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Blogging evening, courtesy of YourCardiff.

Just a reminder really.  PicaPica (opposite the Millennium Stadium), 7pm tonight. There we shall drink, watch blogging presentations and chat with fellow bloggers. I believe the bloggers will be from the whole spectrum, not just politics so it should be rather interesting!

Hope to see many readers there – leave a comment if you’re coming and I’ll look out for you.

No crazies please.

A concert with 3D glasses?

Wow, as my readers will know, I was already incredibly impressed with the Lady Gaga tour last week and she’s now leaked details of her next tour, once the Monster Ball tour has finished. Digital Spy have broken the story saying that a representative has spoken to MTV saying there will be a 3D tour and DVD.

I’ve no idea how they could make the show 3D – most shows are 3D anyway, it’ll be a fun challenge. I suspect a 3D DVD would be easier to imagine.

Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be an experience and another sell-out world tour. Kanye West tested boundaries with his successful ‘Glow in the Dark’ tour and to sell out huge arenas, you do need to put on something spectacular. I suspect Lady Gaga won’t disappoint.

Anyway, for those thinking Denis MacShane was a useful and independent thinker, just look at this idiotic, obviously planted question in Prime Minister’s Questions:

Would comedy teeth lower the annual cost of insurance?

Oh dear, here we go again! A few dangerous dog stories in the Daily Mail and everyone spouts out suggestions to stop it. This happens every 18 months or so, the media decide to hype up a hate campaign against ‘nasty dogs’ and then it eventually dies down. Except in this case Labour want to bring in legislation forcing dog owners to take insurance out on their dog in case it bites anyone.

What about taking out insurance on their children in case they attack anyone? Far more likely and that’s in the news everyday!

Umm yes, that is true I suppose. However, he’ll only do this when the law dictates he has to. Very generous of him, I’m sure you’ll agree.

I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. The first time I can use the ‘videogames’ category! Oh, and also FFXIII being released.

Edge Magazine gave it 5/10 and seems to be the only magazine giving it such a low score. Here’s what Wikipedia described the reception like:

Famitsu rated the game at 39/40, with three reviewers giving the maximum 10/10 and one reviewer giving 9/10.^[93] Dengeki praised especially the battle system, stating that the battles are by far the most exciting in the series, and concluded Final Fantasy XIIIdeserved a score of 120, and that 100 would not be enough.^[104] The game was voted as the second best game of 2009 in Dengeki online’s reader poll,^[109] and in January 2010, was voted the best game ever in Famitsu’s reader poll.

So I’ve no idea what Edge are talking about, they’ve always been a bit ‘it’s cool to vote big games as being crap’ so I’m not put off by that.

Is anyone else buying it? Has anyone got it? What do you think? I’ll post my thoughts on it later today once I’ve had a go.

GAME.co.uk had Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers reduced from £35 to £13 yesterday so I ordered that too. I don’t think I’ll be seeing much daylight, especially with my much-neglected dissertation due in shortly.

John Terry, Jon Venables, which one to boo? To most Daily Mail readers this would be a tough choice.

Hat-tip to Dizzy for the inspiration.

From YourCardiff:

Fairwater councillor, Neil McEvoy, the deputy leader of Cardiff Council, tried to get a resident to bet £100 that the Council was cleaning up the area.

The exchange between Mr Morgan, a Fairwater resident, and Coun. McEvoy came after the resident complained that rubbish was not being collected properly.

Coun McEvoy said: “Want to have a bet? I know the area is being cleaned up and I’m happy to bet £100 with you that I can prove it has been. I will give £100 to charity and I want you, Mr Morgan, to take up that bet.”

Mr Morgan declined to take up the offer.

What an overreacting idiot. Fair enough, the resident may have felt that in their area there wasn’t enough being done to collect rubbish but there’s no need to try and fleece the resident out of £100. This guy is not fit for office.

Posing for me

There are many divas in the music industry now: Madonna’s hanging in there, Britney is just about, Leona is growing, Mariah isn’t going anywhere and Beyoncé sits at the top of the pile. There is however, a very fast rising star who has been catapulted from relative obscurity, supporting the Pussycat Dolls at the CIA a year ago and now selling out arenas around the world: Lady Gaga.

If the crowd was anything to go by, the show would be fun, young, camp and energetic. We weren’t disappointed. After waiting for only an hour inside the venue (we waited four at the Madonna concert) a young glam rock band ‘Semi Precious Weapons’ appeared on the stage to get everyone in the mood. They certainly did that, with loud guitars, incredibly ostentatious attire and the most liberal use of the word ‘motherf**ker’ I’ve ever heard. Once Alphabeat came on it was quite a relief as everyone’s ears had taken a pounding and their cheesy electro-pop sing-a-long was a lot of fun to build us up ready for the Gaga.

The show itself was incredible, I’m not sure who came up with the ideas for her outfits or sets but I want whatever they’re on. Whether she was being ravaged by monsters with fake blood on her chest, playing a burning piano with a flaming tornado erupting out of the centre, slamming the keys on a keyboard attatched to a monster truck or fighting a 20 foot high inflatable sea creature, her voice, singing live, was faultless.

At times she seemed timid, as though she was expecting to wake from a dream, she paused but only to tell the crowd how beautiful they were or how much she appreciated them. Her love and gratitude to her gay fanbase she has seen grow so incredibly over the last year was touching and right at the start she stated that the theme for her show was for everyone to be whoever they are, to lift all restrictions on their lives and have a good time. And lots did. I must have screamed myself hoarse, as did the other thousands packed into the sold out CIA. Out of all the divas wanting to put on a show, they should learn from Lady Gaga. After seeing Britney and Madonna in the last couple of years, Lady Gaga is already head and shoulders above them when it’s down to putting on a live show for her fans. Singing live, dancing, surprising and interacting with the audience; Gaga does it best.

This review was also published on YourCardiff and Welsh Icons.