efron A little controversy is good for the soul... what soul? deas are : powerful opinions editor things. So powerful, in fact, that it took seven rejection letters before the Freethought Association of Canada found a willing seller in its goal to advertise on public transit the idea that “God probably doesn’t exist, now stop worrying and enjoy your life!” Leave it to the heart of Christian Canada to step up and do the right thing. Calgary, the country’s bastion of Conservative values has scored a victory for everyone when it comes to free speech. As for the other systems— TransLink included—they seem to believe that Canadians are so weak and so scared that they cannot handle seeing messages that may or may not coincide with their value system. The nanny state strikes again. Maybe there is some truth to that sentiment. Janet Keeping, the president of THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY Y the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership, hit the nail on the head when she said: “We seem to have cultivated this view that we all have the right not to be offended, that we all have the right never to be exposed to things that might challenge what we might think is proper and true and good.” It’s incredibly hypocritical that a public institution such as transit, in a society which touts itself is free and progressive, would take issue with advertising controversial ideas. Frankly, I don’t care for the mindless, inane ads I see on TransLink every day that advertise for silly products that foster inadequacy and generally manipulate the truth in order to separate you from your money. These types of ads, forever part of the city landscape, polluting our minds on a daily basis, are perfectly acceptable for the sole reason that they stimulate financial transactions. These atheism ads represent a refreshing turn of the page in marketing today. The ads that aren’t looking to sell anything but instead are giving people a bit of food for thought. It gives people a chance to break out of the cycle of mindless consumption for a little while and think about things on a higher level. In fact, The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, who see the ads as a “serious issue” and a “threat to religion,” have responded in the best possible way. Rather than filing a human rights complaint this time, they’re considering running their own “all faith” bus ads. It looks like a debate is brewing and it’s something that transit should be proud to facilitate on the sides of its buses. Freerice.com Rice is great for when you’re hungry and want 2000 of something — Mitch Hedberg, American comedian reerice.com was a novel idea B= months ago and it’s just as novel today. Imagine being productive while procrastinating. It’s not an oxymoron; well, it is, but it’s also an ingenious way to help end world hunger for very little effort at all. It’s a trivia site that has users answer endless amounts of questions. For every correct answer, the site buys ten grains of rice to be distributed to people in the third world that desperately need it. Free Rice relies on sponsor banners that show up at the bottom of each page for funding. The site offers an expanded set of categories included basic math and languages like French and Spanish. It’s a great idea and keeps you interested because it tallies the total of rice you’ve donated as an individual along with grand totals. To date over 60 billion grains have been donated by users, which have gone on to feed, among others, 750,000 Myanmar cyclone victims for three days, 41,000 Bhutanese children and many more. It flared up as a hot fad on Facebook last year and it’s a hit with desk- bound office biddies, who have to stare at computers screens for eight hours a day. A rose is but a rose, By Priscilla Bartleman “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet,” wrote William Shakespeare. Maybe not for those who suffer from fragrance irritations or sensitivities. Fragrances are found all around us, natural and chemical, and they are becoming even more prevalent than ever before. I am someone who suffers from fragrance irritation and sensitivity. People ask me how I wear scented products and use cleaners. If you know me very well you would know that I am constantly lighting incense. There are some incense and other products I stay away from because there is something in them that sets off my reactions but people afflicted by this aren’t sensitive to everything. Symptoms of fragrance sensitivity vary from person to person but can be anything from hives, nausea, headache, itchy skin/eyes and nose, wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, sore throat, and strange tastes in the mouth. but to whose nose? —— The difficult thing about living with this sensitivity is that it is hard to tell what it is in specific products that affect the individual. Most companies do not list all the chemicals in their products to keep their trade secrets safe. It is not easy living with something like this because although there are “Scent Free Zone” signs everywhere, the world does not fully understand why and will continue to use their favourite products in public places. I am sharing this for three reasons. First, I wanted to share what fragrance sensitivity is and how it affects people. Second, I wanted to let people who live with the sensitivity that they are not alone and I understand. And three, let this be a friendly reminder that the fragrance-free zones are our safe haven from a world full of cleaners, fabric softeners and roses so please apply sparingly, if anything at all, in confined areas like a classroom, work area or hospital.