Felt cranky and useless today. This may be a direct followup to my OAC post of yesterday. Managed to start a new story this morning, but realized within 2 pages that I wasn't quite on-track. Needs a little more time in the barrel. I know the Who, and I know the Where, and I even know the What and the Why, but I'm not quite sure on the How, yet.

Decided maybe I needed to just step away from the to-do list. Took to the sofa with a book, cocoa, and cats. The book was one I've been meaning to read for a while (a friend's first book) and I liked it but wasn't crazy about it (and so will not name it here but said author does not read here so odds are it's not you, no).

Around 4pm I started to feel more myself, so I took care of various office and household things, including (finally) settling my hotel for Dublin. Am starting to get excited, which means I will start planning soon. Half the trip is work, but the other half is going to be vacation, so suggestions welcome --considering no car, and limited time/funds, what's your Must-See opinion?


Tonight, continuing the theme of the day, I tossed my sole New Year's Plan (no wine on days I don't exercise) and opened an inexpensive bottle of wine and poured it into my new Bordeaux-specific glassware (each glass cost 2x what the bottle did!), and made a bowl of comfort food (chicken and ziti w/ tomato sauce and pignoli nuts). Ate it on the sofa, while reading some more. This impromptu-vacation thing? It's kinda nice. Unnerving, but nice.


Tomorrow, we are Back At It. Also got an invite to submit to an anthology. Fun opportunity, and I have time yet, but am starting to feel a little squishy in my schedule. Hrmmm. Time to get out The Big Calender and the Sharpie, and start marking out my days....

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 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 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!

The letter D in D-Day has given rise to many assumptions of its meaning: Dooms-Day, Death-Day, Deliverance-Day, etc. But the truth is the D stands for "Day" in the same manner the H in H-Hour stands for "Hour."

Be warned that there are spoilers for the entirety of "The End of Time" here, but behold the Doctor's Facebook page and the Master's Facebook page.

Don't forget to check the ads. *grin*

Thanks to shadesong and yendi for the links....

The article that I did this week will be appearing in early March in the Maple Street Press Yankees Annual, which will start showing up in stores and on newsstands in early March. My article is tentatively called "The Team(s) of the Decade," and it ranks the ten Yankee teams of 2000-2009 from worst to best, and the #1 slot won't go to who you think it'll go to.

Had a good meeting with someone who will pay me to do something. More when it becomes really official, but it's something that a) I've never done before but b) I'm very qualified to do.

It's not a lot of money, but it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick....

At the Hugos Last, a Certain Troublemaker decided that I and Writer X were Worse Troublemakers, and so to keep us busy (and not cause Trouble) before the awards started, he set us to write a short story, using a certain person we had been observing as the starting point. Said stories to be written on the backs of our programs, with whatever writing implements we had to-hand. Old Skool. No revisions, no rewrites, just pure down-on-page.

Writer X and I have vaaaastly different styles, so our stories came out vaaaaastly different. But we typed 'em up and sent them to each other, after the fact, for a larf. And here's mine.

( Guardian at the Door )

ObFelineRef: the cat toys of note in the house this week seem to be an old boot-lace, and a Sharpie marker (capped, yes). Pandora has been killing the pen up and around the living room, while Boomer prefers to take down the deadly boot-lace in the foyer.

I begin to think that mizkit is right, and I have a mild but annoying case of OAC (OverAchievers Complex). Because today I:

went to the gym
finished entering the proof changes for HARD MAGIC and sent them back
cleaned the apartment
finally got the first batch of website updates to Fredlet
made a damnfine lunch from scratch
came up with material for the New Sekrit Projects and sent them off
proofread the short story that was due this week and sent it off
dealt with some agent-ish and freelancing e-mails that may lead to $$
updated financials

all before 5pm, and I have this feeling I completely frittered the day away.

*frowns*

I know that self-employed folk have to be self-directed, and I've had any number of days where I slacked off like a cat, but damn it, brain, could you let up on me when I've actually been productive? Because I'd like to kick back and maybe read a book tonight, not fret over the stuff that I haven't gotten done yet!

But no, instead I will sit down tonight and go through all the paperwork I haven't dealt with, and make it Dealt With, and maybe even start work on the Ur-bar story....

Yesterday, I wrote an article for a book that will actually be out fairly soon. More details once the contracts are signed, but the editor liked the piece, which is the important part.

Today, I have a meeting that may lead to a nice little gig. Tonight, I'm having dinner with the Forebearance.

terri_osborne is making good progress on the move, with occasional help from me. I've been talking to prospective roommates, who should be able to look at the place next week.

I'm not going to Arisia this year, but I will be in the Boston area that weekend: I'm going to ALA Midwinter on BOOM!'s dime to help promote their comics to the library world.

Farscape #7 was approved by Henson, which means I need to write #8. But first, I finish chapter two of the urban fantasy. Cha cha cha.

As a member of Parliament, Sir Isaac Newton spoke only once. He asked for an open window.

A user with the name of "captcalhoun" responded to a thread on the Trek BBS's TrekLit forum called "Best Trek Author?" like so:

Best for Action, Death and Destruction Whilst Retaining Interesting Characters: David Mack

Best for Science Whilst Retaining an Interesting Plot and Not Coming Off Like a Text Book: Christopher L Bennett

Best for Politics and Stuff Whilst Being Interesting: Keith DeCandido

Best for LOL Humour and Retaining the Spirit of TOS: Peter David

Best for Capturing the Essence of TOS With New Characters: Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore

Best For Making Voyager Better Than the Show: Kirsten Beyer

I'll take it...

Сыграла Joy Division, The Horrors, Tubeway Army, Human League, Soft Cell, Yazzo и NIN (Сloser) с винила - хорошо! :)

Tried to go to the $6 morning movie -- realized halfway there I'd forgotten my wallet. Went back, grabbed wallet, did some shopping instead (new wine glasses! New wall sconce!) and then met up with marinarusalka and Her Boy for lunch at Kefi, which is as pleasant as advertised, and I need to get back there sometime for dinner. Then I came home and found wine waiting for me (ah, our international world -- Australian wine sent to the US via The Netherlands!) and word that my betas really liked my story revisions (I guess I didn't break it after all, mizkit, or I broke it Just Enough). And a July deadline has been extended to 1 October, and while there was some disappointing news, it was news I was expecting, and there was potential good news coming hard on its heels, so...

All in all, I'd call this day a win.


Meanwhile, also worked on my "agency from the viewpoint of the author" blog, so look for that sometimes this week, and started compiling a list of "How to Write a Real New Yorker" list, for the benefit of out-of-towners (where "New Yorker" = resident of NYC, not NYS) p[yes, this is being compiled tongue-in-cheek. That doesn't mean it's not true]


1. New Yorkers will step off the curb while they wait for the light to change. There are a number of reasons why we do this, but we all (okay 80%) do, and we will get annoyed if you stand there and yab after the light changes, blocking our way.

2. Not all New Yorkers Live in Manhattan. There are five boroughs, and all of them contain a multitude of neighborhoods. What part of what borough you live in is very important, and can identify you to others rather quickly. It takes a long time to get from one borough to another via mass transit
2a. Brooklyn is huge. Seriously.
2b. Staten Island is a borough. We just like to pretend it's not.
2c. Manhattan is an island. So is Staten Island. Queens and Brooklyn are (on) an island (that just happens to be the same island as Long Island, no relation to NYC. It gets confusing. See scarletina's comment.). Only the Bronx is part of the mainland.

3. Central Park is massive. Not everyone goes there -- it just seems that way on the first warm weekend of Spring, and all summer.
3a. There are many other parks in NYC, many of them quite beautiful.

4. Yes, New Yorkers walk fast. Get the hell out of our way.

5. The ethnic diversity in NYC is more than many rural/suburban Americans can even imagine. We like it that way. Especially when they bring a new cuisine to town.
5b. New Yorkers think nothing of grabbing something to eat from a grease truck -- which may have some of the best food in the neighborhood. (I spent an entire winter eating lunch every work-day from the local souvlaki truck). And every second corner in Manhattan has its own bagel cart, and the locals are loyal to it.

6. New Yorkers aren't ignoring you, they're being polite. If we make eye-contact, we've infiltrated your personal space. Looking away allows you privacy even when we're elbow-to-rib on the subway.

7. If you need immediate [non-crime-related] help, go to the nearest fire department, not the NYPD. Firefighters have less paperwork, and can get you help faster [plus, they often have paramedics]. But make sure it's important before you bother them.

8. If you need information, ask a doorman. Any kind of information. They know Everything.

9. Driving in NYC isn't scary, so long as you know the rules.
9a. Except in Queens, where it's terrifying.

... anyone else got something to add? Or start up a list for your own city/locale in your LJ, and link it back here!

In its first two years of existence, the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers gave their Grandmaster Award to Donald Bain and Alan Dean Foster. Then they irrevocably lowered their standards by giving one to me. *wry grin*

This year, they do a great deal to regain their dignity by giving it to someone who actually deserves it again, to wit, the great William Johnston.

Bravo!

"MedievalDragon" over at Blizzplanet.com has put up an excellent (and detailed) overview and review of StarCraft: Ghost Academy #1.

Money quote:

Did you read Starcraft: Ghost Nova? Then you will love reading Starcraft: Ghost Academy as it's written by the same author: Keith R.A. DeCandido -- who participated in the shaping of the main character and its world. Awesome job, Keith! Fernando Heinz Furukawa is the artist of this manga. The artwork is very enjoyable and consistent. Rich facial expressions really help to transmit each character's emotions throughout the plot. I am not into manga, but I truly dig Furukawa's style.

Overall, a good read, as expected from the writing-calibre of Keith R.A. DeCandido.

January 4, 1961, was a great day for all the longhairs in Copenhagen, Denmark--it was the day the barbers' assistants ended their thirty-three-year-long strike.

I'd been told once that a good way to use up dry red wine that you weren't thrilled with or didn't have time to drink before it turned, was to add it to pasta water. The theory was that it would soak into the ordinary dried pasta and leave behind a rich, wine-y flavor.

What the hell -- I had the last of an inexpensive bottle left; let's try it.

( the results )

Next up: finding something interesting to do with the lamb bits and bones shoved in the freezer that doesn't involve more soup...

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.

green_future
Dedicated to promoting global sustainability, this community offers a forum for discussing current environmental news, research, and issues with tips on how to make positive, pro-active changes to reduce carbon impact. You'll also find information on how to get involved in eco-activism and learn about events near you (i.e., act local; think global). Offering a wealth of data on earth-friendly products and practices, you'll be inspired to don an organic bamboo cape and save the planet.

wtf_sexism
Self-described as "a little community with a lot of rage," you can soak up impassioned vibes and read blistering exposes detailing sexist attitudes in the news, pop culture, and science! A must-join community if you are, or love, a feminist. (NB: the topic of whether a "man" can be a feminist is outside the scope of this spotlight, but will probably wind up on the Writer's Block.)