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8 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - I . , jjji, , wsIiLlvA 1 If it itches, don't wear it I have never been known as a fashion plate. As a statement of the obvious, obvious, that ranks right up there with Joe Clark declaring he has never been recruited as a Chippendale model, but I want to make my fashion position position clear before I introduce you to Simon and Jeremy. You need to know that my idea of sartorial splendor is baggy jeans, running shoes, my old high school sweater and a baseball cap of indeterminate indeterminate vintage. I am, in short, a slob. Happy hirsute hobo though I be, I would not go as far as the aforementioned Simon Wilkinson and Jeremy Stewart. They are a pair of popular young graphic designers working working out of Toronto who have announced that their purpose in life is "to inspire more critical thought on the idea of clothes and their role in the construction construction of our identities." Or when pressed to put it more succinctly, they explain: "We want to kill fashion." Personally, I find that just a little bloodthirsty. I have no interest in killing fashion. But I wouldn't mind seeing it roughed up a little. I've had a chip on my shoulder about men's casual fashion ever since the 'branding' 'branding' phenomenon surfaced a couple of decades back. Suddenly it became, well, fashionable, for major clothing clothing manufacturers like Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Roots to print their labels on the outside outside of the garment - sometimes sometimes in a banner headline right across the chest. Wait a minute! I'm supposed supposed to BUY that overpriced Tommy Hilfiger sweater AND turn myself into a walking billboard? billboard? For free? That scam ticked me off. But not as much as it ticked off Simon and Jeremy. It's the very reason they started the GSSR. Stands for Grey SweatSuit Revolution. That's what the aforementioned lads are encouraging us all to dress in, all the time--the classic, hooded hooded top, elasticized-waist, oatmeal-grey oatmeal-grey sweatsuit most often seen in gyms and at the warmup warmup track. Are they, serious? Very. Naturally they have their own website--www.thegrewsweat- suitrevolution.com --and they're recruiting apostles around the world. They've already mounted a Grey Sweatsuit installation in the display window of a fashion boutique in Toronto's trendy Yorkville district. In a couple of months they plan to have a full-blown show at. the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. At the risk of repeating myself.. .wait a minute! A Yorkville boutique? A show at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art? Isn't that an awful lot like...you know... fashion shows? And what's this about recruiting role models? "When we had interest from a source in Los Angeles about extending extending the project there," says Stewart, "the first mission was to get a picture of Will Smith in a grey sweatsuit. The more pop culture icons the better!" Oh yeah. Will Smith in a grey sweatsuit. Sorta like Tiger Woods in a Nike golf shirt. Or Wayne Gretzky in a Ford Taurus. Don't look now, Simon and Jeremy, but you've been coopted. coopted. You've cosied up to the very beast you sought to slay. I figure it's only a matter of time before I turn on my television television and catch an animated version of Che Guevara decked out in a baggy grey hoodie and urging me to express my rugged individualism by running running out and dropping a couple of hundred bucks on the "all- new, NO LOGO sweatsuit!" (From FASHIONFREEDOM- INC., A. Division of WilkoStewart Enterprises). Thanks boys, but I'll pass. I'll continue to take my cues for what's in vogue from the late, great Gilda Radner, who once explained: "I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn't doesn't itch." MIX It's a fact that many fire deaths are caused by people attempting attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. There's more to responsible drinking than taking a cab. Don't put yourself- or your family-- at risk to fire. ! Ontario Must Continue to Respond to BSE Crisis BSE and the U.S. border closure has been a tragic blow to Ontario's farmers, especially especially in view of the low commodity commodity prices and high input costs farmers are already facing. The announcement about the U.S. relaxing border rules is good news. However, farmers of other ruminant animals (members of the deer, sheep and goat families) will continue continue to suffer until the border with the U.S. is fully open. It is unfortunate that the Ontario government took so long to get BSE money to farmers. Alberta was. ready with applications applications as soon as the federal money was announced. Ontario was much slower off the mark. The dairy industry, stock- yards, and implement dealerships dealerships are among the other sectors sectors of rural Ontario that have been hit hard by BSE. Ontario needs a government that will give agriculture the priority it deserves, as Ontario's second largest industry. Ontario's agriculture minister needs to take a look at impacts of BSE on a wider scale. The partial re-opening of U.S. markets does not mean the crisis is over. Until the border is fully open, the Liberal government must continue to provide funding to help offset the impact of BSE. And, beyond BSE, there are ongoing problems problems of low commodity prices. Comments Sought on Electricity Transmission A discussion paper on electricity electricity transmission and distribution distribution in Ontario has been published for public comments. comments. The paper looks at challenges such as furthering efficiencies in Ontario's electricity electricity distribution sector and the development of distributed generation. The discussion paper is available online at www.energy.gov.on.ca. The deadline for comments is February 28, 2005. As Opposition Energy Critic, I need your comments. You can reach me at: (905) 697-1501 or 1-800-661-2433 or by e-mail at: in Touch MPP John O'Toole john_otooleco@ontla.ola.org Province Announces Net Metering Proposal The Province of Ontario is proposing a new regulation that would permit "net metering." metering." Net metering would give credit to customers, who generate generate their own power from renewable sources for any excess electricity they put back into the grid. The provincial provincial plan is to make it more attractive for small generators such as farmers to produce green power by allowing them to receive credit for the excess electricity they produce. Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week is Jan. 9-15 The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs encourages encourages snowmobilers to take it easy and make smart choices during Snowmobile Safety Week Jan 9-15. The goal of the week is to remind all snowmobilers to keep safety in mind at all times. One of the key components of the safe snowmobiling message is zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs while riding a snowmobile. snowmobile. Each winter, tens of thousands of snowmobilers ride about 150 million kilometers kilometers on 43,000 kilometres of trails operated by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Glubs. Further information is available at the OFSC web site located at www.ofsc.on.ca Deadline for Drinking Water Systems Extended Thankfully, after listening to concerns of constituents in Durhbm Riding and across Ontario, the provincial government government has extended deadlines deadlines for installing new water treatment equipment for small and rural drinking water systems systems by six to 18 months. I have also spoken to the Minister of Environment on this matter. The extension allows further review of the Ontario Drinking Water Systems regulation. If you have questions about the details of the announcement, please contact my Constituency Office at 905- 697-1501 or 1-800-661-2433 or e-mail: john_otooleco@ontla.ola.org. you k i\ R 1 AS I II i \ i in !jf;l .Jllliii ~ ~ S/; 1 ; 1 Ail A BE AWARE BE PROACTIVE Know your body, Follow brentt-screenlng Ktil<Jel.lne|! < Learn the risk factors, : Practise a healthy lifestyle !#'• fllllji];! i; G ET THE FACTS Call the Canadian Cancer Society to get the Information you.need ebe Neff to Hiallh, screening, early detectifn und protttctlngjrour b||j| t k • * ********* •** i I < till y & W < A N ' * ' ' r *• Hr *