March 16, 2010 - Manassas, VA – William (Bill) J. Tolpa of Tolpa’s Auto Parts in Remsen, NY, took on the role of President of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) at the 66th Annual Convention and Exposition which took place near the end of 2009.  As part of the international association’s Executive Committee since 2006, Topla has been a steadying force of the association. He, along with other executive team members, helped to guide the association through its busiest year in recent history – negotiating through the legislative process of the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), generally known as Cash for Clunkers, and also the purchase of a new ARA headquarters.

Tolpa’s first exposure to automotive recycling was as an owner of an auto repair facility, opened in 1976. “I often bought recycled parts to use in the business,” he recalls. Finally, after years of thinking about it, Tolpa started Tolpa’s Auto Parts in Remsen, New York in 1985. Today, it is a 50,000-square-foot facility employing 12 people. Primarily a wholesale operation, they sell to auto repair shops and auto body shops locally and nationwide. Tolpa recently added e-Bay auctions to his business, and opened Tolpa’s U Pull U Save Auto Parts in 2007.

Tolpa is proud to be a Certified Automotive Recycler (CAR) and Gold Seal through ARA and URG-accredited, and his company participates in the national Green Vehicle Disposal program as well as a national charity car donation program. Big on community involvement, the company has held Earth Day events, adopted soldiers in Iraq, invited local school groups to tour the facility, and assists in training central New York K-9 units.

Much of his business success Tolpa attributes to the friends he made in ARA and the techniques and tips he learned from them. Early on, he joined both ARA and the Automotive Recyclers Association of New York (ARANY). “As I attended ARA and ARANY meetings and conventions and got to know the organization, I liked the people more and more,” he says. Over the years, he has served on a number of ARA committees and task forces and also was President of ARANY. His ARA experience culminated in his being asked to join the Executive Committee as Secretary for 2005-2006.

Tolpa’s focus as President will be to “continue the forward positive momentum we have gained this year,” referring to the media coverage that Cash for Clunkers brought to the industry. He plans to do this through press releases and videos. He wants to increase membership by developing and marketing ARA’s programs, believing if an auto recycler can see a value to what ARA offers, they are more apt to join.

Since 1943, the Automotive Recyclers Association (“ARA”) represents an industry dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of “green” automotive parts, and the proper recycling of inoperable motor vehicles. ARA represents over 4,500 auto recycling facilities in the United States and fourteen other countries around the world. With programs such as the Certified Automotive Recycler Program (CAR) and other partnerships, ARA members continue to provide consumers with quality, low cost alternatives for vehicle replacement parts, while preserving our environment for a “greener” tomorrow.

So Starbucks has tasty coffee right?  But it is kinda expensive right?  But the service is good and it is high quality?  Ok, I admit it, 4 out of 5 days I hit Starbucks for some coffee and I have been pretty pleased with them for a while now.  But my local Starbucks has dropped the ball and I sent in a complaint back on Feb 11, 2010 and never received a reply.  Here is my complaint:

I regularly visit the location on 9th line in Markham, ON - not sure of the exact address but you can see where I go on my Starbucks card 6054 0402 5851 ****

They never have those green cup plugs in stock (they are out of them about 80% of the time) - I am usually in a rush and get an extra hot coffee so I can drink it at work.  I have had the coffee spray out on me about a dozen times (and I ask for no foam) and have had to dry-clean my winter jacket twice already because of coffee stains (it costs $30 plus tax each time) - I have asked them why they seem to be the only Starbucks to never have these in stock and they tell me that it is the corporate office that gives them fewer than they ask for every-time.

I do enjoy your coffee but considering the premium prices you charge I would think you could at least make sure they have those plugs in-stock.

Hoping for a response soon….

Toronto, ON (Portal4Canada) March 5, 2010 — CharityCar (www.CharityCar.us and www.CharityCar.ca), green vehicle disposal a charity car donation company, today announced that its total donations processed for 2009 exceeds $91,000 USD. Over the course of the year, 50% of customers traded their vehicles in for cash while the other 50% donated the money to charity. This trend is expected to continue in 2010.

CharityCar would like to thank its many generous donors across North America who, despite the economic downturn, contributed to its success; more importantly, the success of its supported charities and the betterment of the environment.

David Gold from Standard Auto Wreckers and the founder of the program said: “We originally started this program to give back to our local community in Toronto, Ontario and when friends in the business heard about what we were doing they all wanted to join in. Now, three years later, we have over 150 partner charities and more than 70 member recyclers in both Canada and the USA participating! It really is heartwarming to see.”

About CharityCar
CharityCar (CharityCar.us and CharityCar.ca) accepts the donation of old vehicles on behalf of charities and non-profit organizations across North America. CharityCar utilizes its partner Green Vehicle Disposal’s eco-friendly recycling technology, offers ‘free pickup’, does not take any fees for processing or handling charity vehicles and donates 100% of the recyclers value to the customers’ chosen charity in the United States or Canada. CharityCar’s purpose is to provide its customers with an eco-friendly solution for the disposal of old vehicles. All vehicles donated through CharityCar are disposed of in an eco-friendly manner which meets and exceed all recycling rules. For more information, visit: www.CharityCar.us or www.CharityCar.ca.

They are proud to practice environmentally sound processes when dismantling and recycling our vehicles. This is achieved by properly draining all hazardous fluids from the vehicle thereby not having them drain into the ground. They remove Mercury switches and other dangerous substances from the vehicles and dispose of them in a safe way in accordance with local laws.

I write this post with a heavy heart and a full stomach.  I have been enjoying the food at Mandarin for the past 20 years and have rarely left feeling ripped off.  The food is usually fresh and tasty and the service is very good.  I admit I was a little disappointed when my local Mandarin on Woodbine Ave. stopped taking those instant pictures for birthdays and special occasions but I complained and directed to the local Walmart for Instamatic film (they said their supplier no longer carried it).

I was just at Mandarin last weekend and the $23.99 price tag was quite steep and I did tell the manager they should change over to grilled steak instead of the roast beef because it was very bland.  I also noticed the lunch menu was an affordable $11.99 and figured I should give the lunch menu a try since I have not been there during the daytime in a while.

I pulled in and noticed the sign had a couple of Christmas decorations on it and I thought that was a bit odd but I assumed Mandarin was just getting into the spirit.  When I got inside they had signs posted saying it was the holiday buffet and the price had jumped to $15.99?? Wow, over 40% increase and most places have holiday sales, not holiday gouges….

I asked the hostess what was different for the ‘holiday buffet’ that was priced so much higher and she said she did not know but to look around.  I did just that and did not notice anything special except lamb chops (which I don’t eat) - I was on my lunch break from work and did not really have time to start lunch elsewhere, plus it was minus 8 outside so I figured I would just cough-up (excuse my language) the extra cash.   I saw a manager just then and asked what was so special about the holiday buffet that warranted the extra change and he said,”you will see”, I told him I found the lamb chops and didn’t like them, was there anything else?  He gave me a very cryptic answer to the effect of: “If I did not come here all the time I would not notice”.

I ate and the food/service was pretty good, although the black forest cake was still frozen and chocolate dipped strawberries were replaced by chocolate dipped marshmallows.  On my way out I grabbed a few business cards for the managing partners of that location (Mandarin Box Grove) figuring I would send off an email complaint about the price grab but then lucky for me I saw one of the managing partners at the front, so I asked Jeff Cui why the price was so much higher for the holiday and I didn’t really notice anything different from normal.  He told me it was the equivalent of the weekend buffet and that is why it was more expensive.  When I asked him what was different other than the lamb chops he didn’t reply.  He just said that Mandarin has been raising prices for the holidays for the past twenty years. I then told him that it would be considerate to put a sign outside to notify people so they don’t park and come in out of the freezing cold to find that price has jumped 40% - he told me they put something on the sign to cover it but I told him if they were going to do that why not cover it with the new price or better yet post a new sign.  He asked me quite sarcastically whether I knew the price of a new sign.  I told him to give me a break and I was sure Mandarin could afford it.

In closing I want to say that I think raising your prices at the holiday season is a bit shady and I do understand going out to eat is a luxury I just think a 40% price increase without posting it outside is sneaky and it definitely made me leave with a bad taste in my mouth.

I was lucky enough to attend a little cheque exchange for $10,000 at a local auto wreckers facilities today. OARA whose members have agreed to pay an extra $20 per vehicle they acquire though the Retire your Ride car recycling program donated to a great charity, 10,000 trees that owner David Gold recommended to them.  In the below pic is Ken Gold, politician Raymond Cho, Colin Creasey from 10,000 trees and David Gold.

April 8, 2009 – Toronto, Canada

Wolverine, errr…Hugh Jackman speaks out regarding the post-production leak of this summer’s most anticipated movie.

Hugh Jackman who plays X-Man Wolverine in the newest installment of the X-Men movie’s, said yesterday that he was “heartbroken” that the film was leaked on the Internet a month before its official release.

The Australian star of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was on the case and he believed the guilty party would be found.
“It’s a serious crime and there’s no doubt it’s very disappointing — I was heartbroken by it,” Jackman told reporters at a promotion for the movie in Sydney. It seems this sort of thing spreads faster than celebrity gossip.

The leaked version of the 20th Century Fox action movie was reportedly downloaded tens of thousands of times within a day of being posted on file-sharing websites at the end of March.
“Obviously, people are seeing an unfinished film,” Jackman said. “It’s like a Ferrari without a paint job.” I really like this famous quote and take it from someone who saw this movie, his analogy is pretty much “bang-on”, the move is amazing and the unfinished parts do detract slightly from the overall enjoyment of the film.

The forty-year-old Hollywood heartthrob, named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine last year, said he was convinced that whoever had posted the copy would be tracked down.

Jackman arrived by helicopter on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, where some of the movie was filmed, for the first stop of a world promotion tour ahead of its official release at the end of the month.
He then delighted hundreds of invited guests and media by swooping down from a clifftop on a cable before unveiling 20 minutes of completed footage.

Jackman said he was proud of the fact that most people he has spoken to had condemned the leak and thought fans would still go to see it at the cinema.
The leak has already claimed at least one casualty — a US entertainment columnist who was fired for reviewing a stolen copy downloaded from the Internet.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which owns both 20th Century Fox Films and Fox News, said writer Roger Friedman had been “promptly terminated” after posting his column on the Fox News website last week.
“We, along with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, have been a consistent leader in the fight against piracy and have zero tolerance for any action that encourages and promotes piracy,” News Corporation said in an emailed statement.
“When we advised Fox News of the facts they took immediate action, removed the post, and promptly terminated Mr Friedman.”

Although I must admit I did see the pirated film at my weekly poker game (after all it was on the tv in the background I and I couldn’t just get up and leave). I will probably see it in the theaters and/or will buy the dvd.

Since we don’t have T.J Maxx in Canada (at least not here in the GTA) I decided to do a little patchwork on this funny story from over at the Onion.

While a majority of the nation’s top retailers have reported a decided slump in 2008, economists studying the declining consumer markets are still unable to determine if discount store Walmart has been affected by widespread recession.

Financial analysts, observing more than 100 locations nationwide, cited large quantities of off-brand and wildly scattered merchandise as evidence that Walmart has either been devastated by the economic downturn, or is carrying on as usual in spite of it.

“The state of this store does not in any way correspond to our standard criteria for judging long-term viability,” said economist Graham Stinson, referring to the Richmond Hill location, where more than half of the fluorescent lights are burnt out. “For instance, the canvas bins heaped with broken stemware in aisle six may be a sign that Walmart is on the verge of complete bankruptcy. Either that, or it’s doing perfectly fine. It’s impossible to say which.”

Further evidence of Walmart’s imminent foreclosure or, possibly, its wholly unaffected condition, included reports of shoppers rummaging through barrels of lamps up to their shoulders, multiple sightings of bras stuffed into children’s shoes, the impromptu sale of in-store display cases for cash, and an excess of golf-based giftware.

Although economists were able to make firsthand observations of customers rifling through overturned clothing racks, their requests to analyze the company’s financial records were met with confusion. Stinson and his team were eventually provided with a water-stained folder of handwritten receipts, but failed to make use of most of the data due to its ripped, soiled, and often indecipherable state.

Compiled interviews with customers also provided little insight. Many reported seeing “Cash Only, No Refunds” signs posted in every store and recalled having to climb over sacks of winter coats to reach clearance bins of mix-and-match earrings, leading economists to believe that the discount chain may be suffering after all.

“They must be doing really badly if they’re selling this crap really cheap,” said Toronto resident Brian Crowe, carrying an armful of L.A. Gear sneakers to his car. “You’ve got to take advantage before this place shuts its doors for good.”

Others, however, see Walmart poised to have a very lucrative year in 2009.

“That place must be doing pretty well,” frequent customer Mark Rankin said. “I just saw some guy walking around with an armful of L.A. Gear sneakers.”

With only one checkout lane remaining in most stores, some financial experts speculate that the retailer can no longer afford to employ workers. A two-week study of the Thornhill-area location did, however, turn up some minor evidence of a workforce, including the sighting of three folded shirts and a number of individuals smoking and playing Uno in the break room.

Let’s cross our fingers and hope Walmart continues to rollback their prices for a long time to come.

A 430-pound convict was released early from a Quebec prison because his jailers could not accommodate his huge frame.
Michel Lapointe, who served more than two years in jail on drug charges, was released Tuesday — three months early, Canadian news broadcaster CTV said.

The decision was made in May by a Quebec judge after prison officials said they were unable to find Lapointe a chair or table large enough to fit him.  Lapointe described his time in prison as “a living hell,” CTV said.

A mother and her son were flying Air Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. The son (who had been looking out the window) turned to his mother and asked, “If dogs have baby dogs and cats have baby cats, why don’t planes have baby planes?”

The mother (who couldn’t think of an answer) told her son to ask the flight attendant. So the boy asked the flight attendant, “If dogs have baby dogs and cats have baby cats, why don’t planes have baby planes?

The flight attendant responded, “Did your mother tell you to ask me?”

The boy admitted that this was the case.

“Well, then, tell your mother that there are no baby planes because Air Canada always pulls out on time. Your mother can explain it to you.

The crack-cocaine of gambling has Quebec’s gaming commission facing a potentially crippling payout as gambling addicts try to hold it responsible for downplaying the dangers of video lottery terminals.  A class-action lawsuit brought by a group of pathological gamblers is seeking compensation from Loto-Quebec for their addiction treatments.

With the plaintiffs claiming around 119,000 gamblers can trace their addictions to VLTs, a judgment could cost Loto-Quebec upwards of $500 million, excluding exemplary damages.  “Despite the fact that studies on the dangers of pathological gaming and its treatments were known, the defendant didn’t consider its obligation to warn users of the dangers of dependence,” the statement of claim reads.

None of the lawsuit’s claims has yet been proven but after several years of jumping through legal, the trial phase of the case will finally begin in Quebec Superior Court next month in Quebec City.  Launched in 2001 by Jean Brochu, a lawyer and recovering gambling addict , the lawsuit cites government reports that claim VLTs have been tied to pathological gambling.  Loto-Quebec denies such a link exists and says problem gambling should be considered a personal health issue rather than one of legal liability.

“At the current time, there exists no expert, recognized by his peers… who proposes that VLTs are the cause of pathological gambling,” the defence statement reads.  The Quebec government began to regulate VLTs in 1993. Before then, Loto-Quebec estimated there were between 25,000 and 50,000 black-market gambling machines operating in the province.

Now there are around 12,000 VLTs in the province’s casinos, bars and restaurants.  A court decision last year forced the gaming commission to release documents about gambling-related suicides at Quebec casinos.

Last week, Quebec’s newly appointed health minister reiterated some of the unease public officials have about state-sanctioned gambling.

Yves Bolduc said both the government and Loto-Quebec should take additional measures to fight problem gambling.

He floated the idea of cutting the number of VLTs in poorer areas of the province.  Loto-Quebec promised in 2004 to remove some 1,142 VLTs by 2007, but has acknowledged it is still short of that goal.  The gaming commission contributed $1.6 billion to government coffers in 2006-07.  This final tally just about says it all, the government needs the cash and does not care how it gets it.