In this issue...
• Kleenex pulling out of Canadian market
• "Sharing is caring" gone too far... or brilliant? What is "hot bedding"?
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Heinz launches new potato product with ketchup already inside
• Air Canada boots passengers off flight after they don't want to sit in smelly, vomit-stained seats
• Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night returns on Monday, September 25
• Acadistuff: Acadian mugs with family names - dozens of options!
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed this week!
... and trivia, quotes, community events and more!
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Kleenex pulling out of Canadian market
In a surprising move to many, Kleenex tissues will no longer be available to Canadians. Manufacturer Kimberly-Clark will cease making the product here and is pulling out. Other paper-based brands the company produces will continue to be sold.
Article excerpt: "Consumer facial tissue brand Kleenex will soon be no more in Canada, as the company that makes the iconic product has decided to exit a major part of its business in this country.
Kimberly-Clark, which makes many other paper product brands, including Cottonelle, Huggies, Poise and Depend, says it has made the decision to stop making the consumer-focused versions of Kleenex facial tissues in Canada, even as its other products will stay on the shelves.
'We have been operating in a highly constrained supply environment, and despite our best efforts we have been faced with some unique complexities on the Kleenex business,' said Todd Fisher, Kimberly-Clark's Canadian vice-president and general manager, in an emailed statement.
'This decision is one that will allow us to shift our resources to better focus on other brands in Canada and meet the needs of our consumers with continued innovation and value,' he said."
I can't remember the last time I bought Kleenex-branded tissues. To me, tissues are a very utilitarian product. I go for the cheapest... period. I can't remember seeing Kleenex tissues on sale for years. Scotties - yes... a lot! Majesta... often. No-name or store brands... all the time. But Kleenex? Nope. Full price, all the time. I spent my money on other products. I can't imagine sales were very good here at all.
Read: What a blow! Kleenex pulling out of Canadian consumer market
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"Sharing is caring" gone too far... or brilliant? What is "hot bedding"?
Shift workers will often share a desk. It's called "hot desking" - different staff members use the same desk. There's no need of adding extra expensive office space when not everyone is working at the same time, right?
Now, the same thing is popping up for workers - but with beds. Roommates who work opposite shifts are sharing a bed - albeit not at the same time. Hence the new "hot bedding" term.
In an age of scarce housing and exploding rent costs, this was bound to happen.
Article excerpt: "As housing prices soar, more adults are opting for roommates. But would you be willing to share a bed to cut down on rent?
Enter 'hot-bedding,' a distant relative of hot-desking. Hot bedding involves sharing a bed with a stranger, usually while sleeping in shifts.
One international college student in Melbourne, Australia, a 19-year-old woman from India, told SBS News that she splits $550 to rent a room with a man who works night shifts as a truck driver. The woman, who went by the pseudonym 'Priyanka,' told the publication that she sleeps in the bed at night while the truck driver sleeps in that same bed during the day. On days when the truck driver isn't working, she told SBS News she's not able to use the bed, and instead camps out in a 'storeroom' in the house that can squeeze in a mattress.
Hot bedding isn't exactly new, but Priyanka's story is the latest example of a creative solution for those feeling the financial crunch of inflation and rising rent costs."
Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, eh? I guess it's OK (or at least tolerable) when you're young, but I can see it getting old really fast.
Read: You've heard of hot desking. But what about 'hot bedding'?
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Heinz launches new potato product with ketchup already inside
OK, this is either the most brilliant idea of all time or one of the dumbest. Heinz has decided that inserting ketchup inside hash browns is a good idea. Super smart? Or something else?
Article excerpt: "Hash browns are an elite breakfast item, there's no doubt about it.
They're crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and the perfect companion for gooey egg yolk, golden sausages and buttery toast.
Just when you thought the mighty hash brown couldn't get any better, the folks over at Heinz have just launched a hash brown filled with everyone's favourite condiment - ketchup.
The launch of the ketchup-filled hash browns follows the super successful launch of Heinz Beanz-filled hash browns last year. Fans went WILD for the beany browns, so we're expecting big love for the ketchup version too.
The new hash browns will be available exclusively in Iceland for £3 from 28th August.
Sophie Higgins, Head of Growth Platform, New Ventures at Heinz, said: “We’re so excited to be bringing our Heinz Tomato Ketchup Filled Hash Browns to our filled hash brown family. Heinz Tomato Ketchup is truly a global favourite, so it made complete sense to combine it with another classic family favourite, perfect for any mealtime."
Sorry, Heinz. Although it may look smart at first, I'm not sure that many people are accustomed to eating piping-hot ketchup. If you're like me, I use ketchup not only for the taste, but also to cool down hot food. You're asking consumers to completely change their ketchup experience. People like dipping their hot food in cold ketchup. It slows things down. It's part of the experience.
Remember when purple ketchup crashed and burned a number of years ago? It tasted the same. It looked cool. But people want red ketchup. End of story.
I think Heinz will soon learn that they also want cold ketchup. (If hash browns filled with beans was successful, perhaps it's because beans are usually eaten hot, so the alteration in the consumer experience wasn't as shocking as eating boiling-hot ketchup.)
Read: Heinz has just launched hash browns filled with ketchup
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Air Canada boots passengers off flight after they don't want to sit in smelly, vomit-stained seats
Just when you thought airlines couldn't get any more terrible at customer service, one of them says, "Here, hold my beer!"
Recently, two passengers were removed from an Air Canada flight because they complained about having to sit in smelly, barf-stained seats. My oh my, how absolutely ridiculous of them for having such high and snooty standards!
Needless to say, Air Canada - the airline in question - ended up apologizing.
Article excerpt: "Air Canada says it has apologized to two passengers who were escorted off a plane by security after protesting that their seats were smeared with vomit.
The airline said Tuesday that the passengers 'clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.'
The incident during boarding for an Aug. 26 flight from Las Vegas to Montreal was described in graphic detail by another passenger, Susan Benson of New Brunswick, who said she was in the row behind two women.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Benson wrote there was a foul smell when she boarded the plane, 'but we didn't know at first what the problem was.'
'Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area,' Benson wrote. 'Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn't able to do a thorough clean. They placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume to mask the smell.'
Reached by phone Wednesday, Benson told CBC News that the passengers assigned to those seats told a flight attendant that the seat and seatbelt were wet and they could still see residue of vomit."
Maybe every airline should just create a new level of bureaucracy headed by a "Vice-President of Apologies". Lord knows they'll be kept busy!
A return flight to/from Las Vegas with vomit on the seats? My goodness! What next? Fire that's hot? Water that's wet?
Read: Air Canada sorry for booting passengers who refused vomit-soiled seats
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Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night returns on Monday, September 25
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, in Moncton on Monday, September 25, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only). Click here for the Facebook event listing.
Participants may play as teams or individuals. The winning team gets 50% of the door receipts as their prize.
It is strongly suggested that participants arrive by 5:15-5:30 p.m. for a seat. Trivia begins at 6:30-6:45 p.m. Everyone welcome!
Please note that restaurant reservations are NOT available for this event. First come, first served. Limited seating of approximately 50 guests.
Participants may bring an optional non-perishable food item (box of granola bars, Kraft Dinner, cereal, etc.) for distribution at Krista Richard's Community Sports Program events, of which the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club is a sponsor. Any donations will be gratefully received and provided to Krista for distribution to her program participants (school-aged children from Moncton-area schools).
Since Rotary Trivia Nights began in 2016, the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club has donated nearly $20,000 to Hospice SENB, Atlantic Wellness, Karing Kitchen, Ray of Hope Kitchen, Salvus Clinic, The Humanity Project, BGC Moncton (Moncton Boys & Girls Club), Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Project Linus - Moncton Chapter, and Krista Richard's Community Sports Program, among others. During the last Rotary Trivia Nights season (September 2022 to May 2023), more than $6,000 was raised.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of its restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
See you on September 25! Click here for a larger version of the event poster shown above.
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Acadistuff: Acadian mugs with family names - dozens of options!
New from Acadistuff: Acadian flag mugs with family names. Dozens of options available! Shipping is included in all prices. Tax extra.
• 11-oz. mug: Click here
• 15-oz. mug: Click here
Don't see your family name there? Contact me via email to have it added.
These mugs have been shipped all over North America!
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Trivia: Did you know?
After 31 years as the most popular dog breed in the U.S., the Labrador Retriever was finally overtaken in 2022 by the French Bulldog as the preferred dog of Americans.
From the American Kennel Club description of the breed: "The one-of-a-kind French Bulldog, with his large bat ears and even disposition, is one of the world's most popular small-dog breeds, especially among city dwellers. The Frenchie is playful, alert, adaptable, and completely irresistible. The French Bulldog resembles a Bulldog in miniature, except for the large, erect 'bat ears' that are the breed's trademark feature. The head is large and square, with heavy wrinkles rolled above the extremely short nose. The body beneath the smooth, brilliant coat is compact and muscular. The bright, affectionate Frenchie is a charmer. Dogs of few words, Frenchies don't bark much, but their alertness makes them excellent watchdogs. They happily adapt to life with singles, couples or families and do not require a lot of outdoor exercise. They get on well with other animals and enjoy making new friends of the human variety. It is no wonder that city folk from Paris to Peoria swear by this vastly amusing and companionable breed."
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Quotes of note
• 1. "I think that age as a number is not nearly as important as health. You can be in poor health and be pretty miserable at 40 or 50. If you're in good health, you can enjoy things into your 80s."
- Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price Is Right (d. August 26) (see photo)
• 2. "Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been."
- Jimmy Buffett, singer and songwriter (d. September 1)
• 3. "I've always felt like a kid, and I still feel like a kid, and I've never had any problem tapping into my childhood, and my kid side."
- Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens, actor and comedian (d. July 30)
• 4. "I don't do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I'm proud to be a troublemaker."
- Sinead O'Connor, singer (d. July 26)
• 5. "People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude."
- John C. Maxwell
• 6. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
- Dr. Seuss
• 7. "I don't enjoy the boo scare when you're watching a movie and then suddenly there's a big shark on the screen. The only thing they're doing is catching you off guard."
- Sergio Aragones
• 8. "I can live for two months on a good compliment."
- Mark Twain
• 9. "Watching a baby being born is a little like watching a wet St. Bernard coming in through the cat door."
- Jeff Foxworthy
• 10. "Halloween is the beginning of the holiday shopping season. That’s for women. The beginning of the holiday shopping season for men is Christmas Eve."
- David Letterman
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Greater Moncton Walking Group
In September, the group walks along the Petitcodiac River trail in Dieppe, meeting in the parking lot directly across from Église Saint-Anselme (church), 1014 Amirault Street.
The group meets for walks every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. New participants are always welcome! For more information, please contact Wayne Harrigan at 506-386-2187 or via email.
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About this newsletter
Brian Cormier's Weekly Update is distributed weekly from September to June via email to more than 500 subscribers in addition to many others who access it online. If you're reading this newsletter online and want to subscribe, please email me, fill out the subscription form on my website, or subscribe via the "Join Our Email List" button at the top of the newsletter (if you're viewing this in a browser.) This newsletter is not published in the months of July and August and on holidays.
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