A link and a bit of a real-life update

[ciircee]

I wanted to share a link with...well, pretty much anybody. Everybody gets irritated by n00bs sometimes--be they new to Arashi or LJ or whatever. I know I've gotten rude and uppity. But, at the same time, I've been here for so long (since codes, people) that I forget what it's like to be NEW to a place. Lurking is not always first nature to people (my nearly twelve-year-old, for one and my almost-nine-year-old for another). Sometimes its satifying to snap at the n00bs who are asking a question we've seen thousands of times or who can't seem to think to check the memories or tags. But in the end, as with so many things, it's generally better to take a breath and be polite (yeah, I hate that too, sometimes).

I know that I'm still grateful that nobody ever trashed my first attempts at Arashi fic (just a month or so into the fandom) for all the errors that were in there. And I knwo that I was lucky enough to get in (with my first journal) when this place was just being built so I wasn't alone in not knowing what to do--we were all making it up as we went along. So for anybody new to LJ who happens by here Welcome to LJ and Arashi: A Brilliant Primer by Erin.

THAT said: I feel bad that I'm so behind on comments. I'm trying not to let that overwhelm me. And it CAN because I'm actually terribly shy in real life. I manage well if there's a goal or if it's in a big crowd (hey, I actually LIKE public speaking) but there are times when I sort of want to hide. And here? Where the people I know are fantastic and cool? Yeah, I can try to hard to be likable and end up feeling burnt out from being 'on' all the time.

Which is not a good feeling now. Skyla--my daughter's friend--is having a rough time of it. The divorce is turning nasty and her mom pretty much takes it out on her. She's cutting and mean and Skyla still loves her because it's her mother. There's nothing I can do, really, except keep being here and letting her know that Ed and I love having her (and the other kids) here because she is a good kid and we genuinely like her. Honestly? Thank god for Arashi and their music and their PVs and their shows (hey, VSArashi is moving to Golden Time--GO ARASHI!) and their dramas and the zoo show. All of the kids get a kick out of seeing them do some of the stupid stuff they've done and they think the dancing is cool. And that they're 'so cute, omg'.

PS. Tegomass. Which one of them sounds like a girl when he sings?
PPS. I like the song Puzzle.

EVEN MORE PS: I feel bad for saying it but I would totally bang all of TOKIO and probably most of SMAP. Why don't I know anything about V6 aside from 'lolz, boygirls'?

FINAL PS: I feel like I keep missing my flist (because y'all are awesome). Post a comment and ask me what I think about whenever I miss you/am thinking about you away from LJ then, in my next post, I'll tell you what it is and I might even explain WHY!

Comments

[tangiblewhimsy.livejournal.com]

I haven't even finished reading your entire entry yet, I skipped ahead to the PS list.

I just wanted to say I ditto your sentiment about banging TOKIO and SMAP. I'm probably the only person in my age bracket that does, but there it is. :|

many hours later edit: I just wanted to say about the commenting and all--Don't let it wear you down. I mean, I realize that just having someone say that to you is not going to do much in the grand scheme of things, because ingrained behaviors and interpretation of events are things that are part of our general psychology and cannot just be ignored. HOWEVER! Stressing yourself out over it more than needs be clearly isn't going to help.

The fact that you comment at all is kind of exciting to me considering most people on my flist don't. I try my best to leave comments if I don't talk to the person on IM because I feel it's a fair trade off provided I'm saying something.

We all understand what it is like to feel kind of awkward and spazzy and not want to come off as being stupid. 99% of my flist, myself included, have all publicly said that they're painfully shy. You're in good company here, XD

All of that being said I'm still all a-fangirl-flutter whenever you gush over anything I do because I have lurked and admired your awesome since I entered into fandom. \o/

LASTLY

The one that sounds like a girl? That's Massu. (b ' ')b

EDIT AGAIN: I haven't known you long enough for you to miss anything about me when you're away from LJ! So I'd settle for why you friended me in the first place? If that's not too much to ask.

[nicefinalbeam.livejournal.com]

I totally got into livejournal back during the invite code days!!! *high five*

Seriously, my life from the time was 13 until now at 20 has been documented here. It's kind of incredible to think about. But yeah, fandoms can be new, but livejournal is not... so I always feel bad for the people getting chewed out for things they don't know. It's like... second nature to me, truly.

And um... me! What do you think about? LOL. ♥

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

*snugs* I know why you miss me/think about me.

Because my wedding means a fun trip to Florida during hurricane season for you. ♥

ILUBB

[aatash.livejournal.com]

Purty dragons. And I love that Arashi is helping your kids feel better. Best of luck to Skyla.

I hear you on banging TOKIO! (Though mostly I just want to touch Nagase's attempt at a moustache.) Have you seen V6's 10th anniversary episode? That one may endear you to the group a little more. :D

... and we just pm'd, but can I hit you up on that final ps? .////.

[beckerbell.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think that I'll never NOT be not behind on comments, which I feel badly about, but... *lolls lazily around*

But I'm glad that Arashi is helping the kids feel better and, christ, is there anyone this year is going well for? 2009 can pretty much GTFO as far as I'm concerned.

FINAL PS: Ooh, do me! Do me!

[imifumei.livejournal.com]

Re: TegoMasu; it's hard to say for sure which one you're thinking of, but I'd venture to guess the girlier one you hear is probably Tegoshi. He has a sort of Cher-like quality to his voice. Then again Cher frequently sounds like a man to me, so. . . yeah

Check out NewS' Ai Nante for confirmation. (The studio version is actually Tegoshi, Shige, and Ryo singing, but it's basically the Tegoshi show. Similarly, NewS' Nantoka Naru sa is the Massu show but has YamaPi and Koyama as well.)

Let me know if you need links. ♥

[lazulisong.livejournal.com]

remember: I got your back if you need a place to bury people, dude, older twins must stay together o/

also, me!

[xplodey-di.livejournal.com]

Agh, divorce always ends up sucking for the child. =/ Hahaha, Arashi! Arashi is amazing. :D

...Tegomass... uhhhhhh. I don't know, really, as it is, I still have trouble telling them apart.

[flange5.livejournal.com]

I loved that post for the recently-arrived ^_^ Hopefully, they will find the post early in their peregrinations.

And divorces are so horrible, especially when kids get caught in the crossfire like that>_< Not that acrimonious marriages are any better for the kids, but it sucks to become a means of scoring points, or an emotional punching bag because your parents are unhappy D: I'm happy you guys are there to give her support and something else to think about.

And most people I know love comments, even when late. It's just that the backlog gets so . . . daunting ^^"

Well, we're newish friends, but I'll totally ask you ^_^ What do you think about?

[waxrose.livejournal.com]

Random noob stupidity annoys me, but people sniping and cutting them down annoys me almost as much. It doesn't take that much effort to be civil and patient and it's better for everyone in the long run. I'm glad that Erin was awesome enough to create that FAQ/intro. post.

First P.S.: Is this a trick question?

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

XD I don't think anyone would really mind that much if you didn't reply to comments /all/ the time.

But both tegoshi and massu sound like girls when they sing D:

[ill-ame.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, that girl is a savior. Out of all the online fandoms I've been in, I feel like this one is in the greatest need of a primer. It's sort of unbelievable to me that I managed to get by as a complete lurker - no asking questions, just hunting around and quietly joining communities and finding pretty much everything on my own - and yet there are people who ask about things that are not even the slightest bit difficult to find. Outwardly I try to be understanding and helpful when I actually reply (I'm pretty sure I was sort of obnoxious when I first joined LJ too, so I have a degree of sympathy for them), but now that someone's written up the rules there are really no excuses.

I am certainly not going to go after you about comments, considering how few of them I've been leaving, lol. I've gotten so bad about checking my flist that I tend to see entries after I feel it's too late to reply to them.

I'm sorry there's shitty stuff going on around you. It's really hard to know what to do when the problem isn't necessarily yours to handle but you want to take some kind of responsibility or help somehow anyway. I'm sure it means a lot to her to have somewhere to go where she feels comfortable and wanted and happy, even if ideally that ought to be her real home.

I adore TOKIO. SMAP have yet to really get to me, but since I seem to be steadily working my way up the senpai ladder in my interests, I'm sure that day will come. (I sort of skipped over V6, though, so I can't help you there. I have a weird animosity towards them that I can't really explain. I have no idea where it came from, considering that they seem to be as full of cracky rainbow joy as Arashi are. I like most of the members individually... Hey, um, it's just 20th Century in this, but have you seen the PV for Ore Ja Nakya, Kimi Ja Nakya? It's, um, really odd but hilarious, and the song is super catchy.)

And finally, I would love to hear what you think about, if there actually is anything for me, hahaha. I'll try to be around more often. ♥

[youkosiren.livejournal.com]

I kind of skipped to the PS section and am totally just a lurker, but..

PS. Tego's voice is higher, but Massu's voice is very... sweet? Syrupy? So really, it's kind of a tossup XD

PPS. & EVEN MORE PS. After I got into Arashi, I spent a long time holding out and saying I wouldn't get into other JE groups because keeping up with just Arashi is already a part-time job XD ...then I totally crumbled and got into Kinki Kids because I'm weak for idols that act like old farts, and Kanjani8 a little while later after seeing them as guests on Kinki's shows.

I actually think K8 might actually have the widest variety of songs of any JE group - enka, blues, rock, and of course pop XD Actually, their rock songs are what got me. My friend showed me "Misetekure", and I went, "what, Tokio's not the only group that plays rock songs? o.o"

Since Kinki's bffs with Nagase and used to have a show with Tokio, it was just a matter of time before I got to know Tokio too~ I am weak for their manliness. Also, the endless hilarious Leader stories about how he got shut up in a dishwasher during hide & seek and so on.

Kimutaku's Pantene commercial hair was really enough to do me in, but he's goofy in traditional JE fashion. Have you seen him as Beyonce (http://community.livejournal.com/o_e_subs/46851.html)? It's too bad I haven't seen subs for the show where he snaps this comedian's banana sling with suspenders for the lols.

Sadly, I don't know all that much about V6 either as they seem to get relatively less love from the subbers. Inocchi cracks me up though and I like Okada a lot. I second aatash's recommendation of the 10th anniversary episode if you want to see them acting like 3rd graders!

Mm, long comment is long, sorry! X3;;;