When Technology Takes a Coffee Break

🐾  My Morning Link Routine Hits a Snag

For more than ten years, my mornings have followed a familiar rhythm: coffee, sunrise, and a quick click over to The Animal Rescue Site. One tap earns food and supplies for shelter pets, and sharing the link on Facebook helps spread the word. It’s a tiny ritual, but it feels like a good way to start the day — a little kindness before the world gets noisy.

Lately, though, my dependable routine has hit a pothole.


šŸ’» The Mysterious Case of the Spinning Share Button

Since the New Year, Facebook has decided to get… dramatic.
I click ā€œShare.ā€
Facebook asks, ā€œWho can see this?ā€
I choose ā€œPublic,ā€ like always.
And then — nothing. Just spinning. Spinning. More spinning. Enough spinning to power a small wind farm.

It’s the digital equivalent of someone nodding politely while slowly backing out of the room.

I’ve tried refreshing, reloading, coaxing, pleading, and even giving my computer the side‑eye. No luck. The share button has apparently taken a personal day.


šŸ• Why This Matters (At Least to Me)

I wrote a blog post ages ago promising readers that if they ever misplaced the link, they could always find it on my Facebook feed. It felt like a simple, reliable promise — until Facebook decided to reinvent itself on January 1.

Now I feel like I’m letting people down, even though the problem is clearly not on my end. Technology has a funny way of making us feel responsible for things we can’t control.


šŸŒ¬ļø Letting Go (Just a Little)

So here’s the update: I’m still clicking daily. The animals are still getting their points. And I’m still trying to share the link — even if Facebook is currently acting like a moody teenager who refuses to come downstairs.

If you’re looking for the link and don’t see it, that’s why. I’ll keep troubleshooting, and hopefully Facebook will snap out of its New Year funk soon.

In the meantime, consider this a reminder that even the smallest routines can go sideways — and that’s okay. Life, like a dusty road, is full of bumps, detours, and the occasional spinning wheel.

Longest Dirt Road in The World

 

Polite Dinner Conversation

I still have a couple of more stories from the Horse Show to share but I haven’t had time to prepare the photos so I’m going to take a break from that topic for today.

I was noticing on Facebook that lately my newsfeed has been full of religious posts and political posts. Luckily my friends haven’t stooped to sexual posts yet (for the most part).

It makes me wonder, didn’t anyone ever teach them that the 3 things that are never to be discussed at the dinner table (ie polite company) are religion, politics and sex? Now don’t get me wrong. I likeĀ  religion, politics and sex but in small doses…moderation in all things; balance in life.

What particularly annoys me is when 1 friend posts 20 or 25 posts in a row all about how to be saved or how God in her life is carrying her troubles. Come on. I got it after the first one or two, especially when you considered this person doesĀ this multiple post thingĀ two or three times a day.

prayer

I friended her because when I knew her she was an interesting, dynamic person. She had lots of things to talk about. Now it seems saving the souls of her facebook friends is all she can talk about…that and her weight loss. I don’t want to un-friend her but I would like my newsfeed back to normal.

god

It’s like religious spam. Don’t get me wrong. I respect her faith and her right to hold it close. I just don’t need to be reminded about it constantly. Ā ( I have many very religious friends of all persuasions and only this one thinks it’s ok to spam)

Now on the political side. All these posts about Obama… all bad too…are a waste of space. I get it. The person/ persons posting this dribble didn’t vote for Obama and takes great pleasure in pointing out his shortcomings. What I don’t get is why I should care (Ā whether I voted for the man or not. ) It’s done. He won but soon he’ll be done. He’ll be out of office before you know it. He can’t run again. Ā Move on. If you want to make political commentary then do it in an intelligent manner. How about discussing (please note I said discussing) the affordable health care law?

obama

How is it affecting you? Research it so your comments are backed by some understanding. Too much of it is just sharing a political cartoon over and overĀ .Ā  I love a good political discussion when it’s factual and well researched.

I have one friend that used to get wonderful , thoughtful discussions going on everything from the war on terror to gun laws.

Afghanistan_war

His comments were always well thought out and researched. His friends that commented didn’t always agree but they were as articulate and informed as he. It made for some lively reading. I enjoyed it but he’s gone. Facebook got too trivial for him.

A few of my crude friends do occasionally post a “like / share “on a sexually explicit photo. I don’t know what gets into them because they know better and they would be the first to yell if they had children and saw it on their feed. I’m sure they just didn’t use good judgment. They just didn’t think.

So here’s the bottom line, then I will rant no more until the next time. šŸ™‚

If you want to save my soul, please do it in moderation. If you want to raise political awareness, please do your homework, and if you want to look at sexually explicit photos,Ā  please don’t share. Remember what your mother should have taught you…Never discuss religion, politics or sex at the dinner table.

disclaimer: I don’t wish to offend anyone. These are just my personal observationsĀ of my own newsfeed.

Another photo Challenge

According to the paper this is the “World’s Largest Photo Contest”.

Since I entered a few photo contests last yearĀ I get invitations to enter photo contests all the time. I seldom do becauseĀ they all have that “popularity” part and I’ve never been one of the “In Crowd”. I don’t have 1000+ Facebook friends and of the friends I have on Face book probably only about a dozen are active and of those maybe 5 will actually take the time to vote.

In this case myĀ friend Nancy gave me the paper with the details on thisĀ contest.

But this contest seems different.Ā  This is a juried contest. In other words there are real judges. They do have a popularity portion but it’s not for the “Grand Prize”. So I figured ..Why Not… so I spent the afternoon submitting photos. I may submit some more..who knows?

Anyway, I have a link that I believe will take you to my contest page. I’ve uploaded 12 photos so far. I think you can vote for one or all or any combination. I would really appreciate your support. It would be fun to win one of these competitions.

http://metrophotochallenge.com/profile/30030/df1f8a74c7e0f508d3de53ebf90e6a6b