Same sex marriage

After a shocking statement by US president Barack Obama this week, people have been breaking keyboards and running up phone bills in the huge discussion about "SAME SEX" marriage.

For some this topic is "icky" and should be left alone....

For me, its well, just another topic nothing more nothing less.

For Barack Obama it could be the difference between winning or losing the next election.

Now, there are a good few ways of looking at his decision to "come out" about his support on "SAME SEX" marriage, whether they are right or not is very dependent of how you see it and how he intended for it to be received by the public. There is a risk and high probability that you are going to P*** off a good number of people, on the up side for every person you annoy there is always another person to take their place. From a political stance, winning votes because of a change of agenda is more or less gauged on what the people that are voting want out of their leader, so if you thought he'd said it to win VOTES, then congratulations you would be correct, but how and why he wants those votes is a totally different argument.

In today’s society, sexual orientation and every day interests are all changing. America has a "black president" and a “female with red hair” runs Australia. The opportunity for the government to "get with it and to stop brushing the topic under the rug has forever passed the gates of politics but no one has ever been brave enough to let it through, until now that is. Barack Obama "first African American" president of the United States has taken a huge leap of faith in supporting the ever growing topic of same sex marriage. As a man of many religious beliefs, Obama has changed the stigma about African American people as well as opened so many opportunities for those who have been minoritized by past governments and other high societal figures. His cultural diversity and willingness for change makes him the perfect person to deliver and implement the same sex marriage law, whether he gets to do this or not is well, something we will have to wait for, until then i believe he has opened a door that will bring US politics into the 21st century.

Australia’s take on this.... well that I have no clue on.

As our very own elections draw closer a bold move such as the one taken by Obama may be needed although it may been seen as a stretch considering the nature of the two parties, it could also be seen as a copy cat movement therefore cause more harm than good.

A rather large decision that will have to be looked at from as many angles as humanly possible.

All I can say is good luck to the man, especially for making such a large gesture. He is known for connecting with his followers; maybe this is him opening a new avenue of communication.

We shall see.

P.S

(Should there be such a thing as same-sex-marriage or should their be a same-sex 'union' recognised by law and leave out the word marriage?)

'Union' definition: the joining of things together, uniting.
 Thesaurus: alliance, merger, synthesis coalition.

'Marriage' definition: the state of being married.
 Thesaurus: matrimony, wedlock. (Wedlock the condition of being married)     
      
Unless the two same sex individuals are starting a business together or are looking to take on politics directly, I would stay away from the word "UNION" as it says a number of things and none of those things states directly that the two individuals are together because of *LOVE* which at the end of the day is "Matrimony"

Union just emphasizes that over-arching issue EQUALITY now that is an "icky" topic...

The 24th of November 2007

It's the moments where tears of joy drop from your cheeks; it’s the smiles from your friends, your family and your parents.

It's that all mighty applause at the end of a flight when the plane lands, except this is no ordinary flight or journey, this is my life.

Right from when I was young I had always been a little on the "chubby" side, never first and always last, for years I put up with the constant bullying and humiliation, in moments where the sports class would yell to me from across the field to "hurry up" because everyone was waiting for me. It was in those moments that being different from everyone else hit me most, everything was a competition, nothing was just...fair... not for one moment was I ever equal to anyone else.

I took charge!

In 2006, I decided to take charge and change my ways, gone were the days of being abused and singled out, it was time for me to be known for greater things, to break away from just getting by and being ok. It was full steam ahead from then on. I think during that time I had really broken free of keeping to myself and being scared to try new things, I didn't worry about what people were thinking because if it bothered me then they'd like that, and that wasn't right. Skin like leather my mother would say, tough on the outside, soft on the inside... my biggest inspiration is my mother, her drive to battle her through her illness and take charge of her own life is definitely something I look up too and respected, if she could do it so could I, rise above the situation and run with my new opportunities, I had to want it for me. 

That year I last over 15 kilos and was well on my way to being a healthier and more confident kid, my grades were up and I was feeling good, so good in fact I joined as many of the athletics teams as I possibly could to not only get some much needed exercise but to improve my skills. By the end of the year I had achieved many of my set goals, I brought the trophy home for our division A soccer team and had made so many new friends, life was on the up. 

This is it!

2007 arrived so very fast, as did my growth spurt, I was taller and down to my lowest weight, this year was my last year to take everyone by storm. By this point nothing would stand in my way of achieving “greatness” it was a race to the finish line and for once I was in for a chance. I trained every week, I was now sports captain and student councilor I was a soloist in front of 900 people and soon to be something no one, not even I had ever anticipated of being. 

24th of November 2007

The school sports carnival had arrived, a day I had been waiting for, for a very long time. I was prepared and ready to give it my all and for the first and last time in my schooling life, my parents were there to cheer me on.  The atmosphere on that day was magic, everything seemed to be in slow motion, you could feel the excitement as each event was held. I had managed to be a part of every event that day and somehow managed to come 1^st every time, it was surreal, almost like a dream but better. 

I stood ready for my final race, the boys 100m sprint. I lined up at the starting point, I remember my heart was beating like a drum it was deafening almost, the track became smaller in my sights and the finish line further away, before I knew it I hear the marshal say those scary  words.. On your marks, get set, GO!! At the sound of the gun going off my legs had a mind of their own and took off in hyper drive, my face serious as ever I ran for my life and boy did it pay off, for the first time in my entire life I defied the odds and came first, as I collapsed at the end in a ball of tears my friends and parents run to me in cheer, shocked at what they had just witnessed thinking “did he just do that”. It was an over joyed feeling of happiness and achievement, words could not describe that moment, it was on that day that the school declared me champion boy. It is possible to rise above and beyond, life always has a solution you just have to find it, I know I did.

 

Group work, ain't always easy

Where to start…?

Well, getting to know your team members and working out what there clear strengths are is always a first for me. 

It gives you an initial platform to base the activities and tasks off of and allows you to familiarize yourself with each member. This may be handy when you are trying to get something done later on, so keep them in mind. (Networking people)  

Another thing is a notepad and pen. This can be used as a tool to mediate and jot down key ideas that group individuals may have to contribute to the task; it will also prove affective when reflecting back on the work when completed. 

Admittedly, I have been placed in groups that I may not have necessarily been too keen on, but have managed to put aside my differences, and get the job done. For some, this is no easy obstacle and can often cause climatic blows between team members resulting in miscommunication and sometimes the in completion of the end job, which is not what we should be aiming for. 

Learning to set aside these differences and completing the job is mostly difficult when you are one, too opinionated or two, not opinionated enough, Although, presented are two extremes by learning to have a controlled balance between the two, you are enabling yourself to play a neutral part within the group, which will be noted by team members as a comfortable trait that they can trust and relate to in the future.

“Too many chiefs and not enough Indians”

In the bid to be top dog, it is possible that you will tread on toes and possibly damage your reputation as a leader. Some people are natural born leaders and taking control is nothing new to them. Picking this leadership trait up is as easy as watching carefully for body language, dialogue and written communication, a leader will be forward facing and at the front, they will converse with purpose and meaning, and finally they will write in a detailed form, to help preserve the information for future reference.

The best advice I could give is, to never be the center of attention, share the workload, help each other out and be open to new ideas. Narrow minded and selfish team members will be left behind and there is no doubt that it will show.

Be a team and be proactive.

PR AND BLOGGING

Are you feeling slightly down or unhappy??

Did you just have a really awful meal at what you thought was highly rated restaurant??

Or...did you just find something amazing and would love to share it with the world??

THEN WHY NOT BLOG ABOUT IT??

With the growth of the "world wide web"blogging has become a new super power in the social media world.  Companies that were skeptical about this new thing called "Blogging" are now jumping at the opportunity to get insight into how people think, feel and act about particular topics.

A blog (short for weblog) is an online personal journal that is updated frequently for general public consumption.

The free ability to freely see what people think about is the key to what could be seen as great marketing and PR (Public Relations). Getting inside your target groups head’s (metaphorically speaking) and understanding what their likes and dislikes are affects how well the message you are trying to convey is understood. Everyday a new question or discussion is launched by hundreds of companies worldwide. So, as an awesomely great tool that is free and at the disposal of anyone who has the internet and computer, what could be easier than having it all in the one place and on a time-line where people can view and add to wherever and whenever they want.

BLOGGER INFO LINK

PROS AND CONS OF BLOGGING

The link above leads to a web page which talks about the pros and cons of blogging. It also talks about why people “Blog”. Understanding who and why people blog is essential when assigning your blogger or becoming a blogger yourself. There are certain styles people can relate to and understand, therefore when blogging, having an idea about the who, what and why helps if you are planning on sending a message or evoking interest.

PR in the 21st century is becoming more and more focused on the web, and rising to E-web stardom is something so many companies strive for because of its influence in today’s growing society. E-web stardom can be achieved through witty and specific posts. Whether it be a picture, text or even a song, having constant activity on your blog and updating the information about your products allow, the viewer to get involved and find something that interests them. Once they see something they like, allowing individuals the opportunity to have input over particular items gives others an insight into what the customer satisfaction levels are like, as well as, feedback on the product overall.

So, as you probably understand, it’s all about the power of persuasion and how accessible that persuasion is to the consumer and individual. PR people understand this, and are adapting to the use of this tool as they know that it is indeed a “super power” for getting messages and information across both effectively and efficiently.

Public relations hotspot BH inc.

HOW LUCKY DO WE HAVE IT!!

Well If you are looking at this blog I will presume that you can read and write. Have you ever wondered what life would be like if that all went away. Imagine waking up one morning and not being able to understand or interpret a message someone had left you, whether it be by text message, email or even a hand written note, all the words are foreign and you have no way of understanding this message without asking for another persons help. About seven million or 46% of the Australian adult population lack the literacy skills to cope with the demands of modern life and work and understand, for example, a newspaper article or read a bus timetable (ABS 2006).

Scary statistic wouldn’t you agree?

So the next time you hear or see someone struggling, have a go, help them out or even just let them know you are there to help, i can’t really imagine anything worse than feeling alone. It’s just one of those things…

Be Inspired..!!

Everyday people are inspired by some of the simplest things, whether it be a song, maybe another person, it could be art, music, or even a thing of nature. Whatever it may be, people find things that make them think and act in different ways, which leads to some incredulous ideas, ideas beyond some peoples wildest dreams. One idea equates to a million possibilities.

Look around you…the inspiration is everywhere!!