A Slowsky in the Fast Lane…

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bill and karolyn slowsky, blessings, business expense, computer, computer shopping, fast, God, laptop, lincoln rogers, obsolete, photography, slow, Slowsky, speed, stewardship, technology, time, turtles, upgrade, west, western

I call myself a “Slowsky.” If you recall the old (and very funny) commercials with the turtles talking about internet speeds, that kind of describes my approach to new technology. I just don’t feel any need to have the latest and greatest anything related to technology. Me and Bill & Karolyn Slowsky, we think alike in that department.

As a result, I take my time and research. I read (and read some more) and compare and think about and pray about business decisions and purchases I need to make for my writing and photography LLC. I try to be a good steward of the blessings God has put in our lives and squeeze everything I can out of what I purchase and what I use. Heck, I squeezed 14 years out of my last pro DSLR camera before finally upgrading last year to the latest Canon DSLR (which I love, by the way).

But computer technology, hardware, software and peripherals all seem to warp-speed into the market, these days. My photography and video editing workflow with my current 4-5 year-old business laptop used to be quick and seamless. Now, the workflow can be glacial and frustrating to the point where it seems a legitimate option to just throw the thing out the window. I think I would likely get the same amount of work done that day!

Stock image by Lincoln Rogers of time moving fast on a clock — You can find this image on Shutterstock.com

So the time has come to pull into the fast lane and upgrade the business laptop. As a Slowsky, you can bet I have researched like crazy and this time the product will be a laptop that will (hopefully) handle a longer period of time and will certainly be upgradeable to keep using as technology keeps trying its best to make the thing obsolete. To me, that is part of being a good steward of the blessings God has put in our lives.

I will give it a whirl in the near future and let you know the make and model if it works great. I like to pass along information on things that work! In the meantime, I will make sure I steer back into the slow lane as soon as I can. Right behind Bill and Karolyn…

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

King of the Mountain

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best, broncs, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, circuit, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, Elizabeth, elizabeth Stampede, horses, King of the Mountain, lincoln rogers, mountain states, rodeo, roughstock, rural, sport, the fence post, tradition, west, western, win, winning, Wyoming

A trio of rodeos were named 2022’s best rodeos of the year for their respective categories in the Mountain States Circuit (Colorado & Wyoming). I was able to talk with two of them about their reactions to earning the titles — Cheyenne Frontier Days for Large Rodeo of the Year and the Elizabeth Stampede for Medium Rodeo of the year. The article with some of my photography has been published on the website of The Fence Post magazine. https://www.thefencepost.com/news/king-of-the-mountain/

The cowboy and western spirit thrives in the two-state region (Colorado and Wyoming) that comprises the Mountain States rodeo circuit. In this image from 2022’s Cheyenne Frontier Days, untamed horses are let loose to run throughout the arena before each performance at the world-famous venue. Image by Lincoln Rogers – All rights reserved.

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

The Blessing of Business…

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belief, bible, blessed, blessing, business, Christian, Christianity, clothes, drink, faith, food, freelance, freelancing, God, holy bible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven, lincoln rogers, Matthew, Matthew 6, needs, provide, study, worry, worrying

I had the blessing of a company approaching me this week about using one of my images for promotional and marketing purposes. It won’t be earth-shaking usage, but it is a nice-sized company and having them approach me out of the blue is pretty cool. One of the best parts about it is that I know it doesn’t happen without God sending them my way.

Why do I say that?

There is a passage in the book of Matthew, chapter 6, where Jesus is talking to people about their worries in life. You know, the universal items that can consume our thoughts. Will we have enough to eat? Will we have enough to drink? Will we have clothes to wear? Jesus told the crowd listening to Him that “… your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matt. 6:32) But then He gave them the reason He was telling them not to worry.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Married man and woman studying the Holy Bible together at a table. Christian and faith-based stock image by Lincoln Rogers – All rights reserved.

That is why I know beyond a doubt that the people, companies, organizations, etc. that approach me out of the blue to do business have been sent my way by God. And it is one more reason I can keep working on applying another passage in the bible that says, “… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)

Not easy to do these days, but it is not something I have to worry about!

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

So Far, So Good…

So far, all is quiet on the “hacker threat” front regarding my LLC’s business website and related accounts. It was likely a case of hoping to con me into paying them a ransom in Bitcoin.

Quiet as well regarding the report I made about the ransomware type threat to the federal CISA agency. Not surprising on that front, at all. I don’t expect much help from the government.

As I mentioned before, God has my back. No matter what happens, He has promised He will  “cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

My own technology-related internet and web surfing stock image on BigStock.com – Image by Lincoln Rogers

You can find the above stock image on BigStock.com. https://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-239364/stock-photo-mouse-binary-code

Hope you all had a great weekend.

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Hack Attack Threat…

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bitcoin, bitcoin fraud, crime, criminal, cyber, cyber crime, cyber threat, fraud, hostage, illegal, intimidation, pushback, ransom ware, ransomware, report, threat, unethical, wrong

So my LLC’s business was sent an email (from my own email address) stating my website and email systems had been hacked and if I don’t pay $2,500.00 in Bitcoins to a provided link that “we will systematically go through a series of steps to totally damage your reputation.”

They followed with: “We are willing to forget about destroying the reputation of your site and company for a small fee. The current fee is $2,500 USD in Bitcoins. Send the amount in Bitcoin to the following address: (blah-blah-blah numbers and letters here)”

Stock Cyber Crime Image by Lincoln Rogers – All rights reserved.

I have already reported the threat to the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, but who knows if the government even cares about a small-time freelance LLC guy like myself?

In the meantime, I trust God has got my back and the internet security measures I currently use and employ will protect my business systems from anything serious. The cybercriminals may just move along after getting nothing from me, as I suspect they could be bluffing more than anything else. It is not like I am a multi-million dollar retail enterprise.

I just hope the knuckleheads doing this stuff will eventually be tracked down before they actually extort anyone else. What comes around, goes around.

Always.

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Honoring Veterans Day

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America, American Flag, armed forces, courage, honor, lincoln rogers, military, patriotic, salute, service, thank you, usa, veteran, veterans day

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Unashamed & (Still) Encouraged…

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bible, Christ, Christian, Christianity, election, encouraged, faith, God, godless, gospel, holy bible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lincoln rogers, salvation, unashamed, ungodly, usa, wrong

I am an unashamed Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ. Despite my disappointment in how the most recent election results turned out, I will always have that “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7) of knowing the God I serve has things under control and works things out “for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28)

Does that mean I am to just give up and become a doormat against what I know the bible says is wrong? Nope. But I will continue to take encouragement from the bible to be that “light (that shines) before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Election Tuesday

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America, ballot, benjamin franklin, conservative, elect, election, faith, Founding Fathers, free, freedom, God, liberty, lincoln rogers, republic, usa, vote, voting

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Elizabeth Stampede Wins Again!

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#photography, 2022, award winning, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, cowgirls, Elizabeth, elizabeth Stampede, freelance, honored, lifestyle, lincoln rogers, medium rodeo of the year, mountain states circuit, photo, photography, rodeo, rodeo of the year, rodeo queens, rural, volunteers, west, western, winner, winning

One of my favorite rodeos — the Elizabeth Stampede in Elizabeth, CO — won the Mountain States Circuit title (again) for Rodeo of the Year, this time for the designation of Medium Rodeo of the Year.

Well deserved honor for all the good folks who put that rodeo together. Just from my vantage point of covering it for publication year in and year out since 2003, I can tell you it is a labor of love for all involved.

A group photo that includes award winning 2022 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo board members, committee members, and a host of other volunteers plus royalty and contract personnel show their pride in celebrating the 35th year since the Elizabeth, CO rodeo officially joined the PRCA. The upper photo has them holding up three fingers with each hand, while the lower photo has them holding up five fingers with each hand to signify 35 years of PRCA rodeo. ~ Image by Lincoln Rogers, 2022

Thanks for stopping by!

www.lincolnrogers.com

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32