Quote of the week:

"He wanted me to write a letter that he could show his customers saying that we supported the war. I said, 'Look, I can't.'" - Louis Boulet, VP of Quebec's Boulet Boots, on a U.S. distributor who wanted proof the company backed the Iraq war. From CBC Online Friday.

Teen sex at Dawson!

Certainly an event no self-respecting pervert will to want miss, this Friday and Saturday night Dawson CÉGEP students will be presenting "Circus of Lust: Teen Sex Under the Big Top," as part of the CÉGEP's larger X-Topia festival.

Going down in a big ol' circus tent set up outside Dawson's downtown campus at Atwater and Sherbrooke W., the Circus of Lust promises to set the record straight about teen sexuality through a series of video and live performances, in which cinema and communications students will present their own ideas about life, lust and sexuality.

"The media use sex to sell and titillate teens 24 hours a day," says 19-year-old organizer Isabelle Aberge, "but we want to show people the truth about sex in our age group, what really goes on, what our thoughts and fantasies are. We're not sugarcoating anything. In fact, the Circus of Lust should probably be age-restricted, but we've decided not to do that."

One can only guess and hope what an ensemble of arty 17- to 20-year-old cinema students might come up with in the effort to showcase - and show off - their sex lives, but Aberge insists that the Circus of Lust will be considerably more provocative than your average After School Special.

"We've even got sexual clowns in the show, who will be going around and provoking members of the audience," boasts Aberge. "Believe me, nobody is going to be bored." The fun gets underway at 8 p.m. and admission is a paltry $5. » Chris Barry

Stress-free education

What if you could go to a university where you could freely discuss your ideas, not worry about homework or grades and have your favourite coffee at the same time? The University of the Streets Café wants you to register for their first term this spring for caffeine-fuelled discussions on Feminist Controversies, Development and the Environment and The Joy of Food.

Created by Concordia's Institute in Management and Community Development, the idea came from Vancouver, where "Philosophers' Cafés" have gone on for several years now, where special guests help frame issues and moderators encourage participants to take intellectual risks.

"People will share the knowledge and wisdom they have," says Eric Abitbol, the project's coordinator. "It's basically a community of people teaching each other rather than having one teacher."

The "public conversation" starts with a specific problem in society that people discuss and are challenged to find practical solutions to. Anyone and everyone is invited to join, he adds, with no prerequisites except a willingness to listen and a respect for others. Café sessions will take place in both French and English - people can participate in the language of their choice.

The "courses" will be held at popular hang-outs such as Café Sarajevo, Café Rico, and NDG's Coop La Maison Verte (5785 Sherbrooke W.), where the Café's second class, on urban development and the environment, will take place on Tuesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. For more information, call 848-3967 or visit http://univcafe.concordia.ca. » Wayne Hiltz

L'Arche on the march

You might have noticed a southwest Montreal metro called Georges-Vanier, named after a notable former governor-general. Anyway, in 1928, Georges had a son named Jean who joined the navy, then went on to become a doctor of philosophy before devoting his life to piety and serving the mentally handicapped by founding a home called l'Arche, near Paris. Jean Vanier - considered by many to be a new kind of Mother Theresa - has since inspired a worldwide network of such homes, devoted to helping the mentally handicapped.

The first such home sprouted up in these parts in 1978, which, of course, makes this l'Arche's 25th anniversary. Montreal is now home to five small locations where a handful of developmentally delayed adults enjoy the attention of people on the same wavelength as Vanier.

"These homes are like families, complete with parties and celebrations and spirituality rooted in the Christian tradition," says Jocelyn Girard, l'Arche's local director. "We don't consider ourselves a total solution, but rather a sign that we can do things in a human manner and give value to the handicapped for society."

The milestone anniversary is being capped off with the purchase of a new head office for l'Arche at 2836 Allard, near Monk in Ville Émard. Previously scattered events - such as the monthly shared dinner - will now find a permanent home at that address. "It will unify us, we'll all be together," says Girard. » Kristian Gravenor

Rear view

11 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

On the cover: The third annual Best of Montreal readers' poll, appearing for the first time in mid-May rather than late July. A collage of some of the winners includes pics of Me Mom & Morgentaler (best Montreal group, best local show), an AIDS die-in (best reason to become an activist) and booze. The results:

• Montrealer closest to hell: Mayor Jean Doré.

• Best Montreal film: Jésus de Montréal.

• Best name for a local band: My Dog Popper, Kroston, B.A.R.F.

• Best local gone bad: Céline Dion (note use of accent)

• Best local made good: Céline Dion

• Person you lust after: Mitsou

• Best resto: Santropol

• Sexiest food: Pogo with oysters (?!)

• Best Montreal book: Oh, Canada! Oh, Quebec! by Mordecai Richler

• Strangest thing about Montrealers: Mass stupidity, snobbishness

• Best pick-up line: Hey angel, does heaven know you're missing/Wanna fuck?

Angel >> Charging political parties for removing their placards Sick of seeing Mario Dumont's mug everywhere? Or the plastic smile of some minor politician you've never heard of? The city is, and has given the province's various parties another week to take down their campaign placards before it does it for them, and sends them the bill. The signs were supposed to be taken down by April 29, two weeks after the election, but many still remain despite having outlived their usefulness. If volunteers won't take the eyesores down, the city's blue collar workers will, and charge the respective party for time and equipment.
Insect >> 25 years of spam How many times do you need to ENLARGE YOUR PENIS? Or look into FREE DENTAL PLAN COVERAGE? Or drool over HOT TEEN SLUTS? Just about anyone with an e-mail account receives their fair share of spam, unsolicited ads that have been plaguing us for, as of Saturday, May 3, exactly 25 years. Sent by the Digital Equipment Corporation to Arpanet (the Internet's precursor) users, the first spam caused an uproar not only because it was poorly written but also because it violated the early Arpanet non-commercial use policy. One estimate now classifies 40 per cent of all e-mail traffic as spam.