Posts Tagged ‘blog’
Where Are The Posts?
Good night…I’m hoping this is just a season for me but I can’t seem to write anything worth posting lately.
Busy? Yeah, but who isn’t, right? It’s not really busyness that’s kept my blog quiet as of lately. Actually, pace has gotten better in the last few weeks. I’m getting my feet underneath me learning this new culture, new role, new town, new friends, new everything. And everything is new.
I’m not sure why the dry season in my writing right now. It just is. Been here before…doesn’t make it any less frustrating but at least I know in the back of mind it’s not going to last forever. Or will it?
That’s the real fear of dry spots – both in writing, in our marriages, in our work, in our walk with Jesus. The real fear and anxiousness isn’t that it’s dry in this moment. The real fear is ‘how long will this last?’ Is this it? Is this as good as it is ever going to get? Have I hit the wall?
I’ve responded in two different ways in that spot. Go backwards or go forwards. Remember the good old days? They really weren’t that good when I was there and I’m not that old. Let’s go back to what we know. Or – slam it forward. Do something to trigger this funk on up out of here. (Insert bass line here.)
Is this the point where a spiritual sage says – “Stay in the moment.” “Be still and know…” Maybe. I think there are times we’re still, I think there are times to spring forward through the dry times. Going backwards? No. And I don’t see backwards as repentance. Repentance is a course correction as we go forward.
Odd thing…not dry in my walk with Jesus…just dry in writing, putting thoughts on paper…or in HTML as it were. To steal a line from C.S. Lewis – time to go ‘further up and further in.’
Facebook To Own Stuff Forever…What To Do?
With the new user agreement at Facebook, my attention was drawn to this line…
You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.
What implications does this have for my blog and me feeding my blog into Facebook? I wasn’t sure so I started clicking around. This post seems to have the latest info but it still doesn’t really answer (at least in language that I can understand) if I post an article, artwork, or song that is originally mine – can Facebook take it and use it for their profit?
I’ve asked the Facebook blog/owner guru people with no answer yet. Until they do…I’m not importing my posts here into Facebook anymore.
UPDATE: Rob Williams wrote this to help clear the mud.
Rejoining Humanity
At least it feels like it… we finally have internet and TV service at the house. It’s a small taste of normalcy in two months of life that has been nothing but normal.
It’s funny that we really haven’t missed the TV as much as the internet. I guess that’s because we stay connected through email, facebook, and the blog. For Amy and the kids, it means the return of some Webkinz as well. (And paying bills online.)
[Sigh of contentment]
It’s especially nice to have these things today as it takes the sting out of saying goodbye to two dear friends as they head back to Colorado. What a great weekend of late night talks, cards (the guys dominated the gals), laughter, and fun. It was way too short and we’re already looking forward to seeing them as well as the rest of the Pinecrest family next month.
Test Driving My iPhone
I am writing this from my iPhone trying out the WordPress app. It really is a pain to type on the phone for a long blog but for a short one it would work.
Any one else out there blog from their phone?
Answering Wayne
As always, Wayne asks great questions.
What has 4 years of blogging done for me? Is it worthwhile?
Yes – it’s worthwhile. Whenever I get to a place where this becomes work, I take a week or two off. I own the blog, the blog doesn’t own me.
It’s made me a better communicator. Both as a writer and speaker.
I’ve met a ton of new friends.
I’ve been able to spread the joy of uniforms.
Has it achieved the ends you thought it would?
Tougher question. I don’t know if I had any solid goals for starting the blog. At one point I thought it would be great place for some real authentic, raw community – but that can’t completely happen online. There are some things that get lost without non-verbal communication. So I try to be as vulnerable and real as I can but there are limits.
On the other hand, there are some posts/thoughts that seemed to take a life of their own. I had no idea how much of an impact they would have and how helpful they would be.
The Man’s Classification of Cars and NFL Uniform Rankings being two examples of this. Chuck Norris and The Best 3-Piece Band are another two. You just never know what is going to scratch an itch out there.
4 Years Of Blogging
This post started it all.
Tom Seely – my brother-in-law who resides in Budapest and used to blog but doesn’t anymore – he got me started. Rob Williams helped me immensely that first year.
I need to say a huge thank you to those of you who continue to comment, visit, read, and otherwise harass me to no end. Without you…I’d still have my dignity. But that’s not important right now.
Some stats:
1,625 posts over a 4 year period. A little over 400 posts a year which is a little over a post a day.
5,145 comments. 171,128 spam comments caught.
Anyone care to share what’s been some of their favorite posts or highlights?
Almost Done With Blog
Miracles will never cease!!!
This was my list to get done on the blog and I honestly thought, it would take me the rest of my life.
1. recent comments with excerpt9. Header fixed – the G (graphic) sides
2. on this day calendar
3. archive page
4. contact me page.
5. top posts by view
6. top commenters of all time
7. flickr rss feed fixed
8. rss feed comments
10. flickr pic uploader on writing post
11. Links/blogroll
12. punctutation/font thingy..
13. WYSWYG set up
14. There’ll be something else I’ll remember later.
So I’m way ahead of the game and normal blogging should resume by tomorrow.
One more nasty note. If you are trying to get to my site with FireFox3, you’ll get a nasty notice from Google saying my site was hijacked, attacked and pillaged. It was but it’s been clean for 10 days.
I’ve petitioned, called and bothered everyone I know to bother to get this thing removed. I’m still waiting. But – the site is all cleaned up now.
Lots Ahead…Starting Over
First off, I’m back in the USA. I have lots of stories to tell and you’ll be getting multiple posts over the next few days about it all.
However, in the rush to keep you informed I used a cybercafe in Porec. Normally this is not a big deal. People do it all the time. It appears however I did not practice “safe posting.” Some of you noticed a long line of links in your rss feeds, others of you clicked on the site only to go to some place selling cheap drugs.
What Happened?
I’m not really sure I have the technical language for it. Basically my website was ‘kidnapped.’ They did this through my WordPress software AND the theme I was using.
I won’t bore you with the details but I did find the solution – upgrade WordPress to the latest version and changed my theme.
The bad news with the fix? I get to start over on my website once again. So those of you who still look at this website using the browser – welcome to the new look. I’ll be rearranging some furniture over the next few days to get it looking exactly like I want.
Lesson learned for me – who hates to update and upgrade software. DO IT!!!
Welcome back to the G sides.