states, provinces, and countries i have visited (updated/corrected)
Canadian and other non-US readers might not realize that Kansas City is in the state of Missouri. There is also a small, less famous Kansas City in Kansas, just over…
we like lists
foot pain, swimming, push-ups, and roast chicken: four things going on with me
I haven't written one of these silly personal posts in a while, and things are piling up. As I always say, I write this blog for myself, and I have…
twelve reasons i loved the pacific northwest labour history association conference
I mentioned here that I recently enjoyed two back-to-back opportunities, one for work and one for union. Through my union, I was extremely fortunate to attend the annual conference of…
update: strength training without a trainer
I recently blogged about my experience working with a personal trainer. I really enjoyed it, and I was considering how to continue strength training on my own. I’m not new…
we movie to canada: best of "what i’m watching" 2022
Here are the best movies and series I watched in 2022. They’re not in order — it’s not a countdown — just a list of all the really good stuff.…
in which i have nothing new to say: just write for rights #w4r22
It’s that time of year again: time to Write for Rights. Looking back on my write for rights posts for the last several years, it appears that I’ve been recycling…
12 reasons bojack horseman is my favourite show of all time (thoughts after re-watch)
Allan and I first watched “BoJack Horseman” in real time, from 2014 to January 2020. We liked it from the start, but as the show deepened in meaning and intensity,…
what i’m watching: best of 2021 (april to december)
As I mentioned here, I’ve decided to stop posting my entire “what i’m watching” list for the year. Instead I’m going to do an annual best-of. I’m also realigning this…
we movie to canada: wmtc’s annual movie awards is retired, replaced with best-of list
Last year, I realized that the new format of my annual movie awards was problematic. Beginning with 2018-19, rather than grouping movies by rating (all the 5s together, all the…
not a new year’s resolution part one: precepts and generalities for 2022
A few years ago, I wrote in this blog: I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, but I do enjoy using the revolution of our Earth around the Sun as an…
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…
five negatives and five positives about living in a small town and a remote region
Everything in life is a trade-off. Everything has pros and cons, advantages and pitfalls, clouds and silver linings. I honestly can’t think of anything this rule doesn’t apply to, including…
a reading plan for 2021: big stacks of nonfiction, plus some fiction, and series for mind breaks
2018: Titles and reading projects that were languishing on my List. 2019: The year of the biography. The first time I created a reading plan for the year. 2020: I…
what i’m reading: a new plan
As I’ve mentioned many times, I keep a running List of books. The List dates back to the mid-1980s. It’s not a complete list of books I’ve read. I wish…
11 (more) things on my mind about the protests in the u.s.
In April, I wrote a post called “11 things on my mind about the anti-police-violence and anti-racism protests“. For reasons unknown to me, it’s one of the most widely-read posts…
11 things on my mind about the anti-police-violence and anti-racism protests
1. Most violence is not being committed by protesters. What percentage of protesters are violent? Filter for police provocateurs, filter for white nationalists, filter for random thieves hiding under cover…
11 things you should know about u.s. presidential elections
Here are some facts about US elections. There are mountains of evidence to support each of these. If you have doubts, do some homework. This is merely a summary of…
five reasons streaming is still better than cable, even if the price tag is the same (plus a long story mostly for myself)
If you stream movies and TV series, you know that the proliferation of streaming channels has had mixed results for consumers. Many shows that were formerly on Netflix have been…
10 things on my mind about covid-19
1. Wealthy urbanites are fleeing to their second homes — buying out grocery stores, expecting personal shoppers and home delivery, swelling vacation towns’ size to summer proportions. This is the…