I recently Stumble'd onto this page, detailing the 10 rules of the internet and decided to offer my variation, as clearly they left out a handful of important tidbits.

1. Do not talk about /b/.
2. They can find you and you'd better hope to god they don't decide to try.
3. Everything will eventually deteriorate into the Creationism vs. Evolution argument. Every blog post, ever Tweet, everything with any decent amount of viewers. Currently, this rule applies to the argument "Twilight vs. Any Other Literature" as well.
4. The internet controls everything. It controls common knowledge, it controls popular culture, it controls politics, it controls trends from food to fashion to music to media. Thus is the power of the internet.
5. To truly understand the internet one must visit 4chan, YTMND, Wikipedia, and YouTube.
6. Anything can be found on the internet.
7. The internet will be the downfall of American English.
8. One cannot lock, block, or try to control the internet in any way - think of the internet as a dimension unto itself. Your kids, your employees, your students, your people will find a way to access %100 of the internet anyway.
9. No one ever wins an argument on the internet. There are only losers and the apathetic.
10. Everyone on the internet is wrong, including you. That's just the way it is.

Yes.

I have a cupcake problem - it's true. I love them. I am obsessed with them. So my little sister and I got together to make Halloween Cupcakes and they turned out ADORABLE! I piped most of the black-frosted cupcakes and did a pumpkin face and a skull, while my little sister did a vampire and a spider with a glitter web and... some... thing. The rest are just piped and sprinkled.

I've made this post public, comments disabled. Share as you please, f-list.

So, you're fat. That's really too bad. If you're upset by it, do whatever you feel like doing to change it. If you're too lazy to do that, at least don't complain at me. But, if you're comfortable how you are, or at least comfortable enough while you attempt to slim down, you'll need to look cute.

One of the ways I managed to make people forget (or at least not notice) that I was overweight all through high school was by dressing really well.

These are a list of places that sell clothes for trendy girls who happen to be plus size. For the record, plus size, to me, is 16+. Okay, here we go:

Torrid.com/Torrid Stores: This is a great place for basics as well as accessories and fashion items. They even have a selection of kickass lingerie and shoes that are wide width. This is my go-to store for when I need a particular outfit, whether it be casual or classy, cutting-edge or comfortable.

Lane Bryant: Okay, don't jump up and start yelling at me about this. True, most of their clothes are not exactly "cute" - sometimes they'll have a good summer dress or some hot underwear. Really, this is for basics. Slacks, jeans, suits, bras, etc. I found an adorable white suit here. It's on the more expensive side, but if you catch them having a sale, it can be remarkably affordable.

Old Navy.com/Old Navy Stores: Another good place for basics, especially jeans and basic tops. Want some cute, bright colours? Get a few layering t-shirts or tanks. Your favorite jeans just ripped? Pick up a pair from OldNavy.com. They also have some pretty cute sweaters around the autumn/winter months, so make sure to check that out.

WetSeal.com: While not yet in stores, their website has a small (but growing!) selection of fashionista wares available. They run a little small, as WetSeal doesn't exactly know how to fit plus size girls, so make sure to order up a size or two, depending on the stretch ratios. But they had some adorable, flirty dresses last time I popped in.

Forever21.com/Some Stores: SWEET! They have officially launched their plus-size line! Go online to see the largest selection of cute, Forever21 goodness. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Keep an eye out for plus sizes coming to their stores, too.

Target: Cheap wardrobe staples in sizes up to ridiculous. And, if you shop in-store, you can usually find some amazingly cheap markdowns on things you'd actually wear - or need to buy. I bought two pairs of pants for work for under $15 that were good quality and a good fit. Be warned, that "Target Sizes" aren't generally the same size you tend to be in other stores. I run a 20-22 in pants, but my Target Merona pants are a 24 because they're cut thin in the hips. Still, for $6 I don't care what the number on the waistband says. They're cute and they fit!

Alight.com: I just really became familiar with this website. If you're looking with a general idea of what you want (like, a cute dress or an outfit for date night) but you don't know exactly what you want, go here. They're trendy without being "look at me I'm trying to be fashion forward!", which is always refreshing, and they have some pretty good quality items. There's a lot to look through, too.


I'd also suggest just wandering around your local thrift store. I've found some off-brand plus size items that were just adorable, specifically skirts and jackets, and the super low prices are always nice.

So don't get down, you can be plus size and not look like that fat girl from your high school that didn't shower and had no friends. Seriously - if I can do it, YOU can do it.


PS: Clothes aren't everything. Primp and preen and keep yourself clean and smelling nice. Get a good haircut, utilize makeup to your best advantage, and, with the help of some damn cute clothes and a kickass attitude, no one will treat you like a "fat girl", and most won't even notice. It's sad that we have to compensate but, unfortunately, we do. You're lovely - show it off :)

Okay, I am sick and tired of these "sexually liberated" women downing on men. Why is it that in nearly every comedy with a family the father/husband is stupid and usually fat? Why? What does that say about how men are supposed to act in a family situation? It is not okay for women to immediately sigh and say "oh, those men - can't take them anywhere" and give some simpering apologetic smile and walk their husband off to train them to do better. If someone treated me like that I'd be pissed off. No wonder men are overcompensating by dating only airheaded frivolous women - they're too self absorbed or too idiotic to prod at men's egos.

Furthermore, comments like the one below make me even angrier:

A woman asked a sexual advice columnist how to make the sex between herself and her husband a little less routine. This is the very first thing that columnist said:

"First, realize that men have delicate egos and never want to hear that they’re not God’s gift to women in bed."

What? WHAT? What kind of advice is THAT? EVERYONE HAS A DELICATE EGO. EVERYONE, you stupid bitch! No one wants to hear that they are subpar in bed - and where to you come off assuming that, one: the women feels the sex with her husband is subpar, and two: that it is his fault the sex is boring? What is WRONG with you?

Why is it okay for women to talk down to men, constantly pick and prod at their egos, whine and bitch about them but then give them absolutely no means by which to please womenkind? What do you people want out of your men? DO you want them to be a useless pile of manmeat who follows you around and does whatever you'd like? How is it that women can be so chauvanistic and no one calls them on their bullshit? If a man did that to a women - constant put her down, blamed her for all which is lacking in a relationship, assumed that she was just a silly thing, or complained about her ego - she would flip a shit and call him a pig, a womanizer, an all-around terrible human being. And yet it is okay for women to do that to men?

Men have egos. Big ones. Trying to strip them of that is not going to achieve anything other than another failed relationship - talk to him like a person, not a pet, and see if you can't find a balance between his ego and yours. Hey - that's a healthy relationship! Wow!

Men also are intelligent, capable human beings, not at all like their modern depictions. They are not fat retards with a "heart of gold" you must treat like a four year old. They make mistakes, sure, sometimes dumb-as-post mistakes, but guess what, ladies - so do we. They do something stupid, talk to them, help them, forgive them, but don't just sigh and attempt to train the dumb out of them as they "just can't help it - they're only a man, after all".


Isn't all of this the same thing that women have been fighting against? Treating women like they are simple or stupid, like they can't have an ego of their own, like they are to blame for the relationship's shortcomings? I think so. That does not give women leave to treat men like they are lesser creatures.

I guess it comes down to this: you can't cram men into categories like "sensitive" or "manly" or "intelligent" - they, like us, are mixtures of all different kinds of things. If you are allowed to have an ego of your own, so are they - if it gets in the way, figure out how to maneuver yourselves so that no one's ego gets bruised. You cannot look at a man's mistake and write it off as "well, he is just a man" - that would piss you off and therefore will piss them off (not to mention it will make them want to avoid women who might do that to them). And most importantly, men are people. Treat them like you want them to treat you. Do not objectify them, categorize them, talk down to them or treat them like they are less intelligent than you.

It's no wonder so many women are having problems keeping a relationship. Everything they see is either male chauvanism or female chauvanism. I can't think of any example in popular culture of a healthy male-female romantic relationship.

And that's just sad.

I made these for Vinny, and anyone else who wants to use them. Print them, email them, whatever, just don't hotlink. This entry is public, but anon comments are disabled and all non-friends will be screened.

5 Really Awesome Firefox Addons

1. StumbleUpon: Half social networking site, half internet discovery tool, all awesome. Create an account, pick some interests and hit the little button on your browser's toolbar until you realize you haven't slept or eaten in 24 hours. StumbleUpon will take your interests and find relevant websites for you. You can thumb them up or down depending, and StumbleUpon will use those ratings to customize your next stumble results. You can suggest webpages you like for other stumblers of similiar interests, too! Seriously addicting.

2. Delicious Bookmarks: Takes your Firefox bookmarks and imports them onto Del.ico.us, in case you lose your data or are not on your computer but want to find a particular website or page. After you download and install this addon, every new bookmark you make will be automatically added to your Del.ico.us list.

3. Google Toolbar: I am a huge fan of this toolbar because of how often I use Google. I use their GMail service, their Shopping search for when I need a particular item, and the Autofill option so I don't have to constantly re-type my personal information when I'm ordering something online. It's Google, so it's incredibly secure, too.

4. NoScript: This addon disables Javascript applications on webpages. You can select safe sites, block harmful ones, and keep your system safe of unseen processes and scripts hidden on unsecure pages.

5. PDF Download: There's nothing more annoying than clicking on a link only to find that it's a .pdf file and having your browser freeze or lag while it attempts to open it. With PDF Download you can view those .pdf documents as HTML, download them to your computer to look at them there, and use the all-new Web-to-PDF toolbar to save and share Web pages as high- quality PDF files.


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The Computer Sibyl

10 Programs Everyone Should Have on Their Machine:
*All these programs are for Windows, but many will work on Mac and Linux. They are all free.

1. HijackTHIS: Opensource security software. Scan your computer and delete malicious processes and files. Refer to MajorGeeks support forums (they'll scan your HijackTHIS log for you, but you MUST read this post first: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=38752 ).

2. MozyHome: MozyHome is a free service which backs up your files (up to 2gigs) on their servers. If you have especially important documents on your computer that you absolutely cannot afford to lose, back them up using Mozy. The software will run when your computer is idle, and will even alert you when it's been more than 7 days since your last backup.

3. PowerArchiver and PowerISO: Use Power Archiver to unzip and unrar (.zip, .rar) compressed files. It says it's a 30-day free trial, but it will run after 30 days without any usability loss. PowerISO will extract and mount .iso files by creating a virtual drive on your computer.

4. Spybot Search and Destroy: Spybot S&D is a free alternative to other virtual security programs. It will monitor registry changes, downloads, internet activity, and scan your system for malware.

5. Video LAN: Video LAN is a media player which plays all types of media, audio and video, which means you don't need to have Windows Media Player and Quicktime and iTunes, etc, all on your machine. It also make screencaps and saves them to your machine with the Snapshot feature, which is disabled on many mainstream media players. There are lots more cool features, which you can read about on their website.

6. Bit Torrent/uTorrent/etc: These programs are becoming a necessity for the computer-savvy. Many freeware programs are available as torrents, and musicians are even starting to offer free downloads of their albums (like Nine Inch Nails) via torrents.

7. TrueCrypt: This program is amazing if you have files that you need to keep away from prying eyes. This program will create a special secure (password-protected) container that can only be accessed by using TrueCrypt to create a virtual drive on your computer. Mount the container, enter the password (passwords can be up to 64 characters long), and view the files inside. Without the password, though, the container looks like a file full of random data. It even allows you to create a ghost drive, in case someone forces you to reveal your password. It's very, very handy to have - read more about it's features on the TrueCrypt website.

8. OpenOffice: For those of you that don't want to pay for Microsoft Office, OpenOffice is a remarkably similar alternative. With all the perks of Microsoft Office but none of the cost, OpenOffice has programs for word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows, drawing/graphic processing, and database/website editing. And it's entirely free.

9. Unstoppable Copier: Scratched CD? Corrupt floppy? Broken hard drive? Unstoppable Copier is unstoppable. It will copy files from even the most corrupted of disks and, if a portion of the file is unrecoverable, it will fill it with a blank, allowing you to truly retrieve all information available.

10. Firefox: Download Mozilla Firefox. Do it now. It is the best browser available. Besides, it has cool Firefox addons, tools, and themes, too.

Honorable Mentions:

Skype: Make free land-line phone calls from your computer, or pay only a few cents to call a cellphone, to anywhere in the world! You can also use a webcam and their messenger service to chat with friends over the internet.

Aim Ad Hack: Remove annoying ads from AIM's messenger client.

TCP Optimizer: Optimizes and speeds up dialup, DSL and cable connections - especially handy for when you're torrenting.

Picasa: A Google program that allows you to organize your pictures.

IrfanView: A fast, small program that allows you to view and edit graphics.

Windows Vulnerability Scanner: Have Windows? Then you probably have gaps in your security. Find and fix them with this program.

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For safe keeping.

( YEP. )

So anyone who's recently added me to their friend's list, please know that I will not add you back unless you comment. I've had some bad experiences with people, and don't let anyone on my Flist unless I know who they are. So comment and I'll think about it. Otherwise you wont see any of my entries.

;P Thx.

DISCLAIMER:
We should all hope and look towards the day where man realizes the sounds exiting his mouth are mostly complaints and a change occurs.
~Still Running, Chevelle

f r i e n d s o n l y

[.comment.to.be.added.]

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Things to Know:
You will be screened.
I must know who you are.
You may be taken off of my friends list at any moment for any reason including but not limited to:

Petty vendettas
Annoying behaviour
Stupid journal entries
Inactivity
PMS

You have been warned.