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As many of you know the anti SOPA movement is gaining significant traction with powerful voices from both right and left of the political spectrum and almost the entire online community joining the protest.

LATEST SOPA NEWS

A number of sites ( including Reddit and possibly Wikipedia ) will black themselves out for a day on the 18th of this month. A Wordpress plugin has been provided for the many millions of bloggers on the platform who wish to join the protest. There are rumors that both Google and Facebook will also take action on that day.

Whatever happens on the 18th and whatever the extent of the protest, in our opinion SOPA MUST BE STOPPED. We are considering adding our ( admittedly small ) voice to the growing chorus of indignation. IF we do it, we will present an index page ( in place of our current home page ) with information and links concerning the proposed legislation and suggestions for taking further action ( signing petitions, calls to congressmen who remain uncommitted etc ).

Alexis Ohanian of Reddit ( amongst others ) will be testifying at a congressional hearing on the 18th. He is on record as saying that " Congress Is Going To Obliterate An Entire Tech Industry" . We do not believe he is exaggerating. It is vital that he is able to demonstrate that the entire online community stands behind him.

Should we join the protest? What do members think? Please comment below.

Welsh on the Kindle

For the first time ever there is a selection of Welsh language books to read on the Kindle this year. Y Lolfa has published ten of its popular novels as ebooks on Amazons website. Y Lolfa has published ebooks on its website for almost four years but this is the first time that Welsh language books have been available on the Kindle. Amongst the books available is Dyn Pob Un (Every ones man) a satirical novel about the media and Yr Alarch Du (The Black Swan) a mystery novel set in Caernarfon.

There will be a far wider choice of Welsh and English books over the next few months and books will be available on all platforms. We hope that this will help to create a wider audience for Welsh interest books, especially to Welsh people who live in the US.

Link to Welsh books on the Kindle

Y Lolfas Website: http://www.ylolfa.com/

Cymraeg ar y Kindle

Yn sgil galw gan ddarllenwyr maer Lolfa newydd gyhoeddi deg o nofelau poblogaidd Cymraeg fel elyfrau ar wefan Amazon. Maer Lolfa wedi bod yn cyhoeddi e-lyfrau ar wefan y Lolfa ers bron i bedair blynedd ond dymar tro cyntaf i elyfrau Cymraeg fod ar werth ar wefan Amazon ar gyfer y Kindle. Ymhlith yr elyfrau sydd ar gael mae Dyn Pob Un , nofel ddeifiol a dychanol Euron Griffith a nofel newydd Rhiannon Wyn am Gaernarfon Yr Alarch Du . Mae prisiaur elyfrau ar gyfartaledd yn bunt yn rhatach nar llyfrau papur. Mae yna gynlluniau ar y gweill i gyhoeddi rhagor o elyfrau Cymraeg a Saesneg ar gyfer pob pob dyfais eddarllen. Bydd nifer o lyfrau newydd yn cael eu hychwanegu dros y misoedd i ddod. Gobeithio y bydd hyn yn golygu cynulleidfa ehangach i lyfrau Cymraeg a Chymreig yn enwedig yn yr Unol Daleithiau.

Linc i Lyfrau Cymraeg ar y Kindle

Claim your listing on the new AmeriCymru Directory NOW! It only takes a minute and it's completely FREE!


AmeriCymru Welsh Directory

Three Reasons to Add Your Business/Society Listing to our Directory

• The listings are all integrated with the DisQus commenting system which means that they are also integrated with Facebook/Twitter etc. You can circulate your listing via social networking channels, encourage others to do so AND use it to make announcements , special promotions etc.
• The Directory can be a useful part of your linking strategy. As the site grows we are sure that it will become more highly ranked, consequently a link from the Directory will help increase your visibility in search results. You can add more than one link in the 'Long Description' field.
• Most Directories do not generate a large amount of traffic. We intend that the AmeriCymru Directory will be different. It IS the Directory of a community and as such we will be driving traffic to it. It is intended that the Directory will serve as the focus for special promotions , competitions etc both on the AmeriCymru network and on other social sites.

There are two options:-

Without Login: You may post your listing without registering or logging into the site. If you adopt this method you will NOT subsequently be able to edit your listing. Use this method if you think that you will not need to alter or amend your listing at a later date. Simply click on Add Entry

With Login/Registration: Use this option if you think you may wish to alter your listing in the future. Requires username/password and email address. Simply click on Login

Here are some example pages:-

St David's Society of Greater St Louis

David Western Lovespoons

ADD YOUR LISTING NOW!

We will be using early adopters listings on various sites as example posts. SO sign up now to get free extra exposure for your business/site or society. Add Entry or Login

Cofion gorau

The AmeriCymru Team

A message from Sian Ifans:-

IF You wish to see the A470 Named 'Main Road Prince Owain Glyndwr, sign the petition in the link canlynol and please pass on to one and all.

http://www.gopetition.com/ Petitions / campaign-to-the-name-A470-wales -Main-road-prince-ow.html

Blodwen's New Year Sale - 50% Reduction on Selected Items.

Blodwen - Bringing thecraftman's way of life to your way of living

"A new band we love. Bloody lush!" - Lauren Laverne, BBC 6music
"Life-affirming, well worth a listen, it'll put a spring in your step" - The Independent

STORM CASTLE, RELEASE SHARKS, FREE MUSIC

Diligently polishing a new album due out in spring, Welsh-Anglo-American psych-punk-alt-rockers Howl Griff invite you to a headline Camden gig, tell you about the new single, and offer you a free MP3.

STORM THE CASTLE...
On Thursday 12th January Howl Griff headline at Camden's legendary Dublin Castle http://thedublincastle.com/ Ably supported by Little Shadows, The Harlots and Deaf Offenders, HG will be unveiling their killer new single 'Sharkfins In The Sky' , released later this month but exclusively available on the night.
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/148914

...RELEASE THE SHARKS...
Released on Monday 30th January but available to pre-order now, 'Sharkfins In The Sky' combines thoughtful lyrics with irresistibly uplifting melodic invention. The story of a shooting at an ice-rink disco is soundtracked by a breathlessly catchy new wave / disco crossover, and it's fast becoming one of the band's most popular songs.

"Cleverer than a fox and twice as tuney" - Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales
More info: http://howlgriff.com/music/sharkfins.html

...FREE THE MUSIC
Every month Howl Griff give away a new song , downloadable from http://www.howlgriff.com/freemp3s.html . This month it's another longstanding live favourite: Countdown to Zero, a shuffling smorgasbord of psychedelia building into a heartfelt finale.

See the same page for access to much more free music, while Howl Griff's much-admired back catalogue is now available via Bandcamp http://howlgriff.bandcamp.com/ on a pay-as-you-please basis.

That's it for now, more next month. See you in Camden, or in what The Kids no longer call cyberspace...

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I've got to translate about 5,000 words from English to Welsh as part of an MA assignment. If you have something suitable that needs translating, I'm willing to do it free of charge as I prefer to spend my time on something that will be read by people other than just my assessors.

Clearly, books are out of the question, but essays, articles, brochures, guides, manuals, and so on are more likely to be about the right length. However, it doesnt have to be a single piece, so even if you've got something shorter, I may still consider it if I also have another proposed piece that would make up the word count..

I intend to begin the work around the middle of February and hope to then have it completed in around three or four weeks.

I'm living in South Korea at the moment, so finding something appropriate is not easy and I would appreciate any suggestions you have, even if it is not something of your own.

************************************************

Mae'n rhaid i mi gyfieithu tua 5,000 o eiriau o Saesneg i Gymraeg fel rhan o aseiniad cwrs MA. Os oes gennych rywbeth addas sydd angen ei gyfieithu, rwy'n fodlon ei gwneud yn rhad ac am ddim gan fod yn well gennyf dreulio fy amser ar rywbeth caiff ei ddarllen gan bobl heblaw dim ond fy aseswyr.

Yn amlwg, mae llyfr allan o'r cwestiwn, ond byddai traethawd, erthygl, llyfryn, llawlyfr, neu rywbeth tebyg yn fwy tebygol o fod tua'r hyd iawn. Fodd bynnag, does dim rhaid iddo fod yn un darn, felly hyd yn oed os oes gennych rywbeth byrrach, gallaf dal ei gysidro os ydw i hefyd yn derbyn darn arall y gall godi cyfanswm y geiriau i'r nifer derbyniol.

Bwriadaf ddechrau'r gwaith tua chanol mis Chwefror ac yna gobeithiaf ei gwblhau mewn tua thair neu pedair wythnos.

Rwy'n byw yn Ne Corea ar y pryd, felly dydy ddim yn rhwydd dod o hyd i rywbeth addas ac fe werthfawrogaf unrhyw gynigion sydd gennych, hyd yn oed os nad ydy'n rhywbeth gennych chi eich hun.

Tro Llaw - a collection of 200 Welsh Hornpipes from the National Library of Wales. Robin Huw Bowen. ISBN 0-907158-25-0

This book has not been reprinted in 25 years and there is a new generation of folk and traditional musicians eager to have a copy of this book. It is very rare to find second hand copies for sale.

Another print run of 'Tro Llaw' would accommodate the needs of the new generation ... of young Welsh musicians and the rest of the popular folk world, wishing to increase both their Welsh musical repertoire and book collection, and to create a further awareness of our beautiful heritage.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION
Diolch
http://www.change.org/ petitions/ national-library-of-wales-re-pr int-tro-llaw-200-welsh-hornpip es-by-robin-huw-bowen-1987

(This is part of a column I wrote which appeared in Ninnau & Y Drych)Ninnau & Y Drychoffers us a new column!Arturo Roberts, Ninnau & Y Drych publisher, has offered regular column space to summarize activities in the Welsh communities in North America and beyond. The premiere column is in the current issue.We are asking for brief Welsh-flavored news items and photos from outside Wales.We hope to highlight local events of a more unusual nature. The purpose is to showcase events that have already taken place and include photos with a few short descriptive paragraphs. This, it is hoped, will let readers see how active and creative the world-wide Welsh are and give other organizations ideas for future programs. This latter was an important item discussed at the annual meeting of Affiliated Welsh Organizations leaders at the last three North American Festivals of Wales.Some local societies find themselves repeating the same activities and getting fewer and fewer people to meetings, while other societies seem to be adding more and more diverse activities that appeal to a wider population, yet still keep the "Welshness". (This is NOT to say that cymanfaoedd canu and St. Davids Day events should not continue to be integral parts of our activities! Most societies know how to do those and many are just looking for fresh ideas to add to their existing programs.)We can also provide the space to share news of births, marriages, significant birthdays, and anniversaries within your local society. We expect that this column will allow many smaller events to receive widespread notice.If your local society has any fall or winter (spring or summer, for those in the Southern Hemisphere) news or events and/or photos you would like included in the next Welsh Round Up, please email them as attachments to: Roundup@nafow.org before February 1, 2012. Be sure to include either a phone or email contact. Each column will contain material submitted from individuals and local Welsh organizations. High quality jpeg photos with captions and photo credits welcome!To be considered for inclusion in this column for the next year, the deadlines are:February 1, 2012April 1, 2012June 1, 2012August 1, 2012October 1, 2012December 1. 2012Please send submissions as early as possible to allow for editing and any questions. The column will only succeed with your help!It would be a great help if we could receive copies of your local Welsh newsletterseither via email or postal mailat the above addresses. If you decide to send them, please include permission for us to edit and reprint information and photos in Ninnau.I hope you enjoy this new addition to Ninnau and Y Drych!Thank you!

can anyone help me please, i am doing a project for my textiles degree , the project is about welsh migration and i want to look for real stories of real people who migrated, the reasons why and where from and to. im lookin for names dates which ships they traveled on and perhaps letters or poetry. also anything about quiltmaking and the influence the welsh had on the americans quiltmaking traditions. I have a few ideas for my final quilt but need to do lots of research first, i would be very grateful for any help thank you so much

hazel reitz