We were not down to go to The 6 Acres but a few people dropped out so we went along at a discounted price. Mixed group re HCC were just one party of many more.
Good night, bit of a squeeze on the mezzanine floor upstairs. Food was OK and better than I thought it was going to be.
Good to see HCC elders and members doing their stuff on the dancefloor.
Happy 2011 all!
Leo and Ellen are a successful New York couple, totally immersed in their work. Leo is the creator of a booming gaming website, and has stumbled into a world of money and big decisions. He has to board a business flight to Thailand in order to sign a contract. What ensues in the next few days is a critique on the social dilemmas that result from globalization.
Wikipedia entry
Sir David Attenborough has shaped television, and led the world on an intellectual voyage of discovery
Guardian lead article in the ongoing series In praise of …
Boss of government-run East Coast rail company has high hopes for her once glamorous, twice abandoned franchise
Guardian interview
Lee Westwood vindicated the faith of the few and proved the remaining doubters wrong when he turned out to be the baby-faced assassin after all.
If ever there was a monument to affability in golf, it surely is the former good-time heavyweight from Worksop who will double-check his computer and the papers tomorrow morning to see that he really is the No1 golfer in the world, that he actually has displaced Tiger Woods from the pedestal that had been the American's personal property for a record 281 weeks in a row.
Guardian article
Guardian article that includes:
Last week we put out some advice for staff on using social media. We aimed for flexible, commonsense guidelines which treat both staff and readers with maturity, meaning journalists can maintain editorial standards while engaging communities of interest, expertise and experience around our content.
For several years, the Guardian has provided training, legal guidance and guidelines for digital engagement, to be used by staff in conjunction with established company policies about internet use. The guidelines are regularly updated to reflect best current knowledge.
There is no other hair colour that is also an insult. No builder ever yelled 'Mousy!' across the street. Let alone 'Grey!'
Guardian lead article in the ongoing In praise of …
Triggered by this speech by Harriet Harman who I am quite a fan of, normally.
Sachin Tendulkar has described the past year, in which he became the first batsman to reach 14,000 Test runs, as 'sweet'
On a rainy afternoon in London, with wintry gloom creeping across the city, it does not take long for Sachin Tendulkar to light up a drab hotel room. Tendulkar is shy and quietly-spoken but he soon turns a routine encounter into an illuminating experience. His balance and patience at the crease are again evident as he offers insight into the attributes which make him not only the world's best batsman but, after an epic year, arguably the greatest in cricket history.
Guardian interview
They play unusual venues, have no conductor, and strive to involve their audience – Spira Mirabilis is one of a new breed of orchestra. Marshall Marcus sings their praises
Guardian article
A Guardian article from a couple of months ago about the new American owners
The performance of the team does need to improve but I am not convinced that another manager necessarily is the answer, yet.
Ever since its launch in 2001, the "Observer Food Monthly" has been a huge hit with British foodlovers, taking us behind the scenes at famous restaurants, revealing insights into the worlds of our best chefs and, of course, providing delicious recipes that we simply can't wait to try. This book collects the best of those recipes.
Guardian Books
Fay Godwin (1931 - 2005) was one of Britain's greatest landscape photographers. She is best known for her 1985 exhibition and accompanying book, Land - a very personal celebration of the British landscape that enjoyed enormous popular and critical success.
Land was one of the most important photographic projects of recent years. To mark its 25th anniversary we are displaying a selection of original prints from the 1985 exhibition which were acquired by the museum in 1994. This anniversary is the perfect opportunity to revisit these exquisite images and to celebrate the work of one of Britain's finest photographers.
National Media Museum site
Fay Godwin: Land Revisited from National Media Museum on Vimeo.
Fay Godwin from Emma James on Vimeo.
BBC reporter known for his coverage of the Falklands war and Tiananmen Square
Guardian obituary
Cricket is one sport where captaincy really matters - in the dressing room and on the field
Guardian lead article in the ongoing In Praise Of … series after England retained The Ashes in Australia
Posting this as a reminded that the end of 2010 saw the BBC and ITV go head to head with period dramas – Downton Abbey vs Upstairs Downstairs
Downton Abbey, of course. What it did in a deliciously melodramatic thespian whisper, Upstairs Downstairs did with a cartoon sledgehammer
Guardian article
For me, I loved both dramas, thought they were different from each other, not ideal having only 3 episodes of Upstairs Downstairs and then on successive nights. If i was forced to choose one or the other, I would definitely want more Downton Abbey.
Loved this blog post from Richard Littledale which used the Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (c. 1350-1400 AD) from the BBC series History of the World in 100 Objects. Great list of things to do re work from “The Rules for the Icon Painter”.
People in all walks of life are discovering what it means to be involved, concerned, missional Christians. But simply having block parties or spending more time downtown is not enough to describe what it means to be a missional people. What is needed is a reformation of the way we actually live our lives as Jesus followers. We need to see a way of living faithfully to God's mission in the world, right here, right now.
In this inspiring yet practical book, Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford equip believers to live missionally regardless of situation, vocation, or location, making the concept of being missional accessible to the whole body of Christ. Touching on issues of discipleship, spirituality, and church at every level of experience, Right Here, Right Now calls readers to be the people God has made them to be.
Amazon.com
Publisher’s book page
Book site
Briefing | right here from Lance Ford on Vimeo.
Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?
If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out?
If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands—and that you aren't caring for him properly. Science has learned a good deal in recent years about the habits and requirements of introverts. It has even learned, by means of brain scans, that introverts process information differently from other people (I am not making this up). If you are behind the curve on this important matter, be reassured that you are not alone. Introverts may be common, but they are also among the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world.
The Atlantic article
An essential guide for leaders who want to use social media to be "open" while maintaining control
"Be Open, Be Transparent, Be Authentic" are the current leadership mantras-but companies often push back. Business is premised on the concept of control and yet the new world order demands openness-leaders do not know how to be open and be in control. This must-have resource will help the modern leader understand how to lead in the new open world-where blogging, twittering, facebooking, and digging are becoming the norm. the author lays out the steps that leaders must take to transform their organizations and themselves into being "open" -and exactly what that will mean.
In easy-to-understand language, this book will help leaders orient themselves to social networking and other technological advances.
How Open Leadership Differs from Traditional Leadership
Content from author Charlene Li
Although the traits of good leaders are universal, there are new skills and behaviors that open leaders must learn and master to be effective. In particular, open leaders must act as a catalyst to creating greater openness in organization, in ways that differ significantly from traditional leadership:
This got a mention in someone’s twitter feed stream recently was intrigued at what was being said so went on a hunt and found this Daily Express article.
How To Feed A Man is a thoroughly modern and super stylish take on the traditional cook book concept. A nod to post feminist sensibilities, How To Feed A Man is a celebration of family life that is both engaging yet different. Marco Pierre White introduces this book in his foreward and describes it as sexy, fun whilst encouraging cooking.
With a personal and easy to use narrative style, How To Feed A Man is not only for beginners but for all those who lavish a culinary experience with a visual feast to boot. Combining recipes with notes on kitchen essentials and ingredients, the book is also illustrated with eye-catching iconic and contemporary images as well as inspirational thoughts and poetry. Whether it is, for example, Aunt Alma's Cheesecake, Man Size Lasagne, Steak with Teriyaki sauce or Roast Sunday lunch lamb shanks, these recipes are guaranteed to make the man in a woman's life very happy alongside her friends and family.
Book web site
Historical background on Thomas Nelson publishers, by Michael Hyatt (their current Chairman and CEO) who started in Scotland!
Jack Welch called the other day. He wanted to talk about his friend Bill. Forget the notion that the ex-GE chief is a curmudgeon -- the guy just gushed. Bill "is a man with enormous capability, a man who can rally a team around a vision." Bill runs a fast-growing organization based just outside Chicago that today has affiliates on every continent except Antarctica. "I have my four Es," Welch says, referring to the four leadership qualities he looks for in executives: Someone who has energy; who energizes others; who has edge ("someone who can say yes or no decisively"); and who can execute. "Bill has them all, along with a strong P: passion. He's a winner. He could be running a company -- or a country."
A Fast Company article on Willow Creek’s annual Global Leadership Summit
Stumbled over this list of podcasts from the British Library.
The following look to be of immediate interest:
Be a part of history as Thomas Nelson Publishers celebrates 400 years of the King James Version of the Bible. Commissioned by King James I of England and first published in 1611, the King James Version soon became known as "the people's Bible." Four centuries later, the KJV continues to inspire people worldwide and is still the most influential book ever published. Celebrate the Bible and help to keep the legacy alive for generations to come.
Thomas Nelson site (with several videos)
An ongoing series in The Guardian by Aleks Krotoski.
Used to watch this when I came home from school. Tears often!
The TV series Little House on the Prairie was based on the semi-autobiographical novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a pioneering woman whose celebratory tales of endurance and survival resonate today
Guardian article
Broadcaster and journalist Mariella Frostrup talks to Matthew Stadlen about her nomadic childhood, why she doesn't always enjoy reading, the point of life and how many books she gets through in a year.
BBC video
Ian McEwan approaches the climate crisis in comic mode
Guardian review
Michael Beard is a Nobel prize-winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming. A compulsive womaniser, Beard finds his fifth marriage floundering. But this time it is different: she is having the affair, and he is still in love with her.
When Beard’s professional and personal worlds collide in a freak accident, an opportunity presents itself for Beard to extricate himself from his marital mess, reinvigorate his career and save the world from environmental disaster.
Ranging from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of New Mexico, SOLAR is a serious and darkly satirical novel, showing human frailty struggling with the most pressing and complex problem of our time.A story of one man’s greed and self-deception, it is a profound and stylish new work from one of the world’s great writers.
Publisher’s book page
Author’s book page
Author’s web site
Video interview with Charlie Rose
From the cradle to the grave, those of us who ply the wordy trade are in debt to the King James Bible
Another lead article in this ongoing Guardian series. This one relating to the 400th anniversary in 2011 of the publication of the Authorised, or King James, version of The Bible.
A History of the World (in 100 Objects but not one of the 100) entry (text)
The book is a rallying cry to creative professionals worldwide to throw off the shackles of the pitch, regain the high ground in their relationships with their clients and prospects and summon the profit, professionalism and respect that has long eluded them.
A treatise on winning new business without pitching free thinking, the Manifesto maps out twelve proclamations of a Win Without Pitching firm. These are the steps to move any creative business - freelance designer or global ad agency - from order-taker to expert, and to transform the way they get and do business.
The Manifesto arrives at a time of rapid commoditzation of design and advertising-based businesses. It is the field guide to fighting the internal and external forces of marginalization and to building a more lucrative and rewarding practice.
Book site
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
GDC/BC: "Design is Our Business" P.2 (feat. Blair Enns) from GDC/BC on Vimeo.
The overall winner was this one of Corfe castle in Dorset:
As always, Scotland featured in the best photos, including this one of Eigg:
and a fave place for the family Fogg, Sligachan,
Everyone knows that David Beckham crosses the ball better than anyone else and that Tiger Woods never “chokes”. But what are the hidden factors which allow the most successful sports stars to rise above their competitors – and are they shared by virtuosos in other fields?
In Bounce Matthew Syed - an award-winning Times columnist and three-time Commonwealth table-tennis champion - reveals what really lies behind world-beating achievement in sport, and other walks of life besides. The answers - taking in the latest in neuroscience, psychology and economics - will change the way we look at sports stars and revolutionise our ideas about what it takes to become the best. From the upbringing of Mozart to the mindset of Mohammed Ali - via the recruitment policies of Enron - Bounce weaves together fascinating stories and telling insights and statistics into a wonderfully thought-provoking read.
Publisher’s book page
One of the highlights of this Christmas is Holme Christian Community singing Gaudete using as the soundtrack the following Mediaeval Babes’ version.
And a video for their forthcoming show if they can raise funding:
Ho Davies has already earned a reputation as a short-story writer, but that skill may not make it easier to risk the excess, embarrassment and commitment of a book which takes its author way beyond where he expected to find himself. Nevertheless, The Welsh Girl is good enough to suggest that he may become an impressive novelist once he is into his stride.
Guardian review
Action movies are OK once in a while.
Claudia Winkleman gave this film a rave review on a recent Film 2010.
Claudia: “You need to be prepared. This film is AMAZING! I watched it with a group of critics and by the end I was not only weeping, I was standing up and clapping. None of those people will ever speak to me again. It’s tight, it’s sharp and sometimes, Danny Leigh, on a Friday night, a movie like Unstoppable is all you need."
Danny: “It is weirdly brilliant. It’s a Tony Scott movie; things explode, things almost explode, the camerawork is nauseating and yet it does become genuinely thrilling, genuinely tense – what’s interesting is that in a week where lots of films aren’t what they seem, Unstoppable is exactly what it seems and gloriously so.”
BBC Film 2010
This was this year’s Fogg fanily Christmas film. Quite enjoyable but would have preferred the Narnia Dawn Treader film).
Followed the film with a takeaway from the Baan Thai in Morley. Tremendous food as always.
Real innovation requires risk, which requires trust, says journalist and author Andy Crouch. And trust, he adds, doesn’t happen without love.
Faith & Leadership transcript and video
A great read covering a lot of subject areas.
What is the Dragonfly Effect?
The Dragonfly Effect is a model that taps concepts from social media, marketing strategy, and consumer psychology to help people achieve a single, concrete goal. We named it after the only insect that can move swiftly in any direction, and even hover, when its four wings are moving in harmony. The four “wings” of the model—Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, and Take Action—work together to help readers produce the change they seek, and that desired change can take many forms: social good, employee morale, or customer loyalty, among many others.
The name itself is a tribute to the “Butterfly Effect,” which is itself built on chaos theory. It describes how the flapping of a butterfly’s wings might have an impact on the weather halfway around the world. The dragonfly, however, moves with tremendous speed and force, and compared to a butterfly, it has about twenty times more power in each flap of its wings. You can imagine that potential is even greater when harnessed and coordinated on a mass scale. Al Gore, former vice president and master viral-message maker, once said, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Small acts create big change, and working in concert maximizes your ability to go farther faster—and in any direction you choose.
(Amazon.com)
Wikipedia entry for dragonfly
More viewers are chatting online while viewing TV – but reading their feedback on Facebook and Twitter can hinder as well as help the shows' makers
(Guardian article)
Posting this as I have recent personal experience of doing this on Twitter while watching Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey,
Founder of world wide web says some of the most successful social networking sites 'have begun to chip away at its principles'
Guardian article
I work closely with a number of developers both inside Emerald and with those of suppliers so this was an interesting read.
Exclusive: Mike Schroepfer tells the Guardian how he manages the tiny teams, and why if you haven't changed the site in your first week, something's wrong
Guardian article
The Sabbath Manifesto is a creative project designed to slow
down lives in an increasingly hectic world. We’ve created 10 core principles completely open for your unique interpretation. We welcome you to join us as we carve a weekly timeout into our lives.
Web site
Interruption-free space is sacred. Yet, in the digital era we live in, we are losing hold of the few sacred spaces that remain untouched by email, the internet, people, and other forms of distraction. Our cars now have mobile phone integration and a thousand satellite radio stations. When walking from one place to another, we have our devices streaming data from dozens of sources. Even at our bedside, we now have our iPads with heaps of digital apps and the world's information at our fingertips.
Scott Belsky blog post
A great piece that speaks deeply into the need for Sabbath rest . . .
Article from The Guardian’s Editor Alan Rusbridger that includes “12 things that “15 things that Twitter does rather effectively and which should be of the deepest interest to anyone involved in the media at any level”.
A fan of Jimmy McGovern’s body of TV work.
TV drama must stop relying on irony and costumes, says Jimmy McGovern (Guardian article)
Publisher’s book page
Observer review
Computer History Museum’s session with Mark Zuckerberg and David Kirkpatrick on 21 July 2010:
Not renowned for my artistic creativity but I do like putting together slides. documents etc.
Maurilio Amorim’s classification of creative types. Suspect I am a verbal processor
Susanna Reid just not getting a Lee Mack story at all and losing the plot last month.
(good use of flummox too!)
Great 3 part drama series. Loved it. Huge debate about which was better this or Downton Abbey. My view is that they were both great but very different and why should one be better. However, think I enjoyed Downton Abbey more!
Fave episode was #2 which featured Rachel Perlmutter, played by Helen Bradbury:
Rachel Perlmutter is a German-Jewish refugee who comes to 165 as the new parlourmaid, in May 1936. Reserved and sophisticated, Rachel knows little about basic household chores, but is determined to make the best of her circumstances. An unexpected friendship with Mr Amanjit has lasting consequences for both of them.
(BBC characters page)
A Google produced web site which is effectively a primer to the internet.
Challenging words from Francis Chan.
The kids and Rachael all wanted to spend their Christmas vouchers so we had a few hours at White Rose. Nightmare parking and not ideal shopping.
Stumbled over this web page recently, from which:
I've been chewing on this for a while now and am happy to introduce the RISSO method (not this Rizzo) for generating ideas to help you start more conversations with your friends and fans on social networking sites.
The RISSO method is:
- R - Reveal
- I - Inquire
- S - Share
- S - Surprise
- O - Organize
I was recently asked to evaluate sermons which made me think about what criteria do I use sub-consciously to evaluate sermons and what makes a good and a bad sermon. In parallel with that Alistair Begg on his Truth for Life broadcasts mentioned “LIsten Up”, explaining that there are loads of books on how to preach sermons but almost no books on how to listen to sermons. My interest was piqued!
The book covers the following areas:-
Seven ingredients for healthy sermon listening:
1. Expect God to speak
2. Admit God knows better than you
3. Check the preacher says what the passage says
4. Hear the sermon in church
5. Be there week by week
6. Do what the Bible says
7. Do what the Bible says today - and rejoice!
How to listen to bad sermons
7 suggestions for encouraging good preaching
We will be using this book at the start of 2011 in the life (small) group that I lead which is part of Holme Christian Community.
Watched this programme as Kara Tointon was my fave contestant on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing. The programme looked at dyslexia and ways of treating Kara’s dyslexia. Liked the person even more after seeing the programme.
BBC programme page (includes video blogs)
Great list of problem definition questions and solution generation questions from the CIA.
Were due to come yesterday but Mum poorly. Philippa was due to come today but poorly.
Good time today with Mum and Dad with the chestnut soup and paninis and sorbet in champagne glasses. Went down well with all parties.
Present giving and receiving. All good.
Important subject for the whole church!
The Shibumi Strategy is a little book about a big breakthrough. It tells the story of Andy Harmon, a hardworking family man who finds himself in crisis when his company closes. Through his struggle, and guidance from unlikely sources, he learns subtle lessons in Zen principles, coming to understand that it is often the unexpected setbacks that harbor the power to transform. When approached as an opportunity, these unforeseen trials can often result in a life-changing breakthrough. For Andy, it comes in the form of shibumi—a Zen concept without direct translation in English but connoting effortless effectiveness, elegant simplicity, and the height of personal excellence.
Author’s book page
Stumbled over Jon via Michael Hyatt’s blog I believe.
Jon’s company site
Jon’s blog
Using a social media framework to grow your tribe
Used to listen to Annie on a Sunday afternoon at uni.
Guardian article where Annie picks 12 musical highs, including Gary Gilmore’s Eyes by The Adverts.
