I found Things Are Good through its inclusion on Progressive Bloggers, a left-leaning blog aggregator that I’d previously profiled in a post on democracy101.ca. Their feed draws content from a few hundred blogs, and as much as I hate to say it, the results are too often snarky, patronizing and redundant. Things Are Good stood out by virtue of being none of those things, and by being educational and encouraging to boot.

Pay them a visit. They’ve also launched an account on Twitter, so you can follow them there too.

“OurPublicLibrary.to is a network of people dedicated to preserving the integrity of one of the world’s greatest public library systems, the Toronto Public Library… With the election of a City Council that regards the Toronto Public Library as a financial burden rather than an important educational and cultural service, the TPL and its branches are under threat.

“From the children who are introduced to their first book and a love of reading, to the students and researchers who rely on the public library for their work and to the many, many others who depend on the TPL for cultural enrichment, reading pleasure, and respite from rampant commercialism, this site is for you.”

From the look of things, the library’s got the public on its side. According to a recent story in the Star, a survey commissioned by the union revealed that half of Toronto’s residents said it would affect their vote “a great deal” to know that a candidate had supported closing a library branch. Fully three quarters of respondents were against privatizing library services.

Nonetheless, the threat is great, and the campaign can use all the support it can get. Check them out, sign the petition on their main page, and spread the word about this site.

“When you buy a share of the harvest at CoffeeCSA, you get the best of the crop while helping to fund next year’s harvest and strengthen small-scale family farms. CoffeeCSA offers you great coffee and a meaningful relationship with a hard-working farm family.”

Here’s a more detailed look at how it works.

“The Toronto Botanical Garden offers an array of 17 award-winning themed gardens spanning nearly four acres, designed to educate and inspire. You’ll also find a complete range of innovative indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all ages…”

“Ever wish you had a magic goat at your disposal?” the site asks. “She’s cute and furry, but isn’t good for much if you screw up. If the shit hits the fan, and drinking does some serious damage, no goat’s going to save your ass. So, just for the record – if something like what you see in the video goes down at a party you’re at? You might want to think of calling 911 instead of calling for a goat. Did we really have to actually say that? Yes, we did.”

Well, no. No, they didn’t. I haven’t spent much time in Nova Scotia, but I doubt that even a single one of their teenagers has ever wished they could turn to a magic goat to help them deal with the consequences of their drinking.

I don’t mean to be difficult, but I caught a version of the video on TV the other night, and I’m sure I’m not along in thinking that all the effort they’re putting into being cool and wacky is only going to seem condescending to the average teenager.

Sure, the site contains a few useful links. But they’re crammed in among lame jokes, dated references to Paris Hilton, and a devotion to the word “ass” that practically screams “We’re betting the kids will think this is hip if we use the word ‘ass’ a lot.”

Down in the bottom left corner, there’s even a link you can click to buy a bag of “magic” goat turds for fifteen bucks. But when you click it, a pop-up window chastises you for wanting to waste your money on goat crap and reminds you that there’s no such thing as a magic goat. Get it?

I’m sorry, but this thing reeks of a room full of professionals who decided to run with the most superficially quirky concept they could agree on, because that’s the sort of thing teenagers like. I hope they’re right, and I hope this campaign will make a genuine impact and prove me wrong. But frankly, I think their target market deserves better.

To be fair, as I said at the time, I disagree with just about every aspect of Mike’s argument. With all due respect, it reads like the work of an angry film student who just discovered Benjamin and Baudrillard. And I should know, because I used to be one.

Nonetheless, he made some good points about the difference between a “feel good” campaign like this on the one hand, and genuine activism on the other. I disagree with his suggestion that one is automatically the opposite of the other, but I agree that they shouldn’t be mistaken for each other.

At any rate, he managed to get me to check out his site. They’ve only been at it for a few months, and it doesn’t look like they write often, but you might get a kick out of their content. From the look of things, they’re exploring some decent ideas. Do check them out.

I got to know about First Book Canada through the work that Literature for Life has been doing in the Greater Toronto Area. These organizations have an awful lot in common, as you can imagine, especially when it comes to the profound impact on literacy on young children and families.

“With the help of our partners, donors and dedicated volunteers,” First Book Canada says, “we have provided more than 80 million new books to schools and programs serving children in need. Yet millions of children are still waiting for our help.

“Together we can make a difference in children’s lives. Together we can provide new books and critical resources that elevate the quality of education for children in low-income families.”

Do check them out. In the meantime, don’t forget about Words, the fundraiser that Literature for Life is hosting at C Lounge on Thursday, 28 July 2011. Tickets are available now.

Steve will be performing a one-man spoken word show called “N.O.N.C.E.” later this week at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. He’s been touring a few Canadian cities and honing the show in the days leading up to the festival, doing impromptu performances as time and space allow.

On Saturday, for example, he performed in our kitchen for an audience of half a dozen people. I wasn’t one of them, sadly, because I had to head to Disgraceland to host Everyone’s a DJ. But in the end, I did get to watch Steve perform that night; during our 2:00 AM slot, he spun what I believe was his first set ever, which featured some material by his own band.

Steve’s a daring poet, a fine DJ, and an excellent house guest. Get to know him, won’t you?

“The Canadian Donor’s Guide is the annual reference book for donors and their advisors containing data on charities collected by questionnaire as well as pertinent editorial content. No other publication contains this breadth of information on charities in Canada.”

You can view a digital version of the guide online, free of charge. Do check it out.