In this issue...
• Lesson from Princess of Wales cancer announcement: When you don't tell people the truth immediately, they will make it up for you
• The latest episodes of CBC Radio's Under the Influence: 1) Billionaire Tourism and 2) Cheeky Advertising
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Women: Beware of tracking devices being slipped into your purses
• How can someone not notice how close something resembles a swastika?
• 1,000+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed last week
• Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, April 22
... and trivia, quotes, community events and more!
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Lesson from Princess of Wales cancer announcement: When you don't tell people the truth immediately, they will make it up for you
When the Princess of Wales announced that she was undergoing cancer treatment after a surgical intervention clouded in mystery and a prolonged absence from public view, many people felt terrible for having made some outlandish assumptions. While many of these were based in humour, the subsequent announcement was certainly nothing to laugh at.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the Royal Family only has itself to blame. They are one of the most high-profile families in the world and are surrounded by the notoriously vicious British media. The Windsors are not only a family, they are also a business. In fact, they call it "The Firm" internally when referring to the "business" part of it - the "Crown".
So when something is happening health-wise to the next queen, it only stands to reason that the the curiosity will be intense - both for human reasons and for political. Her husband - William - will be the next head of state, after all, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
I tell all my clients this: "If you don't tell your story, other people will... and I can assure you it will not be terribly accurate." Fairly or unfairly, that is mostly always the case.
Article excerpt: "'Conspiracy is the Internet's favorite sport,' Sarah Frier, author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram, posted on X, formerly Twitter. 'It starts here and becomes mainstream. At one point last week, MOST of the content on my (X) feed was about her. None of it was right. This is just what people do for fun and followers now.'
Then came the grand, unforced error - the palace releasing a photo on March 10 of Kate and her children that it later admitted had been digitally manipulated, without leaving clear exactly what was done.
Even before that, a ham-fisted public relations strategy by the royal family's handlers had lost control of the narrative, said Peter Mancusi, a journalism professor at Northeastern University and a lawyer with his own business in crisis counseling.
Providing some proof of life, some morsels of information - even a staged shot of Kate waving from a balcony - would have filled the vacuum, he said. Mancusi contrasted the strategy with that surrounding King Charles, where it was quickly announced around the same time that he was fighting cancer. It has never been made clear exactly what kind of cancer the king has, but people are inclined to grant some degree of privacy with that diagnosis, Mancusi said."
Everyone deserves some privacy, but those in public life - and is there anyone more public than the royals? - also need to realize that the privacy is much more forthcoming when some contextual information is provided up front.
On a good note through all this turmoil, Kate Middleton's announcement caused a surge in people wanting to get their symptoms checked out. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anyone. No one is immune.
Read: The British royal family learns that if you don't fill an information vacuum, someone else will. Related: The Kate Middleton effect: Visits to cancer advice websites and NHS advice page surge five-fold in wake of Princess of Wales's shock diagnosis.
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The latest episodes of CBC Radio's Under the Influence: 1) Billionaire Tourism and 2) Cheeky Advertising
The latest episodes of CBC Radio's Under the Influence with host Terry O'Reilly looked at advertising to very rich people and doing crazy things to get people's attention through advertising in order to stand out from the crowd.
• March 28, 2024 - Billionaire Tourism. Synopsis: "Most tourism marketing aims at the largest audience possible. This week, we look at a sub-category aimed at the smallest audience possible: Billionaire Tourism. The super wealthy get bored easily. That means luxury tour planners dream up extreme vacation ideas. From outer space, to the bottom of the ocean, to secretly getting the key to the Sistine Chapel, it’s a whole new pricey world." Click here to listen to the episode and here for the website post.
• April 4, 2024 - Cheeky Advertising. Synopsis: "80% of all advertising is ignored. That’s why some advertisers employ cheeky advertising. It’s usually bold, outrageous, and sometimes even rude - but always with a playful undertone. We’ll talk about a fruit company that printed an open letter to the Pope. An airline campaign that told you to 'keep it in your pants.' And a product that claims your grandparents had more sex than you. Cheeky advertising - this week on Under The Influence." Click here to listen to the episode and here for the website post.
Click here for the show's website and here for the show's podcast archive.
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Women: Beware of tracking devices being slipped into your purses
Good God. What next? Men are not only stealing purses but they're putting stuff in them - Apple AirTags which provide the stalker with information on the woman's whereabouts - as long as she has the purse with her. At the very least, the stalker will find out where the woman lives. This is just terrifying.
Article excerpt: "It started out as a fun night out but took a turn in the wrong direction.
A Fredericton woman, whom Global News agreed to keep anonymous to protect her privacy, said she came home from Klub Khrome Friday night to discover that someone had put an Apple AirTag in her purse while she was out with a group of people.
'Especially in a small town like Fredericton, you don’t think that these things happen, but they do,' the woman said.
She said she had seen a man reach inside her purse at the club that night and confronted him, assuming he had stolen something. He denied taking anything from her purse.
'I never thought someone would... add something to my bag,' she said. 'I thought something was taken.'
When she got home later that night, the woman dumped out her purse to confirm that nothing had been taken. That’s when she noticed the AirTag."
Apple does have some lawsuits against them over this, as well, according to the news article. Surely something can be done? Are we just going to allow anyone the ability to track us now?
Read: N.B. woman finds Apple AirTag in purse after night out: "I was so shocked"
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How can someone not notice how close something resembles a swastika?
Seriously? No one noticed that the #4 on these team jerseys looked similar to swastikas? In Germany... a country that is hypersensitive to Nazi symbols?
Article excerpt: "German soccer leadership has announced that they will redesign the No. 4 on the country's national team jerseys following claims that it resembles the logo of the Nazi paramilitary units that were prevalent during World War II.
The German Football Association (DFB) announced on Monday after several social media posts suggested that fans could create a jersey with the No. 44, and stated that it was similar to the Schutzstaffel, or the SS logo. The SS was founded by Adolf Hitler, and served as the Nazi Party's political foot soldiers.
In a statement posted on X, the DFB said that the organization had submitted the numbers to UEFA for review, and 'none of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process of the jersey design.'
The No. 44 isn't currently being used by any players on the German men's and women's teams. Adidas, the major supplier of the jersey, allowed fans to make personalized jerseys from numbers 00-99 with names that were up to 10 letters long. However, following the controversy, Adidas did away with the ability to customize any of the German jerseys going forward.
According to a report from Reuters, Adidas spokesperson Oliver Bruggen stated that the company would 'block the No. 44 as quickly as possible.'"
This sounds like someone seeing if they could slip something through without anyone noticing. Well, it worked. Regardless, these designs usually go through multiple levels of approvals before hitting the market, so it seems like there were many people asleep at the switch.
Read: Germany will redesign national soccer team's jerseys after Nazi symbol controversy.
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1,000+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
My very first book is now available for purchase! Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1 is a compilation of recipes gathered from members of the Acadian Poutine Râpée Facebook Group and elsewhere.
There are more than 100 recipes available in the book - many of which are family recipes that are impossible to find! Enjoy the extra bonuses of exclusive goodies from Marven's Biscuits and Cy's Seafood Restaurant, too - both iconic food legends in Moncton, New Brunswick!
On March 21, the book reached #2 on Amazon Canada bestsellers list for ALL books in Canada.
The print edition and ebook (Kindle) are available exclusively on Amazon. Click on the country you live in to visit the appropriate site for purchase:
• Amazon Canada
• Amazon U.S.
• Kobo.com (for Kobo ebook readers)
I'm also pleased to announce that the next two books in the series will be released this year. Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 2 and Acadian Recipes and More - Holidays. Stay tuned!
This is a great book for delicious homestyle recipes. Enjoy!
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Trivia: Did you know?
The Great Gazoo character in The Flinstones was voiced by Harvey Korman, who would later go on to star in the beloved variety series The Carol Burnett show.
Click here to read up on the history of The Great Gazoo. Click here for a video clip.
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Quotes of note
• 1. "Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me."
- Carol Burnett, actress and comedienne (1933-)
(see photo)
• 2. "April, the angel of the months, the young love of the year."
- Vita Sackville-West
• 3. "April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, “Go!"
- Christopher Morley
• 4. "Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them."
- Steve Maraboli
• 5. "If you're reading this... Congratulations, you're alive. If that's not something to smile about, then I don't know what is."
- Chad Sugg
• 6. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
• 7. "You have to have a certain persona to be a star, you know, and I don't have that. I'm a banana."
- Harvey Korman
• 8. "Accept who you are. Unless you're a serial killer."
- Ellen DeGeneres
• 9. "Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile."
- Billy Sunday
• 10. "It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen."
- Dolly Parton
Photo credit: Carol Burnett Stock photos by Vecteezy
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Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, April 22
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, April 22, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only). Click here for the Facebook event listing.
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 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, 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 nearly $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, and Krista Richard's Community Sports Program, among others. During the last Rotary Trivia Night season (September 2022 to May 2023), more than $6,000 was raised.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of its restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
See you on Monday, April 22!
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In April, the Greater Moncton Walking Group meets in Rotary St-Anselme Park located at 505 Melanson Road in Dieppe, meeting in the Rotary Lodge 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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About this newsletter
Brian Cormier's Weekly Update is distributed weekly from September to June via email to more than 500 subscribers in addition to many others who access it online. 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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