Richard Eccles, music nut, mate and former editor of Cumbria Life magazine sent me this fascinating essay on Paul McCartney. I declared my support for Macca in my September 1 post (and indeed on September 26 2018, July 28 2014 and July 3 2007), but this essay by Ian Leslie is the bees knees.
Recommended Christmas holiday reading.
You can read it here: Ian Leslie, The Ruffian, 64 Reasons to Celebrate Paul McCartney.
KR
I was born in Lancaster – and lived there until I was 18. Now we have a home in the nearby Lake District – in the village of Grasmere (population around 1,400).
Here’s a video Richard Eccles sent me to remind me of my beloved Lakes as we continue to isolate in Arizona – beautiful too, but not the green, green hills of home.
Thank you mate. And thank you Grasmere Primary School.
Here’s something for you and your kids – 17 minutes of Warmth, Fun, Creativity and great Storytelling – it made my heart sing. I hope it does the same for you and your loved ones.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URsGpU2XA3Y
KR
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Here’s to the Best Year Yet!
See you next year!!
Kevin and Trudy
Up until this year we’ve been devoted fans of eating out and have loved the sociability, and the buzz, as well as the food in restaurants all over the world.
Since March we’ve stayed in (enhanced by Kevin Binkley’s feeding us most weekends with selections from his brilliant innovative Phoenix restaurant which he’s been gracious enough to have delivered to us).
And Trudy’s used the time to experiment, prepare and cook our favourites from all over the world. A new skill, new thrill every night, talk about not wasting the crisis!!!!
Here’s a taste of some of the homemade meals we’ve been enjoying from Trudy’s Kitchen.
Hungarian Goulash
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Fettuccini Alfredo
Chicken Chasseur
Mexican Omelette
Colorado Red Trout
Lancashire Shepherds Pie
Fegato Burro e Salvia
Paella
Moroccan Chicken
Steak Fajitas
Cognac Shrimp
Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe
Salmon and Octopus a la Parilla
Lobster Bisque
Vitello Scaloppine al Limone
Fondue Bourguignonne
And my favourite, tonight and every Friday – Fish ‘n Chip Friday – home-made french-fries with barramundi sauteed in lemon, butter and white wine.
Bon Appetit.
KR
Last week, Universal Music Publishing Group paid His Bobness $300 million for the 600 song copyrights from his back catalogue.
A bargain.
Dylan’s songs have been recorded more than 6,000 times by various artists, he’s sold 125 million records and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
The biggest deal of its kind ever. (But still a bargain!!)
A tribute to the Best Storyteller of our times (see last week’s Storytime post) and his unparalleled influence on our culture from the 60’s until today.
So what are your favourite Dylan songs? (Mine change all the time, but here’s today’s list.)
Mr Tambourine Man
Desolation Row
Positively 4th Street
Murder Most Foul
Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
The Times They Are A Changin’
Blowin’ in the Wind
With God On Our Side
Forever Young
Masters Of War
Chimes Of Freedom
Jokerman
One Too Many Mornings
Romance In Durango
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
My Back Pages
Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
Shelter From The Storm
Like A Rolling Stone
Hurricane.
What’s your top 20?
KR
It got me thinking about the stories we’ve all experienced in 2020 – everyone had a story in this year – a story of sadness, sacrifice and isolation.
I hope that next year we’ll all have our own story too and that our 2021 story will be one of hope, happiness and fun.
Here are some thoughts from 2007 that I thought helped make a great story at the time. Maybe they’ll help you craft and store your joyous 2021 stories.
Story Time.
The Harvard Business Review is not the first place you’d go to for advice on telling stories, but that is exactly where I found a great article by Peter Guber. Guber is a long-time movie producer whose credits range from Flashdance to Rainman, Batman Returns to Tango & Cash, so he’s not exactly your usual HBR management geek. As an executive producer, he’s someone who's had to make the call on whether a story works or doesn’t, so his article struck a chord with me. His ideas aren’t based on abstract theory, but on whether real live people are going to shell out cash for your story.
Guber’s article is behind a subscription wall, but I think his four truths about what makes a great story are useful whether you are pitching an idea for a website, reporting results to the Board or inspiring staff to work up to the next level.
In
my book, sisomo: The
Future on Screen, I wrote a chapter on stories and
storytelling. The status of stories is
transforming. Their ability to inspire
people and connect with consumers is putting them at the heart of business. I’ve often quoted Rolf Jensen of The Dream
Company that “the highest-paid person in the first half of the next century
will be the ‘storyteller’.” That’s a
prediction to make people pay attention!
In sisomo, I had 12 ideas about what makes a great story.
KR
I hadn’t seen Jobs’ presentation before and I really enjoyed his passionate belief (and humour).
As we set sail into a troubled world next month – vaccinated and safe – we will all be different after the challenges we faced this year. And to move from Survive to Revive and Thrive, we’ll all have to Think Different. So here’s to the Crazy Ones. Let them be our inspiration.
Watch it here: Steve Jobs - Think Different / Crazy Ones Speech.
KR
The biggest influence in my Leadership thinking remains the legendary Peter Drucker.
I’ve been lucky enough to have been asked to speak a couple of times at the Annual Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna.
This year was different.
A fireside chat to a bunch of creative musicians.
If you want a
break from the normal, here’s a somewhat eclectic take on Lovemarks and
Leadership from a classical music perspective – with a brilliant host/conductor
– Bernhard Kerres:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrVXjUqQ6bU&feature=youtu.be (Video Courtesy of Global Peter Drucker Forum).
KR
Young people who read will have greater resilience,
empathy and educational achievement.
The Kāinga Pukapuka - My Home Library project gives
children who might not have many books at home, 23 brand new books to grow their
own home library. Each pack costs $100
plus tax and postage. The books are provided by Reading
Warrior and Duffy Books in Homes.
I’m sponsoring five of these kāinga pukapuka - home library packs.
The Kāinga Pukapuka - My Home Library project is run by teacher/author, David Riley.
Thank you for helping our young people become great readers.
Ngā mihi mahana.
KR
Dynamic
Intelligent
Punishing.
Also works for Soccer too – think Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero.
KR
Hard to believe 2020 has come to this:
1) The dumbest thing I ever bought was a 2020 planner.
2) I was so bored I called Jake from State Farm just to talk to someone. He asked me what I was wearing.
3) 2019: Stay away from negative people. 2020: Stay away from positive people.
4) The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!
5) This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her dog. It was obvious she thought her dog understood her. I came into my house and told my cat. We laughed a lot.
6) Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pyjamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.
7) Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?
8) This virus has done what no woman has been able to do. Cancel sports, shut down all bars and keep men at home!
9) I never thought the comment “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a six-foot-pole” would become a national policy, but here we are!
10) I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.
11) I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the Backyard. I’m getting tired of the Living Room.
12) Appropriate analogy. "The curve is flattening so we can start lifting restrictions now” is like saying “The parachute has slowed our rate of descent, so we can take it off now”.
13) Never in a million years could I have imagined I would go up to a bank teller wearing a mask and ask for money.
14) The spread of COVID-19 is based on 2 things:
o How dense the population is.
o How dense the population is.
I guess you’ll all have your favourites.
Keep smiling through,
Just like you always do.
KR