To peruse when I manage to log into facebook again (as advised by the eff):
http://dotrights.org/what-does-facebooks-privacy-transition-mean-you
http://www.aclunc.org/issues/technology/blog/facebook_privacy_in_transition_-_but_where_is_it_heading.shtml
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/01/the-looming-facebook-privacy-fiasco/

( hints about how to hide friends list )

Some random pics of the new place for those who are interested... It looks empty until you put stuff in it...

( Read more... )

so i sold like two (ok maybe three) items at the freak bazaar. which means i have a whole bunch of leftover stuff.

i really really don't want to give it to the salvation army, because who there is going to appreciate my clubwear, industrial band tshirts, and awesome furry coats?

so. i'm going to take some photos, and post that shit here. and you must buy it. because otherwise some undeserving schmuck is going to end up with a hocico tshirt, and who wants that?

so my car is in the shop today, getting its 50,000 mile (!!) tuneup. they gave me a loaner. an audi loaner. actually, my exact car, but a year newer, with automatic transmission and the premium package instead of the sport package.

two weeks ago, my car was in the shop because the contractor who was blowing the leaves over here backed into my car on his way out. his insurance paid for a rental. a kia forte, with only 700 miles on it, automatic transmission.

the two cars could not be more different.

the kia shifted like it was being operated by a senile old man with gout and arthritis, whose timing was a little off because his reflexes were slowing down. you push the pedal down, 5 seconds later you have some juice. except, of course, when you're starting from zero. then, the torque is full on jackrabbit style, launching you 20 feet forward with the barest tap to the pedal. actually pretty dangerous, since you have to finesse it so much. the kia also had some glaring blind spots. and when you switched the transmission into "manual mode" the direction you had to shift in was the opposite of every other automatic car i have ever seen. wtf?

the audi shifts like an intelligent, well crafted machine. i can tell that it doesn't have the sport package because the suspension is a little wishy-washy going around curves. but it accelerates well, there is little to no delay in shifting when you need it, and of course everything is quite familiar because things are where i expect them to be ;)

driving the kia gave me a much better understanding of why most people are such shitty drivers. i mean, when you have a touchy but insensitive clunker like that in your hands, how can you be expected to maintain speed, start from a stop like a "normal" person, or even see the people in your blind spots?

call me an elitist, but car companies who put that kind of dreck out for the unsuspecting public to consider "good" or "sporty" (seen the commercials for the forte lately?) should be shot. everyone should drive german sports cars :D

so the neighbor's "new" dog has been coming for our evening walk with me and the d00d. she joined the community after their old dog Hunter died earlier this year from cancer (right after Jack iirc).

her name is Sandy and she is a creature of air and light. she seems to barely skim the ground as she soars over logs, races circles around The Dude, and scampers through the woods after imaginary prey.

she is also incredibly shy. she is beginning to see herself as part of my "pack" now, and will take treats from my hand, allow me to pet her for a few seconds before she runs away, and even chased after a stick i threw for her (this compared to the first time she saw me throwing a stick for The Dude and ran cowering away).

but the minute anyone else comes near, she flits away like a tiny black ghost, and sits patiently panting until the offending interloper backs off and lets her harass The Dude some more.

tonight they played for hours after dinner, rushing and feinting, nipping and dodging. several times she pretty much jumped right over Dudley ;) it was good to see him get all rambunctious again with another dog, he hasn't gotten enough of that since i moved back to VA...

but it's funny, the neighborhood dogs always seem to congregate around our house. Hunter was always over when Jessica was around, and later when Dudley and Jack joined the fold. strays always seem to find their way, though that is partially due to the fact that those numbskulls use our neighborhood as a dumping ground for puppies that have overgrown their welcome (grrr).

not sure what the point of all this is, but i felt the need to tell Sandy's story, and mark her addition to the local posse.

Sky Island and The Sea Fairies showed up and while they have their color plates and illustrations, they books are small and the plates, as a result, are utterly painful to look at.

I don't think I'll return them. But these are NOT the books my kids are getting for Christmas...

:(