My Struggles with "The Blue Empire" Business Suite

 In other news, I have not been able batch and schedule posts with video content to any of my FB or IG accounts by using the desktop version of Meta Business Suite for months. MONTHS.

Fun Fact: This is an incredibly frustrating and well-documented bug within the desktop version of Meta Business Suite. What is happening is a breakdown in Meta's desktop web uploader pipeline, which relies on a completely different API path and video-chunking protocol than the mobile app.

When you upload from the mobile app, Meta leverages the phone’s native operating system to compress and stream the video data. The desktop site, however, attempts to handle file chunking and background processing via the browser. When their video processing servers desynchronize or fail to trigger an "upload complete" token back to the browser, the script stalls entirely—leaving the video stuck and the "Next" button permanently grayed out.

Because Meta prioritizes mobile development, their desktop web infrastructure can remain broken for months for certain account clusters. While they might fix it in a future layout rollout, I cannot wait for it.

Bonus: a collection of unrelated error messages that I have encountered on my Meta adventures, which are incredibly annoying and amusing at the same time. The Blue Empire Dashboard for Business is almost completely UNUSABLE for business or any other purpose.

Thanks, but I am already using my primary profile, and you can't keep your tokens synchronized. 

Because you obviously don't have enough resources to maintain your crappy software.

Yeah, you laid off too many people, and now you don't have enough to keep the system running. That's what went wrong. 

Since I supposedly have admin access to all my pages, this should be an easy fix, but it keeps looping back to this message. That's what happens when you merge two databases with completely different structures.

Me. It was me - trying to log in. With 2FA and everything. 

It said that I could only connect one Instagram account to one page at a time, and if I want to connect a different Instagram account, I have to disconnect the other one first. So I did, and then I completely lost access to that page and couldn't recover it for DAYS. 

Boomer Utopia versus GenX Anxiety

You know how I love a good story on urban planning and generational economics?

I just watched this video about The Villages in Florida, and it completely blew my mind—but not for the reasons you might think.

The video breaks down how this massive, golf-cart-accessible retirement utopia was built, how it legally excludes families to keep its own taxes low, and the complex corporate "company town" mechanics that keep it running. It frames it as the ultimate Baby Boomer paradise, subsidized by younger generations.

But watching it left me with a really heavy heart and some complicated thoughts.

The media loves to paint the "Boomer" generation with a broad brush—assuming they’re all sitting on massive nests of home equity, sailing into the sunset. But that narrative leaves out so many people, including my own mom. She’s a Boomer, but she was entirely left out of this so-called "utopia." She relies almost entirely on Social Security, struggles constantly to cover her Medicare deductibles and copays, and still has to work a part-time bookkeeping job just to try and make ends meet (and honestly, they still don’t). I help her as much as I can, but the system is incredibly unforgiving.

As a GenXer, watching this doesn't just make me ache for my mom's daily struggles; it makes me deeply anxious for my own future. If the generation that supposedly "had it all" is seeing so many of its members slip through the cracks, what does retirement look like for the rest of us?

The video is a fascinating, eye-opening look at urban planning and generational economics, but the real takeaway for me is how broken the safety net is for ordinary people who didn't buy into a corporate paradise.

Definitely worth a watch. Let me know what you think.

Also, I have to wonder if The Villages is what "The Boroughs" on Netflix was based on, LOL.

👇
https://youtu.be/Dcv-3xErZxc?si=2RmaiFQFhsnZgxFT

Catching up on Music at Poetry Lounge

Follow me on Spotify if you would like to keep up with the latest music at Poetry Lounge. I am continuing to create monthly playlists there, and I will keep posting my end-of-year review for as long as possible. 

https://open.spotify.com/user/mirvana88

2025: Another Year of Music at Poetry Lounge

November and December were unexpectedly catastrophic, so I missed posting those playlists, but here is one for the Whole Dang Year.

Poetry Lounge saw another year of diverse and insanely talented artists. This playlist represents all genres —mostly Pittsburgh bands—but many touring acts, too. 

You can even check out some videos of performances that were recorded live at Poetry Lounge in 2025 here - https://www.youtube.com/@PoetryLoungePgh. 

Poetry Lounge Playlist for October 2025

PoetryLounge25.10 - "Season of mists"

Wed 1

Counterfeit Goods // The Pooks // Right On Warriors

Thu 2

Heinous Bienfang

Fri 3

Still Relevant* // Forgery*

Sun 5

Beach Boise, ID

Mon 6

Brian Dolzani returns w/ THE LONER: Music of Neil Young

Wed 8

Brian K & The Parkway // Rebel Revolver // The Erly

Fri 10

Rock2Stop Cancer Benefit w/ Right On Warriors // 13 Occult // Molecule Party // Egomyth

Sat 11

BADE // Normal Creatures // Mayreh

Sun 12

private event

Wed 15

Crush Curl // Scorched Waves // Toy

Thu 16

Andy Boy & the Keys to the City* // Seth Akers*

Fri 17

Royal Honey // Love Dumpster* // Amoeba Knievel

Sat 18

Terminal Intensity** // Blame the Dead Guy // Keltari // Divine Tragedy

Sun 19

Jack the Underdog // DAVVN // Whoisjaye // Ausinette

Thu 23

The Redlines // Z-Nemo & The Big Slime // Abstract Theory

Fri 24

Tender Mercy // Paul Tabachneck // Michael McCabe // Colin & the Crows

Sat 25

Slim Forsythe & The Boss Stingrays*

Sun 26

Autumn & After: Album R62elease “The Ocean Between Us” w/ special guest Justiere*

Wed 29

XGN #62

Thu 30

Devil’s Night w/ The Minks // Marsenwald* // Poster Child

Fri 31

Halloween w/ Rattle Bones // The Jaded Lips // Black Ridge

Poetry Lounge Playlist for September 2025

FRI 5

The Polkamaniacs 4 // The Jig-Offs

Sat 6

Post Traumatik // The Cheats // God’s Green Apples

Sun 7

Alex Bergan // Garrett Owen // Vinny Palese

THU 11

Joey Aich & The Head Band*

FRI 12

Drifting Strangers*

SAT 13

Creedmoors // New Kink // Forbidden Five

SUN 14

Kaston Guffey // Jake McKelvie // Julianna Warner*

MON 15

Kiss The Tiger // Her Charms*

WED 17

Caitlin Cannon // Demos Papadimas

THU 18

POETRY NIGHT: FlowPoetry // Chiina Bloodmire // Bingo Quixote

FRI 19

BombChele & The Bangs // Monsters of the Week // Redd Up Rhonda

SUN 21

Caley Conway // Rayne Blakeman // Bella Figlia

WED 24

Worlds Scariest Police Chases // American Television // Latecomer

THU 25

Special Teams // Baldy** - 

FRI 26

Nerd Alert // The Deep Casual

SAT 27

A.T.S.

That was August at Poetry Lounge

FRI 1

Smash the Sound Barrier: Dereos Roads & Jumbled w/ Sean Zuza*, Brandon Parish, The Brother’s Band*

SAT 2

Blood & Stomach Pills // The Dumplings // Sherry CD-Rom

SUN 3

Ani Mari // Vinny Palese

MON 4

LOKYE // LEXA TERRESTRIAL // MARTEZ* w/ special guests HAPPY CLOUDS - DANGO FORLAINE - KITTY KVSH DANE DOPEROCK* - CHRISJOSE* - JHASI - SKINNY G* - MIKE FATE*

WED 6

Something Missing // Carly Conroy // All My Friends Are Cats

THU 7

your deerest friends / post office winter / benny benji / the ill-fitting party*

FRI 8

Brea Fournier & the Dream Ballet // Grace Campbell // Lorelai Paige

SAT 9

Alternative Agenda*

MON 11

Brennan Edwards // Vinny Palese

WED 13

Sonoa // Mark Buffalo // Anti-Corn League // Happy Hours

THU 14

Doll Trap // Frame and Mantle // Brake Fluid

FRI 15

Ed Crawford Band // The Pooks // Creedmoors

SAT 16

Sickbed of Cú Chulainn // The Never Weres

SUN 17

MON 18

Martini Russa

WED 20

The Alex Lucero Band

FRI 22

Shel The Philosopher // Barbados Black // Samurae // Catherine Stray // Lando Ash // Faded & Jaded // Sir Lore

SAT 23

The Altered Egos

SUN 24

Shady Oaks // Tarantula Bill

MON 25

Adamantis // Iron Brigade // Emerald Rage // Legendry

WED 27

Riften Rain

FRI 29

The Denali’s // Histrionic // Stay Out

SAT 30

Hepcat Dilemma // Chris Colpo