Lifestyle

Dear Premier Dalton, Hello; I am a BC resident (but University of Toronto graduate) but am writing to you to express my deep concern over the racist treatment of a Keswick Korean student by the justice and education systems in your province. The student is the subject of a Globe and Mail article which can be found here. Essentially, this student was bullied by a racist, and then attacked violently. With a single counter-punch with his left hand, this student defeated his attacker, breaking the attacker’s nose. Police have charged the Korean student with assault causing bodily harm, and the student has been threatened with expulsion from school. The Korean student has a 90% average in his courses. Mr. Premier, this is a travesty of justice at several levels. How on earth can a...
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Dear Cleveland, We know that it’s hard to let go of LeBron James. Our hearts melted for you when we heard that he signed with the Miami Heat, so we thought we’d cruise around Cleveland today, doing something really cool to lift your spirits: handing out free Tofutti Cuties in outfits that would make most cheerleaders blush. These vegan cuties (the soy ice cream, that is) are the perfect way to “beat the heat.” But we are also big softies for animals and the Earth. Did you know that raising animals for food is a major cause of greenhouse-gas emissions? A recent U.N. report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. Plus, switching to a dairy-free diet reduces the suffering of cows and can help lower your risk of...
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Dear Sweaty Gym Clothes Wear-er, I get it. You’re tired after your workout. Your sweaty and you want to relax for a little bit in the sauna. Who doesn’t? It’s completely understandable. But please… do me, yourself, and everyone else who wants to spend some relaxing and healing time in the sauna a favor. And take off your goddamn sweaty gym clothes. If you don’t have a towel and are not comfortable being naked in the sauna, I’ll give you a break. You can leave on your undergarments. I won’t like it, but I’ll tolerate it. But for the love of God, take off your sweaty gym shoes. Here’s the thing. The sauna, in case you haven’t noticed because you were staring at your iPhone the entire time, is a small enclosed box. It’s very hot. And that dry heat gets circulated into the...
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Dear Esteemed Representative: I am writing to advise you against voting to pass the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act – H.R. 1771. In the past I have constantly opposed sanctions (and their enforcement) for various reasons; some of which are included the following argument. There are numerous arguments which have been made by myself and other North Korea watchers that indicate sanctions as being counterproductive to inducing positive North Korean regime change. H.R. 1771 could result in North Koreas 25 Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s) being turned into Korean People’s Army (KPA) bases over the coming years; and the steady dying off of (est.) 5-7% of their population per year until the new ‘KPA Regime’ balances at an equilibrium by which their scarce resources can sustain their new-...
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Dear Tony, Great job with the United States’ first three games. But despite the euphoria by fans, you're in danger of not making it to the semifinals, having the misfortune to draw rugged Germany in the quarterfinals. No one has ever accused you of being over-confident for any game. And there's certainly no reason to be Thursday. Our advice: Get Shannon MacMillan in the starting lineup. She provides offense, and you need it for 90 minutes, not just off the bench, when it may be too late. She is mobile and has the best shot on the team, and her attacking skills need to be fully utilized. You're not going to get too many chances against the Germans' tall and agile central defense. You need to capitalize on a greater percentage of opportunities. Who goes to the bench? Tony...
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Dear Ms. Pascal: The unprecedented cyber-attack on Sony Pictures is an unfortunate and outrageous breach of your studio's intellectual property, as well as an embarrassing exposure of your and other Sony employee's private communications. The attack by the so-called "Guardians of Peace," whether they are agents of North Korea or simply sympathizers of Kim Jong-un's despotic regime, is unprecedented and their aggressive tactics are truly frightening. We sympathize with you and all those affected by this cyber terrorism, including Seth Rogen and James Franco, whose film "The Interview" has been shelved as a direct result of the attack. And while the damage inflicted by the Sony hack is significant, and will leave lasting scars, this unfortunate incident does highlight the important...
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Dear K-pop, Um, let’s talk about how awesome K-Pop is. I mean, first of all, thank you Psy for bringing K-pop to America. You are awesome and I have no idea what you are saying on Gangham Style but I love your tuxedo and your dance moves and your horses and I’m so on board whatever it is you’re selling me. Which, at this point in time, feels like an obsession with K-Pop. I’m sold. Sure I’ve had the newest Mumford...
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Dear America, Hi! Hope all is well. It only happens every once in a blue moon that politics cross over with entertainment and I get to feel like a fully informed citizen of the world. The desire of a bunch of hackers to prevent America from seeing a Seth Rogen movie has done just that. First, they hacked Sony. We saw emails that nearly ruined careers and we all looked, because we are sheep. Then, they threatened a 9/11-style attack on all movie theaters in America that decided to show The Interview. A quick word of advice to the hackers: next time you decide to threaten an entire nation, get somebody to proofread the ransom note. While the CIA discredited that threat, movie theater owners didn’t listen, because like I said, we are sheep. Bow Tie Cinemas, a theater chain in my...
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Dear Mr. Chung, The Joong Ang Daily newspaper reported today that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) will open an inquiry into the prices of thirty commonly-used consumer items which are generally more expensive in South Korea than in other countries. While I, too, am curious about why each of these items is more pricey in South Korea, I am particularly keen to hear of your findings regarding the price of beer in the local market. As Andray Abrahamian reported in 10 Magazine late last year, South Korea maintains a 30% tariff on imported beer, canned or otherwise (compared with 1% in the United States, and no tariff in China, Australia and the EU). Such trade barriers, of course, raise the price not only of imported beer but also of locally-produced beer, as the tariff provides...
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Dear Mr. Chung, The Joong Ang Daily newspaper reported today that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) will open an inquiry into the prices of thirty commonly-used consumer items which are generally more expensive in South Korea than in other countries. While I, too, am curious about why each of these items is more pricey in South Korea, I am particularly keen to hear of your findings regarding the price of beer in the local market. As Andray Abrahamian reported in 10 Magazine late last year, South Korea maintains a 30% tariff on imported beer, canned or otherwise (compared with 1% in the United States, and no tariff in China, Australia and the EU). Such trade barriers, of course, raise the price not only of imported beer but also of locally-produced beer, as the tariff provides...
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