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…
personal
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
in which i attain the holy grail of librarianship: the permanent, full-time job
Meet the new permanent youth librarian at the Mississauga Central Library. I’ve been in this position since January, but on a temporary or contract basis. Two big things had to…
mini-garden update: the eggplant arrives
I grew this! It’s eight inches long, and three more are on the way. What’s ordinary to you veteran gardeners is still miraculous to me. Gardening on a small scale…
depression is to sad as cancer is to pimple (a few thoughts after the death of robin williams)
Reading a news story about Robin Williams’ death, I saw a tweet from Jimmy Kimmel. It said, in part: “If you’re sad, tell someone.” Depression is “you’re sad” the way…
photos from france, may 2014
Giverny I have been avoiding the photos I took on my trip with my mom in May. I suspected they were going to be pretty crappy and I didn’t want…
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…
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 .…
wmtc: happy birthday to me
I have been alive and kicking on this planet for 53 years today. I’m pretty damn happy about it. I’m celebrating my birthday by taking the day from work, reviewing…