So I finally finished my annual Year In Review.

I'll be offline for the next few weeks and I'm going to miss you all! I hope each and every one of you have a warm, safe, chocolate-filled holiday, and a very happy new year. See you in 2012!!

I've known for a very long time that the Youtube fandom, of which EskimoKissProject was necessarily a part, was plagued with a complete lack of etiquette. With EKP and also with the AWZ communities on IJ, we tried to bring what all three of us had been taught was normal fandom interaction to that world. I'm talking about the very basic niceties of fandom here - you know, the "credit others for their contributions" and "comment when you like something" and "for the love of god, don't steal other people's shit." I'm not saying we did a perfect job, but at least we tried. For Pete's sake, I even gave Dennis Grabosch an earful when he took somebody's fanvid and put his own music to it because he hates "My Immortal". I do too, btw, but that shit is just not on.

As we expected, the fandom really went rogue after we quit our regular posting last year. It's turned to ugly consumerism, where people just grab what they want without any concern for the time or effort that others took to make it. And I'm not even talking about EKP's subtitled videos, which people are uploading at will, without asking, saying thanks, or anything. That's kinda crappy, but we did tell people they could download our stuff. I'm talking about fanvids that have been archived without the creators' knowledge or permission - just because apparently anything on YT is fair game.

Seriously, people! Archiving stuff that is not your own without permission!!! WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?!!!!

So if you've created any AWZ vids in the past few years, you might want to check here* and see if your stuff has been pillaged. I recognise quite a few of them myself. Some of the original vids are still on Youtube, where viewers could leave a comment if they were so inclined. And I know that others were taken down for a reason by the creator. I think it's really shitty that their wishes are not respected - hell, not even considered.

WTF is wrong with this fandom?


* Update: She's now made the folder private (and I was asked to remove the link to my vids in her post. Um, no.). If you've created vids that you don't want archived, you might want to write to her anyway. (amilee123 and redcouchaddict, I know she had included some of yours.)

Tonight, in about five hours actually, we put EskimoKissProject to rest. I have been grasping for my feelings about this, and had hoped to put them into words, because it seems like this occasion should be marked in some Significant Way. But that didn’t feel right at all – I can’t explain how I’m going from relief to ecstasy to bereavement in the blink of an eye, and when I try to write anything Significant it just sounds false.

Gacked from everybody.

Because spaghettitoes declared it Snack Drawer Appreciation Day and because this day has been made up of that certain degree of suckage that forces one to stop by Poundland after work, here is my little drawer of heaven.

One of the best things about being in London for a long time is the opportunity to really explore my borough. Perched on the very edge of London, it's easy enough to get into the city on the tube, but what I especially like is that it's just as easy to get out of it. Epping Forest is a 6000+ acre wood that just happens to start about 2 miles from my house.

amo_amas_amat and I went to the BFI preview of Misfits tonight! We saw the season 3 premiere episode (which we're not supposed to talk about lol) and then there was a panel discussion with creator Howard Overman and cast members Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and new guy Joe Gilgun. Without any spoilers, I'll just say that new guy - Rudy is his character's name - is definitely more than a replacement for Robert Sheehan. And that the new powers are pretty fucking awesome.


So really just an amazing experience all around - best 10 quid I think I've ever spent!

Although getting tickets to see "An American In Paris" with special talk by LESLIE CARON just might top that! I <33333 Anna's BFI membership!!!!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every white man in East London will, at some point, grow up to look like Malcolm McDowell:

Promise to do a real update soon (the short version is that I just got back from Ireland and missed London, which was weird). In the meantime, have a meme because spaghettitoes and shellydkitty can't be wrong.

( I need a new icon... )

Because I hear you have trouble enjoying the creamy goodness of tiramisu, here's the no-cal, no-lactose, virtual bite-sized version.



May your next year be bursting with eager veins and absent of gruesome grammar. May you find stimulating conversation in unexpected places and comfort in beloved friends (whether in pixels, pages, or real life). I wish you love and satisfaction and - why not - a trunk of gold pirate pieces (un-cursed of course) to help ease the way towards all your aspirations.

And I wish I was there to give you a big hug in person!

Swiped from immortalje: The Sorting Hat: A Comprehensive Harry Potter Personality Assessment [Test/Quiz]

( I didn't even have to cheat )

No, not that kind of puppy! I just met an Airedale terrier in our town square. Now I really want one.



I'm thinking one of these might be my next pup. (Since I don't know if I can bear another Sheltie after losing Rudy.) Aren't they cute?

I was going to write a long self-indulgent navel gazing post about what it feels like to be involved in Eskimo Kiss Project again. About all the arguments for and against doing it that we’ve had with ourselves and with others. About how it felt like our bridges with the Show had been burned, even as the wavelength that we’d shared for years had been severed utterly. About how we were done, done, done… and honestly, so close to being done.

And then, how the minute we start up again, all that logic and bitterness and debate just flies out the window, and suddenly it feels like we’re making history again. Even if it means we're going to get our hearts broken very soon.

But then I realised I don’t have to write that because this song pretty much says it all:



And yes, there is so much going on these days, and it seems rather trivial to say the biggest news in my life has not been the London riots (which passed over my borough leaving just some broken windows and a few bank machines destroyed) or any of the almost unfathomable political crises taking place around the world (my credit rating is stronger than the US? Crazyskates!), but the changes in our fandom. But as trivial as it might seem, I have to accept that EKP’s been a major part of my life – both my fandom life and my real life – for too long now to just dismiss it as handily as I once thought. Especially when it can still touch me like it does. So until Lacuna perfects their spotless mind procedure, this is where I’m at!

Yes, going to the BFI on the evening of the first showing and trying to get Deathly Hollows is probably not the brightest idea ever.

But we did get them for the 21st. Only a week away, I can last that long. Right?

Today I hung my first art exhibition!

Not that it'll be that noticeable based on my posting frequency, but we're giving the Internet back to antiteb today. *CLINGS* In exchange, she is taking us here and here. How amazing is she?!!!

So I'll see you all next Tuesday when I get back to London. And I'll have pictures, lots of pictures! :D

*smooches all around*

I am so behind on trip reports that I don't want to even think about it. Since leaving New Zealand, I've spent a week in Melbourne, London, Berlin and Köln respectively. Even the last few days have been a blur, so I don't know how useful it is to go back to the beginning, but I am going to try. Especially since I have lots of photos from Australia.

I want to do a quick trip report before I forget, but just a warning: I'm feeling mopey today. My cat had to be put down today. She had two huge tumours, and the Ex (who's been taking great care of her) couldn't get her to eat anymore. Not even beef jerky, which she'll usually take off a finger for. So it was time... not that that makes it any easier. What makes it even worse is that both my pets had to be put to sleep in the past six months, both while I was away, and I had to leave it to my poor Ex. I am Stella in Sugar Rush. :CCCCCC

(I also got almost no sleep last night because my dorm has been infiltrated by Americans who come in at 1:30am - and bring their friends in!! - to talk about what they're doing the next day. Not whisper, talk, and not using their indoor voices either. And they've spread their stuff out all over the whole dorm. If I end up stepping on their laptops, it's really not my fault; I'm just sleep-deprived. Please, oh benevolent hostel gods, send more Brits, or those nice Polish girls, or ANYBODY other than people who don't have a clue how to travel!)

Anyhow, trip report: Yesterday I did the Phillip Island tour, which is a little island pretty much due south of Melbourne. The trip's about 150km, but we took pretty much all day with stops along the way, including:

1) The Australian Wildlife Park, where I saw all the Aussie critters, from Tasmanian devils (who were decimating a chicken) and dingoes to koalas and wombats. And I got to feed wallabies and kangaroos (and a very greedy horse) from my hand. It was quite the experience - picspam coming soon.

2) Cape Woolamai, the southernmost point of the island, with a gorgeous beach. The water was churning crazily and there were surfers trying their best,but not doing too well at all. (I put my toes in and brrrrr! Antarctic water is cold!

3) The Nobbies, a rugged edge of the island with some amazing rock structures (and a handy walkway perfect for tourists). Kinda reminded me of Northern Ireland/Scotland. Expect loads of pictures of rocks from this stop.

4) The Penguin Parade!!!! This was amazing. They had us sit in bleachers on two sides of the strand. As it got darker they were making announcements (no photographs, don't touch the penguins, etc.) and then, as if on cue, the first raft of penguins came in! There were about a dozen of them - they floated in on the surf and then tried to stand, but some kept getting knocked back, and while they caught up another few would get knocked back. It took quite a while for them all to assemble and then en masse they started to waddle up to shore, right smack between the stands of people. I wanted to cheer!

Our tour guide advised us to leave the stands after seeing the raft come in and go back to part of the walkway where the penguins would march. We did, and waited - along with dozens of penguins who were popping their heads out of the hills demanding that the travellers get home and feed them. Before long the first raft waddled up the path. It was very quiet then - there were just a handful of people there at the time - and the penguins were very relaxed, happy to preen themselves and play/nip at each other. As the night wore on, more penguins came through, but more people abandoned the stands too and it got noisier. (Why can't people just STFU?) Then the penguins would wait until there was a bigger group capable of braving the crowd. But their defense mechanism - freezing and hoping nobody will notice them - probably isn't the best for surviving the wild. They're lucky they have the park wardens looking out for them.

It really was an incredible sight and I'm so glad that I did it. I saw well over a hundred penguins, which is rare for this time of year they said. Whatever the reason, I was very happy about it.

(BTW aldiara,we learned that a single fox can kill 60 penguins in a night. They don't eat them too, they just kill them. I know your domesticated foxes that cuddle in the manner of a cat would never do such a thing, but I can kinda understand why NZ isn't eager to let them in.)

Today was city day. I started out at the old Victoria Market, a huge covered market just on the edge of the city centre. The food part was amazing - so many bakers and butchers and cheesers (I have no idea what they're called) - but the rest was underwhelming. I got a few souvenir gifts but nothing else was tempting. (Notably the market vendors were more restrained than the clerks in stores, which was unexpected.)

Afterwards I went walking down the Yarra River and ended up quite unexpectedly at Eureka Tower. I had a free ticket (part of my tour) to go up, but I wasn't planning to do it. But since I'd stumbled upon it, I thought, "Why not?" It was terrifying (I don't do well with heights) and amazing. It's a great shape, with lots of areas shaped as acute triangles, and they give you a real sense of vertigo. I didn't do the Edge (a protruding glass cube with a clear bottom) because just the thought of that now gives me the shakes. But I'm glad I did the rest!

Then I went to the Museum of the Moving Image. FASCINATING STUFF. General stuff, of course,but really focused on Australian film, with some great features/interviews with people like Baz Luhrmann and Cate Blanchett, and what I enjoyed the most, people who worked behind the scenes and their stories about what film/tv making is all about.

Afterwards there was much strolling around to be done, much sushi to be consumed, and finally much beach walking back in St. Kilda. I also went to see the penguins again - it's becoming an addiction I'm afraid.

I'm still feeling quite mopey, but writing all this out does actually help a little.

They're speculating that the bandage on Dennis' eye is from an acid-wash that will allow Roman Wild to come back with a new face after DG leaves Show. Bless their wee little overwrought brains.

(Although you know, Kristin might buy it if there was a genital wash too...)