By Jodi A. Shaw Last week, Angela Campbell, a professor of law at McGill University, testified at a constitutional reference case examining Canada’s current polygamy law that the practice ought to be decriminalized. I wasn’t sure if I should gasp or applaud. Campbell visited Bountiful, B.C. in 2008 and 2009, interviewing 22 women over a […]
Living
Don’t drink and drive, unless it’s bad for business
By Bev Schellenberg What does a province do when a law acts as an effective deterrent? They consider changing it, apparently. At least, that’s what the still wet-behind-the-ears Solicitor General Rich Coleman is thinking of doing with B.C.’s strict new impaired driving laws. Since September, B.C. has been abuzz with news of tougher drinking and […]
Where’s my shower?
By Jodi A. Shaw The last baby shower I went to was when I was a preteen. I went with my mom, and the shower was for a woman who went to our church. We played the clothespin game and some bizarre game with toilet paper and for the most part the only fun part […]
Imaginary friend time
By Chris Bowman I was driving with my friend the other day to get his tuxedo fitted for his wedding. Naturally, we were talking about all his old girlfriends. He told me he’d done some online dating. A couple years ago he made a profile on plentyoffish.com to see what he could snag, which surprised […]
Good news for Ralphie
By Bev Schellenberg A revolution is underway in our classrooms. No one’s walking around with pithy statements on picket signs; no one’s blasting headlines across newspapers. But the reality is our school system is undergoing a monumental transition, and you may not even know it. How come I know? As a teacher in both the […]
Say goodbye to Meridia — and all other diet pills
by Jodi A. Shaw Surprise, surprise, another diet pill may be pulled from store shelves. Meridia, manufactured by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, is under review by the FDA after a study raised concerns that the pill increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yesterday, fully half of the FDA’s advisory panel recommended that it be […]
A Facebook narcissist? Moi?
By Frank Moher I have been outed. A new study by a York University student reveals that heavy Facebook users are “narcissists” who enjoy monitoring “how many friends they have.” Guilty as charged. I’m not sure I qualify as a “heavy” Facebook user — I’m much too busy twittering for that — but I am […]
Manly moustaches v. lego beards
By Chris Bowman I’m doing some research right now which includes a lot of pictures from the 1870s and 1880s. Times were tough in old Canada back then; you had to be pretty rugged if you weren’t some city slicker from Ottawa. She’s an unforgiving country, though fair if you’re willing to work for her […]
The UVic rabbit problem: lessons from the woods
By Bev Schellenberg Imagine Avatar with a few plot changes. Keep the introduction, the meeting with newly-blue Jake and nimble Neytiri, and the seeds of Eywa floating around Jake in ethereal, foreshadowing bliss. Keep Jake’s hunting mission and the introduction of the Turuk. However, change the plot from the point when the Colonel tells Jake […]
Emphasis on the tease
by Jodi A. Shaw When I think of burlesque, I immediately picture Liza Minnelli in Cabaret. So when I went to a burlesque show for the first time, I was expecting high heels, garter belts, and tight, sexy clothing. I saw the outfits I expected, but I didn’t expect to see all those items of […]
