It's always been a practice of mine to say insulting things in response to friends' foolish Facebook posts. Lately, I've added a new twist: I put a little smiley-face at the end.
It's totally fun!
For instance one of my Facebook friends is a prominent executive at an international association for business communicators based in San Francisco. The other day she spent seven paragraphs describing to me and all her other Facebook friends the terrible things she has witnessed since she moved to the U.S. from Canada a year ago. For instance, someone threw him- or herself in front of a rapid transit train—which would never happen, she said, in Regina. "Sad. And so was the 2.5 hour delay in traffic to East Bay. Yuck."
Once she was finally on an overcrowded train, she saw "a person push past a very pregnant woman so that she could find a place for her bike … So I inserted my very Canadian self between the biker and the pregnant woman on the basis of principle and what is right, and politely but firmly asked her to step aside …. Funnily enough there were lots of big, burly men around me who could have stepped up but didn't. … A good lesson for me today and a reminder to be courageous and stand up for what you believe in. It does make a difference."
Thirty-two of her Facebook friends "Liked" the post, and a dozen more responded with messages like, "Way to go, W—. The world needs more caring people like you."
I felt some editorial balance was in order. So I commented,
W—, nice going. But this does remind me a little of what Catfish Hunter said about Reggie Jackson. "Reggie would give you the shirt off his back. Then he'd call a press conference to announce it." 🙂
See the little smiley face at the end?!
Except, Facebook automatically converts your little emoticon into the actual little smiling sun. The total effect of which just made me
suki says
At least you were honest. I’ve succumbed to emoticon peer pressure. But I have never. Nor will ever. Use the winky one. The winky one–without exception–means “I’m passive-aggressive. And lastly, fuck you.”
And this woman’s post does not surprise me. All Canadians (except for Kristen R.) have enormous chips on their shoulders. Giant fucking Pringles for epaulettes. Ever comparing themselves to us. I wish they actually believed that they’re better than us. (Because let’s face it. They are.) That way they could stop talking about it.
David Murray says
Canada WAS better than us. Before the oil sands.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/03/22/are-the-koch-brothers-the-biggest-lease-holder-in-canadas-oil-sands/
Now: Us and Canada? We’re the same.
suki says
Oh, no, no. They have so much work to do. They will never be as terrible as us. Poor things.
Rueben says
Not to sound all Canadian about (aboot) it, but I can’t decide which one of you I agree with more. So I’ll embrace the typically Canadian mushy middle stance of agreeing with both of you (and then quietly struggling with the feelings of inadequacy that result from my indecisiveness).
David Murray says
Rueben! You’re back! Where have you been? You’ve been gone so long I had to re-check how to spell your name! How do you get 50 drunk Canadians out of the pool?! Say, “Guys, get out of the pool.”! Sorry boot that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8zepONkYVQ
(Seriously, it’s good to read your trembling voice.)
Rueben says
Oh, you know, I’ve been doing stuff here and there…By the way, according to this article we Canadians don’t actually say “aboot” – you guys just hear weird things when you listen to us: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-canadians-really-pronounce-about?page=1