On Saturday the 14th at 4AM UTC/GMT we will be upgrading the operating system of our network load balancers to a newer version, one that will allow us to use both CPUs! Nifty, because multiprocessing is nice.

Since we have 2 load balancers, the plan is to upgrade 1 at a time, and there really should be very little impact to our website. Hopefully you won't notice a thing and I'll get to go back to the hotel and watch some wonderful late night infomercials.

We've got a lot of exciting projects coming up for 2010 and we're hoping that we'll be able to deliver them all to you, that you will find it useful/cool/lovely and then you will use the site even more. Behind-the-scenes work like this will give us the capacity to handle the anticipated traffic, so expect a few more maintenance windows especially in the beginning of next year as we've got some neat ideas to improve performance around here! We had the recent 30-45 minute outage yesterday due to one of our logging databases filling up disk space -- not so great design coupled with my human error in handling the initial problem -- and it looks like we're going to finally have some resources to eliminate stuff like that. I can't wait!

As usual, I will be updating status.livejournal.org before and after, just in case you are not able to reach our main website during the work.

Well I'd always thought body piercings were horrible.

Two of my friends had gone and gotten their tongues pierced at the age of 12 and I thought it was ridiculous. They came into school the next day and showed everyone and I immediately fell in love.

I knew there would be no way that I'd be able to get it done even if I begged and pleaded as my dad is very old fashioned.

I decided to leave it a while but in the time I left it I did much research on whether I'd be able to get it done and yet hide it from my dad at the same time. I talked to my mum about it and she said as long as he didn't find out and I paid for it myself I could have it done.

I then set about trying to find the best place to get it done. My friends had gone to a place which wasn't very hygenic. I wasn't about to go where they did, get it infected and spend time in agony. So I found a place near to where I lived that had high recommendations.

I found out you had to be 13 and accompanied by and adult which was fine for me as my mum was going to go with me and I was 13. I decided to go in 2 weeks time. I was so excited I spent time stocking up on loads of ice cream ( yes you can use that excuse ) and cold foods.

The time finally came and I was really scared. Thinking about it I didn't know why on earth I was doing this. Hell I was away to have a hollow needle shoved through my tongue!! I was sitting on the train on the way there when I told my mum I didn't want it done anymore. To which she replied that I'd taken so long to convince her and I better had. So I sat on the train in silence thinking about what I'd gotten myself into.

We got into the studio and everyone was really friendly. He gave me and my mum a sheet to fill about asking if I had any illnesses and/or was pregnant. Which was no obviously!

HE then led me into a small room at the back of the shop which had a white chair and surgical gloves sitting on a metal table. He made me rinse my mouth out with mouthwash to wash away any germs I might have and take a seat.

Then he got my to stick my tongue out. He marked with ink a small dot in the middle of my tongue then took out a sealed package with a hollow needle in it. He took it out and within seconds had positioned it, and put it through my tongue. He snipped off the bottom and placed the bar through the hollow needle then screwed on the ball. I didn't even feel a thing!

He talked through precautions I should take and then told me to come back in two weeks to get my bar changed into a shorter one. The one I had in was about the length of the height of my mouth! It was rather amusing trying to talk and I had a slight lisp but my dad never noticed.

I sat and ate loads of ice cream that night to keep the swelling down. I also was taking Ibuprofen which is meant to do the same thing and I thought it was okay. But next day I woke up in pain with a slightly swollen tongue. Now I tend not to listen a lot so I didn't hear my piercer tell me not to kiss anyone for 2 weeks. I didn't feel the need to mention this to my boyfriend. So as I walked into school he asked to see it so I showed him. He thought it looked awesome! At lunch we were sitting in the park with our mates and he leaned in to kiss me and without hesitating I did the same. When I got home I realised this was a big mistake as my tongue had gone slightly more swollen and had some pussy stuff emerging from underneath one of my taste buds.

I kept cleaning it and stopped kissing and about 1 week later it was fine and dandy. So I would listen closely to your piercer because you really don't want to mess around with your tongue vertical labret

When I'm at home I try very hard to avoid talking to my dad. He never even noticed which is rather good although I have to talk to him with my teeth shut. 6 months on and he still hasn't noticed. Another bad point I found out is if I shout at him ( being the typical teenager I am ) I have to run out of the room, unscrew my bar and then run back through to shout.

All in all I'm very pleased I got this piercing although if you don't change it into a plastic ball you will wreck the enamel on your teeth and your dentist won't be very pleased. I would recommend this piercing to anyone!!
mytattooforum
everytattoo

Tongue piercings first appealed to me when I went in with a friend to get her conch piercing and I started chatting to a girl waiting to get her own tongue done, she was so nervous but I was still there when she came out and it looked great. At the time I was only 15 (and a half) and had just got my eyebrow done so I didn't really think much on it. The a couple of months later I met a girl on a school trip who had her tongue done and it put the idea back in my head, it stuck and the rest as they say is history.

I still had a month to go before my 16th birthday (where I live there is no real restrictions on piercings but most decent places won't pierce a person under 16 without parental consent) so I spent hours upon hours researching and reading everything I could find relating to tongue peircings. I checked out both sides of the story, good and bad and even though the risks scared me but I kept looking and talked to a few local piercers who said that if it was done properly the risks where extremely minimal. I think the story that spooked me the most was this one:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15305276/

But I figured as long as I went somewhere reputable (unlike what I did when I got my eyebrow done) and was prepared to remove it is complications occurred or it started damaging my gums I would be fine. Then it occurred to me that I play an instrument where I am required to use my tongue to separate notes. That dampened my plans but more research and professional advice reassured me that past the swelling I would be fine and my playing would be unaffected. Thankfully they were right and it hasn't affected my playing after the swelling went down and makes my tutor laugh when he remembers me trying to play two days after I got it done.

Around this time I gave up on getting eyebrow piercing to heal as it was beginning to migrate (but that's another story) and ended up removing it. My mother always hated my eyebrow (she doesn't view it as very feminine) and after I took it out (she didn't realise I had) she proposed a deal that if I did take it out I could get my tongue done. Of course I agreed.

So four days after I turned 16 I got a standard tongue done at Primal Urge tongue rings, Perth and was insanely happy with the service and end result. I was careful to watch all the packets being opened and everything being sterilised while I swished the mouthwash he had given me around in my mouth. My piercer washed his hands twice, used two pairs of gloves and wore a face mask before asking me if I was ready. He marked me up and told me to shut my eyes, gave me a bib (which was thankfully unneeded as I didn't drool) and proceeded to put the needle through my tongue. The jewellery was then put in and tightened and I was told I could put my tongue (which felt like carpet after being after my mouth so long) back in my mouth. I was given icy water to sip at while he went through the aftercare instructions and then sent on my way with an instruction pamphlet, spare acrylic ball, downsizing bar and an awesome sticker.

I have a pretty high pain tolerance so I can't really offer insight on the pain level but the clamp was a bit uncomfortable. Nothing exciting has happened with it so far (6 weeks in) and it has healed up brilliantly after an initial 5 days of discomfort due to swelling and was ridiculously easy to look after. I lived on soup and iced juice which was a bit boring after a while but I lived.

I had a bit of trouble finding properly sized jewellery as I have an abnormally thick tongue (even without the swelling) but otherwise it's been smooth sailing. I've had no real negative comments accept from my mother (I'm not allowed to show her as it makes her feel queasy) and my friends thought it was hilarious when I tried to communicate for the first few days. I was a bit concerned with the preconception of a tongue piercing being synonymous to promiscuous behaviour but I figured other's opinions shouldn't matter regarding my own choices. All in all it was a win win situation and is a piercing I'd recommend to anyone especially as a first piercing due to the ease of aftercare which was a combination of mouthwash, gargling warm saline solution and ibuprofen to help with the swelling.
thetattooforum
uktattoostudios
tattoodles

I usually get my piercings in groups. I got my nostril, 2nd and 3rd lobes all within a month and a half. Well, last Monday I went into Hot Rod Piercing and got my industrial done, which I wrote about on here as well. After that, I was itching for another one. I know, my body was already working on healing two holes, but I just couldn't resist. The problem was deciding which piercing to get. Tim, who did my industrial, suggested my next piercing be the rook on the other ear. The non-edge-of-the-ear piercings make me nervous though. My ears aren't the cleanest and I doubt I'd be able to prevent infection.

Before getting my industrial done, my friend April asked which piercing I wanted. I jokingly told her nipples and she nearly crashed the car we were in. We both had a good laugh and I assured her I would never even consider that kind of pain. But as I researched piercings after the industrial, I kept going back to the idea of the nipples. I was serious when I told her I would never even consider the nipples. However during the very short time that passed, I couldn't help but change my mind. They seemed very sexy and I hear they enhance sensation in that area. I've never really gotten too much pleasure out of nipple play, so I could use all the help I could get!

I went back and forth a bunch of times, afraid that maybe a potential lover would think it was trashy or something. But eventually I came to my senses and decided it's something I wanted to do for myself. You only live once.

I'd had a fantastic experience with my industrial at Hot Rod so I decided to go back there. I made my friend Amanda come with me. She thought I was crazy but also pretty badass for going for the nipples and agreed to come, as long as she didn't have to watch the needle enter the skin. I told her that as long as she held my hand, she could stare at the back of her eyelids for all I cared.

When I walked into Hot Rod, there were two girls there already standing at the counter. Jerry at the counter asked me what I wanted. I felt really embarassed saying it in front of the two girls, but took a deep breath and said, "Well... I, I'm getting another piercing. I... I'm getting my nipples pierced!" It was very awkward for me and very hilarious for Amanda. As you can imagine, the two girls immediately turned to me with looks of pure shock. I filled out the paperwork, showed my ID, and went through the aftercare process with Jerry.

I found out that one of the two girls was getting her nostril done and the other was there for moral support. I told her that I wasn't trying to be condescending but nostril was my least painful piercing (lobes included!) and she had nothing to worry about. She was still really nervous. Next thing she knew it was her turn. I wished her luck and she went to the back.

While she was getting pierced, three more girls arrived. They all were getting cartiledge piercings. The nostril girl came out and her stud looked great, which I told her. She said her eyes watered but she was okay. She wished me luck before she left. I laughed and replied that I would need it. As I waited, Jerry walked to the back to talk to the piercer (whose name I can't remember. Sorry!). I wasn't really too nervous, but Amanda was a wreck! Suddenly I heard Jerry say, "If she gets faint or dizzy, you call me back right away." That's when I had my "Oh shit" moment.

It was my turn. Amanda and I walked back nipple shields. The piercer and I talked a bit (we'll call him Paul) about what to expect and such. I wore a tank top and removed my bra. I got my arms out of the straps of the tank top and just folded it down, so I didn't have to take the shirt off. Amanda was still really really nervous and she couldn't stop laughing. Paul and I had some great awkward conversation Me: "How's it going?" Paul: "Pretty good, you?" "Good. Good. You know." "Yeah? (sarcasm) It's about to get a lot better."

As he was marking my nipples with a felt marker, I told him not too judge me by my boobs because I'm a bit lop-sided (which was my biggest worry with the piercing!) to which he replied not to worry because he'd not seen a symmetrical girl neither professionally nor personally. Finally it was time. He told me that he doesn't use clamps, which I thought was good because I hear they hurt really bad.

He started on the left and pierced on the exhale. Scale of 1-10, probably a 6 or 7. Not terrible, but no walk in the park. I squeezed Amanda's hand pretty bad. It was a bit bad when he put in the jewelry as well (bars, not rings). Now came the right side. Probably an 8 or 9. It felt like I could feel each layer of skin being ripped through. I squeezed Amanda's hand I swear nearly off and made an unreproducable face. It was very very painful. I didn't make any sound though.

Paul made me feel better by then going on to describe his terrible experiences with tattoos. He has so much unfinished artwork because he can't bear the pain of getting tattooed, which made me laugh and feel better about being kind of a baby about my nipples.

Afterwards, the right one was pretty tender for about 3 or 4 hours. It hurt to laugh because my boobs would jiggle and irritate my tender piercings.

I slept just fine and now (day 3) I barely feel them at all, except when they bump things. They look very very cute and I'm glad about my decision. I feel sexy all the time because I have a secret no one knows and no one would be able to guess by looking at me. No one will ever know about this piercing unless I choose to tell them, which is a nice feeling of power.

The aftercare is extremely easy. Just use Dial soap in the shower and you're done. No worrying about nooks and crannies like that industrial! It's all very straightforward.

It hurt A LOT but it was very worth it!
my opera
piercingpeople
body-piercing-community
artforum

sixwordstories
Whether you're in the mood for a creative challenge or you're short on time or attention span, this semi-addictive community is perfect for those who find flash fiction way long. Once you get the hang of it, you won't be able to stop. The prince turned into a frog. The girl ran home to mother. Tough to write. Easy to read. It's a double threesome of fun.

dailyfoodie
Delicious, ambitious, and occasionally nutritious dishes make for an eclectic, all-you-can-eat feast. Whether you're searching for recipes for your next dinner party or you're jonesing for a late-night brownie fix, your cravings are sure to be well sated. A warm and inclusive community that welcomes all orientations, from carnivores to vegans, from gourmands to junk-food junkies. Guaranteed bias-free, food-positive, and pan-epicurian.

The empire strikes back

In recent weeks, we've taken huge steps towards blocking spam accounts on LiveJournal. In fact, we've suspended as many as 30,000 accounts in a single day! We've implemented several pre-emptive measures to prevent the creation of spam accounts, and we've honed our detection of suspicious content. Spam bots are a crafty lot, so we'll continue to refine our tactics and keep up the good fight to keep you safe from spam attacks on LiveJournal.

RSS feeds again

If you're addicted to xkcd_rss, icanhaschzbrgr, or other syndicated feeds, we're pleased to report that we've resolved the update error that was mucking up your RSS feeds. While content was being pulled correctly, it wasn't being posted to the feeds themselves. Late last week, we finally nailed down what we hope was the root problem, so content should post properly. We thank you for your patience.

Wii have killer CSI Deadly Intent contests!

c_s_i

If you're a gamer who loves CSI, have Wii got news for you! c_s_i is sponsoring killer contests. Simply post a question to a member of the CSI crew. The winner will get a free copy of CSI: Deadly Intent for Nintendo Wii (with a retail value of $39.99) and get their question answered by a member of the CSI writing team! There's also a fantastic monthly contest. To enter, join c_s_i, play the online version of CSI: Deadly Intent, and respond to a two-part query for a chance to win a Wii! Entries will be judged on composition and originality. Sorry, but you must be a U.S. resident and over 18 years old to participate. Check out the rules here.

Enveloped in postcards

Last week, we asked you to send in postcards to help us decorate our drab concrete walls. Here's a photo of the results so far! Thank you so much and please keep them coming! You can mail them to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. Be sure to include your username, since we'll be giving ten random users paid account credits.

Photos of the week

If you haven't visited our new LiveJournal photo community, you're in for an amazing visual trip. LiveJournal users from around the world will take you on a scenic journey to everywhere. Post your own pictures or kick back and enjoy at lj_photophile. You can view some of this week's awesome photos after the jump. Please start tagging with geographic location, since we'd like to track all the places around the world represented in this community. Keep on commenting too!
( Read more... )

aiyatheydidnt
The Chinese version of ONTD, AIYA is a dynamic international community that welcomes users who share a love of contemporary Chinese pop culture. Dedicated to celebrity gossip and entertainment news, you'll enjoy gorgeous photos and breaking stories featuring the glitterati of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

wendylady2
Designed to rescue fashion victims everywhere, this Brit-based community reads like a rag-ezine. Published once or twice weekly, you'll view bizarre highlights of the global fashion scene through captivating photos and delightfully snarky editorial. Sit tight for a virtual fashion tour from the runways of New York to Milan to Paris and back home again to London in homage to the adage: you can't buy good taste.

soldiers_heart
A passionate community for veterans of all ages (mostly American), plus families, friends, and supporters. View poignant snapshots detailing life in combat and back on civilian soil in the form of original artwork, personal narratives, poetry, and photos. Be forewarned that members don't shy away from describing their disappointments, disabilities, and struggles.

EDIT: If you're reading this, our maintenance is OVER! The problem was not found on our equipment, which means we'll have to work with our ISP to fix this small problem -- which also means another maintenance window in the future -- but at least we have eliminated our side.

Thank you everyone, and a special shout out to rekoil for giving me a great suggestion AND also the opportunity to feel like I've just called in to a local radio station.

Have a great day, night or afternoon wherever you may be.

---

Hi everyone, sorry for the late notice but I'm going to have to do some testing on 1 of our 4 internet circuits TONIGHT; Friday night or Saturday morning depending on which time zone you're in.

Most of us shouldn't notice any impact, though there may be some slowness or lag when I switch traffic on to our other ISP circuits and then another hit when I stop the tests. If a page won't load or times out, try hitting refresh 1 or 2 times and it should load then. If it doesn't work at all... trust me, I'll be typing really really really fast to try to undo whatever I just did. Hopefully you'll have some Halloween candy (if you're in the USA and celebrate that kind of thing) nearby to take away the bitterness of a small site outage. :(

Here's the handy-dandy Website That I Always Use to get a feel for when the maintenance will start in your area. Our site traffic historically dips on Friday afternoons until Saturday morning which is why we tend to pick this time for maintenance work.

( tech details )

status.livejournal.org will, of course be updated before and after the maintenance window. Or else marta will get mad at me. :D

bt

In response to user comments from last week, we want to let you know that we'll remain LJ cut-free for the next month in order to get more eyeballs on our evolving newsletter. As for product coverage, that continues to be our top priority. For more granular detail, however, we recommend you join lj_releases.

Super-tweak for Yandex search

Some of our beta testers expressed privacy concerns using the Yandex search engine. Here's why: Last week, when you ran a search, you could see the usernames (and only the usernames) of everyone who commented on an entry, even if that entry was switched to Private or Friends Only after it was originally indexed. You could NOT see the actual comments from Friends Only or Private posts. In response to your input, we've implemented a fix to keep all user activity currently marked Friends Only or Private completely hidden. If you'd prefer your public content not to be indexed by Yandex, click here and use the settings labeled Search Inclusion (this covers your entire journal) and/or Comment Search Inclusion (which covers comments only). To test drive Yandex search now, click here.

Postcards from the edge

Several years ago, we asked LiveJournal users to send postcards to help us decorate our dull, white-washed offices. Since a good idea warrants repetition, we're at it again (same issue, new address). We hope you'll surround us with LiveJournal love by sending your postcards to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. We'll post snapshots right here. Be sure to include your username, since we'll randomly pick 10 lucky recipients to win free paid account time.

Conquer Writer's Block

Here are some excerpts from this week's most popular question of the day:

If a friend or relative makes a racist or homophobic remark, do you tend to confront them or let it slide? Are you more likely to confront them if it offends you directly or someone else who seems reluctant to speak up?

1. I find it easier to stand up for other people, and i wouldn't let it slide if they made a rude or hurtful comment.
2. Usually if a friend makes a racist or homophobic remark, I tend to let it slide. I think that while i would not say such things myself, I have no right to censor those around me.
3. This happens all of the time. I confront some relatives, but I refuse to if they are drunk or watch Fox News.
4. I'd let it slide if it was just a private remark... As much as I despise bigotry and intolerance, I know that you can't change people-they have to change themselves ...
5. Confront! confront! confront! Politely, but without equivocation.
6. SPEAK UP. Always, always, always speak up. Letting something slide lets ignorance win. No matter if it offends me directly, or someone else, I will confront the speaker and let them know that's not ok.
7. I don't get offended personally. As an immigrant, woman, gay and person of color if I took every single potentially offensive remark seriously I wouldn't get anything done.
8. I punch them in the balls. With my mind.
9. I do speak up, but often very timidly because I feel that I'm white and therefore I don't really have any authority to lecture someone on what's racist and what isn't...
10. Generally speaking, I do not let this shit fly, because it reduces me as a person, to this non-person and it replicates the destructive discourse that makes sure that sexual minorities, racial minorities, women, people with disabilities, trans people and every intersection thereof into something other than human... And sometimes... I'm just too tired to deal with it, so I roll my eyes, make a sarcastic remark and hope the conversation moves on quickly.

For more daily questions and user comments, join writersblock. FYI, we don't want to invade your privacy, so we haven't credited individual users for their responses. We'd appreciate your feedback on this!

Spotlight community of the week

We can't resist making one last midnight trip to the ol' pumpkin patch. If you adore crazy costumes, fiendish festivities, and bottomless candy consumption as much as we do, this community has just what it takes to light up your jack-o-lantern.


halloween_fan

Photos of the week

We received so many incredible photos, we had to close our eyes and point. We uploaded a selection of awesome images at our new lj_photophile community. Please join and start posting (try to keep the width at around 625 for the sake of consistency)! We'd love for you to tell us more about your photos! You can help us select spotlight photos by commenting on your favorites. Once again, we thank you for making our online world more beautiful!

shutter	pancetta	ilya_gorokhov

Curtains

Thanks, again, for tuning in. We look forward to seeing you next week.