Photo Restoration Group

 I love history. I also love looking at pictures. Not just paintings. Photographs too. I love the way they capture random moments. Special times. And love lost. Somewhere in a box beneath my mother's bed there's a sepia tinged photograph of my grandfather as a baby. That photograph is more than a hundred years old, and - thank goodness - it remains in fairly good shape, for its age. Scrolling through the posts here made me think my own keepsakes - and those of family members. Each photo shared here is irreplaceable. Some are weathered, creased, faded or sun stained. Some are just blurry - poor representations of the memories they hold. Some are spoiled by accidental photo-bombs. Whatever may be that niggling reason for a snapshot being less than perfect, the wonderfully generous members of this Facebook group lovingly apply their skill and their magic to retouch and repair all those special photos that tell stories of a thousand words or more. Some of the resulting images are nothing short of amazing. If nothing else, this space is also a welcome antidote to the soulless manifestations of AI generation apps. 

Members: 314k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

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IT Humor and Memes (UNCENSORED)

Calling all geeks and nerds and tech wannabees. Here's your water-cooler. A not-quite-safe space to snigger at those ubiquitous Windows Updates, the short-sightedness of corporate culture, the humorous side of connectivity woes and even some hilariously insane idiot hacks (that have zero chance of working). Share your nostalgia for classic operating systems such as Windows XP or donate your two cents on those endless Windows vs Linux debates. Your frustrations relating to chargers, cables, search engines and the inevitable left-over screws. Dream about the gaming gadgets of the future, speculate on how automatic passwords are generated or pontificate on the benefits of double monitors. 

Members: 836.2k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Don't advertise your ignorance.

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Red Dead Redemption Photography

When you look at the gorgeous scenery, a fascinating cast of non-player characters, real-world climate and ecosystem and immersive sound design, it's easy to see why Red Dead Redemption and its pre-quel Red Dead Redemption 2 has such a loyal following. With a development path that took five years to bring the game to fruition, Red Dead Redemption became one of the most expensive games of its time but sold around 15 million units worldwide. The game's genre is the closing days of the Wild West, but there are interesting side features such as a hunt for Bigfoot or even a flirtation with zombies. On the Red Dead Redemption Photography Facebook group, you can share aspects of your gameplay and individual character experiences with like-minded enthusiasts. You can share the places you explore, your hunting triumphs and character portraits. Show snapshots of beautiful sunsets or moonlight rides. Showing off horses is also popular. There's even a tip on a feature that allows you to keep your old horse as a secondary horse when you upgrade mounts and a music video. 

Members: 123.4k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Some digital violence

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Matrix Mysteries

I have a confession to make. Glitches in the Matrix fascinate me. And I'm not talking about whether Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s or in 2013, or whether a certain brand has changed their logo or not. What really interests me, are the personal stories, because they hint at hidden truths beyond the confines of our own universe. These are the posts that proliferate in Matrix Mysteries. Homes that seem to shift in and out of reality. Weirdly person-specific micro-climates. Ambient sounds that inexplicably go quiet. Personal objects that don't behave the way they should. Private thoughts and observations that bleed through into the physical world. Ghost pets and ghostly co-residents. Even near-death or real-death experiences that result in a reset of reality or the formation of eerie portals in the wilderness. But there are also posts that challenge your perceptions or wake you up to previously unimagined possibilities. Here you will find a truly mind-blowing collection of crowd-sourced enigmas. 

Members: 791.1k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: Avoid, if you are not into the paranormal.

Go here to visit or join. 

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Scotland's Turntable

 In a bygone era, musical discoverability was an easy thing - if you had money to burn and the ear of an influential program director or two. Some bands and artists ran up the charts with almost supernatural dexterity and a seemingly permanent exemption from the laws of gravity. Others played their hearts out and it was never enough. Today, new platforms have made it both easier and harder to get noticed. Algorithms analyze your choices on platforms like Spotify and YouTube to craft new suggestions. But sometimes good old word of mouth survives in hallowed spaces such as this Facebook group which combines nostalgic vinyl imagery with song suggestions. It's an elegant fusion of past obsessions conquering new horizons. Music varies from the eclectic, mystical pop of Kate Bush, the gritty realism of Tom Waits, hard rocking Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult and Scorpions, Marillion to the electronic work of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and Ultravox. As expected, there's a fair amount of eighties Britpop classics and rarities, but there are also new vinyl re-issues and limited editions featured. I loved seeing records in non-standard colors or even picture disks. In a few cases, even the label art was beautiful. And occasionally something truly obscure gets to be aired again.

Members: 34.1k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

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Dance Accepts Everyone

Founder Adam Boreland created the dance-positive Facebook Group Dance Accepts Everyone in response to a news anchor's comment about Prince George's ballet lessons. According to an online biography, Adam is a highly trained professional dancer who has taken on principal roles in productions of Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Moulin Rouge and Peter Pan. From the perspective of someone with zero training in dance like myself, Adam's beautiful dexterity and grace seems almost super-human and impossible to achieve, but his infectious joy opens the door for anyone to join in. There is a somewhat humorous clip of a high kick gone wrong and the triumph of a smiling, tap-dancing granny of almost 102. A sinuously emotive sidewalk performance. A vintage Audrey Hepburn clip. Catch Adam himself live for his inspiring Monday Motivation sessions. Other posts highlight the way dancing informs other aspects of lives. Its ability to heal and rejuvenate. The way dance celebrates the union of music and movement.

Members: 412.2k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

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Windmills

In the arid Karoo of South Africa, windmills are lifelines, to supply scarce water to man and beast. They also serve as lone landmark in a landscape that seems almost featureless. One could almost say that they emphasize the atmosphere of desolation. But they can also be found in Namibia, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Iowa, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya. In the American Great Plains, windmills transformed the terrain from desert to breadbasket of the nation. Penong in Southern Australia features 20 restored windmills as a roadside attraction. Dutch windmills are a completely different kettle of salted herring, partly because they fulfill a different function. Shorter and stockier, the iconic windmills of the Netherlands serve to take charge of an over-abundance of water, in a country that is partially below sea level. From the Middle Ages, mills stood at the heart of a community's economic activity, used in the production of flour, mustard, snuff, cocoa, oil, chalk and even paint. They can even be used for communication - the position of the sails can be used to share important messages such as deaths, weddings or even warnings during time of warfare. If you know of a windmill you'd like to share with the world, this Facebook group is the platform to show it.

Members: 67k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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