Here is how to do them manually (from Yahoo.com):

happy
sad
winking
big grin
;;) batting eyelashes
>:D< big hug
:-/ confused
:x love struck
:"> blushing
tongue

I was recently away for a while, and when I returned I had an PM from a member I didn't know thanking me for my mention of www.hereinmyhead.com. I didn't recall doing that recently but didn't give it much thought. The next time I tried to visit that site, I started getting pop-ups saying I needed Active X Controls from Microsoft Corporation. Initially I thought it was odd, but again I was looking for something in a hurry, and glossed over it. Then it popped-up and asked for access to my email.

The Story by Ani DiFranco

I would have returned your greeting
if it weren't for the way you were looking at me
this street is not a market
and I am not a commodity
don't you find it sad that we can't even say hello
'cause you're a man
and I'm a woman
and the sun is getting low

there are some places that I can't go
as a woman I can't go there
and as a person I don't care
I don't go for the "Hey baby, what's your name?"
and I'd like to go alone thank you
just the same

I am up again against
the skin of my guitar
in the window of my life

property of the artist © 2008

MINIATURE DISASTERS by KT Tunstall

I don't want to be second best
Don't want to stand in line
Don't want to fall behind
Don't want to get caught out
Don't want to do without
And the lesson I must learn
Is that I've got to wait my turn

Looks like I got to be hot and cold
I got to be taught and told
Got to be good as gold
But perfectly honestly
I think it would be good for me
Coz it's a hindrance to my health
If I'm a stranger to myself

Miniature disasters and minor catastrophes
Bring me to my knees

Sometimes when you need a little fuel for your soul, all it takes is going back to the things or people who inspire you.

People who have gone to Tori shows always talk about how amazing the other 'ears with feet' are, and it is because they are. I was nervous before going to this show for all the usual reasons, but I also had some new worries. I had been to 5 other shows over the years, but I had never gone alone. This time I was on my own, and I had arranged to meet some people from the forum. Which for me was a double Yikes. Would I feel awkward and left out all day, would MistyLeighToo and Lilyscloak not like me in person, etc.. It turned out I needn't have been concerned.

I'm going to try to get as much of this right as possible, but as I mentioned, the 'Tori-haze' can be intense. I think maybe it is just such a sensory overload your brain starts losing the information! In fact it is now 2 days later and I still get a flutter in my stomach looking at the pictures and autograph. I might have been embarrassed about it, but everyone I've ever talked to who met her had the same problem. So this is as much of it as I can remember, the parts I am paraphrasing because of my brain malfunctions are in italics, the rest are quotes:

T: Hi, how are you?