#415...don't put that swward away yet queenie...

"Ahem, Ahem.. You ARE linked on my journal, and yet, I have no title on yours.. Might I request Damehood?
M
Comment from realitycheckmco - 9/24/04 5:37 AM "

 

Why certainly, my dear M - I'll raise you that, and do you one better.

(My, but this is the week for comments regarding comments, ain't it folks?)

anywho...

 

 

Here ye! Here ye! One and all -

Let it be forever known from this day forward that the once formerly known Dudley Michael Do-Right and Official People's Choice Award Emcee, Dame Dudley Do-Right, also otherwise known, in some smaller circles, as "The big M," and (big inhale)...and

otherly otherwise known, as Realitycheckmco, doth herby and forever own and has permission to openly bear the name of  (touching my royal swward on one of your padded shoulders, and now the other...)

                  ~Dame Michael the Prolific Gay Scrivener ~ 

   This honor is hereby bestowed by me, on you, for your regularly displayed use of posted entries utilizing the 25 thousand character limit on subjects close to yours, and the Community's heart - even while having to defend your Floridian realm from the savage attacks of Hurricane Charlie and his friend, Frances. And believe me folks, that, was no small thing.  You may now display said title flamboyantly on your journal, and elsewhere in the journaling community.

So signeth this Queen, on this XXIV September, MMIV - you may now enter it into the royal logbook, amen.

 

#414...rummaging -oh where, oh where, is my royal swward....

plittle commented below:

"Mr. Heinlein felt very strongly about exercising one's civic duty of voting. He also felt that elegibility to vote should not be extended to every of age citizen, but should be restricted to those who by some means had earned the right, for example, by serving in the military. What do you think? Should the great unwashed masses be allowed to vote?

Heinlein does have some valid points - Nevertheless, this Queen thinks the great unwashed masses should be allowed to vote - at least in theory - But in reality, being that less than half of the nation votes for the majority of the entire nation in any given election - (and sometimes even less than that) -  I'm all for at least getting more people out and exposed to the process - ya gotta start somewhere - is my motto.

of course, getting abreast of all of the issues and the candidates positions is another matter entirely.  ooh..and then we have the secret electorial college - another enigma to the general masses...but of course - our good founding fathers - meant to use that as a safety belt, eh?.  Just in case the common man really started to think for himself.

Oh, and by the way, thanks for linking to my journal, but what's up with that? The guys up at the top get "Sir Screaming Remo," and "Sir Armand the patriot," and I get a measly "plittle?" ::pout::
-Paul
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/

Comment from plittle - 9/23/04 3:15 PM "

 

Sigh....okay! okay!  Sheeze, a Queen's work is never done -

 

 

Here ye! Here ye! One and all -

Your so recognized Queen of Flimflammery doth hereby dub thee - (laying the royal swward on one shoulder and then the other....)

                              ~Sir Pauleth, the Canadian Peelittle.~

- for showing great bravery in the face of adversity (?) and...and... for your quest for truth, justice and the Floralilian way - (and don't ask me what that means, cause I have no idea either.)

happy now?

 

(Of course, dahling - I don't see my name linked anywhere on your journal.....ahem...but you don't hear me complaining about that now, do you.)

#413...It's not too late.

We all know that November 2, Election Day, is coming around the corner fast and furious. Is everyone registered to vote?

Yes? No?  Well, it's not too late.  And drag those teenage kids by the hand, if you have to - you can be damn well sure I am....

The deadline to register to vote is October 4 - so act quickly.

some handy facts:

8You must be 18 years of age by the day of the coming election.

8You must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of your voting district for 30 days prior to the coming election.

8If you are in jail but your trial is not concluded, you may vote. If you are a convicted felon but have completed your sentence, you may vote.

8You may not vote while serving a prison term for a felony.

8You must re-register to vote whenever you move.

8Voter registrations forms are available at township, borough and city offices, post offices, public libraries, and state liquor stores.

8Voter registration forms for all (in my case) Pennsylvania citizens may be downloaded and printed from the Internet at www.dos.state.pa.us

8These forms are also available at all county voter information Web sites. Websites also list polling places, offer answers to frequently asked voting questions, have maps showing which state legislative, state senate and congressional districts cover which area, as well as previews of how electronic voting machines work.

                                        Absentee Ballots

8Absentee ballots are offered to registered voters who will be out of the municipality where they live on election day or, for medical reasons, are unable to vote at their polling place. They are also offered for military personnel serving overseas, or for American citizens living overseas. Forms are available on state websites or public libraries.

8If you choose to submit a letter asking for an absentee ballot, it should contain the following information: your name, residential address, date of birth, reason for requesting an absentee ballot, where the form should be mailed and the signature of the voter.

8Their are deadlines to apply and get absenteee ballot applications in - usually near the end of October - so check your area's requirements.

#412...because it's timely.

 

"If you are a part of society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidates and no measures you want to vote for...but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. In case of doubt, vote against. By this rule you will rarely go wrong. If this is too blind for your taste, consult some well-meaning fool (there is always one around) and ask his advice. Then vote the other way. This enables you to be a good citizen (if such is your wish) without spending the enormous amount of time on it that truly intelligent exercise of franchise requires."

~r. heinlein

 

#411...on being careful of what you ask for.

"Honey, tell me what 'you' want to write and I'll work on it for you, I promise.

God, someone's has to do it Flora and I don't see anyone else doing anything around here but crying on occasion. Oh yeah, kissing 'dictator' butt too, how could I forget that?

Sure, my technique doesn't suit everyone but, I have yet to see another and until I see someone exercising a better way, I'm going to bust mine all by myself, just like I have been.

I have had 'some' support but, I still need more. Nothing's going to get done if everyone keeps sitting around waiting.

No hard feeling's but, sincerely Flora dear, as my current friend if you don't intend to help me, please don't make matters anymore negative, okay? Write something constructive for me.

Love you still, Brian"

http://journals.aol.com/abettorarcane/smackdown/

http://journals.aol.com/thelovetrain/tracks/

Well Brian, since you posted that comment openly, (see previous post) I must assume that you want me to respond openly. 

You obviously put a lot of time and thought into your comments as well as your posts - so I thought I too would reply to you as such... and so, your wish has been granted. 

First and foremost  - and you probably don't want to hear this but -

your cause, Brian, is just that - your cause.   

It is not my fight - it is your fight, and being that, do not assume that because I choose to communicate with you, choose to see what you are all about for myself - that I agree with your position.    

I will, however, defend your right and anyone else's right to have an opinion.   

There is a difference.  

Brian, I take the awards for what they are - no more, no less - They are called the people choice awards for a reason - read again: the people's choice. More precisely - you should read them as "the people's choice - for who was here at the time - awards...OR ....the choice of  the people who took the time to nominate, get familiar, and vote on them at the  time - awards."   

They are not pulitzers, they are not hugo's, they are not nobel prizes, they are not oscars, emmys...or anything even remotely close.  It is unfortunate that you seemed to have attached that kind of weight to them.   Breathe, Brian, breathe - in the grande  scheme of life - they are so insignificant, eh?  

Surely you must realize that as j-land grows - and it is growing every single day - the categories, the nominees, and the "winners" are sure to change as well.  Have you even taken the time to notice that?  Have you done your homework?  Well I have. 

 We are blessed with new voices every day. The community, like anything in life, is changing..and growing..and maturing...and learning - from each other, in the process.  

The People's choice awards, and their genesis, in fact, probably came from the very beast that you are trying to defend - which is AOL - for not having the insight to award them on their own.  (And that is where your gripe, in my opinion, is really directed.)  

Of course, I'm not sure I would want AOL to even be involved, because judging from their infamous tract record already - I don't think they are qualified, for this reason - "they" don't follow the journals as closely as the community does.   

As you already know, the awards were started, nominated and then voted on - by the people in the community.  Obviously you have personal disagreements with our choices as well as the recipients.

But in all due respect Brian, you were not even part of the community when those decisions were made.

Now keeping that in mind, do you feel you were exposed enough to those same journals to make a sound, quantified, decision based on a few clashes?  And more importantly- have you earnestly looked yourself in the mirror closely enough to be sure that you didn't deserve some of that backlash? I kind of doubt it.  Yes, you apologized...but I question your sincerity - based on your 24 hours of halo wearing.

Regardless, I have no doubt that your cause rings true for you, we all can see that you feel very strongly about it.  I applaud your spirit. 

I do not however, condone your methods.  

In fact, I am a tolerant Queen, and chalk your largeness up to having a strong personality. Lord knows, I too, am afflicted with one of those.  I just happen to think you are just a bit out of step with the waltz...as it were....but all is forgiven on that account - because you appear to be a white man, and so have no rhythm.  That is not your fault.   

Would I have lost sleep over not being nominated, or, in my case - tied...for this year's award - hardly. For I took it specifically for what it was  - an award given in good fun. In truth, it was an honor for this journal to just be recognized among fellow journalers. As slac said - "The (co)winning was just the gravy..."  

For the record, going after the "Title of Grandiosity" without a catfight - would have been against the very laws of grandiosity - Ask albert - he authored the rulebook.  So you see, I was bound by fates much greater than you or I...(you did just realize I was joking, right?)  

"No hard feeling's but, sincerely Flora dear, as my current friend if you don't intend to help me, please don't make matters anymore negative, okay? Write something constructive for me."  

As your "current" (interesting that you choose to use time limits) friend - I don't know if I've helped you or not.  But in trying to explain the situation - I hope I have.   

As far as making matters more negative...I think you've demonstrated thus far - that you are the King of that department...  

and that, is all I have to say about that.                    

                           

now please pass the salt.

#410...mmmmm...cofffeee...

Okay, I know it's Monday, but DanielleD1 invited me to do

'Sunday Brunch a la moi'  - wasn't that nice of her?

 

 the topic - ah, my favorite - Coffee.

                        

                       

 

1.    Regular joe, fancy frothy stuff, or none at all?

 

            Regular.   froth? FROTH??  tsk...

 

2.    Decaf or regular?

 

             Regular  - decaf is for amateurs.

 

3.  Do you know how to make a good pot of coffee? 

   

            "Good" doesn't even begin to describe my coffee making talents...

 

 Who taught you? uh...my mommy?

 

4.    Coffee breath – good or bad thing?

 

            Honey, I think even Certs should come coffee flavored.

 

5.    If you were a coffee, what would your name and description be?

                                 "The C spot. "

 

          ~for that multiorgasmic caffeine charge that even he can't miss...

 

 

                                                         

#409...so, let's see, I'm curious...

just what was the weather like in Pennsylvania - one year ago today?....hmmm, let me flip back through my entries.... 

oh yes,  Hurricane Isabel , the original party animal, came to visit...

and today?  Why, Hurricane Ivan is stopping by...but seems a bit , well...limp...

      

 

typical man. no staying power.

#408....hey! wait a damn minute...

                       

  The Queen has perhaps erred. 

("What! No, surely that can't be!" I can hear you all say...)  well gang,  here it is...

          ~ I have no idea what the official Journal Birthday date is.~

Hmm...I seems that I have been born on "the cusp" (of what - I am not sure.)

"Really?" you say... 

Why yes, let's look at the evidence together, shall we?

Look over there -------->      see - the official Counter says September 15, 2003..

yet, my first entry, here, is on September 16, 2003...

what the..

ah well, let it cleary show to the masses how extra-ordinary your queen truly is.

either way, we all know what that means, right?

right.

i better order up a few more party kegs.

 

#407...Par-tay at the palace.

oh yeah...  Thanks for reminding me Mumsy!...

 

 

Here ye, Here ye!

Let it be known to all, and no one in particular, that the Queen's favorite, the Official Journal of Outrageous and Pointless Posting is now officially 365 and 1/4 days old. 

so happy birthday congratulations to uh...

...me, i guess,  

are now

officially,

in order.

 

how time flies when you're having fun, eh?

 

#406...."Tip toe, through tulips, through the land mines, of AOL -"

 

Fairly new journaler, thelovetrain, commented recently on the insightfulness of AOL vastly maturing stab at hosting a free society...he writes:

"AOL's vastly maturing and responding to the voice of a free society hence, I have immense commendation for them."

Sigh, it made me remember how I used to feel that way too, when I first hopped on board a long time ago.

Word of caution, dear readers - Brian feels that it his personal mission, to help secure freedom of expression and indivuality within the journaling community - however caustic he might need to get. While personally, I feel he could rein himself in a bit and still convey his point - some cowboys will always be cowboys regardless of where they buy their sunglasses.

Well, Brian, glad to hear that you are keeping a watchful eye - but I am curious as to your impression that aol supports a free society...unless it is their free society that you refer to.  Two vastly different animals there, I'm afraid...

But it is cleverly disguised, nonetheless - stick around a while, and watch your blindspots.  (it's a favor sucker punch place of theirs)  

However, if you enjoy strolling though fields filled with land mines, then by all means, this is the place to be.  

Of course, in all fairness, I too give them a nod, for at least peeking into the pandora box...maybe some day they will see the light.

 

#405...because it's the holy grail of journals...

                 And because I am still amazed at the sheer number of  inductees -

                       little did we know what we were getting ourselves into, eh?  

                                               

                          A formal thanks and appreciation Aynetal and all who
 
                           were involved in compiling this HUGE undertaking...  

       what an amazing journal of firsts...The Aol Journal's First Year Hall of Fame  

                                              you guys did such a great job!          

#404...The Free-fall.

                                                

                                 What runs through the mind of a man 
                             Falling untold stories, having jumped at will 
                                         To escape a landscape 
                                            Of fire and smoke  

                                         And death surrounding  

                                What clarities come with the moment - 
                                 when fingers slip deliberately away
                                           From reinforced steel
                                             And false security,   

                                           Of things man-made, 
                                           Now man-destroyed

                                    Which of his memories rush after 
                                               him to comfort - 
                     When life was good and hummed to daily necessity   

                                           Is it familiar voices,
                                            Or beloved faces, 
                                   Or the taste of morning coffee
                                sipped appreciating an Aegean sky? 

                             What seeps through the heart of Men
                                                 Free-falling 
                                          Against blurred visions 
                                             Of steel and glass -  

                             Unbridled, untethered, to life once known   

                                         What kind of man-evil 
                                      need call on blue mornings 

                                       Uninvited and unappointed,
                                           In the form of jet fuel 
                                          and human body parts   

                                       To bear the name of Allah? 

 

                                                                                           ~flora

#403...A personal pilgrimage to ground zero.

9-11 remembered - a personal pilgrimage.   Full moon. (Blue moon actually) November 30, 2001.
    
"So profoundly sad." 
    
     Three words that kept going through my mind and heart over and over.  Simply, I was not prepared to be as moved again as I was while watching the terror events unfold as they happened in the early morning hours of September 11. 

     We arrived at about 1 p.m., maybe it was 1:30 p.m., to a hauntingly quiet and devastated Ground Zero, now a huge gaping hole of twisted steel and pulvertized concrete; still surreal, so completely unbelievable.           

     People were scattered in pockets here and there, some quietly going about their work, other people simply there, as we were, to experience it.  To burn it into our memories, to notice the small and hideous details, to try in some small way to comprehend the incomprehensible. 

     All around me, and in every part of town, New Yorkers were in pain; yet bore their pain openly with strength, and dignity and quiet resolve.  Standing as sentinels over their lost children, over their lost structures, over their lost skyline.  And still, we (technically outsiders) were welcomed into their home and greeted with kindness and tolerance.  (I wondered if they realize we are as proud of their city as they are.)
  
     I looked closely at the blend of people around me.  Every face was different, every nationality was present, but together we shared a common feeling of loss, and tragedy, and pain.  
    
     Oh, there were other emotions too, embarrassing, ugly, and unwanted ones in this, now holy place.  It felt dirty and wrong to be feeling anything other than sadness here.  But the more I absorbed first hand, the hugeness of this obscenity before me and allowed the senselessness of this tragedy to seep into me; I couldn't help but become angry and crave immediate revenge.

     And justice. 

     And punishment.

     (Damn - you just do not use innocent people as guided missiles!)

     We walked around and saw an entire street covered with memorials to those lives lost, and as of yet, unidentified or recovered bodies some two and a half months later...so thorough was their destruction.

    Mountains of trinkets and teddy bears and photographs and prayers and candles and flowers and love notes...Oh God, and look, a child's desperate plea to the Virgin Mary, his carefully framed and documented hopes for the return of his lost young father - a calendar with the words "Said 200 Hail Mary's for Daddy" hand scribbled inside each and every day for the month of October.

     And policemen quietly standing guard.

     And the firemen continuing the recovery efforts.

     And workers clearing the rubble.

     And the people's tears.

     And the small choking gasps.

     And the held back sobs.

     And the overwhelming and heavy quiet that hung in the air.  As thick and heavy as the stench of the still smoldering fires and cement dust, and jet fuel, and probably dead bodies.
 
     I understand evilness today.  I believe now.
 
     An overcast day, mild in temperament, unusual for November, but then, nothing about this place is usual anymore.  Huge neighboring buildings were draped in shrouds of black netting, I suppose to contain the dust, but more importantly, to contain the souls and the battle scars of a nation at war.

     No warning.

     One building, mortally wounded, held as its shrapnel, a massive piece of the towers, a hundred or more foot section, all twisted and mangled.  Hideously jutting out of its side, halted only by the compacted debris as it literally tried to cleave the building in two.

     And the steam shovels droned on, and the cranes raked away debris.  And the quiet calmed and soothed us.

     Two men up over there to the right, on scaffolding some twenty stories high, intently power-washing a building, dressed in yellow slickers and yellow hard hats - easy to find against the black soot that covered the entire skyscraper...

     My husband's angered whisper:  "We should bring every one of those bastards here and say, "Here. Now clean it up. Clean every last damn bit of it up."  I watched as my daughter collected a long piece of yellow police tape that was blowing along the sidewalk.  I fought to hold my tears in check.

     Silently, respectfully, we watched the whole procession of the victim's families, a full city block long, four abreast in line, walk in complete silence, along and past the memorials and into the restricted site - an area reserved for "Authorized Personnel Only."
 
     "Your pain is our pain too,"  I told a grieving widow with my eyes.  Together we blinked our tears away.  And high above us all, draped from yet another wounded building, hung Old Glory - big and bright and strong; unashamed and unafraid - a huge comfort, actually.

     And there on the ground, under a bush, near a cobblestone curb, a fireman's wrench, still covered with terror dust.  We brought it home for safekeeping.  It felt wrong to leave it there, unattended and alone, open to the elements.  I wondered whose hands had once curled around it....

     I made my children take notice of every detail that day, and reminded them that this was their "Pearl Harbor," not yet sanitized and memorialized, as time would undoubtedly do.  But this, their Pearl Harbor, is open, and bleeding and dirty and new.

     And they did study, thoroughly and carefully, the sight before them.  I was almost afraid to meet their eyes, or answer their questions.  For somehow I felt that we, as a nation, had let all of our children down as their protectors, by not guarding our shores better.  Ashamed that this now, is part of their young lives.  And I grieved the loss of their  innocence, taken from them suddenly and without warning.

     Ashamed too, that as a nation, patriotism had somehow become unfashionable.

     That is not a good lesson to teach our children.

     Well, no more.  At least not in this house.

#403...the response.

Subj: Re: a response would be nice 
Date: 9/10/2004 5:08:39 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: TOSGen2
To: Floralilia  

Dear Member,

Thank you for writing AOL's Community Action Team.  We appreciate your comments and concern in this matter.

Regards,
prabham
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.


thanks prabham - it's a start....

#402...i wonder.

 I wonder.

Are they, the "editors", as aware of the persistent and growing undercurrent of irritation and dissatisfaction that is rumbling within the community - as they believe they are of any of the real or imagined infractions they seek to find from their little desktops of surveillance?

The problem I see with their version of  "editing" (and I use that word lightly) is their habitual inconsistencies and the way they throw their cheap blindsided punches... does it ever occur to them that that kind of editing is way more disrespectful and rude than anything they could possibly find objectionable on here?

Now, I am not stupid, I fully understand the need for TOS rules and regs, regardless that they slipped them under my nose somewhere when I wasn't looking -   Heck, I even embrace some of them (once I found them) - and yes, there are some things that should not be okay to post on journals - I am all for general good manners and the need for social graces when we present ourselves here, or in any public forum...

But unfortunately, the ever changing, (and unnotified community) rules of engagement are vague and one sided, just like their decisions seem to be.  How convenient for them.  

Well, since they still have not asked, let me give them my opinion on this one anyway:  

Dear Editors:  

I just wish that in the future, if by your editorial judgement, you feel you have a gripe - then by all means, notify and warn the offender  - I could be wrong, but I  feel pretty certain, that most of us would willingly comply to your standards du jour.  In fact, that small courtesy would actually show us that we are indeed, valued as a customer. In fact, it would even make us happy.  And in the end, you would get your squeaky-clean journals that you so eagerly long for.  

Is your memory so short that you forgot how much you needed and sought out our help with beta testing when you wanted to trial, promote, or upgrade your features? - it seems only logical that you should do some intermittent "surveying" , just to see how we think things are going...  

And it also seems only logical that you should also be concerned about what issues and concerns we have - to do that would be prudent, and make you look smart at doing your job. Imagine - then you could collect and perhaps consider our input - and thereby improve our customer satisfaction...and so the community at large. Funny how this marketing thing works, eh?... But I suppose first, that too, would have to be a goal...  

Perhaps, you haven't heard the old saying that one happy customer tells two or three, yet just one unhappy customer tells a hundred...  

well jeepers, just think, one unhappy posting can in some cases, tell even more than that....  

jah. - ya might want to think on that one a little, my friends.      

#401...from the desk of cuzsnookie

 

"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner, neither do uninterrupted prosperity and success qualify for usefulness and happiness. The storms of adversity, like those of the ocean, rouse the faculties, and excite the invention, prudence, skill and fortitude or the voyager. The martyrs of ancient times, in bracing their minds to outward calamities, acquired a loftiness of purpose and a moral heroism worth a lifetime of softness and security."

 

~ hey cuz - know who wrote this?

#400....on project rebirth

"From the Director

 

month after September 11th, I visited Ground Zero and experienced a profound sense of dread and anxiety. Twenty minutes later, after witnessing the extraordinary effort, determination, and concentration on the faces of the men and women cleaning up the site, I realized that we would be able to move through this tragedy; in fact, I felt hope. An idea emerged to create a time-lapse film documenting the entire rebuilding and rebirth of the site, allowing audiences from all over the world to experience how our dread turned into hope, then pride. The film documents our ability to heal in the face of a seemingly insurmountable catastrophe. It is a meditation on resilience, optimism and hope, qualities that are the bedrock of this nation and our world. Our film is called Project Rebirth." 

 

    now go.

        explore the site. stay a while. remember. and heal.

#399....The official quote of the day.

                

        "these are the days of miracle and wonder."  

 

                                             ~paul simon

 

#398...a reminder.

 

"Why do we put off living as if we have all the time in the world?"

                                                                   ~barbara deangelis

#397....pattyboy's faces of aol j-land!

From the desk of Pattyboy92:

Hello, everyone.  I hope you will forgive the mass E-mail, but I wanted to make you aware of a new journal I have begun called, "The Faces of AOL J-Land."

This journal will attempt to put a face to the blogs of AOL's Journal Community.  There are already a pair of entries in the journal, which you'll see here.

If you would like to participate in this journal, please E-mail me a good face photo (you'll see the kind of thing I have in mind at the journal), along with your first name, the name of your journal and the link to it.

Then give me a paragraph or two about who you are and what your journal is all about.  That's all there is to it.

I hope this will be a new way to introduce your journals to people who may not have visited before, or give those who have a new reason to want to read what you have to say.

I haven't made any public mention of this journal, yet.  I will announce it in my journal by the end of the week...by then I hope to have at least half a dozen journals being featured.

Thanks for considering participation!!

Warm regards,

Patrick
http://journals.aol.com/pattboy92/Patrick's Place

 

 ...be there, or be square, because the Co-Queen of Grandiosity so orders it.

 

                         Faces of aol j-land...

 

#396...better a day late - than never.

as some of you may have noticed, (and even some of you have actually cared,) the queen's attention has been directed to life outside of late, and so I have been unable to post and/or read entries on a regular basis.

so last night at work, during some frenzied intermittent moments, I was able to catch up on some of the happenings in the j-land community recently. I was saddened to see that Dan Wheeler's journal had been visited by the aol censor of doom, who waved his magic wand willy nilly over the place and left the place a mess of  red x boxes...(dan's creativity can be followed - here- thankfully.)

nice going aol.

your stupidity, unprofessionalism and blatent disregard for journals of substance and creativity once again, continue to amaze me.

Yet, I was even more pleased and proud of all of my shimmering knights and ladies namely - armandt, remo, pattyboy, odinemonet, slo, vivvie - and

Pardon the Interruption
Random Thoughts of a Domestic Diva
Screamin' Remo
Ellipsis
Movin' On
The Daily Snooze
Thoughts on my life, and other mindless chatter
Sorting the pieces
My Journey To Life
Warehouse of Useless Knowledge
Am I There Yet?
A Ticket To Ride
The Little Things
These are the Days of our Lives...
Disobeying the rules of convention (private)
Thoughts and Musings
The little things
Confession of an Ordinary Mind.
My Life....Rated R....
My thoughts on my life with the boys and my one little princess, 2 cockatiels, 10 fish and 1 cat...
The Sullenbode
Life Or Something Like It.
My warped mind
Succulent Wisdom!

just to name a few - who bravely stood up and fought the Dragon of Doom via their thoughts and posts for truth, justice and the journal way...

And so, with the time contraints of work, I wanted to show my discontent and solidarity to the cause by at least linking up hands with the others via my last post (courtesy of armandt).

"I am so surprised you played follow the leader.  You are the leader.
I'm not too up for ratings systems.  I am up for customer service and for AOL being a leader in that.  I'm thinkin' the Notify AOL button is what should be censored,myself.  I hate tattle-tales,and apparently someone who pushed that button carried some weight.

Wheeler's journal goes on, uncensored.  Just not here.  AOL's loss."

love you,
~~Mumsy
Comment from cyberdancer1008 - 9/6/04 3:41 PM

(succulent results of censorship wisdom, btw, mumsy..)

Perhaps playing follow the leader might be unoriginal, Mumsy, but this queen is secure in her position and feels sometimes it is more important to be heard in one long, loud, clear, voice when dealing with imbeciles who delight in pushing the proverbial "big red button" solely for their own amusement.

(If it makes you feel better Mumsy, you can consider this an open post of MY customer DISsatisfation with the powers that be.)

It is obvious that they are still clueless as to what is really going on in J-land...and even more obvious and amazing that they think they know what they are promoting, when, in fact, they really don't.   

If you ask me, it feels curiously close to catholic school again - where demerits and suspensions are given out for bubble gum chewing and shirt tales hanging out - yet all the while little boys and girls are being molested behind closed doors (ie: via chatrooms and IM's)  don't believe me? go take a stroll through the chatroom community...  

Hey, aol censors - i have a suggestion - how about going after the real, not imaginary problems for once...  

Oh but wait a minute - that might actually mean you would have to do we loyal and paying customers a real community service....

 

 

#395...aol censors - time to clean out your ears...

AOL Censors - Can You Hear Us Now?

"The interest in encouraging freedom of expression in a democratic society outweighs any theoretical but unproven benefit of censorship."
   -- Justice John Paul Stevens





AOL,

Your customers demand a Rating System.

Let us break it down in French... and a few other languages -

Système de classement
Sistema de calificación
Bewertungssystem
Sistema valutando
Het notering systeem
Sistema de avaliação
оценка системы
Verdsettet system
给系统定级

How long are you going to play stupid, AOL?  We are handing you a solution and you're covering your ears!  You could lead the industry with a customer-supported rating system, but your silence and your censorship are deafening.

Now is your opportunity to be proactive and lead your industry.  Censorship is never the answer.

Can you hear us now?

 

thanks armandt...