Funny because their true!

For the past few months, friends and colleagues have shared with me various ecards that continue to make me giggle. I have literally spit water on my computer screen over a few of them (of course, none of which are blog appropriate)!

If you are looking for a good laugh at your own expense and many, at the expense others, I would point you here. Go empty your bladder, and set aside some time to chuckle.

These are only the tip of the iceberg... but their clean enough for the blog, and are definitely my kinda humour!

Like I said there are a million others that you will no doubt relate to. They are inappropriate, but you can't help but howl... and I think we all need a good laugh every now and again. Enjoy!

Guidelines for Posting Pictures to Facebook

Whether there is a written rule about it or not, to me there should be some clear guidelines for posting pictures to Facebook. I'm not talking about who can and can't post pictures but rather I'm thinking that someone who is fairly tech savvy needs to come up with an app that tells people which of their pictures are worth posting and which of them are pure crap! 

I love looking through other people's pics - I'm not a stalker by trade, but I do like to comment and 'like' some of the fun pictures that people in my circle post.  However, what I really get annoyed at is people who come home from an outing or trip and basically just dump their memory card into a Facebook album and hit share. I'm talking 160 photos to an album when maybe 30 to 35 photos are actually half decent shots that tell the complete story of the event.

People - no one wants to see the five or nine takes you went through to get ONE great shot of your kids, pets, or backyard adventure.  And frankly, we you have to click through the outtakes it takes away from that one shot that actually is half decent.

My tips or guidelines for posting pics to Facebook are as follows:

1. Less is more. Nobody wants to see the 'I almost got the shot' photos, show us the real deal or show one of the lead up shots that might illustrate what you went through to get the great shot but leave the almost great photos on your hard drive, not your Facebook account.

2. Flag the best ones (either in iPhoto or in a separate folder on your desktop) and then share only those ones that you consider good or great.

3. Don't be scared of a little editing, there is lots of great free software out there can help you touch up photos that may be a little over exposed, or under processed. You don't have to be a graphic designer or a photographer extraordinaire to play around with your images just a little.

4. It's never too late to post pictures... so take your time and go through your pictures and delete the ones that aren't focused or that you wouldn't bother printing for an album. The ones that are left are probably the ones worth sharing on Facebook.

To me, using some or all of these guidelines will go a long way in helping you preserve the best memories of your friends and family, because the pictures that you and your circle of friends will look back one in a few months/years will be the BEST ones.

My advice only, take it or leave it, but if you leave it, know that I am judging you just a smidge the next time I see a photo dump on FB!
;-)
 

My love for social media!

I think back 5 years ago... I was not blogging, I was not on facebook, and I don't even think Twiter existed then (not to me anyways).  Now... I am doing all three of these things, and in some small way or another they are truly enhancing my life.

Blogging... while I do that for myself, I am always in aww of the number of visitors who come to my blog daily.  Many of you are family and friends, but I also can see (through the weblogs) that there are so many of you that I don't know personally.  Every now again I will receive comments from strangers - and I think this is the great part about blogging. Through blogging you can connect with strangers, and before long, you are not strangers anymore. I get so many ideas from blogging and reading other blogs. As a blogger, you feel part of a community, and you are eager to share advice and support with others in similar situations.  Its a great network!

Facebook... is its own beast.  Sometimes I wonder what the point of Facebook is, but then someone who I would otherwise not keep in touch with will post some pictures of themselves or their families, and I am brought back to moments in my life that I have almost forgotten.  I love that Facebook allows you to informally keep in touch with people from your past,  and also allows you to share small moments of your life with your friends. (I could write a whole seperate post on what I dislike about Facebook too, but I'll save that one for another day!). Facebook has become a news source too ... I don't know how many sentences I start with 'I saw on Facebook that so and so'... its sometimes a gossip column too... but that's half the fun I guess!

Twitter is where its at for me.  The thing I love most about Twitter is that around the clock (this coming from a breast-feeding Mommy) there are people online, tweeting the most random information, but a lot of which I find useful, and entertaining. I have been on Twitter for a while now, but only in the last little while I have fully come to appreciate tweeting.  Take for example this morning, I was feeding H while watching the tweets roll-in... one which came from @ACwebsaver announcing a promotion code for flights leaving only from YUL.  I just happen to be looking for flights to MCO and when I clicked on the link they provided, I was estatic to see that my flights were on for  $76. Yes... $76 instead anywhere between $218 to $459.  I booked them immediately, and an hour later, the promotion code was done. That is why I love Twitter!

All of social media is fun... and informative and entertaining. I haven't even touched all of the other forms, but I just try to imagine my life without these three outlets,  and I think I would be lost without them!

How do you use social media? Do you love it or hate it?

Lazy Catholic

I am pretty sure the label 'lazy catholic' applies directly to me. I was raised in a catholic family, and was accompanied to church every Sunday for 18 years by my father. However, in my recent freedom years, the catholic church has become less of a constant in my life, hence the reason, I believe I fall into the category 'lazy catholic'.

This morning on Hot 89.9 they reported on story about a web site that had been shut down by the web authorities for offering an online confessional for catholics who couldn't be bothered to go to church, for the so-called lazy catholics of the world.

Geeez, just when the Internet & religion were really starting to get somewhere, they go and x-nay a perfectly useful web site.

Apparantly, according to this article, the web site welcomed visitors with the words:
Welcome to the virtual confessional.

It continued:
Now write down your sins against the Lord God.
(type in sins)

Do you regret your sins? select yes/no
Do you intend to correct them? select yes/no

Now click on next.

We are connecting you with the Lord God, please wait...
Your sins are being transferred, please wait...

Congratulations, your sins have been forgiven.

Seriously, what's so wrong with that? It might actually be theraputic for some like myself. I could enter: I purposely ate the last mini babybel before my husband could. With the click of a button, it would be forgiven. I would leave the computer feeling like I am not such a bad person after all.

Now... I could see the potential for problems if someone entered: I slept with my son's kindergarden teacher and I am now 3 months pregnant but haven't told my husband yet.

Okay... so maybe that's not something totally forgivable via a virtual confession room, but I think the creator (no pun intended) was onto something for us so-called lazy catholics.

However, since the site has been shut-down, I will have to continue living with myself and my babybel sins until I can get to confession in person.

Let's see God... do you have an opening on Christmas eve?

Expelled at the age of 10... from UNIVERSITY!

This world never ceases to amaze me! Today I came across the Ottawa Sun story on two twin boys, aged 10, who were expelled from Ottawa U after being issued student cards, and invoiced for their tuition.

Now, I have deep admiration for the institute who gave me my degree in communications, but to be honest, in this situation, I don't necessary agree with the course action the U of O has taken.

Its a bit bizarre to think that two 10 year olds would want to be part of a course called 'Activism'... but in today's Sun, the one boy claims, 'I wanted to enter this course because I want to make a lot of decisions ... and I get to express my opinions a lot more in this class'.

Okay... so I will admit that University courses do allow for more opinion seeking participation, but still the twins are TEN - T. E. N.! I am torn on which way to lean on this story. I don't necessarily think that 10 year-olds should be participating in University classses, they should be be enjoying their childhood... there will be enough time for learning down the road, but on the other hand, the University issued them student cards, permitting them to enroll in the course... which makes this entire story confusing.

What the University didn't expect was the mother to go to bat for her children after the explusion... hence the attraction of the media now.

I like the thoughts of the young genius story-line... in 15 years time, journalists will be reporting... Sebastien XYZ, creator of such-n-such, who at the age of 10 attended the University of Ottawa... yida yida yida! I can see it now!

Oh, Ottawa U, you have gotten yourself into quite the dilemma. What do you think is the proper course of action... ? Should the twins be allowed to have credit for the course, after all they did complete the final exam, even after being expelled? Or are you simply wondering, what in the heck are the parents thinking...?

Face it... I've forgotten people!

So... late last week I joined the ranks of a site (actually a network) called Facebook. I was lured in by a friend (who I met in university) that sent me an invitation to join the party. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but in this case I had heard bits and pieces about the site, so I took the bait, signed up, and since then have become completely addicted to this little network of people.

The way the site work is that you create a profile (I know I know... all the anti-internet information sharing folks out there are shakking their heads right now... but just bare with me). So... you create a profile: name, education details, current employer... etc, and then through the search function, or other friends in your network you can search for people that you know.

Once you discover someone, you can invite them to be added to your friend list, then you can see their profile, photos of them, and just basically get the low down on their life. But the addictive part comes when you find someone new, they usually have a network of their own, and you can see their friends... and then their friends have a network of friends, and the friends of the friends of the other friends have friends... it becomes a mad cycle that will have you browsing profiles into the wee hours of the morning, if you're me!

I have been truly fascinated by this little site... I mean seriously... every free moment I have I am just browsing through lists and lists of people. Its actually become a great way to keep in touch with people.

However, what I have come to discover is that although I think I have a great memory... I have clearly forgotten oodles of people who I went to school with: elementary, secondary, and university! Its ridiculous... I mean, some people I really forgot existed (and I mean that in the most sincere way possible). But in all seriousness... I haven't thought about some of these people for ages... so just to see a pic of them or read a little blurb on their life brings a smile to my face. Afterall I like to think I am person who likes to keep in touch with people.

Take for instance my very first friend ever... Dana Louise Seabrook. We played together in the playpen back in the early 80s, we reunited at another friend's wedding back in 2004... but haven't seen each other since. Somehow I discovered an email address for her... she joined facebook, and VOLIA.... we are chatting again... she is engaged... and its looks as though life is going really well for her. She inturn was able to catch up on my life... and now it feels like we never lost touch.

CRAZY, I tell you... down right crazy.

I am surprised I even have time to blog lately with all the commotion over on Facebook... (but don't worry faithful readers... you were here first, I could never deprive you for too long)!

If your bored, and looking for something interesting... join facebook, and you will definitely see what I am talking about... but if you get addicted like I am, don't forget to come back and see me every once and a while!

Facebook me!