Tired of facebook selling your time and attention as a product to their customers (advertisers)?
Been censored, warned or suspended by facebook and/or twitter because your content “violated” their terms because you posted or shared anything from a bible verse to a youtube video to a newspaper article?
Have you and/or your posts been shadow banned? suffered from limited visibility?
Me too.
I’ve been testing out mewe.com, parler.com and locals.com as facebook alternatives and I encourage you to try them all out!
I’ve only been on a few days to a few weeks and have limited connections on all three platforms, but here are my first impressions:
(1) mewe.com looks and feels more designed for personal use to facilitate social connection, and is probably the most similar to facebook – again, first impression.
It allows comments, reposts (shares) and the emoji choices for likes allows you to choose from a full library of emojis, not limited to like, love, laugh, etc. It allows privacy settings on your account and your posts.
One fun option are the icons under your profile pic and banner that allows you to “click to add…what you’re eating, drinking, reading, listening to, watching and quoting”
(2) Parler is currently more political – if you choose to see “All” in your feed BUT, there is an option to view “Subscriptions only.” I would assume, that if you choose to view only the accounts you subscribe to, your feed will be significantly less political. It also has “upvotes, similar to Reddit. You can follow me there: @juliestilesmills
(3) locals.com is unique. Although you can set your account to be free to viewers (I’ve set MY account to be free), Locals seems more geared to accommodate content providers who charge a minimal monthly fee for access. Again, you don’t have to subscribe to anyone if you don’t want to. You can follow me there: @JSMPragmatic
Again, I encourage you create an account on all three platforms and give them a test drive.
Until and unless facebook and twitter stop deciding what content you can share, you’ve got NOTHING to lose.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
My FavoriteHusband and my FavoriteSon are building me a custom bookcase. I explained what I wanted, FH designed it and together they are building. I’ll be painting it. It’s got the potential to be seriously cool. Photos to come.
#bibliophile
_______________
Was honored to deliver the invocation at the Oviedo/Winter Springs 2014 Relay for Life earlier this afternoon.
Tried to write it for days and kept starting over. Finally sat down with my prayer journal and a pen this afternoon.
As soon as I wrote “Lord, I don’t know the story and pain of the people who will be there, but you do. What do they need to hear?” it came pouring out.
#strengthinmyweakness
_______________
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Finally posted the before and after photos of the game room. Kitchen photos to come. (Click the photo or the link below to see the post with all the photos.)
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Haven’t posted fitness updates in a while.
Derailed by haters who called them “attention magnets” and said other things I won’t type out loud.
I’ve decided to ignore them.
The accountability of those fitness updates helped keep me on track. Besides, there are more supportive non-haters who join me in edifying with encouraging words than haters who tear down and discourage.
So.
Haters.
If my fitness updates make you break out in snark, you should probably unlike my facebook page.
Seriously. Just unlike my page.
That said, one hour of strength training. Done.
#pinterestisntaweapon #fightthefrump #GoodStewardofthisBody
_______________
PinkGirl doing math homework at the kitchen table with me and FavoriteHubs: “I feel like I’m not going to have a good day tomorrow.”
(pause)
“This is where you guys come in. You’re supposed to say ‘Not with that attitude you’re not.’ Seriously, I feel like I’m raising myself sometimes.” Me: “That’s actually backwards.” PinkGirl: “Huh?” Me: “You said ‘I’m not going to have a good day tomorrow.’ and then “Not with that attitude you aren’t.’ PinkGirl: “Huh?”
I think she’s tired. Good thing drama and math go so well together.
#ilovemydaughter
_______________
“In desperate places He paid our wages, one time once and for all.”
_______________
Thursday, April 10, 2014
If I spend $7.33 more on Amazon I will get free shipping. Current shipping cost is $8.03.
Well played Amazon, well played.
#mustbuybooks
_______________
My latest blog post: toxic concoction“…where faith is required. And where doubt came in.”
(click the link above or the photo below to read the entire post)
_______________
Friday, April 11, 2014
“…my objective is to walk when he prompts me to walk, talk when he says to talk, fall silent when I’m at risk of saying too much, and stay put when he leads me to stay put.”
from Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels
_______________
1 hour of strength training. Done.
and I’m back up to a minute 15 second forearm plank.
#fightthefrump #GoodStewardofthisBody
_______________
_______________
PinkGirl is watching Frozen for the 21st time (12 times in the theater – and no I didn’t pay for it).
She knows every. single. word. She’s even got the timing and inflection down perfectly.
It’s like listening in stereo.
#ilovemydaughter
_______________
To see more previous facebook update and compilation blog posts, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
It’s been a couple of weeks since we got tired of shopping for dining chairs. If we ever wanted to eat dinner together at the table again, we had to buy SOMEthing.
Sam’s Club. $129 a pair. On sale.
Done.
_______________
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
I’m $6 away from free shipping on Walmart.com. What to buy…what to buy…Maybe something heavy so I don’t have to carry it.
_______________
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 I called my husband from Publix: “Please log into the bank & tell me the last place I used my debit card was at the vet’s office this afternoon. I think I left it there.”
(pause) Hubs: “It says ‘1800PORN'”
His mother always said he was a smart alec kid.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Got my permanent crown, but w/ temporary bond, until tooth sensitivity is totally gone. Clearly, I need to go to Tijuana for a nacho test.
_______________
Shopping for (small, cheap) end tables. I don’t understand how this qualifies.
I can’t put coffee on this.
_______________
PinkGirl’s beloved ankle boots are peeling apart at the sole like a banana. Me, when I picked her up from school: “We need to go shoe shopping.” PinkGirl: “NOOOOOO!! Please, NO! I’mtiredI’mhungryThisismyonlydayoffIdon’twanttoWecanjustbuythemonline!”
She’s definitely my daughter. #ihateshopping #ilovemydaughter
_______________
Hubs & FavoriteSon working late.
Gave PinkGirl her dinner plate while she was hunkered down on the couch watching a movie.
“MOM! I can’t eat FISH while I’m watching The Little Mermaid!!”
#ilovemydaughter
_______________
Friday, April 4, 2014
Sitting in the school parking lot, waiting for PinkGirl. She wanted to come to the 6th grade wax museum in the school gym tonight. Of course, she and her friends (boys included) are outside between the football field and the softball field making a “Frozen” video. I told her to wrap it up. When they turn off the softball field lights she’ll have to leave. Unless she moves the production to another “set”
#ilovemydaughter
_______________
To see more previous facebook update and compilation blog posts, CLICK HERE.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Tomorrow night PinkGirl FINALLY gets her last Christmas present. We’ve got VIP tickets to see Pentatonix at Hard Rock. Bought the tix the morning they went on sale and they’ve been sold out for months. She’s a little excited.
_______________
Thursday, March 27, 2014
I tend to bleed words. And I’m really, Really, REALLY exhausted from pressing down so hard on some festering wounds. Trying to figure out if they may heal better and faster with some fresh air. It’s either that or more home improvement distraction.
_______________
PinkGirl: “We started reading The Screwtape Letters in Bible today.” Me: “What did you think?” PinkGirl: “Wow.” (pause) We’re not reading the whole book, just the first few chapters. MrBibleTeacher says he doesn’t think we can handle it all.”
Wow is right. I have a feeling we’re going to have some deep talks very soon.
_______________
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?”
Psalm 8:3-4
This is only a partial compilation. I waited 3 weeks after posting to create this facebook fragments and some of my facebook posts are already MIA. Which is why I do these posts.
_____________
Saturday, February 8, 2014
If the Holy Spirit prompts you to step into a stranger’s life and offer to help them, don’t fight the prompt. Turn around and go back if your initial reaction was to rationalize your way past the opportunity. Risk rejection. Even if there’s no chance you’ll ever find out what comes of it. And make sure you give God the credit for prompting you, or the person you help will just think you did it all on your own.
#loveGodloveothers #Luke1027
_______________
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Check it out. We started laying the flooring last night. It looks beautiful, but it was a S L O W start. And there will be no cooking in this kitchen until the floor in the living room is laid. Every. square. inch. is covered with the contents of the giant armoire.
_______________
I was a little curious about what’s going on at the old Borders in Oviedo.
Looks like the property was purchased by BJ’s Restaurants in January.
_______________
I HATE dependant tasks. HATE them, I tell you.
#thehomeprojectthatwillneverend
_______________
Just went upstairs to find PinkGirl. Me: “Do not “Like” your mother’s facebook posts when you are supposed to be in bed.”
(laughter) Me: “Seriously, Facebook just sold you out. Go. To. Bed.”
_______________
Monday, February 10, 2014
The flooring is down! But the dependent tasks continue. I just want to put the furniture in the living room already! But the manufacturer recommendation is to clean it and “polish” it (with their proprietary polish, of course). I was going to let Scooba clean the floor while I paint the one remaining wall (the wall that the giant armoire has been up against all this time) but it appears I left Scooba’s battery in him after he cleaned my kitchen floor the last time, so he will be charging while I paint, cause ya KNOW I am NOT cleaning a floor by hand when I have him to do it for me. The green towels are covering the exposed transition area that will continue into the next room…after we empty it.
Do you hear someone wimpering? it’s me.
_______________
Favorite Q&A about Roomba on Amazon: Q: “I have 6 cats, a pot bellied pig, and two small dogs in the house. Can a roombah handle those?” A: “I have no idea, and I don’t want to imagine.”
_______________
2nd Favorite Q&A about Roomba on Amazon: Q: “How do you store it?” A: “Mine docs herself along a low traffic wall, but honestly, she does more cleaning than anyone else in the house… she could dock by the front door & I’d thank her every time I stepped over her. ”
_______________
You know what happens when you paint the inside of a window frame? You get an up close look at the window. The 26 year old energy inefficient, thin as paper window you elected NOT to replace a few years ago when you replaced all the windows upstairs with those kickin double panes. One thing at a time.
#thehomeprojectthatwillneverend
_______________
I was going to get Scooba started on the floor before I pick PinkGirl up from school.
Am I mean enough?
#lazycat #sunbeam
_______________
How tired am I? I gotta get these books off my kitchen table. Three dependent tasks for that.
1. Move a giant loveseat through a doorway that would be blocked by bookcases if they were in place.
2. Move temporary bookcases into place.
3. Put all the books on the shelves.
(in alphabetical order by author’s last name of course – and there’s twice as many books than you see in this photo)
After we finish the flooring connection with the next room, we can put together the new bookcases and so I can move these books again.
That won’t be tonight.
or tomorrow.
or the next day…
#thehomeprojectthatwillneverend
_______________
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Today’s agenda. Some might call it rearranging furniture. I call it purging and reconstructing the contents of a perfectly “fine” room in the middle of a major home project. In my own defense…yeah. I got nothin.
photos to come.
_______________
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
You know what word I don’t use often enough?
“Remarkable: worthy of attention; striking.”
_______________
“I love looking at the snow.
on facebook.
from Florida.”
_______________
Chest congestion. Sinus congestion. (sounds better than “I have a cold.”)
If I was smart, I would load up on meds & go to bed…after I just do this one more thing…
_______________
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Two paws up for the new living room floor.
#lazycats #sunbeam
(I suppose that should be 8 paws up)
_______________
“I think that’s a little bit of what it’s like when you are Christian. We have a genuine desire to please the Lord and to trust Him and to love others, but we can’t do it. However, when we fail our Father steps in and does the task for us. Our weaknesses only serve to display to us (and sometimes others) the love that God has for us.”
(To read Jeff’s full post, entitled “Selfishly Selfish” CLICK HERE)
_______________
Friday, February 14, 2014
Bob the cat just brought me a live lizard. He put it down in front of me.
and it ran under the couch.
yay.
_______________
“Only at the point where the insufficiency of natural strength is faced, felt and admitted does divine empowering begin.”
J.I. Packer
_______________
PinkGirl, watching Tangled. again.
“If you told me I could NEVER leave some tower, I’d be like, “NO!” She could just throw her hair down and go see the floating lights all by herself. Why does she even need Flynn Ryder?”
_______________
To see more previous facebook update and compilation blog posts, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, 12/25/13
What time did you wake up? PinkGirl came in our room at 8:52am.
I told her the time was too weird to get up and I had to snooze for 8 minutes.
__________
Saturday, 12/28/13
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Orlando anymore. #mykindamovietheater
__________
Sunday, 12/29/13
“Julie’s road trip driving tips:
1. If your vehicle has cruise control, it must be used.
2. If you set the cruise control on your vehicle, leave it alone. seriously.
3. If you feel compelled to constantly change the speed of the cruise control, let someone else drive.
4. If you pull in front of me and tap your brakes, my family will be forced to hear the nonsensical rant of Yosemite Sam until I can pass you. and probably for at least 60 to 90 seconds after that. #homesweethome ”
__________
Monday, 12/30/13
“Out with the old (1996), in with the new. I can’t believe I actually picked FLOWERS on purpose.
#whatwasithinking #girlytominimalist”
__________
“I love the sound of my kids laughing together. #dontblink”
__________
Tuesday, 12/31/13
“My daughter is so lucky I only post stuff about her with her permission. so. very. very. lucky. #ilovemydaughter”
__________
Monday, 01/06/14
“Waiting for PinkGirl in car line. I’m gonna miss this when FavoriteSon’s classes start. I’ll only get to drive his car on Fridays.”
__________
After the National Championship game that night:
“The Mills men will sleep soundly tonight. Eventually.”
__________
Wednesday, 01/08/14
“Setting up Outlook 2013 on my new desktop. Just Googled “Outlook 2013 ugly” #ewww”
__________
Thursday, 01/09/14
“This just seems like a band who got tired of trying to think of a name.
Maybe there’s artistic quirkiness or deep profoundness I’m unaware of.”
__________
“This is what PinkGirl looked like when she got in the car after school today. #ilovemydaughter”
__________
“In my dream last night, James Garner was a drug dealer. But I think it was okay because he was the one buying the drugs from himself. And the drug turned out to be a very rare cheese. #ihavenoidea”
(1) mewe.com looks and feels more designed for personal use to facilitate social connection, and is probably the most similar to facebook – again, first impression.
