In this issue...
• Loblaws' No Name of chips found to be nowhere near the weight stated on the bag
• Johnson & Johnson is dumping its iconic logo after more than 130 years
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Say good-bye to self-serve soda stations at McDonald's
• Late-night host Jimmy Fallon hit with accusations of leading a toxic workplace at The Tonight Show
• Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night returns on Monday, September 25
• Thanksgiving in Canada is Monday, October 9
• Acadistuff: Acadian mugs with family names - dozens of options!
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed last week!
... and trivia, quotes, community events and more!
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Loblaws' No Name of chips found to be nowhere near the weight stated on the bag
Normally, I would roll my eyes at someone who's weighing food they bought at the grocery store to ensure that it matches what's listed on the packaging. But once in a while, these people are actually doing a great service to consumers because manufacturers know that the vast majority of people will never call them out on errors.
I'd dare say that the weight noted on the packaging and the actual weight would often be off by a few grams, but by 50%? That's a bit much, as Loblaws found out after a woman called them out on TikTok for grossly misrepresenting a bag of chips.
Article excerpt: "Loblaws and its supposedly cheaper grocery store chain No Frills are facing another wave of public frustration after a TikTok video exposed quite a glaring problem with a particular bag of No Name chips.
For many, the now-viral No Name chip bag is just another example of the high cost of living in Canada right now and it has even resulted in a response from the Canadian grocery store giant itself.
But before we get there, let's go through what exactly happened in this video and why it has gotten so much attention.
First posted Monday by @joceforce on TikTok, the video shows what looks to be an unopened 200g bag of No Name chips being placed on a kitchen scale.
The big problem is that the number the scale displays is nowhere near the advertised weight of the bag.
'Shopping at the cheapest store, buying the cheapest brands so I can keep living indoors....' reads the text in the video. 'And you're stealing half my darn chips?'
The scale itself displays the weight of the No Name bag of chips to be just over 100 grams."
That's bad. Really bad. Loblaws caught on to the video and has reached out to the TikToker for more information. To their credit, they said it was unacceptable right away. We'll see how this turns out! I'm sure she'll be weighing a few more items to see what happens!
Read: Loblaws is under fire for a No Name bag of chips with a serious flaw exposed on TikTok.
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Johnson & Johnson is dumping its iconic logo after more than 130 years
It's not often that companies last for more than a century, let alone a logo! The iconic Johnson & Johnson logo which uses a script resembling handwriting will soon be going away in favour of something more modern. One of the reasons is that young people don't know how to read cursive handwriting anymore since it's no longer taught in schools.
Gee, thanks for making me feel ancient, eh?
Article excerpt: "Johnson & Johnson is signing off on a new logo.
The health care giant said Thursday that it will replace the well-known signature script it has used since 1887 with a modern look that reflects its sharpened focus on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
The original script - based on co-founder James Wood Johnson's signature - will still be seen for now on consumer products like baby shampoo from Kenvue, a new company recently spun off from J&J.
Johnson & Johnson itself narrowed its focus to pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The new look, which includes a different shade of red, aims to recognize J&J’s shift into a 'pure play health care company,' said Vanessa Broadhurst, a company executive vice president.
The signature logo was 'one of the longest-used company emblems in the world,' J&J declared in a 2017 website post.
But it started showing its age in an era of texting and emojis.
Many children no longer learn to write cursive in school, noted marketing consultant Laura Ries. People may recognize the signature, but they weren’t necessarily reading it, she said. The new logo, she said, is easier to process.
'Because it’s easier, it almost even draws your attention to it,' said Ries, who wasn't involved in the logo change."
It's interesting to see some of the changes in the marketing of products due to cursive writing falling out of favour.
Read: Johnson & Johnson is getting rid of its script logo after more than 130 years.
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Say good-bye to self-serve soda stations at McDonald's
If you loved mixing flavours at your favourite McDonald's self-serve soda machine, it's time to start mourning your weird-but-delicious combination of Coke, root beer and Dr. Pepper. Self-serve soda machines are being phased out at all McDonald's restaurants over the next few years.
Article excerpt: "Testing out all the possible soda combinations at your local McDonald’s will one day become a thing of the past.
McDonald’s USA has confirmed to TODAY.com that it will be phasing out what has become a signature part of the McDonald’s experience: self-serve beverage stations. This means no longer will customers be handed an empty cup by an employee then add ice and their beverage of choice away from the point of sale.
McDonald’s is transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by the year 2032. The chain says the change is intended to create a consistent experience for both McDonald’s workers and their customers at all ordering points — meaning that whether you order your Big Mac Meal via McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant, you’ll get your grub the same exact way.
The news was first reported on Sept. 8 by the State Journal-Register, who spoke to Illinois-area franchise holders about the new strategy.
While this means that McDonald’s won’t be fully transitioned to staff-poured sodas for nearly a decade, some of these locations, at least, have already begun to change the way sodas are served to customers.
'It’s an evolution towards convenience and (the result of) the growth of digital service,' Mikel Petro, an Illinois McDonald’s operator, told the State Journal-Register.
Other franchise owners interviewed by the newspaper mentioned theft prevention, food safety and fewer dine-in customers as contributing factors for getting rid of the stations."
Between delivery services and drive-thrus, the trouble of maintaining these machines likely wasn't worth it since staff poured most of the drinks anyway.
Read: McDonald’s is phasing out self-serve soda stations - here’s why. Related: McDonald's plans to eliminate self-service soda stations at all its restaurants.
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Late-night host Jimmy Fallon hit with accusations of leading a toxic workplace at The Tonight Show
Another TV talk show host with a "nice" reputation is reportedly running an operation that's making people miserable. This time, it's The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, who was exposed as allegedly running a toxic workplace in a recent Rolling Stone article.
Article excerpt: "Jimmy Fallon has apologized to the staff of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after allegations emerged that he had created a toxic work environment behind the scenes, multiple reports indicated.
A report published Thursday in Rolling Stone featured accounts from more than a dozen former and current employees who claimed Fallon's 'erratic behavior' had created a toxic workplace.
The current and former employees claimed Fallon would have 'outbursts' as well as 'good Jimmy days,' and 'bad Jimmy days.'
Employees described 'crying rooms' and people making jokes about 'wanting to kill themselves.'
Shortly after the story broke, Fallon hosted a Zoom meeting in which he apologized, according to Rolling Stone and CNN."
I've read a number of stories over the years about Fallon's drinking. I hope this isn't why all this stuff is happening. His public persona of being a "nice guy" has certainly taken a hit here. The show had better take this very seriously, because stars like Ellen DeGeneres never fully shed the reputation of running a toxic workplace. After all, it's hard to believe that the "head honcho" has no idea what's going on behind the scenes, right?
Fallon is well liked, so he has that going for him. I sincerely hope things change for the positive for everyone's sake - especially for the staff, who seem to have been going through hell. No one needs that in their lives!
Read: Reports: Jimmy Fallon apologizes to staff after "toxic workplace" story.
Photo credit: Free stock photos by Vecteezy
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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?
The restaurant mascot on the right is none other than Grimace, a character who's been used in marketing by McDonald's since 1972.
So, what is Grimace anyway?
According to a McDonald's franchisee, Grimace is a taste bud - a big purple taste bud. The character's goal is to show consumers that McDonald's food tastes good. (In earlier commercials, he was shown to be stealing McDonald's food because he thought it was so delicious.)
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Quotes of note
• 1. "You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."
- Gary Vaynerchuk (see photo)
• 2. "Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You."
- Tom Peters
• 3. "There is no forgiveness in nature."
- Ugo Betti
• 4. "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."
- Vince Lombardi
• 5. "Not only do I think being nice and kind is easy but being kind, in my opinion, is important."
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
• 6. "Buy land. They ain't making any more of the stuff.”
- Will Rogers
• 7. "If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."
- Bruce Lee
• 8. "I don't need you to remind me of my age. I have a bladder to do that for me."
- Stephen Fry
• 9. "I'm not afraid of dying I just don't want to be there when it happens."
- Spike Milligan
• 10. "My wife was afraid of the dark... then she saw me naked and now she's afraid of the light."
- Rodney Dangerfield
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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.
In October, the group moves to Centennial Park, meeting in the parking lot on St. George Boulevard.
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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