The Cannon

seek_abroad
Meet people from all over the world.

fotojournals
Post your photos for other photographers to see.

food_ish
Share successful, disastrous or otherwise amusing food stories, photos and recipes.

About two weeks ago, Tony moved to Ontario for the summer, leaving me in charge of a few of his possessions while he is away. This includes a tv, which I am thoroughly enjoying, and this giant flat screen monitor, which I am enjoying muchso more. Unfortunately, later that evening, when we were trying to install some extra ram into my computer, I accidentally knocked over an open bottle of windex, completely dousing my Nintendo DS which just happened to be on the floor for some reason. I left it alone for several days, hoping it would be fine after the liquid dissolved. When I turned it back on it seemed to be in working condition, except for obvious blotches offending both screens. I was fine with this, until several days later, when I tried to run a game that implemented touchscreen controls. At this point, I realize that the touchscreen was entirely unresponsive, thereby rendering the majority of my DS games unplayable.

So, I called Nintendo the following day and the rep was super nice. She gave me instructions on how to mail my DS, free of charge, and notified me that I would be receiving another DS in about three weeks. For the moment, it seems, fate has smiled upon me, and I'm making fine using Corey's DS.

But I must have poor luck with electronics, as early last week I managed to lose/break my phone. I was coming home from a day of work and stopped outside my apartment building to change a song on my ipod. Because I had my headphones on, I didn't hear my phone slide out of my pocket when I pulled out the ipod. Fast forward several hours later, and I'm backtracking from home to work and back again, looking for my phone. Just when I feel the search is futile, I come across a single PIECE of my phone right in front of my apartment, more specifically the battery cover from the back of the phone. It would appear that someone picked up the phone and just took it. I called it, obviously, but I kept receiving the 'This user is away from phone...' message.

I talked to the guy from the Sasktel Mobility place and they said that my contract was up for a new phone...on May 20th. So, my options were either I buy a shitty phone and use that for two weeks until I can upgrade to a better phone (the cheapest phone there costing around eighty dollars), buy a completely new phone...for four hundred dollars, or just wait two weeks being phoneless until the 20th when I can get an awesome phone. There was a chance that I could find someone who had an old unused Sasktel phone and then transfer my account to it, but I couldn't find anyone who had a spare phone. My brother did, and offered it to me a few weeks ago, but then I asked him about it and he said that he just sold it to someone. Bad luck, right.

It's been almost a full week since I've lost my phone. It's not like a lot of people wanna contact me anyways, so it doesn't feel like my social life, already at a low point, has dipped any lower. Though, I've been weaned on the luxury of having so much information at my fingertips, and I was more addicted to texting than I'd like to admit. But it's only one more week, and then I can get a new phone.

My life has felt strange, in ways that I don't know where to begin. There's the issue of Student Loans trying to contact me. They called me at the beginning of the month, and I told them to call back, which they never did, and now that I have no phone I feel.... free/absolved of that particular responsibility....only if temporary. In my mind, owing the Government money is analagous to owing the mafia money. I'm scared that large men in dark glasses are gonna be knocking on my door soon.

I'm finding more and more inspiration in everything I see. I am not sure if it is because the weather has picked up, or maybe because I've been working the same job for so long, but my artistic half is becoming restless. There are so many projects, most residing in my head atm, that I feel like I need to take a well deserved break from 'the rigors of everyday life' to just sort them all out. I wanna poorly hide my criticisms in crudely drawn comics, post these on the internet and have other people point out what kind of asshole I am. There's the issue of improving my writing by keeping up with this journal, maybe dust off my digital camera and take some pictures, I wanna do so much but I should walk before I start to run.

I want to train my mind as well as my body, this summer. I've already planted the seeds, taken the appropriate steps towards these goals. I eat, a lot, healthily. I manage to get in a daily regimen of weight training as well as some cardio. At work I've been digesting a lot of books, mostly concerning physics, metaphysics, and philosophy. Science is so interesting because it is things that are tested and 'real'. When I learn something about this world, it makes me feel like I've actually made intellectual progress. I can't wait to get my school/career worked out, so that I'm improving again.

I'm excited right now. There are so many things I am striving towards, I do feel like I have a lot of potential and all I need to do is point all this ambition in the right direction.

kinokofry
Art and comics by Rebecca Clements

wii_kartonline
All about Mario Kart Wii: challenge, chat & have fun

the_polaroids
Post and peruse Polaroid photos

This month is Mental Health Awareness Month, so the LiveJournal team is offering users a chance to support the Depression and Bipolar Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping improve the lives of those suffering from mood disorders. Proceeds from purchases of the Emerging Sun v-gift during May will be donated to the DBSA, so feel free to buy one. Or, if you really want to rack up some good karma points, get a bunch!

And don't forget: Mother's Day is this Sunday. Be a dear and check out the v-gifts shop. Send something that'll make her smile.


L to R: Emerging Sun, #1 Mom, Gift Basket, Chocolates, A Dozen Red Roses


We know how you salivate over the prospect of new themes, especially when they're designed by users with a unique handle on both form and function.


L to R: Shiny, River at Night, Live and Learn, Vector Drips.

( Winners of the HP 'What Do You Have to Say?' Theme Design Contest )


We'd like to remind you that the nomination process for LiveJournal Advisory Board user-representatives has begun. If you think you're fit for the job, now's the time to nominate yourself! After all, you're the only who can do it. In two weeks, on the 22nd, the voting process will begin; we'll remind you about it again here.

If you're interested in keeping up with the nominations, watch lj_election_en. We'll post the results and announce the winner by the end of the day on May 30th. The new user-representatives will be seated on June 1st. Further details can also be found in lj_2008.

Advisory Board Nominations Begin

This morning we are opening the nomination process for the user-representative positions on the LiveJournal Advisory Board. A full description of the process can be found here.

To get you started, here are the basic things you should know:

- You may only nominate yourself
- Each nominee will need 100 motions of support in order to be eligible to be a candidate
- We ask that you keep your comments on the nomination posts to "I support this nomination" or something to that effect; be kind to those who will need to count the "supports", please.
- Although the nominations and election poll will take place in lj_election_en, you do not need to watch the community in order to keep up with the election; we'll announce everything here as well.

Everyone here at LiveJournal is looking forward to this first-ever User-Representative election! We'd like to thank everyone who is participating. Some words from our current Advisory Board members:

danah boyd: “LiveJournal is filled with very passionate users. These users have helped shaped LJ's various communities over the last decade and it gives me great joy that LJ is recognizing and incorporating users' voices into the decision-making processes. Having user representatives from different parts of LJ on the Advisory Board will help make sure that the company is meeting the needs of its diverse constituents.”

Esther Dyson: "I'm sure we'll learn a lot from the process, and later on from the two users selected as well. Especially, I hope that the discussions before the voting will be more meaningful and more focused on policy than those in some offline campaigns."

Brad Fitzpatrick: "It's cool that SUP is getting users involved with the LiveJournal decision-making process. I look forward to seeing who the community elects and the results of our efforts working together."

Professor Lawrence Lessig: “The user elections will provide a critical check on LJ's process of maintaining a valuable and trustworthy environment for the LJ community. The mandate of the elections will give the user representatives pride of place among the members of the Advisory Board. Each of us will look to them to guide us in our judgment about how best to make LJ the community we all aspire that it will be. I look forward to welcoming the user representatives, and learning a great deal from them.”


chasethestars has also made some banners for you to use, if you'd like to show your support for the candidate of your choice!

( Banners + code for you to use! )