A Slice of Good

Day 28 (Wednesday 28th December 2016)

28 years since the English wine estate, Nyetimber, was established.

In June 2016 Nyetimber was deemed better than Champagne in a 

blind tasting in Paris - 9 out of 14 judges (all leading oenophiles) 

preferred a £40 bottle of English Nyetimber to a £65 French Champagne.

Gosh, those 4 days went swiftly. For those of you returning to work today, I hope you have a productive and peaceful time; and for those not going back to work - may the festivities continue... You could try today's post to get you in a celebratory mood (or at least one that makes you reflect on how we react to celebration, success and failure).

I always love welcoming new voices to the series and today I am pleased to introduce you to Johnny Parks. Johnny lives in Belfast - he has just bought a wonderful old bank with planning permission to turn it into a dwelling - which will happen in 2017 - I've seen some of the plans and it will be stunning. Transforming a traditional building and giving it a new future in some ways symbolises Johnny and his work. He is a top psychologist and specialises in helping individuals and organisations understand themselves and hence manage their way towards a desired better future, through necessary and successful change. 

Johnny was a rebellious child and has had an unconventional route to becoming the founder and Director of the highly respected business consultancy, Toward. He started his career in a lowly role at Kentucky Fried Chicken, in Bangor, whilst at the same time doing youth work. His potential was spotted by the community development and regeneration specialist Maggie Andrews, who persuaded him to apply to university - resulting in his attaining a BSc in Community Youth Work at the University of Ulster (he also has a Masters in Managing Voluntary Organisations and a degree in Child Development Psychology). After working with disenfranchised and disillusioned youth, and doing some amazing work to help heal society in Northern Ireland, Johnny turned his sights on business. He could see the need for leaders to enhance their skills and grow as individuals. He founded the consultancy, Toward, in 2006 and the business is now active in the UK, the Philippines, India, Europe, Silicon Valley and Ireland. Johnny is naturally passionate about organisational development, based on workplace psychology, and great, but challenging (in a good way), to work with.

Johnny is an amazing man on so many levels: a devoted husband to Cathy and a father (with a fabulous relationship with his sons); a keen sportsman (both playing and watching); a loving Christian; and an excellent musician. He composes, sings and plays a mean guitar (and occasional harmonica). Johnny is naturally creative and a congenial connector - he is well-known in both the artistic and business communities in Belfast, and beyond. You can connect with him on Twitter (his handle is @johnny_parks). 

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A Slice of Good

November 2013. Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Tension.

Bloody, damned tension.

Why, oh why, can’t it just be joy and a bit of fiddly-dee? Nope, here we go again…tension.

90 seconds to go. Buttocks clenched, breathing ceased, eyes on stalks. Gripping the hands of my 2 eldest boys. Wrestling for a defeat as if preordained.

Only seconds before, gleefully, I had said to the boys, “Gather your stuff…we’re invading the pitch!” “Isn’t that against the law Dad?” came the response. “Yes, but it’ll be worth it lads! A night in jail to see Ireland make history against the All Blacks! It’ll be worth it!”

Then, they did what they always do. They bloody well beat us. Again. In the dying seconds.

If ever there was a FFS required, this was the time. FFS! They beat us again.

We went home on the train, with hundreds of other supporters. Hardly a cheep…just a humdrum murmuring, possibly the influence of the liquid sedative.

I’m not exaggerating by saying that it took me and my boys months to recover. I know that’s being a bit dramatic, but we are a rugby family and we’re immensely respectful and proud of the gladiators who choose to battle for a small and relatively insignificant slice of glory. They’re not arresting Fascism, but it still means something. We. Were. Gutted.

As a proud rugby nation, that embarrassing and persistent little monkey had lived on our backs for too long. But, fortunately, if you pressed fast-forward for 3 years you’d see that it was firmly & finally chucked into the mincer.

6^th November 2016 and we were gathered around the TV at my in-laws. The match was being played in Soldier’s Field, Chicago, otherwise we’d have been at the Aviva, Dublin in person. It’s really hard to explain the emotion we were feeling before the match. There was a deep, fragile and extremely private hope. Although, it felt like you couldn’t whisper anything remotely hopeful for fear that you alone would jinx the whole affair. We were shtum. We knew we had a good team but we knew that they had an awesome team. And, what was worse, we knew that they knew that they had an awesome team. FFS! Why couldn't they just be a little bit crap?

Anyway, you may or may not know but on that glorious and unforgettable day, we, the Irish nation, beat the All Blacks (the best sporting team in history, ever) for the first time. *Sigh* 106 years of defeat and shame put to bed. It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful. When the whistle went, we leapt up, embraced each other, spilt drinks, yelled, high-fived, danced and, I’m delighted to say, cried. I think someone even started singing ‘One’.

For days we talked about it, watched every interview & read every article. I’ve never listened to as many podcasts in my life! Podcasts! My and my boys grinned. Even when they had to get up with the birds the following Monday for school, they grinned. It was remarkable!

For some, sport is an annoying pop-up. For our family, it’s part of our identity. We follow certain teams, people & events. We love the drama of it all but we worship those who relentlessly pursue excellence and glory. It's primal, evolutionary and deeply sophisticated. It's the combination of art, intelligence, team and sacrifice that is so compelling for us. We’re hooked.

When Robbie Henshaw (Ireland’s no. 12) scored that try in the dying minutes, we knew we’d won. And, for some weird reason, it meant something. It was just so bloody beautiful…just for a few minutes. Minutes I'll never forget.

Yes, this year has been all kinds of weird but there’s been some good stuff too and I just wanted to share a slice of the good we’ve had with you.

40-29 to Ireland. Thank the Lord.

Ireland’s Jonathan Sexton converts their first try [©INPHO/Dan Sheridan]

End of Year Quiz 2013

The same rules apply as in previous years, i.e. there are twelve questions, one for each month of the year.  The questions (and hence the answers) are about events and news that occurred in each specific month during 2013.  If you take the first letter of each answer (in chronological order) they will spell out my wish for you for 2014.  I hope you enjoy the challenge and that it reminds you of some of the many things that have happened over the past twelve months.

January

 

After a ten year recording silence, which internationally renowned singer released a surprise new single on the 8th January, which happened also to be his 66th birthday?  

Union Jack coat designed in collaboration with Alexander McQueen

February

Pope Benedict XVI announced on 11^th February his decision to abdicate.  On 28^th February he left the Vatican to become "a pilgrim" starting his last journey on earth.  He is the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415 and the first to do so of his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.  For how many years (nearly) had Pope Benedict XVI been in office?

Pope Benedict XVI

March

 

In which country did voters in a referendum, held on Sunday 3^rd March, approve measures limiting CEO pay, curbing executives’ remuneration and outlawing golden parachutes? 

Golden Parachute by Isca Greenfield-Sanders, aquatint and gold leaf

April

 

A globally renowned politician and former (first ever female) Prime Minister of her country died of a stroke on 8^th April, aged 87, and was given a ceremonial state funeral.  What is her surname?

May

What is the name of the Japanese climber who became the oldest person ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest, at the age of 80, on May 25^th?

June

 

What is the name of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation that was abolished on 11^th June down as part of Greek government’s austerity measures?

 

Rioting in Greece due to austerity measures

July

 

On July 11^th 250,000 people were forced to leave their homes due to floods in which Indian state?  These floods submerged 11 districts out of the 27 of the region.

August

He was officially charged with her murder on 19th August, what was the name of South African runner Oscar Pistorius’ girlfriend?

 

Oscar Pistorius

September

 

Bengali writer and social worker Sushmita Banerjee, who wrote a book about fleeing from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, was shot by suspected Taliban militants on 5th September.  What is the title of the Bollywood movie that had been made of her experiences?

Sushmita Banerjee

October

Which leading seismologist and geophysicist died on October 19th? Born in Moscow in 1921, he died in Los Angeles having worked in various countries and established an exemplary international reputation. He was a global expert in pattern recognition, geodynamics, seismology, chaos theory, statistical physics and public safety who developed algorithms to detect precursory earthquake patterns - known as “the Holy Grail of earthquake science” (he was also excellent at predicting outcomes in popular votes such as political elections).  He was elected to membership of 7 international academies of science, awarded the inaugural Lewis Fry Richardson Medal by the European Geophysical Society for exceptional contributions to non-linear geophysics, was founding director of the International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics and served as president of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.

November

 

“The Day of the Doctor” premiered in 94 countries simultaneously, on November 23^rd, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the British science-fiction show Doctor Who.  William Hartnell was the first incarnation of the Doctor in 1963, the Doctor is currently portrayed by Peter Capaldi, who took over from Matt Smith in the 2013 Christmas special.  At the time of the anniversary celebrations, Matt Smith was the Doctor – which incarnation was he?

December

 

What jade animal is the name of the Chinese robotic rover, Yutu, which reached the Moon’s surface on 14^th December?  It is the first wheeled vehicle on the surface of the Moon since the 1970’s and it is expected to undertake a three-month mission to explore the Bay of Rainbows (Sinus Iridium), a lava field considered one of the Moon’s most beautiful features. 

As an aside, many nations have stories about this animal being on the Moon.  In China it is thought of as the pet of the goddess Chang-e and its shape can be seen on the surface as a silhouette creating her elixir of life.  Indeed in China, Japan and Korea it is thought to be pounding ingredients with a pestle and mortar.  Buddhist and Aztec folklore also both tell a tale of this animal sacrificing itself to be a meal for what it thought was a starving man, by throwing itself onto a fire.  The old man in each case was in fact a god; who, touched by the animal’s virtue, traced the likeness of the creature onto the Moon’s surface for all to see.

 

Lunar rover offloaded from Change'e-3 lander

I hope you have enjoyed solving the above.  Please drop me a line if you can't determine an answer or want help in any way.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the good times and comments during 2013.  You have made me think and smile.

Here's to 2014, may it prove a wonderful year for us all.

 

End of Year Quiz 2012

The same rules apply as in previous years, i.e. there are twelve questions, one for each month of the year.  The questions (and hence the answers) are about events and news that occurred in the specific month they represent during 2012.  If you take the first letter of each answer (in chronological order) they will spell out my hopes for you for at this start of 2013.  I hope you enjoy the challenge and that it reminds you of some of the many things that have happened.

January                 

What was the name of the failed Russian Federal Space Agency Mars probe, launched in November 2011, parts of which were anticipated to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere during first week of January 2012?  The Media tried to create hype around the concern that people might be hit by debris.

February      

On 8 February artworks by Vincent van Gogh, Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas were sold for £13.7 million at Christie’s in London.  From which famous film star’s personal collection did they come? 

Vincent van Gogh's autumn landscape Vue de l'Asile et de la Chapelle de Saint-Remy

March          

Which city’s main dam, Warragamba, reached capacity at the start of the month, resulting in the emergency evacuation of residents and significant flooding after the dam overflowed?

Warragamba dam

April             

On 26 April, the Special Court for Sierra Leone at The Hague delivered its verdict in the trial of the former President of Liberia.  He was found guilty on 11 counts of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Sierra Leone Civil War.  What is his surname? 

Former Liberian President

May             

Which nation decided on 9 May to stop its plans for the reintroduction of the cheetah, as to do so would rely on importing animals from another continent?  The last Cheetah became extinct in this country in the 1940’s. 

Cheetah

June           

Which planet’s solar final transits of the century occurred June 5-6?  The next pair of transits by this celestial body are predicted to occur in 2117 and 2125.

July             

Bob Diamond, the Chief Executive of Barclays was compelled to resign on 3 July following the financial scandal in which the bank tried to manipulate interest rates systems, namely Libor and which other?

August            

What is the name of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission rover, which successfully landed on Mars on 6 August?

Artist impression of NASAs Mars Science Laboratory rover

September     

Which Czech-born actor (born 1917), famous for his portrayal of Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, Inspector Clouseau’s long-suffering superior in the Pink Panther films, as well as roles in many 1950’s and 1960’s classics, including The Lady Killers, Spartacus, El Cid and Fire Down Below, died September 27?      

October       

Name the winner of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on 12 October, and awarded for “over six decades (of having) contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights”.

Nobel peace prize medal

November    

The head of state and senior ministers of which Middle Eastern country brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hammas on 21^st November (the Foreign Minister, Mohamed Kamel Amr, and US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, made the announcement)?

December   

What is the nationality of Milner, the founder of the Fundamental Physics Prize, the most financially lucrative academic prize in the world (three times the size of the Nobel Prize and more than The Nobel and Templeton Prize combined)?  As well as the nine winners for 2012 (who will elect a winner for 2013), two special awards were made on 11 December 2012: one to the British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes and his quantum analysis of gravity and space; and the other to eight scientists involved in the discovery of the new Higgs-like particle at CERN.

Milner

Here's wishing you a wonderful 2013 full of good health, happiness, success and growth.