Last week’s question: Are you watching the Olympics?

I’m not to surprised at the results.  This year’s Olympics is kind of controversial, and I think some people in Toronto are still a little bit bitter that Beijing was awarded the Games.  However, 50% of you said you were watching, while 40% said that you aren’t a big fan of the Summer Games (I agree with you.  The Winter Games are much better to watch).  10% of you said that you’re boycotting.  I’m sure that had this been asked 28 years ago, when the Games were in Moscow, practically everyone would be boycotting.  What do you think of these results?  Were you expecting more people to boycott or fewer?  Do you prefer the Summer Games over Winter?

This week’s question:  According to the Wall Street Journal, Hilary Clinton’s name has been added to the ballot at the Democratic Convention, which will occur next week. Is this a good move?

Kiki Mahy

I come from a small city where variety is not the spice of life, especially when it comes to matters of the kitchen. And there’s nothing that bothers me more than a dull pallet. So when My Thai restaurant opened up downtown, I was thrilled. Finally, as restaurant with something new to offer my senses. It had everything you could ask for in a restaurant: good service, reasonable prices and of course, great food. So when I moved to Toronto a few months ago, I was delighted to be surrounded by a vast array of scents, tastes and cultures, but wondered if I would be able to find a new favourite spot to dine at. I decided to venture out in my neighbourhood one evening and see if I could find a little taste of home.

Read the rest

H.M.L.

It is not uncommon these days for one to see newspaper headlines about the depressed U.S. housing market, high inflation, ever-increasing gasoline prices, bank failures and new lay-offs.  All signs seem to indicate that America’s economy is going through one of the worst storms in decades.  One of the primary causes behind America’s current financial crisis was the over-extension of credit by the Federal Reserve after the bursting of the dotcom bubble in 2000 and 9/11 in 2001.   With the benefit of hindsight, what was then considered appropriate monetary policy to stimulate the U.S. economy in the face of economic difficulties and unprecedented threats to national security is now considered to have created a bubble in U.S. housing prices.   Read the rest

Cynthia Cheng

Imagine stepping into a time machine and being transported to the Jazz Age. The guests at The Society Toronto’s Daisy Buchannan Affair did just that on August 14, 2008. The Royal Canadian Yacht Club’s French Colonial style architecture provided a perfect setting for the event. The light drizzle did not ruin the event at all. The venue was just shifted from the lawn to the clubhouse where we took over most of the second floor.

Read the rest

Namita Joshi

They are always singing at Camp Ooch. Located in idyllic Muskoka Region, Camp Oochigeas was filled with the laughter, voices and energy of campers, councilors, and visitors alike on Sunday July 27, 2008. The camp for children with cancer celebrated it 25^th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony, camp tours and an outdoor lunch. Indeed, it was a day to remember.

Read the rest

There’s been a lot of talk about how the athletes on the Chinese Women’s Gymnastics team are underage ( in order to qualify for the Olympics, you have to be 16 or turning 16 the year you compete), because they look so young. In fact, Sports Illustrated recently published an article claiming that one of the girls, He Xinghua, is actually 13 years old, based on a government news agency report. However, she says she’s 16 and an official has claimed that “the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.”  Well, maybe it’s time to check? Or do they not want to check, because they want their team to win, and win big?  Some claim it is akin to taking performance enhancing drugs (many gymnasts say that smaller people perform better, and the Chinese team is really petite compared to other countries).  However, there isn’t any evidence to verify He Xinghua or any other team members’ ages, so we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

The fact of the matter is that China is trying hard to let the world know that they’ve arrived. This is not uncommon in an emerging country. Or an emerging anything. It’s kind of their way to keep up with the Jones, and for them, it’s about trying their hardest to impress (think about the requirements they set for the medal hostesses as well as the little girl who lip synched). Confucian culture is all about face, and if these kids go home empty-handed, they’re making their parents lose face. so it is understandable the the Chinese may do anything to showcase their achievements.

The media often cite the sizes of the girls on the Chinese team. The smallest girl on the Chinese team is 4′6″ and 68 lb. I think I was that size when I was nine! The Chinese team averages around 4′9″ and 70-something lb. Compare that to the Japanese team, who averages some 1 1/2″ - 2″ taller. Their weight averages in the 80s while the Chinese average in the 70s. In addition to size, the girls just look a bit younger than the Japanese team, and some reports have indicated that at least one Chinese girl still has baby teeth. But then the shortest girl on the Japanese team is only an inch taller and seven pounds heavier. She turns 16 in September. In addition, there is another girl on the Japanese team who is under 4′10″. Half the team is 4′11″ and around 85 lb.  The Chinese team? Most are under 4′10″, with only two who are taller.  It’s probably not necessarily purely genetics and diet.  An easy conclusion is that some members of the Chinese team are younger than they say they are.  On the other hand, given that China’s population is 1.3 billion, if the desire is to pick smaller girls under 4′10″ to be female gymnasts, they probably have a bigger pool of people than any other country to choose from.  Therefore, we should not condemn China until these accusations are proven.   Consistent with the spirit of common law principles, we should always give people the benefit of doubt.  After all, everybody is innocent until proven guilty.

This past week, Prospere Magazine asked: As profits for print media shrink, will we see the death of it within 15 years?

As indicated in the headline, 40% of you don’t think print media is going to die out.  Do you mean TRADITIONAL print media, as paper?  What about electronic paper, a bendable device that is made to resemble traditional print (except you download the material you wish to read)?  As for the 20% of you who like electronic media, but don’t want print media to disappear, would you read a book on electronic paper? 

As for the other results, the breakdown was like this:

30% said: Print media will eventually become extinct, but it will take more time. than 15 years.

10% said: Why not? Online media not only quicker, but interactive as well!

This week: Have you been watching the Olympics?

Like many petite women, Allison Izu Song, 5′2″ was frustrated at how clothes fit her.  However, as a fashion designer, Allison was able to not only hem her clothes, but also alter it in a way that it would resemble her silhouette.  She also realized that other petite women were having similar issues with fit as well as fashionable clothes.  After all, selection for petites, especially stylish petites for those who are fashion-forward, is very minimal.  This led to Allison’s premium denim line, Allisonizu.  Currently, Allisonizu is available in Hawaii only, but it will arrive in the US mainland for spring 2009.  She also would love to go to Canada. 

Allisonizu is different from other premium denim lines, even those with petites.  First, the proportion fits a smaller frame - the knee break, distance from the waist to the hips, knee to ankle distance and so forth are made to fit a shorter height.  In addition, she offers different fits, including a skinny (Kolohe), a dressy jean (Honolulu), a boot cut (Paniolo) and a relaxed fit (Luana).  In addition, the fall line includes a denim pencil skirt.  Finally, unlike other premium petite denim lines, Allisonizu comes in two different lengths, at 27″ and the standard 31″.  These lengths, according to Allison, are “a common inseam length when researching petite women and asking how much people have to cut off of their jeans.”  The jeans retail at around $168. Read the rest