LJ ranting, Itoshi Kimi e, Yukan Club, KAT-TUN & Kame, random photographs
Ordinarily I like to take care of housekeeping first before I post, but I've realized that it's probably going to take me a lot longer to sort out my tags issue, so I might as well just post and tags be damned for the time being.
Which leads me to my first topic.
It's not often that LJ pisses me off or that I have the burning desire to rise up in arms against this blogging tool. But the fact that they just slipped in the new 1000 maximum tag limit to release 19 at lj_releases irks me. There was no explanation as to why 1000 was chosen as the maximum number, and no concrete reasons were given as to WHY this was necessary. The tags system was meant to move LJ users away from using their memories to index their own LJs (which wasn't what the memories had been intended for in the first place) because it overburdened the system, but this move proves that they lacked the foresight to see how tags would be used...by limiting the number of tags any single user (or think of the COMMUNITIES who are already crippled by this limitation) can utilize, the functionality of tags are eroded almost to the point of being useless.
For many of you, I'm sure this isn't a problem and the idea of ever having 1000 tags might seem preposterous. But for me, and others who post a fair amount on diverse topics, this is essential. For communities who need some way to organize posts, tags are vital.
As of Monday morning when I learned about this, I had 1400 tags. While all posts prior to 29 November will retain their tags, no tags will appear on any new post I make until I have eliminated enough tags to come under 1000. I got rid of about 150 yesterday. I don't have the TIME to do this, though. It takes time to figure out tag alternatives and how to consolidate certain topics. I have to actually review the posts before I can delete tags to make sure there is a reliable way to find those posts again. This is beyond annoying - I'm furious that I have to waste my time doing this when I have a million other things I NEED to do.
I suppose if I stopped caring about being organized, it would be fine, right? ;) Thing is, LJ is one of the few well-organized places in my life, and I'd really like to keep it that way.
And I won't even get into how unsettling it is that LJ is now owned by SUP, or my distaste for the new flagging system. Ugh. /rant
I spent most of the train ride to work yesterday in tears. Why? Because I watched episode 10 of Itoshi Kimi e. Stupid me, I thought it was the last episode of the drama! (it was the last one on my iPod) Episode 10 just broke my heart, so when I got to the shocking cliffhanger, I was stunned. I immediately realized that I'd forgotten to convert episode 11 for my iPod because it was stored on a different DVD disc, yadda yadda (*kicks self*)...yeah. I have since rectified the situation. But because I have this track record where final episodes of dramas tend to make me cry, I decided not to watch it today on the crowded metro. I'd rather wait until I can cry as much as I want. It's been a lovely, lovely drama so far (although, I do want to kick Shunsuke quite a bit sometimes, and it can sometimes be hard to swallow the differences in Japanese culture versus my culture as to how people deal with illnesses and accepting help, etc.)
It annoys me to no end that everyone keeps telling Shiki that she will have to quit her job as a doctor in order to support Shunsuke if she decides to stay with him. WHY????? Good grief, the man is going BLIND, he's not dying. Blindness is definitely something one can live with! Yes, of course, he'll need a lot of help in the beginning, and he'll have to learn many things, how to get around, how to take care of himself. But he doesn't need to be waited on for the rest of his life. I just don't understand how Shiki wanting to marry Shunsuke and help him through his illness means that she has to absolutely give up on being a doctor. I find that absurd. Of course there must be cultural roots to this attitude, so I make allowances for that, but if anyone can explain this to me a little, I'd love to understand.
I do know something about the Japanese system of obligations, so I can see how painful it must be to accept help, and honestly, it makes me really sad. It reminded me how in 1 Litre of Tears Aya was always apologizing for causing others trouble, but when there are circumstances beyond one's control, I wish that Japanese culture didn't ingrain what seems like a terrible burden into people who must accept help for extraordinary situations.
So instead, this morning I watched the first half of Yukan Club 07. I think I'm just too disturbed by the cultural stereotypes and the ridiculous invention that has Mike He masquerading as an Arab prince. I'll watch the rest on my ride home, and despite my misgivings, I'm looking forward to seeing how YC rescue the prince and Karen.
And finally:
KAT-TUN - the Utaban appearance was very funny, but definitely did not trump past favorite Utaban appearances. The performance didn't sound anything as good as the MS perf, but that's okay. I thought Kame looked gorgeous, however, in the Hey!Hey!Hey! appearance, and even though they didn't sound SO great for that KtF perf, they all looked so pretty! Kame's hair was particularly entrancing. ;)
I still have to watch the last two weeks worth of cKT. And my packages have not yet arrived from CDJapan, although my Marillion package did arrive, eee!
And KAME! I watched the Zoomin clip this morning that ina pointed out and awwww, he was so adorable in his boxing outfit and all oiled up. ;) (I wanted to hand him a towel, though, because I couldn't help thinking he must have been cold, but I was probably projecting because *I* was cold) And Kuroki Meisa looks so pretty! I think I like the look of them together (although not nearly as much as I loved Kame & Ayase together).
Remember when I posted about the Solar Decathlon? Finally, here are a few pics:
Washington Monument and lamp post.
The dome of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
The base of the Washington Monument (on the left).
And these are some photos I took in November of birds on power lines outside the metro station. I observed an interesting phenomenon while I photographed them: many birds continued to land on the power line, and somehow, no matter where they landed, the whole line of birds would automatically move down so that they were all the same distance apart.
ETA: My tags are back?! ETA2: This is puzzling. ETA3: Ooooh, it seems I've stumbled on a trick to get old tags to show up.
Which leads me to my first topic.
It's not often that LJ pisses me off or that I have the burning desire to rise up in arms against this blogging tool. But the fact that they just slipped in the new 1000 maximum tag limit to release 19 at lj_releases irks me. There was no explanation as to why 1000 was chosen as the maximum number, and no concrete reasons were given as to WHY this was necessary. The tags system was meant to move LJ users away from using their memories to index their own LJs (which wasn't what the memories had been intended for in the first place) because it overburdened the system, but this move proves that they lacked the foresight to see how tags would be used...by limiting the number of tags any single user (or think of the COMMUNITIES who are already crippled by this limitation) can utilize, the functionality of tags are eroded almost to the point of being useless.
For many of you, I'm sure this isn't a problem and the idea of ever having 1000 tags might seem preposterous. But for me, and others who post a fair amount on diverse topics, this is essential. For communities who need some way to organize posts, tags are vital.
As of Monday morning when I learned about this, I had 1400 tags. While all posts prior to 29 November will retain their tags, no tags will appear on any new post I make until I have eliminated enough tags to come under 1000. I got rid of about 150 yesterday. I don't have the TIME to do this, though. It takes time to figure out tag alternatives and how to consolidate certain topics. I have to actually review the posts before I can delete tags to make sure there is a reliable way to find those posts again. This is beyond annoying - I'm furious that I have to waste my time doing this when I have a million other things I NEED to do.
I suppose if I stopped caring about being organized, it would be fine, right? ;) Thing is, LJ is one of the few well-organized places in my life, and I'd really like to keep it that way.
And I won't even get into how unsettling it is that LJ is now owned by SUP, or my distaste for the new flagging system. Ugh. /rant
I spent most of the train ride to work yesterday in tears. Why? Because I watched episode 10 of Itoshi Kimi e. Stupid me, I thought it was the last episode of the drama! (it was the last one on my iPod) Episode 10 just broke my heart, so when I got to the shocking cliffhanger, I was stunned. I immediately realized that I'd forgotten to convert episode 11 for my iPod because it was stored on a different DVD disc, yadda yadda (*kicks self*)...yeah. I have since rectified the situation. But because I have this track record where final episodes of dramas tend to make me cry, I decided not to watch it today on the crowded metro. I'd rather wait until I can cry as much as I want. It's been a lovely, lovely drama so far (although, I do want to kick Shunsuke quite a bit sometimes, and it can sometimes be hard to swallow the differences in Japanese culture versus my culture as to how people deal with illnesses and accepting help, etc.)
It annoys me to no end that everyone keeps telling Shiki that she will have to quit her job as a doctor in order to support Shunsuke if she decides to stay with him. WHY????? Good grief, the man is going BLIND, he's not dying. Blindness is definitely something one can live with! Yes, of course, he'll need a lot of help in the beginning, and he'll have to learn many things, how to get around, how to take care of himself. But he doesn't need to be waited on for the rest of his life. I just don't understand how Shiki wanting to marry Shunsuke and help him through his illness means that she has to absolutely give up on being a doctor. I find that absurd. Of course there must be cultural roots to this attitude, so I make allowances for that, but if anyone can explain this to me a little, I'd love to understand.
I do know something about the Japanese system of obligations, so I can see how painful it must be to accept help, and honestly, it makes me really sad. It reminded me how in 1 Litre of Tears Aya was always apologizing for causing others trouble, but when there are circumstances beyond one's control, I wish that Japanese culture didn't ingrain what seems like a terrible burden into people who must accept help for extraordinary situations.
So instead, this morning I watched the first half of Yukan Club 07. I think I'm just too disturbed by the cultural stereotypes and the ridiculous invention that has Mike He masquerading as an Arab prince. I'll watch the rest on my ride home, and despite my misgivings, I'm looking forward to seeing how YC rescue the prince and Karen.
And finally:
KAT-TUN - the Utaban appearance was very funny, but definitely did not trump past favorite Utaban appearances. The performance didn't sound anything as good as the MS perf, but that's okay. I thought Kame looked gorgeous, however, in the Hey!Hey!Hey! appearance, and even though they didn't sound SO great for that KtF perf, they all looked so pretty! Kame's hair was particularly entrancing. ;)
I still have to watch the last two weeks worth of cKT. And my packages have not yet arrived from CDJapan, although my Marillion package did arrive, eee!
And KAME! I watched the Zoomin clip this morning that ina pointed out and awwww, he was so adorable in his boxing outfit and all oiled up. ;) (I wanted to hand him a towel, though, because I couldn't help thinking he must have been cold, but I was probably projecting because *I* was cold) And Kuroki Meisa looks so pretty! I think I like the look of them together (although not nearly as much as I loved Kame & Ayase together).
Remember when I posted about the Solar Decathlon? Finally, here are a few pics:
Washington Monument and lamp post.
The dome of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
The base of the Washington Monument (on the left).
And these are some photos I took in November of birds on power lines outside the metro station. I observed an interesting phenomenon while I photographed them: many birds continued to land on the power line, and somehow, no matter where they landed, the whole line of birds would automatically move down so that they were all the same distance apart.
ETA: My tags are back?! ETA2: This is puzzling. ETA3: Ooooh, it seems I've stumbled on a trick to get old tags to show up.