In this issue...
• Push for Don Cherry to be awarded Order of Canada creates controversy
• It looks like the end of the road for the mass-market paperback
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Unintended uses for products that may really surprise you!
• Seth MacFarlane on a roll with Season 2 of Ted (and its upcoming animated version), a surprise Family Guy spinoff featuring Stewie... AND news on The Orville... AND let's not forget American Dad!
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news
• Trivia: Did you know?
• Quotes of note
• Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
• Let's Color Some Letters: Another fun colouring book by Rose Michaels
• Monday, March 23: Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night
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Push for Don Cherry to be awarded Order of Canada creates controversy
If you're of a certain age, you'll remember Don Cherry from his hockey commentator career on Hockey Night in Canada until he was fired for offensive comments about immigrants.
According to many right-wingers on the Canadian political spectrum, however, this is no reason to keep Cherry from being awarded Canada's highest civilian honour - the Order of Canada. He's been nominated by a Conservative MP and they've all hopped on board - except for those he's insulted, some of whom are fellow Conservative MPs in Quebec, a longtime target of Cherry's vitriol.
Article excerpt: "Only days after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said hockey commentator Don Cherry should be given the Order of Canada because he “embodies what it means to be a proud Canadian,” some of his Quebec MPs - including his lieutenant in the province - are speaking out against the nomination because of Cherry’s past anti-Quebec tirades.
On Thursday, Éric Lefebvre, MP for Richmond-Arthabaska, was the first to speak out on social media that, out of respect for Quebecers who have played and are still playing in the NHL, he cannot, as MP, endorse Cherry’s candidacy for the national award which is given by the Governor General of Canada to recognize distinguished service in the country."
... "Conservative MP Gérard Deltell, from the Quebec City area, expressed a more nuanced view on X but came to the same conclusion as his colleagues.
'If, by misfortune, in other times, Don Cherry has uttered unacceptable and derogatory remarks towards francophones among others, his support of our military cannot be disputed. It’s up to the committee of the Order of Canada to decide (whether he receives the award or not.) Personally, I do not support his candidacy,' Deltell wrote."
Not every high-profile Canadian deserves the Order of Canada. Don Cherry is an example of that. "Is this individual a loudmouth windbag?" isn't on the list of criteria from what I know. If he was in the United States, he'd be awarded the Medal of Freedom because being offensive and outrageous isn't an impediment to national awards there - at least under the current administration.
Conservatives have inexplicably chosen this issue as a hill to die on. Have fun with that. As they collapse in the polls, this is just a tactic to shore up their dwindling base.
This is another example of the right-wing "You're all so sensitive!" culture. Yeah, you can say pretty much anything you want. You're correct. But people also have the right to react, which is something you keep forgetting.
Read: "Bad idea": Quebec Tory MPs slam Don Cherry’s Order of Canada nomination. Related: Hockey icon Don Cherry fired for immigrant comments.
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It looks like the end of the road for the mass-market paperback
Those racks of cheap novels you used to see everywhere - especially in departments stores, grocery stores and pharmacies are a thing of the past as sales have plummeted. It looks like the mass-market paperback is going the way of the dodo bird.
Article excerpt: "Shelly Romero has early memories of going to her local supermarket and picking pulp fiction off the shelves. 'We were very working class; my mom was working two jobs sometimes,' she recalls. 'The appeal of books being cheaper and smaller and able to be carried around was definitely a thing.'
For generations of readers, the gateway to literature was not a hushed library or a polished hardback but a wire spinner rack in a supermarket, pharmacy or railway station. There, amid chewing gum and cigarettes, sat the mass-market paperback: squat, roughly 4in by 7in and cheap enough to be bought on a whim.
But the era of the 'pocket book' is drawing to a close. ReaderLink, the biggest book distributor in the US, announced recently that it would stop distributing mass-market paperbacks. The decision follows years of plummeting sales, from 131M units in 2004 to 21M in 2024, and marks the end of a format that once democratised reading for the working class."
Yeah, it's sad, but I can't remember the last time I bought one. Maybe 25 years ago... if I'm being generous. Unfortunately, nostalgia doesn't pay the bills for book publishers. Besides, at my age, the print is way too small to read anyway.
Read: "We’re losing accessibility": the U.S. says goodbye to the mass-market paperback. Related: Have we reached the final days of the mass-market paperback?
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CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Unintended uses for products that may really surprise you!
The latest episode of CBC Radio's Under the Influence with host Terry O'Reilly looked at very interesting unintended uses for products - including the origin of hand signals in baseball games. Who knew?? And the original intended use for bubble wrap? (See photo above.) Well, it's laughable.
• March 19 - It’s a Floor Wax and Dessert Topping: Unintended Product Uses: "There are many products in the world that have 'unintended uses.' Originally designed for one purpose, the general public has discovered alternate uses for these items. From Windex to baking soda to Ozempic, the makers of these products had no idea they would be used for so many unimagined tasks. And in one story today, the alternate use of diapers may surprise you." Click here to listen to the episode.
Please note: For some reason, not all episodes make it to both the CBC "On Demand" page and/or the website page for the show. Links are provided as available.
Under the Influence airs Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on CBC Radio One; Tuesdays at 4 p.m., Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on Sirius XM Channel 169. The show is also available as a podcast through your favourite podcast provider. Click here for the show's website (not maintained on a regular basis) and click here for the show's on-demand audio archive.
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Seth MacFarlane on a roll with Season 2 of Ted (and its upcoming animated version), a surprise Family Guy spinoff featuring Stewie... AND news on The Orville... AND let's not forget American Dad!
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is on a role 27 years after the popular animated series debuted in 1999. In fact, things are expanding, with the only "failure" on his docket being The Cleveland Show (which I loved) which ran from 2009 to 2013 before being cancelled. (Cleveland just moved back over to Family Guy, though.)
These days, MacFarlane has Family Guy, a new Stewie spinoff, a Ted live-action series (and upcoming animated sequel), American Dad!, not to mention his sci-fi dramedy The Orville, which has a cult following (including me) eagerly awaiting its return. (The episodes are written and waiting for production, according to MacFarlane.
The current major buzz is around Ted, though, whose hilarious and outlandish live-action prequel will end after two seasons before evolving to an animated version with Mark Wahlberg returning as John Bennett. If history is any indication, the animated version of Ted could be around for a very long time.
Article excerpt: "After a decade's absence, Mark Wahlberg is coming back for Ted: The Animated Series, and Seth MacFarlane says it will be worth the wait.
Wahlberg starred with MacFarlane in the first two Ted movies as John Bennett, the mild-mannered slacker whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true and turned into a lifelong friendship. After the second film saw a more mixed critical and commercial reception compared to the first, the franchise went on hiatus for years, eventually returning with a prequel series centered on John and Ted's teenage years.
During a recent interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns for season 2 of the prequel show, MacFarlane was asked about progress on Ted: The Animated Series. While careful not to share too much, the five-time Emmy winner praised co-creators Brad Walsh and Paul Corrigan for doing 'a fantastic job of pulling together something very new' with the sequel show, while also being 'very faithful to the Ted universe' as they run the production on a 'week-to-week basis.'
He went on to explain that the show will pick up 'directly' where the 2015 sequel ended, and brings back Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Barth, while also introducing Liz Richman and Kyle Mooney and praising them as being 'a great cast.' MacFarlane, in particular, praised Wahlberg for his work on the series, given it is a rare voiceover performance from the two-time Oscar nominee, and teasing that the Ted sequel could go on for multiple seasons."
Seth MacFarlane was slated to be one of the planes that went down during the 9/11 attacks in 2001. He missed his flight due to a hangover. He's certainly helped cheer up the world since then.
Just a note about The Orville, which doesn't get a lot of publicity: It's extremely well done, hilarious and serious at the same time, putting forward very interesting societal and moral issues in a context that really makes you think. Even if you're not into sci-fi (like me), it's really good.
Read 1: Mark Wahlberg's Ted franchise return praised by Seth MacFarlane in new update on animated series. Read 2: Family Guy spinoff Stewie set to premiere: Everything to know. Read 3: Seth MacFarlane reveals The Orville Season 4 is written, now waiting on his schedule. Related 4: The improbable return to Fox: Matt Weitzman talks American Dad!
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Trivia: Did you know?
Beloved professional basketball legend Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) is the only person to have won both an Olympic gold medal and an Oscar. He won the Olympic medals as part of the U.S. basketball teams in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London). In 2015, he won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball, a film based on his retirement letter. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
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Quotes of note
• 1. "The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes."
- Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965), British statesman (see photo)
• 2. "Be willing to give, but only when you aren't expecting anything in return."
- Criss Jami, Healology
• 3. "You can’t earn honour by getting an award from a dishonourable person! You only earn dishonour!"
- Mehmet Murat ildan
• 4. "Be careful not to mistake insecurity and inadequacy for humility! Humility has nothing to do with the insecure and inadequate! Just like arrogance has nothing to do with greatness!"
- C. Joybell C.
• 5. "Stay hungry, stay young, stay foolish, stay curious, and above all, stay humble because just when you think you got all the answers, is the moment when some bitter twist of fate in the universe will remind you that you very much don't."
- Tom Hiddleston
• 6. "Every person that you meet knows something you don't; learn from them."
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.
• 7. "Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise."
- Horace
• 8. "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."
- Kurt Vonnegut
• 9. "Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings."
- Robert Benchley
• 10. "In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks."
- Bill Watterson
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In March, the group is walking on the Northwest Trail with meetup in the parking lot of YMCA Moncton North at 70 Twin Oaks Drive.
In April, the group will be walking at Rotary St-Anselme Park located at 505 Melanson Road in Dieppe. Meetup in the parking lot.
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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Let's Color Some Letters: Another fun colouring book by Rose Michaels
Get ready for an A-to-Z adventure bursting with color and creativity! This delightful coloring book makes learning the alphabet fun, with each letter paired with playful pictures and designs to color! Kids will giggle, imagine and explore as they bring every page to life. Perfect for preschoolers and early learners, this book combines the joy of coloring with the excitement of discovering letters and words. Children will have a blast while building early reading skills. Learning the ABCs has never been so colorful! Each letter has two images to color for a total of 52 images in all! Each image has a blank page on the other side for those who like to use markers.
• Amazon USA: amzn.to/4mFvv0E
• Amazon Canada: amzn.to/41p8DtD
To view the entire list of Rose Michaels' colouring books, visit her website or follow her Facebook page.
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Monday, March 23: Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, March 23, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only).
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 p.m. sharp and is usually over by 8-8:15 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, canned goods, 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 more than $20,000 to 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, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Children's Wish Canada, Krista Richard's Community Sports Program and Bicycle Program, Diabetes Canada's D-Camps for kids, and Anglophone East School District's School Supplies Drive, among others.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of our restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a no telephone rule at these events. The answers cannot be researched except among discussion with your team members.
Facebook event listing: bit.ly/4ssUTJw
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About this newsletter
Brian Cormier's Weekly Update is distributed weekly from September to June. 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 July and August and on holidays.
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