By Leah Walker — Better put down the plastic guitar. The rock ‘n roll lifestyle is so last year.
A report by TD Bank Financial Group Economist Diana Petramala shows over the five years leading up to the current recession, Canadians were shopping hell bent for leather. “Households,” she notes, “bought new cars, fancy home furnishings, […]
By Leah Walker — When you think back to last fall, and the weeks and months leading up to the misery that was February for the Toronto stock market, the rebound for its benchmark stock index since March is almost unfathomable. From the depths of despair to heady exuberance, the market is up 35% or […]
By Leah Walker — Maybe we should call her a baby bloomer. It didn’t take long for Michelle Obama to break sod for a vegetable garden on the White House lawn. The First Lady said she wanted to be able to offer fresh food to her family, friends and visitors, and to promote a healthy […]
By Leah Walker — The home show season is upon us, and what fun it is to browse the exhibits and daydream about improvements that could be made to the home, sweet home. My honey-do list goes on for pages. But there can be a sour side to inviting some contractors in to quote on projects. One or two will always present the “cash-only” option — […]
By Leah Walker — The crunch is on, for the number crunchers. This is the busiest time of the year for many in the financial industry. The tax season is underway and the fiscal year-end is looming. The deadlines have cranked up the pressure, and long hours are the norm. It made me […]
By Leah Walker — While the global economy is not well, and may be laid up for some time, the frightening tone of some of the news headlines could make one believe the patient is beyond all possible hope.
As if the headlines aren’t enough to raise anxiety, often the stories are accompanied by carefully […]
By Leah Walker — Before attending the unveiling of the federal budget in Ottawa last month, I slipped into the nearby Rideau Centre, not for a new pair of shoes (I left that to the Finance Minister), but for a lipstick pick-me-up. I figured it was the dreary weather and dull grey sky, […]
By Leah Walker — If things had turned out differently for Romeo and Juliet, do you think eventually they would have found themselves bickering over how their velvet pouch of gold coins should be spent? Would Romeo discover ornaments and fancy ball masks hidden in the back of Juliet’s closet? Would Juliet find herself irritated after Romeo — yet again! — hired […]
By Leah Walker — The Governor of the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney, is warning that 2009 will be a difficult year for the Canadian job market. As mass layoffs make news almost daily, it’s tough to hear it will get worse. Some companies, however, are doing their best to avoid the quickest — and most […]
By Leah Walker — The U.S. President-Elect is in a pickle over his Blackberry device. It looks as if Barack Obama will have to give up the hand-held communicator once he takes office, due to security concerns. National security aside, Barack Obama is someone who really should have access to information, and co-workers, at all times. How many of […]
