Your Comments: Jamie's Food Revolution

By Lorianna De Giorgio, guest blogger, Your Best Stuff

Naked chef

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was in Toronto on Sunday to promote his new book, Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals.

Before he spoke about the book at Roy Thomson Hall, Oliver stopped by the CBC to answer your questions in an exclusive Point of View.

Remembering a leader

Sunday marked the 46th anniversary of the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy.

In our Nov. 20 Point of View, we wanted to know your thoughts on the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination and what you remember most about the iconic leader.

Fourteen comments came in over of the weekend, with the majority praising or admiring the 35th president of the United States.

"Kennedy as a person was a shining star," wrote Scooter519 from Wallaceburg, Ont.

"His passion and vision and ability to motivate young people was amazing. I was a community nurse in Hamilton Ont. I was bathing an old lady with arthritis. I even remember her name. It was a shock to the world. Such a waste."

Although just five years old when Kennedy was killed, mairbren, an Oakville, Ont.-based reader was familiar with the American leader because of regular discussions about Kennedy at home.

"The day he was killed I stood a little higher than the kitchen counter and I watched my mother react to the news from the kitchen radio," mairbren wrote. "Her other Irish friend came over a few minutes later and they talked with tears running down their faces over tea at the kitchen table.

"For days, as it seemed to me, the TV was on with the pictures from Washington in a living room with drapes closed. Although I was too young to appreciate the horror and world changing moment that was, I saw personal reactions with my own eyes. It left a mark on me."

Facebook blunders

Our Nov. 19 Point of View on Facebook and whether you've ever posted something you've regretted on the social networking site, resulted in a variety of posts.

Of the 33 comments, some chose to share their online blunders while others said it was foolish to post public material on a public site.

"I had some former friends post some questionable photos (we all had pretty crude/edgy senses of humor) on me and others on Facebook couple years back," wrote dpd604from Vancouver.

"Since I have family members as well as work friends on my Facebook, I asked them to remove them right away and told them I was upset that they didn't even ask me if it was ok to post those pictures.
"Good thing you can delete "friends" from Facebook. Common sense and the internet just don't go together for some people," dpd604 added.

There also debate about the news story itself, and whether or not Manulife was wrong to monitor the activities of Nathalie Blanchard, who says her employer's insurance company cut her benefits because of photos posted on Facebook.

When Blanchard called Manulife, the company said, "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC News.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party, and on a sun holiday - evidence that she is no longer suffering from depression, Manulife apparently said.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." It confirmed that it uses the site to investigate clients.

Some thought Blanchard shouldn't have posted the photos, given the public nature of the site.

Others like Weston, Sask.-based canmonster thought Manulife was wrong to use Facebook to monitor Blanchard' activities.

"I think Manulife needs a federal audit to see how many people they have did this to," canmonster wrote.

Winfrey announces end

Last week, Oprah Winfrey announced her daytime television talk show would end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey held back tears as she talked to the studio audience on the Chicago set of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The 55-year-old Winfrey did not share her future plans, but in a statement her company, Harpo Inc., said that once the show ends production in 2011, Winfrey "plans to appear and participate in new programming" for the Los Angeles-based Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, a cable venture with Discovery Communications Inc.

The network will replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes when it launches in January 2011.

In our Nov. 20 Point of View and poll, we wanted to know how will you best remember Winfrey once she bids adieu.

In a poll, we also asked who should replace Ms. O: Dr. Phil, Ellen DeGeneres (who already have their own shows), Sarah Palin, or Winfrey's bff, Gayle King.

Comments regarding her departure were scarce, with more commentators saying they'll offer their best memories of Winfrey when she actually leaves her current show.

As for the poll results, of the 351 who voted by 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 23, 49 per cent said DeGeneres should replace Winfrey.

Twenty-three per cent opted for the "not sure" response while Dr. Phil received five per cent, Palin got 15 per cent and King received nine per cent of the vote.

What do you think of the roundup? Are there any Point of View issues you think we should ask about?

Let us know.