Linda McQuaig’s appraisal of Stephen Lewis’s beautiful eulogy of Jack Layton is worth reading.It will probably be a while before a Canadian prime minister again offers a state funeral to someone on the left.Of course, there aren’t many political lead…
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wmtc: canada and u.s.: join to speak out against tar sands pipeline
Environmental activists in the US see an opportunity for real action against the tar sands pipeline. Since the oil-friendly and environment-hating Harper government won’t listen to us on this issue, we owe it to North America to do whatever we can to t…
Continue readingwmtc: celebrating jack: "one should always have a dream that is bigger than a lifetime"
Nothing remains to be said about Jack Layton, the man and the leader. I certainly can’t say anything that hasn’t been said so many times already. I can only continue to miss him, and to pledge my determination to his cause – to our cause. But I thought…
Continue readingwmtc: celebrating jack: rise up
I missed this song in the 80s, along with the video, filmed on the streets of Toronto. Perhaps it was a Canadian thing that didn’t cross the border very much, but I only know “Rise Up” from the 2011 NDP election campaign.Yesterday, like most of you, I …
Continue readingwmtc: follow-up: cuisinart honours its warranty
Although this earlier post – “we work to buy things that are built to die so that we must work to buy more things that will break” – was not meant to be about the trials and tribulations of my coffee maker, I do want to finish that part of the story.Al…
Continue readingwmtc: as 2012 draws near, u.s. states ramp up voter suppression
Way back in the early days of this blog, I wrote a lot about voter suppression and election fraud in the US, posts under the general category election fraud – fraud in the general sense of “fraudulent democracy”. Since then, a few states have passed a …
Continue readingwmtc: why my library matters to me: win lunch and a walking tour with atwood or ondaatje
Some of you may have recently received this somewhat cryptic email from Maureen O’Reilly of the campaign to save Toronto Public Library.In a few days, I will be announcing an exciting new contest called My Library Matters to Me. . . . Some of the big…
Continue readingwmtc: jack layton memorials are more than grief: they’re an affirmation of the ndp’s vision
The enormous outpouring of emotion on Jack Layton’s passing continues unabated. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are leaving messages and flowers, and making donations to the Broadbent Institute. Millions more are writing tributes online, through NDP…
Continue readingwmtc: palestine 194: palestine must be recognized as a nation
The United Nations Security Council will soon meet for a second time to discuss Palestine’s bid to become the world’s 194th country. While I personally don’t believe that “two states for two peoples” is a path to peace and reconciliation, I do know tha…
Continue readingwmtc: time lapse photography, garden-to-table edition
Corn and tomato salad:tomatoes (our gardenette)corn (Ontario)scallioncilantrolime juiceFriends over for dinner and baseball tonight. The menu is a little slice of summer:- grilled lime-garlic-marinated chicken, local/organic/ethically raised from Beret…
Continue readingwmtc: planet tala
These are Orbees, very special dog toys made by the excellent Planet Dog. We call Orbees “Planets”. Tala loves her Planet more than anything on the planet – except squirrels. Now that Tala can’t chase squirrels, she likes to have the Planet with her at…
Continue readingwmtc: open letter from jack layton: "love is better than anger. hope is better than fear. optimism is better than despair."
August 20, 2011, Toronto, OntarioDear Friends,Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your s…
Continue readingwmtc: jack latyon 1950-2011, with love and thanks
I learned the terrible, shocking news of Jack Layton’s death a bit late, and only because friends texted and emailed me. I tend to be in a news bubble on Monday mornings. I’m heartsick. We all are.My heart breaks for Olivia and all of Jack’s family, an…
Continue readingwmtc: dinner gets easier and our wallets get lighter: whole foods comes to mississauga
Hallelujah! A Whole Foods Market has opened in Mississauga, not five minutes from where I live. My life is complete.Most Canadians don’t know Whole Foods; there’s one in Toronto, one in Oakville (just west of Mississauga) and a few in Vancouver. And no…
Continue readingwmtc: you can look it up
“Can anyone on Capital [sic] Hill read?” demanded a sign held by a protester at one of the first Tea Party rallies, back in February of 2009.”If so read the ConstitutionAs Americans we do not have the right:To a houseTo a carTo an educationAmericans …
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: life, by keith richards
I’m reading Life, Keith Richards’s autobiography, written with journalist James Fox. I believe this is the first celebrity memoirs or autobiography I’ve ever read – or ever wanted to. I’d say I’m an unreptentant, unabashed Keef fan, but there ain’t no …
Continue readingwmtc: "we work to buy things that are built to die so that we must work to buy more things that will break"
Two weeks ago, my coffee maker broke. It was a electric percolator (I wrote about my preference for it here), made by Cuisinart. It’s the third such percolator I’ve had in a six-year span. One day they just stop working.I purchased this particular coff…
Continue readingwmtc: mini tala update
For any of you who are following the Tala saga in detail, I now have a clearer picture of the diagnosis. (I certainly don’t expect the majority of wmtc readers to follow this closely, but since some friends are, it’s easier to post it here.)Tala does n…
Continue readingwmtc: heroic white people, "i am not a racist," and other thoughts on some old news
I recently read a few unrelated items that dealt with racism, equality and civil rights in the US, which raised some thoughts I want to share. This time I’m purposely burying the lede, putting the easy stuff up front.In this essay and review, author an…
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