Feeling the Heat in Toronto the Better

We are in the middle of a heat wave here in Toronto. Before the day is finished, the humidex will have us awash in the sweat of 43 degrees Celsius. For a winter person like me, the summer is nothing more than the nasty price tag that must be paid to get back to the halcyon days of minus readings on the thermometer.
Of course, days like today put a real strain on the power grid, with everyone cranking up their AC. Among the extreme heat and smog warnings being issued, there are also appeals being issued to use less - less AC, less appliances, less cars - anything you can do to help. That leads us to the laundromat at 2240 Queen Street East.
The Beach Solar Laundromat, here in Toronto, is run by Alex Winch, a man on a mission. Winch is after energy efficiency through business and building design. That's why there are solar panels in the laundromat's roof. If you have to catch up on your washing today and you live anywhere near the Beach Solar (think TTC!), load up a laundry bag and head over there. You'll get your chore done without heating up your own domicile and without putting extra strain on the power grid. One nice surprise you'll find is that your load will cost you less to do than at regular coin laundromats. Another surprise you'll find is the natural gas powered dryer. Alternatives, alternatives!
If you don't live near enough for a trip to the Beach Solar to be practical, just take a trip to your keyboard. Take a coffee with you 'cause you're going to want to spend a little time reading. From the Beach Solar site, you can mosey over to the "Toronto the Better Directory". Here you'll find businesses listed by the following categories.

1. Community: businesses aimed at excluded or inadequately served sections of the community
2. Consumer: businesses that seek to educate consumers and offer them economic participation in business benefits
3. Environment: businesses that seek to actively support environmental improvement in their business operations
4. Worker: businesses that seek to provide workers with right to participate in business management and economic benefits
5. Services: businesses that specialize in services to the types of businesses in the above categories

Actually, by the time you've finished investigating this site, you're likely to need another cup of coffee.If you're not downing fair trade, you can find a business to provide you with same so you never have to brew anything but fair trade ever again.
If you're the intrepid type who hates to quit a site until you've seen it all, you'll need to get the midnight oil burning, because the "Better Cities Networking" link could take a lot of your time. This directory will keep you in the know about better businesses in Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. You'll also find this challenge -

Want to do something similar in your own community?

We'd be happy to help. One of our goals is to develop a network of progressive business community sites, so that it wouldn't matter where we travel we can always find the kinds of goods and services we want to support.

Send us an email at postmaster@torontothebetter.net to start the conversation. And if you've already done something, let us know about it; we'd be happy to link to your site.

I clicked on the networking link to the Montreal site and that took me to "ehtiquette.ca:The Responsible Consumer Network". I found that you can sign up there for a newsletter that promises to be pithy, and spend some time browsing through their "What's Hot", among other things.
Bringing me right back full circle to the heat wave that started this whole entry and my lament over the seasonal dearth of freezing cold, there were two archive titles there that caught my eye; "Beating the Winter Blues" and "Ethical Christmas List". If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and investigate those two while I pretend it's still the best season of the year.

We're All Africans

Humbug, you say? No, really, and Stephen Oppenheimer can prove it to you. He's a member of Green College, Oxford University, and a world-recognized expert in the synthesis of DNA studies with archaeological and other evidence in tracking ancient migrations. Together with the Bradshaw Foundation, he has created a virtual global journey of modern man over the last 160,000 years. The map shows clearly how we are all descended from a few small groups of African Homo Sapiens.
If you're interested, follow this link to see humankind's journey from 160,000 years ago to the present.

Buyer Beware!

Two heads up for you today. The first comes from Sony Corp. regarding a battery pack. The lithium-ion batteries used in laptops have been overheating and causing fires, the latest one last month in Britain. More than 10 million notebook batteries are affected, including those used by Dell Inc., Lenovo Inc., Apple Inc, and Acer Inc. Toshiba has been making efforts to reach every customer that might have a laptop powered with a defective battery pack. You might want to check into this if you think it could affect you. Of course, if you're male and still sitting your laptop on your lap in spite of warnings not to, from such noteworthy sources as the Male Infertility and Microsurgery Center at the State University of New York, you might really be well advised to look into this one. Nothing like a little fire on the lap to really fry the little swimmers!

The other warning comes from Health Canada who have launched an investigation into chemical-laced toothpastes sold here in both Ontario and Halifax. It has shown up in those two places so far but it could have made its way elsewhere, so be careful when you're buying toothpaste anywhere.
A Chinese brand sold at a dollar store here in Ontario contains a chemical used in antifreeze. The suspect tubes found in Halifax came in packaging covered in spelling mistakes and listed as coming from South Africa. Since Colgate-Palmolive does not import from South Africa, that "Colgate" is just as real as a three-dollar bill. I wonder if anti-freeze foams when you brush with it? Maybe it's after you've rinsed it out that you'll start foaming at the mouth!
You might want to forget the dollar store and get your toothpaste at a drugstore. For sure, you should pay attention to the labels on everything you buy. It could save you some grief.

Stop the Execution of Children

Iran is one of the countries that signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Charter of the Rights of the Child, forbidding the execution of anyone under the age of 18. Their signatory status is a hoax. Since 1990, Amnesty International has documented the executions of 21 child offenders in Iran.
There are currently at least 33 minors sitting on Iran's death row. Some of them will be held until they are 18 so that they can be executed on their birthday, and the judiciary of Iran can claim their hands are free of the blood of children. The last two known executions of minors took place in Iran on April 22 and May 28 of this year.
In response to the thirst for the blood of children exhibited by Iran's judiciary, the SCE has been created. The Stop Child Executions Campaign is asking us all for our much-needed help. Following this link will allow you to sign their online petition which currently boasts over 6,000 signatures. It will also give you a wealth of information. For instance, while hanging is still used as the official form of capital punishment by more than one country, most of them use the long-drop form. This means the neck is broken immediately. Iran, on the other hand, goes for prolonging any and all suffering they can inflict and so many condemned to death by hanging are hoisted, either by a winch turned by two guards, or by a telescopic crane to maximize the entertainment value if the execution is public. Knowing this, people could be readily excused for thinking that signing the petition is an exercise in futility, but if that's your reaction, let me tell you about Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi. Her case might change your mind.
In March 2005, 17-year-old Nazanin was walking with her 15-year-old niece through a park in Karaj when three men accosted the girls. The men had rape in mind, but Nazanin fought back. She stabbed one of the assailants, killing the man. She was arrested, not the would-be rapists, and on January 3, 2006, she was sentenced to death.
A petition was started and over 345,000 signatures were collected and delivered to both the United Nations and Iranian officials. Amnesty International got involved, as did members of the Canadian Parliament, the European Union and the United Nations. Rallies were held worldwide and with so much international attention being focused on Iran, the Head of Judiciary. Ayatollah Shahroudi announced a stay of execution and scheduled a retrial. Five judges presided over the 2nd trial and found "inconsistencies" in the testimonies of the male witnesses. Nazanin was exonerated but three of the judges ruled that she had used "disproportionate force" in her self-defence and demanded she pay blood-money.
Nazanin's family is poor, and so the payment was an impossibility for them. Being the fair-minded types they are, the judges declared she could simply one set bail sum of 400,000,000 rials or approximately US$43,000. Again, the impossible was being asked but the international community was still there for Nazanin and US$32,000. was given in online donations. The remaining amount was given by Member of Canadian Parliament, Belinda Stronach, and on January 31st, 2007, Nazanin Magabad Fatehi was freed.
Even one story like that of Nazanin proves that there is value in making the effort to pressure Iran into honouring the International Covenant they signed. It won't take much of your time, but it could mean the difference between an abrupt end to life at the end of a rope or the chance to live another day for more than one child in Iran.

My, How Times Have Changed!

Bad News for Anyone Who Eats

Poor little honeybee. Something is upsetting you so much that whole colonies of you have abruptly disappeared, in areas across North America and now in Europe, too.
So say the believers. The existence of the problem, called colony collapse disorder, is disputed, with naysayers dismissing it entirely. Those who do believe are taking this purported problem very seriously, since most fruits and vegetables require pollination, a job done best by bees. We have no technology capable of replacing these busy little workers, and so anything that causes a beekeeper to call an entomologist asking what could cause him/her to "lose" up to 90% of their bees overnight is viewed as something serious, indeed.
Jerry Bromenshenk, an entomologist at the University of Montana, is one of those trying to determine what is causing the die-off. His hope is to produce a working version of Dr. McCoy's medical tricorder, for bees, and to that end he has already been setting up tiny microphones at hive entrances, taking sound samples back to his lab for analysis. It is already proven that a colony will change the sound it produces within 30 seconds of exposure to a chemical, producing unique "sonic signatures" that can be used to ID the chemical, and so his theory is that beekeepers could use his tricorders to assess hive health.
The Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group, working out of Penn State University, agree with Bromenshenk on the gravity of the situation. Check out the educational podcast, "Honey Bees in Crisis", if you want to know more about the problem.
It is not a 21st century original, as some think. Reports of the phenomenon recorded in apiculture literature date to 1896. There is no known cause, but when it does strike puzzled apiarists find themselves looking at hives with a complete absence of adult bees (although there is little to no build-up of dead bees to be seen), and unhatched brood that have been abandoned, contrary to normal bee behaviour. Those worried about the situation are forwarding causes that range from pesticides and GMO's to electromagnetic radiation from use of the omnipresent cell phone. None of them, however, have been pinpointed as the single cause.
No matter what the cause, given the importance of the bee in our food chain, colony collapse disorder is something we should at least wonder about. You can just dismiss it, as many do, but first you might want to inform yourself on the issue. Than you'll be better able to decide whether or not you agree with Greta Lorge of "Wired" who says, "Colony collapse disorder is bad news for anyone who eats."

Acomplia an Accomplished Fact for Fat Americans

Sanofi-Aventis has cooked up a new magic pill. Just swallow their latest chemical cocktail and presto! a slim, new you will emerge. At least, that's what sits heavily on the minds of those two-ton Americans winging their way to Europe in pursuit of this latest conjury while their flab sits heavily on airline seats barely able to accomodate their girth. They're winging their way to the nearest European pharmacy that will sell them Acomplia, the weight-loss pill of their dreams.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still evalutating the treatment, seeking to determine if its supposed benefits outweigh the risks of its known neuropsychiatric side effects. People seeking a quick fix to years of self-abuse aren't accepting this cautious approach. Give them the instant cure. They are not interested in combining exercise and nutrition in a long-term approach that might actually necessitate a little hard work and some self-control. God forbid. They want a magic pill they can pop with a swallow of diet coke before they settle down to their usual hearty feast of artery-busting junk. Those with the money to do so are flying off to Europe where it has been approved, or buying it through foreign websites.
This is pathetic. It's just one more symptom of our seriously ill, instant gratification society.

I was on the subway yesterday coming home from a weekend festival at the Toronto Harbourfront. At the next stop after I boarded, two black women got on, pushing a stroller in front of them. The conveyance was occupied by a little guy who looked to be between one and two years of age. The two women found a seat and began their conversation, leaving the little guy to amuse himself by looking around. At the next stop, a young white woman boarded the train. She remained standing, holding a pole for support as the train moved on. In short order, her eyes fell on the wee chap in his stroller. She smiled at him and waved and got a big, beautiful smile in response. She waved again and again, and sent one sweet smile after another in his direction. He responded with delight, and for a little time the two dwelt in their own little universe of warm friendship. The only cloud that threatened to block out the sun smiling down on them was the two women with the toddler. They watched the white woman carefully but never once did a smile cross either of their faces. They seemed always on the edge of disapproval, as though they were just awaiting a move from her that would make them pull the stroller away and end the exchange of happiness.
I have seen this kind of scene multiple times before, when a woman makes friendly overtues to a baby with someone else. Most generally, the adult(s) with the baby smile at the goings-on, at the attention being given to the centre of their universe. Most generally, they appreciate someone else acknowledging how special thier baby is. They are happy that someone else sees the obvious beauty of their child. Certainly, the babies never make any difference between the people smiling at them simply because they are a different colour. Babies don't see colour. They only see smiles.
Why do we adults lose the ability to ignore colour? Why do we lose the ability to respond in like manner to a smile? Why do we insist on teaching our children to view the world through our eyes until they too lose the ability to see past colour?
Why didn't those two women smile, even just once, at the other woman who thought their baby was so wonderful?

$100,000.00 Worth of Affluenza

Have you heard about the latest virus to hit the developed world? Called "affluenza" by British psychologist Oliver James, this epidemic-causing pathogen is explained by him as "a contagious middle-class virus causing depression, anxiety, addiction and ennui". What is being called the agony of affluenza is that getting the things like money and possessions we're constantly being told we need and should want does not alleviate the symptoms. Rather, it leads only to more wanting, since buying into this particular circus is buying into an endless round of consumerism.
I just came across a few horrible numbers today that tie directly into the new cases swelling the numbers of those afflicted by this epidemic. The first is the number two. That's the age identified by corporate advertising executives as the earliest at which they can hope to begin influencing the formation of brand loyalty.
The second is the number three. That's the age identified by those same executives as the earliest at which children can be influenced to start asking for specific products by brand-name.
The last one is the $100,000. you see in the title. That's the estimated amount of sales, spread out over a lifetime, those busy little advertising big shots feel they can expect from every child they reach by the aforementioned tender ages. Marketing targeted at this age group is therefore exploding. The U.S. figures show that TV advertising aimed at children cost an approximate $100 million in 1983. The 2004 figures show the figure had grown to $15 billion.
This whole scenario of rampant consumerism is an issue I've voiced my opinion on before. I have a hard time seeing any light at the end of this tunnel. I do not have a hard time believing those who say incredible imbalance between the "haves" and the "have-nots" of the world is part of the cause for many of the acts of terrorism perpetrated today.
Letting go of all hope, however, creates far too heavy a load of despair to be borne, so I search constantly for any candle shining in the darkness. I found one today at the "New American Dream" website. They offer hope, indeed. It comes in many forms, not the least of which is information. Forewarned is forearmed, and there's more than enough in the way of stats, resource lists and surveys to load a metaphorical shotgun. You can fire it off at those trying to expose your kids to affluenza.
You might want to start with their "Just the Facts" so you can understand what a behemoth you are up against, as a parent who wants to provide their children with alternatives to consumerism. You can download a free copy of the "Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture" booklet. You can join in an online community of like-minded types by registering for the New Dream Action Network, and get your kids actively involved too in the "Turn the Tide" campaign, or the "I Buy Different" youth site.
Take a minute or two, even if you don't have kids. Other people's kids will be very much a part of your future. They are your planet's future. Visit the New American Dream, even if you're not from the U.S. of A. Getting an idea or two to kickstart your own action initiative is never a waste of time. These people are all busy lighting candles against the darkness. Why don't you?

Five Star Athletic Shoe Shopping

If you're a woman like me in respect to your pedal extremities, you might be really happy to hear about this store. The establishment I'm talking about is the "New Balance" store at Delisle and Yonge, here in Toronto.
I'd like to give a few background details to my delight in finding this place, if I may. I am a tall woman. I exceed the Canadian average in height, and so my foot size is proportionately larger, too. I need a size 11. Trying to find one is often more hard work than you would believe. My last attempt to do so took me to the "Foot Locker" at Yorkdale Mall and included every negative aspect of the shoe shopping experience I have ever encountered.
I entered and was immediatley approached by a sales clerk who asked if he could help. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to size eleven and was told that one did. (One whole pair to choose from. Now there's a great selection.) I asked if I could try it on and he told me that since it was "oversize" I would have to pay for it to be ordered from the warehouse; come back another day when it had arrived; try it on and either take it or do the paper work to get a refund if it didn't fit. Foot Locker is obviously not a chain that has a good grasp of the concept of pleasing customers. The moron who works there has no understanding of it either. When I expressed dissatisfaction with the drawn-out process he was saying I would have to go through in order to try on that one pair, the mental midget then suggested I try men's shoes. Since he probably didn't know, I informed him that the average last for men's shoes is wider at the heel than it is for a woman's, and that was not going to be my best shot at a shoe that would actually fit me well. Then I walked out in disgust.
By chance a couple of days later, I was walking down the stretch of Yonge that boasts the New Balance store and in I went. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to a size eleven and was told that most of them went up to a 13. First my jaw hit the floor and then I regained my composure and began to look at the displayed shoes like a kid with their nose pressed against the glass of the candy shoppe. The fun wasn't over yet, however. The next treat came in the form of the sales rep who helped me find the pair of shoes I bought. If you go there, you want him to help you, too. Just ask for Gary and you'll end up walking out in some of the best-fitting footwear you've ever had.
Of course the brand is well-made, but unless you're trained yourself in how to fit athletic shoes, and the salient points of each different pair, getting the right one for your needs can end up a crap shoot. Not with Gary helping you. The man is a gem of a salesman. Even if you don't buy, he can help you reach your smile quota for the day. He's just that personable.
They carry men's shoes and kid's, too, but if you're that Toronto woman I was talking about at the beginning of this entry, you owe it to yourself to visit 1510 Yonge Street. If you simply just can not make it there, you can check out their website. You'll find the listing and maps there for other Toronto locations, as well as their online shopping. You'll also find that it is indeed an information-packed site, with everything you need to make yourself an informed consumer. Their "achieve more" campaign is a series of foot and ankle health-related articles that will give you an explanation of pronation and the running gait; interesting stats from the American Podiatric Association; and info on the 5 most common injuries sustained by runners. You can even "ask the expert" at their site.
If you do order online, you'll get free UPS shipping anywhere in Canada. It'll just be a shame to miss out on Gary's helpful, friendly style.

Paris Behind Bars

So little Miss Rich-Bitch is doing her time, is she? This past Sunday Paris the Pampered turned herself in to authorities at the Los Angeles County Jail to serve half of her sentence. That's right, just half. Now before you go getting your shorts in an uproar and yelling accusations about the justice system treating the privileged few differently than the rest of us, you should know that the missing half of her sentence has been removed in acknowledgement of her "good behaviour".
Last September, you see, the Hilton heiress was arrested for DUI. She was given probation, and promptly went on to violate it more than once by driving with a suspended licence. Where's the good behaviour in that, you ask? Well, she didn't get so sloshed that she ran over any little old ladies, did she? She didn't leave tire marks across any little puppies' faces, did she? So, you see, even though she pulled stunts that would land the rest of us in some real hot water, it needs to be remembered that Little Miss Bubble-Brain really was on her very best behaviour, and that should be rewarded.
She'll be doing her hard time in the privileged block, a 12 cell area used for "high-profile" prisoners. Says Paris, "Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me...". I would like to suggest that she has no concept at all, none whatsoever, of what genuinely constitutes a hard time. I would love to see her gain a little understanding, however. Instead of the taxpayer footing the bill for protecting her from the rest of the prison population, I think she should be given a nice little bunk of her own, right smack in the middle of the other inmates. No special treatment. After all, she did say that when she comes out, she can't wait to start her new life and be even stronger than she is now. 23 days served with the rest of the incarcerated wrongdoers would give her a chance to really get strong. Either that or it would free up the space she occupies, and right now it's a challenge to justify her taking up any space at all.

Enough Said