Shiny new Smiley Town *bling*

[mistysakura]

An early Happy Birthday to you, Gavin! I'll be done with exams in a couple of weeks, but I finished my hardest exam and handed in my poetry assignment on Tuesday, so I'm pretty relaxed now, really.

[PancaKe]

Gasp Gavin! When is your 21st?? Ill come over and see you.
Hey ada, you up for it??

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Finishing my exams wednesday, thank heavens for that.

Happy Birthday Gav, I'll just post this now, since I know I'll forget it otherwise

Is perhaps the age of consent in Australia 21. *sheepish grin*

...I'll get me coat.

[PancaKe]

Age of consent is 16 in Australia.
Drinking/voting is 18.
Driving is 17.
Nothing really happens at 21 anymore.

[Gavin Luper]

Thanks for the early birthday wishes dudes and dudettes.

Yay, TPM crew should totally crash my 21st! You eastern staters should road trip it!

Man, that would be wicked.

[PancaKe]

When is your birthday???

[Gavin Luper]

June 26, party 27th. Will totally facebook invite you.

[PancaKe]

AUGH whyyyy that date??? I've got my best friend's engagement that day!!!
Whyy why why why why!

I still totally want to come to perth and celebrate though! I wonder how much flights cost.... ^___^

[classy_cat18]

My family's planning a vacation for the end of July (weekend after my birthday). At first we were going to Orlando, to this very nice resort. But a lot of my cousins, even those my age, have kids. And those kids need things to do, and we weren't planning to go to any of the parks. Plus, with the recession and all, we wouldn't be able to afford it.

We considered Gatlinburg, but Auntie Melissa and I agreed that we would get cabin fever and find ourselves wrestling bears in the woods for fun. There was another comment but I don't want to insult the white people here.

So right now we're looking into Lake Lanier in Georgia. Still doesn't seem like somewhere I would go, but I just want to get out of the damn state. Atlanta would've been much cooler.

The biggest problem is the little kids. I still have nightmares about the Alabama-New York road trip. Did we ride in a comfortable bus? NO! We went in a friggin' 16-passenger van! And since I wasn't old or mature enough to hang out with the older folks, I was stuck with the kids! I was nineteen at the time! NINETEEN! Everyone was disorganized, they took forever to get ready to go anywhere, and we were so busy entertaining the kids (about eight of them) and giving them all camel rides, we didn't even see half of the Bronx Zoo!

AAARRGH!

[Houndoom_Lover]

Age of consent is 16 in Australia.

Damn OoO! That's good to know XD

I love Australia. And all its cultural things that seem strange to me ^-^

I prolly won't be going on a vacation this year *sigh* 'Cause my family is lame.

[mistysakura]

Hope the trip works out, Shonta! When my friend was little, she and her family took a road trip up to Queensland, sleeping in the van and everything for days. Can't imagine how the parents got through it.

[classy_cat18]

We changed plans again. ^^;

Since Lake Lanier was too expensive, we're going to spend it in Atlanta and Stone Mountain. Yeah, Lake Lanier was too expensive, but we're going to be in the Buckhead area.

There are two areas in Atlanta, Bankhead and Buckhead. Bankhead is the ghetto area. Buckhead's the ritzy area. Even the Residence Inn is going to be a little pricey.

...I wanted to go to Destin, dammit! *pouts*

[PancaKe]

I am going down south next week. Hooray.

I need a holiday. I never take holidays.

I'm silly like that. I mean, I'll take leave when I need to, but I feel guilty asking for time off for a holiday just for fun. So yeah. Haha.

I'm also meant to be showering right now, or I'll be late for work. Sigh, the joys of the internet. Always taking away our precious time.
Lol I was on the net last night, and I looked at the clock and it said 2AM, and I thought "Oh, not too late." Then I looked at teh clock again and it said "3:58AM" and I was like "WHAAAT!"

Hee hee hee

[Gavin Luper]

I am going down south next week. Hooray.

I need a holiday. I never take holidays.

I'm silly like that. I mean, I'll take leave when I need to, but I feel guilty asking for time off for a holiday just for fun. So yeah. Haha.

I'm also meant to be showering right now, or I'll be late for work. Sigh, the joys of the internet. Always taking away our precious time.
Lol I was on the net last night, and I looked at the clock and it said 2AM, and I thought "Oh, not too late." Then I looked at teh clock again and it said "3:58AM" and I was like "WHAAAT!"

Hee hee hee

I do that all the time... *cough*

It may in fact be 2:51am at the moment. Sigh.

Have a good holiday down south, then (where exactly?). And I think I know what you mean ... I never really take holidays either, to be honest. I'm a contract worker so I can realistically take as much time off as I want but I don't, cause I need the money, naturally. But yeah, I tend to take a 3-day weekend every once in a blue moon and that's it. I'm gonna take a week soon and just go home and chill.

[PancaKe]

I'm going down to a place near Ulladulla. With uni friends. It has the potential to be incredibly awkward, because one of the guys likes me... And Soong doesn't want to come with me so *sigh*...

I'll let you all know how it goes...

[mistysakura]

The FanFiction Forum E-zine
August 2009

Prepare for Trouble… Make It Double…
mistysakura

Nah, why would there be trouble in the peaceful realm of Fanfic? But in June and July, Fanfic has definitely geared up for some serious competition. The beginning of June saw the results of the 3rd Biannual Fanfiction Hall of Fame, which was won by the lovely PancaKe. PancaKe has been an outstanding member of Fanfic, not just as a writer, but also as an active reader and a smiley member in general. So, congratulations to the founder of Smiley Town for this deserved award! Since the last e-zine, we’ve also debuted the Great Fic-Swap Contest, for which we impatiently await the entries, which are sure to cause much laughter and enjoyment. Last but not least, nominations for the 2009 Silver Pencils have opened! This time round, we see an even greater focus on member awards, acknowledging both our members’ contributions to TPM, and their unique, wacky qualities which make TPM such an interesting place. Nominations close soon, so hurry to get your ballots in by August 4th!

This issue of the E-zine brings you:

Take a Quiz! Read a Fic!
mistysakura

How to get back to work after a hiatus (In three easy steps!)
Houndoom_Lover

I Am Not Ashamed, Anymore!
PancaKe

Enjoy!

Take a Quiz! Read a Fic!
mistysakura

Every day, hundreds of new fanfics are posted on the web. With so many fics, where does one begin? There are exceptionally dedicated readers who peep into every fic and give it a go, but for the rest of us who struggle for quality fanfiction time, choosing what to read is quite a task. After all, titles do no justice to the immense possibilities within a fanfic. It’s like judging a book by its... oh never mind.

So, for this month’s issue, I’ve picked several fics which have made their debut since the last e-zine, and created a little quiz for them. Hopefully the results will lead you to a fic you like!

1. If you had to write a fanfic, what fandom would it be? (Note: the fanfics in this article are not necessarily from these fandoms, but I’ve chosen similar fandoms which should be familiar to most.)

A: I’m on a Pokemon message board… ‘nuff said!
B: Battle Royale! Gotta kill them all!
C: Alice in Wonderland… because I feel like falling down a rabbit hole and ending up in Australia.
D: Wicked. We evil people need a hug too sometimes, you know.

2. If you were magically transported to a new world, who would you want to meet?

A: I’m not fussed, really. The first human I set my eyes on. I just want a travelling partner, someone to be with while I find my family again.
B: Is that an alien of the opposite sex I see? She even wields a laser gun… all the better!
C: Where am I??? I WANT MY MOMMY!!!
D: Who needs companions anyway? I can achiever world domination all by myself, thank you very much!

3. In this new world, you see a mirage. Wow, it’s a miracle! You’ve never been so overjoyed in your life. What do you see?

A: My long-lost brother, emerging unscathed from the forces of evil.
B: A vending machine. Look, it’s even got a coin lying next to it! Mmm, I’m hungry…
C: A shiny car with cushiony seats. Take me away somewhere, anywhere but here!
D: A T.V. so huge it would make the ruler of this world drool. Who cares what the outside world’s like when I can entertain myself to my heart’s content?

4. Unfortunately, this new world seems to be rather against you. The mirage fades away, leaving only dust and the insurmountable sense that the world is laughing at you. Isn't it ironic?

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

What is your definition of irony?

A. I was a secret agent leading the anti-Team Rocket taskforce. Since I left, I’ve been looking forward to peace and quiet… but no, because my new travelling partner happens to be Ash Ketchum's son with a more desirable Pikachu than ever!

B: Since I'm fighting for my life in this new world, you'd think I'd want to have the best weapons possible. The weapon I've got is formidable all right... but I can barely lift it!

C: When you're on an adventure, every step takes you closer to your goal, right? So I take five steps forward... into the path of a moving car. Not so good.

D: I miss the way life used to be... the only thing reminding me of my old lifestyle is a gift my parents sent me. But this present happens to be a box of squash. I'm allergic to squash.

If you got mostly As:

Steel and Strength
by Thorne_Darkrose

As the dust cleared, Blood was recharging her power, and was vulnerable.

"Now hit it with extreme speed into a Bolt Tackle!" Posei shouted, his Pikachu rushing like a bolt of Lightning at Blood, hitting her then setting itself ablaze with electricity and finishing off Blood with the Bolt Tackle. Blood hit the ground hard, wincing in pain and passing out.

Three years ago, the leaders of the Anti-Rocket Task Force, brothers Agent Dark Rose and Agent Black Mew, mysteriously disappeared. Now, Agent Dark Rose prefers to be known only as Thorne, and is quietly rebuilding his life by working as a gym leader. But when Posei Ketchum challenges him at his gym, the past catches up with him, and he sets off on an adventure to find his brother…

If you got mostly Bs:

Deathmatch
by Evil Mewf0ur

My eyes suddenly shot open. The air was thick and musty, and it only seemed to make the spinning inside my head worse as I groggily pulled my torso up to sit, feeling every muscle in my body ache. What the hell happened? I was driving home from a friend's place in the countryside and then- And then I'm here, sitting in this dark, dank, and stuffy room.

"Good morning, Earthling," a static, robotic voice suddenly rang out into the air. I was suddenly aware of a large metal band encasing my left forearm, mounted with a small speaker and what looked to be like a screen. "You have been chosen to participate in the 27th annual Deathmatch games," the voice from the speaker continued.

Deathmatch wastes no time on preliminaries. From the first word, you are thrown into a battle for your life on a strange planet. Armed only with an Uzi, a revolver, a fire axe and three grenades, you must eliminate all 49 other contestants to gain your freedom.

If you got mostly Cs:

A Sabbatical
by Dragoknight

Finnegan Larkos leaves home “with nothing but a full stomach and wild anticipation”, to venture into the wide world. Soon, however, he gets lost, and manages to step into the path of an oncoming car… Luckily, the driver of the car seems benign and offers him a lift. But what is this “Squirtle” the driver speaks of? And why is Finnegan being taken to a lab? This doesn’t sound good…

His mother, stern and serious, had warned him to realise that before long, he would reach a point from which he could not return, even if he wanted to. At the time, Finnegan had thought this to be an allegorical point: the loss of his innocence or the blinding sting of pride driving him onward.

In actuality, it had turned out to be a particularly steep hill he had tumbled down not two hours after leaving home. Hit with a dose of reality and with a particularly nasty bruise on his head, he had attempted to scale back up the hill, but to no avail. Home was well and truly out of his reach.

If you got mostly Ds:

Ivo
by Houndoom_Lover

Ivo gave her fishy friend a hard glare, “And I’ll show them, that they can’t just change the way things work- you know why Claud?”

Claud’s murky eyes looked up and met hers for a moment, “Because you’re an evil master mind and everyone in Malaria will tremble at your feet?” He said this dryly, as though he had heard it time and time again.

“That’s right!” Ivo stormed out of the room, shaking her fist in the air as though angry at some unknown deity of bad fortune.

All her life, Ivo has studied to become the top evil scientist in the land. But as a fresh graduate, all her dreams topple as the evil king is overthrown and sunlight is restored to the land. Now, farms flourish and gardens bloom, but all Ivo has is an obsolete lab, a fishy man-dog for a pet and a massive student debt… what will Ivo do?

Happy reading!

From the factory of Doctor WAR, you have before you today…

How to get back to work after a hiatus (In three easy steps!)
Houndoom_Lover

Step one: First things firsts, you have to want to get back to work. And remember, this really applied towards anything, be it artistical or practical, or practically artistical. But since this is in the E-zine, I’ll focus on writing…fanfiction in particular. If you don’t want to do it, every moment will be a painful nightmare. But you say, Doctor WAR, I want to get back to work, but I just can’t seem to.

Well, I’ll say to you, this is good. Oddly as it seems this is the step right before getting back to work. You have to shake of the shell by diving right in, which brings up to…

Step two is becoming amerced. If you don’t think you can dive right in, stick your toes in and test the water by doing what you did when you first started whatever you stopped. Reread the novel you read, play the video game, watch the shows, and stuff like that. But sometimes that just won’t do it. You’ll feel the squirming, but that shell of hiatus just won’t slip off.

So the next step in step two is to look at other fan work. Be it fan art or fanfictions, look up stuff similar to you. Nothing like a little competition to get the blood boiling. But you can’t stop there, once you’re good and shaken up, its time to open up those old files. Reread them, retype them, whatever. Just get acquainted with your story again. Don’t be afraid to mix it up a little bit either- if you keep it fresh and new, it’ll always be fun to write. And sooner or later, a word will follow after your last one. Keep going until a chapter is done…

And Voila! You’re back from your hiatus.

Step three is the easiest, but the hardest. And it is to just keep going. Start a daily schedule plan, an hourly word count, whatever floats your boat. Make sure your goals are easily do-able. As you get back up to par, create tougher goals, like two chapters a day, work for four hours instead of three. Soon, your story will be finished and you can throw a smashing party!

I Am Not Ashamed, Anymore!
PancaKe

Following my article in the last e-zine (I Am Not Ashamed) talking about the way in which some of us can feel weird, shy or even a bit silly admitting to writing fanfiction, I decided to admit to one of my best friends my secret hobby.

It was a phone call, late in the evening. I was cold and snuggled up beside the heater with my blanket, the phone, and my laptop, complaining to him about publishing laws and other various things. I sighed, and said in a defeated tone, "I guess I'll just have to stick to fanfiction then."

"Fanfiction?" he asked. "What kind of fanfiction do you write?"

I could feel myself blushing, and my throat felt as though it was closing up. "Um... I write pokemon fanfiction," I admitted quickly, in a small voice. I was somehow deluding myself into thinking that if I said it quietly and fast, he wouldn't notice what I had said, nor make a big deal of it.

The silence that followed seemed like a lifetime.

Really, it was only a brief moment. Then he laughed. But it wasn't a mean, cruel, insulting laugh. Instead, it was a light laugh, the kind of laugh that a person might make at a baby who has just done something delightful. "That's so cute!" he said.

Cute?

I thought fanfiction was a range of things, from nerdy to silly, but I had never once perceived it to be cute. But, it made me feel a lot better. In fact, I would be quite happy to show him my fanfics now. I guess in front of this particular person, I'm not ashamed anymore.

[eevee-shayna]

I don't know if anyone is interested, but I've typically posted pictures of my summer con cosplays here with my gf samchu. This time we were Utena and Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena. Well, technically the movie versions.


and for the fun of it, here I am in a scantily clad bunny costume during my masquerade skit:


Ad if anyone feels so inclined, you are more than welcome to go to my youtube account to watch my AMV submission and my skit:
http://www.youtube.com/eeveeshayna

This feels like such self promotion, lol. I like looking at pictures of people I know on the internet, so maybe you do too. Enjoy.

[Lady Vulpix]

Sorry, Shayna, I'm afraid the quality of the video was terrible, so I couldn't understand what was being said and I got dizzy from all the times the camera shook violently. But I could still see that you're a very good dancer.

Was this a rehearsal?


By the look of things, it seems like the con was really fun. It makes me wish I could go.

[eevee-shayna]

that was a post-hearsal. I saw how bad my brother's recording of the skit came out, so I had the group get together at the end of the con and dance in a well lit area.

In my favorites are a few much better recordings of the skit. ^^

Cons are fun. You should find if there are any near you.

[PancaKe]

I return. For now.

Tee hee hee.

For those who care; here's where I've been:
Uni: Well, I lie, ive been there a bit but mostly skipping classes which could lead to some fails.
INTERNSHIP: I'm working part time for a small Anglican media company and I'm writing and being published. REAL JOURANLIST.
Work / Church / YG / SLEEPING

Ok the end byeee

[classy_cat18]

Like many others, I've been on the hunt for a job. Last night I got an e-mail from a man that a friend of mine knew, saying that he was offering a data entry job. Commission based, earning about $500-$1000 daily or weekly, depending on how much work I put in. I feel iffy about job offerings like that because you get a lot of that crap in your junk e-mail folder, right? And the guy was going to have everyone work in his home, as opposed to the office. He said it was a "last minute" thing. The whole thing felt so fishy. That and that it was in an out-of-the-way location. So I turned him down. I just hope I was doing the right thing. The family really needs this money, so I'd feel terrible if I went with my gut instinct and I was wrong.

[Houndoom_Lover]

PancaKe! We were suppose to get married! You left me at the alter, whyyyyy! TwT

Hahaha, I skipped math class twice this week. No mores for me. Nopes..nopes...

You coulda always gone with a shot gun, Classy :3 That's how I travel!

[PancaKe]

Shonta that does sound dodgy. Surely there are other jobs out there that you can get? Hit a local shopping center and plaster it with your resume? Every store regardless. That's what my sister did, got a job that same afternoon

[Gavin Luper]

I return. For now.

Tee hee hee.

For those who care; here's where I've been:
Uni: Well, I lie, ive been there a bit but mostly skipping classes which could lead to some fails.
INTERNSHIP: I'm working part time for a small Anglican media company and I'm writing and being published. REAL JOURANLIST.
Work / Church / YG / SLEEPING

Ok the end byeee

Awesomeness. Where are you being published? Anything I could read you in all the way over here? Btw come visit hokay?

[PancaKe]

I want to come visit Gavin I really do! I just need a travel partner and a place to stay! Sigh... I'm going over to Taiwan in January/February... so like I dont know when I can come but I will try and plan something ... 2010 something will happen for sure!

Yeah go to sydneyanglicans.net to see some of my work

[mr_pikachu]

Egh, today's been a rather lousy day. My apartment flooded, so I wound up missing an important meeting that I requested with a prominent faculty member. I've spent the rest of the day sitting here with an industrial fan in my bathroom, ratcheting up my electric bill and hoping that the floor will be dry sometime tonight. Also, I have to go out of town later this week, and I can't find anyone to substitute teach my classes. Blargh. Also, I have absolutely no idea what I want to do for my final project in one of my grad classes this semester (since my original idea was infeasible within the time period), and we're supposed to be ready to talk about it during tomorrow's period. >_<

In brighter news, I'm hoping to go to a concert once the semester ends... in over a month. It's the little victories that matter....

[PancaKe]

Augh your day sounds really stressful Brian!


Currently I'm trying to finish off an article for the Southern Cross. Then once Im done that, I can go out to play. so to speak. I need to send it soon. I'm proof reading / editing it now.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, on the bright side, I just outlined a two-part Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya fic in my head. Now I just need to find the time to write it.


EDIT: Typos suck.

[PancaKe]

If i knew what that was I would be excited!

[mr_pikachu]

In case you guys didn't know, this is National Bitch-Out-Your-Instructors-Because-They-Gave-You-The-Grades-You-Deserved Week. So take advantage of it, people! It's your one chance to act like a jackass to the people who decide whether or not you get put on academic probation. Enjoy this brief window between final grades being finalized and your instructors forgetting your name.

[classy_cat18]

Brian, did you bitch out your instructors? Because good little scholars shouldn't do that.

EDIT: I've been selling cookies to make extra money. You'd be surprised how much people love peanut butter cookies.

[mr_pikachu]

Nope. I am the instructor.

[classy_cat18]

Ahh. Your students bitched you out.

[mr_pikachu]

Yeah, it's always fun returning from a date to see an inbox full of E-mail, including one student who sent three messages in the span of 195 minutes. (One of his complaints made no sense whatsoever, while the other two amounted to "You're grading too hard! Waaaah!")

[Houndoom_Lover]

Whiners. A.P isn't so bad, you just gotta not suck the next semester is all ._. Fook, being a whatever you are sounds pretty upsetting. I wouldn't want people hating on me for not giving them good grade :0 Or whatever- Last final today. I didn't sleep. Social exprement on my behalf.

[mr_pikachu]

I always seem to get the complainers. Maybe it's because 95% of the other people who teach this class lack a backbone and cave when their students challenge the course policies? Bah.

In any case, I'm pretty sure my students are the reason that the department is implementing some policy changes for next semester. They're not used to having to support someone who legitimately fights in favor of their policies.



HL: Best of luck on your last exam!

[Houndoom_Lover]

Failed it like a boss :3

Hey, when are the awards yo?

[classy_cat18]

Three out of four mods seem to be busy for various reasons, so it'll take a while to organize things.

EDIT: What d'ya know. Tara's birthday is tomorrow/today, depending on where you live. Maybe she'll be here.

[mistysakura]

Happy belated birthday, Tara! And Merry Christmas to everyone in one and a half hours! *goes back to editing story for non-TPM e-zine... non-conventional Christmas Eve, I know *

[mistysakura]

Happy New Year, everyone! Man, this decade has gone crazily quickly... New Year's resolutions, anyone? I plan to run a half-marathon