Many thanks, Mr. Colin Craig for interviewing Dr. Mark Milke and Bambi, as co-authors of “the 1867 Project” book (with 18 other writers). As described by the News Forum‘s on YouTube, “they discuss Canadian values and why we need to continue to create a free and flourishing society“.
Bambi enjoyed the thoughtful conversation. It is her hope that you will learn something valuable about our beautiful country and its history.
The older posts, shown further below, introduce the book entitled “The 1867 Project: Why Canada should be cherished, not cancelled” and edited by Dr. Milke. If you are interested, it is on sale now on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/aAIX6. If you happen to be reading it now, well enjoy it! Oui, bonne lecture!
Bambi has always liked several songs, which celebrate summer times. Some of these songs are a call to go to the beach. Others invite us to dance or to love. This being said, what about you: do you have a favourite song?
With this question in mind, Bambi discovered a superb new song by Kendji (Mr. Girac) and Vianney (Mr. Bureau). If she may, she would like to share it with you today.
Kendji and Vianney are two great French artists who joined forces to write and co-sing Le feu” [The Fire], which is a French and Spanish melody about love. Precisely, it is a promise to protect and keep alive a relationship with a loved one, especially through adverse days.
The promises we make in life are supposed to be seriously deep because they are about commitment. Yet, despite its deep lyrics, “Le feu“, with its melody and video clip, sounds light and thus refreshing like a sea breeze. It is also a celebration of friendship through a successful artistic joint venture along with carefree beach scenes among friends.
Enjoy the summer everyone. May the fire of your passions, whether romantic or not, all remain alive; not just during this season but all year round.
Two days ago, Bambi opened YouTube and found this video, which she watched twice. She would like to share it with you. Check how the cute little cub had much difficulty climbing, contrary to his siblings. Mama Bear did the impossible to help him; he succeeded in the end :)! It is fascinating how mama bear holds her younger ones, like cats do, and how she crosses the street. She seems to be carefully looking both ways. To salute this lovely wild family, Bambi will end this “beary” post with songs related to bears!
As today happens to be Boulay’s birthday, Bambi would like to wish her a wonderful new year. She thanks her for the great music, which she listens [and sings :)] to while driving.
Below, and following the Happy Birthday song, Bambi will share some of Boulay’s performances solo, in memorable duets, and with other inspiring singers from the USA, Europe, and Canada. Except one English song, with the late and great Mr. Kenny Rogers, the rest of the melodies are all in French; some are sub-titled in English for your convenience. Thanks to all those who posted them on YouTube. Of note, Ms. Boulay’ last performance is a French adaptation of “The Winner Takes It All” by the amazing Swedish pop group ABBA.
To conclude this post, it may be Boulay’s birthday on July 7. However, instead of her receiving a gift from you and from Bambi today, this much talented singer is offering us all a precious musical gift: a bouquet of songs with deep lyrics and heart-felt emotions. “Merci chère Madame Boulay et bonne fête”! Happy Birthday to Ms. Isabelle Boulay ❤️!
Today, Bambi came across a highly informative PBS New Hour brief documentary almost at the same time as Mr. Ghassan Rahbani’s powerful Lebanese-Arabic new song, entitled “Chou Bi’i Men Lebnan” [or “What is left of Lebanon“], which is about corruption in his county and its resulting fiasco. This post is simply meant to share both with you.
Thanks to PBS News Hour for shedding light on how “Lebanon struggles to emerge from financial crisis and government corruption“. As for you Mr. Rahbani, it is moving to hear you singing for the “humiliated” people, to use your own words. Thanks and bravo to you, the talented musicians, the children, and to all professionals who made the YouTube video-clip possible, including but not limited to the following: Mr. Jad Rahbani (lyrics, Music & Arrangemen), Ms. Ranya Ghosn El Hage (Direction), Mr. Marwan Ziadeh (Cinematography), and Diamony Digital Distribution @WataryProduction (Production).
To share the song’s simple yet deep lyrics with you, Bambi translated them into English (following the embedded videos). As usual, she is grateful for the assistance of her friend, the tireless Mr. Google Translate.
Best wishes to the people of Lebanon ❤️!
“What is left of Lebanon after you took it?”
What is left about Lebanon? Words you did not say yet.
There was some misery and the promise of tragedies.
What is left, what is left for the rest, I hope you will leave.
What is left of Lebanon, I wish you would forget.
And you sleep for two eras, so we can forget what you did.
Because in this country there are people, not herds.
Every time an hour ticks, they walk away.
What did you do in Lebanon, I hope you remember.
Because my little ones won’t forget.
And the humiliated people are the ones preserving Lebanon.
I wish you would leave. Stop the killing.
What is left of this land after you plundered it.
We even dream of a future that you took out of our mind.
What is left of Lebanon, what is left, nothing worth it.
You fight for it until you divide it.
What is left of Lebanon after you ate it?
You stole the light from the sky and the air you breathe.
Leaders on behalf of the sects (or religions), you made your country a farce.
What you stole from Lebanon, it’s time for its return”.
The beautiful picture of Denise Bombardier was taken from the Montreal Gazette. May her memory be eternal.
Upon doing a quick tour of the news, Bambi first came across this cartoon by Mr. Yannick Lemay:
Taken from the Journal de Montréal. “Oui, merci chère Madame Bombardier”!
It took Bambi’s brain a few seconds to understand why Denise Bombardier is portrayed as a beautiful angel in the above cartoon. When she thought of death, she was shocked and googled media articles about her. Indeed, the first article announcing this tragic news was from the Montreal Gazette and entitled: “Quebec columnist and author Denise Bombardier has died at age 82” (https://shorturl.at/iy469). It is hard to imagine such a sharp and rich monument of Québec gone :(. What a deep loss for her family and for all of us, for humanity, for the francophonie (she defended the beautiful French language passionately), for women (she was a great feminist), and for convictions and principles.
Indeed, as Mr. Lemay wrote in his cartoon: “MERCI Madame Bombardier”! What a lady, Ms. or rather Dr. Bombardier. Her articles in the Journal de Montréal were always food for thought. Bambi translated or cited a few of them in older posts, all shown further below. In addition, she read a number of her books, including Vieillir avec grâce [Aging with Grace]. She was eager to one day read her many other books, including Nos hommes [Our Men] or L’Anglais [The Englishman], which tells us the story of her beloved husband Mr. James Jackson (fictionalized version: Philip T. Spencer) who speaks an impeccable French, by the way. Bambi’s heart goes to him as well as to her son and grand-daughter et al.
This being said, as the world is small, Bambi once bumped into Bombardier in one of Montreal’s bakeries. She made sure she greeted her, expressing her admiration in the tone of her “Bonjour, Madame Bombardier!” For those of you who do not know her, here are some of the milestones of her impressive and inspiring career: Three years after earning a Master’s degree in political science from the University of Montreal in 1971, she obtained a PhD in Sociology from the Sorbonne University in France. She started her career as a researcher for Radio-Canada. She also hosted several highly successful programs since 1975. In addition to authoring about 20 books and essays, she contributed articles to both international and national media, such as “Le Monde“, “Le Devoir“, “Châtelaine“, “Critère“, “Le Point”, “L’Actualité“, and Journal de Montréal (https://shorturl.at/pHIS8).
As reported in the Montreal Gazette (https://shorturl.at/iy469), Prime Minister (the official name for Premier in Québec) Legault tweeted the following: “Bombardier was in love with Québec and the French language… She was brilliant, courageous, funny.”
Of note, Madame/Dr. Bombardier was named to the Ordre national du Québec (2000) and admitted to the Order of Canada (2015). Also impressively, she was made an officer of the French Legion of Honour (2009).
If all the above, including having the courage of her convictions while being flexible, is not inspiring for younger and older generations alike, then what is? As Bloc Québécois Leader, Mr. Yves-François Blanchet, expressed it well: “Bombardier was a monument in Québec’s cultural, political and intellectual arena, relentlessly rigorous in her convictions but capable of evolution and also of that sometimes brave spontaneity that nourishes everyone’s thinking” (https://shorturl.at/iy469).
May Dr. Denise Bombardier’s memory be eternal. Who knows? Perhaps she is hanging out in heaven now with her colleague from the Journal de Montréal, our dear Dr. Frédéric Bastien? Bambi will ask them to please watch over, not only their families, but also their beloved Québec (and thus over Canada and the rest of the world). May love, along with integrity, have the final word in our world.
Bambi would like to wish ALL those of you who celebrate July 4 a wonderful day ♥️!
Who knows? Perhaps Joëlle is running today for her beloved America [or “Amérique”], as she does every year, ending the competition with her classical jump in the air :)?
Well, “Jojo”, jumping or not, if you happen to be reading this post now, your childhood friend wishes you much joy, mixed with love, across the miles. Enjoy Dassin’s song ♥️!
A picture taken from an older post. Bravo Joëlle and Happy 4th of July!
First, the title of this post is the first contradiction in this story. On one hand, our federal politicians tell us they care about our input. On the other hand, the government-funded media does not allow any expression of opinions or questions. Since there is no way of commenting on this media page, Bambi will do it on her own blog now.
Second, the CBC and Mr. Trudeau are insinuating that the English version of the Oh Canada could be changed from “Oh Canada, our home and native land” to “Oh Canada, our home on native land” (https://shorturl.at/hijAL). Of note, this article came out on Canada Day. It did not even wait until the fun of the long weekend was over. If this is not a patriotic kill joy, what is it then?
Bambi wonders if Mr. Trudeau had thought about her Indigenous fellow Canadian citizens who do not endorse this change. They will likely not be included in the consultation process. Who knows? If they are vocal, some of them could be perhaps silenced too, like the rest of us, by a radical left that lost contact with reason, tolerance, humour, and love (including patriotic love).
Third, Ottawa has increased its immigration threshold to 500 000 per year. Does it mean that Canada is into massive “colonization” now, with the suggested change of “home on native land“? When Bambi and her family immigrated to Canada in 1990, the embassy she escaped to in Cyprus was, and is still, called the Canadian embassy? To be congruent, will the name eventually change to something else now to reflect the change of our national anthem? Will the ideological politicians and elite push for such change too one day? To borrow Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté’s own term, Canada looks increasingly like Wokanada.
Fourth, Ottawa is much into slogans and imposed ideologies, from top to bottom, like what is called diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ironically, although not surprisingly, what they seem to be resorting to is division. This time in a highly symbolic way on a highly symbolic day.
P.S: There is nothing wrong with a movement, like wokeism when it is a choice among others and even if it is the vision of a government. However, to become the religion of a government and to be imposed on us all, is a slippery slope in Bambi’s mind. In the meantime, change or no change to Oh Canada, the problem of clean drinking water on reserves remains unsolved, despite the hard work of the Government of Canada, along with First Nations communities (https://shorturl.at/uyU38) and the good online transparency, as shown below. With this regard, well done Canada. Why can’t the CBC be transparent with Canadians in the same manner?
A screenshot taken from the Government of Canada‘s website.
Rousseau’s picture was taken from Wikipedia. Elie Wiesel’s picture was taken from Radio France.
Both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Elie Wiesel died on a July 2. The former in 1778 and the latter in 2016.
A Swiss-born philosopher, writer, and theorist, Mr. Rousseau’s writings “inspired the leaders of the French Revolution and the Romantic generation” (https://shorturl.at/cHU46). Bambi studied Rousseau in high school. Indeed, she cannot think of him without remembering her inspiring fantastic professors of philosophy and French literature in Beirut, Lebanon. Of note, one of her older posts (shown further below) paid tribute to one of them, namely Ms. Nadia Jammal. May her memory be eternal.
As for Mr. Elie Wiesel, he was a Romanian-born American writer/philosopher, and university professor. He survived the Holocaust and authored 57 books, which where mostly written in French as well as in English. In 1986, Wiesel received a Nobel Peace Prize (https://shorturl.at/KMNOP). Bambi discovered this author, on her own, when she was in CEGEP (Québec’s college system). Her heart was profoundly moved by his deep humanity, despite his horrifying experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentrations camps. As reported in Radio-France (https://shorturl.at/KMNOP), he was “so close to death, so often…” . Indeed and thankfully, Wiesel survived the concentration camps where he had been deported in 1944. He was 15 years old at that time. However, tragically, he lost his mom, dad, and one of his sisters there.
To conclude this post, which aimed to share with you seven quotes from Rousseau and Wiesel respectively, Bambi will end in music. The eternal song chosen is about our shared humanity. It is entitled Quand les hommes vivront d’amour [When Men Will Live for Love]. It is from the late Mr. Raymond Levesque. The latter Canadian singer-song writer died two years ago. May his memory and artistic legacy be eternal. The song is nicely performed by Mr. Jay Lemay in what looks like a slightly slower rhythm than the original. Bambi thanks Lemay for making his video not only public on YouTube, but also sub-titled in English for the convenience of her readers. May love have the final word in the entire world, including Canada.
Rousseau
“I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery”.
“It is much more valuable to always have people’s respect than to occasionally have their admiration”.
“What wisdom can you find greater than kindness?”.
“To be sane in a world of madman is in itself madness”.
“To write a good love letter, you ought to begin without knowing what you mean to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written”.
“Those that are most slow in making a promise are the most faithful in the performance of it”.
”Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong”.
Wiesel
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference“.
“Human beings should be held accountable. Leave God alone. He has enough problems”.
“Someone who hates one group will end up hating everyone – and, ultimately, hating himself or herself“.
“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the centre of the universe”.
“I’m a teacher and a writer; my life is words. When I see the denigration of language, it hurts me, and it’s easy to denigrate a word by trivializing it”.
“Religion is not man’s relationship to God, it is man’s relationship to man”.
“Religion is a very personal thing for me. Religion has its good moments and its poor moments”.
Bambi was not only honoured, but also delighted to be a panel guest of True North‘s talented Andrew Lawton on his show, along with: (1) the clever Dr. Mark Milke, editor of The 1867 Project, the new book of the Aristotle Foundationfor Public Policy, who is also the president of this promising new think tank, which “aims to renew a civil, common-sense approach to public discourse and public policy in Canada” (https://shorturl.at/rzEM1); & (2) the inspiring Dr. Lynn MacDonald who is a professor emerita in Sociology & a former New Democratic Party (NDP) member of parliament.
MacDonald, Milke, and Bambi (or Azar) contributed chapters to The 1867 Project, along with 17 other authors. The panel chat covered topics related to “Canadian history, identity politics, and the mob” (https://rb.gy/c2f48). The book is on sale now on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/aAIX6.
Following the YouTube panel video entitled “The Andrew Lawton Show/Why the activists who hate Canada are wrong“, Bambi will end by honouring Canada in music. The first chosen piece is our beautiful national anthem, which is performed by Ms. Lara Fabian in both French and English. The second song is Dalida’s Helwa Ya Baladi, which means my country is beautiful in Arabic. This song is performed by Ms. Hiba Tawaji.
Since her arrival to her adoptive country at age 17 (33 years ago– yes, time flies!), Bambi is happy to have lived in three beautiful Canadian provinces: Québec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Note how Dalida’s song is about one country’s beauty. It is thus not about its perfection. The latter does not exist anywhere. After all, we are just humans. We can only keep aiming for the best, try to be forgiving (with both ourselves and others) while learning from the past and co-building the future hand in hand. Happy Canada long weekend everyone ❤️!
