active_apathy
24 June 2009 @ 01:12 am
Scroll wheels: A helpful guide  
Having seen altogether too much ZOMGDONOTWANTPOST splashed all over the nargletubes in recent times, I feel it's time for a refresher course in the correct operation of modern human interface devices as they relate to being a grown-up.

I am aware that many of you are, indeed, highly skilled at use of human interface devices and/or at being grown-ups, and I ask that you give your patience and encouragement to those among us lacking in the skills necessary to play nicely with others.

So, dear interwebbertubes, here is a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE procedure for dealing with things that you, personally, do not wish to read on the Internet:
  1. Assume a firm yet relaxed grip on your computer mouse.
  2. Place a finger on the scroll wheel.
  3. Draw the finger on the scroll wheel toward you, pressing lightly on the wheel. This may cause it to feel as though it is moving; this is perfectly normal.
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 until the unwanted item is no longer visible on the screen.
  5. Go about your day normally.
This procedure is adequate for scrolling on most modern desktop computers, and can help to reduce time used by, and occupational overuse injuries caused by, posting comments or entries to whine about things that you have read, and the ensuing flouncing when others point out that the whining is, perhaps, nonessential.

Come back next week as we venture into more advanced techniques, including the correct operation of the difficult and mysterious 'PAGE DOWN' key.

I now return you to your regularly-scheduled series of tubes.
 
 
active_apathy
18 June 2009 @ 09:14 pm
 
For days now, I've wanted something to go just wrong enough that I have a reason to say (loudly enough to be overheard by any and all witnesses) something very much like this:

Captain Jesus H wonderflonium-bouncing Sparrow with both utilities and heathens aplenty sinking my battleship to make shoes for orphans on a pogo stick by the power of Greyskull during a thundering typhoon in the conservatory with the lead pipe in accordance with the prophecy somewhere in the Persian Gulf.

Predictably, for a few days all has been well with my part of the world.

Stupid world, ruining my week by not ruining my week. Bah.
 
 
active_apathy
07 June 2009 @ 12:33 pm
Here's an entry there's an entry and another little entry, fuzzy entry funny entry entry entry meme.  
Stolen from [info]ryttu3k:

Give me one reason I'm going to hell.

Then, if you like, post this in your own (original) journal to find out how to furnish your own (original) handbasket.

It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishe- wait, what?
 
 
Entry Tags: memes
 
 
active_apathy
06 June 2009 @ 11:13 pm
Because this seems like a BRILLIANT PLAN.  
I am le tired. But I have episode one of season three of Spooksgyver! But I am tired. But I have new Spooksgyver. But, sleepyhoodshipness.

Obviously, the thing to do here is to watch Spooksgyver, then watch it again in the morning in case I have missed things in my tiredness-somethinged state.

Let us all hope I don't wake up with QWERTY imprinted on my face.
 
 
 
 
active_apathy
02 June 2009 @ 08:11 am
 
Things I would like to do today: a partial list.
  1. Go back to bed.
  2. Stay there.
 
 
active_apathy
24 May 2009 @ 12:03 pm
So I recently saw a J. J. Abrams film...  
New!Bones = Sherman Cottle + Perry Cox. Discuss.
 
 
Entry Tags: art:icons
 
 
active_apathy
22 May 2009 @ 11:02 pm
In place of content...  
Because I have nothing to post about, I have decided to do this meme again. So!

  1. Choose an episode of anime or television series you have on your computer . Make sure you're certain you want that one, you cannot change your mind once you skip this step. DO NOT TELL YOUR FLIST WHAT YOU CHOSE.

    (This one is quite plainly not an episode of TV, but we will ignore that.)

  2. Make note of how long the episode is here: 02:07:40

  3. Ask your flist to choose a time between 00:00 and whatever the length of your episode is. Be specific, (ie: 19:11, 21:09, 02:42, 01:23:45)

  4. Make them an icon using THAT FRAME ONLY no matter what it is. And remember, you can only use that ONE episode you chose previous, even if the person posting isn't familiar with it.
 
 
Entry Tags: art:icons, memes
 
 
active_apathy
18 May 2009 @ 11:22 pm
Whee!  
Because I haven't seen anything posted about it yet: RENEWED! Yay!
 
 
 
 
active_apathy
17 May 2009 @ 07:21 pm
Almost Everything But The Post Title Stolen From [info]laurenmitchell  
  1. Choose an episode of anime or television series you have on your computer . Make sure you're certain you want that one, you cannot change your mind once you skip this step. DO NOT TELL YOUR FLIST WHAT YOU CHOSE.

  2. Make note of how long the episode is here: 44:59. 42:13.

  3. Ask your flist to choose a time between 00:00 and whatever the length of your episode is. Be specific, (ie: 19:11, 21:09, 02:42)

  4. Make them an icon using THAT FRAME ONLY no matter what it is. And remember, you can only use that ONE episode you chose previous, even if the person posting isn't familiar with it.
 
 
Entry Tags: art:icons, memes
 
 
active_apathy
13 May 2009 @ 11:21 pm
Gruen.  
I am not entirely sure what I think of The Foundry's ad for The Pitch on tonight's episode of The Gruen Transfer.

It's... the disclaimers speak fact. The disclaimers are really, seriously meaningful disclaimers, and the material in the ad is extremely likely to offend.

Even after a second viewing of the ad and the discussion, I think my thoughts on it most closely resemble those of Todd and Bram (the two panelists on the left hand side of the screen).

Discuss. Heatedly, if necessary.

There is a URL available for the ad and the panel discussion on the page linked to for The Pitch.
 
 
active_apathy
13 May 2009 @ 08:43 pm
A Penny for my Thoughts -- the actual game  
So! We have a shiny new game. We have four five players; or, rather, five six, as I will play too.

There remains space for one more player; if you want this to be you, you have until the other players have submitted their prompts. All you need for a character is a name, though that too is optional: all things else wait to be discovered in play.

For those playing (and anyone interested in watching the game), it is recommended that you track comments on this entry.

Dear trial participants,

The Orphic Institute thanks you for your participation in this trial of long-distance usage of Mnemosyne. It is recommended that participants read through the patient's introduction to treatment with Mnemosyne (currently in its sixth draft).

The comments here will be initially screened, during which period it is recommended that the patients each submit five memory seeds. These memory seeds will then be placed in a random order, and used to assist in recovering memories. Also, patients may wish to start a thread for their questionnaire, to be completed during the course of the treatment.

Thankyou again for your participation in this trial.


Memory seeds:
  • An aircraft carrier
  • Being very lost
  • Fireflies
  • An unwanted gift
  • Fresh strawberries, destroyed into a pulpy mass
  • A precious object, lost
  • A broken nose
  • Library stacks, unlit and after hours
  • Frustration at being unable to find a certain item of clothing in the right size
  • A cabin in the woods
  • Floor buffers
  • All in
  • An unfamiliar city, disoriented, late
  • The blue screen of death
  • A diorama of Pickett's Charge with individually hand-painted soldiers
  • A sequestered jury
  • A dollhouse
  • London
  • A standoff
  • Not wanting to get up because a cat is sleeping on my lap
  • Want to run out in the rain, not allowed
  • Room service hamburger and fries, stone cold
  • A doctor
  • Poetry


Pennies

[info]potatocubed: 2
[info]maggiebloome: 2
[info]palmer_kun: 1
[info]soberloki: 2
[info]jeffr23: 1
[info]active_apathy: 1
 
 
Entry Tags: games:penny
 
 
active_apathy
13 May 2009 @ 12:35 am
Protomeme -- May 15th -- Blog Like It Isn't You Day  
Declarations disseminating data about deserving designs for memes with due dates drawing near, and demanding diverse distribution of the details of the desired deeds, do not directly draw the designation of memes. Discuss.

...um. Yes.

This particular protomeme was pilfered from [info]laurenmitchell, whose pseudonym perplexes the present project of plethoric and profligate predation upon each paragraph's prevailing prime... er, letter.

So!
Let's, for one day, blog as somebody else. Blog as your current main character, or even a minor character, blog as a historical person, blog as a family member, a pet, a piece of furniture - anything and everybody is OK, but you. Blog as if it's not you.


(A post that's not about APFMT! How can this be?! (The next post will likely be the actual game.))
 
 
Current Music: Tim Minchin - Not Perfect
 
 
active_apathy
11 May 2009 @ 09:26 pm
GNW  
...I think I ship Hillsy/Amos now.

(At least until I see the Adam Hillsong again, at which point it may turn into Tim Minchin/Hillsy/Amos.)
 
 
active_apathy
09 May 2009 @ 01:39 pm
Fictions, miniature and collaborative.  
While I'm in a spruiking-fun-things mood, I don't think I've quite remembered to advertise [info]thirty_words here. So, there it is. There have been no prompts as yet, but there is a post to suggest them, and there is a community to join, and these things may lead to minifiction.

So, go! Join! Suggest topics!

----

Also, I've slightly revised the description of A Penny For My Thoughts in my last post, and we have 3 players so far.

Another two or three players would be most excellent, and would lead to a game of amnesia and roleplaying and writing prompts. Go! Volunteer! Think of a character to not create! :D
 
 
 
 
active_apathy
08 May 2009 @ 01:50 pm
An RPG.  
Evil Hat are, at some point in the future, going to release a somewhat unusual RPG called A Penny For My Thoughts. All that we mere mortals (with neutral or good hats) know is that this is a date that has not yet arrived.

APMFT is about amnesiacs recovering their memories through use of a drug that lets their fellow patients recall details of their life. It's a collaborative retelling of your character's unknown past, where the other players give you details to help your character remember... if only you want to.

There are draft versions of the game available - and [info]drivingblind's post would seem to suggest that a game would lend itself well to LJ, and could be played through a single LiveJournal entry. The prompts could be collected in screened comments, the character sheets could be edited comments (or comment threads, with comment subjects for the questions), and then each recollection could have its own thread.

If four to six of you are interested in trying it, it might be interesting to try to run it either here or in an [info]apathy_games post. Draft six is the version of the rules I have, and you need only read to page 16 to know how to play.


-----


I read back over the post, checking it said what I wanted it to. What did I do or say then?
 
 
 
 
active_apathy
06 May 2009 @ 12:02 pm
 
You must all read the alt text for today's xkcd. (Edit: Er, yesterday's. New xkcd every day this week!)

That is all.
 
 
active_apathy
05 May 2009 @ 10:14 am
Far, far too early in the morning.  
Witnesses: Hi! We've got some publications we're handing out if you're interested. Maybe you've heard of-

Me: I'm quite happy with my current faith provider, and I'm not planning to switch to a new one at the moment.

Witnesses: Ah. So you've been delving into the bible-

Me: My current theology service understands that people in these busy times don't have the time to spare for voluminous, prescriptive theological texts. It also offers highly competitive insurance for souls, including coverage for damage caused by disbelief, debauchery, gambling, drinking, homosexuality and acts of The Adversary.

Witnesses: Oh. Um...

Me: And the customer service is excellent, too. Trained demiurges are standing by right now to answer your orisons.

Witnesses: Do you want to tell us what it is?

Me: Before I've told you about the low long-distance rates?

Witnesses: ...we'll be going now.
 
 
active_apathy
05 May 2009 @ 12:21 am
Journals and layouts  
So what do I do when I get a new account on another journalling site?

I add a new toy to my layout here! (As a way of not coding one there yet, partly.) What this new bit of code does is it progressively reduces the indentation of comments in long threads, warding off the horizontal scrollbar for longer. I've actually had the code for a while, having invented it for someone in [info]s2flexisquares, but haven't actually used it until now.

To see it for yourself, spam this entry. Or talk using only icons. Or play a game. Or sing a song. Or have a (civilised!) argument. Or pretty much anything else that'll lead to lots of comments.

Also: new, slightly less ambitious Lexicon game on DW. Good idea or bad idea?
 
 
 
 
active_apathy
04 May 2009 @ 02:45 am
Synchronise journals in three... two... one... hack.  
...though I prefer timepieces without hacking mechanisms. I'm not quite sure why.

Anyway!

I has a Dreamwidth account, kindly supplied by [info]maggiebloome, which is even now rolling through my journal content like some kind of journal-based katamari. There are exactly no prizes for guessing my username there, especially if you've seen any of my comments about username protection.

I have no idea how much actual usage will ensue, though there seems to be a significant amount of kind-of migration happening. Or lots of dual citizenship. Or something. So! There are things that remain to be seen.
 
 
active_apathy
30 April 2009 @ 09:12 am
A meme! For SCIENCE!  
Adapted from [info]packbat:

This is the meme evolution meme. Copy this text, change it however you like, and repost it in your own journal. Remember to post a link to your version here as a reply to the person whose text you altered, so we can see how it evolves!