A scene from Rural Wales: Growing the powers of the National Assembly

Growing the powers of the National Assembly

Six-o-clock and only about wrapping things up in the Westminster office before tackling the 4 hour journey home to Montgomeryshire. Been an interesting day, with much discourse about the the powers of the National Assembly for Wales. It began at 07.00 this dawn on Radio Cymru's Post Cynta programme.

Lyr Req: lyrics to Slan Abhaile

answering a nation's call Dear Mother Eire sworn to resign To you who transmit on the fight, My portion of undying hope I have Before I pass Into the night- Slan Libh, Slan Libh, Slan Libh,Slan Libh, Your work allows no clock for rest, Your longest life's the merest span; Your cause, the bravest, noblest, best, That e'er inspired the heart of man. Fight on! fear not! for God is just (The tyrant too shall cease to live) And beg for him whose bones are dust. Chorus Slan Libh! a simple Irish phrase Of parting but to see again, Twixt comrades who thro' nights and years For Eire's sake strove might and main; For her dear sake, remember me. For her dear sake my faults forgive. God hasten the battle for liberty! Chorus Kearney, Peadar (1883-1942), ballad-writer; born in Dublin, educated at Model School and Marino Christian Brothers' School. He worked is a messenger-boy before turning to house-painting. WILLIAM ROONEY, whose lecture on The Manchester MARTYRS he had attended, wakened his national consciousness. A teacher in the Gaelic League (where his students included SEAN O'CASEY), he united the IRB, 1903, and became a member of the Supreme Council. Keenly interested in the theatre, he worked for some time without pay at the former ABBEY THEATRE before being employed as a props man, 1910. He met PATRICK HEENEY in 1903, and 4 days after they collaborated on ''The Soldier's Song', for which Kearney wrote the words; the air (largely the influence of Heeney) later became the National ANTHEM. Kearney's early poetry was published in St Patrick's, edited by WILLIAM O'BRIEN. A founder-member of the Irish Volunteers, he took office in the HOWTH GUN-RUNNING (1914). He returned from an Abbey Theatre tour in England ro take part in the Easter RISING (1916) and fought in Jacob's factory, Bishop Streer, Dublin, after which he avoided capture. A supporter of Michael COLLINS, he was interned at Ballykinler, Co. Down, 1920-21, during the War of Independence. apart from 'The Soldier's Song' his best-known ballads are 'The Tri-Coloured Ribbon', 'Down by the Glenside', and 'Whack Fol the Diddle'. BRENDAN BEHAN was his nephew.

A Neurochip That Can Communicate With Brain - Free ringtones .

the new silicon chips are also simpler to use, which will help future understanding of how brain cells work under normal conditions and permit drug discoveries for a change of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s.

Naweed Syed's lab cultivated brain cells on a microchip.

The new technology from the lab of Naweed Syed, in coaction with the NRC, is published online this month in the journal, Biomedical Devices.

"This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the grade of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are likewise the most suitable target sites for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders," says Syed, professor and mind of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and adviser to the Vice President Research on Biomedical Engineering Initiative of the U of C.

The new neurochips are also automated, meaning that anyone can take to direct individual brain cells on them. Previously it took days of education to see how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was just possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be located on a bit and discovered in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions.

This new technology has the potentiality to serve scientists in a kind of fields and on a sort of research projects. Gerald Zamponi, professor and mind of the Section of Physiology and Pharmacology, and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, says, "This technology can probably be scaled up such that it will go a new tool for medium throughput drug screening, in addition to its utility for basic biomedical research".

Evil Conservative Radio: First Latina Governor's Historic .

outlets like the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune - even FoxNews.com - neglected to observe her Hispanic heritage, while others such as the New York Times failed to address the events as she took the oath during a chilly outdoor ceremony on the Santa Fe Plaza.The apparent oversight prompted some media analysts to wonder why Martinez - as easily as a smattering of conservative Hispanics - has been left largely out of the home news spotlight."The media is not paid sufficient aid to the act of Hispanic conservatives who are elected to statewide offices and to Congress, especially in the western states," said Mike Gonzalez, vice chairman of communicating at the Heritage Foundation and a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal."It goes against the narrative" of the "free media," he said, adding that the word industry has long classified Hispanics as "another broad group."Martinez`s story is an impressive one. The 51-year-old former district attorney, from middle class roots in El Paso, graduated near the top of her high school year before attending the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Oklahoma College of Law. In 1996, Martinez was elected district attorney of the state`s 3rd Judicial District, which covers heavily-Democratic Doa Ana County. Touting herself as a no-nonsense prosecutor during the 2010 gubernatorial election, Martinez defeated the state`s Democratic lieutenant governor, Diane Denish.But the Republican`s rise to statewide office garnered little aid in the national spotlight overall.The Associated Press made mention of Martinez's historic inauguration in a news wire Jan. 1, acknowledging her as the first female governor of the state, while omitting her Hispanic heritage. That account was picked up by various media outlets including the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune websites. FoxNews.com also ran the AP story that day, but Fox News Latino had covered Martinez's candidacy and triumph in a serial of election articles beginning in October.The AP later updated its Jan.1 inauguration day wire mentioning her as the first Latina governor. A look of the New York Times website yielded no stories on Martinez`s historic inauguration, and CNN mentioned her position as the nation's "first Hispanic female governor" in a broadcast on Jan. 2.Some media analysts note that coverage of Martinez`s victory pales in comparison to early history-making Hispanics, like Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor, whose confirmation to the high court dominated the headlines for months."I believe it`s quite obvious that first Latino Democrats are celebrated but first Latino Republicans are the objects of scorn," said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center. "The media wants the world to conceive of the Republican Party as an old white guy party and they`ll downplay anything that contradicts with that image."Not so, says Ari Rabin-Havt, executive vice chairman of Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog group."Milestones should be renowned and we should celebrate diversity," he said, "But the thought that the progressive media is somehow covering this up is altogether ridiculous."Rabin-Havt was ready to peak out that Fox News - considered by some as an option to the mainstream media - gave little coverage of Martinez`s historic inauguration."That speaks volumes," he said.He too called the equivalence between Martinez and Sotomayor unfair, saying the justice`s nomination and confirmation hearing was a "national process," warranting ongoing national attention.Other media observers, meanwhile, suggest that Martinez - not the media - set the path for her own coverage.The Republican has diverted attention away from her ethnicity in public, including an interview published by Fox News Latino in which she said she hopes history will set her by her achievements as governor rather than by her run or gender."I`m really gallant of what I have established as a distaff and as a Latina, but it has come with a lot of difficult study and education, and I acknowledge that I give to raise myself beyond the fact that I`m a distaff and Latina," Martinez told Latina magazine."You`re actually speaking to the first Latina governor of New Mexico and only that_As a distaff and a Latina-it`s not that that will be historic. It will be the results."First Latina Governor's Historic Inauguration Gets Little National News Coverage - FoxNews.com

Ritchies 4 Orphans - Ritchies4orphans.blogspot: Salam No .

Salam No, Salam Nesh, and Salam Na Cho (Hello)

As most of you know, through reading Book and the Holy Spirit`s leading, I began the Master`s programme in Counseling at Covenant Seminary last August.God`s name to wish for the fatherless is light but I required to be best equipped for help to the fatherless and orphans in this world.

Cold wave continues to hold north India

Cold wave continues to hold north India

New Delhi, Jan.2 : People shivered as freezing cold wave continues to hold north India on Sunday.

In the national capital, the minimum temperature was 8.4 degree Celsius and people lit bonfire to warm themselves.

"The brave is really cold. Since 3:30 in the morning, we are seated beside bonfire.

Seventh person dies of injuries from New Year's Eve tornadoes .

By Heather Hollingsworth

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Shaken residents spent New Year`s Day sifting through the wreckage wrought by tornadoes that moved land in various states on the final day of 2010, killing seven people in two states and injuring dozens.

Six of the victims - three in Missouri and 3 in Arkansas - died Friday as tornadoes fueled by unusually warm air pummeled the South and Midwest.