Christmas Tree

And still no one answers how many of 2000 plus people voted to convert to a trust.

Early on next year. Of course, when we first formed as NUSC we said the Interim Committee would be in place until June 2009. Since then of course we moved down the route of converting to a trust (which was approved by the vast majority of members). In doing so, of course we've been talking to and taking advice from Supporters Direct. They said that with us changing to Trust status over the summer, the June elections would have to be put back. Once the Trust was in place, they then said there would be a bedding in period (which is where we are at right now) lasting a few months. The timeline that they drew up takes us into the new year, around January/February, before elections would be held. Supporters Direct will assist us in this process to ensure that they meet all of their criteria and rules. What I would say is that although the conversion to the Trust has put the elections back, it also guarantees them. Under the rules drawn up by Supporters Direct, Trusts MUST hold elections. It would be nice if a someone from NUSC / NUST would advise how many of the 2000+ members voted to change to a trust. I have asked on several occasions but to date have not had a reply. Unsure how a seperate body can force NUSC to change its election policy. Could election plans not have been put in place whilst all this was going on? I have a fear that NUSC has gone down a path that unfortunately will have alienated a lot of its members however this will not become apparent until they are either asked to vote or to re-new their membership.

Does anyone have a recipe for proper garlic sauce that you get in a Kebab shop?

Whats so funny? I'll go first "So thats what Fop really looks like" Sorry Fop

Typhoon Lagoon and the Lazy River and life guards that actually do look like this.....Everywhere!

And the video

Some pictures of them from Space!

Excellent article about them in the Independant here. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe...hts-557301.html

could spend many a hour on the lazy river. The downside IMO to the Disney theme parks is this. There are five or six ? parks. When they opened eurodisney they plucked the best bits from each of these parks and rolled them into one. Having gone to Paris first, we were therefore a bit dissapointed with the USA parks.

Don't reccomend a soft top a. You'll burn b. You'll burn and c. If you accidenntally drive into a dodgy neigherbood you'll wish yo fuck the roof was up.!!

Jaws is in Orlando and scared the shit out of me!

You will love it there, I'm sure. You are also going at a very good time of the year before the hurricane season start (which is basically all summer). Highly reccomend trying to catch a spcae launch ( see NASA ) and if there's one on, watch it from the open top pub on cocoa beach. IMO Sea world is a must as is typhoon lagoon, one of disneys water parks. As alex says, the Gulf is nice and Clearwater is a nice town. If you have access to a car you could also head down to Miami, a few hours drive away.

My dad told me the same but again in the days before light pollution. Occasionally I think you can also get to see them in northern Scotland, problem is nobody knows exactly when they will show. Aye, you do up in Scotland apparently. Not like the pictures you posted but like the first time Tooner says he saw them I think. That Joanna Lumley programme was good btw. Did she do a program about the lights?

Go In Search Of The Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen "When I was a lad, a tiny wee lad, My mother said to me, ‘Come see the Northern Lights my boy, They’re bright as they can be!’ She called them the heavenly dancers, Merry dancers in the sky, I’ll never forget, that wonderful sight They made the heavens bright!" So goes the chorus of one of Scotland’s best loved songs, The Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen. The Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis to give them their scientific name, are spectacular light shows that take place when solar flares collide with the Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere. Red, green, blue and violet colours light up the night sky over the Arctic in what is an incredible display of nature’s beauty. The closer you are to the Arctic, the better chance you have of seeing the Northern Lights. And although they can occur at any time, perfect viewing conditions demand clear weather and a dark sky. The Northern Lights are a regular feature of the night sky from the Autumn through to Spring in the north of Scotland where they are known as Fir Chlis which means Nimble Man in Scots Gaelic or Merry Dancers. The further north you can travel the better, not least because the Highlands are lightly populated and light pollution from towns and cities is not a problem. You can’t go further north in the British Isles than to Dunnett Head. Here you can stay in John O’Groats Self Catering Cottage (telephone 01729 851 181) during the winter for £195 a week and £125 for a three day break. The Hebrides, a group of islands off the north west coast of Scotland are another good place to enjoy a break and to maybe see the Northern Lights. The Atlantic winds ensure relatively clear skies on crisp winter nights, perfect for both star gazing and for seeing the Lights. Over on the east coast, the Moray Firth is widely regarded as one of the best places in Britain to see the Northern Lights. The seaside town of Nairn is a great wee place to call home during your quest to see the Aurora. As for Aberdeen itself, light pollution is a bigger problem today than it was when The Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen was first sung, but the Granite City does have its own planetarium at Aberdeen College (telephone 01224 612 130) should the Lights prove elusive!

My dad told me the same but again in the days before light pollution. Occasionally I think you can also get to see them in northern Scotland, problem is nobody knows exactly when they will show.

Anyone ever contemplating going there I would advise to try and scrape together a little bit more dosh and go the villa rather than hotel route. You can get villas really cheap off the net and having your own pool and a home from home, really makes the holiday.

Chomp think when at home I could dig up a thread or two where you've said different. http://www.toontastic.net/board/index.php?...&hl=William game set match .... And it's not even lunchtime.

:D :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :icon_lol: :icon_lol: Do you think Shamu or whatver its called enjoys swimming round a big pool all his life like? Nerve touched tbh. I could go down the.... You fucking hypocrite, so it's ok to bet on horses being whipped round a race track bla bla bla argument, but todayi am at work on the iPhone and will not be able to battle properley due to one finger typing. I have also got to go to my little animal prison and feed the chickens and rabbits before returning home to walk the dog, let the cats out and feed the fish. I am also in a great mood because it's pub night and in 7 hours Kronnenburg will be wetting my lips. I am much more in the mood for a happy face / fop battle of wills or a fish / stevie play yard scrap. I am now going to sit on my hands and try not to chomp.

A mike Ashley slug smiley would be good as wood llambias's face imposed on the stinking shite smiley / thingy.

brilliant cheers.

And get abused on forums by people who are too lazy to get off their own arse and do something about it....... Not a fucking chance!

What do you do when you meet a bear? Whenever you travel in bear country, you have to accept the basic reality that you may encounter a bear. The tips on these pages will help reduce the likelihood of meeting Master Bruin, but at the same time, you need to be prepared for what to do when the unexpected occurs. If you are in open country, use binoculars to scan the horizon to look for bears. In more forested landscapes, be sure to make lots of noise and keep a mental inventory of climbable trees (just in case). Remember, black bears are agile climbers, and grizzlies have also been known to climb short distances up trees. To be safe, you should look for trees that will allow you to get at least 10 m (33 ft) above the ground. Don't forget that bears can charge at 50 km/hr (30 m.p.h.). You'll need some time to climb that tree. Situation 1 - Bear has not detected your presence and is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant. Don't announce your presence if the bear has not seen you. If possible, retreat slowly and give the bear plenty of space. If you have the opportunity, you should retreat and leave the trail to the bear. If you must continue, back off a short distance, and give the bear time to leave the area. You should also do a wide detour quietly and quickly downwind to avoid problems. Situation 2 - Bear has detected your presence, but is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant. Your goal here is to act in such a way as to allow the bear to identify you, but to also let it know that you are no threat. Speak calmly so that it knows you are a human (their eyesight is quite poor). They will often quickly give ground to you once they identify you as human. If the situation permits, back away slowly, keeping a close eye on the bear. Otherwise, you may wish to detour around the bear, but in this case, detour upwind so that the bear can get your scent. Keep talking calmly. Waving your arms may help it identify you as a human. Situation 3 - Bear has detected you and shows signs of aggression If you have followed the advice listed above, hopefully you have a bit of distance between the bear and yourself. You'll need to Assess the situation. Are you dealing with a black bear or a grizzly? Are there cubs involved? Are there climbable trees nearby (and do you have sufficient time to climb them)? Do Not Run. You can't outrun a bear so don't even try. Despite rumours to the contrary, black and grizzly bears can outrun a human on ANY terrain, uphill or down. People will tell you that you should run downhill when chased by a grizzly. This is simply a myth - don't try it! Try to retreat slowly. Back up slowly and try to put more space between you and the bear. Talk calmly so that it can identify you as human, and slowly back up. Keep your backpack on as it can provide protection if necessary. Don't make direct eye contact, but keep a close look at the bear as you back away. Climb a tree if available. If you have enough time, and the bear continues to move closer, take advantage of a tall tree to climb. Remember, black bears are strong climbers as well. Grizzlies have also climbed short distances up trees after people. You want to get at least 10 m (33 feet) high to reduce the chance of being pulled out of the tree. Even though some bears can come up the tree after you, the hope is that they will feel less threatened, and thus less likely to chase you up the tree. If the bear charges you. Bears will often bluff charge before attacking. This is designed to allow enemies to back down before the bear needs to actually make contact. It evolved as a way to prevent encounters with enemies and it may provide you with an opportunity to back away. Use your pepper spray. This is a last resort. Pepper spray is only good at very close range (5 m or 15 ft). Wind will reduce this effective range even farther (and may blow the spray back into your face). If the bear approaches within this range, point the spray at its eyes and discharge the contents. Hopefully, this will either disorient the bear to allow you to escape, or at the very least deter it from attacking. Once you have partially discharged a canister of bear spray it should be discarded. While the spray may deter attacks, the smell of pepper can act as an attractor. If a black bear (or any bear that is stalking you) makes contact. If the attack escalates and a black bear (or any bear that appears to have been stalking you) physically contacts you, fight back with anything that is available to you. Black bears tend to be more timid than grizzlies and fighting back may scare the bear off. In addition, if a bear is stalking you than you are in a predatory situation and fighting back is your only option. This also applies to any attack at night as these may also be considered predatory in nature. If a grizzly makes contact. As above, if you believe the bear to be stalking you, fight back with everything you have. In general though, playing dead in a daytime grizzly encounter tends to reduce the level of injury sustained by most attack victims. Many grizzly attacks are defensive in nature, and playing dead may show the bear that you are not a threat. Keep your backpack on as it will provide added protection. The best position is to lie on your side in a fetal position. Bring your legs up to your chest and bury your head into your legs. Wrap your arms around your legs and hold on tight. You may also lie on your stomach, backpack on, and place your hands behind your neck to protect that vulnerable area. Do not play dead until the last moment. Staying on your feet may allow you to dodge, or divert an attack. After the attack. Once the attack has ended, remain patient. After a few minutes, try to determine if the bear is still in the area. If the bear has moved on, you should make your way towards assistance as quickly as possible.

Aye but its the stumbling upon each other around the mountain path malarky that gets you every time.