The battle with Social Media continues and here are the results of this week’s wins and loss. This week I am posting a video on how to delete, and I mean really delete your Facebook account if you so choose to do so. I go, step by step, through the process on my work account. In a couple weeks, I will perform the same process for my personal account and that will be the end of Facebook for me at least.
Win: I would consider this move a win because many people online believe it is impossible to delete your Facebook Account and yet, I believe with all the steps I have taken, I have done just that. Just remember to download Facebook’s archive folder on your account and go through the activity log and delete everything individually first before you go through the deletion process I’ve shown here.
Win: The next win is after waiting over 2 months through the review process, my YouTube account has been re-monetized. Yes, I can now place ads on my video and make ad revenue, which I have never done before. YouTube did say I made 12 dollars over 3 months when we first started, and yet I still have not seen a check yet.
Loss: The irony of being monetized. My first video to be published under the new monetization policy on “How to Delete you Facebook Account” was demonetized before I even published it. The reason for the demonetization is YouTube’s algorithm believes the video is too controversial in nature. I guess “How to Delete your Facebook Account” is more controversial than let’s say, “This is America” by Childish Gambino, Donald Glover, which is monetized without reserve. Perhaps, my videos should be as artistically and stylishly done to gain the respect of YouTube’s Advertisement Team. Silly me, thinking that there is an agenda being promoted by YouTube versus actual equality in company policy.
Comparing the controversial nature of each video. Certainly, my video is far more nefarious than I realized.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Hamlet Act 1, Scene 4
Why on Earth would I ever want to leave Facebook? The social media platform unites long lost relatives and friends over time and space. How could that be a problem?
Well, after realizing something wasn’t quite right, but not being able to put my finger upon it, I decided to do a little research into the various social media platforms. I am afraid my research confirmed the seriousness of the nature of what these “free” social media platforms are attempting on their users. First of all, I am very upset by what I discovered and as I was filming the video, I had a wide range of emotions from, betrayal, anger, disgust, deep sadness, and the desire to rebel against the system.
What started out as a cyber-bullying lecture at our school to address the issue in the community over teen suicides, I decided to make the move to delete my Facebook account. I knew there were issues with Facebook and my news feed seem to show some of the issues the students were facing. I have seen harassing cynical posts and comments that demean a political, religious, or activist community, and it seemed since the election it hasn’t simmered down very much. Many times, I have typed out a comment and before I post it I debate, “Is this really helping the situation? Am I adding to the anger? Does this comment convey peace without false compromise?” And, many times I end up hitting the backspace key and moving on because with such posts, there is no comment that will help the situation because the author is intending to pick a verbal fight. What has become of Facebook friends if the once peaceful, “I haven’t seen you in so long. You and your family look great. I really miss hanging out and having our deep, caffeine-induced, philosophical discussions in the late hours of the night when we were in college.” Maybe those days are long gone. After all, the newness has worn off since I have been active since 2009.
But, what really moved me to deletion was a series of posts that questioned the altruistic use of Facebook. Was the platform really altruistic or possibly good? Once looking into a friend’s post on political labeling, I realized there was a serious problem when Facebook decided to categorize its users as very liberal, liberal, moderate, conservative, and very conservative. The company felt that stereotyping the political schema of its users was for whose benefit? If political leaning was necessary to know, why not allow the user to classify their own political leaning. Instead, Facebook decided for you. That is a serious problem when a person becomes stereotyped, it is very difficult for that person to be seen as anything but that stereotype especially when there are many facets of their character which are not taken into consideration. All our country needs is a person of one particular leaning to call the other-side bad and have their followers troll anyone that doesn’t agree with them and this becomes a recipe of a rebirth of the same spirit behind the Nazi movement of the 1930’s Germany.
For this alone, citizens of our country should be wary as political agendas begin to attack viciously and without provocation anyone that disagrees with the inflamed group’s ideals. I have seen this on YouTube; a smaller channel calls out a larger channel for posting lies as truth and the larger channel’s subscribers descends upon the smaller channel and begin to brutally threaten their lives. The smaller channel is verbally raped and abused within their own comment section. What has happened to our humanity? This reminds me I need to re-evaluate my YouTube channel.
Another growing concern is the addictive nature of the apps and social media programs. The creators are no longer even hiding it. They freely admit to creating dependency within the users who are a part of their platform. There is absolutely no regulation of any kind for this industry who is purposefully manipulating their users with B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning and Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning. There is money to be made with user addiction through reward/ positive reinforcements. The companies’ software engineers have unlocked the mind’s instinctual pleasure and fear responses. Absence from social media platforms creates in the body higher levels of cortisol, which creates anxiety and depression. When a post is received and liked, the mind releases dopamine, which relaxes and engages the pleasure centers of the human mind. With something so addicting, instead of regulating it, they decided to study it for the next 20 years to see what happens to their test group of children when they become adults. By then, the population will be no different from the test subjects, so if reversal needs to occur, the entire generation will have to go through detox if it doesn’t become permanently wired into the human psyche. Before Prohibition, there was no drinking age in the United States and the alcoholism abuse was rampant. Before the discovery of lung cancer, cigarettes were advertised in every movie and in commercials on television. The cigarette companies admitted to targeting the younger generation, knowing the addictive properties of their product. If they could get a teenager hooked on cigarettes, then they knew they would have a smoker for life.
This industry needs to be regulated and if the government doesn’t step in to stop these dangerous tactics, then it is up to the users to recognize the problem within themselves and walk away from it. So, user beware.
I have debated this moment for years, and now I have finally decided to delete my account from Facebook. I will make a post a week announcing my departure this July 4th. For those friends who want to keep the lines of communication open, you can email me at [not mentioned here to avoid potential spam]
This free email system is based in Switzerland and does not sell your personal data or information. Here is a part of their mission statement. [protonmail.com]
“We are scientists, engineers, and developers drawn together by a shared vision of protecting civil liberties online. This is why we created ProtonMail, an easy to use secure email service with built-in end-to-end encryption and state of the art security features. Our goal is to build an internet that respects privacy and is secure against cyberattacks.”
You have to love the Swiss now even more than ever because they care about people and believe people are not products to be bartered and traded. From my initial research, it is very difficult to remove a Facebook account from their servers. I will attempt to do so over the course of the next month and let you know of my progress on my blog at livingasustainabledream.com
I admit I will miss some of the amazing, interesting, and crazy things that appear on my newsfeed and I hope you all will decide to keep in contact with me. I would love to send personal encrypted emails to you all. Thanks for your continuous encouragement to me as a teacher all of these years, but now I must practice what I preach about the importance of Internet privacy.
This short video clip explains much of the problems that have been developed within social media platforms. The truth is no longer truth, but whatever is bought and paid for is now considered truth. And the reality of what is really going on is buried, trolled, and ignored by the companies’ algorithms because it doesn’t make money.
It is a sad day, and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate day to make this announcement than Memorial Day. As we remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. Today, we need to remember what they fought for and take our freedom and privacy back from algorithms that label us and sell our personal information for profit. Peace.
My first sunny day of Spring Break and I wanted to be prepped for summer projects. I had to disconnect the Winco generator from the Kioti tractor and reattach the box blade. However, due to winter still hanging on, I had to work a day to clear a path to even get to the box blade attachment. I stored the box blade under the roof of the old derelict cabin, the cabin we hope to bring down when we can afford to build a barn shop. After this sunny day, we entered over two weeks of steady rain. I came down with a terrible cold and was immobilized from working outside in the rain and eventually I had to unhook the box blade and place the generator back on to recharge the battery bank. I had never needed to use a generator in April before since we moved here 7 years ago, but the skies were so dark and gray.
Currently, I am fighting another chest cold and doing my best to stay on top of my busy schedule at work, but today I am resting a for a bit. I think I have been burning the candle a both ends. Yes, pun intended, see our candle special below.
In this video I toy with a new technique, split screens, I am learning while using the free open source Blender software. I use a combination of Movie Maker and Blender. Blender to do overlays and split screens. Movie Maker for captions and syncing sound. Hope you enjoy the video.
Yes, I made more work for myself storing the box blade where I did, but I wanted it stored in a place that was not exposed to the elements and this was the only place I had. Once I have a new shop, things will be less chaotic.
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Playing the battery rotation game. During this short video, I cover such topics as an Everyday Vehicle Bag for people who do much of their own vehicle roadside assistance, symptoms of a failing camshaft sensor in our PT Cruiser, and demonstrating the speed in which a VP Racing Fuel can actually pour because of its design. I also briefly introduce our candle company’s new logo and sticker art for our amazing candles. A truly unique gift idea to share with someone.
I carry an Everyday Vehicle Bag with me on road trips, but as cars become more integrated with sensors and computers working on them without a computer is becoming more difficult. The older vehicles I can generally repair on the side of the road, by diagnosing the problem, and calling someone for a lift to the auto parts store if close enough to home. However, our newest vehicle makes it more difficult. If it’s a belt needing replaced, alternator, radiator or stater, I can still make that happen. Unfortunately, I do not have a computer program or connector to read the On Board Diagnostic Computer 2nd Generation aka OBD2. Fortunately, with the newer car when a problem arises, I can usually limp it into a repair shop when needed.
One day I will probably purchase a OBD2 scanner, but I will have to educate myself on how to use it, and it’s just one more thing to complicate my life. I enjoy technology to some extent, but I really dislike computerizing everything we seem to touch these days. Once it shorts out, there is no way to fix it. Much of this technocracy is completely unnecessary and creating an over-reliance upon it.
On a side note, I don’t pictured in the video our 12 Volt air compressor in case we have a flat, which came in very handy this season. Four flats with our car’s studded snow tires this winter season alone. The tire company is warrantying them and replacing them all, so we will once again have new studded tires for the next winter season. That was very nice of them.
Thanks for joining us for… Just another day on the homestead.
What inspired me to even attempt making a quiche happened many years ago. My wife was out for the evening, and I was having a guy’s night in celebrating with a James Bond Marathon. During the film A View to A Kill 1985 starring Roger Moore as James Bond and Christopher Walken as the villain, James Bond makes a damsel in distress a quiche out of the left overs in her kitchen. I figured if James Bond could do it, so could I, and I grabbed a cook book and began making quiche out of what I could find in the fridge. We didn’t have any bacon, but plenty of chicken, so in a Bond like fashion, I made a quiche, which I proudly gave to my wife when she returned. My wife loved it. Mostly, for the romantic gesture, but also because she had a wonderful meal without the concern of preparing, cooking, or cleaning up after.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say baking a quiche saved my marriage, but I can honestly say the gesture did improve my ability to continually woo my wife’s affections. Making dinner for my wife on her birthday has become our tradition. I love doing it, but sometimes I catch her off guard and create a meal on a whim, which goes a long way in lifting my wife’s morale and stature as the love of my life.
A Quick Review of A View to a Kill
After creating this post, I decided to watch the movie “A View to a Kill” again. I was amazed by the plot, which seemed to touch upon some present day concerns. In the movie, a computer chip was developed by the antagonist, Zorin, which could survive an EMP attack, and this chip was intentionally leaked to Russia. A computer chip was implanted into a racehorse to increase the horse’s speed at the push of a button, this is known as biohacking. Also, there was an inference that the antagonist was the by-product of biohacking himself to circumvent natural human development to increase intelligence, but the unfortunate side-effect was the creation of a raving sociopath. Next, Silicon Valley in California was stated to controlled 80% of the world’s computer chips in 1985 and was the target of the antagonist. Once Silicon Valley was destroyed, he would control the world’s computer chip supply. If he could have waited for NAFTA, the WTO, and other trade deals with China, it would have been done for him within the next 15 years.
Sometimes I wonder if our movies are a script in which humanity watches, buries in the human subconscious, only to create the very path humanity chooses out of false implanted destiny. Maybe, I give our media too much credit, and it is really a mirror reflection of what our culture is becoming and any quality think tank group could follow a similar path of development through a causal effect relationship.
I’ll I know is even though this movie was a typical Bond film of innuendo after innuendo to create coy shock and humor, it touched on issues that are now current media and even conspiracy topics of choice from the fall of Silicon Valley, biohacking, and an eminent EMP threat from possibly Russia.
Want to support our blog? Consider purchasing a Pauper’s Candle from our company. Another romantic gesture for the one you love without the need to cook a meal. Shop our store for https://paupers-candles.ecwid.com/
Thanks to the Fair Use Act for allowing this brief segment of the movie “A View to a Kill” to be used as an educational purpose in making quiche and the importance it has played into our family’s tradition. I encourage everyone who is a 007 fan to choose their favorite Bond movie and enjoy an evening.
Chicken Quiche Recipe (See Better Home and Gardens: New Cook Book 1990 or newer to create an adaptation of your own.)
3 Eggs
1 ½ cups of milk
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese, pre-mix cheese with 1 Tablespoon of flour
1 Chicken breast chopped and cooked into bite size pieces season chicken breast with pepper, rosemary, whatever sounds and will taste good.
¼ cup green onions
¼ cup of olives
¼ cup of mushrooms
Directions: Whip eggs and mix in large bowl milk with cheese/flour mixture. Add dash of salt to ¼ teaspoon for taste. Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dump into precooked piecrust that is still hot out of the oven and place a complete quiche in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Here is a quick video I did on changing the vehicle design from a side mount battery to a top post battery. When I was filming this video, my cistern pump went out a day before, and when I got home from work, our Suburban was dead. No connection, except a string of bad timing. The Suburban had a no start issue, and I knew it was the battery. The battery was over 7 years old and needed to be replaced. However, side mount batteries are not easy to recharge, jump, and keep the contacts clean . I understand why some cars used side mounts and then other cars like the Suburban has no excuse. Side mount batteries makes it difficult finding a generic replacement, to use a battery charger, and generally costs more. So, I am done with side-mount batteries. I finalized the change with this video.
On a side note, I generally try to post once a week, I have a few posts this week, but I will slow down again to not clog up your reader. As a person who likes to have a well dispersed WordPress Reader, I understand how frustrating it can get to see the same person posting on a daily or even an hourly basis, which clogs up the feed. My wife and I are still debating if we will continue making YouTube videos. My passion was always in writing, not cinematography, but I admit I am beginning to like learning how to edit. That being said, there is no financial gain to creating posts or videos. I am beginning to include more of our home base business into the posts, name of this blog, and videos.
If you like what you see here, please support our channel by visiting our store. https://paupers-candles.ecwid.com/ We’re not asking for donations, but only to sell a great candle product. We also understand this is a specialty item in which not everyone enjoys, but if you do, we hope you think of us for your next candle purchase.
Thanks for visiting, we have another post scheduled for tomorrow.
