Breaking bread with our dear friends from Child of Hope, Uganda

We were delighted to have Bex, Moses, Phil & Jan from Child of Hope Uganda, and our dear pals Bri & Tracy over for a BBQ & drinks on Wednesday evening.

It's always amazing to hear about the difference that they make in the Namatala slum. We are awestruck by the way they can change what starts as truly a life of poverty & misery - into one of love, and opportunity.

Have a look at some of their work - on YouTube. 

We hope that you might feel moved to help & Bless their charity.

www.childofhopeuganda.org

Florence + The Machine - new album & tour soon!

Click here to watch the fantastic video for Florence's new single "Hunger".

The new album "High As Hope" available 29th June.

UK tour in November.

www.florenceandthemachine.net

From stockbroker to lifesaver - find out what drives Claire Elsdon

Don’t let life pass you by...

“I wish that when I was your age I had done the things I really wanted to do rather than the things people expected me to do. I wish I’d been braver.” The words of Claire Elsdon’s elderly grandmother as she lay in her hospital bed were to change the former City of London stockbroker’s life – and those of countless others – forever.

Within months, the Triumph fanatic had embarked on a 40,000km ride to Cape Town to, as she puts it, “escape the fear and greed, make myself vulnerable and narrowly avoid being trampled by elephants”.

Click here to read more about Claire and how she has changed her life & made a fantastic difference in the lives of others through her organisation: Pikilily.

"Training Tanzanian communities in the art of motorcycle maintenance and road safety. Preserving the lifespan of motorcycles, riders and passengers alike."

www.fortheride.com

The benefits of being a Cloud-Enabled business

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are being powered by the cloud. And the benefits of cloud go beyond traditional IT, affecting the way we work and communicate for the better. With its ability to break down the constraints of traditional IT, the cloud is enabling businesses to develop faster and communicate better. It is therefore unsurprising that more and more businesses are embracing the power of the cloud.

If you’re not already cloud-enabled, read on to find out how it could change your business. Want to find out more? Contact Donline today.

www.zen.co.uk

Open Champagne like a boss - with a sabre!

Check out the first video in Virgin Wines "Wine Basics" series teaching you how to get the most out of your wine. In this episode you'll learn how to open Champagne like a boss... or at least without breaking any light fittings! 

See Virgin Wines boss Jay Wright open a bottle of champagne with a SABRE! Honestly, you can buy Champagne sabres?!? Apparently so. I thought that was just for films featuring cavalrymen!

www.virginwines.co.uk

BMW HP4 Race on the Isle of Man - 2017

Experience Sulby Straight at the Isle of Man TT aboard the carbon-fibre framed BMW HP4 RACE. Professional BMW Motorrad racer Peter Hickman rides flat out in sixth, bouncing off the rev limiter. Filmed on a closed road during an official racing event at the Isle of Man TT 2017.

www.youtube.com

Reading for today: on the Holy Spirit

It is quite right that you should feel that “something terrific” has happened to you (It has) and be “all glowy.” Accept these sensations with thankfulness as birthday cards from God, but remember that they are only greetings, not the real gift. I mean, it is not the sensations that are the real thing. The real thing is the gift of the Holy Spirit which can’t usually be - perhaps not ever - experienced as a sensation or emotion. The sensations are merely the response of your nervous system. Don’t depend on them. Otherwise when they go and you are once more emotionally flat (as you certainly will be quite soon), you might think that the real thing had gone too. But it won’t. It will be there when you can’t feel it. May even be most operative when you can feel it least.

By C. S. Lewis

From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

Compiled in Words to Live By

FBI tells router users to reboot now to kill malware infecting 500k devices

The FBI is advising users of consumer-grade routers and network-attached storage devices to reboot them as soon as possible to counter Russian-engineered malware that has infected hundreds of thousands devices.

Researchers from Cisco’s Talos security team first disclosed the existence of the malware on Wednesday. The detailed report said the malware infected more than 500,000 devices made by Linksys, Mikrotik, Netgear, QNAP, and TP-Link. Known as VPNFilter, the malware allowed attackers to collect communications, launch attacks on others, and permanently destroy the devices with a single command. The report said the malware was developed by hackers working for an advanced nation, possibly Russia, and advised users of affected router models to perform a factory reset, or at a minimum to reboot.

www.arstechnica.com

GDPR - who says you can't have fun while tied up in red tape? ;0)

What did Blackbeard use to safely and securely enlist his crew?

GDP-Arrrrrrrr.

===

Do you know a specialist on GDPR?

Yes.

Can you give me his e-mail address?

No.

===

Knock knock

Who’s there?

GDPR

GDPR who?

I can’t tell you as you don’t have consent to process my data.

===

He's making a list

He's checking it twice

He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice

Santa Claus is in contravention of article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679

===

That's enough fun for now - back to the

SERIOUS BUSINESS :0(

Calli has had a wash & brush up - time for Puppy Pix!

Calli has been to Pam for her Summer trim - and has come back looking & smelling fab.

Amazing how much she seems to shrink & reduce in age after a haircut!

Thanks again Pam! x

www.k9-4pawsandthegroomingroom.co.uk

Thank God for Thy Kingdom Come 2018 - come Lord Jesus, come!

Dear friends, For 11 days across the UK, and in over a hundred countries from Bangladesh to South Africa, we came together in prayer.

We asked God to pour out His Holy Spirit on His united people – to empower us share the revolutionary love of Jesus Christ with our friends, our families, our communities and our nations.

You are a vital part of this movement we call Thy Kingdom Come. Thank you so much.

I’ve heard so many wonderful stories – from churches holding 24-7 prayer for the first time, to cathedrals packed with joyful crowds, to people giving their lives to Jesus after being prayed for the Thy Kingdom Come community.

And of course, what an incredible blessing it was to hear Bishop Michael Curry share the good news of Jesus with a global audience of millions in his Royal wedding sermon – before joining us for a Thy Kingdom Come event at St Albans Cathedral.

I’m filled with joy at how God is working so powerfully through this global movement of prayer. This year, it really started to feel like it was all of us. Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Methodists, Pentecostals… joining together in this one clear and joyful cry out to God: send your Holy Spirit that we might share Christ’s love! When we are united in prayer, it’s a clear sign of the Kingdom.

Another sign of the Kingdom is the compassion that is firing up the Church. That means loving and caring for the poor and struggling – and for each other. Jesus calls us to be part of a revolution of love. In our prayers, we are being drawn into the very heart of that revolution.

I’m more excited by Thy Kingdom Come than anything I can remember for many, many years. Praise be to God!

With every blessing,

ARCHBISHOP JUSTIN WELBY

Here’s a wonderful video showing some of what has happened in this year’s Thy Kingdom Come…

Dear friends, It has been an absolute joy to join the global wave of prayer through Thy Kingdom Come initiative.

The Holy Spirit rekindled the fire of his love in the people I met and worshipped with. Empowering, equipping and commissioning the followers of Jesus Christ to pray for others to know His love. 

Often it was the chance encounters with people I met where I saw lives transformed, as they encountered the Risen Christ and knew the power of the Holy Spirit descend on them.

Three people out of the five that I put on my prayer list at last year’s Beacon Event came to York Minster and gave their lives to Christ. What an encouragement!

I am still praying for the other two and the five I started praying for on Ascension Day. Our God is awesome!

With every blessing,

ARCHBISHOP JOHN SENTAMU

www.youtube.com

Try the new Church of England skill on Amazon Alexa!

The Church of England has launched its Alexa skill, enabling millions of users to ask the Church of England for prayers, explanations of the Christian faith and location-based information about local church events and services.

Daily prayer resources are central to the skill, with the prayer for the day, as well as morning, evening and night-time prayers and a grace before meals all specially recorded.

The skill is also integrated with A Church Near You – our national church finder that gets 13 million page views a year to find the nearest services and events.

www.churchofengland.org

GDPR goes live on the 25th May! Wise words from Sage accounts...

GDPR data protection principles: Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you need to make sure you have policies and procedures in place to cover the data protection principles. You can find more detail about this from the ICO website, but to help you, Sage has put together some of the key points.

Like you weren't already aware(!), but just to remind you that GDPR goes live on 25th May 2018!

www.sage.co.uk

GDPR webcast: safeguarding individual privacy rights with the Microsoft Cloud

Join several Microsoft executives including, Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, for our May 25th webcast, Safeguarding individual privacy rights with the Microsoft Cloud, where they will be reinforcing our support for privacy and showcasing how the Microsoft Cloud can help accelerate GDPR compliance. In this webcast, we will highlight:

Show how you can use GDPR fundamentals to assess and manage your compliance risk.

Discuss how you can help protect your customers' data with built-in, intelligent security capabilities.

Cover how you can meet your own compliance obligations by streamlining your processes.

www.microsoft.com

DrayTek Security Advisory: CSRF & DNS Changed Web Interface Attacks

TL;DR - Check the DNS settings on your DrayTek router and install new firmware.

In May 2018, we became aware of new attacks against web-enabled devices, which includes DrayTek routers. The recent attacks have attempted to change DNS settings of routers.  We are in the process of releasing updated firmware which you should upgrade to as soon as it is available but also immediately follow the advice below:

Update your firmware immediately, or as soon as updated software is available. Before doing the upgrade, take a backup of your current config in case you need to restore it later.

www.draytek.co.uk

Take Don's two fave bikes & blend them together - what do you get? The 2018 Honda CB1000R!

I have adored two Honda bikes for some time:

The CB1100RS - proper 80's musclebike vibe, with modern build quality.

The CB1000R - A retuned blade minus the fairing: modern & aggressive.

Honda have taken the best of both bikes & squished them into the all new CB1000R!

While Crescent Honda were running a MOT on my beloved Crosstourer (passed, flying colours), I took the opportunity to take out a new & very much improved CB1000R. The styling is a bit retro ("Neo Sports Cafe" - as Honda's marketing guru's would call it) while also feeling modern, just not muddled. The engine note is fabulous - free revving, and howling. A pleasure to ride fast & hard. Steering is precise & fast, suspension is firm - but not too hard. Riding position is sports business like, but not too angular for an old git like me. 143bhp - lots of power for a 212Kg naked sports bike. Engine modes - I tried "standard" - plenty quick, and "sport" - mad & brilliant! The bike is stumpy, light & fast - I love it!

Somehow Honda have taken two quite different bikes, and combined them to make something which has typically great Honda build quality, feels modern & yet nods to a retro aesthetic - so ticks all of my boxes! Take one for a spin, it's a wrench to hand it back... Dear Santa...

www.honda.co.uk

Bosch is developing rocket boosters to prevent lowside motorcycle crashes!

Well known for ABS, traction control systems, IMUs, and other sophisticated tech, Bosch combined motorcycle safety with its rocket expertise to address the danger of lowside crashes. When a motorcycle slides out in a turn, it’s up to the rider to control and correct the loss of traction. All too often, riders aren’t able to make the recovery.

Bosch’s solution introduces a new player to the situation: pressurized gas boosters. Bosch builds them for steering spacecraft, but their instant blasts are useful for keeping a motorcycle upright, as well (though anyone who’s ever been nine years old is wondering if we can’t just point them backwards and go faster). Watch their video a few times to see the comparison, and look for the quick recovery after the rider hits the gravel patch. As soon as the system detects an impending lowside, the booster kicks in to counteract the slide and right the bike.

www.revzilla.com

Thy Kingdom Come. What does God actually want from us?

'My God and my awe, my God and my awe' the words of St Francis of Assisi - one the great Saints of Adoration according to Pete Greig.

Watch this beautiful reflection from Pete Greig, 24-7 Prayer, as he shares on what it means to Adore the Lord.

www.youtube.com

#StandTogether this Christian Aid Week

For over 70 years, along with our amazing supporters, Christian Aid has been helping change the lives of people of all faiths and none in the poorest communities around the world.

This Christian Aid Week (13-19 May 2018), we’re asking everyone to #StandTogether and help families like those of Jocelyne, Marcelin and Vilia to weather future storms.

Please consider supporting those in need this Christian Aid Week:

www.christianaid.org.uk

What do we mean when we pray Thy Kingdom Come?

As part of this special series, Archbishop Justin Welby spoke with Cardinal Vincent Nichols from the Roman Catholic Church (Archbishop of Westminster & President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales) to discuss what it means when we pray Thy Kingdom Come?

Watch this fantastic discussion between the two on this subject.

To find out more about this year's Thy Kingdom Come, taking place from 10-20 May, visit Thykingdomcome.global

www.youtube.com

Do you have keyless car and a garage? Better read this!

Dozens of people have been poisoned by carbon monoxide after failing to turn off the ignition on keyless cars, according to the New York Times.

Its report found that 28 people had died and 45 others had suffered injuries since 2006.

More than half of the 17 million vehicles sold annually in the US now have keyless ignitions.

Keyless ignition systems - widely used in cars around the world - consist of a device that is carried by the driver, allowing them to start the car with the press of a button linked to the fob.

The car will not start if the key fob is not detected but once the car has been started it continues to run even if the device is removed from the vehicle.

In some hybrid car models, the engine may not be running when the driver gets out of the car but could come on later when batteries run low.

The recorded deaths had been caused by drivers leaving their vehicles running in enclosed garages which allowed carbon monoxide gas to get into their homes, according to the New York Times.

www.bbc.co.uk

Steph Jeavons: Round the World in 4 mins

Steph Jeavons takes us on her four year journey around the world on her Honda CRF250L.

What a biking hero, congrats Steph!

www.youtube.com

Le Creuset Wine Accessories - my favourite wine toys

Le Creuset Wine Accessories Waiters Corkscrew - Wood

Patented two-step system improves leverage and reduces effort required to remove longer corks

Serrated blade foil cutter

Bottle top opener

Ground stainless steel screw for easy guidance into cork

10 year guarantee

Le Creuset Wine Accessories Foil Cutter - Black Nickel

Efficient four wheeled design gives the perfect cut

Cuts neatly and clean with a gentle squeeze and twist

Safer and easier to use than a kitchen knife

10 year guarantee

Not what you might call cheap(!) but made to last a lifetime.

Both items are beautifully engineered, and a pleasure to use.
A perfect present for the wine lover in your life!

www.amazon.co.uk

A beautiful reflection on the power of persistent prayer from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry

Watch this beautiful reflection on the power of persistent prayer from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, who will be preaching at the Royal Wedding this weekend.

As a little child, he was faithfully prayed for by Aunt Ruth, a lady from his church, until adulthood; something he considers to be instrumental in his faith journey.

We are halfway through the Thy Kingdom Come prayer period.  

Who have you committed to praying for during these 11 days?

Who could you pray for right this very moment?

Mother Teresa, His Holiness Pope Francis and many faith leaders have often requested to be prayed for. Who could you give this gift of prayer to today?

www.youtube.com

Real ale - a true passion of mine - especially Fuller's beers :0)

Being a West London lad, I cut my teeth on Fuller's ales. 

My first pub was the Lord Nelson, Brentford. First ever pint was Hock (a lovely mild, low ABV, sadly not generally available nowadays), I also used to drink ESB (distinctly at the other end of the spectrum!). I haven't lived in London for decades, but have always enjoyed Fuller's ales.

In 2005 Fullers bought Gale's brewery - based in Horndean, Hampshire.

Many of the pubs around where I now live were owned by Gales, and therefore changed to Fuller's houses. Great for me, though some of the locals miss the old days especially the original Gale's HSB.

My favourite ale is London Pride (perfect balance of hops and malt), and I'm pleased to say that nowadays, pretty much every pint is superb. Cheers! 

www.fullers.co.uk

Reading for today, from Psalm 139

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Read all of Psalm 139 at Bible Gateway

GDPR compliance deadline is approaching: 10 things to do right away

The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes fully enforceable on May 25, 2018. According to recent surveys, 60% of companies polled are going to miss the deadline; it's a sobering number considering how severe the fines and penalties could be for companies found to be noncompliant in the aftermath of a security breach. The reality is many businesses still do not understand what compliance with the GDPR really means.

With perhaps a few exceptions, every business that collects personal data from customers, clients, and vendors is going to experience a security breach where that data is exposed, comprised, and/or stolen. This inevitable fact is just one of the costs of doing business in an interconnected world. The GDPR does not, and cannot, expect businesses to patch unknown security vulnerabilities or avoid security incidents altogether. However, the GDPR does require businesses to make every effort to mitigate the damage security breaches have on people, particularly EU citizens.

To that end, it is vital that all enterprises take measured and documented steps to close security vulnerabilities, prevent security breaches, and mitigate the risks when prevention fails. The mere fact that an enterprise made a substantial and documented effort in this regard could be enough to establish GDPR compliance and avoid substantial fines and penalties after a security breach.

Here are 10 specific things your enterprise can and should do in preparation by the GDPR compliance deadline of May 25, 2018. (Note: The items on the list are not presented in any specific order—all of them are important and progress for each should be well-documented.)

www.techrepublic.com

Note to self: zip up tank bag before resuming ride...

Kim & I had a lovely ride today: really nice weather for a rider & pillion trip on the Crosstourer. Out to Gosport to have a look at the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, then off to Cams Mill for a drink and some of their truly amazing pork scratchings!

After leaving Cams Mill, I had travelled for a few miles when (very luckily) I glanced down at my tank bag. To my horror it was unzipped! I pulled over & my phone was missing. Kim pulled out her phone & I logged in to Google find my device. The phone was pinging - we rode back towards the pub, then retraced our tracks - we spotted the phone in the middle of the A32 Wickham Road. It had come out of its case when it hit the road & had clearly been run over by several cars. Amazingly even though the screen was totally ruined, it was still sort of working: amazing!

Thankfully I have a spare phone & phone insurance - so disaster averted.

Clearly, I need to pay closer attention to the tank bag before setting off!

IBM workers banned from using "USB sticks"

IBM has banned its staff from using removable storage devices.

In an advisory to employees, IBM global chief Information security officer Shamla Naidoo said the company “is expanding the practice of prohibiting data transfer to all removable portable storage devices (eg: USB, SD card, flash drive).”

The advisory stated some pockets of IBM have had this policy for a while, but “over the next few weeks we are implementing this policy worldwide.”

However, If you have the need to carry sensitive data with you SECURELY - try this.

www.theregister.co.uk

Parkinson's UK: Quiz & Curry Night - Tues 5th June 6pm, Harvest Home Denmead

Quiz & Curry Night in support of Parkinson's UK

Tuesday 5th June 2018 6-30 for 7pm.

At The Harvest Home, Denmead.

£10 per person. Partners, family, friends are welcome! Jackpot to win!

Click here to order tickets for this fun & fundraising event.

50% of the proceeds will go to Parkinson's UK.

www.parkinsons.org.uk

HMRC urges people to be aware and vigilant of fraudster texts and emails

HMRC is urging people to stay vigilant and aware of fraudsters who are using emails and text messages to con people out of their money.

Tricksters are sending messages that promise tax rebates to trick people into giving out their banking and personal details.

HMRC advises customers to:

Recognise the signs – Banks and HMRC will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, password or bank details

Stay safe – Do not give out private information, reply to text messages, download attachments or click on links in emails you weren’t expecting

Take action – Forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and texts to 60599, or contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to report any suspicious calls or use its online fraud reporting tool

Check gov.uk for information on how to avoid and report scams and recognise genuine HMRC contact

If you think you have received an HMRC-related phishing/bogus email or text message, you can check it against the examples shown in this guide.

www.businessadvice.co.uk

Epson Print365 is offering FREE printing till 30th June 2018

Epson Print365 is offering a FREE printing service this Spring, so you can realise the benefits of unlimited printing.

Start a Print365 contract between 1st April and 30th June 2018 and your business can print for FREE with no hidden charges. With your payments on a Spring break, you can relax and enjoy FREE printing with Epson Print365.

Take advantage now, and enjoy a payment-free Spring!

Contact Donline for more information on Epson Print365

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

¹ Promotion terms and conditions apply.

² For more information visit www.epson.eu/inkjetsaving.

Thy Kingdom Come: join the global wave of prayer 10th - 20th May 2018

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus.  What started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.

During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come, it is hoped that everyone who participates will deepen their friendship with Jesus, bring other to know Jesus or know him better, and come to know that every aspect of their life is the stuff of prayer.

Watch the video of the beautiful song 'Your Kingdom Come' - by worship leader, Pete James (Co-written by Harvey Jessop) especially for this year's Thy Kingdom Come. 

Find out more and Pledge2Pray:

www.thykingdomcome.global