While driving on the New Brunswick Trans-Canada highway yesterday, Bambi listened to music and sang to songs of different languages and themes. One of these melodies was Fairuz’ famous Li Beirut song, which brought tears to her eyes. Indeed, she could not help not to think of all the tragedies in her birthplace throughout history.
One of Beirut’s surrealistic yet still unaccountable recent tragedies of criminal neglect was its port blast, which caused 218 deaths (including toddlers), 7500 injuries, 300, 000 homeless people, 150+ permanently disabled individuals, including children who lost their eyes, over 3/4 of destruction in the Lebanese capital, 4 hospitals totally destroyed, US$15, 000, 000, 000 worth of damage, trauma of that doomed August 4, 2020, and massive migration around the world, including Canada.
May the memory of Beirut’s innocent victims be eternal. As a musical tribute to all of them, this post will feature Li Beirut with Mr. Omar Kamal’s soothing voice. The Youtube video shown below includes beautiful pictures of the Lebanese capital.
There is a reason why Bambi’s childhood nickname is “BambiNeh” or “I am Bambi” in Armenian. That long story is simple: it is related to beautiful childhood memories in Beirut. The story could be made even simpler by calling it “a love story” with the Armenian language because of her loved ones, whether still on earth or in heaven.
Thus, Bambi cannot end this day knowing that tomorrow has been officially declared [no clue by whom :)] as being “Armenian Appreciation Day” (among other celebrations of the day)!
Indeed, to highlight this meaningful day before its start in Atlantic Canada, Bambi would like to share with you two songs that she adores:
The first melody is a joyful interpretation of a Armenian love “MiGna” song. It is interpreted below by the talented Ms. Ranine Chaar from Lebanon (Sidon international Festival, 2017). If Bambi is not mistaken, the pianist we see on stage is the highly productive Lebanese musician, Mr. Guy Manoukian.
As for the second French song, it is the moving “Pour toi Arménie” [For you Armenia] as interpreted by very skilled kids from the “Chorale Cap Coeur” with Mr. Artyom Minasyan. In this YouTube video, we can see how much these young artists have touched Mr. Patrick Fiori’s heart.
May the beautiful Armenian culture keep flourishing! May Armenia see more peaceful and prosperous days ❤️!
None of you live in the same city, or even time zone, of the other. Yet all of you, each in a unique way, together live in Bambi’s heart. This is true today more than ever.
With love, your cousin/friend, like sister, Bambi wishes you a Wonderful Birthday!
Yes, Happy Birthday to each one of you! Have fun ❤️❤️❤️❤️!
Bambi loves April Fool or All Fool’s Day since her childhood!
Of course, there are vivid memories of a little fish on her back and/or on the back of he loved ones. Silly jokes that became more sophisticated with time. Yes, a serious training to become a better “liar” (not Bambi’s specialty in life) from year to year.
After 50 years of yearly training, does it work now? Well, the answer is again with her loved ones :). Some are already awake. Others are still sleeping. More jokes in store for them!
What about you? Do you like to have fun in life? Do you make fun of yourself when you make a mistake? Or do you take yourself too seriously? Do you tease others? Do you take serious matters like your problems with a grain of salt… and humour?
Anyhow, Bambi feels like playing today more than ever. She has a 24-hour-excuse to come up with either clever or completely silly jokes. Watch out! One of them that crossed her mind was to write that she will be taking a 6-month-sabbatical leave from her blog. However, she knows how clever you are. You would have never believed her. Bravo to you :)!
Last but not least, before diving more into this fun day, Bambi wants to pause to send a friendly wink to heaven to her childhood friend Soha ❤️! “Sousou”, it would have been your birthday today; each year Bambi jokes for the two of us. She will always cherish our colourful stories from this day, even during a bloody civil war. May your memory be eternal. May people keep laughing on your birthday. Thank you for being Bambi’s source of inspiration and motivation to keep having fun.
To conclude this light post, Bambi thanks you for being the “dear” readers of this “deer’s blog”. Happy April Fool to each one of you! Bon amusement et… vive le poisson d’avril!
Bambi is much interested by Bill C-11 because it can be used for online censorship by a government that is becoming increasingly authoritarian in a society where cancel culture stories, whether self-imposed or external, are spreading like mushrooms. The recent history of this blog is just one of them.
First, what is Bill C-11? According to the Parliament of Canada website, it is “an Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts” (https://bit.ly/3ZBCDP0).
Of note, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has been warning us about the potential slippery slope of Bill C-11 since May 24, 2022 (https://bit.ly/40LLOxk). According to the latter, “the Online Streaming Act (OSA) is a significant and dangerous first step towards government control of the internet. The stated purpose of the OSA is not particularly controversial“: Indeed who is against bringing the “influential streaming services like Netflix, Disney, and Spotify under the authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)”?
According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (https://bit.ly/40LLOxk), “the OSA would give the CRTC new powers to regulate virtually any online streaming service, also known as a “platform.” It would also regulate audio or audiovisual content accessible in Canada on such a platform“.
Perhaps the most worrisome part of this bill is that “sections of the OSA create loopholes that would leave space for CRTC to regulate podcasts and videos“. Indeed, Law professor Michael Geist (University of Ottawa) has argued that the CRTC can “regulate everything“, that is “from podcasts to TikTok videos as a “program” (https://bit.ly/40LLOxk).
Bearing the above in mind, Bambi has been keeping an eye on the tweets of Mr. Yves-François Blanchet for a while now to check his reactions to this bill. In her mind, he is a decent politician, whether we see the relevance of his party in Ottawa or not. Indeed, his is a great defender of Québec’s interests at the federal level. Ironically, many provinces/territories can at times benefit from his positions (sometimes not, of course).
As shown at the bottom of this post, and as you can see in Bambi’s quick translation of his public words, Mr. Blanchet does not seem to be impressed by the Conservative Party of Canada‘s criticisms of Bill C-11. Indeed, he is too driven by the cultural interests of Québec (good for the latter!) to the point of accusing the official opposition party of what looks like unfair intentions toward Québec.
Once again, Mr. Trudeau’s minority government has the NDP party to back it, to keep it in power, and to pass potentially controversial acts like Bill C-11. With the latter, the feds seem to have the moral sympathy and support of Mr. Blanchet and his great team, including Mr. Jean-Denis Gagnon (Mirabel, QC) who recently challenged a colleague from the Conservative Party of Canada to name three of the most famous francophone artists of Québec :). Seriously, his idea was to know if they truly know the culture of Québec that they pretend to defend and love.
However, with all due respect to Québec’s most beautiful culture [Bambi has been teased as being “an Ambassador” of her original province. Hello Fred :)], Bambi is convinced that online freedom of expression deserves to be vigorously defended, in our two official languages, ACROSS Canada. This being said, to really know if there would be practical excesses or abuses of Bill C-11, one must live long enough. To be continued…
“There is something extraordinary (especially hypocritical) in the demonization that the Conservatives are doing (along with their hordes stunned by demagogy who prowl on social networks) with the bill on broadcasting (C-11): They do not care about Québec and about the truth.”
A heartbreak is a universal theme to which most, if not everyone (including deer), can relate to in one way or in another. Indeed, Bambi had an earlier post on this topic, shown at the end of this one.
Thankfully, our world includes inspiring artists to compose music, write poetry, song lyrics, and plays on themes like breakups. Thank Goodness too, our world is made more beautiful with singers who have fabulous-sounding voices. Through them, music can magically transport us to different times and/or places. It can transform us and even heal us, in addition to entertaining us. Is there anything more powerful than music in life?
Well, according to Bambi, one of of the most powerful French songs about heartbreaks is “Je suis malade” [I am sick]. The latter was written by Mr. Serge Lama (French singer and songwriter), with Ms. Alice Dona, for Dalida. This song was made even more famous later, thanks to Ms. Lara Fabian… and today it is being honoured again by Mr. Alexis Carlier, as you can see below.
First, if you wish, you may listen to Ms. Lara Fabian’s amazing performance with English sub-titles, for your convenience.
Second, Bambi will invite you to take a few moment to listen to the most recent “short” video by Mr. Alexis Carlier who was feautured in an older post shared further below. Isn’t he fantastic?
Last but not least, the cherry on the cake of this musical post will be a performance between the GREAT Mr. Lama himself with the late YET eternal Dalida. Bambi hopes you will enjoy this performance as well.
Ms. Céline Dion, you have been on Bambi’s mind since December 9, 2022 (post shown further below).
In about three hours from now, it will be March 30 in Atlantic Canada.
March 30 is your birthday!
Bambi would like to wish you a happy one, hoping you are doing well; as good as possible under the circumstances.
May you have a Beautiful Birthday. May you have a wonderful time with your children and loved ones!
Thank you for having been a source of inspiration with your voice, talent, authenticity, sense of family and people, discipline, drive, perspective in life, and your humble attitude despite your monumental international success.
“Notre chère Céline, c’est à ton tour de te laisser parler d’amour” ❤️!
There are SAD and disturbing news from out of Toronto’s TTC (or subway), from American schools (yet again), and from around the world. Violence and senseless losses of innocent lives. However, in the middle of the darkness, there is a light… it seems to be coming from the candles of a birthday cake. YES, it is your own cake, dearest Ray :). Happy Birthday to you from Bambi and her spouse who love you beyond words and across the miles 🙂 ❤️ ❤️!
Bambi is grateful to her friend Kemle ❤️ for sharing a YouTube video of a muchtalented twenty-year-old artist from Québec, Canada, who happens to be of Lebanese origins. Her name is Ms. Christa Maria Abu Akl!
Ms. Abu Akl made it to the quarter-final of “La Voix” [The Voice in Québec]! She sang in both French and Arabic. She also played the piano. In her performance shared with you below, she merged two beautiful songs, one by Mr. Enrico Macias and the other by Fairouz. Both song are related to a homeland, or birth country, left behind by a migrant.
Of note, the musical arrangements are composed by Ms. Abu Akl herself, as Corneille (her coach) explained to the audience after her performance. This requires an excellent technical mastery, he added. Bravo to her for the latter and for being the first candidate to sing in Arabic in La Voix, as he reported.
Ms. Maria Christa Abu Akl, you have a purely beautiful voice, which naturally bridges the east and west in your music. You are a skilled pianist, a talented singer, and an inspiring performer. In addition to ALL your fans in Québec and beyond, you have touched the heart of a deer in New Brunswick who will be cheering for you, from now on AND, surely, after the life of this TV show. Regardless of the outcome of La Voix, you seem to have the necessary ingredients to go far in your musical career. Indeed, you seem to have the voice, talent, creativity, courage, hard work/diligence, ambition, a nice attitude, and the support of your loved ones. Bravo and best wishes to you!
May Ms Abu Akl have a long, bright musical career ❤️❤️ ❤️ !
One song goes with this picture, which is interpreted by a talented singer called Ms. Carole Aoun. The song is about the unity of the Lebanese people. It comes from a famous play by the Rahbani Brothers entitled “Sayf 840″ [“Summer of 840″]. This refers to the year 1840 where Lebanese Lords joined forces in a revolution against the Ottoman Empire in order to fight corruption and unfairness. The lyrics of this song are powerful and they go as follows:
