In this issue...
• AI was used to create a Chicago newspaper feature on new books that didn't even exist - and it was published!
• Hudson's Bay branded assets to remain Canadian thanks to Canadian Tire
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Get wind of this: Post-meal "fart walks" are catching on!
• CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Pet marketing
• My latest book: The Hump Day Collection - Volume 1
• Buy them now! Acadian Recipes and More - Volumes 1, 2 & 3, and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1
• The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night will be held on Monday, May 26
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news
• Enjoy the outdoors this winter with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
... and trivia, quotes and more!
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AI was used to create a Chicago newspaper feature on new books that didn't even exist - and it was published!
My God, what a huge embarrassment and sloppy work. The Chicago Sun-Times hired a freelancer to develop a reading list feature for the newspaper. Fair enough. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Well, it seems the so-called freelancer decided to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create the list. Failing to check on the accuracy of what was generated, it was sent in as factual reporting on new summer books that could interest readers.
In a major fact-checking failure, the newspaper ran the story as-is. It was only afterwards that they discovered the majority of the books didn't even exist. AI had made a lot of them up - and no one had bothered to check before it was published. Now, the newspaper has been dealt with a hugely embarrassing controversy of its own making.
Article excerpt: "Good luck picking up the books on an unofficial summer reading list from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Hoping to delve into the 'multigenerational saga' Tidewater Dreams by Isabel Allende, for instance? Keep dreaming. Maybe a science-driven story like Andy Weir's The Last Algorithm is more to your taste? The algorithm can't help you.
OK then, how about Min Jin Lee's 'riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy,' Nightshade Market? Sorry - all you're going to find is shade.
That's because, while the authors may be real, the books don't actually exist. And the Chicago Sun-Times is being roasted online for publishing the AI-generated list. The paper initially couldn't explain how the piece was published.
'We are looking into how this made it into print as we speak. It is not editorial content and was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom. We value your trust in our reporting and take this very seriously. More info will be provided soon,' the Chicago Sun-Times wrote on the social media platform Bluesky on Tuesday morning."
I despise using AI for these sorts of things. It can be useful, of course, but with cutbacks in media staff numbers, who has the time and staff to check these things like they were closely overseen in the past? Stuff like this will only continue until embarrassments pile up to the point where they can no longer be ignored.
Read: Chicago newspaper prints a summer reading list. The problem? The books don't exist. Related: Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up books and fake experts in AI debacle.
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Hudson's Bay branded assets to remain Canadian thanks to Canadian Tire
This is great news! After rumours that non-Canadians would snatch up Hudson's Bay's branding, good-ol' Canadian Tire has stepped up to the plate to ensure that the iconic Canuck company's intellectual property remains 100% Canuckian. (Is that a word? Well, it is now.)
Article excerpt: "Hudson’s Bay is getting a second life with a new owner - Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd.
Canadian Tire said Thursday that it will pay $30 million for intellectual property belonging to the retailer, which is Canada’s oldest company.
The sale includes the overarching Hudson’s Bay brand, its iconic, multicoloured stripes motif, its coat of arms and other brand trademarks.
The deal allows products under these names to be sold by Canadian Tire, which also owns SportChek, Party City, Mark’s and Pro Hockey Life, at their 1,700 stores.
The exchange includes houseware brands Gluckstein and Distinctly Home, as well as apparel line Hudson North, said a source familiar with the deal, who is not being named because they were unauthorized to speak about it.
Canadian Tire CEO Greg Hicks said the fall of the Bay is 'disheartening to witness' but the deal his company reached is meant to be both 'strategic' and 'patriotic.'"
This is very good news for Canada. Thank goodness for Canadian Tire!
Read: Hudson’s Bay to sell name, stripes, brands to Canadian Tire for $30 million.
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Get wind of this: Post-meal "fart walks" are catching on!
If you're seeing an uptick of people going for post-meal walks, it could mean that the concept of "fart walks" is catching on. This is when people go for a stroll after a meal to aid in digestion and to clear some "ill winds" from their systems.
Article excerpt: "When it comes to health trends, it’s all about weeding out the good from the not-so-good. 'Fart walks' are the latest craze to go viral, but this time, it’s for good reason: the simple habit may help stabilize blood sugar.
The term 'fart walk' was coined by Mairlyn Smith, author of Peace, Love, & Fibre, and it refers to a post-meal walk where you can peacefully release gas. 'The whole point of a fart walk is to stimulate your digestive tract after you eat so you can pass gas and have a lovely rest of your evening, but it also has wonderful benefits for your overall health since it supports blood sugar regulation and can decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes,' Smith told Food & Wine. 'People underestimate the power of a short walk, but it’s the little things you do on a daily basis, like fart walking, that can have a really big impact on your long-term health.'"
Take a walk today and let the wind take your troubles - and indigestion - away!
Read: The post-dinner habit you didn’t know you needed? Meet the "fart walk".
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CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Pet marketing
The May 15th episode of CBC Radio's Under the Influence series with host Terry O'Reilly explored the lucrative area of pet marketing.
• May 15, 2025 - CAT-alogues & DOG-alogues: Pet Marketing: "This week, we talk about pet marketing. The pet products industry is worth about $150 billion. And when you love a pet, money is no object. We’ll listen to a pet food campaign that had dogs conduct a symphony orchestra. We’ll flip through IKEA’s CAT-alogues and DOG-alogues. And we’ll explore Dolly Parton’s 'Doggy Parton' fashion line." Click here to listen to the episode. Click here to watch the classic Meow Mix TV commercial mentioned in the episode (and shown in the above GIF).
Click here for the show's website and here for the show's podcast archive.
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My latest book: The Hump Day Collection - Volume 1
I'm thrilled to announce that The Hump Day Collection - Volume 1 is now available for purchase through Amazon in ebook or paperback (300+ pages) format. The book contains 75 updated and revised Hump Day stories that ran for many years in a local newspaper. I've been asked many times to put these in book format, so I'm hoping you'll like it! For ebook lovers, the book is part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription-based program from Amazon. To purchase today:
• Chapters (Dieppe NB location)
• Amazon Canada: amzn.to/4gckiQX
• Amazon USA: amzn.to/3CnKfiF
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Buy them now! Acadian Recipes and More - Volumes 1, 2 & 3, and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1
My three volumes of Acadian recipe books (English and French) and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1 are out now and make a great addition to your recipe book library or a gift for someone else! They are available on Amazon Canada, Amazon USA and in some local retail outlets in Southeastern New Brunswick:
• Chapters (Dieppe) (Volumes 1-3, Forgotten Recipes)
• Le P'tit Coin Acadien Poutine Râpée (Bouctouche) (Volumes 1-3)
• Jean Coutu Pharmacy (Champlain Street, Dieppe) (Volumes 1-3)
• Monument-Lefebvre (Memramcook) (Volumes 1-2)
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The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night will be held on Monday, May 26
The last Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night of the 2024-2025 season will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, May 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only). Facebook event listing: bit.ly/4m2m0bT
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 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 and Krista Richard's Community Sports Program, among others.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of our restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a no telephone rule at these events. The answers cannot be researched except among discussion with your team members.
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Trivia: Did you know?
In Australia and New Zealand, Rice Krispies cereal is known as Rice Bubbles.
Kellogg's introduced Rice Krispies in 1928. The cereal's popular Snap, Crackle and Pop mascots were created in the 1930s and have helped market the product since then.
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Quotes of note
• 1. "Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly."
- Plutarch (circa 40-120s), Greek historian, biographer, essayist and priest (shown in photo)
• 2. "When you're one of the leaders of the team, there are no days off."
- Tom Brady
• 3. "I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself, I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Isaac Newton
• 4. "Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise."
- Sigmund Freud
• 5. "The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose."
- James Baldwin
• 6. "Beauty is a short-lived tyranny."
- Socrates
• 7. "People who read the tabloids deserve to be lied to."
- Jerry Seinfeld
• 8. "I would never die for my beliefs... because I might be wrong."
- Bertrand Russell
• 9. "I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it."
- Mitch Hedberg
• 10. "I wanna make a jigsaw puzzle that's 40,000 pieces. And when you finish it, it says 'Go outside!'"
- Demetri Martin
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Enjoy the outdoors this winter with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In May, the group is walking on the Dobson Trail in Riverview with meet-up in the parking lot on Quinn Court.
In June, the walking group moves to Mapleton Park with meet-up in the Rotary Lodge parking lot off Mapleton Road.
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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