A Fury for all seasons

A short poem to commemorate this special day of Fall. Please forgive the dramatic sentiment.

The days, shorter suddenly, seem small
When spent in the company of all.
And yet, fire fed my forthrightness.

The decision made, I spoke.
I heard a proclamation like an echo
And still, fire fed my fastidiousness.

The stakes at their highest, I chose to leave
Without knowing how you see me,
And still, fire fed my fortitude.

The chaos around us raged along.
I knew all i couldn't say without staying long.
And now, fire feeds my fear.

The fact you're leaving after this
Not having spoken of our bliss,
And knowing I may have missed
A chance. But I digress,

I insist:
A fire feeds my need for righteousness.
And a fire fed the choice that led to this.

Thanks for listening and reading. As always....

Be well. Be strong.

Be Furious.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:King St,New York,United States

Burnout: Stage 3

Exposition

I used to watch, without wavering week-after-week, the trials and tribulations of the tumultuous Star Ship Enterprise (NCC-1701D...not the original); in other words, I ogled actors whose names slide off the slick, celebrity-stricken ears of most Americans: Wil Wheaton, Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Marina Siritis. And as I tuned-in, these characters, caught in catastrophe-upon-catastrophe, played out their lives for years. I came to them for solace. I came to know them. And they were, of course, eventually cancelled.

I learned something from them as I learned my craft from my mentors: each episode is new, but one's arc is well-defined. And I have been through many arcs, my faithful Furious. Gaylen taught me best to recognize them, although Richard had put me through them once already unwittingly. In the end, I have learned to recognize the draconian dramas, the faux-ferocities, and un-needed necessities of annihilation of both STNG and Burnout. This is not a game, and this is not an experiment. Take heed, all those who embark on such Herculean tasks.

Burnout

Stage I: This is the longest, most protracted stage in which perseverance is little more than parlance. You can last here longest. Each subsequent stage is a half-life with perils a-plenty, but this is the place in which one can "dig-in" and diligently execute one's duties. Your focus will be sharp, unwavering, and formidable. Days turn into nights and into days, but you will remain stalwart in your stewardship. This is Zen. This is the zenith of your work. Enjoy it. You'll need it later.

At the end of Stage I, you'll feel confident and capable, coherent and still compassionate. You'll have perspective and pay-off, the best combination of time and effort. Here, one should rest. Beyond this point, one's ability to be stable and sane will be called into question. This is a bold statement, but one I intend to describe in the most-sincere of terms. If you pass Stage I, you will enter the next stage.

Stage II: Unless you are Sisphus, this stage is the hardest; it is the least dangerous but most selfishly-beneficial. In "Stage II", you are the most important thing that is happening. Not just at work, but in your sphere of influence at large. You're the best coder, the best designer, the best lover, the best partner, the best friend. You're wrong, of course. No, really. You are wrong. But you won't know that until "Stage III". You can accomplish incredible things. You think across functional lines, and reason, at one moment, in the technical world, and then in the business world without the (perceived, self- or otherwise) "lag" of context-switching. You see problems without time. You see solutions without resource-constraint. And you begin the process of seeing possibilities that have no connection to reality.

And you begin to learn your limitations. For many, this process is sped-up through exams in college and university. Coffee (or the fashionable drug of the day) becomes one's ally. And we are told that each high has its low; each fantasy has its reality. And Stage II begins to become a reality.

Until Stage III, you can burn the candle at both ends, in the middle, and then just light the fucker with a blowtorch because you're bored and you're so much better than those around you. (Those who know The Fury best can recognize this behaviour, and those with whom He has discussed Burn Out know the effects.) The problem is not Stage II's immediate effects. The problem lies between Stage II and Stage III.

At the end of Stage II, you're left with a sense of hard-work and capability. It's a very real sensation, and it can be backed-up with months (or years) of work. But I caution you, my Furious, against the causality that is Stage III. Every sense of well-being will emigrate, and every sense of self-sufficiency will be sent a-sunder.

Stage III: You are at peace. You know your place. You are competent beyond comprehension, even your own. Words flow from your mouth like a hot well in Spring. And you are, in many ways, lost. (Now this is my personal experience. And The Fury has been wrong, but perhaps you have experienced this before.)

Your work is easy, and those around you seem incompetent. Your friends become bland and unintelligent. Your purpose is clear but misunderstood. But still you work. And for "the good" of . You can see the path laid before you, and it is fraught with error. You are the cure for such a place, but you are only one person. You can only do so much. And you put in more time. And more. And more.

The end of this stage is change.

And rarely for the better, my Furious. This stage yields nothing but experience. The experience will only show its fruits when one has recovered to Stage I or Stage II. You are blind from work and you will not see progress or hope. "It is forsake in these Lands," to quote the LOTR trilogy.

Having been there, I can only offer this:

Be Well. Be Strong.

Be Furious.

And be aware.

Cover of Taio Cruz : "Break Your Heart"

Today, I found this song listening to a Lada Gaga Pandora station (don't ask). Interesting, I think.

Here's the original: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Break+Your+Heart+featuring+Ludacris+/2N73Oj


"Break Your Heart"


Now listen to me baby
Before I love and leave you
They call me heart breaker
I don't wanna deceive you

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
I might tear you apart
Told you from the start, baby from the start

I'm only gonna break break your, break break your heart [x4]
Whoa, whoa

There's no point trying to hide it
No point trying to evade it
I know I got a problem
Problem with misbehaving

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
I might tear you apart
Told you from the start, baby from the start

I'm only gonna break break your, break break your heart [x4]

Break Your Heart by jhampton

"Rose"

I suppose I'm a preposterously-prolific peddler of musicality this evening. This one just happened by accident, truly. I had lit my celebratory cigarette, smoked for a second, and started to pay the (panned-right) guitar line. Lo and behold, the left side appeared, and lyrics spilled out like so many sequins.

I hope you can dig it. If you say I sound like Iron & Wine-meets-Postal Service-meets-James Taylor, I'll take it all in stride.

"Rose"

Rose by jhampton

She never made it on the train
I guess it'll be another day.
When all the signs point East into
The rising sub it's easy
Just to lay here in her bed.

The light crept slowly up the wall
Just like it wasn't there at all.
If I can lie my through
The rose I didn't get from you,
Maybe you won't have to call and

Say you love me still,
And you always will
Stay.

A younger couple just walked by;
Wearning new joy in their eyes.
I stopped to state a minute
Pretendeing we're still in
The place where I looked deep inside.

We walked into the windy night,
Union Square dressed in all lights.
I had to ignore
All the things I had said beforel
You turned and asked me, 'please, just one more time...'

Say you love me still,
And you always will
Stay.
Stay.


Kinda sappy, if I do say so myself, but even the Fury shed a tear when it was done.

Be Well. Be Strong.

Be Furious.

"I'm Not the Only One"

Here's another much-need, late-night diddy for my faithful Furious. It's inspired by a song I did a few years back that I was never really happy with. I heard this in my head and just the line 'I'm not the only one...' and voila! 4 hours later, this little package arrived by digital stork. Usual suspects here: keys played on my iPad, tracks in Garageband (using the built-in mic, which is incredible), a few effects, NO pitch correction and you can tell :)

Enjoy. Hopefully.

"I'm Not the Only One"

Not the Only One by jhampton




Seven weeks have marked their time
Carved on my face and in my mind...
And so, and so it goes.

Long the days, longer the nights
Free of struggle, full of fright.
And no-, nobody knows.

Looking back I see the tears
Have found their way through streets of years
But gently they arrive.

Staring up I know the fears
Of all my falsley-fated years,
But knowing I'm alright.


If only time can tell of heaven or of hell,
We'll learn our lessons well.

They say I was a treacherous son and
My time here is almost done but
I'm not the only one.


Seven years of plenty cam
Despite the long, cold winters and the pouring rain.
And so, I had to go.

To wander with the harvest moon,
Maybe it was just too soon.
And no, nobody knows.


If only time can tell of heaven or of hell,
We'll learn our lessons well.

They say I was a treacherous son and
My time here is almost done but
I'm not the only one.


Thanks for listening, and as always...
Be Well. Be strong.

Be Furious.

"Interloper"

In talking with the gents tonight after work, I realized there is NO reason NOT to post a creative work born quickly. This is a work in progress, people. And it's completely recorded, mixed, and mastered on the iPad using the built-in microphone.

Enjoy (but beware - the volume is a little high). Lyrics to follow...

Interloper by jhampton

"Interloper" (started 3/17/2010)

The sun came out today and slowly

Everything had changed.

A frozen moment hung below below me

And you were still the same.

Photographs and phone calls

Can't capture it all,

Still hanging on the walls.

Quiet morning wakes me up and you have...

You've been up for hours

We'll make up, make our plans and (maybe)

I'll bring home some flowers.

Photographs and phone calls

Can't capture it all,

Still hanging on the walls.

Photographs and phone calls

Can't capture it all,

Still hanging on (the walls).

An empty letter sits before me

Filling me with hope.

If you were here to help me write it...

Big words like 'interloper'.

Semantics, Social, and Personal

Dear Faithful Furious,

Many moons have passed, many suns have shone, but still the Fury lives on. My last post, though laden with lauds and latent understanding (let alone a myriad of lonely and mawkish murmurings), was heavy for this beleaguered but burgeoning blog. This will not follow suit nor suit those stuck in 'samey', saccharine situations.

I post instead a Furious Verse...some random poem from deep within. But first, a story:

Late in 2004, I posited (amongst many) that our droll, daily lives might yield an Acqua Santa sought by so many marketers. Lo and behold: Facebook v Google and FourSquare v GoWalla. Now, these nepotistic (check their heritages), neophytes in New Media might seem cutting-edge, but we've long-laboured to share our (pardon me) 'private pieces' with those for whom we care most. We now have the wherewithal and means to post our private lives and share special moments with our sacrosanct circles. But at what cost?

Fortunately, Facebook found a 'solution' to the problem: forego privacy for publicity, and create a semantic surplus of seemingly 'free' information to advertisers. That basically sums up F8's outcome. Granted, I'm a cynic and I've stood by social networking since the early days of BBS, then Yahoo!, then MySpace, then .

This is NEWS. Facebook has created the incentive and means by which all information on the web is searchable, indexed, and linked to one's account. Your search results for a dynamite dildo could be influenced by a friend's un-redacted diatribe. Do you really want to know?

I digress. I need to share a short (I promise) bit of poetry started earlier today.

"Friend, where are you?"

Walking, walking all the day, I found myself approaching you,

And while the premise slowly played, my choices became far and few:

Run and hide in guise of work, or play it out to find the end?

But, as always, fortune found an afternoon with faithful friends.

Walking back I found anew a sense of sacred solitude,

And to my place of daily grind, mind and body thus renewed.

What transpired, some devine, was made from many months of grind,

So from my quiet quarters soon to merry with a liker kind.

What I found was surface still. I traveled home to get some rest;

The city bright, but blacker will, at times, proffer and suggest

That we who live among the lost may count among our many costs

A certain interval of pain, and, on this ocean, tangled, tossed,

Just a moment to regain a sense of our own ending: friends.

Thank you for listening.

Be well. Be strong.

And for Fuck's sake...

:)

Be Furious.

MLK, Yes We Can, and a Furious State of the Union

My dearest Furious,

I have been buried under work and blinded by the barrage of the banal for lo these many months. But I have a brief moment to share a shame and speak my soughts. I hope many fewer months may pass before my meandering mind's musings find a place here.

First, a Furious confession: I had not, until a few days ago, listened to a single Martin Luther King, Jr. speech. Sure, I had sat in my Southern schoolhouse and listened as the well-intentioned teachers told us about the Civil Rights movement, some from first-hand knowledge, but many more from an "Approved Lesson Plan", and I listened with rapt attention to the fables of an unlikely leader lecturing to millions who had marched as Lincoln's likeness anchored the images and message of the oppressed masses. But YouTube led me to listen for an hour (and follow from speech-to-speech) to a man whose value and vision I had placed in the realm of legend, of history, and not the perils of the present. To my most Furious followers, I apologize.

I was subsequently led to the 'Yes We Can' video by Will.I.Am (say what you will about him and his methods). And I was reminded of a hope that led an entire generation to move again, to straighten its back and go somewhere. After eight long years of tragedy and trivial triumphs, our nation (and the world) was plummeted into the worst recession in our memory (short though it may be). After a self-righteous regime eroded the basic rights we fought to maintain, there was a sense that the world could change. It did. For the worse in many ways (and hear me out). I couldn't imagine this time without our first black president at the helm. We have been led through difficult times with expert precision, and yet we pick apart his policies and invalidate our victories. Why aren't we still hopeful?

What has happened in the last year that has turned public opinion against Obama? Yes, he hasn't closed our offshore, shameful prisons (housing many innocent Americans) in his promised timeline. Yes, he hasn't legalized gay marriage. Yes, he hasn't shifted America's trade deficit away from China. Yes, we are still in Iraq. And, yes, we just committed more American lives and money to a 'war on terror' in Afghanistan. So I suppose we have cause to quarrel with the architect of our hope. What has he done?

Our leader has provided health care for all Americans. Sure, it will take time. Yes, it will need to be changed and adjusted over time. Of course, it will impact the private sector. But it is an incredible step in stabilizing our nation at its core. Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians....AMERICANS, both rich and poor will have access to a healthy, more productive life without being beholden to an industry whose primary purpose is profit, not healing.

Our leader holds the financial system accountable (as best he can) for its sins and profits. And we have avoided catastrophe in exchange for crisis. I would rather have crisis. His policies continue to create jobs and stimulate growth despite a credit shortfall. And we all learn to deal with the struggles our parents and grandparents have known.

Our leader has reached out to the world. And he has been given a Nobel Peace Prize to help him along the way. Has he deserved it so far? Perhaps not. Okay...No. But it's a sign from the Nobel committee that there is Hope. And we weren't promised the "Promised Land". Only change. And change is OUR responsibility.

This post is shorter than I would like, but the hour is late. And the topic is heavy. So let me know what you think.

Do you still have hope? What changes are you making?

And are you still Furious?

My dearest Furious,

My recent release from employment has allowed me ample opportunity to
ponder life's little puzzles. I turn my fury to one such problem this
morning: crowdsourcing.

Last I heard, Crowdsourcing was a cool "2.0"-style name for a work
pattern with which we're all familiar, namely cooperation. I think the
pundits would be quick to quip that the novelty lies in _where_ the
work is done: at the core of a business's or individuals's product. In
other words, Crowsourcing allows one to amass volumes of input with
variable value and focus that firehose of product on the fire du jour.
This is innovative. This is new. And this is a fad.

Those who espouse the 'new economy' graduated along with those who
proffered Credit Default Swaps, DotCom 1.0, and Social Networking.
Good things are born in the worst of situations, to be sure, but I am
not sure that anyone should outsource the design of a core product or
process. Those who believe in design by committee should take another
look at the sprawling planned communities in the south and mid-west;
the samey, bland tracts of shoddy abodes the stretch from shore-to-
shore embody the spirit of 2-3 architects, 10-20 HOA members, 1-2
developers, countless City and County interests, and no single,
unifying philosophy. Unless you think that better, faster, cheaper is
the only innovation that will matter in the _next_ 200 years.

Be well. Be strong.
Be Furious.

Sent from my iPhone

Microsoft's Blue Period: Codename "Azure"

I read a handful of blogs on a daily basis - my "Daily News" is not an amalgam of CNN, BBC, NYTimes, or similar; my daily reading is chosen based on my daily hunger for inspiration, design, creativity, and excellence in the field of technology.

And so I was IM'ing with a friend who was at PDC. We talked a bit about Microsoft's cloud strategy (link to ProgrammableWeb - a fantastic all-around dev/MashUp/API resource). Or rather _he_ talked about it and I listened in the kind of silence that belies my unusually tenacious skepticism in all things "new" or "innovative". This is an EVOlution, not a REVOlution. Which brings me to the point of this entry:

Microsoft is innovating in areas most people are ignoring. The XBox is an incredible media center with few security issues, a (relatively) reliable hardware and software platform (their responsive support went a long way toward addressing the RRoD issues). Where is that kind of innovation with Cloud Services?

Where is the layman's ability to join data streams, or create small applications?

Where is Hal?

My Furious Faithful Fashionistas

Remember,

When Online Bullying of Bureaucrats Becomes A Constitution-Bashing Bonanza

Check this out:
Kentucky Lawmaker Wants to Make Anonymous Internet Posting Illegal - Video - WTVQ 36 - Lexington, Kentucky

Okay, I know...I can't ask you to read this post and proceed to push another publication down your throat.  Here's the skinny: some thin-skinned politician (a playfully ironic paradox in itself), Kentucky Representative Tim Couch, decided that anonymous comments should be made illegal.  Because, apparently, some people didn't like him.  And posted just that.  And it hurt his "feelings."  Now, while I'd like to lounge in my Lair of Fury and laugh at the reckless wielding of legislative leverage, I must be honest:

There is an increasingly-disturbing, ever-widening circle of circumspect principalities controlling the dissemination and cultivation of information.

Be vigilant, my Furious followers.  Like many before you, the foothold of your freedom is infirm; fight the forces of  fearful affect on the digital domain we call the Internets.

Be Well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.

Exchanging Privacy for a Purpose-Driven Page of Providers

According to PageOnce, you can have "your internet, your way"
PageOnce to Put All Your Online Accounts in One Place

Image derived from: http://www.illuminati-news.com/2007/0814a.htm

The last time I looked, "my internet" was a loosely-knitted myriad of mangled, multilateral matrices masquerading under the misleading moniker of "Social Networking". Promising a productivity pick-me-up in the mold of a "mash-up" in these latter-Web-2-Point-Oh days of merriment and DOT-COM-esque mismanagement of venture capital is bound to capture the rapt attention of someone willing to trade privacy of one's personal profile and financial information for a few extra minutes' porn-surfing.

So, what is the service like? I refuse to sign up. "But you are The Fury!" you say. Well, let's take a look at PageOnce's privacy policy-for-dummies.

Information below is copied directly from PageOnce's public policy. Copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

"PageOnce keeps you secure

PageOnce adheres to the highest standards in security in order to keep your data private and secure. We work to bring you a great service, with the peace of mind that your information will be protected.

We recognize that security is an important issue for you.

• We never require information that connects you to your accounts. All PageOnce needs is your e-mail. You can be as anonymous as you want.
• We adhere to industry standards and are certified by TRUSTe, HackerSafe and VeriSign
• Your data is yours. We never share it with anyone"

First thing's first: the Furious must forego the falacy of willful, recalcitrant ignorance of current US wiretapping policies. Your e-mail address, your website registration, your IP address, all internet traffic, and your Social Security Number are all tied together. In fact, Comcast is happy to charge your US Goverment to wiretapp all Internet activity for which you are paying monthly. Call it an additional revenue opportunity.

Second: TRUSTe, HackerSafe, and VeriSign have been granted unlimited freedom from liability in their ratings. VeriSign is the ONLY recognized root security certificate provider...in perpetuity. Globally. HackerSafe sells security services while it decides how, when, and to what extent vulnerabilities are assessed and disseminated. Oh, and they partner with Microsoft. Microsoft, as we all know, protects the public's privacy from our Government...and then gives in. Google does not. But I digress.

Regardless of where you stand, screw your Fury to the sticking place. Think again - is convenience the new Con when it comes to corporate collusion with Congress?

Be Well. Be Strong.

Be Furious.

Hunting and Gathering 2.0 - Fear and Social Networking

To the Furious:

After spending a fair few hours foraging on the World Wide Interwebs, I have found a fearful fad, a treacherous trend intent on threatening the thoughtful interactions that have helped our "2.0" of the Web - something I'm going to call "Hunting and Gathering 2.0."  The rest of the technorati gabble-on with great gusto about "Social Aggregation," so let's dive deep into the disturbing topic:


According to a January 2008 article in Complete, social networking users are members of more than one meaningless mangle of social sites with painfully punctilious and precise purposes:
"The Compete article provides some interesting data points (January 2008):
-64% of Facebook members also belong to MySpace (MySpace has nearly three times the unique visitors of -Facebook and a few years head start);
-Bebo, Hi5 and Friendster all share more than 49% of their members with MySpace;
-LinkedIn shares 42% of its members with Facebook and 32% with MySpace."

So let's take a tired moment to tarry in the tenement of the most magnanimous movements; let's list the largest social networking sites (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites).  But first, consider the far-reaching ramifications that regular use of these insidious sites might have on this fleeting, fast-paced fantasy we call "Life."

I am going to go out on a limb and say: "Monetization of private, personal information has been limited to various Viagra-related advertisement.  The real value of social networking to trends among the "hoi polloi" is obvious to the Cool Hunters and trend-setters - find the bell curve of cool and move toward the edges that show a growing, organic gathering with an exponential regression and exploit it."

Add to the list below "Lifestrea.ms", "Jaiku", and social browsers such as "Flock", and you can see Web 3.0's infancy - the emergence of social intelligence through a careless caterwal of contagious behaviours known as LifeStreams, Social Aggregation, and social sharing.

Does anyone want to explore adding oneself to ALL of the below sites?  What would happen to your personal privacy and pervasive persona, its public visibility all but a thing of the past?  Who's with me?

As always, my Furious:
Be well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.

List of Social Networking Sites

Name	Description/Focus	Registered users	Registration
Advogato	Free and open source software developers	&&&&&&&&&&011000.&&&&&011,000	Open
ANobii	Books	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
aSmallWorld	European jet set and social elite	&&&&&&&&&0150000.&&&&&0150,000	Invite-only
Badoo	General, Popular in Europe	&&&&&&&012500000.&&&&&012,500,000	Open to people 18 and over
Bebo	General, Popular in UK, Ireland, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open to people 13 and over
BlackPlanet	African-Americans	&&&&&&&016000000.&&&&&016,000,000	Open
Broadcaster.com	Video sharing and webcam chat	&&&&&&&026000000.&&&&&026,000,000	Open
Buzznet	Music and pop-culture	&&&&&&&&&0550000.&&&&&0550,000	Open
Cake Financial	Investing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Capazoo	General (blogs, photos, music, videos)	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
CarDomain	Car enthusiasts	&&&&&&&&01600000.&&&&&01,600,000	Open
Care2	Green living and social activism	&&&&&&&&08123058.&&&&&08,123,058	Open
Classmates.com	School, college, work and the military	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
Consumating	"Consumeetings"	&&&&&&&&&&021000.&&&&&021,000	Open
CouchSurfing	Hospitality	&&&&&&&&&0402000.&&&&&0402,000	Open
Cyworld	Young South Koreans	&&&&&&&021200000.&&&&&021,200,000	Open
Dandelife	Collective narratives or "shared biographies"	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Dodgeball	Mobile location-based service. Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
DontStayIn	Clubbing (primarily UK)	&&&&&&&&&0333000.&&&&&0333,000	Open
Experience Project	Life experiences	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Facebook	General. Popular in Canada, UK, USA and New Zealand.	&&&&&&&062000000.&&&&&062,000,000	Open to people 13 and older.
Faceparty	General. Popular UK.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open to people 16 and older.
Flickr	Photo sharing	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open (Yahoo! login)
Flixster	Movies	&&&&&&&036000000.&&&&&036,000,000	Open
Fotolog	Photoblogging	&&&&&&&012695007.&&&&&012,695,007	Open
Friends Reunited	School, college, work, sport and streets	&&&&&&&019000000.&&&&&019,000,000	Open
Friendster	General	&&&&&&&050000000.&&&&&050,000,000	Open
Frühstückstreff	General	&&&&&&&&&&011600.&&&&&011,600	Open
Gaia Online	Anime and games	&&&&&&&&09300000.&&&&&09,300,000	Open
Gather	Article, picture, and video sharing, as well as group discussions	&&&&&&&&&0450000.&&&&&0450,000	Open
Geni.com	Families, genealogy	&&&&&&&&&0750000.&&&&&0750,000	Open
Grono.net	Poland	&&&&&&&&01350000.&&&&&01,350,000	Invite-only
GuildCafe	Online games	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
hi5	General. Latin American and Asian teens.	&&&&&&&098000000.&&&&&098,000,000	Open
Habbo	General. Over 31 communities worldwide. Chat Room and user profiles.	&&&&&&&086000000.&&&&&086,000,000	Open to people 13 and older
Hospitality Club	Hospitality	&&&&&&&&&0328629.&&&&&0328,629	Open
Hyves	Most popular Dutch social network, especially for students	&&&&&&&&05000000.&&&&&05,000,000	Open
imeem	Music, Video, Photos, Blogs	&&&&&&&016000000.&&&&&016,000,000	Open
IRC-Galleria	Finland	&&&&&&&&&0465000.&&&&&0465,000	Open
iWiW	Hungary	&&&&&&&&03100000.&&&&&03,100,000	Invite-only
Jaiku	General. Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Joga Bonito	Football (soccer). Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
LibraryThing	Book lovers	&&&&&&&&&0214425.&&&&&0214,425	Open
LinkedIn	Business	&&&&&&&017000000.&&&&&017,000,000	Open
LiveJournal	Blogging	&&&&&&&012900000.&&&&&012,900,000	Open (OpenID)
LunarStorm	Sweden	&&&&&&&&01200000.&&&&&01,200,000	Open
MEETin	General	&&&&&&&&&&072000.&&&&&072,000	Open
Meetup.com	General	&&&&&&&&02000000.&&&&&02,000,000	Open
MiGente.com	Latinos	&&&&&&&&03600000.&&&&&03,600,000	Open
Mixi	Japan	&&&&&&&&09830000.&&&&&09,830,000	Invite-only
MOG	Music	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Multiply	"Real world" relationships	&&&&&&&&07500000.&&&&&07,500,000	Open
MyChurch	Christian Churches	&&&&&&&&&&070306.&&&&&070,306	Open
MyHeritage	family-oriented social network service	&&&&&&&020000000.&&&&&020,000,000	Open
My Opera Community	General (blogs, photo albums, forums, groups, etc.)	&&&&&&&&01001798.&&&&&01,001,798	Open
myYearbook	General	&&&&&&&&&0950000.&&&&&0950,000	Open
MySpace	General. Popular in the USA, UK and Australia.	&&&&&&0217000000.&&&&&0217,000,000	Open
Netlog	Formerly known as Facebox.	&&&&&&&028000000.&&&&&028,000,000	Open
Nexopia	Canada	&&&&&&&&01158531.&&&&&01,158,531	Open
Odnoklassniki.ru	General. Popular in Russia	&&&&&&&&08000000.&&&&&08,000,000	Open
OkCupid	Social networking and dating	&&&&&&&&&0800000.&&&&&0800,000	Open
orkut	Owned by Google. Popular in Brazil and India.	&&&&&&&067000000.&&&&&067,000,000	Open (Google login)
OUTeverywhere	Gay	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Passado	General	&&&&&&&&04700000.&&&&&04,700,000	Open
Passportstamp	Travel	&&&&&&&&&&012000.&&&&&012,000	Open
Phanfare	Family photo and video sharing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Plaxo	Business	&&&&&&&015000000.&&&&&015,000,000	Open
Playahead	Swedish teenagers	&&&&&&&&&0530000.&&&&&0530,000	Open
Pownce	Websites, files, and short updates	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
ProfileHeaven	British teens	&&&&&&&&&0100000.&&&&&0100,000	Open
RateItAll	General (consumer ratings)	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Reunion.com	Locating friends and family, keeping in touch	&&&&&&&028000000.&&&&&028,000,000	Open
Ryze	Business	&&&&&&&&&0250000.&&&&&0250,000	Open
Searchles	Social search and networking	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Sconex	American high schools	&&&&&&&&&0500000.&&&&&0500,000	Open
Sermo	Physicians	&&&&&&&&&&040000.&&&&&040,000	Open only to registered D.O.s and M.D.s in the U.S.A.
Shelfari	Books	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Soundpedia	Music	&&&&&&&&03500000.&&&&&03,500,000	Open
Sportsvite	Recreational sports	&&&&&&&&&&018000.&&&&&018,000	Open
Stickam	Live video streaming and chat.	&&&&&&&&01305051.&&&&&01,305,051	Open
Student.com	International teens and colleges	&&&&&&&&&0850000.&&&&&0850,000	Open
StudiVZ	University students, mostly in the German-speaking countries	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open
Tagged.com	General	&&&&&&&030000000.&&&&&030,000,000	Open
TakingITGlobal	Social action	&&&&&&&&&0145000.&&&&&0145,000	Open
TravBuddy.com	Travel	&&&&&&&&&0760000.&&&&&0760,000	Open
Travellerspoint	Travel	&&&&&&&&&0105000.&&&&&0105,000	Open
tribe.net	General	&&&&&&&&&0602876.&&&&&0602,876	Open
Twitter	Micro-blogging, RSS, updates	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Utterz	Micro-blogging, RSS, Audio updates via mobile device. Reads text messages over the phone.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Vox	Blogging	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
WAYN	Travel and lifestyle	&&&&&&&&08000000.&&&&&08,000,000	Open to people 18 and older
WebBiographies	Genealogy and biography	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Windows Live Spaces	Blogging (formerly MSN Spaces)	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
Wis.dm	Questions and answers about anything and everything	&&&&&&&&&&020000.&&&&&020,000	Open
Woophy	travel & photography, photo sharing website	&&&&&&&&&&023000.&&&&&023,000	Open
Xanga	Blogs and "metro" areas	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
XING	Business	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open
Yahoo! 360°	Linked to Yahoo! IDs	&&&&&&&&04700000.&&&&&04,700,000	Open to people 18 and older, (Yahoo! login)
Yahoo! Mash	Yahoo's new SNS - Still in beta	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Invite-only while in beta
Zooomr	Universal photo sharing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open (OpenID)

Looking for Legba - A dangerous crosswalk

To the Furious:

Be cautious out there; these, our crowded, crazy corridors of Ye Olde Neue York contain a great, godless gaggle of fattened geese - our neighbors in spirit and in fact - ready for an untimely demise at the death-dealing end of a darting, dodging taxicab.  I serendipitously stumbled upon this striking sapphire-and-silver siren for the sighted.  Behold, Legba has betrayed his beloved and given this crosswalk over to obfuscating oblivion.

If you find yourself fated to forge across this duplicitous and deceitful dead-end, take heed!

Be well.  Be strong.

Be Furious.  

I am The Fury...

...who the hell are you?

My friend gave me a new nickname, a new mission, and a new blog idea - The Fury.  I am tech support and IT guidance.  I unleash my knowledge in carefully-coordinated cacophonies of creative commitment to my corporation's cooperative conquest.  I'm a pro-am photographer and part-time musician.  And full-time lover.

This is the beginning, not the end.  To all of my Furious Fans: Be well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.