As you’ve probably already noticed, the site hasn’t been updated for a while (sorry).

I can assure you Tweet Cardiff is still living, although it has had to take a bit of a back seat at the moment while I step up the job hunting.

I will update as often as I can.

In the meantime, if anyone has a media job to offer a recent journalism grad (with a first class honours) then please send it my way.

Thank you.

With the distinctive sound and energy these three punk trailblazers deliver, it’s no wonder their EP has been critically acclaimed so they just had to be featured for this week’s #Music_Monday Q&A.

Tweet Cardiff: How did you guys get started as a band?
KUTOSIS: Jim [Lemurien] (bass) and Ian [Herrisson](guitar/vocals) met at university and attended lots of gigs in Cardiff by some inspiring bands like Martini Henry Rifles and Mclusky. After deciding to start our own band, an advert was posted for a drummer, which Ben [Loup] responded to. A couple of practices later, the first gig we played together as three-piece was in the Rhythm Factory in London. The next day we marked the occasion with some fine bagels from Brick Lane. It’s important for bands to have interests outside of music too, and thankfully KUTOSIS share an enthusiasm for good sandwiches.

TC: What’s been your fave gig so far?
K: We’ve played some very memorable gigs so far, including Reading and Leeds festivals last year on the BBC Introducing stage. We’re also really looking forward to playing Swn Festival this October. However, if we had to pick one gig that stands out for us, it would have to be one of the first gigs we played in Newport’s Le Pub. A crazy naked woman wielding a smashed bottle of Smirnoff Noir invaded the stage attempting to cause harm to Jim. She was promptly escorted by security and we resumed to finishing our seven song set. Memorable.

TC: What are the best and worst things about touring?
K: The best things about touring are the excitement of going to new places, meeting new people and getting the chance to play in front of different audiences. The downsides tend to be automobile related. Whether it’s a flat tyre, a window falling out, another car driving into ours, or getting clamped.

TC: Where do you see yourselves in the next five years?
K: Five years is a long time to think ahead, so who knows. We’ve just released an EP [‘we are the animal, you are the city’] and are now working on our debut album, which we’re super excited about. We’re recording with Rory Brattwell [ex-Test Icicles and Kasms] this Autumn and we’re looking to release the album next Spring.

TC: Where do you get your influences and inspiration from?
K: All three of us are music fans. We’re doing this because we love music, and there’s always new and old stuff that we’re searching out and getting inspired by. That said, Les Savvy Fav, Health, Liars and Future of the Left are our main musical touchstones.

TC: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the band?
K: We’d all still be playing our instruments and coming up with ideas for songs, getting frustrated that we’re not in a band. Other than that, maybe we’d open a sandwich shop.

TC: Which 3 guests would you invite to dinner (dead or alive)?
K: The Earl of Sandwich, so he could tell us about the origin of the sandwich; The guy who does the voiceover on Come Dine With Me so he could provide a witty running commentary of the dinner; and the woman wielding a smashed bottle of Smirnoff Noir at the Le Pub gig – we’d just like to know what we did to offend her.

TC: If you could all have a superhuman power, what would it be and why?
K: Our super human power would be the ability to transform ourselves into Larry David. We could then deal with any situation that required his subtle brand of social skills.

TC: Anything you guys would like to add?
K: Our latest EP, ‘we are the animal, you are the city’ (released on the Twisted By Design label), is available from http://kutosis.bigcartel.com/

#Tweet_Tip: All of the tracks on the new EP are fantastic, although the stand out track has to be ‘…The Man Is A Ghost’. KUTOSIS are definitely here to stay.

Twitter was full of ‘RIP Cardiff Barfly’ updates on Tuesday evening and its closure has been surrounded by an aptly rock and roll air of mystery ever since.

I can, however, confirm the venue will not reopen, although Barfly’s managing director, Be Rozzo, has not ruled out relocation.

“Cardiff has a rich musical heritage and many genuine music lovers, for this reason we hope at some point to return to the city in a location that better reflects the needs of the current generation of the artists and audiences,” he told me.

After being right at the heart of the city for 10 years, “we’ve [Barfly] had the opportunity to present an array of extraordinary up’n’coming artists – some of whom have gone on to become festival headliners and household names”, recognised Rozzo.

The Libertines, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the Killers are just a few major bands who have played there and lots of local talent, including Solutions, I Am Hope and Goodtime Boys are regulars.

Rozzo added “wholehearted” praise to the staff, promoters, agents and managers and everyone who attended the charismatic music haven.

When quizzed about upcoming shows, Bozzo said: “We will endeavour to place all forthcoming gigs at alternative locations. Where this is not possible, tickets will be refunded”.

Its closure is not the first in the Barfly chain, following the Brighton venue calling last orders in 2008 and both the Glasgow and Liverpool branches doing the same last year.

As Rozzo pointed out, “Cardiff has a rich musical heritage” so let’s hope the music can play on, although I for one will miss the inimitable venue.

RESOURCEFUL: Bridesmaids Becky and Fizz battle to get Hayley to the church. [Pic © What’s On TV

There’s nothing like a wedding to get people talking and Soap Land is no exception.

Roy and Hayley’s big day came a Cropper when the steam train supposedly getting them to the church on time, was uncoupled by mean Mary and left the bride-to-be and her bridesmaids, Becky and Fizz, stranded in the middle of nowhere…although in true soap fashion, the wedding party took longer to find out than the time it would take to run all of the programme’s ad breaks back to back.

Tensions rose on board as allegations of abuse from a gloating Sally led Claire to out Sophie and Sian’s affair that had been running for months, but just had to come to a head in front of everyone…well naturally.

Keeping their end of the bargain, quick thinking Becky and Fizz got the blushing bride to the church packed with the whole of Weatherfield, on a hand-powered cart, in scenes reminiscent of a black and white carry on spoof.

As in real life, the show had to go on and Hayley walked down the aisle to ‘Lean On Me’ to stand beside king of the bacon butty, Roy, and exchanged ‘I do’s.

Congratulations Corrie on your wedding day.

A Daring Frenchman has scaled new heights and topped the record books by completing the UK’s highest wire walk.

Earlier today, circus star, Olivier Routsan, walked across the top cable of the Newport’s footbridge, putting the city in the spotlight yet again.

The aerialist from Toulouse, successfully manoeuvred the cable, which is 76 metres tall at its highest point, as part of the Newport Festival.

The stunt was scheduled for yesterday, although windy conditions prevented the circus performer from attempting the wire then.

This event is part of a range of activities taking place on both banks of the River Usk between Newport City Footbridge and the Town Bridge until September 5 to celebrate the city’s host status for this year’s Ryder Cup.

At the same time, another daredevil is thought to have broken the world record he set two years ago for the highest traverse of a high wire on a bicycle.

Nik Wallenda, a member of the Flying Wallendas circus family, cycled more than 30 metres along a wire strung between two hotels at the Bahamas’ Paradise Island Atlantis resort.

It’s that time of the week again, so ignore the Boomtown Rats, start liking Mondays and embrace the most musical day of the week – #Music_Monday.

This week’s #Music_Monday Q&A comes from Samoans – a lively rock trio who formed in 2008 and is made up of Daniel Barnett (guitar/vocals), Taliesin Leboutillier (drums) and Calvin Ley (bass/vocals).

Tweet Cardiff: How did you guys get started as a band?
Daniel Barnett: We met randomly through mutual friends/bands and found we had a lot of the same musical interests and felt it was a good idea to have a go.
 
TC: What’s been your fave gig so far?
DB: The Big Weekend 2010 playing with Los Campesinos! It was surreal and amazing to play to so many people.
 
TC: What are the best and worst things about touring?
DB: No idea, we haven’t toured yet. We made a conscious decision to build a local following before heading out further in the UK. We are currently booking a tour of the UK for November.
 
TC: Where do you see yourselves in the next five years?
DB: Writing…touring. We basically just want to be playing for a living. But everyone knows how hard that can be.
 
TC: Where do you get your influences and inspiration from?
DB: Our musical style is drawn from a wide spectrum of bands from Maps & Atlases, Reuben and Secondsmile to And So I Watch You From Afar. We like everything. All of us have done a fair bit of travelling and have drawn inspiration from places we’ve been (like in the songs ‘Koh Chang’ and ‘Somersault’).
 
TC: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the band?
DB: Probably thinking about being in a band. I can’t even imagine what I’d be doing. Probably stalking my favourite advert actors. Yeah that sounds like something I’d enjoy.
 
TC: Which 3 guests would you invite to dinner (dead or alive)?
DB: Kurt, Krist, Dave [aka Nirvana]. Need I say more?
 
TC: If you could have a superhuman power, what would it be and why?
DB: Probably the ability to fold my ears inside of themselves, enabling me to block out all life’s annoying sounds. Oh, wait, I can do that already.

TC: Anything you guys would like to add?
DB: We have free downloads available of an acoustic session I did a few weeks ago up on last.fm so go and check them out. Oh, and if you like us, tell a friend, they might too.

#Tweet_Tip: The band’s debut single ‘Somersault’ will be released on a split 7” vinyl with Strange News From Another Star later in the year so watch this space.

There have been moments of sheer television genius over the programme’s tumultuous 11-year history. Its best bits have been: BB3 winner, Kate, attempting to put on every item of clothing she had in the house whilst incredibly drunk; BB5 winner, Nadia’s strops over the shortage of cigarettes and every single moment BB7 diva, Nikki Grahame, spent in the Diary Room.     

 Granted, these aren’t exactly ‘highlights’ are they? Whilst they were extremely funny at the time, none of them actually stand up to defining the BB legacy – one that supposedly spans 11 series’. But, that’s the best there is.    

Yes, there have been memorable tasks like, um, thinking…still thinking, oh, I know, the one where they were all wired to a giant buzz wire game in the garden and received an electric shock every time Rex hit the metal frame in last year’s series.     

This is the problem with BB: All of the stunts, tasks and even housemates themselves are funny on paper, promise to stir things up a little and then go down like a lead balloon the moment they appear on-screen. They are pointless and merge into one great catastrophe when you try to sum up the whole BB experience.    

Of course, there has been more controversy surrounding the show than there have been rows over food, costumes or tasks. Kinga tops this pile with her ‘to much information’ performance in the garden during BB6.   

Next is Goldengate as 100 golden tickets were hidden in Kit-Kats, Wonka-style, giving their finders a chance of becoming a housemate if their number was picked during a live show. 34 people came forward and Suzie entered BB7 under a cloud of suspicion after the tabloids ran stories alleging she already knew she’d be picked and the Advertising standards Authority criticised BB for not having an independent observer present as the winning ball was drawn.   

And then there’s ‘Fight Night’. During a task on BB5, Emma and Michelle thought they were being evicted and were instead holed up in a bedsit next door and allowed to watch and listen to everything going on…before re-entering the house to confront the ones talking about them.   

Cue the drama.   

A booze-fuelled brawl erupted soon after their entrance (under a serving trolley) and for the first time ever, the live streaming had to be cut as Emma and Victor threatened to kill each other and security had to intervene, leading to Emma being booted of the show, Victor on a final warning and the police requesting to see the footage.   

This is not what the reality show to end all reality shows promised and made many viewers switch off. Was this the straw that broke Big Brother’s back?   

Billed as the best series yet, the producers pulled out all the stops by bringing in Z-list ‘celebs’, and I use the term very loosely, like Andrew Stone, Anthea Turner and Simon Webbe (don’t worry I had to Google them too) to spice things up a little. Instead they created a Big Bother.   

Last night Josie was crowned winner of BB11 after winning over the public with her ‘I really should speak before opening my mouth’ attitude, witty one-liners and Summer fling with John James.  

She’s now competing against ex-housemates that BB bosses have chosen for Ultimate Big Brother and although we were led to believe the show’s top housemates were spending the next 18 days at BB’s leisure, instead we have Ulrika, Chantelle and Chantelle’s ex-husband, Preston. Whoopee.   

These three have competed in BB’s ‘Celebrity’ versions, and, well, the least said about Celebrity Big Brother the better.   

Where are the true heavyweight contestants? People like Helen ‘I love blinkin’ I do’ Adams, Brian Belo and TV handyman Craig who won the first series when spending the Summer in front of the box watching the live footage was the only thing to do.    

Day 1 in the Ultimate Big Brother House, the show is on its last legs, the housemates are attempting to revive and already non-existent career and all of the best bits will be edited out.    

Will there be tears when the plug is pulled?…YOU decide!

The glory days are over for Welsh contestant, Dave Vaughan, as he’s placed second in this year’s Big Brother.

The 39-year-old minister from Pontypool, faced a cheering crowd and fled the house to Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ in a nod to his religion.

Dave entered the house dressed as a monk and frequently confessed to fellow contestants he was “drunk on the glory”.

Josie Gibson has been crowned the winner of BB11 so she’ll scoop the &100,000 prize money and will re-enter the house later tonight to take part in Ultimate Big Brother.

The series started in 2000 and this year will be the last, allegedly due to a decline in ratings.

You can expect news, videos and some exclusive interviews to be posted regularly and if you are an artist, band member, musician etc, or have a recommendation then get in touch (contact details in the About section or by clicking here).

The first post is an interview with the power-pop rockers, Reaper In Sicily as they talk openly about their guitarist’s cancer battle, their set at this weekend’s Reading/Leeds festival spot and new album.

We’re now five months down the line, Matt is in remission and the boys are playing the gigs of their lives this weekend when they hit Reading and Leeds festivals – that’s the critics proved wrong.

REAPER IN SICILY: (L-R), Mike Evans, Matthew Jenkins, Rhys Bernardo, Jonny Chappell and Tom Williams

Since Matt was diagnosed with cancer, the five-piece rockers have “matured mentally by about ten years,” said frontman, Rhys Bernardo.

Finding out was one of the hardest things the young Cynon Valley band have had to deal with and each of the members reacted in a different way.

“I think Matt himself coped the best,” confessed Rhys. “Me and Jonny completely broke down and didn’t leave the house for around 5-6 days, whereas Tom and Mike were a lot stronger and held it together for Matthew’s sake”.

RIS’ popularity soared after they rocked their way to the top-spot of Kerrang’s mega battle of the bands in 2009 and earned themselves the title ‘Best Live Unsigned Band in the UK’ and a contract with Search and Destroy Records.

Since then, their fan base has grown dramatically and it’s the “incredible” messages from these supporters that have helped all of the boys recently. “You can’t please everyone music wise and a lot of people don’t like what we do, but even these people were great to us and left messages of support for Matthew. For this we are so grateful as it really helped him and us.”

RIS had been invited to play at a couple of festivals this year, but under the circumstances, they bravely cancelled everything they had coming up and rallied around to help Matt. After hearing that the guitarist is now in remission, RIS received a call from the BBC, asking them to play on their Introducing Stage at this weekend’s Reading/Leeds festivals. “The BBC contacted us personally at the end of last month and we said no,” said Rhys, as their loyalty came first, “but then they asked again and Matthew was like ‘well why don’t we play it?’ so we said if he wants to and is well enough let’s do it!” 

The stage fright can go out of the window as they have already played the O2 Arena as part of the Kerrang competition and are just motivated, enthusiastic and overly excited to get on stage and do what they do best. “It’s a great feeling. It’s the biggest rock festival in the UK [so,] to be a part of that, to see you’re name on that poster is just amazing. We are like five eight-year-olds at Christmas,” beamed Rhys. 

“We’ve been practising long and hard every week, every day we can, and are still finding time to try and complete the album. There’s a lot going on for us at the minute, but we are more than prepared.”When asked what fans can expect on Saturday and Sunday, Rhys answered, “it’s going to be energetic I know that much. “It’s been nearly six months since we played; we are all absolutely busting for it and hopefully amongst the energy and stage performance we’ll sound OK as well.” 

In our last interview, it was revealed Mike demands strawberries and Jonny has to eat a KFC before each show and whilst Rhys has confirmed, guitarist, Jonny has an “ongoing KFC addiction,” bassist, Mike, “hasn’t mentioned the strawberries yet so fingers crossed he’s over that phase”. 

The future is looking bright for RIS, what with an album in the pipeline and the hope of a tour and new deal on the cards. The album will be the band’s way of saying, “a big thank you for everyone’s patience and support through this difficult time,” and what better way to say it than through music. 

The past has certainly been challenging for RIS, although they can take to the stage and stand in the face of adversity, their critics and cancer and ensure the crowd is rocking to the sound of their unique power-pop.

These are the ranks the One Show’s new hosts, Welsh presenter, Alex Jones, and Manchester comedian, Jason Manford, have to aspire to and it seems they have adopted a novel approach in pleasing the show’s fans: Alex has become a clone of ex-host Christine Bleakley and although Manford promised more laughs than Adrian Chiles, he appears to have taken a leaf out of Adrian’s book and looks uninterested at all times.    

High-profile guests normally frequent the plush sofa, yet the producers seem to have forgotten this for the newbies. 

More teens sat their exams this year compared to last year and the overall pass rate for the city is 97.7% – up 0.6% on the Welsh average.

Grades between an E to the new A* are considered a pass and a staggering 28.8% of students earned an A or A*.

The higher grades are meant to help universities decipher the top potential undergraduates, yet a shortage of places coupled with surge in UCAS applicants means many will still struggle to get a place.

Chris Jones, Chief Schools and Lifelong L earning Officer, said: “I am delighted to once again congratulate Cardiff’s sixth form students on their success which is the outcome of much dedication and hard work over the course of their studies.

“I am sure that families and teachers across the city will be as pleased as I am with their considerable achievements. I wish them all the very best for their future careers,” he added.

#Tweet_Opinion: Congratulations to everyone involved and hopefully the hard work will pay off and you’ll be a fully fledged undergraduate ready to enrol next month.

TV shows are always trending on Twitter and as this site was set up to give you, Cardiff Twitterers, the stories behind current trends and news and information directly affecting you in the name of hyperlocal curiosity,  a new page has been added to the blog, ‘#Tweet_TV’, and will be filled with, wait for it, television reviews.

All genres will be covered, even if there’s no Cardiff connection, as it’s our TV Heaven or TV Hell that each of us seem to turn to Twitter to share and, let’s face it, the majority of us update before, during and after a programme.

Be sure to check out the first review tomorrow and catch up vicariously on some shows through my comments.

#Tweet_Tip: Too much TV causes square eyes. Too much TC (Tweet Cardiff) doesn’t!

BBC weatherman, Tomasz Schafernaker, is the subject of many Tweets this morning for making a rude gesture on live TV.

Schafernaker, who was named best TV weather presenter at this year’s (Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards,  stuck up his middle finger to news presenter, Simon McCoy, after he’d sarcastically handed over to the weather, saying: “Now we’ll have the weather forecast in just a minute. Of course it will be 100% accurate and provide you with all the details you could possibly want”.

Very un-BBC.

 After the gaffe on BBC’s News Channel, McCoy said: “Every now and again there’s always a mistake and that was it” and a BBC spokesperson apologised for any offence.

Polish-born Schafernaker took to his website to further apologise, writing: “Prior to a live weather bulletin, I made a gesture off camera joking with my fellow presenters and without warning the camera went live to the weather studio.

“I am very sorry for any offence that might have been caused by my actions,” he added.

Thanks to the mishap, #weatherman has been trending for a number of hours and comments like the following one made by @Mat_Hills are becoming more frequent than rain showers: “Live on the BBC, weatherman flips the bird at newsreader Simon McCoy. This is *exactly* what I pay my licence fee for”.

This is not the weatherman’s first blunder as he called the Western Isles and the west Highlands “nowheresville” during a live weather broadcast in 2007 and was reduced to hysterics by a slip of the tongue while trying to say “muddy site” during a Radio 4 forecast last year.

He began presenting on BBC Southeast Today in 2001 before joining national BBC outlets in 2006.

On the 100^th day of the Con-Lib alliance government, both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have decreased poll ratings.

The latest survey, carried out by ICM, shows support for the Liberal Democrats has slipped to just 18% – its lowest this year.

The Tories have come out only marginally better, going down one to 37% – the same figure as Labour.

This will be a devastating blow to PM David Cameron as it is the first time in three years that the Tories have not overtaken Labour in this poll.

Just over a thousand adults from across the nation were interviewed for the survey and findings show 46% of participants think the Coalition government is doing a “good job” of running the country, compared to 36% who thought they were doing a “bad job”.

These are probably not the results Cameron expected, although the 10-point margin is down from a 23-point one two months ago.

The 1939 flick that immortalised Judy Garland as Dorothy was released 71 years ago and had its premiere in Wisconsin.

It can now add topping Twitter trends to its cult status and c’mon everyone, don those red glitzy shoes and repeat after me: There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.

Tweet_Tip: Why not check out an earlier Wizard of Oz post.

CHART-TOPPERS: Indie seven-piece Arcade Fire

Indie rockers, Arcade Fire, are heating up the nation by dominating both Twitter and the charts after revealing plans to tour the UK.

The Canadian seven-piece rocketed to the number one spot with their latest critically acclaimed album ‘The Suburbs’ and have been topping Twitter trends here in Cardiff ever since.

Its members are: Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara and they have racked up an impressive three Grammy award nominations.

Arcade Fire, fronted by husband and wife – Win and Régine, will play the CIA on December 9 and tickets are available via a pre-sale at 9am tomorrow, but be quick as they are expected to sell out at sizzling speed.

‘The Suburbs’, which has been released with eight different covers for you to choose from, is the band’s third studio album as the successor to ‘Funeral’ and ‘Neon Bible’ and this is their first time to top the charts.

Their latest offering has made it to number 2 in America’s Billboard charts and this is some feat for the artsy rock clan.

To add fuel to the fire, they also have headlining spots at this month’s Reading and Leeds Festivals.

The comic video, a parody of New York (Empire State of Mind) that was a chart-topping single for Alicia Keys and rapper Jay-Z, gained widespread media coverage and had over 2 million hits since being uploaded last month.

Just like the original, the Welsh wonder was filmed in black and white and featured panoramic views of all the joys the city boasts and the lyrics are set to the same melody.

This is where the similarities end.

Newport is not New York, the lyrics are completely different and were ingeniously written by director MJ Delaney and friends to include the lines: “Head out to Caerleon. Off-white Transit. Febreeze on the dash for the strain where my Nan sits,” and

“On the dancefloor raving, pack of 16 Benson. Someone fighting bouncers…turns out it’s Gavin Henson”.

It’s success spurred Treforest actor, Russell Gomer, to transform Aint Seen Nothin’ Yet, Bachman Turner Overdrive’s rock classic, into Ain’t Seen Ruthin Yet (as I reported last week).

However, another one has popped up from Newport’s finest, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, entitled Newport State of Mind (You’re Not From Newport).

They slate London-based MJ Delaney for not really knowing the area and add their unique take for yet another video dedicated to the city that will soon become You Tube Capital of Wales…if not the world.

Nothing screams 21^st Century like a good ol’ You Tube battle and in response to the ‘Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)’ spoof that had us all gripped a few weeks ago, actor David Garland Jones has done his bit to add Ruthin to the social media map.

Ruthin is already trending on Twitter thanks to the brilliant ‘Aint Seen Ruthin Yet’ as a parody to rapper Alex Warren and singer Terema Wainwright’s celebration of Newport.

In the video, @dgarlandjones showcases all that the historic town in Denbighshire, North Wales, has to offer and whilst the lyrics are not as funny as Newport’s offering, the ending is genius and just has to be seen.

David Garland Jones is popular comedy series broadcast online and follows the Welsh actor – David Garland Jones (played by Russell Gomer).

The Newport video has racked up almost two and a quarter million hits and ensured Newport’s position on the social media map.

Will Ruthin’s fate be the same? Watch the video and judge for yourself.

The study published today, was based on the views of 6,000 people and reveals modern life has created a generation incapable of making decisions with new technology, an abundance of information and plenty of choice as the cause of creating a nation of ‘indeciders’. 

A whopping 84% of participants from Wales were deemed confused with the South East of England second at 82%.

Northern Ireland was the least at 73% and the study has also revealed more women reported being confused than men (84% compared to 72%).

Young adult women, young adult men, mothers and older people made up the focus group and terms such as ‘smart/casual’, predictive text and flat pack furniture have been identified as the key causes of flummoxing the population.

Almost half of those questioned (47%) said they felt unable to make decisions about every day life, while politics baffled 65% of participants. 

Professor Harriet Bradley from Bristol University’s Sociology department said: “With a constant stream of new media, daily technological advancements and aggressive multimedia advertising, it’s no wonder that over half of Britain thinks life is more confusing for them than it is for their parents. 

She added:“We really are becoming a nation of ‘indeciders’”.

You can, however, breathe a sigh of relief as the report has also shown confusion decreases with age as people gain experience and confidence.

SHOCKED: Retired maths teacher, Colin Rodgerson. Pic ©Wales Online

Most of us get bills or junk mail on the doormat, but one man from Penarth was stunned to find a letter asking for his brain.

Colin Rodgerson, a retired maths teacher, was sent the unusual request by chief researchers for their TIME study which investigates Transient Epileptic Amnesia (TEA), a condition Mr Jodgerson was diagnosed with five years ago.

In the letter, 60-year-old Mr Rodgerson was asked for his cranial tissue in the event of his death and was told the study of post-mortem brain tissue played a vital role in the understanding of neurological diseases.

He has participated in a number of tests since his diagnosis and has admitted he will consider the offer, although he was slightly shocked by it.

Speaking to Wales Online, he said: “It’s not everyday someone writes to you saying, ‘Can we have your brain?’

“It was all written in a very sensitive way but it was surprising nonetheless just to be asked,” he added.

This story has been trending since it was published this morning and seems to have gone viral, taking Twitter by (brain)storm. 

Twitter, TIME and even Avon now have accounts as a sign Miio is being embraced by the companies who now rely on Twitter for marketing, PR and to get involved with us Tweet civilians.

In the first post on Miio a few days ago, we mentioned its status would be monitored by checking the number of followers Twitter institution Ashton Kutcher has and this is 163 people, at the moment.

Basically, unless you’ve lived under the sea for the past 18-months you must know about Twitter.

It has been unrivalled ever since it’s launch…Until now that is.

Step up Miio.

In your profile you say a little about you (as  in your Twitter bio) and add a list of things you like. Miio then does all the hard work by finding users with the same likes as you for you to consider following.

Just think of it as an improved Twitter lists service with a hint of Facebook and you won’t be far off the mark.

It is still very young at the moment having only been live for a few days, although if Twitter is anything to go by, this is soon to change – especially as Ashton Kutcher has already jumped on the micro-blogging bandwagon.

C’mon join the new revolution and join TweetCardiff over on Miio. I dare you! 

Once you’ve joined, let me know what you think.

Has Twitter finally got a rival?

Tweet_Note: At the time of publication Ashton had 130 followers (megre compared to his Twitter rankings) and this is what I’m going to look at to monitor Miio’s success.

According to Wales’ public standards watchdog, Cllr Dixon is likely to have breached the code of conduct for local authority members with his short messages.

He posted the following Tweet last year: “I didn’t know the Scientologists had a church on Tottenham Court Road. Just hurried past in case the stupid rubs off,” yet, the news appears to have broken this morning.

Following the first comment, a number of Scientologists followed Cardiff Council’s executive member for health and social services to see what else he would post and when Cllr Dixon realised this, he posted: “registered to receive all his Tweets, he posted: “Just realised the Scientologists are following me. Quick everyone, pretend you’re out”.

American science fiction writer, L Ron Hubbard, created the Church of Scientology in the 1950s and it has an A list following with members including:Tom Cruise, Priscilla Presley.

Cllr Dixon, who serves Adamsdown and was first elected in 2004, is contesting the complaint saying he was writing in a personal capacity and has since changed his username from CllrJohnDixon to JohnLDixon.

According to Wales Online who have run the story this morning: “The complaint was made to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales in December last year, nearly six months after the messages were posted on Twitter.

“Ombudsman Peter Tyndall has issued a summary judgement in which he found there is likely to have been a breach of the code of conduct and referred the complaint to Cardiff council’s Standards and Ethics Committee”.

Wales Online have also made clear: “Mr Dixon did not want to comment yesterday and said he would make a statement after the disciplinary process is completed”.

At the moment no date has been confirmed for the committee to hear the complaint against Cllr Dixon.

Click here to read the full article from Wales Online.

St Swithin’s Day is today and for those of you who have not noticed, it has rained (make that poured) all day.

Great!

Team umbrellas with your Summer atire and you’ll be ready for the season’s wettest look.

Happy August all…The future’s damp.

Brought to life by Charlotte Church, Stacey of Gavin and Stacey fame and no doubt the Welsh in general, has it become our nation’s stereotype?

Yes, other regions have their own sub-language of colloquialisms too and it can be endearing, but surely it is way out of hand to feel the need to swot up on a non-existent phrase book even if you are only going further down the M4.

No more does ‘lush’ attach itself to alcoholics or luscious foliage, instead lovely, amazing, beautiful, attractive, nice and the likes (no intended pun there) can be summed up in one: lush!

Afterall, why not have a word that seems to fit all?

Are there any words or slang terms you think sum up your area/street or terms you think lend themselves to us Cardiffians?

As a prominent figure on the site, it comes as no surprise that @stephenfry has been a trending topic throughout the day with Stephen’s graduation-related anecdotes keeping followers in the know.

One of Steven’s top Tweets was: “Must say Cardiff is looking spankingly good in the late afternoon sunshine. Castle is gleaming, Town Hall glowing. Much to like here” and inspired the following response all the way from Korea: “For me, Cardiff has been an alien city, once heard of in the British movies. After reading your tweet, I wish to visit someday ”.

Other individuals to achieve Honorary Fellowships this week from the university include, flanker – Martyn Williams, former MI5 head – Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller and Grammy Award-winning artist – Rebecca Evans.

Congratulations to all involved…even the Welsh Tourist Board if Stephen’s Very Interesting Tweets are in any was influential as the man himself.

Yesterday the UK-based film publication used their Twitter account to post: “Great Scott! It’s Future Day! In Back to the Future, Doc Brown sets the time circuits for 25yrs in the future…that day is today!”

Staff at the magazine were left with egg on their face when it emerged the DeLorean time panel used by Marty McFly did not switch to July 5, 2010 at any point in the hit 1985 film.

To make future reference of their mistake, @totalfilm posted this Tweet four hours later: “Many of you don’t believe 5/7/10 is mentioned in Back to the Future. So here’s proof we totally didn’t Photoshop”.

The status update provided a link to an apparent screenshot from the film staring Lea Thompson and Michael J Fox, showing the DeLorean with yesterday’s date and was captioned with: “We got it wrong. Apparently 5th July 2010 isn’t mentioned in Back to the Future. So we went back and changed it…”

Future fans make a note in your future diaries: The next potential ‘Future Day’ is October 21, 2015.

Island Records’ Vice President, David Sharpe allegedly damned the Sex Bomb singer’s album of hymns, Praise & Blame, as a “sick joke” to colleagues in an email published by The Sunday Times (hidden behind a Paywall).

An excerpt from the email reads: “Imagine my surprise when I walked into the office this morning to hear hymns – it could have been Sunday morning.

“My initial pleasure came to an abrupt halt when I realised that Tom Jones was singing the hymns! I have just listened to the album in its entirety and want to know if this is some sick joke????”

Remarkably, when asked for a comment from the newspaper, Sharpe replied: “Parts of this record company wanted to deliver an album for the typical Tom Jones fan and I don’t know if that’s what we’ve got. Shall we say we’ve paid for a Mercedes – we’ve got the hearse that’s arrived.”

Jones switched to Island from EMI last year as part of a reported £1.5m deal and with the album’s launch this month, an endless publicity tirade has begun with scheduled BBC documentaries and the ritual interviews undoubtedly on the horizon too.

The email was sent on May 19, yet only came to the foreground yesterday.

Coincidence or strategically planned publicity?….I’ll let you decide.

traffic wardens will operate for longer hours and civil parking enforcement teams will be highly mobile.

According tho Cardiff Council, this is so “trouble spots can be reported to the Council, prioritised, and dealt with anywhere in the city, seven days a week”.

The scheme will be officially launched next Monday by Cardiff Council Leader Rodney Berman, Executive Member for Transport Cllr Delme Bowen and two new civil parking enforcement officers.

Speaking of the proposed changes, Cllr Bowen said: ”This is a much more dynamic approach to problem parking, which aims to make Cardiff safer, less congested and easier to use for residents, shoppers and traders”.

#Tweet_Tip: Pay & display!

Golf wizard: Colin Montgomerie reads Harry Potter to his young fans at Newport Library (Photography by: Betina Skovbro)

European Ryder Cup Captain, Colin Montgomerie, is encouraging the scheme and has been snapped reading Harry Potter in a Newport library. 

The golfer is full of praise for our on par libraries, saying: “There are some wonderful libraries in Wales, it’s free to join and most of the services are free to use – it’s a great chance to get hold of loads of information on the game of golf or famous golfers in books, CDs and DVDs.” 

Anyone living, working or studying in Wales is eligible to join a library here and if you do it before the end of August, you just might bag yourself tickets to one of the country’s greatest sporting events. 

Joining is simple and you can do so by popping into your nearest in person or online. 

Councillor Nigel Howells, Cardiff Council Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for someone in Wales to win a terrific prize simply by joining their local library.  

“Cardiff has seen a 24 per cent increase in membership over the last year, and a quarter of the population of Cardiff are now library members,” he added.  

Of course, some of the city’s libraries have been transformed over the past few months, with the brand new Cardiff Central Library and the recently re-opened Cathays Library. 

With strategic reading and by loaning golfing manuals, autobiographies or DVDs, perhaps the lucky winner can teach the pros a thing or two.

The maths buff from Gwaelod-y-Garth even achieved 100% in two of his final exams and progressed to university after completing A-level maths as a 12-year-old.

Alex, who is a pupil at King’s Monkton School in Cardiff, will combine his GCSEs with a masters degree over the next two years and you can read his A* success story in an interview with Wales Online.

Team Monster: The eleven players hoping to tackle the Timelord

Football fever is sweeping planet Earth and as Team England return to British soil, Doctor Who Live’s 11 monster line-up has been revealed.

The Daleks will be captaining the troop as part of first ever live, stage production of the hit BBC series.

A Few weeks ago we brought you the tour details and now we can confirm the terrifying: Cybermen, Weeping Angels, Judoon, Silurian, Smilers, Winders, Scarecrows, Vampires, Clockwork Robots and Ood will be invading Cardiff for the shows in October.

Follow the intergalactic link to be transported to a realm of tour details and box office information.

The monsters truly are coming….

Tweet Cardiff: How did you guys get started as a band?
I Am Hope: We met in Bridgend College studying music in the loosest sense of the word and all in separate bands, trying to make the chunkiest metal music possible. After those bands dithered out (due to a lack of playing ability and a desire to throw our instruments around on stage) we eventually came together to build on some acoustic tracks that Jodie had been writing in a dashboard confessional style, but ended up creating new songs very quickly with a very different vibe to what any of us had been making beforehand. It suddenly became liberating to think about the writing process with an ‘anything goes’ ethos and got into the studio ASAP to try to capture a sound that hopefully is our own.

TC: How long have you been together?

IAH: Officially our first show was in the legendary TJs with The Guns and Straight Lines [Said Mike at the Time]. That was April 2008 and pretty much the start of it. I think we had only practised a few times previously but it was obvious from the start that people could connect with what we were doing. 

TC: What’s been your fave gig so far?

IAH: Probably the show we played in Barfly on May 15^th. It was all done in the name of charity and on the bill were some of our favourite local bands inc. Samoans, Solutions and Caesars Rome. It was a bit of an emotional one as we got paid in unnamed quantities of alcohol and it was Gar’s last show as our drummer; we ended our set quite aptly with the first song we ever wrote together as a band ['The Poet is Dead'].

TC: Any backstage info from behind the scenes at your gigs?

IAH: No crazy antics behind the scenes really; we’re usually jamming together down to the last minute before going on stage, as sad as that sounds. Although, Steve and I do take on hideously American accents before we get into the set just to take the piss out of ourselves and calm the nerves.

TC: Who are your musical influences?

IAH: It’s a cliché statement but we really do listen to all sorts of genres and styles to draw influence – anything from Bjork to Biffy Clyro.  As far as the music goes, there’s the obvious melodic rock influences such as Jimmy Eat World and Idlewild but, our past listening to transatlantic bands like Poison the Well and Glassjaw has helped us write poppy hooks in songs that have real rock balls to them. As far as Lyrical influence goes, a lot of inspiration is taking from angry poets and novelists like Buckowski, Orwell and Fante.

TC: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the band?
IAH: To be honest I don’t think we’d be doing anything else bar some kind of creative role within the music industry. I don’t think there’s much else we can do.  I wouldn’t describe us as the most intellectual bunch. Besides song writing and performing, we’re probably lacking in any other talents. So, in answer to your question, we’d probably be homeless drunks or maybe work in government as an MP.

TC: Where do you see yourselves in five years time?

IAH: I predict we’ll be on our third album disappointing our fans because it was nowhere near as good as the first one. So then we’ll probably just do a greatest hits to repay the label the millions we owe. Then your probably going to see us on X Factor trying to win over Simon Cowell with our rendition of Westlife’s ‘Flying Without Wings’.  

TC: Any diva demands backstage?

IAH: Just alcohol and blocks of cheese at the moment. I’m sure as the gigs become more frequent the demands will become increasingly ridiculous. Joe will want seven different curries on one plate, Steve will need an arsenal of beauty products and hair styling equipment and I’ll settle for chorizo. Can’t get enough of that stuff…I’m pretty much an addict.

TC: Which three guests would you invite to dinner (dead or alive)?

IAH: I’d invite Mark ‘Chopper’ Read for an insight on the funny side of Australian criminal mentality, George Carlin because he was the smartest comedian alive and Jeff Buckley because nobody has ever come close to any piece of music as perfect as the album grace.

TC: Anything you guys would like to add?

IAH: Apologies for anyone who has been following us, waiting for merch and CDs. The ball is finally rolling though: CDs are on the way and three different t-shirt designs are being printed as we speak. We’re going to be arranging two release shows (one in HOBO’s in Bridgend (+16) and Cardiff Barfly probably in late June/early July with details to follow shortly).  We’ll be putting up one new song from the EP each week until it’s released so for a sneak preview visit our MySpace.

#Tweet_Tip: Check out I Am Hope’s MySpace to hear what all the fuss is about (‘Serenade’ is a personal favourite).

Real Radio have launched a competition to celebrate the musical’s scheduled appearance at the Millennium Centre this Autumn, but you’ll have to act quick as there’s just under three weeks to secure a place at the auditions at the Eternity With Love Wedding Fayre, on June 20.

Five brides will make it through the auditions and from June 22, each of them will be let loose on the airwaves to urge listeners to Take A Chance and vote.

The two ladies with the most votes will become a Bride on the Run and after they have been revealed outside the Millennium Centre on June 29, they’ll be handed £10 each and have just 24 hours to get as far as they can in a wedding dress and trainers.

The Winner Takes It All- a lavish wedding ceremony on the set of Mamma Mia!, the perfect honeymoon, and VIP tickets for you and the girls to throw an Abba-solutely memorable hen-do.

It is “bold and colourful”, according to RIBA and the prize acknowledges the design of the library that opened in March, last year, as part of a wider multi-million pound redevelopment scheme in the city centre.
 
RIBA were particularly impressed with its, “theatrical arrival sequence that allows the visitor time to take in their surroundings and orientate themselves”.
 
The RICS award was in the sustainability category and judges said: “This building is an inspiration to the staff and library users and is a model of best practice for developments in the future.”

The 55,000 sq foot, six-storey building has a green roof and to, “provide rainwater retention, reduce heat gain during summer and improve thermal insulation during winter,” according to the site set up to document its progress during the construction phase..
 
Since opening in March 2009, Cardiff Central Library has received high praise from a variety of sources, and was recently named as one of the six best libraries in the world by the Sunday Times travel magazine.

If it continues to earn praise and receive awards, it’ll soon have more titles added to its name that it will hold on its shelves.

          (Teaser video for Cuba Cuba’s first single – ‘Home is the Fire’)

Ahead of their debut single release next Monday, Morgan Isaac, one fifth of Cuba Cuba, talks to us about the launch, ambitions to tour Europe and inviting Dave Grohl to dinner.

The band is made up of Morgan (vocals/guitar/keys), Danny Owen (guitar/keys), Sion Fenwick (guitar/vocals), Lewys Isaac (drums/vocals) and Michael McCabe (bass/vocals) and they have an inimitable pop-rock meets indie sound that’ll warrant an abundance of airtime.

Here is the full interview transcript:

Tweet Cardiff: How did you guys get started as a band?

Cuba Cuba: It all came together pretty easy for us at the beginning. It was my brother and I first then Sion was a close friend and he lived next door to us. We were all into the same sort of music. Then we recruited Danny and Mike from different groups of friends. 
 
TC: How long have you been together?

CC: We’ve been together for about 2 ½ years now. In the last year its become more than a hobby for us and we’ve got some great people behind us now in the management, label and agent areas.
 
TC: What’s been your favourite gig so far?

CC: This is always a hard question because we’ve played shows of a massive scale like when we supported Funeral For A Friend at the great hall in Cardiff. That was an amazing experience but we’ve smaller shows where we’ve been much more relaxed and having fun. Playing Swansea’s student union last year was so fun.
 
TC: Any backstage info from behind the scenes at your gigs?

CC: Behind the scenes before the show we play games and rap, Lots of rapping. Sion and Lewys are semi professional. People join in and stuff. It’s impressive.
 
TC: Who are your musical influences?

CC: We have so many throughout the band but some we all agree on: Coldplay, Foals, Sigur Ros, Death Cab For Cutie, Phoenix, Passion Pit. That’s a pretty good sum up I’d say.
 
TC: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the band?

CC: I’d be graduating from university with a politics degree and making a nice living for myself. Haha! I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I’ve made though. I’m having the time of my life. The rest of the boys would probably be doing about the same thing. We’re not stupid.
 
TC: Where do you see yourselves in five years time?

CC: We’ll still be having fun. We’ve always said we’d like to release some albums and tour Europe so if that’s where we’re at in 5 years we’d be happy. That said, we’re hugely ambitious. We’d like to be able to make a living from this someday.
 
TC: Any diva demands backstage?

CC: From what we’ve learned on tour, you’re lucky to get a rider these days. A nice selection of chilled, bottled beer. That’s it! We’re not too fussy yet.
 
TC: Which 3 guests would you invite to dinner (dead or alive)?

CC: Easy – David Attenborough, Dave Grohl and Will Ferrell. That’s the ultimate dinner there.
 
TC: Anything you guys would like to add?

CC: Just that our debut single ‘Home Is The Fire’ is out 31^st of May and it would be amazing if everyone could order a copy now from our label’s store. The first hundred pre-orders of the single win a prize ranging from a free Cuba Cuba t-shirt to free entry to one of our shows and there’s even a chance to have us play in your house. Thank you.

For full details of the prizes up for grabs and to pre-order the fantastic single, simply follow the links.

 The paved yellow-brick journey nightmares are made of:

Ever wondered how Judy Garland looked so perfect after her trip to Oz? Well here’s the secret…she had red, glitzy, magical shoes and didn’t have to wait two and a half hours, in the pouring rain, for her train to arrive. Oh, the joys of public transport.

Public joke I believe would be a more appropriate term!

Waiting on the dirty platform; alone, in the rain and whilst wearing suede boots is horrific. A disaster. A true calamity. ‘Ding! Dong! The boots are dead!’

The kiosk that you are meant to go to if you need any help should be avoided at all costs as the “information desk” is simply lacking in, well, information.

The ‘workers’-and I use the term loosely – look at you like you have three heads, treat you like you have just landed here from a planet far, far away and end each sentence with love. “Alright love?…You lost love?…Have you missed your train love?”

RUBY SLIPPERS: Dorothy's fantastic ticket home.

“Yes! I’m fan-bloody-tastic. I’m cold. I’m soaked. I’m tired. I just want to get home. Oh, and for the record, I’m not your love!”

Taking into consideration my mood, you’d assume that getting on the train would be a huge relief, a prize-winning moment of glory - the equivalent of achieving seven golds at the Olympics or even comparable to the triumphant feeling of being the first to place a red, glitzy, magical foot on Mars right? Wrong!

I’m 14 stops from home and have ended up sitting directly behind a family of four who have decided to take this opportunity to plan their whole night’s viewing: “Emmerdale. Corrie. Eastenders. Corrie(again).” Boring!

The two young boys behind are no better to listen to as they openly discuss: their steroid abuse, how many times they go to the gym each day and where they are going on the weekend.

The conversation changes slightly when the blond, spiky-haired, pumped-up, fake-tanned boy on the right asks the other, equally orange boy: “How many birds d’ya reckon you’re gonna pull tonight ‘en”? C’mon, lads, get a brain.

Aaaarrrgggghhh! I’m 12 stops from home and I cannot take anymore.

Sitting to my left are two girls who have stuffed themselves since they sat down on their smelly, stained, stinking seats. Crisps. Chocolate. Pasties. Need I go on? They have actually eaten enough food to feed the people of Oz four times over. All in the time it takes to say, “tickets please.”

I feel sick.

10 stops from home and I already know that my companions for this hellish journey include: a family of serial TV junkies, two food junkies and, as it turns out, two actual junkies. All thrown in for good measure.

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD: Dorothy with her straw, tin and fuzzy friends- Scarecrow, Tin-man and Lion.

9 stops from home and I am already clicking my heels together whilst chanting. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. Guess what? It hasn’t worked. I’m still stuck on this stupid train and, if anything, my chanting has actually made me look like an odd-ball, sitting here talking to myself.

8 stops from home and I have already made a mental note-“NEVER EVER use public transport again!”

7 stops from home and there’s a middle-aged man persistently peering at me over the top of his broadsheet. C’mon, get some courage and stop.

4 stops from home and the pervert is still staring. And still trying to hide the fact he is doing so. I’m not blind! I can see the four-foot high, towering pages mysteriously bobbing up and down with a gormless face peeping over the top, every couple of minutes, you know.

1 stop from home and the lady who has rhythmically sneezed, coughed and blown her nose since departing from Cardiff Queen Street, an hour ago, has left the train. Although, she’s probably grinning from ear to ear, feeling ecstatic that she’s succeeded in being extremely annoying for the whole tedious journey. C’mon, Lady, have a heart.

Hey, she should be celebrating as, in actual fact, she has single-handedly passed on the plague to every single passenger. Now she can retire home. Mission accomplished!

Finally! I am home and now the proud owner of: the complete knowledge of TV listings until April 2020, a stalker, the plague, oh, and not forgetting-a pair of ruined, black, suede, lace-up boots.

Ok, so it’s Aberdare and not Kansas, my friends are not a lion, a scarecrow and a tin-man and the pavement is certainly not paved with yellow bricks. There are no munchkins wandering about and we don’t all live in fear of the Wicked Witch Of the West.

We don’t have a wonderful wizard to grant our wishes and no one cycles around with their dog in a wicker basket attached to the handle-bars. There is no Good Witch Glinda to help us get home and no shops sell red, magical, glitzy shoes, but it is home…and there’s NO place like it!

Cardiff City face Blackpool at Wembley this Saturday for the Championship play-off final, where a win will give them the golden ticket into the Premier League and boost the struggling club’s profits with top teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool coming to the Leckwith Stadium for matches.

Football fans will be able to catch the historic live action for free on a giant screen in Cardiff Bay at Roald Dahl Plass.

Executive member for Sport Leisure & Culture, Councillor Nigel Howells, said: “This is a huge occasion for the city and if fans weren’t lucky enough to get their hands on tickets for Wembley, then surely this is the next best thing.

“I’m sure the atmosphere will be electric with everyone getting behind Cardiff City to win and get into the Premier League.” He added.

Blackpool boss, Ian Holloway, has said in an interview with the South Wales Echo: “‘Are we scared of anyone? I don’t think so,” but this can only spur Cardiff on for a triumphant game.

Seven thousand fans will be able to watch Dave Jones’ Blubirds in action with free admission to the event on a first come first served basis from 1pm until half an hour after the match finishes.

The screen will be showing live coverage of all the big match build-up from 2pm counting down to kick off at 3pm.

This has been billed as one of the biggest games in the club’s history and as thousands of fans crashed the phone lines in a bid to secure a priceless seat at the final, the screen could be a welcomed alternative to cheer on the team with fellow supporters in the city for all those who couldn’t get their hands on one.