calanthe_fics' poll reminded me of certain...issues I have with characters. And it made me wonder what other peeps might also hate.

So, what are your pet peeves when it comes to fanworks? Or even original works?

Characterization or writing style or the way a ship is potrayed. Feel free to post anon since IP logging is off. And it doesn't have to be just the HP fandom either.

All I'm going to say is try not to give examples by naming individuals >_>

buttfacemakani's posts prove to be a fount of spoilery links :)

Quick runthrough of Avatar finale spoilers

Chapter by chapter runthrough of the Sozen's Comet book. I just did a CTRL+F for Toph and what I found had me going \o/

And if you hate Twilight as much as I do: a lovely little comic strip XD

Lastly, Lucius' Mughsot in HBP - they definitely took snakey away :(

Just spent the past few hours trying to figure this out and it's a longshot but...

I need some help - my parents live in Dubai (Middle East) and they recently started using JustVoip for their calling needs (to USA, Australia, Canada and India). While the local ISP's proxy blocked the site, the program they used let them make calls anyway.

The only catch was that I had to charge the account. Previously, this was alright since paypal was accepted. Now however, it isn't. The only other viable option is sending money to Betamax (in Germany) via Western Union (which costs $15 each time). I don't trust the company either since you can google them and find that they have a really shoddy reputation.

So, does anyone know of decent VOIP sites that can be paid for online (via paypal or moneybookers) and *works* in Dubai? I'm going to try BopCall and CallCentric tomorrow after I verify my moneybookers account.

I just feel there's gotta be something better and easier than justvoip out there - and something that Etisalaat doesn't block.

[001] koyuki_san pointed out that there's going to be a live action movie of Robotech/Macross - the thing is, this is not a Japanese production. Warner Brothers bought the rights. That's right, a movie ala hollywood. Whether it turns out awesome or incredibly cheesy, at least we'll get some amazing visual effects *_*

[002] I uploaded the latest episodes of both Macross Frontier and Junjou Romantica and they're at anime_downloads if anyone's interested.

[003] After seeing the awesome username!icons lidi made, I had to request one too - and she was super enough to oblige ♥

[004] Logging onto LJ was WONDERFUL today, since the first thing I saw was that megyal had written me fairytale!H/D - THANK YOU SO MUCH *SUPER GLOMP* - will now head over and read XD

[005] Oh and nearly forgot - wanted to ask y'all one thing for a while now. What are the most notorious comms/ljs on livejournal and the clones? I know fandom_wank is one and so is ohnotheydidnt. bad_penny was famous in the HP fandom for some time, but I'm talking about general public notoriety...

Preview (click for full size version)



Just revamped my user info layout and thought I'd share the code...

( The Codes )

Only rule is to comment & credit - you are free to edit the codes.

This comment made me lol SO HARD! At first I thought she was joking, but then I realised she's totally being serious *facepalm*

buttfacemakani continues to make me go \o/ - this time for her awesome Twilight posts that shred the source material XD

And did you know, in just the first book we've got 165 freaking references to Edward's beauty? That's not a random number - LINKY!

Oh and if y'all see more posts like this one, please tell me so I can start dancing, lol.

[001] When Publishers Go Bad

[002] anthimaeria has a list of half a dozen peeps who covered the hd_worldcup - y'all should check it out!

[003] blamebrampton also pointed out worldcup summaries from romaine24 - well they're not so much summaries as labels such as "Best Opening Line", "Best Use of a Potion" etc.

[004] shexay_yasuda's layout went up this past week!

[005] MY WORLDCUP MATCHUPS THAT ARE MOST LIKELY WRONG:

• DIY Messenger...scoradh (pointed out by fourth_rose)
• Homecoming...novembersnow (random guess)
• How Do You Mend a Broken Heart...mahaliem
• How You Carry On OR Blind Leading the Blind...nqdonne (sort of random guessing)
• Lamp in the Cooling Room...sansa1970
• Take a Sad Song...femmequixotic
• Wall of Glass...rurounihime

[006] My userpics are evidence of my inability to stick to one a few fandoms - those 110+ icons cover about 30 fandoms O_O I just remind myself that as long as its just lurking, I don't need an intervention yet...

I'm throwing in the towel and watching Razor and season 4 of Battlestar Galactica.

(I miss Boomer so much! Especially after watching Stargate SG-1's Proving Ground where Grace Park guest starred - she was so freakin' young ^o^) And is it sad that I can totally see her character there hooking up with Daniel today? *facefaults*

koyuki_san and I both have this in common and I was wondering about others.

Do you have an inner!you that's in your head and does these exaggerated actions when you're feeling certain emotions?

Like, visiting fandom_wank makes inner!me facepalm and headdesk. And on certain occasions inner!me ends up waving a frying pan (me + pan = Lucius + cane)

Inner!me usually mimics two anime characters: Chibi!Yukino from Kare Kano and Honey from Ouran. The icon I'm using currently is of Honey and that's inner!me whenever I see too much shiny XD

"The World card, very aptly, represents a successful conclusion, all aspects accounted for and taken in. Simply put, this card tells the Querent that the end to a long-term project is in sight, and that it will be accompanied by well-earned praise, celebration and success. With Saturn as its ruling planet, this card can also indicate that the Querent, now an expert in their subject, is likely to become a teacher or sought-after lecturer. And, finally, on a more mundane level, the World card indicates travel, not short business trips, but long, fantastic trips. Maybe a lecture tour, book signing, or just a trip around the world. This is a wonderful card of wholeness, perfection, satisfaction and happiness." - aeclectic.net

Some of the last prompt fics also happen to be amongst the shortest...

( Fic Commentary )

72 fics, over a million words and 20 fest posts later, we have come to the end of the first hd_worldcup.

If you friended me to keep up with the fics, feel free to defriend since I most likely won't be doing this again (well, maybe next year, but not anytime soon!) I hope y'all enjoyed the fanworks as much as I did and I'd like to send waves of love (and squee) over to all the participants - thank you so much guys for all the H/D lovin' ♥

Is there anything you really want to read when it comes to fandom fics - things you've thought about wistfully at random points in the past few years?

This is me:

AU H/D fics I want:

• A sci-fi H/D fic - with cool gadgets and/or vehicles (like hovercrafts!)
• A new Draco-centric fic with a focus on speaking to ghosts XD
• New and *decent* fics which feature traveling to alternate universes
• Some new fusion fics, that may include other fandoms or just fractured fairytales.

Some general HP fics I want to read:

• A story where we finally see the prophet getting sued.
• A long H/D get together fic with Harry and Draco working together long term in the ministry. - Draco might be an Unspeakable, Harry an Auror - Draco might be working with the auror dept for an indefinite peiod of time and might help with research or interogation. He works well with Harry despite their many, MANY issues.
• Jamescorp fic - actually, any James/Scorpius fic.

So, what about y'all? And it doesn't have to be HP related at all XD

"Temperance may be, at first glance, a warning to the Querent to "temper" their behavior, to cut their wine with water. But it may also be a reminder to the Querent that seemingly irreconcilable opposites may not be irreconcilable at all. Belief that fiery red and watery blue cannot be merged may be the only thing standing in the way of blending the two. Change the belief, measure out each with care, and you can create otherworldly violet." - aeclectic.net

Okay, this round includes my favorite fic of the entire fest ♥

( Fic Commentary )

[001] Okay, Stargate: Continuum - is it July yet? 'Cause the early review (non spoilery), cover art and promo photos leave me so extremely psyched *\o/*

[002] Someone needs to defeat Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series the way copperbadge defeated Star Gate Atlantis. I mean, while I love the Stargate shows, the things he pointed out were kinda true, lol. And if I can watch shows I like get torn to pieces, why not books that I can't stand? Especially to put some perspective on all the batshit insane hype...

[003] Oh and speaking of Twilight - I actually watched the trailer and I have to admit, I'm not seeing Edward and Bella - I'm seeing *CEDRIC* and Bella. And now the name "Bella" also makes me think of Supernatural. Just, WTF. Though for some reason watching the trailer made me want to watch the Roswell series, especially the pilot, when Max heals Liz. Uh and I just mentioned four fandoms in one paragraph *facepalm* The mind is a scary place.

[004] ICON MAKERS: The Leaky Cauldron is launching an Icontest on May 12th. We get to play with glockgal's art!

[005] While rewatching Supernatural season 3, I realised that Casey in "Sin City" is one awesome character - I mean, in one episode she managed to make me really warm up to her, something Bella hasn't managed through the whole series.

[006] My god, one liner plot summaries for the 52 fics of Blind Go - Round 5!

[007] Updated my recs masterslist for hd_worldcup

[008] Giant SGA Rec Festival - it's times like these that I don't know whether to be excited about a fandom or scared silly. SGA might just be the blackhole!fandom.

[009] I definitely agree with rewritten when it comes to Tsubasa Chronicles - ever so glad I dropped the series early on. The latest plot twist is just one giant WTFLOLBBQ.

[010] DeviantART + Zuko = WTF I really don't know if you should click the Play button or not >__>

[011] There is only one layout currently in the works now and it'll be out next month. It'll be on the s2 style Opal (alpha version @ dude_you_fugly). I'm collaborating with literati on it - not only will there be multiple color schemes (based on that recent mockup poll) but she's going to be doing the graphics for it ♥ After that I think I'm going to focus on Expressive (and maybe Bloggish) layouts with graphics and stuff that isn't customizable (since anyone who needs that flexibility can refer to my older layouts). Instead I'll be doing more graphic intensive stuff - less like minty_peach and more like cartonage/thefulcrum (but obviously nowhere as shiny) >_

"The Chariot represents struggle, but not one that the seeker will definitely lose. The Chariot suggests that the seeker actually has a good chance of prevailing if he or she does not give up. Accomplishment can be achieved with effort and resources mix with strong direction. It is symbolic the strength associated with battle (think any roman epic). It speaks of fortitude and perseverance. This card could also represent that control is necessary for the victory. It is a hero’s journey. Possessing strength of conviction.

It could also represent a possible voyage or journey. It can be a physical one or one of spiritual discovery. You create your own destiny.

Reversed - Incompletion, not finishing cycle. Unsuccessful. Defeat. Failure. To lose something in your grasp at the last moment. Sudden collapse of plans. Conquered. Overwhelmed. Failure to face reality. Captive of your own fears." - bewitchingways.com

WOOT! Two recs in this round and one of them happens to be a top favorite too!

( Fic Commentary )

I think I've come to understand why I've enjoyed the hd_worldcup so much overall. It's because the writing has been pretty comfortable to read (more or less) and whether or not the story connects with me, each author has managed to bring something different to the contest. It hasn't been just, "oh yay, H/D fic" but rather, the competition aspect made people and the teams try harder to get something that isn't the staple fare.

I've never had a fest where I've found over a dozen good reads. It's what I always hoped for after looking wistfully at past snarry_games and now that the fest is almost over, I've got to say it's been the highlight of the season. It feels like a celebration of the awesomeness that is the H/D ship and for that, I am thankful to everyone who has participated and stressed over deadlines and headdesked over stories which were killing them. Thank you ♥

"Upright: Caution. Discretion. Need for prudence. Counsel sought and taken. Inner calm. A need to reach into one's inner resources. Assimilation. Planning. A wise guide or spiritual mentor. A time to stand back and reflect upon circumstances

Reversed: Refusal of counsel or assistance. immaturity. Isolation from others. A negative resistance towards help. Groundless suspicions about the motives of others. Imprudent actions or decisions. The continuation of bad habits or unproductive lifestyles. Foolish obstinacy. The reliance on one's own resources that are inadequate." - paranormality.com

I actually read the next round's fics already and should have the commentary up in an hour - the upcoming post also includes two recs!

( Fic Commentary )

Style: S2 Bloggish (works on Insane Journal, JournalFen and Livejournal!)
Best view: 800x600 and up
Browsers Tested On: Latest versions of IE, Opera and Firefox only
Custom Comment Pages: Yes
Navbar: No

Layout : Light FX


Live Preview @ gingerwine or InsaneJournal!

Since IJ doesn't have Expressive, the next best option is Bloggish :)

Features

• Insane Journal, JournalFen and Live Journal compatible
• Perfectly centralized entries
• Horizontal Menu
• Usernames above entry titles for easy reading
• Will work on free layouts
• Custom comment pages included (How comments look!)
• Images for the Linkbar included! (Reply/Edit/Track etc.)
• You can also change the header, link colors and entry title colors :)

( Instructions for Insane Journal )

( Instructions for Live Journal )

( Credits )

( Customization Instructions )

Premiering on Nickelodeon in Spring 2009, we have Wolverine & the X-Men (wiki)



( Thoughts... )

Live preview: gingerwine + Insanejournal!

This was the Bloggish layout I had in the works for the past few months. It will work on both Insane Journal and free layouts and have custom comment pages too :) Not sure if I want to bother about LJ's navbar or plus accounts though...The main idea is to have it work on both IJ and LJ.

It'll be possible to add your own header image and change link/text colors but I don't plan to make a guide for other changes.

But like the worldcup layout, instead of "reply/edit/delete" it has images - without needing a paid account :) Just need to fix bugs and the colorscheme for now. And notice the username are above the titles!

Oh and I'm using the recent banner I did for that header contest XD

Currently entry titles are orange, links are green and lj user links in entries are blue. Not sure it works though - will experiment with colors. Also might need to make dividing lines darker...

I may seem like a giant flake, but I don't do friendbacks unless I feel like I'm connecting like hell with a person and my mind kinda spazzes and goes "where have you been all my life?"

It's partly because I have been burned in the past wherein I'd friend people back and then since we never really talked in the first place, while I got into reading them, they disappeared, stopped commenting and it felt like an unrequited relationship. My f-list is actually pretty private now as a result. People are free to lurk, but friending me doesn't mean that I'll get around to friending back any time soon.

And you don't have to friend me - you can track posts, or do RSS feeds. If you feel hurt by my stance, you do have alternative options to friending.

I also think friending everyone whose been on the flist a while and filtering them out when I read the flist is a bigger insult than not friending them back. I want to be able to say that I read my flist and try to connect with the people. I connect mainly through fandom posts. I'm not going to friend/keep someone on if I'm not willing to give them at least that much attention.

I'm also someone who is normally a GIANT lurker. Participation in fandom things doesn't actually come normally. Three times in the past, I've tried to do a couple of big, awesome things - but in the end I flaked out, avoided commitments and then discovered it was too late. And yeah, I think of those things and I feel like the biggest asshat ever.

LJ is all about fandom for me - its something that I've needed but never had - ever since I was in middle school really. It's an outlet and even a bit of escapism from RL to just enjoy and share the love. I try to ignore wank apart from watching it while eating popcorn, 'cause that's not why I'm here. Truthfully, if LJ does become more drama than its worth, I know I'll probably log off one day and never come back. That's just me.

For now though, LJ is still a pretty awesome place :)