BlessingtonY O U R F R E E L O C A L M O N T H L Y M A G A Z I N EIssue 14: Dec/Jan 2011/12

PLUS LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS RECIPES MOVIES BOOKS SPORT MUSIC

A Community Magazine for Blessington & Surrounding Areas

Christmas The

Edition

contents

SportKevin SinfieldJohn Bohan tells us all about the Rugby titan

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In CinemasMovie ReviewsCreepy shapeshifters on the loose in prequel The Thing,and Seth Rogen practices his comforting skills in dramedy 50/50

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FeatureDog Ownership & CareThinking of getting a dog? Check out this article first

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08 Recipe10 Home Matters14 What’s Going On?

16 Tech Talk20 Books24 Music Reviews

The opinions and views expressed in Blessington Magazine are those of the individual authors or contributors and are not necessarily those of the Editor of Blessington Magazine. Blessington Magazine assume no liability for accuracy, errors or omissions in editorial or offer content. No advice or information given by contributors, Blessington Magazine or any other party shall create any warranty or liability. Blessington Magazine cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or damage that may arise as a result of any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in this magazine. All information, facts & advertising are understood to be correct at time of going to press. However, Blessington Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any changes after the deadline. Final proofing is the sole responsibility of the client.

Movie Images: Universal Pictures, Summit Entertainment, Millennium FilmsMusic Singles Images: www.fanpop.com

Cover Image: services.flikie.com, photo manipulation by Colm GeogheganBlessington Magazine. Tel: 087 6430519 Email: blessingtonmagazine@gmail.comAll material copyright © Blessington Magazine 2012. All rights reservedPrinted by Punctual Print, Blessington

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ContaCt ColmT: 087 6430519Email: blessingtonmagazine@gmail.comEditor / Graphic Design: Colm Geoghegan

Copy Deadline - February 2012:Friday 13th January

Spare a thoughtthis Christmas

Please spare a thought this Christmas for all those who have lost loved ones including the families and friends of

young Louise Fleming and Garda Ciaran Jones who both lost their lives recently

in tragic circumstances. May they rest in peace.

Blessington Musical and Dramatic Society (BMDS) is currently rehearsing for its annual pantomime. Following the successes of ‘Cin-derella’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ over the last two years, this year’s panto is a retelling of the classic tale ‘Snow White’. As always in panto land this is the classic tale with a twist.

Unfortunately due to the economic situation, the panto has not escaped the austerity mea-sures. While traditionally Snow White went to live with 7 dwarfs, in this panto some of the dwarfs have had to move away to find work ‘hi ho hi ho its off to work they go’ and one of them has been lucky enough to get a new job in Áras an Uachtarain. In these politi-cally correct times we will not be referring to them as dwarfs and for health and safety rea-sons the use of poison in apples will be used sparingly. But there is a beautiful princess, a handsome prince, a wicked step mother, a doddery old dad, a suspect nursemaid, two eejits who mess everything up, a brutally honest mirror and lots of magical fairies, some of whom have not passed their test yet. With some great song numbers, dance routines, colourful and outra-geous costumes and sets it promises to be an entertaining show for all the family.

There will be up to the minute commentary on topical issues and nobody in the Blessington and surrounding area is safe from the caustic comments from the cast. You need to be there to see if you are mentioned.

This year the show is taking place after the Christmas period when we can all do with a bit of cheering up. The show will take place in the Tramway Theatre, Blessington, from Wednesday, 18th January 2012 to Saturday, 21st January 2012 and the Saturday show will be on earlier in the evening to facilitate some of the younger audience members who need to get to bed early. Tickets will be available in The Office Shop and Hennessy’s Next Door shortly. The society would like to thank Hen-nessy’s and Jackie in The Office Shop for their assistance in selling tickets for all of our shows. The tickets will be on sale before Christmas and could make an excellent stocking filler for children and grandchildren. So here’s hoping to see you all at the musical society’s annual pantomime in January and we hope that you will have a very enjoyable night in the Tram-way Theatre. Oh yes you will, Oh no you won’t, OH YES YOU WILL!

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Blessington Musical and Dramatic Society presents Snow White

local news / school life

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Blessington & District Credit Union

Set a budget and stick to it. Make a list: know what you want to buy before you go shopping. Avoid starting the New Year with massive debts, so be realistic about what you can spend on presents, food and entertaining. Pay cash where possible and avoid borrow ing “expensive money” via credit cards, store cards, catalogues and above all – stay well away from money lenders. Checks for Sales – many shops have sales before Christmas. Read the small print if you borrow or enter into a “buy now-pay later” deal. If you have to borrow money, try to keep the amount to a minimum and go to your local Credit Union which offers very competitive rates. Why not suggest doing Kris Kindle or set a price limit on presents if you are buying a lot of presents for friends and family. The best gift at Christmas is just being together so friends and family are priceless. Remember shops are only closed for 1 – 2 days over Christmas so there is no need to “bulk buy”. And if you start saving in January 2012 in a Credit Union Stamp Account – you will have your money saved for next Christmas.

Blessington & District

CREDIT UNION Limited

Credit Union House, Blessington, Co. Wicklow.

Email: info@blessingtoncu.ie Website: www.blessingtoncu.ie

Blessington & District Credit Union

You’ve got a friend

Top tips for Christmas shopping

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my loyal readers and advertisers for their continued support. It’s a pleasure to be able to bring the Blessington Magazine to you every month and the kind words and great responses make the hard work worth-while. For the February 2012 Issue I will be-gin introducing a Book Review section. The aim of this will be to get local Book lovers to

review whatever novel they have just finished in no more than 450 words. The best review each month will be chosen and published in the magazine along with a credit to the reviewer. If your interested in contributing to this exciting new section please send your reviews to: blessingtonmagazine@gmail.com. The deadline for February reviews will be Friday 13th January 2012.

Blessington Magazine Book Review

For more information call to Credit Union House or Call: 045-865328

local news

07 06

Blessington & District

CREDIT UNION Limited

Blessington & District Credit Union

You’ve got a friend

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Ingredientslot 1:175g Shamrock Dark Muscavado Sugar175g/6oz margarine/butter (at room temperature)4 large eggs225g/80z Odlums Strong White FlourRind of 1 lemonRind of 1 orange1/2 tsp mixed spice1/2 tsp nutmeg2 tbsp whiskey

lot 2:275g/10oz Shamrock Shamrock Raisins275g/10oz Shamrock Sultanas100g Shamrock Glace Cherries100g Shamrock Cut Mixed Peel100g Shamrock Chopped Almonds100g Shamrock Ground Almonds

method1. ½ Preheat the oven to 130°C/250°F/ Gas ½ . Line a deep 19cm/8” round or 18cm/7” square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment.2. Place all the ingredients from lot 1 into a large mixing bowl and mix well.3. Add the ingredients from lot 2 and stir until well combined.

4. Transfer to the prepared tin. Smooth top.5. Bake for 3½ hours approximately. Check at intervals after 2½ hours.6. Leave cake in the tin until cold.

to decorate1. Brush cake with heated jam or honey and cover with marzipan.2. Leave for 24 hours to ‘set’. Then brush marzipan with a little alchohol and cover with ready to roll icing.3. Decorate as liked.

traditional christmas

puddingThis simple yuletide recipe is packed full of your favourite fruit. Enjoy!

recipe

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home matters

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as I write it’s only mid October and the balmy days belie the reality that Christmas is just

around the corner.

Of course by the time you are reading this we could all be up to our knees in snow and wishing we had kept our promise of preparing for Christmas early. If that is the case don’t despair Blessington has much to offer in the way of Xmas gifts from an Alladins cave for the home in Hennesseys hardware to the more personal gift in Har-vest Fare, Charles Camping or the Bookstore. Without the snow holding us prisoners we may be already think-ing twice of splashing out and instead looking for more practical ways to give and show our appreciation to our loved ones. A wiz on the computer? Make a book of I.O.U.s for babysitting, ironing, gardening or whatever. Use fancy font, personalize and place inside a beautiful card. Love baking? A batch of Xmas decorated cupcakes, Christmas log or gingerbread house beautifully present-ed, what could be nicer? We all have strengths,let’s put them to good use!

With the pressies under control “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”. If you cant get out to food shop, thank God for Super Valu. For a couple of euro, local charge, you can have your groceries delivered to your door, now match that Aldi! If flashing lights and neon signs are not your thing thankfully nature provides us with a beauti-ful alternative. On a crisp bright winters day take a walk through the countryside. Gather fir cones to fill an un-used fireplace, place around a large candle or pile into tall glass containers with coloured baubles.

Pick sprigs of berried holly, tie with festive ribbon and hang from door knobs, backs of dining chairs or in a large bunch on the front door instead of a wreath. Ivy leaves make great place settings tied with narrow ribbon or string to serviettes and can be written on with a fine gold marker. To evoke seasonal aromas boil cinnamon sticks in water and hang oranges spiked with cloves around the kitchen. Outside the front door stick long tapered candles into a bucket filled with sand and glue ribbon or tinsel to edge for a festive welcome. Inciden-

tally, candles burn longer by putting them in the fridge for an hour before lighting. And remember, NEVER leave candles unattended and check all fire extinguishers are full and working in good time for Xmas.

Kids just love to help decorate the Christmas tree but their additions, beautiful in their own right, can play havoc with your well designed two or three colour combination. To save tears (yours) and tantrums (yours) invest in a small second tree for the living/kitchen area or landing and allow them to be as OTT as they wish, this could even be where Santa makes his special deliv-eries! Christmas being a time for family and friends you are bound to get the odd unexpected visit and it’s nice to be able to offer a bed for the night. A 4tf bed is a great choice for a child’s room, only 1ft bigger than a single but will sleep two adults on occasion.

Bed settees offer little privacy if situated in the living area but are a good choice in an office or TV room that can be closed off from the rest of the house. If all comes to all there’s always the bath, spiders optional! Presents, food, drink, entertaining – don’t let it all overwhelm you. Keep it simple, don’t sweat the small stuff and re-member its all small stuff. Until February with the prom-ise of spring in the air, enjoy your festive homes, time spend with loved ones and the magic that is Christmas. And if it does snow, think of it as angel dust, sent with the good intention of slowing us down!

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

by Vivienne meade

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by Vivienne meade

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ALL MOVIES REVIEWED AT STORM CINEMAS, NAAS, CO. KILDAREFor more info visit: www.stormcinemas.ie

Old school thrills and full throttle action make The Thing stand head and shoulders above the recent spate of rehashed horrors.

First things first. The Thing is not a remake. You’d be forgiven for thinking so but the 1982 film was actually called “John Carpenter’s The Thing”. This shiny new 2011 film is actually a prequel (and a homage). It leads up to how Kurt Russell et al ended up battling the titular creature(s).

Scientist Sander Halversen (Ulrich Thomsen) recruits paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to accompany him to the

Antarctica, where his Nor-wegian scientific team has discovered a dormant alien ship beneath the ice, which Halversen believe has been trapped for millenia. They also find one of the creatures encased in a block of ice which, naturally, they bring back to their camp. Things, inevitably, don’t go accord-ing to plan.

Although not as suspense-ful as Carpenter’s film, The Thing 2011 is still definately worth a look. It’s been pains-takingly pieced together to make it feel like it’s part of the same story as its older sibling with fantastic visuals and the claustrophobic loca-tions lending themselves to the 80s vibe of the film.

This feels like Jim Cameron’s Aliens as opposed to Ridley Scott’s quieter more sus-penseful Alien. All out action instead of slow burning dread. It’s no bad thing. Car-penter played the suspense card well in his 1982 film so why not bring out the big guns and setpieces for this installment. A great Friday night flick and one that doesn’t disappoint. CG

this feels more like an

aliens than an alien.

““

in cinemas Reviews by Colm Geoghegan

the thingCERTIFICATE: 16, OUT NOW

DIRECTED BY MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN JR. STARRING JOEL EDGERTON, ULRICH THOMSEN 102 minutes

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Reviews by Colm Geoghegan

50/50CERTIFICATE: 15, OUT NOW

DIRECTED BY JONATHAN LEVINE.

STARRING JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITTSETH ROGEN.

Running Time: 100 minutes

in cinemas Reviews by Colm Geoghegan

FILM OFTHE MONTH

After discovering he has a rare form of cancer, nice guy Adam (Levitt) finds himself pondering the meaning of it all while his best friend Kyle (Rogen) deals with his friends illness by helping him to meet girls.

50/50 is a touching yet funny film with some brilliant performances, the standout being Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Adam. A likeable but unfairly put upon young guy who you root for from the very begin-ning, Levitt is wonderful. So too is Seth Rogen. Although still largely peddling the

loveable lug character from Knocked Up & Superbad, he is there for Adam in unex-pected and realistic ways. If your after a comedy drama with great performances and one that doesn’t rely on ma-nipulation to make you care about it’s central characters then this is the film for you.

The powerful final scene is made all the more poignant due to the fact that you’ve grown to care about what happens to Adam. 50/50 is a rare film of its type with alot of heart & humour in equal measures. Excellent. CG

What’s Going On?

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crosschapel church carolsCelebration of Carols in Crosschapel Church to mark the end of its 150th An-niversary year. All are welcome. Music & Song by Blessington Millennium Choir. Saturday 17th December

CHRISTMAS AT RUSSBOROUGHA Little Christmas Cheer At Russborough: Sat 10th & Sun 11th December from 12 - 4pm. Handmade Craftwork and Jewellery, Cruthú Artfest, Blacksmith’s Creations, Handmade Candles, Wood Sculpting and Turn-ing, Café Aromas & so much more. Russborough House Tours and Christmas Shop Sale open 1pm - 4pm. All welcome. www.russborough.ie

Lacken Church 1811 – 2011Book Available from Blessington Parish Office €5. DVD of Bi-Centenary Mass €15 or Book & DVD by post for €23.35 from Maureen Phibbs: 045 865776

SeT dAnCInGhas resumed in Valleymount Hall on Thursday nights from 8pm to 10pm. New members always very welcome.

Community Carol ServiceCommunity Carol Service at 8pm in Church of Our Lady co-ordinated by Blessington Community College. All are welcome.

wOLf TRek.IeStudents! Free horse riding lessons in return for lead rein help on horse treks. Blessinton area, visit www.wolftrek.ie/horsehelpers for more details

MILLennIUM CHOIRSaturday 10th December – Blessington Millennium Choir presents Christmas Crackers – An evening of Mulled Wine & Mince Pies. Tickets €15 Adults & €5 Children available from Blessington Parish Office, St. Kevin’s Hall or Olivia Haslett 087 260 1937. Great Night guaranteed.

AGM Of BLeSSInGTOn & dISTRICT CRedIT UnIOnwill be held in the Avon Ri on 15th December at 8 pm. Car Draw takes place and loads of prizes to be won. Everyone welcome.

Your Guide To Upcoming Local Events

What’s Going On?

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Your Guide To Upcoming Local Events

Over the last few months, we have had numerous enquires from people all over Wicklow won-

dering how they can get broadband.

Unfortunately for many, they are just too far away from an Eircom exchange to get fixed line broadband (broadband over your phone line), or UPC Fibrepowered Broad-band (broadband over TV cable system) is unavailable in their area. So, what are the other options available?

The first option is Mobile Broadband. Meteor, Vodafone, O2 and E Mobile all offer mobile broadband solutions. You can connect to mobile broadband either using a small USB Dongle on your laptop, or using a Wireless Hub. The USB dongle means that only one person can avail of the service. If you use a Wireless Hub, up to 5 devices can connect to the service at any one time. If there will be more than one person looking to connect to the Internet, then I would suggest using the Wireless Hub. One thing to note, if you have bad mobile coverage in your area, then Mobile Broadband is not for you. Enquire at your local phone shop about coverage in your area, other phone networks may have a better signal.

The next option is Satellite Broadband. Satellite broadband has come a long way in a few short years, but compared to other op-tions, is still expensive. The recently launched Q Sat have a variety of deals, but unless you are a very light surfer, their Lite and Basic packages may not suit. Digiweb offer Satel-lite broadband and like Q Sat, have a vari-ous packages on offer also. Their starter pack-age, Value6, is a better offering than either of the two entry level packages from Q Sat, but I would be of the opinion that their Plus8 package would be a better option. Satellite Broadband also means having a Satellite Dish installed. Because of this, installation fees

are generally a lot more expensive than fixed line or cable broadband. The last option is Wireless Broadband. Digiweb have vari-ous options available, and the Metro Value package seems like a reasonable deal. Wick-low Broadband also have some reasonable packages available on their website. Wire-less Broadband does not require a phone line, but like Mobile Broadband, it depends on the availability of a signal in your area. You can check on the Digiweb and Wicklow Broadband websites to see what services they offer in your area. I’m sure I have missed out on other broadband suppliers out there. If I did, it was not intentional. There are so many, that sometimes it can be hard to keep track of them.

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tech talk

Broadband Solutions

in Wicklow

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beauty by Stephanie Bannon

To shade or not to shade?This is a question I get asked a

lot. How to shade and where to shade. The real question is;

do you need to?

An oval face shape is widely considered the perfect shape. It will have wider cheekbones and then narrow down to the jaw line and chin. Oval face shape will also be narrow up towards the forehead. Generally there is no need to shade this shape, although you can highlight the cheek bones and apply high-lighter to the highest part of the cheekbone below the temple.

On the other hand, square and diamond shape faces are similar, with a very defined lower jaw line, almost like the bottom half of a square, going pretty much straight up to the temples and forehead, whereas diamond shape, the jaw line is defined as well as high cheek bones. If you want to shade this shape, try to imagine an oval around your face, and use shader on anything that falls outside that, so the corner of the jaw line, the outer of the cheek bones and either side of the forehead, and then apply highlighter to the middle of the chin and the middle of the forehead.

Shader is like creating a shadow. Shading makes something less noticeable and high-lighter brings attention, so be careful when applying these, and take time to blend it out. You can use a flat bronzer with no shimmer as the shimmer will act as a highlighter and that would defeat the purpose. The big brands like Gosh and Mac do sell the professional shaders, there similar to a bronzer colour but with a lot more options in depth of colour. And what about the eyes? it’s the same principal. If your eyes

are closer together use a lighter pastel colour shadow on the inner corners and darker colour on the outer. You can apply eyeliner to the water line but stop just before the tear duct. Don’t run the liner the full way into the inner corner. If you don’t want to leave it bare you can use a silver or gold, and the opposite if your eyes are wide apart. Use a medium colour on the inner corner and dark on the outer corner and use eyeliner as you wish. So a quick simple re-cap. Any-thing you want to push in or try to hide use a shader and anything you want to pop out use a highlighter. It does take some prac-tice ,and you know what they say ,practice makes perfect.

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by Stephanie Bannon

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books

THE TOP 5 BESTSELLING

BOOKS OF 2011Here’s a quick rundown of tHe top 5 fiction Books of tHe year

STePHen kInG 11.22.63What if you could go back in time and change the course of history? What if the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assas-sination? 11/22/63, the date that Kennedy was shot - unless . . .1

HARUkI MURAkAMI 1Q84The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo. Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increas-ingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

2Jeffrey eugenides The Marriage PlotIt’s the early 1980s. In American colleges, the wised-up kids are inhaling Derrida and listening to Talking Heads. But Madeleine Hanna, dutiful English major, is writing her senior thesis on Jane Austen and George Eliot, purveyors of the mar-riage plot that lies at the heart of the greatest English novels.

3john grisham The LitigatorsOscar Finley: street cop turned street lawyer. Wally Figg: expert hustler and ambulance-chaser. David Zinc: Harvard Law School graduate. Together, this unlikely trio make up Finley & Figg: specialists in injury claims, quickie divorces and DUIs. None of them has ever faced a jury in federal court. But they are about to take on one of the biggest phar-maceutical companies in the States.

4Alice Hoffman The DovekeepersThe lives of four sensuous, bold and remarkable women intersect in the year 70AD, in the desperate days of the siege of Masada, when supplies are dwindling and the Romans are drawing near.5

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sport

as a sports fanatic one of my favourite sports is Rugby League a sport

which is mostly confined to Yorkshire and Lancashire England and would not be very popular here in this country.

As a fan of Leeds United for almost fifty years it was only natural that the team that I would support in Rugby League would be the Lee ds Rhinos whose home ground is Headingly Leeds and what enjoyment they have given me over the past decade. They have been Super League Champions five times including three in a row in the last eight years to become the top side in Super League. One of my sporting heroes is the Leeds Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield.

Kevin was born in September 1980 in Oldham Greater Manchester and is without a shadow of a doubt one of the greatest sports people of the modern age. A true legend. He began his playing career at Waterhead RLFC. He then signed for Leeds Rhinos in August 1997 and made his first team debut aged 16 against the Sheffield Eagles. He went on to make three further appearances during the 1997 and 1998 season scoring his first try against Huddersfield in September 1998. 1999 was a breakthrough sea-son for Kevin, making 21 appearances and scoring 2 tries. He was unlucky not to be selected for the 1999 Chal-lenge Cup Final at the old Wembley Stadium which saw the Rhinos defeat the then London Broncos 52–16.

In 2000 he made his England debut in the World Cup and in 2001 made his Great Britain debut. In 2003 he was made captain of the Rhinos a position he has filled with distinction to this very day. That year he led the Rhinos to Grand Final glory at Old Trafford and has gone on to lead them to three

successive league titles in 07, 08 and 09 and only last month created history when he lead them to a fifth league title when they staged a dramatic come back to defeat old Lancashire rivals St. Helens in the Grand Final at Old Trafford. Kevin is the first Rhinos captain to lift the World Club Chal-lenge Trophy having done it twice to date in 2005 and 2008. He is also not only the Rhinos top goal kicker of all time but in the season just finished he became the top point’s scorer of all time in Super League. In 2007 he be-came the first Rhinos player to score in every round of Super League a feat he repeated in 2011. In 2009 he lifted the Harry Sunderland Trophy at Old Trafford when he turned in a ‘man of the match ‘performance to guide the Rhinos to another Grand Final win.

Apart from being one of the greatest players and captains ever to play in Super League Kevin is an outstanding reliable goal kicker scoring many vital kicks to win tight matches for our beloved Rhinos. In the season just finished he kicked the golden point in the Challenge Cup semi-final against Castleford to take the Rhinos to Wem-bley and followed that up with the winning penalty against Warrington in the semi –final of the Super League playoffs at the end of September to take the Rhinos to another Grand Final appearance at Old Trafford.

Apart from being a top sports star Kevin is an intelligent bloke. He has three A levels and in 2003 he began a Sports Science Degree and graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2008 a year he also celebrated his testimonial year with the Rhinos.

So for us Rhinos fans the future looks very bright indeed and we hope that king Kev will stay injury free for some years to come so that we can go ’marching on together’ to many more Super League Championships.

Kevin SinfieldRUGBY lEaGUE PlaYER

by John Bohan

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Top 5 non traditional Christmas crackers

the Pogues Fairytale of New York 1.Every Christmas the Pogues ‘Fairytale of New York’ is undoubtedly the most played song on the radio and in your homes around the Christmas period. It’s not so much a Christmas song but a song that mentions Christmas. It‘s gritty and genuine well written lyrics captures the rocky relationship with brutal honesty. Most importantly it gives you a break from all the jingle bells and relentless Christmas cheer.

This was released in 1977 by the The Kinks. It throws the usual Christmas right out the window. And I suppose the lyrics are true to form the older you get. “Father Christmas, give us some money, we got no time for silly little toys”.

the Kinks Father Christmas

3.the Waitresses Christmas WrappingA huge hit in 1982 this track grabs your attention instantly and with artists such as the Spice Girls and Kate Nash covering the song it has moved along with the genera-tions. If you blocked out the Christ-mas lyrics you would think this was a very cool 80’s new wave hit.

Wham! Last ChristmasAll I can say is pure cheesy 80’s classic from wham!

2.

4.In 1987, The Pretenders proved that punk rockers could sing Christmas songs with this beautiful cover of one of the world’s most popular holiday tracks.

the Pretenders 2,000 Miles

music Reviews by michelle Daly

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3.the Waitresses Christmas Wrapping

Reviews by michelle Daly

interests

JOE FrazIErThe Death Of a Boxing Legend

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier, who was known for his personal and profes-sional battles with Muhammad Ali, died after a brief fight with cancer at the age of 67. The youngest of 12 children, Frazier was born in 1944 into a working-class family on a farm in the racially-segregated southeastern U.S. town of Beaufort, (pron: BYOO’- fert) South Carolina. Frazier dreamed of becoming a prize fighter from an early age, watching boxing matches on his family’s black-and-white television.

After fighting as an amateur for sev-eral years, Frazier won a gold medal for the United States at the 1964 Olympic Games. But “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier really made his name in the 1970s during his epic rivalry with boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Frazier became the first man to beat Ali, winning the heavyweight title in 1971 in a dramatic, 15-round

unanimous decision at New York’s Madison Square

Garden. Dubbed the “fight of the century,” an estimated 300 mil-lion people worldwide

viewed the match, which left both men hospitalized.

After Ali responded with a 12-round victory in 1974, the two men met in the Philippines for the famed “Thrilla in Manila,” considered to be one of the most famous sporting events in history. After battering

each other for 14 rounds, Frazier was forcibly held back by his trainer after nearly being blinded by Ali’s punches. Ali later said the match was the “closest thing to dying” that he had ever experienced. The no-nonsense Frazier was often overshadowed by Ali’s more ag-gressive and charismatic personal-ity. Frazier resented being verbally attacked by Ali, who referred to him as a “gorilla” and accused Frazier of being too accommodating to the white-dominated society.

The two men remained bitter enemies for decades. But in later years, Frazier came to forgive Ali, saying he felt no bitterness against him for his attacks outside the ring. Ali also later apologized, saying the insults were only meant to promote the fights. Ali said in a statement late Monday that “the world has lost a great champion,” and that he will always remember Joe with “respect and admiration.”

Frazier’s aggressiveness, close-range style and devastating left hook compensated for his relative small size. He weighed just 93 kilograms - considered small for a heavyweight boxer. Frazier retired in 1976 with a record of 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. The boxing icon’s family said that he died in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia - one month after being diagnosed with an advanced form of liver cancer.

JOE FrazIErThe Death Of a Boxing Legend

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A MeAn ChristMAs

“I’ve tried the Snapdragon and

burned my mouth which my children thought hilarious!”

interests

by Valery Howell

Are you warmed by charming thoughts such as sipping wine by a log fire, surrounded by the aroma of pine trees and flickering spiced candles, mince pies and other delicacies in the oven?

Or are you warned to tighten your belts, consider the future, return to basics, spend less and recycle until the cows come home? Like clockwork every year ‘Christ-mas’ is dragged out from the cupboard and recycled i.e. decorations, unused cards, star spangled candle holders, holly berried tablecloths, seasonal “Ho Ho” mulled wine glasses and plates all put to good use. To put things into perspective, we can still have our warming and our warning in the same basket. Just plan a little and it makes things far easier.

Purchase two bags of Raisins and the smallest bottle of Brandy you can get. Play Snapdragon by placing a mound of raisins on a plate in the middle of the table and moisten with brandy. On Christmas Eve in a dark-ened room set the mound of raisins alight and each child must reach quickly through the small flame to pluck a raisin out to eat (under adult supervision). “Bovril puts beef into you and a mug of piping hot Bovril will buck you up no end as well as ward off the chills and colds of winter”! “It’s the giving, not the getting” that matters, right? Of course not! Make a wish list (a realistic one) and give it to the family. They can do the same for you.

They say “talk is cheap” – well I have news for you, talk is FREE! No excuse is needed to smile at a stranger and exchange greetings. Do it often. Look the person in the

eye, smile and mean it when you say “Happy Christmas” – shaking hands makes the wish more profound! Read-ing “Housewife “ (December 1957 issue) gave me the ideas for 1 and 2 above. I’ve tried the Snapdragon and burned my mouth which my children thought hilarious! I’ve taken my hot Bovril out to gaze in awe at the night sky – a screeching ball of fur in the shape of two cats emerged from behind the hedge making me jump and the hot Bovril bucked me up alright! Good ideas – just handle with care! Items 3 and 4 are my own ideas. If you don’t have to give your children money to buy your presents then the ‘wish list’ is a good thing – otherwise you’re going to end up with a bar of chocolate and a cheap pair of slippers, again! Talk is free – but words are not which is why I have to stop writing now. So there it is, the meanest Christmas ever.

Your kids will hate you for making them eat hot raisins, you’ll tire very quickly of Bovril and nobody will want to talk to a grouch! P.S. Go to church – that will remind you why Christmas was invented! PPS. Merry Christmas Editor!

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Dog ownership&our duty of careare you thinking about getting a dog

to join your family, or maybe you live on your own and want to have

a pet as a companion? At this time of the year, you will no doubt be sensible & wait until well after the Christmas & New Year celebrations before bringing a new dog into your home.

However, here is a short check list of items to consider before you reach your final decision about getting a dog:- Do you have time to care for the dog? Exercising/ Grooming/ Training? Is there someone at home so that the dog is not left all day on its own only to become bored which can lead to barking & cause nuisance to your neighbours? Do you have time for daily walks? Every day, hail, rain or shine. Can you afford a well bal-anced, nutritional diet for your dog? Can you afford vet-erinary treatment (e.g. annual vaccinations/ worm treat-ment / flea & mite treatment) & pet insurance for the more serious accidents / illnesses which may befall your pet during its life? Can you afford grooming costs?

If your dog has a coat which requires regular profession-al grooming, e.g. West Highland/ Shihtzu/or similar coat-ed dogs. can you afford grooming costs? Will you have your dog microchipped? Microchipping your pet helps traceability back to owner should your dog become lost. The majority of non microchipped pets are never reunited with owners. If the dog is not already neutered, are you prepared to have this done so that your dog does not become part of the seriously high dog over-population “problem” in Ireland, resulting in too many unwanted litters of pups. Neutering your pet (male or female) also keeps it healthier & less territorial. Will you be a responsible owner by not allowing your dog

to stray? We all should maintain a duty of care towards our pets & if you do decide that your lifestyle suits own-ing a dog & that you can provide the time & resources needed to allow a happy & healthy life for your pet’s natural lifespan, then please adopt from an Animal Welfare Group/Shelter, there are hundreds of won-derful dogs & pups in need of new loving homes. So far, 2011 has been a catastrophic year for unwanted & abandoned pets in Ireland & the year is still not over.

The annual pre Christmas “clear out” of pets has not yet begun. Those of us involved in the animal rescue & welfare community, work tirelessly to tackle the monu-mental problems of overpopulation, cruelty, abandon-ment & general public apathy towards our companion animals. The alarmingly high number of dogs destroyed annually in our 34 Dog Pounds is appalling. Figures released by the Department of Environment for 2010 show slightly under 5,300 dogs destroyed, the majority of these dogs & pups were young & healthy. There are no figures available for the number of dogs brought into vets nationally to be destroyed, not due to illness, or injury, but merely no longer wanted by owners. How many dogs are abandoned by uncaring owners in rural, or city areas, brought for a drive & put out of a vehicle, never to return?

Through the years, we have taken many such dogs & pups into our care. Often found by members of the pub-lic while out walking – dogs tied to trees, dogs found straying in towns & villages, pups thrown in ditches, thown into rivers, or left tied up in rubbish bags. Do-mestic animals do not survive in the wild, unless found by chance, they die a miserable lingering death from starvation and/or injury & those frightful numbers will never be known. Please, do think very carefully before you decide to acquire a dog, or pup.

featureby Celtic Animal Life Line

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by Celtic Animal Life Line

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