Monthly Archives: January 2022

TZM Lecture Team CreateSpace (Jan 22, 2014)Softcover $13.83 (324pp)978-1-4953-0319-7

Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5

A team of essayists show how scientific and psychological advancements can improve society in this scholarly collection.

In eighteen research-based essays covering subjects such as psychology, economics, and scientific theory, The Zeitgeist Movement Defined views the American political and economic systems through a different kind of lens.

Composed of a panel of lecturers, the Zeitgeist Movement seems to direct itself by way of a train of thought that follows this self-generating premise of understanding and it hence operates in a non-centralized, holographic manner, with this train of thought as the origin of influence for action. In a nutshell, the goal behind the Zeitgeist Movement has to do with changing societys influences and pressures in an attempt to reveal the best of the human condition. This type of change isnt easy though. This is why, according to the authors, the book relies so heavily on research-based material, avoiding the more colorful and dramatic language expected from a book that tries to convince readers of something.

But The Zeitgeist Movement Defined never seems to attempt to convince its audience. Even though its goal is to address a range of political and social issues, the real substance these lecturers address is the underlying issues that seem to have permeated American society. Besides delving into specific cases of things like racism or poverty, TZM Lecture Team uses scientific data from these problems, presented in the most objective way possible. In terms of solutions to these problems, the book never pushes any sort of hard-line political rhetoric. Rather, the lecturers view these problems from a scientific standpoint, recognizing that as our understanding of both social science and human behavior changes, so should the way we address these problems. For example, when it comes to the incarceration of criminals, the lecturers acknowledge that the science behind human behavior has changed tremendously with respect to understanding causality. It is now common knowledge in the social sciences that most acts of crime would likely not occur if certain basic, supportive environmental conditions were set for the human being.

A large part of this books strategy has to do with simply acknowledging how the persisting problems in American society are tied to a much deeperand certainly much scariereconomic and political climate, which favors a capitalist ideology that has resulted, according to the book, in what Dr. James Gilligan termed structural violence. The context of this term in The Zeitgeist Movement Defined extends to include the often unseen social oppression that, through the chain of causality characteristics inherent to our social system, leads to the unnecessary harm of people, both physical, psychological or both. Backed by extensive research, the book addresses this system of structural violence, which includes everything from heart disease to class inequities, issues the book ties to increases in poverty and a decrease in the psychological well-being of people.

One of the achievements of this book is its ability to find research-based connections between seemingly unrelated social and economic conditions. Without becoming repetitive or dull, each essay is able to shed light on specific issues in a way that is neither too academic nor too informal. Powerful quotes are used at the beginning of chapters, research is clearly footnoted throughout, and the languagealbeit at times somewhat technical and term-heavydoes well to give a picture of how one social problem influences the next, and how one scientific advancement could, if accepted and adopted into society properly, change the way all humans interact with the environment that surrounds them.

Reviewed by Kenny Jakubas July 9, 2015

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255.

Originally posted here:

Review of The Zeitgeist Movement Defined (9781495303197 ...

OK millennial, you dont care for us baby boomers. You complain that weve taken all the food off the table and left you the crumbs. You say we cling to our jobs and wont make room for you. And you especially resent how, throughout, we took ownership of the zeitgeist, the spirit of the age.

In the 1960s we were a youth movement that demanded to be heard. We marched on the Pentagon and occupied college administration buildings. In the 1970s we mellowed, listened to the Band and the Eagles, and read Charles Reichs The Greening of America. In the 1980s we rebounded as yuppies. We became investment bankers and lawyers, and the women among us wore suits with padded shoulders. Thereafter we ascended to political powernot always wisely, truth be told. But our music had lyrics and melodies, and our protest songs took on real injustices. We cemented a civil-rights revolution for women and minorities and left a mark on all succeeding generations.

Follow this link:

Millennials Are the Silencing Generation - The Wall Street Journal

The year ahead holds some interesting possibilities for the watch world. Each year sees watch brands celebrate any anniversary with a round number, but 2022 marks a big one: the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak turns 50. This and other factors suggest that the already white-hot category of sport-lifestyle watches represented by the Royal Oak will further heat up in 2022.

The Royal Oak created a new genre of watches in 1972 by offering a steel luxury watch with a sporty style more so than a sporty purpose. Watches with similar traits (integrated bracelets, prominent bezels, polygonal shapes, etc.) like the Patek Philippe Nautilus followed, along with an army of wannabes. This type of watch will be in the zeitgeist even more in 2022 than it already is.

The year ahead will see Royal Oak designer Gerald Genta's own Royal Oak auctioned, Patek Philippe is expected to replace its outgoing 5711 with a new Nautilus, and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas has an anniversary of its own. But what does this mean for the industry in general? Aside from much fanfare from those brands, we expect the concept to trickle down to more affordable brands, as we've already seen it begin to.

The year won't only be about the Royal Oak, though, as we expect other trends to continue: it's about time for green dials to follow blue and go mainstream; and shrinking median watch sizes may settle around 39-40mm. Can we expect more balance between vintage reissues and fresh, forward-looking designs? Watch consumers are surely starting to itch for that.

The year ahead will hopefully be full of interesting watches, and even surprises (we like those). To whet your horological appetite, below are some of the watches we'd like to see and some of what we expect in 2022.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is discontinued, but it would be insane for Patek to simply stop making one of the most successful watches of all time at the height of its popularity. The Nautilus collection, however, lives on, and there'll have to be some new version with a new reference number to replace the 5711 eventually. We don't expect it to be a radical departure.

Expectation for the outgoing 5711's replacement will be part of the general zeitgeist of 2022. It's perfectly plausible, however, that the brand will stay silent for a year or longer on whatever it's got in store for the collection, and simply let the hype build.

There are a few reasons to expect something new from the Vacheron Constantin Overseas. Firstly, the Overseas' progenitor, the "222" from 1977, has its own 45th birthday in 2022. Secondly, the Overseas is Vacheron's answer to the Royal Oak and Nautilus, but it doesn't have the same overinflated prices, hype and availability issues, and it therefore has the chance to fill a market niche.

What can we expect from the Overseas? The upgrades the line got in 2016 are still looking fresh, but they leave a gap between 37mm and 41mm sizes. A 39mm automatic version (ok, maybe some with variations or complications, too) would be in-line with current tastes and trends. To make it more than just a new size of an existing model, vintage cues that reference the 222 would help it feel more special and deliberate.

Yes, the Porsche Design brand is also turning 50 in 2022, and its catalog is wide open to include a reissue of its inaugural product: the world's first all-black watch.

Though Porsche Design hasn't leaned in to the rest of the industry's vintage reissue bonanza and remained resolutely modern in its designs, the anniversary presents an opportunity. A reissue would be cool, but we'd be equally happy with a modern interpretation perhaps with relatively "vintage sizing." The brand recently seems more open to smaller case sizes as evidenced by its 39mm Sport Chrono.

Only a couple Rolex watches remain that haven't yet gotten the latest movement upgrade. With a compelling backstory and a pretty funky look for the brand, the Milgauss remains one of Rolex's most distinctive watches. It's about time for it to get some love and attention.

While the people fantasize about amazing new Rolexes, like a "Coke" (black-and-red-bezel) GMT Master II or even a titanium Yachtmaster, modest and very subtle tweaks and upgrades to existing watches are generally what you can expect. Rolex's 3230 movement for the Milgauss would be the minimum we'd expect, but something like a new colorway (there are currently two) would make an even bigger splash.

We're just going to keep hammering at this until we get it: for god's sake, Tudor, a Black Bay Fifty Eight GMT is a no-brainer! Will hit happen? We think eventually it will. The simple formula of the Black Bay GMT in the Fifty Eight's 39mm size would be celebrated, but Tudor regularly surprises us. We might not get exactly what we want this year, but we can't help but dream.

Someone pointed it out recently: Omega hasn't yet brought much green to its sport watch collections. Everyone else is doing it, the trend seems set to continue, and the brand hasn't been afraid of color in the past, so why not?

Although the Seamaster Planet Ocean might seem like a good candidate, with a precedent of colorful iterations, it'd be particularly cool to see it on the more versatile Seamaster Diver 300m. It's pretty well established that just about any watch that also looked good when it got a blue treatment can also look great in green, and the Seamaster Diver 300m fits the bill.

For Only Watch 2021, Girard Perregaux teamed up with Bamford Watch Department on something rather unexpected. It was like a reissue of the funky LED driver's watches the brand made in the 1970s, but with a very modern case in carbon fiber and titanium.

The one-off creations for the Only Watch auction often portend future releases, so it seems possible that Girard-Perregaux has something like a collection in the works in a more accessible execution such as stainless steel or titanium. It would fit the industry's general vintage reissue trend but sure would be interesting to see from the prestigious brand otherwise firmly rooted in mechanical watchmaking.

A while back, Citizen released some of its very cool and affordable Promaster "Fugu" dive watches with automatic movements. Unfortunately, they were only available in certain regions, and not in others like the United States. We thought they'd arrive eventually, but we're still waiting.

It's currently hard to find any automatic watches on Citizen's US site (aside from a couple weird, high-end ones) despite that the brand owns Miyota, one of the biggest producers of automatic movements in the world. Citizen has the chance to fill a market niche and compete with Seiko dive watches, and maybe this will be the year we'll finally see it happen.

This is the last thing about integrated-bracelet watches, I promise. The IWC Ingenieur collection was last overhauled in 2017 to reference its conservative 1955 roots, but the resulting dressy watches don't add much to the brand's catalog. Why not bring back the Ingenieur of 1976?

Redesigned by Gerald Genta (him again) with all the sporty style that made the Royal Oak successful (and introduced the same year as Patek's Nautilus), the Ingenieur gives IWC the chance to offer something hip with legitimate provenance at a competitive price.

Shortly after I pleaded with G-Shock to offer an online watch customizer, news emerged on G-Central that the company's financial report mentioned plans for such a program "starting with Japan." The program is called "My G-Shock," and we can only hope that we'll see it more widely available in 2022 with all the models, colors and options we dream of.

See the original post:

10 Watches We Hope to See in 2022 - gearpatrol.com

Intense, Retina-searing Colours

If there ever was a visual riposte to uncertain, challenging times that manifested through the reflective microcosm that is the world of design, then the recent rise in the use of dramatic, eye-searing colours was definitely it. Intense gradients and blazing hues showed up across advertising campaigns, album and book covers, identity systems and editorial design that made it almost impossible for the viewer to look away.

It was no coincidence that we felt the need to go full-tilt bright last year in some of our colour choices. Hope and optimism go a long way, and colour as a visual identifier of this sentiment seems like a choice many people and organisations will continue to make, says Jason Little, co-founder and executive creative director of For The People, who designed the identity for the Sydney Film Festival 2021. Its like theres all this pent up energy waiting to be released, and this is definitely an avenue to express it.

We cant wait to be safe and free again, so we pour that intention, that hope into our work and the colour choices, says Zuzanna Rogatty, senior designer at Collins. In a way, this ballsy use of colours also points towards a clear intention to make brands unignorable, Zuzanna explains. I hope it is actually a movement, a characteristic of the zeitgeist, a colour uprising, and not only a trend.

The use of provocative, complex hues is definitely here to stay. Theres always a long tail to these things, right? says Jason. While its been brewing gently for a while, lately, colours have become emblematic of the current, get-up-and-go creative landscape, and it promises to be something well see a lot of in 2022. Jason adds: And maybe the late majority and big tech will be right in this space by 2024, who knows.

Here is the original post:

Five design trends set to visually shape 2022 - It's Nice That

These days, it seems, bad news is painfully easy to find. The good stuff often takes a bit more digging. Thats where GPs expert writers and editors come in, keeping their fingers on the pulse of the industries they cover to tap into all the exciting product news breaking now and waiting for us on the horizon.

With that in mind, we tasked our teams with ID-ing the most interesting trends in their areas of expertise, and wow, theres lots to celebrate and anticipate. Just a few examples to whet your appetite: microdosing mushrooms or LSD is becoming a legal way to level out, you can order coffee beans via text message, digital audio quality has never been better, and holy crap a lot of rad EVs are coming this year.

So hey, quit the doomscrolling and do some pleasant perusing of whats good in outdoors, fitness, style, wellness, food & drink, home, tech, audio, motoring and watches below. It wont erase the bad news, but it just might make things easier to ride out.

They say threes a trend, right? In that case, we are officially declaring the outdoor industrys push toward endemic recycling incorporating factory scraps into new products just that. The micro movements inspiration is, of course, Cotopaxi. The seven-year-old Salt Lake City-based brands colorful packs and jackets are legendarily scrap-sourced, with 94 percent of its products containing repurposed, recycled or responsible materials. More to the point, it has an entire series dubbed Remnant, currently composed of 21 different bags made with fabric sourced from other companies larger production runs.

The practice makes both environmental and business sense, which may explain why at least three other prominent brands have somewhat mimicked it. First theres Nemo Equipment, which assembles the Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat aka butt pad from leftover sleeping pad foam. On a larger scale, youll find Fjllrvens Samlaren collection. Named after the Swedish word for gathering, the very limited series features unique color combinations, including a Pink-Air Blue Knken pack, which we are crossing our fingers comes back in stock.

Most recently, we have Arcteryxs ReBird program, a sweeping effort to rethink sustainability that includes an initiative to collect end-of-roll materials and upcycle them into new products. This stuff seems to sell out even faster than Samlaren does, perhaps because it truly doesnt skimp on performance: the lightweight, ski-ready Rush Jacket Rebird features Gore-Tex Pro Most Rugged, after all. That fabric is so high-performance, its no wonder Arcteryx isnt letting an ounce of it go to waste.

As curious creatures, we humans been tracking ourselves for a pretty long time. We've created almanacs, cave paintings, the Manpo-kei and more to document our exploits, bringing ever-better technology to bear with every passing year.

Until recently, breaking down our bodies activities has been fairly hands-on: the pedometer, the wireless heart rate monitor, the accelerometers embedded in phones all record various data, but they still demand a degree of user engagement. The advent of Fitbit and its ilk introduced passive tracking monitoring biometrics in real time, with minimal effort, to hone our pursuit of physical perfection (or something like that). And now, thanks to brands like HidrateSpark and Whoop, were seeing a truly friction-free movement on the horizon.

The HidrateSpark PRO sets hydration goals, employs an LED smart sensor to record water intake and glows to remind you when its time to take a swig, pretty much autonomously. The Whoop 4.0 with Any-Wear clothing technology is more advanced but just as unobtrusive. Users can hide the sensor pod on various points of their bodies to track physical activity, heart rate, stress levels and more. The unit never turns off charge it on the go with the battery pack, and digitize your metrics, 24/7. Theres no screen, no buttons, no effort (other than the initial setup, and, well, your workouts).

Different as they are, both products signal the dawn of a new era in fitness one where we can comprehensively keep tabs on our bodies, without breaking a sweat.

GORP Takes to the Streets

Arcteryx, Salomon, Patagonia, Snow Peak, And Wander, The North Face. Do these brands sound familiar? Probably so if youre prone to long, treacherous hikes across rough terrain. But for fashion-minded folks, these labels represent a new subset of the industry growing with each passing season: GORPcore, an adaption of the acronym for good ol raisins and peanuts, a popular snack mix people take on the trail.

XT-6 Trail Running Shoes

$190.00

The term encompasses technical outerwear for city-oriented types. No, the conditions in a place like New York City cannot compare to the Pacific Northwest, where trails like the Alpine Lakes or the Badlands are located, but youll find people wearing the gear within city limits nonetheless. The trend can be traced back to the early 2010s, when trendsetters turned their attention toward the elderly or the unknowingly boring for inspiration. Then, it was normcore, embodied by gray sneakers, high-end chinos and crisp, plain shirts. The TL;DR of it all: think of someone dressed head-to-toe in humbly priced pieces, or a designers rendition thereof.

Now, a $339-dollar Arcteryx jacket outweighs a silky bomber by a well-known Maison; fleeces are fighting suit jackets off the shelves; Salomon sneakers are converting lifelong Nike and Adidas loyalists. It's a signal that function and form can not only coexist in the menswear space, but drive the conversation.

Microdosing Goes Mainstream

Lets break microdosing down into its two parts: micro, meaning small, and dosing, a reference to the way you dole out a certain substance over time. The word has upended the medical and psychedelics industries respectively over the past half-decade, but it's all coming to a head now.

Substances once perceived as mere gateways to hallucinogenic (often great, occasionally bad, sometimes horrible) trips like mushrooms or LSD are now breakthrough therapeutic treatments in their own rights, capable of aiding those battling depression, PTSD or addiction with one to 10 percent of the amount needed to trip taken daily for a mild, nearly unnoticeable impact. Over time, though, consistent ingestion can lead to transformative change.

Psilocybin, the compound in mushrooms that triggers trips, is still fully illegal in almost every state. Oregon, in late November 2020, became the first state to legalize it for medicinal use. In Denver, Detroit, Somerville, Massachusetts and Oakland, California, psilocybin mushrooms are merely decriminalized, essentially meaning the police cannot enforce laws against possession or consumption.

In Texas and Pennsylvania, bills to further research the compounds potential to treat mental illnesses are nearly law. Plenty of research has already confirmed the likely upsides of both mushrooms and LSD, but professional, state-level assessments could convince even more states to pass similar, medicinal-first legalization plans. That could save thousands of lives, and help millions establish healthier habits and exist with less anxiety, new research reveals.

Sandbagging, Microwaves and Convenience

If describing food as "convenient" sounds a bit like a dog whistle (lazy, bad), know that, as of 2022, it's not. More time at home means more time in the kitchen and, after a year-plus spent indoors, no one should be ashamed to admit they could use a little more help.

The Everyday Set From Anyday

Help like Fellow's new text-to-order coffee bean service, Drops, which asks that you reply to a text with a number indicating how many bags you want. David Chang, self-proclaimed master of the art of sandbagging in the home kitchen, played a part in a pair of new releases: an absurdly good instant noodle released under his Momofuku line and cookware meant not for the stovetop, but the microwave.

Shit, a podcaster came up with a new dried pasta shape to optimize sauce carrying capacity. Making convenient also good isn't entirely new. (Ever heard of an Instant Pot? How about air fryer?) But it's easy to argue we've never seen low- and high-brow merge quite like this.

If you're not a gamer, you probably didn't know there's a whole product category dedicated to gaming furniture and accessories. Brands like Razer and Secretlab have dedicated their entire existence to help gamers achieve win after win.

Embody Gaming Chair

$1,795.00

In the past couple years, we got hints that gaming would become more pronounced outside of the gaming sphere. Razer made a mouse to help with the recent surge in working from home, and Herman Miller released a gaming chair with Logitech G.

In 2022, gaming gear continues to extend far beyond these niche brands, entering almost every aspect of the cultural zeitgeist and becoming more approachable. Mavix released an entry-level gaming chair to complement its pricier options, maintaining its gamer-friendly features minus the huge investment.

And if there's one release that solidifies the category's staying power, it's Ikea's Uppspel collection. The line was designed in collaboration with Republic of Gamers, an Asus-owned brand dedicated to PC gaming. It's filled with stuff to make gaming more comfortable, from chairs to desks, and while no one needs gaming-specific furniture, it's just a hint at what's to come.

The March of the Microchips

For decades, devices that compete on the open market have shared some very, very similar components inside. Until Apple's M1-chip initiative brought to its apex with the new MacBook Pros Mac and Windows computers alike ran on the same Intel chips. In the land of smartphones, meanwhile, virtually every Android phone, from Samsung or Google or LG, has historically had a Qualcomm chip of some sort at its heart.

Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro

But the times are changing. Apple's M1 chip is the loudest example, but this past fall Google announced it's heading in the same direction with its "Tensor" chip that powers the Pixel 6. Amazon is already on its third generation of in-house Graviton chips, used to power the computers at its cloud data centers. Tesla is preparing to produce its own chips as well. Facebook ("Meta," if you must) is on the war path too.

What does this mean? For you, the humble end user, the direct effects may not be completely clearly microchip related. On the upside, a device that's designed as one piece from silicon to screen can reach new heights of efficiency. That means better battery life, more horsepower and less bulk all at the same time.

On the downside, cross-compatibility could take a nosedive. Devices that used to share some common DNA increasingly won't. This could leave developers in the lurch to prioritize one evolutionary path over another. As if they aren't under enough pressure to do so as it is.

From a broader perspective, it illustrates a world-historical concentration of capital in the hands of tech mega-giants. Companies that once made their bones running goofy college websites or delivering books through the mail have ascended to architecting products on a scale that, just decades ago, required the cooperation of entire industries. That kind of centralized planning comes with its benefits, but not all of them are for you.

The Commoditization of Lossless Audio

Audio quality took a big hit in the '90s during the age of Napster and the iPod when compressed digital files (which take a lot of details out of the music, especially on the high and low ends) were all the rage. But over the past four decades there's been a steady resurgence of high-quality audio, largely thanks to old-school analog formats (like vinyl) becoming en vogue again and, more recently, lossless audio becoming easily streamable.

Last year was a banner one for lossless audio. The two biggest music streaming services on the planet, Apple Music and Spotify, both announced lossless streaming tiers. While Spotify's service has yet to appear, Apple's lossless tier made waves by rolling out to all paying Apple Music subscribers at no extra cost. Now you can stream lossless (or CD quality) for $10/month, which is half the price that some legacy lossless streaming services (like Tidal) are charging.

This move by Apple subsequently forced the hand of every other lossless streaming service out there Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz and Amazon all lowered the barrier of entry to their lossless streaming tiers. Now it's not only easier than ever to listen to high quality music streams, but it's also affordable.

An EV for Everyone

So far, buying an EV has meant buying a Tesla or buying a not quite-as-good alternative to a Tesla that is expensive and not that conducive to most peoples lifestyles. But an avalanche of EVs will enter the market in 2022 many on new dedicated EV platforms. And if youre in the market for a new vehicle, there should be an EV that meets your needs.

Luxury options will increase dramatically. Want range and performance? The Lucid Air will deliver more than 500 miles of range and 1,100 horsepower. Want that performance from an off-road EV? The Hummer SUT arrives very soon, and it will accelerate as quickly as a Porsche in WTF mode with off-roading specs that beat the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Just want the luxury car you would have bought but electric? Stay tuned for new offerings from Mercedes, BMW and Audi that are just that.

Want an electric truck? You can hop on the Rivian bandwagon with the new R1T or keep things a bit more traditional with the Ford F-150 Lightning arriving next year. Want something relatively affordable? The VW ID.4 is out. And Nissan, Toyota, Subaru, Kia and Hyundai are launching electric crossovers. Oh, and the starting MSRP for that F-150 Lightning is under $40,000 before the potential tax credit.

Hurdles remain for mass-adoption EVs charging infrastructure isnt where it needs to be yet if you dont have a Level 2 home charger but the right option should be out there if youre willing to leap into the future.

Lean, Green Machines

While 2021 wasn't the first year we noticed a trend toward, shall we say, a more "verdant" timepiece, it was certainly the year in which the green watch firmly took hold. As horological veteran William Massena once explained, the watch world is on a roughly three-year product development cycle, so while entirely new models take quite a while to develop, habillage, or "dressing up" is much quicker and easier to execute. (Read: Take that watch that already exists and make it green! Because everybody else is doing it!)

While it would've perhaps been unthinkable just a few short years ago and certainly 20 or 30 years ago watches with colored dials are back in a big way. Something that isn't black, white or silver or, heaven forbid, blue! seems like it might just be the next big thing. Rolex launched a new series of "Stella" dials in their Oyster Perpetual line, and for the first time (perhaps ever), an OP became nearly impossible to buy at retail. Then came a green Datejust with what looks like either pot leafs or palm fronds on it (depending how much weed you smoke), and the entire Internet lit up.

Patek did the same thing, turning its 5909 annual calendar into a lean, green machine (and making it in steel, no less), which earned the timepiece a spot in our GP100. (The brand did the same for a short, final run of the famed 5711 pure unobtanium if there is such a thing.) Who knows what's next? If green is "in," anything seems possible. Is this the end of boringly bland watch dials a window into a brighter future? Color us intrigued.

See the article here:

10 Fascinating Trends to Watch in 2022 - gearpatrol.com

Sir The annual publication in the UK of the queens New Year Honours seems to inevitably elicit contributions from various correspondents regarding our system of honours, or in some cases, the lack of it.

erhaps it was the sugar rush from the last of the mince pies, but my imagination went into overdrive as I imagined the link with the crown had not been broken 100 years ago.

In my reverie, I saw Aidan OBrien on one knee, head bowed, as the queen placed the ceremonial sword on each shoulder. I heard her whisper: Arise, Sir Aidan.

The two monarchs of their respective spheres then joined in in close conversation, presumably on equine matters.

From the wings, actor, Sir Gabriel Byrne appeared, preceded by the more senior knight Sir Gabriel Byrne. The double-take confused no one, certainly not Sir Bob Geldof nor Sir Daniel ODonnell, who got the gong for their services to music and charitable work. Sir Ben Dunne got his prefix for business.

The ladies are also in the mix. Dame Sonia OSullivan for sports, Dame Mary Robinson for human rights, Dame Mary Kenny for journalism and Dame Miriam for TV.

I dreamed the Upper House was also represented, and Lord Kinsealy created quite a stir in the sedate House of Lords, though his gallop was balanced by the more correct Lord Michael of Galway, who found the ancient house a suitable venue to exercise his oratorical skills.

Alas! To paraphrase the Bard, We are such stuff, as any dreamers are made of.

Patrick Fleming,Glasnevin Dublin 9

Sir I read with interest your editorial piece in last Sundays paper. I completely agree with your opinion on the stable state of our country and the fact we have far more that unites us than divides us.

However, I contrasted your positive piece with that of Gene Kerrigan, whose theme, week-in week-out, on the prominent back page is to shred the current and indeed past governments for every move they make.

Mr Kerrigan is a fine writer and can be so sharp on certain topics, but if one were to only read his opinion every week we could be led to believe we live in a shambles of incompetency, fraud, corruption and general chaos, with no hope for the future unless a group of hard-left politicians take over and put us on the right track.

May I suggest everyone in the country be asked to read Mark Henrys excellent recently published book, In Fact:An Optimists Guide to Ireland at 100.

This might level the argument for the naysayers and doom merchants. And also the cynics and pessimists.

Yes we have big problems here in Ireland, as there are in the rest of the world. A wise man said: The world has enough for everyones needs, but not everyones greed.

Mary Cleary,Firhouse, Dublin 24

Sir I am amused by Joe Brollys naive reliance on record sales for The Men Behind the Wire as proof of the emotional connection that the people of the Republic had with them.

Aside from the fact an RT ban broadened the appeal of the song in question, Joe should know that, in the real world, democratically held elections provide a sounder basis for assessing the opinion of the people. From 1976 to 1994, over 85pc of those who voted in seven general elections supported political parties that maintained Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act.

The people and the political parties were on the same page on this one, Joe.

PJ OMeara,Cahir, Co Tipperary

Sir Joe Brollys excellently written piece last week reminded me of Fianna Fils attitude to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and indeed to its treatment of the Irish media of the time.

That Irish journalists, many of them solid NUJ trade unionists, were silenced and an eminent RT reporter ended up in prison for reporting the truth in the news was certainly an indictment of a party that has the word republican in its shop window.

Mr Brollys words were obviously written from the heart. Along with my favourite columnist, Gene Kerrigan, he truly is a nugget of hope at a time when stenographers and press releases are stymieing a proud tradition.

Jimmy Rhatigan,Loughboy, Kilkenny city

Sir In the first half of an Ulster Championship match against Down in 1994, Joe Brolly destroyed all before him. But, with regard to his article last week, I fear I must put a stop to Joes relentlessly one-sided revisionist viewpoints much like Paul Kelly did when he came on for Down in the second half and took Joe out of the game.

I cannot pretend to understand what growing up in South Derry was like, to be a second-class citizen. But it reflects poorly on Joes legal training to hammer the same line, without context, at every opportunity.

Hindsight is always clear. A barrister always has time to analyse, parse and deconstruct the decisions of others who have to actually deal with a chaotic or stressful or dangerous situation.

Pearse Doherty,Co Monaghan

Sir I want to compliment you on the supplement on the Treaty Debates in last weeks issue of the Sunday Independent.

It was so interesting and factual and a pleasure to read and even my grandchildren showed great interest in it. They loved the old advertisements.

Sally McDonald,Ballinacarrig, Carlow

Sir By agreeing to attend the Treaty negotiations in 10 Downing Street, London, did that not somehow imply that ownership of Ireland was vested in the UK government?

Accordingly, did this not reduce the plenipotentiaries to the role of beggars begging the owners for concessions to bring home to the Dil in the guise of obtaining the best deal?

Apart from conceding home advantage to the opposition, surely by insisting on a more neutral venue Edinburgh or Cardiff the Irish delegation would have kicked off the negotiations on a more equal footing?

Separately, compliments to the editor for last weeks supplement in the Sunday Independent an excellent coverage of the Dil debates leading to ratification.

Mick OBrien,Springmount, Kilkenny

Sir The Golfgate trial in Galway was told the public was whipped up into hysteria and good people had to resign.

I found this statement to be absolutely ludicrous.

I say that based on the millions of people in this country who at that time were asked to make unprecedented sacrifices.

The least I would have expected from our public representatives is that they too would have been on board with the zeitgeist of that time.

It appeared to me that Golfgate was one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.

Name and address with Editor

Sir Hold on, lets nip this in the bud. We are all fairly much aware of the facts and circumstances of this. Trial of the Four is a futile exercise. No new facts will emerge. Legal profession get another fat pay day. Court time wasted. Mood of the nation gets another kick in the teeth.

Instead why not ask Donie Cassidy and Noel Grealish to request a modest 2k each from the offenders. We and they know who they are. Include Phil Hogan and Samus Woulfe. Nobody loses further face. Money paid to go to a nominated charity (charities). All legal action dropped.

Common sense and decency should prevail.

Tony Finucane,Ennis, Co Clare

Sir I was surprised at An Taoiseachs attack on Sinn Fin and his allegation of them having a pro-Putin stance on Ukraine. It is a poor reflection on a leader to be encouraging confrontation with Russia and compromising our neutrality.

Surely Mr Martin, a teacher qualified in political history, must remember what happened in 1955 when the US positioned missiles in Turkey aimed at the USSR and Russia reciprocated by placing missiles in Cuba?

The world came close to nuclear war until, fortunately for us all, both sides sensibly removed their cause for war in 1962.

Mr Martin should exhort the EU to bring their influence to bear on Biden and Putin and stop Ukraine becoming another pawn with the potential for war.

Don Teegan,Monkstown, Demesne, Co Cork

Sir Conor ODonovans letter (GAA must resolve to fix hand-pass fiasco) resurrected the spiky issue that, for me, has dimmed the brilliance of our ancient game in recent years.

There is an article on his countys Premierview site about the issue of the hand-pass with statistics that seriously undermine the legality of how the pass is being executed. For instance, two-thirds of the hand-passes in the semi-finals and final of this years senior hurling championship were illegal ones.

Its long been the rule that if a player wants to carry the sliotar for more than four steps he/she has to bounce or balance it on the hurley, while the sliotar can only be handled twice in such a possession. It would be in keeping with this principle that the hand-pass be adjusted, whereby both hands must be used to execute the movement. Failing that the hand pass as is should be limited to a maximum of three hand-offs.

Such modifications would limit the easy retention of possession, promote more contesting of the sliotar as was traditional in the game and carry the potential to make a referees life a smidgen easier.

Michael Gannon,St Thomas Square, Kilkenny

Sir The comments by the Pope concerning pets and children were undoubtedly insensitive and unkind to animal lovers. He perhaps unintentionally strayed off message. Where was his shepherd?

He was bemoaning the global decline in birth rates and clumsily threw the pets out of the bath water to make a point.

I can remember from coming from a family of 10, not including the many wonderful pets we had, that it was considered a bit selfish for parents to have so many children or at least it sometimes felt like that. All those mouths to feed. But my parents managed to share the sustenance and love.

Obviously, the church welcomed all, the more the merrier with that expectation of some dayof a Christian brother, a nun and a priest for the fold.

I fondly remember an episode from The Vicar of Dibley, when Geraldine organised an impromptu gathering (pre-Covid) for the local pet owners to bring their pets to the church for a special sermon thanking God for all living creatures. The service was a lively event as humans and their pets packed out the church and the choir sang All Things Bright and Beautiful and Puppy Love.

I wonder what St Francis of Assisi would think of the Popes comments? I suspect he might identify more with the vicar.

Aidan Roddy,Cabinteely, Dublin 18

Sir In the haste to dismantle the religious trappings of Christmas, spare a thought for the Three Wise Kings (aka the Magi), who arrived, camel-sore, weary and in the nick of time into Christian history and a mere few days ago in our family cribs on January 6.

Shouldnt we afford Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar a period of Yuletide welcome beyond the cut-off point of the 12 days and Little Christmas?

It would be (to borrow TS Eliots wonderful word in Journey of the Magi) satisfactory.

Oliver McGrane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

Sir With the present Governments regulations on alcohol price control forcing the consumer to drink less, perhaps they should set a good example and ban alcohol from the Dil?

David Smyth,Co Leitrim

Sir The Governments introduction of minimum alcohol pricing is a progressive step if it encourages people to drink a little less. It reminds me of one of the many stories my late father told me about the customers of the family pub.

John arrived at the pub every evening around 8pm. He had three pints of Guinness before closing time. He enjoyed discussing Austin Stacks football, greyhounds, horses and the news of the day. He then walked home, where he lived alone.

When the price of the pint went up from 11p to an old Irish shilling, the regulars called down every misfortune on the powers that be in Dublin, but the porter continued to flow.

Making his way to John, who was sitting contentedly by the fire, Dad asked: Will you follow the pint at the new price, John?

My dear man, replied John. Ill follow it to Hell. Drinking the juice of the barley in such pleasant company is priceless.

Billy Ryle,Spa, Tralee, Co Kerry

Sir Our legislators are among the highest-paid in the world, but the new regulations on buying alcohol are more Luddite than progressive. They display a paucity of imaginative and innovative thinking and the implementation of these measures will only benefit special interest groups, again.

Those of us on fixed incomes, particularly those of us getting on in years, will have to pay prices out of the reach of many.

Like all responsible people, I would like to see an end to anti-social drinking and the social ills that accompany this scourge, but it is wrong to scapegoat everyone for the irresponsible behaviour of the few.

Tom Cooper,Templeville Road, Dublin 6W

Sir The reality of binge drinking and cheap alcohol was brought home to our family 11 years ago when our 19-year-old son, David, died by suicide after leaving an all-night house party.

At his inquest we asked that the problem of cheap alcohol be addressed, along with promotion and availability.

We were just parents who saw a problem and wanted change, not sympathy.

At times, total strangers saw fit to tell us we were just looking for something to blame and that we were allowing ourselves to be used as pawns despite the proven facts that alcohol is a contributing factor in 50pc of suicides in Ireland and a person is eight times more likely to die by suicide when they are binge drinking.

It says on Davids death certificate that alcohol was a contributing factor in his death. It never ceases to amaze us that so many people choose to ignore these facts.

Minimum unit pricing is the can that was kicked down the road until eventually someone decided to pick it up and thank God they did.

John Higgins,Ballina, Co Mayo

Read more:

Arise, Sir Aidan dreaming of the Irish who deserve honours - Independent.ie