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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…