What's this then? This is my journal, a place where I share my highs and lows, thoughts, feelings, day to day happenings and general insanity with other people. It's a safe space in my world and a very important part of my life.

If you're here because you heard me say "LiveJournal" and want to join in the fun then you need to go create an account. [CLICK] No don't think about it, don't worry about it, just do it and then come back here and comment. You don't even need to use it as a diary although I'd like it if you did. I'll probably be very happy to see you here :D The reason for creating an account is this - there are a lot more entries here than you can see right now but I really don't want everyone to be able to read them. If you create an account I can give you access to the journal entries that you can't see by adding you to my friends list.

I do have a public journal that you can read without joining - everything I post on my vox blog is open to everyone. It doesn't get updated as much though.

If you find I've taken you off my Flist it's probably because you posted a meme without an lj-cut that broke my friends page. I'll add you back in 12 hours or so when your post drops off the first page of my friends page. I won't tell you what to post or not post or how to post in your journal, but I do reserve the right to an unbroken friends page.

Oh a real blast from the past here, I didn't really like this when I first heard it but it grew on me. Who me? Eclectic taste? Never!.( Read more... )

I will be back. I'm just incredibly busy right now. Sorry.

I was going to post this last week, but missed it. ( Read more... )

Up to my eyeballs in code. I'll be back when I've got a website up.( just enjoy this one )

OGMF: "wasn't there a lost you had to go and get?"

RJF: "it's a boy. Boys have bits" OGMF:"I was a boy once."

OGMF (to Blackie)"I could bite your nose off too if I wanted to." RJF: "I wouldn't; I know where it's been"

RJF: *plaits the dogs legs* "it's a four-feet" OGMF: "A what?" RJF:"Four-feet. Forfeit. Oh I give up."

( awful video, I loved this song. I feel old. )/spam

This one is a little different. Another favourite though. I had the original Moods album which had this track on it and when daughter #1 was born that was the album I had playing. ( Read more... )

I'm posting early because I'm off on a short trip. Thought this was apt in all the current circumstances...
( I'm mad. Mad I tell you... )

Ninja Pirates with attitude...
( under here )

Stolen shamelessly.

LJ wants YOU (to be a volunteer)

Those of you who are already LJ volunteers or staff of one stripe or another can tune this out.

Done?

Right.

LiveJournal does a lot with volunteer labor. This is because it is not run by a huge corporation, unlike some sites. Six Apart is pretty tiny, and it can only devote one slice of effort to LJ. Also, having users of the site help out with it makes, in the end, for a superior service. It's my belief that part of the reason that LJ has the community feel that it does is that it relies on people like you to help out.

Yeeessss, people like you. I think you see where I'm going here.

LJ could use people. Lots of people, doing lots of different things. If LJ has meant something to your life, if it's helped you in some way, this is a great way to help it in return. (And maybe get something for yourself out of it, but let's not dwell on that.)

The simplest way to be an LJ volunteer is to do Support. There's no application process and the barrier to entry is insanely low. Do you know how to update your journal, friends-lock entries, and read FAQs? Yes? Then you have something to contribute in Support if you really want to. It's easy to get started, too - anybody can leave screened answers on the support board, and the user won't see them until they're looked over by a senior volunteer. If you're interested in Support, hit up the Support Guide and try it out. You'll be glad you did! (Well, I'll be glad you did.)

If you want to help improve LJ's documentation, look into the lj_userdoc community; you can go there and post suggestions, which will be reviewed and acted on by senior volunteers and staff.

Or maybe you'd prefer working on LJ's schools directory. Well, there's a volunteers group for that, too! Check out the user profile of lj_schools for information.

If you speak another language, you can help translate the site into it! Information on how to participate in that may be found here: http://www.livejournal.com/translate/.

And, last but not least, if you can deal with the worst LJ has to offer, check out the LJ Abuse Team. Information on how to apply may be found in the profile of the lj_abuse community.

If you have any questions about any of these groups, please go right ahead and ask. I'd be happy to talk with you about how they work. I can also point you at the right places to ask questions if I don't know the answers.

Whenever there's a news post we get bombarded with hundreds of comments from all those who want to moan and whine about how they hate this feature, or dislike that. Well we thought it was about time we had somewhere to say, actually yes, LJ has some good stuff, some fun features, and we like the place. So here it is. welovelj

Show your support for the site that hosts your journal, collates your comms, and lets you learn just what your best mate's cat had for breakfast.

Posted by elyim in cfs_me:

First official death from chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome has been given as an official cause of death – apparently for the first time in the world.

On Tuesday, coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley of Brighton and Hove Coroners Court, UK, recorded the cause of death of a 32-year-old woman as acute aneuric renal failure (failure to produce urine) due to dehydration as a result of CFS. The deceased woman, Sophia Mirza, had suffered from CFS for six years.

CFS, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), has a variety of devastating symptoms ranging from extreme weakness, inability to concentrate and persistent headache. Sufferers can have the disease for years, but its cause remains controversial, with fiercely opposing views from psychiatrists on one side and biologically minded physicians on the other.

The coroner’s verdict is a breakthrough for those who argue that CFS is a physical condition, possibly with its roots in the immune system. Dominic O’Donovan, a neuropathologist at Oldchurch Hospital in Romford, UK, who gave evidence at the inquest, said that Sophia’s spinal cord showed inflammation caused by dorsal root ganglionitis - a clear physical manifestation of the disease.

[continues on the linked web page]

One death is a death too many. Real disease, real symptoms, physiological cause.

http://www.ncf-net.org/PressReleases.htm posted by becuz on cfids_me

Potential Animal (Zoonotic) Virus Identified in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Epilepsy

Needham, MA May 31, 2006 -- Recent independent scientific research funded by the National CFIDS Foundation, Inc. (NCF) of Needham, MA provided preliminary confirmation of a new virus identified in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Foundation's medical research dovetails with that completed to date by Cryptic Afflictions, LLC *, a private company.

Dr. Steven J. Robbins, virologist and Chief Executive Officer of Cryptic Afflictions, LLC has discovered a major neuropathogen identified as an RNA virus designated as Cryptovirus. Substantial clinical and molecular evidence indicates that this virus is involved in the development of neurological disorders that include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) by the World Health Organization, Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) and Idiopathic Epilepsy of unknown cause.

[continues on linked website]

Link to article on M.E.

Quotes here - although I just want people to go read the whole website, because yes.

It can leave you unable to read even a few lines of text, write, watch TV, or have the radio on. You can be unable to speak, or to understand speech in any way, and this is every bit as terrifying as you can imagine. Your throat, glands and muscles can all hurt beyond the reach of medication as you go in and out of fevers, unable to sit up for more than a few minutes. Your heart can beat erratically at random moments, sometimes for hours. You can have difficulty breathing or breathing can stop altogether. The room can spin with constant vertigo and you can become allergic or sensitive to almost everything. You can have seizures or experience paralysis. You can lie awake with insomnia all night, completely exhausted but unable to sleep.

Yep.

( Read more... )
( MYTH: If you were really ill, you’d look ill )

Oh and if you read nothing else on that site at least dip into A day in the life

( Congratulatons on the best way to encourage fly tipping I've seen in years )
Link courtesy kingdavey