OK, it's not like I ever post a lot.

But... it's recently come to my attention, via flemco, that LJ's changes are creating huge security problems.

If I post a friends-only, or private entry, there's a better chance than there used to be that it might end up in places I never planned. I know, I know - nothing posted online should have any expectation of privacy. Still, when lack of privacy becomes an unrequested feature, it's time to reconsider options.

Here's the new place: wolfgrrrl.dreamwidth.org

Dreamwidth apparently allows users to import content from other online journals.

Over the next few weeks, time permitting, I will be moving there and setting up shop on Dreamwidth.

I will keep my LJ account, so I can read my flist.

But I won't be blogging here anymore.

I've been spending way too much time on Facebook lately, dribbling my free time away on reading and posting.

It's time to get back to actual WRITING, not the extended Twitter that FB is in disguise.

On the one hand, I was able to catch up with somebody I hadn't seen in ~20 years - somebody I was afraid had allowed his addictions to finally get the better of him. That was good. He was one of the few people I wanted to find from all that time ago. I'm still searching for a couple of others, but I have a feeling I'm not going to find them.

It was rather satisfying, if not compassionate, to see what the years have done to my practice first husband. Married, at least one kid, gained a bunch of weight, looking kinda trapped, or maybe just lost. I'm pretty sure that wife of his is the woman he left me for ~21 years ago. No matter. If he hadn't booted me out, I would've missed out on some amazing life experiences, and I don't think I'd be married to the wonderful husband I have now. So, I can thank him (in retrospect) for kicking me out and giving me the opportunity to find my own way and my own path.

It's not always been a very comfortable path. But it's been mine.

The ex- is not on my flist, and never will be. The lost friend is. It's an odd sensation when I see comments from the ex- on this friend's FB page. I'm getting over it.

I'm currently on my second FB account, having done a pseudo-destruction on the first one. I know it's still there, lurking. All I have to do is forget one day, and log in using the old email address, and it will miraculously be resurrected, and I will suddenly re-appear on a bunch of people's lists that I want nothing to do with.

Maybe one of these days FB will allow people to totally wipe out their accounts. I know Myspace has that option, or at least it did when I blew up THAT account.

When that day arrives, I'll log back in to my old account, if it still exists, and magically reappear for as long as it takes to kill the account totally.

OK then!

It's like discovering Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the first time.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here’s how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the "next" button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool!

MY LIFE

Opening credits: Back in The Saddle, Aerosmith
Waking Up: To Look At You, INXS
First Day At School: Lost in the Former West, Fatima Mansions
Falling In Love: Us and Them, Pink Floyd
Fight Song: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Beatles
Breaking Up: If I Didn't Love You, Squeeze
Prom: Flying High Again, Ozzy Osbourne
Life’s OK: Yellow Submarine, Beatles
Mental Breakdown: 5ive Gears in Reverse, Elvis Costello
Driving: Humor of the Situation, Barenaked Ladies
Flashback: Road to Nowhere, Talking Heads
Getting Back Together: She's Like Heroin, System of a Down
Wedding: No Promises, Icehouse
Birth of Child: Bring Him Home, Les Miserables
Final Battle: Blame It On Cain, Elvis Costello
Death Scene: The Day The World Went Away, Nine Inch Nails
Funeral Song: Main Man, Ramones
End Credits: Even the Losers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

*snerk*

Bleh. Being unemployed kinda sucks, especially when the job market is so bad.

I'm way behind on my flist, but I'm doing awesomely on the 8+ addictive app-games I'm playing on Facebook.

Yes, that links directly to my account. Come join the Dark Side, if you're not there already. We don't have cookies, but the games are free, and fun, and not only will I be your friend, but I'll join your clan/tribe/fleet/army/whatever.

On the other hand, I've been busy pursuing other stuff. It's been keeping me busier than I expected. When I have it on more solid grounding, I'll post some links.

In the meantime, I know a lot of you shop at Amazon.

If you'd like to help support my decadent life of leisure, then please use for your online shopping needs.

It won't cost you anything, and will toss a bit of coinage in my cup. Many thanks :)

If there is one person or more on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the Internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

I've just discovered the limits of the LJ wayback machine.

I can only go back 240 entries.

Eh, this is what I get for not keeping up with my flist.

OK, just 'cos, I applied for unemployment benefits, knowing I may never see them.

A few days after submitting the online application, I received a couple of interesting forms to fill out from DWS.

( The DWS seems to be looking out for my interests. I must say, I'm a little shocked. )

OK, time to get something to eat and fax off the rest of my paperwork, and move on with the rest of my life.

I'm going to make this one relatviely short...

Friday I got laid off.

"You're awesome. All the engineers love your work. But it's slow now, so it sucks to be you. We might call you back in a few weeks if work picks up again."

The underlying context: "You ARE awesome. But as an independent contractor, you're also disposable. It sucks to be you."

Unspoken: "BTW, if we DO call you back, you can expect the same hustle out the door, provided you're foolish enough to come back. It sucks to be you."

Obviously I'm not the first person treated this way. While I was chatting with my supervisor about the situation, and the past 8 months, the IT dude was busily wiping my existence off the server.

At least they gave me all the unsupervised time I needed to clear my idenity off the computer, and pack up the couple of boxes of personal things.

I can't say it was TOTALLY without warning. But when my supervisor hinted to me a couple of times in my last week or two on the job that work was slowing down, I thought I'd be OK. Especially when I'd seen the pathetic work quality some of the other people were turning out, and I KNEW I was doing a good job. I didn't think I'd be the one to be sliced.

Oh well. So much for common sense in the workplace.

It's been yet another lesson in why your boss is NOT your friend, and never will be.

The other big lesson I learned from all this is a new definition for "independent contractor": "employee without benefits". I'm waiting right now to see if I even get unemployment benefits from the state.

The obvious direction at this point is resume brushup and job search. I have some other stuff on the back burner (now moved to the front) that I may write about later.

Oh yes... if anybody knows any companies that are looking for highly qualified Civil3D drafter/designers, and/or mechanical drafters, please let me know. Thanks.

If you're going to experiment with modifying your kitten, it's probably best to start with one who will enter the jar voluntarily.