I'm in a good mood right off the bat today. :D

(Heck, I'm even in the mood to update my journal, without having an immediate need to do so.  How rare is that?)

Part of this is thanks to chatting with the_ginga yesterday, which really helped get me out of the funk I was in.*  Another part is that I saw one of my icons randomly being used by someone I didn't specifically make it for.  And it's unseemly how happy/excited this sort of thing makes me.  Enough for one of those lame, corny anime smileys, even:  ^________^;

I do wish the person had commented (or if they did comment, that I hadn't missed it); especially because I'm really curious how someone not on my f'list came across an icon I hadn't publically shared yet.  But since it is snaggable, and used with credit, it's all good.

Mostly, I'm just hyped to see it getting some use. *bounces*


Oh, and I might even get to go to the Adult Swim party at the Santo Party House in New York, next week.  Emphasis on "might," sadly, because I can't go unless I find (a) someone to take the bus or carpool with, or (b) a place to crash in NYC overnight...

But I did just post about this at capslokdethklok, checking to see if anyone from Massachusetts is going.  And because I'm in high spirits at the mo', my hopes are up.

&&&&

---

* That's not to say don't comment on that post.  It would still seriously help to talk about this with a few more people.

Metalocalypse people on my f'list... I know there's few of you, but you're there.  And I could really use you guys right now.

I'm having major doubts about the community I'm working on, dethepisode — the one I first posted about last summer.  I'm just not sure right now whether it's worth the effort, or if anyone will join, or if I'll be interested enough/have the energy to keep it running (especially if I don't find a co-mod).

But since the new season starts this fall — the time to make up my mind is now.


So, I'd really love someone to talk to about all this and hear your thoughts on the matter.  Sometimes that really helps, y'know?  I guess if you're not an MTL fan, but just a friend who wants to lend an ear or offer some advice, that would be great too. <3

Okay, this is a question for everyone.  Don't just fill out the poll; give me your thoughts.  Even if you don't know me — if you're reading this, I want to hear your opinion!


I've been thinking a lot about custom-made LJ styles* lately (since looking through many of them while working on dethepisode and st_games).  And I've come to the conclusion that there are way more great ones than I myself could ever possibly use.

I'll be honest: some of the default styles I've seen people using are a bit hard on the eyes; or at best, pretty boring.  Yet of those on my f'list, hardly anyone uses a custom layout — despite the fact that they're free, much prettier than the lj default styles, and usually a snap to install.

So, I want to know...

Poll #1419078
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Do you use a custom layout* for your journal?

If you don't, why not?

If someone (say, me) offered to help you pick out/install/customize a layout, would you be up for that?

Would the offer of a matching header and/or icon help persuade you?

Obviously if you answered "yes" to the first question, you can skip the next three. :P

Anyway... don't just vote, comment!  Tell me what you think about this, and why you are for or against custom styles.  I'm really curious, guys.

---

* Let me be clear: when I say "custom layout" or "...style," I'm not talking about taking an LJ default theme (that's those ones you chose from when you go to customize your journal) and changing a few colors, or adding your own header/background.  I'm talking about a layout custom made to be of a higher quality, by someone with a keen aesthetic eye and professional coding skills.

Check out the stuff at mintyapple, for example, to see what I mean.

Check it out!  A post that isn't birthday greetings or a rant.  Don't ever say I don't come through on my promises. :P


So, this morning (or was it early this afternoon?) I got a brilliant idea on how to find the solution to a problem I've been having with the dethepisode layout.  And it worked!  I found the issue and fixed it, and now the layout is nearly perfect; just needs a few minor tweaks and a header.  With luck, the community will be up and running by mid-July. &&&

(Do feel free to tell me what you think so far.)

Then I spent the rest of the day playing helper fairy to various people who posted questions about the original layout (by gossymer).  Because she has this policy about not answering questions on layouts older than a week or two,* but not everyone — including myself, at first — seemed to realize this.

Some of these people had the same problems I had had; others just didn't know that they ought to be looking for help elsewhere.  So I thought it might be nice of me to point a couple of them in the right direction.  I even offered to help this one person with a certain rather unwieldy free hosting service, which I myself had much aggravation from last week.  (I sure hope that one doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.)


I tell you guys all this not to brag, but to say that while randomly helping others is all well and good... what I should have been doing today was working out the details of my hostel stay and booking a flight to San Francisco for Azkatraz.**

*headdesk*  And it's nearly July.  Way to be another day late on that one. :\

---

* Hey, I don't blame her.  Not every layout maker has time for individual questions (they're already taking a chunk out of their lives just to make the layouts); and there are plenty of communities on LJ where you can get coding help from the experts.

** Which, by the way, still has tickets left for only $130!  Anyone wanna go who's not already going?

Happy Day-After-Your-Birthday, Itchy!

I'm sorry I didn't have time yesterday to post.  (I didn't forget, honest!)

Anyway... we haven't talked in a while; mostly because I've been too busy for y!Gallery lately, and that's where I see you most.  I really wish you were on AIM, so we could chat more, because I definitely do miss you. *smooshes*  But either way, you mean a ton to me.  You're incredibly talented, but also sweet and fun and just a pleasure to talk to and be around.  I'm really lucky to have you as a friend! <333

(Oh, and I promise to try to visit you on y! more.  Fo' srs.)

Also, I'd love to make you a birthday icon... if you want one.  Um, any requests?





The rest of you guys: my next post will not be a rant or a birthday post, I swear.  No, really.  >_>

Okay, how sad is it that I mostly seem to use my LJ for these little rants, recently?  I promise to work on that...


But anyway.  I don't know how many of you out there on my f-o'list are icon makers, or icon enthusiasts, like myself.  Perhaps not very many.  But to those who are: Am I the only one sick and tired of this "no animations" rule EVERY icon challenge seems to have these days?  It used to be just stillness communities (and that's fine; I mean, it's sorta the whole point), but now it seems practically every person who runs an icontest has something against animations.  (There are exceptions, but — in my experience so far — they're rather few.)

Where does this hatred come from?  I have a vague idea that it all started — back during the big stillness movement, I mean — because animated icons kept getting all the votes in challenges, and mods thought this was unfair to those who don't know how to do animations.  I'm not even sure that's the real reason... but if it was, this was years ago; this was back when icon animation was new and exciting.  These days, most experienced icon makers— heck, even the amateurs, know how to make an animated gif.  And hardly everyone outright prefers animated icons to still ones.  In fact, it might even be the opposite.

I don't know... all I can say is, every time I see in some icontest community's rules the words "all effects allowed, except animations" I cringe a little.  If you're not a stillness community, this just doesn't make sense to me.  Why single out and ban one specific kind of icon, when that's not even what your challenge is about?  It's not like there aren't plenty of other effects some people might "not know how to do."

:\

I know I'm doing this sorta last minute, but...

Anybody out there going to Azkatraz this summer?

I'm sure of all the HP fans on my f'list, there must be someone going to San Francisco.  And as you may have guessed, I don't have hotel plans yet.  Basically, I'd just really like someone to room with who's not a complete stranger, y'know?  Plus, it'd be really fun to get to know some of you guys better this way.  (If someone has a room but no more free beds... I don't even mind sleeping on the floor if I have to.)

Anyway, please let me know?  I'd be way in your debt. <3

Okay, first of all...



I'm sorry I don't have anything for you right now... but I would love to make you a late birthday icon, if you want one.  Just let me know what you'd like it of. :)

In the mean time, I just wanted to say that I'm really glad to have you as a friend.  You're a very bright and positive person, so talking to you (or just seeing a comment from you) always lifts my mood.  You're sweet, fun to chat with, and at times utterly adorable...  And even though we haven't gotten to know each other well yet, I hope that will change over the coming year.  May it be a great one, darling!


I also want to wish a—



Okay, guys, I didn't forget... I swear.  What happened, was: I knew one of your birthdays was coming up, but I realized last minute that the other's birthday was on the same day.  So I had a gift for one, and not the other; which I thought would be pretty lame, when saying "Happy Birthday" to both of you.  So, I figured I should make a second one before I do the birthday post — but RL got in the way, and it took a little longer than I thought.  *fail*

Oh well.  Anyway, I have birthday icons* for both of you (I trust you can figure out which is which :P).  Fae, I didn't know what you might like... so, uh, I just went by your H&G request.  If it's not really what you wanted, let me know and I'll do something else.



To that, I just wanna add that both you guys as friends really mean a lot to me.  You're both funny — in your own very different ways, — both great to talk to, and have each done plenty to keep me sane and make me happy when I needed cheering up.  I'm glad for the things we have in common, but also enjoy our differences; and have generally had a lot of fun knowing both of you so far.  Perhaps, hopefully, we'll all get to be even better friends in the coming year!


So... I am sorry that I suck and didn't manage this on your actual birthdays. *hides*  (I'll try to correct that mistake next year, I promise.)

But!  Pretty late, but just as great — right?  No?  Maybe...  Okay, fine; I just wanted to say that because it rhymes. :P

---

* For those [other than the birthday boy and girl] who might be interested: all icons in this post are sharable.  Please comment if taking!

Well, it's officially my birthday in one month.  No, wait... that was Saturday.  Er.  To be clear: my birthday is on the 21st.  Of April.  So... just under a month, actually.

If you need any help remembering, I'm smack dab in the middle between Adolf Hitler, the leader of German Nazism [04/20/1889], and Vladimir Lenin, the founder of Soviet Communism [04/22/1870].  Opposing evils on both ends.  And yes, I love telling people that.  *dork*


Anyway, just in case someone out there wants to give me a gift, for some crazy reason...  What I would most love is to get some birthday fic (although, art and icons are both close seconds).*  So if you decide to be totally awesome and write me something, feel free to ask me for a prompt/challenge/whatever.  Or, if you have your heart set on it being a surprise— well, uh— try jedipirate, I guess.  She can probably tell you what I like. :P

I also definitely don't hate getting things in the mail.  So, um... if you're someone I know, and you feel like sending me a card or something?  Comment, and I'll email you my address.


This year I'm going to be 26.  I really hope it's more fun than my 25th!  &&&

---

* Note that all these things are free.

Happy birthday, Twilight Speaks! <3

Boy, there are a lot of these in March, aren't there?  lol.  I guess it must be all those reproductive spring vibes, making people have babies...

Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm really, really glad we've gotten to know each other.  Your friendship has come to mean a lot to these last couple of months, and you and I both know you've really kept my spirits up and helped me through some stuff I might not've been able to handle on my own.  Doing that for someone you're only just getting to know is pretty amazing... so, I guess what I'm saying is: thanks for being such an awesome person!  I'm lucky to have someone like you in my fandom, and even more so to count you as a friend. <33

Also, I made you something.  Last week actually; but I thought I'd hold on to it till your actual birthday...





I really hope you like, darling!
(But if you don't, that's okay.  I'll just use it myself. :P)


If anyone else wants it, well... I guess that's gonna be up to Twilight, whether or not it's sharable.  I certainly don't mind (as long as you comment and credit).  Or if you just feel like telling me it's pretty, that's cool too. XD

/douchebag mode

I dunno.  You ever get that feeling, when you just keep thinking about something, and you need to say it?  Even if no one's gonna care, you need to get it out of your head...


( Some further thoughts on ship wars, fandom harmony, and diehard OTPers vs. so-called ship-hoppers. (While inspired by the happenings in Metalocalypse, this stuff equally applies to all fandom in general.) )


It got long and rambly there, so I thought I'd better cut it this time.  Still, I can't help but hope someone out there reads it...

If you disagree with me, please feel free to debate the issue; I promise I won't take offence.  Just be polite about it, and I'll be sure to be equally polite in return. :)

I've been looking for a few places to crosspost my St. Pat's Pickles icon set from yesterday (especially since no one here seems to want 'em).  One elite icon community I looked at mentions in their user info that they consider the use of icon templates to be cheating...

O.o

I did a Google search for "icon template," and even tried Wikipedia, with little to no luck.  As far as I can tell... icon templates are little shape frames [like this] created by others, that you somehow use in making your own icons.  But this doesn't really help me.  I don't understand how these are much different from regular old icon brushes (which are most often in the shape of a 100x100 frame).

Does anyone out there know what exactly icon templates are?
And If you do, can you please explain it to me?

I'm pretty sure I've never used one, so that's not really a problem.  But it still seriously bothers me that when people say "icon template" I don't know for sure what they're talking about. :\

So, yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, as you all know.  It's that wonderful holiday when it's okay to get piss-drunk and act like a complete idiot — as long as you're wearing something green!  Of course, I myself sat at home and didn't get to do anything special...  But!  I did make some icons.

This is actually my first complete icon set (a full seventeen; just like the date!), and the first time EVER I've made more than two, maybe three icons at a time.*  Amazing, no?  They were made for twilightspeaks's St. Patrick's Day mini-fest over on IJ.  Do check it out; there are lots of other amazing submissions there! <3


[17] Metalocalypse: Pickles the Drummer (St. Pat's themed)

---------
1. Comment if you're taking, please.  It only takes a minute!
2. Credit (see below if you don't know how).  Not crediting is like saying you made it.
3. Don't hotlink and/or repost them elsewhere without my permission.
4. Do not claim as your own.  Obviously. :P
5. Don't alter; if you need something changed, ask and I'll do it for you.  Blank icons are not bases.
6. If you want to use these outside LJ, you MUST ask my permission.  (I'll probably say yes.)

Warning: Pickles in his underwear; may be NWS


   

( Ey'm jest too drunk right now... )

---

* Okay, there was that one time.  But those were crap and it doesn't count.

Um.  That's from The Simpsons, for those who don't know.


Anyway, this is so shamefully late.  But!  I still managed it on the right day...


You already know how much I love you, darling, but let me say it again: as a friend, you really mean the world to me.  I know we don't talk much these days, since at the moment we don't have any fandoms in common (still hoping that might change!); but nonetheless, you're always there when I need you.  You're always ready to offer support and encouragement, hear me out when I need to blow off steam, or just say something sweet and make me smile.  Who could ask for more in a friend? <333


I wish you the bestest best this year!  And... I'd offer to make you an icon, but your own are way prettier than mine.  Want me to draw you something, though?  It can even be a character/pairing from a fandom I don't know; so long as you can find me a reference image or two.




On a semi-related note:  Today is also mundo_fine's birthday, as it turns out.  Which I wouldn't have even known, except that I was on y!Gallery randomly this morning, and saw it mentioned in her journal.  lol.

I don't think you read my lj; but just in case you do — happy also birthday!

...To all my fellow Toki/Skwisgaar* shippers out there.  I know there are few of you on my f'list — I can count you guys on one hand — but I hope you will pass this sentiment on to your fandom friends and neighbors.

Let's all come together and show that we're mature, intelligent people, and that shipping a popular and [as many of us see it] canon-supported pairing has not turned us into self-righteous douchbags.  Let's be strong, and smart.  Let's not be threatened by every other pairing under the sun.  Let's not scream "BLASPHEMY!" every time we see one of our beloved Scandinavians shipped with someone other than each other.

Let's be people.

As someone I very much respect has said recently, we S/T shippers are solidly in the majority.  We're the status quo.**  But even if we weren't — it isn't as thought other pairings are going to come out and get us.  It's fine to like Nathan/Skwisgaar or Toki/Pickles, even when your first love is S/T.  Or?  It's fine if you don't.  There's nothing wrong with liking lots of pairings, and there's nothing wrong with liking just one.

Let's be open-minded toward each other, that's all I'm saying.  Let's stand together for fandom unity.  Let's show our fellow Dethfans love and respect, no matter who they ship — and we will get the same from them in return. :)


If you love Toki/Skwisgaar* (or like it even a little), and happen to agree with my sentiments, please pass this on!

---

* Once again, to be clear: when I say "Toki/Skwisgaar," I also mean "Skwisgaar/Toki," or whatever else you want to call it.  When it comes to shipping, it's not about who's on top for me.

** And there is nothing wrong with that, either.  Disliking something simply because it's popular is hypocritical all in its own right; and we do not have to prove that our favorite pairing is "struggling" or "oppressed" in order to earn the right to like it.

Oh man...  Slashiest.  Episode.  Evar.

( Spoilers for 3x11: Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing  )


...Er, well.  Assuming anyone who reads this journal even watches Psych.  Which may or may not be the case.  But oh well.  I just wanted to squee about it to somebody.  (And this makes me pretty happy, even if it turns out no one else cares.)

Besides, like I said, I've got to update with something, right?

Normally, I would whine to JediPirate about this, I suppose... but she's not around right now, and it's kinda bugging me not being able to say anything — so I guess I'll just say it here.

I mean, look.  I don't really want to step on anybody's toes and seem like a bitch (or a canon nazi, or any of those other unpleasant things) by blatantly pointing out stuff in fandom that I dislike, when I know some people might disagree with me.  But I also don't want to not say anything, just because I'm trying to get everyone to like me (pfft... people would have to actually know who I am first, anyway).  Plus?  When something is a question of good writing — however subjective that might be — I think it's important that we say these kinds of things, and that hopefully somebody out there hears us.

So, anyway...


Skwisgaar Skwigelf does NOT use the Swedish word "nej" in place of the American "no" when he is speaking English.  He has never done this in canon, EVER.  And he's said "no" plenty of times.

This whole "nej" thing has become almost a fanon staple, despite being completely contrary to canon; and the more I see it, the more it hurts to read.  Please, for the love of Odin, people!  Stop making him act out of character.


I'm not even going to get into the fact that, being an immigrant in the US and knowing many other immigrants, I personally know for certain that most foreign people do not typically substitute yes and no in their own language for the words "yes" and "no" when speaking English.  I mean, none of us expect Metalocalypse to adhere to reality in every way.  But I'm talking about actual CANON here.

(And please, if I'm wrong, tell me that I'm wrong.  Show me just ONE example of Skwisgaar canonically using the word "nej," and I might shut up about this.  Honest.)




*sigh*

So, jedipirate just linked me to a couple news site articles reporting on LiveJournal Inc.'s recent downsizing:

http://mashable.com/2009/01/06/livejournal-layoffs
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10132684-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Supposedly it's due to the global economic decline, though the first article suggests that the bigger culprit here is a general loss of interest, due to the steady rise in popularity of less bloggy and more buddy-system focused social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.

(To tell you the truth, I kinda think this last part could almost be a good thing.  If you know me well, you might know that I have a deep-seated dislike of MySpace and its style of social networking, which I feel is geared to appeal most to teenyboppers and emo types, who are typically either around 16, or act like they are (even when they're in fact in their 30s).  I've seen LiveJournal associated with this type of crowd as well... and to be honest, from the depth of my El Jay-devoted heart, I'd like nothing more to see it break free from these associations.  If it means some loss of traffic, so be it; so long as the traffic we're losing is that of mindless, melodramatic teenagers, I'm not so sure we want them here in the first place.*)

But, back to the point:  Who thinks we should be worried about this?  The layoffs, I mean.  Show of hands?  Does LJ struggling financially mean we should all start packing our bags and backing up our journals in a hurry?  Or should we just sit back and wait it out, not paying it much mind?  Maybe something in between?

Frankly, I'm not so sure what to think yet.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Please note: this is in no way intended to offend anybody who happens to like MySpace, Facebook, or anything similar, as I know some of you do.  I have nothing against people who do enjoy using such forums, when those people are normal intelligent adults (or even normal intelligent teenagers; they do exist! O_O).

What I have a problem with is MySpace itself.**  It seems to me that it's built to attract a lot of the unintelligent types.  But that certainly doesn't mean that everyone who uses it falls into that category.


** Admittedly, I know far, far less about Facebook than I do about MySpace; other than the fact that, similar to MySpace, it appears to be geared less toward blogging and more toward collecting friends.  I do get the sense that it's a lot less annoying, format-wise.

I know, I know... no one is going to read this.  Or maybe someone is.  Goodness, I've pretty much lost track of whether anyone who watches Metalocalypse actually reads my journal.  (Need to go make more friends, I guess.)  And I think I may've just been unfriended by the one person who'd have been most likely to care about this kind of post.

But I do need to update my journal with something.  So, I will trudge on.


Anyway, I had a Toki/Skwisgaar bunny.  This morning, just hypothetically, I was trying to imagine what kind of T/S plot might make sense** to a person who doesn't find T/S canonically plausible (I won't say appeal — but at least make sense).  And this idea came to me.

It's sort of lame and cracky, to tell you the truth... but hey.  Crazier scenarios have been turned into good fic before; I've seen it.

So, I thought: what if Toki accidentally overdosed on some sort of wacky aphrodisiac drug (hey, it's Metalocalypse.  I mean, if a drug can erase your whole brain...), and as a result, he had to have sex within the next, say, hour, or he would die/go insane/his peen would fall off... something along those lines.  (Alternatively, it could also be that for whatever crazy reason, anyone in Dethklok who's a virgin is in some kind of mortal danger... and it turns out Toki has never had sex.  I mean, I know a lot of people don't like or don't really buy virgin!Toki.  But I could totally see it.  And I'll gladly explain my reasoning, if anyone asks.)

Anyway, either there's not enough time to find Toki a groupie, or the guys are somewhere (on their way to a concert, maybe?) where women are not readily available to them.  So basically, one of them has to sleep with Toki.  Everyone is very put off by the thought of ghey seksorz — and Toki himself is at least weirded out by the idea — but finally Skwisgaar volunteers.  Not because he's into it, but because he's the one who least wants Toki to die or whatever [something I feel is pretty supported by canon].  And possibly because he's the least picky in bed [something that could also be supported by canon].

And then the sex turns out to be surprisingly good... etc.


I'd actually really like to do something with this idea; I just don't know what.  It might be fun to play out as an RP one day, with the right person.  Or, I don't know, if anyone wants to use it as a fic bunny, you're welcome to it — just tell me so.  Though, I reserve the right to use it again myself/pitch it to someone else/submit it somewhere as a challenge... or whatever.

It might be fun to see it written by someone who's not a big-time Toki/Skwisgaar* shipper, I think.

Or it could just sit there in the back of my brain, gathering dust, until ultimately I forget all about it.  Who knows.  That might be kinda sad, though.


(By the way, please tell me if anyone thinks this thing calls for an LJ-cut.  I don't mind, I just never really know how long is too long.  Plus, people hardly ever seem to click on LJ-cuts. :\ )



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Just in case, if anyone here does that name-order thing (which I'll be honest, I hate); allow me to clarify.  "Toki/Skwisgaar" is not intended to imply that Toki would be on top during sex.  I just happen to think it sounds better that way.

** You have to understand: I'm of the mind that most pairings can be written realistically, and written well, if they are done right.  Including ones I personally dislike, or ones I don't find very believable.  Of course, not everyone shares this outlook... and I get that.  Trust me.  But theoretically, if someone did feel the same way as I do, then the right kind of story could make them buy a pairing they normally would consider unrealistic or out of character.