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    Guest Post: FAMA - Online Entry Analysis!

    A Look at the Benefits of Social Media Background Checks

    Employers today are eager to conduct a background check on all potential employees. However, a traditional background check only shows legal disputes a person has been in over the past seven years. Additionally, many civil rights organizations are fighting against what the government can and cannot make public as it concerns a person's criminal record. In many states, criminal records do not display charges that do not deal with violence, and these same states do not require people to admit they have a record on a job application if their offense was nonviolent. In the end, an employer will be taking a chance on every potential employee.

    The best way around this is to conduct a social background check. A social background check involves going through all social media accounts of every potential employee. The employer can do this him/herself, or they can hire a third-party to conduct this background check. ​

    Employers have been finding out more about people through social background checks than traditional background checks. This is mainly because of pictures and videos that are posted every day. People post drinking at clubs, hanging out with criminals, and many other similar situations. This gives the employer a better understanding of who they are hiring. This also allows the employer to ask more questions on a second or third interview about the daily life of the potential employee.

    The best thing about a social check is that only 3% of people know this type of background check exists. People posts freely on a daily basis without expecting anyone to spy on their social media accounts. Employers do not have to worry about being sued for invasion of privacy because the law gives employers the right to conduct this type of background check.

    In a recent survey, it was discovered that at least five thousand employers have benefited off of this type of background check. These same employers have employees today who are reliable, have no secrets that will haunt the company, and have intentions of staying with the company for a long time.

    In a similar survey, it was discovered that many employees were able to catch thieves in the act because they posted their offenses on a social media site. These employers stated that they could not believe employees would publicly post how proud they were to steal from their job. However, these employees are out of a job today, and some of them now have a criminal record.

    A great place to start a social background check would be at FAMA. This is an online organization that specializes in social media background checks. Employers who hire FAMA are given a personal investigator. The employer and the investigator work closely together, and all the information they share with each other is kept totally confidential.

    FAMA specialists use the best spy software on the planet. Additionally, FAMA will leave no digital footprint that would link back to the employer. FAMA has been in business for only a few years. However, they have helped millions of employers find the best employees.
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    The employer application on the FAMA website is easy to fill out, there are no application fees, and an investigator will be assigned to the employer within 5 business days. FAMA also has a great rating with the BBB.
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    Many thanks to FAMA for their guest post  today; like them, if you would like to contribute to the continued success of Spanish Views, drop us a line. Please email me, Luke Martin-Jones, using the advertisement above, entitled 'Guest Bloggers Wanted,' and I will get back to you within 24 hours, to discuss your ideas. Thanks again to FAMA for today's entry!
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    Spicy Pumpkin Soup!

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    Today I've cooked some Spicy Pumpkin Soup. On Tuesday, I picked up a delicious pumpkin for only  2'76€ from Lidl, in the GA Centre. I'm a big fan of this soup, seasoned with basil and cayenne pepper for a kick. I've made enough for six meals; it's ideal to keep in the freezer, for those long winter nights!
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    Looking In - Troubled Times In Britain!

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    I am usually a bit of a political geek, used to watching the news three or four times a day, that is until recently. Today I refuse to watch any reports from home; the reality of life in the UK, has become a channel switcher. It upsets me, to see the Country I used to love, fall apart and nobody seems to be doing anything to stop this disintegration. The UK has a lame duck Prime minister, Theresa May, whose lack of empathy and social skills, beggars belief; a useless 1970s style opposition and a Parliament that is crawling with abusers, resignations and and apologists. At a time when the UK needs strong leadership, it is saddled with substandard politicians, who are only there to fill their boots; this is the view from Spain at least! Since emigrating in 2015, Britain has turned into a third World nation, with third rate public servants!

    The current rabble in Westminster are a blot on the landscape; if i were still living in the UK, I would be ashamed to have them as my elected representatives. Recently harassment from MP's directed towards others, less powerful, has been highlighted in the news; abuse of any kind is wrong, more so when you are elected by constituents to represent them. I do however have concerns about other elected politicians from other countries:

    In France, President Macron, is married to his old school teacher, Brigitte; they met when he was underage, a teenager of 15 years old. His parents were so angry about their relationship, they removed him from school and he finished his education in Paris. In Britain, we have politicians resigning because of alleged harassment charges, including knee touching and sexist remarks. Comparing France and Britain, there seems to be a big difference in what is acceptable behaviour from our elected politicians; hasn't the President of France and his wife done far worse, than those currently under scrutiny back home? ( I am not trying to detract from the seriousness of the harassment cases, just trying to understand what constitutes public decency in comparable countries.)

    As an ordinary person, looking in at France and the election of Macron, I was surprised at the Presidents history with his wife. If one looks at the scandal swirling around Britain at the moment, one could be forgiven for believing, we live in two different Worlds. The reality is, what Macron and his wife did, was wrong, whether they like it or not. This should have put pay to any political career in the future for this young teenager, yet in France, Emmanuel Macron is now elevated to the highest office in the land, unhindered by past indiscretions. 

    France has never really tried to put their politicians on a pedestal, expecting them to be whiter than white, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. In the past a French politician was entitled to a private life and most had one, some more colourful than others. The French do not expect their representatives to be bastions of high morals, unlike the British, who made a fundamental mistake of campaigning on issues of morality, when John Major was in power. His 'Back to Basics' campaign, launched at the Conservative Party conference, in Blackpool in 1993, was intended to appeal to traditional values but spectacularly backfired when a number of Conservative politicians were caught up in scandals. At the conference, John Majors speech included the following words:

    'It is time to return to those old core values, time to get back to basics, to self-discipline and respect for the law, to consideration for others, to accepting a responsibility for yourself and your family and not shuffling off on other people and the state.'

    This was all well and good; encouraging Conservative values at a time of moral decline, but what he failed to address, was human nature, none of us are saints, we are all fallible, even John Major himself. The Prime minister and another Conservative Member of Parliament, Edwina Currie, had an affair in 1985; this and other improprieties, by politicians and spokespeople for the 'Back to Basics' campaign were brought to the attention of the public, because our public servants, decided to take the moral high ground and tell us how to live our lives. The media at the time declared open season on the Conservative party and a number of casualties were suffered as a result. As a country, we are still living with this spectre of this campaign today. Politicians, Members of Parliament, Councillors and Ministers are expected to act in a particular way, any deviation will likely bring their career to an end!

    I do not elect my Member of Parliament to preach to me about ethics and virtue, I elect them to run the country; as such, I don't actually care what they get up to in their private lives, as long as they do their job. Maybe, they should stop lecturing us and we will stop judging them. The harassment charges, many politicians are now facing are a product of their own immorality; our faith in them has been severely damaged. Since 1993, all those elected in our name, are expected to be as clean as a whistle, when you are caught out, don't blame the media for hounding you, they are just doing their job, maybe you should do yours!

    As I observe, what is going on back home in the UK, from the relative comfort of my home in Spain, I am seeing a Government and country in turmoil, not only on issues of intimidation, but also corruption and infighting; a leadership, so weak it can no longer command the respect of voters, let alone Brexit negotiations. The sooner Theresa May goes, the better for all of us and finally as a nation, Britain can get back to basics, the basics of running a country, not a sideshow in a fairground!
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  • Published on

    Busy Doing Nothing!

    I've had a lazy day today, busy doing nothing for a change. For the last week I've been suffering with a cold and haven't felt particularly great. Tonight, laying on the sofa, I seem to be over of the worst of it, thank God. This time last year, I was also suffering from a winter chill. During the day, the sun is still shining, with temperatures reaching a respectable 23 degrees. At night, they tend to half, making it decidedly cold. Obviously, as someone said to me today, it isn't as cold as the UK, but the difference between day and night conditions is enough to make those of us, used to the Spanish weather feel a little brisk.

    A Spanish cold, is a little different to its British counterpart and really zaps a lot of energy out of me; I'm glad to have the night off, relaxing, watching a bit of television, while Darrell cooks dinner, something with avocado I believe. After popping to the GA Centre earlier, Darrell wearing his 5'00€ slippers from the Chinese Shop, (Nobody seems to care, what you look like in Spain) for the weekly shop, against my better judgement; I would have rather stayed in bed, just to make sure I was finally free of the winter blues; I am at least feeling better, after a stroll in the warm winter sun!

    This evening, I've been chatting to some friends back home in Southampton. I do like to catch up with the gossip, finding out how everyone is doing once in a while. Things don't seem to have changed that much, since I left nearly two years ago.  I myself am going to try and get back to the city for a few days during the winter, when it is a little quieter in Spain. There are a few friends I need to see, a couple I didn't get to say goodbye to, before I left.

    Yesterday I also heard from one of my old volunteers at Oxfam, Felicity, who regularly keeps me in the loop. Oxfam Books in Southampton, has closed down, after finally succumbing to Veronica Raymond's bad management and lack of concern for the community, in which this shop played a significant role; such a shame. I worked in this establishment for eight years, enjoying most of my time there; I know what it meant to the local residents. I can't help thinking, if everyone had been given more support, to do their job properly, this wonderful book emporium, would not have had to close its doors. Sadly there is little I or anyone else can do now. I would however like to wish all those I worked with, during my time there the best of luck for the future.
    It's time to catch up with some emails. I have had some correspondence from people who wish to write for 'Spanish views.' Picking the right ones can be difficult, but I would encourage anyone who wants to take part in this blog, to apply, clicking the email link below. Send me a message, detailing what you would like to highlight and I will get back to you, as soon as I can.

    Thanks again for reading 'Spanish Views,' for your continued support and for making this blog what it is. Without all of you, we would not be the success we are!
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    Click to email [email protected]

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  • Published on

    The Planet Mirth Adventures One - On Sale Now At 'LoungeD!'

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    Local author Steve Dale's first book, The Planet Mirth; Adventures One, is now on sale at LoungeD, situated in Plaza Mayor, on Calle Holanda. Steve has very kindly supplied us with some copies at the bar, so customers can buy one of these fantastic children's stories, just in time for Christmas. Steve has signed some of the books; should you wish to request a special dedication, please message me, Luke Martin-Jones, using the contact form below and I will pass your requirements on to Steve. You can purchase a copy for 12'00€ or 11.00 GBP!

    Synopsis

    Here are five magical stories (for 5 to 8 year olds) that will spark your child's imagination. Mia travels to the planet Mirth in her dreams and encounters the gnomes that live there and an array of strange-looking creatures. In the first story, she goes on safari, riding a rhinhorseros that is half horse and half rhino. She discovers the magical forest where toys grow on trees. In the second story, it's Jerome the gnome’s burpday party, which is celebrated on the anniversary of his first burp. The third story is the Mirth games where she runs in a backwards race and wins a gold medal. In the fourth story, Halloween, she rides a broomstick to the witch tree forest, where sweets grow on trees. The last story is the Mirthmas dinner where she has a magic dish. Whatever food she wishes for just appears in the dish. The gnomes have a sprout eating competition with a comical finale

    Author

    Steven Dale has been happily married for 38 years. He has two daughters and three granddaughters. He currently lives in Alicante, Spain where he, until recently, worked as a vocal entertainer. He’s now retired from singing and concentrates all his efforts on writing. The Planet Mirth Adventures One is his first children’s book.
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  • Published on

    Email - Forever Enduring Cycles Rehash!

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    Yesterday, I received my first email in connection with my 'Forever Enduring Cycles' rehash. I am gradually transferring each entry from my second blog onto 'Spanish Views.' It has been two years since I wrote this blog; the first time, I have been able to sit back and read each entry, assess their meaning at the time and decipher just what was going on in my life. 'Forever Enduring Cycles,' like 'Bipolarcoaster,' was about raw writing, quickly getting thoughts down on paper, without any planning; writing exactly the same way, as I was thinking. I never edited the material or reread a single sentence, for a reason! Sometimes writing should reflect the feelings and emotions at a particular crossroads in your life; to change a single word would have been wrong and not allowed me to learn, grow and change. 

    I always enjoy receiving you emails, it means I am doing something right; the biggest satisfaction for me is getting a positive reaction from those who follow this blog, like Helen. I have no idea who Helen is, I have never received an email from her before, but like a lot of people who connect with 'Spanish Views' and any of my other blogs, anonymity is important. I don't wish to label anyone, but I have heard from those who suffer bullying everyday; when the time is right for them, they will come forward with their story; the more people that do, the easier it will be to catch those who cause harm to others. In no way, am I suggesting Helen is a victim, just an interested participant wanting to know more about my life and the issues I live with everyday. Let me try and answer your concerns Helen and firstly thank you for taking the trouble to write to me!

    You asked if I would have done anything differently during the period I wrote 'Forever Enduring Cycles;' Thinking about it now, I would say not; I wrote what I had to express at the time, in order to get through each day, the writing was a channel for frustration. The grammar and choice of words used, wasn't always perfect, but that was my mind, away on a tangent. Aside from the blog, there is much I would do differently. I will never again trust anyone, without first doing my homework. I can no longer walk up to someone, shake their hand and take them at face value; for me that is how it should be. I will never again be a victim and will always reject friendships , until I am satisfied they are genuine. Remember this, I have done a lot of soul searching since 2015, learned much about people, even here in Spain and am fully aware of who and what they are and their motives. When 'Forever Enduring Cycles' was written, I was naive, backed into a corner and a victim of abuse, today, I am very different. I suppose the one thing I would have changed, is the choice of who I had in my life. I had many great friends  and a supportive network should I need it, but there were those, who still had a destructive influence. Even after what I went through, recovering as I was, I was still unable to distinguish the bad from the good; only while living in Spain, have I been able to do that!

    Spain has given me a lot of time to think and reflect on my past actions. The life I have now, is the life I have always wanted, away from the urban sprawl, stress, commuting and bad influences that surrounded me. The actions I took  then, to re-evaluate my life, friendships and direction were the right things to do. Spain has allowed me to see past the muddle and confusion of the time and embrace new experiences and cultures. It has of course made me think about and recall my actions, but I would never change the way I dealt with my situation. Spain has shown me a different, better road and although I will always write about my past experiences, learning everyday, ultimately those dark times are over, never to return again.

    Spain has made me rethink much about what happened in 2015. I will of course mull over situations in my head, trying to work out if what I saw and interpreted was true, factual or clouded in a sea of anguish; after all these were volatile times, confusing; even more so because of a lack of support from work and those who could have really helped, creating even more anxiety and torment. Was I really so blind, I couldn't understand the reality of my situation and only saw what I wanted to see? I have thought long and hard about this and many other unanswered questions and always come to the same conclusion. 

    I have assessed all the information at my disposal, almost daily; emails, text messages, phone calls and conversations. I have compared their like, importance and relevance with circumstances others have also suffered, documented, for people like me to read and understand. I have also spoken to ex work colleagues, anonymous employees from head office at Oxfam House, as well as those who used to work in Human Resources, during the very same period, I was liaising with their department, almost on a daily basis. I have told my story a million times to a million different people, many of whom, not only understood my pain but also some who had been through the same ordeal. Everyone, without exception understood exactly what was happening; the bullying, lies, cover ups and collusion with friends; all pointing towards a situation so heinous, it could only highlight sociopathy, manipulation and a danger to mine and others well being. I knew what was happening then, I am even more resolute in my determined views today.

    I did misjudge situations and people, but only because I gave individuals who were complicit a second chance, an opportunity to make a mends even at the worst of times. I still had faith that others with a conscience would come forward, support my actions to expose the bullies at Oxfam and allow all the victims to lay this dreadful period to rest. That of course didn't happen entirely, a few good colleagues stood up and spoke against what was unraveling, but in the main people were not forthcoming, honest or supportive and I finally resigned my position, moving to Spain to start a new life. The hardest aspect of all this, is accepting that those you once trusted were nothing more than oppressors, who need to answer for their actions.

    Helen, you email is about reflecting. I have had nearly two years to analyse my life in 2015 and continually dip in and out of that period, just to see if there is anything I missed. Did I misjudge everything that happened? As I have said, the answer is a resounding no, which is why I will continue to write against bullying in all its forms  and try and help those who have also been through that trauma. In the end, all I want is closure  and an ability to move on. I have a feeling, that will not happen until Oxfam finally stand tall and admit the sociopaths in their midst; I await with anticipation!

    ​Thanks for writing Helen, it's always a pleasure to hear from people like yourself. If any of you wish to contact me, please use the form below or any of the others avenues highlighted, in the 'Contact' section of this blog!
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