therealljidol | Entries tagged with week 18

You're viewing

therealljidol
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: light

clauderainsrm

I can't say "This is a huge surprise" after last week's results, when a series of ties ended up with the two writers that the bottom with Black Marks. At this point that meant that the only way that we weren't going to say goodbye to both of them this week was if they managed to be one of the top two vote getters. Which, given this mini season, is entirely possible. Certainly not the craziest thing that ever happened.

What ended up happening instead was that both of them were again at the bottom. And by "at the bottom" I mean they finished in 4th and 5th place! Which is still pretty damn incredible.

In 5th place is the writer that I said I wasn't sure how they were floating under people's radar, and if they got to the finale, people were in for a LOT of trouble. (I don't have it in front of me, so that's extremely paraphrased.) People this season knew her as

littlebitofearth but I will forever know her as the LEGENDARY IDOL FIGURE monkeysugarmama!! (also known as messygorgeous later in her LJ days. All of this was mentioned in that introduction post. I can only assume that people somehow either tuned that out, or didn't know what it meant. Either way, absolute legend.

In 4th place is the always amazing

flipflop_diva who was the writer that I said something about how she had benefited from having a smaller group and spotlight in a previous season and finally got the attention, and respect, that her writing deserved.All it really takes is that one shot, and she continues to prove why she's so damn good at telling a story (real life and fictional)

Both of these are absolute huge losses, but we've been experiencing huge losses for quite some time now. It's pretty much what to expect the closer you get to the end of any Idol season, mini or not.

Thank you to both of you for coming out this mini season - and for some absolutely amazing entries over the last few months!

clauderainsrm

Good morning from the bus!

How is your week going so far? The Governor gave us off from Monday until Christmas next week. Which some people are seeing as generous and others are wondering just what anyone is going to get accomplished on Thursday and Friday. :D

***
To answer some questions/comments from the last Green Room:

- Yes. It’s true that there was a mini season where there were two winners. If you recall though the THEME of that mini season centered around “intersections” where people would partner up. So that result got the theme AND they went quite a few rounds of tie breakers that went nowhere. In other words, very specific situation that, to me, does not fit into this mini season theme or foreseen circumstances. I mean never say never. But it’s not something I’d count on either as we approach the finale.

- There’s a theme to this mini season? Yes. I never said it outloud but it’s “back to basics”/old school. The few twists there have been are all things that appeared in the first 3 seasons. (Or are slight variations on them )

- Woukd I move the competition to Facebook? I allowed writers to compete FROM their Facebook before. Back when “Notes” was a thing. LJ allowed people to vote FROM their Facebook and other social media which boosted our visibility and IMO was a very good thing to get that exposure. But as others have stated, FB doesn’t have the basic capacity to function the way Idol would need it to function. Groups have polls, but as someone who runs other groups on FB, they don’t allow for links in the poll which is very important. So - would I consider FB as an alternative’s answer is “Yes” IF it was something completely different than it actually is. 😝. (In other words, no. It’s not viable even before you get to the privacy issues.)

***
Here’s a poll. Make with the clicks! https://www.dreamwidth.org/poll/?id=32372

clauderainsrm

A few words from

clauderainsrm:

We still have 5 writers left in the competition, due to another tie in the Sudden Death Write Off this week. But if either of those two is in the bottom 3, then they will join the writer with the fewest votes in being eliminated.

Which means - who knows!! Maybe this week will leave us with 4 contestants, but maybe it will leave us with 3!!! That seems fitting for this mini season, where people talk about needing a coin toss to decide on who they will be voting for to advance, because it’s too difficult to pick!

The poll closes Thursday, December 19th at 8pm ET.

Good luck to everyone!

Poll #32372 ’LJIdolMini-Week18’

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 67

Vote For Your Favorites!

chasing_silver's entry
25 (37.3%)

flipflop_diva's entry
15 (22.4%)

inkstainedfingertips's entry
19 (28.4%)

littlebitofearth's entry
11 (16.4%)

xeena's entry
28 (41.8%)

clauderainsrm

The deadline for this week is today at 7pm. So please make sure you are paying attention to that day and time! therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1177901.html

***

I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for asking!

I also finally received my unemployment money. So for those keeping track of such things, I was fired in April and just got my money in December! One more advantage to the privatization of government functions in Florida. They keep making it better and better!!! :)

In case you missed it, the results from the Write Off were posted: therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1179053.html

***

Right now I have no idea what the future holds for Idol. I have the two ideas, one mini season and one big anniversary celebration. Hopefully people will be interested in at least one of those things. I just wish that we *could* go back to Live journal. Because DW is quite dead. But from what I've heard not only is LJ dead, that if you don't have a paid account it's just one big Russian pop up. And if you DO have a paid account, you're just funneling money to the Kremlin. So - not very good choices there...

clauderainsrm

I keep forgetting to post this - just wanted to give a special shout out to my friend Luigi who has been working hard filling in for me over the past several weeks. He’s been working nonstop from my home office and hasn’t really had time to leave the house.

I really appreciate you Luigi!

clauderainsrm

The results are in from last week, and shocker, it's another Write Off!! therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1177850.html

The new topic is also up therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1177901.html

***

My Aunt died on Saturday. I found out this morning. We WERE NOT close. There is no "loss" here, except the potential for what could have been.
She was a spiteful person who alienated her entire extended family (all but her son and one of the granddaughters, and even she didn't like her very much most of the time)

My Mom is her youngest sister (the baby of the family) and didn't find out until last night when she was reading Facebook. (the granddaughter posted about it)

But it got me thinking - at one point she and my Mom WERE close. Which is the true tragedy. Because that was the sister that my Mom traveled with on her first Florida trip. That was the trip they first went to Disney, which would lead ME to go to Disney a few years later, and fall in love with it.
It would eventually lead my Mom to move to Florida. Without my Aunt, who no one particularly liked for the second half of her life, I wouldn't be where I am. I probably would not be WHO I am. (so if you want to blame someone for it, blame her! :D) It's interesting how those forces work behind the scenes, those little moments that lead up to creating a whole new person...

clauderainsrm

I'm not sure where this one came from. I just googled it, and it came up as a "French proverb", but only when I put the quotes around it.

It's a cliche, but aren't most things? ;)

It's definitely true for this competition though. There is only one path forward - and this is it:

Only those who do nothing never fail

The deadline to link your entries back to this thread is Sunday, December 15th at 7pm ET.

Have fun!

clauderainsrm

Given how wild the results have been throughout this mini season, and with the number of ties that have occurred - this week could have been a LOT more destructive than it ended up being.

Granted, that doesn't help anyone who is receiving a strike. But it is important to note just how close the votes actually were to mass eliminations.

By a couple votes in each though, we avoided that.

The strikes in "Swim Until You Can't See Land" are going to

drippedonpaper
and

roina_arwen

For " Ikigai the strikes are going to
banana_galaxy
and
drippedonpaper

Unfortunately, that means we are losing

drippedonpaper .

Thank you so much for coming out for this mini season. I hope that you have had fun - and that you will continue to Home Game!

clauderainsrm

The new polls are up https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1128292.html in one of those weeks that could very well be a huge factor in how the rest of this mini season ends up playing out.

***

I met up with

banana_galaxy in San Francisco, adding to the list of Idolers who know that I am actually not a real person. And no

furzicle she did not continue to tradition of California Idolers bringing me cookies. On the other hand, she DID show me where to get a free fortune cookie. So I guess that DOES count! :D

We had an amazing time. I really want to go back!

Going back to work was bad enough, but the humidity of Florida was pretty overwhelming as well. We walked out of the airport at 1am and it just hit us like a wet blanket, reminding us that we were back in a swamp barely disguised as a state. :D

***
How have YOU been doing?

clauderainsrm

A few words from

clauderainsrm:

I’m back in Florida, and Idol is back with two polls. If I have to suffer, so do the rest of you! ;)

The only people who benefit from this week are those who get to read the entries. Those people always benefit. So make sure you spread the word and give them a chance to check out what is happening here.

For the actual contestants, it’s twice as much danger. Because there will be two strikes per poll, and yes, they are closed in order. (Meaning that if someone is eliminated by the first poll, they are considered gone when it comes to deciding the lowest eligible votes in the second poll. Which, again, increases that sense of danger!)

The polls will close on Sunday, September 25th at 9pm ET, so at least that gives you a little extra time to make sure you can read everything and encourage others to do the same. Read. Comment and vote for your favorites! Because with a week like this, who knows who will still be around when the dust clears!

Have fun!

Poll #27555 ’Week18Swim’

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 60

Vote For Your Favorites!

banana_galaxy's entry
11 (18.3%)

bleodswean's entry
13 (21.7%)

dadi's entry
17 (28.3%)

d0gs's entry
14 (23.3%)

drippedonpaper's entry
9 (15.0%)

flipflop_diva's entry
13 (21.7%)

furzicle's entry
11 (18.3%)

gunwithoutmusic's entry
12 (20.0%)

hwango's entry
11 (18.3%)

marlawentmad's entry
12 (20.0%)

mollywheezy's entry
12 (20.0%)

ofearthandstars's entry
12 (20.0%)

roina_arwen's entry
10 (16.7%)

stellinas's entry
15 (25.0%)

Poll #27556 ’Week18Ikigai’

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 62

Vote For Your Favorites!

banana_galaxy's entry
10 (16.1%)

bleodswean's entry
12 (19.4%)

dadi's entry
18 (29.0%)

d0gs's entry
14 (22.6%)

drippedonpaper's entry
7 (11.3%)

flipflop_diva's entry
12 (19.4%)

furzicle's entry
11 (17.7%)

gunwithoutmusic's entry
13 (21.0%)

hwango's entry
11 (17.7%)

marlawentmad's entry
12 (19.4%)

mollywheezy's entry
12 (19.4%)

ofearthandstars's entry
12 (19.4%)

roina_arwen's entry
11 (17.7%)

stellinas's entry
13 (21.0%)

clauderainsrm

Since you are going to have a little longer to write than usual, I figured you should have a little more to write than usual as well! :)

Which works out well since after last night I wanted to raise the stakes anyway!

So you have TWO prompts this week. Two prompts, two separate polls, twice the danger of getting a strike!

The prompts are

Swim Until You Can't See Land
and
Ikigai

The deadline to link both entries back to this post is Monday, Sept 19th at 8pm ET.

clauderainsrm

I'm glad that I actually took the time to read the entries that were submitted before posting a poll. I don't always have the luxury of doing that and have to just scan over them as I'm checking to make sure the link is good and circle back to read.

This time, I had a little more time as I was waiting for the pizza to finish in the oven.

Which means that I saw that https://itsjustc.livejournal.com/534970.html was a sacrifice.

itsjustc is leaving us, falling on her sword for the greater good (and her Happy Place) - and becoming the final member of the Jury! Thank you so much, for everything. I'm really glad you decided to sign up for Second Chance. You've been gone for far too long. Hopefully we will see you next time!

Which means that

sonreir is moving forward, and we have our Top 6!

But you can read her entry at https://sonreir.dreamwidth.org/5610.html - and you really should. I don't usually recommend stuff, but since there is no actual poll, I don't think it hurts to say you are going to enjoy it.

Read the sacrifice as well. Because that's good too! If there had been an actual entry, I know this would have been a shoot out.

clauderainsrm

If you look at the poll itself, you might not see it.

But it came down to 1 vote. Twice.

Both of them were the last votes cast. One granted immunity. The other created a tie.

Let's talk immunity first.

Every single contestant who is still eligible received multiple votes. At one point though, two people went out in front. Way out in front. In fact I received several ballots with both of their names, to the point that I thought the Jury was trying to create a tie. Maybe they were.

But then I received one last vote - with only one of their names listed. Which means that the contestant who is immune this week is

hwango !

Congratulations.

Which means that we only have one person leaving us RIGHT now:

dmousey who came back into the competition on fire, and who I was beginning to think might just have a few more surges of support to get into the finale as the dark horse no one in their right mind would want to face.

Thank you so much for coming out - you are the next to last member of the Jury who will be making their final decision this coming week. You will be helping to decide who gets 1 step away from being in the final four.

It also means that the final vote (that I saw at least) created a tie for who was taking that second spot.

I could have easily seen a scenario where these two ended up fighting it out as part of the final four. Now, one of them is going to end their run in 6th place.

There is a Sudden Death Write Off between

itsjust_c and

sonreir !

Which means that they have until Wednesday April 3rd at 9pm EDT to link an entry back to this thread. (see below). It's Open Topic, so it can be anything they want. Bring whatever it is left in your tank - because this is going to be it for one of you! :(

Have fun!

clauderainsrm

The poll is ending today and we will be losing two more contestants https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1055546.html

It's still really close, and spoiler - so is the Jury's voting for immunity. So I really have no idea how this is going to end up shaking out today, other than we are going to be losing two talented writers from the competition, and gaining the final two members of the Jury.

So if you want to make sure your favorites survive to fight another week - I suggest voting for them and getting the word out for folks to read, comment and vote!

***

So how many tickets to you get to see End Game and how long did it take you to get them? (since that seems to be what is all over my social media feed right now)

clauderainsrm

I wish I could post an April Fool's joke today. But unfortunately what happened this weekend wasn't one. https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1055796.html

She would also want me to eliminate some people, so the poll is still happening: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1055796.html

***

Not really a lot to say today. I kind of feel like a chunk was taken out of me.

Um.... we saw US this weekend. It was really good. That's about it.

YOU?

clauderainsrm

A few words from Gary:

It’s the Top 8! They’ve survived the mini season (to this point), and been through the longest week of Idol history, with a horrible cost. So many of their fellow contestants have gone. These 8 remain to fight it out to the end!

In the end, only 1 of them is going to win, and 7 of them are going to be eliminated.

Who is it going to be? This week is going to get us a step closer to finding out!

We will be losing 2 contestants this week, in the last of the multiple eliminations.

So it’s more important than ever to make sure to spread the word - let people know where to come to read the entries, and encourage them to read everything and make up their minds on what they like the best - because there are some really good stuff to read, and doing anything less than that would be depriving them of a good time!

Read. Comment. Vote for your favorites!

The poll closes Tuesday, April 2nd (didn’t want a poll to close on April Fool’s Day) at 9pm EDT.

Good luck to everyone!

Poll #21683 Week18

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 51

The Ballot

bleodswean's entry
18 (35.3%)

dmousey's entry
10 (19.6%)

furzicle's entry
18 (35.3%)

halfshellvenus's entry
18 (35.3%)

hwango's entry
10 (19.6%)

itsjust_c's entry
16 (31.4%)

rayaso's entry
17 (33.3%)

sonreir's entry
16 (31.4%)

clauderainsrm

Today is the deadline: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1054366.html

Which means that everyone will be posting today. I'd say "a rush of entries", but there aren't enough people left to make much of a rush of anything!

But if you ARE one of the people still left in the competition - hopefully you are busy putting the finishing touches on your entry!

(and make sure you have noted the time they are due!)

***

It's almost the weekend already. I need to work more on a freelance article that is due soon. I just keep hitting my head against the wall on it, coming up with new angles to see what is going to work. Right now it just looks like five different pieces. :)

Hopefully I can manage to fix it so it's a little more coherent.

***

What have you been working on - in writing or in life, lately?

clauderainsrm

The new topic is due tomorrow: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1054366.html

***

It was one month ago that I got on a plane to go to California.

It's only been one Idol week. :D

On the way out of Denver, we were awestruck by the Rockies. I had been told that we "wouldn't be able to see them". But it was a clear day - there was no way to miss them! Our flight path took us directly over them.

I never even imagined that I would be seeing them in person.

A little bit later, my Mom started wondering if we would see the Grand Canyon. I had previously been told "no", that we wouldn't be able to see any of it.

She kept pointing to things asking "is THAT it?" (it wasn't)

So I told her to ask the flight attendant. He said he wasn't sure, but probably not.

Then the woman behind us excitedly spoke up - and handed us her well-traveled map, letting us know exactly what we were seeing and continuously updated us on the various things on the flight path (and just beyond). Thanks to her - we knew we would be seeing the Grand Canyon, and from the air - there is absolutely no way of mistaking it for anything else.

She kept telling us what a lucky day we were having to have such great visibility. She took the route "all the time" and it was one of the best views she'd ever had.

We also got a great view of the Mojave desert. Which wasn't something that was even on my radar as something that I could possibly see. (mostly because I had no idea where it actually was. :D)

***

What pleasant surprises have you experienced and what helpful strangers have assisted you over the years? Or when have YOU been that helpful stranger?

clauderainsrm

I talked to our anonymous benefactor yesterday, and they let me know that the $500 matching was still happening!

Which means we are $71.41 away from our Final Four walking away with $125 each.

If you want to contribute, just send your donation to paypal.me/GDreslinski
and help put us over the top!

***

The new topic is up: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1054366.html

If there are people out there wanting to Home Game, and wanting your own spot for that - let me know. There really hasn't been a lot of interest this mini season, but if people want it, I will make a thread for it!

***

What's been going on in your lives lately?

clauderainsrm

It feels nice just to write "Week 18". :)

What doesn't feel as nice is having to link the results from last week: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1053972.html

But then, that's the nature of the beast.

The new topic is up for those moving forward: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1054366.html

If anyone wants to know their overall results, email me. I'll say here though that of the 8 who survived, 1 was "very safe", 5 were "safe" and 2 were "in danger".

Which is closer than the Mueller report got to anyone being in danger.

***

8 people remain. 4 are going to be walking out splitting their share of the prize purse. Which is a good time to remind you that we still have about $100 to go in the potential matching money! IF we get to $500, and the the total is matched, that's a lot more money we're talking about than if it's not.... it's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out. I honestly have no idea which 4 are going to make it at this point.... even with those stats I mentioned earlier, which should be an indication of who is most likely to win out - it's any given week at this point.... any of these people could rise and any of them could fall (in fact, 7 of them are GOING TO fall in the coming weeks!)

Profile

LJ Idol Presents: Idol Mini

January 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Style: Neutral Good for Practicality by timeasmymeasure

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated May. 15th, 2025 06:14 pm

Powered by Dreamwidth Studios