test blog #10

Ah, November. Along with its evil twin March, the worst months for university and grad students. The school term is almost over, yet so much work is still ahead of me. I'm counting weeks. I have so many things I want to blog about, and no time to write. I'm determined to get to as much of it as I can. Meanwhile, enjoy this video. I don't usually go for the talking animal routines, but this... melt .

David Heap and Ehab Lotayef, writing at Rabble, now in an Israeli prison . * * * * Keeping the Canadian Boat to Gaza’s promise: Freedom Waves are just beginning David Heap and Ehab Lotayef, November 4, 2011 A few months ago, the Greek government acted at the behest of Israel to help enforce its illegal and unjust blockade of Gaza. Freedom Flotilla II was blocked, and the closure of Gaza was extended all the way to the shores of Europe. We promised then to look for other means and new opportunities to sail to Gaza. We promised not to be deterred by the heavy-handed ways that Israel maintains its blockade of Gaza. We promised to keep working, in memory of those who were massacred on the Mavi Marmara in May 2010, and in solidarity with the Palestinians who suffer brutality and deprivation every single day. This week we have kept our promise, beginning the Freedom Waves to Gaza with a "surprise flotilla" consisting of the Tahrir, a Canadian boat with international partners, and t...

I will update this post as I receive more information. Scroll down for updates. David Heap, a Canadian professor and activist, and my friend and comrade, is being held in an Israeli prison. David was removed from the Canadian boat Tahrir, in the latest attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. He has been tasered and beaten. David's partner has not heard from him since Friday morning. [ see update below ] From David: Dear sisters and brothers, friends and loved ones, I write to you from cell 9, block 59 Givon Prison near Ramla in Occupied Palestine. Although I was tasered during the assault on the Tahrir, and bruised during forcible removal dockside (I am limping slightly as a result) I am basically ok. We, Ehab, Michael, Karen from Tahrir, as well as Karen, Kit (US) and Jihan who we saw briefly this morning. We are most concerned about our Tahrir shipmate, Palestinian Majd Kayyal from Haifa, last seen by us at Ashdod being photographed and put in a police car.* Although Micha...

My own government labeled me a terrorist and attempted to murder me. My story is strongly relevant for activists today in this climate of an unending 'war on terror.' S. Brian Willson, Vietnam War veteran and peace activist S. Brian Willson, a Vietnam War veteran and peace activist, will launch his memoir, Blood on the Tracks , in Toronto on Monday, November 7, at an event to benefit the War Resisters Support Campaign. Twenty-four years ago, Willson lost both his legs when he was run over by a United States government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action. He now gets around on two prosthetic legs and a three-wheeled handcycle. Willson will be joining US Iraq War resisters who are seeking permanent resident status in Canada to talk about how his wartime experience transformed him into a peace activist. * * * * Willson served as legislative aide to Massachusetts State Senator Jack Backman (Brookline), working on prison, mental health, and veterans' issues, and ...

I was very happy to spend time at Occupy Wall Street this week. A while back I reported on a comrade's observations ; here are mine to add to the picture. I purposely didn't bring a camera, so as not to be a tourist. I just talked to a lot of people and drank in the atmosphere. * * * * The occupiers are jammed into a tiny square of land, the many tents lined up against each other, a surprising number of people in a very small space. If you enter the square from Broadway, you walk right into The People's Library . It's the perfect entrance: a place of information, ideas, and dialogue, free and open for all. We received a very warm welcome from the librarian, and immediately discovered that he is originally from Winnipeg. (He pointed out another Occupy Librarian from Montreal.) The library is a busy corner, with lots of people combing through tubs of books, either quietly reflecting or chatting about what they find. Later on, when we had circled back around to the library...

We had a terrific little trip to New York. It was a real treat for us to be there together without the crush of holiday crowds, to see family without the big Thanksgiving gatherings, and just enjoy the City. Perfect weather didn't hurt either, especially since we just missed a freak early snowstorm. There are several things from the trip that I want to blog about, which I'll try to fit around the paper I'm writing, plus studying for the make-up of the cataloging exam I missed this week. Here's some good news: zero border hassles. We've now had four crossings without detention: Thanksgiving 2010 by car at Lewiston, April 2011 (just me) at Pearson Airport, May 2011 at Windsor/Detroit (hassled about Canadian passport, then allowed through), and now another completely hassle-free experience at Pearson Airport. I think the special scrutiny is probably over - although it may be a long time before I believe it.

Read and sign the petition! From Our Public Library: : * * * * The first order of business of Mayor Ford’s handpicked Toronto Library Board was to cut 100 librarians and other staff. Even though there is not a single children’s librarian in the entire system and library staff has already been reduced by 10% since amalgamation of the City, the Library Board dutifully cut the budget by millions with little discussion. Now, more destructive plans have emerged from the Board. Among other things, they propose to close 38 neighbourhood branches of our public library and increase children’s overdue book fines by 150%. They would allow corporate sponsors to attach their names to prized and historic book collections and shut down the North York Central Library which circulates more than one million items every year. Also on the table is a proposal to cut almost 20,000 hours of service which would close neighbourhood branches during evenings and on weekends when most people need their library. ....