We are never off-topic here. I am providing Maximum Reader Experience.

(I hope.)

Oh, goody, more things to look at when I need to step away from serious things! Thanks!

Later,

Kelly

Gerussi is real — the star of “The Beachcombers”, don’t ya know? A laughable comedy (not in a good way) but somehow a Canadian touchstone.

BTW, you haven’t seen Berton if you haven’t seen this:

http://www.videosift.com/video/How-to-Roll-a-Joint-With-Pierre-Berton

It was on the Rick Mercer show, another Canadian that’s worth investigating. This video is actually restricted on YouTube — you have to claim you’re an adult before they let you see it.

Considering this ran at prime time (8pm) in Canada, that gives you another idea of our sometimes-different cultures…

Also check out “The Secret World of Og” by Berton. That was one of my favourite books growing up, and might be a good one for The Kid (not sure of her age, but I think we’re in the right ballpark…)

~Graham

Please also note, though I quickly discovered the quote is wrong, his name is spelled “Burton” at thinkexist. I passed a lovely half-hour in learning about him. How would I know? He wrote nothing about this country, nothing that was universal enough to be sold here, and was never on the telly here. I’ve visited a lot, but I don’t watch t.v. when I’m in foreign countries, and it’s not as if one’s concierge says “go get a book by Mr. Berton” on one’s way to shop on Queen Street, eh?

I see my honourary Canadian citizenship has just been revoked.

Wait! I do know every Canadian who’s ever crossed the border for film, t.v., or music, (though I’m sorry, I can’t keep up with Canadian hockey players, there are too many), and I know every show that’s ever crossed the border—You can’t make me sing Red Green’s theme, thankfully there isn’t one, but I’ll sing Caillou for you, Friar! With a little Céline for an encore?

I shall earn my way back into my loyal Canadian readers’ good graces. Right after I try to remember what the topic of this post was…

Who’s PIERRE BERTON?

OMG!!! How can you NOT know?

Wow…he’s like…well, a Canadian Celebrity. Who wrote books and stuff. He wore a bowtie and said smart things. And was on the CBC…and um…was on Front Page Challenge.

Which, back in it’s time, was, by default, one of the BEST game shows on CBC.

WOW…it still amazes me. That’s like someone not knowing who Bruno Gerussi was.

Friar’s last blog post…What summer means to me.

That’s good, because normally I get seasick reading Friar’s posts about being in a boat. LOL.

Nice quote (and I love the “only in Canada moment”—how can that be in such a vast country?). Off to find out who the heck this Burton guy is now.

Later,

Kelly

@Friar — hey, that was my Dad! He gave up the presidency to take over the forestry division at Bowater.

(Okay, I made that up. But how funny would that be! Reminds me of this story: http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=222867)

~Graham

& not necessarily in that order.

^^
. .
^
o

There’s a cranky talk show host in Ottawa called Lowell Green. (He’s one of my heroes, though I rarely get to listen to him anymore). Whenever people phone in and start off with “Hi Lowell, how are you?”, he barks back “NOT WORTH A DAMN!!!” and presses people to move on to the topic. Every show, he managed to catch a couple of callers like that.

Another one of my pet peeves is at conferences, when they speak “Formal-Talk” at the podium, and they receive “Great Pleasure”.

Like:

“It gives me GREAT PLEASURE to introduce last years president of the Northwestern Ply-wood Paperboard Association”.

OMG…ZZZZZZzzzzz. Next.

To me, great pleasure would be eating a fantastic meal, skiing down powder snow, having awesome sex, or catching a big fish.

NOT introducing some ultra-boson at a stuffed-shirt Convention.

Great PLEASURE?

Gramps…you need to get out more.

“…the one who won’t say the magic words has been on the way out anyway.”

I suspect that’s true. The owner will probably wake up one day to a short shift and wish he’d seen it coming!

Barbara,

I believe it does create a positive impression (and maybe moreso if you aren’t a semi-regular… who gets tired of things other folks wouldn’t even spot, I’m sure).

Graham,

Though I’m completely against water travel (seasick just thinking about it), I’ll take the snogging any ol’ way.

Does that make me Canadian? ROFL.

Todd,

I can definitely see that point, but it does lessen the distinction (maybe even eliminate it) if it’s seven catchphrases. Not that I’m against general politeness—it would be great if their being polite was so normal that it had never caught my attention in the first place!

Don’t wake me, I’m dreaming…

Friar,

See previous thoughts, including that these folks are genuinely smiling and fine fakers of interest, or else perhaps like their jobs…

It’s an interesting idea, that they don’t give a sh*t—can’t they mean it, at least as much as they meant “You’re welcome” up until March? It’s not as if they were silent when a customer said Thank you before. It’s just that now, for this one part of our interaction, they have a standard answer, that the owner seems to hope will help “brand” his store.

I do like to think that folks who choose service jobs, as opposed to janitorial work, construction jobs, kitchen work, etc., do so because they at least think they’ll interact well with people. Of course it’s not always true, but I like to think that people with customer-facing jobs (often) try to give a sh*t.

I never know what will stir the pot around here, but evidently “My pleasure” is it!

(BTW I do the same when folks ask “How are you.” Not my life story, of course, but I figure if I answer the question a bit truthfully at least it’ll give them something to think about while they continue their work, ho ho!)

Until later,

Kelly

You know damned well they dont give a sh*t about how you are.

The game is they say “How are you”, you’re supposed to say “Fine”. Now that you’re gotten these preliminaries out of the way, you’re free to move on with the money transaction and get on with your life.

But, me being a persnickety Friar, I like to stir things up. When people ask me “How are you?”, I typically answer:

a) “HUNGRY!”

b) “Tired.”

c) “Glad to be the hell out of the office!”

d) “Average”

e) “Seven and a half, out of ten.”

It always throws them for a loop. And gives a Control-Alt-Delete to the stupid knee-jerk standards we always follow.