Green Room - Week 27 - Day 5

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

There is a poll going on - http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/568274.html with a shortened deadline. So anyone waiting around until Thursday to vote – you may have to settle for making your preferences known on what kind of cookie is the best. (Hint – it’s either peanut butter or cardamom)

I’ll admit, this morning has been a little weird and I wasn’t sure what to say (not that it ever stops me!) so instead of the usual banter, I’ll answer two of the common questions that I’ve been seeing in previous Green Rooms:

(1) How much longer is the season going to last?/ there must be something evil coming up?
(2) Where is the Home Game thread?

The second answer first – because that is how I roll: The last two times it’s appeared, I’ve made a comment that if people wanted to see it, they had better use it. There ended up being 5 entries in each of them. Tracing that stat back – there hasn’t been an “over 10 person” Home Game thread so far this season.
As much as I love people playing the Home Game, and I truly do – that’s not even for warrant its own thread.
If you want to show that it does in fact deserve a thread, people need to show me that the interest is there from at least 10 people, hopefully more.
Even when it was showing up every week, there still wasn’t much interest. Has the time for a Home Game to have a thread passed? Is it a season anomaly? I don’t know. I may try it again at some point this season, but not right now – unless there is a favorable response.

The answer to the first question is a little more complicated, because it’s really two questions in one! ;) You sneaky bastards!!

When I announced that next season would be the last, I said that it meant that I could no longer promise that Season 6 would be the longest – because there were now other factors in play. That’s the problem with the “hurry up” crowd, unless they really want Idol to be over forever (and I’m sure there are some who do) when you want mass eliminations – that’s what you are rooting for… I know that’s not what people MEAN when they make comments, but it’s definitely a factor I to be considered. That said, yes, there is evil between now and then. Lots and lots of evil. : )

Evil that is coming for you specifically. Hope you can sleep with your eyes open, because you are going to need to do it if you hope to get out in one piece! *cue sinister music*

Comments

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

I'm having too many thinky thoughts this morning. I think I'm starting to let the game get to me for the first time (well, the first time except for the Gatekeeper week).

For one, I feel like I haven't been doing as well in the polls the past couple weeks. I like the stuff I've been putting out for the most part, but obviously I am not just writing for myself here. So I have a couple of questions for anyone who's willing to answer:

- If you didn't love my posts the past couple of weeks and have liked them in the past, what's changed for you? Is it the subject matter or the style or do you feel I'm not writing on-topic? Is my writing not evolving as much as you'd like to see, and if so, what are some things I could work on to do better?

- Whether or not you like my posts (this week or ever), is there something specific you'd like to see in my writing going forward (if I'm not eliminated this week)?

The second thing that's been eating at me a little is something that came up elsejournal. A few people mentioned that there were people who they felt shouldn't still be in the competition. They didn't know why they weren't getting eliminated and they felt it had to do with popularity or big Friends Lists.

This shook me up a little, because (a) I guess I'm a little more insecure than I'd like to admit and immediately thought (zOMG, what if they mean ME?!!) and (b) I've honestly felt since Gatekeepers that everyone still here is pretty good. Sure, there are some people whose writing I don't personally connect with as much but there is no one that I look at and say, "Well, how the heck is THAT person still here?" Obviously, we are not going to sit here and name names, but how do the rest of you all feel on this subject?

Also, I just want to say that if anyone was put off by the formatting on my post for this week, I apologize. I made a last-minute edit to it on my phone yesterday evening and it apparently totally hosed the html (which I didn't notice until this morning). It's fixed now. Ugh.

/freaking term paper


In "real life" news, someone T-boned my husband's car last night while he was on the way home from work. He's fine, but now he has to climb in through the passenger side to get in his car. The good news is that no one was hurt, it wasn't his fault, and the other driver appears to have insurance. His car is old and kind of ugly on the outside but runs great so I really hope it's not totaled because what we would get for "replacing" it probably will not be enough to buy anything comparable in reliability. But we'll see. I work from home, so we really only need one and a half cars. The car that was originally mine is now the family car, but my husband needs a separate car to take to work so we don't have to buy two car seats. All his car has to do is not break down a lot and not guzzle gas. Bleh.

On a happier note, I am trying a new crock pot recipe for barbecue chicken breasts today! I used pre-made barbecue sauce, but if it turns out good I will definitely make my own ahead of time in the future to try with this. :D


Oh, and FRIST!

[sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com]

Yay, first!!

As you know, I do agree at least somewhat with the popularity thing, but unfortunately there is no way around that, I don't think. This is not to say that people who are popular are not also great writers - in fact I think that most of them ARE - but by the same token there are certainly times when people scratch their heads wondering why person X is still there when person Y was eliminated with a much stronger entry. I think as the size of the group gets smaller, that has an affect on the voting as well - after all, votes for writers you've always loved could result in your elimination, so everyone is probably being a lot stingier.
And WHEW! Glad to hear your husband was not hurt in the accident! And in an unrelated yet related incident, I had t-bone steak for supper last night! It was delish!! ;-)

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

*crickets*

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

The crickets may be partly because LJ is buggy right now; at least it is for me. That makes it harder to post stuff, alas.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Hello! I think I got fifth, seeing as there are many comments-to-a-comment?

I'm not eager for this particular season to be over, even though I'm a little removed from it right now, having been out of the game for so long, dagnabbit. I will likely sign up for Season 9, just because it will be the last, and also to get to the 100 Week mark. We'll see how it goes between now and then.

One of our community partners brought in some Panera bagels this morning as a thank-you gift, which was nice, since until they'd got here "breakfast" had consisted of some hot tea and a snack-sized box of Apple Jacks, LOL.

Re: Poked with the Dirty Hippie Stick!

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

I finnished reading and voting And BAWLING! How did once apon a time turn peoples thoughts to dog death? Heck I hide out all day because my mother has been watching animal prececnt all day long lately. That show makes me very depressed and gives me this strange urge to find a nice hard bat and hunt down some of the people confronted on those shows.
What do you mean you did not think that seeing rib bones was a problem,? Blame! You dont get why dog /cock fights are illegal? BLAM!.
Okay, this has been a test of the psychotic reaction system we will now return you to our normally scedualed insanity.

[sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com]

Anyone else having issues with LJ in general and the poll in particular? I keep getting an error message and I don't think my votes have been received. I'm not done reading yet, but it's become an arduous process. In the event this hasn't been rectified before the polls close, can we email our votes to you, Gary?

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

Me! I have been having issues with LJ. The poll seems to have worked fine for me, but LJ itself was being wonky with plenty of "Internal Server Errror" messages. :/

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm cardamom. And peanut butter. Two of my favorite things. Now I'm craving my friend's cardamom shortbread cookies. I need to order some from her shop again soon I suppose....

As far as evil goes, I know it's coming at some point. I like the twists and turns of the game... If I survive then that is. I don't want the season to ever be over, but I know that defeats the purpose of having a winner and such.

I'm doing good IRL. Work stuff hasn't changed but I'm having a "screw it" mentality lately. I still work my butt off, but I'm just less likely to care that they all think I'm an idiot.

I'm really hoping this other job comes through. I'm supposed to hear back this week *fingers crossed*

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

*crosses fingers for you*

I don't want the season to ever be over, but I know that defeats the purpose of having a winner and such.

I feel the same way. I will be super-sad when the season's over (and also super-sad when I'm eliminated, of course).

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

It's been kind of mopey over here at Chez Kiz lately for good reason. This morning I absently held out my last piece of bagel, knowing full and well it wasn't going to be taken :(

On the upside I just found out I have yet another week of vacation this year! I've already picked out a couple of weeks, but now I'm being told to "hurry up and pick", and I'm like, huh?!? How do you make plans on such short notice?

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

Aw...::hugs:: on the bagel:(

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Not peanut butter -- I am allergic!

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

Everyone's all deep and insightful this EDT morning and I'm just like "blargh, need more coffee." I swear I have a brain. It even works! Sometimes. Right now, I think, is NOT one of those times, alas. :P

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. It's almost 11:30 here and I'm still in my PJs :p However, today's my day off and dang, I'm tired and deserve to be sluggy once in a while!

[m-malcontent.livejournal.com]

There were just so many more people voting at the beginning of the contest. Noodledays got 121 votes week 1. I got 40 votes less than that with my best received entry of the contest.

It's just natural I think, not too many people want to read even the much smaller number of entries when they aren't in the contest anymore.

So it's mostly the 40 something of us left voting and some really motivated folks who love the contest.

I am not saying that is a bad thing, who better to judge writing than good writers. But it does mean we are gonna get lots of these ridiculously close spreads from here on out. (I expect there to be a little more "distance" between the best entries and the simply good ones when Gary decides it is time that we can only vote for "X" amount of entries. At which time I expect to be voted off, if not before.)

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

I've stuck by and I actually have legitimate personal issues that could keep me gone.
But I have been playing around with my writing lately and the prompts are good exercise. I have also been writing some zombie stories and fan fiction including a tribute story to Anne McCaffree called Dragon Prime.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

Well, don't blame me for the lack of a home game thread. I have written something for every prompt so far. I even got something in when I went a full week with out the net.

Now, on to the important issues. The world greatest cookie (yep thats the name of it) is an amazing amalgamation of peanut butter and chocolate chip. It uses chunky peanut butter and I put in bits o brickal, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and a third type of chip that tends to very but is usually cherry. Need I say more?
Oh ya.
And I have a lasagna to make later. Unfortunately it will not be my best work as I'm going to have to use store bought sauce instead of making my own. The pathetically paultry condition of my parents spice rack or lack of one is to blame. They have lawerys, salt, pepper, papareca, some pie spices, celery and parsley

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

I wrote a Home Game entry for this week: http://nialyind.livejournal.com/339156.html

I want everyone who's left to have a great time with the remainder of the season. At the same time, I cannot help but look forward to Season 9.

[drjeff.livejournal.com]

So, let's talk about ME. haha

Had oral surgery yesterday, which is not nearly as sexy as it sounds. Had planned to work today, but woke up with a big painful lump on the side of my face (yes, I am setting you up for all kinds of punchlines, you're welcome). Today shall be spent in bed with an icepack and some meds. I'm secretly excited that the M's and BoSox are playing at 12:30. So, there's that.

This is my last week of full time work before summer schedule, and I'm effing it up by not actually working. LOL

LOVE to all. LOVE.

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Eeep... what oral surgery did you have? I have to get gum grafts in a couple weeks. :(

I hope you heal quickly!

[caile.livejournal.com]

I wish I could say those of us who've been eliminated from LJ Idol are being held in seclusion at a swanky resort on a tropical island... but no. Personally I've home gamed a few times, but not always linked to a home game post because I like friendslocking my posts.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

So, I thought I hit the GR pretty early, but there are over a hundred comments already and they're all full of words and stuff, and not just the "yay first"s that often flood the place.

And I just read all of them with no caffeine, so I can't vouch for the quality or content of this comment.

I have started writing home game entries for 4 prompts and not finished them, because, for good or bad, i'm the kind of person who needs the external motivation/deadline. If I'm honest, I doubt many people actually read the HG entries, and since I felt like no one was reading my competition entries, I just haven't put the umpf behind going to the place the topics were taking me.

I fall into the 'wondering how long this season will last' camp because it's just not as much fun on the sidelines. I get something out of it, or I wouldn't still be here, but if we had gotten pregnant when this thing started we'd be about to pop right now.

The popularity thing comes up every season, and it comes up because there is some truth in it. That said, the special weeks - gatekeeper, contestant only, etc. offset that, and honestly everyone still in can write, so if anyone is saying otherwise it's about them not the contestants.

I felt like I should have lasted longer than I did. I am still pretty upset that I was eliminated during contstant only voting, but I've been archiving my old journal entries lately, and I'm honestly not writing the way I used to. Some of my old posts have made me weep because I miss myself. I'm just darker and sadder and less alive than I once was. My writing reflects it, and it's no wonder people don't connect to it.

When I was singing, I used to be aware that my body was my instrument. i had to take care of my throat, avoid dairy before a performance, etc. As writers it's the same thing. We are our instrument, and we have to care for our minds and spirits the way a flutist cleans each spring and checks each joint of her flute.

A lot of us have the paranoid we're not good enough gene around here, and polls are the perfect stick to poke us with. There's only one person who won't be eliminated by the end of this, and we will not all agree about whether it's the right one. Just like every season. :)

/rambly comment-post

Watch LJ eat it.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

That said, the special weeks - gatekeeper, contestant only, etc. offset that, and honestly everyone still in can write, so if anyone is saying otherwise it's about them not the contestants.

This is so true and something so many people seem to forget about every season when this argument comes up. And feeling like we aren't good enough? Oh heck yeah. Especially when people make comments that sound like they are talking about us. It doesn't matter how well you do in the polls, the wrong comments can still make you feel like maybe you just don't deserve it. Idol is rough at times, but it's making me stronger every day because of it.

I hope you can pull yourself out of the darkness and start writing like you used to again.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

Yay! *was totally starting to worry about how close to June we're getting*

*tosses confetti* Evil is just a normal day in the Idolverse, Gary.

I could post a Home Game entry maybe...? Whipchick did one last week, so I assume current contestants are allowed to. I really like having them all in once place; as I told someone else, with neither a child nor a significant other, unless my offline life goes kablooey (like last week, the week of Cell Phone Doom and Cat Not Eating*), I usually finish reading before Thursday and can check the Home Game while I'm waiting for the new topic.

*She's fine, she was just mad at us -- my roommate went out of town and her feeding schedule got shifted to accommodate my work schedule. All has returned to normal now, so she is eating again.

[basric.livejournal.com]

Don't poke the tiger in this case Gary. Last season he put us writing together in threes LALALA great grouping with friends and neighbors all writing together then twisted and in the voting pitted the three against each other taking a third of the group out. Let sleeping tigers lie. Though not one to repeat himself often I am certain if being prodded the tiger is going to take a BIG bite out of contestants 'sating' himself and sitting back to rub his bloated belly full of lost contestants and grinning evilly, which he does best. so SHHHHHHH. Though its probably too late, Sounds like the tigers been prodded.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD THAT WAS EVIL.

[beldar.livejournal.com]

I'm not waiting -- PEANUT BUTTER!

nomnomnomnomnomnom

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Evil is coming? Oh come on, Gary, hit me with your best shot :P OH WAIT YOU ALREADY DID THAT IN WEEK ONE.

I like the sound of evil. *grins at Topsy Turvy in pocket* ;)

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

YES THE WEEK I DO TWO 10/12 REHEARSAL DAYS AND OPEN A SHOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS THE PERFECT WEEK TO SHORTEN THE DEADLINE.

You're trying to kill me, aren't you? This is a death match? And we're supposed to stab each other with pens?

For the record, my darling director gave me 45 minutes after lunch and an hour while everyone else re-rigged to write my entry, which thank God I outlined in the car on the way to Canada.

If anyone's around Stratford, Ontario, we open tomorrow night at 8 - holler for comps! www.springworksfestival.ca, and we are the show Fallen, about women in the Old Testament, minus religion, plus aerial dance, plus some funny.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

He did mention something about Evil.

Hugs to you. I love your description of the show, though I'm concerned about you guys being up in the air in a show called "Fallen."

[cheshire23.livejournal.com]

I had a Home Game entry posted in the work room, but here it is again (http://cheshire23.livejournal.com/592942.html) if anyone who is interested missed it.

I have to say, though, that I think the whole Home Game thing is a vicious circle. The less support that's shown from it from an admin perspective, the less people will want to do it, so the less support there will be and so forth.

I don't know. It almost feels like it isn't even a legit option. Except when it is. But you know, don't bother with this "stick around for the Home Game" if you don't mean it. I'm just sayin'.

I remember there was always a home game thread a couple seasons back and there weren't a lot of people using it but there was a small loyal handful. And I know this time around at the very least there are 3 or 4 of us who have been consistently using it. And we'd like it back. :P

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

The "Home Game" isn't a thread. It's people participating after they have been eliminated.

There's no "legit" or "non legit" about it. The focus is and always should be on the current contestants. Anything else is bonus.

I've said show me that there is a need for it, and I will gladly post it. The reaction to that over the past couple of weeks was a handful of people responding.

I liked those handful of people. Good people and I enjoyed their entries. I was certainly glad to see them, and I hope that they got more exposure as a result of it.

The thread, in theory, gets more exposure than posting it in a random spot. At the end of the day I need to balance my promise from Day 1 of Idol not to post more than absolutely needed. I don't think that's unreasonable in the slightest.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

Rec list! If the next GR goes up before work, I'll put it there too, but just in case it doesn't, I recommend: Alycewilson, Everywordiwrite, Karmasoup, Medleymisty, and N3m3sis42.

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Why are people crazy enough to ask for evil? That is insane.