A new global treaty could allow corporations to police everything that we do on the Internet. Last week 3 million of us successfully pushed back the US censorship bills -- if we act now, we can get the EU Parliament to bury this new threat to all of us: 

Last week, 3 million of us beat back America's attack on our Internet! -- but there is an even bigger threat out there, and our global movement for freedom online is perfectly poised to…

As part of the  2011 "Be Veg" Toronto subway ad campaign, 1,000 "Why love one but eat the other?" ads running on Toronto subways have been asking Canadians to "be veg" and riders are responding.

This provocative ad series launched by a grassroots group draws attention to the similarities between the animals we call "family" and the animals we call "dinner" and highlights the shocking cruelty faced by animals raised for food in Canada.

  This video can be found at YouTube

It's now exactly a year since Oriel Dafydd Hardy closed its doors, but they've still been busy bees.

The core members of the Oriel Dafydd Hardy team, made up of young artists, exhibitors and helpers have reinvented themselves as a young co-operative called Bocs.  This year, with help from Dafydd Hardy's staff and other supporters, Bocs have been working towards setting up a new arts centre in Caernarfon that will provide gallery space, artists' studios, workshop space and arts reference centre.

They're still looking for funding to carry out refurbishment and other costs for equipment and materials, but the good news is that they can…

Today could be the day we save the free Internet. 

The US Congress was poised to pass a law allowing officials to censor access to any website around the world. But after we delivered our 1.25 million strong petition to the White House, it came out against the bill and with public pressure at a boiling point even some bill backers are switching sides. Now, the Wikipedia - led blackout protest has rocketed the public campaign to the top of the news. 

We are turning the tide. But the dark forces of censorship are trying to revive the bill right now. Let’s bury it for…

   
January 2012 enews  
Images of Haiti

 Paintings and Metal Sculptures by Haitian Artists.  Trigonos: 21st to 27th January

This exhibition of original paintings and sculpture is to celebrate the extraordinary creativity, skill and resilience of the people of Haiti and is the first time it has been shown in Britain.

The paintings and sculptures were bought from the artists and street traders of Port-au-Prince in the weeks following the devastating earthquake of January 2010 by Robin Aherne, an emergency relief…

Snowdonia National Park is using Twitter to give people weather information and walking advice.

A new information service using Twitter has been launched aimed at keeping walkers safe in Snowdonia.

The national park is using the social media site to give people weather information and walking advice before they take to the mountains.

The service - @safesnowdonia in English and @eryridiogel in Welsh - will also highlight good mountaineering examples.

Llanberis Rescue Team said it regularly saved walkers who had failed to check the weather forecast.

"This new service will be a valuable service to everyone who intends…

Something big is happening. From Tahrir Square to Wall St., from staggeringly brave Avaaz citizen journalists in Syria to millions of citizens winning campaign after campaign online, democracy is stirring. Not the media-circus, corrupt, vote-every-4-years democracy of the past. Something much, much deeper. Deep within ourselves, we are realizing our own power to build the world we all dream of. 

The march of democracy is sweeping the world, and everywhere it's rising, Avaaz is there. Together, we've played a central role in winning massive anti-corruption campaigns from Brazil to India to Italy, halting mogul Rupert Murdoch's march to world domination, winning major environmental victories from saving whales…

The new video to the song 'senseless' has at long last been released. After almost a year in the making, with dedicated film-maker Paul Higginson, it has finally been completed. In North Wales, things can indeed, sometimes take a long time to happen. Sometimes it's for a very good reason. This is the story of why the video for this song, took this long. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fhj2pplb3g&feature=youtu.be

The Story of the song:

The song 'senseless' was originally penned by Roger Hughes at around 2am in the morning several years ago, woken up starkly by a bass riff…

(review n pix by neil crud)

Bangor is a funny place when it comes to gigs, regular nights don’t run for long and attendances can never be guaranteed. Many have tried and many have failed – yet there has been many a success.
Let’s face facts; gigs are no longer events – they are two-a-penny – every pub, club, restaurant, newsagent and funeral parlour are putting on live music these days, which is both good and bad for bands. Good cos they get to play regularly to the point they seldom need to rehearse. Bad because people…

North Wales is a beautiful place, but it’s got to be said that in between the university towns of Bangor and Wrexham, stuck at opposite ends of the country like inverted commas, it’s a desert for quality new music. The DIGS Project in Colwyn Bay is a brave attempt by some locals to create a music scene where none existed before. The venue might be an alcohol free church hall, with pop and cakes on sale, and there are serious things like ‘bidding for council funding’ but the heart is there.…

Conwy Castle is lit up as part of the Conwy Feast  

THOUSANDS witnessed a light show extravaganza at a castle as visitors flocked to one of the biggest food festivals in the country.

The Gwledd Conwy Feast served up a spectacular helping over the weekend with 160 food stalls, cooking demonstrations, and celebrity chefs including Bryn Williams, Bryan Webb and Colin Pressdee on hand.

An estimated 5,000 people also watched the Blinc Digital Arts Festival light…

Great and good men die every day of the week, so why is John Peel's memory important enough to be resurrected at every opportunity? Why does the knowledge that he would have been 72 today evoke a sense of loss out of proportion with my actual relationship to the man?

Close to seven years after his death, the void he left hasn't been filled. Those of us who are distinctly more ten-a-penny realise his true value as each year passes.

Peel proved you didn't have to be a facile egomaniac to bring people great music. By ensuring he was always in the background,…

'My Notion of Democracy is that under it, the weakest should have the same opportunity as the strongest... no country in this world today shows any but patronising regard for the weak. Western Democracy, as it functions today, is diluted fascism...True Democracy cannot be worked by twenty men sitting at the centre, it has to be worked from below by the people of the village' Ghandi

   
Courses at Trigonos 2012    

Blipfonica is renowned for staging experimental sonic arts in unexpected places ( castles , swimming pools ) and now they are bringing an 8 channel surround sound experience to a chapel in Caernarfon .

Blipfonica founder Emma Louis explains why this will be her most personal event so far - " I spent an awful lot of my childhood in this chapel , as my taid was the hugely respected gweinidog Ifan Hefin Williams . He was involved with Capel Ebeneser my whole life . It is a huge honour to be able to present a concert in this beautiful building with so…

15th February 2012

Delve into the classics, take your aversion to wavy hems firmly in hand,
and embark on tango lessons in the desert...

Teetering precariously between the sharply hilarious and the devastatingly provocative, Xanthe Gresham brings a double bill of goddesses: ‘Isis is You Sis’ and ‘Hecate Tango’ to Aberystwyth Arts Centre on the 15th of February 2012.

Described as ‘The Aerial Artiste of the spoken word’, Xanthe presents herself as the fool of the world, in a performance that deals as much with wigs, a pregnant cat and the strange things people get up to in search of love and happiness, as…

Crackling Vinyl presents an intimate show at a stunning Georgian Warehouse alongside the Shropshire Union Canal.

After a year on the road as Gruff Rhys' touring band, Y Niwl bring their thrilling psychedelic surf instrumentals to Telfords Warehouse for the first time. Their debut album, Y Niwl, was named The Sunday Times Album of the Week on 2nd January 2011 and was lauded by both the NME, Drowned in Sound and Louder Than War ("intriguing Welsh twangers with charming disheveled energy and a knack of capturing the dark heart of the magnificent Shadows. Such a great band").

The Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire has just…

English below....

Dramau gwanwyn... / Spring drama...

Mae Pontio'n dod ag amrywiaeth gwych o ddramau ichi y tymor hwn, gyda pherfformiadau i weddu pob oedran a chwaeth. Dyma ichi gip-olwg sydyn o'r holl ddramau hynny a pheidiwch ag anghofio archebu eich tocynnau'n fuan! 

Gofynnwch i Wallace    

DRAMA AR GYFER POB OEDRAN AM WYDDONYDD COLL O GYMRU (SIOE GYMRAEG) 

English Below...

Gig Calennig Bob Delyn yn Neuadd Ogwen 6 Ionawr

Mae Pesda Roc yn dathlu’r Flwyddyn Newydd ym Methesda gyda Gig Calennig Bob Delyn ym mar Neuadd Ogwen ar nos Wener 6 Ionawr. Hon fydd y gyntaf o gyfres fisol o nosweithiau ‘bwyd a chan’ ar nos Wener cynta’r mis yng nghwmni rhai o artistiaid mwyaf blaenllaw Cymru a thu hwnt gyda’r lle wedi’i addurno’n arbennig ar gyfer y nosweithiau. Mae Steve Eaves eisoes wedi cadarnhau ar gyfer y mis bach – ar nos Wener 3 Chwefror - a 9Bach yn edrych yn debygol iawn i  chwarae yno ddechrau mis Mawrth.

Bydd…
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Christmas is almost upon us, so not many gigs going on this week. However, there is a handful of gigs worth mentioning. In the run up to Christmas, Y llangollen in Bethesda hosts Y Bandana and Tom ap Dan on Thursday. And if you don’t fancy spending Boxing Day night in the house eating your weight in leftovers, head to The Victoria Hotel in Menai Bridge for some live music with The Jukes and Banda Bacana. Tickets cost £8.

After days of laying around the house full of food and watching TV, you should definitely try and head to The Heights…
read more

Snowdon silhouette.                                                  

I awoke to a clear sky and frost on the ground, a nice change to the awful weather over the last 3 weeks. 
The sun was still behind the mountains as I left the house heading towards their direction; I could see the whole of the Snowdon massif silhouetted in the now ever brightening sky. I got half way down the A55 until I had to pull over to capture  the…

A Walk-Through Easter Story exhibition…

This year 2012 we are inviting 26

The 26 biblical passages from the Easter story aim to cover a wide perspective of the story from a non-Christian point of view right through to a view of the story from the established church. The selected artists will range from receive a varied selection of pieces for example: larger and smaller works, drawings and paintings, sculpture, projections, installations soundscapes and spoken word.

From the attached list [see the list on page 3] we have 26 subjecthey are strictly on a first come first served basis.

The Space

The…

‘Canopy’: standard or half standard fruit trees; highest layer of trees (10m+)

Chestnuts [Castanea spp], Persimmons [Diospyros virginiana],
Honey locusts [Gleditsia triacanthos], Strawberry trees [Arbutus spp],
Siberian pea trees [Caragana arborescens] Cornelian cherries [Cornus mas],
Azeroles and other hawthorn family fruits [Crataegus spp], Quinces [Cydonia oblonga],
Apples [Malus spp], Medlars [Mespilus germanica],
Mulberries [Morus spp], Plums [Prunus domestica],
Pears [Pyrus communis], Highbush cranberries [Viburnum trilobum].
Walnut, Heartnut
Pecans Cherries,
Crab apple, Gages,
Mountain ash, Rowan Pears,
Plums, Sea buckthorn,
Service berry. Siberian pea tree
Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) 20mH, 6mW Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araueana) 20mH,…

When I started work when I was young, I was asked to fit parts A to B.

Later my job was to tell the young to fit parts A to B.

Later my job was to tell who should tell others to fit parts A to B.

I worked very hard for many years,

but never saw how what we made fitted in the great scheme of things.

We made parts out of parts.

It created many jobs that supported the employees,

It was a successful little company,

A cog in the world’s machine.

Then over the years in the news,

I saw…

a not-for-profit education, retreat and training venue in the beautiful Nantlle Valley of Snowdonia, with 18 acres and bordering a lake.

Waiting for you in the walled garden..

They provide:

warm and cosy single & twin bedrooms for 29 people large and small work rooms with natural light and ventilation (up to 40 people) excellent vegetarian food and catering for special diets a place with freedom to breathe, think and work a values driven social business with strong ethical and sustainability practices.

As well as hosting groups they welcome individuals,…
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 20 Questions: Ed Wright

Ed Wright is a violinist and composer living in North Wales. He performs with a variety of different ensembles and musicians and has had his music performed to widespread critical acclaim. He sometimes wears a suit, doesn’t believe in otters, but is dedicated to often heroic acts of silliness.

Where and when were you born?

Wendover - Bucks (Ok yes you can giggle now!)

What is your favourite sandwich?

Fried Egg and Bacon butty on a sunday morning

What is your earliest memory?

Watching my Dad fit…

I am sending this as requested by one or two people to let you know that I am alive and well, and have not suffered as a result of the terrible cyclone on the weekend. 

The situation here is quite strange because apart from a 1 day power cut and a lot of debris in the roads, we didn't experience any effects from the cyclone. 

However, just a few hours away there are tens of thousands without water and food or houses and thousands dead. 

The Sundarbarn is an area of jungle and mangrove (world's largest mangrove belt) which houses many incredible…

Despite local, national and international opposition, the Brazilian government just issued the full installation license to begin construction on the Belo Monte Dam. The battle to defend the Xingu and its people is far from over, however! It's now more important than ever that we take this campaign to the next level. Together with our indigenous partners and allies on the ground in Brazil, we are committed to a relentless fight stop the Belo Monte Dam. Will you continue to join us?

Please help us stop this monstrous project by sharing the petition with friends (see sample e-mail below) and joining the Cause…

English Below...

Cefnoga deulu Caerdegog

Mae teulu ar Ynys Môn mewn brwydr fawr â chwmni Horizon ar hyn o bryd, sef y cwmni sydd eisiau adeiladu Wylfa B. Mae Horizon yn ceisio gorfodi teulu Caerdegog i werthu'r tir iddyn nhw gael adeiladu'r atomfa newydd. Yn ddewr iawn mae'r teulu yn gwrthod gwneud am eu bod wedi ffermio'r tir ers cenedlaethau ac maen nhw yn erbyn yr effaith byddai Wylfa yn ei gael ar yr iaith Gymraeg ar yr Ynys.

Mae'n amser i bawb ddeffro a gweld mor erchyll fydd Wylfa B i'r iaith Gymraeg ar Ynys Môn a Gwynedd. Bydd tri chwarter o'r…

Japan is using 30 million dollars of disaster relief money to fund the slaughter of hundreds of whales -- our global outrage can shame Japan's government into protecting its citizens before murdering whales.

Millions of people worldwide donated to help Japan…

Ahmad picked up a bright metal object in a park where he was celebrating his 5th birthday in Lebanon. It was an unexploded cluster bomblet, which blew up in his face, killing him slowly in front of his family. 

Three years ago, public pressure pushed through a ban of these cruel bombs. But now the US is lobbying nations to quietly sign a new law that allows their use -- signing the death warrant for thousands of other children. Most countries are still on the fence on how to vote. Only if we raise the alarm across the world can we shame our governments…

Gardasil is the HPV vaccine, touted to fight cervical cancer. What they are not telling you is that thousands of girls are having adverse reactions to the HPV Vaccines, some have even died -at last count, at least 103 lives have been lost. We have got to do something about this. These girls need our help! These girls are having reactions such as; seizures, strokes, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, headaches, stomach pains, vomitting, muscle pain and weakness, joint pain, auto-immune problems, chest pains, hair loss, appetite loss, personality changes, insomnia,…

Dear supporter,

The Palestinian plan to request UN recognition of its statehood has created intense controversy and challenged OneVoice. How should we position ourselves on the UN initiative? How could we place it in a broader perspective? And most importantly, how could we play a positive role in shaping the aftermath?

OneVoice always strives to bring ordinary citizens into a constructive conversation about the conflict and to mobilize them for action. During this tense period, we continue to work to reduce the frustration and pessimism on both sides and channel people’s energy into nonviolent actions that advocate for a two-state…

PSC Weekly Newsletter: September 7th 2011 Samira Hassassian: A memorial service and a celebration of the life of Samira Hassassian    Samira Hassassian the wife of Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK since 2005, has died of cancer aged 57. Samira worked tirelessly for the rights of the Palestinian people
Read more >>   A memorial service will be held at: the Church of Our Lady Grace and St Edward    Saturday the 10th September 2011 at 4.30pm. Chiswick High Street London W4…