New and Improved

Well, I’ve finally switched the site over to the new format, and hopefully everyone likes it. If you don’t – too bad, I do and I’m the one paying for it. If you want me to change it – well, hon, I do have a paypal account and you can contribute some fundage.

I may or may not swap themes with the seasons as I had been doing for so long. I happen to like this one a great deal and even went so far as to modify the header image to add the site name.

I’m also slowly bringing all of my articles here; most of my work is still up at the now-lime-green Suite101, and as they’d broken the contract I signed, *all of them*, I’d asked for removal. It is now there without my express permission – the contract was violated by THEM before I did it by pointing that very fact out to them. They are in the wrong – ask a lot of others. They are in effect, committing copyright infringement. They have removed the course content though, and gone so far as to delete my member account. Hopefully over time, the entirety of my work will reside here, and not on a thief’s server. And they sold the rights to my ebooks of compilation of my work to the asshole that began that program. They all get the money for my work – not me!

Not all of the articles are kid-friendly, so I warn you now – don’t email and complain about it later. I have a kids section – it’s clearly marked in the Network listings. Find it – it says Sprites Pagan Kids. Yes, I’ve become an old grouch in the last while, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!

AND for those who have emailed asking when I’ll get the courses up here – I am now free to do so, and have recently received a huge amount of domain space to do it on. Once I figure out the software, I’ll get busy on that. As always, Drak ROCKS! Through all the server moves and issues with coding and email, Jen Bryan has stood strong and shown the world what a woman running a business can do. She is, in my opinion, the epitome of a goddess!

So have at it – lots of pages to visit, and lots more to come. If you have anything you’d like to see here, or if you have a rant you’d like to share with me, you know how it goes. Nope – don’t email me. I have a spam killer running and anything not specified doesn’t come through.

Dawson College – “The Canadian Columbine”

I have been mulling over the recent events in Montreal at the Dawson College. I sat tearfully staring at the news coverage released early that day, and my heart broke for the children, the staff and the parents. It is without doubt the most horrifying event in recent news. I have sympathy as well for the gunman’s parents…despite comments that they must have known something was wrong with him – it’s very well possible that they had no idea. No one knows our inner selves unless we let them, and I find it hard to believe he let anyone into his darkened soul.

Later, to hear the domain for a notorious vampire profile website noted as one of the gunman’s online homes, I was appalled. I knew immediately that he was not of the community, that he was something else entirely.

One of the most authorative experts in the community, Michelle Belanger, has posted a response to her LiveJournal. Much more eloquent with her words than I, I urge you to read her response.

Michelle’s Response

May all involved heal, be blessed and move strong on their journey.

Supporting the Troop

This is the wrong mission for Canada. It’s not balanced. It doesn’t represent the equilibrium between humanitarian aid, reconstruction and comprehensive peace process that Canadians would want to see.
Jack Layton, NDP

I can’t sleep again tonight. Had I not caught the word “Kandahar” on the news last night, I’d be fine. Four Canadian soldiers from CFB Petawawa were killed, and only two names have been released. I can’t remember if Bry’s name would be released immediately or not. I guess now I can see why they’ve never told me before, when he gets deployed.

I know he believes in his work, and I try to support him. I’ve had the healthy dislike for the Taliban just like most people, for years. I remember sitting, mouth agape, staring at pictures of the destroyed Buddhas. Reading of the conditions women are expected to live in. Back then, I never imagined that Canada would end up involved in a war with these people. Please don’t tell me it’s a peacekeeping mission. We all know better.

I can’t imagine having a brother, a sister or spouse deployed. Bry and I have only seen each other a handful of times since we hit adulthood. I just can’t get it out of my head that he shouldn’t be there. Really, none of them should be there….

:(