User:	announcements (posted by squeaky)
	Date:	2009-12-06 21:23
	Subject:	Issues with notifiactions
	Security:	Public

There have been a lot of issues with notifications with several email providers for the past 2 weeks. Seems that a spammer has been using insanejournal.com as a landing page for their spam. This is causing some email providers to either delay or completely block mail from insanejournal.com.

There isn't anything we can do about this besides continue to be vigilant in suspending these accounts. If you own an account that gets suspended with no notification it is because your account was mistakenly identified as a spam account. Due to the shear volume of accounts being suspended we cannot review each individual account so some mistakes may be made.

Please understand we have been and will continue to do anything we can to stop this spam and therefore restore the ability to send email to a number of providers.

	User:	maureenlycaon
	Date:	2009-12-06 09:41
	Subject:	My reactions to Tokyopop's "Death Knight" manga
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	awake
	Music:	Rammstein - Mein Herz Brennt

First off, while this is under the imprint of Tokyopop, it was commissioned by Blizzard and is to be considered canon -- yes, offical Canon - for the Warcraft universe. This is the book in question. Okay?

Death Knight is a biography of Thassarian -- highest-ranking NPC death knight of the Alliance faction, and one of the very few reasons I have ever regretted rolling Horde. I recall reading somewhere that the dstinctly cowardly human paladin in that machinima trailer to Wrath of the Lich King was supposed to be Thassarian; if so, he's been seriously retconned now. Trust me, it's for the best.

( 'Not since I have regained my will have I unleashed myself this completely. I am a knight of death . . . a tower of destruction wrapped in runes and black steel. And I shall not be denied.' )

TL;DR version:

-- buy for the story;

-- the artwork is mediocre but passable;

-- there is dark slash fodder. ;)

I'd have no trouble recommending this to someone who has played WoW and happens to like death knights, or Thassarian, or better yet both. For anyone who hasn't, it might be hard to understand some of what's going on.

	User:	hl_chronicles (posted by elistaire)
	Date:	2009-12-05 18:25
	Subject:	fic rec: Our Station by genteelrebel
	Security:	Public

Okay, upfront warning, this is Methos/Richie.

Who hasn't run away? *looks about*

Normally this isn't the pairing that I gravitate toward...normally this isn't a pairing I even want to think much about, really. But this is a short little story that does a really good job of making it sound like it could work. The attraction is originally coming from Richie, and we see his observations of the evening, with a good Richie-voice, and a Methos who is dealing with the heaviness of all those years of living.

If you can allow the Methos/Richie, then the tone of the story is definitely worth enjoying.

It can be found over at hlfiction.net, which is still a very good resource for Highlander stories.

This story is listed as being Mature Content.


Link: Our Station by genteeelrebel

	User:	announcements (posted by squeaky)
	Date:	2009-12-03 21:55
	Subject:	Permanently Insane accounts
	Security:	Public

From now until January 3rd we are going to be selling Permanently Insane accounts for their regular price of $50. In addition we are selling Permanent Extra Userpics for $25. This will bring the userpic total of your Permanently Insane account to 500 for the life of your account.

	User:	maureenlycaon
	Date:	2009-12-01 21:11
	Subject:	Two old scifi novels: "Dream Games", "War Games"
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	pensive
	Music:	Rammstein - Mein Herz Brennt

Has anyone else out there ever heard of these two scifi novels by Karl Hansen? A post on Elf's LJ reminded of them. Published waaay back in the 1980s, they were two novels of pretty much the sort of thing I like to write and read now: morally ambiguously, extremely dark and even more disturbing, full of decadence, violence, and perversion. Oh, yes, and furries. Actually, in certain of their elements they're too unpleasant even for me.

( Cut for length and NSFW unpleasantness )

At the end of Dream Games, Mark explains that in the future, he sees his armies will have Terra under seige, but that then the Terrans will develop a terrible new weapon, and he does not know what will happen after that. I eagerly awaited the sequel, wondering what would happen. And waited. And waited.

It was never published. To this day I sometimes wonder sadly what happened to Karl Hansen. It was this discussion in elfs LJ that brought this up in my mind over the past couple of days.

	User:	maureenlycaon
	Date:	2009-12-01 06:38
	Subject:	Testing, testing, one, two, three
	Security:	Public

This is to see if I've fixed multiple-journal posting in Semagic.

	User:	maureenlycaon
	Date:	2009-11-29 09:46
	Subject:	If any of you not currently playing WoW are considering it . . .
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	sleepy

NOW is probably a good time to act. I should have posted this yesterday, but forgot to, alas.

Just for this weekend -- meaning, until tomorrow -- World of Warcraft is on sale. The deal is: the original World of Warcraft game is available as an electronic download for only 5$. That's right, 5$. It's seldom sold in stores alone any more, but when it is, it's normally offered for $20.

Now, with this original game, you cannot go to Outland or Northrend, you can only level your character to level 60, and you won't be able to make a death knight, period. I think you also will not be able to make a blood elf or a Dranei. It's painfully limited. The only thing this original edition of the game is truly suited for is for the timid beginner who wants to spend the bare minimum of money finding out if they really, actually do want to play in the World of Warcraft -- so cautious that they are less afraid of having to spend more money on the expansions later than they are of making a mistake now. Because, trust me, if you decide you do want to play, you WILL be buying The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.

HOWEVER, you will still be playing online with other people, and you will have ten days to play free. After that, you have to subscribe. WoW has various payment plans -- by the month, every two months, every three months, annually, or using time cards (even gift time cards). Take note of this, kiddies, as it will be a little important later on.

The other big deal, which is the one I recommend even for beginners, is this: the World of Warcraft Battlechest edition. With this, you get the original, base game, AND the Burning Crusade expansion. You'll get to make blood elves and Dranei if you want, and you can go to Outland and level up to 70. You also get two thoroughly out-of-date little game manuals, at no extra cost. You still won't ever be able to make a death knight, or go to Northrend (which is a fantastic place, if you ask me). Normally, it's $30 in stores. Supposedly only this weekend, Blizzard is selling the BOXED EDITION ONLY (not the download edition) for $20. Again, if you stick with the game, you WILL eventually be buying Wrath of the Lich King. Trust me.

Again, you'll have ten days to play for free.

	User:	maureenlycaon
	Date:	2009-11-27 21:46
	Subject:	What I did today.
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	depressed

I felt like I did nothing today and am getting nearly choked up and in tears about it. Getting choked up and in tears about my life is something that's happening distressingly often these days. Maybe it's menopause. Maybe . . . well, it gets into some personal stuff.

Today I:

1.) Leveled up my little Dranei hunter on Moon Guard, and ended up helping another player who'd never run a hunter before. She has a warlock at 80, she's just never played a hunter. We ended up talking for more than an hour and friending each other.

2.) Writing two and a half hours in Battleworld with Manya.

3.) Went to the gym and worked out.

4.) Bought food.

5.) Went home and leveled a Night Elf hunter I have Alliance-side on Feathermoon, so he'll be high enough level that I can get to Stormwind and maybe watch this roleplay event tomorrow.

6.) Sat in bed and read a bit further and did some checkmarking in the cognitive-behavior therapy book my therapist gave to me.

7.) Lay down for a nap (at around 3:30PM) despite my better judgement and the fact that the lawn desperately needs mowing.

8.) Woke up at 9PM. In my lexicon, that's known as "crashing and burning".

9.) Commented on a few people's LiveJournals.

	User:	announcements (posted by squeaky)
	Date:	2009-11-28 00:18
	Subject:	Sales Over
	Security:	Public

All of the IJ holiday sales have ended and prices are back to normal. We will be putting Permanently Insane accounts on sale for their regular price before Christmas.

	User:	announcements (posted by squeaky)
	Date:	2009-11-27 08:05
	Subject:	Black Friday Sale is here
	Security:	Public

I have turned on today's special Black Friday sale.

Until 4:00pm(EST) we will be holding a sale on Permanently Insane accounts, Permanent Extra Userpics, and Insane Userpics the prices are as follows.

Permanently Insane account - $30
Insane Userpics - $70
Permanent Extra Userpics - $5

At 4:00 today all prices on IJ will go back to their normal amounts.