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!
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Well here is more news/stuff about me and mine. I know you are just waiting with baited breath to hear all the news. (What the heck is "baited breath" anyway? Is it like when you get up in the morning and it feels like a trout took a dip in your mouth while you were sleeping? Maybe it's the open-close-open-close thing that a fish does when your hook pulls him out of the water and he's gasping for air? Or could it be how "his" breath smells after eating a worm or an anchovy? Whatever it is, I have never witnessed any of my friends ever having baited breath, (well there was that one time with the anchovy pizza, but that's another story) and I can't imagine any of you actually doing any of that, so I guess "baited breath" is just one of those cliched sayings that we say without knowing or caring what it really means. But don't ya sometimes wonder?)

I know. I know. You are all thinking, "So who cares anyway. I must have been drunk when I signed up for this stupid newsletter. I can get this kind of drivel right here at home from my 3 year old. Get on with it Jo, or let me get back to my email!"

Ok--ok. On with the newsletter.

What's in this newsletter:
GOOD NEWS
THE GERUND AND DANGLING PARTICIPLES
FREE STUFF
OTHER NEWS
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GOOD NEWS:
Not much to report this month. I'm about half way through my newest collection, FAIRY TALES WITH A FREUDIAN FLAIR. Watch for news of when (and if) it is finally released.
Been studying for my MOUS Certification. Got the first one in MSWord. I Take the rest in the next couple of weeks. Guess that makes me qualified to teach what I've been teaching for 4 years.

Ain't it funny how that grossly expensive, little certificate printed on a cheap piece of slick paper with a sub-standard printer makes such a difference in our careers? Validates what we already know--documentation--that's the key. Gotta have that little piece of paper to show the world you can do what you've already been doing for years. Life sure is a hoot. Ain't it?

If you want to see what I really think about other things, check out my interview at: http://www.thebookreviewersite.com/article1040.html

THE GERUND AND DANGLING PARTICIPLES
Speaking of documentation, check out the great article about the above subheading by L A Barker. She really tells it like it is. If you ever have trouble with "--ing" words, take a look.
http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz/gerund.html


I've been guilty of dangling a few participles my self. Kinda like dangling a homemade fly over a hungry fish's mouth. Never caught anything with my participles though. If you want to take a look at some of my early stories, (and see how twisted my line really got back then) download a free copy of my book, TEN TWISTED TALES, from my website. Now, if you do that, you do it at your own risk. I don't want any scathing emails about how bad it was, or how immature it was or any other such nonsense. I warned you! Proceed at your own risk! It's free, for Heaven's sake. What do you expect? If you are a risk taker, surf on over to http://www.sjoanpopek.com and get yourself a free copy. (If, however, you want to send me emails proclaiming my prowess with prolific prose and scintillating plots, feel free to do so. I never delete that kind of mail.)

FREE STUFF:
Haven't had time to surf for more free stuff sites so here are a couple you might like. More next month. I promise.

Bob Norris, author of TORAWARE, LOOKING FOR THE SUMMER, and THE MANY ROADS TO JAPAN offers free downloads of "The Many Roads to Japan" (about 20,000 words) tells the tale of a war resister's search for identity over a 14-year period. It includes over 50 links, several pictures, comprehension and discussion/essay questions, and the author's reading of the answers to the questions at the end of each chapter. Available in PDF, HTML, and Rocket eBook downloads (also can be read online). Great for self, group, CALL (computer assisted language learning), and peace education study. Aimed at low intermediate and above ESL students, it can also be enjoyed by native speaker readers. The URL is
http://www2.gol.com/users/norris/roadsdownload.html

Download free books and find links to free and almost free software at my site, http://www.sjoanpopek.com

Want to hear your favorite authors read from their own work in their own voice? How about audio interviews? It's free to download and hear what they have to say. http://www.radiofreegallery.com/

Get free animated graphics at http://www.animfactory.com/

OTHER NEWS:
Ooops! Don't have any other news. I've been talking a lot about fishing in this newsletter. Made me hungry for water and trees and stuff. I think I'll go to the mountain this weekend and toss my line in a little spot I know about. It's a really great fishing spot because no fish live there. That way I can throw the line in, sit back with a good book and not worry about those pesky water creatures disturbing me by biting the danged hook. Hmmm--I think just to be safe, I'll not bait the hook either. No sense in taking chances, right?

Gone Fishin'
Jo