I've been avoiding writing a new entry for several days. Thirteen years ago an old sponsor recovered. Tomorrow that anniversary rolls around again.

My friend's server, where this neglected excuse of a domain currently resides, was down for several days last week. This was during Memorial Day weekend. I wanted so badly to be able to just let it all flow - all the loneliness, sorrow and pain - here in this damned blog, but was unable to. Instead, this was my only available outlet. Did it help calm these feelings of detachment and isolation? No, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this entry.

It's not just that I'm missing Tommy and the Beltway 12-step crew. It's not that I have next to no real-time interactions with other adults, recovering or "normal." It's not that tire and lube shops don't operate on Sundays so that I can justify attending the nearest UU service which is roughly a 100 mile round-trip. It's not that McDonald's hardly serves any foods without glutens even though that's the only family-friendly place to catch a quick bite while a second-rate auto shop fucks my family's budget to the tune of over $200.

It's not that the central A/C is borked and we've been forced to deal with praying for whatever cool breezes might grace an upholstered sweatbox which has no cross-ventilation. It's not that I can't run the dishwasher until some faulty kitchen wiring is fixed - and that my guys are seriously domestic housework-impaired.  There is an automatic dishwasher. Her name is Chris...

It's not that I can't do laundry at reasonable hours because the humidity exuded from the dryer is stifling. It's not that I can only bake during the wee hours also, because of the comfort issues. It's not because of the sinus and chest nastiness I'm fighting, thanks to pollens and dust wafting through constantly open windows. It's not that being four months pregnant prevents me from seeking OTC relief.

It's not that I'm frustrated with life on life's terms.

It is that I'm pissed off with the current terms of my life. I'm tired and hurting, both in body and spirit. I want to be left the fuck alone, but that's probably not such a good idea. God/dess, please help me.

Inspiration: Nobody's Home
Lyrics: Pink-Floyd-Lyrics.com
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: The Wall

I've got a flash drive with my site and blog in.
Got a rural home with my kids and pets in.
When I'm a good girl, they sometimes grant me some peace in.

I got knit socks keeping my feet warm.
Got those stiffened hand blues.
Got online streamed crap to numb out what's left of my brain.
This sole monitor light
Gives me eye-strained sight.
And reminders of a life left behind.
And that is how I know
When I try to get through
Via messenger to you
There'll be nobody on.

I've got straight hair flowing down my back.
And too many cat claw snags
All down the sleeves of my black satin Pink Floyd coat.
I've got nicotine stains on my fingers.
And a cold cup of coffee sitting there
On the old 'puter table which props up my mortal remains.

Malaise makes my lip curl
As I fight the urge to hurl
When all I need is a laugh.
Ooooh, Babe when Trillian's on

All my compadres are gone.

I've got virtual spring rolls to share
But as usual, no one's there.

So, do you feel like becoming anyone's online pet today? No? Neither do I, but that's exactly what someone (who really should have known better) tried to turn me into. This gaffe was attempted through the unnamed individual adding a CommentCherry.com  application called Own Everyone to his MySpace page. This OpenSocial app is yet another piece of internet detritus spawned by CherryTap.com.

Now, I don't know which aspect I find more offensive:

    
1. that people would believe pimping out their friends under the mistakenly assumed guise of "harmless fun" is anything but anti-social, not to mention downright insulting!
    
2. that any app with OpenSocial's clawmarks anywhere near it can be trusted as benign

Sure, these kinds of insidious bullshit are rife throughout many social networking sites. Also rampant is the degree in which participation - especially where 3rd party apps are concerned - poses a ripple-down security risk.

If you've got a social network contact who's fond of such insipid cattle-mentality nonsense and/or who's chronically clueless, do yourself and the rest of your contacts a public service. Delete the hapless wonder before they cause you and your friends unimaginable grief. Internet privacy and security is everyone's concern.

As for the rest of the idiots, freaks and trolls... Let the bodies hit the floor!

The post below was written in response to one of my group's members who believes that one of his accounts has been compromised. It's cross-posted here and elsewhere because:

1. I get tired of re-writing these types of 101s.
2. I don't need tons of .txt files taking up my valuable hard drive space.

Dear reader, if you already know this material, then give yourself a pat on the back. You're already ahead of the curve. ;oD

---

Thanks for the alert. There's far more to keylogging and brute force cracking than stated in the initial post. The info below is written for everyone's benefit. Online security and privacy affects us all. A compromised account is a potential liability which can extend far beyond the scope of a single individual.

Script kiddies are a dime a dozen, and easy to thwart. One simple, common sense approach is to have a single email address which is used exclusively for online account registrations and NOTHING else. Protect this info diligently and never post it publicly anywhere!

Personal email - communications between folks with whom one actually wants to interact - are best managed from yet another separate email account, ideally through a different host than the one used for account registrations. Make it implicitly clear to your personal contacts that mass forwards and other nonsense are not appreciated. Each stranger who gets access to either your personal or registrations-only addresses increases EVERY listed recipient's liability exponentially.

A third separate email account is suggested for online group items such as eDigests and newsletters. Since most groups generally tend to be lax on protection of members' info, including visibility of email addys, expect at least a little spam.

All email accounts should have full message headers enabled. This gives pertinent info such as IP addresses to and from, and other server/handling data. Note: Gmail does NOT have full header display controls! Other email hosts' controls can usually be accessed through one's Account Options section. Check your email provider's Help/FAQ documentation for specific info.

By far, the most effective means of protecting any internet account is through the use of strong passwords. These should be at least eight characters in length and contain both letters and numerals (alpha-numeric). Passwords are CaSe SeNsItIvE and most keyloggers used by one's garden variety script kiddie are usually not sophisticated enough to detect use of the Caps Lock key. When formulating your password, hit the Caps Lock key, enter your desired password, then hit Caps Lock once more to toggle it off again. Once your password is set you will have to use this keying sequence every time you log on. Using the Caps Lock strategy is simple and really doesn't take long to become habit, honest.

Hope these tips help. Need more? Just shout.

Namaste' - Chris / fugi

If anyone knows the origins of this image, please give me a shout. I've been wanting for years to give its creator proper credit. FYI, this is as close to a general announcement that will appear. November. So far, so good. ;oD

Been somewhat active on Newsvine lately. There are several discussions being tracked upon which I have not commented. One topic in particular, strikes some very deep chords within me: racism. I just don't get the general mindset of bigots. Never have, despite polarizing personal experiences which would probably sway some folks to hate everyone. For those so inclined, please see my beginning video commentary @ Dr. Seuss' classic, The Sneetches...

Multiply-wise... I'm more than a little bent to find that some people are pushing for Multiply to join the Open ID clusterfuck. Pardon my language. I am vehemently opposed to this proposition- can ya tell?

Comments from the unwashed masses... On "Everyone" posts to MP, unless an individual is registered here I don't give a rip what they want to say. This is precisely why my general blog is on Multiply. This is also precisely why my personal blog is a WordPress stand-alone added to my domain.

If I wanted to subject myself to the unwashed masses out in the Big Room I would attend Burning Man. If I wanted to subject myself to every John/Jane Sixpack with internet access I would be a proponent for Open ID/Open Social.

If Multiply opts to incorporate Open ID into their services, I pray they'll have the presence of mind to enable registered members with the ability to block posts from those accessing MP reply functions via Open ID channels vs. directly through a registered Multiply account. Case in point: Blogger, which allows replies 1) anonymously (no!), 2) optional info fields (still "anonymous"- no!), or 3) through a registered Blogger or Open ID (ex. Google) account.

I think I'm safe in stating that there are plenty of us here on MP who got fed up long ago with being sold-out wholesale elsewhere for the convenience or profit of others. Give us a break, already.

Just checked the MUDS discussion again. If Multiply goes the OpenID route, I will have little use for this service. Who wants to start swapping .rss info for mutual tracking of those within our MP networks? Think I'm joking? Guess again, friends. Shutting the hell up now. Thanks for reading.

It still never ceases to amaze me how so many people don't learn from their misadventures. When these gaffes develop into a pattern with no tangible proactive measures implemented on the part of the hapless afflicted, these situations qualify under the new definition of insanity:

insanity - repeating the same dysfunctional behaviors over and over,
yet each time expecting a different positive result

Case in point, a PM recieved from an individual whom I've helped - and attempted to educate - on various internet related personal matters for longer than I probably should have...

"Hi Honey, long time no hear from. I hate to ask you but I desperately need your help. I will even give you my phone number so we don't have to type back and forth. This is kind of urgent because someone is putting mine and [a close relative's] name all over the internet and I need to know the legalities, ramifications and if there is anything we could do about it."

I'm not going to waste my time with lengthy explorations of this individual's systematic self-sabotage. All I will say is that I've developed a mercenary attitude where such pleas are concerned. Want my skills? Fucking pay me. Guess what? Damned few could afford my fees to investigate, let alone clean up what boils down to other's he said/she said bullshit.

One can't seriously expect to consistently invite or perpetuate havoc-rich interactions online without putting themselves and others at risk, now can they? It's time some people got a major reality check. I'll break out my trusty clue-by-four pro bono. Otherwise, take the drama elsewhere.

Yikes. There's some kind of funky paradigm shift occurring within the blogosphere, and most of it appears to be motivated by capitalism. Several blog hosts are switching gears in major ways. Granted, large-scale free hosting entails some formidable overhead. Everyone wants to get paid for something. The thing is that too many entities want to get paid for nothing.

"What the heck are you talking about, fugi?"

I'm glad you asked. Or didn't. Anyway... Those of us who've been blogging consistently (and sometimes successfully) for any significant length of time can attest to the reality that those free providers have already potentially profited off of our work. Simply from the vantage point of a casual observer, seeing the number of page visits to some blogs is tough to discount. Bottom line is that internet-wise, site traffic equals potential profit to someone. However, it's rarely the author.

So, why on earth would someone fork over their hard-earned money simply to blog unless this cost could at least be offset as a legitimate tax-deductible business expense? Aren't there already enough consumerism-based blogs choking up channels ideally intended for meaningful communication?

The increase in the number of hosts on which I've already invested countless hours of time only to have my labors capitalized upon by corporate gluttons sickens me. Further exasperation comes by way of no-reply emails informing me that for only a few dollars a month I can enhance my experience of getting ripped off by a service that's become little more than a bad joke.

No thank you. Game over. I'm not even going to bother logging into those host's servers to delete my content. At this rate I don't give a rip if it all eventually gets the axe. I will know that I had an active presence on those services- and so will others.

Doing for oneself can often be the most empowering, proactive form of getting even. I'm going to be copying and pasting years' worth of blog entries currently hosted elsewhere to preserve what's mine. I find that blogging in itself can be far more beneficial than incalculable time wasted with dozens of so-called mental health professionals. And blogging doesn't cost me a dime!

Yahell 360
WORST BLOG EVER

---

Multiply.com
BEST BLOG HOST

Don't mind me, folks. Someone had brought up the issue of Daylight Savings Time on MUDS. Just checking to see what's what here on our beloved Multiply.

I'm in -6 GMT during the "Standard" time of year. When the U.S. went into DST I had to manually change my account setting to -7 GMT for items posted here in my little slice of weird. Dantcer said that she thought that maybe the time zone issue was also related to where one posts on Multiply (groups vs. personal/network and all the shades in between).

Well, while posting to the Time Zones thread in MUDS I noticed that the time stamp displayed an hour earlier than my current local time, which was 09:01 for me on the DST adjusted setting of -7 GMT. Curiousity being a large part of my nature, I reset my time zone to -6 GMT, then checked the thread once more to see if my current local time had re-set in MUDS. It did.

So, this post is also being made at -6 GMT just to see how the time stamp registers now. My current local time for DST is 15:00. Daylight Savings Time not withstanding, it would be nice to know how Multiply's servers gauge time. How is the use of time stamps governed throughout Multiply? Given that Multiply's physical HQ is located within -5 GMT then this morning's original time stamp of 08:01 really doesn't make sense. Taking Daylight Savings Time into consideration, even if Multiply's servers hadn't been set an hour forward then the original timestamp for my post should have been 09:01 if MUDS' setting prevails.

Ready? Set? Bring on the weird!

Note: I don't tag people. Most good memes do manage to get decent circulation even if not in the manner envisioned by their creators. This slice o' quirk was found while blogroll surfing. Thanks (or blame) go to Boss Lady. There's sure to be more "begats" down the line. ;oD Six Quirks: fashion... Socks and hair accessories must coordinate with my shirt or else I just don't feel presentable. food...  Tiny things like peanuts, dry cereal and berries get consumed in pairs. television... It's usually off when I'm by myself. Silence is better than any mindless electronic drone, period. shopping... Preferably alone. Two words: Kamikaze mode. packrat... cloth, beads, shells, wax scraps, buttons, bits of lace, yarn skein ends, sewing notions, magazine images... And it all gets used. Eventually. outdoors... survival knife, fishing line, bandana, strike-anywhere matches... I'm good to go.

Rest In Peace, Samson

Sammy hadn't been seen since 7:20 this morning when my husband left the house for a First Responder class. Hubster made it home around 5:00 this evening just as the kids and I were feeding all the animals. Our cool li'l Samminator was a no-show.

Long story short. His body was found just before sunset in a treacherous location. I could not safely retrieve him alone, without basic gear, and in quickly growing dark. It tears me up that: a) Sam is no more, b) the cause of his death won't be reasonably determined until his body is recovered, and c) I had no choice but to leave him where he is overnight.

I pray that Sam's poor little body isn't ravaged by rats, coyotes, or God knows what else before he can be given a proper send-off in the morning. Shit- I keep swearing to myself that I'm not going to get all distraught over this. It's not working.

If you're already familiar with Project Playlist and its player, please pardon a brief review of the basics. However, if you want to know how to reclaim some usable real estate on your Multiply "Welcome" module, then this tutorial is for you!

Your player can be placed in it's logical module: Music. Check it out...

Select the code for MySpace.

Next,  choose which playlist you want to feature on your player. [multiple lists sample]

Then, select your player's options. The sample player on this group's main page was configured with the basic black skin, a set song order (vs. random shuffle), and manual start (vs. auto play).

Now it's time to copy the code...

Ready for the magic?

On your Multiply main page, access the "Customize" function. Next, click "Edit" on the Music module. Paste your player code in the title box. Finally, hit "Done" at the top of your page. Voila!

Today, a challenge. Create your own interactive Johari and/or Nohari window. Then post the URLs in your blog and/or Links section. Either ask people to participate or simply see who discovers them randomly. If you enounter "anonymous" participants, please consider the source as "Anonomous = Coward". Have fun!

No way. It looks like we've stumbled
into one of fugitive247's nightmares.
It's torturing time!

Make a game | Share | Free games | Pictogame

What can I say? I was bored.

Yes, this is the follow-up entry mentioned on February 12th. Will there be another? Doubtful. I've grown weary of trying to do this without anyone's feelings getting hurt. The only one who really suffers in the long run from my attempt to placate others is me. Nothing personal, folks.

For nearly two hours I've been pouring over any tidbits of wisdom with which to ease this knot in my gut. None have been forthcoming. This follows upon the heels of several days' worth of re-evaluating certain online associations. There have been changes elsewhere online. There may still be more changes as I seek to work with others in developing tangible associations based upon common ground. Simply having shared trivial pursuits in the wilds of Cyberia just doesn't seem to be enough to justify maintaining certain connections which I perceive as being rather one-way.

Again, I am tired. I am also usually in some degree of physical discomfort. And the longer this matter drags out the more likely I am to be less than diplomatic. There's been enough eloquent and/or succinct quote-worthy individuals to daisy chain a reasonable snapshot of tonight's gray matter smatterings...

"The concept of reason itself appears as an artificial attempt to separate intellectual powers from the frustrations, emotions, and accidents which cause events; the concept of reason is viewed as facade to prevent change." -  Edward Levi

"The self thus becomes aware of itself, at least in its practical action, and discovers itself as a cause among other causes and as an object subject to the same laws as other objects." - Jean Piaget

"Thus, the purposeful relationship of phenomena is based on the specificity of the stimuli, that correspond to similarly specific reactions." - Ivan Pavlov

"The paradox of reality is that no image is as compelling as the one which exists only in the mind's eye. -  Shana Alexander

There you have it. Now if you will excuse me, I've got an overdue engagement with some Biofreeze, two frozen gel packs, a couple of aspirin and some Tramadol. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.

Courtesy of one of my StumbleUpon faves, NacMacfeagle.

Suggested Literature Meme Rules: Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages). Open the book to page 123. Find the fifth sentence. Post the next three sentences. Tag five people & post a comment at the originating blog after you've posted it to your blog. Note: I don't tag people. Most good memes do manage to get decent circulation even if not in the manner envisioned by their creators.

Tonight's selection is from the well received book Programming the Universe by Seth Lloyd. Surprisingly enough I happened across a brand new hardback copy at a greatly reduced price at the Town and Country supermarket in Salem, Arkansas. Apparently my tastes in literature are fairly different from this region's general preferences. A cursory glance at the offerings on the shelves of the Fulton County Public Library also tend to bear this out. So be it.

"In the Schroedinger's Cat paradox, the state of the particle, detector, and cat after the measurement is |left, no click, cat alive> + |right, no click, cat dead>. In some weird quantum way, the cat is alive and dead at the same time.

"The Schroedinger's Cat paradox has inspired much confusion. Stephen Hawking got so tired of this paradox that he would often say (in paraphrase of Joseph Goebbels), 'Whenever I hear the words 'Schroedinger's Cat,' I reach for my gun.'"

---

Okay, so I included a fourth line. Sue me. It was still effing funny!

What blogging site am I?

You are Commie Journal ! You prefer small intimate groups and the company of a few selected others. You do not censor your thoughts and object to those who do. You are your own person, an individualist.

How do you compare? Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

And people wonder why I went indie on my personal blog! Great quiz, Ms. Spike! It's destined to be a hit. This result has indeed jump started the urge to compose at least one lengthy personal entry, but I'm not quite sure yet whether or not that's a good thing. ;oD

Friends- this quiz is fun! However, those wanting to take it might want to follow these handy registration tips. Enjoy!

Occasionally there come times when I want to speak my mind but am vexed by the delicate nature of current situations. Too many considerations are at stake. Where should this be posted? For whom is my input beneficial- and in what context? Will posting directly to a specific forum become part of a solution or merely more fuel dumped upon a fire? I am grossly negligent if I fail to honestly examine both my motives and methodology.

These points are easy to identify with for those who value critical thought and the practical application thereof. This applies for both regular group members and those in an administrator/moderator capacity. At least that's a worthwhile collective aspiration. In the example below my reply has been slightly edited.

---

"With power comes fascism." - daspider

Ideally, with power should come situationally appropriate discretion and diplomacy. Deletions not performed by the initial poster fall squarely into the realm of administrator privilege. I am not an admin of [this group]. I would have zero right to complain if a ["group X"] admin (or relatively, an admin from any other group to which I'm subscribed) deleted my comments. Same applies to all Multiply members.

Ultimately this is Multiply's party. We are all but guests. For whatever reason(s) some parties need qualified bouncers to ensure that the host's preferences are maintained. Most approach this responsibility in the light of a trusted servant performing a necessary task. Ideally, such instances are not personal.

---

What seems to be missing from so many online exchanges is that people tend to forget that, more often than not, there is at least one live human being on the other end of the communication. When grievances need to be expressed it can be all too easy for this simple truth to be overlooked. Effective problem solving requires  reasonable degrees of latitude to be granted amongst all parties involved. The responsibilities of ethical group administration demand this and more. Admins are essentially a site host's front line in helping to maintain a civil, productive environment for all users. Even if the site host proper was lacking in any "Powers That Be" capacity, the talents of its volunteer administrators can significantly effect proactive solutions.

Volunteer. Group administrators are generally not paid for the responsibilities they assume and the services they willingly share. Administrators are rarely contractually bound to act in any manner beyond those set forth in their site host's TOS- and the site host's legal protections do not cover volunteer administrators.

"So, why would anyone in their right mind be a
volunteer group administrator?" you ask.

I do it out of love for, and belief in the
communities I'm honored to serve.

Yay! Finally, my favorite day of the week-FRIDAY!!! What does Friday mean to me? Hmmm... Let's see... Since Friday is the last conventional workday and schoolday of the week it's extra special at Casa del fugi. For approximately nine kid-free hours I get to:

• wrap up loose ends such as appointment setting and rounds of professional email tag
• set into place necessary elements for an enjoyable, family-friendly weekend
• focus on beginning or completion of domestic matters like laundry and intensive meal prep
• run errands sans company of militant midgets... post offce, pharmacy, grocery store, thrift store drop-offs and so forth
• center and recharge before the onset of 62 variable hours' worth of dedicated Mommy duty

Today though, promises to bring at least one highly anticipated sigh of relief: the dot com should be back online. Not that there's been much time to do anything constructive with it yet, but it's a blessing to have that one safety valve where I can be as rantastic© as occasionally needed- strictly on my terms. Sometimes it's that single outlet which enables me to play nicely when dealing with the rest of Cyberia and the Big Room. A brother of the heart had likened blogging to "free therapy." He was right on some levels, you know. ;oD

Hey- Has anyone else ever had a term named after them? Just curious... Happy Friday, friends! ♥

Please bear with me. I'm finding this entry challenging to compose. I've been brooding lately over the Multiply networking equivalent of the Six degrees of separation. For years my modus operandi was largely based upon the "all-or-nothing" principle mostly because it's taken this long for a viable (note: not perfect) social construct to be incorporated into an online networking community. This is no longer the case.

Over the years I've been gifted to encounter many wonderful individuals both in the Big Room and here in Cyberia. I am grateful to know, on varying levels of familiarity, each and every one. However, this is where matters get awkward.

For those who can't or don't read the Multiply Staff Blog, separate Online Buddy settings are now available. There's been a great deal of discussion surrounding matters of "Friendiligence" on MUDS for quite some time. One reasonable concern is that of "contact demotions." Of course, when approached from a personal perspective, realistic assessment of any relationship can be measured within certain sets of variables. Now we're left with the conundrum of subjectivity vs. objectivity.

Individuals and the connections which may be formed with other individuals are not "objects." Rather, I prefer to view them as "subjects." But who wants to undergo such scrutiny? The fact is that everyone does, and some of us on a regular basis. I certainly know that I'm under simultaneous microscopes at any given time. So be it. That's my reality whether or not I like it.

Multiply member danbirchall summed up the concept of "Friendiligence" quite accurately...

"My thought is that in a theoretical ideal Multiply where people actually link to each other in ways that reflect reality (ha! ha!) my "network" consists of people I know and trust in real life, people they know and trust in real life, and people they know and trust in real life. It's a "web of trust" model to some extent."

So, how do we successfully address our online relationships to effect mutually agreeable connections? Where Multiply is concerned, changing horses in mid-stream shouldn't have to be a drama-laden affair. Please consider this entry as 1) an open invitation to publicly discuss Friendiligence in general, and 2) a means for my current contacts to privately (read: via PM- check "private"!) explore what setting works for us. As always, PMs received by me fall strictly under "Vegas Rules."

To flesh out upcoming changes a little better:

• existing posts: no access settings will be changed
• future posts: the majority (99.9%) will continue to be publicly accessible- that's just me ;oD
• contact settings: no one is being "demoted"- any changes are but pre-emptive adjustments
• updates: expect at least one followup to this entry
• anticipated timeframe: approximately two weeks +/-
• anticipated outcome: any of my current contacts that I haven't heard from within a reasonable period of time will be switched to Online Buddy
• recourse: of course, on a case-by-case basis