zucchini abundance recipe of the day: zucchini-corn-tomato bake
I found a bunch of recipes similar to this, and adapted them to my tastes. This one is easy (especially if you use a food processor to shred the zucchini…
laura k
how a reinvented dutch library set new attendance records and why is this still controversial?
This is a library! (Image found here.) This article about the incredible Nieuwe Bibliotheek (New Library) in the Netherlands got me thinking about the current state of libraries – and…
guest post: "rob ford, eid prayer and the silencing of dissent"
Rob Ford, Eid Prayer and the Silencing of Dissentby Fizza Mir July 30, 2014 My Eid started out like most, enjoying a morning coffee after a month of abstinence, rushing…
zucchini abundance recipe of the day: penne with zucchini and fresh herbs
This is probably the easiest way to use zucchini from your garden, and if you’re growing herbs, it’s an excuse to use those, too. It’s also one of those dishes…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #15! one that makes me very happy!
The conversation was simple enough. Teenage girl: “Where is the nonfiction?” Me: “Nonfiction is upstairs, but it’s organized according to subject. There should be some nonfiction books on the Bingo…
the decision "you’ll regret for the rest of your life": the reality gap in fictional abortions
The conversation around the movie “Obvious Child” has prompted me to re-visit a long-standing interest of mine, one I share with many other reproductive rights activists: the portrayal of abortion…
zucchini abundance recipe of the day: zucchini fritters
Apparently if you grow zucchini, you have too much of it. Being new gardeners, we didn’t know how prolific our one zucchini plant would be, or the insane quantities –…
this year’s mini garden and a mini pupdate
This year’s garden-ette is completely out of control! In a very good way. Here’s June. And here’s today. No idea what I’m going to do with all the zucchini. Neither…
israel slaughters palestinians, pays for online propaganda, and north americans gobble up the bait
I’ve been trying to write about Israel’s latest slaughter of Palestinian people ever since the hideous spectacle began, without results. I post little bits of horror and disgust on Facebook,…
upcycling with teens at the library
My summer youth programs have been going really well. Attendance has increased with each program – first 7, then 13, then 15 – and yesterday we hit the jackpot with…
nadine gordimer, 1923-2014
Nadine Gordimer was a great writer, and a steadfast voice for justice. Gordimer, a white South African, was a member of the African National Congress when the organization itself was…
tommy ramone, and how can it be the ramones are gone from this world?
Back-to-back obituaries again. Obits are taking up a large percentage of wmtc real estate these days, yet another indication of how little I’m writing. The passing of Thomas Erdelyi this…
what i’m reading: the spirit catches you and you fall down, truly excellent nonfiction
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures by Anne Fadiman contains dozens of passages that I’d like…
federal court again rules in favour of health care and basic decency, against radical harper agenda
A few days ago, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that the Harper Government’s denial of health care to refugee claimants from certain countries is unconstitutional and cannot stand. In…
summer, teens, the library, and me
Yesterday was my first summer program at the library. Attendance was low, but very keen. An artist and activist (who happens to be a friend of mine from the war…
sometimes knowing your rights is all it takes: in which we win our landlord battle
We won! And we won so easily, we’re left scratching our heads and asking, “What just happened?” As you’ll recall, our landlord asked for an illegal rent increase – 10.5%…
know your rights, rental edition, part two
Just about one year ago today – July 8, 2013, to be exact – our area was hit with a massive flood that swamped homes, cars, highways, trains, and .…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #14
One of our regular Readers’ Den customers approached me with her usual long list of movies. She researches movies online, prints out lists, and comes to the desk to see…
what i’m reading: dark age ahead by jane jacobs
Dark Age Ahead, by the late Jane Jacobs, contains some important insights about the state of North American society. For me, however, the book is more notable for what it…