The front flowerbed at Arb’s and my place is starting to take off – perennials that I’ve planted over the couple years we’ve owned the house, are established enough now, that they can dedicate some energy to blooming! Of course, weather that’s good for flowers is also good for weeds,
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wmtc: this year’s garden-ette
This year’s crop: two tomato plants, basil, beans, and strawberries. Beans and strawberries are both new for us. I love that we’re still planting our little garden, with no thought to expansion, just trying a couple of new things each year. And since we should all be boycotting Driscoll’s, we
Continue readingwmtc: welcome to the world, sophia
This beautiful little girl is the newest member of our family, the first of the next generation. Meet Sophia, brand new baby daughter of one of my nephews and nieces(-in-law). My brother and sister-in-law are thrilled to be grandparents, and my mom the great-grandma is over the moon. We hope
Continue readingwmtc: what i learned at the cupe library conference
What did I learn at the CUPE Ontario Library Conference? Technically, nothing. If learning means encountering something new, then no, this was not a learning experience. But learning must also mean living with knowledge, absorbing it, seeing your theoretical knowledge translated into action. Understanding new configurations of that knowledge. Digesting
Continue readingwmtc: to ottawa for the 2015 cupe library conference
At this very moment I am on the train from Toronto to Ottawa, en route to the CUPE Library Workers Conference. This will be my first time attending this annual event. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m super excited! Last week I was off work for a few
Continue readingwmtc: the unquiet mind: in which i search for a way to turn down the volume in my brain
Isn’t it frustrating when you know you’re doing something that hurts you, that makes your life more difficult, yet you can’t seem to stop? Awareness is a necessary precursor to change – that’s been proven to me again and again – but sometimes awareness becomes another burden. I’m in one
Continue readingwmtc: subway tokens, greek coffee cups, and me: missing nyc
This week I received email from my friend Alan, formerly known in this blog as Alan with one L, or AW1L. Subject line: Re: 34th Street/Penn Station Just Now Out-of-Towner [leaning into packed Uptown Express [2 or 3] train]: “Does anybody know if this goes to Times Square?” About 10
Continue readingwmtc: update: mississauga library workers vote to form independent cupe local
When people are denied independence and told that they cannot govern themselves, it only makes them more determined to achieve their independence. This simple principle repeats itself in matters large and small, throughout all history and all cultures. The struggles of 430 library workers in the sprawling suburban city of
Continue readingwmtc: the fight for democracy and independence, microcosm version, or, where i’ve been and what i’ve been doing while i haven’t been blogging
It’s always strange for me when the events that are consuming my time and my brain are not suitable for public consumption, not things I can blog about in any detail. Some of our war-resister friends have left Canada, forced out by the Harper Government, but choosing to go quietly
Continue readingwmtc: frustrations with technology, or, when upgrades are really downgrades, or, give me back a previous gmail app
I’ve really been enjoying my Nexus 7 tablet. I dislike that tablets have become the norm, and in a perfect world I’d use a desktop, a netbook, and a tablet. But in the real world, my netbook has been phased out, and I’m back to taking notes with pen and
Continue readingwmtc: pupdate!
It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted a pupdate. The short version: Tala is doing great! You may recall that some years back, shortly after we adopted Diego, our Tala was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome. Thus began a long, slow process of rest, rehabilitation, and experiments with
Continue readingwmtc: happy new year from wmtc
It’s been an exciting year here in wmtc-Joy of Sox-land: me working full-time in my new career, completing a year as a youth-services librarian, Allan publishing a new book, which was well received and got great reviews. It looks to be an exciting year ahead, too: I was recently elected
Continue readingwmtc: in which my annual noncelebration of christmas causes my jewish cultural roots to reappear, a tiny bit
Two years ago, wmtc’s annual “i hate christmas” post declared: “i hate christmas is slightly less hateful this year“. Working in the library, as opposed to an office environment, I found getting through the holiday season much less trying. No more co-workers – at their computers, able to talk while
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Holiday Season – The CBC Turkey Drive
Greetings and good day gentle readers. It is that time of year again where we talk about changing patterns during the holiday season and bemoan the rampant commercialization of Christmas. I have to admit I have a poorly kept secret. I don’t give holiday presents anymore. Instead all the people
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: As Much As I Like Snow…
I think so much at once kinda sucks. 20cm and still accumulating… The view from my front window. Filed under: personal Tagged: Break it down! Its shovel time!, Edmonton, Snow, Too Much Snow
Continue readingwmtc: garth hudson returns to big pink
This week, Columbia Records released The Basement Tapes Complete, six CDs of music made by Bob Dylan and The Band at the house they lived in – the legendary Big Pink – in West Saugerties, New York, during the summer of 1967. Although The Band, and Bob Dylan, and Bob
Continue readingwmtc: more art and culture in the suburbs: indian art activism and the baps mandir
In September my mother was here for her annual visit. I always plan some art or cultural attraction for us to take in. This time she was recovering from some knee surgery, so major walking in Toronto was out. On a previous visit, we had already done most of the
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Trying to Be the Debby Downer – Social Contexts of Gamer Rape Culture
This is a post based on a personal experience. The general topic of the sexist nature of video game culture can be found here. As of late, I’ve been on a bit of League of Legends binge; a fact the Intransignet One can well attest. The problem with League
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Un-Friend Zone
We’ve all heard plenty about the so-called “friend zone”, which is where a person you want to date, just wants to be friends, and somehow that’s unfair and bad and mean. Let me tell you about its converse, the Un-Friend Zone. A while back at work, we got a new
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Friday Musical Interlude: Argentine Tango
The tango that they dance in Argentina is a very, very different dance than you might see on Dancing with the Stars. It’s highly improvisational, and allows not only the leader, but also the follower, to make artistic decisions. Everything is communicated between the partners through physical contact, whether it’s
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