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Posts Tagged ‘government’

Wales - The Land Of Song

July 5th, 2011

Wales has a long history of music and has been known as the 'land of song' since at least the Nineteenth Century. This reference to Wales as the land of song, probably comes from the passionate singing in Welsh churches and at Welsh sports meetings, particularly at rugby matches. However, Wales' links with music go much further back than that.

Wales has a tradition of folk music which is closely linked with Scottish and Irish folk music. There are several kinds of musical gathering that are similar to those in other Celtic countries in the United Kingdom. For instance there is the twmpath (folk dance session), g?yl werin (folk festival) and noson lawen (a traditional party similar to the Gaelic "C?ilidh").

Modern Welsh folk musicians have frequently resurrected traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, but have competed with imported and indigenous rock and pop trends. This has been particularly true since the 1990's.

Despite contemporary Welsh trends in music, Wales will always be connected with Male Voice Choirs such as the Morriston Orpheus Choir and Treorchy Male Voice Choir which benefit from world wide fame.

These choirs were frequently made up of workers from one village or one coal mine and so it was quite natural for men to sing when one town played against another, particularly when that game was Wales' national sport of rugby. The first time the Welsh National Anthem, 'Yr Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' ('The Old Country of my Fathers', usually translated as 'Land of My Fathers'), was sung at an International sporting event was in 1905

Along side the choirs, brass bands sprang up in villages, working men's clubs, churches and at work especially in South Wales where brass bands are still very popular. In fact, the Cory Band is one of the most best brass bands in the world.

There were quite a few world famous Welsh singers in the Twentieth Century and some of them are still singing to jam-packed audiences worldwide. Ivor Novello was one of the first who became famous during the First World War as a singer songwriter. Then there was Geraint Evans and Delme Bryn-Jones in the Second World War.

After that, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey started their singing careers in the 1950's but are still singing fifty years later. There were also popular bands in the Seventies and Eighties such as Man and Budgie and solo artists such as Shakin' Stevens, nnie Tyler and John Cale (Velvet Underground).

In more recent times, we have seen the Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci; the latter two bands being notable for lots of their songs' words being in Welsh.

There have always been operatic singers as well such as Rebecca Evans, Aled Jones, Bryn Tervel and Charlotte Church. Cardiff hosts the 'Singer of the World' competition and the Wales also has its very own Eisteddfod, where Pavarotti sang for years. It was because of Wales tradition as a nation of singers that Paul Robeson sang in Wales in the Fifties

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Here’s The Newest Party In Politics - The Pirates Are Coming To Town

June 4th, 2011

The Massachusetts Election Division has granted approval to the Massachusetts Pirate Party as a political designation. This gives the go signal for its members to finally take their place in the state. The long-awaited time for voters to register as a "Pirate" has come at last. Way back in 2006, the United States Pirate Party was founded. It has been a long time for it to be formally recognized by some states.

Having been given the official okay, the party is now officially eligible to implement its platform and programs. The party is known for being vocal about what it believes to be advantageous for the people. Some of its objectives are to "increase government transparency, promote personal privacy, reinforce the spread of knowledge through copyright reform, and abolish patents."

The party strives to make major reforms in the area of personal privacy. They said that the government should not use the 9/11 episode to intensify its surveillance and domination over citizens. The PATRIOT ACT, wiretapping, surveillance cameras are only a few of the government's ways of curtailing privacy of people. Also, in order to get more work out of their employees, corporations have increased their spying activities.

The party is also trying to look at the subject of government transparency. The party believes that citizens should have more control of their democratic destiny. This can be accomplished if people have understanding about what the government does. The government has reduced its commitment to abiding by open meeting laws. They have also amplified closed door deals that benefit mostly corporations. In addition, they enter into deals involving public information being sold to private interests. These are harmful to democracy and privacy.

Massachusetts Pirate Party has issued a statement emphasizing that the government no longer gives people the opportunity to live up to the old ideals. These are understood to be the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, corporations have overpowered the people with the government escalating their clout. To the party, these ideals should be lived once more and be real for all.

The party's organizer said that the party is in the process of training activists. After deployment, they will concentrate on organizing and building local chapters. It is in the process of killing the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act (COICA). Passage of this bill would authorize government to "take down any web domain found to host copyrighted material without permission". It is also looking for legislation before the Massachusetts General Court to decide which ones they should and should not support. The party is confident and optimistic that they will find its way to success in Massachusetts.

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What is the Informed Consent Legislation plus How Can the law Impact You and Your Family

April 29th, 2011

The informed consent law is currently in the limelight with respect to how it is being executed. A number of groups including Colorado Progressive Coalition said that there is a need for its better implementation. It has suggested that both law enforcers and civilian citizens should be well-informed of it. According to the group, it is not adequate that just the police force are up to date. Individuals must be well-oriented on the new law especially so that they are the subjects.

According to the law, a search will only be executed after the consent of the subject. If he or she refuses, then no search can be done. To avoid from committing privacy violation, the law enforcer must complete the required process. He or she should first clearly explain to the subject his or her rights under the law. Once the subject refuses, the officer could not go on with the intended search.

The law that specifies these provisions is named HB 1201. This condition is under the 4th Amendment, defending individuals against unreasonable searches. Consent of the person is needed in order to make the search reasonable. This is in reaction to the many incidents concerning rough treatment of civilians by the police. This is usually associated with those cases when individuals would not permit police search. The main purpose is to instill respect of the law for both police and civilians.

The Colorado Progressive Coalition hosted one round table event. During the said occasion the 2 fundamental aspects on the implementation of the law were identified. One is the formation and implementation of training programs for law officers. The other is creating public awareness of the law and legal rights of citizens. These two would create a partnership between both police and civilians because they understand their rights. This means that there would be less cases of law enforcement maltreating private individuals.

There are a number of ways of training programs available for law enforcement officers. The one being used at present is through teaching bulletins sent via emails to police representatives. However, the group suggests of a better method that would really instill "a society that respects the law". These additional media that would facilitate deeper awareness and positive reception of the law ought to be included. One that would guarantee appropriate implementation of the law is video webcast training.

Public awareness is also critical. The ACLU has signified its available resources for providing know-your-rights classes. It would be training individuals who are willing to learn the new Colorado law as well as their rights as citizens. It also said that they would provide know-your-right cards to individuals who are involved in promoting the informed consent law.

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The Signs Of Love

September 12th, 2010

Many people believe that the stars can provide a lot of insight into ourselves, our past and our future. This information can include how, when, and with whom we are most likely to fall in love, although it can go a lot further than that too. This is not to say that astrology is the same as a chart of your destiny, so although the one you love may not be a perfect match for you in astrological terms, it does not mean that you should not create a relationship.

There are a few methods by which you can start to appreciate the universal forces that attract someone to their partner or anyone else. If you learn to read or even master these forces, you will also learn how to make any liaison work better and learn to know yourself at the same time as well.

One of the best ways to start, is to find a horoscope of yourself that appears fairly truthful. In this manner you will uncover a writer of horoscopes that you can trust. Not everyone is at the same level of advancement and this goes for horoscope writers too. Some are novices some are experts, most are in the middle and some are charlatans.

Once you have your own pretty truthful horoscope, get one done by the same person for the one you love or would like to get on with better. Try not to read too much into what you imagine you know until you know that you know it. For example, you might be a Capricorn (a ram), so it might sound logical to be weary of a Leo (a lion) as the two animals are enemies in real life. But learn more; do not jump to conclusions.

You can start to compare the two zodiac signs for complementary and contrasting traits, likes and dislikes though.You can go into as much depth of detail about the ideal zodiac mate for you as you want. However, be very wary of letting the zodiac analysis rule your life and decision-making. Do not give up on someone just because their horoscope appears to clash with yours. Rather, use the information you read about the other person to connect better with them.

There really are quite a lot of very informative books and web sites to help you on your quest to figure out the details of your zodiac match. So do some research and have some fun with it. However, be prepared to uncover a few surprises. You will probably find that the author of the book or web site is closer to understanding you by your zodiac sign than you would ever have believed, which means that the author is almost certainly fairly correct with your partner too.

Once you have been investigating the zodiac for a while, you will look at people differently and you will be very curious about other peoples' star signs. You will want to know whether you can guess a person's sign of the zodiac and whether you can forecast his or her reactions.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Welsh love spoons, or Wales in general, go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Cottage Rentals In The Country

July 6th, 2010

Most people look forward to going away on vacation and a lot of people like to make complex plans and bookings. After all you frequently have to make allowances for flights and hotels. However, there can also be car, sightseeing and bicycle bookings as well, depending on the category of holiday you want.

Instead of a hotel, you might want to think about hiring a private cottage. Cottage rentals are a good alternative to a hotel or guest house. In general, cottage holidays are self-catering, so you would have to be ready to put in a little more work than if you went on an all-inclusive hotel stay. A small cottage on the coast in a secluded location would suit many people, but a vacation cottage on the coast might be better for others.

If you pick the right location, you can have whatever sort of cottage you want. Go to the coast if you like sailing or snorkeling. A seaside resort location would offer more night life probably. If you want a quieter fishing vacation with canoing or boating, a quiet lakeside hideaway would be more fitting. Then there are mountain huts and several other degrees of solitude and nightlife too.

If you would like to visit museums and other touristic sights, you should select a location near an appropriate city. It just requires a little forward preparation and thought.

We live in Wales and there are thousands of rental cottages of all types in all manner of locations. If you have a large family, you could hire several cottages close by each there and live in a kind of old fashioned village. There are also modern camps like 'Center Parcs' which have hundreds of very modern cottages in small groups of four or five so that families or friends can stay in a community together.

These modern cottages are very plush, with Jacuzzis, swirl baths, large flat screen televisions and all manner of entertainment equipment and satellite TV. The cottages are set in acres of woodland and wildlife is everywhere. There are deer, badgers, foxes, squirrels and dozens of types of birds including kingfishers, geese, ducks and swans.

The swimming pools are completely heated and go inside and outside into the woods, so that even in the middle of winter you stay warm. There is also archery, boating and hiking with many courses of differing hardship to follow. It is great to walk in the woods knowing that you cannot get lost with animals around every corner.

The wildlife is used to human company, so much or it is not scared and they come right up to you if you stop for a picnic. These holidays are not so cheap as going to a self-catering private holiday, but they are safe, especially for young families.

You can come across cottage rentals through a travel agent, but you can also find them by looking in your local newspaper. These are some of the best finds because the cottages might be only a few hours drive away, but that is far enough to make a big difference. You do not really have to get on a plane to have a great vacation with a difference.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the rental of Welsh coastal cottages. If you are interested in a cottage or Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Welsh love spoons, or Wales in general, go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Coastal Cottage Rentals

June 30th, 2010

Coastal holidays are extremely popular which is why every year, millions of tourists head for seaside beaches. Perhaps you like seaside holidays too. seaside vacations are fabulous, but that can be the problem too, because it usually means overcrowding, queuing, litter and noise. Have you ever thought about renting your own private coastal cottage? Many only dream about it, but it is not that difficult or costly to arrange actually.

One point to bear in mind is that, public beaches are well-known and that is why they get too busy. However, private coastal cottages are often secluded or on private beaches, which makes for a much quieter holiday. Often, local people living only miles from the cottage do not know that they are there. In spite of this, most coastal cottages do not cost a fortune to rent.

These coastal cottages are to be had in many countries around the world. They are certainly very popular in Britain, Europe and the United States. The level of privacy and the facilities available will depend on where you go. A coastal cottage in Wales will give you a far different holiday than a coastal cottage in southern France or Coney Island.

Many coastal cottages are located near a popular vacation destination. Not right in the middle of the location, but generally a few miles or less outside, so that you can easily drive in or even walk in, if you want some livelier entertainment. Classic coastal cottage leisure activities include swimming, sailing, fishing and walking.

Of course, one of the chief considerations when renting a cottage is the rent itself. Now the funny thing is that is not nearly such a big concern as you might think it would be. The macro location is more important than the micro location. So, Wales might be cheaper than the south of France, but within Wales itself, there is not a huge variation in price, when you equate like with like. Obviously, a five-bedroomed coastal cottage will be more expensive than a three-bedroomed one.

Another point worth looking into is the ownership of the coastal cottage. Is it owned by a private individual who lives near-by or is it owned by a large business. Is the cottage a genuine, authentic cottage or is it a new, mock cottage building? If it is old, is it connected with anyone famous or a famous event? Knowing these facts can all enhance your enjoyment.

Make sure that you are given some maps or drawings so that you can find the spot easily. Especially if you are travelling to the cottage in the evening or in the dark. Things often look far different at night than in the daylight, and if your chosen cottage is in a secluded spot, there may not be any street lighting

Finally, get hold of some pictures of inside and outside the coastal cottage you ultimately decide on and then reserve it early, because the best coastal cottages go earlier and earlier every year as this form of vacationing becomes ever more fashionable.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the rental of Welsh coastal cottages. If you are interested in a cottage or Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online

The Process Of Getting A Car Donation Tax Deduction

June 13th, 2010

There are charitable organizations that help the poor and the less fortunate. And these kind of organizations rely mainly on donations and whatever cash and resources that they can raise through various activities. They accept donations, whether in cash or kind, and even car donations.

The practice of donating vehicles like cars to charities is not a new practice. But it was only recently with the new enacted tax laws that the law became clear on how one can avail of car donation tax deduction.

So if you are planning to buy a new car and you want to get rid of your old one, you can choose to donate it to charity rather than putting it up for sale, as selling it could be quite a hassle. Donating your car to a charity that is eligible for accepting car donations can give you a tax deduction in return.

If one donates a car to a charity, one does not only have the chance to avail of a tax write off; one can also help that charity in its mission to help the less fortunate. It is like hitting two birds with a single shot; one can help others while getting something for oneself.

And when really decided on donating a car to a charitable organization, one must make sure that the organization is eligible to accept such a donation. One can only avail of a tax deduction if one donates it in the proper way and observes the procedures specified by the law.

The necessary documents can be acquired from the IRS and the agency can help donors with car donations determine and validate if the car is eligible for the tax deduction. The agency can also confirm the eligibility status of a target charitable organization. One will not be able to enjoy a tax deduction if the car is donated to a charity not allowed by authorities to receive this kind of donation.

And for one to avail of a car donation tax deduction, there is some paper work that needs to be done. There are charities that help with the whole procedure especially by processing the car donations made to them and give their donors tax deductible receipts.

A written acknowledgment from the charity is then needed to be filed together with the donor's tax returns for one to avail of the car donation tax deductions. And it is highly recommended that one keep pictures and all the necessary documents handy in case questions or problems may arise in the future.

It is always much better to file your taxes when you know you will get a big return. If you have a care you aren't using, consider donating it to get supplemental car donation tax deduction. There are many car donations that are helpful to various charity organizations.

How To Manage A Wedding Car Company

June 3rd, 2010

Have you ever thought about running a wedding car business? Although it can be demanding, because you do not want to let anybody down on their big day, it is also fascinating and exciting.

Some of the advantages are that you get to own good-looking cars - maybe a Rolls Royce or a Bentley and they are tax-deductible; you meet new people under happy circumstances and you are in the position to help them have a wonderful wedding day.

It is a very demanding industry, because you always have to bear in mind the desires of your clients and think about how you can realize and expand their' wishes. That is difficult enough, but you also have to stay competitive. I hope that the following tips will be helpful.

1] Take care of the conditions under which you keep your vehicles. If you can afford to garage them, they will not collect dust and bird droppings so the paintwork will look better for longer. Do not have a gravel drive, because of possible scratching to the coachwork of the cars.

2] Get one or two really nice vehicles. You will need to do a bit of research to find out what couples in your area like, but as a rule of thumb a Rolls Royce or a Bentley are sure bets. Or maybe a stretch limousine. Old cars go down well too. Build up your fleet of vehicles step by step but increasingly. Offer your clients as much choice as you can reasonably afford to do.

Many wedding couples will not only require the wedding car, but also vehicles for the guests. Many of them want limousines or old cars for their wedding day. But a lot of other vehicles are required for the guests. Be adaptable and consent to bedeck the vehicles according to the couple's wishes with flowers and ribbons.

2] Hire good, compassionate personnel. A fully trained chauffeur is a necessity, but a military style chauffeur can add to your firm's image.

3] It is a good idea to offer different packages or elements that a couple can use to build a package. So, you could offer transportation from the bride's house to the church as one element. From the church to the restaurant as another element and from there to the chosen hotel, the airport or the railway station, as another element.

4] Make certain that your clients know precisely how long they have sole use of the cars for. This is useful for them, so that they know precisely how long they have to take photos, eat or chat.

Transport plays a huge and vital part in any wedding day celebrations. In fact, poorly timed or scruffy transportation can ruin a wedding day. If you let that happen, your firm's standing will suffer badly, particularly in a town or village. You will need a high sense of responsibility; reliable, well-trained, sensitive staff and high quality cars that look the part. White wedding cars are popular, but other colours are acceptable, especially for the guests.

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The Ancient Roots Of Barry, South Wales: Part 2.

May 24th, 2010

In the 1700's, dishes, saws, knives, flints, a scraper, a prehistoric horn celt with strange markings, a spokeshave and some arrowheads from the Neolithic Period were found. These are now safely housed in the museum in Cardiff, but at the time no one thought to organize an excavation and later a housing estate was built on the site.

An ancient Roman kitchen, complete with remains and utensils underwent a similar fate. In 1533, Leland was made the Kings Antiquary and was directed to make a tour of all places where records were held. This took him nine years and his description of the island was:

"It is about a mile in circumference and has good corn, grass and some wood, and there is no dwelling on the Island, but in the midst of it is a fair little Chapel of St. Baruch which is visited by many pilgrims. It took the name Barri from this holy man who was buried there and whose remains are yet on the Island". (The Welsh name for Barry is Y Barri).

Vikings raided the coastline of south Wales in the Tenth Century often taking hostages from the monasteries, but they did not seek to settle the area. The island was known as the 'Saints' Retreat' or the 'Island of Saints' for a long time. Later, in the Sixteenth Century, the island was used by smugglers and pirates and was known locally as the 'Smugglers' Fortress'. This occurred at the same time as Bristol, Britain's second largest port, was growing rapidly.

Barry Island soon became the centre of piracy and smuggling in the Bristol Channel. In 1784, the island became known as the "Fortress of Knight". Knight was the most prolific pirate and smuggler in the channel and people were to terrified to speak out in court against him., although he was also considered a bit of a local hero. His armed ship was called 'John O' Combe'. He was eventually forced out to Lundy, which he also fortified. He and his successor, Arthur, returned to Barry so frequently that H.M. Customs asked the government to station a cutter in Penarth and 60 troops to Barry.

Rhoose was infamous for its wreckers and George II sent troops to break up the smugglers and wreckers. They landed at Aberthaw "the Rhoose men's favourite landing zone, from where they could easily transport the contraband along Port Road to Cardiff, the main market for such things". Several large caves were filled in while constructing the present day docks and it is likely that they were used by the pirates until they were moved on in about 1850.

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The Ancient History Of Barry, South Wales: Part Two

May 20th, 2010

Barry Castle was owned by William de Barri in the twelfth century, but it was raized to the ground by Llewellyn Bren in 1316. Many believe that the Cavaliers rebuilt and that the Roundheads destroyed it again. Whatever is true, it was never rebuilt again after that.

The Normans were hated by the locals and they had to build large mansions to protect themselves from the frequent attacks carried out on them from the people of the valleys and mountains. During the time of Henry III, there were 12 castles within six miles of Barry. In Glamorgan, there were 30 castles and in south Wales as a whole, 150.

Porthkerry and its church which lies on the wooded hill to the west of it are said to have taken their name from Ceri, who, in turn, is said to have founded a port there, ie 'Port Ceri'. People say that Ceri ap Caid, the King of Essyllwg, lived in Porthkerry before the Christian era and that his bard, Corvinor, was the first to build a ship with sails and a rudder for the 'race of Cymru'. Some believe that Ceri was a nephew or grandson of Caractacus (Caradog) and that he took over the leadership of the government in South Wales when Caractacus had to journey to Rome.

John Wesley preached in the Porthkerry Church pulpit, and sometimes outside too, between 1741 and 1743. There are two very old churches still in use today in Barry, St. Cadocs Church in Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan Church in Merthyr Dyfan. One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, Cadoxton was the largest village in the Barry area: for example, in 1844 the Parliamentary register contained 25 names: 20 from Cadoxton and five from Barry. The one church was dedicated to St. Cadoc, who used to spend Lent on Flat Holm and Barry Island. The village took its name from the church, which was founded in 800 AD.

Merthyr Dyfan Church, situated in the north of Barry, was founded in 600 AD and the name means Dyfan The Martyr. There were two saints of this name: one journeyed to Barry to convert the inhabitants to Christianity; the second lived in the Sixth Century and was the son of a Welsh chieftain. His sister was also martyred and the town of Merthyr Tydfil is named after her.

The Christian faith grew exponentially in the Vale of Glamorgan and in the middle of the 2nd. Century, Llewrwg, Prince of Siluria, became the first king, anywhere in the world of all time, to be baptized into the Christian faith. He sent to Rome for more Chritian teachers and was sent Dyfan and Fagan. The former was martyred near the site of the church and the latter was canonized. St. Fagan's just outside Cardiff was named after him.

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