What I loved most about The Handmaid’s Tale, and what left me in tears, was the overwhelming sense of hope that I was left with at the end. After feeling so much despair at times during the book, the ending, for me, was perfect. I won’t watch the TV version because I find depictions of violence against women very…

She has this absolutely gorgeous black velvet, fringed dress coat with beautiful red American Beauty roses embroidered on the pockets. I coveted that coat. I also thought her little attic studio above Mary’s was way cooler and that she had the more creative job. I always thought Rhoda was awesome and far more…

Nowhere did I read that this man physically forced any woman to have sex without her consent. In each of these situations, there was enough evidence for a reasonable person to conclude that both parties were willing participants. I’m not getting the ‘outrage’ here. In the first case, the woman chose to get back in the…

Did anyone else think “Confident Rando” was the guy’s name?

Hardly. Wait times in Canada can be annoying, but those truly needing life-threatening care get it. Need a crazy expensive drug to treat a rare illness? Doesn’t cost you a penny. Need dialysis for five years waiting for a kidney transplant? Free. Heart transplant? Nada. I’m a Stage 4 kidney patient. My kidneys have…

When I read the line about “the Bible and guns”, the whole picture became clear. Bible-thumping people, especially white women, just don’t poke their heads out from their insular bubbles of family, church and church family, in that order. Even here in Canada, where I often (arrograntly, I admit) like to believe we are…

Celeste wasn’t acting for herself so she couldn’t object. Her lawyer had to object, which she did on occasion, but the judge has the option to overrule (reject the objection) or sustain (approve the objection).

I really can’t believe she hasn’t figured out a way to kill him already. I think it’s only the knowledge that any life insurance payout would go to the bankruptcy is stopping her. Once they’re discharged, he’s a dead man walking.

I’m betting that ML killed Raymond, Perry witnessed it (hence the abuse of Celeste, as repressed punishment of the’mother figure’), and ML fawned over Perry for the rest of his life to keep him from spilling the beans. The father was abused by ML as well, witnessed ML abusing the boys until she killed Raymond…

Why are Americans not rioting in the streets for universal healthcare? You all allow your government to spend trillions on your military while your citizens are suffering without basic medical coverage. It baffles me.

The same for me as a Canadian. I can’t understand why Americans aren’t rioting in the streets for universal healthcare.

Maternal side: Walter George Bell and Mary Agnes Hannan. The rest trickled in from Scotland later, but they are the two I look up to the most.

This is an open letter to my great-grandparents, who immigrated from Scotland and landed in Montreal 100 years ago, while the rest of their siblings immigrated to America: Thank you, thank you, thank you for making me a Canadian. I and all your descendants bless your names.

Yes, lawyers work a lot of hours, but their secretaries and legal assistants work those hours right along with them. They make earn more per hour on paper, but if you factor in all the missed lunch hours, all the coming in early and staying late, that technical “earning more per hour” doesn’t pan out. It’s very rare…

I became a legal secretary because I was a young single mother with a few years of basic admin work and a high school education. I looked at my options, realized that with six months’ training in an ‘administration college’ I could qualify as a legal secretary, which, according to the want ads, paid the best starting…

I have never understood why legal secretaries/administrative assistants don’t unionize. Law firms would collapse without them, yet they are often the most underpaid staff in the firm. They come in early, stay late, work weekends, often on salary so they receive no overtime, all  for a bunch of cheap flowers and a…

GBBO without Mel and Sue wouldn’t be the same. And they can just shut the whole thing down if they lose Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. But just by changing networks, the production values won’t be the same - the tent will change, the location will change. And what about Jo Brand and the delightful GBBO: An Extra…

I have empathy for the Duke lacrosse players - I honestly do. It must be terrible to be accused of a horrendous crime that you didn't commit. BUT - we have seen convicted murderers exonerated and set free on multiple occasions in recent years - we don't then say "that means ALL accused murderers are ipso facto…

Ha! I read the first post and thought to myself: It start with Reagan. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so.

I know nothing about the novel, nothing about Jill Soloway and nothing about Kathleen Hahn. I watched it because of a review in the Telegraph. I enjoyed it from an "isn't it curious that these types of beings may occupy the planet with me" perspective.