Pedents   Foot soldiers in the War on Error, They’re here to save us from ourselves, With Fowler’s Modern English Usage (first edition, nineteen twelve).   They scrutinise each word we write For typos, gaffes, et cetera, Correcting all our dumb mistakes To make our grammar betterer.   They sigh and tut and tell us off For the rules we have forsaken And chart this nation’s steep decline By the care we should of taken.   Custodians of the King’s English, They merely serve to keep it pure And restrict, they hope, the ignorant To three mistakes or less.   In doing so, they hold no fear they will deprive a thing of life: for it’s not important what is said, what matters is that its right. Brian Bilston

Today’s poem is dedicated to all those who have taken it upon themselves to correct the grammar or spelling in my poems over the last few weeks.

It’s called ‘Pedents’.

❤️❤️❤️

California Fire Facts | Governor Gavin Newsom Get the facts about the Los Angeles fires.

Gavin Newsom launched a website to combat the wildfire disinformation spreading about Los Angeles, because people can’t be bothered to do a simple Google search before sharing nonsense. And because people suck!

Get the facts: californiafirefacts.com

Hi friends. I’m here, but I’ll be honest with all of you, the thought of another social media platform is a tad overwhelming at the moment.

My social media team (Basil and Oregano) and I will not be posting quite yet, but we sure appreciate you all over here where the skies are blue.

☁️ 🐈 🐈‍⬛ ♥️

No matter how you’re feeling about 2025,
Can we agree that it’s a gift to be alive?

♥️✨

Oregano and Basil pose majestically while a framed picture of Janis is beside them. It’s a festive scene. The caption reads Meowy Christmas.

Happy Mew Year 🐈 🐈‍⬛

Paw-liday card reveal ✨🥰

A little late arriving in mailboxes, but I wanted to share (love you posties) 💌

Janis in Edmonton’s river valley. She wears an orange toque and the sun is shining. The sky is blue. The smile is real.

✨ Taking a little break ✨

I’m going away for a week or so and won’t be posting. I’m not the type to make big pronouncements about social media breaks, but I know I’m a little prolific (although newly posting on this lovely site) and the last time I didn’t post for a few days people were concerned 😆

Proud of myself. It’s the little things! 🙏

My very brief reviews of each book are below. Please note: I am not, and will never be, a book reviewer 😆

A collection of 7 books Janis read while away.

I’m back! My goal on vacation was to stay off my phone and read as many books as possible. 📚

I’ll admit: I spend too much time scrolling and not enough time reading (other than things like housing policy or UCP bills 😒)

I wanted to read only fiction and escape with books instead of screens ♥️

UCP gave themselves a raise & another $1 million of taxpayer money into their caucus, I stood w/ real heroes—school support staff in Ft Mac. They are on strike, fighting for dignity & respect after yrs of being ignored.

#WorkersRights #SupportOurSchools #ABPoli #AbEd #ABEducation #ableg #ablabour

As thousands of education workers prepare to go on strike, don’t let the UCP distract from how we got here.

Over 4000 students in Edmonton Public Schools are unfunded by the UCP. Alberta has the lowest per-student funding in the country.

The UCP will blame school boards.

But this is on the UCP.

Facts. 👇

I was asked why the UCP are referring to EAs as “part-time” when they work the full school year & 35 hrs/week.

My response? Because they’re a-holes.

Crude, yes. But they’re trying to make vastly underpaid Albertans struggling to make ends meet the enemy.

And they just gave themselves a raise.😡

Janis and MLA Lori Sigurdson present the clinic founders with a commemorative scroll.

Janis holds a pamphlet entitled “looking for contraception?”

Janis holds a pillow that discusses what boundaries look like.

So nice to finally share a positive healthcare story!

Community and Choice is a new clinic in Edmonton. Dr. Boris Henriquez and Lola Gonzalez provide reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming care, and more.

Abortion is healthcare. And gender-affirming care saves lives.

communityandchoice.com

💖

Alberta: home of the highest auto insurance rates, fastest-growing rents, highest inflation, lowest minimum wage, lowest education funding.

And home to a UCP government that’s just hiked their own salaries and budgets.

Instead of helping you, the UCP helped themselves.

Please don’t forget this.

I was 13 when we got internet in our home & I remember my excitement at embracing the Information Age

I was a nerdy & sickly kid who felt isolated… the internet connected me to a world of kindred spirits

As we enter the disinformation age I worry about the kids like me. Who will they connect with?

How you can help the incarcerated firefighters battling L.A. wildfires The Los Angeles-based Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to ending mass incarceration, started a fundraiser on Friday to support the fire crews of California’s prisons.

I had a lot of people asking me so I wrote an explainer: Here's how you can help the incarcerated firefighter battling the blazes in Southern California this week:

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Please look at this armadillo named Wilson running on his treadmill.

This is why I starting bringing my husband to all doctor appointments. He just sits in the corner and says nothing, but suddenly my concerns are taken seriously. I wish I’d recorded the way doctors spoke to me when I was alone vs with him - it’s enraging.

Please look at this baby capybara whose name is Tupi.

Fellow chronically ill writers…What do you do when you’re in a bad flare?

I’m staring at 26 drafts… all meticulously planned out and 3/4 of the way done … and my brain has nothing. No juice, no ability to finish.

You would think I would rest & chill out but my brain doesn’t want to do that either

Before you judged someone for being disabled, unhoused or struggling …remember that most people are one accident, medical emergency or stroke of bad luck away from same fate.

Judge the capitalistic system that treats us as cogs. Judge those who value economic contribution above everything else.

I know we're not really doing starterpacks anymore...

𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 🖐️

This is a set of (mostly) Canadian journalists new to bluesky. I also threw in a few of my faves.

Most on this list need help finding their footing here.

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗫'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

go.bsky.app/GaoS6MJ

Donate to Help Jordan Rebuild After Eaton Fire & Family Tragedy, organized by Andrew Edwards Hi, everyone. My name is Andrew, and I’m reaching out on behalf … Andrew Edwards needs your support for Help Jordan Rebuild After Eaton Fire & Family Tragedy

Jordan is the son of Anthony Mitchell who died in the Eaton fires because he stayed behind with his disabled son Justin. Justin had CP & needed medical evacuation. It never came

Jordan has lost his brother, father & their home

Please boost - it’s being left out of news articles

Talk to the people who lived through Katrina to find out what happens next