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entitlement, fandom: harry potter, grudgewank, i want to be a hero on the internets, i'm just here for the recipes, in ur wank - swapping our foodz, lying liar that lies, my very firstest wank, not very subtle at all, om nom nom, please mommy make it stop, plucky girl detective, potterdammerung, recipes in comments, she admitted it!, she's on a mission guys!, sockpuppets, the classmate did it, thinks we're fandom police, this is the wank that never ends, we love jf tags, yet another entitled hp fucktard, yummeh foodz

Laptopgate II: Now With Added Condos
As an offshoot of the Lexicon wank, it appears Melissa wank has arrived.

As part of her "impartial" coverage of the lawsuit, Melissa Anelli of TLC apparently felt it necessary to qualify Steve Vander Ark's (signed under oath) statement that the advertising on the Lexicon "covers the cost of running the site" by reminding people that "The Leaky Cauldron houses and runs the Harry Potter Lexicon for zero charge, and has since it came under its current domain name. That is true as of this posting." However, on Feb 11 she admits to denying a request for the transfer of hosting.

This prompts SVA to release more detail than anyone wanted to know about the finances of the Lexicon. Quote: "If there was any income to me, it wasn't much, especially by comparison to the income other websites have earned." The "other website" he specifically mentions is MuggleNet, whose owner claims a "six-figure income" from the site. SVA doesn't mention TLC, but Melissa goes crazy.

A bit of digging reveals that TLC's finances have been discussed before over on I was a Leaky Lounge Mod. In May 2007, a mouse says: "I know for a fact that Melissa used Leaky money to buy herself a new laptop." In September 2007, Gina raised suspicions about who paid for Melissa's New York apartment ("the web provides a TON of information about purchase prices of condos which are pretty darn high to not have jobs *koff koff*") Over Sep/Oct 2007 the subject was raised again, and another mouse said:

"To take Melissa as the main example, as has been pointed out she lives in New York. That place is very expensive, not just real estate but the cost of living as well. She is in no way living off the advance on her book because let's face it, even if all her fangirls and boys buy it it's not going to be a huge best seller. The time has been and gone for that. She has left her full time job and therefore she must be taking at least a 5-6 figure salary from Leaky. If she is doing this and has deliberately registered it in a way that doesn't mean full disclosure, then that is appalling."

The matter was pretty much put to rest until Melissa forced SVA's hand. Ex-staff are pissed. Highlights:

There will continue to be no transparency about Leaky income. They've claimed for far too long that they make no money. I can only say that I actually know this to be total BS. I'd love to tell you my proof, alas I'm not able. Steve threw some stones but Melissa opened a door that, IMHO, that now begs the question of well, so, what DOES Leaky earn then?

and:

Since Melissa is bringing up money herself, she really should answer. If she is going to criticize Steve for trying to make this a full time job that she should be above that same criticism.

Arianhrod marches over to Leaky Lounge with this:

But since it doesn't appear that anyone else is going to ask the logical question, I will.

Just how much does Leaky make from all of this--in profit? Is this considered a hobby by the IRS, or is it a major source (or even sole source) of income?

And before anyone questions my audacity, Melissa has laid it out on the line and brought the subject of hosting and ad revenue costs into the open. It's no longer a private matter--the whole world now knows about it and as such this is a valid question, especially if TLC has been or gets dragged into this lawsuit.

I don't expect an answer--I do expect to get ripped to shreds, and that's fine. But at least I'm not afraid to ask.

Melissa ignores the question. Arianhrod calls her on it ("With all due respect, Melissa, that is avoiding the issue.") Melissa gets defensive.

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jedi_dwh
2008-02-16 06:48 am UTC (link)

Mmmm, so many delicious recipes! I must chime in with my own. This recipe is delicious, and was one of my favourite winter dishes to cook up. :D

Penne Alla Vodka

Salt

One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with their liquid

1 pound penne

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled

Crushed hot red pepper

1/2 cup vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil for finishing the sauce, if you like

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for tasting if you like

(I like making it with a pound of gnocchi instead of the pound of penne)

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor. Using quick on/off pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. (Longer processing will aerate the tomatoes, turning them pink.)

Stir the penne into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and add them to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully — they will splatter — slide the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and generously with crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Just before the pasta is done, fish the garlic cloves out of the sauce and pour in the cream. Add the 2 tablespoons butter or oil, if using, and swirl the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta and boil until the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta.

Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese if you like.

Makes 6 servings.

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	gun 2008-02-16 07:05 am UTC (link)
	Fuck me, that looks incredibly good. I had vodka penne with chicken about a year ago and it was unbelievably delicious. Thanks - I'm going to steal and play with this. (Reply to this)(Parent)

seanchaigirl
2008-02-16 11:29 pm UTC (link)

Mmmm. Definitely trying this one out. The first time I ever made vodka pasta sauce I was right out of college living, in my first apartment and wanted to impress my BF by making him a yummy dinner. I did up the tomatoes and onions and herbs, etc., then poured in the vodka to reduce it. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to lean over and take a good whiff of the steam off the pot. . .and nearly passed out when I got a lungful of vodka. The BF laughed so hard he almost fell over, too.

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