ouvers 5th annual Music West onference, Festival and Slam City Jam, May 2-5, 1996, is calling for techs, computers, media assts., stage managers, site crews, security, trans- portation, production assts., registra- tion, etc. _ Pick up or send your application to: #306-21 Water st., Vancouver, BC, V6B 1A1 For more information, please con- tact ‘Jolene Cumming, Volunteer Coodinator tel: 684-9338 fax:684-9337 or e-mail: volun- teer@musicwest.com Dear Ms. Manners: Last year I had friends visiting from California. To my horror, I caught one of the guests clipping her toenails in ‘my living room as I was cooking dinner. They were fly- ing all over the room. The next time I entertained visi- tors I found little piles of toenail clippings on the floor by the toilet in the guest bathroom. (This is a true story.) These people want to come and stay with me again. How should I deal with this? LC. Dear L.C.: One rule I like to follow is keep all sharp objects away from house guests — including toenail clippers. If they pack their own toenail clippers, you've got to lay down the law. Either they conduct their personal hygiene in private and clean up after themselves, or you send them off to the Ritz. PS.: What is it about you that attracts toenails? Ms. Manners: ‘Why is sex so boring? Signed, Apathetic Dear Apathetic: Has vour relationship gone past the two month mark? This could be the problem. However, you must endure and do it for your country. Pay heed to the wise advice of Queen Victoria ; “Close your eyes and think of England.” Dear Ms. Manners: I am planning to wed in May. Who should I invite so as to not disassociate anyone? What should the invite say and look like? JGB. Dear J.G.B., Your guest list will determine the size of the wedding and the cost of the reception. The following is the “must” list FEBRUARY - MARCH 1996 / Emly 31 for invitations: The clergyman who performs the ceremony and his partner; parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters of the bride and groom with their partners; and the parents of the attendants. You will also want to invite people who are on close terms with at least one member of the families involved. Inviting friends could pose a problem — for exam- ple, how can you invite John without inviting Susan and so on. If your finances are dictating a smaller wedding, pare your list down to relatives, very close friends and explore the option of throwing a casual apres bash for friends. A formal wedding invitation conforms to a specific standard. The paper is white or ivory, engraved on the top half of the paper and protected by a loose sheet of tissue paper. The invitation is inserted into an inner envelope and the full name of the guest is written on the envelope in black ink. This envelope is then inserted into a stamped, hand addressed envelope and mailed four weeks in advance. If you are paying for your own wedding the invitation should read: (Ms. or Miss) Jane Doe and (Mr.) John Smith request the pleasure of your company at their marriage... If the wedding is being paid for by parents, the formal invita- tion should read as follows: Mr. and Mrs. John (and Jane) Doe request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Jane to Mr. John Smith on Saturday, the thirty-first of May one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six at five o'clock The Church New York, New York and afterward at Betty’s Topless Bar and Grill Ms. Manners monthly tip: | e Alternative placement of butter knife Have a question that needs answering? Submit to Ms. Manners, c/o The Planet. Ms. Manners is a nationally syndicated column. TheCost of kas hton BY GAYE FOWLER This article is based on information from: The Briarpatch, Volume 24, Number 9, November 1995 “Who Sews Your Back to School Clothes" by Bob Jeffcott From reception one gets a fantastic view of the fashion parade that walks by every day. Not only do | marvel at the trends but also, over a period of 4 years, | have seen individuals evolve and grow. | recently thought about how lucky | am to be surrounded by visual artists. That small percentage of the population who not only have a talent for expressing themselves in a creative manner but also have the courage to ask provocative questions. One question you may want to ask yourself is where do your clothes come from? If you are one of the many who shop at the Gap you may be disappointed to know the answer. Working for a company called Mandarin, young women in El Salvador are paid 27 cents to sew a shirt that the Gap sells for $34 in Canada. Many of these women are forced to work 14-16 hours a day, suffer physical and verbal abuse, sex- ual harassment and in some cases have been forced to take birth con- trol pills by the company doctor. Until recently, many of the staff were underage, some as young as 14. That was until Mandarin fired them to avoid any bad publicity. Mandarin's forced overtime practices make it impossible for any of these women to go to school and complete their edu- cation. Last year when 350 workers from Mandarin tried to improve their working conditions by attempting to form a union, they were fired, result- ing in eliminating their only source of income. In addition, the President of the local was kidnapped, beaten and tortured while other union supporters have been physically assaulted by "security guards". The Gap says it is concerned bout these women and said they will not place any "new orders" with Mandarin until they have carried out an investigation and are satisfied that conditions at Mandarin meet their "Sourcing Principles and Guidelines”. This makes me wonder: if such "guidelines" existed, where was the application of them when first placing orders with this company. In addition, if the Gap has any sourcing principles, surely their knowledge of Mandarin's unethical practices should be enough grounds for canceling existing orders. We are not always given the oppor- tunity to make a difference, but in this case, we can help these women by recognizing the strength of our consumerism, in other words, don't buy anything from the Gap and tell everyone you know why you're not buying anything from there. We can also write: Jan Wicks, Canadian Vice President : GAP 170 Bloor St. W. #840, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1T9 or fax (416) 921-2966 and urge the Gap to: -join with local independent human rights organizations to regularly monitor Mandarin's compliance witt the GAP code of conduct -pressure Mandarin to eliminate forced overtime -demand that Mandarin immediate! reinstate all fired workers and nego- tiate a collective agreement In the meantime, keep your Gap dol lars in your pocket. Not only will yor be making a decision with social impact, but you'll look better for it. a 1B ie Miata) ne fx -s answers your questions about social etiquette, ‘sex, and matters of personal hygiene. Dear Ms. Manners: Lase year had friends visiting ftom California. To my horror, I caught one of the guests clipping her toenails in ayy living room as I was cooking dinner. They were ing allover the room, ‘The next time I entertained vsi- tors I found lite piles of toenall clippings on the floor by the toilet inthe guest bathroom. (This sa true story) ‘These people want to come and stay with me again. How should I deal with thist Le. Dear. é ‘One rule ike to follow is keep al sharp objects away from house guests—incuding toenail clippers. If they pack their ‘own toenail dippers, you've got to lay down the law. ither ‘they conduct thei personal hygiene in private and clean up after themselves, or you send them off to the Riz. PS: What sic about you that attracts toenails? Ms. Manners: Why is sex s0 boring? Signed, Apathetic Dear Apathede: Has vour relationship gone past the two month matk? This ‘ould be the problem. However, you must endure and do it for your country. Pay heed tothe wis advice of Queen Victoria; “Close your eyes and think of England” Conference, Festival and Slam City Liam, May 2-5, 1996, is calling for Dear Ms. Manners: 11am planning to wed in May, Who should I invite so as to:not disassociate anyone? What should the invite say and look like? Pick up or send your application to: ise, 4306-21 Water st, Vancouver, BC, IVoB 1A1 Dear}, For more information, please con- tact Jolene Cumming, Volunteer ‘Your guestlist will determine the size ofthe wedding and ICoodinator tel: 684-9338 ba? = the cow of the reception. The following isthe “must” lst Music West eam -wneos 1996 / omy 31 for invitations: The clergyman who performs the ceremony and his pares parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters of the bride and groom with their partners and the parents of the attendant. You wil also want to invite people who are ‘on close terms with atleast one member of the families involved. Inviting ends could pose a problem ~ for exam ple, how can you invite Jon without inviting Susan and so ‘on. If your finances are dictating a smaller wedding, pare your ist down to relatives, very close fiends and explore the ‘Option of throwing a casual apres bash for fiends {A formal wedding invitation conforms toa specific standard ‘The papers white or ory, engraved onthe tp half of the paper and prowected by a loose sheet of ussue paper. The ‘nwitation is inserted into an inner envelope andthe fall ame of the guest is writen on the envelope in black ik “This envelope is then inserted into a stamped, hand aldressed envelope and mailed four weeks in advance. If you are paying for your own wedding the invitation should read (Ms. or Miss Jane Doe and (Me) Joh Smith request the pleasure of your company at their marrage IF the wedding s being pai for by parents, the formal invita tion should read a follows: Mr and Mrs. John (and Jane) Doe request the honour of your presence at the marrage of their daughter Jane to Mr John Smith con Saturday, the thirty-first of May lone thousand nine hundred and ninty-six ax five odock ‘The Church [New York, New York and afterward at Betty's Topless Bar and Geil Ms. Manners monthly tip: @ = Alternative placement of butter knife “Have a question that needs answering? Submit to Ms. Manners, c/o The Planet. (Ms, Manners is a nationally syndicated columr. many wo shop he Gap Yupay _/atelbeen rsa asauted by alo wt Teh j¢eeO) S itl) — teutappined iemctic epee: fcsey enc (een of Fashion Working for a company called ‘The Gap says it is concerned bout GAP ‘oy GAvs Fomr, ‘Mandarin, young women in El ‘these women and said they will not 170 Bloor St. W. #840, Toronto, Tee See re ee Ona it Sheth he op sels orSosin Mandarin ntl hey Rave cad out MSS 19 Tm ath Mune 24 Minko; Cada Maryof et wore re | at imestzaon dare sated Ee Sere a satu p= eae orale vse cece sx | rer ines od as daltanimert anda spot ccs | Gaelpes: Ts makes me wonder: and re the Gap by ob eft fave enforced Wate Uh cm [such "puelne”ccbcd were wes Jan wth ocd dependent human Srlpls bythe cogean ici Un {Ne wpleaion cf tem when ist ts rpiatons als from eceptn oneget senate cet many of fe Suffering ores ih tis company In movtr Mandar’ compance wit fi go Oa Sealed gol Same | cata ere rot the ton ard ta sn Marre tps cyte tonics of ese Mandan tenia by ey dy Nocona mail tei oy bad pt, MandaitsMandais ence paces sould forced ovine Se eee tac gine pciccgmclc te ecigh peindstx anccing, fener that Modan mda ‘and grow. {recently thought about impossible for any ofthese women to existing orders. how lucky am to be surounded by $9 0 school and complete ther edu- reinstate all red workers and nego- tiate a collective agreement ‘isual artsts That small percentage cation. Last year when 350 workers We are not always given the oppor ofthe population who not only have ffom Mandarin tried to improve their tunity to make a difference, but in __In the meantime, keep your Gap dol 4 talent for expressing themselves in working conditions by attempting to this case, we can help these women lars in your pocket, Not only wil you 4 creative manner but also have the form a union, they were fired resut- by recognizing the strength of our be making a decision with social Courage to ask provocative questions. 199 in eliminating ther only source of consumerism, in other words, don't impact, but you'l look beter frit. ‘One question you may want to ask income. In addition, the President of buy anything from the Gap and tell pe yourselt is where do your clothes the local was kidnapped, beaten and everyone you know why you're not ‘ome from? Ifyou ae one of the tortured while other union supporters buying anything from there. We can