Category Archives: General
Basking in reflected glory?
The internet has responded in fine form to the Chelsea skipper, John Terry, donning his full kit to receive the Champions League trophy last night. If you’ve been on planet Mars for the past few weeks you will not know that Terry was suspended from taking part in this crucial fixture due to an extremely stupid tackle in the semi against Barcelona that saw him receiving a sending off. However, last night, when Chelsea were the ultimate victors on penalties, Terry changed out of his suit and into his kit to go and receive his winner’s medal and lift the trophy.
My 3 favourite tweets are:
During the match – a spectator
After the match – taking part in the celebrations
And am I the only person who sees his inclusion in the squad for the Euros and Rio’s absence as sending out the wrong message???
Happy 1st Anniversary!
It seems hard to believe that I started this blog a year ago today. When I published the first post I was very unsure about whether I would be able to commit to blogging on a regular basis but now I can’t imagine not doing it. It has become a way of life – a place where I can explore ideas; share experiences and reflect on things I’ve read about. Along the way I have learned a lot about blogging and so I’ve decided to share some of what I’ve learned, today, on my blog’s 1st Anniversary. Here goes:
1. It’s what you write that matters
It might sound obvious but it’s all about the content. Find a theme that is clean and uncluttered so that people can just concentrate on what you have to say. Pick interesting topics to write about and find your own writing style. It isn’t a good idea to “nick” content from other writers but it is ok to use other’s ideas for inspiration!
2. It’s okay to post at your own pace
Starting to write a blog can be intimidating, particularly when you see that some bloggers post at least once a day, sometimes more. I originally set out thinking that I would blog at least twice a week but I quickly realised that it was important to not just write for writing sake but only when I had something to say. On the basis that this is my 127th post, I’m still meeting that target on average! How often I post is affected by a number of factors but mainly by my workload. Remember that quality is far more important than quantity!
3. It’s important to post material that is provocative (from time to time)
I’m not suggesting here that you set your stall out to… but it will come as no surprise that many of my most read posts are the ones that were a little contentious, that focused on challenging issues where others will certainly have an opinion. And it is also good to pick up on topics that are being readily discussed. Here are some examples of posts that caused a storm:
4. Make sure your about page is up to scratch
The about page on your blog is arguably one of the most important pages as many new readers who come across your blog will want to know more about it and the person behind it. Who are you? Why do you write this blog? How often can they expect to see new posts? These are just some of the questions a new reader may have.
5. Harness social networks to spread the word
If you want to grow the number of visitors to your blog you must harness the power of social networks. Twitter and Facebook are two of the most powerful tools in driving people towards my blog content and have helped connect me with many other bloggers who share similar ideas and write about similar topics. It is also worth sharing your content on topic specific forums if they let you – I’ve been banned for life by some of the Football boards as they seem to think I’m advertising, despite pointing out there is no financial gain whatsoever – hey ho!
6. It is about discussion
Most bloggers are looking to generate discussion around their posts. This is what the blogging thing is all about and it’s really important that you respond to comments from people. I try to reply to comments within 24 hours although occasionally life gets in the way.
The commenting does not end there though. It is not all about you. If you want to drive people towards your blog and encourage them to comment on your own posts then you must comment on other people’s blog posts. It raises your profile amongst the blogging community and will encourage people to look up your blog when they have seen you comment on their own posts.
7. Understand SEO and analytics
Without going into too much detail, if you are serious about blogging and see it as more than an opportunity to collect your thoughts then it is worth taking a bit of time to understand ‘Search Engine Optimisation’. In very basic terms this is making your blog more visible to search engines like Google. I could end up writing an entire post on this and only scratch the surface in many ways. To really get a handle on how your blog is doing it is also worth signing up to Google analytics. There is a very handy WordPress plugin to help with this.
And with that I will bring this post to an end. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last twelve months of blogging and I’m very excited about the next twelve. There are some amazing events coming up such as the London Olympics later this year and the Glasgow2014 Commonwealth Games in 2 years time so expect lots more posts from me over the next few months and years!
Only thing missing was a helicopter!
This time last year I was writing about Helicopter Sunday when the SPL title race was left to the final day of the season and the cup was taken to the winning ground by helicopter – on that occasion it was Rangers … what a difference a year makes!
Today, however, the sheer distance between the 2 teams in contention for the Barclays Premiership was too great for even a helicopter to be able to reach the winning ground in time so apparently there were duplicate trophies at both Sunderland and Manchester City’s grounds to be awarded to the victor of today’s nail-biting decider … and what a close one it was too!! I was unable to watch the game live but had both Twitter and Sky Sports on my phone and practically kicked every last ball myself it was so tense!
With the Man Utd game finishing a matter of 3 minutes before the Man City game, they and their supporters could have been forgiven for thinking they’d done enough with a 0-1 win, but City were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with two injury time goals, the winner on the 94th minute from Sergio (Kun) Aguero. Happy days! Having not won the title since 1968, this is an historic moment for the blue half of Manchester and I am delighted for them.
With my actual team, Arsenal, finishing the season in 3rd place, we are assured another exciting season of Champions League football to keep us all on the edge of our seats next year and I leave you with this final thought …
Arsenal are the best team in London. United aren’t even the best team in Manchester – BOOM!!!
Dress for success
Many years ago I read a book called ‘Dress for Success’ by John T Molloy which I understand has now spawned into several editions covering separate versions for men and women and updating the changes in fashion over the last 20/30 years since the original.
Many of the original principles, however, are still appropriate today and I know from personal experience that it is amazing how a minimum of effort in the style department can maximize results in both your professional and personal life. For example, in my younger, thinner days I had a dress which was perfectly smart and business-like while I was standing up, but as soon as I sat down, there was a hint of cleavage and stocking tops that never failed to win me the order! But I digress …
It was with interest therefore, that I’ve been reading today about the criticism of Mark Zuckerberg for wearing a “hoodie” to this weeks presentations to talk up Facebook’s floatation, its first major sale of shares.
Some observers were quick to suggest that this was perhaps a mark of immaturity or of not really caring … Might I suggest, however, that at the age of 28 and with the floatation potentially valuing Facebook as high as $100bn (£62bn), he can wear what the hell he likes and all the suits in the world won’t change his amazing success!
#Fergietime (cont’d)
Following on from my last post, it seems that ‘Fergie Time’ has made it into the Urban Dictionary with the following description:
‘Fergie Time”: Any amount of time, in any football (soccer) match, which has been added on, in addition to the added time (injury time) that had already been prescribed at the end of the 90 minutes. Any amount of time that a match is played after the said amount of added time, is referred to as ‘Fergie Time’. (Added time of 3 minutes has been announced, play carries on after 93 minutes, player scores on 95 minutes).
I was also interested to see another entry in this section – ‘Fergie Watch’ which is a timepiece that runs contrary to the laws of physics. If your football team is winning after 90 minutes your watch actually runs faster than the referee’s. The other team’s coach has a watch that runs slower and the referee runs like the clappers whether you’re winning or losing. This is Fergie’s Watch.
They’ve both played a blinder!
The 2011/2012 football season is drawing to a close and with one game left, things couldn’t get any closer for the 2 Manchester sides with City having the advantage only on goal difference with one game each left to play!
Those games will be Manchester City at home to QPR and Manchester United away to Sunderland, both on Sunday 13th May.
So here is where the points are at the moment:
If I were a betting person, my money would be on City. Their last game is at home which obviously gives them an edge but I would never underestimate the red side of the city who seem to have the devil’s own luck in these circumstances!
Who could forget the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich where they scored 2 last minute goals in injury time to win the game 2-1, after having trailed for most of the match?
Events such as these have led to the new phrase being coined of #fergietime but, despite #fergietime during the last encounter between these 2 great sides last week, Manchester City came out the victors and I for one am hoping that this is an omen for the final trophy of the season!
Pass the doughnuts!
I’ve often wondered if sporting activity is really good for you. In the light of some of the recent events in the world of the elite sportsman, I’m starting to think I might actually have something!
The dramatic pictures of Fabrice Muamba, the Bolton Wanderers footballer, suffering a heart attack at the age of 23 on the pitch at White Hart Lane during the FA Cup quarter final against Spurs, were shocking to say the least, but happily, despite being technically dead for 78 minutes, he appears to be making a miraculous recovery and we can only hope that he continues to progress well.
The Motherwell FC player, Phil O’Donnell was not as fortunate. He died following a cardiac arrest during a game against Dundee on 29th December 2007. He was 35 years old, married and had 4 young children.
So it was yet another shock to read in the news today of the death of Norway’s world swimming champion, Alexander Dale Oen, at the age of 26. Again, he had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was found collapsed in a shower yesterday evening after a training session in Arizona. Having won silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Norway’s first Olympic swimming medal, he was considered a strong hope for this summer’s London Games.
My thoughts and good wishes are with all the families, to lose a loved one at any age is difficult but particularly harrowing if they are in their prime with everything to live for.
Does Britain really want talent?
While searching for content for the Party Lights Blog, I came across this video of Shayne Ward performing on the X Factor in 2005 and, who you may remember, went on to win the show. Despite winning a recording contract he has subsequently been dropped by the record company SyCo and the last we heard of him was performing in Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
I had forgotten just what a great voice he has and it is such a shame he was another victim of the reality television genre that invades our television channels on a Saturday night and when talentless individuals (yes, I do mean Jedward!) are raking in a fortune. Where’s the sense in that?
Are they having a laugh?
Whatever the true facts are in relation to the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, I cannot believe that there was ever the slightest chance that he’d padlocked himself into a sports bag, placed in the bath of his apartment!
However, at his inquest today, a so-called “expert”, Peter Faulding, showed a video demonstrating how it was possible for someone to zip themselves up in a sports bag of the type used but that it was impossible to then padlock the bag from the outside … no shit Sherlock!
Footage played at Westminster Coroner’s Court showed Mr Faulding trying to get into the bag in an empty bath and he confirmed that he had tried and failed to lock the bag from inside 300 times. “I couldn’t say it’s impossible, but I think even Houdini would have struggled with this one,” he said.
Another “expert”, William MacKay, who said his military career made him adept at working in confined spaces, told the inquest that locking the bag was a skill that would have required training but that once a person had done it, they could not get out. Mr MacKay and an assistant failed in 100 attempts to lock the bag from inside, and caused damage to the zip. However, he would not rule out that it was possible, adding: “There are people around who can do amazing things and Mr Williams may well have been one of those persons.”
How do I get a job like this? I’ve yet to see a single job advert looking for experts who know how to zip themselves up in a holdall. As the poor man worked for MI6, I can only assume I must have just missed this in the classified ads – BOOM!!!
Dying for your Art
Every job has its demands, and many people make sacrifices in their personal lives to advance their careers. However, actors and actresses sometimes experience some peculiar demands on their physical appearance, well beyond the common restrictions in other professions that may simply require neatly-trimmed hair of a natural color. There are limitations to what can be done with stage makeup and padding. When performers make real changes to their physical appearance for a part, such that they look different in the mirror in the morning, that’s commitment. That’s “dyeing for your art”.
A Brazilian actor was extremely unfortunate recently when he did, quite literally, “die for his art” after accidentally hanging himself while playing Judas in an Easter Passion play. Tiago Klimeck, 27, was re-enacting the scene in which Judas commits suicide in repentance for his betrayal of Jesus Christ in a performance on Good Friday in the city of Itarare and was hanging for four minutes before fellow performers realised something was wrong. He was taken to hospital suffering from cerebral hypoxia but died on Sunday.
Initial Police investigations have found that the knot may have been wrongly tied but an autopsy is still to take place.
It certainly brings a whole new meaning to the term “corpsing on stage” … ouch!!!
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