Journal: March 15, 2007 - Ramblings and Thoughts

Today, I'm feeling surprisingly good, all things considered. We woke up an hour early so that L could get in on a conference call, which meant I had time to fully awaken (I'm a slow riser), get some Myspace work done, and read and reply to some of my Gather mail. End result? One awake brain by the time I got to work.

Turns out I forgot today was inventory day, when the store is audited by outside contractors, and we get the rare treat of free pizza and soda - and when most of the employees aren't scheduled because there's nothing for them to do until the audit is over.

I've got a few articles in mind to write today - first, the daily ritual of Page-a-Day and the yet-to-be-established ritual of Daily Point Check-In.  I've also got the first part of Wal-Martians: The Art of Bribery and Propaganda written down, so I may post that as part one of a series - it's a lengthy article, or at least it looks so on paper. The point of that particular article - my take on how Wal-Mart's charitable ventures, dedication to sustainability, and many things they tout as 'good for the customer', 'good for the planet', etc. are mostly about PR and cost-cutting than any measure of goodwill.

Other articles I have in mind, time permitting, include Ill-Conceived: 10% For All, Games: How To Get Into A Locked Building, and a few GamerArc articles. I've actually got quite a few games to review; playing through a game takes up a lot of time, though ... in fact, I got stuck on Drakengard 2, so I'll likely move on to another game to review, and/or do some of the games I've already played through a time or three.

I've also created a few new groups:

Gatherology: (moderated) A group for discussing advice on making your articles more appealing, on earning and keeping readership, and on networking with your fellow Gatherites.

GamerArc: I've always wanted to run a group about video games, so... I'm making one. While my general stock in trade involves reviewing games, I'd also like the group to discuss them, provide advice, ask questions about troublesome games, and so forth.

Fanfiction Addiction: Let's face it - if you've ever considered rewriting the end of Stephen King's novels, dressed up as a Klingon, played a game based on a popular book or TV series, or wrote a story involving characters you didn't create, you're a fanfiction author. Why not enjoy it? This group is open to stories, pictures, roleplaying ideas, and pretty much anything else based on fan-authored fiction. Be sure to flag articles appropriately if they contain adult content.

Groupies!: Do you have a group you'd like others to know about? Are you looking for something on Gather and having trouble finding a group for it? Post an article here and let the world know about it!

Post It, We're Not Picky: As the title implies, this group is a good place to post things, particularly if you've already posted things to the other 'post everything' groups and don't want to bump yourself off of their page. Post it, we'll read it. Just don't forget to flag adult content appropriately.

Check them out - you might find 'em interesting, or at least find them a useful place to post your relevant stuff.