At the moment, Australia is facing some of the worst floods in its history.

Brisbane, the third largest city in the country, is in the middle of a flooding crisis.

75% of the state of Queensland is under water.

16 People are confirmed dead, including an 18 month old baby girl who was ripped out of her mother's arms in the flood waters. 

Over 1,000,000 acres of land has been affected, with early estimates putting the repair bill at $35 billion.

A group of Australian authors - including my good friend, Leisa, whom many of you would know as YesYou - have put together 'The Fandom Fights the Floods' - to raise money for the flood victims.

Twilight fans have proven themselves to be incredibly generous, and I ask that you show that generosity again if you are in a position to do so. Leisa has had this to say on her Twilighted page:-

"You have no idea the size of the devastation here...75% of our state has been affected.

I remember the floods of 1974. And now it's happened again.

The support of people within this fandom, and others, will make a huge difference to the fundraising efforts.

Aussies, like the rest of the world, have been hit with the recent financial crisis. Now, for many Queenslanders, their livelihoods have been washed away, along with their homes. Our primary industries have ground to a standstill. Beef, Wheat, Cotton and Sugarcane farms have been destroyed. Mines, which bring a reported $7 million dollars a week to the Queensland economy, are flooded and will take several months to return to full production.

This is a disaster of epic proportions.

Every $ that can come from international sources is something Aussie's themselves don't have to find at this point. So many have lost just so much...and now the floods are extending into New South Wales and Victoria.

This is turning into a national issue, not just a state one.

And yesterday, our State Premier, finally, after weeks of stress and distress, cried on television. This woman has overseen this disaster from Boxing Day through to now and has been so stoic and determined...it's all getting a bit too much.

Thank you to everyone who will contribute to our fundraising efforts...either as a writer or a donator or as both.

Please visit our blog: http://fandomsfightthefloods.blogspot.com/p/home.html

and do as much as you can to help.

sincerely

Leisa
aka
yesyov" 

It's here!! Rob with a baby. And I just died...more pretty inside.

So are you more excited for Daddyward or Daddy Robowski????

What ever happened to The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster?

It hasn't been updated in forever, really...

And I miss it.

Anyone know the fate of this site?

So for the past few months I've had one renegade gray hair pop up and it freaked me out. It was one the left side of my head towards the back but hidden so you didn't notice it and I didn't until I was brushing my hair a different way. So....I pulled it. 3 didn't grow back as the myth says BUT this single menace keeps coming back by itself. Either I just can't see and there's more back there or it wants to taunt me now that I'm in my 30's.

So for me having just pulled it again today I want to know how you plan on combating gray hairs ladies? A la Golden Girls.

1. Will you let them come gracefully and be a silver foxy lady, slicking it back into a swishing silver ponytail, elegant chignons, keeping it down?

Dorothy?

Let it come and hope it keeps you salt and pepper and not silver? Dorothy's hair started salt and pepper then it went to silver.

2. Will you go blonde?

Rose?

I know Betty White was blond but she was definitely Jean Harlow'ing it up to cover the gray since she WAS the oldest gal on the show.

3. Or just keep dying it your natural color?

Blanche?

Sophia's much older and I don't want to think about being 80-something yet. But I'm talking moving towards the late 50's-60's.

You might have seen me and the other Twific Pimps all up in ADF asking about what fics you guys might want to see fanfic'ed. We've been talking to authors and readers, asking for permission and gauging interest. At last we are PSYCHED to finally launch this puppy...

Fanfic My Fanfic

Haven’t you ever read a fic and wanted the characters to live beyond the walls of the story? Now’s your chance to see it happen.

We're celebrating Twific by revisiting the worlds of some of the most beloved fic in the fandom. For this new contest, we're asking YOU to come up with

   - missing moments

   - pasttakes/futuretakes

   - or alternative endings

I'm thrilled to announce the fics we are offering for this first round of our new contest:

Paper Heart by Hezpixie
Wide Awake by AngstGoddess003
Hide & Drink by Savage
Tropic of Virgo by in.a.blue.bathrobe
and
Scotch, Gin and the New Girl
by ADF's own jandco and wtvoc!!

Come check out our blog where you can find all kinds of information, including how to submit a fic for this contest, and how you can apply to be a judge.

http://fanficmyfanfic.blogspot.com/

got questions? got ideas? join us inside :)

It is the weekend and I plan on drinking a little. 

I may be a little too old for drinking games now that a recent birthday put me firmly in my 30s against my wishes.  I have been known to partake in a game of Flip Cup when I am at a nice summer barbeque or Kings when I am with a few friends drinking and we are bored.   But last week I was at a party at a friends house (I have a lot of 25 year old friends, I can't help it if all my neighbors are really young living on the beach is awesome) and they had been playing Power Hour (also known as a variant of Century Club). 

Now when I was in college we played some music and watched the clock turn every minute to know when to take a shot but but they were playing with this:

Dislcaimer: Meh.

That's right!  I'm back!

Sorry it's been so long.  I was super busy finishing highschool and getting my brand-new fabulous life started in college.

That's right.  I'm a college student now.  Which school?  The U of ME.   ME... as in... it doesn't matter which school I'm in.  I'm the most important person at the university anyway.  Star potential... remember?  (Plus, I'm totally trying to avoid stalkers.  I can't tell you how many creepy people started sending friend requests to my facebook during my gig at the Herald.)

Anyway, I've totally avoided the freshman 15 (as if there was ever any doubt,) and am currently enrolled in my Spring semester journalism class.  They haven't given me any fun assignments yet.  Clearly they aren't aware that such talent is in their midst.  Still... I'm working hard to build up my portfolio for class.  Who knows?  It might come in handy for extra-credit.  (A girl can't rely on a push-up bra, alone!)

I'm going to use the syndication here on ADF to continue doing what I do best.  Well... ONE of the things that I do best ;)

I'm going to be bringing back

CHARACTER INTERVIEWS WITH JESSICA STANLEY.

So take a minute in this campfire, to tell me what you think of that.  Or better yet... tell me which Twific characters you would LOVE to see me interview!  Name the characters, stories, authors... links would be awesome.  Tell me WHY I should interview those characters.  (You know I love gossip.)

People generally love to sit down and talk with me.  I know.  It's because I'm awesome. 

But I think YOU are awesome too.  And I've missed you.  I can't wait to hear from you! 

OXOX

-Jess

Are you smarter than us? (and by us I mean Americans)

Because, when I watch your television shows, I feel like I usually learn something, and even at the low levels of comedy, (ie. faulty towers, monty python etc.) it seems to require a base intelligence for the viewer much much higher than what seems to be required by, oh I dunno, Survivor, or something....

So, do you have smarter t.v. because it's government run, and your government is trying to MAKE you smarter, OR is that really what the people prefer to watch?

Like, are there blithering idiots all over England who really wish they could get their hands on some Fear Factor? OR, am I wrong, and do you have moronic programming that I am not seeing???

Even Top Gear, which is a car program, and should be sort of a low IQ requirement show, is pretty witty over there, whereas, over here, not so much.....

anyway, I'm sure I'm over generalizing, and running on with my sentences, (adderall wearing off, sorry) but yeah, does anyone else think BBC programming seems much smarter in general? What's up with that?

oh, and thank you very very much for Doctor Who. that's all.

Quick background:

About 6 months ago I was the responsible chick down the street.  The one you ask to watch your house when you go on vacation.  

Work was (still is) awful so I decided to look online and see if there was additional Twilight related material.  Familiar characters are comforting when I'm stressed.

At that point, the giggling began and my laptop will never be the same.

So the first question is:

Will the current obsession eventually get better?  Will I go back to feeding children, cleaning house, and not sneaking iTouch into work restroom for reading breaks?  Right now I think it's getting worse.

And the second question is:

What advice would you give to someone new to fanfic?

Obviously this is my first campfire.  Thanks in advance.

Hi Everyone :)

So the wonderful theorange3 came up with a great idea about having a weekly (if I'm not lazy) 50 book challenge update, where we would come in here & discuss the books we've read for the week, give some recs, leave reviews, discuss the changes we've made to a list etc.

If you have a page please link us so we can check it out. Here's mine

If you need help starting up a page, let me know, I'm more than happy to help :)

So, I always kind of suck at starting campfires lol so get in there, & let's discuss. My progress will be in the comments.

SO, I really don't have a legit reason for this post. But I figure let's ditch the whole anonymity thing and put faces behind avi's. I'm just gonna post a picture of myself, and, well... if anyone else wants to follow suit, I won't stop ya.

I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO POST A PICTURE OF THEMSELVES. Or of Rob. There's never enough Rob.

DO IT DO IT DO IT IF YOU DARE.

I'LL START.

INSIDE.

(Ridiculous pictures preferred)

ETA: WE'RE ALL FECKIN' BEAUTIFUL, Y'ALL.

OK, QUESTION??

it's TMI and I guess inappropriate for youngns ....adults only.

Inside..

Sorry Slash~last one I swear. I am supposed to be ready in 35 min. And I only have to pack, put the laundry away do dishes and finish getting ready, so I may still have the time to read it, edit it and send it back. lol. Or...maybe not. But I ♥ you HARD. And apologize ;)

I'm cute right?

Okay, so I'm on a quest.

Does this image exist in HQ?

I am desperately searching for this exact photo in a bigger size and high quality. It's from the Entertainment Weekly shoot in 2008.

Let's make this interactive. If you have any images that you are also looking for larger versions of, ask for 'em in here. Good luck searching!!

WTF kind of cover is this?

This is terrible! The Vogue fashion mavens couldn't pick a better outfit and picture of Kristen?

I expect more of you Anna Wintour-tsk tsk

haha, sorry. God I'm tired.

I have a question...about Harry Potter, it's something that I've tried to get my head around since I finished the last book on the same day I bought it. And I finally figured that the lovely men and women of ADF should surely know.

My question is inside (as apparently not everyone has read the books? I know! WTH).

However, if you are a HP fan, I want to know what you love most about it, or how it has impacted your life.

I read the first 3 books before I was 11, and I remember when I was 10 and leaving primary school and going onto secondary, that I just kept waiting for my owl to arrive, to take me to Hogwarts :D Yeah, IDGAF

I should be doing work today, I have an important work project due Monday morning, instead I'm surfing chest piece Tattoos...my mom's gonna KILL me.

if you haven't checked it out this is the BEST time killing tattoo pictorial tumblr: fuckyeahtattoos

So, I got to thinking, is the forest tatted up at all? pierced anywhere?

This is my sisters and I, we have fireflies on our feet:

I also have a twisted tree going up my side from my hip to my boob, its a WIP though at the moment, and my piercings....yeah I have all of THOSE, none you'd wanna actually see a photo of haha.

So show me your tats and piercings! And I swear to God if you post a pic of that old lady and her twilight tattoo....I'll cut you!

You all know I love him.  You need to love him too. 

He's amazing and his new album, A WINTER TALE drops on February 1st.

Campers, I need you to do something...

Follow @BobbyLongNews on twitter

He wants 100 new followers by tomorrow, and then he will post a new video.

I FREAKING NEED THIS!

And I'm pretty sure we can get him 100 new followers in like...an hour.

SO GO DO THIS FOR ME OKAY???

thank you!

Now get in here and tell me how much you love Bobby!

So.......this has been my morning thus far.  Got big kid up, shipped her off to school.  Got little kid up and got her dressed.  Headed over to Target for 75% off toy clearance.  In the middle of said excursion, little kid shrieked like a banshee asking for "CUPCAKES!!  CUPCAKES!!  CUUUPPPPPCCCAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!"

Oh that I were exaggerating.  Non.  So, spend $80 and leave Target and head to next grocery store for provisions.  They do not have this

which, if you have ever had this, you would know that this is the best snack in the history of all snacks.  150 calories for 2 and a half cups of cinnamony sugary goodness.  Boo.  For other provisions $25 spent.  So, the husband calls me to go head over to the next burb where they are selling Florida oranges off a truck. $17 spent. So I go there and buy a box.  On the way home, oh about 50 yards away from my neighborhood entrance, get pulled over by one of these.

50 in a 40.  Awesome.  So I get one of these.

$200 spent.  yay me.  Which brings us to over $300 for the day. 

Someone either console me, tell me how much you spent today, or tell me a speeding story.  Or ignore me.  I'll just go cry in the corner now.  Rangers, this is probably way too long.  Edit if you must. 

So...I'm not looking for one, as these posts tend to go. Nor am I one. I am a reader, strictly. And recently I was reading a fic (it's not a whip and I haven't reviewed, so if I have for yours, it's not YOU), and there are tons of mistakes. Like TONZ. Spelling grammar, sometime just sentences in general don't make sense. And I know, not professional and all that. And that's fine, I'm not going to stop reading it b/c of this or anything. But at the beginning of every chapter the author thanks their awesome AMAZING beta... (????)

Is there some kind of edict to this? Am I allow to PM the person and tell them their Beta is secretly a vampire and really sucks?? (Obviously nicer wording than that) And maybe offer to edit it again for them even though the fic has been done for a while now? Or what if the fic wasn't done and the authors beta sucked?? Is there a polite way to do this??? Should it be done???

Anyways I just kinda feel bad that the author thinks this person is helping them out and isn't really. Or maybe they just aren't taking what the Beta suggests and using it at all. I don't really know.. CAMPERS????