J Merghelinck

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@ReedFawell111 @father_rmv They were in my kids’ catholic school

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@TaylorRMarshall My mom used to say: you thought yourself into it, now think yourself out of it.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

Of course! Anyone with a passing knowledge of Canadian politics could see it! Trump got this guy elected. The country was swaying in Poilievre’s direction and Trump’s rhetoric helped pushed Canadians toward carney. A double irony: this could make the midterms a real challenge for the GOP because even Trump’s supporters are out of sympathy here. I say this as someone married to a Canadian with Canadian family of my own who hates the socialist direction the country is moving toward abd carney’s slick globalism.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@roddreher I wish Trump were criticizing Canada on those grounds.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@wealthmoose Canada can—officially—join the club of depressed economies in decline.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@CanadaProducts @waynerothe And I married a Canadian. But 20 years ago he warned me before a family visit: Canadians are very anti American. My father in law (a negotiator) told me: Americans are often taken in by “Canadian nice”. So they get rolled.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@waynerothe Not surprise a lot Canadians spend time gathering degrees. Canada expects young people to “pay their dues”, does not reward innovative thinkers and young entrepreeurs and their most original and brilliant people often have to leave. There are excrptions as there always are.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

I’m sure as an author you know who’s in charge in fiction publishing, who vets the books, makes decisions. It’s become a female industry publishing books by women for women. Of course there are exceptions-mostly in the sci fi or thriller genre, but that’s about it. Even lauded women novelists are sometimes made to revise manuscripts because of the woke police.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

As dual citizens living in the U.S. we follow Canadian politics closely, and were worried that Trump’s comments and posture during the election undermined Poilievre and would lead to carney’s elevation. Voilà. Apparently Carney thinks China will save his (Canadian) bacon. But how is it that a neighbor under the influence of the Chinese a good thing for the U.S.? If you thought the USSR in Cuba was bad just wait til the Chinese are all over Canada.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@fix279634 @VigilantFox Oh dear. You may be onto something.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

The emphasis on the negatives makes unpartnered women who will likely never have kids feel better about it. And of course everyone wants to be a victim of something. Although raising kids can be tedious, the rewards are substantial but hard to convey. Having kids puts you in the thick of life. It makes you a better person if you’re paying attention. As the kids grow up, the tedium abates and the fascination grows. It does help to have a sense of humor, a loving spouse, and a culture that supports raising kids. And I don’t mean subsidized daycare- I mean social culture.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@robkhenderson @Stoicsense2 Why block? Why not debate

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@1963Canuck @Gebsum184111 Just don’t check into a Canadian hospital if you’re depressed. And winters in Canada are depressing especially in Manitoooooba.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

As a child my daughter got 2 ugly scars on her leg, one from a boating accident, another from a motor scooter. One was on her knee, purple, raised and unattractive. We told her it was a conversation starter and not to hide it. It worked! Both scars have faded now that she’s grown. Btw- tattoos don’t fade. Avoid.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@joshstifter Gotta add: as a kid should never watch something called Silent Night Evil Night with Olivia Hussey- about a guy rampaging a sorority house with only a few girls staying there over Christmas.Keir Dullea was in it. Film has maybe been renamed? It’s horrifying.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

I watched an old movie version of “Dr. Spencer and Mr. Hyde” when I was about 8. Needed a nightline on after that for years. I knew better than to watch The Exorcist but finally did so at the home of someone involved in making the film who kept stopping it to tell me about the cinematic technique. Much less scary that way.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@nalex @PeterDClack Coal accounts for 40 percent of the world’s electricity and 60 percent of the electricity in China. And the Chinese are building more coal plants.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@VinodBhardwajUS @PeterDClack And too many scientists who know better fail to speak out because you can’t get grant money otherwise.

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

@CoupleConsoling @KeenanPeachy Well gotta say, boomers had more kids than we’re having now and had them younger. It’s milennials and Gen Z’s that are doing the “child-free” thing. They looked nicer back then too imho, and it was before ozempic il

[J Merghelinck @JMerghelinck]

I was lucky. Older women were very nice to me when my kids were little-in fact once when I was in that same situation an older lady was just so kind about it. When I was 8 months pregnant and standing on the DC metro, not one young professional dude offered me a seat. A middle aged lady did however. That said, a number of men have been very helpful to me at desperate times (tires spinning in snow, that sort of thing.)
I hope I paid it forward.