LJ Idol Presents:

I said from the start of the season that there would be a point in mid-to-late July that we would pause for a commercial break.

So here it is: LJ IDOL!

or, if you want to give on a monthly basis: http://www.patreon.com/user?u=70027


Obviously, you don't have to give at all. Not going to impact anyone either positively or negatively within the game itself. But this is a commercial break, so there goes that hat! All proceeds go toward my wedding fund! :) (some people have a second job, I'm already working one!)

Another good way to give back, in a non-financial way, is to spread the word about Idol to the masses, and continue to create a supportive environment around here. (Until of course I hunt you down and eliminate all of you, except one!)

As for "What is going to be happening?" I had a lot of options.

The one that I am going with though is to proceed to Week 15, but give you an extended deadline.

The new topic will be posted tomorrow.

I may have limited access over the next week. I'll still be popping in - but my assistant is coming out of the shadows and will be posting Green Rooms/keeping this madhouse in line/banning people left and right. (for those who don't remember kithan or never met her, her wanting to ban everyone to end the season earlier is a running joke. Or rather "joke". :D)

So be nice to her!

I had some "New Year" themed topics lined up for the next round of Free Topics (The last round is here: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/511799.html )

I was going to run with that, and then I watched last week's Top Chef. (Which seems to be the theme of the season) and their challenge just really hit me. I didn't want to interrupt the flow of our season when we got back by throwing in something new. (and I don't do that anyway) So I thought that the best bet was to make it a free topic. That way that other people, and not just current competitors could get into the mix.

There's only one of them, but it's a good one:

Their challenge was to cook something inspired by/as a tribute to the person who inspired them to start cooking.

It's not much of a jump to translate that into our terms, and very fitting for this to be the last topic of any kind going up in 2011...

Write an entry inspired by/as a tribute to the person or people who taught you the love of reading, and writing.

I could just say "Tribute", but I think that making this one clear is the way to go. ;)

Link your entry back here by Tuesday, Jan 3rd at 7pm EST.

Have fun!

In the lead up to the New Year, everyone is doing "Best and Worst of 2011" lists. I'm sure many people within the sound of my typing this have done it. Maybe even the people reading it.

So, what were the highlights and lowlights of your personal 2011? The biggest highlight is pretty obvious - participating in Idol. But I'm sure there were some lesser things that happened as well.

Maybe one of them could be your Free Topic entry!
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/511799.html

I just posted a few Free Topics http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/511799.html - hopefully, that will give you something to do. Because I'm sure that you are sitting around in front of your computer, without anything else to do, waiting for them to show up!

The thing is, in previous years, I was doing exactly that for most of our breaks. I knew that I had to give people the time off, due to their schedules, but knowing that I wouldn't be doing much of anything. I did get quite a bit of catching up on television in though. Which wasn't the worst possible thing.

This year is different. I have one of those "lives" people have been talking about! It's weird! :)

So, I know from experience, that this isn't the easiest time of year for everyone. Especially when there so many people in a much better place. Who don't always seem to grasp that not everyone doesn't have the tough choices of where to go and which expensive gift to get their SO! But you know what - it's good that they don't understand that. I'm sure the people who do, would trade that understanding in a heart beat. Because there is always something out there, someone out there, that is in such a worse situation. Regardless of how bad it seems at the time.

That's not always easy to remember. Because all we have is the sum of our own experiences. Experiences that can make "what would have happened if" and "where I should be in life" into things that crush you underneath their weight.

Finding that one good thing, that spark of something that makes you happy - something that makes "Christmas" or any other day, special. That's the trick. Can you do it? I know there were certainly days when I couldn't.

There are still days when I find it extremely difficult, and certainly times when I fall short of that goal. But try. There's something good going on in your life. Right now. Regardless of how it may seem.

Remember that.

Or I'll kick you like the emo damn foreigner hippy that you are! :)

Apparently, I need to come up with another way to rile people up! Hmmm. . . maybe tomorrow. I'm on a time crunch at the moment. I'll leave you to it. I'm sure that, without trying, that someone will manage to say something that gets under someone else's skin! And isn't that what the Holiday Season is all about?

***

That Love Fest thing is still going on. I mean, when is it not going on? Seems like every time you turn around people are saying nice things about each other/giving cyber hugs. Which is why it's even more important for me to be kicking people back into their rightful place! :D
But if it's your thing - http://shadowwolf13.livejournal.com/966783.html?thread=5972607#t5972607

Sure, there are probably "other threads", about "other people". But do they really matter? Of course not!

***

Happy Birthday to our own roina_arwen and lordrexfear! Probably to some other people as well. But I don't know who they are.

On the last day of Break, the evil one gave to us. . .

a link to the powers that have been selected so far, and who has them http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/407352.html

Tomorrow we get back into the swing of things.

How was your break? Are you ready to jump back into things?

Are you sure? *cue ominous music*

Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry this week and to the people who came out to vote.

I know that this is a rough time for everyone to actually *do* something, but I'm glad that you did!

I probably shouldn't have told people it *wasn't* an elimination, until after the fact. But that's just part of luring folks further into the trap! Bwahahahahaha. . . oh wait, I just totally told you my secret plans.

Um. . . . oh, here it is. . .

MIND WIPE!!!

Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry this week and to the people who came out to vote.

I know this is a rough time for everyone to actually *do* something, but I'm glad that you did.

This wasn't an elimination, but it was for some items out of my super sekrit left-over from Santa bag. (partially used)

The contestants who submitted this week need to email me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com and their highest choice will be filled, according to how they finished this week (in the case of ties, it's first come first served): http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/406872.html

What is IN the bag? There were 18 people in the poll. So there are 19 presents. Just to make it interesting!

5 Immunities - you have to use it for yourself, before the Top 75 - selected by pixie117, tigrkittn, roina_arwen, m_malcontent and ckocher

5 Immunities - you can only give it away to someone else, before the Top 75 - selected by maizing_grace, mirrorfortress, scriblesnbraile, tijuanagringo and myrna_bird

3 "Change Tribes" tokens. You can use them, before the deadline, to change to your tribe - selected by puppetmaker40, stormkitty, and joyfulfeather

3 "Extra Bye" - you can only give them to someone else, but it has to be declared before the deadline. Only good until the Top 75. selected by angelic_mystic and skylanth

2 "Back into the Game" tokens. Like it says. You can use them any time between now and the Top 75 to bring someone eliminated back into the game. selected by the_vernacular and cheshire23

and ONE Topsy Turvy. Good until the Top 50. - selected by java_fiend

Yeah, I just said that. Happy New Year. Game On.

A few words from clauderainsrm:

This week we had an "optional topic", where contestants were given the choice if they wanted to participate.

The majority of them, of course, stayed in their comfy beds beneath their warm and cozy blankets, laughing at the idiots foolhardy brave souls who decided to submit something. Many of them asked for their Mother.

But a few struck out and decided to write about New Year. Why? I don't know. I suspect childhood trauma of some kind. Or perhaps a blow to the head.

After all - they were told that there would be "the usual risks involved" if they decided to take this path.

Which is why I'm sorry to tell everyone that anyone submitting an entry this week has been automatically eliminated. . .

Gotcha.

Seriously though, I mean someone has come to their homes and taken them to a "special place" for an extended stay. . .

Wait, that's not right either.

*checks notes* Ah, wait, here's what ACTUALLY is happening!!

*mutters to the voices in my head* Really??? You're going to do that? *shrug* OOOOkkkkk. . . .

These contestants TOOK A CHANCE. Fortunate, they say, favors the bold. They also say that the universe looks after children and fools!

Apparently "they" are correct.

I promised "the usual risks" would be involved, and I meant it. The "usual risk" of submitting each week in Idol is that you have NO IDEA what is coming next! :)

No one will be eliminated this week. However, I have a goody bag left over from Christmas, full of a limited amount of presents. There are a limited amount of each. They will get to pick which present they want based on (from top vote getter to the bottom) their standing.

The poll will close Friday Dec 31st at 5pm EST. So there's not much time for reading. But fortunately, there's not too many entries to read either! Read them all! Vote for your favorites! It's also the chance to read people you might have missed before in the jumble of all those entries. They took a chance on writing an entry - this is an appropriate time for you to take a chance on checking them out!!

( Click here to Vote! )

Will you step up to the challenge of the optional topic or take a pass? http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/406108.html

That seems to be what all the kids are talking about these days!

You know how they are, jabbering away with their beatnik lingo.

Next thing you know they are throwing on black turtlenecks and snapping their fingers. You just can't stop them once they get rolling.

***

But enough about them, what about you?

What are you doing?
What are you NOT doing?
What is the person over there doing, and shouldn't they be wearing a safety harness?

As people slowly realize "Christmas is over, Santa has already brought me everything" and return to their daily routines - they stop being nice, and start getting real. The Real World - Live Journal!!

***

How was your holiday? Are you still on it until the New Year?
Are you still on it until Chinese New Year?
Are you ever planning on coming off holiday, you lazy bum?

Fortunately for people who don't want to take a writing holiday, the Free Topics are still up until tonight. http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/404754.html
What happens then??? Oh, you don't want to know. . . *cue dramatic music*. Well, OK, you probably do. But am I really going to tell you? Yeah, I didn't think so either!!