60 years of evolution at BBC News

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

Today, we can access the news at our fingertips, whether that is through a button on our TV remote controls, a swipe on a news application on our tablets and smartphones, or a click to a global news website.

So it seems amazing to think that BBC News has just celebrated its 60^th anniversary of going on the air. It has barely been mentioned because the corporation have showed very little in marking the occasion, mainly because their dedicated team of journalists; presenters and correspondents are out there, delivering the news to our households from a variety of media platforms.

Of course this wasn’t the case on 5 July 1954, when the first ever 22-minute television news bulletin aired at 7.30pm in the evening on BBC One. Then, the top story was Question Time in Parliament. Today, the main news is dominated by political rows in Downing Street, major trials involving high-profile individuals and deadly conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and sadly, once again in Iraq.

BBC News has had to undergo many changes, including a rise in competition from the likes of Sky News and ITN, as well as the rapid changes in technology. For it to still exist in its current form, along with a 24-hour news channel, BBC Breakfast, Newsround, Newsnight and the World Service, not to mention, it’s very strong phone/tablet app and news website – BBC News has adapted regularly to meet the challenges. It has been 60 years full of evolution.

Sobering beginnings

It is fair to say that the early days of BBC News were never that exciting. The newsreaders lacked charisma and in fact, you couldn’t even see them on your screens. Don’t forget, this was a time where there were only two channels, choice was massively limited and technology was very basic.

Richard Baker was the first voice heard on launch night in 1954, but it wasn’t until 1957 that he would be seen on screen actually reading the news to camera. Before, the news bulletins were read over still photographic shots – almost the vision had when listening to the radio bulletins in the present day from 5 Live News to Newsbeat on BBC Radio 1.

BBC News was initially based out of Lime Grove Studios and stayed there for the first decade of its infancy. A move to Television Centre in 1969 (pictured below) saw not only the site become the BBC’s main base, but it allowed technology and landmarks to develop. BBC were locked in a battle with ITN and the national newspapers at this time – a battle that continued to get more tense and attract brighter competitions throughout the 20^th century and into the 21^st.

BBC Television Centre was the home of BBC News for over four decades

Of course Television Centre is no more. It was sold off as part of the Beeb’s cutbacks to meet government spending. Today, it is being developed into retail spacing. Unlike BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport staff, which moved to the modern MediaCityUK in Salford, BBC News is now based at the classic Broadcasting House which is where the majority of its programming can now be found.

More choice

In the 1970s, the BBC’s news output began to grow. A new teatime service for kids was created in 1972 when Newsround made its debut. John Craven was the face of the news for kids until 1989. Aimed at a target audience of 6-12, Newsround has also been the breakthrough for presenters to go onto bigger things in the world of journalism, such as Julie Etchingham (now News at Ten co-anchor) and Krishnan Guru-Murthy (a regular on Channel 4 News). Newsround is still on in 2014, although it has now moved to the dedicated CBBC channel.

Another way for news to be read was Ceefax. The text service which was a simple and sometimes easier way to get the news on the go if you had little time or interest into digesting the detail of a major story. Ceefax finally switched off in 2012 when the analogue TV signal was consigned to the history books. It was a victim of the advancements in mobile phone technologies, and the global reach of the internet.

More news programmes became the norm. The Nine O’clock News began in the 1970s, with Angela Rippon joining the team to become the first established female newsreader in the BBC team. She would be followed in later years by the likes of Anna Ford, the late Jill Dando, Kirsty Wark and Moira Stuart.

The Nine O’clock news became synonymous with many, regularly presented by Michael Buerk. In 1993, a new look was presented to the BBC News programmes, producing some of the most iconic news themes ever seen on British television. Those who like Radio 1 and Nick Grimshaw will recognise some of the music he uses for features involves the BBC News stings in the 1990s. The Nine O’clock bulletin was moved back an hour in time for the new millennium to battle ITN, who had replaced News at Ten with the unpopular ITN Nightly News (that didn’t last long by the way!)

The evolution continued into the 1980s. There was the launch of the Six O’Clock News in 1984, becoming the most watched news programme around for two decades. Newsnight made its debut in the same decade and this period saw the introduction of Breakfast TV too.

The BBC’s Breakfast Time was launched in January 1983 and went into a massive ratings war with ITV’s TV-AM programme. TV-AM might have had the publicity and the names, but breakfast TV addicts preferred the BBC’s blend of reporting the news with light-hearted features. When the BBC changed that approach in the late 1980s, they lost viewers to TV-AM but when their franchise was controversially lost in the 1991 ITV Franchise Auction, the BBC’s Breakfast Time has gone from strength to strength. It has seen off GMTV, Daybreak and looks set to consign Good Morning Britain to a slow and painful death from our screens.

Breaking the news  

The arrival of 24-hour TV news services came in 1989 when Rupert Murdoch launched BSkyB. With it came Sky News which after a stuttering start, began to win acclaim for breaking the news first with powerful reporting and achieving new feats. BBC News had new competition and they have had to advance with the times. Their coverage of the tragic scenes on Sunday, 31 August 1997 when the nation woke to the news that Diana, Princess of Wales had been killed in a car crash in Paris was one of their most moving and powerful stories.

This prompted the BBC to follow in the footsteps of Sky and US counterparts CNN. On November 9^th 1997, BBC News 24 was launched with a colourful intro and the famous 90-second countdown (video below). It has since been renamed BBC News but continues to produce a sterling job for its intended audience.

A recent report by the BBC Trust indicated a 14 per cent drop in the number of young viewers watching BBC News over the past decade. Of more intrigue, in the under-45 category, online is now the first port of call for the headlines. The BBC has had its critics over the year and it will continue to do so – as is the case with its varied competition.

However, the tremendous team of over 5000 journalists continue to do a professional and excellent job following the stories, both locally and nationally – for radio, online and TV outputs on a 24-hour, seven-day a week basis. BBC News is 60 not out and it has done brilliantly to combat the changes in the way we receive news nowadays.

It is a remarkable achievement and one that might be matched in future, but has been honoured with the minimum of fuss by the corporation themselves. The reason is they strive to still be the best in the business for the next 60 years.

Categories: Anniversary, BBC, BBC News, Ceefax, Journalism, News, Newsround, Question Time, Television Centre, TV

News 2013 - Worldwide tragedies and a Royal arrival

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

2013 in news was another dramatic year and sadly another one where human tragedy was at the forefront. Civil conflicts in countries, mixed in with one of the worst tropical cyclones in history, international terrorism and the deaths of some huge historical figures meant it was a year of distressing stories.

However the worldwide economy seems to be making some form of recovery and along with the end of a long British sporting drought, a fine summer of weather in the UK and the arrival of a Royal baby, there were some happy and positive stories to come out of this calendar year.

Here is Viewing Perspectives’ round-up of the news review of 2013.

The Federal Government shutdown made Barack Obama's year difficult

The year started well enough for American president Barack Obama as he had his second inauguration ceremony in Washington after being elected for a second term at the backend of 2012. If only Obama knew that this was to be the high point of a tough year at the helm. In October, the US government shutdown for the first time since 1995 and lasted for 16 days. This was after the Democratic and Republic parties were unable to agree on measures to keep the government operating. This led to some historic landmarks across the States such as the Grand Canyon (notice pictured) being closed to tourists and leaving Obama completely powerless. 

Obama wasn’t the only worldwide leader to either be re-elected or come into power for the first time. Merkel won a historic third term in German office as Chancellor, though not by an overall majority for her party to take full control of the country. In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe swept back into office once again after another landslide success. China’s parliament formally elected Xi Jinping as their new president in March whilst presidential elections were held in Iran in June – a crucial election for both the country and the world given their stance on the use of nuclear power. With 51 per cent of the vote, Hassan Rouhani from the Combatant Clergy Association party emerged triumphant.

Other political powers didn’t see out the year though. In Venezuela, Hugo Chavez died in March. The capital of Caracas stood at a standstill on the day of his funeral. Chavez had strained relations with world countries but was dearly loved and adored in his native homeland. Over 30 world leaders paid their respects at the state funeral. There were more protests over government rulings in Arab countries. Fighting broke out once again in Egypt this summer as Hosni Mubarak’s successor Mohamed Morsi was overthrown in a military coup, just over two years after arriving in office. The Egyptian people were angry that little had changed since the first uprising in 2011. Violence followed for days in the capital Cairo. It was a similar story in the Central African Republic. Their president Francois Bozize fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo after rebel forces managed to take control of the capital Bangui. The biggest political change though came in the Catholic Church. On February 28, Benedict XVI resigned as pope, becoming the first to do so in nearly 600 years. Ill health was stated as the official reason for his sudden departure. After two weeks of guessing, the 266^th pope was revealed as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, taking on the name Pope Francis. He is the first from the Southern Hemisphere to take the role as head of the Catholic Church and led to great scenes in the Vatican City afterwards.

Back home and it was a quieter year for the major political parties with no serious scandals that divided parliament. Party conference season in the autumn came and went, with Labour making promises about freezing gas and energy prices if they get into power at the 2015 General Election. David Cameron’s response was to pledge for taxes to be cut for working class people. Chancellor George Osbourne, who was on rocky ground 12 months ago had a better year as the economy started to show signs of a slow but steady recovery. This was backed up by the autumn statement with fuel duty axed, although the retirement age did rise to 70. One of the biggest reactions in Downing Street was the introduction of the titled ‘bedroom tax’ in April which would see people being taxed more for having bedrooms that were not being used. Online campaigns were set-up and peaceful demonstrations made outside the Royal Courts of Justice. The government would later state that the changes to the housing benefit scheme were required but special dispensation cases would be made for those suffering from ill health or other exceptional circumstances.

The big political story in the UK was that of the death of a former power in the 20^th century. After suffering another stroke in the Ritz hotel in April, Margaret Thatcher died aged 87. The reaction to the death of Britain’s longest-serving PM of the last century was mixed with some burning effigies and celebrating her passing. Others were left to mourn Thatcher’s death with dignity. She had left her mark on this country. Her ruthlessness had led to some great success such as the Falklands War victory in 1982 and was ultimately her biggest downfall with the Poll Tax policy that led to riots eight years later. Thatcher has a legacy that shouldn’t be tarnished, though it is understandable why some like the mining industry didn’t share a tear on hearing of her passing. The ‘Iron Lady’ was no more.

Thatcher wasn’t the only huge name to pass away. Other shock deaths including Hollywood actor Paul Walker, singer Bernie Nolan, broadcaster Sir David Frost and South African model and TV personality Reeva Steenkamp – found dead after being shot by her boyfriend Oscar Pretorius on Valentine’s Day at the Pretoria home of the ‘Blade Runner.’ The Paralympic competitor is believed to have fired shots through a door, mistaking Steenkamp for an intruder in his home. The events were tragic and the episode a mystery. The trial will begin early next year in South Africa. By the end of the year though, South Africa was paying its respects to its greatest human-being and for the world, one of its most influential figures.

Nelson Mandela had endeared himself to so many on this planet. He did so much for his country and the world as a whole. South Africa’s first black president died on December 5, aged 95 after spending much of the year fighting a lung infection. He was admitted to hospital three times as his health started to decline rapidly. In June, his condition was described as ‘serious’ by doctors and he returned home to spend the final months of his life with his family. The tributes that flowed in worldwide were overwhelming and show the appreciation so many had for Nelson Mandela. He was laid to rest 10 days later after several days of national mourning and a memorial service in the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, the setting of his last public appearance three years ago. He will be dearly missed by so many people.

International terrorism remains sadly a forefront of our news. In April, everyone was stunned by the attacks carried out by Islamic forces on the finishing straight of the Boston Marathon. Two bombs went off in quick succession as many were completing the marathon. 264 people were injured and three people were killed. Five months later, it was Kenya’s time to be in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi came under fire from Islamic militants. The three-day siege saw some harrowing pictures on our television screens as 170 people were wounded and 62 people killed. The Islamic group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

There was plenty of tragedy throughout the year worldwide on a human and Mother Nature scale. In January, a deadly fire at a Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil killed 241 people. Brazilian police confirmed two months later that 16 people were to be prosecuted for the disaster, started when the member of a band lit a firework that caught fire on the ceiling and spread in a matter of seconds. In the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, 1,491 were injured as a meteor exploded over their town with many buildings destroyed. It was the most powerful meteor to strike the atmosphere of the Earth in over a century. April brought the building collapse of a commercial building in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The accident was the third worst industrial disaster in history, leaving 2,500 injured and 1,129 people dead as the eight-story building came down. Many stores on the high street here like Primark and Mango paid out compensation to the families of the victims. Oklahoma City in the United States was hit by a severe tornado in May, the country’s worst in two years. 237 were left injured as a suburb was virtually wiped out. At least 24 died, including nine children. A supermarket roof collapsed in the Latvian capital Riga following the carrying out of structural work. 54 people died and the incident was so distressing to the PM Valdis Dombrovskis, he tendered his resignation with immediate effect. Lastly the people of Spain were left in mourning in July as a high-speed train crashed in the North West region of Santiago de Compostela. 79 passengers lost their lives as CCTV cameras showed the moment the train left the tracks, caused by the driver going too fast on a track not designed for the speeds he was travelling at.

However there were three other incidents that were gruesome, shocking and left either outrage or heartfelt donations. In May the town of Woolwich made the headlines after the absolutely horrific killing of soldier Lee Rigby. The pictures of his dead body lying in the road were broadcast to millions, leaving many people absolutely sickened by this act carried out on the 25-year-old. It was a knife attack while he made his way through south east London. 29-year-old Michael Adebolajo and 22-year-old Michael Adebowale are currently on trial for his murder. Meanwhile events in Syria continued to dominate many of the front pages of the newspapers and TV bulletins as the year progressed. The world was appalled to hear about an alleged chemical attack carried out by the Assad regime on August 21 in Damascus. The world condemned the attacks. A month later, inspectors from the United Nations confirmed the use of chemical weapons after some intense investigations. The civil war in the country claimed many more lives throughout the year and many natives have fled in a desperate attempt to either start again and in many cases to survive. November saw Mother Nature show her true force once again. One of the most powerful storms in history was recorded as the Philippines was battered by Typhoon Haiyan. Small towns were literally wiped out and thousands died in this tropical cyclone which was a reminder to many of this force following the earthquake that left Haiti in ruins three years ago and the tsunami in Japan in 2011. At least 5,700 were confirmed to have died and many more have had their livelihoods completely shattered. Aid started arriving from all areas across the globe as the planet came together to try and help the Philippine people. The US has already pledged over $100m to help those now trying to fend off the severe threats of contracting diseases.

In Britain, January brought terror to morning commuters in London as a helicopter crashed into a crane on top of one of Europe’s tallest residential blocks in Vauxhall. On a foggy Wednesday morning as many were making their way to work for a normal day, that aspect changed when debris ploughed down onto the nearby roads and wreckage spread across the area. Nine were injured and two lost their lives. There was a more tragic loss of life in Glasgow at the end of November as 10 people were killed when a police helicopter crashed into a pub on a busy Friday evening. In both instances, community spirit was shown in abundance to come to terms with these shocking events. The incident in London was down to the weather conditions and pilot error. The cause of the Glasgow crash is still unknown.

Findus' Beef Lasagne was one product caught up in the horsemeat scandal

One issue totally unexpected in this country but caused plenty of concern was the horsemeat scandal throughout January and into February. It started when food inspectors in the Republic of Ireland claimed they had found horsemeat in frozen beefburgers which had been sold by a number of supermarket chains over here, including Iceland, Tesco and Aldi. In the weeks that followed, more cases came out of detected horsemeat in ingredients with major suppliers including Nestle and Findus (Beef Lasagne product pictured) being forced to recall products as tests confirmed traces of horse DNA. Some brushed it off, others cried foul and it certainly damaged the trust relationship between the consumer and the main supermarkets. Some 2,501 tests were conducted in the aftermath of all this - health experts saying the cases were down to negligence in food production rather than the safety of customers eating the products. In total, there were 29 positive results in seven products – all withdrawn as soon as news broke. Then it all blew away like a storm in a teacup. However it would leave a mark on the food industry for the remainder of the year. The phone hacking trial began towards the end of the year. Eight journalists including former senior editors of the News of the World Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks are among those on trial. One of the early reveals of the evidence given was a love letter that confirmed that Coulson and Brooks had an affair for at least six years from the late 1990s. The trial will continue well into next year.

While the UK’s economy started to settle down again with unemployment levels dropping to their lowest level since the spring of 2009, it wasn’t so good for Cyprus. In March the EU agreed to a bailout of €10 billion after a banking crisis hit the island on the Mediterranean which left people with restricted access to bank accounts. The EU also got a new member in July as Croatia became the 28^th member of the organisation.

Other news stories to make the headlines saw the end of British sport’s longest drought without a winner. Andy Murray ended the 77 years of hurt when he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia in straight sets to become the Wimbledon Men’s Singles champion. There was a summer success for England’s cricketers against Australia in the Ashes before surrendering the urn meekly before Christmas Down Under. Chris Froome became the second Brit in a row to win the Tour de France and football’s greatest manager retired at the top as Sir Alex Ferguson stood aside as Manchester United manager after leading the Red Devils in May to a 13^th Premier League title. The city of Hull was named as the next UK City of Culture in November. It held off competition from Leicester, Dundee and Swansea to take the coveted prize for the year 2017. Tokyo was announced as the host of the 2020 Olympic Games at an IOC meeting in Buenos Aires in the summer and a new appeal was launched to find missing Madeleine McCann following 100 calls and e-mails to the BBC’s Crimewatch programme after a reconstruction of events was broadcasted. She was taken from a holiday apartment in Portugal six years ago.

William and Kate pose with their bundle of joy, Prince George of Cambridge

There was no competition though for what was the happiest news story of the year and that came in July as the country welcomed Prince George of Cambridge. Ever since the announcement of Kate Middleton’s pregnancy, there had been plenty of talk about baby's sex and potential names. The baby boy was born at St Mary’s Hospital to their proud parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (all three pictured) on the evening of Monday, 22 July. As predicted, a media scrum waited outside for the first shots of the new arrival to the Royal Family and with it, the future King of England. George received a private Christening in October and baby and parents are still doing well nearly six months on. It is stories like this that remind us that while the year in news is often controlled by bad headlines, it sometimes is the good and happy stories that can leave the biggest mark and best memories of a calendar year.

This man will NOT be the UK's Prime Minister in 2014!

With that in mind, that is the news review of 2013. It had plenty to lookback on and now, we wait what 2014 will bring. There is bound to be another scandal in the country somewhere, the Commonwealth Games arrive in Glasgow, Scotland votes for independence and I can guarantee you all that this man (Ed Miliband pictured) will NOT be prime minister by this time next year. Other than that, who knows what will happen but happier times wouldn’t go amiss. 

Categories: 2013, Barack Obama, Boston Marathon, Economy, Horsemeat, Kate Middleton, Margaret Thatcher, News, Prince William, UK

New Year resolutions

We are now 12 days into 2013.  2012 gave us all plenty of great memories – both personally and publicly, and it is a year that I am sure none of us will forget in a hurry.

Did you make any New Year resolutions and have you stuck to them, or broken them already?

My record in this department is mixed.  I never kept them growing up, but succeeded in 2011 with a plan of controlling the amount of alcohol I would have per week.

Last year’s resolution was not great.  I vowed to watch one news bulletin every day, whether that be BBC, ITN, Channel 4, Five News or Sky News.  It lasted 10 days, and I know the news is normally a depressing thing to watch but in reality, I should have done better with this.

By the end of last year – my lack of stability and security led to me making several misjudgements, and I really wasn’t happy with my personality either.  So, rather than make one resolution, I decided to go for an ambitious target of eight in 2013. 

The chances were that two of these wouldn’t see the year out, but I want to stick to these for as long as I can, and my target is for five to at least see out the year.

So – here are the eight resolutions I have made and how I have fared so far in 2013.

1. Limit my use of Facebook

This is priority number one.  It’s true; Facebook has at times taken over in a big way.  When you start feeling insecure about a number of things – ranting on social media is not the right way to go about things.  Trust me; I have learnt this the hard way.  

I have taken breaks from this before, lasting from a week to a month in November 2011 – and although I stayed away for these periods, I always came back and slipped into old habits.

My target for 2013 is to only use Facebook for one hour per week – limiting my status updates, and focusing more on published links, radio show promotions and YouTube video clips.

Two weeks in and I have stuck to this just.  There are no restrictions to Twitter and LinkedIn, but this had to be done and I hope to keep it up.

2. Exercise more

The exercise bike could & should get a lot of extra work this year...

Back in the college days, the best description for me was ‘couch potato,’ because that is what I was.  I use the home gym frequently in summer, but not enough in winter – and my lack of general fitness is a concern.

My plan was to do some stretches at least in the winter months, before doing longer gym routines in the spring and the summer.

Unfortunately, this hasn’t started yet – so it is a fail, but it is something that I want to start soon.

    

      3. Stop being so paranoid

This was a big problem that needed to be ratified.  I often got paranoid about the smallest things – and it got as ridiculous as thinking I had done something wrong, when I probably hadn’t.

This also involved taking things far too personally, over-hyping arguments and even getting concerned if I didn’t get a reply back to a message.

The amount of paranoia I had was so crazy, things had to change and for the better.  In 2013, I am aiming to relax more, not worry so much about the small things and appreciate more what I have at my disposal – both in terms of friends and family.

Already I feel like I’m making progress on this front.  I like to generally think I’m a nice, caring individual but at times, I act like the biggest clown around.  This year – that won’t happen.   

4. Watch my choice of words

In today’s day and age, it is important to have two personas in my view.  That is both a personal view and a professional stance.  Mixing up the two can lead to trouble, especially with the use of words, particularly explicit language.

This is a bad habit I have picked up throughout my education and needs to stop.  I know that swearing is wrong and we all do it.  I probably will still have moments where I utter the wrong word, but more control needs to be shown.

This is a trial and error resolution.  I’m doing what I can in January, but if I say the wrong type of language, I feel guilty.  In February, I’m considering setting up a ‘Swear Jar,’ so if I say a bad word – I have to put some money into the jar and then, I give it away to a good cause.  It is the only way I will learn.

5. Start to support a charity

This is something I would like to invest in, and especially once I get the paid breakthrough in media, whenever that will be. 

I haven’t decided which charity to get involved in and how this will be done yet, but it is a venture that not only I would like to do, but feel it could be a good thing to have on a CV.  Plus, it will be worth it to some who aren't so lucky. 

6. Be less controversial

In my life, I always have had a strong opinion on many topics in current affairs, and this can range from questionable refereeing decisions in football to the latest wrangle in the coalition government, and that is despite not having any serious interest in politics.

Taking a phlegmatic approach to things that you simply can’t control, rather than act like it is the end of the planet is the best way forward.  I will still agree/disagree with decisions/principles/proposals – but hearing both sides of the argument would be wise.

I feel like this resolution is on track – although I can’t help think that the future of the coalition isn’t great when David Cameron compares his relationship with the Liberal Democrats to a tin of Ronseal!  That wouldn’t fulfil anyone with much confidence.

7. Learn shorthand/a new language

Learning shorthand is something I need to do

As a trainee journalist, shorthand is still a practical and useful skill to have.  I did a brief bit of training right at the end of my UoN journalism degree, and even purchased a book to do it in my own time.  Then the Total Football position came up, and I completely forgot about it after mid-June.

I’ve been hoping to learn a new language too over the past few years, but never stuck to it.  So, these are two things I would like to start and have a firm grip on by the time 2013 concludes.

The bad news is – I haven’t started either yet so this is already broken.  However, this doesn’t mean I won’t do it either.  I still could do with learning both, and that is something I will be starting real soon.  However I have said this before, especially about the new language…

8. Keep caffeine levels down

I had a high amount of caffeine in my diet in 2012, especially if I was having an energy drink and a can of fizzy drink in the same day.

So in 2013, I’m limiting my caffeine drinks to one cold drink + two hot drinks.  Trying decaf coffee is something I have already done and it still has a nice taste, just without the high caffeine boost which is a good thing.

At the moment, I have stuck to this so far – so I’m pleased with this.

My diet has never been the best, and is something I want to work on in the long-term.  It won’t happen overnight so if I can control this area in 2013, I will be delighted.  I can move onto another aspect in 2014.

So there you have it, I want to make plenty of changes.  Two of these eight have already been broken, but it could be worse – it could have been eight from eight.  So I’m relatively happy with how my New Year Resolutions are going so far.  I hope I can keep this up longer-term until the end of the year.

Categories: Alcohol, Charity, College, CV, Decaf, Exercise, Facebook, Language, New Year, News, Personal, Professional, Resolutions, Shorthand, Social Media