Thursday, May 28

Running In Circles

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This animated Gif is a good example of how our circles interact on Google Plus.

Using circles and following have been misunderstood by newbies. Choose a circle and you're viewing everyone’s content in that circle at that time. Change your circle and you have a different view.

Follow someone and you're following a person's single profile but you'll be putting them in a circle. Circles are used to group your friends and interests so you can find them easier.

You will find yourself asking:

How many circles should I have?
If someone adds me do I have to add them back?
Why have circles at all?
Will someone know when I circle them or when I don't?

These are just a few of the questions that could have you running in circles but armed with a few facts you will be using them to your advantage.

The Secret Of Circles

Circles are groups of people you decide to follow. If you follow someone it’s making them a daily friend because you will see their posts when you use that circle. You don’t have to ask them to be your friend or wait for an answer you can build and use your circles immediately.

You want to make your circles about friends, interests, or what you want to see online because whether you trade them or not it’s your own unique view of Google+. Each circle you make will offer you a different view of G+ than the Public stream. It depends on how many circles you make as to how many “views” you’ll have.

Don’t worry about what other people are doing they are doing the same thing and no one should take this process personally. Google+ was designed to be used this way and anyone who gives you grief about it should be blocked.

Facts About Followers

Followers are people who decide to circle you by personal choice. It’s what the other side is doing while you make your circles. It’s not the number of people you follow it’s the number of people who follow you that counts. When you start to gain followers you are notified as to how many on your profile.

You get followers by posting great content and giving out good conversation. You can’t buy, beg or borrow followers they have a mind of their own and you must learn what they want to get them.

People will try to encourage or ask people to follow and plus them. Not a good idea it can backfire when people decide you are begging for it. When you follow or unfollow you can be as fickle as you please about it.

It’s a fun challenge to post good content and accumulate followers. I like finding and creating rich content and getting as many followers as I can. There is no award for having thousands of followers just the satisfaction of networking with awesome people.

Some Things To Remember
  • Circles can be deleted if they aren’t working just start another.
  • You can follow G+ without any circles and you will still gain followers.
  • If you delete a circle it’s not personal. 
  • Some of the people with the most followers don’t circle anyone.
  • You can have as many circles as you want.
  • Followers are people who have circled you.
  • Include yourself in all your circles, everyone does.
  • No one has a say about who you follow, circle and who you don’t.
  • Having thousands of followers does not ensure popularity. 
Miscellaneous Facts

Learn how to block someone and use it liberally. There are new people to meet and life is too short to deal with strangers who mistreat you. Some people join social networks (like bullies in the real world) who only want to hurt or start arguments with you and if you let them you are playing into their sick schemes. Use caution, block but don’t be afraid of people most of them want to engage agreeably.

Have fun! Keep On Bloggin'!

Saturday, May 16

From Newbie To Maybe

From Newbie To Maybe

When I came here I felt just like every newbie, ignored and vulnerable. Google+ was a place where everyone else had friends but me.

I would put up posts and they would be ignored. If I left a comment it would go answered and ignored. Yet when reading comments all the people around me had people talking to them!

I thought, nobody here likes or understands me. I've been on Google+ a whole week already and nothing is happening and what’s up with the pluses? I want to go back to Facebook.

Bite your tongue!

Everyone feels like this starting Google+ after all it’s new and so are the people. You can't rely on your friends joining you here so instead of throwing in the towel do what I did and go from Newbie to Maybe. People will be circling you in no time.

Creative Commenting Is Key

Start getting used to surfing the public stream and if you see a post you like comment on it. Don't just say; “I like it.” Or “Lol!” That’s not going to do it at first. I found by being funny or creative with what I said in comments I started to get a lot more attention. Keep this up and get good at it. People with the posts and the people who comment on them will notice. With a little work you’ll start to get responses to your comments.

In the meantime people will be starting to circle you. Just because people circle you doesn't mean you have to circle them back. Let that sink in for a second. Circlecount facts will back me on this; some of the people with the most followers on G+ don’t follow anyone!

Start Your Circles Please

You will want to name your first circle and start following people. It's the same as friending someone. Name your first circle and be adding people to it as you go. Add people who like your comments and comment you back. Add people whose posts you want to see everyday. 

If you are commenting like I suggested and posting well you should start to see a little improvement in people paying attention to your posts. It takes time but it does happen and you will be making some neat new friends. 

Your posts won't see a lot of engagement for the first few months so anyone who comments or plusses you should be thanked. Tag them (plus their username) so they get notified of it.

You could have a circle for people you like, one for your kids, one for a communities, the choices are varied and up to you but circles are important because it’s your personal view to Google+ and your entertainment.

Talking To New People

You can’t rely on your friends joining you here on Google Plus and unless you want to crawl back to Facebook or Twitter ashamed of yourself you will buck up and meet new people. It’s easier than you think.

Pick people’s posts or comments that interest you and ask a question about that post. Engage the person you wish to know. If you are honest, friendly and open usually that person will be too. People love funny and clever. If it doesn't work out move on no foul.

You will meet people on posts and in comments. If you join communities you can meet people surrounding a shared interest and have a closer relationship than in public. I suggest you join one and you will get invites. As with following people just because someone invites you to join a community doesn’t mean you have to join.

Don’t Think People Don't See You

This is a social network and people will be watching you. Just because you can't “see” people following you doesn't mean you are invisible. On the contrary, you are constantly being circled, your profile checked and more by cautious plussers who can see everything you write online.

When new you should minimally fill out your profile and always have some sort of profile photo. People hate seeing stock profiles with no photos and you will have a big strike against you right away. People refer to these accounts as "Blue Heads" and avoid them.

Just because you write something to someone else and don't tag anyone the next person can come along and read your whole conversation on a public post. Remember that and use the tag feature instead if it gets personal so you don't say something you regret.

I have had people come up to me and tell me they were observing me react with another person online and it touched them. I was shocked to find out I could be watched that close but remember Google is a search engine first and foremost so people can follow you easily especially if they have you circled.

Important: If you say (write) something stupid and delete it on a public post that person can still read it if they are receiving email notifications so watch what you do and write online it's never invisible.

Posting Popularity

Posting is an important part of Google Plus and gaining followers. Learn from your mistakes (when your posts are poorly received) and post accordingly. I even delete posts that get ignored and it happens! 

People won’t circle you if they don't like your posts it’s what draws them to you. If you argue and pick fights calling it discussions it won't work. Humor is a 2 edged sword depending on what it is and being right is not always might. 

If you really stink and can't pick your own then share the good posts. There are plenty to go around so learn to recognize them and circle the people who share them they can be your best friends and assets. 

Just because one person doesn't have a success with a post doesn't mean you can't. If it's something good repackage it by all means. I've had some of my best trending posts that way.

Thing’s People Like On Posts
  • awesome sayings or quotes
  • good humor and classic cartoons
  • animated Gifs
  • good photography, personal pictures or selfies
  • animal pictures and cats on #caturday (every Saturday)
  • the space program or photos from NASA
  • breaking or interesting news
  • technical and business news
  • anything about Google+
  • beefcake for men or women
  • movies and TV shows
  • informative posts that teach you something
  • music or YouTube videos
  • recipes or food photos
  • car or motorcycle photos
  • posts that invite you to engage, like word games
  • politeness and kindness
Thing’s People Hate On Posts
  • dropping personal links or otherwise in comments
  • becoming super friendly too fast
  • pushing yourself or selling products constantly on your posts
  • having a smart or dirty mouth in comments
  • arguing with others on a post especially if it’s not your post
  • getting into marathon discussions about something you can never agree on
  • going “off topic” on other people’s posts-start your own chat
  • constant negative images and words on posts
  • pushing your beliefs on others especially religion there’s a time and a place
  • racial profiling or bullying
  • no profile photo (Blue Heads) or blank profile
There's many more not listed but a big one is killing a conversation on some one's post. Some people put up posts to “chat” with their friends about a subject. They will watch notifications and answer immediately and if they are discussing a recipe (for instance) you don’t talk about how fat you're getting. The conversation is ruined for the person posting because they wanted to talk about eating food and it’s your fault.

If you still have a tough time of it you might want to check into communities. Depending on which one’s you join you have an audience that is looking at one subject instead of many and you can find something you like. If the community is large (over 2000 people) one post can get a lot of attention and pluses. Smaller communities will afford you quicker attention by the members and meeting people so it depends on what you're looking for.

Picking the right people for your circles is important because that is what you will see in your streams on Google+ the most. They are the people you will share with and will entertain you. It’s your own fault if you end up with duds but you can always start over or share circles with others.

I fully believe that you don't need to share circles or be in them to get followers it's a personal choice. Better to get to know people a little first. It’s better to share circles when you're not a newbie anymore and need some stimulation in your stream.

Everyone who starts at Google+ wants instant success and wants a similar experience from whence they came even though they are looking for something different. It's not a "race" to see who can get the most +1's or followers. Slow and steady gets you followers that won't drop you later. Give yourself 2 months practicing these methods and you won't believe how far you will have come.

One thing's for sure instead of fretting about being a Newbie you now have the tools to become a Maybe…and after that anything is possible.

Source: Google+ and my experience as a user with 11.5 K followers. I am the final stage after Maybe; that would be “Got It” and you will too.


Why Plus On Google+


Art by Ron Hicks follow him on G+.

Starting out on Google+ no one seems to like plussing and once learned it's quickly forgotten. I never understood why "Like" and "+1" seem so different since they both convey the same type of information.

But it's not the same if you look closer plussing is a shorthand language and the perfect way to let our friends know what we are up to during the posting day. Google+ uses a notification system to let us know if someone or something is looking for us and it depends on you plussing to have it work.

I've talked about tagging so let's look at it. To tag someone (plus them) is to send them a signal that you have:
  • read their comment
  • liked their post
  • saw what they wrote and agreed
  • shared a private post (only between the 2 of you)
  • shared content with them
  • invite them to a post you want them to see 
Nothing is worse than having a friend waiting for your post and them not getting it. Or you are waiting for something important and it doesn't show up.

People like to blame Google+ for glitching but most of the time one or both sides are not tagging (plussing) correctly. If you forget your post will not be seen unless the person lucks onto it or resorts to looking on your profile for it. If it's more than a few days late good luck finding it.

It's so easy to tag a person when commenting on their post and it makes sure they see your comment right away. Even if they have time to follow their own post they may not see your comment until later. 

Time is a factor when communicating online make sure they see you commented by tagging (plussing) their username before you leave your comment.

To tag someone you type a + followed by their username. After the first few letters, you will see a drop-down menu pop up where you will find their name to select. You have plussed (tagged, pinged, etc.) them successfully.

A name that is tagged correctly looks like this "+Bekkie Sanchez" and I will see it in my notifications right away.

It's always good to show your friends and followers that you enjoy what they post by plussing them. This is where Facebook, Google+ and most social networks are similar. It's all about what works, what's fun and what's going viral all voted on by us.

Using Google+ to your full advantage and learning the shorthand is the smart thing to do. It's a simple system that makes everyone's day easier but it must be put into practice to work. Google+'s notification system and the stream doesn't read minds it depends on our plusses.

(Notifications should be checked constantly during the day the more the better.)

"Google+ is not made up of equal experiences. There are newbies, trolls, regular Joe’s and then there’s the people who know." 

© Bekkie Sanchez

Sunday, September 8

How To Make Tea With Pot

as-seen-on-tv-pot-lead
If you have some shake or pot to make tea with it’s a good way to get your medicine without smoking it. It’s not liking making regular tea so please pay attention to the instructions or you will not be happy with the results.

Learn how to make weed tea in just a few simple steps.

If you have never tried weed tea you may not get what you were expecting. Making marijuana tea takes time, technique, and prep work. The most time-consuming step is extracting the THC from the weed.

THC is not easily soluble in water alone, but with added saturated fats like whole milk or butter the transfer can occur just add heat and time.

If learning how to make marijuana tea is new to you, you should know that its effects are likely to be equal to that of eating marijuana. Marijuana tea produces time-released body high that has a mild effect, but can potentially last for hours.

Some variations of weed tea are better tasting, and some are more potent. So, depending on your preferences decide which recipe will suit you best.
107-0749_IMGHow to make weed tea the super stoney way:

1/2 cup of marijuana leaves
4 cups of water
4 oz of whole milk
2 tea bags of your choice
4 oz of pot butter
honey

1. Grind up your marijuana leaves. Put in pot, add water and bring to a simmer. Let simmer on low for 15 minutes.

2. 4 oz. of your favorite premade pot butter.

3. Melt your 4 oz. of pot butter and mix it together with 4 oz. of whole milk. SLOWLY add this mixture to the simmering pot of weed tea to avoid curdling of the milk. Put in your favorite tea bags and simmer for an extra ten minutes.
If you think that the texture or taste of the weed flakes in the marijuana tea will bother you, you can extract them by using a strainer, or by using a cheesecloth to separate the materials.

Quick marijuana tea recipe: 
  • whole milk 
  • tea bags 
  • marijuana 
  • water 
1. Grind up 1/2 gram to a gram of marijuana buds per cup of milk. Add 1/2 oz of water per cup of milk.

2. Bring to a simmer for up to 25 minutes to allow THC extraction. Pour into a container, add a couple tea bags, and honey if you wish.

3. After about 6-8 minutes, remove tea bags. If you think that the texture or taste of the weed flakes in the marijuana tea will bother you, extract them by using a strainer, or by using a cheesecloth to separate the materials. You can also strain your weed tea in an old pair of pantyhose.

Notes:

The effects of weed tea can take 30-60 minutes to take effect, and when it does it may only be a mild high.

You may have to stir your drink occasionally just in case the mixture starts to separate. A straw will easily solve the problem. Drink it all down.

Cheers to you and I hope by now you are holding a nice glass of hot or ice cold pot tea with pot butter in the fridge. Now, make your favorite space cake with the leftover pot butter and invite your cool neighbors over for a “high tea” like they do in the UK!

Keep On Bloggin’!

Making Pot Butter



Once you learn to make good pot butter you can make any kind of food or drink with pot in it and be successful at getting enough medicine in your food so that you don't have to smoke. If you don’t like to, or can’t smoke there are ways to get around it they just take a little time and care.

To Make Pot Butter


Making pot butter is the core of most marijuana food recipes. Pot butter is the essential ingredient that gives the high in marijuana food, so take your time to learn and make it right.

There are a couple different ways to make pot butter, however, all ways to make marijuana butter are pretty basic.

Pot butter ingredients:
3 sticks of unsalted butter, not margarine!
1/2 oz. or more marijuana leaf, less if using buds.

Suggested tools to make pot butter:
1 Double broiler, or 2 pans one smaller than the other
1 large bowl
a strainer
a grinder
a cheesecloth or an old pair of pantyhose.

Making Pot Butter Fast

1. Prepare marijuana leaf or bud. You can crush or grind your marijuana leaves using a clean electric coffee grinder for ease, or you can do it by hand with a bud grinder or with your hand. The more the leaf and bud is ground the easier it is for THC extraction.

2. If using two pots, add water to the larger bottom pot and put your butter in the smaller pot. Set the small pot in the big one and heat on low until butter is melted.

Caution: DO NOT BURN THE BUTTER-LOW HEAT!

3. When the butter is completely melted add your prepared marijuana clippings to the pot butter. Let cook for up to thirty minutes, remembering to stir every five.

4. Remove the bud butter from heat and let it cool until manageable (about twenty min). Now pour your fresh pot butter through the strainer into your large bowl, this removes the big pieces of the marijuana leaf.

5. More extraction for a nice buttery consistency.

If you have a cheesecloth handy this step is easy. If your butter is still hot wear gloves. You do not want to burn yourself. Soak the cheesecloth in the butter, and squeeze into your small bowl used for storage. You can repeat this process to remove more of the marijuana remnants if you feel it is necessary.

If you do not have a cheesecloth then we would recommend using an old pair of pantyhose. Cut the foot off the pantyhose and carefully pour your marijuana butter mixture in and squeeze over your small bowl.

You're done! Cover your small bowl and place in refrigerator, or now that you have made pot butter you should try it in one of your favorite recipes that requires butter, like brownies, cake, or cookies to make your very own space cake.

How did yours turn out?

Now go to the last article and make some pot tea to enjoy before summer is over!

Keep On Bloggin’!