In this issue...
• U.S. retailer Target apologizes for selling racist Halloween costume
• RCMP rolling out vehicles with new design featuring black as main feature
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Porch geese are making a comeback as must-have outside home decor
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news
• Trivia: Did you know?
• Quotes of note
• The 5-Minute Executive Devotional: Quick Devotions for Christian Women Leaders to Defeat Burnout and Align Ambition - NEW RELEASE!
• Check out the completely revised and updated Rose Michaels line of colouring books!
• Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, September 28
• Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
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U.S. retailer Target apologizes for selling racist Halloween costume
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I've worked in communications for a long time and remain shocked at some corporate decisions that get through the approvals process. What the heck is wrong with people? These things usually go through multiple layers, yet crazy products such as a blatantly racist Halloween costume makes it onto the shelves of a large retailer.
Article excerpt: "Target apologized on Monday and said it had pulled a Halloween costume from sale depicting a circus clown that critics said evoked Blackface and minstrel shows.
The product, sold as the 'Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,' prompted a backlash on social media, with some consumers saying it resembled a racist caricature.
'As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,' Target said in a statement. 'The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale.'
It is the latest optics headache for the U.S. retailer as it tries to right its ship after a stretch of poor sales. The company also faced criticism over its handling of products in its 2023 Pride Collection, and for changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Target declined to comment on who designed the product - which was sold under the retailer’s seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique brand - or the process by which it was green-lit for sale. In its statement, Target said it was 'looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change.'
Some Black shoppers, who felt alienated after Target’s 2025 DEI rollbacks, expressed fresh disappointment on Monday. Sheletta Brundidge, a Minneapolis-area business leader, views the costume as an indirect result of the DEI decision. 'You rolled back diversity,' she said, 'so who’s in the room, now, to say 'hey, this is wrong?'"
I tend to agree 100% with the DEI theory. When you get rid of diverse voices around the table, you make tone-deaf decisions. This costume reeks of a decision made by a bunch of angry white men sitting around a boardroom table who want their version of the "good old days" back.
In this particular case, Target deserves all the pain coming their way. How embarrassing! How avoidable!
Read: "We know we got this wrong": Target apologizes for children’s clown Halloween costume.
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RCMP rolling out vehicles with new design featuring black as main feature
RCMP vehicle designs are changing for the first time in more than 30 years - and the new darker tone is definitely more ominous than the previous bright white design.
Article excerpt: "The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is rolling out new visual designs for its front-line police vehicles later this summer.
It’s the first time RCMP vehicles have received a new look in over 30 years.
In a news release, the RCMP says it’s updating the look of its vehicles 'to improve visibility and provide a modern, distinctive appearance.'
'The updated look features white doors on a black base, along with high visibility, reflective graphics to ensure the vehicles can be easily recognized in all conditions—day or night, in rural or urban settings, and across Canada’s diverse climates,' says the RCMP release. 'This ensures RCMP vehicles are clearly identifiable as law enforcement vehicles while remaining visually distinct as the RCMP.'
There will be some variations in vehicle designs, as provinces, territories, and municipalities will be permitted to include local identifiers."
As with many things, I didn't see much wrong with the previous design. With that said, I've seen some criticism online from people in the visual arts who are critical of the darkness of the new design. They are concerned that it makes the RCMP look more authoritarian and less friendly. I don't disagree with them, but the striking difference between the white doors and black body certainly makes the new vehicles more noticeable. And with crime rates going the way they are - especially in my local community - maybe a less friendly tone is needed.
Read: New look for RCMP vehicles starting this summer. News release: RCMP updates look of front-line police vehicles.
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Porch geese are making a comeback as must-have outside home decor
If you've been anywhere online this summer, porch geese seem to be popping everywhere. Once popular years ago, the geese are back with a vengence. Collectors are having lots of fun dressing them up in various outfits, too.
Article excerpt: "Petunia the porch goose is sitting pretty on the front step of Alla Turgeon’s home in Hammonds Plains, N.S.
Smartly dressed in a sun hat and a gardening outfit, the concrete figure differs from her feathered counterparts in many ways, her owner points out.
'She doesn't leave for the Canadian winter. She stays here year-round,' jokes Turgeon, who brought Petunia home more than a year ago.
Petunia and her relatives are now perching on a slew of Nova Scotian homes since a spike in popularity that began online helped the once-popular lawn decor item from the 1980s make a renewed splash.
'She's kinda had a resurrection,' said Veronica Ribble, the district manager at Wheaton's in Lower Sackville, where the geese are marketed under the name Giddy.
'People have kind of come back to Giddy.'
And what’s good for the goose is good for the local retail gander.
The life-size figures, made from a range of materials including concrete, plastic and metal, have been selling out at a variety of stores that have just started stocking them.
'They've only been here since yesterday and they're already gone,' said Heather Going of Taylor Timber Mart in Musquodoboit Harbour.
'We have another 40 on order, a new flock coming in in 2½ weeks. I may have to order another one after that.'"
Halloween is coming - and porch geese owners are already gearing up to make the white honkers part of the celebrations by buying spooky outfits for them.
I'm not sure why porch geese are making a comeback, but I think it's perhaps because people are seeking a bit of whimsy in their lives with so much bad news over the past couple years. Personally, I think they're kind of fun. From everything I've been seeing online, retailers have been selling them like crazy!
Read: Why stores can't keep these porch geese in stock.
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Trivia: Did you know?
The dot on top of a lowercase "i" and "j" is called a "tittle". A bit of useless information you can bring up in conversation eventually!
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Quotes of note: Dolly Parton edition
• 1. "Find out who you are and do it on purpose. "
- Dolly Parton (1946-2026), American entertainer and philanthropist (see photo)
• 2. "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!"
- Dolly Parton
• 3. "Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."
- Dolly Parton
• 4. "They think I’m simpleminded because I seem to be happy. Why shouldn’t I be happy? I have everything I ever wanted and more. Maybe I am simpleminded. Maybe that’s the key: simple."
- Dolly Parton
• 5. "The magic is inside you. There ain't no crystal ball."
- Dolly Parton
• 6. "I wake up with new dreams everyday."
- Dolly Parton
• 7. "You don't even have to believe in anything to be good to people. You should just know you should be a good human being."
- Dolly Parton
• 8. "I was the first woman to burn my bra. It took the fire department four days to put it out."
- Dolly Parton
• 9. "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."
- Dolly Parton
• 10. "I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren't in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets."
- Dolly Parton
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The 5-Minute Executive Devotional: Quick Devotions for Christian Women Leaders to Defeat Burnout and Align Ambition - NEW RELEASE!
You are not failing at your quiet time because you lack discipline - you are failing because standard devotionals are built for an unhurried lifestyle, not the high-pressure reality of senior leadership.
As a corporate Christian woman, you often feel torn between career ambition and faith values, splitting yourself to fit the boardroom and the church pew.
The 5-Minute Executive Devotional: Quick Devotions for Christian Women Leaders to Defeat Burnout and Align Ambition by Emily Virginia is a daily devotional that treats executive burnout as a spiritual alignment issue, not a time-management failure. It provides rapid scriptural grounding to help you navigate workplace pressures with integrity.
Inside, you'll find:
• "The Morning Surrender" to help you hand over your calendar and decisions before checking your email.
• "The Pre-Meeting Pause", a sixty-second reset to anchor your identity in Christ right before high-stakes moments.
• "The Evening Reflection", featuring two gentle questions to help you release the urge to replay workday mistakes.
• Lessons from "Nehemiah Under Pressure" on making conviction-led decisions without overexplaining.
• Devotional insights from "Elijah Under the Broom Tree" and "Joseph in the Pit and the Prison" to reframe career exhaustion and plateaus.
This book is for ambitious Christian women in leadership who want to lead with confidence while remaining spiritually anchored. You will walk away with a sustainable daily rhythm of biblical encouragement that fits into a packed schedule.
Grab your copy today to align your ambition with God's calling.
Available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and ebook.
• Amazon Canada: amzn.to/4dI1wCv
• Amazon USA: link.amazon/B0hAAjEK5
... and in many more international markets.
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Check out the completely revised and updated Rose Michaels line of colouring books!
Visit the Rose Michaels website at www.rosemichaels.com to check out a large array of colouring bbooks for young and old alike. Whether you like cars and trucks, owls, suns, moons, fashion, silly monsters or even scary demons, there's something for everyone. Links to purchase the books via Amazon are available on the Rose Michaels website noted above. And there's great news because most of the series was updated this summer with a variety of new interiors, new covers, new books and new pricing!
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Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, September 28
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club is back for the 2026-2027 Rotary Trivia Night season with a NEW LOCATION!
Join us for Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night at L'Igloo Beverage Room and Steakhouse, 300 Elmwood, Moncton, on Monday, September 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person at the door or $12.23 on Eventbrite (price includes Eventbrite fees): www.eventbrite.ca/e/1994871481301?aff=oddtdtcreator
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 and to eat. Trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. sharp and is usually over by 8-8:15 p.m. Everyone welcome! (Please note that seats purchased on Eventbrite will be reserved.) Limited seating.
Participants may bring an optional non-perishable food item (box of granola bars, Kraft Dinner, cereal, canned goods, 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 more than $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, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Children's Wish Canada, Krista Richard's Community Sports Program and Bicycle Program, Diabetes Canada's D-Camps for kids, Anglophone East School District's School Supplies Drive, Youth Quest Central, Ronald McDonald Family Room at The Moncton Hospital, and Shelter Movers, among others.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a no telephone rule at these events. The answers cannot be researched except among discussion with your team members.
See you then! Click here for the Facebook event listing.
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In September, the group walks on the Riverview riverfront trail. Meetup at the gazebo on Coverdale Road.
In October, the group starts its 22nd year when it moves to Centennial Park in Moncton. Meetup is in the parking lot just off St. George Boulevard.
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. 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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