Push it, leisurely

I like figuring out what happens when I push all the buttons.

WordPress has all sorts of buttons I can insert into my blog but not a lot of instruction so I learn by trial and error.

(1) I started inserting the “Subscribe” button. If you enter your email, then my blog post goes directly to your inbox.

(2) A few days ago, I inserted a poll into my post Poll-lease come up with a fresh prompt. I instantly became addicted with the poll results. What can I say? I like engagement! Here’s another one.

(3) Event Countdowns make me not want to participate. They also remind me that my brain naturally remembers stupid dates.

Mind you, this was not a serious boyfriend. It was a fling that lasted a few weeks in the 90s. A blip. A flash in the pan. But every year on the fifth of February, I remember my ex-boyfriend’s son’s birthday. Why?

(4) Here’s a “rate button.” (Located below picture of Barbara.) Please give the expression on my dog’s face a five-star rating.

Edited: The rating button does not work. Here’s a “thumbs” option instead. Click the thumb that best expresses your opinion of the expression on Barbara’s face:

(5) This is a “carousel,” apparently. Click an arrow and it will take you round and round my most recent blog posts. Is this merry-go-round fun or does it make you wanna barf?

(6) Often, playbills will include a timeline of plays that are historical or implement time travel or a combination of the two. I used to love studying these timelines.

THINGS CONNIE REMEMBERS BECAUSE OF TIMELINES IN PLAYBILLS

• 1937 – Tom Stoppard is born in Czechoslovakia.

• 2024 – Realizes the only reason she remembers that detail is because she co-wrote the playbill timeline for Arcadia by Tom Stoppard when she was the “assistant to the dramaturg.” Damn. Assistant to the dramaturg? Realizes that’s kind of pathetic. However, the assistant to the dramaturg loved the play so much she was willing to do anything for it.

• 2019 – Immediately resented having to scan QR codes instead of playbills when going to see live theatre. Wondered, “Am I a Karen?”

• 2024 – Decided inserting timelines into playbills is a silly but necessary part of producing and marketing certain genres and sub-genres of theatre.

• 2024 – Still prefers playbills to QR codes but will accept QR codes as a supplement. Does not see herself as anti-environment or a Karen.

• 2024 – Still considers Tom Stoppard her favorite playwright. Still loves Arcadia.

(7) You can also insert verse or a pull-quote.

From the song “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa

Yo, yo, yo, yo, baby-pop
Yeah, you! Come here, gimme a kiss
Better make it fast or else I’m gonna get pissed
Can’t you hear the music pumping hard? Like I wish you would
Now push it

(8) This is a “featured image.” That means WordPress cannot use one of their photos for your blog. This image of my dog napping while a squirrel scurries by, even though it has nothing to do with today’s blog post, will show up on the WordPress reader and everywhere else. The difference between a “featured image” and a regular image is I cannot insert a caption with the featured image.

(9) I am also experimenting with the “category” button. Today’s the first day I assigned this the “bloganuary” category. I wonder what will happen!

There are dozens of other “buttons” but I am out of leisure time. Thanks for reading and letting me experiment with the buttons! Now it’s time for me to publish and see if any of them work! -Connie