It's PWT time, bitches!! Warning for blood and bleeped swearing. Oh, and the word "dick". Maybe PG-13 this week?

Plastic!Winchester Theater 05.02

On Saturday the 14th at 4AM UTC/GMT we will be upgrading the operating system of our network load balancers to a newer version, one that will allow us to use both CPUs! Nifty, because multiprocessing is nice.

Since we have 2 load balancers, the plan is to upgrade 1 at a time, and there really should be very little impact to our website. Hopefully you won't notice a thing and I'll get to go back to the hotel and watch some wonderful late night infomercials.

We've got a lot of exciting projects coming up for 2010 and we're hoping that we'll be able to deliver them all to you, that you will find it useful/cool/lovely and then you will use the site even more. Behind-the-scenes work like this will give us the capacity to handle the anticipated traffic, so expect a few more maintenance windows especially in the beginning of next year as we've got some neat ideas to improve performance around here! We had the recent 30-45 minute outage yesterday due to one of our logging databases filling up disk space -- not so great design coupled with my human error in handling the initial problem -- and it looks like we're going to finally have some resources to eliminate stuff like that. I can't wait!

As usual, I will be updating status.livejournal.org before and after, just in case you are not able to reach our main website during the work.

1) New PWT tonight. I have to fix one plot hole my beta pointed out and BOOM. Done.

2) I have been working far too hard these past few days. I've only glanced at my FList and barely have time to even poke my head online. *dramatic sigh* We did nail down the hotel for winchestmidwest in March 2010 and posted that info over at the comm yesterday. My sister has the flu and thinks that's an excuse for not updating our website. WHAT. A. WHINER.

3) I like Michael Bublé. I think that's something everyone should know.

Our work QotD today is: The world is a mirror. Smile and the world will smile back. Someone has been reading too many fortune cookies. Good advice, none the less!

What I remember most about the Berlin Wall falling is that Alvin and the Chipmunks had an episode where they destroyed the wall with just the power of their song. We had the episode on Beta tape(!!!) and Reese and I must have listened to it 80 billion times until we learned all the words. We then sang it for YEARS. It was our go-to political song.



I STILL KNOW ALL OF THE WORDS.

Far from the battle
Far from war
We've got to look
For an open door
All of us working
All of us searching for peace.

We dream of a time when we all are one
Clinging to hope under earth's bright sun
So lets get together
Things will be better if we try
Hear our cry!

Someday the pain of war will be healed
Someday we'll mean and speak what we feel
Let the wall come down
Tumble to the ground
And love will live in peace all around

So lets raise our voice
So they all can hear
Over the wall
They will raise a cheer
All of us clinging
All of us singing the cry
We will try!

Someday the pain of war will be healed
Someday we'll mean and speak what we feel
Let the wall come down
Tumble to the ground
And love will live in peace all around
Let the wall come down
Tumble to the ground
And love will live in peace all around.

And since this aired before the wall actually came down, you still can't convince me this isn't how it happened. *word*

sixwordstories
Whether you're in the mood for a creative challenge or you're short on time or attention span, this semi-addictive community is perfect for those who find flash fiction way long. Once you get the hang of it, you won't be able to stop. The prince turned into a frog. The girl ran home to mother. Tough to write. Easy to read. It's a double threesome of fun.

dailyfoodie
Delicious, ambitious, and occasionally nutritious dishes make for an eclectic, all-you-can-eat feast. Whether you're searching for recipes for your next dinner party or you're jonesing for a late-night brownie fix, your cravings are sure to be well sated. A warm and inclusive community that welcomes all orientations, from carnivores to vegans, from gourmands to junk-food junkies. Guaranteed bias-free, food-positive, and pan-epicurian.

( 05.08 Changing Channels )

ETA: And WHO was the actress at the beginning of the episode? The one who's husband was killed by the Incredible Hulk? She looked incredibly familiar and it is BUGGING me. /ETA

Okay, I will give my Flist first crack at this. For the Creation Convention held in Chicago next weekend I'm selling...

A Single Jared Padalecki Photo Op (Ticket #68) for $90 SOLD!!!

A Single Jensen Ackles Photo Op (Ticket #69) for $90. SOLD!!!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PURCHASE BOTH, CAN JUST BUY ONE OR THE OTHER (OR BOTH).

Both boys are scheduled to be at the convention on Sunday, November 15, 2009. Photo Op Tickets do not include admission to the convention, and you must have an admission ticket (or package) to enter photo ops.

I will be at the convention on Friday and we'll make arrangements for you to pick up the ticket. CASH ONLY FOR PAYMENT. If you have any questions, please contact me (anteka at livejournal.com) This is literally a first come, first serve basis! I didn't feel right putting it up on eBay, and hopefully this way someone who has never had the chance for a photo op will get one at a reasonable price. :)

Thanks, guys!

The empire strikes back

In recent weeks, we've taken huge steps towards blocking spam accounts on LiveJournal. In fact, we've suspended as many as 30,000 accounts in a single day! We've implemented several pre-emptive measures to prevent the creation of spam accounts, and we've honed our detection of suspicious content. Spam bots are a crafty lot, so we'll continue to refine our tactics and keep up the good fight to keep you safe from spam attacks on LiveJournal.

RSS feeds again

If you're addicted to xkcd_rss, icanhaschzbrgr, or other syndicated feeds, we're pleased to report that we've resolved the update error that was mucking up your RSS feeds. While content was being pulled correctly, it wasn't being posted to the feeds themselves. Late last week, we finally nailed down what we hope was the root problem, so content should post properly. We thank you for your patience.

Wii have killer CSI Deadly Intent contests!

c_s_i

If you're a gamer who loves CSI, have Wii got news for you! c_s_i is sponsoring killer contests. Simply post a question to a member of the CSI crew. The winner will get a free copy of CSI: Deadly Intent for Nintendo Wii (with a retail value of $39.99) and get their question answered by a member of the CSI writing team! There's also a fantastic monthly contest. To enter, join c_s_i, play the online version of CSI: Deadly Intent, and respond to a two-part query for a chance to win a Wii! Entries will be judged on composition and originality. Sorry, but you must be a U.S. resident and over 18 years old to participate. Check out the rules here.

Enveloped in postcards

Last week, we asked you to send in postcards to help us decorate our drab concrete walls. Here's a photo of the results so far! Thank you so much and please keep them coming! You can mail them to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. Be sure to include your username, since we'll be giving ten random users paid account credits.

Photos of the week

If you haven't visited our new LiveJournal photo community, you're in for an amazing visual trip. LiveJournal users from around the world will take you on a scenic journey to everywhere. Post your own pictures or kick back and enjoy at lj_photophile. You can view some of this week's awesome photos after the jump. Please start tagging with geographic location, since we'd like to track all the places around the world represented in this community. Keep on commenting too!
( Read more... )

After driving around for fifteen minutes trying to decide on the best spot to watch the motorcade, we finally settled on Rusk Rd, a frontage road that runs right next to the Beltline.

( Once in a lifetime. )

Obama is in Madison today giving a talk to Wright Middle School on education. They're shutting down the Beltline - THE FRICKIN' BELTLINE - for his visit, along with a number of other overpasses and roads. This is the first visit of an active president to Madison since Truman. o_O We're heading out to see if we can catch the motorcade after lunch. \o/

So who is coming to Chicago for the Creation Con next weekend? I know I got my girls writing_light and jaimsie (PARTY PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE SAY WHAT??!!??!) on Thursday night, who else is going to be around? I'm only there on Friday, I have a dress fitting on Saturday back in Madison that I can't miss.

If you need me I'll be the one in the back of the room playing with Barbies and trying not to get kicked out by a certain self-important volunteer. :P

This is my new favorite picture of the Zefron.


WHEEEEEE!! I can FLYYYYYYY!!!!

Also, how much do I adore that he and The Tis still have lunch together? I LOVE THEM TOGETHER SOOOO MUCH.



They are OTP.

aiyatheydidnt
The Chinese version of ONTD, AIYA is a dynamic international community that welcomes users who share a love of contemporary Chinese pop culture. Dedicated to celebrity gossip and entertainment news, you'll enjoy gorgeous photos and breaking stories featuring the glitterati of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

wendylady2
Designed to rescue fashion victims everywhere, this Brit-based community reads like a rag-ezine. Published once or twice weekly, you'll view bizarre highlights of the global fashion scene through captivating photos and delightfully snarky editorial. Sit tight for a virtual fashion tour from the runways of New York to Milan to Paris and back home again to London in homage to the adage: you can't buy good taste.