it’s human rights day: write for rights
I just now remembered that today is December 10, Human Rights Day, which celebrates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each year on this day, I try to participate in…
laura k
herbert: mandela and king were not warm and fuzzy, they were hard-core revolutionaries
Bob Herbert in Jacobin: I knew that the tributes would be pouring in immediately from around the world, and I also knew that most of them would try to do…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #11
Customer: “Hi, can I print from a USB here? My printer at home isn’t working.” Me: Customer: “I just want to print from my USB.” Me:
things i heard at the library # 10: weeding, the library’s not-so-dirty, not-so-little secret
Wmtc readers have told me that they like the inner-workings-of-the-library posts, so I’m going to let myself write those whenever an idea comes up. That means the “things I heard…
nelson mandela, 1918-2013
“The time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices – submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We shall not…
two not-so-youth novels: another great one by john green, and part two of the hunger games
Looking for Alaska, John Green (2005) Some months back I blogged about The Fault in our Stars, by John Green. I absolutely loved this book. I went in search of…
former walmart executive leads covert smear campaign against activist workers: watch their hilariously awful video
From The Nation: Last night, Worker Center Watch – a new website dedicated to attacking labor-affiliated activist groups like OUR Walmart, Restaurant Opportunities Center, and Fast Food Forward – began…
buzzfeed announces no negative book reviews: what that means (and doesn’t mean) and why it’s good
In a New York Times op-ed, I’ve learned that BuzzFeed has announced the hiring of its first book editor, and will start publishing book reviews. But it will not run…
update on kimberly rivera and how you can help
Three days ago, Iraq War resister Kimberly Rivera gave birth to a son, Matthew Kaden, in a military hospital in San Diego. As soon as her hospital stay ends (which…
canadian woman refused entry to u.s. based on confidential health records
According to this news story, a Canadian woman named Ellen Richardson was refused entry into the United States because of a prior medical condition. That is, when the US border…
wmtc movie and series season is open, please post your suggestions here
What with the Red Sox winning the World Series (!!!) and Allan’s book being completed (available for pre-order on Amazon!!!), I forgot to announce the official opening of Movie Season.…
thoughts on "the central park five": new york city, the central park jogger, and me
We’ve just seen “The Central Park Five,” the Ken Burns film about five young men of colour who were wrongfully arrested, indicted, and convicted of rape and attempted murder, and…
what i’m watching: ken burns’ "prohibition", an excellent documentary
This week we finished Ken Burns’ excellent documentary “Prohibition,” and I recommend it highly to everyone who enjoys history. Most of us know at least something about Prohibition, especially how…
the sad tale of an oil stain, or how i was misled by the internet
Last week, while enjoying a lovely lunch at a restaurant with my mom and my partner, an oily sauce jumped out of a bowl and splattered on my shirt. All…
low-wage workers rising: strikes and demos planned for the day after u.s. thanksgiving
Low-wage workers in North America are on the move. This movement has been building for more than a decade, and it’s beginning to reach a critical mass. And could any…
the war continues to kill: the wounded survivors, and those killed by their own conscience
Here are two excellent, heartbreaking stories about what happens to those who survive and don’t survive war. The first, excerpted from Ann Jones’ book They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded…
justin doolittle in salon: stop thanking the troops for your freedom. they didn’t give it to you.
Justin Doolittle, writing in Salon, takes down the military lovefest currently enveloping professional sports in North America: “Stop thanking the troops for me: No, they don’t “protect our freedoms!”“ Doolittle…
what i’m reading: nw by zadie smith
If you haven’t read anything by Zadie Smith, I highly recommend finding White Teeth, her debut novel, and diving in. Smith wrote White Teeth while still attending university, and it…
11.11: lest we forget, let’s not forget: there is no glory in war.
For Canadians who fear and distrust the steadily growing militarism suffusing the culture of our country, two recent books are indispensable: What We Talk About When We Talk About War,…