Yearly Archive: 2009

My friend Subramanian Lakshmi Narayanan, in Chennai, has started a fund to provide oil for lamps for the poorer Siva temples in Tamil Nadu.

The cost of oil is Rs1000 ($21.40 at current exchange rate) for a 15 kg “tin”.  The intial plan is to provide about 120 tins a year, or about 10 tins a month.  (That’s $2,568 per year.)

The names of the temples being supplied at posted on a blog… which currently is written predominantly in Tamil, but a translated page should appear in mid-January.  The website is http://lightingdeepamattemples.blogspot.com .

Obviously I cannot cover these costs myself, but will be donating into this fund.  I transfer money to S. Lakshmi by putting funds into his son’s (student at Columbia University) account at Bank of America; I have been given written proof that the money has reached him and been used for the purpose donated.  So if anyone wants to participate in this project, I’d be happy to accept donations and transfer them in your name.  I am certain S. Lakshmi will be successful in getting others, mostly inside Tamil Nadu, to donate to this purpose.

If you would like to donate through me, please send funds through PayPal to mordewis@serpentstone.org or contact me to discuss other methods.  I assure you I will keep none of the donated funds, and have good experience with all the funds I have sent being used for the purpose for which they were intended.

Shivaya Nahama,
Moss
ज़ैवलानन्ड
சிவாய நமஹ

As of January 1, my employer, Eternal Press, will become a part of Damnation Books, thus moving to the US after being founded in Australia and run for the past couple years from Canada.  The two brands will not be merged for a while (what do you think of “Eternal Damnation Books”?), but EP will be reorganized along the lines of the smaller DB. 

My job is not in danger per se, but the reorganization plan right now looks like I’ll be split over three departments — will I be made an executive assistant to the person who is over those departments, or what?  I’ll just play it by ear for now, but I hope I get to keep doing what I’m doing. 

I went ahead and got ISBN numbers for EP’s books scheduled for release through April — Canada does not charge for ISBN numbers but the US does.  So I saved my new boss some money. 

This is not too terribly traumatic, as the owner of DB used to be Marketing Manager for EP until not so long ago.  This will supply us with more money to properly advertise our offerings… which is odd, since one of our books is currently the #3 best seller at Fictionwise (now owned by Barnes & Noble), with the #4 book being the latest in the teen-fang-throb Twilight series.  You’d think we’d be generating money.

Wish me luck in the new year.  I hope we continue to grow at the fantastic pace we have been.

Hugs,
Me

I heard back from the editor of Green Egg, and she not only wants to publish my new series, “A World Apart, A World Together: Explorations in IndoPaganism”, but she also wants to re-publish my series, “Door to the Beyond: Paganism and Mental Health”, which I ended last May for lack of ideas after 24 columns.  I could not be more thrilled.  I have sent her the first 10 articles in the “Door to the Beyond” series, and tonight I sat down and wrote the first article in “A World Apart” and sent that in.  I also did final edits on a book to be published in February by Eternal Press.

Hugs,
Me

I have found a home for my new series of articles, “A World Apart, A World Together: Explorations in IndoPaganism”. The series has been accepted by Pagan Spirit Webzine, edited by Gordon Ireland. Their submission limits are 600 words, so it shouldn’t be too taxing to read.

The webzine is not laid out formally, but is in Forum format. You can find it at http://paganspiritwebzine.pagansoftheworld.com/index.php

Hugs,
Me

——
ज़ैवलानन्ड
President of Asheville Homeless Network – http://ashevillehomeless.org
Administrative Editor of Eternal Press – http://eternalpress.ca
Moss’ Malas, http://mossmalas.ecrater.com
See my new site, Med Free or Working On It, http://medfree.ning.com
சிவாய நமஹ

My friend Pam wanted to have Thanksgiving Dinner at her house… but all the friends she wanted to invite are in town and her house is 22 miles out of town.  So I suggested my apartment.  So she came over last Friday and helped me clean up (of course I had 80% of the work done before she got there, just because she was coming over to help)… I bought a turkey and some other stuff… Monday we did a final trip to the store.

Tonight I made the stuffing (brown rice in apple juice, plus hderbs and spices), and put the turkey in the fridge (instead of freezer); tomorrow I bake some bread and leave the turkey out to thaw; Thursday when I get up I stuff the stuffing into the bird, stuff the bird into a baking bag, and stuff the bag, bird and all into the oven.  Pam has bought chips, dip, and desserts, and maybe some veggie dishes… Mike says he’s bringing mashed potatoes… and we don’t really know who or what else is coming.

You may wonder why this is a big deal for me.  I have only baked a turkey once before, with my neighbor John doing most of the work, and that was when I was still on drugs (legal, prescribed, but powerful and dangerous anyhow) so I hardly remember it.  Plus there were only three of us that time.  This is the first time I’ve done it myself (well, with help from Pam) or had so many people in my place — or had a nice place that got cleaned up and looks nice.

I may repeat this at Yule, as the church I’ve been visiting has offered me a free bird (Freebird! Freebird!).

So the work is underway (I vacuumed again tonight), and I hope it all goes well.  Wish me luck.

Hugs,
Me

I have hired (at $0) my husband-in-law James as a post-production engineer for Project Moss.  He has already redone two of my latest recordings, and the sound quality is considerably improved.  If you’ve already subscribed to Project Moss, I will replace your discs and send a 3rd disc as soon as the 3rd disc is full.  If you haven’t, now would be a good time to do so.  Price is $100 for the entire lifetime project, $20 for two years’ of project, or $8 for the first two discs, payable through PayPal to mordewis@serpentstone.org, or mail a check or money order to Moss Bliss, P.O. Box 205, Asheville NC 28802.

I presently have 45 songs in the can, and a list of almost 600 songs to go (plus whatever new songs I learn along the way).

Hugs,
Me

I have been invited to open a discussion on theo/thealogy, and have set up the page.  Please join me at The G** Word if you’re interested.

Hugs,
Me

I have been g/o/a/d/e/d/ invited to discuss my vision of spirituality and deity, and have opened a new blog to do so.  Please visit The G** Word if you are interested.

Hugs,
Me

NOVEMBER NEW RELEASES

Yesterday, by my best reckoning, is the 6th anniversary of the last time I took psychiatric “medications”.  If you’ve known me during this time, you’ve seen me blossom and seen how much I can do to help others, which was not possible under those horrible drugs.  I also have damaged – but healing, despite my doctors’ assertions – kidneys from that time.  After nearly 40 years on doctor-administered drugs (which were so bad as to keep me from wanting to get involved in any other drugs), now I have been clean for six.  What a world of difference this has made!  Ask any of the 375 people in the ALT-therapies4bipolar Yahoogroup, or the 90 members of my Med Free or Working On It Ning page (http://medfree.ning.com).  I am still in the process of becoming everything I wish to be, but amaze myself and my friends who have seen me grow.  May you get the support you need in your life to face whatever challenges you have, as I have… and if I have been part of that support, I’m so glad to have been there.

Hugs,
Me