A few days away from a couple of weeks off
I’m headed out of town with my wife and kid on Friday. We’re going back to the UK for a couple of weeks, to spend some time with family. I really can’t wait, but there’s a lot to do before we get there, and I’m still trying to figure out what it is. We’ve all […]
Tags: my job, my kid, my wife, vacation
Posted in Work and Career |
Being a parent is easier if you’re white
My daughter woke up at about quarter to one last night. I stepped away from Twitter, where everyone was venting about the George Zimmerman verdict, and I brought her a drink of water. It was time for another one of our late night talks. My daughter only knows about a dozen words, so she’s not […]
Tags: Florida, George Zimmerman, inequality, my kid, parenting, privilege, race, Trayvon Martin
Posted in Social Action |
The law is the crime
I believe in the rule of law, and I believe in the presumption of innocence. I know the case against George Zimmerman wasn’t strong enough to meet the demands of Florida’s justice system, which favours racist gun-toting man-children. From the beginning, I knew this could go either way. Not because of the facts, you understand. The […]
Tags: Florida, George Zimmerman, gun control, stand your ground, Trayvon Martin
Posted in Social Action |
Well, at least I’m an impressive disappointment
My daughter has a t-shirt that looks like a pirate tunic. My wife dressed her in it this morning, and then she asked her to pick out a pair of socks. “What kind of socks does a pirate wear?” “Arrr-gyle!” I shouted from the next room. As always, I braced for the groan of disappointment. […]
Tags: my kid, my wife, pirates, puns
Posted in Friends and Family |
The Toronto Public Library needs your help (right now)
Maureen O’Reilly, President of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union, has a meeting this morning with the office of Minister Michael Chan, who is responsible for Ontario’s public libraries. She’s planning to argue a case for more provincial funding, and she needs your help. O’Reilly invites you to send a message to Minister Chan and […]
Tags: Maureen O'Reilly, Michael Chan, Mike Harris, Rob Ford, Toronto Public Library, Toronto Public Library Workers Union
Posted in Social Action |
“This baby is a rainbow of parental neglect”
Listen, sometimes your kid is going to get herself covered in magic marker. Sometimes you’re running late, and you don’t have a lot of time to scrub it off. So yes, sometimes you’ve got to take her to daycare like that. Does it make you a bad parent? No. Before I became a dad, would […]
Tags: daycare, magic marker, my kid, parenting, shoes
Posted in Friends and Family |
Another night in Ottawa
Because of the storm in Toronto yesterday, I wasn’t able to fly back home from Ottawa last night. Instead, I holed up in a hotel near the airport, ordered some pizza, and called it an early night, at least by my standards. If all goes well, I’ll be flying back this morning. I’d ask you to […]
Building a culture of participation with Dave Meslin
“Dave Meslin is one of Canada’s most well-known proponents of citizen engagement. His work has helped cities confront the barriers that stop community members from engaging in local politics.” On Wednesday, 29 May 2013, Dave gave a talk at Simon Fraser University called “Building a Culture of Participation.” You can download and listen to the […]
Tags: citizen engagement, Dave Meslin, Rabble, Redeye Collective, Simon Fraser University
Posted in Social Action |
There’s never a bad time to want to slap Sean Hannity
I keep an old folder in Evernote that’s full of random ideas for blog posts. Whenever I don’t know what to write about, I dig through that folder and see if anything grabs me. You never know when you might discover a fresh take on an old idea. There’s a note in that folder titled […]
Tags: blogging, Evernote, Fox News, Republicans, Sean Hannity
Posted in Creative Projects |
Summer hours
Every summer, to make up for the extra hours we put in during peak times, my company cuts Friday short. At the end of every week in July and August, we shut the office down at 1:00 PM. It’s a great gesture, and it goes a long way, especially when you’ve got a family at […]
Tags: my job, my kid, my wife
Posted in Work and Career |