Just a few quick words to get this off my chest…a lot has been made in the States (particularly among Republicans) that Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein. I have to say that in the name department, the guy got the short end of the stick from start to finish. Even his wife, when she first heard of him, said “Barack Obama? Who names their child Barack Obama?!” I also should add that lesser men would cower away with a name like that and stay out of the limelight and considering the man’s brilliance, we’d be worse off for it. So I give him kudos for embracing the name and going with it. Lately Sarah Palin (who shouldn’t throw stones about questionable religious practices) has been using his name in rallies, leading to supports yelling disgusting and stomach-turning chants I won’t repeat on this website. There are republicans blogs out there who simply refer to him as “B. Hussein” to further demonize him and feed the fear mongering.

The man isn’t Muslim – his grandfather was. He saw his father all but a handful of times in his whole life and never met his paternal grandfather. He was raised by a white woman from Kansas and her white, Christian parents in Hawaii. It is believed that religion is passed through the mother anyways, so it’s really a moot point. But the fact that I have to explain that or rationalize it is what REALLY gets me. Because…who CARES if he’s Muslim? There are radicals in every religion; radicals are dangerous, no matter their beliefs. To think that every Muslim is someone who wants to bomb the US and terrorize freedom-loving citizens is so blatantly stupid and ignorant, I don’t even have the words to describe my disdain. To say that because someone is Muslim makes them a terrorist is like saying that all Germans want another Holocaust. It’s cultural naivete at it’s best. And it makes me angry and frustrated, but above all that, it makes me sad.

And that, right there, is the reason that so many people outside the US (even when they’re Americans) look at them with shock and disgust.

That is all. For now…

I don’t really have time to be writing this today, but it’s a post I’ve been thinking through over the past few days. So, this election business down south. I wrote back in January, just before Super Tuesday, about my indecision between Clinton and Obama. I voted for Clinton. I decided at the last possible minute, standing in the voting booth, stamper in hand. I feel I made the right choice and even though I will vote for Obama come November, I think Clinton would have been a better candidate. But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

I’ve never been terribly politically inclined. I don’t know a lot about the political process and couldn’t tell you how a law gets passed (I believe the Senate is involved?). But I don’t think you need to be a political pundit to a) realize that this might be the important election in America’s history and b) notice that it’s a damn interesting race. So I started paying attention. I read Time articles about both candidates. I watched as much of the Democratic convention as I could and I’m now trying to stomach watching the GOPs take to the podium.

I have a lot of opinions about this election. I’m going to try to keep this concise and relevant but I caution you that I’ve got a lot floating around in my head and I’m not sure it will manifest itself into a nice little post, all cleverly thought out, with,  you know, flow and structure. You’ve been warned.

First of all, I don’t have a tremendous issue, per se, with McCain. I think he’s too old to be President and I disagree with just about everything his party stands for and I worry that he would continue to lead America on the dangerous path they’re currently following. As a person, however, I can see his appeal. Sure he’s a bumbling old man, but Americans like to think they could “go for a beer with their president” (personally, I want my President to be smarter than me and have better things to do than sit at a bar…) and McCain has that grandfather-esque thing going for him. I’m sick as hell of hearing about his military past. I hate that every time any one mentions him, they must refer to his accomplishments fighting for America, lest they be painted as un-patriotic (the worst insult you can sling at an American) and disrespectful. We get it. He fought in the war. He was a POW. Can we move on and talk about what he’s done for America SINCE then? OTHER than that? Please? Joe Lieberman stating that he is will be a president that will be “feared” represents, to me, everything that is wrong with America today. I don’t want a leader that scares, I want a leader who is respected. I guess when Bush figured he would never get the respect, he’d go for the fear. Well played…it worked.

Now, let’s talk about his running mate. Sarah Palin. We all know the facts: Mother of five, hockey mom, 4 month old with Down’s Syndrome, 17 year old daughter with a bun in the oven. She’s pro-life, pro-guns and anti-gay. She wants to bring creationism back into schools. She has ZERO experience, her husband supported Alaska becoming independent…yada yada yada. You know all of this. Now, here’s where I start to get mad and emotional, so I’ll try to hold back on the swearing. I think it’s fantastic that the GOP went for a woman VP. I wish they had done it for better reasons than to undermine Obama for not picking Clinton to join his ticket. I REALLY wish Palin wouldn’t try to reach out to Clinton supporters by using Hillary’s reference of the glass ceiling. That really pissed me off. Lady, you’re NOT Hillary Clinton. Aside from being female and a mother, you share nothing. Not values or positions on social issues or how America can best face the challenges ahead. Women and men who voted for Hillary will not be swayed towards the Republicans just because you’re a woman. We’re smarter than that and in actuall fact, it just makes us more determined to win.

I have no problems whatsoever with a working mother. I imagine I will be one, some day. I think in today’s world families need both salaries to keep their head’s above water. I think that even if you don’t need the money, if a mother enjoys her job and is good at it and wants to work, great. Go for it. Everyone has to do what’s best for them. I do, however, think that being the VP of the U.S.A when you have an infant with high needs, plus four other children, is a bit much. One will have to suffer and neither should. Her children deserve all the time and attention in the world. So does America. Which will win? Let’s talk just for a second about the pregnant daughter. I can’t STAND the position that teens are getting pregnant across America so what’s the big deal if Bristol Palin is. Instead of justifying it, let’s try to see WHY this is. If teens want to have sex, why aren’t they learning about birth control and STD protection? What’s going on at home? This isn’t any home – this could be the home of the future Vice President. It needs to keep up appearances, as annoying as that may be for the Palin brood. 

This woman has lost control of her family – how will she control a country? And let’s face it- McCain ain’t no spring chicken. She could very well be President.

Now, here’s where I really get mad. Since Friday, Palin has graced the covers of US Weekly, and People , among others, children in tow. But according to the McCain camp, the media is too hard on poor Sarah. YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. You can’t USE the media to get your story out and then rail against the media for telling a story too. You can’t get pissed about an interview in which a reputable reporter asks a fair question and then pull future appearances on the network. You can’t put your kids on the cover of the celeb rags and then say they’re off-limits. That’s politics, people! Welcome to it.

I hate the insinuation that we’re attacking her because she’s a woman. She had to know, and they had to know that whoever they picked, male or female, would be scrutinized. When Obama chose Biden, there were hundreds of articles in the media discussing his record, the plagiarizing, analyzing the selection. They also had to know choosing the first female candidate would get attention. In fact, I’m sure they counted on it. So they had to know that everything that could be, would be discussed. Well, if they couldn’t handle that, they should have chosen someone with less TO discuss. No one knows this woman- of course we have questions. They want the media attention, but only if they control it. To that, I say stick to Fox News. They’ll be happy to tell a one sided story and will even slag Obama while doing it.

To be continued, I am sure…

First of all, I’m not even technically Canadian. I’ve lived here since I was three and am a Permanent Resident/Legal Alien/Landed Immigrant. The shopping might be far superior south of the border and they have Trader Joe’s and 99% of my family but Canada is my home and, in my opinon, a far superior place to live. But the biggest way in which the U.S. has Canada beat is in the celebration of July 4th. Independence Day is serious stuff in the States. Everyone has traditions and plans and they do it up right. BBQ, red, blue and white, singing the national anthem, fireworks, family and picnics. It FEELS like a different day, like a special day. And it is.

In Canada, we have Canada Day (try saying it 5 times fast. Now try after a few drinks) on July 1st. We have fireworks. And there are parades and concerts and lots of people do fun stuff. But everyone doesn’t. To most people, it’s a day off work and those darn kids set off firecrakers at night. I grew up in Ottawa which is a great place to be on the 1st and I recommend it to anyone who has yet to experience it. Most of downtown is closed to traffic (something Toronto might consider) and the whole city seems come together. When I was a kid, we used to bike around all day, visiting the various parks with activities such as rope climbing, face painting, craft making and much more. They have educational booths set up and cultural experiences and it’s hot and it’s sticky and crowded and fantastic. At night, we’d grab blankets and drive out to the river, park a million miles away (perhaps we should have just walked from the start? Gas was cheaper back then), trudge in and watch the fireworks.

When I was a teenager, Canada Day meant gathering with my friends at Major’s Hill Park, drinking (sorry, Mom) and generally having a good time. The bars were packed, the buses were free after 10 p.m. (another something Toronto might consider) and it was awesome.

Why am I regailing you of tales from my youth? Because Canada Day falls on a Tuesday this year and some people think it would be a great idea to make it a floating holiday, like Victoria Day (which is always the third Monday of May, so at least it’s consistent). This would mean that we would celebrate Canada Day on the Monday or Friday (depending on which was closer to the day) instead of on the 1st. To this I say “WHAT!?” How is that patriotic? On Breakfast Television this morning I was shocked to hear that Kevin Frankish was in favour of this, trying to sell it. I’ve always liked Kevin but was less than impressed with him and all the moronic viewers who wrote or called in to support him. Just imagine: every year we’d have to CHECK when Canada Day was.

Yes, it is annoying to have to work one day then have one day off but it’s CANADA DAY for chrissakes. It’s July 1st. We are supposed to be celebrating the day that marks the start of this country as we enjoy it today. It’s about the DAY not the long weekend. The reason I brought up the States in this post is that they would NEVER consider making the 4th a “floating holiday.” Why is that? Why the difference? Is it because the U.S. has been around longer? Because they have more people? Regardless of the reason, it’s a fact: July 4th is a bigger deal than the 1st and that is sad. 

To be fair, since I’ve lived in Toronto I haven’t taken part in “official” Canada Day festivities (except fireworks at Ashbrides Bay a few times) but we go to my boyfriend’s cousin’s for a BBQ and it’s become tradition. When I have kids, I hope to instill in them some pride in the day and start traditions they will remember, as my parents did.

So get out there tomorrow and celebrate Canada and how lucky you are to live here. Celebrate for all the people in the world who don’t enjoy a free and independent country, who don’t even know what that feels like. 

Happy Canada Day!

I’ve been known to be a contrarian. For some reason I like to go against the grain, just for the sake of being contrary. So when I was thinking about Earth Hour and what I really thought of it and considered writing it down, I made myself take a step back and let the thoughts percolate for a couple of days before I committed a long cynical rant to the internet. But after letting it fester a couple of days, my opinions haven’t changed. And after hearing what other’s thought on the radio, or reading what they thought online, I realized I’m not alone on this. I think Earth Hour is a crock.

It made a whole lot of people feel good to participate and allowed a whole lot more to be snide towards people who chose not to take part. It put a lot of pressure on businesses to “do the right thing” by turning off office tower lights and the ones who didn’t were shunned and booed. But did it have any kind of lasting effect? I’m fairly sure office towers were alight last night and will be bright tonight and tomorrow and so on. Lights were blazing again in homes last night, will be tonight and tomorrow (you get the picture). Offices should be turning off their lights on their own. They shouldn’t do it simply to succumb to PR pressure from the World Wildlife Fund. People should be careful about their electricity consumption all the time, not just for one measly hour because the media and your neighbours tell you to.

I do my best to only have the light on in the room I’m currently in. It’s not always easy and I do forget, but I do my best and I’m usually pretty good about it. We recycle A LOT. We have a blue bin for paper, a blue bin for everything else and a green bin for organics. There are a lot of people out there who do far more for the environment than I. There are far more people out there who do far less. Will those people step up and starting monitoring their electricity consumption now? A couple might, maybe for a little while. But not because they have chosen to; because they feel pressured to. And while some might argue that it doesn’t matter how they get there, so long as they do, I would argue that people who do things out of pressure and not willful desire, will not do so for long.

I have a friend who was very eager to take part in Earth Hour. She was going to go down to the concert in Nathan Philips Square and be all involved and take a stand and all that good stuff. And she did do that all that. She also left her computer on while she was downtown and drove a Jeep down there instead of taking public transit. I would venture a guess that she wasn’t alone. To me, those people missed the whole point. They heard “turn out the lights” but didn’t factor in the effect leaving home electronics on and driving has on the environment. We still have a long way to go.

Yes, Earth Hour bought some awareness to the cause, which is always a good thing. But at the end of day when the lights were back on and the city was buzzing with neon signs, did anything really come of it?

I watch Breakfast TV every morning and have done so for quite some time. I like the casual-ness of it, how the hosts make mistakes and roll with it and just look like they’re having an all around good time. When Dina took over for Liza over a year ago, I was all for it. I liked Liza, but was happy with their choice and thought Dina fit in well. She and Kevin get along, I like her interview style, she isvery comfortable in her role without being over the top. She’s also gorgeous. But this morning? She messed up but good.

It all started with a viewer writing in saying that yesterday’s Sunshine Girl in the Toronto Sun looked a lot like Dina. So they showed the picture and well, she kind of does! She had a good chuckle about it and we seemingly moved on. Well, a quick thinking Sun employee called the newsroom at City asking if Dina would be interested in being a Sunshine girl. Now, I don’t necessarily think she should or shouldn’t do it. Not a great fan of the Sunshine Girl. But Dina went a little too far. Kevin pushed it a bit, the audience was supportive, Dina said something along the lines of “my father would never allow it!” and went on and on. And on. She went too far. She tried to backtrack a little and soften the blow.

Like I said, I’m not a fan, but if those girls want to do that, go right ahead. I’m not judging. Dina did. And it became uncomfortable. Kevin managed to keep it light and got some good jokes about muffins in the mix (you had to be there). But overall, if I’m that Sunshine Girl, I’m seriously offended.

 I think she crossed the line and for a successful woman on TV who just happens to be gorgeous? People in glass houses… Just sayin’

I was at the gym last night in my own little world, thoughts percolating and I was suddenly shocked to realize “hey, this could be a blog post!” Obviously, we Girlz aren’t having so many of those moments lately…

Now to be honest, this isn’t really a PR topic…though maybe you could make the argument that it is in some ways. (Gee Jos, you’re finally writing a post, get to the point, will ya?) So in case you didn’t know, I’m American. Not dual, just American. Now I’ve lived here since I was three and am a permanent resident (so yes, I can work here legally) but my passport is American. And I can vote on Super Tuesday next week in the California primaries. As it happens, I’ll be there then for a family thing so it works out quite well. Here’s where you come in: I can’t decide who to vote for. At first I thought it might seem unethical to ask internet strangers who I should vote for, but upon further reflection I realized that this year’s candidates are waging their battles more and more in the online space. Youtube, Myspace, they’re there. Many of them have blogs on their main site. So why shouldn’t I use this blog as a testing ground?

Here’s what you need to know to help. I’m a card carrying Democrat. Ok fine, I don’t carry a card (do they have a card?) but you get the point. It’s either Hillary or Barack. And I can’t decide.

I think Hillary has more experience. I like her. She’s intelligent, well-spoken and would make a fine leader of a country in need of such a thing. Bill’s indiscretions? Give me a break. He made a mistake, an error in judgment. Did that cost the Americans anything? No- it was personal but because he was the President and he chose an attention-wh**e, it became front page news. Bush’s “errors in judgment” have cost THOUSANDS of Americans and Iraqis their lives and has seriously damaged the US economy. Don’t get me started. Bill, in some ways, is a huge asset for Hillary. In other ways, I see him as a liability. He will have to stay out of the limelight while she’s in office so as not to take the focus off of her. I think he can do a lot as “First Laddie” but it will have to be under the radar and I don’t know if that’s possible. So that concerns me.

Barack is charismatic and I like him too. Goes without saying that he’s also intelligent and when I see him in interviews, he comes off very well. I like his wife. I think she could do a lot more as First Lady than Bill could in the role and you really are voting for them as a team. Having a great President is all well and good but if they don’t have strong support at home and a partner who’s willing to get out there and improve America, then the “great” President isn’t so effective. I don’t like Oprah’s endorsement of him. Not because she should have supported the female candidate, but because I think she made it more about race than it had been prior to her getting involved. Here’s my main concern with Barack and it does not make me proud of my country: they’re not ready for a black president. It’s not his time. Yes, most Americans would embrace the idea and don’t care what colour he is. But the ones that do? Look out; they’re the dangerous ones. If I were Michelle Obama, I would be afraid for the life of my husband and the father of my young children every time he ventured out. That’s the sad reality of it. Like I said, it pains me to think this, but there it is.

John Edwards? No thanks and here’s why: his wife is dying of breast cancer. Not right now and maybe not even in the next four years. And while I think it’s admirable of them to continue with their lives as though everything was fine, I think it’s dumb. Because at some point, she’s going to be very sick. And his focus would and SHOULD be on her and their very young children. But it wouldn’t be on America and that’s a problem to me.

So there you have it. Barack or Hillary. I go back and forth. Who gets your vote?

Apologies for being AWOL lately- thing have been busy! Summer is notoriously slow in the PR world- not so this year! I think I’ve been going non-stop since fall. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today. Nope, today I want to know where you do your best thinking. You know, the place or time of day that you collect your thoughts, think up new ideas and solutions to problems, take account of what needs to get done and how you could have handled a situation differently.

For me, that place is on the treadmill. I can’t read on the treadmill as I run at a good pace and my gym doesn’t have TVs, so it’s just me, some music and my thoughts. I go to the gym in the evening and this is the time I use to figure out what I need to get done the next day, what I forgot to do that day, what I can do to improve on a project and what new ideas I can bring to the table. I don’t necessarily cover all that ground in one workout, but I have found that some of my best ideas have come to me during a run and some tasks that might have fallen through the cracks get remembered in that time too!

This isn’t a new concept for me either- in university, working out was an integral part of exam prep. I would compile detailed notes that I needed to learn, colour code them, staple them together or put them in a duotang of some kind and bring them onto the elliptical machine with me. The things I read through on the machine seemed to stick with me. My mind was clear, it was 30 minutes devoted entirely to memorization without anything there to distract me, such as MSN, TV, etc. When I started running, the same concept seemed to apply, only without the notes. I remember the things I have reminded myself to do on the treadmill the next day when I get into the office. I can’t tell you what I ate for dinner last night half the time, but I know that yesterday on the treadmill I had 5 things I wanted to take care of first thing Monday morning and they’ve all been done.

So, where do you come up with the good stuff? What’s your thinking place?

P.S. Sorry for the cheesy title. I couldn’t resist;)

Networking is most definitely a skill. Skills, to a certain point, can be taught, honed, and put to productive use. But I think you also have to have a little something extra to acquire said-skill to put it to proper use. I’m not sure I have that certain something when it comes to networking. Don’t get me wrong- I WANT to have it. I watch some people move effortlessly through a crowd of strangers and start meaningful conversations with people they’ve never laid eyes on. And I want to be that person. I just not sure I ever will be.

When people first meet me, they usually think I’m shy. They also usually take that back after they get to know me. And I’m far, far less shy than I once was. Leaving home and coming to school in Toronto was probably the most shocking thing I ever did and probably also the smartest. If I wanted to make friends and have a semblance of a life, I was going to have to be less shy, walk up to people and start talking. And start talking I did. I’m much better in social situations, with friends, at talking to people and getting to know them.

But business settings, even social ones, aren’t the same thing. For one, you want to come off well. A different kind of “well” than you do with friends. You want to come off professional, intelligent, charming and even witty. That’s a lot of pressure! You’re not just representing yourself, but the company you work for. You don’t want to walk away from a conversation you think went okay only to have the other person wonder how you ever got hired. It’s all very stressful.

I’m bringing this up because, as many of you know, tomorrow is Third Tuesday. And it’s a big one. The Girlz have been planning to attend and at least three of us will be there. On one hand, this means if all else fails; I’ll have them to chat with. But it also makes it easy to NOT network. Not that I want to attend alone! It will just be important for all of us to remember that Third Tuesday is a great opportunity to meet new people in the industry and forge new relationships.

So, I will be making a concerted effort to network tomorrow. And I welcome any tips you can give me.

On second thought, I don’t so much welcome tips as I am begging for them! Help a Girl out!

And if you’re there tomorrow, come say hi:)

I’m pretty set in my ways (cue collective “no shit” from all who know me) so change is a big deal. I like my routine and don’t like when things veer off-course. So the fact that I’m considering a rather large change in my life is a little disconcerting. Especially since it’s completely my initiative. What is this huge change I’m considering which will have a dramatic effect on my life?

I’m considering switching to Firefox. (Cue dramatic GASP from the internet).

Yes folks, it’s true. I haven’t even switched to Explorer 7 for the same reason- I hate change. I’m set in my ways. I have all my links nicely lined up where I like them and can find them in my sleep and having to reset them all. Ok laziness is part of it for sure. But lately, Explorer just isn’t cutting it. It won’t load some of my most used websites properly, such as CFRB-AM and Hotmail. Both seem to prefer Firefox, which is particularly weird for Hotmail, don’t you think? (Bill? Are you listening?)  My father uses Firefox because he tries to stay away from Microsoft whenever possible, but he might have the right idea for once;)

Many of my colleagues say Firefox is faster. I’m inclined to agree. It seems to be the browser of choice for bloggers and social media fanatics, so there must be something to it.

So what do you use? Are you an Explorer or a Foxer? Am interested to hear what everyone prefers and why.

In the mean time, I’ll be quivering violently about making this monumental change on my own accord and wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. (Cue collective eye roll about my pathetic dramatics).

Ok this post has been brewing for awhile and I’m listening to CFRB talk about it for the second time in 2 weeks and here is my confession: I don’t do Facebook. Never will.

It’s a form of social media so I figure bloggers will have an opinion about it and here’s mine.

High school was fine. I didn’t hate it, I had some good times, I made great friends. In fact, my closest friends are from those years. But I’m in touch with everyone I need to be. If I’ve lost touch, well, what can I say? I don’t miss you! If we weren’t friends then, why do we want to pretend to care about each other now, just because of this site? This site IS high school. How many friends do you have? Are people writing on your wall? Are you dating someone? Not married yet? Do you have a good job?

All my friends are on Facebook. All. of. them. Seriously. My boyfriend is on it. His friends are all on it. I hear people talking about it at the grocery store, on the bus, in Tim Hortons. I must be the only 25 year old in the city, maybe even in the country, who wants nothing watsoever to do with it.

If you want to get in touch with me, my email address hasn’t changed in 10 years. My cell phone number has been the same since 2001 and if you really want to find me, my parents have had the same phone number since I was 4 and learned the thing. If you google me, you can find my work email, work phone number and this blog. I don’t need another way to be found. Period.

Are you on Facebook? Why?