Let us be honest, certain occasions require a certain image… after all you would not ideally turn up for a boardroom meeting in an oily boiler suit. And as for running shoes … well!

I wonder sometimes though: have I begun the slow decent into that abysmal world of cosy slippers, from which I imagine there is no return, when comfort is one of the things I place a value on… even more so than the value I place on image? …Or more to the point: I now place a value on trying to achieve a balance between the two – functional yet aesthetic! I mean, in a world that can put people on the moon… it should be easy to look well and feel good with what I’m wearing. I’m one of those whose line of work sees me spending a lot of time in a suit and tie, doing the whole formal look, right down to the polished leather-sole shoes. It’s something I’m used to and don’t mind it so much, as in my down-time I get to relax and wear what I like.

However, time changes everything and a recent stumble saw me injuring my knee. All of a sudden what was common-place was now extremely uncomfortable and the only solution was to wear trainers (sneakers) – not an ideal match when it comes to suits. It would seem I had two choices, wear my leather shoes and bear the pain or look ridiculous and turn out in sports shoes. My search began in earnest for something that would go with a shirt and tie and also offer the same support as a good running shoe. To my amazement it wasn’t a long search. All the reputable manufactures of running shoes had a wide range of possible suitable candidates.

After a little consideration I settled on a nice pair of Nike air-sole running shoes, with black soles and black uppers. They were perfect for the job: black, which goes with anything, subtle in design so they didn’t look over the top, but instead looked well and they were comfortable, offering support and easing the pain of my knee injury… thanks to that same ingenuity that put people on the moon and sees the modern world offering a wide range of running shoes.

When people talk about yachts and sailing it’s normally a romantic image that comes to mind: sails billowing, yelling “hard to port” or even starboard and nothing but miles-upon-miles of open waters. There’s other associations too, the compass and sexton, the relaxing moments of lying on a varnished and polished deck with clear blue skies over-head. It’s beautiful… just thinking about it!

However, my first memory of yachting is somewhat different… and much less picturesque and yet remains one of my favourite memories. My introduction to sailing starts of in the dry-dock and took place in bad weather on a rainy and freezing cold spring morning and was anything but your stereo-typical setting. Strangely though, it’s a memory that has lingered with me and has often drifted from the small yacht of my story, to dreaming of one day maybe taking out a luxury yacht charter. I had always had an interest in the idea of sailing, ever since I was a child and had seen my first pirate ship on the big screen… there was something magical but it was something I never had the opportunity to try, until recently. In the usual way you can know someone for a while and not know all their interests, a friend of mine mentioned that they had a love of yachts and sailing and the conversation developed with one thing leading to another. Before I knew it I had an invitation to go sailing. My friend had explained that if I wanted to really see sailing I had to experience it from the start, so I should be prepared – he advised me of everything I would need: Wellies (gum boots), water-proofs, change of warm clothes and shoes, flash of coffee and food etc. etc. Surely this was not sailing!

Sunday morning arrived and it was a stormy morning. The yacht was on a trailer in dry dock and under covering. She’s been taken out of the water to keep her safe from Winter’s weather. Now came the first part of any boats journey: We had to put her in the water! It was an amazing experience as a large number of sailors who had also stowed their boats for the winter turned out for the event, it didn’t matter that it was freezing cold and raining hard, it was a regatta on dry-land and the atmosphere was electrifying. The plan was simple, everyone worked together, one boat at a time, until all the boats were in the sea. In groups we wheeled the trailers up to the sea-wall, hooked the boats to a crane and lowered them onto the waves. By early afternoon all the boats were bobbing on the tide ready for there first trip around the bay.

By evening I was exhausted and had been soaked through by rain and mud. It was AMAZING! I had put a boat in the water… but most of all I had earned the chance to sail it around the bay!

“I don’t know what type… it’s a blue car… once it gets me from A to B that’s all that matters” – I think everyone has heard this statement or something similar at one time or another – and for some people it is true, but not for most petrol heads. For me it’s a pet hate… and akin to a person saying about their own leg: “I don’t  know what it’s called really… it’s just a limb… as long as it gets me from A to….”!

Since the dawn of the automobile age we’ve seen so many different shapes, makes and models with numerous companies pushing the boundaries of what was possible – safety, style & design, even the combustion engine evolved and motoring needs gave birth to the electric engine. To compete, cars got more advanced and inevitably those developments led to better cars and as people began to spend more of their lives and lifestyles in or around their cars there grew a need for the “Luxury Car” – that safe, mobile haven that had all the creature comforts and security of home.

As someone who loves cars, I believe one of the biggest revolutions was the dawn of the affordable car, pretty much made possible by cars like  Henry Ford’s legendary Model-T. Once upon a time, cars were seen as a luxury but the affordable car meant everyone could could own one – before long the automobile was commonplace – and nowadays many homes boast the title of  being a “two car family” without batting an eye. To meet demand, cars became more and more lavish, with every automotive company offering “luxury models”. There was a car and a specification to suit every pocket.

In recent times though, the global credit crunch has given rise to the question of what is need, what is luxury and what is over-indulgence – as someone who often test drives cars, a question that I have been asked is: “Should car companies continue to produce and develop luxury cars in a world that is in the grasp of financial crisis?” The simple answer is YES – without a doubt.

Apart from the beautiful cars produced, the biggest virtue of “Luxury Cars” such as BMW’s new Z4 is they push the boundaries of what is possible (technologically and as regards safety, as Road Tests prove). One thing that always reigned true is that new developments that start off as exclusive to a luxury car, eventually become a commonplace feature and part of all cars, for example, power steering, central locking and even rear seatbelts (once exclusive to luxury cars only).

More than two hundred clamped cars were abandoned by their owners last year rather than paying the clampers fee.

It seems some drivers simply shrug and opt for one of the flood of cheap second-hand cars on the market when their trusty old vehicle is clamped.

Last year, more than 200 cars went unclaimed when they were taken off the streets of Dublin city after being clamped and towed away.

Amid plummeting car prices, a Dublin City Council spokeswoman said: “In most cases, the cost of reclaiming the vehicle would exceed the value of the vehicle.” If the vehicle is towed to the city car pound then the price starts to soar. The owner has to fork out €80 for clamp removal, a further €80 to cover the costs of towing and a storage charge of €35 for each day it is held.

Ok… So I get it why someone in desperate circumstances might not reclaim a vehicle or might not want to pay the fine… maybe a little, but I have still got to ask: Seriously… who are these people?

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT.IE

John Shelley & The Creatures release their new single Long May You Reign (RELEASED ONLINE via iTunes on Feb 5th 2010) , a song that proves that this band is quite simply “WOW!”.

If you know your music then you won’t take long to realise that musically this band are Northern Ireland’s answer to REM.

Long May You Reign has all the right innuendoes that indicate that John Shelly & The Creatures have plenty of talent in reserve to give them longevity in the Music – March 5th sees the release of the album “Dinosaur”

John Shelly and the Creatures on MUZU

Links To The Band:

Website: www.johnshellyandthecreatures.com

MUZU: www.muzu.tv/jsc

Myspace: www.myspace.com/jsatc

Bebo: www.bebo.com.wattswalter

Upcoming Shows: The Dinosaur Tour

8th  February 10 – King Kong Club, Dublin

10th February 10 – The Old Oak, Cork

11th February 10 – Spirit Store, Dundalk

12th February 10 – Backroom Navan, Meath

13th February 10 – Whelan’s, Dublin

14th February 10 – Cuba, Galway

19th February 10 – The Stables, Mullingar

20th February 10 – Sandinos, Derry

25th February 10 – Dolans, Limerick

26th February 10 – The Sky & the Ground, Wexford

27th February 10 – Dew Drop Inn, Kill

4th March 10 – Auntie Annies, Belfast (Album Launch)

19th March 10 – An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny

Certainty: Noun 1 Something that cannot be doubted or is bound to happen.
2 Freedom from doubt; the state of being sure. 3 The state of being bound
to happen.

One certainty in life is that one of the major downsides of being in good health is that all too often it makes it is very easy to forget that “Health” is an issue that affects everyone. It is always relevant – whether someone is well or unwell, young or old and no matter a person’s level of fitness.  It’s the human condition, people are fragile – we age, while our bodies are prone to disease, injury and damage. Like so many, I’m guilty of only thinking about the issue of health when I become sick – and yet it is an issue that is all around us in everyday life from hospitals to headache tablets.

Yet, despite our frailties, people have always striven to overcome the things that threaten our well-being through science and medical research – medicine, new surgical and therapeutic techniques, vaccines and prosthetics have all gone a long way towards improving quality of life. Another is “Controversy” and throughout the history of the world there has always been debate surrounding “New Developments” and Medical Research is no exception.

One such area that has provoked much controversial scrutiny is Stem Cell Research. It’s also a subject that deserves careful consideration. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute conducts extensive research in the field of stem cells which form the foundation for every organ, tissue and cell in the human body. Stem cells may be able to repair or replace damaged tissue, thereby reversing diseases and injuries such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and blood diseases, to name but a few.

Equally as important, while the studies have shown enormous possibilities and potential the issue raises many ethical and moral questions for people. The controversy arises when we look at how Stem Cells are obtained. In short, there are several sources of cells used in research: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. The first, embryonic stem cells are obtained from a fertilized egg (generally taken from embryos created during in vitro fertilization but never implanted in a patient). The second is found in tissues and organs throughout the body (referred to as adult stem cells, or tissue-specific cells and in many cases are confirmed to help repair and maintain injured or damaged tissue).

The important question: Critics argue that life begins at conception and these human embryos should not be used for research. Proponents disagree that life begins at conception and explain that these frozen masses of cells are otherwise destined for destruction.  Both sides of the discussion have valid concerns. In a world that sees people suffer with terrible illnesses, but has also seen ethics and morality ignored in the name of science, we must practice informed care. One final certainty is that while we seek ways of improving health, there must be certainty that what we do is right.

Further Information about stem cells

Santa Claus is coming to town!…

He’s made his list and he’s checked it twice and now he’s on his way!

Follow his journey as he makes his way around the world this Christmas!

Thanks to Norad (North American Aerospace Defense Command) everyone can follow Santa live on the internet, as he makes his way in his sleigh with Rudolph and the other reindeer, to the homes of all the little boys and girls!

(Click the link below to follow Santa!)

NORAD TRACKS SANTA CLAUS

You can also track Santa on Google Earth

Also Visit Santa’s Village to see what’s been going on, and join in on the fun!