How many of us, in times of stress, will reach for something to eat—for snacks, for drinks, maybe for something sweet? We might not even think about doing it. Instead we find ourselves polishing off that old piece of cake, opening a bag of chips, or grabbing a pop without really considering why. We often throw around terms like “stress eating,” usually with a chuckle and a shrug of the shoulders as if to say, “What can you do?”

Social media is the land of unsolicited advice. Post about your new dog and you’ll have three friends provide three brands of dog food that are each supposed to be the best. Share news about your search for a vehicle and everyone has an opinion about which model is for you. Post photos of your beach vacation and you’ll get dieting tips… which probably weren’t supposed to be as insulting as they felt.

We’ve all felt it—we’re out in public, minding our own business, when suddenly we come face to face with one of Them. Instantly our heartrate speeds up, we get a flood of adrenaline, and our breathing quickens. We didn’t expect to see one of Them here, but here They are, and now we have to be in the same room with Them.

Most of the world is under the mistaken impression that Manitoba is a year-round land of ice and snow, but we know better. Our summers usually bring perfect beach weather—and with perfect beach weather comes swimwear, and with swimwear comes the annual practice of putting on last year’s bathing suit, staring in the mirror, and deciding whether we like what we see.

The advancement of LGBTQ rights in Canada has been a steady, if slow, progression. Once same-sex relationships were legalized in 1969—with Trudeau Sr. acknowledging that the state had “no place in the bedrooms of the nation”—the expansion towards equal rights was inevitable.

Years ago, when cell phones were relatively new, people grew concerned that using them might cause harm to our brains. Specifically, the fear was that cell phones might emit deadly radiation, such as microwaves that killed brain cells or caused cancer.