Well I just got my first submission approved on the Associated Content site... and published! Only made $3 but hey... My first published article. ;)

<== click to go read it on their site... or read it here.

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines
One Hell of a Ride
By Drake Steele - dsweb.org
content rating 3.0
content producer rating 3.5

ENLARGE +

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines"The entire system of Vampire: The Masqurade's paper-and-dice beginnings is fairly well represented here... But don't let that make you think that there's no action to be had... There is, and it's served up hot... and bloody."
First, a bit of background. Vampire: The Masquerade is a vampire-and-the-supernatural based roleplaying game by the folks at White Wolf. It is a deep world of an underworld full of plotting and intrigue, with clans and sects of vampires constantly in upheaval, and most following a couple rules... A vampire needs to keep his humanity, or he/she will turn into a beast... A mindless killing machine. The other is called "the Masquerade" - the need to hide from humanity to avoid extinction, for while vampires and their "kindred" are powerful, they are few in number compared to humanity, and know that humanity would never let them continue to exist.

Now, the entire system of Vampire: The Masqurade's paper-and-dice beginnings is fairly well represented here... But don't let that make you think that there's no action to be had... There is, and it's served up hot... and bloody.

You'll have to feed off humans, fight off vampires from rival sects and clans, run into ghosts and werewolves... It's a wonderfully diverse world they've crafted, and will draw in most gamers or fans of gothic fiction.

And the graphics are beautiful. Based on Valve's Source engine, there's depths of beauty and darkness to bring a tear to your eye... and make you jump out of your seat when a vampire hunter attacks from nowhere. It is a visual feast. And features audio and dialogue to match. As you wander the underbelly of Los Angeles and environs, you'll uncover plot after plot, machination after machination, in an attempt to complete your missions for the local Prince (aka the head vampire over an area)

This game was an enjoyable tour-de-force of PC gaming wizardry. Activision has published an admirable title here.

Graphics: 9/10 - A Beauty to Behold!
Sound: 8/10 - The music rocked. (Check out the tunes at The Asylum)
Gameplay:7/10 - A bit complex on controls, but otherwise EXCELLENT!
Longevity: 8/10 - Well re-playable!
Overall Score: 8/10 - EXCELLENT!

Well, I've decided to take up a bit of writing when I can and see if I can make any money that way - I found a nice little site for submitting content for consideration for paid use, as well as being able to immediately publish it there for free if that's what you desire.

I'm hoping that this will help in the attempt to get myself and beth on our feet.

Second announcement... my buddy Lexx Sharpe from the UK will now be inputting into the blog on occasion, and his best buddy there as well. So let's hear it for them! *clapping*

Ok... well we're trying desperately to save our home... we need about 1400 bucks by the 10th of April. BUT - I have some work coming in the way of the Isleton Brannan-Andrus Historical Society - they have a museum being built in Isleton, California's historic Tong building... An extensive restoration is needed but they're underway... I'll be doing their website, it appears, and that will be a portion of what I need - but I need more work. I've been hitting craigslist.org in every state, seeking telecommute jobs and design jobs, and just about anything else I can do from home... I'm hoping that this will give me SOMEthing...

And Beth is doing better, and just may have found a good part-time gig... together we hope to be able to save ourselves and get back on our feet... But it will be close.

Anyway... Later!

-Drake.

Heidi-ho, neighbors! Just wanted to keep y'all up to date.
Well, my sweetie pie has had her last bit of surgery and is just starting to feel better, so soon she'll be all back to good. And I have a couple work possibilities... now to find more! I need as much as possible to be able to pay them there bills and such.
Anyway, being the time that it is, I'm going to go ahead and end this short update and go to sleep.
Good night, all.
- Drake.

Well, now this was just cool... I opened up my inbox on http://www.worth1000.com (a great place to see good photoshop work) and got this about my entry into their FING.com contest, shown below the message:
----
Hey,

In our opinion you submitted the funniest pic to our contest. Maybe not the most refined photoshopping skills ...but you nailed the layout and the comedy. So we are sending you a consolation prize: A $20 gift certificate to FINGstore.com.

It is transferable...in case you can't find anything you want and know someone with less taste than yourself. Also it will cover shipping charges if the total order adds up to less than the face value i.e. $20. So you don't have to spend a dime. Also we will hang your pic in our gallery with a photo credit and link of your choice. Please let us know what name you'd like to use and the URL. We will get you all these photos up next week. Stop by sometime...

Thanks again,

FING Brothers
-----
How cool is that? :o) Thanks, FING Bros.! I bought Beth a FING State University T-Shirt. lol. :o)


CLICK HERE TO SEE MY ENTRY.

WE NEED WORK... AND FAST
Well, now that Beth is feeling better, and my last set of injuries is healed, we're both hunting for work full bore. I'm still trying to see if I can get Cold Steel off the ground but it's going on the back burner for now as a side gig. We need steady income, badly, to keep our home, and so we're putting out the call: If you need technical help, web or graphic design and editing, content editing, or anything else done that can be done as a telecommuter position, please send it my way - you can write me at drake@dsweb.org. If you have anything in the Sacramento area in Data Entry, Reception, or Customer Service (non-sales) areas, then let Beth know @ beth@dsweb.org. She is also entertaining telecommute jobs for Customer Service or Data Entry. If you have work for us, PLEASE, let us know! Thanks!

Drake & Beth Steele.

Frozen dead guys a cause for celebration?

AP - Over the last three years, the cryogenically frozen body of a Norwegian man has become the centerpoint of a quirky winter festival in a small Colorado mining town. [Yahoo! News: Oddly Enough]

Ok... now I thought I was a bit off... this is just weird. ;)

Anyway - just so you all know - we're alive and well... and still hunting work now that my babydoll is all better. So wish us luck and if you have work for us - LET US KNOW! :o)

- The Drakemeister