practicar esta apasionante modalidad de pesca con equipos ligeros, las sensaciones que se viven són espectaculares.

Pinchar sobre la foto para acceder al artículo

Espero que os guste y hasta la próxima.

Depredators

Gozo, has long been seen as the sleepy, underdeveloped twin of the popular and happening island of Malta. However, 2009 sees a change of attitude, as Gozo is rediscovered as a centre for sports and the active of all ages!

The mild winter months, between November and May, provide great opportunities for mountain biking. There are a number of outlets for bike hire (most reputable motorbike rental agencies rent bikes) but please remember to always wear a helmet. Vivid Malta and Gozo Holidays are happy to provide you with maps and advise on the best routes for you to follow. The terrain is suitable for all skill levels.

As you would expect from a Mediterranean island, Gozo is a paradise for divers and diving. You can dive wrecks, caverns and tunnels, shallow reefs, drop offs and archways, which are all unforgettable due to a 20-40 metre visibility. The marine life is abundant and includes Barracudas and Jacks, Sea horses and Octopii. Water temperatures range from 25C in the summer to 15C in the winter months, making it an ideal place for all year round diving. Again, we can make several recommendations on dive schools and locations around Malta and Gozo.

Climbing on Gozo and Comino was first introduced by the British Army with a number of climbs being published in the 1970s. In the past few years, climbers have opened new bolted routes within the inland limestone crags as well as on the seacliffs. We would recommend the milder months as ideal for climbing.

With the popularity of climbing has arrived new takes on this exciting sport; the most common of which are bouldering and deep water soloing. The former has numerous areas around Gozo and can vary from large green stone boulders to low level cliffs. The latter involves solo climbing on cliffs above the sea. Some sites require a boat to access although many can be reached from the shore. For an added challenge, some soft flakey rocks that can break easily when body weight is applied! An extensive guide can be found at the Climb Malta website.

We try do hard.  We really do.  My husband has been pastoring this church for over 4 years.  Last Saturday, we had a fall festival.  Had a great turn out, had new people at church on Sunday that we met there.  Even had someone come forward and accept Christ.  What a wonderful thing.

Some of the comments that I heard at church were things like “well those are the only people that came” or “we talked to so many new people yesterday and only those 2 families showed up”.  How about being thankful and praising God that those 2 families showed up.  I guess if we can’t get everyone in the church then we should just not even try.  Of course that is not true, but that is how these people seem to think.  Rome wasn’t built in a day people. 

That was what happened on Sunday.  Let’s move on to our Wednesday evening meeting shall we?  We actually had complaints about the prizes that were given away at the festival.  Yes, that is right, they complained about the prizes.  Were the prizes not good enough you might ask? NO, they were too good.  Yes, too good.  You see, we gave away 2 (two) $100 gift cards to Wal-Mart, one for a kid and one for an adult.  There were complaints that we should have given away $25 gift cards instead.  Please correct me if I am wrong, but the point of a Grand Prize is that it is much “grander” than the other prizes.  There were small prizes given away every 15 minutes to all age groups.

Please pray for me that I will be able to deal with these impossible people and avoid the Barracudas until I can move away from this little podunk town.

Workshops & performance dates:

Young People’s Band:

The Young People’s Band will continue  on Tuesdays between 4pm-6pm. From Tuesday 28th October guest tutor Leon Patel will be joining us to teach Brazilian percussion.

Brazilian Percussion:

Leon of BangDrum will also be teaching adults and teens various disciplines of Brazilian percussion course from 28st October concluding 16th December. This will be on Tuesdays between 6pm-8pm. 

Autumn/Winter Tour Dates: Global Grooves, Manchester: Sunday 16th November : Penrith Lights Switch On: Saturday 22nd November Dalton Christmas Lights Switch On Parade: Sunday 30th November:Barrow Christmas Parade: Sunday 14th December (2.30-4pm in the Town Centre) 

Carnival Band Rehearsals for everyone are on Thursdays, 6-8pm

Back in Autumn of 2006, Commander Nicholas and his corpmates proved to be mercenaries, who needed to rat in 0.0 to restore their security status. They also proved themselves to be bullies – and just like all other bullies, they wanted to be friends with the biggest players in the area and be free to hunt down all others.

So they wanted to create a NAP with Barracudas, since Barracudas included x13, a Danish based mercenary corp, and three other merc corps. Essentially, I guess they thought we had something in common. But… there is a difference… basically our alliance were honorable and, at least in my opinion, AIL was never such.

We went into an uneasy state of non-aggression. No real NAP agreed on, we were going to see what they were like. But they were told, unequivably, to stay the hell out of t-nnjz, the home of x13 and the Barracudas alliance.

Yet, when I logged on early one morning, one of the members of AIL was happily ratting in t-nnjz. MY HOME! I told him to gtfo – and when he refused, I, although possibly stupidly, attacked. He soon got help from his corpmates (and my alliance was off in Empire fighting FIX…) so my Dominix was shredded. Of course, the unfair rats turned on me as I came to help them

Then something happened that I was not expecting. Commander Nicholas, using his alt Idimmu69, tried to ransom my pod! Wtf! When in 0.0, you kill or you don’t. You don’t do low sec piracy stunts like ransom. So of course I refused to even answer to his demands and after a while of him wasting both our time, I was in the cloning bay and able to update my pod.

See, the thing that Commander Nicholas and his merry band of fools did not know about me was that I never give in to ransom. Just like I would never negotiate with terrorists or kidnappers. Once you give in once, you lose enough self respect to do it again next time – and you feed your enemies while doing so.

It was back in September 2006, 2 years ago nearly to the date. I had been living happily in 0.0 for some months when the strangers appeared for the first time. Most of my alliance, Barracudas, was in Empire participating in a mercenary war against FIX, so I was one of the few left behind. As it is, my sec. status was too low for Empire war, so my orders was to go rat as much as possible, to increase my wallet and repair my sec status.

By now, I was flying a Dominix when ratting, taking advantage of my rather good drone skills. My friendship with Non Serviam had evolved fast since the night he saved me. He too was often out either ratting or ready for PVP in his Dominix.

As I entered one of the main ratting systems in the area, I noticed some strangers. From scan, I was soon aware that they were happily ratting – they had a haulerspawn and was hauling it 2 systems away to the nearest station. If I had been more experienced, this would have been an excellent time for me to get into a PVP ship and get some kills…

The strangers in local immediately started talking to me as if we were old friends. As I have always been flying NBSI (Not Blue Shoot It) , I was not really ready to make friends with just anyone in local. This Commander Nicholas kept making private convos with me even though I closed them down. He was trying to convince me that he was in the middle of negotiations with my alliance leader – Ventosus – and that I was quite safe whenever they were around. Strangely, even though I was my CEOs confidential, I had not heard anything of this and was not really ready to trust his word on it.

While this Commander Nicholas was trying to sweettalk me, Non Serviam entered local in his Dominix. Commander Nicholas once more convoed me, trying to get me to tell him what the name of my Dominix was – so he could attack the right one, and not me, whom he wanted to befriend. What he did not realize, was that I was already ganged with Non Serviam and we were making plans on what to do in case they attacked…

This was my first of many encounter with Commander Nicholas – and one of the main reasons I always fly with auto-reject on…