Issue # 1 – Wednesday, May 02, 2001

Greetings! Welcome to the first issue of my newsletter. Thank you for joining.

If you’re in the mood for a short story, poem, or my articles click on the following URL:

http://www.authorsden.com/dallasfranklin

This newsletter will be published every Wednesday.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Trivia
2. Writing Sites
3. Quotes


TRIVIA:

The Head Gets the Nod

Did you ever wonder why we nod our heads up and down for 'yes' and back and forth for 'no'? According to the book, “EVER WONDER WHY?” by Douglas B. Smith, it started as a body language signal. When a child wanted the breast, he nodded his head up and down and this became known as a 'yes' gesture. Then when the child's belly was full, he would shake his head back and forth to get away from the breast and this was interpreted as a 'no' gesture. Interesting, eh!

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase, "goodnight, sleep tight" came from.

Honeymoon

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month" or what we know today as the honeymoon.

Minding your P’s & Q’s

In English pubs ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when patrons got rowdy, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."

Little Known Facts

*The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; "7" was selected because the original containers were 7 ounces. "UP" indicated the direction of the bubbles.

*Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

*Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

*No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times.

*Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

*You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

WRITING SITES:

http://marinelifemag.com/

We specialize in quality poetry, short stories and non-fiction. We even have a chat room, which translates languages, a regular chat room with 4000 rooms, and a voice chat. Each month there is a poetry and short story contest and the winner gets $10.00.

http://www.lavendar-mist.co.uk/index2.html

A place of inspiration where authors can meet, read each others work and submit their own writings for review. This website began only two weeks ago and already is showing a strong community of writers.

http://www.harvest-art.com/

Your source for poetry, art, short fiction, reviews, events and related columns. David C. Miller, based in Portland, Oregon invites writers and poets to submit their writes.

http://www.IPublish.com/

Time Warner Books, a new eBook publishing company connecting readers, authors, and editors online.

http://www.committment.com/write.html

A magazine for women on the Internet. We can help you achieve your writing goals. Get the support you need to finish your novel. Gain confidence to start writing. Join our ongoing writing seminar.

http://fiction.4-writers.com/

F2K is a free online creative writing course sponsored by Writers' Village University and staffed by Volunteer Mentors. The course includes seven one-week fiction writing classes and is designed for beginning writers, however, intermediate and advanced writers are encouraged to take the course as a refresher or to socialize with and encourage beginning writers. Thousands of writers have discovered that F2K is a great way to break writers block.

QUOTES:

"Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else."
--Judy Garland

"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."
Shirley MacLaine

"I look for what needs to be done… After all, that's how the universe designs itself."
--R. Buckminster Fuller


Hope this finds you healthy and happy and I look forward to sharing more information in next Wednesday’s issue. To learn more about me, visit my personal website at:
http://www.fortunecity.com/westwood/susileib/369/

Enjoy a WonderFilled week!

Dallas Hodder Franklin