'WAMO Syndrome'

"WAMO Syndrome is the condition one finds themselves in after initally being a tank for an extended period of time. 'Bane admitted his WAMO Syndrome after being utterly slaughtered by running his healing monk directly into the AOE.' "

Ah.. We all have experienced this condition.. Whether we have it ourselves, or a mission where an invitation of a friend or guildy quickly turns sour, hordes and hordes of monsters swarming all over the disabled body of a BP Ranger.. Too quick to tank.
WAMO Syndrome is a common occurance among the MMORPG community, ranging from young to old alike. What can we do to help our loved ones? What can we do to help ourselves??
1. Ask for help! Admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it.
2. Don't sabotage yourself: Refrain from even 'this one time' out-of-profession-tanking.
3. Avoid Bad Examples: Friends who carry the same disease? Avoid them in the act. WAMOism feeds off of WAMOism.
4. Don't give into Peer Pressure! Just because everyone else is doing it doesen't mean you have to do it.
5. Get a Pet: Go train a pet.. Maybe a tiger from Factions, or even a Flamingo from NF.. But PLEASE.. If you feel the need to witness utter slaughterization and to aggravate a ball of enemies.. Send your pet in. He's tough. He can handle it.. Really.

With these helpful hints perhaps even YOU can make a difference.

Tips for a Stress-Free Halloween Party

Halloween is just around the corner and you have a tyke and about a dozen pint-sized guests to plan a party for.
Still haven't gotten past the party list? Well, don't panic.. Here's a few helpful tips and ideas to get you on the right hant-inspired path.
For a safe alternative to open flames, use wickless candles or decorative string-lights. You can place these candles randomly on surfaces without having to worry about knocked over flames or dripping candle wax and still keep a spooky glow. Better still, you can continue to use the candles and lights in your day-to-day decorating strategy.
Plastic gothic-style fences and sheer fabric or cobweb-style sheets can be used to section off areas you don't want wandering costume-clad guests to explore.
Check your local Dollar Store for plastic Halloween serving bowls or goblets to set around the room filled with candy. Who knows? You may be surprised at all the inexpensive goodies finding their way into your cart to add to the party.
Okay, so now you have party decor covered, but what to do to keep those little rug trolls entertained? Here are a few games themed for the Hallows Eve spirit.
Eyeball Scoop is a game where you blindfold someone with a doubled-over bandana and scatter cotton balls in front of them on the carpet. Hand over a serving spoon and bowl and let the tyke loose. The object of the game is to spoon as many 'eyeballs' into the bowl in a set amount of time. Because the cotton balls are so light, this is a fun challenge for even adults!
Another fun game is to set up pumpkins and to divide the guests into groups of two members. Designating each team with a pumpkin and permanent marker, explain that one of the members of the team draws on the side of the pumpkin opposite him, while the other member is his eyes. The 'Eyes' will have to tell the Drawer how to move his marker in order to create a spooky face.
Scavenger hunts and costume contests are always fun while 'pass-it-on' ghost stories might get a little interesting if you have a creative tyke in the group.
Stumped on what to fix your guests? Check out www.halloweenrecipes.org for punch and food ideas. A creative little trick to liven up your punch bowl is to fill up a cleaned plastic glove with water, tying it off with a rubber band and sticking it in the freezer the night before your party.
When it comes time to pull out your ghoulish brew, slip the now frozen hand out of the glove and into the punch bowl to surprise any unsuspecting punch-dipping guest.
Above all, remember that if you plan with safe practices in mind, your Halloween will be much more enjoyable and much less stressful.

Halloween.. A Night of Witches, Vampires and.. Lucky Charms?

It's been a while since I last posted, so I decided to go ahead and post an article I had tried selling to a marketing company. :) Yay Halloween's just around the corner!

Halloween.. The one night a year where Batman, Superman, and Cinderella rally together in a door-to-door hunt for chocolate and suckers. Laughter fills the night as children dressed in costumes ring door bells with sticky fingers and toothy "Trick or Treat"s.
With glowing Jack-O-Lanterns on doorsteps and white-sheeted ghosts, it seems very unlikely Halloween would have Celtic origins. However, it is believed Halloween first originated from a Celtic holiday called Samhain, where the Druids (Priests of the Celts) built massive bonfires.. Sacred to the townspeople, they would offer crops and animal sacrifices to the open flames for their Gods.
This event took place on the 31st of October (Halloween), the day before the Celt's New Year and the end of their harvest and summer. Celtic belief was that Samhain was a night of haunt. Believing ghosts of the world of dead were able to pass over the boundary and return to earth to reap havoc on the town's crops and produce other problems and troubles. It is said many would disguise themselves in animal skins as a sort of mask so as not to be recognized by the evil spirits when leaving their homes that night.
While the thinned boundary between spirit world and living was frightening to the Celts, they also believed that this time made it easier for their Priests to read the future.
Later, sometime in A.D. 600 to 700, one or several of the Popes, believed to be in an attempt to replace the Celtic event with a holiday approved by the Catholic church perhaps, moved All Saints' Day (also called All Hollows Day) from it's previous date early in the year to November 1st. Eventually the night before All Hollows Day became All Hollows Eve, which evolved into our modern holiday, Halloween. While this is a widely believed theory of how Halloween became, it seems to be only one of many.
Many believe, without foundation it seems, the Celtic festival Samhain was named after a God of Death. Others believe there wasn't a God of Death at all but that this is a myth fabricated by philosophers in earlier days. Other rumors say that the Druids were far from harmless and went from door to door in search of virgin sacrifices to offer to Samhain leaving a jack-o-lantern and candle made of human fat to ones who cooperated to ward off the evil spirits wandering through the streets that night. This is perhaps where some believe the traditional glowing pumpkin comes in seen on most doorsteps around Halloween.
Though there are many different beliefs throughout the world on the nature of Halloween when it first began, most everyone agrees it originated in the lands that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and some of France.
However it came about, Halloween in modern times is a festive holiday in which children and adults alike have the excuse to be who they want to be.. even if it is under a mask.

Eternal Flames?

Ever notice that most video game dungeons and catacombs are always lit with torches? Even though these dungeons are usually uninhabited and have been so for hundreds of years? How does this happen? Does some little pixelated-game-elf hop along in front of you lighting the way or are the torches 'motion-sensor'?

Wallpaper is a curse..

Wallpaper.. the sticky layer of flowery deception.
What IS hiding behind those patterned pretty flowers? Water stains? Mildew? Horrific nests of cockroach families? Do we even want to know?
Not really.. but those little dots of pastel pink and green flowers call to you, a distraction hovering in your peripheral vision, begging you to stop working and turn your tortured eyes to it's beckon.. Counting each and every flower as preciouse minutes tick by, your work day essentially shot.
Why do we use it? Here are some possible scenarios..
*1. You just moved here.. You have nothing to do with the legion of chipper flowers adorning your walls, and your landlord for some reason is partial to it. Maybe it was his grandmother's and has sentimental value.. fortunate for him, HE doesen't have to live with it.
*2. Wall-Papers R Us had an excellent sale on anything with little pink roses and it was cheaper then painting.
*3. YOUR grandmother put it up, and it has sentimental value to YOU.
*4. It just matches the pink and white sofa.
*5. Your hiding ketchup-stained walls. An incident you really don't want to discuss.
*6. You just like it. Those pretty little flowers give you warm, fuzzy feelings and something to stare at during the day.
Anyways.. Whatever the reason.. What if you decide you need to get rid of it? Well! That's what I decided after rearranging my living room several times in the last month to no avail. I did some googling and the first link that popped up, brought a website that I intend to follow this coming year when tackling my wallpaper project. http://ezinearticles.com/?11-Tips-for-Stripping-Wallpaper:-How-to-Get-Rid-of-Ugly-Wallpaper!&id=4341
Unfortunately, since nearly every room is covered in it, this could be a very big project.. Hence why next spring is the 'to-do' date. I plan on recording and covering the whole process with before and after pictures to post on my blog. :) So stay tuned for that!
Life in the Freelance Writing World... Hmm.. Nacie Carson, a reader of FWJ (freelancewritinggigs.com) sent in a post that I feel is a necessity to read for any who have a site. She tells about her recent experience with hackers, the damage, and how you can prevent this from happening to you. Check out her post here: http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2008/10/06/got-a-web-site-be-sure-to-back-it-up/#comment-47947
Jodee posted some great job leads on FWJ today, so definately check that out. A job for a comedy writer (for a mock-horoscope site) among others are listed today, check out Jodee's posting here: http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2008/10/06/freelance-writing-jobs-for-monday-october-6-2008/#comment-47950
Okay, enough plugging, work calls. *puts on the work face*
Happy Freelancing!

My sister has cell-phone-gnawing-Savage Squirrels in her yard. Seriosely. :)

Anyways.. another late night with the son. Thankfully it's been one of those nights where he's made it easy for me to write, allowing the few assignments I had on my list to be finished, formatted and sent out.
So even though I'm super tired and missing my nice warm bed, I'm pretty darn happy that I'm ahead of schedule.
Ahh.. short post, unfortunately the tyke is calling. Nitey Nite!