An Exercise in Vanity

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 04:02:45 GMT

Why do I always feel like I am returning to this journal from a hiatus of some sort? (Probably because I am. *sigh*) I actually lost power for an entire week during the giant snowstorm over here (my region was one of the last to get power back, actually...I could say plenty more on why power company monopolies suck, but I won't turn this journal into another political rant space. For now, at least.) First I was like, ok, no tv or internet, I can live with that...pull out the paints and the books. By day four it had gotten down to 52 degrees in my house. Fifty-two. A five and a two. I spent days and nights in bed with my cat, piled under about five pounds of blankets and dreaming that I was using the internet. :/ I am not proud, but I am honest. That counts for something, right?

Two weeks later, and I'm kind of still cleaning up and doing errands and getting caught up with everything, plus working way more hours than usual this week because I guess Thanksgiving is a busy time in the restaurant business. Who would have guessed? My workplace isn't open on Thanksgiving day, which I am *thankful* for (yay puns) but I am really surprised at the number of people who called to ask if we were open. I could understand people who don't have much family, or elderly people, but I had people call and ask to make reservations for big parties...like they were going to skip the whole bother of cooking decent food at home (kind of the whole point of the holiday) and go out for a generic, pre-made excuse for a dinner. But honestly, that doesn't even bother me as much as the assumption that restaurants should be open on Thanksgiving, like nobody gives a damn if the employees of said restaurant have lives or family that they might want to spend the holiday with. Nope, it should be just another workday for them, serving you shitty food for a measly 10% tip, maybe 15% if you're feeling generous. (%$*&%^) And maybe I'm just reading too much into this, but I feel like it's another example of the massive inequality in this country, and increasing consumerization, because salaried folks obviously get the holiday off while wage laborers (restaurant and retail staff) are the ones who might not even get a choice. Everything is left up to corporate heads, who may or may not decide to treat their employees like humans instead of machinery. (So much for no political ranting.) Anyway...

The point of this post really is that I wanted to mention to my secret santa for MtYG, I finally put up a letter. I really like when my recipient writes a letter, so I thought I would extend the same courtesy, but feel free to completely ignore it as well. lol Best of luck to my santa, and best of luck to everyone! I am actually really excited to not have school this year, so I can be far more dedicated than years past. We'll see if that translates to more story....

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Color me surprised...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:08:40 GMT

US Weekly: Kevin Richardson Contemplates Rejoining the Backstreet Boys

"Is Kevin Richardson having second thoughts about leaving the Backstreet Boys in 2006?

The 40-year-old singer will reunite with former bandmates Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough when their upcoming cruise stops in Nassau, Bahamas.

Richardson is slated to host the band's Beach Party Concert and meet with fans, prompting speculation that he may one day rejoin the multiplatinum singing group for good.

"I would love to perform with them again on a more regular basis," Richardson said coyly on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show Tuesday. "Our chemistry when we come together just feels like old times."

The Backstreet Boys' cruise sets sail December 2."

Awww Kevy! ~~He's just jealous watching Jordan Knight put the moves on his Nicky.~~

I am honestly surprised though. Kevin never struck me as the type to waver once he's made a decision, especially one as life-changing as this. Backstreet is just that special I guess. :D

Also, how exciting is ( this?! )

And what with NSync's recent get-togetherI feel like this is boyband reunion week! EEEE

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Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:00:50 GMT

Ok so, Steph in the City has behind the scenes video of the Burning Up shoot. I am going to eat my words, because I am going to be raving about this video once it's finished. I just can't help being shallow sometimes. :/ Why, you ask? Take a look at 0:08 here where Nick takes his shirt off and is covered in paint. *rawr* All those years of covering up, I think Nicky is definitely making up for lost time. lol

Also (just ignore the fact that she can't spell NKOTBSB or Jordan's last name):

"I caught up with Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter at his music video shoot Burning UP at Play dance club in Nashville. Things get hot as we take you behinds the scenes of the glow paint party. Speaking of hot, we talk about Nick’s record for the most In Style Magazine ‘Sexiest Male Musician’ titles and the friendly competition with Justin Timberlake.

Nick tells me he is rehearsing for his solo tour here in Nashville, before taking the band overseas. There are talks of NKOB’s Jordan McKnight maybe touring with him. THE NKOBBSB tour just wrapped up some fifty shows, the two bands will head back out in April."

You guys. Oh my god. Jordan Knight maybe touring with Nick. I'm torn between laughing and freaking out, because I can just imagine Jordan wheedling Nick about touring together (make your boycrush more obvious honey) and that would be the hottest tour ever! *crosses fingers*

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Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:35:56 GMT

Nick's been twittering pics from the Burning Up video shoot, and what a surprise, it's another club video! How...original. *sigh* I dunno, I make fun of sci-fi geek Nick but he's so adorable. I'd prefer that to generic club scenes.

Hey, it's the return of the Nick-got-electrocuted hair! Flashback like whoa.

Ok, I will admit that this is ( effing hot: )

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Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:31:46 GMT

So I'm catching up on NKOTBSB tour stuff, and I found this tangentially-related vid of one of their opening acts for part of the tour called Midnight Red.

Kind of a summary of the video in interview form here: Rebranding Boy Bands

Q: Have you gotten any advice from them?

A: The two in particular who have given us the most advice are Brian Littrell from Backstreet Boys and Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids. They're telling us to keep our heads on straight and keep the unity between the group, because that's what's going to take us far. Sticking together will take us very far in this game.

It makes my heart smile so much that Brian's advice to them was to stick together. ♥ I think most people would agree that's what's taken Backstreet as far as they've come in their careers, and it's so sweet to hear Brian acknowledge that. And after everything they've been through, it's really amazing to know that it's been a conscious effort on their part to work together and appreciate each other. Makes it seem like their relationship is that much more genuine.

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Hai internetz!

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:04:56 GMT

So, long time no see. It's been a really long three months, or whenever the last time I posted on here was. I thought that being done with school would mean that I actually get some time to relax, but not yet. My cat was in and out of the pet hospital for about two months, with chronic constipation and colon blockages, and then we found out that he's got chronic renal failure. So that was stressful, and took the entirety of the money my family gave me for graduation, but he is doing much better now. Between that and the new job, and crazy ass coworkers, and new managers who will probably turn out to be just as crazy, I've been eating way more ice cream than usual. And family issues, which I'll probably write about later.

So, it's been hard to find time to write, or do much, but I hope I can get back to a somewhat normal sleeping schedule soon and do something creative.

Also, I've finally caught up with the rest of the world and registered for an iTunes account! I haven't bought any new music for years, and when I do I usually buy CDs and use my wicked old school portable CD player. I got it as a Christmas gift when I was, hm, 12 I think? And it still works! But more often these days I listen to music on my laptop, and buying an album through iTunes is cheaper, so. The first thing I bought was the deluxe edition of Nick's "I'm Taking Off." So, hopefully a review coming soon. :)

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Jordan Knight sums up the Backstreet Boys

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:08:28 GMT

And NKOTB. He's such a diplomat. lol Way to play into the whole manufactured boyband thing, but whatever...

"...With that tour just hours from seeing its last date, here’s how Knight summed up each member of NKOTBSB for The Free Press. The nine comments, including an amusingly low-key self-assessment, started with the five members of The New Kids on The Block and then moved to The Backstreet Boys:

Joey McIntyre: "A very creative guy . . . he is definitely in my corner. He's actually pushed me, 'You gotta do this. You gotta do that.'

Danny Wood: "The kind of guy that keeps everybody grounded. I've always said (that) about Danny.

Donnie Wahlberg: "The visionary leader of the group. He's the guy with the brain that sees the big picture all the time.

Jonathan Knight: "Jon's my brother. He's the sweetheart of the group." (Those more in the know, is this like Kevin's "he's my cousin" refrain?)

Jordan Knight: "I'm the lead singer." (making air quotation marks) (The interviewer's words, not mine lol)

Brian Littrell: "Brian seems like the leader of The Backstreet Boys . . . he's a sweet guy, he's a great guy with the fans. He's like the conduit, the connection between the fans and his group."

Nick Carter: "Nick is the heartthrob." (Oh Jordan, wear your heart on your sleeve honey...I'm totally writing this slashfic, btw)

A.J. McLean: "A.J. is the talent. He's the voice, the talent. They all have voices, they're all great voices."

Howie Dorough: "Howie is the sweetheart of the group. He's like the Jon. He's the sweet guy of the group and a great singer and everything else."

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dying

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:55:52 GMT

ArtistDirect talked to AJ recently about the cruise, and some other gems popped out of this interview, namely his response to the question about NKOTBSB...

AJ McLean of Backstreet Boys Talks BSB Cruise, NKOTBSB, His Best Summer Concert, and More

"The Backstreet Boys Cruise is all about the fans", declares AJ McLean of BSB.

In fact, the cruise is the best way to get up close and personal with the premier pop group. Ever since they won over the hearts of millions worldwide, BSB have emphasized giving back to their devout, diehard audience, but there's no better way for them to do so than by spending December 2nd through December 5th with a boatful of fans.

( Rest of the interview is under the cut... )

How has NKOTBSB been?

It's been awesome! The tour has been going great with all of these sold out shows. The fan response has been unbelievable. There's so much love for both of these groups. It's really been cool to see both generations of fans merge together every show to become like this superfan [Laughs]. It's cool to see New Kids fans rocking New Kids shirts singing Backstreet Boys songs and vice versa. We have a moment in our set where we sing "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and we bring four fans on stage and serenade them. A couple of nights, I've grabbed girls who are in full-on New Kids gear from head-to-toe and they're having a blast singing along. It's a great show. It's two hours of nonstop hits, and the nine of us are having a blast out here. We're hopping on each other's buses, hanging out, and playing video games. Everyone wants to be on my bus because I've got all the toys. I've got ten RC cars, a Segway, and a BMX bike. We have XBOX so we're always playing Madden or NHL. The two who hang out with me the most are Donnie Wahlberg and Joey McIntyre. Joe just randomly shows up on my bus whenever he wants unannounced. I think it's hilarious. Donnie and I go play golf whenever we get the chance.

( Read more... )

Oh. My. God. Someone has to write fic about this. HAS. TO. Please, somebody do it! I am begging you, fandom!

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So. Gorgeous.

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:13:25 GMT

Goodness, I don't even care what they're talking about. The leather studded jacket. The hair. Nick's laugh. I can't breathe. They seriously need to do these videos more often!

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Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:12:38 GMT

Howie talks about his new video and album, and about Kevin performing with them! ♥ Or rather, them ganging up on Kevin and coercing him to perform. lol

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Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:30:47 GMT

NKOTBSB made it onto E! News tonight!

The Backstreet Boys Are Back [video]

July 05, 2011

The Backstreet Boys are officially back! The boy band notorious for making the ladies swoon hosted an after-party at club Gallery at the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas after their sold-out show with New Kids on the Block on Sunday, where members Nick Carter and Howie Dorough proved they could still whip a crowd into a frenzy.

"I want to thank you guys for coming to my after-show party because this is the biggest one we've had yet ... y'all are looking great out there," Nick said, before he and Howie sang for excited fans.

Check out the video to see if the boys have still got it.

Must have been a big weekend, because TMZ also had some (not so great quality) shots of the afterparty...The guys from the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block hosted parties at Gallery Nightclub and Chateau Nightclub respectively last night -- after they played the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

What year is it again?

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Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:14:47 GMT

Awww, and there's behind the scenes! I'm so excited for Howie, and cannot wait for this album!

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EEEEE!!! ♥

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:35:36 GMT

OMFG I am hyperventilating right now!!

Howie D Premieres "100" Music Video on ARTISTdirect.com

ARTISTdirect.com is pleased to premiere "100," the new video from Howie D. Yes, that Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys fame. It's from his solo record Back to Me, which will hit this fall.

Additionally, we're also giving away a free download of "100 (Ron Reeser & Dan Saenz Club Mix)," so we've got a lot of Howie D activity going on today! Download the song here!

All we’re going to say about this scorcher of a video is this: Who doesn't want to just let loose and dance like nobody is watching in an empty, well-lit house? (Obviously, the girl in the video does!) The song has the power to get asses moving and there’s plenty of dancing in this video, so take a peak and try and stop yourself from dancing at your desk.

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Meme Time

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:05:26 GMT

Post a comment, and I will reply with one or two reasons why I think you're great. In return, you have to post this same meme on your blog and comment for other people.

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Heeee! ♥

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 04:57:12 GMT

( Video of Nick and Joey from Nick's Twitter )

Nice to see that Nick is really putting effort into his appearance for this massive publicity stunt. *snerk* My inner 13 year old is totally reliving my crush on JMac. Also I have just realized that I have no NKOTBSB icons. Hmmm.

( Videos of NKOTBSB on the Today Show under the cut. )

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Request?

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:14:48 GMT

I feel like I've potentially missed some recently posted fic, having been absent from the internets for awhile. My flist only goes back a few weeks, in addition to my admitted laziness... Would anyone be so kind as to link me to any popslash fic that's been posted in the last four or five months, say? And please pimp your own writing here! It would be much appreciated! :)

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Start of something new

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:26:54 GMT

So, I have been officially graduated for one week now. Since last Sunday, to be exact. I finally have my BA! Now that I'm home and filling out job applications, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. ( More life musings under the cut. )

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Tue, 03 May 2011 04:35:32 GMT

Nick Carter's body looks *amazing* here. Thank goodness for eye candy, as I work on finals for the next eight hours. *sigh*

We give hugs at our VIP parties! Berlin rocks

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MtYG 2010 Recs

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:58:24 GMT

So I have made it through all of the MtYG stories this year, and as usual they are all amazing! I'm always impressed by the overall quality of writing in this exchange. Also, this year seemed to be the year of really good opening lines! There were things about every story that I loved, but my favorites, in no particular order, are ( under the cut. )

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♥♥♥

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:57:59 GMT

Shameless plug, but all of you should go read the MtYG story that was written for me, The Boyband Spirit! Because it is all kinds of amazing!

First off it's Kevin/Howie AND Nick/Chris, and KEVIN COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT and Nick has a midlife crisis, which no one takes seriously. lol There is spot-on characterization of everyone in both groups and more canon than you can shake a stick at, and it intertwines everything so fluidly with Chris and Nick's relationship, and THE BOYBAND TELEPATHY EFFECT. I promise I will stop shouting now, but really do go read it if you haven't already! So heart-warmingly adorable, and thank you so much to my Santa!! ♥

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Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:49:28 GMT

Happy holidays to you and yours everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable, if not peaceful weekend. My family gathering was pretty chill this year, so it was nice. I have a pretty small family, but that does not necessarily equal less drama. lol But there was good food and no one got trashed this year; and my grandma and my little cousin seem to be mellowing out the older they get, thankfully.

Best thing about this Christmas is probably my cat with his new bed. My mom threw it under the tree with a plastic gift bag wrapped around it, thinking we would take it off when we unwrap gifts on Christmas day. Cat, however, decided he likes it better with the plastic bag on it. He went straight for it almost as soon as my mom put it down, and was quite enamored of the crinkling sound it makes. When we tried to take the plastic off on Christmas day, he went and pawed at it, but when it didn't make any noise he sat and looked at us despondently, so of course we put it back on. It's now his favorite spot to sleep in the house; every once in a while he'll get up and move around, and I think he likes just hearing it crinkle. I might post video of it later, because it's pretty adorable.

Unfortunately, I cannot blame family stress for how effing tired I have been the last few days. Yesterday I got out of bed at 1pm, dragged myself down to the couch and watched five consecutive episodes of Mad Men, managed to make a pathetic egg salad sandwich for dinner, then went to bed again. ~~If this is what getting old is like please shoot me now.~~ Or I could be detoxing from the ridiculous amount of coffee I consumed during finals. Anyway, I'm taking advantage of the fact that we had a relative blizzard here yesterday and using that as an excuse to sit on my behind all day, and finally start reading the MtYG stories. Recs coming, at some point.

Also, I have two Dreamwidth invite codes. If you'd like a Dreamwidth account (or a second account, whatever) leave a comment and I'll send you one.

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Howie, it's not blackmail material if everyone has already seen it.

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:03:47 GMT

Video of Nick and Brian's "Titanic moment." My life is made!

Also, this is the single most adorable photo of Howie and James I have ever seen. Credit LucyK_ on Twitter. So much squee.

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♥

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:21:03 GMT

Everyone should check out this video at about 1:98. Never stop being adorable, boys.

So, drinking blueberry beer while watching youtube on Monday night is totally a great way to prep for finals, right? I'm calling it my mental vacation. I swear I'll start being productive...soon.

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I have my life back!

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:19:54 GMT

For the time being at least. Until I find something else to stress myself out over. But I am so happy this weekend is finally over, and the conference actually went better than I thought it would! Go team. Now to get back to the work I've neglected in the meantime, and try to catch up on sleep. I'm going to try to write 200 words of popslash this weekend.

Inspiration: MTYG sign-ups are open!!! :D

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Popslash is Cominbackagain!

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:25:09 GMT

Starting this month a brand new community is open! Celebrating popslash with pictures, video, meta, challenges, the works. Tell your friends, popslash is cominbackagain!

Consider yourself officially invited!

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