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Revolutionary thought of the day: Douglass's great gift, and the reason we know him of today, is that he found ways to convert the scars Covey left on his body into words that might change the world. David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom This is what every abuse survivor, every war resister, every Truth and Reconciliation testifier, is doing: finding ways to convert their scars into change. It's been a long time since our last ROTD! This book is clearly going to change that.

I finished reading this fine biography a while ago, but I've been having trouble writing about it. It was very good. If some parts were a bit too detailed for me (which is bound to happen if a biography is comprehensive), parts were thrilling, fascinating, sad, and very moving. There are many biographies of Jackie Robinson out there, but Jackie Robinson: A Biography by Arnold Rampersad is said to be the most accurate and complete. Rampersad, who has also written celebrated biographies of Langston Hughes and Arthur Ashe, was the first author to have full access to Robinson's letters and personal papers, and to be chosen and authorized by Rachel Robinson. The letters are very significant, as Jackie wrote hundreds of them, to Rachel and many others. For those who don't know, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was the first African-American to play major league baseball. It is often said that Jackie "broke the color line" — a strange euphemism, as if he broke the tape on a trac

I was sure that one of the downsides of moving to a small town in a relatively remote area would be a serious lack of food choices. I've been very happy to be wrong! There aren't a lot of restaurants here, but what's here is very good -- well-prepared, fresh, tasty food, and excellent, friendly service. As with most things, I'm finding that having a few choices are enough. I cook a lot more now, as there's no prepared food, and I'm also less busy and have more energy. Allan's been helping me with food prep, cutting up vegetables to store in the fridge. This was my idea, but he's more than willing to do it, and I find it hugely helpful. He's also been making dinner once a week, which gives me another break. But when we're not eating at home, here's where we might be. Port Hardy Fire Chefs , also known as Captain Hardy's. Captain Hardy's was a fixture in town. It closed a few years ago, and new owners updated the menu and changed the na

Ever since we moved here, I've been fascinated with our town's proximity to Cape Scott Provincial Park . Cape Scott is a wilderness park, accessible mainly through the rugged North Coast Trail -- for very serious hikers, i.e. , not us. But I've read that some small sections are more accessible for a day hike. People rave about the beauty of San Josef Bay -- known locally as Sanjo Bay -- but always with a caveat: there's no easy way to get there. We pass the turnoff sign on Rt. 19 all the time, and knew that one day, we'd drive those 63 kilometres west on logging roads to see what was at the other end. This past Sunday, we did it. What we found: a long drive, a perfect hike, and a magnificent beach. All along the drive, you're in either deep forest, re-growth, or cleared areas. You pass frequent signs posted by the foresting companies, with the year the area was "harvested," then the year it was either replanted, spaced, or pruned. Sometimes you see &

A few weeks ago, we took a scenic drive known as the Alice Lake Loop . We read there were various short hikes and natural attractions along the way. We may have missed some stops or turn-offs, as it really was mostly driving and very little walking. On the other hand, in an area that is trying to reinvent itself as a tourism destination, any attraction, no matter how small, is included in the guidebooks and websites. So I don't know if the Alice Lake Loop is of mild interest, or if we missed some stops, or maybe a bit of both. I think we'll try again later in the year, and try to find more points of interest along the way. The drive itself was interesting, as it is all on logging roads. That means minimal paving, lots of gravel, huge ruts and bumps, and very slow going. Here's a sample of what we saw. Tracks on a frozen lake. Tiny waterfalls standing still. Lakes like mirrors. The area is known for karst, formations formed by water working on certain kinds of stone. It'

Friday's global student protest brought me so much joy. And also sadness, because I often feel so cynical about our ability to stop climate change. And also hope, because I won't succumb to that cynicism. I will fight it, and fight it, and fight it. Because our cynicism is the perfect weapon to be used against us. No evil genius could invent something more powerful than our own inaction. This photo gallery from the New York Daily News is wonderful. Very New York-centric, but with a global flavour.

Impudent Strumpet wondered if Allan and I were now locally famous. Well, apparently we are. Things I heard at the library : "I want to do a story on you." The customer who said this is the owner, publisher, writer, and editor of the North Island Eagle, a community newspaper here. Instead of a story about me, I suggested a piece on some of the exciting things going on in our library. She one-upped me: a story about me and an invitation to write a library column. I am thrilled! This is an amazing and unique opportunity to promote our services. I've already turned in my first column. There are actually two local papers here. The North Island Gazette is part of the Black Press Media chain, which publishes small local papers in western Canada and the US. The North Island Eagle is brought to us by the initiative and hard work of one woman. Everyone reads both papers. In town, you can buy the Vancouver Sun, the National Post, and the Globe and Mail, but in the library, I