How can Potterverse appeal to me AND you AND them?
I painted my first Snape last night and thought it would be a fitting topic for my neglected LiveJournal. Only, I am so full of something else, I must twist my arm to even mention it. I made a userpic of it, I hope it shows, and the big picture can be seen HERE . No, it is a worthy topic after all. I found a great little painting program, ArtRage 2. For twenty US dollars you get an infinite supply of all kinds of canvas, paper, brushes, pencils, charcoals, sprays and even "real" tubes of paint to squeeze out and mix on the spot. I haven't painted since I left high school, 35 years ago, I never really missed it, but this is such a treat. User-friendly as in you can start right away.
All right, before I do my hot topic for tonight, I must mention that last week's WIKTT list and Saturday chat gave me a push to do something about the SS/HG saga that I've been carrying in my head with only a few random chapters written down. I even read for a few hours about basic instructions for writers (shiv5468 gave some guideline links last weekend). I'm sure you know that all that is helpful and logical and easier said than done. Some images from my prospective fic have been haunting me for a while now, so I was ripe to try to paint them. With this toy in my hand, I just might. But I have not opened the file to read where I stand, let alone write.
A few hours ago I cast a glance at my friends' journals and regann's complaint about hogwarts_elite caught my attention, so I jumped to see what it was about. There is little about LiveJournaling that isn't new to me. I am better acquainted with mailing lists than blogs, but I have mostly managed to avoid places ruled by the very young, especially those of the USA persuasion. If you come from there, you cannot possibly imagine how alien it is to me. Teenagers from my own family are alien to me, despite love and familiarity and I do not have an issue with that. It is the natural way. I am also at peace with the USA at ground roots level. Almost fifty years of watching Hollywood movies have not left me untouched. I've read a small library wing of American books (more before JKR invaded my life than after) and I had a full contact revelation when I made my pilgrimage to attempt the American dream in 1990.
But, still, what I found in the megalopolis hogwarts_elite terrified me. I hadn't know this monster existed and I don't know if they produce any quality. It seems to me that whatever is made there stays there, but if not, I will gladly look/read before judging them on all counts.
I read a few dozen screens of FAQ, and then two applications by prospective members who were in the meantime accepted. I suppose most of you know about this, it is huge and it has been around for a while, but just in case you don't, I'll mention that they have a chain of communities, all with equally preposterous names, and if you want to be a member, you must pass the sorting procedure. If you are judged magical, you can join them. If they decide you are a squib, you cannot enter. The judges are members who had to suffer the same procedure some time in the past and who have the obligation to judge 15 applications per week under threat of expulsion. Just lovely. Instructions for applicants are awe-inspiring. Writing a job application is a piece of cake compared to it.
So, I was intrigued. At the site of the door warden community, sorting_elite, I found a list of links to applications submitted by the latest crop of the hopeful. I chose one at random. What are your top 5 positive and top 5 negative characteristics? Horrible questions even within psychotherapy. Like this, in public... it is criminally cruel. I would not submit to that for anything save, perhaps, my life or the life of my family. I could not imagine anyone replying anything but vomit-inspiring drivel. That's exactly what I found in the first application. The person got sorted into Hufflepuff. Then I chose one who was sorted into Ravenclaw, to see if I can see the difference.
I read and read and could not believe it. This one remained HERSELF through all the pits carefully prepared for her. She has such insight into her own insecurities, it boggles the mind. She is a Hermione who knows herself, who has the guts to spill it all and yet to spin the story and to admit to spinning it because she cannot help it. She is a marvel and my heart went out to her with every word I read. She is 14. And half of the bitches judging her declared her squib. One even said that she obviously lacked personality.
Why does this bother me so (apart from the obvious)? Because this little girl needs to be accepted, not only into this horror of a pastime, but into so many places which are closed to her for more reasons than lack of money and she knows it and she trains. She is clever, yes, but she has sharpened her skills because she has sharks swimming around her. Just like Hermione. It is a public post. I highly recommend it.
Nora's application and verdicts obacerate
If I got some facts very wrong about the elite over there, please enlighten me. These were my first impressions. The fact that most if not all of these people have their LiveJournals friend-locked also speaks volumes. It would not surprise me if it were a requirement. With expulsion threatening every week.
All right, before I do my hot topic for tonight, I must mention that last week's WIKTT list and Saturday chat gave me a push to do something about the SS/HG saga that I've been carrying in my head with only a few random chapters written down. I even read for a few hours about basic instructions for writers (shiv5468 gave some guideline links last weekend). I'm sure you know that all that is helpful and logical and easier said than done. Some images from my prospective fic have been haunting me for a while now, so I was ripe to try to paint them. With this toy in my hand, I just might. But I have not opened the file to read where I stand, let alone write.
A few hours ago I cast a glance at my friends' journals and regann's complaint about hogwarts_elite caught my attention, so I jumped to see what it was about. There is little about LiveJournaling that isn't new to me. I am better acquainted with mailing lists than blogs, but I have mostly managed to avoid places ruled by the very young, especially those of the USA persuasion. If you come from there, you cannot possibly imagine how alien it is to me. Teenagers from my own family are alien to me, despite love and familiarity and I do not have an issue with that. It is the natural way. I am also at peace with the USA at ground roots level. Almost fifty years of watching Hollywood movies have not left me untouched. I've read a small library wing of American books (more before JKR invaded my life than after) and I had a full contact revelation when I made my pilgrimage to attempt the American dream in 1990.
But, still, what I found in the megalopolis hogwarts_elite terrified me. I hadn't know this monster existed and I don't know if they produce any quality. It seems to me that whatever is made there stays there, but if not, I will gladly look/read before judging them on all counts.
I read a few dozen screens of FAQ, and then two applications by prospective members who were in the meantime accepted. I suppose most of you know about this, it is huge and it has been around for a while, but just in case you don't, I'll mention that they have a chain of communities, all with equally preposterous names, and if you want to be a member, you must pass the sorting procedure. If you are judged magical, you can join them. If they decide you are a squib, you cannot enter. The judges are members who had to suffer the same procedure some time in the past and who have the obligation to judge 15 applications per week under threat of expulsion. Just lovely. Instructions for applicants are awe-inspiring. Writing a job application is a piece of cake compared to it.
So, I was intrigued. At the site of the door warden community, sorting_elite, I found a list of links to applications submitted by the latest crop of the hopeful. I chose one at random. What are your top 5 positive and top 5 negative characteristics? Horrible questions even within psychotherapy. Like this, in public... it is criminally cruel. I would not submit to that for anything save, perhaps, my life or the life of my family. I could not imagine anyone replying anything but vomit-inspiring drivel. That's exactly what I found in the first application. The person got sorted into Hufflepuff. Then I chose one who was sorted into Ravenclaw, to see if I can see the difference.
I read and read and could not believe it. This one remained HERSELF through all the pits carefully prepared for her. She has such insight into her own insecurities, it boggles the mind. She is a Hermione who knows herself, who has the guts to spill it all and yet to spin the story and to admit to spinning it because she cannot help it. She is a marvel and my heart went out to her with every word I read. She is 14. And half of the bitches judging her declared her squib. One even said that she obviously lacked personality.
Why does this bother me so (apart from the obvious)? Because this little girl needs to be accepted, not only into this horror of a pastime, but into so many places which are closed to her for more reasons than lack of money and she knows it and she trains. She is clever, yes, but she has sharpened her skills because she has sharks swimming around her. Just like Hermione. It is a public post. I highly recommend it.
Nora's application and verdicts obacerate
If I got some facts very wrong about the elite over there, please enlighten me. These were my first impressions. The fact that most if not all of these people have their LiveJournals friend-locked also speaks volumes. It would not surprise me if it were a requirement. With expulsion threatening every week.