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MUST READ for any scuba diver traveling to Bonaire and renting a villa

We rented for 8 nights and arrived on time and were met by the property manager, Martin with Bonaire Oceanview Rentals. Martin was a very nice man that showed us around the house in the dark.

The following morning we noticed that the property wasn’t very clean – oven was dirty, floor was sticky and the bathroom shower needed deep cleaning of tile and grout. The refrigerator was dirty and still had old food from someone else that must have stayed there before us. I cleaned it myself rather than say anything so we would feel more comfortable for our week. We didn’t have access to a broom so I purchased one at the store, used it and left it for the owners. If I had this all to do over again, I would have requested a deep cleaning that morning or asked to be moved to a cleaner villa. But, I didn’t- my mistake because it got worse.

First, the items listed that this house DOES NOT provide are:

  • Rinse tank – none – there is a faucet to rinse the dive gear, not a rinse tank.
  • Dive locker – none – there is a close line outside to hang your dive gear.
  • Safe – none was ever shown to us and we never found one. Possibly there is one in the owner’s room but there wasn’t one in the areas we had access to on the lease.
  • Washer and dryer – yes there are both and we saw them once when the maid showed up to clean but our key to that building where they were located was not one that was provided to us and the maid locked it when she left that day.
  • Sandy beach – none but a sandy shallow area.
  • Espresso machine — There is a very nice Espresso machine in the kitchen but there are parts missing so it couldn’t be used. We looked everywhere for the items that would be needed to make it operational and they were not in the kitchen. We asked Martin the following day and he didn’t know where the parts were either.

Martin helped connect the t.v. the following day after check-in because it wasn’t working either. The Espresso machine appeared to be a very nice expensive machine so I guess its possible the owners didn’t want it used to avoid renters from breaking it. We did have a regular coffee maker which we used.

Note: the maid washes the towels and lays them all over the table and chairs to dry so they are stiff. Normally, towels are dried in a dryer and are softer. After they dried that day I folded them myself. We also noticed that a few towels had holes in them. Not that big of a deal but still – this is a property that is advertised as one that is more exclusive. I guess I expected the villa to be more like the pictures that are published and to be clean and have nicer towels that were soft.

In my opinion, this villa needs deep cleaning before it is rented again! As a rental we expected the oven, refrigerator and the silverware drawer to be cleaner. (It is cleaner now because I did it). I would also expect the maid to dry the towels and not lay them all over the tables and chairs and then leave it to us to fold them. I don’t mind doing some housework but not on VACATION when I’m paying someone to do it before I arrive.

Now, to the horrible part

There are bars covering the windows, bars on the inside of the bedroom doors, an electronic gate at the driveway entrance, a gate that leads to the garden area, the rest of the main house and a gate at the ocean steps. We were advised at check-in to make sure the main electronic gate was left closed at all times which we did the entire time of our stay.

We didn’t feel comfortable locking the inside bars to the two bedroom doors while sleeping because we’d need a key quickly in case of a fire since bars covered all the windows. We also noticed there were cameras in a few places but we were not told they didn’t work until AFTER we had a break-in.

Yes, the ONE night that all 3 of us were gone for 2+ hours for dinner had an intruder that pried open the door to the bedrooms and took our electronics and made a mess of the rooms. The outside doors, the beach gate, the garden gate and the electronic gates were all locked when we left. We quickly realized it was a HUGE mistake staying at a place with no safe AND relying on the outside gates and beach gate being locked – it didn’t help in this instance keeping these thieves out of our rooms.

 

After the break-in with the door broken and unable to lock, I did not feel comfortable staying there so we left and cannot get a refund on the 3 nights were did not stay.

To make matters worse, Nicole with Bonaire Oceanview Rentals sent me an e-mail with this statement

“I can’t understand why you didn’t lock that door as otherwise nothing would have happened. The owner made arrangements to make the villa safe and you have just ignored them or maybe you forgot but still we can’t help it”

What? we didn’t lock the doors? YES WE DID LOCK THE DOOR! There is a very heavy, solid wooden door on the outside of the bedrooms. THESE DOORS were locked. They broke the wooden door to enter. They broke the locked door! I have pictures of that broken door.

To say that we were ignoring safety was an insult. The one item that was not locked was one set of the inside bars to one bedroom but the It is my opinion that the property manager and/or owner should have disclosed to us that there wasn’t a SAFE to lock up our items as they advertised, advise us to not leave without locking all the bars on the inside of the doors AND why didn’t they tell us the security cameras didn’t work?

It would also have been valuable knowledge to know that this area on the island is one that is frequently targeted by thieves with car and home break-ins. Knowing these things would have prevented the thieves from stealing our laptops, cameras, passports, earphones and book bag. Had their knowledge of these break-ins been shared at check-in we would have made sure when we left to take these items with us each time and we would have taken measures to avoid the loss and trauma that we have experienced during what should have been a pleasant family vacation.

I hope this post helps others select the right property, in the right location and with the right property management company and villa owner. I also hope that renters pick owners and property management companies that will refund the unused nights after a break-in when a door won’t lock.

Local police investigators told us these break-in’s happen all the time in this area because thieves know and watch visitors (mainly American’s) all the time after they check-in to these properties. We requested a refund for the 3 nights we didn’t stay.

We left the night of the break-in. Why would we want to stay in a place that was just robbed and the door wouldn’t lock? This is what was said by Nicole with the property management company in her e-mail after I requested a 3 night refund: Although the bedroom door could not lock it could close and we could have locked the bars and continued to stay there but we understand you didn’t feel safe.

The property management company has refused in numerous e-mails that they will not refund the 3 remaining nights we did not stay at the villa.

I’m not sure how brave other travelers are but I’m fairly certain most wouldn’t want to have their family continue to stay in a bedroom without a door that would lock even if the bars would lock. That night, I didn’t think that was the best option for our family and after hearing from the police about the break-ins I wanted to move to another place where they had security.

We moved and later requested a refund. There are some things that you can’t put a $$$ sign next to and that is your families safety after something horrible like this happens. I just wish the owner and the property management company would do the right thing and refund those 3 nights. We’ve lost approx $7,000 worth of electronics, my daughter’s passport, not to mention the 3 extra nights after we moved.

This review is not meant to be mean, I am stating everything that is factual. The owners and the property management company nor us were expecting a break-in. As another business owner, it makes more sense to us to do all that is possible to make clients feel comfortable, safe and secure during a vacation. My primary recommendation in all this is to hope the owners and property management company inform renters of the unsafe area in Belnam, inform the renters to always lock the bars, take all your valuables with you when you leave and hope for the best.

I also think it would be a good idea to inform renters that the security cameras don’t work, there isn’t a safe and other items that are advertised. I would also recommend they do what is right in this situation and that is to refund the 3 nights were did not stay in the villa. I truly believe most would agree we did the right thing by leaving when the door had been broken.

Amusingly enough, Nicolle said that we should have purchased travel insurance. Fun fact: we did. The insurance plan is the top of the line plan and doesn’t cover electronics or theft of electronics.

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What Lakeview Pet Hospital in Oklahoma City did to help our family cat

I don’t normally do reviews like this on my personal website, but this pet hospital deserves it.

I can’t say enough about Dr. Schmitt and her dedication to our family cat Max. It seemed like everything was going wrong and we were turning to a dark place but our family wanted to fight for him and she was ready to do it too.

She went the extra mile in ways I can’t even begin to explain. When he wouldn’t eat, she brought a can of tuna from home because he likes tuna juice on his food. When he had a seizure and I had a total freakout, she was there saying we could still save him.

The whole team was quite simply the sweetest most thoughtful people I’ve ever had look after my pets. Krista and Sarah were so gracious and caring about our multiple phone calls and requests to face time when we were out of town.

We will forever be in their debt for the care they bestowed on our family.

They are probably one of the best vets in Oklahoma City and if not they should be.

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What Robin Williams Said He Hopes Heaven is Like Will Make You Cry

At the end of Robin Williams’s epic performance on James Lipton’s Inside The Actor’s Studio, Lipton asks Bernard Pivot’s infamous questionnaire.  The final question is “If heaven exists, what do you want to hear God say when you arrive at the gates?”  Here’s what Robin said:

The rest of the show is 1.5 hours of your life that you’ll be grateful you spent watching this. When I’m having a bad day I watch this and Robin made everything better. I wish he had something like that for himself to make him feel better.

 

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President Obama Responds to Passing of Robin Williams

A tragedy even President Obama wanted to speak out about:

“Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between.  But he was one of a kind.  He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.  He made us laugh.  He made us cry.  He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.  The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.”

via release by the White House

Watch Robin Williams break down the last 10 years of politics (NSFW Language):

 

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John Oliver Gets Help from Sarah Silverman in Crusade is Against Predatory Lenders

Many have tried – few have succeeded – to take out the predatory loan industry. These are companies that convince people who are desperate for cash to get by for a few days with a few hundred bucks typically advanced on a coming paycheck or a car title, but with like a 400% interest rate. John Oliver gets a little help from comedian Sarah Silverman who gives you a few other options instead of going to a Pay Day Loan shark.

 

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9 Photos of the Secret Service Looking Badass

White House Photographer Pete Souza and his team are known for capturing some of the most remarkable moments of our time. They watch as major events stand on the welcome mat of history and with skill and talent, they bring to us the art of one brief moment. I watch the WH Flickr feed with a kind of childlike wide-eyed awe each time they upload new sets. But here’s a collection you’ll find funny. I guess Souza is taking a little enjoyment capturing some of these Secret Service agents.  Here are some of the best:

 

Everything is more badass in black and white.

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Look casual? I can do casual.

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Never let ‘em see you sweat.

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I’m gonna open the hell outa that door.

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This guy has a serious “Game Face.”

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This ain’t no kickline.

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These guys have seen the Hitchcock movie North by Northwest.

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Bad guys can hide anywhere

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BONUS: This is the shooting range for the Secret Service… I don’t know about you but I can barely see the targets. That’s hard core.

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h/t The White House Photostream

 

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Rember Kids, The Safest Sex is Cybersex

Chances are … this is NSFW:

Republicans are talking a lot about sex lately because they either don’t like women having it or they want to control women and their sexuality.  So what’s a girl to do? I know! Late 90’s Cybersex!  What is more safe than getting your groove on when your partner is in a whole different decade?!  Let me show you how:

Let’s hope when things heat up she doesn’t get a busy signal!

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OKCupid didn’t really mess with you, so don’t freak out

So everyone has been flipping out this month because all these online websites like Facebook(1) and OKCupid(2) have been experimenting on their users.  To be fair, Facebook actually manipulated your newsfeed to try and alter your mood. Facebook literally emotionally manipulated you with what you were viewing in your newsfeed.  As Chris Hayes pointed out, Facebook even did this for the purpose of their advertisers which helps them make money.  OKCupid did their experiments for the purpose of helping their users find looooove.

So here’s what really happened.  First, OKCupid took profile photos off their profile pages.  Result:  Their entire website tanked.  Seriously. Check this out:

OUCH!!

The other experiment they did was about the match percentage based on the questions OKCupid asks you. So, let’s say Mindy likes NASCAR and TruckNuts – she gets 100% match with Darrell who LOVES TruckNuts and NASCAR but only 50% Match with his other brother Darrell who loves Monster Trucks and NASCAR but didn’t mention his affinity for TruckNuts because he didn’t want to scare the ladies off.

What OKCupid did was switch the percentages around. Mindy got 100% on someone she really only had about a 50% chance or 30% chance of liking. And you know what they found???? The percentages didn’t really matter. People still messaged people based on if they were hot or not.

And this one:

Via OK Cupid:

“As you can see, the ideal situation is the lower right: to both be told you’re a good match, and at the same time actually be one. OkCupid definitely works, but that’s not the whole story. And if you have to choose only one or the other, the mere myth of compatibility works just as well as the truth.”

Footnote 1: Facebook Study.

Footnote 2: OKCupid Study.

 

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Showtime’s Masters of Sex wants you to know this about gender

LGBT

Masters of Sex, Showtime’s envelope pushing show about the science of sex and sexuality in the 1950’s, addressed a very serious topic the LGBT community has worked to bring awareness to for years:  Gender assignment at birth.  I swear… this show is one of the most political shows on television today.

Season 2 Episode 3 trailer:

In Sunday night’s episode I watched as Dr. Masters explained to a new mother for whom he’d just delivered a baby, that the child had adrenogenital hyperplasia.  The new father was angry and hysterical telling his wife they didn’t need to know anything about it because no one would never know and he was damn sure not going to “hold it” meaning the baby.

Masters of SEx“It’s not ‘it’ Mr. Bomback… it’s a boy. The blood test conclusively shows the XY chromosome… understand the physical ambiguities are off putting, Mr. Bomback, but eventually a surgery will take care of it….”

The father became more hysterical – not wanting to take the new baby home.

“The baby is otherwise in good health, he’ll be released, and a surgical plan will be formulated” Masters began but the father demanded a surgery to assign the gender be done immediately hurling some unfortunate comment about a “freakshow on the boardwalk.”

The show takes place in the 1950’s so I it’s no shock that gender roles are a huge theme in the show from the idea of women owning their bodies and liking sex, to a gay husband subjecting himself to electroshock therapy to be able to have sex with his wife, to all sorts of marriage insanity.  But Dr. Masters nailed it with one simple line: “Well there’s a very wide spectrum of ‘normal’ as far as genitalia is concerned.”

The father demanded the doctor “cut it off” claiming the child would “never be a man.

Dr. Masters, instead, smacked the father down “Let me tell you how this is going to go, Mr. Bomback.  You’re family is going to leave here in a few days and you’re going to take some time to become informed.  Let your mouth catch up with your mind.  And you will come to accept that your son, YOUR SON, has a condition that can and will be corrected.  And when you come back here for the surgery that will make sure that his outsides match who he is inside, you’re going to thank me for protecting your child from your own poor judgment.”

Damn.

Later in the show as Masters is describing the “condition” to his research partner (and mistress) Ms. Johnson who was shocked and appalled “That’s what they do they just make it a girl based on the issue of convenience?” she asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Masters said. “And fear…”

For the record, last fall, Germany became the first European country to allow babies to be registered as “indeterminate sex.”

 

It is one of the entertainment industry‘s most endearing qualities that it helps to expand understanding of things different from ourselves, increasing acceptance and providing a glimpse at differing perspectives at life experiences. That effort is a component of the successes we’ve seen on LGBT equality.

 

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So Women Are Obscene but Men Aren’t?

So… I’ll admit that when we saw this story last week we laughed about it and rolled our eyes at yet another example of an overly prudish society that is clearly too uncomfortable with sex and sexuality to even conceive of visualizing someone’s lady parts. But then The Daily Show brought a whole new different understanding to this issue (brought to you by Decades of Deep Sexual Repression).

The festival that Stewart discusses is a reality. The Festival of the Steel Phallus is an actual thing. This is an actual excerpt from GaijinJapan.org:

According to legend, a demon would have unhealthy hidden in the vagina of a young lady, and with the use of his sharp teeth would have castrated two young men on their wedding night. Following this, a blacksmith carved an iron penis to break the teeth of this demon. This object, ultimately, became an object of worship. This is why we celebrate the Kanamara Matsuri in Kawasaki every year.

Why can’t we all just value each other …. genitals and all? And for once, not diminish one while glorifying another? It’s a silly fantasy, I know. Maybe it can be a reality before I die.

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