The Loophole

More singing

2011-11-19T04:50:09Z

Hey all! Go check out my YouTube channel to see some more vids of me singing. Then please like them, comment on them, and do the same with the YouTube versions of my auditions. I'd like to have some more views and positive comments on those, especially. They have a bunch of dislikes, for some reason. :-(

Thanks everybody who's helping and voting!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Elvenlaughter

On the road to stardom??

2011-11-17T22:35:51Z

NOTE: I changed this to being a public entry because people were trying to come and read it and couldn't. So, anybody who stumbles across this, welcome to my LJ, please watch the video and then go to the site and vote for me! And feel free to comment and let me know if you voted or passed it on.

Original entry starts here:

Oh, umm, hi!

So it's been an uber long time and all that, but I have something to post.

Roger Taylor of Queen is holding a search across North America to find young musicians to perform their music in a 40th anniversary tour. I made it into the semifinals in the competition (!!) and I need YOUR VOTE to help me make it to the finals!

Here, check this out:

or if you can't see it, here's the link to the site so you can vote.

http://www.queenextravaganza.com/auditions/view/1866

Second audition is here:

http://www.queenextravaganza.com/auditions/view/2149

This is a really incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've been singing all my life, I am used to performing in many different genres, and it has always been my greatest dream to be a vocal performer. I love Queen, and greatly admire its members. I would even just love to make it into the finals, because then I would have the opportunity to meet Roger Taylor and Brian May in LA and sing for them, which would be beyond surreal.

Please vote for me, and post this to your journals, facebook, blogs, etc. Get people to vote for me! Please! There's some stiff competition out there... but I believe I'm up for it, and I believe I can ROCK that show and bring Queen to a whole new audience. So please give me your support!

Thanks in advance!!

M

elvenlaughter @ 2010-07-09T12:14:00

2010-07-09T16:15:11Z

Go vote for the Rwanda Girls Initiative to be one of the recipients of $250K! It's a wonderful, beautiful program, and would be able to do SO MUCH to educate and transform girls in Rwanda. The organization helps educate young women in Rwanda through the Gashora Girls Academy, preparing them for life, school, work, family, and everything else in a country that suffered a truly horrific genocide in 1994. The country is making great strides towards peace and stability, and RWI is supporting and extending the country's chances at prosperity through beautiful and remarkable attention to the women of the country.

Learn more about the organization here: http://www.rwandagirlsinitiative.org/

And go vote for them on facebook here: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263503023-rwanda-girls-initiative

THANK YOU!

Stuff for sale!

2009-03-03T02:45:19Z

Hey everybody, this is a business post:

I am starting my fund-raising for my trip to Ireland next winter, and I have goods and services for sale to help! (Well, I guess services not so much, unless you're in my area and want a massage).

1. First of all, as I'm sure I've mentioned on here before, I'm a certified Mary Kay consultant, and I have all sorts of fabulous skin care and make-up products in stock, some of which are going for half price at the moment. Various shades of eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara, lip glosses of many colors, lotions and cleansers for different skin types, foundations, lip care, and some other more random objects. If you have a particular area of interest, and would like to know more about what I have available and what the prices are, let me know and I'll get you the info you need. If I was anywhere near you, I'd offer to come and do a personalized consult or a class.

2. I make bracelets. Really awesome bracelets with magnetic beads and (sometimes) genuine swarovski crystal. They go for between &12 and &16 a piece. Pictures of the ones I have made right now, all of which are for sale, follow under the cut. Also shown are a few random chokers and necklaces that are pretty much going to the highest bidder, as long as what you pay is more than what I have to pay for shipping. Two of the chokers are for very small necks.

Selection number 1: "Ocean" Recommended for a wrist a little bit larger than mine (which isn't hard to accomplish). 22.5 inches, $12.00.

Selection number 2: "Oil" 23 inches, $13.00

Selection number 3: "Class" 17.5 inches, $12.00

Selection number 4: "Firebird" 23 inches, with Swarovski crystal, $15.00

Selection number 5: "Coral" SOLD

Selection number 5: "Sunny" 18.5 inches, $13.00

Chokers: Top one is 15 inches, blue and yellow seed beads and clear long beads. Second one is 13 inches, blue and greem with clear. Third one is 12.5 inches, white with clear. Sory the picture isn't all that great.

Flower Power! Basic flower pattern dinky bracelet and two 17.5 inch necklaces.
3. Wands wands wands. I make wands. They're good, too! Just ask dragonsinger954 , who received one in a craft trade! My wands are very durable, made for much swishing, flicking, and even the occasional crucio. They are NOT however, made for beating against walls, so if you decide to purchase one for a small child, do mention this to him or her. They come in a variety of lengths, colors, and styles, from the very simple and sleek to the more elaborate. Unfortunately, I was stupid and didn't take pictures of all the wands I made to sell at Terminus, but I do have a few pictures from later on. What I have shown here does by no means encompass all the styles. There's a really fun one I call "cinnamon roll" that I don't have a picture of. The pictures I do have are under the next cut. Wands are $13.00.

The first two are examples of teh "swirl pattern," natural finish and painted. The third is my Narcissa wand, and the last two are some of the first I made, and the only two I had left after I decided to take a picture of the Terminus wands. I had so many cool ones, too... I had one that I'd made to look really old, and as if it had survived a fire. It was the first to sell. All wands can be painted and/or varnished.

4. I have loads upon loads of books that I have either no intention of reading, or have already read and don't want to keep. I don't have a list of them right now, but I do know off the top of my head that there are:
-- a bunch of brand new, never used monologue books for different years and purposes
-- "The Inner Voice" by Renée Fleming (hardcover, new)
-- a lovely translation of the Iliad (also practically new) (Robert Fagles)
-- "Triptych" and "Beyond Reach" by Karin Slaughter (one paperback, one hardcover, used)
-- "Song of the Humpback Whale" by Jodi Picoult (used but very nice)
-- Apuleius's "The Golden Ass", used and a little tatty, but very funny
-- "Running the Race" by RC Sproul, which I have two copies of
-- "Reluctantly" by Hayden Carruth
-- "Teach yourself Bluegrass Banjo" with accompanying cd (never used)

So please, let me know if any of this interests you! I want you to ~~give me your moneys now~~ carefully consider your options and make wise purchases. And seriously, I need to make money for Ireland, and any help is appreciated. Plus it's always nice to sell things that you made.

H'okay, enough of that. It's getting on towards 10:00 and I need to do some worksheets for my physics class. *bleah* And I need to start planning out this paper I'm writing as an attempt for a study abroad scholarship. Merg.

Cheers, all!

Buy stuff!

</lj>

elvenlaughter @ 2009-02-24T13:47:00

2009-02-24T18:51:08Z

From eeyore9990 to firefly124 to ariadne1 to juniperus to here.

So you basically take the #X line from something you've written and tack it on to what's already there. Eeyore started with the first line from her fic "Seeking Peace," Firefly added the second sentence of her fic "Marked Men." Ari added the third sentence of a fic Ana and she wrote, "The Slytherin, the Witch and the Vanishing Cabinet." Juniperus added the fourth sentence of the ficlet "Clumsiness". I'm adding the fifth line from the prologue of HPAA, and wishing it weren't only four words!

---

Our story so far:

Blaise watched, eyes narrowed speculatively, as Neville dug his hands into the earth. He’d heard rumors that Boadicea was buried there and wondered if that had anything to do with it.

"I'm fairly sure it wasn't orange earlier," Ron said, looking doubtful.

Neville sighed and gave Ron a sheepish glance. "You can’t do this."

---

If you'd like to play, grab the sixth sentence of something you've written, add it to the above, and post it in your journal with instructions for those who want to take it from there.

LIVEJOURNAL STRIKE!!!

2008-03-20T00:37:28Z

For those of you who don't already know, there has been a strike scheduled for Friday, March 21st, 2008, during which we hope to have many members of LiveJournal provide LJ with absolutely no content for twenty-four hours. This means no posting and no commenting. If you post elsewhere and have it set up to be posted through a feed on LiveJournal, don't do it. Stay away from LiveJournal for twenty-four hours. That can't be too hard, can it? I know some of you are probably quite active on LiveJournal and will find it hard to stay away for an entire day, just as I will, but this is something that needs to be done, to show the people running LiveJournal that we're watching the changes they are making, that we're paying attention, that we're discontent, and that we want to be heard and taken in to consideration. We are not simply users who can be tossed to the side and ignored. We are the people who make up LiveJournal. Without us, without the content we create, without our words, our voices, our creativity, our participation, there would be no LiveJournal. This is a fact, and it needs to be realized and understood and then taken in to consideration when making decisions regarding the way that LiveJournal is run. The strike is only a few days away, so there isn't all too much time to prepare. While this is unfortunate, it isn't enough to keep this strike from taking place. It will take place, the second it is meant to, and it would be best to have as many people take part as possible. Please, spread the word. Spread it fast. There are only a few days to organize this. If you find that you care about LiveJournal or care about the people you interact with on LiveJournal or simply want it to remain a place where you can entertain yourself without constant censorship and money-hungry practices being thrown in without the consideration of those who use the service, act now. If you don't wish to spread the word, that is fine, but please: refrain from using LiveJournal on Friday, March 21st. Do something else for a change. It's for a good cause. (:

For background on this strike and why it is being held, please read the following posts:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/394838.html
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395310.html

To find out exactly when the strike begins and ends, depending on where you are located, please see this:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395125.html

What's this about?

* It's about free and ad-free LiveJournal accounts being abolished for new members, ignoring the advice from the newly-formed Advisory Board.
* It's about LJ staff trying to sneak this decision in under the radar, and when people found out, telling the users it was done 'to make the signup process less confusing'.
* It's about LJ staff failing to apologize for trying to hide the facts from view and for lying about the actual reasons for their actions.
* And finally, it's about the latest decision to hide certain user interests from the list of Most Popular Interests, some of them being fanfiction, bisexuality, sex and depression. This decision was not announced or explained in any way. Users found out for themselves.

-Taken from the journal of rivieremalfoy

ICONS:

Note: This was not written by me, but I hope everyone takes place in the strike. The drama on lj has been ridiculous the last couple years.

Quote of the Day

2008-02-22T14:45:43Z

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

Quote of the Day

2008-01-21T22:37:01Z

Actually, more than one. These are some random quotes on life, because why the heck not?

Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.
    Fran Lebowitz (1950 - )

Life is something that everyone should try at least once.
    Henry J. Tillman

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
    Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

Life is a long lesson in humility.
    James M. Barrie (1860 - 1937)

Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.
    Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act I

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
    Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
    Woody Allen (1935 - )

Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.
    William Goldman, "The Princess Bride"

Word of the Day

2008-01-21T22:07:01Z

perfunctory: per-FUNK-tor-ee
adjective
(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection
eg: he gave a perfunctory nod

Origin: late 16th century: from late Latin perfunctorius 'careless,' from Latin perfunct- 'done with, discharged,' from the verb perfungi

Derivitives:
perfunctorily (adverb)
perfunctoriness (noun)

Word of the Day

2007-12-06T18:28:00Z

pronk: (pronunciation self-explanatory)
verb [intrans]
(of a springbok or other antelope) Leap in the air with an arched back and stiff legs, typically as a form of display or when threatened. (I am SO in need of a good pronk right now... that sounds really really sketchy)

Origin: late 19th century, from Afrikaans, literally "to show off," from Dutch pronken 'to strut.'

Awesome.

Enchanted by Enchanted

2007-12-02T00:14:56Z

This evening I borrowed a car and drove to a nearby theater with my best friend to see the Disney movie Enchanted. It was, dare I say it, enchanting.

From the beginning tone, I got the sense that this was going to be a farce of Disney animated movies, a barrel of laughs and slapstick comedy with very little substance. I was, quite happily, surprised.

The animation at the beginning was simplistic and the dialogue and songs were stereotypical Disney fare, and yet tongue in cheek, enjoyable but tipping on the brink of saccharine. The female protagonist was beyond any silly naive princess we have seen, and the prince was ridiculously stereotypical, and with the combination of a troll who has a very clear view of his earthly purpose and a slew of chattering woodland animals, the first ten minutes or so were straight out of a six-year-old's bedroom. Giselle's (our lovely heroine) introduction to New York City is nothing short of comical, and yet had the movie kept going with it much longer it would have become twee. Mercifully, the audience is introduced to the second main character before we reach overkill, the single father Robert who stumbles across Giselle and has his life changed from straight-laced to laced with ribbons in a matter of moments.
The plot is predictable, but proves that knowing the outcome ahead of time can be just as fulfilling as wondering up until the last moment. The characters were all complex and well-developed, and one of the most touching performances was that of the evil queen's servant Nathanial, whose existence in the film went effortlessly from comic relief to empathy.
The movie incorporated ideas and familiar images from other well-loved fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White, while remaining completely different from any of them.

Patrick Dempsey plays a lovable and slightly clueless man with a tenderness that does him credit and should earn him some note as a serious actor rather than a sit-com star. He gives "McDreamy" a whole new meaning.
Amy Adams, as the sweet and oblivious Giselle, sings and swirls her way through New York City and the silver screen with a brightness similar to the grace of (yes, Joe Morgenstern said it first) Julie Andrews.
Nathanial was played to perfection and with great sympathy by Timothy Spall, and Susan Sarandon made a deliciously evil stepmother/queen.
Idina Menzel played Robert's girlfriend, Nancy, and I was all set up to hate her simply because she would become a stepmother, but she was a lovely character, and I was rooting as much for her happily ever after as I was Giselle's or Robert's, or Prince Edward's.
Prince Edward, played by James Marsden, was a surprise. Not only did he play a fantastically campy prince, but he has a lovely singing voice.

I would love to go off and describe my favorite moments, but seeing as I have no idea how many of you have seen it, I shall have to content myself with these vague descriptions. I will say that the big dance number was brilliant, the glitter sparkled marvelously, the costumer should get a raise, the composer should get a Tony (well, at least a nomination), and that watching a mass of flies and rats and pigeons cleaning a New York apartment while someone in a fluffy white dress sings "a happy working song" has got to be one of the funniest movie moments I've ever seen.

How many stars can I give it? How many are possible? Within its genre, whatever that may be, I would have to say this is one of the best Disney fairy tale style movies I have ever seen. Can I give it five? I can give it four and a half, at least. I'll reserve the five for a movie that has a more convincing dragon. This one looked like it was made of plastic, and had some really annoying lines.

Go see it. For real. It is a treasure.

Tonks

Word of the Day

2007-11-03T01:53:00Z

Verisimilitude: (vair-ih-sim-ILL-ih-t(y)ood)
noun
the appearance of being true or real

Origin: early 17th century, from the Latin verisimilitudo, from verisimilis 'probable,' from veri (genitive of verus "true") and similis 'like.'
eg: the detail gives the novel some verisimilitude

Derivitives:
verisimilar (adjective)

This word came up in my CRWR class, and I liked it very muchly!

Word of the Day

2007-10-24T22:30:14Z

Sward: swahrd
noun
1)An expanse of short grass
2)Farming: the upper layer of soil, esp. when covered in grass

Origin: OE sweard (skin). The soil definition developed in Late ME, with phrases such as "the sward of the earth"

Derivitives:
swarded (adjective)

Word of the Day

2007-10-17T03:09:03Z

felicific: adjective fell-eh-SIH-fic
relating to or promoting increased happiness
Origin: mid 19th century, from the Latin felicificus, from felix, felic- "happy"

Hmmm... felix felicis, anyone? Except that's for luck. Interesting. Let's see what the Latin-English dictionary says:
Felix: happy, fortunate
Felix felicis: lucky, fortunate, happy

Word of the Day

2007-10-11T03:56:24Z

exiguous: ek-SIH-joo-us
adjective (formal)
scanty; very small in amount
eg: Bob Cratchit's exiguous wages

Origin: mid 17th century, from the Latin exiguus 'scanty' (from 'exigere' weigh exactly) + -ous

Derivitives:
exiguity (noun)
exiguously (adverb)
exiguousness (noun)

Quote of the Day

2007-10-11T03:54:00Z

I know, it's almost not today anymore, but here it is anyway:

An optimist is the human personification of spring - unknown

I really like this quote. It's so picturesque, and the metaphor just seems so, I don't know, right I guess.

Quote of the Day

2007-10-10T01:40:15Z

Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind - William Shakespeare

(Note: considering starting a habit of "dailies," either quotes or words or both, just for fun. Let me know if there's another daily you'd like to see!)

Grace and Peace,

Tonks

Word of the Day

2007-10-09T17:50:27Z

Distrait: dis-TRAYT (fem. distraite)
adjective
divided or distracted in attention, especially because of anxiety
eg: he seemed oddly distrait before his trial

Origin: mid 18th century, Old French from destrait, past participle of destraire 'distract,' from Latin distrahere 'pull apart'

Word of the Day

2007-10-09T01:33:07Z

foible: FOY-bell
noun
1. A minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character
2. Fencing: the weaker part of a sword blade, from the middle to the point.

Origin: late 16th century (as an adjective in the sense 'feeble'): from obsolete French, in Old French fieble. Both noun senses also formerly occurred as senses of the word feeble and all date from the 17th century.