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Oh! OH! OH!!!

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 9:46 PM
You must see this (especially [info]chernobylred and [info]siderea).

It is beauty. It's beautiful and a bit surreal in places. It is a film about architecture as art seen from the point of view of a camera. It is entirely cgi. I want it to be real.

The Third & The Seventh

The film is about 13 minutes long with music.

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State of the Goat 2009

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 1:10 PM


It's been a momentous 12 months here at LiveJournal. We crossed a capital T at Ten years young. And, like most precocious pubescents, we celebrated turning double digits by publishing our first book! Needless to say, we've experienced some major changes, both inside and out. Before we recap, we'd like to thank you for bearing with us as we've struggled through ungainly growth spurts, identity pangs, and, yes, the occasional blemish. We hope you'll continue to stand by us: We're gaining wisdom with maturity.

Stuff you liked

  • Back in February, we placed a call for entries for our ten-year anniversary anthology in [info]lj_turns10. In December (less than a year later!), we officially announced the publication of Live Journal: The First Decade. Featuring an inspired collection of writing, photographs, and artwork from the pages of LiveJournal history, the book has been selected by Blurb.com as a top staff pick! We are proud to have played host to so much talent over the years, and we thank our contributors for sharing their extraordinary work.
  • We all love quirky surprises, but not when it comes to managing our account settings. This year we streamlined settings into one central account management area. No more pouring through FAQs to figure out how to control privacy settings, modify notifications, adjust mobile settings, or update contact information!
  • Being users ourselves, we realize our own mothers couldn't find us on LiveJournal based on our usernames and userpics alone (*heaves heavy sigh of relief*). But since there are times when we actually want to be found, we created a search tool--Find Your Friends--to help locate people by email address (it's in the Friends drop-down menu).
  • Spam counter-attack: The war against vicious malware and spambots reigns eternal, but we've been making serious inroads to ensure your online security. We've established new protocols, such as requiring email address validations. We've grown more savvy about ferreting out suspicious behavior. We've added features, like whitelisting, to help you protect your communities. Our valiant (i.e., overworked) spam avengers (a/k/a the LiveJournal ops team) are standing on red alert so you can sleep safely at night.
  • After an intensive beta, we launched My Guests at the end of the year, which lets you see who's been hanging around your journal. A number of you have even discovered secret admirers (not all of whom are creepy)!
  • Last, but by no means least, we want to thank our volunteers for providing invaluable support and feedback. Their Herculean efforts enable us to answer your questions more efficiently, identify spammers, reduce abuse, and deliver better features (through tireless testing). On behalf of the staff and the larger LiveJournal community, we are truly grateful for their diligence, intelligence, loyalty, and passion.

You got your fix

  • We recently debugged a number of the oustanding issues with the rich text editor so your entries look great regardless of whether you know html. You can read more about text editors here.
  • In response to user demand, we brought back international voice posting. For more info on voice posting, read here.
  • At long last, we revived TxtLJ with Verizon. For more info on TxtLJ, check out the FAQ.

Paid features you enjoyed

  • In December, we introduced My Stats, which provides detailed data on who's been viewing your entries as well as statistics on commenting, RSS requests, friending history, and more. Despite a few early glitches, the response has been extremely favorable.
  • This year, we launched and improved Notes (i.e., the feature formerly known as Alias), which lets you add private comments on friends and commenters (it's in the Profile drop-down menu). This way you won't be caught red-faced when you strain to remember details about that wonderful LiveJournal friend who sent you a birthday vGift. For more info, read the FAQ.
  • When we first announced View friends pages by date, we thought it would be a quiet, minor enhancement. The rave reaction floored us, which made us all very happy. We gave it a fine tuning in February of 2009, so it's even better!
  • How embarrassing! It appears pingbacks have gone back to the shop for service. We’ll keep you posted. We didn't know just much you liked pingbacks until it went in for service. It's back and, judging by your irritation when it wasn't available, this is good news. FYI, pingbacks send instant notifications (via screened comments) whenever someone links to one of your entries on LiveJournal. For more info, read this entry in [info]paidmembers or check out the FAQ.

Mixed reviews

  • The search is still on. Some of you have reported getting more comprehensive results for keyword searches using the new Yandex search engine and like the ability to search within content categories (like entries or comments). Others have not been satisfied with the relevancy of search results. Please be patient. We're still tweaking this product.
  • This past December, we wanted to try out a new holiday promotion. Given the crap economy, we decided to offer our Paid/Permanent users a stack of $10 coupons to send to Basic/Plus users for paid account upgrades. We hoped you would like it. And some of you did, but many were disappointed that we didn't offer Give More as well. We want to thank you so much for letting us know. Your input will help us plan better in the future. Just FYI, Paid/Permanent users can continue to send out coupons through January 15th. Coupons can be redeemed through January 31, 2010.
  • We were pretty excited about Your Journal Your Money, which allows Paid/Permanent users to earn extra cash by displaying Google ads to Basic/Plus and logged out users. A number of you tried it. Some of you really like it. Others, not so much. (Just FYI, Paid/Permanent users who do not participate in this program will not view ads on journals. Participants will see ads on their own journal, but won't see them on other journals unless they specifically opt in.) For additional details, visit here.
  • We relaunched m.livejournal.com, our mobile app. While it offers a nicer UI and enhanced functionality, some of you think we can do better on load times. Like most of us, it's a work in progress. You can customize your mobile settings here. For more info, please read the FAQ.

Missing Inaction

  • We shudder to bring up the neon purple elephant squatting on our heads, but, yes, we didn't give you those a la carte userpics. We've been making radical improvements to our backend in order to support them. But no excuses. We know you want them. We cringe every time you mention them. We're sorry we dropped the ball on this, and we promise to do our best to get them to you in 2010.

Stumbling points

  • Back in early August, we experienced outages related to a series of DDoS attacks. We are proud to report that we were down a total of one hour over the course of a few days. We thank our heroic ops guys for getting us up sooner and more consistently than any of our less fortunate social networking friends. We apologize for leaving you temporarily stranded.
  • A couple of months back, we offered a free, unrestricted vGift, which induced a snowflake cookie avalanche. This resulted in backed up/delayed notifications, which, in turn, led us to reboot systems, rendering scrapbooks unavailable. It took a while to shovel free. Apologies for the inconvenience. We learned a valuable lesson that should keep us calamity-free in the future (fingers crossed while knocking on wood).
  • That darn Best Buy ad. First off, we're sorry about the audio auto-play (we got it turned off as quickly as possible). While it's true that we'll continue to show this type of ad to accounts that normally see them (never to Paid/Permanent accounts), we'll make sure the sound defaults to off moving forward. We promise to do our very best to keep ads to a minimum on LiveJournal, while keeping a roof over Frank's head.

Full steam ahead!

As we plunge headfirst into the next decade, we want to take a moment to look back and thank all of our employees, both past and present, who have worked so hard to create our unique and magical universe. We couldn't have made it this far without you: Your contributions brighten our path everyday. We also want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to each and every one of you. Whether you've been around for ten days or ten years, your humor, intelligence, talent, and creativity are what makes this the most vibrant global community on the Internet (the best place on the Web, in our humble opinion). Here's hoping that 2010 will be the greatest year yet! We thank you for joining us as we embark upon another glorious decade of LiveJournal history!

Adrian!

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 12:29 PM

Adrian!
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

we R so hard kore. Yo.

Bridges across....

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Trio.
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

borders?

playing with Picnik

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Nora at the goat ranch
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

I'm makin' em as I saw 'em...it was cold in there!

Note

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Planetary Vol.#4 (hardcover) is due to be released on March 2, 2010. Collects issues #19-27.

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It's been a while since I had a poll

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Poll #1508413
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 12

I am allergic to...

View Answers

drama
7 (58.3%)

work
1 (8.3%)

other people
4 (33.3%)

sunlight
2 (16.7%)

lol cats
2 (16.7%)

ranting
1 (8.3%)

winter
5 (41.7%)

polls
0 (0.0%)

Other (either see comments or "other")
4 (33.3%)



And, theoretically, since zombie bites transmit the condition to a new victim, would that mean that zombie transmission is via fluid transfer? And would that mean that, theoretically, the zombie condition could be a STD?

Yes, I did have an unpleasant morning and I want to share that with the whole Internet. Unfortunately, I did not have any zombie lol cats. *sits back and waits*

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Lights!

  • Jan. 7th, 2010 at 6:32 AM

Lights!
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

maybe this is my favorite, because it shows (almost) everyone who played - except Lori, who took this photo.

I'm all excited about free online scrapbooking through piknik now. Darnit.

Happy Birthday to Me!

  • Jan. 6th, 2010 at 12:28 PM
Since I only count my new year as starting on my birthday, I don't enact any resolutions I have (if I have any) until the day after that.

BUT, I do plan to resolve my lack of LJ posting. I still read most everyone, either quick snatches of my friends page or frantic backreading on your direct journals but I have, obviously, gotten completely out of comment and post mode. That will change!

But not starting until tomorrow! :)

the gang at Doc's house.

  • Jan. 6th, 2010 at 9:54 AM

Mexico8
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

The flute player next to me is learning the violin parts for the mariachi band. Lori played his flute with me a bit and he said "she's playing circles around me!" The teacher (with guitar, on couch) said "don't worry, Michi's playing circles around me!"

Here we are playing a church song together. It's one that Nora and Susi practiced for me (I probably transcribed it for them from a CD).
The flute player knew the song too, and he and Susi were talking about playing together at church. Awwww. The two in the back are picking it up on the fly. This is the benefit of learning by ear - no note needed!

half sized

  • Jan. 6th, 2010 at 9:26 AM

Mexico28
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

unwrapping the half sized fiddle from its backpack. (this is the one Christina Flores-Cozza donated).

I carried it around for a couple of days and ended up giving it to Susana, as the safest place I know in Mexico to keep an instrument. She'll find a deserving local student and email me about it.

Setting = http://www.ranchoelpenasco.com/
We stayed at the goat ranch again. Frida Kahlo, the leader of the dogs, announced our presence to Wenceslao, the owner. He's expanded in to RV camping this year to capitalize on the northside retiree market. It's a smart move, and a cool place. 'Ecotourism' and 'recycle' signs abound everywhere, along with Lori's favorite "broken english spoken perfectly.' We had a conversation about the recession and just a touch of politics.

On this bookshelf I noticed a newspaper from November 2008 with Obama's picture and the announcement that he won the US presidency. Then I found a play with a clown playing an invisible violin on the front. Nora and I read the play one night to entertain ourselves. I'll take a picture of that later (Wenceslao gave me a copy). The play was called "Circle, circle, for the violinist is playing!" and the violinist was a clown in a circus who cast spells on people. All very strange, but good practice for my Spanish, and something fun to do with Nora.
PS "no fumar" means no smoking.

Not a zombie post

  • Jan. 6th, 2010 at 11:13 AM
I want to chew on your brain... dig my fingers into it... feel it, touch it... curl up in it.

Those are compliments from me, big ones, but they're kinda weird. I don't say them out loud too often because I don't want to freak my intended recipient out. Those of you who I can say that to already know I think like that because I've already been rooting around in your brains, poking at stuff like a mad scientist with an alien space craft.

In short: Brrraaaaiiiinnnssss.

One thing I've learned with experience is that one way to become fascinating to someone is to be fascinated in them. But this has limits. As much as people like to be paid attention to they usually don't like being observed and examined. Something about being a bug pinned to a board makes them uncomfortable.

For every person who is thrilled with how I observe, analyse, and transform that data into appropriate action there are ten or more who just find it creepy and several who think it sucks the value right out of my actions. Truth is that I watch everything and everyone, constantly filtering, evaluating, analysing, evaluating, judging and storing/organizing/discarding. It may not always work but it isn't something I can turn off.

So I've learned to do a bit of magic.

Abracadabra! Voila! Miracles without process documentation. Let them think what they want. You do something just because you like someone, NOT because you like someone and therefore have taken the time to collect and analyse the best course of personalized action suited to that individual. Dossiers are something that spy agencies create, not friends, family, or lovers.

It's amazing the amount of magic I can do by keeping my mouth shut. Luckily for me though, those close to me don't need magic to make the world go round and seem pretty happy to let me continue on as if I might someday figure it all out. That's part of why I like them.

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Leaving the Decade Behind

  • Jan. 5th, 2010 at 10:27 PM
It's hard to believe that ten years ago, I was spending New Year's eve with my boyfriend at the time in a brand-new apartment that had been thoughtfully provided by a few close friends at the time. I had just dropped out of college and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas to try to put my lift back together after a tumultuous (and awful) two years. I remember thinking at the time that 2000 was this big scary year that could hold just about anything for me; after the flame-out of my college career (which never recovered), I was frightened but ready for what was coming.

The next decade took me through three failed relationships, the discovery of Buddhism, dalliances with witchcraft and totemism and such, lots of bizarre experiences and a few even more tumultuous times. Finally, it took me to California, and the love of my life, with whom I've built quite a lovely existence.

As we enter 2010 I'm staring down my thirties. I can't say I'm uncomfortable with this; unlike so many people around me I actually enjoy the process of getting older, discovering all the things that my older friends and parents' generation gets excited about -- the thrill of building a nest, of establishing yourself in a community, of settling in to who you are and where you fit. I may get an itch in ten years to throw away the comfort and stability I've created for myself; who knows what the next decade will bring. I'm mostly excited, though, and a little nervous about what's in store.

This year I'd like to focus on integrating everything I've learned over the last ten years, having all of the progress I've made come to fruition. I'd like to take better care of myself, stand up for what I think is important and display my identity more. At this point I think I have a much better handle on myself, and I can be comfortable in those instances where what I love and believe in offends (or just bores) the people I come into contact with. There's a way I can co-exist with people who don't share my passions, and I don't begrudge anyone for it.

It's amazing the security that Prozac can bring, by the way. This stuff is great. ;)

So who am I? What have I learned? What are the things that I've come to care about?

Well, that's what I'll be thinking a lot about over the year, hopefully. Right now, I have three main resolutions on my agenda.

1. Exercise more.
2. Write more.
3. Spend less.

Hrm

  • Jan. 5th, 2010 at 5:01 PM
Reasons why My Stats/My Guests does not make me Happy:

1) That little problem with the stats changing when the page is refreshed? Yeah. Still not fixed. My complaint wasn't even acknowledged. And now 2009 has a tendency of disappearing all toghether. Therefore, I can't trust the numbers.

2) Huh? What does that mean? The stats being displayed are often confusing as to what they are actually measuring. I'm still uncertain what stats apply to people who have actually visited my page. Therefore, I can't understand the numbers.

3) What time is it? It is only explained on the main stats page what time zone the date/times are in. Other pages with date/times do not indicate the time zone. There is no way at all to change the time zone to something useful to me. The helpful time zone conversion page leads to an external page. Therefore, I can't easily determine what time/date it is.

4) Unknown user, unknown user, unknown user? At the time of typing my My Guests page has only 3 (of 20) identified users on it. While giving the option to opt out was the right decision from an ethical standpoint it rendered the function practically useless. Therefore, I can't determine who has been visiting (other than a few people).

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Jan. 5th, 2010

  • 2:09 PM
I want to do a few short writing exercises (ie finger-brain warm-ups). Could somebody(s) give me a prompt? (ie bunch of words, topic, safe-for work pic, sentence, etc)


Listening to: "Sweeping Romance" by Prozzak

things that make me happy...

  • Jan. 5th, 2010 at 6:52 AM

things that make me happy...
Originally uploaded by sneetchie

Cup Kozy from the awesome Jen, and my ring wrapped with ribbon so it stays back on my finger. Plus, Contents = coffee!!!! I was up way too late last night murdering the Nutcracker. Muahahaha

Dreaming of a what?

  • Jan. 5th, 2010 at 8:23 AM
In general, I don't attribute specific interpretive meaning to my dreams. I consider them to be the "empty trash" function of my brain and rarely remember them. Nightmares are different. Those rarely come with imagery and plug right into the emotional bits that tell me to run screaming away from the night. They are almost exclusively indicators of the leading edge of depression or extreme stress. They are indicators of physical issues (much like sex dreams).

Bad dreams... I'm not sure what to make of bad dreams. Those are the ones I wake up from and can still remember but they leave an icky, uncomfortable feeling in my mind. Sometimes they make sense, like having the bug dream after looking at that horrible picture or incorporating various explanations for real physical discomfort, but most of the time they don't make any sense at all. They are the baby brother of Nightmares. Creatures that follow their older sibling around, imitating him but not quite getting it right such that instead of Hell Hounds you get a determined little dog peeing on your leg.

I've been having bad dreams lately. I'm not sure why but I'm blaming slightly elevated agitation, slight physical discomfort, and going back to work. It's the best excuse for why I dreamed of being tethered by my ankle to a hospital bed in a maze-like Nortel compound with a pleasant orderly who's blackberry I stole to escape after having previously smuggled people in and out of a ritzy government hotel by using rugs and stolen ID or something, I'm a bit unclear on what I was actually doing. There was more but it's drifted off.

[Apparently I'm a super spy in my dreams... I'm sure it means nothing. Forget it. Seriously, forget it. Or my dream people will have to go visit your dream people and the result is sure to be nothing but explosions.]

I'd plunder my dreams for story ideas but frankly they don't have sufficient quality (see what happened with Twilight) for decent stories. Daydreams are much much better for that. (Those end up with magical human cockroaches and polymorph dragons. Clearly superior.) So, that leaves me heading off to work feeling "ick" and wishing for a heat ray (because it's winter out there... you'd think I'd have more bad dreams about winter but no, obviously my subconscious has given up on that).

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Homepage Spotlight 1/04/10

  • Jan. 4th, 2010 at 2:38 PM
[info]2amtomorning
If you find yourself at the crossroads of insomnia and insanity, this is the place to channel those demons that keep you sleepless. Vivid pictures, poetry, ruminations, and confessions from the nether hours between dusk and dawn. Originally formed to celebrate the city at night, there's a strong urban theme.


I'm an award-winning movie critic, playwright, actor and director.

My work has appeared in publications ranging from the New Times weeklies (where I was a staff writer for several years) to USA Today, from Phoenix Magazine and Wrangler News and the East Valley Tribune to the Erie Times-News, Seattle Times and Detroit Metro Times to Rewind Magazine.

I'm that rare example of a living poet who has had a sonnet published in Weird Tales.

Born in Erie, PA, I've lived in Phoenix, AZ, for more than a decade, and have written for much of the city's print media.

I've acted in theatre productions in six states and the District of Columbia, and appear for about six seconds as an extra (a prison guard) in the John Waters film Cry-Baby.

I directed Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at Southwest Shakespeare Festival, and a short film called Holding Back the Dawn, based on a short story by my friend Barry Graham.

I was host of Another Saturday Night, a pop culture and film review show on KTAR radio.

I have produced, directed and acted in radio plays that have been heard on KTAR and the Sun Sounds Radio service, and my original radio play Scorpion City was staged live in 2005 at the Arizona Biltmore as part of the Phoenix area NPR affiliates' "Summer To-Do" series.
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