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This column originally appeared in The Globe and Mail on May 23 2013. When I was graduating from university in 1989, economist jobs were scarce. There was a joke at that time: What's the first question an econ grad asked on his first day of work? Answer: "Would you like fries or salad with that?" And no joke, I ended up asking that question myself when, for about half a year, I waited on tables at a popular restaurant chain in 1990. Twenty-three years later, memories of my short career in the food industry came flooding back. This week, I was an economic observer at the National Restaurant Association's convention in Chicago. This is the world's largest trade show for restaurant owners, 2.67 million square feet of the latest trends in light-up menus, dry-ice demonstrations and snazzy pizza ovens. 
For many, the food industry is the first point of entry into the labour market. (Christinne Muschi For The Globe and Mail)
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 Piles of coal are shown at NRG Energy's W.A. Parish Electric Generating Station in Thompsons, Tex.
(AP) This column originally appeared in The Globe and Mail on May 9, 2013. There are plenty of weight-loss schemes promising quick, painless ways to shed pounds. If you want a surefire way to lose five pounds in one day – and keep it off – here’s the solution: Have all your unnecessary body parts removed. Your appendix, wisdom teeth, extra ribs, pinkie toes, second kidney. Yank them all out and you’ll be permanently five pounds lighter, guaranteed! In 2017, Canada will be celebrating 150 years since Confederation. In anticipation of this historic milestone, CBC/Radio-Canada teamed up with a number of national collaborators to spark a conversation where Canadians can meet and connect. Todd was invited to share his ideas at the Calgary session. Hear his thoughts below. |