I’m curious. How often do you block people on social media? Do you have different rules for different sites? Do you have a line that can’t be crossed? Or is it arbitrary?
I’m curious as I block folks often. I’ll share some of my reasons later.
Spill it. Lol How often do you block people or do you even block at all?
I got asked how things were going with Verizon since I switched. It’s been a mixed bag actually.
The cellular service has been stellar. The difference is definitely noticeable, in all the areas that bothered me most with Tmo. It basically boils down to the lower LTE spectrum. Tmo and Verizon are mostly identical for their 5g offerings. However, when you drop down to LTE Tmo goes to shit, especially indoors.
There are dead spots for any carrier, but Verizon has really built out their networks to cover basically everything, at least here in SF.
The customer service is a whole other story though. For whatever reason I had significant technical difficulties getting my Android watch switched over. We spent over two hours at a Verizon store getting it set up. Even worse, because I had a temporary printout extension on my license, they had to officially put the account in the hubby’s name to get us started. It was “supposed” to be an easy switch once the weekday rolled around and I could call in and get it transferred. It could not have been more difficult. It went on for almost a month and I was seriously tempted to go back to Tmo.
I was finally assigned a level 3 tech support person and she was able to get things sorted after about a week. Even she couldn’t originally fix it. It turned out to be related to some internal upgrades that had nothing to do with me but somehow impacted my account. Once I got everything “fixed” it was pretty much smooth sailing. I’m hopeful I never need customer support ever again, because it was a painful experience.
Tmo may not be the best service but their customer support is several degrees of magnitude better than Verizon. And don’t even get me started on the absolute mess that is the Verizon app. Good lawd, what an absolute waste of time.
Everything is fixed and running smoothly now. I had one additional hiccup when I upgraded my Pixel watch. I had to go into a store but he had it sorted in less than 10 minutes.
So there ya go.
I’ve been drifting off/on social media as of late. (Not FB) I get so tickled at some of the antics I often see of the more adult nature. I had to share today.
I went down the rabbit hole the other day on IG. While I don’t post there anymore, I still scan thru from time to time. I tend to follow a lot of bodybuilders, fitness fanatics, etc. It should come as no surprise I end up with digital slop in my “suggestions.” Anyway, I start seeing these reels where guys are showing off their goods via reflections and shadows. Y’all, I lost my mind laughing. One, who does that? Two, how is it no one realizes most of the reflections are toys? People were falling all over themselves in the comments with thirst. It was hysterical.
Ya know how at times you know you should scroll on but can’t…. 😂 I wasted over an hour before snapping out of it.
I did go on a blocking spree, but there were so many I finally moved on to other things. I did manage to block about 30 or so of the worst offenders. I know they just create multiple accounts, but it still felt good to block them. Hehehe
People are so gullible these days. When you see the same shape over and over and the bend is always the same, you have to know that it’s fake. Many of the more clear ones, you can even see the latex color. 😂
On Tiktok, you have a random assortment of guys trying to beat the filters with the X-ray filter, but for whatever reason it seems to be flooding IG these days.
I started down voting to help get it out of my suggestions, but I still will randomly have a few pop up. I’m curious if I’m the minority in seeing this kind of slop?
So after 25 years, I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon. Actually, when I first signed up for T-Mobile it was still Voicestream, for you folks that are old enough to remember that.
I used to be a staunch proponent of little scrappy T-Mobile. It was always a little behind the times cell carrier, but they were also very reliable and the customer service was exceptional. The cell service wasn’t great but it was still decent. I really liked the identity of the company and since my service was dependable at the very least I stuck with it. I’ve had the same cell phone number almost since that same time frame.
After several mergers and when the previous CEO left, it became pretty obvious they weren’t interested in carrying on with the “uncarrier” approach that made them so lovable. But at the end of the day my service was still pretty stable. It wasn’t always the best, but it was consistent.
The final straw came late last year when they removed my work discount and raised my rates on a plan that was supposed to never get an increase. They’re currently facing multiple lawsuits on that front but I could care less. With nothing left to distinguish them from the other carriers, I figured if I’m now stuck paying the same rates, I should at least have better cell service.
I waited until I upgraded my pixel 9 to the pixel 10. If you follow here with any regularity you know I have great pretty much every year because Google gives a fat discount on the new phone trading in the old one. I end up paying a fraction of the cost to get the new phone.
Jump to today where we decided to go down to the store instead of trying to do it over the phone. We were just a little apprehensive of losing our cell phone number, since we both had them for such a long period of time. We wanted to make sure there were no problems.
Everything went smoothly until I got to my Pixel watch. There was a snafu which led to two and a half hours of the in-store tech working on it with customer support to get it fixed. After escalating two tiers it was discovered to be a weird administrative error that totally screwed everything up. Once the tier 3 tech guy discovered it, it all fell into place. And while this is not a glowing first impression, the tech in the store stuck with it. She made sure it got fixed and never once acted upset or irritated. She even went to bat for me for two separate discounts after all the trouble.
I’m certainly not under any delusion Verizon is any better company than T-Mobile. Frankly they’re both greedy corporations, but at least now I have better service for the same price.
If you use any social media these days, I’m sure you’ve seen the cringe content. [1]Content that is blatantly made to show off a person’s anatomy, usually to advertise their fans or similar accounts Or maybe I’m just a whore and the one seeing it a lot. hehehe Continuing on the vein that me being a whore is not the problem, it has really picked up a lot lately. Don’t even get me started on the “influencers.”
Most days, I just block the worst ones and keep going. On one hand, I feel like it’s just one more step in the demoralization of society thru social media and the “me” mentality. On the other hand, I’m glad to see more people are less judgmental about sex work. I see zero problems with a person using what they got to make a living. You use your mind to get jobs, why is using your body any different? As long as you are a consenting adult not being coerced, go for it.
That said, that’s not my purpose for being on social media. I’m always saddened when an account I already follow starts their own fan site. Inevitably, their social accounts all turn into ad-engines for their “content”. It’s usually an unfollow from me. I might be shallow, but I need something other than a boner to keep me following someone. (Don’t say it, Steve.)
The hubby will just roll his eyes sometimes when I’m scrolling thru YouTube shorts on the TV. It’s 50% weird/funny and 50% hot guys. Some of the content is a little cringy and some of it is just awful. lolol Luckily, I don’t get my self-esteem thru comparing myself to these guys so it’s not a negative…for me. I can understand for some it could end up being harmful. That is definitely a nut we can crack another day. I’m ranting about my shallowness right now after all. And in that vein of thought, [2]see what I did there? Lol some of the more aggressive advertisements have taken to using toys to show off what they “have”, so to speak. I’m like, do you think we can’t tell? Or do people just not care? Do people pay for hot guys waving around a fake appendage as if it’s real? Inquiring minds need to know! A quick Google search shows many of them turn out to have the goods (allegedly ), but I guess they need it to appear more visible than it otherwise would without full exposure.
And knowing what some of them make, I wonder if I chose the wrong career path sometimes. I’m too old for that life but it’s a shame it took so long for “fan” sites to not only be accepted but popular. I could have made a bank. 😜 And none of that coy teasing nonsense either.
I wish you could see me laughing as I type this stuff. The blog was always focused on my self-discovery and growth for so many years, I don’t think my silly side came across as part of my personality often enough.
Now you know. 🙂
If you are seeing this in your email box, at some point in the past you signed up for my blog updates.
I turned off my subscriber options for awhile while working to get the blog back in order. Since I’ve turned it back on you might see some posts you weren’t notified existed. As I continue to clean out the cobwebs, I’m also noticing some of the old registered accounts are constantly getting hammered by bots. I may have to eventually purge them. Just a heads up for the few followers I have left. I will post a notice prior to deletions so the 1 or 2 of you who still subscribe can resubscribe if you wish.
This should not affect anyone using an RSS reader.
As I’ve drifted away from Facebook and twitter, I’ve tended to use IG and TikTok a lot more. FB has become such a chore I mostly post updates and comment on folks I follow. The overwhelming ads and “suggestions” is just not worth my time to scroll thru. IG is fast becoming an ad-engine as well. Tiktok is an awesome time-waster when I have down time. It’s sort of a way to disconnect and let my brain become numb. Beyond that, social media in general isn’t really worth the effort most days. I setup a Bluesky account but I barely use it as well. If I have to force myself, what’s the point?
The good news is I find myself wanting to get back to my blog more. How’s that for irony?
**You thought I mean something dirty, didn’t you?
My blog is by no means as popular as it was back in the day. I don’t get the hits [1]clicks like I used to simply because I don’t use it much these days. It still shocks me how often I get brute force attempts on my p@ssw0rds. [2]misspelled on purpose to avoid scanner bots The bots pound my page almost daily. I’m getting double and low triple digit hits as for as page views, so I barely register on the web with that level of traffic.
While no one is totally above getting hacked, I try my best to put systems in place to avoid getting hit. My biggest weapon is a login limiter. It prevents any user account, even the admin accounts, from too many log in attempts. The delay gets longer and longer the more they use the same username or ID to try and get in. I also deleted my master admin account and replaced it with a custom one. Any attempt to use the generic admin fails by default.
Even though I locked myself out for awhile, I was happy to see no one else was able to break it.
I haven’t done a Random Bits post in forever…or blog for that matter. Well, new year, new me, right? Where does the time go…?
I bought a new and improved air fryer awhile back and I’ve been on a cooking kick ever since. Technically, we already have an air fryer but the old one just wasn’t cutting it. I upgraded to the Ninja Double XL and it is a boss! [1]You know you’re old when you’re excited about an air fryer The old one was a Ninja, but it was flat with an option to flip up when not in use. It was great for saving counterspace, but it didn’t leave much room for anything heavy duty and was a major pain to clean. This one actually puts a nice crisp on chicken as well.
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I’ve been making Shorts on YouTube. Basically, it’s Google’s attempt to take on “the Tiktok.” It is not quite as user friendly, but TT could be banned soon if you work for any government agency. I’d rather not have to delete all my vids. My Google profile is one of the few under Sfmobius instead of the generic Ibod8x5 handle I use everywhere else. If you care to subscribe, go for it but not using it daily yet. Just random bits that strike me as funny. [2]See what I did there?
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Work has been a mess, but that is sort of normal. Sadly, we are shorter now than we’ve ever been. There are fewer of us now than when I started. We are doing triple the work with fewer people. I’m actually considering changing jobs. I’d stay in civil service and most likely within the same dept, just a different division. The software project I worked on and my stint in records reminded me I have other skill sets. Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and I certainly do not wish to be in my 60’s still answering 911 calls. [3]I can’t retire with full benefits until age 62. It’s not a definite but I’m keeping my eyes open for available positions.
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SF has had a ton of rain this season. Oddly, we need it as we seem to get less and less fog every year now. The last couple storms have been close to what we would consider a normal storm back in TX. They even had thunder and lightning. Both of the latter are very unusual for SF. People talk about it for weeks afterwards. This has been a definite rainy season for the whole state. Even the perpetually dry Southeastern side of Cali might be out of “drought” for the first time in years.
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I could fill pages with my thoughts on the state of world affairs, but that is sooooo depressing. Don’t get me started. I avoid the news as much as I can most days as it’s all just frustrating. We’ve come so far and seem to be going backwards now. If another human tells me they “long for the good ole days” I swear I may punch them in the dick. The good ole days were great only if you were straight, white, and male.
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Yes, I know the sfmoby.com site is a mess. IG changed the rules for sharing to third party sites and I haven’t had the time or will power to sit down and sort it all out. Speaking of IG, I find myself using it less and less. Meta is determined to turn it into TikTok and failing miserably at it.
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Daisy is sassy as ever. We had to upgrade to a king size bed because she kept pushing Shawn off the bed at night. It’s all his doing anyway. When we first rescued her, I wanted her to sleep on the floor but nooooo, we had to let her sleep in the bed. 🙂 We bought a Nolah mattress; a hybrid foam/traditional. It was rated very high for side sleepers. So far, we really like it. The last one didn’t hold up well at all. We’d only had it a couple years. The new bed dominates the room but honestly, we don’t do much in there but sleep anyway. Shawn and I have both noticed a significant difference in our sleep patterns. While I snore less since the nasal surgery, we both snore and we both seem to snore a little less as well. That, or we are far enough part not to wake each other up as often. hehehe
Enough rambling for now, time to try a new air fryer recipe.
…otherwise known as GHHD1 [1]Gay High Holy Day #1 is this month. And again this year we see people in a pissing match about changes to the Pride flag. It’s downright embarrassing at times. While I tend to avoid the keyboard warrior approach, after more than a few disparaging comments, I have a few thoughts….
Claiming the flag was designed in its original form to include everyone, while technically true, is irrelevant. If you actually knew your “herstory,” you would know it was changed almost immediately after it came out. It is not sacrosanct. And nowhere did the original creator say or even infer the flag should never be changed. The only constant in life is everything changes. The flag is what we make it.
I personally like the original version only for its simplicity. It calls to me with the meaning and design. I also originally liked the idea of keeping it the same, but I listened, I learned, and I understand better now. [2]Not so hard really And considering how co-opted the flag has become by corporations, who just want our money, I also like the idea of the new variations.
And I’m about to step on some feelings here, but it’s meant as tough love. Exactly why is it most of the complaints are coming from cis white gay men (CWGM)? Mmhmmmmmm? If you don’t like the variations of the flag then use the one you like. No one is forcing you to do otherwise. Like seriously, how are you in any way harmed? [3]The older I get the more I wish white people in general would just shut the hell up. Lawd, we have such thin skins on just about everything.
A lot of CWGM feel attacked anytime someone calls out how often our PoC, Trans, Non-binary cousins etc aren’t as accepted in our community. And it’s good you still feel uncomfortable, it means there is still good in you. But, it is time to stop pussyfooting around and own our part. I say our because I am a CWGM. If I can learn and grow so can you. Channel those feelings in the pit of your stomach into something useful. And a word to the wise, you can disassociate any personal involvement because you’re not one of the bad gays, but that doesn’t erase the issue. You can do better by just closing your mouth, taking a seat, and listening.
You have to ask yourself, is it any real surprise many groups in our alphabet mafia [4]lovingly borrowed from TikTok don’t feel included? CWGM have spent decades using phrases like “no fats, no fems, no black, asians, straight acting only, etc“. How can you be shocked these same groups do not feel recognized? We don’t want lesbians in our bars. We don’t want trans men in our play spaces. We don’t want fem men virtually anywhere, except drag. Come on! Deep down you know why. These stigmas persist even today all over this country.
Being gay didn’t erase racism or the privilege many CWGM are afforded in society. And while you can’t always control that, it’s ok to acknowledge and accept it. You don’t need to get your knickers in a twist just because someone calls it out. Let that uncomfortable awkward feeling guide you to do better. If we did a better job making others feel included instead of “less than” us, maybe they wouldn’t need or want their own version of the pride flag. Frankly, collectively they outnumber us so be grateful the shoe isn’t on the other foot.
So… I humbly ask anyone reading this to try a different path. Instead of complaining about what the flag should be, just accept that no one person owns the Pride flag. Nor does any single group in our community own the flag. You don’t get to tell others what the Pride flag means to them. You don’t get to tell them they can’t make changes. Instead, use whatever version you feel connected too and let others do the same. /rant
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I’ll most likely be working on Pride this year. While I have my issues with the commercialization of Pride, with recent events it is clear we still very much need it. I volunteered for the field detail overseeing medical dispatch for the fair. I have worked it for years prior to the pandemic. After the lockdowns, I’m now eager to be out there again seeing the sea of faces.
Whatever your path, I wish you a happy, safe AND inclusive Pride.
And as always, hope springs eternal….
