take a social media human rights challenge: write for rights 2021 #w4r21
Advanced planning is no match for the calendar! Despite my early preparation, December 10 — Human Rights Day — still caught me off-guard. I haven’t reviewed any cases or set…
laura k
get ready for write for rights 2021 #w4r21
Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global human rights campaign, begins on December 10. I like to think of W4R as a month-long event, and generally spend the month of…
emergency preparedness: in which climate change plus living in a remote community push this 60-year-old into more responsible adulthood
In all our many years together, Allan and I never had an emergency kit in our home, or anything even approaching one. In New York, I never felt the need.…
tom morello on the iww and the soundtrack to the good good fight
In October, The New York Times published this piece by musician and activist Tom Morello. I’ve read it several times, and shared it on social media, and still I can’t…
some things i’ve learned: notes from becoming a better version of myself
“Getting older sucks. You’ll see. I didn’t feel that way at your age either…” The first time I heard this, I had just turned 30, and I’ve been hearing it…
what i’m reading: poisoner in chief: sidney gottlieb and the cia search for mind control — plus a few thoughts on conspiracy theories
Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction. It is impeccably researched — nearly every page yields another revelation —…
11.11 readers’ advisory meets "at your library" in the north island eagle
At Your Library by Laura Kaminker Celebrate and commemorate Remembrance Day with a good book or three Readers have told me they enjoy the themed booklists I’ve shared. Remembrance Day…
what i’m reading: harlem shuffle, exciting new fiction by colson whitehead
I’ve been reading Colson Whitehead since his debut novel, The Intuitionist, caught the attention of critics in 1999. With every successive title — each entirely different than the previous one…
"at your library" in the north island eagle: commemorate remembrance day with a good book or three
Celebrate and commemorate Remembrance Day with a good book or three Readers have told me they enjoy the themed booklists I’ve shared. Remembrance Day is an occasion to share another…
"at your library" in the north island eagle: halloween is spooktacular at your library
Halloween Is Spooktacular at Your Library Halloween is almost here, and with almost everyone in the North Island vaccinated, be exchanging their everyday masks for spooky ones, making costumes, and…
"at your library" in the north island eagle: back-to-school: your library can help
Back-to-School: Your Library Can Help With the kids back to school, both parents and students need all the help they can get. Your library has a wealth of resources to…
"at your library" in the north island eagle: literacy skills are essential in our world
Literacy Is All Around Us September is Literacy Month, a time to recognize and celebrate all the many ways literacy improves and enhances our lives. As you go about your…
"at your library" in the north island eagle: great things are happening at your libraries
Great Things Are Happening At Your Libraries Our North Island branches of the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) are back to our full pre-covid hours, and back to normal –…
what i’m reading: john steinbeck and me
I recently read Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck by William Souder, part of my new-found interest in biographies over the past few years.* Instead of reviewing…
gardening and games, but not piano: three things going on with me
Next year? I’m thinking borscht. It was not a total #gardenfail You may recall that I tried to plant my little gardenette, as we used to do in southern Ontario,…
national day for truth and reconciliation: bearing witness, finding meaning
On September 30, many Canadians will have the day off in honour of a new holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The holiday was created in response to the…
another federal election, another opportunity squandered #elxn44 #ndp
I haven’t written anything about the upcoming Canadian federal election, because what is there to say? The results are depressingly predictable. We will either have a Liberal government or a…
from the archives: all over the world, i tell people where to go
On our recent trip to Oregon and California, I made a note every time someone asked me for directions. That may seem like an odd thing to track — unless…
labour day 2021: demand more. work less.
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…
the only lesson to be learned from afghanistan: war is a waste
Veterans for Peace protest, 2016 As the US finally ends its occupation of Afghanistan, watching the media obsess on the specifics of the pullout has brought me no end of…