Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.

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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
jrittenhouse	6:42p	Sheesh… Growing up as a boy in Dayton,  I got familiar with the Great Miami River, which rolls wide and broad through the city – and never gets more than 25 feet deep. Apparently a guy was out fishing the other day with a pal, and decided out of the blue that he was going to swim across the river – broad, but not all that deep, and not the cleanest water.  In any event, he didn’t make it, and drowned in the river. Odd that he’d decided to do such a stunt like that, and you can only guess how zoinked he might have been on something to want to do it.   Or that if he was willing to swim the river and had his wits about him, that he’d drown in a relatively shallow, slow-moving river. Apparently he had a spotty past; he was just out of jail for domestic violence charges, and might have been celebrating his bailing out. (Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	5:31p	Use little head, deduct 120 IQ points: Like nobody had ever heard of Russians using hookers to lure Western diplomats into compromising positions.    Sheesh. The more I hear about the whole Senator Ensign story, the more I think that sex aside, the man should resign his office because he’s a crook and an idiot.    Getting your bazillionaire parents to pay off your mistress and her family?  Inviting the mistress’s family into your house after their house was ransacked by burglers, and proceeding to ‘comfort’ the wife all over your own house that weekend?  The mind reels with every new item.   Speaking of items, you too can buy your John Ensign for President boxer shorts at this location! And finally, a high and horny Ohio couple are parked and busy in the front seat, and the cops find them in the act – with her two little kids in the back seat of the car.   Bleah…. (Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	4:42p	About time someone realized this: Dick Durbin and some other Senate Democrats are saying – dudes, you Democratic senators who don’t wanna vote *for* a bill we ‘re putting through don’t have to do so, but fer pete’s sake, nobody lost their seats for voting to shut off debate and bring the bill to a floor vote. The ‘close debate / cloture’ vote requires 60 votes.  An up or down actual vote on the bill / law just takes a simple majority to pass. If that’s the deal, then Democratic Senators in Red states can vote to have the up or down vote, and we’re through with this 40-Republicans-can-choke-off-everything crap. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
madeleineurban	3:08p	Playlist - Caught Running Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux Ten years after graduation, Jake "the jock" Campbell and Brandon "the nerd" Bartlett are teaching at their old high school and still living in separate worlds. When Brandon is thrown into a coaching job on Jake's baseball team, they find themselves learning more about each other than they'd ever expected. High school is all about image – even for the teachers. Brandon and Jake have to get past their preconceived notions to find the friendship needed to work together. And somewhere along the way, they discover that perceptions can always change for the better. Playlist Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen School Day - Chuck Berry Take on Me - a-ha The Sign - Ace of Base Centerfield - John Fogerty One Thing Leads to Another - The Fixx Heat of the Moment - Asia Stay the Night - Chicago Blind Man - Aerosmith Can't Stop This Thing We Started - Bryan Adams (Love is Like a) Baseball Game - The Intruders I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick Missing You - John Waite Crazy For You - Madonna I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner Straight Up! - Paula Abdul Meet Me Half Way - Kenny Loggins The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Edward Meeker (3 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	11:05a	AH: turning points 1 While I’m notorious in AH circles as someone who insists that a AH story be (1) A GOOD STORY and (2) have some historical basis, not to mention (3) be one simple Point Of Divergence, not a whole mess of them (I can deal with some cascade effects, but not simultaneous stuff) – I give a lot of latitude to someone who gets those points clearly covered. Some famous AH works don’t fit those rules, really.  The most common is the time-travellers-come-back-and-yoink-with-the-past…such as THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH and ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME.  Both involved near-present types who introduce themselves and their tech into a ‘past’ world, but I can deal with the way it’s presented, even though the time travel in neither one is ever explained in a reasonable way. Another failing in AH stuff is a sheer lack of imagination!  The number of things I have seen cross my desk as a Sidewise judge or in general that revolve around the following topics – to the point of making one want to slam the next one up across the room and into the recycling bin – drive me nuts. ( Read the rest of this entry » ) (16 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	6:35a	Crashola: Melting Down Diamonds Courtesy of Paul Riddell and the New York Times, an examination of the inanities and OMG-its-not-selling of the present-day jewelry industry.  Thanks, Paul! (3 Comments |Comment on this)
madeleineurban	1:04a	Cut & Run - Playlist Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he's paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it's hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer. Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer's knife. Playlist Hold On - JET Teenage FBI - Guided by Voices Inside Out - Vonray How - Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories Disenchanted - My Chemical Romance Walter Reed - Michael Penn Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix Weight of the World - Evanescence Slide - Dido Running on Faith (Unplugged) - Eric Clapton Save Me - Remy Zero I Don't Love You - My Chemical Romance Sorry - Buckcherry Everybody's Broken - Bon Jovi Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
jrittenhouse	10:23p	Crashola: Take a Picture Ritz Camera chain in the US likely to liquidate, as people are using them less and less in favor of digital photography which is then uploaded via the Internet to be printed up cheaply elsewhere. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	10:19p	Warm and Fuzzies: The Federal Protective Service, tasked to provide security to US government office buildings (like the one that Susan and I work out of in downtown Chicago) is in trouble; the Government Accountability Office ran teams through and past the security at several such buildings, bringing in bomb materials. Numerous US government web sites were downed or struggling under a 50,000 strong zombie PC DDoS attack thought to have begun from North Korean sources.   As a government web person, this is not a happy thought… (1 Comment |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	9:28p	Fraud or Idiot? Michael Lewis, one of my all-time favorite writers on Wall Street and high-end finance, has a Vanity Fair article on the fall of AIG that I thoroughly recommend. And yet the A.I.G. F.P. traders left behind, much as they despise him personally, refuse to believe Cassano was engaged in any kind of fraud. The problem is that they knew him. And they believe that his crime was not mere legal fraudulence but the deeper kind: a need for subservience in others and an unwillingness to acknowledge his own weaknesses. “When he said that he could not envision losses, that we wouldn’t lose a dime, I am positive that he believed that,” says one of the traders. The problem with Joe Cassano wasn’t that he knew he was wrong. It was that it was too important to him that he be right. More than anything, Joe Cassano wanted to be one of Wall Street’s big shots. He wound up being its perfect customer. Also check out Felix Salmon at Reuters,  Bonddad, Robert Reich, the Epicurean Dealmaker, Barry Ritholtz, Paul Krugman in the NYT op-ed area and his NYT blog for other voices worth listening to on high finance and economics. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	9:20p	Same as it ever was: Came down with a 101F fever on Tuesday morning after several highly stressful days, and I’m once again in the hospital with an attack of the leg cellulitis.    The docs are now trying a shotgun approach; a whole bunch of different bugkillers to try to kill the damn thing.   Words can’t express how unhappy I am to be here… (12 Comments |Comment on this)
fd_midori	2:45p	ISO stage assistant SF 7/18 [EDIT: Thanks for the fantastic response. I found a person to help me.] I'm in search of a stage assistant for an upcoming performance When: Sat 7/18.  Late evening show. Ideally be available for afternoon rehearsal. What: Marquis Fetish Ball www.marquisfetishball.com Where: Supperclub www.supperclub.com, 657 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94107-1312 Duties include: Load-in equipment, help stage set-up, help costuming, general runner, crowd monitoring assistance, stage clean-up, light to moderate lifting, fast reaction and quick thinking.  Must not be clown-phobic. Included: Small stipend + 1 guest Drop me a line here or e mail me at midori (at) fhp-inc (dot) com (6 Comments |Comment on this)
madeleineurban	1:37p	Warrior's Cross - Playlist Warrior's Cross By Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux Cameron Jacobs is an open book. He considers himself a common waiter with normal friends, boring hobbies, harmless dogs, and nothing even resembling a secret... except a crush on a tall, dark, devastatingly handsome man who dines alone at his restaurant on Tuesday nights. All it takes is one passionate night with Julian Cross to turn Cameron’s world on its head. Julian's love and devotion are all Cameron could have hoped for and more. But when his ordinary life meets and clashes with Julian's extraordinary lifestyle, Cameron discovers that trust and fear can go hand in hand, and love is just a step away from danger. Advance excerpts Playlist A Kiss to Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Kenny G (Instrumental) Hopeless - Train You Could Make a Killing - Aimee Mann Save Me - kd lang Addicted - Saving Abel Ordinary Life - Kristen Barry Someone to Watch Over Me - Chris Botti (Instrumental) How Love Should Be - Chris Botti feat. Paula Cole Ordinary - Train Shape of My Heart - Sting It Doesn't Matter - Alison Krauss & Union Station Time to Say Goodbye - Chris Botti (Instrumental) 45 - Shinedown Ave Maria - Josh Groban Maybe - Alison Krauss Ordinary World - Duran Duran Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance Savin Me - Nickelback All I Want is You - U2 (6 Comments |Comment on this)
madeleineurban	1:24p	Review: Sutcliffe Cove - Romance Junkies Review here Having never been near a horse in my life, I found the insight I gained into riding and the care of horses entertaining. The pace of this story is slow and gentle but it is far from uninteresting. The two heroes are charming. Gerald and Brett are vibrant and full of life. Their connection is touching and intense. SUTCLIFFE COVE by Ariel Tachna and Madeline Urban is a delightful and serene contemporary romance. By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Christina (1 Comment |Comment on this)
darklady_produc	9:54a	Darklady's Sexpose - Busty BBW Cam Goddess Toni KatVixen ( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. ) Current Mood: excited Current Music: "For the Love of You," The Isley Brothers (Comment on this)
madeleineurban	1:05a	In the Mood I made a post called The Power of One Song way back in late October, rambling about how important music is to my creative process. Today I got my iPod out to take with me to the hospital outpatient clinic because, hey, it's Army, there's always a wait (Ironically, I was in and out faster than ever before, I think.), and I could listen to my Sticks & Stones soundtrack. I just deleted my old post here with my Cut & Run playlist because I've updated it. I'll be posting it here again soon, with more detail and some links so if you want to sample the music you can. There are several playlists on my iPod, of course, the first of which I'll be posting after this post, because it's the most timely: my soundtrack for Warrior's Cross. I have two hopes: 1) I hope that hearing my music selection helps you feel the mood of the story, letting you sink into the atmosphere and really feel the emotion, the love, the pain, the heartbreak, the happiness, etc.; and 2) I hope that posting these reminds me to turn on my damn iTunes for all the hours I sit at my computer, because if I actually let myself listen to music I might actually *gasp* write something! In the Mood Glenn Miller Instrumental Sample it here Prayer of St. Francis Sarah McLachlan ( Lyrics ) Sample it here (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
fd_midori	10:50a	Happy Birthday, King David He's tuuuuu! Here's the baby King at 5 months ( More David pix... ) (19 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 6th, 2009
fd_midori	8:43p	No interest in LA for Rope Dance class? Bummer... The pre-registration is low for "Rope Dance: Dynamic Passionate Movements" held in LA on Sun 7/12. I guess there isn't much interest in that sort of rope play in LA... So unless there's more sign-up by Thurs, I'll cancel.  Why pay rent on a space when there's no interest in the topic, right? If you've signed up and purchased tickets on-line in advance, I'll make sure that you get a full refund. I'll send you an apology gift as well... But if you're still interested in signing up, here's the link. http://bit.ly/x3iDZ below is the class info: === [Rope Dance: Dynamic Passionate Movements] Sunday, July 12 2pm – 5pm 2811 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (Next to Syren / Stockroom) Cost: $60 / pair in advance at www.FHP-inc.com (in Classes page) $70 / pair at the door Class Limited to 20 Pairs A hands-on movement class using rope in an entirely new way... Learn to dance, stretch, seduce, power-exchange and connect at a deeper level using the rope in a whole new way. If you think rope bondage is just about tying knots, you're missing the core of rope seduction! This is the foundation of truly sexy and evocative rope bondage scenes. No rope experience necessary. Adjustable to all fitness and mobility levels. Special 10% discount for all purchases at Syren / Stockroom How to Prepare: Wear comfortable clothing. Bring 1 rope of 15’ to 20’ per person. Bring your own ropes or use ropes provided by Midori. === (2 Comments |Comment on this)
lassiter	1:53p	Since you didn't win, we must kill you Now that the Iranian street protests have dimmed, the US and Israeli governments can stop cheering the people there as brave heroes, and can go back to slaughtering them wholesale. Neda Agha Soltan died from a sniper bullet. The rest of her family, friends, and supporters will likely die in an Israeli nuclear strike, with full US support. Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites. Biden: Israel free to set own course on Iran Vice President Joe Biden signaled that the Obama administration would not stand in the way if Israel chose to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, even as the top U.S. military officer said any attack on Iran would be destabilizing. Current Mood: irate (2 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	11:08a	Words Fail me, Redux: HMAS Success Betting ring on an Australian Navy ship alleged where one could win points/money on having sex with female sailors, with bonuses for daring locations and less attainable women (including gay women). Some people do not learn.   Disgusting. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	9:03a	Worst DefSec in history dies: No, I’m talking about Robert McNamara, one of my particular historical nemeses, considering the number of important things that he messed up, destroyed or ruined. Not to mention the uncountable dead. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
wanderingghost	7:42a	Off to work Off to work.  I think I might have a whopping two days of work in total this week.   Still searching for that new job.  (cuz I'm all out of rich uncles...) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	7:21a	Firefox 3.5 problem on LJ: See: http://community.livejournal.com/everything_lj/6082872.html In my case, for my standard them, the tag cloud had become a LONG list, and was really annoying.  This turned it back into a proper cloud.   (2 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	7:03a	Amazon sale: No, this isn’t an advertisement as such.  Both the US and UK versions of Amazon are running DVD sales, and I’m listing out my ooh-that-would-be-interesting list for my purposes (and your edification, in case you have similar interests). Note that I have multi-region / NTSC and PAL reading DVD players in the house, and that the UK PAL stuff won’t be readable on normal US systems, and vice versa.  Personally, I hate the regions system. UK: Complete Jeeves and Wooster (Fry and Laurie; I have only seen bits of this) The Palace (ITV drama series about an alternate royal family; we loved it and I wouldn’t mind having a cheap copy of this) The Chinese Detective (sounds interesting, but I really don’t know beans about it) Complete Gilbert and Sullivan (1982 series, I think this was done over here for PBS, and this puts back in stuff that was edited from the VHS version, which I had at one time; it was ruined in a flood – need to see if there’s a US version of this) Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (not for me, guys, but for future material for Mere, considering how much she loves British/Australian kids stuff) The Devil’s Whore (pay no attention to the title; historical fiction drama set during the English Civil War of the 1650s) Einstein and Eddington (historical drama around the time of WW1, and yes, that’s Albert Einstein and yes, this has Physics in it, and it looks cool.) (19 Comments |Comment on this)
jrittenhouse	6:21a	Definitions: What is your understanding of the following terms (multiple definitions accepted for this): snogging doppus redding hailing (25 Comments |Comment on this)

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