LJ Idol Presents:

It's that time.

For those who have never come down this path before - a long time ago (back in Season 2) I came up with a rather simple idea - I wanted to reward someone for "embodying the spirit of LJ Idol" in abstract and specifically the season itself.

One of my earliest descriptions was "They may not win - but darn it, wouldn't it be nice if they did". :)

You can use whatever description, or criteria you like though.

Voting is open to the 11 current contestants only (they are the only ones who are eligible to be selected, and they are the only ones who are casting votes. Think of it as a "Contestant Only" vote).

Rank each other - from 1-11 (1 being "I really think they would be the best Spirit of Idol" and 11 being "Not the best fit IMO") and send that list to me at clauderainsrm@gmail.com by Thursday Feb 5th at 9pm EST

What do tru2myart, spydielives, tulip_in_yellow, boxsofrain, beautyofgrey and joeymichaels have in common?

Three have won the game. Three have not.
Five women. One man.

So, those aren’t it.

The answer is, of course, that each of these fine people have been selected as the representative of their respective Seasons – they are the Spirit of LJ IDOL!

Every year, since Season 2, we have gotten together and honored one of our own.

This person has been selected, by their peers, as the one who embodies “what the season has been about” for them!

It’s not a “they are going to win/they SHOULD win” but rather “this is the kind of person that I want people to think of when they think of this Season”/Who has stood out to you, and helped make your experience what it has been?

This is THE SPIRIT OF LJ IDOL award – and, other than winning, it’s about as good as you can get!

Now we come to the time of the season when YOU get to vote on it – to award it to one of your peers!

All current contestants AND members of the Jury, who wish to participate, need to email me their list of current contestants/folks still in the running, in preference for who they want to be selected as this Season’s Spirit (with 1 being the person you *most* want to see) to clauderainsrm@gmail.com by Wednesday, July 18th at 7pm EDT.

The person selected receives a Spirit icon, a selection of special powers to select from – and of course, the knowledge that they have been selected, by you!

Since Season 2, we have had a ritual here in LJ Idol.

It's a very special vote. Some people value it more than winning. Most of those actually won as well. ;)

As originally conceived, it was an award for the contestant that people thought "Man, if this was based on who has really uplifted me and helped make this a wonderful experience - they would win!"

As it turned out, there is a 3-2 advantage for the person winning this to actually turn around and win the whole thing as well. Which was surprising. But certainly not a guarantee. . . nor should it be.

HOWEVER it is someone that you, as a group, are saying that you trust enough to give them a title and special powers that could make a major impact on how this all ends. You could very well be putting your game in their hands. . .

Who are they?

They will become Season 7's Spirit of LJ Idol. Who has done the most. Who has meant the most to your experience here.

It's time to give them that little bit extra - because you think they are what this season is all about... or SHOULD BE.... who transformed your landscape and made a positive impact on the competition?

This season there is one special twist... a first time for us, hopefully it works... this season the Jury will also be able to vote!!!

In the past it's just been the people still in the competition, but the Jury are going to be able to have a say as well.

Who is eligible??? Well, that hasn't changed. It's the 11 current competitors. So make a list of 1-11, who you most want to have it to who you really wouldn't be putting on the top of your personal list... and send to clauderainsrm@gmail.com (DO NOT POST IT HERE) by Thursday June 16th at 7pm EDT.

Thank you - and thank you to everyone for making this season special.

What do tru2myart, spydielives, tulip_in_yellow and boxsofrain have in common?

They all ended up winning the Spirit of LJ Idol award for their season.

What IS the award?

When I introduced it back in Season 2, the premise was simple: It was the contestants taking a good hard look at themselves and each other and saying, "Well, I know they probably *won't* win - but wouldn't it be neat if. . ." and giving the award to the person that they best thought captured the essence of their season.

That premise is still the same - the award goes to the person that you, the current contestants, feel best represents you, collectively and "the Idol experience".

There IS a "special power" involved. Every season it's a little bit different, but one thing is always the same, this *will* give the individual who becomes the Spirit an edge. So hopefully the person you select will be someone that you feel will use it wisely (or at least in your best interest. :P)

Sometime between now and the topic deadline (Tuesday at 9pm EDT) the 19 current contestants need to send me an email at clauderainsrm@gmail.com with the names of the contestants *in order of preference*. 1 to 19. (including yourself. 1 being the person you believe represents this season as a true Spirit of the Game.)

Obviously the sooner everyone sends them in, the sooner I will announce. :D

Congratulations to all of you for getting this far - and I hope you take this opportunity to give this special honor to one of your own as a chance to reflect on everything that has happened up until this point - and you want to see this play out.

BTW - While you are emailing me - send me TWO TOPICS you would like to see used. They may just appear between now and the end. :p

abbismom
agirlnamedluna
alexpgp
alycewilson
boxsofrain
darkprism
kittenboo
monkeysugarmama
rm
scienter
superhappytime

Our Top 11.

Have we really come this far?

We started out with *195* contestants this season. (well 193 and two joined us along the way coming in from the Home Game)

Separated into tribes and broken up into "veterans" and "newbies" we bumped our way down the road that led us here: With 5 veterans and 6 newbies!

Congratulations to you all.

But now there is something you need to do. A part of the tradition and something that isn't to be taken lightly, because it *will* impact how the rest of this competition plays out. Not "may", this *will* impact it.

Which, given that we are talking about the biggest "special power" and award that Idol contestants can give to each other, is entirely appropriate.

The SPIRIT OF LJ IDOL award.

Just a little background on it before I get into the specifics.

Back in season two I was looking around and the dwindling ranks of the contestants wishing, like a lot of people do, that they "all could win". Obviously, that's not how these things work. People can (and often do) win in their own way, by meeting goals and having a positive experience. But I was thinking a little more specific than that.*g*

Which pretty much dovetailed into my "these contestants really do know each other better than anyone else knows them. They have been reading each other's work since Day 1 after all. They have totally different impressions on them than anyone else."

How I pitched the original award a couple seasons ago was "Man, I wish you could win. But I know you have no chance!"*G* Yeah, really nice huh?*G*

The person who won it also ended up winning the season. Shows what I know!!!

No one has done that since. But it has ended up being a lasting way for the contestants to pay tribute to one of their own, and to put a *huge* special power into the hands of one of their own to help determine how the rest of their own experience is going to go.

Not going to spell out the power until it's announced, but I will say every season it's a little different, and this one is the biggest yet.

I want the current contestants to think about your experience this season and send me a list of your *3 top choices* from your fellow remaining contestants to clauderainsrm@gmail.com. When you think "Season Five" who is it who stands out?

This is a big responsibility, in game terms, to put on someone's shoulders. Make sure to make the right one.

(and yes, every season I've had a pick of who I *thought for sure* was going to win the Spirit Award - and every season I've been wrong! It's going to be interesting to see how you prove me wrong this time around!*g*)

Yes. You read that correct.

It's that time.

"But Gary, don't we usually have that at 10?"

*smiles* You were expecting it at 10. No one was waiting for it to come at 14! But given the size of the field, I wanted to a chance for the contestants to select one of their own.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There are some people who don't know what the hell I'm talking about after all!

Every season there is an award given out, by the contestants left in the game, to one of their own. The only real criteria I set is that they be the person that they feel "made the season" for them. Someone who's presence helped define things - and who they want to be able to have a big influence over how things ARE GOING TO play out.

Why? Because the Spirit Winner not only gets a shiny new icon, they also get the *biggest power options* in the game. So you have to give it to someone that you know will use it in a way that will make you proud. That's a lot of trust, and for the past two seasons people have given this power, this honor out to one of their own.

Every season I've guessed at who it is going to be, who people are going to pick and EVERY SINGLE SEASON THUS FAR I've been wrong. Including this one.

This time I emailed them and asked for them to pick their top three, in order, that they wanted to honor with this award.

I probably shouldn't have been surprised that it was close. *Every single contestant* had someone (not themselves) cast a vote for them. Which I think says a lot for the quality of people involved.

Before I received the last couple of votes, I counted and there was a *6 way tie*!!!! The last couple of votes though tipped the scales and gave us our winner, who joins the ranks of previous season Spirit Award winners tru2myart and spydielives -

OUR SPIRIT OF LJ IDOL FOR SEASON FOUR - tulip_in_yellow!!!

Congratulations tulip_in_yellow!

She has a choice of which power(s) to select, each of them potentially having a huge impact on the game as it plays out:

- Votes. The last couple of vote totals have been taken, and averaged out the amount of votes separating the bottom vote getters from the top. This amount (in this season that number is 36) is the number of "free votes" available. The Spirit has the option of selecting to receive "free votes" to cast as she sees fit, to use for herself or to add to someone else's total. These votes are usable between now and the Final Four. Essentially it is a type of immunity, with a twist.

- Bringing Back Players. The Spirit has an option of bringing two previously eliminated players back into the game.

- Mix and Match. The Spirit has the option of taking half the "free votes" (18) and bringing one player back into the game.

What is she going to pick? I don't know. But it's going to be interesting to see what she decides and how this plays out!

riayn leaves us today, as the races get closer/harder and the competition continues toward the TOP FIVE.

I didn't know riayn at all before she signed up for LJ Idol, but I'm really glad that she did. Really great person to have around and I for one am going to miss her.

***

The Spirit of LJ IDOL AWARD

I'm giving you - the remaining contestants, a unique experience and challenge never before placed in front of you. Nominate one of your own for the SPIRIT OF LJ IDOL award.

What is the award? It's a nifty icon (created by Jonah) a title and one of the best prizes we've given out during this competition.

Who should you nominate? The person who is still in the contest who best represents what you think a LJ Idol should be. Not the person who you think SHOULD win, or WILL win, but the person who's been trying to hardest week after week overcoming personal obstacles in the process. Maybe it's someone who's gone out their way to make friends with you during the course of this - that's a big part too...

How do I nominate them? I considered a bunch of different methods, but I think in this case, one person, one vote. Any tie will be broken by myself and Jonah.*g* Send the name of the person you think is the best example of what this contest is all about to
clauderainsrm@gmail.com THURSDAY October 19th at noon EST.

DON'T POST IT HERE It's a secret ballot!*g*

***

What you DO post here is this week's topic!!!!

"Get Over It"

Maybe it's something you want people to get over... mayeb it's something you want to get over/have gotten over... maybe you just like the song...

you have until Friday October 20th at 1pm EST to post your *looks at a couple of you* public posted (so people can read them!) entries!


Good luck!