This Blog Will No Longer Be Updated

THIS BLOG WILL NOT BE UPDATED AGAIN! 

BUT WAIT!!! THERE'S MORE...

New Blog Launched!

I’m so pleased to announce, that after some minor technical & design issues, the over-hauled, redesigned, super-duper blog & website is now live atwww.rycariad.co.uk - it’s still being tweaked and developed but it’s all ready for public viewing! It’s been 12 years since I first started blogging - this is one of the biggest steps forward to date…

Here are just some of the things developed so far:
• Moved from Posterous to Tumblr
• Brand transferred for continuity
• Complete & dynamic site redesign 
• Disqus® integration for comments
• Full Twitter & Facebook integration
• Full RSS support 
• Links obtainable through post icon
• Simple but full search integration
• New contact page with…
• New social media widgets
• Mini bio

And here are some of the things being implemented in the coming weeks:
• New pages to be added soon
• Launch of Affiliates Programme
• Advertise on rycariad.co.uk
• Interactive gallery coming soon
• Interactive chat 
• and more (please suggest!)

I would be delighted to hear your feedback. I’d love to know what you think of the new design so far, and also would like to know what content you’d like to see more of.

Just visit www.rycariad.co.uk/contact with your suggestions…

Thanks and see you soon!

Ryan

The Last Post

Just to remind you that this blog and all it's content will be deleted
permanently in less than 9 days. After Twitter acquired the host of my
blog, they decided to buy the competition and close it down. This
particular blog will not be accessible after 30th April 2013. So take
a look at what I've been posting over the past 10 or 12 years before
it disappears forever into the ether!

BUT!

The entire blog has now been fully migrated to a new provider along
with the vast majority of the content. On or before the 30th April
2013, the rycariad.co.uk address will be transferred to the new
provider. The content is already there, but I'm working on an all-new
design so what's there already is looking quite raw. If you'd like to
see it in its basic state, head over to
http://www.rycariad.tumblr.com/ before the new design is launched.

If you would like to be informed about when the new site is launched,
email me on rycariad@gmail.com with the words 'update me' in the
subject.

Thanks again to all my readers.

Goodbye!

Ryan

rycariad is moving home

rycariad.co.uk will be moving shortly. It's a headache for me but hopefully this won't affect any of my regular, loyal blog visitors.

Posterous has been hosting rycariad.co.uk since its launch in 2008, but I've been blogging for at least 12 years or more, sometimes under different names. But since Posterous recently announced recently that they had sold out to Twitter, tens of thousands of frustrated Posterous users who use their service to host their blogs have been scrabbling to save their data to migrate to a new host or provider.

I have decided on a new, hopefully more reliable host in Wordpress, and all the content that already exists on rycariad.co.uk will be migrated to Wordpress before the end of April 2013. This shouldn't be a problem for you and when I migrate the blog to Wordpress, you should still be able to find it by going to the usual site url and find everything on www.rycariad.co.uk. If you have problems with this after 30th April, let me know and use www.icariad.wordpress.com as a temporary workaround until I get the tech side sorted.

Thanks so much for following my blog, and for your continued loyalty and patience.

Ryan

To read the official statement from Posterous on their acquisition by Twitter, see this:

http://blog.posterous.com/thanks-from-posterous

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields. 

~ John McCrae, 1915

Insight: Humanity & Hillary Clinton - Gay Rights are Basic HUMAN Rights

“Gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths. They are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes. And whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbours. Being gay is not a western invention. It is a human reality.”
 — Hillary Clinton

Human rights are inalienable and belong to every person, no matter who that person is or whom that person loves. Since January 2009, Secretary Clinton has championed a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the protection of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

But not being particularly politically minded, foreign policy speeches do not typically give me chills. Not so with the speech that Secretary Clinton gave in Geneva on the evening of December 6th. Her remarks made a powerful, timely and truly historic argument for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people across the world, not just in the USA, and her impassioned address struck me to the core. 

In its coverage, The New York Times led with the Obama administration’s declaration that it will be prioritising LGBT rights in its foreign policy. Clinton described the U.S. government as an ally to global LGBT communities and shared a plan for a Global Equality Fund totaling over $3 million.

But Clinton made a much broader statement, too.

As I listened to the speech, what struck me most was its emphasis on a shared humanity and the universality of human rights. At its heart, it was a fitting tribute to International Human Rights Day. By situating the human rights of LGBT people firmly in the realm of international human rights principles, the speech extended a historic call to action to individuals as well as international governments.

A few key points from her historic speech...

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights extends to ALL people, including LGBT people.

“Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.”

2. Love and compassion are fundamental human values.

“Let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source. For many of us, religious belief and practice is a vital source of meaning and identity, and fundamental to who we are as people. And likewise, for most of us, the bonds of love and family that we forge are also vital sources of meaning and identity. And caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. It is because the human experience is universal that human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.”

3. LGBT activists cannot and should not carry the struggle alone.

“LGBT people must help lead this effort, as so many of you are. Their knowledge and experiences are invaluable and their courage inspirational. We know the names of brave LGBT activists who have literally given their lives for this cause, and there are many more whose names we will never know. But often those who are denied rights are least empowered to bring about the changes they seek. Acting alone, minorities can never achieve the majorities necessary for political change. So when any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines.”

4. Both governments and citizens bear the responsibility to uphold and promote human rights.

“To the leaders of those countries where people are jailed, beaten, or executed for being gay, I ask you to consider this: Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for the dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people to do the same.”

“And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your responsibility too. The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbours. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are.”

Clinton’s charge has given the world the fire it needs to make human rights a reality for all.

The video and written transcript to Clinton’s speech can be found here:

http://www.humanrights.gov/2011/12/06/human-rights-geneva/

Insight: Humanity & Hillary Clinton - Gay Rights are Basic HUMAN Rights ((tags: Hillary Clinton, LGBT, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Equality, Equal Marriage, Equality, Diversity, Community, Inclusion, Dignity, Freedom, Liberation, Empowering, Huma

“Gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths. They are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes. And whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbours. Being gay is not a western invention. It is a human reality.”
 — Hillary Clinton

Human rights are inalienable and belong to every person, no matter who that person is or whom that person loves. Since January 2009, Secretary Clinton has championed a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the protection of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

But not being particularly politically minded, foreign policy speeches do not typically give me chills. Not so with the speech that Secretary Clinton gave in Geneva on the evening of December 6th. Her remarks made a powerful, timely and truly historic argument for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people across the world, not just in the USA, and her impassioned address struck me to the core. 

In its coverage, The New York Times led with the Obama administration’s declaration that it will be prioritising LGBT rights in its foreign policy. Clinton described the U.S. government as an ally to global LGBT communities and shared a plan for a Global Equality Fund totaling over $3 million.

But Clinton made a much broader statement, too.

As I listened to the speech, what struck me most was its emphasis on a shared humanity and the universality of human rights. At its heart, it was a fitting tribute to International Human Rights Day. By situating the human rights of LGBT people firmly in the realm of international human rights principles, the speech extended a historic call to action to individuals as well as international governments.

A few key points from her historic speech...

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights extends to ALL people, including LGBT people.

“Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.”

2. Love and compassion are fundamental human values.

“Let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source. For many of us, religious belief and practice is a vital source of meaning and identity, and fundamental to who we are as people. And likewise, for most of us, the bonds of love and family that we forge are also vital sources of meaning and identity. And caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. It is because the human experience is universal that human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.”

3. LGBT activists cannot and should not carry the struggle alone.

“LGBT people must help lead this effort, as so many of you are. Their knowledge and experiences are invaluable and their courage inspirational. We know the names of brave LGBT activists who have literally given their lives for this cause, and there are many more whose names we will never know. But often those who are denied rights are least empowered to bring about the changes they seek. Acting alone, minorities can never achieve the majorities necessary for political change. So when any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines.”

4. Both governments and citizens bear the responsibility to uphold and promote human rights.

“To the leaders of those countries where people are jailed, beaten, or executed for being gay, I ask you to consider this: Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for the dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people to do the same.”

“And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your responsibility too. The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbours. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are.”

Clinton’s charge has given the world the fire it needs to make human rights a reality for all.

The video and written transcript to Clinton’s speech can be found here:

http://www.humanrights.gov/2011/12/06/human-rights-geneva/

Barry's East Asia Travel Journal: Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, (Malaysia)

Where Barry and Esta are RIGHT now! Georgetown, Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia. Scroll down to get closer!

Ryan's Homemade Bath Soak

Ryan's Homemade Sea Salt Bath Soak with natural British sea salt flakes, organic lavender, natural eucalyptus leaves, rose petals and conditioning natural rapeseed oil.

Today, I made another batch of my homemade Sea Salt Bath Soak, to ease aching muscles and bring calm to a tired mind after a stressful day, or for when you just need to unwind. I've been making this bath soak for a few years and often given it away as a small gifts. Quite a few people have asked me how I make it, so here for the first time, I'm giving you my recipe. Try it yourself - it's very easy! This recipe will produce about a litre of dry bath soak. 

The basic ingredients:

• Maldon Natural Sea Salt Flakes from the Blackwater Estuary (250g) available in most supermarkets, including Sainsbury's; 

• approx 12-16 large fresh eucalyptus leaves (from your local florist), 

• a handful of dried red rose petals;

• 15g of 'Suma' dried culinary lavender flowers from organic or health food shops; 

• 10ml Lavender Pure Essential Oil; 

• 20ml Rapeseed Oil. 

(costings below)

The basic method:

• Add the salt to a large mixing bowl;

• Strip the eucalyptus leaves off the stems and finely chop them. Add to the salt;

• Crush the dried rose petals with your hands - add to the salt

• Pour in the lavender flowers;

• Roughly mix with your hands or a wooden spatula

• Drizzle the lavender oil over the mix and mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula;

• Mix in the rapeseed oil and you'll be left with the bath soak pictured above. 

The End Product:

• Spoon into resealable jars for your bathroom (pictured below), or into organza bags (pictured above) to give as gifts. 

• One serving spoon or a large dessert spoon per hot bath tub is sufficient. The quantity made should last ages!

Approximate Costings:

• Sea Salt: £1.60

• Lavender Flowers: 95p

• Lavender Oil: £4

• Eucalyptus Leaves: 50p

Any questions? please ask in the comments below or email me on rycariad@gmail.com 

Happy 60th Birthday Jane!

Jane, my wonderful mother turned 60 today yet she looks amazing!
Here's a few of the cards I made her, plus some flowers she received.

She was born in 1953, when this shot was taken:

Happy 60th Birthday Jane!

Jane, my wonderful mother turned 60 today yet she looks amazing!
Here's a few of the cards I made her, plus some flowers she received.

She was born in 1953, when this shot was taken:

Barry's East Asia Travel Journal: Ao Nang Beach

Original Ao Nang (Thailand) shots by Barry. Post-production by Ryan.
Wish I was there!

Barry's East Asia Travel Journal: Ao Nang

Where Barry and Esta are RIGHT now! Paradise at Ao Nang, South of
Bangkok, Thailand. Beautiful. See the maps below.

"To love another person is to see the face of God" - Happy Valentines ((Valentines Day, Saint Dwynwens, Welsh, Culture, Art, Cariad, Cwtch))

(and happy Saint Dwynwens Day)
Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen hapus &
Diwrnod San Ffolan Hapus

Barry's East Asia Travel Journal: The first leg

I encountered some technical difficulties with my iPhone yesterday so it's now 4.20 am in Singapore (Weds) and can't sleep due to jet lag... so here goes, I'm playing catch up 😀

After leaving Cardiff at 6.30am on Monday 11th, the coach battled through all the elements to get me to Heathrow T3 for my Emirates flight bound for Dubai.

Ryan

__________________________

Mr. Ryan J. A. Price, RN

• 07 545 611 644 

• ryanjaprice@gmail.com

13 The Lodge

Paget Road

Penarth

South Glamorgan

CF64 1NQ

Guest Contributor Barry Jones: Travelling Thailand Journal

Hi!

As you know, I'm writing an online journal of my Thailand adventures
which will include stories, updates and photos etc. If you would like
to know when I post something online, send an email to
rycariad@gmail.com with the word 'subscribe' in the subject line to
automatically receive journal updates straight to your inbox! Or you
can just regularly visit www.rycariad.co.uk/tags/barryjones for the
next 3 weeks.

See you soon!

Barry x

Interior Design: Love Bunting

Do I have the most camp boudoir ever? Maybe, but I don't care - this is my own little sanctuary! Interior design by me! Newly hung heart 'Love Bunting' by Jan Constantine:

http://www.janconstantine.com/love-bunting/

You Give Me Hope

You give me hope 

for a brighter tomorrow,

an angel guiding me 

out of my sorrow.

My fears I want to break free

and my insecurities to let go,

but can my troubled past 

or a life of hurt I forgo?

I ask you this 

as you grow in my heart,

Always be there 

so we may never part. 

I have very little to offer you,

and even less to give,

Yet my soul I give unto you 

and my every day, for us both to live.

Let us embrace this, our new life 

and for what it has to give,

Through the depths of sorrow 

you have taught me again to live. 

© 2013, Ryan Price (02/02/2013)   

       ~ for B, on his birthday. 

contra omnia discrimina 

Close Your Eyes

I can't be with you today

but if you close your eyes and think;

I'll be beside you in the kitchen

wearing your shirt - standing by the sink.

I'll be with you in the bedroom

waiting quietly on your bed;

Just close your eyes and think of me,

relive those memories in your head.

I'll stand by you in the bathroom,

an unlikely place to meet;

I'll smile at you so playfully

as I let you brush my teeth.

I'll be your light in the darkness,

shining steady through and through;

You only have to watch it glow

to know I think of you.

I'll be the music that you listen to,

I'll be there in every song:

I'll laugh with you and sing with you,

and comfort you when your day's gone wrong.

I'll be the wind that ruffles your hair,

I'll be that warm embrace;

I'll be the hand on your shoulder,

I'll be the tender touch on your face.

I'll be the clock gently ticking,

reminding you of the times;

We've shut the rest of the world outside

we're in our own world - yours and mine.

I'll be the moon as it dances

on the water cold and still;

For I have loved you always

and I know I always will.

Though you may not see me physically

as you live your life today;

Just close your eyes and think of me

I will not be far away.

Poetry: The Promise

A rough draft of a few quick random words and thoughts...

THE PROMISE

An arm is all I ever wanted,

So in those loving arms, embrace me,

With breathy whispers in my ear, 

Softly caressing my neck,

Your rhythmic heart touches my soul,

Let me feel its tender beat,

While my fragile soul sheds a lonely tear,

Keep your warm embrace entwined,

Around my feeble body, tortured mind,

An arm is all I wanted,

To sooth away my fears, my tears,

Stay beside me as I rest,

Grant me peaceful slumber,

Comfort me from insecurity.

I will hold you in my arms,

And softly, gently say, 

You are mine,

And I am yours. 

I will give you all you need,

And offer you more than you ask,

Together we will share a life devine,

Open up the path to you,

Let hope and love come in,

Be ever mindful of the love,

That came from deep within,

My heart and soul I give to you,

Nothing will be held back,

Abundantly the love will flow,

There is nothing you will lack,

Hold me in your loving arms,

As I hold you in mine,

Truer devotion could not be found,

When a love like this will bind. 

© 2013, Ryan Price

Penarth and Cardiff Bay Circular Walk

Cardiff-Bay-1.pdf Download this file

Circular route including the Cardiff Bay barrage and the Pont Y Werin footbridge to Penarth Marina. Includes maps and Points of Interest walk notes, courtesy of Derek Brockway's 'Weatherman Walking' Series on BBC One Wales. 

Les Misérables Ultimate Movie Musical Trailer (2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r8F3_Pvw3g

POETRY: I AM STILL HERE

Once, my tortured tangled heart,
Ached alone, hurt and weeping,
Yearning for the company I was seeking,
Pushed away by the one I was keeping. 

He walked out on me without a clue,
And summer lost its brightest hue,
No explanation, just desperation,
To return to a life he once knew. 

Autumns day was short and fast,
His pseudo-love for me would not last,
Yet still I kept and provided for him,
Even when winters evening grew so dim.

For him the grass was always greener,
His desire for a greater life now keener,
I fought too hard and bore the scars,
To keep a man already lost, in eternal spring.

I feel no pity for this man,
No longer do I love or hate him,
Indifference is now my only feeling,
My beating heart no longer reeling.

The light of a clear blue morning beckons,
In this life I've learned many lessons,
The sun again has shown to me its face,
And now no longer will I fall from grace. 

He is gone but I am still here,
Yet no care nor anything do I now feel,
All he left was a comma, on a blotted page,
In a fairytale chapter of a long ago age. 

~ Ryan Price

© 2013 Ryan J. A. Price (11/01/2013)

all rights reserved. No copying or reproduction in whole or part without the express written permission of the author. 

Contra Omnia Discrimina 

A Mothers Logic

My mother & grandmothers taught me many things, among them were their innate sense of logic...

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
“If you‘re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
“If you don’t behave yourself, I’m going to knock you into the middle of
next week!”

4. My mother taught me LOGIC
"Because I said so, that's why.”

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you‘re not going
to the shops with me.”

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you‘re in an accident.”

7. My mother taught me IRONY
“Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about.”

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
“Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?”

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
“You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
“This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.”

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
“If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate!”

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION.
” Stop acting like your father!”

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t
have wonderful parents like you do.”

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home.”

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
“You are going to get it when you get home!”

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”

19. My mother taught me E.S.P.
“Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?”

20. My mother taught me HUMOUR.
“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
“You‘re just like your father.”

23. My mother taught me about my FAMILY HISTORY .
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?”

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
“When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
“One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”