With my move to Dreamwidth, I got a burr under my saddle this morning to go through and do a deep clean-up of my LiveJournal friends list--mostly, I removed all the RSS feeds and all the communities I no longer read or participate in, but I also unfollowed a bunch of accounts for people I know haven't been around for, in most cases, years.
If anyone feels I dropped them off in error, feel free to comment here and I'll re-evaluate my decision.
Otherwise, I encourage everyone to follow me over on Dreamwidth at https://alix.dreamwidth.org/
If anyone feels I dropped them off in error, feel free to comment here and I'll re-evaluate my decision.
Otherwise, I encourage everyone to follow me over on Dreamwidth at https://alix.dreamwidth.org/
With the recent change to LiveJournal's hosting, the new TOS and it's strictures, I've decided to finally leave the LJ nest and move my posting host over to Dreamwidth.org. It's really weird, because I've been here since August 2001 (nearly 16 years).
If you want to find me, I'm alix there (I managed to get in early enough to get my preferred net-name :> ).
I've migrated all my old posts, friends lists, etc. already, so if you continue to use LJ, I think you'll be able to access things there. Also, I'll be allowing Dreamwidth to cross-post here and supporting comments made here, although I might, sometime in the future, turn comments off here so I don't have to keep up with two different inboxes. (If/when that happens, LJ users can comment on Dreamwidth posts using OpenID).
OR, if you also have a Dreamwidth account (or decide to make the move as well), shoot me an invite. If we're mutuals here, I'll add you back there. :D I found the migration utility Dreamwidth has set up is dead simple and will schlorp over everything* (* - as long as your DW account can accomodate frex the number of icons you have).
If you want to find me, I'm alix there (I managed to get in early enough to get my preferred net-name :> ).
I've migrated all my old posts, friends lists, etc. already, so if you continue to use LJ, I think you'll be able to access things there. Also, I'll be allowing Dreamwidth to cross-post here and supporting comments made here, although I might, sometime in the future, turn comments off here so I don't have to keep up with two different inboxes. (If/when that happens, LJ users can comment on Dreamwidth posts using OpenID).
OR, if you also have a Dreamwidth account (or decide to make the move as well), shoot me an invite. If we're mutuals here, I'll add you back there. :D I found the migration utility Dreamwidth has set up is dead simple and will schlorp over everything* (* - as long as your DW account can accomodate frex the number of icons you have).
(Don't go looking for it, there wasn't one of these for January)
This is a phrase that tends to go through my head a lot. Mostly whenever I encounter homeless people. It's an attempt to remind myself that I shouldn't be complacent, that all it would take is a managerial decision for me to be laid off, fired, or whatever clever euphemism my company is using to refer to it this time to not say those words and potentially wind up in their position.
It's a fear--a real fear--but it's also a reminder of my privilege. That I'm not on the street. I have a job, a house, a car, I can pay my bills and still have money leftover. I'm comfortable. At the moment, I'm safe. Ish.
Not everyone in the world is.
That basic empathy is, I think, on full demonstration right now, with the protests over the Muslim travel ban, but so, too, is its antagonist, callousness. Indifference.
One hundred and fifty years later, and things haven't changed much.
The last two weeks have been seismic. Weekly protests. Congress people joining the protests. The Secretary of Homeland Security finding out about an executive order pertaining to his department as the order is being signed on television. The Acting Attorney General being fired for having the guts to say a presidential executive order is, in her studied opinion, undefendable. A five year old child being separated from their families and left to go hungry because they might be a terrorist. Executive branch organizations ignoring court orders. The enforcement branch of the judicial branch refusing to comply, saying they answer to an executive branch department. Most of the State Department leadership being gutted before the Secretary of State is even confirmed. The government issuing bald-faced, easily reputed lies and doubling down when confronted with this fact. The German Chancellor having to explain the Geneva Convention to our sitting president as if he's a teenager in his first Civics class. The governments of our allies openly questioning that relationship.
The problem is, there are so many people in this country who are going: "Good."
I have never been so political in my life as I've been these two weeks.
This isn't unique, but I'm finding it difficult to have self-discipline to pace myself. This is a problem I've been wrestling with for the last couple of years, the current political climate is not helping at all. Some articles have mentioned the concern of "resistance fatigue", that this may become a marathon, not a sprint, and that suggests endurance. The protests burn bright and hot now, but will the collective we have the fuel to keep it up over months? Or years? That may be what it takes.
I thought about writing more about this...but, for now, I'll leave it here. I'm not done thinking. I'm not done writing. But what I am doing is trying to force downtime. To find those quiet moments where I step away, to let the energy tank be restored, so I can continue on tomorrow.
I feel very strongly that we're at a watershed moment of history. I wonder how many people realize, when they're in one, that they are?
It's a fear--a real fear--but it's also a reminder of my privilege. That I'm not on the street. I have a job, a house, a car, I can pay my bills and still have money leftover. I'm comfortable. At the moment, I'm safe. Ish.
Not everyone in the world is.
That basic empathy is, I think, on full demonstration right now, with the protests over the Muslim travel ban, but so, too, is its antagonist, callousness. Indifference.
"...it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?"
"Plenty of prisons..."
"And the Union workhouses." demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"Both very busy, sir..."
"Those who are badly off must go there."
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
One hundred and fifty years later, and things haven't changed much.
The last two weeks have been seismic. Weekly protests. Congress people joining the protests. The Secretary of Homeland Security finding out about an executive order pertaining to his department as the order is being signed on television. The Acting Attorney General being fired for having the guts to say a presidential executive order is, in her studied opinion, undefendable. A five year old child being separated from their families and left to go hungry because they might be a terrorist. Executive branch organizations ignoring court orders. The enforcement branch of the judicial branch refusing to comply, saying they answer to an executive branch department. Most of the State Department leadership being gutted before the Secretary of State is even confirmed. The government issuing bald-faced, easily reputed lies and doubling down when confronted with this fact. The German Chancellor having to explain the Geneva Convention to our sitting president as if he's a teenager in his first Civics class. The governments of our allies openly questioning that relationship.
The problem is, there are so many people in this country who are going: "Good."
I have never been so political in my life as I've been these two weeks.
This isn't unique, but I'm finding it difficult to have self-discipline to pace myself. This is a problem I've been wrestling with for the last couple of years, the current political climate is not helping at all. Some articles have mentioned the concern of "resistance fatigue", that this may become a marathon, not a sprint, and that suggests endurance. The protests burn bright and hot now, but will the collective we have the fuel to keep it up over months? Or years? That may be what it takes.
I thought about writing more about this...but, for now, I'll leave it here. I'm not done thinking. I'm not done writing. But what I am doing is trying to force downtime. To find those quiet moments where I step away, to let the energy tank be restored, so I can continue on tomorrow.
I feel very strongly that we're at a watershed moment of history. I wonder how many people realize, when they're in one, that they are?
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
#WeThePeople pic.twitter.com/xTEN36qsHs
— Nicole Chase (@SpaceAgNicole) January 20, 2017
Today was a momentous day today; I honestly can't remember a presidential inaugration so burned into my memory this way. I find it deeply ironic that is pouring buckets here in California, a state that has pledged to resist "any effort that would shred our social fabric or our Constitution.".
On one hand, I feel like I should've taken today off of work, because it's been hard to focus; on the other hand, it's been cathartic participating in the upswell of black humor and defiance washing through my Twitter timeline today, and at home, I'd probably be dwelling on it too much.
On a sidenote, it's been really nice, this time around, to find myself on the same side of the political fence as an internet acquaintance/one of my first PAX East roomies. I still vividly remember getting into it with her on Twitter during the 2012 election because she was blaming Obama for a bunch of shit he had no control over (sounding like a typical Republican while doing so). I spent four years on metaphorical eggshells that something I might say or retweet might spark another confrontation.
This past year, she's been a vocal opponent of Trump, his policies, and his shenanigans, and every time she posts something that I see or retweets something I shared, it's like a burst of happy warmth.
But happy birthday to Ted and former Doctor and current Star Wars: Rebel guest voice star, Tom Baker, and this image someone shared on Twitter:
Happy 83rd birthday, Tom Baker! Thank you for the hat, the scarf, and a thousand moments like this one. #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/z6c7IXj1wv
— Penny Goodman (@pjgoodman) January 20, 2017
Last year, I had this brainwave for a deco for my room: faux stained glass windows made from shadow box frames with stained glass decals backed by led lights. I'd seen some on Etsy that I really loved and I thought it would be pretty for a wall I don't have much art on.
Fast forward to this week, where I've been poking at it more seriously, and I've run into a bit of a snag. I'll save y'all the journey to get to this point, but here are the options I'm looking at:
1. Buy made-to-size decals from DecorativeFilm.com
PROS: They'll exactly fit the shadow box/frame I want to use (9"x9" Ribba frames)
CONS: They're a lot more expensive than I was expecting ($31-34 per decal, not including the $10 price of the frames) and I'm not totally in love with the available patterns.
2. Buy 'rose window' decals from OShardsofColorO on Etsy.
PROS: They're inexpensive (only $10 per) and I love the look of them
CONS: They only measure 8"x8" (meaning I'll have to make up an inch somewhere) and I don't know if I love two enough to put in my room (and my mind is set on two)
(Alternatively, I might be able to get away with using a 7 3/4"x9 3/4" frame and one of the half-size ones for $20, but there's still the problem of not wanting to do two of them, especially at that size)
3. Find Creative Commons-okay images of stained glass I like and print them out on transparency film
PROS: Likely cheaper, a lot of printing businesses (like Kinko's) will do transparency printing, and I could make sure I love the images
CONS: I might not be able to find images I love appropriate for it
4. Paint my own
PROS: Satisfies my DIY crafty itch
CONS: Start-up cost would be prohibitive, as the paint I found that isn't cheap shit is pricey (pricey enough to make #1 feasible if we're comparison shopping) and I'd be limited to some extent on my subject matter since I'm not a great line artist
To be honest, I'm waffling between #2 and #4. Painting my own is appealing because I'd love to learn how to do it, but then I'd be left with all these supplies leftover and what do I do with them? (Unless I was to try to continue making stuff and selling it on Etsy, but I'm not a good enough original artist to do that). I reaaaaaaaally want to do #2 (the Star Wars one, OMG), but I'd have edging to compensate for...which I could do with the paint, and I wouldn't necessarily need as many colors so it wouldn't be as expensive.
So, tell me, what would you do?
Fast forward to this week, where I've been poking at it more seriously, and I've run into a bit of a snag. I'll save y'all the journey to get to this point, but here are the options I'm looking at:
1. Buy made-to-size decals from DecorativeFilm.com
PROS: They'll exactly fit the shadow box/frame I want to use (9"x9" Ribba frames)
CONS: They're a lot more expensive than I was expecting ($31-34 per decal, not including the $10 price of the frames) and I'm not totally in love with the available patterns.
2. Buy 'rose window' decals from OShardsofColorO on Etsy.
PROS: They're inexpensive (only $10 per) and I love the look of them
CONS: They only measure 8"x8" (meaning I'll have to make up an inch somewhere) and I don't know if I love two enough to put in my room (and my mind is set on two)
(Alternatively, I might be able to get away with using a 7 3/4"x9 3/4" frame and one of the half-size ones for $20, but there's still the problem of not wanting to do two of them, especially at that size)
3. Find Creative Commons-okay images of stained glass I like and print them out on transparency film
PROS: Likely cheaper, a lot of printing businesses (like Kinko's) will do transparency printing, and I could make sure I love the images
CONS: I might not be able to find images I love appropriate for it
4. Paint my own
PROS: Satisfies my DIY crafty itch
CONS: Start-up cost would be prohibitive, as the paint I found that isn't cheap shit is pricey (pricey enough to make #1 feasible if we're comparison shopping) and I'd be limited to some extent on my subject matter since I'm not a great line artist
To be honest, I'm waffling between #2 and #4. Painting my own is appealing because I'd love to learn how to do it, but then I'd be left with all these supplies leftover and what do I do with them? (Unless I was to try to continue making stuff and selling it on Etsy, but I'm not a good enough original artist to do that). I reaaaaaaaally want to do #2 (the Star Wars one, OMG), but I'd have edging to compensate for...which I could do with the paint, and I wouldn't necessarily need as many colors so it wouldn't be as expensive.
So, tell me, what would you do?
explosiontime): Taiwanese meat sauce with Rice (Lu Rou Fan)chibimiji): Taiwanese cold noodles...but the Sharks beat the Blues last night in Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference Finals, and are one win away from winning the series and moving on to the Stanley Cup.
In their 25 year history, they have never led a WCF series--and I should know, because I was at all the home games for the previous three times they've been there.
This has been an amazing playoff year and I'm sad it's finally happening long after I had to give up on season tickets because they were too expensive.
In their 25 year history, they have never led a WCF series--and I should know, because I was at all the home games for the previous three times they've been there.
This has been an amazing playoff year and I'm sad it's finally happening long after I had to give up on season tickets because they were too expensive.
https://forums.galaxy-of-heroes.starwars.ea.com/discussion/29985/raids-preview
I'm going to be forming a Guild Sunday night, soon as the update drops, comprised of my RL and Internet friends who are playing; many of us are level 70+ and active players. There's a max-member cap of 50, but I think we should be well under that.
If you'd like in, leave me a comment and DM me your Ally code just in case that's what's needed to invite. Since I don't know what is necessary to invite, I may have to come back to you for more information.
(aelfsciene, ebonlock, elo_sf, esmerel: I've already accounted for you :P )
Or, if I'm not currently Ally's with you, you can still DM me with your Ally code and I'll friend you. :)
I'm going to be forming a Guild Sunday night, soon as the update drops, comprised of my RL and Internet friends who are playing; many of us are level 70+ and active players. There's a max-member cap of 50, but I think we should be well under that.
If you'd like in, leave me a comment and DM me your Ally code just in case that's what's needed to invite. Since I don't know what is necessary to invite, I may have to come back to you for more information.
(
aelfsciene, ebonlock, elo_sf, esmerel: I've already accounted for you :P )Or, if I'm not currently Ally's with you, you can still DM me with your Ally code and I'll friend you. :)
Nothing like coming into work having not been the California resident who will share in the $1.5 billion Power Ball lottery (although I did match 1 number--perhaps a new record for me), facing doing a performance review at work (late), managing to spill coffee all down my front (as well as my desk and the floor), and then discovering Alan Rickman died today.
Seriously. Fuck the world. I wish I could just stay in bed all week.
Seriously. Fuck the world. I wish I could just stay in bed all week.
http://makeit.netflix.com/#step1
The patterns themselves are, at first blush, interesting, until you discover that it's all duplicate stitch. Ha. Hahahaha. (No). But the electronic part of it is an interesting concept and worth sharing.
Sometimes a show is so good, you just can’t stop. And the next thing you know, zzzzz. Netflix socks detect when you’ve dozed off and send a signal to your TV, automatically pausing your show. Never again will you binge-watch yourself to sleep, only to wake up two seasons later wondering what happened.
The patterns themselves are, at first blush, interesting, until you discover that it's all duplicate stitch. Ha. Hahahaha. (No). But the electronic part of it is an interesting concept and worth sharing.
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