For the second year in a row, it doesn’t feel a lot like Christmas here in Orlando. With temperatures hovering somewhere between hot and hotter and rainstorms sweeping across the state, it feels more like a midsummer week than the holidays.

I know many would gladly trade frozen streets and bitter cold for searing blacktops and afternoon heat, but it does put a damper on the “holiday feel” a bit. It’s a little more difficult to enjoy the refrain of “White Christmas” whilst sweating.

But what the weather attempts to spoil we can make up in holiday spirit. Christmas is a time to be surrounded by friends and family, and to celebrate the blessings that the year has bestowed, regardless of the temperature.

To our friends, colleagues, and clients, we truly wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, and hope that the holidays bring you joy and happiness.

It’s hard to believe that 2016 is nearly in the rear view mirror, with 2017 just lurking around the corner. With the New Year quickly approaching, PR/PR is looking forward to attending a number of exciting conventions, conferences, and meetings—one of those being Lady and the Champs 2017.

This year’s Lady and the Champs conference will be held March 3^rd and 4^th in Las Vegas. If you’re interested in honing your speaking and business tradecraft, Lady and the Champs will teach you the ways in which you can truly become unforgettable in 2017.

Russell will be taking PR/PR on tour for this one, so please come say hello!

Take advantage of Early Bird pricing by registering before December 31^st at www.LadyandtheChamps.com.

We hope to see you there!

The election brought about a litany of “firsts.” The first woman nominated for president by a major political party. The first president-elect with no military or formal political experience. Among all of the unfamiliar facets to the 2016 campaign season, the deluge of fake news from fake news websites—concocted primarily to stoke theories popular in conspiracy circles—has proved very influential.

And on Sunday, their influence nearly proved deadly.

The fictional PizzaGate “news story” spread like wildfire among the Facebook fever swamps, rife with standard conspiracy fare: hidden tunnels, government sanctioned child sex rings. Real tinfoil hat stuff. But with this fake news story came real consequences, when an armed man entered Cosmic Ping Pong in Washington, D.C. to “investigate” the claims. The gunman fired at least one shot inside the pizza joint before surrendering to authorities.

The influx of fake news on social media was already a massive story prior to Sunday’s events, but now the game has changed. It’s no longer just trolls spreading false information; it has real world consequences. When you have vigilantes armed with assault rifles entering buildings to investigate conspiracy claims, something has to be done.

It’s a high wire act for online outlets, however. The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech, so Facebook and Twitter are toeing a delicate line. You don’t want to infringe on the freedoms of your user-base, but when the deliberate spread of false information leads to outcomes like we saw on Sunday, the safety of that same user-base is in jeopardy.

What a strange world.

The thing about conspiracy theories is that they’re never really solved. Once one is debunked, another swiftly takes its place. It’s already occurring with PizzaGate, as many are now claiming the events were a “false flag” designed to discredit the fake allegations. Paranoia is a hell of a drug; its remedy only appearing to be more paranoia.

Let’s hope this is the first and last instance of fake news conspiratorial fantasy impacting real life.

You avoided the peril of Black Friday. You resisted the urge to raid Amazon on Cyber Monday. The usual sequence of drink-splurge-regret has successfully been avoided this year. But here’s a post-Thanksgiving themed day we should all get behind: Today: Giving Tuesday.

#GivingTuesday is an upstart online movement that utilizes the power of social media connectedness to help others—locally, nationally or globally. It’s a chance to take that money saved from ill-advised purchases to give back to others in the community, at the micro or macro level. Through its website, www.GivingTuesday.org, users can choose to sort through a list of charities seeking donations—either in their local community or around the country—or filter results to identify other countries participating.

Last year alone, the Giving Tuesday campaign raised $116 million in 70 countries—not bad for an idea still in its infancy. But this philanthropic movement is not merely limited to dollars. Users can search results for volunteer opportunities in and around their cities.

The holiday season is a time to celebrate, to appreciate the year’s blessings, and to enjoy the company of friends and family. It’s also a time to share those blessings with others. Today, I encourage you to visit the Giving Tuesday website and find a way to lend a hand to others and make their holiday season a bit brighter.

On the heels of my least favorite holiday is one of my favorites. Where it’s socially acceptable to crack a crisp IPA at 11 am and overeat dishes mainly comprised of butter and sour cream. Yes, Thanksgiving is simply the best, and after the political season, we all deserve a day to gorge ourselves on food and drink.

But we also deserve a day of family, friendship and fellowship, and the time to enjoy each other’s company and reflect on the blessings we’ve been afforded. Thanksgiving is simply the best because along with a cornucopia of comfort food, we can celebrate those in our lives and the joy that they bring.

We at PR/PR hope you and yours have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and we will see you back in the office on Monday.