What military wives need to know
By Julia McKinnell - Monday, December 7, 2009 - 4 Comments
Don’t talk about how ‘wasted’ you got when he calls home. And never mail risqué photos.
“My best advice? Never, and I mean never, talk about your marriage with another man,” writes the wife of a U.S. marine who fought in Iraq. “You may need to let off steam but it’s best to go to the other wives, your chaplain or your therapist. Men LOVE to make it better for lonely military wives,” writes Mollie Gross in Confessions of a Military Wife, a new tell-all book that’s packed with advice for other military wives, culled from the author’s experience living at Camp Pendleton in California. “Even if you do not have feelings for that man, he will develop feelings for you.”
In a recent phone interview with Maclean’s, Gross describes military life for wives as stepping back into the 1950s—most women don’t work and are full-time housewives, raising kids. “I did notice a lot of the wives drinking on a daily basis. It shocked me. I encourage women to ask themselves, what can I learn while my husband is away?” She suggests learning to sew or learning French or taking a cooking class. When her own husband, Jon, was deployed, Gross honed her skills as a stand-up comedian, which is her current career in Los Angeles now that he’s back.
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Maclean's Interview: Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala
By Martin Patriquin - Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 7:30 AM - 12 Comments
French comic Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala on why he called Jews slave traders and why he’s running for the European Parliament
French comedian Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala has entertained and exasperated his native country for nearly 20 years, most recently with his one-man shows that touch on race, religion and domestic violence, among other comedic taboos. In 2006, he fell out of favour with France’s media and political establishment, as well as many of his fans, when he declared his admiration of Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National party, going so far as making Le Pen godfather to his daughter. Along with running in the upcoming European parliamentary elections on an anti-Zionist platform, Dieudonné is performing five Montreal shows in June, where he remains extremely popular despite (or perhaps because of) the controversies surrounding him.Q: You are well known in Quebec but not in English Canada. Please introduce yourself.
A: I’m French with African roots. I’m 43 years old. I have been a comedian and a humorist for the better part of 30 years. I have a particular comedic style that provokes a certain reaction from my contemporaries.
Q: This is the point? To elicit a reaction?
A: Yes, that’s my style. I love playing with geographic, religious and ethnic boundaries. It’s an interesting game for me. Here in Canada, you call it reasonable accommodation. Everything that divides people is interesting to me. I have a lot of fun with that.
