Happy Ending With The Help of Social Media and Friends

Happy lost & found story 

When I was sitting in my "Parshat Shavua," Weekly Torah/Bible Portion class, I realized that one of my earrings was missing. Walking back home I tried to remember exactly how I had gone and looked for it. Couldn't find it, nor at home either.

So I sent out notices with a photo to local email and Whatsapp groups. About an hour later a neighbor called. She said that it looked familiar. She thought she had seen it while walking home and even apologized for not picking it up.

I went to where she said she though she had seen it, and there it was.

When I thanked her, I said that obviously I was in need of those extra 200 or so steps.

Baruch Hashem

B"H, I'm Back

Some of you, especially those who follow me on Instagram, 365 Project, Facebook and my blogs may have noticed that I have/had been pretty silent the few days. The blog posts that went up here and on Shiloh Musings Wednesday morning had been written and programmed to post on Tuesday before I left home. Yesterday I returned to Facebook, and last night I looked at Instagram and liked some photos, but that's it.

I'm human. I was sick.

The realization that something was wrong hit me while I was with my kids, and I ended up spending two nights with one of them, getting lots of loving care. So I didn't make it to Matan on Wednesday or any of my other plans. And now, even though now I'm safely home and much improved, I reduced various social commitments until I'm completely better.

Baruch Hashem, Thank Gd, I didn't have anything serious and I was in a place and with people who could help. All I needed was rest, liquids and some time.

In a few hours it's Shabbat and then after Shabbat a new week begins. May it be a good one for all.

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach

May You Have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

Social Media War: MeWe versus Facebook

MeWe has taken on the humongous Facebook social media star. A few of my fb friends and I have joined it. Some of us joined just out of curiosity and to make sure we hadn't been left out of a new adventure. While others posted very dramatic announcements on Facebook that MeWe was the place to be and they were finished with Facebook. We got reports of the better graphics when posting messages. 

MeWe vs Facebook

Those who really want to leave Facebook in principle are legitimately angry about being put in "Facebook jail" for voicing their opinions. The hypersensitive algorithms which "police" what's written on Facebook and also "direct traffic" to and from what members write. They also keep trying to make us spend money. That is legitimate, since Facebook is free. But it's the political policing which is dangerous. There is a very definite Leftist and anti-Israel slant.

Some of my friends have a few Facebook identities so when one is jailed they can post on another name.

When I use Facebook, which is multiple times each day, except for Shabbat of course, I am just thankful that it is a free service. I use Facebook for two very different reasons, both of equal importance.

First, I joined Facebook to promote my blogs. And I must admit that fb exposure has certainly helped some of the posts, not just political ones. My Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem series and some restaurant reviews would never have gotten such exposure and "hits" without Facebook. My political posts on Shiloh Musings are harder to promote, because the algorithms on google search are skewed just as Leftwards or worse.

Second, I joined Facebook to keep in contact with family and friends. I'm 1000% grateful for this aspect of Facebook, because I'm now in touch with a slew of relatives I wouldn't know at all without it. Besides all the distant cousins, I've made a lot of friends, some whom I even get to see f2f, meaning in person.

Now it seems that most are tired of MeWe, apparently, because the latest from them on Facebook is that they are back. It's like setting up for a big party, inviting lots of friends and then sitting all alone. Yes, that's the big problem with MeWe; it's small. It doesn't matter how attractive the graphics, it doesn't have the reach, the massive numbers of Facebook or Twitter, of which I'm a member but hardly use it. I also have an Instagram account, which is for pictures which simultaneously can be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

My guess is that MeWe will fade out like some other social media sites have. There was one a few years ago, forgot the name, in which I was "friends" with Kirk Douglas and we chatted.

What do you think?

Too Many Strange People Trying To FB Friend Me

A few weeks ago, I decided that to promote my blogs I'd friend more people on facebook. And I began to offer friendship  to those with lots of mutual friends. it seemed pretty harmless in the beginning, but now it seems to be backfiring on me, since some of these people seem a bit weird and try to "chat" rather than just write about coffee and politics and family, the way I do.

Since then I've suddenly gotten a tsunami of "be my friend"requests. Those are harder to sort through. Now I do have more "friends," and I hope I'm not making mistakes.

Some also post things I don't want, so I've unfriended them. But some seem nice. When I can I try to check them out first, but since not everything is available to "non-friends" it's hard to check them out.

I guess it could be worse.

HaDassah's Jerusalem Get-together, Social Media Fun!

The incomparable HaDassah was in Jerusalem again, and lots of friends showed up at the Waffle Bar on Rechov Shlomzion Hamalka, Jerusalem.

There were bloggers, photographers, social media maivens, "just friends" and her two older sons who are now Israelis.

It's sure fun to party like this, see old friends and meet new ones. HaDassah, hurry back here soon!

Why Blog? It's an International Community!

With the advent of other forms of magical communication such as facebook, twitter, skyping etc., people have been predicting the end of blogging.  Blogging is more than sending a line or two into the magic, mysterious cyber world via Wi-Fi, cellphone waves etc.

Many of us bloggers are either actual writers, photographers, journalists, public relations aka social media experts or wannabes of one or more of the above.  And there are your "just ordinary people" with a story to tell, a writing talent and people saying:

"You should start a blog."

Some blogs really take off and become popular, even money-making, and others just schlepp along with a small group of followers who manage to catch the blogger at just the moment he/she thinks it's time to quit with a:

"I love your blog.  It really speaks to me. Please don't stop."

How do they know that we continue blogging just to hear/read that?  Many of us have become "friends," community over the years, even if we've never met f2f face to face.  And there are those we actually know in real life and discover more from their blogs.  I have a combination of that on my "blog rolls," the list of blogs on the sidebar of my two blogs, this one and Shiloh Musings.

Many of us blog a combination of personal and political, whatever is on our minds and new in our lives.

Paula blogged of a death in her family, A Woman of Courage and Strength.  HaMakom yenachem, may G-d comfort....
Seraphic Secret gets a mazaltov on the birth of a grandson.

Mazaltov and refuah shleimah to Geuliyah on the birth of her twins,

מיה אמונה בת גאוליה שומרונה
זהר אושר אביה בת גאוליה שומרונה

Our latest news is the marriage of our son.

Jennifer has been keeping us informed of her aliyah adventures, Skyping! from their temporary abode in a mercaz klita in northern Israel.

Blogging isn't dead. That's one of the reasons all sorts of mainstream press has added blogs on its internet sites.  I've had blogging rights on a few internet newspapers.  Of late, I can be found on the Jewish Press blog section.  They choose the posts from my blogs.  I stopped blogging on a different paper, because they demanded only original material written for their site.  And considering that they certainly didn't pay me anything, it reeked of chutzpah to make demands.

I like the independence of blogging what I want.  My blogs are my own newspapers.  I decide what's "fit to print."  I hope you enjoy reading my blogs.  Please share the links and comment in the comments, thanks.

Facebook Friending, Accept All, or Keep Up Some Barriers?

Just a reminder to send in your posts (http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_17508.html) to be included in the next Havel Havelim, thanks.

Some of you readers are facebook friends of mine, and some of you even clicked this post because I mentioned it on my facebook status.  To be frank that's why I joined facebook, to promote my blogs, but as I got to know fb, I began to treasure the personal, family and friend-real friend aspect of it.  Most of my children, along with cousins and their kids are facebook friends, and I quickly began to limit the amount of people I agreed to "friend."  Suddenly I put up barriers.  If I didn't "know" someone either personally or their blog or want to know them as a person, I refused to accept their fb friendship.

Last night I was at a workshop (here in Shiloh) about using social media for Hasbara, Israel's information campaign.  Now, that is why I opened an account with facebook.  The young man who spoke, from something called "newmedia," if I got the name right, said that to make a splash, have your message get out to the maximum of people, you must have masses and masses of facebook friends.  If I do that, I will offend my kids and confuse family.  Of course I do post links to my blog posts, even the most extreme posts, or especially the most extreme posts.  My political opinions are far from Center.

I have a lot to think about.  Your opinions are welcome.