Richard Brook

I have to say that I am really disappointed in what LJ has been up to lately. I stopped using my account for anything other than fandom after their last fuck-up that enabled people to access random accounts. That was just not on, so I left.

And now, I've been watching all the wank from over here and find myself absolutely astounded at the attitude of some people over there.

There are two facts that people really only need to know, and in the following order of importance:

The way LJ have redesigned the site makes it nigh on impossible for users with visual impairments to use the site (be that impairment visually-triggered migraines, blindness to varying degrees, or whatever). Screen readers no longer function properly and people have reported having migraines triggered so badly that they've vomited and/or had to go to hospital. How is this at all acceptable?

Even worse than this is the patronising attitude of many of the users, telling these people to adjust their screen brightness or the light levels in their homes. How very ableist of them. But really, I've never seen a website go so far out of its way to be so inaccessible for people. It's kind of disgusting.


The second fact is that this is a service people pay for. Since 2005, when I first started using it, I've easily put several thousand dollars their way for both my personal and my RP accounts. It doesn't matter why. The point is, I paid for this service. Many, many people do. Or did, before the service they were paying for stopped being what they were paying for, basically. It's like having a subscription to Discover Magazine, and then all of a sudden being sent something on fashion and make-up. No-one would settle for that with anything else, so why is it ok that a website should be able to change its service without warning. Netflix tried that earlier this year, and we all saw how well that went for them, didn't we? It's the same thing.


I'm thrilled to see so much new traffic here on DW. I can't wait to see fandom start popping up as well. A few of the places I spent time on over at LJ are already starting the process of porting over here, and then I'll have no reason to keep my account over there at all.

Now, if I could just get a few more icon slots over here, I'll be over the moon.

I have nothing witty or intelligent to say about this.

So. I was never able to get Windows 7 installed. Twice, I went through the process, and twice, it aborted itself halfway through. So, I'm still running Vista.

Annoyingly, I can get into the 'extra' login on the computer, and everything works just fine. The main one, though. Somehow fucked. It blue screens, and freezes, and is trying to give me an aneurysm or something.

Luckily, the second login on the computer is able to do everything except run Trillian or Thunderbird, for reasons I am not even going to begin to try to fathom. It can, however, run virus and malware scans, which is what I've spent the day doing so far. And since I can't run Trillian or Thunderbird, there's very little reason to actually be on the computer. So, my day has been spent largely listening to the Velvets and giving the kitchen a good, deep scrub. The kitchen looks fucking amazing, now. I don't think it's been this shiny since we moved in. I'll probably move onto the bathroom next, depending on how long this system scan takes, and whether or not I'm able to get into the main account afterward. If it is, fantastic! I'll make myself some cucumber sandwiches and spend the rest of the evening pretending to be a vegetable in front of the computer.

If it doesn't work, then.... well, I have a plan. It's a terrible, annoying plan and I loathe to do it, but it's so far the only other plan I have.

I've determined that the issue with installing Windows 7 lies with the install disc I have. There's a flaw, small but visible, in the inner third of the disc. I cannot afford to purchase a copy, because I need to fix the Xbox, which will cost just as much. I do, however, have the means by which to burn every single fucking file I have to DVD, and perform a full system wipe and reinstall. I don't want to do this. It's a nightmare, and I really, really, really don't want to go through the hassle of putting everything BACK onto the computer when I'm done. But, whatever. If I have to, I will.

If I'm not online by tomorrow, this is exactly what's happening.



Also, it would appear that the kitchen tap is now dripping. FANTASTIC.

I've been following this whole story on ONTD for a while, now. I'm not sure whether it's of boredom, or because I honestly do care how it turns out. I think it's a mix of both.

I don't think I've ever seen anything Lindsay Lohan's done. Apparently she sings, but I've never heard that, either. What I do know is that she's about my age. And I also know that a few years ago, she was arrested for DUI charges.

That's the part that makes me care how this whole thing turns out.

Recently, a judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail, followed by 90 days in rehab after she violated the terms of her probation. She doesn't, however, have to turn herself in until the 20th of this month. Naturally, she's spent nearly every day since the sentence in court, speaking with lawyers, and even threatening to kill herself if she has to go to jail. Depending on how things work out with all these lawyers and court dates, she will either spend the full 90 days in jail, followed by the full 90 days in rehab. More likely is that she'll spend 23 days in jail, followed by 90 says in rehab. There's also the possibility that she'll spend 90 days in jail, during which time she'll also complete her 90 days in rehab. Or, if Shapiro has his way, she'll completely skip jail all together and just go straight to rehab.

And if you ask me, none of these options is good enough. If you operate a vehicle, which is a form of heavy machinery which requires your full attention and presence of mind, you are doing so with the understanding that you know what you're doing. Vehicles kill people every day, even when the drivers are sober. But if you drive one under the influence of any drug, not only are you breaking the law, but you are endangering every other person out on the road. Every other driver, every pedestrian, every person waiting in line at Starbucks (how many times have you seen video of someone driving their car through a shop front, or worse, someone's house?).

Lindsay Lohan deserves to be punished for her actions. She chose to take drugs and then chose to get in her car. She should have been sentenced to jail in the first place, rather than been put on probation. And 90 days is not enough.

And I don't think that people are focusing on this point as much as they should be. Everybody's more interested in the fact that she painted "Fuck U" on one of her fingernails, or her obsessively-neat court notes. The important part is that SHE COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. Anyone sporting a Free Lindsay icon in her defence is just as delusional as she is.


I have very little respect for anyone who drives drunk or otherwise intoxicated. You have no right to endanger another human being like that.