Below are the most recent 22 friends' journal entries.

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
elixxir	3:31p	My house stinks of egg pies and happiness! :) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 21st, 2009
razorjak	11:11p	( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. ) Current Mood: confused (2 Comments |Comment on this)
the_siobhan	7:49p	Places I stayed in 2009 Because all the cool kids are doing it. Toronto, ON Amsterdam, NL Bury St Edmunds, UK Cheltenham, UK Brighton, UK London, UK Stratford, ON Long Beach, CA Albany, NY Boston, MA There may have been a trip to Detroit in there somewhere too, but I rather suspect that was last year. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
the_axel	7:35p	Places I stayed in 2009 Apparently I got about a bit this year: Toronto, ON Seattle, WA Long Beach, WA Bury St Edmunds, UK Glasgow, UK Cheltenham, UK Brighton, UK London, UK Long Beach, CA Ferndale, MI Chicago, IL Grand Rapids, MI New York, NY Albany, NY Boston, MA Birch Run, MI Saratoga Springs, NY (6 Comments |Comment on this)
the_axel	7:56a	Stag Party is going to be July 3rd, 2010. More details closer to the time. As always, everyone's invited. Just remember that there's a train line out back for douchebags. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
missjanette	5:31p	via miss squiddy: OMFG CARNIVOROUS SEA LIFE Urchins, sea worms & sea stars, oh my. WARNING: seal pup carcass in video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG17TsgV_qI (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
the_siobhan	10:44a	I still won't wear green no matter what you say I went to two different Irish pubs last weekend. Toronto is lousy with pubs that claim to be Irish and English. Apparently the key to selling a lot of beer in this town is to hang a Guinness sign in front of your door and adopt a name like "The Pride of Cork" or the "The Ass and Sparrow". I have no idea why but places that market themselves as being fresh from the mothership see a lot of the pieces of coloured paper with pictures of the Queen on it. Maybe it's the connotation that they hail from places that know how to make decent beer, but I don't see a lot of pubs that claim to be German or Belgium in the city. So I dunno. Anyway, the first one was one of the typical modern half-bar-half-restaurants that slaps an Irish name on themselves, makes the waitresses wear a green scarf, puts Guinness on the draught list and figure they're done. Here's a hint for you, if you think that Irish "poutine" is a dish made with potatoes, cheese and gravy you have no frickin' idea what you are talking about. The second place was a completely different story. An actual Irish pub. As in a place full of Irish people, where Irish people go to hang out with other Irish people and listen to an Irish man singing Irish music written by other Irish people about stuff in Ireland. And where conversations take place about what part of a little tiny island they all come from. And from the moment I walked in that door I was six years old. See like a lot of newcomers my parents' first friends were people they met through the local immigrant community - pubs mostly. My dad's family lived in an area when he was young that was given the nickname Cabbagetown because of the Irish and Scottish immigrants, so most of his friends going to school were from the same background. When my family first arrived it's was those old buddies along with his family members that formed the initial ready-made social circle. Everybody in my little world had an accent. At parties they played music by bands that sang about the rebellion against British rule or made rude jokes in Gaelic. My mother would listen to the Irish programs on the multicultural radio station to get news and music from home. After a few years of living here of course, they picked up new friends among neighbours and co-workers and their social circles became more mixed. Once I started school and making my own friends I started spending time around adults who came from different backgrounds. Because the change was so gradual and I was so young it never really occurred to me that a change had happened at all. And then one day, 40-odd years later I walked into an Irish pub. And instantly I was six. (Fortunately beer can cure that.) (19 Comments |Comment on this)
arcanus	2:43a	Xiled Radio show 13 posted Xiled Radio - Show 13 by DJ Arcanus Smooth mellow electronic grooves for a bit of relaxation. S:cage - Gone Diakof - Bagna SE - Aer- Tapage - Oppose Mago - Like Sand Slips Through My Fingers Lacunae - Stars Burn Out Aphorism - What We See Now Kattoo - Place1 Detritus - Archipelago Oil 10 - Wide Knowledge Lucine Icl - Chao Saltillo - The Opening Monstrum Sepsis - Doors & Windows [Displacer Remix] Samhain - Wicked Design Listen here! (Comment on this)
Friday, December 18th, 2009
the_siobhan	9:33p	free account users Apparently I can send a coupon to 10 of my friends who have free accounts to upgrade to a paid account for half price. Anybody who wants one, say the word. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
pa76	6:05p	Update Decidedly icy driving today. Mam phoned to say that they have booked flights for our wedding party - my family are taking up one third of the plane already! But then, it is only a 30-seater plane. And they are booked into the luxury lodges again for accommodation. (The lodges have baby reindeer on site this winter. Awwwww.) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
pa76	10:00p	I am SO fat with carvery goodness that I'm sure I can't see my feet - even if I were to open my eyes. Oooph! Current Mood: fat (Comment on this)
kest	12:54a	Dear Santa I would like world domination for christmas. TIA, kest (4 Comments |Comment on this)
missjanette	12:32a	holiday wishes as seen in a buncha places, the holiday wish meme Step One Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fun ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want. If you wish for real possible things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you. Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post so that the holiday joy will spread. Step Two Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part: If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it. Once a wish has been granted, it will be crossed off my list. You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call. There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special. ( here's my wishlist ) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
theevilchemist	11:43a	have passport will travel Well, that was an expensive mistake. The replacement passport cost $160, not counting time off work, and miscellaneous expenses. It took me one-hour 43 minutes to process my passport. I still have to pick it up @ 3p, but it's same day servce. I'm just happy that I live in a city with a federal passport agency, unlike the woman from Rochester, MN who had to fly in just to pick it up. It still baffles me how people go into places like that looking for a fight, b/c they are just angry. It just makes the staff less cooperative. I learned very early on in my travels that when mishaps happen, DO NOT GET ANGRY. The moment you get angry, you shut closed, all doors for a possible solution & all the time you spend being angry you could be using to find a solution. Anyway, so I lost my passport, but the problem is solved, & now I have the day off work, it's sunny & I'm in downtown Chicago eating thai-food watching the busy people go by. I'm going to head to the Harold Washington library and pick up some books on Copenhagen & Zurich, and just wander around the loop until my passport is ready. Jv (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, December 14th, 2009
kest	3:10p	Last chance to fill out my holiday poll! (Comment on this)
pa76	5:55p	So tired. I wanted to go to sleep at work today. Not good. Just waiting for My Babe to come back from Tesco with dinner, and hopefully that'll give mee the energy to get to college tonight. I could _so_ just stay here on the sofa... Current Mood: sleepy (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
kest	2:32p	What I have been up to lately Ok, I haven't done one of these in awhile, because, well, I've been busy. In fact, there's so much that there will have to be two posts. In October, I was extra crafty with a sewing class and crafting at teawiththecheat's among other things. I also made a nifty remote holder with my new sewing machine and some old jeans: ( rest of post cut for photoheaviness. Also a grainy spider photo. ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
missjanette	7:57p	freewillastrology says:Cancer Horoscope for week of December 10, 2009 So how are you doing with your year-long resurrection project, Cancerian? Have you been taking care of the finishing touches these past few weeks? If not, do so soon. It's high time for you to officially and definitively rise from the dead. Your wandering in the underworld is at an end. Your mourning for broken dreams should be complete. In January, the age of exploration will begin; make sure your reborn spunk is ready for action by then. Rob is better than a Magic 8 Ball. So let's talk about "being okay." A lot of ppl look okay and say they're okay when they're really not. Sometimes it's bc they're trying to convince themselves. It's a good idea to try to keep that in mind. Related: I've gotten a number of invitations for social activity and fun and I haven't been able to commit to any of them bc I'm in the process of getting okay. I don't want to say yes & then back out. I realise that when someone is a no-show or a flake you stop asking, but please know that I do appreciate it and do continue to ask if you are moved to do so. I'm working on it. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
pa76	12:04a	Rock 'n' roll Been wrappin' more pressies and putting them in boxes for boxes for posting to Scotland - hope nothing breaks and leaks. The best gift I have bought is a plop-up (sic) version of The Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business. It's a favourite book of mine about a mole who wakes up one morning to find someone has shat on his head, and sets off to discover the culprit. The new plop-up version has pull-tabs and turn-wheels to reveal pooing action! Honestly. It's funny. Bought and installed some tall, fat red candles to put in my large Namibian ebony candlestick holders which have been empty since I unpacked them in February. Likewise to a crispy-snow type candle for the Xmas table centre-piece. Prepared the diningroom for the Xmas tree going up tomorrow. Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Friday, December 11th, 2009
arcanus	2:30p	Upcoming gigs: Including tonight! 12/11/09 - X-Mortis @ T.T. The Bear's - Cambridge, MA 12/15/09 - Nox @ Ramrod - Boston, MA 01/21/10 - Resurrection @ The Breezeway Pub - Manchester, NH 02/27/10 - Darq @ Bangkok Paradise - Salem, MA January or early February with date TBA, set on Connexion Bizarre - Portugal And of course, my own internet radio show every Thursday nights, Xiled Radio. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
arcanus	3:21a	Xiled Radio show 12 posted Xiled Radio - Show 12 by DJ Arcanus Dark, brooding dirgefest of melodies to darken your day. Mortaur - Unweep Our Souls Axon Neuron / Vagwa - Lohe I: Rome Messages Klood - Yidle Wilt - Empire Of The Snake Darkness And Silence - Semper Fidelis L'Effet C'Est Moi - Distance Camerata Mediolanense - La Demolizione Delle Idee Soul That Creates, The - Holos/Kaiein Des Esseintes - Proclamation Sophia - Miserere Selaxon Lutberg - Remember Or Forget? Andersson, Peter - Tulpa Part III - The Meadow Dream Arkane - Seductress Mesmerised Listen here! (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
the_siobhan	6:55p	thou shalt always kill (your television) It always astonishes me how much not being able to breathe impacts my mental health. Well, OK, it doesn't. Astonish is the wrong word. How about it's always a revelation how much the minor panic attacks go away when I suddenly have access to oxygen. I may have found a doctor I like. We'll see. It could be the head rush talking. In other news; the main drawback to biodegradable garbage bags is that they bio-degrade. Sometimes when you are holding them. And an avacado pit can make it a surprising distance when it's making a concerted break for freedom. (12 Comments |Comment on this)