Viva Forever

Because I’m with Dreamhost for hosting, they gave me a free domain name with the plan. However, I still haven’t used it yet because I don’t need one. I’ve currently (and by currently I mean today) been thinking of maybe registering it to make a crafting log? I’m currently very much enthused about crocheting, I’m in the process of learning how to knit and I still love origami.

The only problem is, do I need another blog? I would probably post in it regularly at least in the beginning but how long would it last? Once Uni starts again I really doubt I’d have much time for regularly updating a craft log since crafting projects would trickle to a slow.

My other idea is to maybe make the crafting log a creative project and invite others to write in it too? There are a few people I know who are into making various crafty things yet I’m unsure about whether they’d like to co-own such a site.

The other alternative is to give away the domain to another person (it’s only one year free though, after a year you’d have to pay for it)… but I don’t know who’d want something like that. Argh, decisions decisions.

In other news, TIP TO CROCHETERS: don’t buy plastic hooks. I broke my 5.5mm hook today; it just snapped in half in the middle of crocheting. -_-; Invest in decent metal/wooden hooks!

I finally suspended my account at Despair.nu. I was sick of getting half-arsed comments and sick of giving it too. It was a good lesson to learn though, to be reminded that while an elevated comments count may momentarily boost self-esteem, it’s really ashes in one’s mouth when you realise the majority of comments are done via obligation rather than genuine interest. Incredibly intuitive you might think, but I needed the process hammered into me.

In other news, an article on me and an article for you. Furthermore, I pine to write more freely, more personally yet I cannot do so when I feel uncomfortable having it displayed to people whom I don’t want reading it. So as a reminder registration is open. Please identify yourself, preferably with a URL to your site/blog. You will only have access to private entries once I know who you are.

Edit: Comments are now threaded for easier replies thanks to the updated version of this script.

I’ve been busying myself lately, in terms of online activity, with this thread. I disliked how it eventually became so convoluted, but it’s just so frustrating that the user “Angel” keeps arguing and justifying her incredibly thinly veiled prejudices and racist opinions, and conveying the air of snobbery. I can’t bear to read the whole thing through again, though I feel I could have probably more concisely worded everything in hindsight. It’s just incredulous that people of our generation, someone presumably intelligent, can harbour such narrow and bigoted opinions. But maybe it’s just parental brainwashing? I know my parents are at least somewhat racist, and if I was more obedient, perhaps I would be sharing the same views as them?

Edit: Holy shit, she started a new thread. *head-desk*

I’ve been reading excerpts (from a book that I don’t own basically ^^;) of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. It’s absolutely fascinating read. While ultimately, my (waning) gut feeling says that his incredibly driven argument that religion has no place might still be either too premature or too extreme, it is nonetheless very convincing and a delight to read. As an essayist had said, Dawkins is not at scientist who merely explains and offers answers, but he actually puts forth scientific arguments. Very intriguing indeed.

OMG SITE UPDATES!!! Not to this one though, BUT I *have* made a new site! Clickity click:

I don’t think my readership here would have watched Ouran Koukou Host Club, but that’s a fanfiction archive for it. Haven’t used anime images in a long time, nor CSS and it’s still not validate yet. -_- Ah well, still working on it. Also, Spin has been updated too.

Just before I fell asleep yesterday night, I was hazily thinking about chocolate. I don’t really like it all that much anymore, especially not in cake, but I still love chocolate cookies to death. In order of preference:

• Newly baked, soft chocolate (with or without melty choc-chips) cookies;
• Store bought chocolate cookies;
• Normal chocolate;
• Choc-chip chocolate muffins;
• Chocolate cake: newly baked with a warm but crackly chocolate surface;
• Chocolate cake.

Mmm… cookies.

My ulcer from the picture before has almost totally healed and it stopped hurting about a week ago. Non-pain is absolutely sweet compared to agony. :P

I know it’s all over the internet now, but I want to bring attention to a video posted by Shorelle a few days ago regarding the Dove Evolution. No, it’s not a documentary about birds, but a really insightful, quick and surprising look at how easily and extensively “model” pictures are touched up. It really goes to prove that not only can anyone look conventionally “beautiful” with the right makeup, lightning and graphics program, but how in the end it doesn’t actually look like you but just some creature that has been rendered to look as societially “pleasing” as possible. Scarily enough, the end result of that video isn’t even a photo of a terribly made up woman, just a quick flick of many womens’ magazines reveal ads of even more alien, airbrushed and fake-looking models. I don’t mind looking at pretty pictures of models (whether real, drawn or CGI) but it’s disconcerting and sad when people strive to look like something that, in reality, doesn’t normally start off looking like that in nature.

Anyway, I was going to register the free domain name that comes with my dreamhost package for a friend but now he’s registered for his own package and domain name. So what can I do with the extra name? Should I splurge and get something I probably won’t renew next year? What’s the point? Maybe I can make a competition and have that as the prize. Speaking of domain names, remember kids, for those who are going to register a name, DON’T USE WHOIS to search for availability unless you’re going to register the name straight away. I’ve repeatedly heard cases of people searching for a name then days later to have the originally freed up name taken by those domain hoarding companies that makes you pay heaps to buy the name from them.

I’ve updated the “extras” section with a page of forums and non-forum activities I have and do participate in. Hmmm no wonder I spend so much time online. :P

Oh and before I go, today’s Newground’s top submission is a cute little flash movie about online dating called Less Than Three. While nothing too wowing, it’s sugary cute and the song is catchy. “~Let’s meet here on IRC, LOLOL~”. :D

One more week of holidays left until back to Uni! Aww I enjoyed my holidays. :P Anyway I’ve recently moved to Dreamhost. Yeah yeah, so I’ve heard many complaints about the terrible cpanel and weird lack of localhost (their servers are actually bunched together I think, so the absolute path involves the domain name rather than localhost) however, the move went pretty smoothly and so far, uptime has been great (it seemed I moved in just after they fixed their server and email problems). I have a free domain name too, don’t know what to use it for though. =/

I’ve been trying to install Bellabook as my new guestbook as it has the nifty feature of converting megabook entries into bellabook entries… that way I don’t have to lose any entries! :D However I’ve been having a bit of problems converting the files, but Jem has been a great help. :D However, browsing through my entries I spotted the one left by Rose in my guestbook, about a very old review I did only on her domain years and years ago. I can still vaguely remember what it looked like and my review was quite scathing. However, it really amazes me how much she’s progressed in terms of webdesign and CONTENT. Now I wonder if any of my past reviews of sites are by site-owners I know now but have so changed their style and content that I wouldn’t have linked them to their past work?

Oh btw, Registration is open for this blog. Some posts from now on will be screened from public view. These posts may be more private, more relating to offline activities, more politically incorrect, more *nudge nudge wink wink*, contains more swearing and/or none, some or all of these things. :P You’d need a valid email where your password will be sent (all passwords are off-limits to me) and no, I won’t be using your email addresses for anything. I’d be periodically deleting users whom I’m not familiar with and whom I suspect might be bots and spam. But other than that, anyone is welcome to register (though note that disclaimer!)!

And lastly, I’ve joined Dream-ling’s scavenger hunt! :D

Edit: PLUG! I highly recommend everyone go visit Helena’s beautiful jewellery blog; Like a Fox. While it’s a new blog, it looks like it will eventually grow into an awesome resource site for anyone looking for tips and tutorials on jewellery making. I’ve had a hand at beading a little while ago and I’m a mere amateur, but it is a lot of fun. The site caters to a pretty general audience and I hope it inspires at least some of you to get into jewellery making. Last but not least, please visit High Tea, Helena and Fiona’s online store of very pretty handmade items for very low prices.