Tal, and welcome!

     Welcome to summer everyone! People are spending their days and nights outside, or propped up by their air conditioners. Folks are moving from their college dorms back home, or beyond. People are getting in their vacation time from work. This is the season for both changes, and trying to keep from over-heating from said changes.
     Here in the city of Baren Touhk we're keeping cool with the crosswinds and keeping everything as it is so that while everything about you may be changing, one thing remains the same, you've got a home here. And a popular home it's becoming too. Every day I see new users. Every day our population grows. I have never seen the city empty when I've logged in. Everyone can take pride that together, we've got a thriving community going on.

     Okay, time for me to get on my soapbox. While we're talking about community, let's talk about our communities at home.

     I went to the bank one afternoon and parked in an available spot somewhere's about the middle of the lot and walked to the bank door. As I was making the turn to the front of the building, a nice flash red sportcar pulled up right close to me and parked in the space reserved for the handicapped. Out jumped a very healthy, young, and non-handicapped person who needed to use the ATM.

     Seems some folks have such busy and important lives, they can park anywhere. I'm sorry folks, this really got to me. My mother was handicapped and needed those reserve spaces so there would be room for her to get out the wheelchair, or if she was on her canes, she wouldn't have to walk so far. The handicap zones represent one of those things that a community agrees upon to strengthen it, not weaken it. this gentleman in the red car did not share that same sense.

     "So what should one do, Kaard?" you're asking.

     Not saying anything just encourages this. Mind you, it's not always wise to confront the person directly. People are at their worst when their sins are pointed out to them by well-meaning folks. (We're called meddlers sometimes). Most banks, grocery markets and such places have a security guard on duty. As soon as I had started a sentence starting, "there's a red car..." the guard finished it for me and went out to deal with the idiot, as is his job.

     It may be a small thing, but it adds up. Friends, we're all neighbors. Civilization is something we agree on. When we allow rudeness, we are saying it's okay to thumb our nose at civilization, and things are tenuous enough as it is.

     Thanks for letting me rant.

     While we're on the subject of summer. Yes, it's very hot out there. Folks most effected by this are the elderly and those who are homebound without air conditioning. Your local charitable organizations usually have programs where they distribute fans to the poor and the elderly. Look into this. Fans can often be purchased at yard sales for a couple of bucks, brand new fans only cost about 15 dollars at many places.
     As we all fight to keep cool, let's see if we can't keep a few other folks cool as well. Ask around to see what programs are distributing fans and other support services to those in need and give a hand.


     Finally if you wish to write a regular feature, simply contact me and pitch your idea. We have a fairly open editorial policy. We are primarily here to inform, but also to entertain and amuse. For some ideas for submissions, scroll down lower in the page.

     Daireen is going to be helping out a lot with this gazette, so feel free to smail her also with your thoughts and ideas and contributions.

And to close with, here are some ideas in how you can contribute to the Baren Touhk Gazette. Some items to send in or ask about contributing are...

If you wish to send in a submission, suggestion, comment, letter to the editor, or criticism, then send mail to Kaard@iron-rose.com.

Tal.

Kaard



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