a problem with a hero: the antisemitism of george orwell
I've written many times about my views on the practice of shunning certain art or entertainment based on the morals or habits of the creator. In short, I don't do…
poverty and class
how new york city is like a polar bear, or what i’m reading: three books about the death murder of north american cities
I knew these books would break my heart. I chose three books from my List, all on the same topic: How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight…
another insidious bit of the digital divide: access to customer service for smartphones only
We need another word for it.The digital divide -- the gap between those with access to modern information and communication technologies and those without -- has been recognized since at…
another insidious bit of the digital divide: access to customer service for smartphones only
We need another word for it. The digital divide — the gap between those with access to modern information and communication technologies and those without — has been recognized since…
pacific northwest labor history association conference: the young organizers
Without a doubt, the most engaging talk I attended at the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Conference was “Young Workers Rising,” a panel of young organizers interviewed by another young…
what i’m reading: madame restell (nonfiction version)
In March, I wrote about My Notorious Life, historical fiction by Kate Manning, based on the life of a woman known as Madame Restell. I loved the book. Then, by…
what i’m reading: my notorious life by kate manning (madame restell, fictional version, nonfiction to follow)
I read this book last year, and have been recommending it nonstop, so it’s about time to commit it to wmtc. My Notorious Life was an obvious book for me…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: # 37
I have an update on R, the customer who was the subject of the previous two TIHATL posts: #35, a customer who refuses to be helped, and #36, a customer…
things i heard (and smelled) at the library: an occasional series: # 36
The subject of this TIHATL is R, the same man I wrote about in the previous TIHATL post. Things have gone from bad to worse. He is pale, unshaven, and…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #35
This TIHATL is a hybrid of two well-trod library tropes: The Customer Who Refuses To Be Helped and Left Behind By Technology. It makes for sad, frustrating interactions and irate…
hard times: we are ruled by banks, corporations, and the governments that enable them. it doesn’t have to be this way.
In Canada this year, food bank usage hit an all-time high. In March 2022, there were almost 1.5 million visits to food banks — 15% more than there were one…
so many left behind: the ever-widening digital divide
Last year, while attempting to get a parking pass during our vacation — without a phone, my phone having been fried by an update — I got caught in a…
labour day 2021: demand more. work less.
Lying Flat We’re told there is a labour shortage. Businesses can’t find workers. No one wants to work. Why the shortage exists and what should be done about it are…
friends and family reunion road trip: a story about the digital divide
I separated out this story, because I didn’t want to give the impression that it ruined our day — and because I wanted to properly explicate it. The events were…
family and friends reunion road trip: some things I’ve seen
Seen on many lawns and in many windows: I saw a few in my mother’s senior community, which made me happy. * * * * Seen on a front-yard fence…
what i’m reading: the cold millions by jess walter
There is an accepted wisdom that socialism and communism failed, and capitalism prevailed, because the former is bad, and the latter is good. That humankind rejected socialism and embraced capitalism,…
topsy-turvy land: u.s. states make protest illegal and driving into protestors legal
It seems that state lawmakers in several U.S. states need a refresher course on the First Amendment. It’s a very simple amendment, really. Amendment I Congress shall make no law…
roots and icebergs: decolonizing community spaces: a workshop
I recently attended a six-hour workshop called Decolonizing Community Spaces. The workshop was led by two facilitators, one a Native American speaking to us from her traditional territories in Montana,…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #32
I emailed this to my colleagues and our administrators; I should share it with wmtc readers, too. Along with many library workers, I am worried that our most vulnerable neighbours…
10 things on my mind about covid-19
1. Wealthy urbanites are fleeing to their second homes — buying out grocery stores, expecting personal shoppers and home delivery, swelling vacation towns’ size to summer proportions. This is the…