Darragh and Niamh are

... Sitting in the sun drenched courtyard of a French chateau, drinking champagne, eating hors d'ouevres and listening to traditional Irish music played by five musicians sitting on a low wall...

And they are very, very happy.

Two reflections from the wedding ceremony

Take time to think, it is the source of power.

Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to play, it is the secret to staying young.

Take time to be quiet, it is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware, it is the opportunity so help others.

Take time to love and be loved. This is God's greatest gift.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul.

Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream, it is what the future is made of.

Take time to pray, it is the greatest power on earth.

-- and --

You don't marry someone you can live with

You marry the person who you cannot live without.

Girls in Paris - c'est magnifique!

I'm not sure how Niamh puts up with me. Here we are, walking around Paris as we wait to go to her friend's wedding and I'm captivated, not by the architecture, the history or the ambience, but by the pretty girls.

And in Paris there are a lot of pretty girls.

They seem oblivious to their effect as they stroll along in the sunshine, dressed in their simple but elegant clothes. Black seems to be the colour of the season here. Certainly dark colours are in, the loud pinks and pastels reserved for the younger girls and the tourists.

The casual the-sun-is-shining style over here seems not to be the low cut tops, the too tight hot pants over brightly coloured tights or the paint on skinny jeans and they look all the better for it. Instead they choose clothes to compliment their figures, to suit the weather and to just look good in. They look comfortable and act comfortable because of it.

I know some beautiful stunning Irish girls who always manage to look great. However there's a small small percentage of image obsessed and too-self-conscious girls who'd benefit from seeing how free-ing it seems to be.

I haven't seen the all-too-prevalent fake tan oompa loompa look that Grafton Street and Dundrum seem to majorly consist of, especially on Saturday afternoons. There are hair colours of all sorts, not just peroxide blonde.

In such a multicultural city the tans are probably authentic or are at least professionally applied ones. I've passed quite a few tanning boutiques, advertising the benefits of looking after your skin, with tan-friendly sunscreen prominently on display. The girls get the sun - don't get me wrong - by lounging around on the steps of the Pantheon or in the Jardin du Tuileries or sitting outside a cafe sipping their coffees from impossibly small cups.

I'm finding it ironic also that the city of fashion, of beauty and of image contains so many girls who don't appear to be wearing make up.

They're certainly not plastered in it as some girls do (and I can usually tell: training from an ex) and where it's used (generally around the eyes Niamh tells me) it works well to accentuate the colours without making them look unnatural. Maybe the benefits of the sun mean that skin complaints or aggravations don't affect them so much, though my own suspicion that the healthy food, the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables (I've passed more grocers here than souveneir shops) and the water price (a euro for a litre) all contribute.

Many of the girls I know will admit to feeling the need to use make-up to change or improve their appearance. "oh I couldn't go out without it." Here it serves to accentuate rather than distort.

Finally, and rather wonderfully, I've not seen one pair of ugg boots, one pair of impossible high heels worn non-dressy or any shoes that look uncomfortable to wear. The shoes are flat, practical and stylish. The girls walk with ease. I somehow doubt any of them feel the need to remove their shoes after walking. None of this squeezing 5 toes into pointy shoes with room only for 3. No wedges and no way too tight straps as far as I can see. Just simple.

We were discussing the difference between foreign and Irish girls appearance before and came up with the fact that (a) in their own country they're probably fairly ordinary but because they're out of context they're different and therefore "more attractive" and (b) there's a big difference in the prevalence of the media and image between Ireland, the UK and the US and in the rest of the world. Maybe no-one's told them they need to look and dress a certain way for the boys to like them.

In Paris in particular the sense of beauty comes from the surroundings, the architecture of the buildings and the human form. There's nudity everywhere, in the advertisements, the sculptures, the reliefs on important buildings and bridges, the paintings. But it doesn't seem to promote the idea of a perfect human form, rather to celebrate it. There's no standard - breasts, figures and curves of varying sizes, shapes and tones both male and female are all on display, not suggesting they need to be shown only if they look a certain way. Not hidden.

Maybe of course it's all a pretence and a sham and they spend ages getting ready in the mornings, a fortune in the beauticians and another in hairdressers perfecting a just brushed casual look. Maybe.

But sure, really, what the hell would I know? I have a preference for girls who aren't compulsively obsessed with their image, who'd prefer to spend time looking into your eyes than a mirror and who realise the most beautiful thing you can be is to be yourself and I'm single. What does that tell you?

Typing all this onto the brick has left Niamh alone in the Pantheon. I'm in a place of great art, history and beauty. I better go.

Over the weekend and beyond

It's very short notice I know but...



Firstly, if you can get tickets to the Dublin City Soul Festival, starting in a few hours, then please, please go. Last year was an amazing fusion of artists and sounds, culminating in one of the best concerts I have ever been to.



The Rance Allen Group, supported by the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir were amazing in the Mansion House last year and this year they're in the Sugar Club on Saturday 24th at 8pm, performing alongside the undisputed Queen of Beale Street – Miss Ruby Wilson. Tickets are €40 and available here.

Last year was the first time they performed in Ireland and I'd imagine the fans, Chris Maher and the organisers are delighted to have them back. The show last year was amazingly vibrant and full of life, ending up in Niamh and I dancing (sober and all!) the last 40 minutes and three encores in front of the stage with most of the rest of the audience.

There's also a free Soul Picnic in Merrion Square Park on Sunday. More details here.



To celebrate Africa Day and the culmination of Irish Aid's Africa Week also on Sunday the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir; Kila; Mundy, Sinead O' Connor, Republic of Loose and more are playing at a FREE event in Dublin Castle.



The IFI have also got free screenings on. Check out the full programme here.



Thirdly; the Smithwicks Cat Laughs Festival are looking for volunteers for this year's festival on the June Bank Holiday Weekend in - of all places - Kilkenny.



There's an amazing lineup of comedians and it really seems like it will be - pardon the obvious - a great laugh. I know Darren's looking forward to it!

Find out more about the festival on their website and for more information about volunteering drop Trish Duffe, the very friendly Volunteer Coordinator (and all around Wonderwoman) a line on thecatlaughs@gmail.com.

You can also download the Volunteer application forms here.



Finally, speaking of volunteering, the Darklight Film Festival - as covered by Jazzbiscuit yesterday - are also looking for volunteers. The Festival runs from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th June.

As a non-profit organization, a crack team of willing and eager volunteers are crucially important to making Darklight happen - if you think you have what it takes, contact sinead at darklight dot ie.

I did this last year (and hope to this year, if they'll have me) and have to say it was one of the most interesting, varied and fun events to work on ever. The beautiful girls I got to work with were the added bonus.



Whatever you get up to, have fun :)

I'd love to be around for the events over the weekend but have been dragged away. No consideration, some people, eh? Needless to say, I'm not happy.



Tee hee hee

(Typed on a keyboard with French layout - most of the keys aren't where they should be!)

Ken Lee (you know, by Mariah Carey?)

Couldn't resist posting this from Bulgarian Idol:



Seriously. I love it.

Kennnnn Leeeee, tulibu dibu douchooo....

Pigsback.com closes its Canadian website

In a statement on the homepage of their Canadian site today, Irish company Pigsback.com have announced they're closing the operation after less than a year.

Members who visited the site today, operated by Empathy Marketing Ltd were told the following:

After a successful pilot campaign over the last six months, Pigsback.com is temporarily now closed for business in Canada while we work on finding new partners and better content for you.

We'd like to thank everyone who has enjoyed the activities on the site, who has contributed to the contests and content, and who has recommended us to their friends over this time. We hope to be back in a Canadian city near you very soon!

The Pigsback.com team.

From reading Canadian Money Saving forums the site seemed to be popular, though the updating of the site, delivery of rewards and issuing of PiggyPoints seemed to be an issue for some members.

Bell New Ventures (a subsidiary of Bell Canada Enterprises, Canada's largest telecommunications company) the company originally supporting Pigsback in Canada withdrew their involvement in December, citing a need to focus on their core business.

In October 2007 the Sunday Business Post wrote that the Canadian business employed 15 staff.

Pigsback who employs 50 people between their offices in Citywest and London will be in operation eight years in June. The site runs advertising campaigns for a variety of brands and offers members the opportunity to earn PiggyPoints, which they can redeem for a variety of rewards including merchandise and vouchers.

It's always tough to see an Irish company have to close doors on any venture they try abroad. On a personal level, having worked with them in Ireland and London for three years I'm sorry that the venture seems to have failed and the success they were seeking didn't work out. I wish them every success as they plan their future.

Animals on the London Underground

Got to love the creativity that has gone into the Animals on the Underground site. I've often stared at those maps myself (wondering how to get from Southgate to Baker Street in less than an hour) but it took Paul Middlewick to see the pattern and spot the first album, an elephant, in 1988.



Now there's t-shirts you can buy, ecards you can send and it's all for the benefit of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.



Other than the dove, I think this tortoise is my favourite



What's yours?

Check out the great site on http://www.animalsontheunderground.com

EDIT: I see 73man has elevated this site to the status of truth before me.

The Animals on the Underground concept and images are the property of Grid24 Ltd. The London Underground logo and map © TfL Reg'd User No 05/4294.

How will it benefit us?

This isn't as much a political post as it is a thank you to Darren for all his work on breaking down the Lisbon Treaty to an easy to understand "this is what we're voting on".

Despite all their talking crap about their great work, their campaigns and their passion for the future, I've yet to see one person from the seemingly/apparently farcical organisations that are Labour Youth, Young Fianna Fáil or Young Fine Gael - the future leaders of this country - come up with a good explanation, a simple breakdown or a cohesive argument to explain and support the campaign that the parties they're supposed to be in are supporting.

This campaign won't do it. Rock the Vote won't do it. Their so called easy-to-use guide is copied and pasted from the same sources as most of the parties, and is as equally difficult (for me) to understand. I can't see the benefits, I can't see the problems if we don't, but I do grin at the irony of starting the guide with

Rock The Vote is a non-profit organisation that seeks to promote political engagement among young people. We are completely non-partisan, and our goal is to inform you, the voter, about the issues at hand. We provide impartial materials that you can get registered, get informed, and rock the vote.

Yeah, good for you, campaigning for yourselves. But what will Lisbon do for me? Or the hospital waiting lists and closures, on the education system, on the funding of much needed services and all the other stuff I've asked here.

It takes Darren, one of the least politically associated but communications minded people I know to be able to connect with the issue and to show the issues there are with it.

As I said before, and Darren says now, the country needs a change. It needs a voice. This voice is saying no. No to the waste of time, money and campaigning that should have gone towards improving the country for its people rather than for a community we have a right to benefit from.

Unless I see the actual benefits to the people in this country, I'm with him on this one.

Well done sir.