wmtc greatest hits

Best of wmtc by year, from 2007 to present. (Blog began in 2004.)

2022:







2021:

fact: you cannot wave the confederate flag or the swastika flag and rightly call yourself a patriotic american

five negatives and five positives of living in a remote region

roots and icebergs: decolonizing community spaces: a workshop

some of my "what i'm reading" posts for the year:
ghosts of gold mountain, the epic story of the chinese who built the transcontinental railroad
you could look it up: the reference shelf from ancient babylon to wikipedia
john steinbeck and me
poisoner in chief: sidney gottlieb and the cia search for mind control -- plus a few thoughts on conspiracy theories
digital minimalism: choosing a focused life in a noisy world
listening to joni (final post)
shine
we movie to canada: wmtc annual movie awards, 2020-21 edition

topsy-turvy land: u.s. states make protest illegal and driving into protestors legal

bearing witness: 215 tiny skeletons speak to us. canadians must listen.

friends and family reunion road trip: day eight: long-distance friends meet up in san francisco

friends and family reunion road trip: a story about the digital divide

who else turned 60 this year: celebrating the bc ndp

labour day 2021: workers want to work less and live more

from the archives: all over the world, i tell people where to go

2020:

#climatestrike vs my brain: i am struggling with pessimism and hopelessness

and let others do for you: interdependence, and the strength to be vulnerable

the ptsd story i promised you

how to afford a real social safety net: tax corporations, tax the rich, reduce u.s. military spending

some of my "what i'm reading" posts for the year:
the body keeps the score by bessel van der kolk
prairie fires: the american dreams of laura ingalls wilder
how to be an antiracist by ibram x. kendi
our inner ape: a leading primatologist explains why we are who we are
beaten down, worked up: the past, present, and future of american labor
wmtc "what i'm reading" posts to celebrate black august 2020

is my body keeping score? personal insights (plus brain dump) after reading the book by bessel van der kolk

11 things you should know about u.s. presidential elections

george floyd, christian cooper, and when will this end?

11 things on my mind about the anti-police-violence and anti-racism protests

katy bowman's nutritious movement: will it change my life? i'm working on it

11 (more) things on my mind about the protests in the u.s.

"fine. biden. but this is bullshit."

interspecies love: it's been too long

international safe abortion day: abortion is healthcare

"you guys": change language, do no harm, but can we please leave space for learning and growing?

africans were involved in the slave trade. why do you think that matters?

the post of orphaned notes

further to rebecca solnit: angry men attack me online

listening to joni
dog eat dog
chalk mark in a rainstorm
night ride home
turbulent indigo
taming the tiger
2019:

Exploring Vancouver Island
port hardy in photos
winter drive: alice lake loop
drive and hike to the ocean: san josef bay
the north island restaurant report: where to eat in port hardy and port mcneill
the north island report: alert bay, eagles, and our first ontario visitors
weekend trip with mom: a few days in the comox valley
island day trip with mom: alert bay
island day trip with mom: whale watching cruise from telegraph cove
island day trip with mom: grant bay and winter harbour
in which i reflect on many one-year anniversaries of a big life change

five things you probably don't know about frederick douglass (and u.s. history)

some of my "what i'm reading" posts for the year:
ali: a life by jonathan eig
frederick douglass, prophet of freedom
the nickel boys by colson whitehead
required reading for revolutionaries: jane mcalevey and micah white
we movie to canada: wmtc annual movie awards, 2018-19 edition

"we don’t actually know what will happen, but know we may be able to write it ourselves": rebecca solnit on hope and why it matters

frederick douglass, susan b. anthony, and the ridiculous (and dangerous) quest for moral purity

in which we are officially homeowners

why it is interesting and significant that i own a piano

backyard baby bear

mlb rule changes: more disregard and contempt for baseball's core fans

picket lines, pupdates, and the 51st parallel: 10 things on my mind

11.11: there is no glory in war

listening to joni
hejira
don juan's reckless daughter
mingus
wild things run fast
2018:

reading can make you a better person. here's evidence.

Trip to Vancouver Island:
vancouver island days one and two: arrival and sidney
vancouver island day three: sidney and saanich peninsula
vancouver island day four: downtown victoria and to sooke
vancouver island day five: sooke
vancouver island day six: mill bay, duncan, chemainus
vancouver island day seven: chemainus, ladysmith, nanaimo
vancouver island day eight: nanaimo, qualicum beach, parksville
on poppies, veterans, trolls, and doxing

what i liked, what i hated, and what i don't understand: a list about my election campaign

we movie to canada: wmtc annual movie awards, 2017-18 edition

two days in new york city and springsteen on broadway: a performance of unrivaled intensity

two weeks in northern ontario: the good, the bad, and the mushrooms

wmtc moves west

in which we take a big gamble and are rewarded, or, we are moving to port hardy

this just keeps getting better: port hardy plus full employment

The Move West - Driving Across Canada
the move west: day zero
the move west: day one: sauga to sudbury
the move west: day two: sudbury to wawa
the move west: day three: wawa to ignace
the move west: day four: ignace ontario to brandon manitoba
the move west: bonus track
the move west: day five: brandon manitoba to swift current saskatchewan
the move west: day six: swift current saskatchewan to calgary alberta
the move west: day seven: calgary alberta to sicamous british columbia
the move west: day eight: sicamous to delta bc
the move west: day nine: delta to port hardy
more trip pics on flickr
port hardy day one: perfect fish and chips, bad movers, wild wildlife

eleven things about our new life in port hardy

a walk on the bay and a drive to nanaimo, plus photos of the rockies

guest post: allan and diego's first week in port hardy

the north island report: expense check

the north island report: about that rain

listening to joni
blue
for the roses
court and spark
the hissing of summer lawns
2017:

Trip to Egypt/Jordan
cairo
giza
saqarra, dahshur, memphis
cairo: markets
cairo: islamic and coptic cairo
cairo: egyptian museum
overnight train from cairo to luxor
luxor
luxor: west bank sites
luxor: west bank sites, day two, and we miss abdul
luxor: the trouble with taxis (a guest post from allan)
luxor: east bank sites: karnak and luxor temples
luxor: abydos and dendera and a face-plant
random observations about egypt and egyptian life
luxor: east bank sites: museums and souq
luxor to aswan
aswan: welcome home
aswan
aswan sights
aswan: abu simbel
aswan to amman
petra
petra, day two
jordan is the anti-egypt and petra is the anti-giza
amman
amman: madaba
amman to cairo to home: in which things out work very nicely
(photos)
mighty leaf tea: green tea and greenwashing

we movie to canada: wmtc annual movie awards, 2016-17 edition

accusations of cultural appropriation are a form of bullying -- and don't reduce racism

postscript: some clarifications and addenda to my recent post on cultural appropriation

in which we answer the burning question: "what kind of dog is that?"

"what kind of dog is that?" part 2: in which we learn more but feel like we know less

adventures in streaming: tubi, dick cavett, and the manster

the politics of the hardboiled detective novel

harry hoo, nick yemana, and the persistence of racism on mainstream tv

the strange case of the barney miller rape episode

the mysterious case of kars4kids: deceptive advertising for orthodox jewish proselytizing

what i'm reading, including:
four realistic youth novels
giovanni's room by james baldwin
swing time by zadie smith
words on the move by john mcwhorter
pit bull: the battle over an american icon
city on fire
the attention merchants by tim wu
the radium girls by kate moore
rolling blackouts, graphic novel that asks many big questions
listening to joni
a new wmtc feature
joni mitchell (song to a seagull)
clouds
footnote #1
footnote #2
ladies of the canyon
2016:

in which the death of a rock legend makes me think about how our world has changed

fascist shift: donald trump in context

precariously yours: notes from the 2016 cupe ontario library workers conference

between the lines: how we got here

fight for 15 and fairness: brampton forum for decent work

it is designed to break your heart

what i'm reading: born to run by bruce springsteen

president trump: what didn't just happen

tala

and

cupe 1989 strike

2015:

action bronson, hate speech, and protest: rape culture vs. freedom of speech

my feminism includes trans people. all women need to listen to each other.

help my christian friend vote, or why the harper government must go

bernie sanders, the pope, and the politics of amnesia

m*a*s*h re-watch update: still funny and other observations (updated)

2014:

james frey: author, liar, sweatshop boss

dylan farrow and woody allen: a feminist, a rape survivor, and a woody allen fan weighs in

cherry-picked data and undisclosed bias: the failure of freakonomics

military propaganda at sports events reaches new extremes: continuous recruitment ads at baseball games

in which i defend the suburbs against misconceptions (some thoughts on reading jane jacobs)

know your rights, rental edition, part two

the decision "you'll regret for the rest of your life": the reality gap in fictional abortions

babe ruth was not a fat red sox: thoughts on historical fiction arising from dennis lehane's "the given day"

sexism, magic, and pre-famous cameos: watching "bewitched" on netflix

negative reviews and threats of lawsuits: let's not give in to corporate bullying

when sexual assault goes public: #beenrapedneverreported and the presumption of innocence

what i'm reading: this changes everything by naomi klein, one of the most important books you'll ever read

what i'm reading: pro: reclaiming abortion rights by katha pollitt

2013:

marxism 2012 program notes: from each according to their ability: the role of socialists in disability movement

can money buy happiness? yes. no. sometimes. maybe.

unpaid labour used to be called slavery. now it's an internship.

bangladesh factory fire: consumers are not the problem, or the solution

in which i enjoy my first day as a librarian, and explain something about library work

my journey to palestinian solidarity and the myth of the self-hating jew, part 1

my journey to palestinian solidarity and the myth of the self-hating jew, part 2

my journey to palestinian solidarity and the myth of the self-hating jew, part 3 and final

a kiss on the wrist: the absence of same-sex love on star trek as a measure of how far we've come

the tv detective mystery, where women are crazy and ex-husbands don't kill

personal update, our new (rental) house, and why we'll never own a home

hedges: "when harper passes right-to-work, you must go on a massive general strike, or you're finished"

what i'm reading: man's search for meaning by viktor frankl

self-checkout is unpaid labour, gift cards are interest-free loans, and let's stop using both

dirty wars: an important movie, marred by nationalism

murdoch mysteries, abortion on tv, and maybe an anti-war reference, too

plus:

Our trip to Spain in May

2012:

what we talk about when we talk about jeremy lin

why unions? would you rather have input into your working conditions, or not?


what are people supposed to do? or why we need socialism

marxism 2011 program notes: keynes vs. marx: can capitalism be reformed?


healthy eating costs more. fact or fiction?

a very important act you can take to "support the troops" and help a family in need, and a follow-up: what a dog can do: ptsd service dog fundraising update

what i'm reading / marxism 2012 program notes: "too many people?" population, immigration, and the environment

in defense of drugs: anti-depressant medication saves and improves lives

why is "entitled" a dirty word? some thoughts on what we are all entitled to

marxism 2012 program notes: how abortion rights were won in canada

now it can be told: why i have hated my job for the last four years

she said let's discuss abortion. i told her to fuck off.

voting for obama because of the supreme court? please check your math

2011:

resistance is not futile: resistance is everything

how to save the public library

"all we know is we are going to get our freedom" (Report on forum on revolution in Egypt.)

my police complaint saga comes to a close

stephen harper dismantles canada's refugee system; jason kenney attacks canadian democracy

books on books, part 1: robert darnton, the case for books

books on books, part 2: contested will by james shapiro

books on books, part 3: reading matters: what the research reveals about reading, libraries and community

if the world sucks, why hasn't anyone told me? i respond to joe denial

thou shalt be thin: obesity hysteria and the eating disorder epidemic

the only good bargaining is collective bargaining

"we work to buy things that are built to die so that we must work to buy more things that will break"

war is peace, freedom is slavery, and bp is listening: more tales of corporate propaganda
(My pick for best post of the year.)

on the dangers of centrism

occupy movement: some answers to cynics and detractors

beyond occupy: out of the parks and into our lives

how can we live without polar bears? bbc's planet earth gets political

2010:

on becoming a writer, part four, final, for now

the harper attack on canadian democracy, the long version (I didn't write most of this, but it's a very important post!)

where is the outrage? and other thoughts on canadian disengagement

save a little outrage for the real criminals (vancouver)

intellectual freedom in the library: part 1 and part 2

a simple lesson: how to tell the difference between hatred of a people and criticism of a nation's policies

therapists needed to treat quebecers' fear of headscarves

"discover canada": the harper government's vision of canada and of immigrants

report on george galloway in federal court: part 1, part 2, and part 3

we will not stfu: another look at nancy ruth, reproductive rights and the harper agenda

thoughts on george rekers: rent-boys, homophobia and self-hatred

choosing canada: how can self-imposed exile not be seen as resistance?

thoughts on her majesty's loyal opposition, such as it is

on giving up, believing, and what it means to be a fan

becoming canadian: today we take the final step

an all-or-nothing trap: the impossibility of moral purity

reproductive justice and the limits of polls: part 1 and part 2, women speak the fuck up

not all crimes are equal: humans and our rights are more valuable than windows (toronto)

open letter to g20 survivor: there is such a thing as being a victim

july 20 1985

"they didn't build a wall": is israel an apartheid state? a south african perspective: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5

once upon a baseball game: the corporate takeover of our brains continues

thoughts on roger ebert and transcending circumstance

it is so time to be over 9/11

science proves that men and women are from the same planet

2009:

thoughts on privilege

blog for choice day: providing a safe haven

jeremy hinzman appeal hearing through a campaigner's eyes

why not let them stay? current conservative arguments demolished

an atheist defends theists: part one, part two

genocide is more important than traffic

we all must support striking city workers

internal documents show harper govt obsessed with war resisters

from the archives: on being childfree

non-recyclable plastics and the dilemma of organic lettuce

you can't find inner peace in a bottle (of iced tea)

have you hugged a man today?

are my hands clean, and can i stand to get them a little cleaner

"the gray area": in which i am detained, harassed and threatened at the border

why i can't watch the olympics anymore

on becoming a writer: part one, part two, part three

2008:

involuntary military service is a form of slavery

ken epp shows his hand: it's all about the unborn

either margaret wente needs a fact-checker or the entire united states is a backwater

why i won't watch the beijing olympics

on raising consciousness and wanting a new cell phone

moral illogic: supporting peace, but not war resistance

on liberals, conservatives, good blogosphere citizens and free speech

a 9/11 discussion: part one, part two, part three, part four

2007:

blog for choice

on supposedly liberal people supporting hillary clinton

vagina

number 42

ashley was not treated, she was abused

better living through canada

on luck

apathy, laziness, fear? or something else?

the tyranny of the subconscious

reality check: violence against women

invasion of the brain snatchers

why the new home run record does not need as asterisk

ignatieff's apology ain't worth the paper it's printed on

cheap shopping vs health care

a little ancient history: queers on tv

abuse = abuse, murder = murder

thoughts on the bouchard-taylor xenophobia commission

the omnivore's amnesia