16 Replies to “Your Moral And Intellectual Superiors”
“World-class city”
What does that even mean?
No one knows but it’s a trendy metrosexual thing to say. My own opinion is it means there are no open sewers and all office buildings now have flush toilets.
The minute you say you’re a world class city, you’ve proven you’re not.
Wanted thin skinned mentally deficient individual unable to appreciate satire. Real journalists need not apply.
Boston is one of the few U.S. cities I didn’t care for, lousy attitudes, very poor customer service. I got the impression many of them considered themselves to be blue bloods or Kennedys.
It means it’s time to move to a smaller city.
I have to agree with KVB, Boston is interesting as far as history, architecture and the like but not exactly the most friendliest place in America. Stayed there at a coach house (like a B&B without the second B) and then had breakfast at a corner cafe. I asked for a refill of my coffee and was told I’d have to buy another. Then I almost had to throw something at the waitress to get her attention in order to pay the tab. Not the nicest place to visit. Could be that I was a Texan at the time and didn’t have a “Harvard” accent or something.
For the record, the rest of New England was much friendlier although they did have that maritime attitude that Canadians are used to. If you aren’t from there then you’re from “away.”
The Onion is the more serious of the two.
As an official Boston Globe Delivery Boy from 1957-1960, I can attest to the world class size of the Globe’s Sunday edition that I had to deliver with all those papers and whilst trying to negotiate my bike. It was double the size of the NY Times. If I had used a wagon I would have been chased out of state. I lived and went to school in Hampton, NH, considered a ‘suburb’ of Boston and the Red Sox were everything…the pre-Orr Bruins were considered an embarrassment. The ‘Patriots’ didn’t exist and the NFL team that we cheered for were the NY Football Giants where Sam Huff was the idol. When we travelled into Boston where my father was an executive on Commonwealth Ave, it was always impressive passing the USS Constitution and heading downtown. The place is loaded with the kind of history that is not unlike Quebec City…except it is all about the Rebellion of 1776. Bunker Hill was real. By the way, contrary to the Liberal reading of things, Vimy Ridge was not the Canadian ‘Bunker Hill’. The Boston Cops were netoriously Irish Boston Cops. Need I say more? I think that the work on ‘The Tunnel’ started when I lived there and the unions are predicting that the project will be completed in 2178. Boston doesn’t need to be ‘world class’. It’s history and culture predate most of the Euro-reproductions of cities. I recomment the harbour for seafood and chowder. Beauty. By the way, Bobby Orr, number fourah, is a god in Boston. He is a world class athlete and icon but most of the people who think that they are world class don’t have clue who he is.
Or if you feel obligated to defend your city from an Onion feature.
mhb23re
I’ve always enjoyed visiting Boston, but I agree about the ‘world-class’ obsession. Toronto has it as well, and if you either desire to be ‘world-class’ or proclaim you are, it’s like trying to be cool – it doesn’t work.
Pidd – I still remember the “no name” seafood resto in the harbour, and it’s been nearly 40 years! And it’s fitting that you would remember Orr on today, his 65th birthday. I saw him at the Canada Cup in 76, and even though he was just a shadow of the player he was, he was still the best man on the ice.
This is a form of satire. Yet another person or nation thinks the Onion is the real deal.
As for world-class cities, it’s a form of snobbery by people who aren’t as smart as they think they are.
Vancouver’s east side is also world class. All World Class cities have one. Detroit probably sees itself as World Class. Wonder how small a city you need to get out of the membership. I would consider it a stigma rather than a subject of pride.
“World-class city”
What does that even mean?
No one knows but it’s a trendy metrosexual thing to say. My own opinion is it means there are no open sewers and all office buildings now have flush toilets.
The minute you say you’re a world class city, you’ve proven you’re not.
Wanted thin skinned mentally deficient individual unable to appreciate satire. Real journalists need not apply.
Boston is one of the few U.S. cities I didn’t care for, lousy attitudes, very poor customer service. I got the impression many of them considered themselves to be blue bloods or Kennedys.
It means it’s time to move to a smaller city.
I have to agree with KVB, Boston is interesting as far as history, architecture and the like but not exactly the most friendliest place in America. Stayed there at a coach house (like a B&B without the second B) and then had breakfast at a corner cafe. I asked for a refill of my coffee and was told I’d have to buy another. Then I almost had to throw something at the waitress to get her attention in order to pay the tab. Not the nicest place to visit. Could be that I was a Texan at the time and didn’t have a “Harvard” accent or something.
For the record, the rest of New England was much friendlier although they did have that maritime attitude that Canadians are used to. If you aren’t from there then you’re from “away.”
The Onion is the more serious of the two.
As an official Boston Globe Delivery Boy from 1957-1960, I can attest to the world class size of the Globe’s Sunday edition that I had to deliver with all those papers and whilst trying to negotiate my bike. It was double the size of the NY Times. If I had used a wagon I would have been chased out of state. I lived and went to school in Hampton, NH, considered a ‘suburb’ of Boston and the Red Sox were everything…the pre-Orr Bruins were considered an embarrassment. The ‘Patriots’ didn’t exist and the NFL team that we cheered for were the NY Football Giants where Sam Huff was the idol. When we travelled into Boston where my father was an executive on Commonwealth Ave, it was always impressive passing the USS Constitution and heading downtown. The place is loaded with the kind of history that is not unlike Quebec City…except it is all about the Rebellion of 1776. Bunker Hill was real. By the way, contrary to the Liberal reading of things, Vimy Ridge was not the Canadian ‘Bunker Hill’. The Boston Cops were netoriously Irish Boston Cops. Need I say more? I think that the work on ‘The Tunnel’ started when I lived there and the unions are predicting that the project will be completed in 2178. Boston doesn’t need to be ‘world class’. It’s history and culture predate most of the Euro-reproductions of cities. I recomment the harbour for seafood and chowder. Beauty. By the way, Bobby Orr, number fourah, is a god in Boston. He is a world class athlete and icon but most of the people who think that they are world class don’t have clue who he is.
Or if you feel obligated to defend your city from an Onion feature.
mhb23re
I’ve always enjoyed visiting Boston, but I agree about the ‘world-class’ obsession. Toronto has it as well, and if you either desire to be ‘world-class’ or proclaim you are, it’s like trying to be cool – it doesn’t work.
Pidd – I still remember the “no name” seafood resto in the harbour, and it’s been nearly 40 years! And it’s fitting that you would remember Orr on today, his 65th birthday. I saw him at the Canada Cup in 76, and even though he was just a shadow of the player he was, he was still the best man on the ice.
In a related item Michael Moore has also been getting in on the Onion-as-reality tour:
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/03/21/lefty-hippo-michael-moore-cites-satire-article-on-the-onion-as-fact-in-failed-attempt-to-bash-nra-harry-reid/
This is a form of satire. Yet another person or nation thinks the Onion is the real deal.
As for world-class cities, it’s a form of snobbery by people who aren’t as smart as they think they are.
Vancouver’s east side is also world class. All World Class cities have one. Detroit probably sees itself as World Class. Wonder how small a city you need to get out of the membership. I would consider it a stigma rather than a subject of pride.
China has 200 cities larger than Toronto.
And they are welcome to them.