Public speaking

I had to do some public speaking this afternoon, presenting some recent work during a company meeting. As far as I can see, there are two general and two case-specific problems with this kind of public speaking:

1. Presenting to people you don't know is often a whole lot easier than people you do know.
2. Presenting to people on a Friday afternoon really isn't easy. When those people have also supped their first beer of the day, it doesn't get any easier.
3. Presenting to people at any time on any day really really isn't easy when the subject matter is as unsexy as 'pensions'.
4. Our bar, where the presentation happened, is really the wrong way round for public speaking. Instead of 15 rows of 6 people or thereabouts as is traditional, you're faced with 3 rows of 30 people.

Of these, perhaps the biggest concern was no 4. Because of this particular problem, you're faced with the mammoth task of constantly having to move your head slowly across a vast expanse to address everyone - it's just not possible. You either do it too fast, so it looks as if you have some mild form of tourettes, or too slow, in which case you never quite make it and some people are frankly left disappointed (even if it is on pensions).

And finally, there's the other problem with public speaking. You have a microphone. These things just aren't a naturally occuring or naturally resident thing for most people and it's amazing what holding one does to you. Little utterings that normally reside inside your head suddenly spurt out without control.

And then there's the really bad thing about them which I discovered this afternoon. This could be the most important tip of all time for fellow microphone holders. Whatever you do, never, ever, ever laugh into a microphone because the result is frankly scary.

So there we have it, public speaking 101. Or at least something like it.

The Spirit Level

I went to a fascinating debate hosted by the centre-right think-tank, Policy Exchange, last night. Perhaps suprisingly for them, the debate was on inequality and what we should be doing about it.

This was sparked by a recent book called The Spirit Level, which (if my rough understanding of all things economics) is right, is about the relationship between the level of inequality in a country and its effect on the wellbeing and life expectancy of all its inhabitants.

Broadly speaking, the book apparently argues that the more unequal the society, the less happy, socially and physically well everyone is. This view was popular with about 90% of the room last night, apart from the small band of economists who somewhat ruined the Q&A session with a series of impassioned speeches about the inadequacy of data (and therefore maybe somewhat missed the point of the debate).

I haven't read the book, so can't make a judgement as yet, though I will read it and then blog again on it.

What I do know though is that the growing discrepancy between rich and poor (and indeed between the rich and the rest) cannot be allowed to continue. In my opinion it's creating a fractured, siloed, utterly split society within our country.

The UK is often portrayed as one of the most progressive countries in the world. Yet despite our relative affluence, health and social progression, we're arguably no further on down the line of a fair and equal society than we were in Victorian or even feudal times.

And that troubles me. It really really does.

Health and Safety

Disastrous news from deepest, darkest Gloucestershire this morning. It seems the official Cheese Rolling Organising Committee have cancelled this year's annual Cooper's Hill event. The reason, apparently, is because of healthy and safety fears (Daily Mail readers take note here and get your fingers ready for a spot of wagging).

I fulfilled a lifelong dream by going along to the Hill last year to watch what is quite frankly the most absurd, but brave 'sport' ever invented. The site of a horde of men and women throwing themselves down this brutal, uneven hill in pursuit of a few pounds of cheese is impossible to describe really. YouTube videos give a decent approximation of the action, but really you have to be there in the flesh, if only to appreciate just how steep the hill is, and how fast they run down it.

To be honest, I can see why they've cancelled it - according to reports out today, 15,000 people attended last last year, on a site designed to hold 5,000. As one of those wedged onto the side of a 60 degree hill in gentle rain, trying not to fall over whilst also stretching to see the action, I can sympathise with their reasons.

At the same time though, you have to hope that it really does return next year, in whatever format. It's a wonderfully quirky, painfully addictive, utterly bizarre relic of the traditions of old, and a reminder that when humans put their mind to it, they really can have good, simple, (relatively) harmless fun.

Pub Quiz

I went to a pub quiz in Turnham Green last night and quite frankly if there's a better quiz in a nicer pub out there in the whole of London, then I can't wait to find it.

The pub itself is called The Devonshire and ticks the four boxes that I like to think make up my perfect pub. One, there's music, but it's gentle not overbearing - as in, you can have a chat but if you run out of words then the music's loud enough to take its place.

Two, it has a selection of slightly left-field furniture and the whole place looks like it's been around for a while. I know a lot of gastro pubs try to pull this off, and in general I hate them, but in this one it really works.

Three, the food and drink are damn good and not spectacularly overpriced either - you can buy a round for something like a tenner, the portion sizes are large, and the selection wide and tasty.

And four (and this is the real clincher), the place has an open fire. There's something that really makes it about a pub with a fire and this is one's no different. One of my favourite bars in Bristol had a fire even though it was generally open til 4 in the morning and played music obsessively loudly. But I loved it and used to go back time and again because the roaring, open, toasty warm fire just made it in winter.

Oh and the quiz last night? Really hard but genuinely enjoyable, includes free taster portions from the menu and is run by a charasmatic bloke who shuns the use of a microphone in favour of his talented vocal chords.

All in all, well worth a look really.

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day, and to celebrate, a friend and fellow blogger is hosting content on her site from a series of guest bloggers. You can read all the entries over there, and below is my contribution:

About nine months ago I sat down to watch the ladies final at Wimbledon, an act I must have done at least 15 times before in my life. I freely confess I don’t actually remember who won, but again that’s not exceptional as I’d struggle to name the winners of previous years too.

There was one thing different during last years final though – it made me realise for the first time just how shockingly underexposed women are in professional sport.

As I watched the two finalists slug it out, I tried to think about the number of major sports in which women enjoy something at least approaching parity with the men. Outside of Olympic events such as athletics, Michelle Wi and her golfing ilk in the USA, and the aforementioned tennis, this was a real struggle.

What particularly struck me was their lack of exposure in the big team sports like football, cricket and rugby. In individual disciplines, the likes of Jessica Ennis and Serena Williams have secured women’s place, but we’re still sorely lacking in the team department.

Hope Powell’s England football ladies gained some brief but welcome exposure at last year’s World Cup and the BBC always do a decent job of trying to mention the women’s rugby Six Nations. But these are small dents in the problem.

Sport is not remotely in the list of important issues facing women as a gender or indeed the planet as a whole at the moment. What it can be though is a part of the jigsaw, an agent of social mobility, and a motivator for young people to follow their idols in their footsteps.

This is why professional sport needs more female stars, especially in the team sports, to inspire the next generation of women to reach their potential.

ESPN's Top 50

The World Cup is 100 days away and to celebrate ESPN yesterday posted a list of the 50 best players who will be in South Africa this summer. The top ten were as follows:

1. Lionel Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Kaka
5. Xavi
6. Didier Drogba
7. Andres Iniesta
8. Fernando Torres
9. Steven Gerrard
10. Michael Essien

For what it's worth I think Rooney's too high, Iniesta too low and, after watching him last night, Kaka's about right - he's not quite the player he was when he ran the length of Wembley a couple of years ago but he's still damn good.

One selection is spot-on though - Lionel Messi is a pocket genius and I can't wait to watch him this summer.