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Caught out by a simple wire

Curses!


I’ve just spent ALL morning trying to solve a little issue with my new Super Duper computer. The problem was, admittedly, a strange one – mind you, with me, computer problems usually are. Drop down menus in the web browser would only drop down for the briefest of flashes – not even a second – but I was able to type into the field and make a selection that way. And my 3D art software continually scrolled into the distance when I looked at the viewer, or tabbed in turn through the individual workspace tabs, not allowing me to click on one and do anything.

I closed all programs and reopened them – the problem was still there.

I restarted the computer and restarted the programs – the problem was still there.

I switched off the computer and unplugged it from the wall socket, switched it back on again, reopened the programs, and the problem was STILL there.

I was reaching the point of exasperation. I’ve just installed a new driver for my graphics, and pondered if this were the problem. My eyes glanced over to my little Angel statue I have beside my keyboard and just in front of it I noticed a charger cable running across the top right corner of the keyboard. Running across the ‘-‘ key in the top right corner. Pressing down the ‘-‘ key in the top right corner of the keyboard.

I moved the cable. Reopened the programs. All now OK. Problem solved.

This was an ID 10T error.

Pesky cables – always catching me out!

A @~%$&! Six Word Saturday post.

Six Word Saturday

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The Art of Synchronistic Blogging

Synchronicity Strikes!!!

The above grainy images are actually one image. And truth be told, they are only grainy in the above image, not in their original formats. I’ve included links later in the post so you can check out the images in their crispness.

Let me explain a little.

As you may be aware (well, if you’re new to blogging you may not be!) my blog visits have slipped into that sparse wilderness of late… they are just behind my replying to comments, which by all accounts are about to fall off the end of the world – although I will ensure that doesn’t happen, and I WILL REPLY TO ALL COMMENTS SOON… the caps there are to drum the thought into my head, I’m not shouting it at you!

I’ve just called into the reader, and found the latest post from Elaine there. You remember Elaine – we had the four painting blog challenge going on the other week – and I simply had to like her post and leave a comment. The posts I like appear in the sidebar over there – it should be on the right, but it could be in a totally different place if you are viewing the blog from a different device – and that is where my latest experience of Blogging Synchronicity occurred.

It also may not be in the same format for very long, depending upon the next posts that I like, hence I’ve added another screenshot (which should be to the left this time, device permitting!) which shows the latest posts that I’ve liked.

The posts I’m waffling on about (yes, thank you, I am getting to the point!) are the top two… the lady and the gentleman looking onward into the great beyond.

The first painting is Elaine’s, which she has titled The End Of The World. The second image has been selected by Hélène from Willow Poetry for her weekly What Do You See? blogging challenge. My response to Hélène’s challenge is here. Written on the wall in Hélène’s image are the words ‘The Beginning is Near’!

What struck me with the two images is how similar yet how totally different the two are, and they have ended up side by side in my sidebar. By pure chance. And only for now. They will soon go out of synch, then back in synch, then out of synch again for the next so many likes… but there’s the next issue. Look closely and you will see currently a quirky quirk with this theme… and after the top two, the other squares in my Liked Posts widget start to slip apart from each other.

One’s female, the other male. One’s daytime, the other night. One’s open, the other blocked. One refers to the end the other the beginning. The colours, the paintings, are totally different from each other, yet seeing them side by side has sparked a major feeling of synchronicity within me… and synchronicity to me always means right place right time. And that makes me Feel Good!

I love experiencing synchronistic events – even those that are days apart. Although I do tend to spot the odd connection or two at times this type of Connection is magical.

Synchronistic Blogging… have you experienced it recently?

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Farewell, Facebook; Tara, Twitter!

What seems like absolute eons ago now, I deactivated my Facebook account, in case I ever wanted to return but with the intention of never returning to the …erm, be nice. That was back in 2011, and I wrote about it here.

I’ve never looked back.

Never missed it, and never gave it a thought apart from reading and hearing about all of the shenanigans that they and their associates have been getting up to.

I was at a loose end (I know… me! Can you believe it!?) so I did one of the most stupid things anyone can ever do when at a loose end. I Googled myself. Imagine my horror when I saw an early photo of me staring back at me, full name in lights from my ‘inactive’ Facebook account.

Right! I thought, and set about trying to log into my account, using the details that I thought I could remember, but obviously couldn’t. My associated email addresses had been deleted years ago, so I had no way of getting a new password sent to me.

No problem, said Facebook. Just keep trying to log in.

Sigh.

I remembered I had an old computer still set up in another room, so off I went, switched it on (and the beautiful thing powered up first time – not connected to the internet, but I didn’t need that!). I opened the internet browser, which screamed at me saying “NO INTERNET CONNECTION!”  (which I already knew about!) but I went to the saved passwords section. All of my old usernames and passwords were there, for which I am eternally grateful for not throwing the old computer away in the first place! Being a hoarder comes in handy at times!

I trotted back to my current computer, and entered the details. I had remembered them correctly, I’d just had the bloomin’ caps lock on, as you always seem to do in times of desperate need.

I logged into my Facebook account, and reminisced for a few seconds when I saw all of the folk who I used to be ‘friends’ with. Reminiscing over, I promptly ‘unfriended’ everyone, and then downloaded a nifty package which, according to Facebook, held all of the information they had on me. Not that I don’t trust them, but I don’t trust them. That file is now waiting to be read.

My next job was to delete my account completely. Could I find the ‘delete my account’ option? Not at first.

I found an area where I could have my account deleted if someone else informed them that I’d popped my clogs after I’d popped my clogs, but I didn’t want that. I wanted my account gone now. Eventually, I found the option, buried in the ‘deactivate my account’ section, with messages such as ‘if you go, you can never come back’ kind of thing. If I wanted to go back, I’d just set up a new account, not that I will, so it didn’t matter anyway.

I now have to wait 14 days for the account to be deleted from the site, and if I want to stop the deactivation I merely need to log back onto my account to request it. I haven’t been there for seven years, so I can’t see me doing that within the next 14 days.

I Googled myself once more and that image of me has miraculously disappeared. How unusual for it to be so quick. Who’d have thunk?

I also stopped using Twitter around the same time in 2011, so decided to delete that account as well. I only had celebrities following me there, and was quite surprised to see how many were still following me, considering I hadn’t sent a tweet since what seems like the mid 1970s. I also had a share option for my posts on this blog for Twitter, but I’ve removed that… I don’t think it was used by anyone anyway.

So, blogging is now my only form of social media interaction. I don’t class blogging as social media, so it doesn’t have any of the negative connotations that come with that umbrella heading.

I shall end this post with a screenshot of the message I got from Twitter, after years of no use:

I’m not sure whether that’s nice or not, but never mind. I’ve moved on.

 

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Let’s Party!!!

Welcome to the Mansion!

Welcome to Beyond the Sphere!

My name is Tom, and I shall be your host for the next 24 hours. In a roundabout way, that is. I won’t actually be getting onto the blog until just after 19:00 UK time, Friday evening, as I have real life stuff to do in the hours in between (sleep / eat/ stroll around the Lake – those kinds of things!), but this is a party for everyone. And not in a political way, I’m pleased to add.

Firstly, thank you for calling by. If you’ve been here before, you know that you are always welcome, and I am really grateful for your visits. If you haven’t been here before, then hello! Pleased to meet you! Please pop a comment below with a link to your blog if you have one, and I shall call by over the weekend. There’s a lot going on this weekend, but I will endeavour to fit everything in.

There are many posts on this blog – I’ve done a fair bit of writing over the past few years. And some of it actually makes sense! There are some corkers of bad posts as well, if you happen to stumble across some of those (if you go for a look around, that is!) either ignore that you’ve seen it, or just pretend it’s the best thing you’ve ever read and move on swiftly. I won’t mind either way. There are some menu options up there, at the top of the blog, which lead off in various different avenues. The Mansion section (within the Features menu) is currently a work in progress, so there aren’t many links in there at present, although there are loads of posts tagged or categorised ‘The Mansion’ which will give you a brief understanding of just how crazy things are around here at times. And believe you me, they are.

Now, this is a blog party with a theme, which will become clear as time moves on. The theme is (see – I told you it would become clear!) Party Like It’s 1999! In the comments, if possible, add something linked to 1999. If not possible, just comment. And comment on other’s comments. And visit those other commenter’s blogs. I’d like this to be a really interactive experience if possible, bringing new bloggers together all over the world, and beyond.

I’m hoping things will get going a little. Or a lot. We’ll see… short notices tend not to work very well.

Ah. I feel a musical interlude coming on (although this is from a few years before 1999 (1994 actually) it fits in rather well):

If you’re feeling rather shy, or can’t think of what to write in the comments, don’t worry! I came up with a quick list the other day for some theme-based ideas, but you may have something better… if not, I’ll add the list again here. You could comment on…

  • 1999 music – pop on a quick link to a music video if you so wish

  • 1999 food – a quick and easy recipe idea so we can all make something quick and tasty whilst we’re at the virtual party

  • 1999 tale – a quick and comical anecdote from 1999; or perhaps a 1999 joke (there has to be one!)

  • 1999 art – perhaps you have a piece of art related to 1999 you’d like to share – or create, even!

  • 1999 poetry – someone must have a poem related to 1999, surely!

  • 1999 – anything. And if you don’t have anything 1999 related, don’t worry – pop along anyway.

  • Or bring a friend – if you think a friend from another blog you follow may be interested in calling by the Mansion – mention the party to them so they can call by and say Hi, if they so wish (and recommending one of their favourite posts on their blog is an easy way to introduce themselves). I shall be switching off the comment moderation thingy for the party, so the door will be open, so comment, Comment, COMMENT! I will reply (I promise – and I shall be catching up with all of the comments shortly as well… I’m nothing if not busy these days!)

Just have fun. Make like it’s 1999.

In some ways, it actually is!

I shall see you later!