"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
It's certainly not everyone's opinion, and it may or may not be yours - but if you're a transit user in this city you'll soon be seeing that message frequently.
It's part of a controversial ad campaign by the Toronto-based Freethought Association of Canada that has been approved by the TTC to appear on buses and inside subway cars.
If your favourite grocery store is No Frills, Food Basics or Price Shopper, this won't really be anything new.
But if you shop at one of the other big chains in Toronto, like Metro or Loblaws, get ready for a change. And that change will be 5 cents.
City Council has passed a law making it mandatory for all stores in Toronto to charge you a nickel for every plastic bag you use.
The idea, which passed Tuesday night, is to get you to reduce the number of bags that inevitably wind up in a landfill and either use up the ones you have now or buy one of those reusable types that are earth friendly.
Mayor David Miller has complained that the carry-alls aren't biodegradable and can last for years and years at garbage dumps. "I'm very proud that Toronto is leading the way," he agrees. "It's the right thing to do."
Although this is a step in the right direction, discouraging the use of Earth unfriendly products, I object to Mr. Mayor's affirmation that "Toronto is leading the way". Toronto is not leading the way, all it is doing is passing a superficial law that will in all likelihood have little affect on consumer behaviour.
Shoppers who buy their groceries at premium supermarkets will most probably not be swayed by the cost of five shopping bags on an eighty dollar shopping trip. As Darrell quite rightly points out, profits garnered from this five cent levy should at the very least be shared with Toronto's recycling facilities. If the Mayor's motivation is indeed our planet, why let the corporations keep 100% of the cash flow generated by this new charge? Why aren't said funds being allocated to improving Toronto's recycling facilities? Or being used to help clean up the city? Or a dozen other things?
Getting back to "Toronto is leading the way" - they are not sir. As of July 21st, 2004, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer here is a list of cities and countries who, over four and a half years ago began banning or cracking-down on plastic bag usage.
Australia
Bangladesh
Ireland
Italy
South Africa
Taiwan
Mumbai, India
Leaf Rapids, Manitoba banned plastics bags in April of 2007 and later that year Nigeria and Kenya began spearheading banning plastic bags in Africa. So Toronto is hardly a leader, at least not in this respect.
I do not mean to harp on Toronto. I am proud that she is taking steps to at least try to help clean up the world in which we live, but if Toronto truly wanted to lead she would not stop at half measures that in my opinion reek of nothing more that public relations and photo op shenanigans.
Today the price at the pump is anywhere from $0.69 to $0.75. In six odd months the cost of filling up a vehicle has fallen almost fifty percent, but when I needed to take cab ride last week, as soon I as got in to the car, the fare started at $4.00.
Why is it that the when the price of oil rises, it is reflected at the pumps and all related enterprises almost immediately, but when the opposite happens, everyone is found staring at the grounding whistling and unable to make eye contact?
This is just another example of Canadian consumers either not connecting the dots, or simply being okay with getting robbed blind.
For those of you who are unaware, Apart from directing, acting, writing and producing films, he is also one hell of story teller. In the days of olde, he would have been considered an outstanding bard. He has already done this three times:
An Evening With Kevin Smith
An Evening with Kevin Smith: Evening Harder
Sold Out: A Theevening with Kevin Smith
And now for his fourth appearance he come to The Roy Thompson Hall! Get your tickets now!
Here`s a sample from An Evening with Kevin Smith: Evening Harder
The Heart Attack Grill`s menu includes such items as the single, double, triple and quadruple bypass burgers, flatliner fries - fried in pure lard, Jolt Cola and no filtre cigarettes. On Sundays they have an event called Sponge Bath Sunday, but refuse to divulge details. And as a final irony, the web-site is called Heart Attack Grill Diet Center.
I saw Campbell Brown on The Daily Show recently - If what she said on TDS and this short clip above is an accurate cross-section of her new show, No Bias, No Bull; expect to see more clips from her.
In many parts of The United States of America schools have ceased teaching The Big Bang Theory and The Theory of Evolution in favour of Creationism and Intelligent Design because the The Big Bang Theory and The Theory of Evolution dispute The Bible.
The Bible says:
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day(the sun), and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night: he made the stars also. [Genesis 1:16]
So are those same school districts going to stop teaching the fact that there are not two sources of light in the sky, but one? The lesser light is merely a reflection of the greater light. This is not a theory but an observable fact.
And while we're on the subject of Theory, there is a vast difference in the everyday definition of "Theory" and the scientific definition of "Theory" as this video so eloquently explains:
I just finished watching Tropic Thunder and I have not laughed that hard during a film in a long time. The overall film was funny but Tom Cruise took it to whole new level.
Side Note: Solid performance from Robert Downey Jr and Nick Nolte.
Here are the end credits of Tropic Thunder (No Spoilers)
It is well known that Tom Cruise is a member of the Church of Scientology which tends to turn off many film goers who consequently boycott his work. Personally I too, vehemently disapprove of the Church of Scientology's philosophy and their alleged and otherwise tactics, so when people choose to blackball his flicks, I completely understand.
Here is his selected filmography:
The Outsiders
Top Gun
Rain Man
Born on the Fourth of July
A Few God Men
Interview with a Vampire
Mission: Impossible
Collateral
Mission: Impossible III
Lions for Lambs
If film goers black list Cruise's work solely based on his religious affiliation, here is something to consider - the following is a short list of members of the Church of Scientology:
Kirstie Alley (Cheers, Veronica Mars)
Anne Archer (Privileged, Felon, End Game, Rules of Engagement)
Jenna Elfman (Looney Toons: Back in Action, Doctor Dolittle, Dharma & Greg)
Paul Haggis (Quantum of Solace, In the Valley of Elah, Casino Royale, Crash, Million Dollar Baby)
Isaac Hayes (South Park, Shaft, Hustle & Flow, Reindeer Games)
Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, The Incredibles, Almost Famous)
Juliete Lewis (Old School, The Way of the Gun, From Dusk 'Till Dawn, The Basketball Diaries)
Christopher Masterson (Malcolm in the MIddle, Scary Movie 2, American History X)
Danny Masterson (That 70's Show, Puff Puff Pass)
Michael Pena (Shooter, World Trade Center, Babel, The Shield)
Laura Prepon (That 70's Show, October Road, Karla, Halo 2)
Priscilla Presley (The Naked Gun Trilogy, Dallas)
Kelly Preston (Death Sentence, Return to Sender, Eulogy, The Cat in the Hat)
Lee Purcell (The Unknown, Dizzyland, Due South)
Leah Remini (King of Queens, Old School, Glory Daze)
Giovanni Ribisi (Perfect Stranger, Flight of the Phoenix, Cold Mountain, Friends)
Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl, Fan Boys, Mr. Woodcock, The Butterfly Effect)
John Travolta (Hair Spray, Wild Hogs, The Punisher, Swordfish, The General's Daughter)
Does this mean people also boycott the aforementioned and their endeavours as well? Or is Tom Cruise simply targeted because he has the highest profile or simply because these days it seems fashionable to hate Tom Cruise. It might be time to separate the person from the artist, else we might miss out on some wonderful entertainment.
I must say, I am pleasantly surprised by the reactions to this advertising. I was expecting the response to be more vehement in the vein of
