Would You Ever Stop ...

humiliation

2009-12-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Sadly, this is me:

evil personified

2009-12-03T01:29:00.000-08:00

The day is here. Please visit me, or at least the sponsorship page and give a few quid. My humiliation is worth it, surely.

I'll post additional photos and video as we work through the day.

The shortlist

2009-11-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

The following from da committee.....

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Hello everyone,

First of all the ‘Richard would you ever stop’ committee (left) would like to thank you all for the cool and funky (read: dark and twisted) suggestions you sent to us.

In arriving at a short list we graded each selection according to the following criteria;

1) that the action undertaken be sufficiently discomodious/cringe inducing

2) that whatever action is chosen should be witnessed and enjoyed by as large a number of his colleagues as possible

3) that by his action he adds to the levity and overall mirth of the office

1. Would you ever stop talking for the day… and start singing! Richard must spend the day singing everything he has to say. At home and sitting in main floor at work, Richard must pass on information, answer questions, answer calls, placate the babies and communicate through song. He must stop giving most of his attention to Grantham Street and give equal singing time to Camden Street (maybe eating lunch there and delivering the post from the pigeon boxes).

2. Would you ever stop sitting there…and start dancing! Richard would work out on the main floor of the office (somewhere quite visible). A cd player would be placed in the office for all to access with a certain song on it. Anyone can hit play at any time during the 24 hour fast or maybe just on the hour (there would be a cd player at home also!) and when it’s played Richard must stop what he is doing and dance. Our suggested song is hammer time and he must do the hammer dance!!! (clothing may also be provided for the dance!!)

3. Would you ever stop being instrumentally challenged…and start playing!: Richard will learn how to play a tune on an instrument in 24 hrs and perform it to the office (maybe from 4pm Wed to 4pm Thurs). The decision about its quality would be made by X-Factor style judges on the Canteen high table, and there would be a forfeit if they did not think it was good enough.

4. Would you ever stop supporting Tottenham…and start supporting Arsenal: Richard to spend the day (and sit in main floor at work) wearing Arsenal Shirt or Father Christmas outfit.

So now it is over to you… please start voting now for your preferred suggestion by Tuesday lunch time, (one’ish vote per person) and we shall take it from there

Da committee

Da Commiteeeeeee is about to meet

2009-11-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

The sub committee are meeting on Wednesday (John and Maura get to conference call in, Jim and Michael will be in a darkened room in the depths of Grantham St) to shortlist suggestions. This shortlist will then be released on Friday, November 27th and everyone reading this will have four days to vote on what you want me to do / not do on December 3rd. Nervous now.

a photoshop too far.

2009-11-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Words escape me. Courtesy of Colm Dolan, who is about to be transferred. Suggestions on a postcard, please.

More dressing up suggestions

2009-11-09T02:06:00.001-08:00

This from my sister Tracy, who joins the list of people who have too much time on their hands ...

"why don't you wear this wig for 24 hours", she suggests.

From the iron age to the age of aquarius

2009-11-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

First a family member suggests that I live without any 21st century (or even 20th century) comforts for a day. Then a second says that I should dress like this for 24 hours. The most traumatic suggestion so far...

hmm

2009-11-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

People really don't want to see me wearing gold trousers for a day, this I can be sure of - so there's a week left in which to suggest alternatives. Otherwise, I might have to engage in some gerrymandering when it comes to the vote.

Break it down, oh oh oh oh oh oh

2009-10-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Its nice to know that you work with a group of smart, intelligent people who obviously have waaay too much time on their hands.

Suggestions revolved around group perfomances - including tin whistles and doing the hammerdance on demand. I suspect more funds will be raised by encouraging me to stop rather than continue ...

Who knows, Grantham St could look like this around noon on December 3:

not helpful

2009-10-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this idea last night to Maura. Over the course of the evening, she proposed a number of suggestions, none of which were helpful. Oh, she said, you could sit for 24 hours. Or stand for 24 hours. Or not touch any buttons. Or not talk about football. Or sit in a bathful of beans. Or stand at the corner of Grantham St and Camden St and sing Oklahoma.

de committee

2009-10-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

The first member of the select committee is Jim Howe. Jim generated significant comment last year when he abstained from speaking for 24 hours, raising serious sponsorship income [income which could have been increased by a factor of 5 if Jim agreed to continue to not talk, but there ya go]. Jim works for Concern's in house direct dialogue team.

Committee member 2 is Maura Corry. Maura is critical to the success of this little enterprise as she probably knows better than most what I am, and more importantly, amn't capable of doing for 24 hours. Her CV includes executive recruitment, public service staff training, university lecturing, nannying, primary school teaching and yacht sail making. I am her current husband.

Michael Doorly is, according to LinkedIn, an arts and crafts professional in Sydney, Australia, which might explain why he looks tired in the morning. Hell of a commute. During the day, he runs Concern's active citizenship team, which makes him responsible for the organisation's secondary school debates competition, public campaigning and general radicalness.

The final committee member is John Fleming. John is CEO of Sightsavers in Ireland and the brother of the weatherman who winks at you. What more reason does one need?

Democracy in action

2009-10-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Right. We can all fast for 24 hours. Some of us can even stopping talking for a day (extreme respect, Jim). What I'd like to do for this year's Concern Fast is to make the whole thing a tad more democratic ...

If you reading this, its because you know me in some way (or know someone who knows me) and I'd like you to suggest something that I should stop doing for 24 hours.

I've appointed a hi-level committee of four individuals - see the next post - who've agreed to review any suggestions made and prepare a short list (suggestions by November 13; shortlist by November 20). People can then vote on what they want me to give up, and I pledge to honour this decision.

You may think this is dangerous and, frankly, I admit to being a little nervous.

Be warned that this is a fundraising event and I intend to aggressively pursue all funding avenues (unless, of course, you decide that I should stop fundraising for 24 hours).

Feel free to send this on to anyone you feel would be interested ...