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(no subject)
Oct. 27th, 2011 03:18 pmFor Pratchett fans, "The Color of Magic" ebook with a bonus excerpt from "Snuff!" is currently on sale for 99 cents. This is the Kindle link, but it should be the same price at your favorite ebookstore.
For those who might care, HauteLook is having an Urban Decay sale starting Monday at 8:00 AM Pacific. The email I just got says "Everything $2" (but don't forget to figure in $10 shipping). http://www.hautelook.com/content/4858
HauteLook's another of the sample sale sites like Gilt and RueLaLa; if you want an invitation, here you go.
HauteLook's another of the sample sale sites like Gilt and RueLaLa; if you want an invitation, here you go.
If you have an account for commenting on Lifehacker, io9, Gizmodo, Jezebel, or any of the other Gawker Media sites and didn't log in using Facebook Connect, you can use this site to find out if your account login information was posted as a result of the security breach over the weekend. (via Making Light)
Even if your account doesn't appear to be on the list, of course it's safest to assume that your password was compromised and should be changed.
Even if your account doesn't appear to be on the list, of course it's safest to assume that your password was compromised and should be changed.
Info for Fairfax County commuters on 7100
Oct. 20th, 2010 06:20 pmHey, local-types: If you travel 7100 in the Fair Lakes area, you'll want to know about this if you don't already.
I know they're both very much needed, but between this and the 29/Linton Hall Rd. intersection overhaul in Gainesville, my commute is about to go from "not all that bad" to "I never thought that a Beltway commute would seem like a more pleasant alternative" for the next few years. :-P
By now you have probably noticed the orange road work signs placed around Fair Lakes,
indicating that construction on the new interchange is about to begin. Shirley Contracting has
been selected as the general contractor for this federal stimulus project.
The work will involve construction of six new lanes (three in each direction), plus a split-diamond,
grade-separated interchange with the Fairfax County Parkway bridging over Fair Lakes Parkway
and Monument Drive. Replacing the current at-grade intersection will allow for the free flow of
traffic along 7100 with no signals between Pope’s Head Road and Route 50. The new local
lanes, with traffic signals at Fair Lakes Parkway and Monument Drive, will give direct access to
Fair Lakes’ shopping, dining, office and residential communities. See attached “before” and
“after” aerial images. Projected project completion is in three years.
Clearing is slated to begin mid-October along the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100) and
should take five to six weeks to complete, weather permitting. This work will be done during
daylight hours. We will see some grading work and lane shifts in 2010, with major work to hit in
2011. A Fair Lakes Circle traffic detour is also planned by VDOT.
For those of you that travel through the Fairfax County Parkway / Fair Lakes Parkway intersection
regularly, we would recommend that you consider some alternate routes as the construction kicks
into high gear:
• Eastbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road
• Westbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road
• Southbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 50 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road
• Northbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 29 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road
indicating that construction on the new interchange is about to begin. Shirley Contracting has
been selected as the general contractor for this federal stimulus project.
The work will involve construction of six new lanes (three in each direction), plus a split-diamond,
grade-separated interchange with the Fairfax County Parkway bridging over Fair Lakes Parkway
and Monument Drive. Replacing the current at-grade intersection will allow for the free flow of
traffic along 7100 with no signals between Pope’s Head Road and Route 50. The new local
lanes, with traffic signals at Fair Lakes Parkway and Monument Drive, will give direct access to
Fair Lakes’ shopping, dining, office and residential communities. See attached “before” and
“after” aerial images. Projected project completion is in three years.
Clearing is slated to begin mid-October along the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100) and
should take five to six weeks to complete, weather permitting. This work will be done during
daylight hours. We will see some grading work and lane shifts in 2010, with major work to hit in
2011. A Fair Lakes Circle traffic detour is also planned by VDOT.
For those of you that travel through the Fairfax County Parkway / Fair Lakes Parkway intersection
regularly, we would recommend that you consider some alternate routes as the construction kicks
into high gear:
• Eastbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road
• Westbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road
• Southbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 50 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road
• Northbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 29 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road
I know they're both very much needed, but between this and the 29/Linton Hall Rd. intersection overhaul in Gainesville, my commute is about to go from "not all that bad" to "I never thought that a Beltway commute would seem like a more pleasant alternative" for the next few years. :-P
You'll want to make your hotel reservations soon. The Marine Corps Marathon (which is all full up with 30,000 runners) takes place that Sunday and many hotels, especially in the Arlington/Crystal City area, may be booked up.
(no subject)
Feb. 11th, 2010 09:45 amFYI: How to stop Google Buzz from showing the world your contacts.
Google Blogoscoped's Philipp Lenssen felt he had to avoid following certain Buzz contacts, as he didn't want to expose his social circle to the wider net. He's right—if you have a Google Profile, once you set up Buzz, those you're following, and those following you, are shown on your profile page in a right-hand link list.
Update: This might not apply if you haven't touched much inside Buzz, or haven't set up a Google Profile, or that Profile is set to be hidden from the public. If so, you're mostly in the clear. But keep in mind that, once you post to Buzz, your profile will likely be created, and you'll want to know what's getting put up on the web.
(no subject)
Dec. 15th, 2009 01:38 pmUpdate from the LJ advisory board user rep (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kylecassidy) regarding the reports that specifying gender on your profile would be made mandatory. (Short version: It won't be. Kyle's post has further information.)
So this is what it's like to have a user rep that doesn't disappear off the face of the earth post-election, eh?
kylecassidy) regarding the reports that specifying gender on your profile would be made mandatory. (Short version: It won't be. Kyle's post has further information.)So this is what it's like to have a user rep that doesn't disappear off the face of the earth post-election, eh?
OMG shoes!
Sep. 14th, 2009 09:14 pmNeed crazy discounts on (theoretically, at least) comfortable women's shoes? Shoetrader is shutting down, um, tomorrow. They're offering an additional 60% off everything still in stock, although as you might imagine that stock is limited; go to the front page of the site and the discount code is there. There were a few pairs of Clarks that I saw, some Born in sizes that aren't mine, and several pairs of dancing shoes for those who might need such a thing.
(no subject)
Sep. 14th, 2009 10:24 amMy cell phone apparently died sometime between when my alarm went off at 8 AM yesterday and when I got into my car to head home from Boston at 5:30. If you've called/texted me after roughly 8 AM yesterday, I haven't gotten it. I was looking at various pay-as-you-go services anyway, so I guess that it's time to do that more seriously and start handing out my Google Voice number.
Oh, and I realized upon reflection that my last post re: dinner plans could read as kinda p-a, which wasn't at all what I'd intended. Sorry about that. I'll admit that I was a little disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see anyone other than conference attendees, but given that I was still squishing around in wet shoes, low blood sugar appears to have been making me completely unable to make a simple decision like "what do I want to eat", and I'd been surrounded by 300 geeks in close quarters all day long, I was more than okay with staying in and lounging around. If I'd realized that my hotel was two blocks from Helmand though, I might've been more tempted to go back out.
Oh, and I realized upon reflection that my last post re: dinner plans could read as kinda p-a, which wasn't at all what I'd intended. Sorry about that. I'll admit that I was a little disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see anyone other than conference attendees, but given that I was still squishing around in wet shoes, low blood sugar appears to have been making me completely unable to make a simple decision like "what do I want to eat", and I'd been surrounded by 300 geeks in close quarters all day long, I was more than okay with staying in and lounging around. If I'd realized that my hotel was two blocks from Helmand though, I might've been more tempted to go back out.
I have been crazy busy at work this past week, and that will continue at least until the end of next week. (Woo, two releases in two weeks.) I'm pretty much archiving personal email to read later--and, I must confess, have been all week--because it's all I can do to keep up with work-related email; if there's something urgent you need me to see, please mention that in the subject line when you email. Thx.
Taking a break
Apr. 23rd, 2009 10:35 amI've got a huge backlog to get through at work after being out for three days, and I'm really kind of burned out on being online in general. PSA: At least for today, I intend to spend as little time online as possible. This means I'm not planning to read or respond to any non-work-related email, LJ posts, Twitter, or anything other than work stuff until at least tomorrow morning. I may fire off a post or two to Twitter, but posting via Tweetdeck != reading. Hopefully a little break will help me be more inclined to deal with non-work stuff, because right now I reeeeeeeeeeeally don't wanna.
Giant (the local-to-me grocery chain) started this program just recently, and the mail I just got from Wegmans says they're apparently matching the "free" pricing:
http://tinyurl.com/922msh
Cough and cold season is tough, but so are these trying times. That’s why from now until March 31, you can get your prescription for oral antibiotics filled with absolutely no cost to you when you use your Shoppers Club card*. “We understand the economic pressures families are facing, including the rising cost of health care, which is something I’m especially concerned about,” says CEO Danny Wegman. “We hope this program will help families better cope with those expenses.” The program covers up to a 14-day supply of nine generic oral antibiotics, with no limits on the number of prescriptions that can be filled.
Good advice at the best of times
Dec. 16th, 2008 11:29 am...but particularly good right now:
If you're currently using Internet Explorer (any version from 5 to 8 beta 2) as your browser, don't. (More at Security Fix/Washington Post)
Use Firefox/Chrome/Safari/Opera for a bit, until Microsoft can get this patched. (It was not fixed in the IE update in the last round of Patch Tuesday updates.)
[Edit 12/17: The patch is out; hit up Microsoft Update for it.]
If you're currently using Internet Explorer (any version from 5 to 8 beta 2) as your browser, don't. (More at Security Fix/Washington Post)
Use Firefox/Chrome/Safari/Opera for a bit, until Microsoft can get this patched. (It was not fixed in the IE update in the last round of Patch Tuesday updates.)
[Edit 12/17: The patch is out; hit up Microsoft Update for it.]
Restaurant.com is having another sale on their $25 gift certificates: enter discount code "SANTA" at checkout and get $25 certificates for $2 each (through Dec. 21). If you use the certificates or like to give them, sign up for the email list; it seems like they're always sending some sort of discount code.
Re: free certificates
They're offering a deal in which you can send up to three friends a free $10 gift certificate each day through Christmas. If you would like one, send me your name and preferred address to catherine at mad . scientist . com and I'll send one your way. (If you're not familiar with the service, note that most places will have a minimum purchase requirement and some have blackout days.)
Re: free certificates
They're offering a deal in which you can send up to three friends a free $10 gift certificate each day through Christmas. If you would like one, send me your name and preferred address to catherine at mad . scientist . com and I'll send one your way. (If you're not familiar with the service, note that most places will have a minimum purchase requirement and some have blackout days.)
(no subject)
Nov. 21st, 2008 10:40 amAmazon's been doing some crazy Gold Box deals on DVD box sets this week. Yesterday was the Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset for $39.99, today it's the complete Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collector's Set for $69.99 (down from $186.99 yesterday). O_O Since it's a Gold Box deal, that price is only good for today and while supplies last.
Missing girls found
Jun. 30th, 2008 03:51 pmThe two missing teenage girls have been found: http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1492073.html
Missing girls
Jun. 29th, 2008 11:04 amHey local-ish types:
kellfire's 15 year old daughter is missing. She was apparently headed with a friend to the beach (most likely the Maryland shore), but latest update indicates that may not have left the DC metro area; their last known location was down near Ft. Belvoir.
http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490366.html
http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490472.html
http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490943.html
http://alricthemad.livejournal.com/93647.html
If any of y'all happen to see these either of these two girls, please call the local police or the NCMEC (number's in one of Kel's posts).
kellfire's 15 year old daughter is missing. She was apparently headed with a friend to the beach (most likely the Maryland shore), but latest update indicates that may not have left the DC metro area; their last known location was down near Ft. Belvoir.http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490366.html
http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490472.html
http://kellfire.livejournal.com/1490943.html
http://alricthemad.livejournal.com/93647.html
If any of y'all happen to see these either of these two girls, please call the local police or the NCMEC (number's in one of Kel's posts).
(no subject)
Mar. 6th, 2008 12:09 pmFor anyone trying to get in touch with me, I am currently dealing with a couple of high-priority projects at work and generally am pretty tired and not overly social when I'm home. The annual winter depression sapping all of my focus isn't helping much either. If you're waiting to hear from me and you haven't, I assure you that it is not in any way personal. I know a lot of folks on my f-list are having a difficult time of things right now; I am trying to comment as I can, but know that you're in my thoughts even if I don't manage to say anything to you very promptly. Things will calm down here eventually. I hope.
A couple of collected entertainment links for you in the meantime:
Right. Break's over, back on my head.
A couple of collected entertainment links for you in the meantime:
- Download the new album by The Charlatans (UK) for free
- My Old Kentucky Blog resurrects the MOKB Covers Project: Hallelujah post with a few new additions, including Regina Spektor, Beirut, and Keren Ann
- dawnd: A squirrel with over 2000 dress-up outfits, complete with hats and accessories. ;)
- "Breakfast of the Gods" is a fantastic webcomic featuring breakfast cereal mascots; follow the adventures of Cap'n Crunch and friends as they battle the evil Count Chocula.
Book One: The Last Good Morning
Book Two: O Cap'n, My Cap'n (just wrapped up recently, book three is on the way)
From an interview with the creator:Part of what makes "BOTG" so funny is that it's played so straight -- rather than being silly or overtly spoofy, you actually play this tonally as a sort of "Crisis on Infinite Earths"/"Lord of the Rings" epic. I mean, my God -- you open with the brutal murder of the Honey Bunch Bee. How did you arrive at this tone?
A. Well, I have to admit I am deliberately aping the tone of the big event comics -- specifically "Watchmen." I mean, it's still valid now because DC and Marvel are still cranking out megaseries, but -- for me and my whole generation -- it's still all about 1985. "Watchmen", "Dark Knight Returns," "Crisis on Infinite Earths." There's a grand, serious WEIGHT to these projects, which are still, at the end of the day, focused on guys in tights beating the crap out of each other. Simple characters created in simpler times, for children, suddenly allowed to carry grander themes -- deal with adult issues -- all with a straight face.
So I'm doing the same thing here. Of course, I still try to inject enough winking satire to let the readers know I know perfectly well how ridiculous this story is.
Right. Break's over, back on my head.
(no subject)
Nov. 7th, 2007 11:49 amfluffthebunny's good friend Taylor is in the hospital in critical condition, and she and her family could really use some assistance. (The previous link will provide some explanation of the situation.) I'm just going to swipe pretty much wholesale the post from Les' journal:Taylor is
Taylor's mom and aunt came from Kansas to be with her, but their financial resources are very limited. Taylor was unemployed and was in the process of getting evicted. Taylor's belongings need to be moved to storage, and her family needs clothes, food, and a place to stay nearby the hospital (fluffthebunny's home is nearly an hour away).
If you'd like to contribute funds, go here.
They are also folks who are comfortable with receiving prayers/positive energy, etc.
I know that the "send help via Paypal" thing has been abused on LJ in the past. I'll say upfront that I haven't met
fluffthebunny personally, but she's a partner of tenacious_snail's and that's reference enough for me to be comfortable sending in a donation.(no subject)
Nov. 6th, 2007 10:31 amI use Trillian as my IM client, and I've apparently been bitten by this bug several times recently (including about five minutes ago when I fired up the software). Until the Trillian developers get a fix in place, if you send me an offline message in Yahoo, there's a very good chance that I won't ever see it.
