What's Gnu?

- Obama will save us from nuclear annihilation. Good luck.

- Nobody, including the RCMP, will tell us exactly what charges, if any, are pending against Helena Guergis and/or her creepy husband.

- Shoppers Drug Marts are fighting openly with the Ontario Premier as he tries to limit the fees they collect from generic drug companies. Watch for this battle to spread across the country as everyone looks for ways - legitimate, sensible or otherwise - to cut health care costs.

- Kevin Falcon, that genius of health care management and former builder of highways and bridges, is changing the way we pay hospitals to do their work. He claims more efficiencies. Ha!

- Tony Parsons is at CBC??? Huh?

Ungracious Kvetch

Tiger Woods has become, among other things, a kind of harridan, a whining shrew-wife who is never satisfied.

He shot 11 under par in the Masters and placed 4th behind Mickelson, who won the tournament.

He played terribly and inconsistently and still, he is such a rare prodigious talent, that he almost won the thing.

And this after a five-month abscence from the game.

When briefly interviewed by Peter Kostas after it was all over, did he congratulate the winner or say anything remotely pleasant?

No.

He kvetched that he only plays to win and that if he doesn't win, he's unhappy.

That attitude may have gotten him to the exalted place in which he now strides.

It may also be his undoing.

God forbid he should be grateful for anything on a sunny day in Georgia.

Can you say, "Spoiled child," boys and girls?

Because you asked...

In 1983, I was doing a fun, little radio show from 10 pm to 1 am weeknights on what was then called CJOR, AM600.

The show was called "A Little Berner on the Night."

A local entrepreneur was running a nightclub in what was then the Plaza Hotel at the foot of Capilano Road on Marine Drive.

It was my great please, because of these two coinciding events to interview and spend time with Ginger Rogers, Tony Bennett and others, each a story unto themselves.

When B.B. King was here, I brought my trusty Sony tape recorder up tio his hotel room and we hung out for about 3 hours.

He was great.

Charming and self-effacing, full of stories and good will.

No doubt he had had his share of life's troubles and no doubt he could muster a darker side when the occasion called for it, but I saw none of that.

He told me wonderful tales about his life and his guitar and the tremendous stretch of fabulous musicians with whom he had played over the years.

In truth, the only thing I remember vividly from this conversation was the gracious and uncalled for compliment he showered on me as I was leaving.

With a giant beaming smile and a great strong handshake, he declared, "Oh David Berner, I have learned soooo much from you today! It hs been a priviledge to spend this time with you."

I have no idea what any of that meant, but I was thrilled to hear it and I've never forgotten it.