It’s a stag, not an orgy

by Jodi A. Shaw William and Kate this, Royal Wedding that. Kate Middleton had a Dirty Dancing themed stagette, while Prince William’s bachelor party is rumoured to have had a water theme: speed boats and wakeboarding and a boat-borne pub crawl. Sounds like fun. But while I doubt Will spent a lot of time worrying [...]

The polygamists down the street

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 [...]

Kate Gosselin: Go dancing with your kids, now

By Jodi A. Shaw Dear Kate Gosselin: What a long, twisty road you have travelled! I first met you when the smiling, laughing faces of your sextuplets caught my eye as I channel-surfed one lazy afternoon. I confess, I fell in love with your children and spent many afternoons looking in on your family. But [...]

PlayStation nights

By Jodi A. Shaw I cringed this past Christmas while purchasing a PlayStation 3 for my husband. It didn’t exceed my budget and the shopping experience was quick and easy, but I was disgusted with myself for finally giving in. I’ve long had a distaste for video games and have been unapologetically vocal about it. [...]

In Kate’s corner

By Rachel Krueger “Yes, hello, Kettle + 8? This is the Octo-Pot calling. Stop sucking away at my 15 minutes of fame.” I’ve never been a fan of TLC’s “Jon and Kate Exploit Their Eight” (or whatever). Being party to their marital spats and exhausted parenting makes me feel uncomfortably like an 11th wheel. Most [...]

8 years, 18 moves

By Jodi A. Shaw It’s seven o’clock on a Saturday evening and I can’t find my toothbrush. Our new bathroom is chockablock with Rubbermaid tubs filled with miscellaneous items that you have to maneuver your way through to get to the toilet. The fridge is empty (with the exception of ketchup and a bottle of [...]

Until change do us part

Gabriele Pauli, Bavaria’s Conservative Christian Socialist, has a marriage proposal for you. No grand gestures, no diamonds, no romantic music; instead, Pauli has suggested that, after seven years, a couple should be able to choose to renew their marriage or allow it to dissolve. Yes, a seven-year expiry date on marriage. Ideally, the cycle of [...]

I am not an incubator

By Jodi A. Shaw I got married a year ago. I get asked on a regular basis when we are going to have kids. It didn’t start recently; it began only weeks after the ring was on my finger. “When are you going to have kids? When are you going to have kids?” At first [...]