Tag Archives: Pinterest

September 13, 2020 · 7:18 PM

Soapbox: Digital Interruptions

How many of you have ever heard something like, “We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the following important information”? This is a phrase used by radio and television channels in some English-speaking countries to announce emergency conditions. When you hear that, you expect the message to be important enough to warrant the disruption. But most of us grew up (if we had any kind of guidance from parents) knowing that it was rude to interrupt; we learned to wait for an appropriate moment to introduce an opinion or a change in topic.

How many of us like having our concentration or focus ripped apart by someone or something breaking into our reveries or a conversation with a friend? If you’re deeply focused, it is jarring to be interrupted. Once is okay; a dozen times is beyond irritating.

Unfortunately, this bad habit has become a trending behaviour online: You’re watching a video on YouTube, and mid-sentence of the documentary or instructional video, or mid-action of whatever you’re watching, you are suddenly expected to switch focus to an annoying commercial (are they intentionally made abrasive to grab your attention?). Now don’t misunderstand me: I realize that the material on YouTube is free of charge, and someone needs to generate revenue to pay for it all; but does it need to be mid-sentence? Why not wait until an appropriate break in the video? It’s too much work to be digitally polite, apparently. [I just hit Alt + delete at the beginning of every video; it will skip ads with only a hiccup.] For me, this isn’t just an interruption; it’s a rude, deliberate attempt to distract me from my original focus. I don’t know about you, but such ads don’t leave me any desire to hear their message or give them my business; if anything, I’ll avoid their products.

Another digital interruption I’ve noticed on the rise on sites such as Pinterest is the bombarding of my home feed with inane pins: Last week it was Asian teeny bands, or today surfing ads, Cambodian royalty, gossip magazines and paparazzi pins – none of which have anything to do with either my interests or my recent activities. On Pinterest at the moment, my feed is stuffed with useless fluff. I wrote a complaint, and they cleared away the Asian bands, only to have them replaced with the above-mentioned idiocy. To actually find what I’m searching for, my focus is wrenched back and forth. Every. Other. Pin. Guess what? I won’t be on Pinterest as much any more. Facebook did the same thing; I’m not there, and have no intention of going back all that often (the only reason I keep my FB account is to keep in contact with international friends and family).

So what can we do? Do we have to accept this behaviour? No; but raising other people’s children costs time and energy. But it does work: Write a complaint; give feedback when requested or not; block such pins or links as spam (= “misleading and/or repetitive”). This same principle applies to content farms online (e.g. So Yummy, Troom Troom or 5-Minute Crafts): If you come across their videos and watch them, and notice something faked, dangerous, or repetitive (every one of their videos contain one or all of the above), don’t “dislike” or comment – that just tells the algorithm that someone saw it and that it elicited a response; click on the three dots near the video and report it. If you’d like to go farther down this particular rabbit hole, a good place to start is Ann Reardon’s informative videos about debunking fake videos; her husband is a journalist and writer, and puts his investigative skills to good use (if you want to skip her food testing and get straight to the investigation, click to 12:05 in the video).

The internet can be a wonderful place to learn, to do research, and to be entertained; but be aware of the growing trend of subtle manoeuvres by algorithms, digital echo chambers and flashy ads to manipulate your perceptions, opinions, and habits. Take time to act and move around wisely, even if it’s in cyberspace. Discernment may be an old-fashioned concept to some, but it’s a lifeline in the sea of churnalism in today’s world.

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Filed under Articles, Links to External Articles, Research, Science & Technology

Tagged as Ad bombardment campaigns, Algorithms, Anne Reardon, Churnalism, Content Farms, Cyberspace, Debunking, Digital Echo Chamber, Digital Interruptions, Facebook, Manipulation, Pinterest, YouTube

January 1, 2020 · 10:00 AM

How to be Eco-Friendlier in 2020

First of all, Happy New Year! If you’ve made resolutions, take steps to keep them. One of my resolves this year is to be more eco-friendly in our household than we already are. One step I plan to take is making unpaper towels – if you don’t know what that is, read on!

We Swiss are very environmentally conscious; there’s a caricature, not far off the mark, that goes like this: When a Swiss has a tea, they then put the tea leaves in the compost, the string in the cloth collection, the tag in the cardboard collection, the staple in the metal collection, and the bag in the paper collection. We’re not that extreme – we drink tea without bags! [On a side note to tea bags: A news article recently highlighted a shocking find: One tea bag in a cup of hot water can produce BILLIONS of microparticles of plastic. No joke. I’ve started taking the teas we have and making my own loose-tea mix… I’ll buy loose tea from now on.]

But seriously, the amount of waste one produces in a year is horrendous. How each country deals with their own waste would probably shock you, too; many don’t burn it, or even bury it; they export it… to Asia, to Africa – whoever has the best price. How they deal with your rubbish is then out of your government’s hands – they’ve just flipped the problem onto someone else. How much of that rubbish ends up blown or dumped into the ocean. I don’t want to know, honestly – it would probably sicken me. Switzerland, as far as I have been able to find out, doesn’t practice export; we have incinerators that turn the rubbish into steam energy.

So the best solution is to begin solving the problem at home. Any movement that is successful starts with the individual – starts with changing the mindset of a culture one person at a time. I keep my eyes open for innovative ways to be more eco-friendly; I do a LOT of upcycling crafts, using most plastic (including magazine wraps, product packaging, plastic rings, produce nets, etc.), and everything else; my Pinterest boards will give you inspiration if you’re looking for ways to upcycle creatively. But if you’re not into crafts, there are still a lot of ways to become more environmentally friendly, and here are a few:

Plastic wrap replacements: Beeswax-infused cloth
Unpaper-Towels: Cloth towels in the kitchen – reusable, washable, no waste!
Drinking Straws: Purchase metal straws; they usually come with a small scrub brush, and are easy to clean. I keep a microfiber cloth on my drying rack to set smaller things on to dry. If you google metal drinking straws, you can either find a shop near you that sells them, or you can buy them online; just keep in mind shipping waste if online-shopping.
Cloth Napkins / Serviettes instead of paper napkins.
Water Conservation: Take shorter showers, turning off the water stream when you’re soaping or shampooing; turn off the sink water in between actually using it. If washing a lot of dishes, either fill your dishwasher space-efficiently and to capacity, or use a larger bowl, etc. to reuse soapy water in the sink; when it’s dirty, dump it and allow the bowl to refill as you wash more dishes. Fill your clothes washing machine to capacity – never wash only a few items at a time! I have a machine that tells me if a load is too heavy for a particular setting; I can choose anywhere between 3 and 9 kilos, and it will conserve water by the settings I choose.
Cleaning Chemicals: Either purchase refillable, natural cleaning liquids (remember, it all goes into the water canals) or make your own from vinegar and water and baking soda, adding lemon juice or a few drops of lemon essential oils for that clean aroma.
Room-to-Room Guide to a Zero Waste Home
Junk Mail: If you get unwanted mail, mark it “cancel” and “return to sender”. Just recycling it doesn’t solve the main issue, which is the flood of destroyed trees… Send the message to the perpetrators that it is unwanted.

Here are a few visuals to add food for thought; as with all things reduced to a j-peg, some of these make sense, while others don’t. Take them with a grain of salt, and be inspired to try helpful ideas out in your own home:

Please let me know in the comments below what you do to be more eco-friendly and conserve the environment! Have a great 2020 – and let’s make it one step closer to caring for the planet and the animals we share it with!

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Filed under Articles, Images, Links to External Articles, Lists, Musings

Tagged as Conservation, Crafts, DIY, Eco-Friendly Measures, Environmentally Friendly Hacks, Glass not Plastic, Household Hacks, Junk Mail, Metal not Plastic, Natural Solutions, Pinterest, Plastic Upcycling, Recycling, Unpaper Towels, Upcycling, Zero-Waste Home

August 10, 2017 · 3:05 PM

A Swatter for Time Flies

Do you sometimes get the feeling that everything’s moving far too fast? I don’t necessarily mean technology, media, or time in general, though it could all certainly be included. I’m referring to your specific life circumstances. Perhaps, like me, you’ve got a goal looming ahead, and you see dozens of things that need to be done before it arrives. Just thinking of it all makes your head spin. Time flies by. If you’re like me, it’s the vagueness of those “dozens of things” that can stress me out, or as the Brits say, “get my knickers in a knot”.

When I feel that pressure building, I do three things, and I’d like to share them with you:

Make a list. Break the list down into sections – whether those sections be things like “phone calls to make” or “research” or “phase one” or “today”, you know how best to get your tasks organised. For me, my current list branches out into ten topics, each with sub-sections, not counting my list of daily tasks around the house. I’d encourage you to buy a “to do” pad or notebook pages, or make up your own and print them out; having it written out makes it concrete, and therefore manageable.
Use a time management app. I use two: “aTimeLogger” and “Clear Focus”. I’ve mentioned these both before in my article about productivity (check it out for more tips!). When I sit down to work, I put my phone into airplane mode, open these two apps, and use them to keep me focused. Sometimes I work straight through on one topic and its sections, and sometimes I break it up into several different topics that are related. Set yourself a time goal for the day, and set yourself up to reach it! The time goal of Clear Focus can be adjusted to your needs; I have mine set at 30 minutes, with a long break every 3 sessions; I also have the paid version, which adds a “pause button” – helpful if e.g. the doorbell rings (and I decide to answer it!). The time logger app can be adapted to your needs; I’ve eliminated unnecessary categories and added my own – including writing, editing, and blogging. Also, it’s practical if you’re interested in learning just how much time you spend in any given area; if you think you spend too much time on social media, log it to find out!
Minimize distractions. Several weeks ago, I removed Facebook from my list of “home page” tabs on my computer; it’s amazing how much that little decision has saved me time! It becomes a habit to check in because it’s there; out of sight, out of mind. Now, I must remind myself to go check in occasionally to answer messages. When you’re working on the computer, and you need the internet open, then minimize the distractions by controlling which tabs remain open, and make your first tab one that prompts you to write or work – a dictionary, thesaurus, etc. If you have websites you want to regularly check out, then limit that time to your 5- or 15-minute breaks (set in Clear Focus) as a “reward” for staying focused. My treat is Pinterest; it’s a place I could easily get lost in for longer than I’d like, so the time app keeps me focused there, too.

I hope these thoughts help you focus, take the stress out of the vague, and encourage you to tackle your goals, whatever they be! Keep writing!

PS: Don’t forget to sign up for my news!

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Filed under Articles, Musings, Nuts & Bolts, Writing Exercise

Tagged as aTimeLogger app, Clear Focus app, Distractions, Goal-Setting, Pinterest, Productivity, Sign Up, Stress Reducers, Time Management, Time-Wasters, writing

May 4, 2017 · 3:33 AM

Google is a Verb

Recently I was chatting with a few friends, and the topic of finding information came up; I was surprised that it hadn’t even occurred to them that they could find such information online. Time and again, I meet such people. It is a modern phenomenon that we have the world’s knowledge at our fingertips; Google has become so ubiquitous with searches that it’s made it into dictionaries as a verb, and yet it seems that some people have still not realised its potential.

Granted, there is a lot of static out there: Misinformation (whether intentional or unintentional), nonsense, and useless clutter (someone’s grandkid’s cousin’s uncle’s birthday party, or videos that need massive editing before they’re much use but they’re online nonetheless). But if you know how to search, there’s a world of information out there to be had; you need to use discernment, and – especially if using the information as a basis for an article, or in writing a novel – you need to get cross-references and confirmation. But I’ve found that the people I’ve talked to on this topic can’t seem to get past the static and therefore seem to have difficulty in viewing cyberspace as a serious information source.

The downside of so much ready knowledge with easy access is that people no longer need to memorise or learn information themselves – they can just grab their phone and look it up. The upside of it is that, if people make proper use of it, they can learn so much more than previous generations ever even had access to. The photo below, gone viral, is of a school class sitting in front of Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch”; while it appears that they are bored and inattentive to what is around them, they’re actually using the museum’s app to learn more about the photo and the painter as part of a school assignment. Notice that they’re interacting with each other, and even helping each other. Hopefully part of the assignment was also to study the painting with their eyes.

I do a LOT of research online; for some of my books, I’ve done odd searches which I’m certain mess with the algorithms of Google & co. I’ve searched for the average size of a human corpse and the distinctions between a coffin, casket and cist (I started getting ads for funeral services after that); how to throw a kris dagger vs. a regular dagger; tide tables; sunrises, sunsets and moon phases in the 9th, 18th and 21st centuries; native flowers to Britain in the Georgian period; medicine at sea; the effects of various soil compositions on a corpse and artefacts, postmortem forensics, and dozens of other bizarre topics. In my free time, I do a wide variety of crafts and cooking, and so my Pinterest pins multiply like rabbits in the dark! Just click on my gravatar link to have a peek through my cupboards there.

If you put your mind to learning how to do anything, you can find instructions for it somewhere online. A few weeks ago, I wanted to reupholster our office chairs (they are the kind that has a hard plastic frame at the back and underside of the seat). I found a Youtube video that showed how to take them apart, and within an hour I had the first chair dismantled, reupholstered and reconstructed. As Amelia Earhart said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is mere tenacity.” I find that, in talking with friends, they often don’t know how to begin searching, and I think that’s the key: They don’t try because they don’t know how to start, and so they can’t learn how to do it – learning by trial and error. Failure is merely success in progress, but the point is that progress requires action… movement.

For writers, cyberspace is worth its weight in gold; no library could hold the amount of information available to us at our fingertips; no university could teach the wide range of topics available online; no video library could contain the staggering amount of documentaries, DIY instruction videos, and step-by-step how-tos.

What was the most recent thing you searched for online? Was your search successful? How much time did it take you to find what you were looking for? Please describe it briefly in a comment below!

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Tagged as Amelia Earhart quote, Cyberspace, DIY, Failure, Google, How-Tos, Online, Pinterest, Research, Resources, Success, writing, YouTube

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Wordless Wednesday no. 16: Book Nook Inspirations

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February 16, 2017 · 12:19 AM

November 21, 2016 · 12:54 AM

On Perceptions and Perspectives

I saw this image a few weeks ago on Pinterest, and found it fascinatingly creepy. It’s a great example of perspective, thwarting assumptions, and the fact that the image automatically raises certain expectations – until you see the caption. What our minds initially perceive may or may not be accurate; only when we see the bigger picture, or have more pieces to the puzzle, does that perception or perspective change, or get adjusted to a more accurate overall understanding. Doing this with words is an art form: It’s about building expectations and thwarting them without making the reader feel like you’ve drawn them in under false pretences. If they can look back through what they’ve already read and realize that only their assumptions were wrong – that the writer never misled them, but they misled themselves – then you’ve managed to find that fine line!

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Filed under Images, Musings, Nuts & Bolts, Plot Thots & Profiles, Writing Exercise

Tagged as Assumptions, Bigger Picture, Image, Perceptions, Perspectives, Pinterest, Writing Skills, Writing Tips

November 14, 2016 · 12:27 PM

Musings about Advent

For those of you in highly commercialized countries (I won’t name names, but the initials are USA, for one…), before Thanksgiving is past, Christmas decorations have hit the shop shelves. Before Christmas is really digested, Valentine’s ads appear. I hope that you’ll bear with me, as I contemplate a holiday between your Thanksgiving, and Christmas: Advent.

In today’s global village, people around the world are aware of holidays such as Christmas and Easter, though it might not be a part of their indigenous culture or religion; they may even celebrate them, though that be more of a marketing incentive rather than a religious one. I grew up in Kansas, and though we were aware of Advent as an event leading up to Christmas, we never celebrated it – we rarely, if ever, had an advent calendar, or advent wreath of candles. Here in Switzerland, Advent is like an extended Christmas; our personal advent calendar contains small gifts, and of course chocolate; this year, with a teenager in the house, I also included gag gifts. Our particular form is the Tischibo bags, hung from a rustic red metal heart frame with hooks.

What is the history behind Advent? What is its true meaning? Advent, which comes from the Latin Adventus (which is actually a translation from the Greek word parousia), had two meanings: In relation to Christmas, it is the inner preparation for remembering the first coming of Jesus as a babe into the world as a human, so that he could fulfil God’s plan for salvation for all. For Christians, the second meaning is a time to reflect on, and prepare for, the Second Coming of Christ, which will be the end of time for Earth (no one knows the day or hour, and so the Bible tells us to be prepared – like someone on call needs to be ready to go when the call comes). As an event, it begins on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas; this year that would be the 27^th of November, as Christmas itself falls on a Sunday.

There are several expressions of celebrating Advent: The calendar, the wreath, and devotions.

The calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19^th century, and usually begins on the 1^st of December. They can take on any form imaginable, from a simple paper calendar, to gift boxes, or gift bags labelled 1 – 24. Consecutive numbers are opened one per day from the 1^st to Christmas Eve. Sometimes the calendar includes a Bible verse and a prayer or Christian devotion for that day of the Advent. There are even some towns that become living Advent calendars; this tradition began in Stockholm, Sweden.

The wreath, usually a horizontal decoration placed on a table, is made of evergreen boughs (real or synthetic) with four or five candles, representing the four Sundays prior, and Christmas day. The four are usually red, with the white Christmas candle centred. One candle is lit on the first Advent Sunday, with an additional candle lit each week. The concept originated with German Lutherans in the 16^th century, though the modern form didn’t catch on until the 19^th century, likely in conjunction with the calendar. For a detailed history of the wreath, click here.

The devotions are readings from the Bible accompanied by a prayer, to prepare the heart and mind for the Reason for the Season – the coming of Jesus as a man to Earth.

If you’ve never made an Advent calendar or wreath before (there is still time to prepare one!), or you want to try something new, below are a few examples I’ve collected from Pinterest. Please share in the comments below what kind you use, or what your traditions around this time of the year are!

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Tagged as Advent, Advent Calendar, Advent Devotions, Advent Wreath, Adventus, Christmas, Etymology, First Coming of Christ, History, Holidays, Images, Living Advent Town, Musings, Parousia, Pinterest, Second Coming of Christ, Switzerland, Traditions