2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Thanks everyone for following , viewing and commenting.

The year has flown by, don’t they always! I’m still enjoying this blogging lark and I’m looking forward to next year, got a couple of things I want to do photography wise, but I will warn you that I think the rugby pics will dominate again, upgrading my camera has meant I can make a much better job of shooting the action, I’ve still got a way to go, but I do think there has been an improvement over the year.

As always I’ve had a load of inspiration from the blogs I follow, still amazed every day by the talented folk who take part in the blogging world, gives me something to aim for. So thanks to all of you.

Have a happy and healthy 2014 🙂

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,700 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Happy Anniversary Watchoot

Just got a notification from WordPress that this is my First Anniversary, 184 posts, 185 if you count this one, just short of 6000 views, all in all I’ve enjoyed it and will try to keep it going. I think the photographs have improved, that’s mainly down to looking at everyone else s work and taking inspiration from them. So thanks all you fellow bloggers. thanks to all those who have viewed and commented.

Here is the photo that has had the most views so far,

 

Employment

Recently a member of my family was employed by BskyB, towards the end of their three monthly probationary period,which was the end of October 2012 and after commencing the days work, they were taken to a meeting room by a manager and told their probationary period was not going to be confirmed, in other words they were dismissed, no reason was offered, they were then escorted from the building .

The person in question is 18 years old and this was their first job, after the initial shock they have tried to get some sort of explanation from Sky, eventually after letters and emails, at the end of December a meeting was arranged with a senior manager from Sky, this manager had allegedly investigated the circumstances regarding the dismissal. Sadly the only evidence they could produce was hearsay statements from the manager who carried out the dismissal and other employee who was doing an acting  supervisory role, nothing had been recorded at the time to suggest my family members employment was at risk.

Anyway, the reason given for the dismissal was that their questioning of customers was not structured properly, I’d have thought this was something that with proper training and support could have been rectified. If it was in deed the case. But is it the case that these days with so many unemployed it’s easier to just sack someone and replace them with another.

It appears to me that this company does not operate high standards of HR and when decisions are questioned quickly goes into cover up mode.

I’m glad I’m nearing the end of my working life, well I hope so, if this is the way companies treat young workers these days it must be horrendously stressful to be young and trying to get employment and then stay in it.

Oh and here is a quote from the BskyB website “We want our people to be the best they can” perhaps they should have added, but we won’t help!

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. I know I’ve not been up to much recently but I’m hoping to change that early in the New Year.

So thanks to everyone who took the time to look at my Blog and I hope you all have a great New Year, see you in 2013.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Twitter Update

So I posted a wee while ago that I was going to start using twitter, strangely this news didn’t become headline news around the world! Anyway, so far I’ve gained a following of 28, yes you read it here first, 28, not quite Stephen Fry.

Now I have to say I’m actually amazed that 28 folk bothered to even click that Follow button, it seems to made up of folk with a shared interest, mainly Rugby Union, some from WordPress, thank you and a couple who I suspect may be selling stuff .

There seems to be an etiquette to this following business, if your some kind of celebrity, you never follow “ordinary” folk but if you are “ordinary” you’re expected to follow back, usually you’re given a couple of days, then if no follow, you’re unfollowed!!

So far I’m enjoying my tweeting, it is amazing the sheer amount of use it gets, how do some folk actually get anything done in between tweets?

I’m even in a competition run by the sponsors of the Rugby Union league my team is in, it’s linked to the amount of times I mention them, with the obligatory # and my teams name, plus various other things, like adding pictures, location, I’m sitting around 50th, woo hoo!!

I’ve not attracted any obvious loonys, so far, though I have suspicions about one or two of my followers, no names!

Checking my WordPress Stats it does seem to have brought some visitors, my posts on here automatically generate a tweet containing a link, so that’s good.

So I will continue the great Twitter experiment, one day i will break that almost mythical 30 followers figure.

Sandy

Had to post this one, found it on Twitter.

On a serious point, be safe everyone on the US east coast, Sandy looks pretty scary

Brave

Sometimes I think we hand out the label of ” What a Brave person” to easily, but I don’t think anyone could question it’s use with regard to Malala Yousafzai, this young lady was recently the subject of a assassination attempt by the Taliban in Pakistan, her crime, demanding the right for females to be educated.She is 14!

Now I’m not going to argue the rights and wrongs of western involvement in that area of the world, but how can any right thinking person support the people who carried out this horrendous act against a child?

We in the west take access to education for granted, but obviously for some it’s a matter of life and death, what makes Malala’s story even more amazing is the fact that senior politicians in Pakistan are not prepared to take the stand she has.

I don’t have many hero’s, but I think it’s safe to say Malala Yousafzai has joined that list.

A link to one of the articles about Malala, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19899540

Thank You

 

Thanks to everyone who liked, I’ve said it before, this Blogging lark is most enjoyable, the standard and range of stuff available on WordPress is amazing and the fact that people from around the world take time to look at your offerings is fantastic. I have taken loads of great advice from various bloggers regarding photography, and though I’m a long way from the standards set by many, I do think I’ve improved and if nothing else it inspires you to go out and try.

An I think that’s the most important thing, give it a go, I know I just appreciate that people are prepared to put their images, thoughts out there for all to see, it really does give you an incite into how people think and live, from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures.

So anyway, thanks again 🙂

Well that’s rubbish!!

Had to share this one with you,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-19783214

What was he looking for?

#Gategate

Yes the big news this weekend in the UK is that an ex public school boy thinks he’s a cut above the rest of us, shock horror!!

I refer of course to the Governments Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell and his alleged comments towards Downing street police officers when they refused to open a gate for him.

It must really stick in his throat that he’s been forced to apologize for his actions, I mean imagine having to say sorry to a “pleb” ,but  as I said in the opening line does anyone have any doubts that our present government is full of gentleman like Mr Mitchell who think this way, they are a product of their upbringing. it’s just another example of how the class based society is still alive and well.

Another issue to arise from this, is how that odious publication the Sun has gained access to Police Reports on this matter. How has that happened, has nobody learned from Leveson?

Anyway, whilst the Islamic world decends into madness,over a film most have probably never seen, and people are losing their lives as a result, we in the UK will continue to focus on a non story, the arrogant posh boy has been made to grovel, personally I think that’s a great outcome.

Lets move on, though I suppose it’s a wee bit of a more interesting story than last weeks one about another member of the ruling elite and her breasts!

Oh, and I think the #gategate from twitter is great, it had to happen eventually 🙂