I have very often found it useful to refer to
the index I made of my
therealljidol posts last year, and have always intended to make one for this most recent season, but certainly didn't have the time.
Now doing so is still liable to take a dash of time, so I think I'm going to aim to do it in four installments of six or so (I was eliminated at 31st place in round 24). When I make the future installments I believe I'll add them to this first post though so it's all in one place. So here's the first six:
Last Year's Index:
Season V Season VI:
Week 0: "Introduction" 2009-10-07
Entry:
IntroductionPrior Year's Introduction:
And a Particularly Dashing Picture of MyselfPosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Essay
Poll Outcome: 76 votes (25.9%), 1st in bracket, 2nd overall
Week 1: "Empty Gestures" 2009-10-18
Entry:
Turkesh Carpet SalesmenPosted From: Istanbul, Turkey
Type: Narrative, Non-fiction, Recent
Poll Outcome: 85 (24.9%) 7th in bracket, 21st overall
Notes: On events of just the other day.
Week 2: "Uphill Both Ways" 2009-10-30
Entry:
Climbing Mount SinaiPosted From: Sharm al-Sheikh, Sinai Desert
Type: Narrative, Non-fiction, Recent
Poll Outcome: 65 (26.4%)5th in bracket, 18th overall
Notes: Entirely written during a 15 minute or so stint in a little internet hut in the Sinai, regarding the previous day's adventures.
Week 3: "Smile" 2009-11-04
Entry:
SmilePosted From: Cairo, Egypt
Type: Narrative, Non-fiction, Recent
Poll Outcome: 61 (33.5%), 6th in bracket, 21st overall
Notes: In Egypt, everyone is trying to scam you, learn to love it.
Week 4: "Moments of Devastating Beauty" 2009-11-12
Entry:
28 Years LaterPosted From: Philadelphia, PA
Type: Narrative, Fiction
Poll Outcome: 60 (15.7%), 5th in bracket, 23rd overall
Notes: Maybe we'd be better off after the zombie apocalypse..
Week 5: "Bearing False Witness" 2009-11-21
Entry:
Old Timey Religion Part ISequel:
Old Timey Religion Part IIPosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Narrative, Fiction
Poll Outcome: 47 (16.4%), 10th in bracket, 25th ovverall
Notes: An entry that, as expected, rather offended a number of persons. I've considered the counterarguments the entry inspired and really they didn't change my perspective on the issue at all, except in that I wish I'd written Part II in time to be part of the official submission because I think it really helps drive the point home.
Week 6: "Sunrise" 2009-12-04
Entry:
Waking Up On A BoatPosted From: Astoria, OR
Type: Narrative, Nonfiction, Recent
Poll Outcome: 46 (30.3%), 1st in bracket, 10th overall
Notes: On life in December on the brig Lady Washington
Week 7: "One Touch" 2009-12-11
Entry:
On HoldPosted From: Astoria, OR
Type: Essay, on recent circumstances
Poll Outcome: 50 (25.6%), 5th in bracket, 9th overall
Notes: Update on life on the boat.
Week 8: "Reprobate" 2009-12-19
Entry:
ZombieproofPosted From: Aberdeen, WA
Type: Narrative, Fiction
Poll Outcome: 60 (27.1%), 1st in bracket, 4th overall.
Notes: We having nothing to fear but fear itself...
Annual Christmas Party 2009-12-26
Entry: Green Red Room Holiday Party!
Posted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Week 9: "Better Half" 2010-01-08
Entry:
We're Supposed to Choose the Hipster?Posted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Essay, humorous
Poll Outcome: 46 (23.2%), 4th in bracket, 5th overall
Notes: on the Mac vs PC commercials.
Week 10: "Open Topic" 2010-01-16
Entry:
To Boldly Go...Posted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Narrative, Science Fiction
Poll Outcome: Gatekeeper Round: passed
Notes: Being a "gatekeeper round," there was no poll.. so it probably didn't get read by as many people, which is a shame because it was another entry I was rather proud of.
META BBQ! 2010-01-23
Entry:
The Return of Saturday Meta-BBQs! (or "10 Reasons I Should Be America's Next Top LJ Idol Gatekeeper")
Posted From: Mission Viejo
Type: Essay, Meta-BBQ
Notes: Ten thoughts on writing for LJI
Week 11: "Run, Don't Walk"
Entry: Passed on making a submission this week
Week 12: "Apathy" 2010-01-29
Entry:
Making FirePosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Essay
Poll Outcome: 43 (8.2%), no brackets, 14th overall
Notes: Girls, girls...
Week 13: "Who's that Trip Trapping Over My LJ?" 2010-02-08
Entry:
The Quest for a DrinkPosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Comic!
Poll Outcome: 50 (10.5%), 13th overall
Notes: Intersection with Zia-Narratora!
Meta: LJ Decathalon! 2010-02-13
Entry:
Declaration of the LJI Decathalon!!!Posted From: Mission Viejo
Notes: The totally unofficial not-official-at-all LJI Decathalon!!
Week 14: "Precognition" 2010-02-15
Entry:
Jack Batelin, Private EyePosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Fiction, fan-fic, film noir
Poll Outcome: Contestant only write in vote -- PASS
Notes:
Intersection with Jack Batelin! Week 16: "Breaking the Fast" 2010-03-03
Entry:
Breaking, FastPosted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Narrative, fiction, other
Poll Outcome: 59 (14.9%), 4th overall
Notes: Written in the style of a text based adventure game
Week 17: "The Caged Bird" 2010-03-08
Entry:
Jar O Bees!Posted From: Mission Viejo, CA
Type: Narrative, nonfiction, recent personal story
Poll Outcome: 56 (15.0%), 5th overall
Notes: If you want bees in a jar, I am your man.
Week 18: "Adored" 2010-03-17
Entry:
Flouting AdorationPosted From: Las Vegas, NV
Type: Narrative, nonfiction, personal story
Poll Outcome: 41 (10.8%), 38th otherall
Notes: On my experiences in student government. One of my very worst poll showings, proof that people really don't give a crap about student government (:
Week 19: Open Topic 2010-03-23
Entry:
A Rather Buoyant SchemePosted From: New York City, New York
Type: Essay, Steampunk
Poll Outcome: Contestant-only write in / Gatekeeper vote: PASS
Notes: An idea that had initially come to me while 100 feet below the surface of the Red Sea several months earlier.
Week 20: "Playing House" 2010-03-30
Entry:
Let's Play HousePosted From: The ROGUE BREWERY itself, in Newport, OR
Type: Fiction, fan-fic, film noir
Poll Outcome: 39 (9.0%), 46th overall
Notes: On crew dynamics in my new home, the 65' ketch Hawaiian Chieftain.
Week 21: "Hyperbole is Literally Hitler" 2010-04-06
Entry:
Disappearing BeesPosted From: Garibaldi, WA
Type: Several Mini Narratives
Poll Outcome: 46 (12.4%), 16th overall
Notes: "Hyperbole is Literally Hitler?!?!?!?!" Is a topic???? We were sure His Highness the Administrator must have certainly completely and utterly lost his marbles this time. Eventually after much talking among ourselves of "what the devil is Gary on about this time???" we decided the topic was "hyperbole" and he had just been a bit hyperbolic in wording it. So I wrote about hyperbole in media reporting on bee problems.
Week 22: "No Sight of Land" 2010-04-14
Entry:
Third WatchPosted From: Port Angeles, WA
Type: Narrative, nonfiction, recent personal story
Poll Outcome: Contestant only write in vote: PASS
Notes: A look at my shift as watch officer as we sailed up around the tip of the Olympic Peninsula earlier that morning.
Week 23: "Underdog" 2010-04-21
Entry:
PakicetusPosted From: Sequim, WA
Type: Narrative, historical fiction
Poll Outcome: 45 (14.4%)*, 11th overall
Notes: Once upon a time in 53,000,000 BC...
Week 24: "Rolling Stop" 2010-04-29
Entry:
The FallPosted From: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA
Type: Ramble, historical
Poll Outcome: 31 (12.4%), 30th otherall, ELIMINATED
Notes: An entry begun at nearly 2am in the aft cabin of the boat surrounded by empty beer bottles and whiskey glasses, written largely from memory about obscure historical facts, finished around 3 with revielle only four hours away... so I think I at least went out with style. (: Anyway, about the fall of the Byzantine Empire and then the subject kind of wanders around exploring the fall of the Roman Empire in other areas.
Week 24 Bonus Material:
The voice post I almost submitted for my entry instead.Notes: That abrupt end is me saying "ah this is crap" and hanging up (:
Official Fairwell Post:
So Long and Thanks for All the Catfish Eliminated in the 24th round, putting me at 31st place overall. Averaged at 16.6th place in all public polls. Outlasted 86% of the 226 or so original contenders.