Being An Introvert On Twitter

This year has seen a lot of bad news concerning Facebook and online privacy. The drum beat of anti-social media has grown louder. You’d think scrolling a newsfeed is like smoking cigarettes. Perish the thoughtcrime!

A Tech Hero Quits Facebook

Venerable tech veteran Walt Mossberg announced he’s quitting Facebook after 12 years of socializing there. But does this news really matter?

The Web Itself Is The Social Network

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about social media versus the blogosphere. To help distinguish them, the term social network is synonymous with social media, whereas I refer to the blogosphere as ‘online networking’. But today I discovered something that clarifies and simplifies this latter term.

Anxious To Read

Before last night, I’m pretty sure I had never heard of bibliotherapy. I discovered this term in a very interesting article related to anxiety and books at a website I like, goodereader.

Online Networking's Future In The Past

Social media was supposed to be awesome. Until it wasn’t. In another recent act of backlash against social media, Glenn Reynolds (a.k.a. Instapundit, Blogfather) deleted his Twitter account and published the story online. (I credit Cal Newportfor the link to the USA Today op-ed.)

The Blogosphere Can Thrive

One of my favorite blogs is Study Hacks by Cal Newport. After reading his latest post, “On Blogs in the Social Media Age,” I was sparked. He makes an interesting distinction between the blogosphere and social media today.

Thoughts On Social Media

Some of my thoughts lately have dwelled on Social Media like Facebook. I often re-think my personal use of it, and I also ponder general ideas about the pros and cons of social networks in our culture. These kinds of thoughts are also prevalent in the news and other publications, which fuel my thoughts more.

Reading Books Is Awesome

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of books. It’s sort of becoming a habit. And I think that’s a good thing. I find myself often lying on my bed kicked back with a book in hand, eyes tracing over the words. Even with the kids often grabbing my attention, my brain seems to be on book-lock mode, like a homing missile lasered in on its target. Coffee helps.

What The Church Won't Talk About Review

I recently read a book that I just loved! I want to write about it, but I’m not that good at book reviews. I might ramble a bit. But here goes nothin.

Making It Through The Week

It’s been a challenging week so far. It started with my anxiety flaring up severely. My work at my job has been tough. And my family has been extra busy with Christmas festivities. But I think the week will slow down now.

November Is A Novel Month

We are smack dab in the middle of it. The 30 day stretch where many aspiring novelists commit to the big 50k. It’s like an annual writing marathon. 50,000 words written in a single month! Fingernails will be worn down to the nubs. And maybe, just maybe, a myriad of writers will find they have become authors.

Ebb And Flow Of Anxiety

You know how thoughts and feelings come and go. My general anxiety is like that. I have long stretches of ‘normal’ it seems, then a season of anxiety will settle in. For weeks or days at a time, my anxious nerves will buzz quieter or louder.

On Writing Review

In all my years, I’ve never read a Stephen King book. Until this year. I also never believed in telepathy. Until it happened. King used his telepathic powers to put info and imagery in my head. It worked too. I smiled a lot, laughed out loud. I also gained insightful knowledge.

Anxiety And A Weighted Blanket

Alright, I’ve struggled with anxiety, and many others do too. It’s no easy thing, and I don’t think there are any quick fixes. But there are ways to get help, ways to cope, or manage.

Blogging Your Best

Blogging has always been something I’ve liked doing. I’ve had various blogs over the years with different success, however that’s defined. There are many “rules” and “tips” out there in the blogosphere. For me, some rules were restrictions which made blogging, or at least getting started, too hard.

Taking The iPad Further

In a few days, Apple will have an event where maybe they’ll reveal new iPads. And since my iPad is my computer, I’m very interested to see what direction Apple takes iPad next. Will it become even more capable than it already is? And a bigger question, will the iPad become more of Apple’s main focus for the future of computing?

My iPad Is My Computer

Not long ago, everyone had a boxy beige desktop PC, or maybe a thick clunky gray laptop. Those were the only real choices for a personal computer. But now, many people use other things like smartphones, tablets, or Chromebooks.

Anxious For Nothing Review

A few days ago, I started reading a book by Max Lucado called, Anxious for Nothing. I first heard it was coming out last year not long after I had a debilitating anxiety attack. So I thought it could be good timing, what I might call providence instead of coincidence.

1984 Review

I’m glad to say that I finally read one of the books that’s been on my Want-To-Read list for a long time, 1984, by George Orwell.

I'm A Friend With Facebook Again

I’m not sure how to say this. This is a post that I’ve felt I needed to share but I’ve been reluctant to. You see, back in March, I deleted my Facebook account. I called it the “nuke from orbit” option. And I think I had some pretty heavy reasons for doing so. But then on August 1st this year, I created a new Facebook account and re-friended many.

The Busy Summer Of 2018

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged here. No excuses, really. I’m cyclical like that I guess. But I had a big change back in May; I left the company I worked for to rejoin my prior employer. And my new workload was jam packed with things to do. So my summer was super busy! I didn’t have much time or energy to focus on blogging.

The Magic Of Reading Books

Some say there is a magic to reading books. Maybe you know what it’s like to have a real page-turner in your hands. Like eating a bag of chips, you can’t put the book down – just one more page, one more chapter! I enjoy such books, but that hasn’t always been the case.

Take Time To Make Time

I was going about my normal day recently when a familiar phrase came into my mind, “So little time…” I took a break from my work at home and had been thinking about how much there was left to do. Then I quickly starting noting other projects that I needed to start—there’s so much! I was lamenting how little time there is to do ‘all the things.’

Why I Quit Facebook

I quit Facebook. I chose the nuke from orbit option: deletion instead of deactivation. The recent Cambridge Analytica data exploit was the catalyst for my decision. But I had been wary of Facebook before and was already detaching from it.

Celebrating The Blog

 

The Jason Journals blog survived its first year, so now it's time to review the past, preview the future, and do an overview of blogging in between. Why did I start this blog and why keep it going? Because...blogging!

The Matrix Of Social Media

Billions of people are going about their lives every day, oblivious to the truth: just like The Matrix, Social Media has them. We live in an online world of mindless scrolling, hooked on ‘likes’. Impulsively, we go to Facebook or Instagram to check our notifications. The ‘feeds’ beckon our minds to…keep checking–but for what? It seems Social Media Addiction is a thing, and it seems designed to be.

Rest Works Review

You don’t always know where your next good book is going to come from. You may search for one, but sometimes it will just appear in your life with surprise and delight.

The Online Photosphere

When it comes to photos: snap it, edit it, share it, repeat. But where do you share it online? If you’re a fickle photo shooter like me, you may bounce between multiple sites. Wouldn’t it be simpler to settle on just one?

One Bathroom Is Enough

In my house, seven people share a bathroom. My wife and I, with our five sons, made a big move last year, going from two bathrooms to just one. We had been accustomed to the higher standard of two with all its convenience. At first, my brain wouldn’t consider it feasible or even possible to lower our standard. How could we live with just one bathroom?! Yet over a year later, we learned that it’s enough.