LJ Idol Presents:

clauderainsrm

Here we are, at the Finale. When we started this at the end of June I just needed to do *something* to get me out of the funk. In a lot of ways, that was a success, it was a success. Of course, starting the mini season meant that I would be getting a new job and starting just as we were getting our legs under us here! :) Because there is nothing that attracts big life changes more than already having taken on a new time commitment! I should have started Idol months before, then I could have had a new job sooner too!

It’s been 6 months, which honestly, yeah for Idol that’s still a mini season! Those of you who came in more recent years never had to survive ones that lasted over a year!

Anyway, we’ve been doing this for 6 months and we have our final three, making their cases for why they should win, and doing the same for their opponents. It’s the Idol standard, supporting each other to the very last vote!

It’s now out of their hands, and in YOURS. The voters are going to decide who gets to wear the metaphorical crown. 3 remarkable writers are asking for your support! So read, comment and vote for your favorites!

The poll closes in the new year - Wednesday Jan 1st at 8pm ET.

Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

The comments lately have been a ghost town, and I won’t lie, I get sad about that. But then I read the entries like these, and all of the other entries from the last few weeks and I have that moment where I’m still feeling good about what is happening here - there is still a vast amount of talent on display, people just aren’t commenting on the community itself. Which, that happens. Would I even mention this if I wasn’t on cold medicine? Probably not. :D But whooo hooo that I am… and “not whoo hoo” that I am…

These entries though, I can’t say enough good things about them, so I’m going to leave that to YOU, the voters. Read the entries. Comment on them. Vote for your favorite(s) - then tell people about it! Let them know what you have read, and what you love about it!!

One of these two is coming to the end of their road, just a couple steps from the finish line. Which is tragic that one of them won’t get into the Final 4. But it would also be tragic if one of the others weren’t in it, so that’s just the nature of numbers I guess! You can’t have 5 people in 4 spots!

Blame numbers.

This poll will be closing Saturday, December 14th at 8pm ET. The writer with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

Good luck to both of you!

clauderainsrm

The “UFO Battle in the Skies” you’ve been waiting for is happening RIGHT HERE!!!


Sure, the prediction got the “skies” part wrong - and both of these writers are very much identified objects. But it’s still a battle!!!

https://www.newsweek.com/futurist-aliens-prediction-december-3-war-1994853

Two very different writers, who have taken very different approaches to this Open Topic prompt. It will be interesting to see who people decide to send forward into the Top 5.

So read, comment and vote for your favorite(s) to advance! The one with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

The poll will close Thursday, December 5th at 9pm ET.

Good luck to you both!

clauderainsrm

It’s been a rough few days, but you know what makes it better? Being able to read these entries!!! 🙂

Well, all but one of them. One of them is a sacrifice. Not only that, it was the writer who would have been the heavy favorite to win, given her previous performances, in any Vegas betting pools. Not that Vegas has been placing bets on Idol results… with millions of dollars on the line. Of course not. *looks around* I mean, maybe if you know who to talk to you might find a little bit of interest in the subject if you go to the right places. But certainly nothing official. Not in the places you’d find people betting on the Tyson-Paul fight. More like the places you’d find people betting on roosters. ;)

Since there is a sacrifice, that means that there is only 1 more spot for elimination this time. Which will take us down to the Top 6, a mere breath away from the Top 5 and a whisper from the finale. Who is going to make it there?

That’s entirely up to the people who show up to vote.

It’s true in political elections and it’s true in Idol. Results are determined by the people who care enough to get out to vote!!

So read, comment and vote for your favorites! Then spread the word about what you’ve been reading!!! That is literally the only way this thing survives.

The poll closes Thursday, November 21st at 9pm ET.

Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

Two legendary figures are facing off to determine who is going to make the Top 12. Regardless of the outcome, we are going to lose because one of these writers isn’t going to be in the competition any more!

But that’s how things shake out, and you, the voter, have the task of deciding between these very different entries.

Who do you want to see move forward to compete to make it into the Top 10 and beyond?

The poll will be open until Monday, November 4th at 8pm ET.

Good luck to both of you!

clauderainsrm

It was going to be one thing, but ended up being another. That’s how life works sometimes.

In this case, when I posted that I wouldn’t be home to post the poll last night it was because my Mom needed help. The roof turbine had come off her house, and was damaged during Milton and she was afraid the next time it stormed that it was an open path for the rain to get into her attic. So she needed it to be put back up.

I had no idea how I was going to do it, but I agreed to come over and get on the roof. If you know me, you know what a horrible idea that was! I should never be on a roof, ever. That’s an invite for a trip to the hospital. But that’s not what happened… what happened was that I called an old friend of mine who *does* have experience in such things, and asked him for some tips on what I might need to do… and he volunteered to go over and do it after work instead! (they live in the same city, unlike me who would have had to get over and back on the bus)

He ended up doing it fairly easily. Note: they didn’t have the tools he needed, so he brought them himself. Which means I wouldn’t have had the tools that were needed either! So I’m really glad I made that call.

So I had already postponed the poll and was planning on going home instead. Which is when I got the text message from Celena (my step daughter for those playing the Home Game of my life) saying that her Dad had to work and couldn’t go to the hockey game. So he gave her his tickets, and she wanted to know if I wanted to go with her. The answer to “Do I want to spend time with Celena” is ALWAYS yes, regardless of what it is. So since I was unexpectedly free for the evening, that’s what I said!! (Honestly, I probably would have been tempted to postpone the poll for that on its own. :D)

It was a great game and a win for everyone involved. But especially me. Oh, and the Lightning as well. But mostly me.

So I set out to do one thing, and ended up doing something very different.

Which is, I’m sure, what happened when the contestants wrote their entries this week. Hey, look! A transition!! See how subtle it is!!!

They were headed in one direction and the work grabbed them and they ended up somewhere new and unexpected… and once again it worked out for everyone. But mostly me. And you, the people who are lucky enough to read their work!!

So click the links. Read the work. Comment on it. Then come back and vote for your favorites!! Just as important though - spread the word! We only have 14 contestants left right now, and by the time we close, we will have 12. Things are getting tighter and tighter, and if you want to see your favorites advance, your word of mouth is the only way that is going to happen.

Like I said, we are losing 2 contestants again this week. The poll closes Tuesday, October 22nd at 8pm ET. Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

Since 2014, there is an annual event called the “Pelikan Pen Hub”, which is a worldwide one-day celebration of fountain pens. Each area (that met the qualifications) has a “hub” where people gather to use their pens and hang out. It is sponsored by Pelikan pens, which is a German company that has been in the business since 1838, making pens and ink!

The annual hub took place last Friday, which for Florida (and much of the southeast coast of the United States) was when Hurricane Helene showed up with its path of destruction. Most of the area where the Hub was to take place had streets completely underwater. Pelikan had sent out an email to all of the Hub Masters in the Southeast US letting them know they were free to reschedule the event (the first time it’s happened, so it’s unprecedented).

That reschedule date - for my area - was last night. Which is why everyone ended up having an extra day to write and edit their entries. So you can thank my wife’s love of analog writing for your extra time!

From what I’ve seen as I was linking the entries (a brief scan, my full read will come this weekend), it seems like you used that time well!

How well though is going to be determined by the voters. So make sure you read, comment and vote for your favorites!

We will be losing TWO contestants again.

The poll will be closing Tuesday, October 8th at 8pm ET. Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

It’s the first week of Idol without the safety net, and we are starting it out losing two incredible contestants who left a pretty deep mark on this mini season, and the competition itself.

Goodbye to fausts_dream and tigrkittn - thank you to both of you for coming out and sharing with all of us. I hope that we will continue to see you in the Home Game and in Green Rooms!

As for the rest of you, there are still two more contestants who will be leaving us. So it’s up to you, the voters, to decide what is going to happen next! Who will make it to the Sweet 16?
Read. Comment. Vote for your favorites! Tell the world to do the same!

The poll closes Thursday, September 26th at 8pm ET.
Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

Over the years, Lj Idol has attracted an amazing pool of talent, and this mini season is clearly following in the proud tradition! In this case, it's bragging *and* it is also true! ;)

Unfortunately though, we are about to say goodbye to 2 of them. Which yes, for those of who would can do math in your head, or can at least count on your fingers, that DOES mean that we will be down to the TOP 20. Which is notable for 2 reasons. (1) It's the Top 20 and (2) This was the last week to use your bye. From here on out, you are playing without a safety net!

So if you want to make sure the writers of your favorite entries this week are part of that Top 20, and have the chance to tell more of their tales in this competition, it is time to read, comment and vote for your favorites! Then tell your friends to do the same!!!

The poll will close Monday, September 16th at 8pm ET.
Good luck to everyone!

clauderainsrm

Another week and another Write Off to determine who will be eliminated!


One person used his bye, which means that he moves on to Week 8. That means of the 4 contestants remaining under consideration, HALF of them will be eliminated.  (The 2 with the fewest votes) So make sure to read, comment and vote for your favorites to advance!


The poll closes Tuesday, September 3rd at 8pm ET.


Good luck to everyone!