Hey Guys,

Unfortunately with our last release, and its instability, we were forced to roll back releases. Unfortunately in doing so, it would seem that our notification system has been broken somehow. Our engineers are working on this issue as quickly as possible. We hope to have a patch within the next day, so we can deploy our code and fix the notification system at the same time. Please *bear* with us ;)

Currently all notifications are being queued up so they can be processed as soon as the fix is pushed and verified to be working correctly.

Thank you,

freeskiers
While some of us long to escape the cold, dark stretch of winter for hot tropical beaches, for others, there's nothing quite like whoooooshing down those shimmering sugar alps. If you're fond of freestyle skiing, get ready to slide down the slippery slopes in good company. This passionate, international community shares travel/gear tips, anecdotes, photos, and videos for those who can't get enough of the sweet stuff.

seasonal_icons
Need some extra twinkle to decorate your place? Check out these dazzling holiday-themed icons. If you're an artist, you can post your own creations, provided you abide by the simple rules (which is to say, all cheer and no politicking). Be sure to comment and give credit if you wish to borrow a little spirit (no direct links, please). If you're feeling a touch of humbug this season, this is an instant shot of festivity.

handmade_gifts
High on creativity, but low on cash? You'll find tons of brilliant suggestions for do-it-yourself crafts sure to please everyone on your holiday gift list. Offering detailed instructions, photos, budgets, timelines, and active support, you'll soon turn spare remnants of fabric and time into cherished keepsakes. Be sure to search entries and read user guidelines before you post for help!

The show last night was sooooooo freaking good!!!!!! I loved it even though my fantasy of starting a fairytale love affair with Glen Hansard didn't come to pass.

Funny thing is, my absolute favorite moment of the night was a moment that didn't involve any music. Not directly, anyway.

About three quarters of the way into their set, after playing a few songs from the Once soundtrack, a few Frames songs (I think?), and a few songs off their new record, everyone but Glen vacated the stage. He grabbed his beat-up acoustic guitar and stepped forward. The lights were already down, but a bunch of the stage lights also went dim, except for a soft spotlight that illuminated Glen as he stood before a mic.


He bantered with the audience as all good musicians do, thanking us for being there, complimenting the beauty of the auditorium theatre, and saying how great it was to be back in Chicago. Then he launched into a story about his last visit to our city. He told about coming here about a month ago in preparation for this tour, more specifically he told about an encounter he had in an elevator at the hotel where he was staying.

Apparently he was on his way down to the lobby, and the only other elevator passenger was a woman who looked to be about 75 or 80 years of age. He greeted her, noticing that she had a beautiful face, with lovely silvery hair peeking out from the edges of her hat. He also noticed that she had a beautiful coat, it reminded him of something that would be worn by Paddington Bear.

Being a friendly, open sort of fellow, he decided to pay her and her coat a compliment, telling her he thought it was just lovely.

The woman thanked him. She said she had seen it in a shop window, and something about it grabbed her. Her motivation to purchase it was, "Fuck it, I'm gonna live my life."

She went on to tell Glen that she was from New York, and that she had experienced a period where she didn't leave her house for two years after her son "went into that fucking building." His last day of work was on September 10, 2001, but he returned to his office the following day, in order to retrieve a tin of popcorn from under his desk.

The woman said she woke up the morning of September 11 with a bad feeling, and tried to reach her son to tell him he should stay home. Her attempt failed. So she confined herself to her house for two years, until something sparked a desire to rejoin civilization, and she went out and saw that coat in the window and bought it on the spot.

So now here she was, having travelled from New York to Chicago to visit her daughter, and she was living her life again and it was wonderful.

Glen helped her carry her bags to a taxi, and she asked him what he did for a living.

"I play in a band." he said.

"Which band?" she asked.

"It's called the Swell Season."

"I've never heard of it," the woman said.

"Before that I was in, and am still in a band called The Frames," he added.

"I've never heard of that either," the woman said.

"Well, I was also in a film. It came out a few years ago. It's called Once."

The woman thought about it for a minute, shook her head, and said, "No, I've never heard of it."

He gave her his e-mail address anyway, in case she wanted to contact him and keep in touch, and before they parted ways the woman said, to paraphrase, "You know, sometimes you have something you'd like to say, and if you go without saying it, you might not get a second chance. Don't let that happen. Always make sure you tell everyone around you how you feel."

This, of course, was the perfect segway into an acoustic rendering of "Say It To Me Now" which is the song I posted in my previous entry. The song that I hoped beyond hope I'd get to hear live and in person.

The song was (and is) gorgeous and poignant in and of itself, so much so that I never imagined anything could make it better. But Glen's heartfelt story kicked it even higher into the stratosphere of excellence, and words cannot describe the level of warmth and excitement I felt once I realized where the story was leading. I think my heart damn near exploded when he strummed the first few chords.

I really appreciate moments like this. Moments when an artistic performance exceeds my expectations and then some. Now I'm kind of hoping this show gets released on DVD, so that I can continue to revisit this incredible experience.

LiveJournal: The First Decade

Just in time for holiday shopping, we're thrilled to announce the release of our ten-year anniversary anthology. Published by Blurb.com, the book showcases a decade of extraordinary talent drawn from LiveJournal users around the world. This must-read compilation features stories, memes, photos, comics, editorials, graphic content, and more, including:

1. Excerpts from Oh No They Didn't (a/k/a ohnotheydidnt), the largest community on LiveJournal, covering celebrity gossip, entertainment news, and pop culture
2. A look at post-Katrina New Orleans from the journal of Poppy Z. Brite
3. Gripping narratives, including a poignant reverie on a blind date
4. Photography that spans the globe, ranging from old-fashioned Polaroids to underwater photography
5. Mouthwatering dishes from food_porn

What began as a late-night inspiration back in Brad Fitzpatrick's college dorm in 1999 has grown to encompass nearly 25 million users worldwide, with journals and communities covering every conceivable hobby, passion, and topic. To get your copy, please visit the Blurb Bookstore. For updates and entries from book contributors, please join lj_turns10.

Tweaks and enhancements

• You can now ban a user from all of your communities and journals at once. To access this feature, hover over the person's userpic and choose Ban user everywhere from the drop-down menu.
• Follow LiveJournal on Twitter!

Give a little to help a lot!

In honor of National AIDS Awareness month, we've added a new charitable vgift. For each red ribbon you purchase for $2.99, we'll donate 100 percent of gross proceeds to IAVI.org (the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative) to support the development and global distribution of an affordable HIV vaccine (we'll cover credit card fees). You can read more about IAVI at lj_cares. While we're on the subject, we raised $740 from our November fundraiser for Love Without Boundaries, which supports emergency healthcare and adoption of Chinese orphans. We thank you for helping us help others.

Photos of the week

We're back with more incredible pictures from our super-talented LiveJournal photographers. Congratulations to ilya_gorokhov, who is the winner of our very first lj_photophile poll.

We hope you'll continue to post, vote, and comment! A gentle request: Please post only one photo at a time and limit size to 350x350 (so images display properly on friends pages). And now, without further ado, get ready to cast your ballot and view more awesome user content after the jump!

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Curtains

Thanks, again, for joining us. Stay safe and snug out there!

I'm taking myself to see the Swell Season tonight. And though I know the show is in support of their newly released album, I hope hope hope I get to hear them play this:





I also hope for a miracle that involves Glen Hansard spotting me in the audience and deciding that I am the love of his life, but I'm not holding my breath for that one. Hearing his lovely voice and enjoying his gorgeous Irish accent will have to suffice, unfortunately.

**EDIT Thu Dec 3 23:24:15 UTC 2009 **

Hey Everyone, we are about to run the last alter job that we need to on our database servers. This will effect userpics / scrapbook / vgift images for the next few hours. Have no fear, your images aren't lost, there is just a really intensive process running on the servers which store the information for mogilefs. Thank you for your understanding and all the LJ love...

Hey LJers,

I just wanted to let you all know that we are going to be performing some mogilefs maintenance over the next few days. We will be upgrading our current version to latest stable as well as changing some db config information to better handle the amount of files we are currently hosting. This shouldn't cause a big impact on site stability, but you may see some minor delays with userpic / scrapbook images appearing or other requests associated with our mogilefs. We would love to not have that happen, but unfortunately with some of the steps we need to take we have to cause a delay with images. I figured this was a better solution than taking down all of LiveJournal because well lets face it, we all need our daily LJ fix ;)

Thanks,

Dear Self,

You must always remember that there are certain calls you should not accept in the early morning, when you are cold and running late and in a bit of a rush to get to the train station.

Said calls will only serve to irritate you...starting your day off on the wrong foot and getting you roped into social obligations that you'd rather not oblige.

Or if you must take these calls, you must remember that consenting to unwanted invitations is not your duty or moral obligation. Even if it feels like that's the only way to get the person on the call off your back.

Self, you have come too far to fall back into your tendency to be guilt-tripped and browbeaten. You need to start calling shenannigans when you are subjected to these tactics.

Please keep all of this in mind the next time something like this happens. You are all you've got at this point, and if you don't look out for your best interests, and enforce the boundaries you've set for yourself, then no one will.

But I found a cover version that's just as good! Maybe even better because it approaches the tune from a female perspective. :)

backpacking
Want to embrace your wanderlust on the cheap? If you're high on adventurous spirit, but low on funds, this community can help you plan a trip to anywhere. Offering plentiful tips on how to travel light, you can post about inexpensive hotels and youth hostels if you're into urban exploration or discuss camping gear and mosquito netting for the great outdoors. Hitch your backpack, pitch your tent, and carpe diem!

bookfails
Planning to do your part to help boost the declining publishing industry this holiday? Better check here first. Sure, there are plenty of folks who post glowing reviews of their favorite books. But what about the epic fails? Compose and/or discuss snarky, incisive critiques on the books you despise most.

foundphotos
Ever stumble across a frayed photo in your grandmother's attic? How about a faded picture tucked in the sleeve of an old novel at a used book sale? This is the place to post them. An amazing, eclectic collection of photographs sure to delight anyone with a penchant for history or nostalgic memorabilia.

note_to_cat
Having trouble conveying the concept of accountability to your cat? Now you can share letters to your significant felines and give public witness to your declarations of love and domestic negotiations. Whether you want to publish an apology for falling short on your cat-nip obligations or you need to raise a delicate hygiene issue.

Okay, I'm back to pick up where I left off in my previous entry. We'll need to go back to last Saturday, November 21. In the week between my meeting Felix/Weevil and the aforementioned date, I arranged for my good pal Steph, a fellow animal lover/kitty mommy, to give me a ride to the pet supply shop and to the ACL to pick up my new friend. Together with her and her brother, we headed off to PetCo for all the essential supplies. I spent a small fortune on litter, a bag of food, a litter box, a scratching post, a bed, a carrier, some toys and some grooming tools, but that was fine because I was able to use the extra money I earned from a really sweet freelance gig to pay for it, and because I wanted to make sure Felix/Weevil did not want for anything.

We followed this shopping excursion with a quick lunch at Pompeii, and then it was time for the main event.

The volunteer from the previous week was on duty again when we arrived, and she remembered that I was returning to pick up my kitty. She let me visit with him briefly, and then we set about all the paperwork and payment and stuff. The process was very painless, and Steph and her brother were able to visit with the other inmates while I got all of that sorted. An hour or so later, I was signing my adoption contract, picking out a collar (I chose a blue one with a small silver bell) and a donated, crocheted blanket to line his carrier.

Then it was back to the big room to make everything official. Felix/Weevil did not take it well when he learned I was taking him from the place he had come to recognize at home. He resisted another volunteer's attempt to affix the collar around his neck, and had to be cornered in his cage in order to get it on. When she finished, he hopped to the floor and made a break for it, running a full lap around the big room and then leaping up into the cat tree that was between the two walls of cages in an attempt to allude capture. The volunteer reached up and grabbed him, and thanks to the carrier I bought having a panel on the top as well as the side, we were able to get him contained without too much struggle. Poor guy cried about his state of confinement though, and the sound of his anguished meows really broke my heart. I tried talking softly to him, reassuring him that he wouldn't be captive for very long and he was quiet by the time we were in the car. The ride home only took about ten minutes, and I brought him inside and got Steph and her brother to help me with unloading and setting up the stuff we bought. We filled his litter box, poured a dish of food and water, and then unzipped the front of the carrier, waiting to see what would happen. Weevil, the cat formerly known as Felix, crept out of the bag carefully, looked around and promptly sought comfort and shelter behind my couch. Steph and her brother left soon after so he and I could be alone, and so began my first experience as a cat mommy.

I've now had Weevil in my house for little over a week, and while I'm really happy to have him, I have to admit that the getting-to-know you process has been a little stressful and crazy-making.

He refused to emerge from his couch sanctuary that whole Saturday and the Sunday following, forcing me to lay on my stomach and peer at him from a distance whenever I wanted to check up on him. I talked to him, played him music, watched TV with him, tried bribing him with a trail of treats, but he would only venture out when I was asleep or out of the house. I could tell he was using the litter box, and eating a little bit, so I decided to try to be patient and give him a few days to adjust to his new surroundings.

When I woke up on Monday morning, I found that he had polished off the trail of treats, and was no longer under the couch, which at first, made me overjoyed. But then I couldn't find him anywhere....I looked in the cabinets, in his litter box, and the other places where someone of his size and stature could possibly hide. Ten minutes of fruitless searching sent me into a panic, so I checked under the couch once more and noticed that there was a sizable bulge in the fabric that runs along the underside of the frame. Crafty Weevil had taken advantage of a tear in said fabric, and was using it as a hiding space/hammock. I had to leave for work at that point, so I threw down a few more treats and left, hoping that he would relax by the time I came home that evening.

He was still in there when I returned, and remained in there the following day as well, until Steph came over for our writing group and we cut the fabric open enough to reach him while also leaving a little bit for him to perch on. We used some food pellets to lure him back to the ground, and when he crawled out to eat them we moved the couch enough to expose him for petting. I felt bad about startling him in this way, but it at least allowed me to touch him and it caused him to make a break for his litter box, which seems to be his other "safe" place in my bathroom. At that point we decided that maybe I should get him used to the house one room at a time, starting with the bathroom since it was the smallest, warmest place in the house. We set him up with food and water and bedding and toys, and that's where he stayed the rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday. I sat in there with him, where I talked to him a lot and petted him as much as he'd allow, but mostly he just stared at me as if he'd rather be alone.

Thursday, Thanksgiving night, that's exactly what I was doing, when Weevil made a breakthrough and crept out of his litter box with me sitting right there. I noticed that he would flinch any time I made an attempt to touch him or pick him up outside the litter box, so I put my hands up and let him know that he was free to explore as much as he wished. I left him to his own devices all Thursday night, reassured by the jingling bell on his collar that he was alive and poking around in my bedroom. At one point I even went in there to check on him and found him sitting in the wheeley chair that goes with my writing desk, seemingly more relaxed than he'd been since his arrival. I took this as a good sign, and managed to snap these pics without using a flash since it might startle him.






After that I left him alone again, and thought his whole hiding silliness was over and done with. I gave him full run of the house when I went to bed that night, and woke up Friday morning expecting that I could finally have a friendly encounter with my pet.

I was wrong, of course.

I got up and he was nowhere to be found, not even in his secret perch within the couch. I was about the check the kitchen cabinets when I noticed that the loose baseboard to the right of my stove had been knocked aside.

Weevil had found a new hiding place. This time he was in an unreachable spot behind the water heater concealed beneath my kitchen counter. I talked to him for about half an hour, getting nothing in response and for the first time since Weevil's adoption feeling short-tempered, frustrated, and out of patience. I told Weevil all of this in a very calm town and laid out a bit of tuna that I hoped would lure him out. Then, knowing that he was more likely to come out if he was alone, and knowing that I was starving and crabby and needed to print my pages for that night's Tamale Hut reading, I headed out for lunch and a trip to my office, figuring I could print stuff and maybe get a little work done and allow myself some time to cool off. I stopped at home before my walk to the Tamale Hut a few hours later, and I was delighted to find Weevil was back in his litter box in the bathroom, so I promptly shut him up in there again with his food and his water and his bedding, telling him that it was only temporary, only until I could get help nailing the loose board into place. When I got home that night, I relocated him, litter box and all, along with everything else into my bedroom where I thought he could roam more freely without getting into any troublesome hiding spots. He woke me a couple times throughout the night with mournful meows, and it made me sad that a week's worth of my company did nothing to make him feel at ease.

Yesterday I went to the hardware store and bought some nails and a hammer. I also got cabinet locks in case Weevil the ninja decided to make that his next hiding spot. My friend Rob and his brother Chris came by that evening to help me fix the board and install the cabinet locks, and we even secured the bathroom cabinets just to be on the safe side. I left Weevil in my bedroom while we went to wrestling, but opened the door when I got home that night, thinking that he might like to explore the house while I slept.

He was back under and in the couch this morning, which I grudgingly accepted, since I was going to be out having lunch with my mom and my niece. What was a little irksome though, was the fact that he had somehow managed to slip off his collar which means I can no longer track his movements by sound! I decided I'd get him back in the bedroom when I returned, and take Rob's advice to keep him in there until he was used to me.

But lo and behold, I got home with my mom and niece in tow (they were hoping to catch a glimpse of the illusive kitty) and again Weevil was nowhere to be found. I really panicked this time because there was nowhere left for him to hole up, and after about 10 minutes of searching, Mom located him hiding in what was kind of plain sight. He was on my kitchen counter, crouched behind my small boom box, and a plastic cupcake carrier that's rather large. I simply didn't think to look there, since he had remained low to the ground up until this point. But I was relieved that he was now hiding somewhere that I could pet him easily, and he didn't resist my advances.

After my mom and niece left, I was able to snap this picture as well, which I think is the best one I've gotten so far:



I left him there to start writing this blog, and put on Sunday at Devil Dirt, which he seemed to like thanks to Mark Lanegan's pleasing baritone.

I checked up on him about halfway through this writing, and found he had moved to the opposite counter, nestled in the corner behind my knife set. The knives are securely wedged in a heavy wooden base, and I don't think they can be dislodged, but still, Weevil being so close to them made me nervous. I picked him up for the first time ever, and returned him to my bedroom. Before I let him out again, I wanted to ask for thoughts from current and former pet owners who read this....Should I shove the knife block in a Weevil-proofed cabinet, or is it safe to keep them on the counter? Any advice is much appreciated.

Anyway, that pretty much brings you up to speed on my first venture into pet ownership. I promise I won't go on ad nauseum about my new friend like this all the time, but I wanted to document the first week of love and stress and emotional exhaustion. I have never -- and I mean never -- tried so hard to win the affection of another living being in my life! I can only hope that my efforts will bring rewards in the next few weeks....

Remember how I mentioned in my thanksgiving entry that I got a cat?

Well, I guess it's time to explain a little further.

First, we need to go back two weeks, to a Saturday afternoon that was sunny and warm and perfect for strolling outdoors. My initial plan was to just wander around and get some lunch, but then I decided that since it was in walking distance, and since I had time on my hands before my big live band karaoke early birthday bash, I might as well head over to the Animal Care League and start gathering info about adopting a cat. (BTW, this cat thing has been on my mind for about two months, after I came THIS close to taking in a stray found by a friend. That incident seemed to trigger a flurry of signs I should be bringing a furry friend into my life.)

I made my way to the ACL, signed in, and was led into the main room, which had two walls lined with cages. Most of the inmates were asleep, so I took a stroll around and then popped into the three adjoining rooms meant for kittens and the cats who could not handle the overwhelming experience of being in the big room. In one of the little rooms, I made fast friends with a female calico named Quimby who jumped into my lap when I sat down and started smothering me with kisses and nipped at my wrists and tried snuggling in my arms. There was something a little desperate about her plea for attention, but it was endearing and I wondered if maybe I had already found the kitty I was looking for. I set her down and found one of the volunteers, but I learned that she had some behavior problems, and could only go to someone who was an experienced cat owner. I was disappointed, but the volunteer offered to take me back in the big room and tell me a little about that cats that might make a better match.

One of the guys she introduced me to was a long-haired, all-black cat who went by the name of Felix. He had caught my eye during my initial scan of the room, but I left him alone because he seemed indifferent when I approached his cage.

"Felix is a really nice cat," the woman explained. "The thing is, he's extremely shy." She opened the cage, allowing me to reach in and pet him while he lay in his bed on the second floor of his kitty habitat. I was cautious, so as not to scare him, and let him sniff my open palm so he'd know I meant him no harm. From there, I started stroking the top of my head and much to my surprise he started head-butting my palm.

The woman smiled. "Oh, he doesn't do that for many people. It means he likes you."

I kept petting him and I think I heard him purr a little. After about fifteen minutes he stood up, looked around tentatively, and hopped down to the lower level of his habitat, allowing me closer access. The woman seemed to think that this was good progress, and at this point Felix's neighbor, an older, multi-colored female cat named Sahara woke up and started agitating to be released.

The woman opened her cage door, and she immediately strode along the shelf that ran in front of the cages, sauntering directly into Felix's space.

"I wonder if we have a love connection," the volunteer lady said. Sahara and Felix stood nose to nose for about thirty seconds, but then Felix's eyes got all wide, and he backed off, as if he was thinking, "Oh noes, there's a girl in my room! I don't know what to do!"

This reaction endeared him to me even more, and I made the decision right then and there that this shy, insecure kitty, who had been overlooked and ignored for months thanks to his introverted nature, was perfect for me. (At that point he had been a resident at the ACL since right before his second birthday....he was initially adopted from that same shelter at nine months, spent a little over a year with a family, and then they returned him right before his second birthday because they were moving and couldn't take him with.) I told the volunteer that I wanted him, but that I would have to come back the following week because I had arrived on foot and didn't have any way to get him home. She informed me that I couldn't reserve him for that long, but considering how long he'd been there already, the chances of him being snatched up by someone else before I returned were very slim. I thanked her for her time and said bye to my soon-to-be kitty, telling him that I would return for him the following Saturday. As I walked home, I thought about the name Felix, remembering that there's a minor character on Veronica Mars who shares this name. This, in turn made me think of that character's friend Weevil, who is one of the main players on the show and also someone Veronica turns to for assistance from time to time. It hit me that the name Weevil would be perfect for an all-black cat, and would also allow me to be a geeky fangirl and pay tribute to one of my favorite characters on one of my favorite shows, and so I decided then and there that Felix was going to undergo a name change when he came into my possession.

Unfortunately I have to leave off there....my mom is coming by to take me out for a belated birthday lunch in about ten minutes. Stay tuned for part two if you're interested!

In honor of the day, and in honor of my love of lists, I think it's time for me to be self-indulgent and comment on all the things that fill me with a sense of gratitude. It'll give me something to refer back to when Christmas rolls around and holiday-inspired doom and gloom threatens to overtake me, right? Right.

I am grateful for:

1. My condo, and the fact that I am able to continue paying for it.
2. Good food.
3. Friends
4. Friends who are not vegetarians but who remain open to eating veggie/vegan meals with me on major national holidays because they are awesome and are happy to just have my company and provide me with company in return.
5. Feel-good movies (I could name so many, but since I saw it today I'll just mention Pirate Radio).
6. Animals, especially animals who share my residence. (For those who don't know, I got a cat last Saturday. His name is Weevil. I hope to write a separate entry about it soon.)
7. My brain
8. My skill with words
9. The Tamale Hut for giving me a place to show off my skill with words on a regular basis.
10. Job security
11. People who believe in me and see things about myself that I cannot
12. Music (This should actually be in the top three, but I'm too lazy to copy and paste it).
13. Books
14. Wrestling, when it doesn't disappoint me
15. Personal independence
16. Glee
17. The internets, especially blogging sites
18. The great community of artists and creative types that I am sort of tapped into
19. Good health
20. The ability to persist, endure, overcome, and triumph. Looking back on my pattern of having done that throughout life is the only thing that makes me hopeful that it will happen again.


Yeah, I think that's a good place to leave off. Otherwise I might be at it all night.

Tweaks and enhancements

1. In order to improve site security, we've temporarily suspended the ability to change passwords for old email addresses that haven't been used for over six months. For further information and support, please visit our customer care page.
2. We've launched a new mobile site with an enhanced UI at m.livejournal.com. View spotlights, post to your journal, read and post to friends pages, and more, no matter where you roam! Please let us know what you think, since this will eventually replace our existing mobile interface. You can update your mobile preferences on your account page.
3. We've upgraded from Beacon to Facebook Connect to improve dual posting. If you've already signed up for Facebook Beacon, you're good to go. If you wish to update your Facebook Connect setting, visit Account Privacy settings and scroll down to the option labeled: "Send information about my updates to Facebook." You can choose Always or Ask each time. Remember to save (on the bottom left corner of the page). To learn more, check out FAQ 249. While we're on the subject, if you happen to be visiting that side of town, please join our Facebook fan page for a touch of home away from home.
4. You'll now receive the Writer's Block Question of the Day in the body of email notifications. To sign up for Writer's Block notifications, visit writersblock and choose the Watch Community option. Next, update your Writer's Block notification settings by checking the box to the right of "Someone posts a new entry to writersblock."
5. Paid and permanent users can now view, add, and edit Notes of commenters. Notes will appear beside the username of comment posters (instead of stars) on S1-themed comment pages.

Send some lovin' thanks to your friends with our holiday vgifts!

Photos of the week

We're so delighted with the immense talent of our growing, global lj_photophile community that we've decided to introduce a poll. Each week, we'll choose a half-dozen photos (based on user comments and staff feedback) and ask you to select a photo of the week. The winning photo will be announced in the next newsletter. If possible, please limit photo size to 350x350 to ensure that images display properly on friends pages. We want to thank you again (and again!) for sharing your passion.

Check out this week's photo poll and more fantastic user content after the jump!

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Curtains

Thanks for joining us. To our American friends, have a fantastic Thanksgiving. To all of our international neighbors, we'll eat a little extra for you!

This morning, I got to preview a few songs off a new EP that Romantica, one of my favorite bands, is releasing next month.

Like all of their other releases, the three tracks I heard were absolutely beautiful, and melodic and poignant and melancholy.

The thing that spoke to me most, however, was a portion of the lyrics for the song called "Lonely Star."

The lines in question were as follows:

"Singing is like medicine, melodies for suffering, words can heal the blues if they're true."

I heard that, and I had to stop what I was doing immediately. I thought about it for a minute, re-wound the song so I could listen to again, nodded vigorously, all the while thinking, "Yes. Yes. YES!!!!"

It re-affirmed everything I love about this band, everything I love about Ben Kyle as a masterful poet/lyricist.

God, I just love it when music grabs me in this way!!! I wish it would happen more often so I'd have more reason to dash off breathless, seemingly random blog entries.