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As a former Crown prosecutor who's run many sexual assault trials, I'm not at all surprised that none of these young women reported their experiences (if they are true). Most members of the public, until they're in the situation themselves, don't understand the reluctance of women to report, and what they'll face if they do.

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What I find most shocking is that even though I am a survivor of rape and childhood sexual abuse, I was so easily swayed by the aura of power, prestige, and celebrity, as I quickly passed judgment before all of the facts have come out.

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Charming and disarmingly persuasive, this sexy, silver-tongued slickster will use your body to satisfy his every pleasure. And while it might feel really good while he's doing it, in the end he ends up stronger and you end up weaker. Unfortunately for you, this monster man is also a monstrous time-waster.

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How can I say this nicely? Stop telling kids that sugar is toxic, and stop ruining their fun. Kids don't need scare tactics to make good choices, and they should be allowed to enjoy a holiday without their parents' food issues getting in the way. I will be handing out candy this Halloween, like I always do. There, I said it. Bad dietitian!

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Am I alone to say I have my ideas of a truth that may or may not be, but that I don't want to use that uncorroborated presumption as a means to colour and compromise what deserves to be a fair investigation for everyone? In the case of Jian Ghomeshi, can I say anything out loud if it doesn't flat-out favour the victims? Can I speak if my only stance is to say I won't take one until I have more information? Am I a victim blamer?

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My highest record for throwing up was 40 times in one day, and that was a normal occurrence. My spells of sickness would last about two weeks, if I was lucky. I started to become so malnourished that 25 pounds had fallen off my small frame, and I started to hallucinate. During that time period, I remember praying to die. I felt like I was dying.

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Zehaf-Bibeau was driven by "political and ideological motives" in the murder of Cpl. Cirillo. Even before the day was out, our Prime Minister came out and labelled him a terrorist, without truly knowing who he was and why he did what he did. Knowing that Bourque intentionally targeted five Mounties, murdering three in cold blood in June, how come he wasn't (and still hasn't been) vilified as a terrorist?

Alamy

Next time you meet someone who is dealing with any kind of infertility, please remember this and be kind. Also, think twice before making any assumptions about a person based on how many children they have, whether its none or 10. Not everyone has the luxury of choosing what they end up with.

The Simushir, a Russian-flagged cargo vessel is the newest cause celebre of anti-tanker activists out in British Columbia. Liberal MP Joyce Murray and NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen are waving distress flags over what they portray as a near-disaster that reveals systemic faults in Canada's shipping-safety regime.

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Just because we're entering the season of comfort (carb-rich foods, roaring fires, cozy knits), doesn't mean we have to abandon all notions of beauty. How about trying some beautiful lingerie under all those layers?

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Let's face it: there are some words that have been put on earth just to trip up the masses with their spellings. Words like receive, perseverance, cemetery, occasionally, grateful, calendar, judgment, separate, and liaison -- are all booby traps of the English language.

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I am a huge fan of documentaries, good television and select media outlets but there is nothing quite like talk radio. It speaks to you as an equal and keeps you company through daily routines. It doesn't rely on sensational headlines or attractive hosts. And it is very much at risk.

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The meeting of fundamental nutritional needs has come to be referred to as "food security," a term that emphasizes that people have to have not only enough calories but also sufficiently healthy ones in their diets. A focus on obesity, on the one hand, and the need for and lack of food security for the poor, on the other, has led to the "hunger-obesity paradox."

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Candy can also have a darker side for parents who are trying to keep their kids as healthy as possible, or protect them from allergic reactions by restricting what candy their kids can have. Imagine how the kid feels when they have a food allergy and can't have candy -- seeing other kids reaping the benefits of their trick-or-treating, dumping out their huge bags of candy and sorting through what they got -- it's both sad and frustrating.

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Have you heard of flupyradifurone? Probably not, unless you work for the federal government agency poised to approve this new pesticide for use in Canada. But take note: This new "F" word is bad news for bees.

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Because we're reluctant to talk about our own vanity-driven alterations, we tend to want to dismiss and condemn those of others. The real objection to Zellweger's new face isn't that she has one. The objection is that we can't pretend it didn't happen.

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If you're ever going to get assaulted, my case was pretty perfect: DNA evidence, no alcohol, no slutty clothes, a guy I didn't know, and no history of kinky sex. Yes, they asked that too. So in the Jian Ghomeshi case? A celebrity? BDSM? CBC, our national pride and joy? Frankly I'm with the women who didn't call the police.

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Whenever you feel stressed or anxious about your financial goals, take those breaths and just accept where you are. In finally accepting my own financial situation for what it is in this exact moment, I also aim to remove all the guilt from mistakes I made in the past and just move forward from where I am right now. I hope some of you can do the same.

Joshua Ostroff

When my son and I stepped onto Parliament Hill Monday morning, he was immediately drawn to the centennial flame. Being five, Emile didn't understand that it was intended as a metaphor for the enduring nature of our nation -- or that right now its metaphor felt extended to encompass our endurance in the face of a tragic attack that had happened right here just five days earlier.

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Everyone is talking about Jian Ghomeshi, the disgraced and affronted former host of the CBC's Q and alleged sexual misconductee. There's been a lot of backlash: against Ghomeshi, against the CBC, against his so-far unnamed accusers. So let's get a few things straight.

Giles Coren

If nothing had prepared me for Newfoundland then nothing could prepare anyone for Raymond's, a very refined restaurant in a handsome old high-ceilinged building (I think probably a former bank) which is not just the best restaurant in St John's but is probably one of the best restaurants in the world.