Ok, that's it... things are just tooo chaotic RL.

Until further notice, I am....

..... ON HIATUS .....

Still having some connectivity problems. Those of you waiting to get in touch with me, please be patient.

Thank you.

PURPOSE OF THIS LJ
This LJ is for notices of official site updates and community news, plus whatever else seems to fit along the same lines. As such, updates may be erratic depending on what else is going on in my life at the moment.

FRIENDS LIST INFO
Feel free to add me, and I will add you back.

I may occasionally add random people either who's writing I enjoy reading, OR who I believe are part of the real vampire community (I'll ask if I'm uncertain), so if you see sphynxcat_news pop up in your list of people who've friended you, that's why. If you don't wish to be listed on my friends list, simply ask (comment to this, or any other entry of mine you see) to be removed and I will do so as soon as I am able.

In any case, please understand there is no offense intended by my friending you, and you are under NO obligation to friend me back.

IMPORTANT NOTE - LANGUAGES:
If you are not a native speaker of english, be aware that I really cannot read any language other than english unless I can find a good translation tool. If you can point me to an online tool with at least some reliability, that would be great. If you can't, and you wish to friend me anyway, that's fine too - just be aware I probably won't comment on your entries as a result of the language barrier.

SCREENING
All comments are screened for this entry.

No, I'm not dead. :P

I've updated the reciprocal links page on my site with a couple new links, and cleaned out a LOT of dead ones.

The ones either dead or no longer linking to me for whatever reason ( are the following: )

If your site or page is in this list and you want me to add it back to my reciprocal links page, simply let me know where you have a link to me on your site. If your site has complex, unusually-named or php-based navigation methods, it's possible I simply couldn't find it (and if that's the case, then you should really think about how you design your site navigation!)

Updates will resume for my site, but at a slower pace than in the past, at least for now. I have too many irons in the fire, and things that actually PAY my bills have to come first. The site will stay up regardless, it just means that I may not get to it as often as I'd like.

For those who haven't already seen it, and have webrings, they have substantially changed their service offerings.

Anyone owning more than 2 rings AND/OR with memberships in more than 5 other rings WILL BE CHARGED MONEY.

Theoretically, they won't force a choice until January 15th 2007, however they're also saying (in their forums) that they won't charge your account before November 1, 2006.... confused? So's a good portion of webring members.

Anyway... if you have a webring membership and haven't checked in for a while, you might want to do so NOW and decide whether this applies to you, and whether you care what rings they believe you should keep if you exceed these limits.

(xposted to sphynxcatvp as well.)

There's what's known as a 0-day Windows exploit (exploit discovered before a patch is ready) in the wild. Some websites are already exploiting it, and it's only a matter of time before it becomes an exploit used in email (whether as spam or as the product of an installed virus) and files.

This is a hack of the Windows MetaFile format - Thus all Windows machines are vulnerable, and this is a cross-browser suseptibity.

Snippet from the page: "Note that this WILL temporarily disable the "Thumbnail" view in Windows Explorer and Window's Image and FAX viewer. This is by design, since these viewers are no longer safe to use until a non-vulnerable file has been produced by Microsoft and installed."

For details, go here. This page also includes details on how to disable the vulnerable component.

It is recommended that you reboot after disabling the component to prevent anything already in memory from being affected.

"...Shin Buddhism cautions us to always remember that, even if we do awaken to the Dharma and to our true, egocentric nature, we don't become "better people." We're still egotistical, judgmental, impatient, fallible and arrogant. In that sense, Buddhism is really beyond ethics, beyond "right and wrong," because it accepts, with compassion, that to be human is to be flawed. However, though we don't become "better" (more moral) people, we do gain insight. As mentioned above, what can change is the way we look at our lives and our relationship to others. We can come to see that our lives and, indeed, all life, is both interdependent and precious. This insight can have a profound and transforming effect on how we live our lives."

Snippet ganked from here.

Just because it seems to be necessary... :)



Good Research Practices

Good research practices use what is called the "scientific method" for determining whether a theory or conjecture is valid, or at least has merit. It is based on evidence rather than belief.

What is this "scientific method"?

1. Observe and describe a phenomenon or set of phenomenons.


2. Create a theory or conjecture to explain the phenomenon(s).


3. Use what is theorized to predict repeat performances of said phenomena.


4. Experiment to see whether the theory is correct by discovering whether the criteria will actually duplicate the same set of results. Properly performed experiments will have the most reliable results.

What is the typical process like?

1. Define the question


2. Gather information and resources


3. Form hypothesis


4. Plan experiment


5. Do experiment and collect data


6. Analyze data


7. Interpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypotheses


8. Communicate results

Key points to note:

• If the experiments bear out the hypothesis it may come to be regarded as a theory.


• If the experiments do not bear out the hypothesis, it MUST BE REJECTED OR MODIFIED.


• The key in the description of the scientific method just given is the predictive power of the
  hypothesis or theory, as tested by experiment.

It is often said in science that theories can never be proved, only disproved. There is always the possibility that a new observation or a new experiment will conflict with a long-standing theory.


COMMON MISTAKES:

• Ignoring data which does not support the hypothesis.


• Failure to account for errors in the method used to run the experiment.


• Mistaking the hypothesis for an actual explanation, without performing proper experiments.


• Bias towards a specific result or specific set of results.

Selected links for further understanding:

http://phyun5.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node6.html
http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/Plants_Human/scimeth.html
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scimeth.htm
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/chance.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

The Nightwatch interview with two community members is now up and available for downloading.

The upside is it's just an .mp3 file, so it only takes winamp or some other compatible player.

The downside is it's HUGE. About 105MB. So... be warned.

I got a plug on the Night Watch show tonight! W0000t!

Archive of the show is expected to be online sometime tomorrow or the next day, but I don't know how long the archives stay up.

Looks like he put the "original" content back up - the bloodlines site some of us are familiar with.

However....

Be careful which you click, because the fetish link is still on that main page too.

Have you seen the A&E special "The Secret Life of Vampires"?

If not, click here for info on how you can.

For those of you who missed it the first time, they will be reshowing it on Halloween itself - October 31st. Check your local listings for showtimes and details.

(You will be be able to pull up your local listings by entering in JUST your zipcode, or if you're not in the USA, click "international listings".)

I should have mentioned this earlier, but the routing issues appear to be fixed. I haven't seen any issues impacting my site for a few days now.

Four more days to Halloween...

Some of you may have been experiencing issues connecting to the site.

This is apparently a routing issue between whatever ISP your on, and the ISP my site's hosting is going through. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about that, however I can point you to my backup mirror list so you that you can choose an alternate location to visit while the main site's connectivity issues are being (all too slowly) sorted out.

I wish I could fix the problem myself, I apologize for the difficulties. :(

A&E's official website has posted their official blurb about the Vampires episode that's coming up October 28th. (Rumor has it it will be rerun through the weekend, however the A&E website does not list extra showtimes as of this writing.)

Since I've exchanged emails with documentary types in the past, I compiled a basic list of questions into an article appropriately titled Notes for Interviewers.

Bloodlines International is no longer.

OldWorld still controls the domain, however it's now a fetish site which also sells sex toys.

(Apologies to those of you who see this twice.)

Save this text file and pass this on (in entirety) as needed.

Charities list updated based on information found at:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/dark_christian/245640.html
because people need *help*, period, not help with very large and
uncomfortable strings attached. Check that link for updates to
the Good Guys list.


As most of you - I'm sure - are aware, New Orleans has been
hit by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Since it touched
down around Biloxi, Mississipi it wasn't a direct head-on
to New Orleans, but Katrina still did an incredible amount
of damage through massive flooding and high winds. If you
haven't been keeping up, and you wish get information, there
are a few news stories you can pick up here:

Katrina info @ CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/31/katrina/index.html

Katrina info @ Weather.com
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/topstories/20050830katrinadamagelinks.html

Katrina info @ MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9063708/

For relatively current happenings, you can also visit LiveJournal -
interdictor ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/ ),
who is currently IN New Orleans, and is watching the rioting, fires
and other Bad Things happening. And this also has webcams links
(need Windows media player) for you voyeristic types.


With the scope
( http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/katrina.impact/index.html )
of this disaster, are these people really going to want to *wait*
for a fundraiser, with the proceeds to be distrubed after the
fundraiser is complete? I don't believe so.


Most people's pets were left behind and many will not survive.
Noah's Wish is an organization devoted to pet rescue efforts
after disasters strike. Noah's Wish also handles exotic pets
that most shelters can't or won't handle normally.
For details on how you can donate money, if are willing to
foster animals made homeless by the hurricane, or volunteer
in pet rescue efforts, visit their website:
http://www.noahswish.org


For those of you who wish to donate money - or if you're in the
New Orleans / Biloxi, Mississipi area and beyond, volunteer for
rescue and cleanup efforts - here is a list of official charity
organizations, as posted on the FEMA website charities list for
Katrina where your donations will be the most effective:

If you can send them, organizations also need food, water, clothing and toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc.) to distribute to people made homeless by Katrina. Contact the organization for details on how to get these (or other supplies they may need) types of supplies to them.

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English,
1-800-257-7575 Spanish;

If you are willing to host a refugee family for a month
or more, contact the American Red Cross. They aren't sending them too
far from the Gulf Coast right now, but that may well change.

America's Second Harvest
http://www.secondharvest.org
1-800-344-8070
Famous food bank. Originally started as Kentucky Harvest, nonsectarian, good folks all around.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
http://www.pcusa.org/pda/
800-872-3283

United Methodist Committee on Relief
http://www.methodistrelief.org/
1-800-554-8583

Tzu Chi
http://www.tzuchi.org/global/
Contact list: http://www.tzuchi.org/global/offices/index.html
a Buddhist charity group that is operating a relief fund.

Lutheran Disaster Fund
http://www.elca.org/disaster


Mennonite Disaster Service
http://www.mds.mennonite.net/
717-859-2210
Anabaptist religious order - they're "plain folk" like Amish, also pacifist, but do believe in use of modern tools and the like; they do a lot of good charity work.

Mennonite Central Committee
http://www.mcc.org/
The larger of the Mennonite charities, Canadians may wish to consider this as an option as well.

Catholic Charities, USA
http://www.bnaibrith.org/
703 549-1390



Please check with your tax advisor or the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding
the tax deductibility of your donation.

And speaking of taxes....

If you have been directly affected by the
hurricane's effects, you can get tax relief:

Publication 2194, Disaster Losses Kit for Individuals
This publication is to help individuals claim casualty losses on
property that was destroyed by a natural disaster. The kit contains
tax forms needed to claim a casualty loss. It also answers common
questions.

Publication 2194-B Disaster Losses Kit for Businesses (This is to help
businesses claim casualty losses on property that has been destroyed
by a natural disaster. The kits contains tax forms needed to claim a
casualty loss.

For more information, visit:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html

or call: 1-800-829-1040
Hearing impaired: 1-800-829-4059 (TDD)

According to information located here, Fox has purchased rights to run Mad Mad House sometime this October.

Sites within the community will probably see an additional boost in traffic as a result, above and beyond the usual "Haunt Season" spike.

For anyone who doesn't already know, the BRAND NEW layout for my site is now up and running - go check it out!

Content is poured into the new templates, now I'm just going through and fixing things that broke in the process, and cleaning up things that still look sucky.

New additions:

* Search feature
* Tell-a-friend feature

Modifications will include:

* New "look-and-feel"
* Tweaked layout (a few things will be rearranged, and hopefully will be more logical)
* Translation language changes - I'm dumping Intertran's versions since they suck ass. :(