Cardiff City 2 Nottingham Forest 1
“#TRENDING WITH MORE LIKES THAN A FACEBOOK CONVENTION!”
Until we speak again this has been Pundit Juno bringing you everything you need to know about football in under 10 words.
[With thanks to coolclips.com for the image of the Sheriff of Nottingham].
As an indoor cat I don’t usually give much thought to the whole issue of renewable energy supplies, so long as at this time of year my in-house heating engineer remembers to turn the damn radiators on. But, there I was one day, minding my own business and continually being
interrupted by the background noise of some BBC Radio programmes, when some political dude starts rapping on about the state of the planet, and how all you humans are ruining it for cats like us. 
Now I’m not averse to a little breeze around the whiskers from time to time, but this whole wind power thing seemed to be political dude’s answer to all of our problems. Only for a whole bunch of what were called NIMBY’s (Not in my back yard) to phone in proclaiming nothing but an ugly end to our beautiful environment. It seemed to a sophisticated cat like me that the whole political thing generates enough wind to keep me going in cat food for an eternity.
Then it dawned on me… perhaps local politics held a solution! With all of the recent passionate UK attention generated by politics in Scotland, followed by the immediate low point of interest generated by a bunch of numpty’s voting in the looney tunes of Ukip in the English constituency of Clacton, 
perhaps it would be to Wales, and more specifically my adopted home of Cardiff that we should turn for sustainable sources of wind.
There it was, right on my doorstep, the beached wooden stingray, aka The Senedd, aka the home of the Welsh Assembly… the ultimate source of hot air dressed up as a local seat of power!
On closer inspection it would appear the design of the building, whilst admirably made up of home grown sustainable sources of wood, steel and slate, also had the structural foresight for the job… the politicians are densely housed deep in the basement of the building, and directly above them is the large funnel for capturing the hot air…
![Senedd [7]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/senedd-7.jpg)
![Senedd [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/senedd-12.jpg)
Whilst panoramic views of Cardiff Bay are afforded out of the glass-lined walls, I couldn’t help but think that this also doubled-up as a means of bringing light into proceedings on those occasions when the incumbent politicians were away from their energy-sapping deliberations, desperately searching for the elusive voter.
![Senedd [4]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/senedd-4.jpg)
It seems like all of the heat and air generated by debates on the relationship between the Westminster bubble and the Cardiff Bay mushroom has caused structural damage through severe bowing of The Senedd roof…![Senedd [8]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/senedd-8.jpg)
… so my next question is where to store all of this wind power to ensure our sustainable energy supplies? The Millenium Stadium has a closable roof and vast acres of space… what goes on in there most of the time? Until we speak again this has been Political Juno engaging the wrath of a nation’s rugby fans.
As a carnivorous cat I struggle to get the vegetarian thing. However, some would say my lot more often play with our prey rather than eat them; so, perhaps I need to get in touch with my vegetarian side. But where in deepest Cardiff could seriously introduce me to the artistry of the vegetable, and take up the challenge of shifting some of my passionately held gastronomic prejudices? Penarth Road neither benefits from a city centre or Cardiff Bay location, which may suggest why it is not known either locally or internationally as a hub of culinary excellence… more of a highway for ethnic wholesale outlets or a parade of low cost obesity fuelling stations.
But don’t blink, it seems the aubergine may just get its moment in the sun. There nestled in amongst the downbeat signs of bedsit land I am accosted by the surprising temptation of a Vegetarian Food Studio…
![Veg Studio [6]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veg-studio-6.jpg)
What can this message possibly mean? Is the best thing you can do with a vegetable is to photograph it, or draw it, or even paint it? There is only one way to find out, and on closer inspection my senses are reassured by the signs of Indian cuisine, an undoubted home of doing good things to vegetables with a mouth-watering range of spices and fragrances. The decor is basic and functional following a relocation 100 yards along Penarth Road from its previous home of the last 10 years.
![Veg Studio [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veg-studio-2.jpg)
With ethnic murals adding to the authentic setting for the greatly anticipated feast…
![Veg Studio [3]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veg-studio-3.jpg)
Some of the previous visitors reviews serve to build the expectations: “Amazing”, “I’m not a veggie, but wow”, “Best Indian food in Wales”, “Superb food every time” and “Can’t get there often enough.” The range on the menu is enough to bamboozle even the regular aficionado of Indian restaurants, but this is somewhere distinctly different, and the serving staff are on hand to offer explanations and advice.
Starters of Hara Bhara Kebab and Hot Garlic Chilli Dosa ensure that fabulous tastes sizzle and crackle across the tongue, calmly settled by the contrast of a jug of Salted Lassi.
![Veg Studio [4]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veg-studio-4.jpg)
The main course is a mix of Chilli Paneer, Masala Mushroom Nu Sak (mild curry), with sides of Almond, Jeera & Cinnamon Rice and Methi Paratha.
![Veg Studio [5]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/veg-studio-5.jpg)
For this cool cat the food was just right, but if you go accompanied by a fellow hot cat don’t be surprised if the chilli dish is deemed not hot enough, and more of the raw onions will be required to spice the palate. For this self confessed carnivore a trip to the vegetable patch has proved to be illuminating, and surprisingly tasty. So, until we speak again this is Spicy Juno wishing that all of your studios be creative and that your vegetables are fragrantly presented.
Cardiff City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1
“WEDNESDAY ON SATURDAY, RELIGION IS NOT JUST FOR SUNDAY.”
Until we speak again this is Pundit Juno bringing you all you need to know about football in less than 10 words.
[With thanks to Maura Anderson’s blog ‘realmsoftheraven’, and pinterest.com for the posted images].
Who said cats can’t write? Welcome to my 101st post in the last 15 months. To celebrate the milestone (or is that millstone?) I have reviewed those moments represented across the first 100 posts. Here are some of my highlights, but who would blame you for summoning up the spectre of Room 101 in which to consign my reminiscences.
Eating al fresco, who doesn’t love it? My favourite meal…
Then there are those moments of personal contemplation. But it took a trip to Southend for my favourite philosophical musing (particularly reminding me of the resident numpty)…
![Southend [4]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/southend-4.jpg)
I hear that health & safety has gone completely mad in your human world, but even I was taken aback by the locals need to restrict the age-old childhood rite of passage… tree-climbing:
The cultural history of Wales has apparently been partly shaped by the fire and brimstone oratory of the Baptist Minister, but my favourite religious moment has to be the shock declaration that even Jesus elaborates on the truth from time to time…
But there is no denying that Cardiff has established itself on the world music map, as its many venues play host to top quality talent. My favourite girl band (Pecker and the Birds) played a surprise concert at the little known Bute East Dock venue…
But while the masses were enjoying themselves at the free concert my favourite burglar was quick to seize on the opportunity to check out any potential opportunities for plunder…
The penultimate word has to belong to the guy who never stops giving; so tell me Sean, how successful do you think my blog has been so far?
Always the harsh critic… in the meantime until we speak again this has been Thespian Juno wishing you many more moments of literary and visual enjoyment.
Whack Job 1 Whacked Assassin 0
“4-4-2, 4-3-3 OR SIMPLY AN UNORTHODOX CRANIO-RECTAL FORMATION?”
Until we speak again this is Pundit Juno bringing you all you need to know about football in less than 10 words.
[With thanks to Sky Sports website for the posted image].
Cardiff City 0 Middlesborough 1
“BRIDGE TO TRANSPORTER, BEAM US DOWN A TEAM… QUICKLY!”
Until we speak again this is Pundit Juno bringing you all you need to know about football in less than 10 words.
[With thanks for individual images of Middlesborough Transporter Bridge posted on google].
Cardiff City 2 Norwich City 4
“… AS BLUEBIRDS COME THIRD IN A TWO HORSE RACE!”
Until we speak again this is Pundit Juno bringing you all you need to know about football in less than 10 words.
[With thanks for individual images posted on google].
Since being dragged from the maelstrom of London life to the comparatively slower paced Cardiff, by the one who strangely believes themselves to own me, I have come to consider my home as a place of tranquility and peace by the sea. Little did I realise just how much the face of peace was dramatically changing. It seems to me that peace used to be achieved slowly by degrees; but now it is commanded by decrees! Cardiff Bay has played host to a gentle sign of peace since March 2012, when the World Harmony Peace Statue was unveiled, with particular recognition of Cardiff’s role as one of the first multicultural centres in the UK…
![World Harmony Peace Statue [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/world-harmony-peace-statue-1.jpg)
Listening in on the radio to daily news reports suggested to me a world out there, beyond Cardiff, that was altogether less calm… known to many as Newport! Then there has been the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a symbol of post World War II peace, coming to places near me and radically shifting my picture of what peace looks like as the 21st century progresses (if progress is the right implication!). Who would have thought it… that a bunch of world leaders could come to Newport and Cardiff and create even more wind and hot air than the usual incumbents of Cardiff Bay down at the Senedd (Welsh Government building)?
So, what does peace look like in this contemporary world of ours? For a start, the World Harmony Peace Statue now appears to need protective fences and security personnel of its own…
And just in case that isn’t enough, the Bay plays host to water-based hardware from around Europe, with the UK warship HMS Duncan and the French warship La Motte-Picquet, among many others, providing the neighbouring Dr Who Experience plenty of reasons to maintain a lower than usual profile…
Those pesky shoppers in the city centre also seem to need a bit more control exerting over their more exuberant tendencies, completed off with some new high profile ‘retail flow management systems’, and something approaching a personally allocated police officer for every individual shopper…
![Stay out [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/stay-out-2.jpg)
If you hold any concerns that peace and harmony might just be the type of ethereal concepts that can easily slip from your grasp… no such problem anymore. There is nothing like a few hundred yards of shiny metal for corralling peace and harmony into more easily manageable geography…
![Stay out [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/stay-out-1.jpg)
But even a brave cat like me wasn’t going to point a camera phone in the faces of these guys, brought in specially to smile and chat with the locals as they were going about the usual business of strolling around a city centre [With thanks to BBC News Online and Flickr Images]:
Then you can always instil a little peace into the grumbling locals with a colourful display of Red Arrows like hardware. Nothing like a pretty distraction for contemporary camera-phone society, giving the local residents something to bore the world of social media with for an attention span approaching a few seconds, until the next snippet of inane celebrity gossip hits the airwaves [thanks to Mike Griffiths on Twitter for the image]:
So, my prospective war-mongerers, until we speak again this is President Juno offering you the international feline salute of peace, and instructing you to be harmonious and peaceful.
![Stay out [4]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/stay-out-4.jpg)
So, that’s where the ancestors went wrong… a 25 foot high solid wall clearly wasn’t enough to keep the historic hordes of marauding cats out, particularly at banqueting time. Cardiff discovers that every good castle needs the unfathomable wisdom of an ugly Health & Safety intervention. Just add a 10 foot high steel fence, and you too can commune with your local population, delivering a message that something special is happening here, but you’re not invited!
![Stay out [5]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/stay-out-5.jpg)
Clearly somebody forgot to tell Batman… a fence and a high visibility cone threat will do nothing to deter a super hero with a skateboard. As for the subtle human addition to the high-vis security… just set your egg-timer to suss out the frequency of patrols by plods-on-wheels cycling the whole perimeter of the prolateriat-diner-exclusion-zone…
![Stay out [6]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/stay-out-6-e1409411497918.jpg)
So, what is all the fuss about, you ask? NATO are holding a summit… somewhere else!!! Yes, the summit is in Newport, about 15 miles away. Maybe, my reader, you have been to Newport, in which case you know it doesn’t need anything added in order to be twinned with cold war Berlin, or the present day West Bank or Gazza Strip! Cardiff largely ignores its scruffier little neighbour, and instead casts its ambitions wider by adapting the model of the Green Line in Nicosia, Cyprus, with a contemporary version of their no-man’s land.
![Stay out [3]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/stay-out-3.jpg)
It seems that dining out just got very expensive for all the residents of Cardiff, even though they will not be invited to the table themselves. The grandest nosh on the planet takes place in the setting of Cardiff Castle, providing the main distraction for world leaders desperate to get together to say nothing of any significance about a whole load of very significant world issues. As an exclusive meal it takes some beating, with a leeked preview (is that the Welsh version of ‘leaked’?) of the indigenous menu of laver bread starter…
… cawl main, and Welsh cakes for pudding…
… all washed down with a pint of Brains finest SA.
![4. Brains journey [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4-brains-journey-1.jpg)
The unanswered conundrum is why a meal that lasts no more than a few hours requires a month of security measures? Until we speak again send you answers nailed to the forehead of a peaceful protester to a somewhat disillusioned Juno.
[Thanks to http://www.sodahead.com as the source of this image, and gypsy-willow.com for the previous food images].
JUNO's VIEW 