Patrick Comerford
This blog has reached the monumental landmark of 8.5 million hits. The 8.5 million mark was passed some time this afternoon (14 July 2024), and, like all milestones such as this, it has come as a delight.
After I began blogging, it took until July 2012 to reach 0.5 million hits. This figure rose to 1 million by September 2013; 1.5 million in June 2014; 2 million in June 2015; 2.5 million in November 2016; 3 million by October 2016; 3.5 million by September 2018; 4 million on 19 November 2019; 4.5 million on 18 June 2020; 5 million on 27 March 2021; 5.5 million on 28 October 2021; 6 million over half a year later on 1 July 2022; 6.5 million on 6 February 2023; 7 million on 13 August 2023; 7.5 million on 29 November 2023; 8 million by 30 April 2024; and 8.5 million less than three months later today (14 July 2024).
This means that this blog continues to reach half a million readers in a four-to-seven month period, somewhere above 100,000 a month, up to 4,000 a day, and an average of over 800 hits for each post. In recent months, these figures have been exceeded on occasions, with a record 35,452 hits on one single day (28 May 2024), followed by 27,616 hits (11 May 2024), 26,974 (27 May 2024), 23,234 (3 September 2023), 22,436 (19 June 2024), 21,999 (4 September 2023), 15,936 (18 June 2024), 15,211 (7 September 2023), 15,193 (6 September 2023), 14,411 (20 June 2024), 13,362 (17 June 2024), 13,301 (11 December 2023), 11,733 (9 December 2023) 11,333 (5 September 2023), 10,785 (28 November 2023), 10,480 (10 May 2024), 10,276 (16 June 2024) and 10,187 (13 June 2024). At times in recent months, there have been 8,000 to 10,000 hits a day, and so far there have been about 79,000 hits this month (July 2024).
With this latest landmark figure of 8.5 million hits, I find myself asking: What do 8.5 million people look like? What would £8.5 million or €8.5 million buy? How vast is 8.5 million sq km? Indeed, what does 8.5 million of anything mean to the environment?
If this blog had one hit a minute, then 8.5 million minutes equals 16 years, 2 months and 2 days.
Some 8.5 million people aged 65 and over are income tax payers in the UK, a record number of pensioners, according to the latest HMRC figures. The Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Sarah Olney, said shortly before the election: ‘Millions are being hammered by Rishi Sunak’s retirement tax. The Conservative Party have forced the elderly and hardworking families to pick up the tab for their disastrous management of the economy.’
A recent survey shows that deceptive online retail tactics lead to 8.5 million people in Britain buying something they do not want or need or have come to regret.
There are 8.5 million people in some form of housing need in England and who cannot access the housing they need.
It is estimated that 8.5 million people die from various forms of cancer every year, with lung cancer the leading cause of cancer death.
An estimated 8.5 million watched President Joe Biden’s recent ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos.
Sierra Leone has a population of about 8.5 people, ranking 100th by population in the world.
New York City has a population of about 8.5 million people and covers an area of 302 square miles, making it the most populated city in the US.
The city of Nanjing in China has a population of about 8.5 million people.
Out of a total population of around 47 million people, nearly 8.5 million people in Sudan have been displaced.
In neighbouring Ethiopia, over 8.5 million people in seven regions are highly food insecure.
There are 8.5 million unemployed people in Turkey.
About 8.5 million people visit Saudi Arabia each year for Umrah this year.
Brazil has a geographical area of 8.5 million sq km and is the largest country in the Southern Hemisphere and the world’s fifth-largest country.
The Sahara Desert also covers 8.5 million sq km or 5.5% of the earth’s surface and is the world’s largest desert.
Back in 2019, the European Commission ruled that the French government had to recover illegal state aid amounting to around €8.5 million from Ryanair.
An eye-watering £8.5 million was paid out to Thames Water bosses over the last three years. Over the same three-year period, the firm has dumped raw sewage into the River Wandle on 25 separate occasions.
Killaleigh Castle in Co Tipperary, a beautiful 16th century castle Set in a parkland estate of 300 acres but that is unoccupied and in need of complete renovation, was recently put on the market with an asking price of €8.5 million.
The Church of England awarded almost £8.5 million earlier this year to help Church projects that include parish renewal programmes, parish outreach and children’s and youth work in rural and urban areas. The awards were made in March by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board.
Some years ago, CERN presented the analysis of the light curves of 8.5 million stars observed during two seasons by EROS (Experience de Recherche d'Objets Sombres), in the galactic plane away from the bulge.
Over the years, the half dozen most popular postings on this blog to date have been:
1, About me (1 May 2007), over 40,000 hits.
2, ‘When all that’s left of me is love, give me away’ … a poem before Kaddish has gone viral (15 January 2020), about 32,000 hits.
3, The Transfiguration: finding meaning in icons and Orthodox spirituality (7 April 2010), over 30,000 hits.
4, Readings in Spirituality: the novelist as a writer in spirituality and theology (26 November 2009), over 16,600 hits.
5, A visit to Howth Castle and Environs (19 March 2012), over 16,000 hits.
6, Raising money at the book stall and walking the beaches of Portrane (1 August 2011), over 12,000 hits.
When I think of 8.5 million hits, I think of 8.5 million people, 8.5 refugees, 8.5 million over-taxed pensioners, 8.5 million grains of sand in the Sahara, and 8.5 million stars. And today, once more, I am humble of heart rather than having a swollen head.
No comments:
Post a Comment