Elf Grove

RULES
۞ This journal exists for two primary reasons: to keep my friends updated on my life, and for me to blow off steam. If you don't want to deal with my rants / angst / etc, you probably don't want to add me.
۞ I'm not going to add back everybody. This is a personal journal, and my reasons are my own.
۞ If you type in alternating caps, all caps, nothing but net speak, abbreviations, or anything similar, I'm not going to add you back. I don't have the time or interest in translating that junk. (Sometimes is funny, all the time is annoying.)
۞ If you are only interested in seeing my art, writing or other artistic creations (original and fan), please go to elfgrove_studio.
۞ Don't expect me to just notice if you added me; I don't check. Comment.

Secret Santa: ElfGrove
Gift Receiver Person: K. Wyse
Title: I Less Than Three Computers
Characters: Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury, Zoisite
Rating: PG
Prompts: Ami/Zoi Fluff
AN: Part 1 - Drabble and Fanart
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Secret Santa: ElfGrove
Gift Receiver Person: K. Wyse
Title: Hearts in the Snow
Characters: Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury, Zoisite
Rating: PG
Prompts: Eggnog
AN: Part 2 - Fanart
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Secret Santa: ElfGrove
Gift Receiver Person: K. Wyse
Title: Hearts in the Snow
Characters: Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury, Zoisite
Rating: PG
Prompts: http://christianhelpmingo.files.wo…
AN: Part 3 - Fanart (initially delivered version)
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Secret Santa: ElfGrove
Gift Receiver Person: K. Wyse
Title: Hearts in the Snow
Characters: Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury, Zoisite
Rating: PG
Prompts: http://christianhelpmingo.files.wo…
AN: Part 3 is late by a couple of days. Sorry!

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Ooooohhhh... Mysterious. Not really. Been meaning to do this for ages, and had to go fix my credit card info for renewing my paid account anyways. This is the only place I was still using Lycorne.

Old and outdated screen name, Lycorne is now Elfgrove. Everything should auto-forward from the old.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

I am outraged, and all the more confirmed that I will never submit to the back scatter scans no matter how the TSA tries to humiliate passengers into it.
I fly fairly regularly, a minimum of 4 times a year, and this fills me with keyboard-smashing, unintelligible rage.

"Earlier this year, the U.S. Marshals Service admitted that--despite promises from federal agencies that such images could and would not be stored--some 35,000 images from a scanner at a security checkpoint at a Florida courthouse had been saved.

One hundred of those body scan images have been leaked by Gizmodo, which obtained them through the Freedom of Information Act."

• huffingtonpost.com: 100 Body Scans From Security Checkpoint Leaked
• gizmodo.com: One Hundred Naked Citizens: One Hundred Leaked Body Scans

Oh hey, also... The "enhanced pat-downs"? Have a video: Video of TSA Screener Accosting 3 Year Old Child at Security Checkpoint

Quotes from the articles linked below:

"The degradations of passing through full-body scanners that provide naked pictures of you to Transportation Security Administration agents may not mean that the terrorists have won -- but they do mark victories for a few politically connected high-tech companies and their revolving-door lobbyists."

"Their letter to Holdren said "it appears that real independent safety data do not exist." In addition, the authors say: "There has not been sufficient review of the intermediate and long-term effects of radiation exposure associated with airport scanners. There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations."

"TSA officers told her the naked body scanners don’t even emit X-rays. "It’s a myth," the officer said. "There are no X-rays from those machines.""

"I asked him if he was looking forward to conducting the full-on pat-downs. "Nobody's going to do it," he said, "once they find out that we're going to do."
In other words, people, when faced with a choice, will inevitably choose the Dick-Measuring Device over molestation? "That's what we're hoping for. We're trying to get everyone into the machine." He called over a colleague. "Tell him what you call the back-scatter," he said. "The Dick-Measuring Device," I said. "That's the truth," the other officer responded."

"The TSA quietly changed its procedures a few weeks ago to what it delicately calls "enhanced pat-downs," which involve screeners using their fingers--instead of the backs of their hands--to feel the outlines of male or female genitalia."

"Negrin was walking through a full-body scanner as part of security training when a supervisor started making jokes about his small dick. According to the police report, after weeks of harassment, Negrin "could not take the jokes anymore and lost his mind." So he followed a colleague to the parking lot and beat the shit out of him with an expandable baton..."

"it remains unclear whether [the scanners] would have been able to detect the weapon Mr. Abdulmutallab [the underwear bomber] used."

"Roberts notes the progression of this liberty-leeching invasion:
After the shoe-bomber attempt, we had to remove our shoes. After the underpants bomber, we had to be electronically strip searched and groped.
What will happen, he asks, after the first time a terrorist smuggles a bomb on a plane inside his rectum or in a breast implant?
There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have been a comedian’s witty one-liner. Now, it sounds more like the future rushing upon us."

"We are the ones stopping terrorists on planes. Not the TSA."

Articles because I'm too pissed to properly articulate my rage.

• ksl.com: TSA's new pat-down draws more complaints
• cnet.com: Biochemist says 'naked' X-ray scanner may be unsafe
• infowars.com: TSA security officers flunk physics
• gawker.com: Small Penis Jokes Ignite Airport Meltdown
• reason.com: Pilot Organization Calls for Boycott of Nudie Scanners
• washingtonexaminer.com: 'Naked scanners': Lobbyists join the war on terror
• theatlantic.com: For the First Time, the TSA Meets Resistance
• theatlantic.com: 'Are Any Parts of Your Body Sore?' Asks the Man From TSA
• theatlantic.com: The Things He Carried
• SaysUncle.com: TSA Blogging
• pajamasmedia.com: Don’t Let Strip-and-Grope Become the New Normal
• wikipedia.org: "The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures."

Dear Sportscasters.
I can't hear the news about my team over YOUR RAMPANT BIASED OPINIONS.

Yes, I'm biased, but I'm not writing the reports. I'm not a journalist. And I'm not badmouthing an undefeated team every step of the way.

You don't like us. You don't like the SEC fer crying out loud. I get it. But when you're doing your job, I would deeply appreciate toning the personal shit down. Otherwise, please to be going away.

I'm really sick of hearing every week that my team doesn't deserve to be ranked. That there's no way in hell we'll make the championship game. That every next game will certainly be our downfall.

And I'm really sick of seeing Oregon ranked #1, but when I go to look at their schedule, they're beating up on cream puffs. Saturday past was our Homecoming game, so it was 2nd and 3rd string throughout the 2nd half. It was our cream puff game. Oregon has played that all season, and I want to see an SEC team make the championship to show these West Coasters how we play REAL college football. Down in the SEC, where we stay ranked low because the teams are all tough, and we beat the hell out of each other in difficult games EVERY WEEK. And the difficulty level just doesn't dial in for the West Coast. Our games don't score super-high, so we must be weak. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that we actually play defense.

My team's last perfect season was 2004. We were never once ranked #1 in the BCS that season, so we didn't go to the championship game. It went to two West teams, one of which had a defeat. The championship was a joke. Don't deserve it my ass. SEC teams deserve ranks more than any conference out there, but I don't see the national TV channel sportscasters badmouth anyone the way they do the SEC, I'm just especially sensitive to it when it's my team.

I am happy to admit we have our two toughest games left this season. And I don't say that because of rankings or stats. It's because they're SEC rivalry games. No matter how these teams play all year, we "bring it" to those last two games. That's real football. Auburn/Georgia is the Deep South's oldest rivalry. Auburn/Alabama is probably the fiercest in college football, earning the nickname the Iron Bowl.

So, I don't believe we have it in the bag, but if Auburn can beat Georgia this week, we're almost guaranteed the SEC West title, and a place in the SEC Championship. If we can beat both, there is NO logical reason we shouldn't be playing for the National Title. I would love to go into the nat'l against Oregon and kick their weak-ass-manipulative-schedule in the $%&#@!

The PAC-10 and Big-10 just can't hold a candle to the SEC.

DO NOT EVEN get me started on this scandal around Cam the last week. This could kill the kid's Heisman chances all based on hearsay from some bullshit third party saying "I heard from my friend who works for..." $%&#@!

For those that frequent both communities, you may have noticed that the 2010 Princess Tutu Secret Santa event just got rolling.
Due to work and etc, I'm not going to have time to do this for theslayers this year. Heck, Asatira is having to do most of it for PTT this year.. Someone else will have to take it up.

Edit:
I know a couple of the mods are on my FL. Because you guys are awesome and inexplicably put up with me. It seems weird to post to the comm with nothing but an I can't do it this year... I don't even have some Slayers art hanging around to buffer with. But if anyone asks about it and is willing to do it instead, I can send all my stuff from last year along.

EBay Auction: WEREWOLF TRANSFORMATION SPELL~BECOME A WEREWOLF [FREE Shipping]
become a powerful werewolf
Item condition: --
Quantity: 5 available
Price: US $500.00 Buy It Now
or
Best Offer: Make Offer
Shipping FREE shipping US Postal Service First Class Mail
Estimated delivery within 4-7 business days.
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Only 5 are available guys! ONLY 5! You better hurry!

I mean, the list of advantages/gained-powers has two #5s. And you'll be able to "BREATH UNDER WATER" just like a real wolf! Wait a... Nevermind. Look at #9! You get Spidey-sense! According to #10, I think we get to be a Disney fairy tale princess too. WHAT A DEAL!

Sorry. Too busy laughing for intelligent commentary.

The host hotels are already accepting Dragon*Con 2011 con-rate reservations.

I randomly caught a comment mentioning rooms were open, and so I tried booking via the Honors website. It had some weird error, so I called. I started booking my regular two doubles room at the con rate and was told only 9 remained. Only 9. Are you kidding me?! I asked to go ahead and book a second room that would check out on Monday instead of Tuesday. OKAY.

So that is the word. Rooms are booking up already.
I went ahead and snagged 2 rooms so I can be closer to people (same floor at least) one that I'll stay in until Tuesday, and one that will check out on Monday night for people that just want to stay at the con.

Considering I've got 2 booked (and the deposits are non-refundable this year) I'll go ahead and take people signing up for room spaces.
- I will have 4 double beds in 2 hotel rooms.
- Stay availability is starting from Sept 1st with check out on the 5th (Monday).
- The cost for those 4 nights will be evenly split among everyone that stays regardless if you're in for 4 nights or 3.
- Payment in full will be due August 30th, 2011.
- One room will be open for storage all-day Monday as I am staying a 5th night, but that cost will be just me, as per the norm.
Comment away.

Official Roomies List: (likely going to split the rooms this way, but it's not definite)
Room 1
01 -bed1) elfgrove
02 -bed1) asatira
03 -bed2) zeestarling
04 -bed2) Josh (zeestarling's Boyfriend)
05)
Room 2
06 -bed1) fastbilly1
07 -bed1) pyro_ike
08 -bed2) lias
09 -bed2) xenxar
10)
Maybe:
xaynie
amethystcitrine
amethystcitrine's boyfriend

Although, thanks to Mary suggesting I cosplay Misfit at D*Con last year, I'm now a fan of "Birds of Prey" and starting to read a little "Secret Six".

So... Updates on the Young Justice cartoon.
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