Glasnost and perestroika may help make the Soviet Union a more open society, but that doesn`t mean all vestiges of traditional Soviet behavior have been swept away. KPMG Peat Martwick, an international consulting firm, has offered a few pointers to foreigners who want to make a good impression in the new USSR.
– Don`t give out knives or letter openers as gifts; they signify the severing of a relationship.
– Hand out business cards liberally. Because of paper shortages, Soviets will be impressed by such generosity.
– Choose round tables in restaurants; corners are unlucky. And tip maitre d`s with cigarettes to guarantee the best service.
QUAYLE NEWS I A character in Shakespeare raised the possibility of killing ”all the lawyers,” and to the question ”What`s 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?” Danny DeVito`s character in ”War of the Roses” answered: ”A good start.” The tradition of lawyer bashing is a long and sometimes honored one, so GOP observers believe Vice President Dan Quayle may have scored some political points last week when he told an American Bar Association convention that there are too many lawyers and too much litigation. One Republican strategist told Scripps Howard News Service: ”There aren`t any votes to be lost picking a fight with lawyers.”
QUAYLE NEWS II Overheard Saturday night at a West Rogers Park restaurant:
Diner No. 1: ”You know, Quayle`s not as bad as people say.”
Diner No. 2: ”You mean like Wagner`s music.”
It`s a nice compliment for the VP if you enjoy operas such as ”Tristan und Isolde” and ”Lohengrin.” But not so good if you agree with Debussy, who said, ”Wagner has his moments, but has bad half-hours.”
HELP FOR BLUES SINGER Blues singer James ”Son” Thomas is trying to get by with a little help-make that a lot of help-from his friends. The 64-year-old Thomas returned home to Leland, Miss., last week after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor, and his friends are raising funds to help him pay $50,000 in medical bills. ”We need people to dig deep in their pockets and think about what this man means to us,” said Delta Blues Festival producer Malcolm Walls, who is seeking donations. Walls said more than 200 donors already have given a total of $1,200. ”I heard they were taking up some money and there`s supposed to be some money,” Thomas said. ”I haven`t seen it yet. Anything would help. I ain`t got nothing at all.”
THE WOLFMAN Wolfman Jack, the gravelly-voiced deejay who gained further fame for his cameo in the movie ”American Graffiti,” soon will see his name in lights-in Kissimmee, Fla. The Wolfman, whose real name is Robert Weston Smith, is allowing his stage name to be used at a dance club that plays hits from the 1950s and 1960s-Wolfman Jack`s Rock `n` Roll Palace. If successful, the club may be franchised, said Tod Smith, son of the Wolfman.
THE WOODMAN Another celebrity, director David Lynch, known for his lumber town settings in the movie ”Blue Velvet” and the TV series ”Twin Peaks,” also is branching out. Lynch is introducing yet another wood-based product: tables. The foot-high three-legged trapezoidal ”espresso table” sells for $600.
”People do need small tables to set glasses on,” Lynch said. The 45-year-old director has been designing tables since he was a student at the American Film Institute in Hollywood.
