In this issue...
• What's all the fuss about with that Royal Family photo that was edited by the Princess of Wales?
• Pornhub tells Texas to take a hike over user ID law
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Honorifics in marketing
• Be sure to protect your vision during the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8
• 500+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
• Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, March 25
• Easter is Sunday, March 31
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed last week
• Acadian mugs with family names - nearly 100 options!
... and trivia, quotes, community events and more!
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What's all the fuss about with that Royal Family photo that was edited by the Princess of Wales?
Boy oh boy, this "scandal" went volcanic pretty fast, didn't it? Kate, Princess of Wales, uploaded a family photo for British Mother's Day showing her with her children. The exact nature of her recent illness that warranted major surgery is still a big secret, so apparently she wanted to show everyone that she was recuperating well.
However, some people noticed inconsistencies with the photo that went well beyond just correcting the lighting or colour. Some aspects of the photo appear to be downright manipulated. There was so much manipulation, in fact, that a number of news agencies refused to carry the photo because it was deemed to be sufficiently faked.
Article excerpt: "Kate, Princess of Wales, apologized Monday for 'confusion' caused by her altering of a family photo released by the palace - an image of Kate and her children that was intended to calm concern and speculation about the royal's health, but had the opposite effect.
Several news agencies that initially published the photo, including The Associated Press, withdrew the image over concerns about digital manipulation. Issued by the couple’s Kensington Palace office on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain, it was the first official photo of 42-year-old Kate since she had abdominal surgery nearly two months ago.
The retractions sent the online rumor mill, already rampant with speculation over Kate’s operation and recuperation, into overdrive. The PR disaster is more evidence that the royal family’s long-held mantra - 'never complain, never explain' - is impossible in a social media-saturated era.
In a post on social media, Kate said that 'like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.'"
Despite her apology, the Princess seems to have lost some trust in this matter. If people can't believe a simple family photo, what else has been faked? And do people really care if things were moved around here or there? In the journalistic world, they should be concerned. And in the end, everything public that the Royal Family does ends up in the media, so it behooves them to be authentic in what they release.
Read: Kate, Princess of Wales, apologizes for "confusion" caused by her editing of a family photo release. Related: "Fake, not photoshopped": Ex-White House photographer on Kate Middleton picture scandal.
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Pornhub tells Texas to take a hike over user ID law
I am of two minds on this. 1) Who in their right mind would send in their driver's licence to an adult website to prove their age? 2) Well, of course minors are accessing the content. Duh! That seems to be a given these days.
I think Pornhub may end up on the losing end here, since governments have a duty to protect minors, and that rises above all other things, I think.
Article excerpt: "Pornhub has disabled its site in Texas in response to the state’s online age verification law. The site now displays a message to users in the state that says having to provide an ID when accessing an adult website 'is not an effective solution for protecting users online.'
Last year, Texas enacted a previously blocked age verification law (HB 1181) that requires users to upload photos of their government IDs (or use another third-party verification service) before accessing a pornographic website. The law also requires porn sites to display health warnings that claim porn impairs 'human brain development,' among other unproven issues. Texas sued Pornhub’s parent company Aylo in February, alleging that Pornhub failed to comply with the new law."
When all is said and done, if people want to access adult content, they're going to access adult content come hell or high water. I don't think any government will be successful in curtailing that.
Read: Pornhub shuts down in Texas to protest age verification law.
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CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Honorifics in marketing
The latest episode of CBC Radio's Under the Influence with host Terry O'Reilly looked at honorifics in marketing, i.e. the use of "Doctor", "Mr.", "Mrs.", etc.
• March 14, 2024 - When You’re This Big, They Call You Mister. Synopsis: "There are some time-honoured honorifics in the world of marketing. 'Honorifics' are titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Captain or Colonel. Like Colonel Sanders, Dr. Scholl’s, Mr. Clean and Mrs. Butterworth’s. They’re usually leaders in their category. Is it because those products are the best? Or is it because those brand names give the products a sense of respect and authority?" 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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Be sure to protect your vision during the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8
Governments are warning people to use extreme caution when viewing the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.
News release excerpt: "While the event will attract the interest of many people, Dr. Yves Léger, acting chief medical officer of health, said it will also pose risks for the public’s health, particularly their eye health.
'Looking directly at the eclipse, without the proper eye protection, could potentially lead to permanent damage or possibly even blindness,' said Léger. 'Do not look at the sun without using proper certified eye protection eclipse glasses, or else you could risk damaging your vision.'
People are advised to use certified solar eclipse glasses in accordance with ISO 12312-2:2015 and follow the directions that come with this special eyewear, said Léger.
'Young people and dependant adults should be supervised if they plan to use these special glasses to ensure they are using them properly,' said Léger. 'It is important everybody understands that wearing regular sunglasses, or using your phone or an unfiltered camera, will not be good enough, and could be unsafe.'"
The Canadian Association of Optometrists website has additional safety information and a link to a list of reputable vendors for certified solar eclipse glasses."
Be safe and smart, folks! Don't let a few seconds of taking a chance ruin your vision for the rest of your life! Click here for more information about the the solar eclipse in Canada.
Read: People urged to take precautions to avoid vision damage during solar eclipse.
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500+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
500+ copies sold in first 13 days of release!
I'm thrilled to announce that 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!
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:
• Canada (Amazon.ca)
• United States (Amazon.com)
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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Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, March 25
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, March 25, 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, March 25!
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Trivia: Did you know?
The world record for solving the Rubik's Cube puzzle is 3.134 seconds held by Max Park of South Korea. The above GIF shows him setting the world record on June 11, 2023.
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Quotes of note
• 1. "I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older."
- Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), English writer (see photo)
• 2. "Spring is when life's alive in everything."
- Christina Rosetti
• 3. “Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.”
- Lewis Grizzard
• 4. “Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day.”
- W. Earl Hall
• 5. "Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."
- Doug Larson
• 6. "My favourite weather is bird chirping weather.”
- Terri Gullemets
• 7. "The deep roots never doubt spring will come."
- Marty Rubin
• 8. "Spring is nature's way of saying 'Let's party!'"
- Robin Williams
• 9. "An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an 'Escalator temporarily out of order' sign, just 'Escalator temporarily stairs, sorry for the convenience.'"
- Mitch Hedberg
• 10. "The menu of my mother consisted of only two choices: Leave it or take it."
- Buddy Hackett
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In March, the Greater Moncton Walking Group is walking on the Northwest Trail, meeting in the parking lot of the YMCA North End at 70 Twin Oaks Drive, Moncton.
In April, the group moves to 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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Acadian mugs with family names - nearly 100 options!
From Acadistuff: Acadian flag mugs with family names. Nearly 100 options available! Free shipping to U.S. and $7.50 CAD flat rate shipping to Canada.
• 11-oz. mug: Click here
• 15-oz. mug: Click here
Don't see your family name there? Contact me via email to have it added. These mugs have been shipped all over North America! There are many more Acadian-branded items available, as well, including hats, aprons, pillows and even blankets! Click here for the entire Acadistuff catalog.
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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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