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About the author
CKirkby
- earned degrees in language / literature and law (but is not currently a lawyer or a journalist);
- worked for over a decade on Parliament Hill;
- misses writing; and
- appreciates thoughtful comments, en anglais ou en français. (Email addresses are not published.)
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Archive
Author Archives: CKirkby
Suggested questions to put to unions re: fighting in-office policies
I’ve learned that my former union’s Annual General Meeting is being held this Sunday, 17 November 2024, including by Zoom. My emails to the union about fighting the federal government’s return-to-office policy have gone unanswered. Presumably it’s easy to ignore … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Health, Politics
Tagged covid, return to office policies, rhetoric v. action, solidarity, unions
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History
I’ve complained before about how history was taught to me in school. Most of the time it was extremely dull. I didn’t want to memorize the dates of battles far away in time and space that had no clear significance … Continue reading
Time
And you run, and you runTo catch up with the sun, but it’s sinkingAnd racing aroundTo come up behind you againThe sun is the same in a relative wayBut you’re olderShorter of breathAnd one day closer to death — Pink … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Community, Employment, Music, Psychology
Tagged art, being human, labour, music, return to office policies, solidarity
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Dance like nobody’s getting COVID
A few things happened over the past week. Which means it’s time to get angry again about the federal government’s return-to-office mandate. I don’t know how much plainer it can be that it’s not okay for employers to unilaterally impose … Continue reading
The hope of seeds and gardens
I’m sitting in the Centretown condo of my good friend Élizabeth Powles. Outside are signs of construction and autumn. Inside are her loudly purring cat and what she describes as a fuck-ton of common milkweed seeds. (I correctly guess the … Continue reading
Minor campaigns
Sometimes I do minor freelance proofreading / shit-disturbing. Some recent examples: 1. Équiterre Équiterre posted a job listing recently that failed to disclose up front (1) salary range and (2) remote / in-office expectations. I told them this is a … Continue reading
How many ineffective roads must a union walk down…
My former union now thinks the solution to the federal government’s three-days-in-office policy is to request that Parliament study the matter. Presumably the reasoning is that the federal court process is taking too long and maybe a minority Parliament overflowing … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Employment, Health
Tagged being human, government, labour, return to office policies, solidarity
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Safe Spaces
You’d think we’d want safe spaces for ourselves and others. It seems to me that should be universally aspirational, maybe even a government priority or a constitutional minimum or a biological imperative or something. Instead, people who ask and push … Continue reading
A Climate of Community
A recurring theme in the news lately is capitalism-aggravated climate disasters that devastate people and regions. Capitalist governments are unwilling to mitigate climate disasters and unable to respond to the need caused. There is too much. Responders, care workers in … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Climate, Politics
Tagged amateur radio, climate disasters, infrastructure
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Environmental law: not even satire
An article from Fatima Syed at actual news site The Narwhal, “‘We’re incredibly responsible’: Enbridge Gas president dismisses Canada’s emissions cap,” reads like an article from satirical news site The Beaverton. The Gas President’s complaints include that government incentives being … Continue reading →