Blogs

'In delay there lies no plenty'


By Gillian Morgan, 2011-11-22

When I was in the grammar school during the fifities, we were discouragedfrom thinking about a careeruntil 'O' levels hadbeencompleted and 'A' levels decided on.This was to discourage us from the lure of jobs and the money that they provided.Oxford and Cambridge were the goals, or some otheruniversity,preferably in Wales.The role of the grammar school was to preparepupils for an academic career.

At a class reuniona few years ago, one of the 'girls', to everyone's delight,or amazement, anyway, had returned to teach in the school we had attended, retiring when she was sixty.Many of the others, after 'O' levels,hadbecomecounter clerks in banks.

I wondered ifthis would have been so if we'dreceived advice from a careers' adviser. (The year before 'O' levels someone came to talk about jobs butall I recall was a warningabout a 'bored' telephone operator, who wanted to retrain for somethingmore interesting.)

Although we did not realise it at the time, my classmates and Iwere on the cusp of a new era. Up until about 1960 it was widely assumed that a job was just a 'filler' until marriage, when womenexited the jobs market for ever. (The staff in our school were, on the whole, unmarried, proving women might need to work all their lives).We, the'baby boomers', showed thatmany women wantedmarriage and acareer.

I'll digress a little and forgive me, but I've been listening to some sixth formers talkng about their futures. They, too, are at a pivotal pointand they needguidance.

Until recently, the goal has been higher education for all,regardless of what jobs people eventually hope to have.There are many jobs I can think of, but will not mention, for fear ofoffending anyone, that simply do not need a degree,though it is possible to take a degree qualification in that particular area.

Two of the pupils I spoke to, were consideringstarting a 'sandwich' courses, where they can 'earn and learn', while studying fora part-time degree.

Anothertoyed with the idea oftaking any job to enable herto live at home andstudy for an 'Open University' degree, becauseshedid not want to be lumbered with thousands of pounds worth of debtsthroughout her twenties. (Although some government minister or other has just said thatdebts should be looked on as 'loans', they still have to be repaid, whatever they are called).

This could be the generation that turns its collective back on traditional modes of education, that questions the costof a broadeducation when, practically,subjects relevantto the intendedoccupation would be a more time and cost-effective way of achieving career goals.

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Living off the hog


By Gillian Morgan, 2011-11-21

'Extreme Couponing' is big in America, apparently. Families can lophuge amounts off their grocery bills.

$1,000 worth of stuff can be 'bought' for $17. (Am I living in the wrong country?)

Kate, who has visited friends there, says some people pack their garageswith detergents, toilet rolls, tins of fruit and various groceries.

I've just spent an absorbing time ordering magazines on-line and they have not cost me any actual money, because I have used tokens as payment.

We buy some of ourgroceries and most of the fuel for thecar in one particular store. Ihave a store card andreceive 'loyalty' voucher rewardsin the post.

Until recently, a voucher's face value could be exchanged for a 'reward' at four times the amount shown on the voucher.

Thus,a 10 voucher meant you couldtake out a magazine subscription worth 40 andthe magazine wouldbe sent to your home. I have most of my magazines 'free', thanks to this system.

The rewards have now gone down to three times the value: (credit crunch, I suppose), but they are still much better than that ofother stores.

Vouchers can be exchanged for nights in top hotels, air miles, pizza meals, jewellery and loads of other things, too, or they can buy groceries, but only at face value.

I havea good quality new bathroom suite, a new cloakroom suite plus a range of the best tiles, all 'paid' for with vouchers. No cash was needed. For one of the bedrooms, I 'bought' two large fitted wardrobes andagain, no money was involved.

I am sometimes asked to take out loyalty cards with other stores but always refuse, because none of the otherscan match these rewards.

As Keynes, the economist, might have said, 'the more you spend, the more you earn'.

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Resistance ( Owen Sheers ) - The Movie


By Ceri Shaw, 2011-11-20

Not read 'Resistance' yet? You should...a minor masterpiece imho. Here is the AmeriCymru review:-

http://welsh-american-bookstore.com/index.php/BookLibrary/Novels/Contemporary-Welsh-Fiction/Resistance.html

The good news is that it has been made into a film. DO NOT MISS!!



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Beefing it up


By Gillian Morgan, 2011-11-19

A young boy was delivering fliers in our road and he gave me one. I askedif it was for the'Kinky KaBurger' cafe. He looked at me solemnly before saying slowly, 'King Kebab Burger'. I won't mix that one up again.

Giles Coren has been to Wales, not sure if he's visitedKing Kebab Burger, but Hooray! he just loves our food. (Why wouldn't he, it's good). AA Gill has crossed the border, too, buthe's a bit sniffy about theWelsh. (For the uninitiated, I am referring to two food critics who get paidto eat in restaurants before giving theiropinion of the food. I eat out, too, and sometimes give my verdict on what I've had, but I don't get paid for it).

Giles has eulogised about the bestpork pie he's had in years, costing 1.10 in a cattle market in Oswestry, (almost in Wales), before getting into Wales proper, Anglesey, (Mon, Mam Cymru) and you won't get much Welsher than that, where he had an even better pie, close to the Berwyn Mountains.The beef fromWelsh Black cattlewas amongst the best he'd ever tasted.

This made methink of the great culinary divide that exists nowadays. I'm not into Cordon Blah-de blah, snail porridge and, even if I didn't have a husband who likes to know at first glance what's on his plate, I don't want atasting menu with seventy or so spoonfuls of something unidentifiable. I want to eat successive forkfuls of food so that I have a feeling of satiation, repleteness, whicha daub of this and that would not provide.

It's not 'witty' food I want, 'four and twenty blackbirds' flying out from under a pie-crust, but honest-to-goodness, eat-it-all-up food.

Tomorrow is stir-up Sunday, when wemix our figgypuddingsin preparation for the biggest feast day of the year.We will pack away dried fruits, brandy, suet, lemon peel, cloves, spices from the Orient, cheeses, sausages, herbs and Gentlemen's Relish, root vegetables, brassicas, bread sauce, stuffing enough to float a battle ship but, in the midst of all this, I'm ready to return to Bara Te, or Siencyn (a slice of breadmixed into a cup of tea) a lettuce sandwich and honey on toast.

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Haverfordwest Railway


By Gillian Morgan, 2011-11-18

The great drama of the Victorian age was the spread of railways across vasttracks of the country, bringingsocial and economic change.On the 28th December, 1853, the Haverfordwest branch of the South Wales Railway was opened, widening the horizons of many people.

A sketch I have, torn from 'The London Illustrated News' of January 7th, 1854, shows crowds gathering on the station platform to greet the arrival of the first train. On a banner are written the words: 'Llwyddiant Yr Railffordd': 'Success of the Railway'.

Growth of therailwayswas aided by one man in particular,Isambard Kingdom Brunel, son ofthe French engineer, Sir Marc Brunel.

When he was twenty seven, Isambard became chief engineer to the Great Western Railway line. He introduced the broad gauge (seven feet and a quarter inch) to replace the previous standard gauge. Although Brunel proved that the broad gauge gave more stability to coaches, enabled engines to travel at a higher speed and providedmore comfort to passengers,there was muchopposition, partly because the standard gauge would need replacing.

The railway acted as a touchstone in the town, a punctuationof time: events were cataloguedas occurring before the line was opened andafterwards.

Geographically, anywhere east of Haverfordwest was referred to as 'up the line'.

London became possible in a day, instead of the three days it had previously taken by stage coach. Travel by train was quicker and cheaper .

Therailway providedwork, paying two shillings a day for a twelve hour day, which compared favourably with the five shillings a week a farm labourer earned.Conditions left a lot to be desired, though,and accidents were frequent.

Irish 'navvies' worked in shifts, night and day, on the Shoal's Hook Cutting, a treacherous place, where many were killed or maimed.

Brunel's vision was remarkable. He wantedto enable passengersto board the train at Paddington and travel to Neyland, where they would take the Great Western Steamship to New York.

Neyland honoured the memory of Brunel by commissioning a statue. A few years ago, the statue was stolenand has never been found.

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"Occupy a job"
was the terse direct tweet sent to me after I had blogged about my day at Occupy Cardiff . At first, I was furious as I have been in continuous employment since 1965, but once I calmed down I realised this just reflected the fact that the tweeter was making assumptions, but in reality knew nothing about me. And that summarises the problem with the Occupy movement, almost nobody knows much about it or really understands it.

The mantra ' we are the 99 percent ' has resonated with ordinary people throughout the western world. People in western nations are confused and angry as they see their standards of living reduced because of the economic crisis of the last three years. Their anger is directed against a tiny number of people and organisations of wealth and power who continue to increase their prosperity and their influence, whilst ordinary people see the deep reduction in their living standards. However, ordinary people perceive no outlet to express that depth of feeling and so the emergence of the Occupy movement has at last provided them a vehicle to carry their anger and frustration with the 1 percent.

Ironically, the ethos of the Occupy movement is actually quite difficult to get alongside. They state general principles of anger and rejection of the conduct of the bankers who caused economic ruin for many people, the huge multinational companies that pay little or no tax and politicians whose priorities include areas like substantial military spending whilst bringing in austerity measures which have hurt people at the most vulnerable end of society the most. However, they are radical because they don't produce a simple manifesto with a list of demands which ordinary people would find easy to understand and to engage with. As was noted in The Guardian :

To critics of Occupy Wall Street, one of its most glaring weakness is the lack of specific demands. To many supporters, that ambiguity is one of the main foundations of the movement's success.
Two goals documents, The Liberty Square Blueprint and The 99 Percent Declaration that have emerged from Occupy Wall Street illustrate the diversity of ideologies of participants. The reason is simply that each expression of the Occupy movement is autonomous, and unlike most of society's structures, is not a hierarchical entity but it represents a group of co-equal individuals, drawn together and united by their shared participation with the 99 percent of society that feels disempowered, disenfranchised and unable to influence the inexorable greedy progress of the 1 percent.

My good friend Steve commented on Facebook,

"If the 'Occupy' movement really does represent the '99 percent' ... it should be no problem for them to accomplish whatever changes they are seeking at the next election opportunity."
A great idea Steve, but unfortunately the disparate nature of the movement would never be able to stand on a common platform. I attended the planning meeting for Occupy Bangor group, some of whom made me feel decidedly right-wing! The group contained supporters of the Labour Party, Plaid Cymru, the Greens, anarchists, ordinary Bangor University students and people with no declared political affiliation. I know of church ministers, magistrates and other middle-class people who would not be seen as natural participants, joining the occupation at St Pauls .

Despite the setbacks in Cardiff , in Portland, Oregon and in New York where the police broke up the occupations, there is still a hunger for protest and more and more expressions of the Occupy movement are appearing all over the world. However, this movement will only succeed if it is embraced by a huge proportion of the public at large, something that wont happen until people can find a point to engage. However, the movement has already succeeded by providing a useful platform for others to build upon. Despite St Paul's Cathedral's reluctance to endorse the Occupy movement and Ed Milliband's over-long silence about the issue, St Pauls and Milliband finally found some integrity and made positive statements of support.

My anxiety is that this movement has built-in the seeds of its own destruction by having no appointed leaders, spokespersons or manifesto to communicate their important message. Here in Wales 100 years ago we had our own movement, a religious revival in 1904 which impacted the nation hugely, transforming many lives. In 1904 nobody would have imagined that the movement would have all but run out of steam within two years. I would urge those involved with the Occupy movement which includes me as one of the 99 percent -- to learn the lessons of history and ensure that its aspirations are clearly understood, embraced and fought-for by the remainder of the 99 percent.

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A musical theatre superstar, a classical singer also known for his star role in a TV advert, a world-famous music conductor and an opera sensation are among the artists set to perform at the 2012 Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

The 2012 line-up features music favourites Alfie Boe, Wynne Evans, Karl Jenkins and Lesley Garrett among its highlights. Instrumentalists Alison Balsom and Nicola Benedetti, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soprano Fflur Wyn, opera star Mark Llywelyn Evans and Cr CF1 have also been confirmed to perform at the Eisteddfod.

The announcement came at a press conference at Llangollen Pavilion on Wednesday 16 November by new Music Director Eilir Owen Griffiths. Tickets for the concerts will be released on general sale from Monday 5 December at the Box Office and online.

Wynne Evans was also at the launch and gave the press a sneak preview of whats to come at the 2012 Grand Finale concert with a specially written song about Llangollen to the tune of the Go Compare adverts.

The tenor from Carmarthen says,The Llangollen International Eisteddfod has such a rich tradition and is well supported by locals and visitors from four corners of the world. Its an honour to be invited to perform on such an iconic stage for the first time in front of an international audience. I am ashamed to say I only visited the Eisteddfod for the first time last year and I was amazed by the broad spectrum of musical styles and cultures there. I can honestly say there is something for everyone. As soon as I felt the atmosphere in the pavilion it became my ambition to sing there and now I am delighted to be headlining the final night concert. The line-up for 2012 looks fantastic and Im sure the demand for tickets will be as high as ever.

Music Director Eilir adds,2012 is an exciting year for Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Weve managed to attract an exciting mix of accomplished artists and instrumentalists to complete an attractive Concert Series. This year also sees the launch of The LIME Festival Chorus and The LIME Orchestra as well as the brand new All Singing, All Dancing Showchoirs competition, which Im personally looking forward to.

Annual favourites including the fantastic International Competitors, Childrens Day, Folk Friday and the inaugural and internationally renowned Choir of the World finale all return. We certainly have got something for everyone. And personally, Im looking forward to the challenges that my first year in the role will bring.

The 2012 Llangollen International Eisteddfod kicks off on Tuesday 3 July with the annual Parade of Nations through Llangollen town centre. Later that evening, competitors from across the globe will perform at the One World, One Stage, One Llangollen Welcome concert (7.30pm).

Classical Brit award winner and trumpeter Alison Balsom, soprano Lesley Garrett and violinist Nicola Benedetti will perform with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert on Wednesday 4 July (8.00pm).

Lesley Garrett explains,Llangollen Eisteddfod is an amazing festival that brings many genres of music together. This is a cultural festival with great longevity and a fabulous history. Some of the worlds best singers have headlined here over the past 65 years. Im also looking forward to performing at Llangollen again and sharing the stage with the fantastic Alison Balsom and Nicola Benedetti. They are wonderful instrumentalists and performers.

Broadway and West End star Alfie Boe best known for his role as Jean Valijean in Les Misrables makes his first appearance at Llangollen on 5 July to launch the All Singing, All Dancing Showchoirs competition (7.30pm).

Alfie Boe says,Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has played host to a great number of international singers and performers in the past and Im thrilled to be able to follow in their footsteps. Its also exciting for me to launch the 2012 Show Choir competition and as Wales is traditionally known as Land of the Song Im sure the standard will be high.

The winner of the Cardiff Singer of the World 2011, Valentina Nafornita, is the special guest singer during Karl Jenkins The Peacemakers on Friday 6 July (8.00pm). Swansea-born Jenkins returns to the Eisteddfod having led concerts in 2010.He was also Day President at the 2009 Eisteddfod.

On Saturday 7 July, the weeks competitions come to a head in the spectacular Choir of the World finale (8.00pm).

Brothers Wynne and Mark Evans lead an exciting musical extravaganza on 8 July as they perform at the Grand Finale (7.30pm). The classical singers will be joined by opera singer Fflur Wyn, Cr CF1 and many more in closing the 2012 festival.

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This Week On AmeriCymru


By Ceri Shaw, 2011-11-15

This week on Americymru. Try our new revamped Forum page, start a discussion or join in an ongoing topic. Also new this week, try our Ideas page for new feature ideas etc. Enjoy!

FORUM


General Discussions ( Anything Goes )

This category is for OT ( off topic ) discussions. Basically if you want to start a discussion with other members about dog grooming or hedge sculpture please add to this category.
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Forum Games ( Waste your time here! )

Know of any good time killers? Add them as a separate discussion. View Discussions

Where In Wales? 2Replies

Started by Ceri Shaw . Last reply by Swansea Jack 23 hours ago.

Sheep Reaction Game 2Replies

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Political Free Fire Zone

This category is available for members to express their opinions and engage in ( civilized ) debate on political issues of the day. Please remember no cussing or flaming. Provocative or insulting posts may be removed at the discretion of the moderators/admins. However, every attempt will be made to avoid being overly censorious.
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BLOGS

ArthMawr Join the British Ex-Pats Country Club

World Golf Tour is a new virtual golf game. Join up and practice to advance your levels. Then join the Brit Ex Pats Club to play rounds and tournaments with other British Ex Patriots. Contact me at timdillpeterson@verizon.net and I will get bonus points for inviting you :)

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Gillian Morgan Dolly

I had a doll when Iwas a child. A large procelain doll that made a soundwhich was supposed to resemble 'Mamma'. I called her Jenni and she had two teeth which disappeared into her gums when I tried to clean them. My mother paid a dressmaker to sew some extra clothes for Jenni, (pink crepe de chine dresses). I gave her a wipe over when I was in the mood and walked her out in a pram.

Emma had a doll andpushchairand Kate had Suzy and a pram. Kate preferred stuffed animal toys to
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Ceri Shaw Robert Edwards & Manhattan - The Edwards Millions To Be Made Into A Movie by Sara Sugarman

The Edwardses attempt to Occupy Wall St? Are the descendants of Welsh pirate Robert Edwards the legitimate owners of Manhattan Island? The claim is not new but now a Hollywood director wants to turn the whole saga into a movie. Read


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Gillian Morgan A La Table

How do you feel about furniture. Is a table a table or is itsomething else? (I'll leavePlato alone in his own heavenly furniture shop for the moment.) Let'stalk about a wooden top with four legs or perhaps a grand dining table with an extra leaf and extra legs. That's for when you use the best silver, cut glass, napery and maybe have a butler waiting on you.

I don't mean to be snobby about this, but furniture can tilt peple into some very squiffy angles, especially food critics
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gaabi "Dresden" Author Jim Butcher does a Welsh-inspired Short Story in Chicago!

Jim Butcher is the author of the very popular "Harry Dresden" fantasy series, about a Chicago private investigator who's also a wizard and the hidden world of wizards, vampires, Fae and other magical creatures barely restrained from falling upon us all, starting in Chicago.

Butcher contributed a short story to a new anthology, published this year,
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Ceri Shaw Standing Down On Chase Race

It has become evident over the last three days that we are not going to be successful in our bid for a $25000 dollar grant in the Chase Community Giving race. There are several reasons for this:-

1. For sure a number of people are liking the page instead of voting or objecting to liking the app. This doesn help. BUT we had both these problems in 2010 when we came within 30 votes of winning.

2. What we did NOT have in 2010 was a position where
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mona everett Holiday Card Request

I go out to Briceville, TN, (formerly called Coal Creek) whenever I am again in Tennessee visiting relatives and stop at the library, church and school. I was last there in March.

This is repeat of a post I've made the last 2 years.

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Reproduced with kind permission of Cymru Culture Magazine


( Editors Note: Mackerel is almost unobtainable in the US apart from the Brit Food sections in Fred Meyers where it can be bought in cans. Unfortunately Mackerel tends to be used as fish bait here and not for human consumption. This is a mistake, witness this excellent recipe from Welsh gastronome Claire Meredith. The consistency of tinned mackerel is different from that of fresh or vacuum packed. The fish's texture is most important to the outcome of the pt. So, you could use smoked trout or smoked haddock if smoked mackerel is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. )


Recipes can be as difficult as you choose to make them. I am a strong advocate of food that sounds, looks and tastes wonderful, but is very easy to make, and inexpensive. One of my favourite dishes (commonly serverd as a starter or as a chic party food) is my smoked mackerel and horseradish p t . Here's how to do it ...




First, buy some smoked mackerel from your local supermarket (don't buy the pepper-coated variety as this will clash with the horseradish used in the recipe). You could also use smoked trout or haddock instead, if you wish.


Flake the smoked mackerel into a bowl and break it into small pieces. Do not use a liquidiser as it would make the mixture too smooth (the coarse texture of this p t is one of its strengths).


Add 1-2 table spoons of creamed horseradish (to taste) and mix well. This mixture can then be stored in the fridge until needed.





Take some small capers out of the brine in which they are stored and set to one side. These will be used as a garnish for the final dish.


You could make the brown seeded rolls yourself, but I use the part-baked versions available from my local supermarket. They only take 6 minutes in the oven and come out smelling wonderful. Cut the bread rolls in half, spread with margarine (or butter, whichever you prefer), pile on a generous amount of the mackeral p t and then sprinkle with capers.


It's a simple as that! Enjoy.



2011 Caregos Cyf. | Hawlfraint - All rights reserved



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Join the British Ex-Pats Country Club


By ArthMawr, 2011-11-15

World Golf Tour is a new virtual golf game. Join up and practice to advance your levels. Then join the Brit Ex Pats Club to play rounds and tournaments with other British Ex Patriots. Contact me at timdillpeterson@verizon.net and I will get bonus points for inviting you :)

Posted in: default | 0 comments
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