It's been almost a year since I've posted here. I've been dancing from fandom to fandom, tasting the goods that are offered within. I gotta say, nothing compares to the Twific fandom in terms of community, active conversation around fic, and the sheer volume of stories available.
I stopped reading Twific for awhile but over this past summer I found myself poking around on Fictionators and in A Different Forest. My desire to share recs of some of the must-read fic I have come across has brought me back here. I don't anticipate this being anything fancy, just recs of great stories I've read and think you should read, too. Expect recs of Twific and fic from other fandoms (Batman, Justice League, Hunger Games, etc.).
My twitter followers might start to unfollow me if I unleash the full power of my rage regarding the current legislative assault on the rights of gay people all around the country. So I'm gonna vent with some thoughts and some funny and not a little outrage. Read or don't read, your call.
Gay marriage is not a political issue. Being "for" gay marriage is not a "liberal" concept. It's a question of whether or not you believe American citizens deserve equal rights.
My Segregation Analogy
Being against segregation was not a political statement, it was about recognizing that a group of American citizens were being denied the same rights afforded to everybody else.
You can feel uncomfortable about homosexuality and still agree that your issues with gay people shouldn't justify denying rights to a group of Americans.
Just because some racist assholes felt weird about interacting with African Americans, that did not justify creating laws that treated African Americans differently. Especially if the arguments being made for these laws cite the need to protect the racist's world view that African Americans and Caucasians should live, work, and go to school separately.
Arguments for anti-marriage bills cite the need to protect the institution of marriage from gay people. These laws protect the world view that the institution of marriage is not about two people who are in love and want to commit to a life with one another. They assert that the concept of marriage is summed up by the presence of a penis and a vagina. No wonder the divorce rate is so high among straight people.
Joe Racist's world view included denying rights to a particular group of citizens. Just because people are citing the Bible as THE reference that puts forth the genitalia-focused understanding of marriage as THE RIGHT one, doesn't mean we should make laws enforcing that one understanding. Especially when, like with segregation, those laws happen to deny rights to a particular group of citizens. Rights that everyone else is allowed to have.
I am sooooooo sick and tired of this even being an issue. Can we just fast forward to the time when people look back on the ridiculousness of this issue? In the same way that we look back on segregation and can't fathom how anyone thought it wasn't government sanctioned racism.
~oOo~
In the same vein as "Why do you care about who I marry?" and "What gives you the right to deny me the same freedoms that you have?" ...I propose the following hypothetical:
What if I told you that Jews don't believe Catholics should be allowed drivers' licenses?
In some old document I'm pretty sure it's written that it's an abomination for a Catholic to get behind the wheel.
This is a fundamental belief that Jews hold. In fact, their whole understanding of what it means to be a driver is threatened by the idea of a Catholic behind the wheel.
So we should legislate that, right?
I'm sure Christians all over the country would have no problem having laws enacted that say (a) Catholics can't have drivers' licenses, or (b) a state can make it legal for Catholics to get learner's permits, which are essentially the same thing, right?
How is it even remotely acceptable for the government to say gay people can't marry, simply because 1 religious sect believes it's wrong? (btw, if you couldn't tell, I chose Jews and Catholics arbitrarily to demonstrate how ridiculous it would be for one group to be able to legislate their religious beliefs.)
Not sure what to call that last analogy...
The notion of politicians using people's allegiance to one particular religion to jockey for power and enforce their view as law
AKA Get your religion out of my legislation
AKA Stop trying to make me Christian, I respect that you have your views and I have mine, so stop trying to turn Biblical law into United States law.
~oOo~
Love this: "If you were worried about protecting the institution of marriage, you'd be fighting to make divorce illegal, not gay marriage."
This video is fantastic!! It's filled with snark and F-bombs to get your attention. If you're offended, sorry. But as they say in this video, "Get over it."
I love this... Rush Limbaugh is on his 4th marriage but my friends who are in love and want to start a family together are not allowed to get married. It is, in fact, against the law for them to be married.
~oOo~
WTF? Can we maybe not legislate hatred in Texas?
A bill is in front of the Texas Senate that denies rights to transgendered people. (about SB273)
Nikki is a woman who identifies as transsexual and intersex, and recently lost her husband -- firefighter Thomas Araguz -- in the line of duty. The state -- and Thomas' unsupportive family -- now wants to go against Thomas' stateed intentions, invalidate their marriage and remove all widow benefits from Nikki...at the same time that she's dealing with the grief of losing the love of her life.
When you legislate the unequal treatment of one group of people it promotes hatred and is totally unAmerican. Have we learned nothing from our past travesties of denying equal rights to minorities? Are we back in the 1950s?
Because homosexuality and transgendered people make you feel uncomfortable, a whole group of American citizens should be denied equal rights?
What does it say to a person when you tell them you're not allowed to have the same rights as everybody else? That they are lesser. That they don't deserve to be treated like everyone else.
What kind of message does this send to young people who are gay?
Can we not be bullies via legislation, please?
~oOo~
I love how this video from FCKH8.com explains (ahem, yells at you) the connection between school bullying, government sanctioned bullying, and the ridiculously high suicide rate of gay teens.
~oOo~
Oh Tennessee, what are you doing?? The 'Don't Say Gay' bill would prohibit teachers from mentioning homosexuality in the classroom.
Some words are pretty offensive to say around kids,
but "gay" is not one of them.
I can't even.. just watch this...
This "issue" is the politicalization of the lifestyle of a particular group of people. If it doesn't impact you in any way, WHY DO YOU CARE?? Your "standing on principle" has had a tremendously negative impact on the lives of American citizens who happen to be gay... it is beneath us as Americans to perpetuate this kind of hatred and inequality.
~oOo~
Gay people are not some subversive group of degenerates, preying on your children and lurking in the shadows. They are ordinary people who live everywhere and work in every industry. People who fall in love and want to make a commitment to someone and create stable, loving families. How is that different from what you want for yourselves?
Seriously, how is it that this is even up for debate? If you still think that being gay is an abomination, then feel free to shake your head in judgement. Feel free to think that a person you don't even know is going to hell. You don't have to like gay marriage, but you sure as hell don't have a right to legislate your homophobia.
~oOo~
What I legitimately want to know:
What do you think is going to happen if gay people have the right to get married?
What is the societal problem that you think will erupt as a result of gay people getting married?
What danger justifies denying a single group of people the same freedoms that you enjoy?
~oOo~
A Couple Curiousities:
When someone says they have a problem with gay people or gay marriage, it kinda weirds me out. It makes me wonder why that person is so concerned with what two total strangers are doing in their bedroom.
I'm also kinda curious why it's OK for your hetero husband to want to bang you in the ass, but if someone else does the same thing in their bedroom, it's cause for being denied the right to get married??
I didn't solve world hunger. Or invent a viable solution for the climate crisis. But I did get an Althea-ism accepted into urbandictionary.com YAAAAAY!
I am WAY too excited about this!! Especially considering that the editorial "review" process for submissions seems a tad gracious. As in, it's possible that if you submit something, they will most likely add it to their pop cultural tome.
Granted, I sent this term in and never heard back from them. It was only when I sent it in again with a different definition and sentence that they accepted my initial offering.
And I know what you're saying to yourself -- enough with the background, what's the frickin term already??
My friend was slutting it up so I said, "Dude, stop being such a peen jockey."
To put it in Twific terms, one might say...
I liked that story's well-rounded portrayal of Tanya. Usually she is written as such a peen jockey.
or
Given the graphic language and shameless flirtation exhibited by the Twific community on Twitter, the outside world might suspect we are all a bunch of peen jockeys. But what they don't understand is that *bewbgropes*, raunchy propositioning, and picspams of porn are our expressions of friendly camaraderie.
or
Acting out against Edward's repressed Victorian ways, this OOC New Moon fic Bella has been with 3 guys in one week. If she doesn't stop being such a peen jockey, her reputation will be permanently defiled.
If you leave a comment that uses "peen jockey" in a sentence, I will love you forever. Or as we say on Twitter, there will be *bewbgropes* and *assgrabs* all round!
There's nothing hotter than a fuckhot stoner Edward. Oh, and if he is an artist or musician -- forget about it. (my first and most favoritest in all of ficland? Unexpected by ooohlalaaa)
So when YogaGal invited me to be a judge for a contest that requires entries to relate in some way to the good green, I was in! I had no idea that the quality of some of the fics would be so stellar.
I really did enjoy almost all of the entries, but there are several that stood out to me as amazing.
Official Description:Garrett & Jasper met as kids, left Texas as founders of Hill Country Outlaws. Edward, Emmett and Peter ramble along to a lakehouse party for grass and girls. Tune in, get turned on and smoke up. M/F/M. Entry for the High Times Contest
Review I wrote for contest site:
This story was like a time machine back to the summer of '70. The author created this colorful world, rich with the history of that time and filled with music. Sweet sweet music. I fell in love with these characters who seemed so authentic to the time period yet so unpredictable. The scene at Longmeadow was happening and I felt privileged to be a fly on the wall. As an Edward lover, I didn't know what to expect when I saw Garrett as a main character. I'm so glad that I took the time to dive into this world and give Garrett a chance. It was a lot of fun getting to know him, Jasper, Katie, and the rest of the gang. The story really does have an epic quality to it, having the length of a fully told story and the depth of a fantastically developed story world. Loved it!
Official Description:Meaning. A sunny day. Life. Truth... A safe place... And bottomless supply of Swedish Fish. "Yesterday and Today" on vinyl. And pink pot. Because we're all searching for things. E/B entry for the High Times Contest.
Review by YogaGal:
One thing that stands out about Beep Beep is how authentic it really is. I think we've all had similar feelings (whether pot was involved or not) about boys and other such things. There is an innocence about this story, a tentativeness that seems to permeate the entire piece. I also loved that you could totally visualize the pink hairs in the weed (!!!NSFW image!!!) that made it so damn amazing, and that it wasn't just used to get to the lemon--because there really wasn't one, it was just snippets, lots of UST and nothing overt which was refreshing and sweet.
The flow of the story almost mimicked the feeling of being high, and there was also something very alluring about the way the characters were written. You were pulled to them, wanting to follow their story right up until the end. I loved the use of weed, the developement of the relationship and finally, the way they came together and just decided to be, despite the fact that Edward was Bella's brother's friend. It's such an awesome one shot and really, the way it's written it stands alone really well and I didn't feel like I needed more, even though more would be nice ;) -Yogagal
My initial reaction:
I want some fluffy pink indica, stat! So tender, the timeline and how slow he takes it w her, wanting to earn her trust. Fuckhot stoner artist... yes please. I'm curious to find out who wrote this bc it definitely had a distinctive style/voice. And music references are win - when they see each other they hear Bob Marley!!
Official Description:"This weekend, I will kiss a boy. I will drink alcohol…I will do everything that Bella Swan never does. I might even take candy from a stranger." Entry for the High Times Contest
My initial reaction from reading it:
I love it when it feels like a fic was made just for me! Going to her first show, Bella is a fantastic narrator because we get to experience this thru her awe-filled eyes. "Is it just me, or does everything seem amazing today?"
Plus, the author totally taps into those teenage girl feelings of wanting to feel wanted, and wanting to experience the romantic ideals, wanting to be someone else for a day. The description of the pretty people sitting behind her: "I want to be these people, be inside of them, and laugh with them at jokes made at my expense. They all look so...easy."
Bella's inner monologue as she's high is delicious. The description of experiencing the music + dancing = living... the author clearly goes to shows and knows what it's like.
Review by Rochelle Allison:
Bella attends an outdoor concert with friends, meets Edward, and smokes for the first time. She also has her first kiss (and then some) that night, and although she has to return to “reality" the next afternoon, she’s a different person now that she’s experienced Edward.
I loved this. It had a sweet, dreamy cadence that completely fit the scene described.
There was a certain sense if serendipity, like when you have a feeling something amazing is going to happen and then it totally does. The chemistry between Edward and Bella, as well as the way they reconnected much later on, left me wishing there was more to the story; the overall bittersweet yearning sort of transferred over to me as the reader. But, while I wanted more, it was excellent as a one shot.
Official Description:"As I watch him do the breast stroke through the choppy morning waters, I almost want to be in his place. What would it be like to be so alone?" AH/AU Ed, Jas and pot cookies. Entry for the High Times Contest
My initial thoughts:
SO WELL WRITTEN - I can't wait to find out who wrote this fucking great story!!!
Review by AG:
Racerback is an awesome 3-shot novella about Edward, popular athlete, and Jasper, the social pariah of school. Zigster really sets this story well, on the coast of the pacific, where both Edward and Jasper commonly swim and surf. When Jasper needs saving during a swim, Edward swoops in and bring him to shore, thus beginning their friendship.
Edward comes off as an overachiever of sorts, and feels a lot of pressure to please his father and live up to his peers. Laid back Jasper is totally opposite, having been shunned by the student body long ago, and watching their polarity was interesting and fun.
The marijuana-related aspect to this would be Jasper's trademark pot-cookies. He carries them around and sells them to classmates and faculty alike. Since Edward's got a bit of a stick up his ass, he's never tried pot, but reluctantly gives in when Jasper offers. This is when Edward begins to loosen up a bit. The sexual tension here kind of sneaks up on you. You realize it's there for Edward, but you don’t feel it yourself until it explodes, and Zigster... good lord. She writes good kisses, I'm just saying._
How can you look outside at what's happening in the world and *not* say something?
I posted a twitlonger. There was drama. I deleted it bc creating fandom drama was not my intention.
Though I use my @AltheaJams twitter for pretty much only Twific-related tweets, I still follow a variety of other kinds of people. Including some Democrats.
Someone in my feed was blaming the "Sarah Palin 2012" Party for our (the Dems) woes and I felt the need to point out that we (the Dems) need to take responsibility for not being able to get our own message out.
My team's getting our ass kicked, not because we're wrong, but bc the other team is more effective at carrying their message to the people. That's all I was saying.
I know there are Twilight people in my feed that want no part of politics entering into their fandom world so the tweet clearly said "This is a political rant. Don't want, don't read." so they could skip right over it and continue on w their day.
I don't want to keep what I wrote on my twitter feed where it might perpetuate drama, so I'm pasting it here and you can judge for yourself. So that's the story. Read it, don't read it - you're the best person to determine what kind of information you want to encounter. This is a Democrat's political rant, speaking to other Democrats. If this is going to cast a negative shadow on your day, don't read it.
Once again, This is going to be a political rant. Don't want? Don't read. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I don't even blame the people who've been suckered in by the Tea Bagging Party bullshit. The American people are generally good, and are just trying to do the right thing.
I blame my Democratic Party for being completely incapable of articulating their message.
When you're doing the right thing, you don't have to hide behind your vote. The onus is on you to get out front and explain to the people *why* this is the right thing. And here's the thing: you need to explain it well enough so that the people agree, and then take on your rally cry as their own.
Democrats, you don't have to apologize for having opposing views. You have to find a way to explain why your views are the right views. WE protect the working man, WE are trying to help the people who are struggling due to lost jobs and lack of healthcare. Yet these are the people who are conned by the Republicans EVERY DAY. They are sneaky, I mean savvy enough to convince these people that the Republican party is working in their interests, and not completely in the pockets of industries like oil and fighting daily for the rights of billionaires.
Stop worrying about being re-elected and STAND UP FOR MY RIGHTS. That's what we pay you for in the first place.
And as for as the attempted repeal of the health care bill -- they're trying to steamroll over you because they know they can. Hell, I know they can. Are you going to let them? Or are you going to stand up and shout about why repealing this bill is a political play that will ultimately hurt the millions of people who desperately need this bill to exist.
If you can't hold this ground, Democratic congress people, don't even worry about re-election because you will have proven that you are impotent and therefore NOT GOOD FOR THE JOB.
- written by a proud Democrat who wants to see the Democratic Party grow some balls and hire a new PR/marketing strategist
Hello, this is my monthly reflection. And this sucker is gonna be short. Why? Because for the month of October I spent all of my Twific time working on the Fandom People Awards.
It was tedious and it was a bit on the ridiculous side, but we did it. And it was worth it.
We expected *maybe* 200 entries, at the most. So, to make sure as many people as possible were recognized, we created a nomination form with 40 questions, covering 9 areas of the fandom. We ended up with over 600 submissions!! The part that made me want to put a gun to my head: most of the 40 questions had 3 blank slots in which people filled in data. This was a lot of data for Kari and I to deal with. So the Fandom People Awards became a full time job for a month.
We announced the results live and launched the site a day or so ago, and already, I am seeing exactly what we set out to achieve. I'm looking at the twitter feed of people who are so psyched to have been mentioned, people tweeting about how great it felt to be nominated. I'm seeing the sites where people are proudly posting the banners/buttons they've won. I'm seeing FFnet profiles that've been updated to include boasts of FPA wins.
I feel like we accomplished what we set out to do! Most of these people aren't authors - they are members of our Twific fandom who don't usually get acknowledged for the work they do.
Keeping up with my monthly reflection, here's what I read and wrote in the month of October.
WHAT I READ
I did read 3 fics that I really enjoyed!
Pressed for Time by twanza & chele681
These ladies are friends of mine on Twitter and I had no idea they were collaborating on a fic. Imagine my surprise when I check out said fic and it is AWESOME! Loving it.
Voice for Me by PachasPickMeUp
I LOVE this fic! So original. I wrote a review for AJ&B. And it's my Pimp Down for the Emmett episode that will come out later in November.
Rabbit Hole by profmom72
Kari and I read this at the same time - we haven't been reading the same fic at the same time in forever! So that was fun. I loved how Bella's voice and character came through on her blog posts, as she does her online vampire expose. COMPLETE
WHAT I WROTE
I wrote a review of Neverending Math Equation by twanza for the TwiFicPimps Friday Fic Fit. Based in Brooklyn. Edward & Jasper are brothers dealing with ego, passion and the pursuit of art. NEME is a love story of Jasper & Bella, a lust story of Edward & Bella, and a journey for all. *2010 Indie TwiFic Winner/Best Love Triangle COMPLETE
So, y'all know how cheesy I am, especially when it comes to my #FFs. I feel compelled to share something with my followers every week to thank them for following my sorry ass on Twitter. Every week is a different theme, and this last week of October the theme was Superheroes. And instead of sending everyone a single song, I made a post with a playlist and gallery of Superhero pretty.
This has become one of my favorite episodes. It's just Kari, Flanny, and myself just hanging out and talkin fic. There are a BUNCH of great recs all throughout this epi. My 60 Second Pimpdown was one of the first dark fics I ever read, an excellent oneshot called Follow Me Inside by bittershade.
I am a sucker for anything related to superheroes. I couldn't settle for sending just one song this week - had to rock a whole playlist for this one. Enjoy! And thanks for following and putting up with my compulsive need to share. Althea <3
p.s. and yeah, I chose the vid with lyrics for song #9 so you can sing along
p.p.s. and if you're into it, there's some superhero pretty below
First, Alex Ross. My favorite of the comic book art.
"pew---pew-------pew"
I got to fanfiction via the Smallville fandom. I like to remember the good years.
Smallville goes Justice League
The love triangle
Oh, hai there Green Arrow!
The brains behind the operation. Chloe Sullivan.
There's this Irish artist who I love who captures the sexiness and power of female superheroes and villains. Her name is Veronica O'Connell and here is some of her work:
And gotta represent for that most amazing Amazon... Wonder Woman!!
"Make a hawk, a dove. Stop a war with love. Make a liar tell the truuuuuuuuth!"
If you haven't already, go immediately and listen to her theme song in the player at the top.
This is pretty exciting, y'all. We launched the Fandom People Awards and opened them up for nominations yesterday, September 6th. Woot!
There are categories that recognize the contributions of Authors, Readers, Betas, Artists, Twi-Site Bloggers, and members of the Twific community. We're asking people to think about the people who make this fandom such a great place to be.
Authors, who hooks it up with insightful reviews? Who goes out of their way to pimp the hell out of your story? Which pre-reader or Beta throws down the most helpful feedback?
Readers, which authors have the best review replies? Who are the most accessible authors on twitter?
Everybody:
Which banners are the hottest? the most creative? the most visually stunning? Who is the master manip-maker? blinkie-maker? banner-maker?
Which Twi-sites have the best recs? Where can you find the best resources for writing fic?
Who, in the Twific community, is the hardest working woman in show business? Who promotes the love throughout our fandom?
Remember that these are not your average awards. It's not a popularity contest, it's an opportunity to show love to the people who often get overlooked in this fandom.
QUESTIONS
Is there a central place where I can look at what banners are out there?
Here are just a few ideas of where you can go to check out some of the banners that are out there:
Many authors include in their FF.net profile the links to the banners, blinkies & art for their story.
On Twilighted.net the banners and art can be found directly on the authors' profiles.
The forums on Twilighted.net are also great resources because people always have tons of great banners as signatures for their posts.
Do I have to find 3 people to nominate for the categories with 3 spaces?
Nope. You can submit up to 3 people.
Feel free to ask questions about the Fandom People Awards or the nomination process! Hit the comment button below. Or you can tweet me @AltheaJams
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It's times like this that I am especially proud to be a part of the Twific Pimps!
Seeing this fandom come together as a force for good makes me burst with pride. Underneath the snark and drama there is mad heart. We raised over $86,000 last time and it's looking like FGB: Eclipse edition is gonna trump that total. Woot!
I'm not alone in my love for the ladies behind this effort. Nina, Christina and Lauren who started this madness, AngstGoddess003 who hooked us all up with a truly amazing website, and all of the team leaders, participants and soon-to-be bidders who have collectively taken this thing to another level. Thanks for all the hard work!
This time around I am a buyer AND a seller. I'm thrilled to be throwing down 2 auction offerings as a member of The TwiFicPimps. I'm gonna lay them out in detail and hook up the links below. I wrote the following for the pimps' site but I want it here as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - more sountrack Cake - You Part the Waters (don't mind the words, just rock the fuck out)
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The Pimps are in play!
We've got 2 unique offers up on the auction block. The first is a guest spot on the Fic Pushin' Podcast. You can choose to guest host an episode, or, if there's a fic we can agree upon, join the pimps for a Straight to the Vein. The second item up for auction is directed at authors. We are offering you the chance to show big love for your readers by taking over a Hump Your Readers Wednesday.
We're set, we're psyched, and we're ready to roll. Here are the deets:
Fic Pushin' Podcast guest spot
Come hang out with us as a guest on the Fic Pushin' Podcast. Each episode we tackle a theme and rec stories that are related to that theme. Our 1st episode, The First Hit is Free, touched on what makes twific addictive. Future episodes include Rosalie: the Ice Queen Cometh and the role of music in twific. The highest bidder will help us choose a theme and then join us (via skype) to chat about it and pimp the hell out of some great fic.
>>>>UPDATE: Instead of an episode, the winning bidder can choose to join us for a Fic Pushin' segment that we call Straight to the Vein. This is where we choose one fic that we love and go balls out talking about it. Wanna dish about MotU? Wanna show inappropriate love for Wide Awake? It has to be a fic that one or more of the pimps have read and loved. But try us - between the 4 of us we've covered a lot of ground.
Hump Your Readers Wednesday is a public forum for authors to show their love for the readers who hooked it up with a stellar review. We ask authors to submit the reviews that are particularly funny, heartwarming, or insightful. Every Wednesday we post the reviews that are submitted and shine a spotlight on the readers behind them. What are you bidding for?
We are offering authors a chance to take over a Hump Your Readers Wednesday. That means you can use our website to make public declarations of love to your readers. Some examples:
Post your all time favorite reviews - The ones that gave you warm fuzzies. The ones that made you laugh out loud. The ones that motivated you to keep writing. You can also use the space to give shoutouts to reviewers who are special to you. Or send a message of inappropriate love to your readers. Whatever you want to do, as long as it's in the spirit of showing appreciation for readers of twific.
The TwificPimps are Kari, Jess, Flanny, and Althea. We host the Fic Pushin' Podcast and run a website where we deal only the best twific. We are all about recognizing the contributions that readers make to the twific community. The TwificPimps site has features like reviews of stories rec'd by our readers (the Friday Fic Fit, what what) and Hump Your Readers Wednesday.
I was recently a judge on the High Times contest.
