We’ve been expecting this for 20 years. More than forty years of anti-abortion legislation, escalating every year and every decade, then Trump, then finally, the leaked draft. So I thought I was prepared — mentally, emotionally. Hell, for more than 15 years I’ve been saying that Roe is irrelevant for millions of
Continue readingAuthor: laura k
wmtc: rotd: the actual status of the poorest woman is the possible status of every woman
Revolutionary thought of the day: “The actual status of the poorest and most unfortunate woman in society determines the possible status of every woman.” From the mission statement of the Illinois Women’s Alliance (1888), quoted by Susan Faludi in “Feminism Made a Faustian Bargain With Celebrity Culture. Now It’s Paying
Continue readingwmtc: getting home: horrific customer service from pacific coastal airlines
On the way home, I flew from from San Francisco (SFO) to Vancouver (YVR) on United Airlines, then from Vancouver to Port Hardy on Pacific Coastal. Pacific Coastal flies out of a separate terminal, not connected to YVR proper. You need a shuttle or a taxi to get there. This
Continue readingwmtc: can you give a few dollars to help a giver in need?
From a wmtc party: clockwise: P, Chelsea,Jericho, Diego, Kim, Tala. Some of you may recognize an occasional wmtc commenter “Dharma Seeker”. Dharma Seeker — whose name is Kim — is a terrible situation right now. One of her dogs has been stolen, she will soon have nowhere to live, and
Continue readingwmtc: the day in oakland
[Written after being home for a week.] On the way out of Shelter Cove, I stopped at the general store, just to see it. It is tiny. And it is the only store in town. After that, back on the long and winding road, ending at Highway 101. From there,
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View from Wedding Point, Shelter Cove Yesterday was amazing and so special. My niece E took me on a tour of the little community and local topography. We went to lookout points and beaches; saw seals lazing in the sun, sea lions throwing back their heads and barking, and a
Continue readingwmtc: greetings from shelter cove, california (look it up!)
I am at the home of my niece E and her partner T, in a remote part of California known as the “Lost Coast”. It is so beautiful and peaceful and quiet here — not unlike where I live. The Lost Coast has much in common with the North Island, more
Continue readingwmtc: if you’re going to live in a small town, it’s good to find one with an airport
I’m grateful this tiny airport exists! Today begins my solo trip to visit family in Oregon and California. I’m super excited! Traveling from Port Hardy, here’s what it entails: Fly from Port Hardy to Vancouver. The plane is tiny and the view is spectacular. Stay overnight in an aiport hotel
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: animal, vegetable, junk: a history of food, from sustainable to suicidal, by mark bittman
Mark Bittman’s Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal is a fascinating, readable, and wide-ranging nonfiction. With clear and simple language, Bittman unpacks the many threads that have determined, throughout history, how we humans feed ourselves. As an alternate subtitle, I might suggest “How Imperialism and Capitalism
Continue readingwmtc: rtod: nope, i ain’t gonna kill nobody
Revolutionary thought of the day: I would like to see every single soldier on every single side, just take off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at the side of some shady lane, and say, nope, I ain’t gonna kill nobody. Plenty of rich
Continue readingwmtc: dog agility, worm composting, and morning tea: three things going on with me
Does it make sense to create compost when you don’t garden? I don’t know, but I’m doing it. Worms, but no garden So, I’m not gardening. The Urban Worm Bag v2 Since moving to a cool, wet, temperate climate, I haven’t done any successful gardening. My little mini gardens in
Continue readingwmtc: rebecca traister, 2019: "our fury over abortion was dismissed for decades as hysterical"
Rebecca Traister, writing in New York magazine in 2019: Which is why I am almost as mad at many on the left, theoretically on the side of reproductive rights and justice, who have refused, somehow, to see this coming or act aggressively to forestall it. I have no small amount of
Continue readingwmtc: the end of roe and how we got here
With the unprecedented leak of the SCOTUS draft brief, and official confirmation of the politicization of the Court, we see the final nails pounded in Roe v. Wade — a turning point which somehow still shocks many people, despite the exceedingly clear regression to this point over the past 40 years.
Continue readingwmtc: my happy kitchen life (i still love my instant pot — but it is not a good slow-cooker)
Don’t get rid of your slow-cooker! Since moving to a remote region with very limited food choices, I’ve upped my cook-ahead game to levels I never thought possible. I’m really enjoying it. Here’s my routine. My happy kitchen life 1. I order a box from truLOCAL — locally sourced, humanely
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: say nothing: a true story of murder and memory in northern ireland
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland is without a doubt one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read. I’m in awe of Patrick Radden Keefe’s ability to weave together so many disparate and often contradictory sources to re-create a story that is incredibly
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: the turning point: 1851: a year that changed charles dickens and the world
The Turning Point: 1851 — A Year That Changed Charles Dickens and the World was written for me. I love Dickens. He’s among the core writers whose work means the most to me (along with Orwell and Steinbeck). Bleak House is my favourite of all Dickens. I wrote a mini-thesis on it
Continue readingwmtc: we can stand with ukraine but i cannot stand the hypocrisy
Every day brings new images of war crimes and atrocities, destruction and suffering in Ukraine. Every day brings new declarations of love and solidarity for the Ukrainian people. And every day I shake my head and seethe over the hypocrisy of the US, US media, and of many Americans, wondering:
Continue readingwmtc: how to fight and win: five things i’ve learned while waiting for the results of a ratification vote
Our bargaining unit has reached a tentative agreement and have returned to work while we await the results of a ratification vote. We didn’t get everything we wanted, of course, but we moved the employer a long way, far more than we would have gotten without taking job action. Perhaps
Continue readingwmtc: in which i accommodate another quirk of small-town life: how to hand-wash a pea jacket
About a year ago, I blogged about some quirks of living in a remote region. It’s always amusing, baffling, and occasionally annoying to cope with what is and is not available in our town. There are two hardware stores and two pharmacies, but to buy dog food, we have to
Continue readingwmtc: it’s all about respect: why the librarians of vancouver island are taking job action
I have at least five posts in the works, but zero time to write them, because I am once again involved in a job action for library workers. I have refrained from writing about it thus far, but I feel a deep need to capture some of this on wmtc.
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