Not Always Black and White

After a recent presentation on PR in the News by Teri Stevens, that discussed the controversy around Stuart Murray, Manitoba's former Progressive Conservative party leader being the first director of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, that night I went home, and ended up having an interesting conversation about the matter with my parents.

Before Teri's presentation, I was unaware that as a leader, Murray and his caucus voted against same-sex adoption rights. I wondered how could a person who voted against rights for people be appointed the director of the Canadian Museum for HUMAN RIGHTS. In an interview after his appointment as human-rights museum boss, Murray said he was just following the wishes of his caucus during the vote seven years ago.

Even if his personal views do not reflect those of his party, should he really be the one chosen as director? Should the fact that he was involved and associated in voting against against gay rights, even though he claims it was not his personal belief be held against him?

My family and I discussed this topic and we discovered there were many examples of people who have different personal opinions from the party they belong to. My dad recently sent me an interest link, relating to the topic. The following video is of Phillip Spooner, a lifetime Republican, World War II veteran and a gay marriage supporter. The 86-year-old gave a heartfelt speech in support of gay marriage to Maine's Judiciary Committee in April. Spooner states that he is a true American, and that he fought for his country in order for equality for all.

I feel that Spooner's stance is similar to that of former Vice President of The United States, Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary, is a lesbian. Cheney received a lot of criticism after he distanced himself from President Bush’s call for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. At a campaign rally in Mississippi, Cheney spoke supportively about gay relationships, saying “freedom means freedom for everyone,” when asked about his stand on gay marriage.

"Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very familiar with," Cheney told an audience. "With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to."

In all 3 instances, it seems as though just because a person belongs to a certain party, does not mean their personal beliefs on a subject fully complies with the party's stance.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/philip-spooner-video-wwii_n_329446.html

Wild On Winnipeg

Let's face it: we always knew that Winnipeg was Canada's Cultural Capital. We've been the slurpee capital of the WORLD for ten years running!

Not to mention, The Guess Who were the first Canadian band to have a #1 hit across Canada. Then there's Guy Maddin, the Weakerthans, the West End Cultural Centre, Folk Fest, the WSO, the WAG, the Manitoba Museum... I could go on.

But it's always nice to be recognized and Winnipeg has been selected as Canada's cultural capital for 2010 by the Federal Government.

So in case you were wondering how popular Winnipeg truly is- Hollywood sure seems to think so. This is a video created in Winnipeg for Destination Winnipeg, Winnipeg's tourism and economic development agency to promote the city:

Something to Brighten Up Your Day

Although this commercial has nothing to do with Dairy Milk and might make you tilt your head, it makes me smile.....

Enjoy

Sending the Wrong Message

In a recent article in The Winnipeg Sun, Health Canada was reported to have sent extra body bags in their shipment of supplies to communities in northern Manitoba. The communities (which included Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill First Nations) were expecting supplies for the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Now, what should these communities think when they open up the shipment and there's more body bags than normal? It's a pretty clear message, don't you think? Does Health Canada know something that the First Nation communities don't?

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Read the article here: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/09/17/10948146-sun.html

Eco-friendly... Parking Spots?

First came handicapped parking stalls, then came specific parking spots for expectant mothers, and now the introduction of a new type of parking spot designated for fuel efficient cars, right here in Winnipeg! Very forward thinking Kildonan Place Shopping Centre - I'm pleasantly surprised yet question how well people will respect these specific parking stalls.

Check it out: http://www.chrisd.ca/blog/13574/kildonan-place-shopping-centre-preferred-hybrid-parking/

What do you think? Do you think people will like this idea, or find it a nuisance?

Customize your own Outfit- Now There's an App for That

A friend of mine who works in marketing told me how she recently attended a Twitter seminar and the instructor said something that left a lasting impression on her - that if companies were a meal of spaghetti, that social media should not be the cheese sprinkled on top, but rather the hearty meatballs that accompany the noodles and sauce. Driving home the point, that companies should be incorporating and focusing on social media in their marketing strategies.

Social media is not just for 15 year olds posting pictures of what they did on weekends. Rather, social media tools (sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc) allow for companies to generate exposure, opportunity , sales and new business partnerships.

Social media is a way to talk about products, become part of a community, engage conversations and create buzz. Companies will only gain by using social media tools and more should jump on the bandwagon.

The following is an article on Ralph Lauren's innovative marketing plan incorporating social media. Imagine picking up your iPhone, choosing an 'app' that allowed you to customize an outfit to your taste. Now imagine that you can order this outfit and have it shipped to your home within a few business days. Well, now you can.

Check it out: http://www.clickz.com/3634938

Shake Your Groove Thang!

So You Think You Can Dance (one of my favourite guilty pleasures to watch) premieres tonight, and I thought it would only be appropriate to post this entertaining video. Apparently I'm not the only fan of the show! Go Ellen, Go!