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What’s Old Is New: Tumblr, Photosharing, and the End of Meta
If you’re like me, and there are millions of us, you simply cannot reconcile yourself to staying on Meta (Facebook, Instagram and Threads). And while there is no Faceook shaming here – I understand how spectacularly Meta has been in making itself seem indispesable to our lives – it is dead to me. I, too, thought for years that I had to stay for family and friends, but the reality for a long time was that I only saw posts from about a dozen people, and very few ever “liked” mine or engaged with me in any meaningful way. Facebook wants us to pay for that by “boosting” posts. Uh, no.
I somehow made it 50 years without Facebook, and guess what? I haven’t missed it for five minutes. There is something deeply illusory about social media, and the people who create it know this.
Given that I enjoy dispensing pearls to swine and other creatures I value for their intelligence (pigs are really smart), I’m on Bluesky, and I have reactived my Tumble for photos. If you didn’t know, Tumbler has been around since 2009, but it’s not really microbloggng. It serves peole whose attention span is longer than an influencer’s. I’ll use it for photos only for now, since I have … a website! Enjoy!
– Mark
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Marked Safe from Facebook, January 9, 2025
Gather round, girls and boys. Let me tell you a story … Once upon a time there was a world without Facebook. (Children gasp.) Friends, families and complete strangers stayed in touch with one another …
“How is that possible?” the children ask.
“Well, they emailed each other.”
“What’s email?”
“Don’t interrupt me, little ones. Anyway, they had blogs and websites and even email lists, and they called each other on the phone.”
“What’s a phone?”
“… It was a different world, some say a better world, although that’s debatable. But imagine it, girls and boys, a world where human beings communicated, and anyone you called a friend was really a friend.”
“In real life?”
“Yes!”
“What’s real life?” asked one child.
“It may not matter anymore. It’s almost gone. But some of us are trying to preserve the old languages and the old ways. So think about it, children. Imagine it if you can. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
And that is my story. If you’re my friend in real life, you can find me lots of other places: Mark McNease. com, Mark McNease on Topic Substack, Your Write Path. com, LGBTSR. com. Bluesky for now. And all three websites have subscriber lists. You can even email me! It’s amazing how much more real communication goes on with my friends who have never been on social media.
Where you will not find me again is on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg has decided that it’s okay to call people like me ‘mentally ill,’ and now that Elon Musk is openly using the word ‘retarded,’ we can look forward to that becoming popular again. Won’t that be fun, girls and boys? I can’t wait!
To my friends and family, if our relationships are worth the effort, they’re worth a text or an email or a phone call. The old languages, the old ways. Before they’re gone completely.
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NEW: Your Write Path Introductory Video
I wanted to make a short introductory video for visitors, curious, and drive-bys to see what I look and sound like, and to get an idea of what Your Write Path is all about. – Mark McNease -
The Twist Podcast #282: Our Get Us Out of Here Year End Special, with Surprise Acrobats and the Happy New Year Singers
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we celebrate the long-awaited finale of a seemingly endless year. Recommendations, fun facts, and our own Twisted salute to the year gone by.
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New Year, New Look for My Payhip Storefront!
New year, new look for my Payhip storefront! Buy everything direct and save, while you support your favorite authors and avoid the Amazon monster. -
One Time Donation/Lifetime Subscription to Mark McNease On Topic Substack – $25!
As subscribers to my Mark McNease On Topic Substack know, I’ve eliminated paid and renewing subscriptions. Everyone gets everything, ’cause that’s the kind of provocateur I am. You can, however, donate and get a lifetime subscription for just $25. It’s a subscription! It’s a donation! It’s a tip jar! You decide.
If you haven’t subscribed yet, this is a great way to do it. Or just sign up at MarkMAMcNease.substack.com. We don’t twist arms at the Tree House, we just imply.
Let’s roar into 2025 with heads high, open hearts, and curious minds. – Mark
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A Smashing Smashwords Year End Sale and Giveaway!
Read All My eBooks Free!
Santa’s at the door! Merry Christmas, everyone, happy holidays. Enjoy some freebies and deep discounts at the Smashwords Year End Sale!
All of my ebooks – you heard that right, all of them – are available for free download at Smashwords from December 12 – January 1. That includes:
6 Kyle Callahan Mysteries
3 Marshall James Thrillers
2 Maggie Dahl MysteriesCan you say “up all night?” It will take a lot of those sleepless evenings to get through all these page-turners.
AND there are lots more, from dozens of terrific authors offering their books for free or at deep discounts.
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Triple Header: 3 Workshops in March – Fiction Writing Essentials, Character Creation, and Self-Publishing with Kindle Direct Publishing
Three workshop intensives in one package: Fiction Writing Essentials, followed by Character Creation, and concluding with Self-Publishing with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing. Each of these is a separate workshop, being offered together for three Mondays in March – and at a savings! Join Mark and the other participants to learn the essentials of writing fiction, how to create characters who will step off your mind onto the page, and how to publish your work yourself as an independent author.
You can see workshop descriptions at YourWritePath.com, address any questions to YourWritePath AT Outlook. com.
WHEN: 3 Mondays in March (3, 10, 17)
TIME: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm eastern
VIA ZOOM
REGISTER HERE ($100) -
Workshops Coming at Soupcon in Lambertville!
Really excited to schedule my first workshop with Soupcon, a local artists’ collective in Lambertville, NJ, for February. And it’s at my favorite venue, Bucks on Bridge, where Soupcon has sublet the art space. I’ve done book readings and workshops there prior to this, and it’s so nice to have a space and community to pursue in-person workshops with.
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Ancestry, Family Trees, and the Road to Self-Discovery
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I finally took the plunge with Ancestry.com. Now that I’m doing workshops on autobiographical and legacy writing, I decided to explore my family tree. I was confused about this for a long time because I’m adopted, but I realized I want to know about the family I grew up with, the people I remember and who shaped me. Seeing my parents and grandparents on this is kind of emotional.
My ‘origin story’ is complicated, with a birth family I’m in contact with and have some relationships with, and my adoptive family. The people I have always referred to as Mom and Dad are the couple who raised me. I was not told about my adoption until I was 17, which erased any memories I may have had from the first two years of my life. All these decades later, as people got into charting their family trees and their ancestry, I felt ambivalent to say the least: which family is my family? I finally decided, for the purpose of a family tree, that it is the family I grew up with, the parents whose lives I shared until their deaths, the grandmothers I remember from childhood. They are my heart, spirit and blood.
So … here we go. This is going to be interesting.
About Family Trees
Uncovering Your Roots: The Joy of Researching Family Trees
Researching family trees can be an exciting and enriching journey that connects us to our past, provides insight into our heritage, and fosters a deeper understanding of who we are. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just starting out, the process of tracing your lineage can bring unexpected discoveries and lasting connections. For someone like me who is adopted and not able to really consider my birth family as my family tree, other then my parents and siblings, it took a long time to reconcile my feelings about this and realize that my interest in ancestry is not about blood. I am a McNease, the son of Margaret Witmer and Emmett McNease. That is my starting place. All of these suggestions are optional. I’m not a “family stories” kind of person, and there will be a lot of popular things I choose not to do.
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Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella (Audio Edition)
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
THERE WILL BE ONE CHAPTER ADDED EACH WEEK! FIND THEM ALL AT THE HARRY HELL PAGE.
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I am so excited to bring one of my favorite stories to life for your listening pleasure… a novella, actually, that had an incredibly long gestation in the recesses of my imagination. I’d put it off as an audio option because the voice technology I use wasn’t quite good enough. Now I think it sounds terrific. Yes, it’s AI/synthetic voice. I would never pretend otherwise. So fasten your headphones, and let’s get this dark, dark party started.
About Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella
Buy the eBook Direct and Save!The year is closer than you think. The world has collapsed under the weight of its own insatiable needs, leaving shattered cities where those who still have anything fight to keep it that way, and those who don’t are a constant threat. It’s a danger that must be contained through a tightly controlled society where everyone is observed and everything is kept in its place. Harry Hellerman and his twin brother, Elliot, enter this world three minutes apart. By the time they’re teenagers, they’ve been surrendered to Control to be molded into the perfect assassins. A boy named Harry Hellerman enters, and a man named Harry Hell emerges: a killing machine of the highest order.
Harry’s life takes a drastic turn when he finds himself teamed with a man named Raul, who becomes his partner in every way. Enter the lethal, dreaded Nectar, queen of the Ruins and slayer of hopes and dreams. Even Harry had them once, but no more. His life soon revolves around one mission only: to take his revenge against Nectar, and die someday with Raul’s name still on his lips. It was all he had left to live for.
Enter Eastward, and the Ruins, and the Slopes beyond them. Make your way to the river’s edge, misted in darkness, where many have tried to escape but none have ever returned. ‘Fatal Mistake’ begins the journey of a man whose heart had not always been stone. Will it beat again, or will he use it to sink his enemy down, down, down, straight to hell?
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Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast: Fatal Mistake – A Harry Hell Novella (Chapter One)
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I am so excited to bring back the Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast with one of my favorite stories … a novella, actually, that had an incredibly long gestation in the recesses of my imagination. I’d put it off as an audio option because the voice technology I use wasn’t quite good enough. Now I think it sounds terrific. Yes, it’s AI/synthetic voice. I would never pretend otherwise. So fasten your headphones, and let’s get this dark, dark party started.
About Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella
Buy the eBook Direct and Save!The year is closer than you think. The world has collapsed under the weight of its own insatiable needs, leaving shattered cities where those who still have anything fight to keep it that way, and those who don’t are a constant threat. It’s a danger that must be contained through a tightly controlled society where everyone is observed and everything is kept in its place. Harry Hellerman and his twin brother, Elliot, enter this world three minutes apart. By the time they’re teenagers, they’ve been surrendered to Control to be molded into the perfect assassins. A boy named Harry Hellerman enters, and a man named Harry Hell emerges: a killing machine of the highest order.
Harry’s life takes a drastic turn when he finds himself teamed with a man named Raul, who becomes his partner in every way. Enter the lethal, dreaded Nectar, queen of the Ruins and slayer of hopes and dreams. Even Harry had them once, but no more. His life soon revolves around one mission only: to take his revenge against Nectar, and die someday with Raul’s name still on his lips. It was all he had left to live for.
Enter Eastward, and the Ruins, and the Slopes beyond them. Make your way to the river’s edge, misted in darkness, where many have tried to escape but none have ever returned. ‘Fatal Mistake’ begins the journey of a man whose heart had not always been stone. Will it beat again, or will he use it to sink his enemy down, down, down, straight to hell?
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The Guided Autobiography Online Summit December 11 – 13, Registration Now Open
From the Guided Autobiography Summit Page.
I will be presenting on December 13 on Professional Growth.
Transformative Storytelling: How GAB Empowers Personal & Professional Growth
From Wednesday, December 11th, at 11.00 AM to Friday, December 13th, at 6.00 PMEastern Time (US and Canada)Whether you’re eager to begin writing your life story or a Guided Autobiography (GAB) instructor seeking fresh insights and professional growth, the GAB Summit 2024 offers something for everyone. This three-day event brings together life writers and GAB instructors from around the world to explore, share, and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling.
For Life Writers: Uncover the Power of Your Story
If you’ve ever wanted to write about your life but didn’t know where to start, GAB is a proven method that will guide you through the process. At the summit, you’ll hear from experienced GAB instructors as they share their unique approaches to helping students like you discover the meaning and lessons within your personal history.
WHAT IS GAB?
Guided Autobiography (GAB) is a unique method for writing about your life, two-pages at a time, created by gerontologist Dr. Birren and now carried on by Dr. Cheryl Svensson at the Birren Center. There are now over 600 instructors worldwide and when you take a class with any one of them, you’ll:
- Explore Your Life Journey: Guided Autobiography helps you dive deep into your personal story, acknowledging not only the challenges you’ve faced but also the strength, resilience, and positive experiences that have shaped you. Through thoughtful prompts and structured writing, GAB empowers you to find clarity, meaning, and even healing as you reflect on your past.
- Thrive in a Supportive Community: The GAB Summit offers a safe, non-judgmental space where your story is valued and celebrated. There’s no critiquing—just the joy of sharing, being seen, and connecting with others who are also reflecting on their lives. Whether you’ve been writing for years or are just beginning, you’ll leave feeling more confident and inspired.
- Connect with a Like-Minded Community:
One of the most powerful aspects of GAB is the sense of connection it fosters. At the summit, you’ll join a community of fellow life writers who share your passion for storytelling and personal reflection. As you listen to others’ stories and share your own, you’ll forge meaningful connections with individuals who understand the value of reflecting on life’s journey. These connections can lead to lasting friendships, support, and inspiration long after the summit ends