What's in this newsletter:

MY NONSENSE
GOOD NEWS
TA-DA
FLASH FICTION PLACE
CLEAN FUNNIES
SCIENCE BLURBS (For all of us Layman Science Nerds, with "inquiring minds that want to know" and who aren't afraid to ask.)
BOOK NEWS
FREE STUFF

MY NONSENSE
We hope your holidays were happy. My news is not so good. My oldest grandson is an Airman First Class in the United States Air Force, and he is being deployed to the Middle East early next month. Please keep all of our brave young men and women in your hearts and prayers. They are making these sacrifices for YOU AND ME! Please remember them, and may God keep them all safe.

News Flashes!
As some of you know, I started a new review site The Popper Gazette. http://jopop.us/jopop.html. Here is the first show stopping news from this fast growing little zine.

JANUARY, 2003 WINNER OF THE POPPER GAZETTE FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Storm Litter By Alex Crabtree. It's a complete story in 55words, believe it or not!) What talent! You may read this great story here: http://www.jopop.us/jopop/pop-flash.html Congratulations, Alex!

You could be our next winner. To submit your own Flash Fiction Story, Go to http://jopop.us/jopop.html

My latest collection of short stories, FAIRY TALES WITH A FREUDIAN FLAIR, will be out soon from Atlantic Bridge Publishing. http://www.atlanticbridge.net Two years in the making, it was a hoot to write. The cover is by the talented Rita Y. Toews who has an eye for twisted humor. You can see the cover at my website. Http://www.sjoanpopek.com

I have included a funny story for you in this edition of my newsletter: WHY ADAM & EVE HAD CHILDREN. You will love it. It's under CLEAN FUNNIES.

Enough rambling. It's great talking to you again. Now on with the newsletter....
Jo
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GOOD NEWS!

My flash fiction story, DRAGON TALES, is now appearing in RedWritingHood.com's 100 Word Short Story Contest Anthology, Spring 2002 edition. You can purchase one at: http://redwritinghood.com/buyanthology.html --You could buy it as a gift, and read it first!

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My short story "Billy's Brew" is now available in "Stories of Myth, Legend and Future: SBD SF&F 2002 Anthology." Find out more at http://www.motordoc.net/sf&f/Advertising/reserve_stories_of_myth.htm

This is a great book! I'm proud to be a part of it.

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THE ADMINISTRATOR, a collection of short stories will be available in trade paperback from The Fiction Works by the end of the year. To find out more about the book and/or to download the electronic version go to http://www.fictionworks.com/etheadministrator.htm

You can now get SOUND THE RAM'S HORN in paperback!! Go here to see: http://www.hardshell.com/detail.asp?product_ID=0-7599-0481-2

Also:
The JoPop Gazette http://jopop.us/jopop.html is open for reviews of books, magazines, and I wouldn't be adverse to adding a short story category to that.

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CLEAN FUNNIES

(This story came to me on an email list. Unfortunately, no one knows who the author is. If anyone knows, please contact me. He or She deserves the credit for such a cute story.)

WHY ADAM & EVE HAD CHILDREN
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you chuckle:

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was, "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit" God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?"
"Hey Eve...We have forbidden fruit!!!!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit!", said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so"! God replied, wondering why He had not stopped creation after making the elephants.
A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was
ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know", said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!" "
Did too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY!
If you persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't
taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

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SCIENCE BLURBS (These are for real, folks.)
These are from Science News Online... Free E-mail Alert Science News e-LETTER
http://www.sciencenews.org/

WINGS APLENTY: DINOSAUR SPECIES HAD FEATHERED HIND LIMBS

A team of Chinese paleontologists has discovered
fossils of a small, feathered dinosaur that they
say had four wings. more... http://www.sciencenews.org/

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING: EXCESS VITAMIN A MAY HIKE BONE-FRACTURE RATE

Dietary studies suggest that people who consume
large amounts of vitamin A in foods or
multivitamins are more likely to suffer hip
fractures than are people who ingest modest
amounts. more... http://www.sciencenews.org/

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BOOK NEWS
Here is where I do my shameless self promoting, so bear with me on this, okay? If you haven't already done so, take a look at some of my books.
JUMP START YOUR WRITING CAREER WITH ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS, an EPPIE 2002 Finalist, from Atlantic Bridge Publishing http://www.atlanticbridge.net/publishing/jumpstart.htm

THE ADMINISTRATOR, an EPPIE Award Winner & a Frankfurt Awards Nominee, from The Fiction Works http://www.fictionworks.com/etheadministrator.htm

SOUND THE RAM'S HORN, a Frankfurt Awards Nominee coming soon from Hard Shell Word Factory http://www.hardshell.com/ (Now available in ebook and print)

See them all and more at http://www.sjoanpopek.com/

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FREE STUFF:
I don't endorse any of the sites I list in this section. I merely put them here as a service so you can look for yourself. So don't blame me if you aren't happy with one of them. It ain't my fault!!

http://www.thefreesite.com/ offers links to free stuff all over the WEB.

http://netscape.zdnet.com/ Free software of all kinds.

Free SPAM filter program. MailWasher really works to cut down on your spam. I use it. Get it free here. http://www.mailwasher.net/

FREE PUZZLES, BOOKS AND BRAIN TEASERS. Go here. http://www.sjoanpopek.com

There's more, but If I write much more, you'll quit reading (if you haven't already, and in that case, you're not reading this anyway) so I'll STOP.
Jo

PS:
Remember to take life easy. You only go around once. Go slow so you don't miss anything.
Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends, family or anyone else you want to annoy. But
if you do, all I ask is that you forward it in its entirety with full credit to me. After all, I'm gonna be famous someday, and you can frame it and say you knew me when. And my name is not Anonymous!