This week has taken a bit longer than usual to get going, though that may be because my car was being a pain in the ass on Monday, and thus I stayed home that day.

At any rate, Cindy has three new articles today:

Foley, Reid Should be Investigated, Prosecuted If Laws Were Broken

Fall Wedding Beset with Problems Still a Happy Affair (Once It's Over)

Misadventures in Energy-Saving and Winterizing My Apartment

And I have four new ones, from the course of the weekend:

The Life and Times of Michael Alig as Told in Popular Culture: Party Monster and Disco Bloodbath Tell Part of the Story

For those who don't know who Michael Alig was, don't feel bad. I didn't either until I saw the movie version of Party Monster. I guess perhaps if you were in NYC in that time frame, he might be better known, but to Midwestern teenagers, he wasn't a big name. :) Of course, now I've watched the movie, the shockumentary, and read the book, so I know a good deal more about him. :)

Where's Neil When We Need Him?: A Tribute to Neil Gaiman

I started talking about this CD MONTHS before it came out, because it was a whole ton of bands that I love, all on one comp. This CD rocks. You should totally get a copy. Whoever you are.

Treatment of Gypsies in Early Industrial England and Nazi Germany

A school paper, one that I presented at an undergrad conference, and of which I'm still very proud.

A Comparative View of the Maternalist Welfare State

Another school paper, this one for grad school.

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In other news, Drunken Pumpkin Carving last night was a grand success, and no one lost any digits, to my knowledge (I left a bit early). I did manage to destroy two of my brand new pumpkin carving tools. They should really make the pokey things out of metal. :) I didn't break the saw/knives, just the pokey things. :)

Any rate, my pumpkin, Spooky, is happily ensconced outside of our apartment. I may start taking bets on how long she lasts. I don't give her very long, though...
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Slow over the weekend, as always, but here are a couple from Cindy:

Time Maybe the Perfect Gift for Your "Tweener" Daughter

Just How Old is Too Old for a Computer?

And let's see what I've got...

An Examinination of the Reasons for Emigration and the Process of Assimilation in the Nineteenth Century

Toys for Children Under 2 Years Old

Misadventures in Cooking: How NOT to Make an Omelet

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys: Masterful Storytelling from Comic Book Author and Novelist

Aspects of German Immigration and German-American Life

The Contributions of Immigrants to the United States

So yeah, several more papers, a gift guide, a quasi-recipe, and a book review on a GOOD book (as opposed to an academic book). Fun stuff.

I probably won't have much in the coming days, because I managed to royally slack off this weekend, and not write anything. Bad Dawn, no biscuit.

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But in other news, the Ren Faire was fun, if not particularly profitable for me. Now we get a weekend off from the craft fair circuit, and then the next weekend, we'll be in Makanda for Vulture Fest. This should be fun, I think, and hopefully our sales will be good.

In the meantime, though, I'm going to enjoy this weekend off of craft fairs, especially since this is the heavy gaming weekend for this month. Ashes Friday, and Riddles Saturday.

Oh, and there's this game (TT) I might be trying to start up... but I need to talk to people about that... :)
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Today's articles by Cindy are all about southern Illinois wine. w00t for wine! :)

A Short History of Winemaking in Illinois

Shawnee Winery: A Cooperative Effort for Grape Growers

Art and Wine: A Marriage Made in Heaven

Illinois Grape Crop Growing Each Year, Harvest Getting Sweeter

And I have one article, which is really an old paper, up today. It's on immigration, as are so many of my old papers, but I figure that immigration is an even more significant topic today than it was back when I wrote these papers (1996-1998-ish). This is that whole idea of history informing the present. I like it. :)

Immigration History: Ethnicity and the Melting Pot Examined
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