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Hi All, i just did my first camera interview & my first guest was London based Sax player Alex Garnett, when he came to perform at Swansea Jazzland with his band. You can see the interview at www.youtube.com/MissASinha & let me know what you think. xx

A bloke's wife goes missing while diving off the West Australian coast.
He reports the event, searches fruitlessly and spends a terrible night wondering what could have happened to her.
Next morning there is a knock at the door and he is confronted by a couple of police officers, the old Sarge and a younger Constable...
The Sarge says, 'Mate, we have some news for you, unfortunately some really bad news, but, some good news, and maybe some more good news'.
'Well,' says the bloke, 'I guess I'd better have the bad news first?'
The Sarge says, 'I'm really sorry mate, but your wife is dead. Young Bill here found her lying at about five fathoms in a little cleft in the reef. He got a line around her and we pulled her up, but she was dead.'
The bloke is naturally pretty distressed to hear of this and has a bit of a turn. However, after a few minutes he pulls himself together and asks what the good news is.
The Sarge says, 'Well when we got your wife up there were quite a few really good sized crays and a swag of nice crabs attached to her, so we've brought you your share.'
He hands the bloke a sugar bag with a couple of nice crays and four or five crabs in it.
'Geez thanks. They're bloody beauties. I guess it is an ill wind and all that... So what's the other possible good news?'
'Well', the Sarge says, 'if you fancy a quick trip, me and young Bill here get off duty at around 11 o'clock and we're gonna shoot over there and pull her up again!'

Latest Feature Announcement from Ning

Since adding the Like Feature in February, we've studied closely how Ning Creators are using it on their social sites. What we've found is exciting: 12,000 Ning Creators have already replaced the Favorite and Rate features with the Like Button, and they are seeing great results. Here's how this change has increased member engagement:

Engagement = Number of times content is Rated, Favorited, or Liked

We're excited to report that later today, we will be taking the Like Feature out of Ning Labs.

We've spent the last several weeks making a series of improvements, including:

• Like buttons for more features (Photos, Videos, Blogs, Events, Discussions, Groups, Pages, Profiles)
• Feature-by-feature control to enable/disable a Like button
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Healing The Wounds, the Welsh charity which helps treat sufferers of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), has moved into a new HQ.

The charity, which recently announced actor Michael Sheen as a new patron, now has an office and treatment rooms at The Enterprise centre in Bryn Road, Tondu, Bridgend.

The move to new offices takes the charity to a new level, said charity founder and Executive Director Kevin Richards.

Previously, we were working from home. Now, we have a professional office which will help us raise the charitys profile in the community.

The new office also has treatment rooms which will allow our trained practitioners to treat PTSD sufferers.

This work is crucially important to us as a charity as we have a waiting list of people who need to receive PTSD treatment.

We have members of the armed forces waiting for PTSD treatment and we also have people from the civilian sector of the emergency services.

At the outset, we always said that we would spread our wings and treat people from the armed forces (either serving or veterans) and people from the civilian services who have been left suffering from PTSD because of the work that they do on behalf of the community.

Our long term aim remains to establish a larger PTSD treatment and convalescent centre in Wales, but we do not have the funds for that at the moment.

Things have moved very quickly since we were first established as a charity and our immediate focus has to be on people rather than buildings. We certainly couldnt consider setting up a treatment room at home.

The new office has two treatment rooms and will allow us to continue the work we recently started with our first ever PTSD course, which was held at the Heronston Hotel in Bridgend. That course saw four people from the armed forces benefit from the treatment course run by practitioners trained by the Healing The Wounds charity.

Mr Richards added: Since we set up the charity, one thing has become clear the people of Wales want us to spend the money on the people who deserve it most. Those are the people who sadly suffer from PTSD because they have had to endure some terrible things all in the line of duty and service for their country and their local community.

Our key target has also been to make sure that these brave men and women are treated as close as possible to their homes. We are not like other charities which will quite happily ship people to other parts of Britain for treatment. We want people from Wales to be treated in Wales and as close as possible to the homes of their family and friends.

We have people on our waiting list from Newport, Swansea and Llandeilo. One of them is a serving member of the armed forces who came to our attention through his Lieutenant Colonel, so the word is getting out there that we have this great service we can provide for PTSD sufferers.

Our first ever treatment course in Bridgend was a great success and when you look at the transformation in the four guys we treated there then you start to appreciate how important our work is. It was great to see the guys so relaxed and at ease at the end of the course.

The charitys new HQ is Office 26, Enterprise Centre, Bryn Road, Tondu, Bridgend, CF32 9BS, telephone 01656 728281.

The Healing The Wounds charity was set up in December 2009 to help provide PTSD treatment for members of the armed forces and veterans. It aims to set up a Welsh base for the treatment of PTSD. It is already arranging treatment courses and building a team of counsellors who can treat PTSD.

Donations can be made

By post:

To make your donation by post, please send a cheque payable to Healing The Wounds, together with your name address and post code to enable us to claim gift aid, to Healing The Wounds, 22 Abbey Road, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, CF33 6HF.

Give in person at Barclays Bank. Call into any branch of Barclays and pay your donation into this account:

Healing The Wounds Sort code: 20-84-41 Account number: 90516929

The charitys website is at http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk/

Contact number for charity officers - 01656 728281

West Wales brewer Evan-Evans has scooped a top prize at the International Brewing awards 2011.At the award ceremony in the Guildhall in the City of London, the Evan-Evans Cwrw brand was voted the Bronze Medal in Class 2 the Best Bitter category (cask ale 3.9-4.3 ABV).The competition attracts entrants from all over the world.Judging is carried out over two days, by 30 different Judges, all senior brewers in the industry. This year the head of judging was Bill Taylor, Chief Brewer of Lion Nathan, in Australia.Evan-Evans was one of only three prize winners from Wales out of 80 contestants from around the world.Simon Buckley, Evan-Evans Director, said:This is a tremendous accolade to be voted a Bronze medal winner in this the worlds oldest brewing competition. Cwrw is now identified as being one of the worlds top Best Bitters, and is certainly the very best beer of its type in Wales.To win a major prize on the international brewing stage gives us true recognition for the dedication of our young brewers and the whole team at the brewery in Llandeilo. This is a major award, and is a fine start to our celebrations as a family of 245 years of brewing in Wales.I am extremely proud of the teams achievements, and now see Cwrw as a brand that could quite easily become the National Drink of Wales.Evan-Evans this year starts off the celebrations of 245 years of family brewing with the launch of a new Heritage Brand which will come to market in May of this year.Two other Welsh brewers won awards at the event Purple Moose, Porthmadog, bronze for dark beer 3.8-4.7 ABV, and SA Brain, Cardiff, bronze for cask ale 4.4-4.8 ABV.For pictures from the event, see https://picasaweb.google.com/robertapvincent/BrewingAwards#

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Rick Astley and Kiki Dee will perform alongside Lulu at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod as part of the Lulu and Friends concert on Monday 4th July.

Three legendary artists performing at the opening concert of the eisteddfod will set a high the standard for the festival week. Lulu, Rick Astley and Kiki Dee will be part of one of the most exciting eisteddfod lineups to date, as they join a festival schedule, which already includes music superstars Russell Watson and McFly.

As well as series of fantastic evening concerts, the festival week will bring performances of music and folk dance from around the world in one place! More than 4,000 competitors, from over 50 countries will take part, including some rare visitors from South Korea, China, Moldova, Slovakia.

Rick Astley Said: Llangollen Eisteddfod is the one of the longest-running annual festivals in Britain and I cannot wait to perform there. Ive been told Llangollen is a beautiful place and that everyone who attends the eisteddfod is really appreciative of music.

Kiki Dee is best known for her 1976 duet with Elton John entitled Dont Go Breaking my Heart, which went to Number 1 both in the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In 1993 she performed another duet with Elton John for his Duets album, a cover version of Cole Porters True Love which reached #2 in the UK

Kiki Dee Said: Performing at Llangollen Eisteddfod will be fabulous, especially as I will be in such good company. I cant wait!

The Lulu and Friends concert will be an evening of exciting music, dance and more. The performances on 4th July will no doubt be one of the highlights of this years Llangollen Eisteddfod.

Lyn Mackay has been playing piano and entertaining people since she took over from the music teacher at her primary school in Swansea as the pianist for morning assemblies aged 10-because she was a better pianist than the music teacher! She has co-hosted a live radio show where she sang and played 'live' the requests that were phoned in by listeners. She has written 2 musicals - 'Swansea Girls' which sold out on it's 1st run at the Grand Theatre, Swansea and was brought back for a longer run 7 months later......and the latest ...... 'Swansea Women' which staged at the Grand Theatre, Swansea, September 2010 with tremendous success. AmeriCymru spoke to Lyn about her music and her future plans:-

AmeriCymru: Hi Lyn and many thanks for agreeing to talk to AmeriCymru. You are an accomplished musical performer and composer. Would you tell us something about your music background? Where did you study music?

Lyn: I started taking private classical piano lessons at the age of 7, after showing great interest in my auntie's old upright piano. I had a fantastic old teacher called Miss March and she took me through to Grade 8 in both music theory and practial. I went to a very music-focussed grammar school where I then learned choral singing and how to write harmonies etc. I became a professional singer after leaving school at 18 and travelled the world singing and playing piano, being MD and accompanist, writing and arranging. When I did my teaching degree years later, I decided not to do music as I felt I'd already done enough, so I instead opted to do a degree in Literature & Media Studies-both of which I also love.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about the musical "Swansea Girls"? What factors, experiences, etc. inspired you to create this show?

Lyn: I was working with the Welsh actress Menna Trussler who more or less told me to go and write something that we could do together...well I tried to think of something that we had in common...and I thought 'well, we're both Swansea girls....hey....GREAT name for a show!' and off I went like a rocket!! The entire show was written in less than a week-plus 13 new songs-I already had 12 frrom my back catalogue that I knew I wanted to use in the show. A lot of the script was auto-biographical and observational through my experiences of things I'd seen and done. I was thrilled to bits when it opened to a packed house in Swansea Grand Theatre. One of the proudest moments of my life was when the theatre manager called me to say 'we'd better out another performwnce on-we've sold out!'

AmeriCymru: What inspired the show 'Botox Boogie'?

Lyn: The SONG Botox Boogie came about after i got wolf-whistled at by some builders one day-it made me laugh...and I thought....'maybe youe DON'T have to be perfect to be attractive!' It gave me such a lift-and a laugh. Especially because, at the time, the press/tv was full of the size zero phenomenon and how anorexic models were being used by designers. Plus there was much discussion about botox and teeth veneers and hair extensions and boob jobs! So I wrote the song as a kind of protest-song.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little more about your latest show 'Swansea Women'?

Lyn: In 'Swansea Girls', we meet 'Dolores' who's in her 80's. We find that she ran away from Swansea during WW2 but we don't discover why. In 'Swansea Women' we go back to WW2 and meet her, her family and neighbours as they struggle to deal with the horror of war. We also find out why she ran away.

AmeriCymru: Are there any types of music that you haven't explored that you would like to pursue?

Lyn: Hmmm....I don't think so really. Being classically-trained with 'cello as a second instrument I have a good knowledge and undertanding of that genre and as someone used to playing 6 hours a night, 6 nights a week in the big piano-bars I worked in, I was asked to play and sing every single style you care to think about-and some you probably HAVEN'T thought about lol! I have a very eclectic musical taste-for which I am very grateful. Good music is good music-whether it's pop, a Welsh hymn or jazz or Beethoven.As a composer though, I would love to write for tv or compose a film score.

AmeriCymru: You also run a musical academy in Swansea- 'The Lyn Mackay Academy Of Music & Performance LTD'. Can you to tell us a little about the Academy and your students?

Lyn: Yes, I started the Academy to offer specialist one-to-one vocal lessons to students, catered to THEIR needs. I cover all aspects of performance and also offer help with confidence and self-esteem issues. It has been quite successful and my students are now regularly winning university places and gaining success in competitions and auditions, about which I am very proud.

AmeriCymru: You have just released a new single 'Empty Arms & Empty Hearts'. Is there a new album in the works? Where can readers hear/buy the single?

Lyn: Yes, the album is called 'A FUNNY TIME OF LIFE' and is being launched in Swansea next tuesday. It should then be available for download within a month. It's a mix of 11 original songs from the 70's to the present and hopefully shows a good range of my writing, with something to appeal to everyone-from rock'n'roll to jazz, ballads and theatre, The single is a track from the album. I was commissioned to write it for SNUK-Surrogacy Network UK to help raise awareness of how desperately some people are to become parents-hence the title ' EMPTY ARMS & EMPTY HEARTS' . It is now avalable for download from itunes, amazon and other online mp3 download sites-just google it.

AmeriCymru: You have been vocal in your support for the campaign to save the Dylan Thomas Center in Swansea. Can you explain for our readers the importance of this resource?

Lyn: Oh dear-where to start? Well like I said, I have a love of words and I particularly like Dylan Thomas' work. The Dylan Thomas Centre is world-renowned as a centre of excellence and people come from all over to visit it, using the amazing knowledge of the staff there to follow the life he led in Swansea and see places mentioned in his works. Inside the centre WAS the lovely bookshop caf run by Jeff Towns. It is such a lovely place and such a resource for the people of the city and further afield. The revenue that this generates for the city annually, is in excess of 3 million pounds. We annot to afford to lose that, let alone a wonderful venue like the centre. I know that schools and colleges will really miss it as an educational resource as well. It is staggering to me that the council are even contemplating closing it. They have made some DREADFUL decisions in the past and are about to make another. They should be ashamed of themselves.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Lyn Mackay?

Lyn: Gosh...who knows? I have some very exciting projects coming up in the next few months. I also have to write the next musical in my quadrology-SWANSEA JACKS, which takes us from the late 50's into thearly 70's. I would like to do another album and am hoping to film the pilot for a tv show with Welsh entertainer and my good friend, Mike Doyle.

AmeriCymru: Looking forward to meeting up at the West Coast Eisteddfod Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Lyn: Well I have loved Americymru since I first joined it-seems like years ago now! I genuinely feel like I have already made some good friends through this network and am really hoping to meet some of you in person in LA this September! See you there!

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email & Margaret Lloyd Beckham

It is now late on a Monday evening - and we are resting overnight before travelling again.

The Crimson Moon Tavern, Brother Weaver Barrel (aka Vollsanger) and the "Widow" spent a pleasant weekend somewhere in the realms of Azriel - where heroes from many lands and times are summoned to entertain the "Powers" and gain wealth and notoriety and fame....

At the same time - these heroes also are raising funds for the RNLI - the Royal National Lifeboat Institution - this year's chosen Charity of the Aberddu LARP Group based in Aberystwyth - who through their gaming and fun - also dip deep in their pockets in the Charity Auction - and though small in number this year - raised the magnificent sum of 1200 on the weekend - probably more in the final reckoning.

Part of the event included the Arena "Last Man Standing" battles - where, being a family event, everyone was entitled to enter - as long as they paid a small donation to the Charity of Choice... and as with many "knockout" tournaments - somepeopleend up with and easier ride than others.

And so it was for a young man who called himself "Janner" - yes a navy man in real life from the Plymouth area (Janner is a well used - though not verycomplimentaryterm for those from Plymouth). By luck or judgement he foundhimselfpitted against a series of young players -mostof whom did not reach his waist - other non-combatants and his wife !! Naturally he found his way to the Final - but what he was not expecting was the youngest challenger - one Lexy .. to decide that there were other ways of winning a competition, and she immediately challenged the
World famous Bard - Vollsanger ( well he was famous in that World ) who was currently disguised as Brother weaver Barrel to write a song about the dastardly deeds of the man who only fought children and the weak...

This was a challenge that the Bard was not likely to run away from !! after all - it was well known in the Crimson Moon that Vollsanger will sing any song for a Copper - and move onto the next table for a Silver piece - but for the prospect of Gold - he will pen you a song there and then...

To which - she further challengedhim- that her father would pay a hefty donation should the song be written - that donation going to the Charity for the Lifeboats - but that the longer it took to write - the less money would go in the pot!!

So the gauntlet to thrown ...

The fastest song to commemorate evil deeds of this vile serpent ... but one that must raisesufficientlaughs to ensure that the donation was matched by the hat that would be passed around the audience... a challenge indeed.

But one look at theinnocencein the eyes of little Lexy... the cat-likecomplexion- the very sharp dagger and the clearknowledgethat she knew how to use it... set Vollsanger on his task....

Ten minutes later - after a quick re-write due to the problems of candle power and vision when you get to a certain age - and the need for CAPITAL LETTERS to be able to sing... and the masterpiece was completed..

Well - itmaynot be the best song that you ever hear - but for a challenge from a youngster ... and ten minute deadline.. it helped to raise part of the 1,200 that the generosity of the LARP Players of Aberddu - and all systems that assisted, which I am sure will be gratefully recieved by the RNLI.

And so the song... please enjoy this bit ofdoggerelfrom Vollsanger - he is "here all week"

Remember - it is always a quarter to eleven in the Crimson Moon
5 minutes before drinking up time
Just time for one more drink
Always time for one more Drink in the Crimson Moon

News

Weird Naked Indian are scheduled to play alongside the Manic Street Preachers in a National Theatre Wales production of The Passion, starring Michael Sheen as Christ.

Michael Sheen went to see an Un-Covered Music gig (a series of gigs that promote bands who play original music) where he saw Weird Naked Indian play. Michael requested to meet the band and asked them to write a song about The Passion with a rousing rebel feel that would fit the scene. The song titled Home is Where the Heart is has now been recorded and will be made available soon as a free download.

The event will be shown by 2 film productions internationally, one by the BBC and the other by Palm D'Or winner Keith Griffiths and Dave McKeen.

http://www.michael-sheen.co.uk/newsdesk/2011/01/29/michael-sheens-passion-play-to-be-made-into-a-film/

Bio

Weird Naked Indian are an acoustic rock duo with a unique style and big sound Nation Radio . Singer and guitarist David Dale and drummer Conor Doig, are driven by their passion for song writing and playing to live audiences.

The band draws upon influences such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Tenacious D, Two Gallants and The White Stripes to produce a new unique style of rock that one industry insider has described as Punk Folk Rock. Wow, incredible song craft, passionate execution, this duo lack nothing. Rich melodies, stomping beat and captivating charm. DJ Alli-Cat, Total Rock Radio

The Weird Naked Indian EP is available on iTunes from which the track Grass was selected by Adam Walton as BBC Introducing in Waless Demo of The Week

Weird Naked Indian

http://soundcloud.com/weirdnakedindian

http://www.facebook.com/wnifan

http://www.myspace.com/wnimusic