Blogs

Forgive me for being a pessimist, but i believe Meriwether was a bit too old to have landed on the moon with Armstrong and Aldrin. Although, this could have been one of the later missions...they al look alike in their suits. kim

The Kingsland Rugby Club has been set up by John Porteous of Kingsland, Auckland, New Zealand; the home of EDEN PARK. The Kingsland Rugby Club was active in Auckland, New Zealand in the 1920's. Rugby Football is the national sport in New Zealand where the number one team is know as the world famous All Blacks. Residing in the suburb of Kingsland in Auckland New Zealand is the iconic stadium Eden Park which has been host to countless international rugby events. On the 20th June 1987 the inaugural Rugby World Cup final was held at Eden Park with the All Blacks victorious over France by 29 points to 9. On Sunday 23rd October 2011 Eden Park will again host the Rugby World Cup Final. We in New Zealand are excited about this and would dearly love to see the All Blacks take the field in this final also and of course, the victory. We have never won a world cup final since that great day in 1987 so expectations are high that we repeat the 1987 win again in 2011. This will not be an easy task, we know this, but with the final being played back at the place where it all began we give ourselves a good chance of bringing the cup back to the place where it all began 24 years previously. While The Kingsland Rugby Club is no longer active as a playing club it has been resurrected in this social networking portal to give a voice to the people who put their 'bums on seats' at rugby matches and are in fact the life blood of the sport. While the media have an obsession with the talents of rugby stars both individually and collectively and the 'powers that be' make decisions 'for the good of the game' on behalf of the global mass, the truth of the matter is that without the dedication, the support and the interest from the normal everyday fans of the sport there would be nothing for the stars to accomplish or the power brokers to engage in. This website is focussed on the Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand from September 9th to October 23rd 2011. This site has a specific interest in the matches to be held at Eden Park, Kingsland, Auckland during the tournament. The business owners and residents of Kingsland have been encouraged to join this site thereby becoming affiliate members of the Kingsland Rugby Club. Through this site business owners will be able to announce promotions and special deals and residents will have the opportunity to offer their homes for 'home stay' to visitors coming to Kingsland to enjoy the 2011 Rugby World Cup. There is some time to go between now and kick off when New Zealand play Tonga on Friday September 9th 2011 but time will fly and the event will be underway before we know it. Here we have a great opportunity for those coming to New Zealand to enjoy the world cup to sign up on this KRC web thus becoming an affiliate member of The Kingsland Rugby Club. Through targeted social networking available on this website people will be able to become acquainted, share blogs and videos, arrange affordable accommodation, plan social functions, and know about various events and promotions on offer well before they step one foot in Kingsland as they come to watch their favorite teams battle it out on the hallowed grounds of mighty Eden Park. Of course, while Kingsland is the place where Eden Park is located, there are other areas in close proximity to the park that will have their businesses and residents contributing to the website also. By natural consequence people in other suburbs of Auckland, and other provinces of the country will no doubt set up groups to promote their own offerings for visitors coming to participate in the magnificent event that will be The Rugby World Cup 2011. Because we want only those who are really interested in the sport of rugby there is a one time joining fee to be able to have full access to the portal. This fee will be minimal to begin with then will increase in monthly increments culminating in September 2011 as the event comes to life and the celebrations begin. At the end of the day we will have a network of rugby fans communicating with each other at an event extraordinaire in a manner not otherwise possible. To conclude, in no specific order, the following countries are participating in the 2011 Rugby World Cup: NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, ENGLAND, FRANCE, IRELAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, ITALY, USA, TONGA, SAMOA, FIJI, ARGENTINA and possibly JAPAN and other qualifiers yet to be decided. Matches will be played from Friday September 9th to Sunday October 23rd 2011 at the following centres in New Zealand: [North Island] AUCKLAND (Eden Park in Kingsland), ROTORUA, NORTH SHORE (at Albany on Auckland's North Shore), NEW PLYMOUTH, WELLINGTON, WHANGAREI, HAMILTON, NAPIER, PALMERSTON NORTH. [South Island] CHRISTCHURCH, DUNEDIN, NELSON. and, INVERCARGILL. Want to get involved? Join THE KINGSLAND RUGBY CLUB today. If you love rugby and want to get close to the action before and during the 2011 World Cup of Rugby then this is the place to start. So, whether you intend coming to New Zealand to enjoy the 2011 Rugby World Cup or you are staying home to watch it all on TV but want somehow feel part of this big event then go to http://www.kingslandrugbyclub.co.nz now to join up; we are waiting to welcome you!

I have just returned from my holiday in France and found that there had been some activity in my absence about Hedd Wyn, the Welsh Poet who was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. I was pleased that there was recognition for him, for he is a highly significant figure, another artist of huge potential cut down before his potential could be realised. But I was alarmed that his family home is under threat, as if Ellis Evans somehow no longer has relevance for us today. How wrong that is. We need to remember our past and preserve what we have, or the future will forget. And if the future does forget, then it will be our fault.Look at Huw Davies' pages on Americymru and you will find out more about the threat that hangs over the family farm, Yr Ysgwrn.In November 2005 I wrote an article for Welsh Country Magazine and I thought it would be appropriate to put it here so that those who are unfamiliar with him and what he represents can find out a little more.Hedd Wyn The Black BardOur grave this month takes us overseas. To Belgium and the site of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. But it is a journey that begins on the hills of North Wales above Trawsfynydd. For this is the story of the Black Bard.We visited his grave on a cold February afternoon. Artillery Wood cemetery, at Boesinge just outside Ypres. A mass of white headstones, each an individual life snuffed out too soon. The occasional poppy left by a relative who can now never have met the fallen. So many lives. I am sure it was only the biting wind that made our eyes water.But one grave stands out. More acknowledged than the rest. And the grave register too is full of childrens projects and tributes.For this is the grave of Private Ellis Humphrey Evans, 61117, Royal Welch Fusiliers, the great Welsh poet. He became known as The Black Bard. But to begin with he was known as Hedd Wyn. White Peace.He was born in January 1887 at Penlan in Trawsfynydd and he spent his childhood on the family farm, Yr Ysgwrn. He left school at 14 and worked as a shepherd but was determined to continue with his education. He would walk to Bala to borrow books from the library and he would spend his days on the hills writing poetry. His bardic name of Hedd Wyn was awarded at a local poetry festivalHe did work as a miner in the South Wales coalfields for a while but he realised that his vocation was out on the hills, writing poetry. His reputation grew and he won his first chair at Bala in 1907, followed by others at Eisteddfodau at Llanuwchllyn, Pwllheli and Pontardawe. It was his ambition to win the National, and in fact he came second at Aberystwyth in 1916. Always his bardic name was Hedd Wyn.Evans did not embrace the war. He was a pacifist. Here are the first two lines of his poem Rhyfel (War.)Gwae fi fy myn mewn oes mor ddrengA Duw ar drai ar orwel pell(Woe is my life in such a bitter age,/ As God fades on the horizons canopy.) There is no sense of glory or triumph here. Only the thought that God had turned his back on man.He had no desire to join the army and was protected initially by his occupation. Some farm workers were exempt on the basis that theirs was a vital occupation.But even in the hills the war scarred families, their sons never to return home. His contemporaries were dying and he was writing poems in their memory and working on he farm. However as casualties mounted, the rules were changed and Ellis Evans fate was sealed. The army needed more men and there was not enough work at Yr Ysgwrn to keep all the Evans boys at home. Someone had to go.In order to spare his more enthusiastic younger brother he joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers in February 1917 as a private. From Wrexham Barracks the new recruits were sent to Liverpool but cut unconvincing military figures. Coming down from their farms they would have seemed like foreigners, reluctant to speak English and all at sea in an alien world. Soldiers they were not. It was said of Ellis, He was a silent fellow. It would appear he could speak but little English, or if he could, he did not. The army represented a world he did not wish to join. He was only there out of duty and he was more concerned to complete his poem Yr Arwr (The Hero) in time for the National Eisteddfod in September.It was to be held in Birkenhead. Outside Wales of course, but home to many Welsh people working in the city, either in essential war industries or teaching and nursing.His chance to refine it came when he was sent home after basic training for 7 weeks. This was the last time he would see his family and his home.Private Ellis Evans, of the 15th Bn. Royal Welch Fusiliers, was despatched on active service to Flanders on 9 June 1917. It was a grim place. He wrote in a letter home, Heavy weather, heavy soul, heavy heart. There was, he said, a curse upon the land. He wrote in his poem Y Blotyn Du.We have no right to anythingBut the old and withered earthThat is all in chaos.The rhythm and the certainties of the seasons that he knew so well and that he had just left, had been replaced by mud and blood.The poem was submitted just in time, sent from France on 15 July 1917. It describes the realities of war for both the soldiers and their families at home. It escaped censorship by the army since, naturally, it was written in Welsh. All the subalterns were English.It was his misfortune that the 15th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers was part of the 38th Division which had been selected to lead the assault on Pilckem Ridge. This would be the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele. The division was regarded as having under-performed in the action at Mametz Wood in the Battle of the Somme. This was a chance for them to redeem themselves.They practised their role on a replica of the German trenches built behind the front line in France during June and they were moved up for the attack on 30 July. In the assault the 15th Battalion were required to attack a regimental headquarters and a telephone exchange. They succeeded in this objective, but every officer in the battalion was killed. So was Evans. General Haig described it as a fine days work. 31,000 soldiers were casualties on that fine day.A plaque made of Welsh slate on a brick wall at the Hagebos crossroad now marks the place where the wounded Evans was taken on 31 July 1917. The first aid post received him with chest wounds from shrapnel. He died 4 days later. Although his first language was Welsh, his last words are said to have been English. I am very happy. And so he died, so far away from the hills of north Wales. In their peace and solitude he had reflected and written. In the noise and chaos of Flanders he died, like so many others.Back in Liverpool a group of refugees from the Belgian town of Mechelen were given warm hospitality. One of them was Eugene Van Fleteren who made reproduction furniture. In an act of gratitude for the help he had received, he made the traditional carved chair for the National Eisteddfod. It was to be awarded on Thursday 6 September 1917. A Flanders chair for a Flanders casualty.As a day of celebration it was not a success. Of the two choirs from the Royal Welch Fusiliers who had sung to such acclaim two years earlier, only the conductor had survived and he was badly injured. And when Archdruid Dyfed announced the winner of the bardic chair, for his work Yr Arwr, there was no reply, for Hedd Wyn had died six weeks earlier.Instead of the usual chairing ceremony the chair was draped in a black pall amidst death-like silence and the bards came forward in long procession to pace their muse- tribute of englyn or couplet on the draped chair in memory of the dead bard hero. (The Western Mail.) Hedd Wyn. The Black Bard.After the ceremony the chair was taken away by train and cart to the family farm, to a room set aside in his memory.At the end of the war Hedd Wyns poems were published as Cerdir Bugail (Shepherds Songs) and a statue was erected in Trawsfynydd, not as a soldier but as a shepherd, which is probably how he would have liked to be remembered. It was unveiled by his mother in 1923. A petition to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was granted so that his grave in Artillery Wood does not read simply as E.H. Ellis but Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn -Principal Bard, Hedd Wyn.He has not been forgotten. His old school in Trawsfynydd is now called Ysgol Hedd Wyn in his honour and school projects take children to his graveside. A Welsh -language film of his life was nominated for an Oscar in 1992 and in the same year, on the 75 anniversary of his death, a joint venture between the people of Trawsfynydd and Ypres produced a slate plaque on a wall at Hagebos crossroads, where he received his fatal wounds. In Welsh, English and Flemish it is a fine Welsh slate on fine Flanders brick. Made to last, like memories.At the base of Ellis Evans statue in Trawsfynydd there is a tribute he wrote for a friend killed earlier in the war. He could have written this about himself.His sacrifice will not be forgottenHis face so dear will ever be rememberedThough Germanys iron fist by his blood was stained.Every November our thoughts turn to the past, to the awful destruction of a generation. The world would never be the same again. We should never forget what happened and what the world lost. All that potential, all those possibilities, snuffed out. Forever. Andamongst all the other things we lost, Wales lost a great poet.Published in Welsh Country Magazine, November 2005 (reproduced here with permission.)Since I wrote the article I have come across some additional information which is held in the National Museum of Wales. It is an interview from 1975 with Simon Jones of Aberangell, who saw Ellis fall on the battlefield."...we were going over the top at half past four. We started over Canal Bank at Ypres and he was killed half way across Pilkem...I saw him fall and I can say that it was a nosecap shell in his stomach that killed him. You could tell that. You couldn't stay with him - you had to keep going you see...there were stretcher bearers coming up behind us, you see. There was nothing - well, you'd be breaking the rulkes if went to help someone who was injured when you were in an attack. Your business was to keep going."In Trawsfynydd there is a memorial to Hedd Wyn. I shall include some pictures of it on My Page.

We are pleased to announce that the "Welsh Month at The Library" events will be recorded and made available as podcasts on both the Portland Central Library site and on Americymru. More details about Welsh Month at The Library HERE and HERE. The library events include a presentation by John Good on Welsh poetry and reading/Q&A sessions with Welsh authors Chris Keil and Niall Griffiths.

Americymru member Jolen Whitworth is a prolific writer of poetry which has won her both publishing and competition successes. She has also worked as an editor on a number of poetry and writing projects. She now lives in England with her husband James. Her book, Every Girl Has Her Limits was published in 2009 by UKA Press. Americymru: What in your opinion inspires people to write verse? Jolen: I suppose my first instinct is to say the need to express something in an immediate, creative fashion. People write verse about their everyday lives, social or political issues, art, etc. Regardless of form or subject matter, we all share the need to express ourselves in an artistic fashion. Verse just happens to be the chosen medium. Americymru: What is your background? How did you come to be interested in poetry? Jolen: I come from extremely humble beginnings. We were poor, and growing up, art of any kind wasn't appreciated or encouraged at home. However, I've always been in love with words and hungered to read everything I could get my hands on. Which, I did. I even read the dictionary for fun. I've been writing songs and stories since I could hold a crayon. It was my dream to write for as long as I can recall, but I kept it to myself, since it seemed to be impossible for so long. I have always found poetry beautiful, although I never foresaw myself writing it with any seriousness. That happened quite by accident. I had some poems hidden away for years and shared them with a long time friend. He finally convinced me to share them publicly. It was very raw and emotional work, but I got an immediate and favorable reaction to it by a poet from New York. Along with his and others encouragement, I began to work on improving and polishing my work. In the process, I discovered that I needed to write poetry as much as I needed to breathe. It was a profound personal revelation. Americymru: What is your compositional method? Jolen: That is a difficult question for me to answer effectively. Most often, it will begin with an image or concept I find intriguing. Then I start to put some words down on paper and allow the thoughts to take me on a journey, while I write it out. After that, the real work begins; the task of shaping, sharpening and polishing those thoughts and images into a piece that conveys my message best. Americymru: The title of your collection "Every Girl has Her Limits" is interesting. How much is it a reaction to the circumstances of your life and how much is it a more general philosophical statement? Jolen: Thank you. I tend to write in first person, regardless, and while most of the poems in this collection are reflective of my personal journey, I have tried to express those things and others in a broad enough manner to make a general philosophical statement. I try to create something that people will identify with in an emotional, intellectual or spiritual way. Occasionally, I manage all three with one piece, or as a friend calls it, the "Holy Trinity", which is exceptionally fulfilling. Americymru: The poems in this collection are grouped under various sub-titles (Postulate, Edge, Terminal Side, Opposite Faces, Locus) Care to comment on this grouping? What themes are addressed in these individual sections? Jolen: I wanted to divide my book into sections and selected geometrical terms because I felt they were appropriate for several reasons. If you think of about it, life is a series of lines, arcs and angles. By viewing the world and my poetry in this fashion, it was quite easy to place particular poems within the relevant section. Postulate: (A statement assumed to be true without proof) includes poems that I feel deal with elemental ideals which all humans are aware of on some level, but often lose sight of. Edge: (A segment that helps to make up a face) In this section I have poems that I have written about or for other people Terminal Side: (The side that the measurement of an angle ends at) In this section I have poems about unhealthy relationships. Opposite Faces: (Faces that lie between parallel lines) This section has poems dealing with love and life in the same place but coming at it in different or opposite directions. Locus: (The set that satisfies a given condition) Love poetry or poetry dealing with life-changing events. Positive places, that if we're very fortunate, we get to and remain. And finally, there is Limit: (The actual area of a region) Which I left blank because I believe that we define our own limits. Americymru: Do you have a particular favorite in this collection? Jolen: I would have to say "Sanguine Sea" is my personal favorite in this collection, but there are several that I'm very fond of. Americymru: You have been described as: "a full-blooded Celtic poetess". What do you think about that characterization? Are there particular Celtic influences in your work? Jolen: I love it! Out of all the labels people have tried to assign me, that particular one is the most pleasing to me. Yes, in a great deal of my work you will find Celtic influences. Particularly in poems like "Sanguine Sea" and "In The Shape Of A Hart", which is about a recent spiritual experience I had while on holiday in Scotland. Americymru: Is there any one work that you're particularly proud of or that you particularly like? What is it and why? Jolen: I have a poem entitled "Lessons" and I like it because I think that I have managed to come up with some interesting images, my favorite one being, "sharpen saber and wit on each others whet-bones." Americymru: Do you have future publication plans, if so, what are they? Jolen: In the immediate future, I have poems which will be featured in Sarasvati, Reach, Dawntreader and Twisted Tongue poetry magazines, as well the following anthologies: "Whispers on the Breeze" by United Press, "Tides of Life" by Forward Press, and "Fields of Green" by First Writer Press I am currently working on a novel and a book of short stories that I hope to have published in the not too distant future. I have been compiling a collection of verse, but I don't foresee trying to publish that for a while yet. My work is evolving and I want to be certain that my next book is representative of those changes. Americymru: Any final message for the members and readers of Americymru? Jolen: Besides telling them to rush right out and buy my book, you mean? Yes, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank UKA Press ( www.ukapress.com )for their continued support of my work and excellence in the field. I would also like to thank both you and the readers for their interest and encourage anyone out there who is interested in poetry or writing in general, to go for it. You're only truly limited by what you allow yourself to be. You can email Jolen Whitworth at this address:- jolenwhitworth { at } aol.com The ISBN number of "Every Girl Has Her Limits" is 978-1-9057-9621-2. Interview by Ceri Shaw

Walesonline.co.uk August 15th reports on a collaboration between Caffeine Theatre in Chicago and Dylan Down The Ups, the new organisation launched in Swansea by Geoff and Anne Haden , who contacted each other through AmeriCymru."From Under Milk Wood to across the pond", by Karen Price at the Western Mail http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/2009/08/15/from-under-milk-wood-to-across-the-pond-91466-24444907/ "DYLAN THOMAS has always had a close relationship with the USA."After all, he spent much of his time in New York, the city where he died in 1953."Now a Chicago-based theatre company is planning to revive his legacy for American audiences by staging his work."And its also the chance for British authors, whose pieces have been inspired by Thomas, to have their work shown to American audiences."Caffeine Theatre has teamed up with Dylan Down The Ups, the new organisation launched in Swansea by Geoff and Anne Haden."The couple, who run 5 Cwm-donkin Drive the home in Uplands, Swansea, where Thomas was born and which is now a tourist attraction have launched the group to keep Thomas memory alive as a man of the people rather than just as a writer and poet."Caffeine Theatre got in touch through the Welsh social network Americymru and they are both now coming up with ideas for special events both in Wales and America."This is exactly the kind of thing we created this network for, that people could find each other and create things together - friendship, family ties, art, business, whatever - and we wish them every success.

I have no control over the entries on the petition online site. I would urge members to complain to the following email addresses. Believe me I have already done so in terms that I cannot reproduce here.

support@petitiononline.com

infinite_canvas@yahoo.com.au

The spam in question appear to originate in Australia. Please express your displeasure without rewarding them for their efforts by visiting their sleazy little site.

Genetic Genealogy , the use of DNA testing to aid traditional genealogical research , is the newest and t he most accurate research tool for the family historian as it can prove or disprove family connections. DNA testing can support a paper trail which is often in question given the lack of surviving records. This new tool for genealogists has existed since 2000, and its popularity is growing daily with thousands testing monthly throughout the world. Emily Aulicino , Speaker and Regional Coordinator for the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG) , will explain the basics of Genetic Genealogy, how DNA testing helps genealogical research, how you can break through your genealogical brick walls, how you can prove or disprove your paper trail, and why thousands have turned to DNA testing to supplement their research. Attend her presentation on Friday at 1:00 p.m. for the opportunity to win a $30 gift certificate toward a DNA test. This certificate will be raffled at no cost to those attending the presentation . Time will be given for answering your questions. At her booth for both Friday and Saturday, DNA tests can be taken while supply lasts. This is your opportunity to see how a test is given and to have your own DNA tested! Prices vary depending upon the test, but for genealogy purposes, a Ydna 37 marker is suggested ($153 includes shipping and handling).As well as giving presentations on Genetic Genealogy, Emily teaches local classes on writing one's childhood memories and family stories. Visit her booth at the Left Coast Eisteddfod for more information on Genetic Genealogy, to learn how to order a DNA test kit, and to learn about her simple technique for writing your childhood memories and family stories . Her books on writing will be available for sale at her booth. Email: aulicino@hevanet.com http://writingyourmemories.blogspot.com/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~orgco2/speaker/EmilyAulicino.html http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/ Northwest Regional Coordinator and Speaker for ISOGG ( www.isogg.org )Administrator for twelve FTDNA DNA Projects

NOW LOOK HERE!IT'S ALL VERY WELL THE BLOODY INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SELECTING RUGGER AND MUD WRESTLING WOMEN ( GOOD GOD! ) FOR BLIGHTY IN 2012. BUT REALLY! IS IT APPROPOS I SAY?THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER SPORTS THAT COULD FILL THE GAP IF THE AVANT-GARDE IS REQUIRED. CORACLE RACING FOR ONE AND PEASANT SHOOTING FOR ANOTHER. WHAT ABOUT A THREE LEGGED MARATHON RACE TAKING IN TWENTY PUBS WHERE A PINT MUST BE CONSUMED AT EACH HALT? COME TO THINK OF IT I COULD ENTER THAT ONE MYSELF.I'LL HAVE TO HAVE A WORD WITH THE MEMSAHIB.D'YA KNOW? I ONCE SAW AN EGG AND SPOON RACE IN INDJA WHERE THE EGGS BELONGED TO CAPTURED COBRAS. IT'S TRUE. THE LOCAL LOWER CASTE'S WERE SENT ORF WITH AN EGG TIED TO THEIR ARSES WHILST THE COBRAS WERE RELEASED TEN FEET BEHIND THEM. I REMEMBER THINKING CARL LEWIS WAS SLOW IN COMPARISON AS GUPTAH KARACHI COVERED THE MEASURED MILE IN UNDER THREE MINUTES.WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED NOW OF COURSE; ANIMAL CRUELTY AND ALL THAT!TOODLE PIPQWT

We have just won a contract to supply a Welsh company who have resumed coal mining in Wales. At the moment they are mining in Aberbeeg. At last one of our wonderful natural resources are again helping the local communities.