Apparently Associated Content had a bit of a backlog, so Cindy has been published like crazy over the last two days. Instead of an individual link to each article, you can go to her published content page instead, and check out all of the new articles! Lots of stuff on southern Illinois, product reviews, and a really good piece on what to call someone who writes that is unpublished.

I, on the other hand, have not been writing much in the way of articles, though I am working on compiling a list of my articles sorted out by topic, and spanning AC and Helium, which will make it much easier to find the topics you want to read about. :) When I get the chance, I will be making one of these for Cindy as well. :)

I am working on a writing project, though, which has been a lot of work, but pretty fun as well. It's not articles, but product descriptions for a website... a goth schtuff website... WHEEEEEE! :) The only downside is that I'm seeing so much stuff that I love, and want. :)

For my Etsy plug of the day, if there are any crafty types reading this who are in need of cheap supplies (specifically fabric, patterns, and/or yarn), check out the Supplies and Patterns section of my Etsy shop. I'm destashing a BUNCH of fabric in preparation for our move, and also selling patterns and a little bit of yarn. More fabric to come, and it's some really luscious stuff, like velvets... :)

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In other news, my car is in the shop, which makes me a sad monkey. :( The good news is that I am still like 30 miles under 30,000, which is when my manufacturer's warranty ends. I will still have an extended warranty, but not having to pay anything to get stuff on my car fixed has been nice!
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Right, so I guess I haven't posted in like three weeks. You might think I'm a slacker, but I assure you, I'm not.

The last week of February and the first week of March were spent busily working on the final proofreading of the new Lincoln Forum book, which is due out in April. Now, if you've been following this blog (and/or my life) for long enough, you've probably heard me talking about the first two Lincoln Forum books. Well, certainly the 2nd one. I didn't get credit in the first one. In the second one, my name was on the title page, but not the cover. For this third one, I'm on the cover, right alongside the other two editors.

This was actually a negotiation on my part. My boss wasn't interested in doing the third book, but his friend was pestering him about it. I told him to tell his friend that we would do it (meaning I would do the bulk of the work) as long as I could be on the cover this time. His friend agreed. So I get cover credit! :)

When it's actually out, I'll let everyone know, but I'm fairly certain that I've already given away any free copies that I might receive. Mom and Dad each get one, along with Uncle Joe, Seth H., and I believe I promised one to Clint. Jerome's dad will also want one, I know, and Candace (my tattoo artist) wants a signed copy. :) Hell, I don't even know if I am getting ANY free copies, let alone... 7?! Oh, wait, 8, cuz I'd like to keep one. :)

So yeah, that's what occupied two of the three weeks during which I didn't post. This past week has been spent working on stuff for ANOTHER book, though I won't be getting any credit on this one either. Really, all I've been doing is typing old articles that are being reprinted. Yeah, it's work, but not of the credit-worthy variety. Probably gonna be working on that book all next week too, and then I am OFF for an entire week, for our trip to Seattle! :)

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So, let's catch up with Cindy, shall we? She's been writing busily:

Amazon Tops Ebay for Selling Old Books, Videos, Games

How to Simplify Your Surroundings

Sweeter Than the Sweet Sixteen

A March Madness Primer for Non-Fans

New Budget Proposal Cuts More Southern Illinois Workers

Which is a mix of good advice on decluttering, March Madness related stuff, and local news.

I haven't written anything in a good long while. I've actually stopped even looking at most of the writing sites that I used to look at because I've been so busy at work, and so worn out when I get home. It's craziness, I tell you! :)

(And as an aside, I took Cindy's advice from the first article and opened an Amazon store here. It's mostly game books and vampire novels, but there are some CDs and one DVD.)

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In gaming news, I gave up on my Serenity/Firefly game, because the rules were giving us all headaches, and that made it not fun for me. Instead, I'm running Werewolf TT now, and it's considerably more fun. I suppose I need to decide where I'm going with the plot, as I'm supposed to maybe run it tomorrow. I think I'll be let off the hook for a bit, though, as Bryan and Vanessa will be in town for Vanessa's b-day.

And then I get like 3 more weeks to slack off, because we'll be out of town the next Saturday, E-Con is the weekend after that, and we may be going to Garou LARP the weekend after that! w00t! :)

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And in crafting news, it's more of the same, I suppose. I've been coming up with stuff to crochet that is good for summer wear, as opposed to winter hats and things. :) After we get back from Seattle, I'm going to be looking into doing some tie-dyeing, for some neat crocheted headbands that I've made. Those should be fun and summer-y! :)

And that is all from the land of Dawn.
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Been out of action for a little bit... I had a craft fair on the 13th and 14th, went back to work for a day, and then was sick for almost a week. I always brag about how I never get sick, and then I get the flu. No fun at all!

At any rate, first things first. A couple of new articles from Cindy:

A Short History of the Mascot for Southern Illinois University: March Madness Means Annual Question "What is a Saluki?"

How to Find the Perfect Pet

Oddly enough, I believe that before I came to southern Illinois, I asked the question in her first article... though I think I added some expletives... ;)

In other news, the craft fair mentioned above went VERY well. I sold a lot of my crocheted roses, and have all kinds of people offering suggestions as to what else I can do with them. I'm pleased to announce that the first of my crocheted rose pins will be winging their way to Sarah (my sister) tomorrow. I'm also working on more to sell at ScaryWhiteGirl Designs. Definitely a nice way to dress up plain coats or purses, any time of year! :)

In other Etsy news, I've recently joined up with EtsyFAST. FAST stands for "Fiber Arts Street Team," which means that a bunch of us people who do fiber arts (read: crochet, in my case) work together to help promote each others' work and basically have other crafters who do similar work to ask questions and such. Very kewl idea. :)

Okay, and my final Etsy news for today... I'm having a hat sale until the end of February... buy one, get one (of equal or lesser value) half off. I know it's been warm in the midwest this past week, but you KNOW that winter will be back before spring begins... so get your warm hats here! :)
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One new article by Cindy:

Do You Need Pet Insurance?

Still nothing from me on that front. :)
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Cindy was apparently super busy this past week, with five new articles posted yesterday:

Changing Date of the Illinois Primary May Help Obama, Improve Illinois' Image

Thirty Years of Country Fiddle Leads to Full Class: Joanne Long's Class at John A. Logan College

Southern Illinois Group Las Damas Latinas Brings Together Women of Hispanic Heritage

Balance Fitness Studio in Carbondale Mixes Pilates and Recreation Therapy

Obama's Run for President is Right Man, Wrong Time

Nothing new from me, of course. I haven't had any good ideas for articles lately, which kinda sucks. Instead, I've been devoting lots of time to my Etsy stuff (ScaryWhiteGirl Designs). I've got over 100 things listed now, and more to come. Now, if I could only sell a few more things... *sigh*...

But I am getting better at navigating the site, and I even snagged a Treasury yesterday. The link will only be good till about 3 p.m. Tuesday, but if you're here before that, give it a look: SuperBowl Time!.
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Three more articles from Cindy:

News Organizations Launches First Real Questions about Obama's Record

Technicolor Universial Media Announces Closing of Pinckneyville Plant, 440 Jobs Lost

How To Survive Your Cat's First Heat

Nothing new from me on the article front. :)

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In other news, I'm spending a few minutes here and there today to get more Valentine's Day stuff listed on my Etsy store: Scary White Girl Designs. So if you're looking for cute cards or presents for people, check it out! :)

I would also like to note that Etsy made the New York Times yesterday: Rooting Around Grandma's Basement in Cyberspace. The article does point out some of the negatives of the site, but overall, I'm pleased to see Etsy featured in such a prominent newspaper!
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Cindy has a few articles and a neat story up on AC, so here's some links:

Handicapped Man Dies after Being Struck by Van

Marion Mayor Seeks Twelfth Straight Term

Daughter of Former U.S. Senator Runs for Carbondale Mayor

Tears (fiction)

And I have one new article:

Tips on Making Your Own Cheap and Easy Valentines

Of course, if you're lazy, you could just go buy the Valentines that I made from my Etsy store... heheheh... shameless plug. :)
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Happy New Year! :)

First off, let's catch up on some articles from last year:

Me:
Guide to 2007 Comic Book Movies

I may have left out one or two, like 300, which I knew nothing about until after this article was published, but basically this covers the big name comic book movies and a few lesser known ones. :)

The Crow: Four Movies, Only One Great One

After finally seeing the fourth Crow movie, I had to say something about it. :)

Cindy:

A Last Minute Primer in Gift-Giving: It's the Thought that Counts

From the Peace Corps to Christmas Tree Farming, Elaine Seymour Does it All

What You Need to Know Before Choosing or Switching Medicare Part D Programs

And then three for Cindy, all from last year. Both of us have been relatively busy with other writing, other projects, and Christmas, so neither of us have written a whole lot for AC for a while. I'm thinking I will probably get back in the swing of things in a few days. Maybe. :)

In the meantime, though, I've been selling my crafty stuff online! :) I have a store at Etsy, Scary White Girl Designs, with a little bit of stuff up now, and more to come. BTW, if you are local and want to order something, just do it. I can send an invoice without the shipping charges, and we can arrange how you can get your stuff. So don't let the shipping scare you. :)

I just bought a new digicam and a printer/scanner yesterday, so I will actually be able to take photos of the rest of my hats, and scan in some greeting cards and Valentines that I've made. So expect to see more stuff on the site, by early next week at the latest.

Oh, and I'll still do custom work. :) I'm working on one project now, but it's got a long deadline, so I have plenty of time to make stuff for people. :)

And I think that's about it. Christmas was good, New Years was tame, and I'm back at work. Speaking of, perhaps I should do some of that. ;)
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Okies, catching up on articles first. Three from Cindy, and five from me.

Cindy:

An Easy (and Cheap) Way to Make it Smell Like Christmas

Free Online Zombie Game: Dead Awaken

10 New Year's Resolution Suggestions for Illinois Governor Blagojevich

Me:

Creative Christmas Traditions: Barbequed Hamburgers and "Pink Stuff" for Christmas Dinner?

Creative Christmas Traditions: The Great Wrapping Paper Fight

Creative Christmas Traditions: Opening Presents Youngest to Oldest

White Elephant Gift Ideas: Office, Family, and Friend Gift Exchanges

Free Online Zombie Games: Dead Awaken and Urban Dead

Yeah, Cindy and I ended up both writing articles about the same game... go fig, seeing as she and I both play(ed, in my case) it... :)

Also, Cindy has another article up, but there's nothing there when you click on it... so I'll post that one when there is something there... the problems with AC continue...

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Right now, I'm sitting on a list of articles that I just don't have the time to write. I'm (almost) done with craft fairs for this year (we picked up just one more, but it's a very short one), so I'm working on a few commissions before the end of the year. Actually, I have some leeway on one of those, but I promised another one for this week... so that will take a couple of hours tonight...

But yeah... Christmas is upon us, and I'm busy busy busy. I have maybe half of my Christmas shopping done, or will when we finally manage to get this large box from UPS... unfortunately, they like trying to deliver before Jerome wakes up, which means that no one answers the door. So we'll prolly end up having to drive to Marion to get it... *sigh*...

Gah. I just looked at the calendar, and realized that actual Christmas is 3 weeks from yesterday... but all of my Christmas festivities are before actual Christmas... which means I need to get off my butt with the rest of the shopping! Then I have to find some place to keep all of this stuff... I'm beginning to lean towards keeping a bunch of it here in my office, as I have WAY more space here than at home... I also have large tables where I can do the present wrapping... seems like a plan, somehow. :)

Yeah, the more I think about this, the more I realize just how crazy my next 3 weeks are gonna be... can't wait until I get that week off at Christmas! :)
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Two new articles from Cindy today:

Common Courtesy: Practice Being Polite

All You Ever Needed to Know about Chicken Pox

Interestingly enough, I've still never had chicken pox... I've been exposed enough times, though, that I doubt I will ever get them... but apparently, you never know. :)

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In other news, I have created my very own functional slipper pattern. My pair is almost done, and then I think I will try to make some other ones. The most interesting thing I learned in doing this is that the difference between sizes of human feet, when reduced to inches, is not very great. My size 6 (womens' size) feet are about 9 inches from toe to heel. Jerome's size 12 (mens' size) feet are only about 10 1/2 inches. Funny what a difference that inch and half makes, though, because I've worn Jerome's boots, and my feet swim in them.

Of course, I'm planning to do other research. I've measured Jesi's feet already, and I'm thinking about trying to get other people to measure their feet for me... cuz it's weird to go up to someone who isn't your roommate and say "hey, can I measure your feet?" :)
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Playing catch-up today, both with work and with articles.

Cindy has five new articles:

Cut and Run Policy in Iraq Would Make it Another Vietnam

Abortion Opponents Should Stop Name-Calling, Tackle the Real Issue, Our Rights

Hate Mongers Like Fred Phelps Should Not Be Protected from Prosecution Under Hate Crime Laws

Ignoring Differing Viewpoints Not a Great Idea

Illinois Election Guide: Choosing the Wrong Governor, Again

And only two from me:

How to Make Coordinating Christmas Stocking for Your Family

V for Vendetta: What Graphic Novel Did They Read?

Gonna be a drought from me for a while, as I submitting NOTHING at all last week. I am a slacker. :)

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In other news, I hate Chicago more now than ever before. Perhaps I can get an article out of that. :) Seriously, though, the list of problems we ran into was HUGE. Traffic, not enough time, getting stuck on a bus forever, and it taking 2 1/2 hours to get back to our hotel after the show. Oi.

If I get my way, I will never again set foot in that city.
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A few articles, and a Vlad update.

Cindy:

Six Things I Learned When Purchasing Renter's Insurance

Me:


Little Caesar's Pizza Tastes like Greasy Cardboard, but I Love It Anyway

Top Five Movies to Have While Stranded on a Deserted Island

Easy and Quick Food Add-Ins

Just a couple of response pieces that I did, and a silly one about food. The first one was inspired by my lunch one day. :)

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And as for Vlad, he's doing better now. He spent the night at the vet's office, ate some food, and didn't throw it back up, so that's a very good sign. He's got some medicine for the next couple of days to keep him a healthy kitten, and I'm really hoping that the upchucking is done. Megan is gonna be catsitting for us when we go to Chicago, and I know she won't want to deal with kitty vomit. Cuz I know I don't like dealing with it, though I have done remarkably well doing so thus far. :)
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Two new articles from Cindy:

Limbaugh's Statement About Michael J. Fox: Crass but Not Malicious

Which was an "Editor's Pick"! Congrats to Cindy! :)

How Much Money You Make at Associated Content is Up to You

And I concur wholeheartedly with this. I do this mostly to give myself a little bit of extra spending cash, particularly with the holidays rolling around. If I plan things well (and stop buying silly stuff), I may be able to do almost all of my holiday shopping just with the money I've made from writing. That would be pretty kewl. :) And it would mean I can spend my money from crocheting on tattoos. :)

Seriously, though, if you're interested in making either a little money or a decent amount of money through writing for Associated Content, E-mail either Cindy: lgunnin (at) hotmail (dot) com, or me: scarywhitegirl (at) gmail (dot) com. If you know Cindy in real life, use hers; otherwise, you can use mine. Yeah, we get a little bit of money for referrals, but once you're started, you can refer people too. :) And you can invite us to be your buddies, too. :)

You get no articles from me. Because I had a week of being a slacker when I didn't write much. I should have more coming up this week, but as I'm off work from Wednesday through Friday, I doubt you'll see anything about them till next Monday.

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Halloween is tomorrow, and if I am ambitious tonight, I will have quasi-Bride of Frankenstein hair tomorrow. This involves putting all of my hair into braids, and Jerome laughed when I asked him if he knew how to braid. Ah well. :)

Wednesday, I'll be headed out for my after Halloween sales (YAY!), and Thursday, we are off to the distant frozen northlands. This is also known, to most people, as Chicago. Jerome and I will be hitting the Art Institute on Thursday night, the Field Museum on Friday afternoon, and the Placebo concert (with Jesi and friends) on Friday night. Then on Saturday, we get to get up early to make the drive back. Well, I can cross my fingers and hope that perhaps they will give Jerome Saturday night off, in the hopes of him working Sunday morning, which will allow us to not leave Chicago super early on Saturday.

And in other news, Vlad has been sick. :( He goes to the vet this afternoon, to see if she can determine something is wrong with him, or whether it's just a case of upset kitty tummy. If it's the latter, I've already got some possibilities on ways to fix that, so that's a relief. It was not nice to hear him start hacking, and then backing up, before upchucking onto the floor. I'd be upset about the mess, but I'm more upset because he made a horrible little mewling noise right before it happened, so he's obviously not a happy kitten. :(
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Two new articles from Cindy:

Is Mystery Shopping the Job for You?

Do You Have What It Takes to Make Your Marriage Stand the Test of Time?

The latter of these two is written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but she's absolutely right. She actually mentioned this to me while we were talking one day, and that night, I told Jerome that he could have his fleece blanket, and I would take the normal sheet (which has since been supplemented by an afghan on my side). Neither of us wake up to no blankets anymore, unless we kicked them off of ourselves in a moment of silliness. It's very nice. :)

And I also have two articles:

Getting Ready to Play in a LARP: Demystifying Live Action Role Playing

I'm really trying to write as many articles as I can come up with for LARP related stuff, as I would like very much to be known for my knowledge about LARP... this one was pretty easy to write... :)

Why I Like Avenged Sevenfold: Sounds Like '80s Hair Metal

I was planning on writing this article anyway, and then they put out a special offer where you get paid a flat rate if your article references someone else's article. Hurrah for getting paid to disagree with people about music!!! :)

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In other news, it's cold out, and our heat is not working properly... I called the landlord yesterday, though, so hopefully he will have someone look at it today.
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Oi... I spent a lot of time sick and otherwise not at work last week. Monday, my car wouldn't run, so I stayed home till I could get it to the shop. Tuesday was normal. Wednesday, I got a migraine around lunchtime that took almost a full day to leave me alone. So Thursday was spent recovering, and Friday was preparation for Vulture Fest. All in all, I only worked a day and a half. Craziness.

So unsurprisingly, there are a few articles from my downtime. :)

Cindy has three:

Making My Own Thanksgiving Traditions is More Fun Than Visiting Family

Slimy Illinois Politicians Take State from Bellwether to National Joke

EBay & Phishing: You Recognize It, Now What?

And I also have three:

What Should I Give My Co-Workers for the Holidays?

Top Holiday Gifts for the Firefly Fan in Your Life

Physical and Social Benefits of Learning to Belly Dance

Whee, fun and excitement! :)

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In other news, Vulture Fest was not too bad, but then I ended up spending most of what I made on other peoples' stuff. Specifically jewelry and soap. Cuz I love homemade soap, and though I still haven't found the Almond Oatmeal Raspberry stuff that I love, plain almond is pretty good too. :)

I am, unfortunately, pretty badly windburned, and swamped as all get out. I have a lot of stuff that I'd like to work on, but we'll see how much of that actually gets done. Last week was fairly productive on the crafts, not so much on the writing. This week, if I'm smart about it, should go in the other direction. But I may not be smart about it, as it's far easier to crochet and watch a movie than write and watch a movie... at least for me. :)
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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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Two new articles for both Cindy and I today!

Cindy's:

Illinois Wine and Wineries Offers a Variety of Tastes at Low Prices

AustraLearn a Great Help for Studying in Australia, New Zealand

Mine:

Beowulf & Grendel: An Epic Worth Watching

This is a new-ish movie that we rented, and I really liked, even if it wasn't quite the "Beowulf" that I read in school.

Holiday Gifts for College Students

Because cash and alcohol aren't necessarily what you want to give them, even if that is what they want. :)

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We haven't had any End of the Work Week Wisdom for a LONG time... not like I have any today, but I just thought I'd comment on that fact. :)

I plan to thoroughly enjoy my weekend of not having to sell crafts. :) Of course, this means I will probably spend at least a decent amount of time tomorrow working on crafts... at least in between trying to write some more articles. :) Practice makes perfect, and all that. :)

The hopeful highlight of the weekend, though, will be taking a drive somewhere, as the leaves are starting to get good... only barely starting, but depending where you look, they can be very beautiful...

At the very least, we're gonna go to the Halloween store in Marion either Sunday or Monday. w00t! :)
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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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Yesterday was a busy day, and Cindy ended up with three more articles up, all tourism pieces.

Why You Should Visit Cave-in-Rock, Illinois

Why You Should Visit Southern Illinois

Why You Should Visit Metropolis, Illinois

Sadly, though I live in southern Illinois, I've only been to the region as a whole, not Cave-in-Rock or Metropolis. But then again, I'm not a big Superman fan. :)

And I also have three other articles:

Ways to Keep Your Office Assistants Happy

Early Green Day Albums: 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk!

Saving Money on Christmas Gifts in a Large Family

And three more book reviews added to the book review page.

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In other news, I'm gonna run off to become a gypsy pirate this weekend. Oh, wait, I mean I'm going to be at the Southern Illinois Renaissance Faire. Whee! :)
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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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