The more Bambi reads woke articles or hear woke speeches, the more she is convinced that those who pretend to be fighting racism are stupidly and shamelessly promoting racism.
If you do not see what
Bambi means, and if you have the luxury of wasting your free time, you may wish
to read this article in the Globe and Mail entitled “The reluctance
of Canadian businesses to collect race-based data needs to end”:
Yes, it is one of these articles that uses terms like “race”
and “ethnicity” in the same sentence, like “intersectionality” (of victimhood),
like Diversity and Inclusion (of course, not Intellectual diversity…),
blahblahblah.
When will this intimidation stop?
And why are Canadian businesses endorsing this movement?
From the Tehran Times, Bambi learned the following: “Iranian artist Mohammad Asadi Jozani has said that his portraits of ten resistance martyrs will be presented to Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon“:
Well, first, may all the dead people of all the world rest in peace, whether their actions were good for humanity or not. Bambi has always said so, not just tonight on this beautiful Christmas eve.
Anyhow, the death of those “ten resistance martyrs” is not the focus of this post.
The topic is rather the beauty of Beirut, from an architectural perspective.
Second, here is the gift in question, if you are curious:
A picture taken from the Tehran Times
Third, Bambi has addressed the issue of such portraits of Iranian leaders (military, religious, or whatever) that we see in Beirut, in an earlier post entitled “Is Mr. Nasrallah, leader of the (Lebanese) Hezbollah, more catholic than the pope?” (see below).
In contrast to Beirut’s legendary charm, the last memory Bambi has from her trip to Beirut last year was actually the view of those portraits. Indeed, this is what she saw last, from the cab window, in her 5-10-minute ride to the airport. Not an aesthetic scene, especially after having driving through the very beautiful parts of Beirut (tragically, a great extent of Beirut’s architectural heritage has been destroyed in the surrealistic port explosion pf August 4, 2020).
Fourth, and related to the above, can Mr. Nasrallah stop making Beirut ugly, please?
Fifth, and whilst we are at it, can he try to remember that the name of his country’s capital is Beirut, not Tehran? Bambi is saying so with all due respect to the Iranian capital and the Iranian people.
Finally, if Mr. Nasrallah would like professional advice from experts in urbanism or architecture, his country is FULL of talented professionals and recent graduates.
Sadly, the entire 4-6 million Lebanese citizens are still held hostage by his fellow corrupt politicians/Governor of Lebanon’s central bank, and… of course, by his own toxic loyalty to a foreign country/ideology OVER Lebanon’s best interests.
To conclude this post on a less sarcastic note, Bambi wonders if the Lebanese people be one day able to have access again to their bank savings (if the latter still exist following the crash of October 17, 2019?).
Will the families of the victims of the Beirut port blast as well as all the citizens heavily devastated see a resemblance of justice by at least knowing the truth of what led to this tragedy?
Will justice be also served, with quick and serious investigations, of the mysterious recent assassinations, including the one of a young dad whose family has a Canada immigration visa?
Many questions and not a single answer yet… So, at least whilst still awaiting public answers, please give your fellow citizens a break from additional Iranian portraits.
Bambi adores this singer. Yes, she is talented and simply sweet :).
As you can see further below, in an earlier post from April 2020, her love song about the quarantine times was fun to listen to. It became a hit in Lebanon and the whole Arab world!
Well, in August 2020, after the Beirut explosion, she also sang for her capital and fellow citizens hit hard by the port surrealistic explosion.
Now, in December 2020, she is offering us a beautiful short Christmas Medley. Thank you Ms. Bitar.
May this Christmas bring hope, healing, rest, and entertainment to the people of Lebanon… and to all of us in NB, across Canada, and around the world!
According to the Financial
Times,“Iran nuclear deal signatories push for US return once Biden takes
office. Europeans commit to revival of accord as first priority ahead of any
talks on expanding it”.
Despite any good intentions of Mr. Obama’s administration, this nuclear deal was already useless before expanding it. So, imagine how it would look like after. Why? Because Iran has not been respecting it, as simple as that. Perhaps there is a reason why it takes a risk-taker in politics, as crazy as Mr. Trump, to decide to get out of it.
Plus, let’s also recall that two countries of the co-signers
of the agreement of Obama-Biden with Iran are China and Russia:
Can someone tell Bambi how we can trust China… or even
Russia?
We are talking about the same Russia already heavily involved in the Syrian war, along with Iran, Assad’s regime, and Hezbollah… Yes, this same Russia, even if perhaps it could/would know how to honour a deal once it is signed.
We are talking about that same China and what it is
currently doing to Taiwan:
In life, sadly yet realistically, only tough means can
stop those who do not care about others’ safety and well-being.
Iran is determined to have its nuclear weapons, and
nothing will stop it.
In an ideal romanticized world, Bambi would have preferred not to see any country having nuclear weapons (i.e., including Israel, of course). It would be fair to all. However, this is not how our world works to cite our own Mr. Trudeau in a virtual address to the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2020 and with two Russian pranksters (for the record, see further below).
So, what is the solution then? Or is there any?
Whatever will happen, Bambi fears that it is Lebanon that would be paying the price… once again!
“Alain Bifani resigned suddenly at the end of June from his position as director general of Lebanon’s finance ministry, a post he had held for 20 years. The former top official had supported an IMF-backed recovery plan for the heavily indebted country, but this was blocked by the political elite. Speaking to FRANCE 24, Bifani says the plan was about “having those who benefited most from the system contribute most”. He says its failure will lead to more “huge inequalities” and warns that Lebanon is “going towards some kind of a Somalia [of] a few years ago”.”
Thanks to both Mr. Mark Perelman and Mr. Alain Bifani for this informative interview.
Could and when will Lebanon be saved from itself?
From where to start to fix a country’s corrupt systems?
How could we protect the Lebanese people from their own politicians?!
As Mr. Bifani said as an answer to a question, corruption at the high top levels of governance is not just a Lebanese problem. Indeed, this problem spills beyond its borders, affecting the rest of the world.
For Bambi, it is deeply disturbing to see a beautiful country like Lebanon with resourceful citizens (i.e., resilient, entrepreneurs/risk-takers in business/life, creative, productive, and open to the world) in such a BAD shape.
This being said, it is also refreshing to listen to a former politician (whom Bambi is seeing for the first time) being that transparent in an interview.
Best wishes to Lebanon in re-inventing its economy whilst embracing the MUCH needed financial reforms.
May Lebanon also know how to commit to love and peace in the world over criminality and stupid self-destruction!
Will the officials identify those behind this crime?
The Mayor of the village of this family and his fellow
citizens are demanding answers within 24-48 hours. Will anyone listen to them?
Or will this case be closed like the Beirut port surrealistic
deadly explosion and many other possibly related recent murders?
Mr. Bejanni is not a politician. He was loved by everyone,
it seems.
According to the MTV News channel (first link below) that interviewed his wife, he was employed by a local telecommunication company. However, the latter position was not a sensitive one (i.e., he was an artistic trainer). He also worked as a freelance journalist. One of his clients was the Lebanese Army Forces (i.e., he was a certified photographer for their private parties).
Still according to MTV, some local media stated that he may have collaborated with French an American investigators of the port explosion. However, his family reported when he asked for a permission to take pictures after the explosion, his request was denied by the officials.
Last Saturday, he visited a village with someone who is currently being or will be investigated. If Bambi understood well and recalls the geography of Lebanon, this village would be located near the South border. One hypothesis is that he may have taken pictures with his phone and this may explain why his cell phone was taken away by the two gunmen (after killing him).
What sensitive pictures did he have? Was he killed
because of that?
According to the MTV, his phone is still functional up to now… and his daughter is still asking about him. Her mom said that she thinks he will come back from the hospital. Mind you, he was on his way to take her and her younger sister to school and to the daycare when the tragedy happened. Instead of a ride to school, she got to see her dad in their car agonizing in front of her young eyes.
Bambi’s heart goes to this girl and to her family. She cannot even dare to imagine the pain of her mother. How sad that they could have been travelling in early 2021 altogether to start a new life in their new home, Canada. Instead, they are coping with the unimaginable. May they find the inner strength to face this tragedy and may he rest in peace…
A couple of other Lebanese families are also grieving.
The crimes have been suspected to be related to the Beirut port explosion, yet
no serious investigations have been conducted.
Who is supposed to usually protect citizens if it is not
their own official authorities?
Until when the mafia-militia forces ruling Lebanon will keep getting away with crimes without any accountability?!
If you recall, as shown below, Bambi posted a story about Ms. Joëlle Melki on July 4th, 2020. She runs a marathon for her country every year. Indeed, she is notoriously known for her unique “jump” in the air to express her joy at the arrival at the finish line. If you do not believe Bambi, ask the professional photographers of this annual event about her jump :).
Without repeating the whole professional journey and multi-talent of Ms. Melki from child development and education to health care services, Bambi will just remind us of the following: Joëlle (yes our own Jojo!) is a healthcare provider, working in the digestive and liver diseases clinic at the IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and at a medical clinic. She is also certified in CPR First Aid from the American Heart Association and former certification with the Lebanese red cross in which she has been a volunteer during civil war times. Of course, in addition to all this, Ms. Melki is the MOST amazing daughter, sister, and friend anyone can have!
Well, first there has been the coronavirus pandemic. Then, more recently, life has been cruel to her/her family… However, Ms. Joëlle Melki is wise enough to know that, at the end of the day, life is just life. Yes, it does surprise us in sad ways. However, it can also bring us blessings in so many other ways.
Well, keeping all this in mind, check the picture of the plaque below about the latest achievement of Ms. Melki (despite her tough year!)! Yes, you and Bambi can read the following: Joëlle Melki, MA, Springmill Employee of the Year 2020, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine!!!
BRAVO to Ms. Melki!! Thank you for your patient care at all times and especially during this Covid-19 public health crisis!
Fond regards to you Joëlle, from across the border, from your proud childhood friend Bambi who loves you very much. Please keep on inspiring her… and take good care!
Thanks to Ms. Roula Douglas (journalist) for re-tweeting this informative yet not surprising article in the New York Times about the unprecedented LOW level of immoral behaviour of Lebanon’s officials.
The article is signed by Mr. Ben Hubbard with contributing reporting by Ms. Hwaida Saad and Mr. Kareem Chehayeb.
Please take a look at that tweet in question at the very end of this post. Mr. Hubbard’s words are very strong.The picture he chose to share is even more powerful.
How can Lebanese officials get to sleep at night?!
The irony is that many of them resigned following the blast… Yet, they are still working (or at least getting paid) as members of the caretaker government (except the latest PM who perhaps had the decency of resigning for good after having tried to form a government, but they made him fail and made Mr. Macron’s initiative fail?).
Anyhow, if you can understand anything in Lebanese politics, you deserve an award for your intellectual achievement. Bambi does not even try to make sense of all the shenanigans. She just knows about the following key milestones of 2019-2020: First, the financial/economic crash (October 17, 2019), followed by the Beirut surrealistic blast August 4, 2020) and its devastating impact. Of course, there is also the coronavirus pandemic (since February, 2020) and its economic toll, which occurred on top of the crash of the banking sector that has been already paralyzing Lebanon’s economy. Add to this the geopolitical fragility of this tiny Mediterranean country along with political malice, which is in turn completely paralyzing democratic processes (no new government since August, 2020… and a complete takeover by Iran, through Hezbollah et al., which is toxicly and shamelessly aligned with Iran’s ideology/military interests in the region over Lebanon’s interests).
The end result of all the above is “a catastrophe” to borrow the words of one of Bambi’s friends.
To give you an example of the economic catastrophe of all the crises mentioned above, including the destroyed port/large part of the capital, an imported jar of Nutella (that many kids adore eating) used to be affordable to their parents. With the hyperinflation, its price became worth US$19 only seven months ago (according to Lebanese media, namely 961). It is now the equivalent of US$50, according to the friend cited above. Can you imagine? To give you an idea, here you can get the same product at just CAD$4.67, at least from Walmart in Moncton. Yes, it is on sale, if you happen to still enjoy eating it like Bambi.
This being said, Bambi will end this post with the article of Mr. Hubbard (to see it, please right click on the picture. You may have to open it in a separate tab). Thanks to him and his team of contributing reporters. As for the people of Lebanon, Bambi would like to send them all a virtual heart, praying that they will start their rising journey as soon as they hit the rock bottom!
The university shown in the link below is a Canadian one, a country that prides itself on being multicultural. Yet, it is increasingly, advertising academic positions meant for people of a certain colour only. Does that make any sense. Isn’t this the ultimate example of racism? It is in Bambi’s own mind, even if she is a so-called “BIPOC” deer (yes, again, this funny acronym she is supposed to fit in as a deer that is “black, indigenous, and people of colour”).
This ad is calling for scholars who are or identify as
black only.
It is not calling for experts in “black studies” (whatever
that means, history, literature, or culture, etc.).
It is literally stating the following:
“This is a targeted search for Black scholars and is open to candidates who identify as Black from around the world. MSVU encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, persons of any sexual orientations and gender identities and/or expressions, persons with disabilities, and other equity-deserving groups”:
Bambi wonders if her own colour hue, as a deer, is part of other equity-deserving groups” … or would suffice to identify as one of it?
With all due you respect, Bambi is asking this question, but she would be insulted and turned off by this ad. She would never ever accept to be hired under it. In her mind, merit and only merit should be the criterion.
To explain this to Lebanese readers or those who know
this context well, she will say that it is the equivalent of the stupid quotas
of Lebanon that made Bambi escape Beirut: This position open for a Christian Catholic
only. That one for a Shia Muslim only. The other for a Sunni Muslim or for Druze,
etc.
It is disgusting, to say the least.
If this is social justice, as this university claims it to be, sorry, Bambi does not want it.
The picture below moved Bambi’s heart this morning. She will describe why in the following paragraphs.
Those kids are from the devastated neighbourhoods of Beirut.
One, they survived, hopefully, along with their parents.
Second, look at the beautiful look, or rather exchange of eye contact, of the little boy with Santa Claus. We can even appreciate his shy smile hidden behind his mask.
In that look, we see amusement, some joy, and especially a glimpse of hope.
Hope in the goodness of men (and women… let’s not forget Santa’s spouse :)) in our world.
Hope in brighter days for his country that has been described a couple of days ago by a French politician, called Mr. Le Drian, as follows: “Lebanon’s collapse is like the Titanic’s sinking, only without the music…“
Mind you, the same idea of the Titanic was the title of two beautiful yet moving poems (written in French) by Mr. Georges Abu Arraj, one of Bambi’s good friends in Beirut. He shared those poems with his friends on his social media channels. Ironically, he wrote the first on August 1st, 2020 (3 days before the doomed explosion) and the second a few days after. Bambi would have been honoured to ask for his permission to share them with you, but she would have not been able to capture all his talent in the translation.
Anyhow to come back to France, the first politician in the world (before Lebanon’s own corrupt politicians!) who went to comfort Beirutis immediately following the surrealistic port blast was supposed to re-visit the country for the third time on Christmas eve. Sadly, he had to cancel his trip because he has been diagnosed with Covid-19. Bambi would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Macron for all what he has been doing to support the Lebanese people and economy. Same for the UK Ambassador in Beirut who resigned recently, publishing a moving letter to the Lebanese people yesterday. Same for our own Mr. Champagne who travelled to Beirut as well. Same for all the friends of Lebanon and stability in our world. Last but not least, Bambi would like to again thank each Canadian citizen who kindly and generously supported her birth country in one way or in another.
The tragedy of Lebanon is that the whole world is in such a disastrous economic state now because of the coronavirus pandemic. This does not help neither its case nor its large number of its citizens who have been leaving it. To give you an idea, it seems that in October only, about 400 physicians left Lebanon (as per the Lebanese and international media).
To conclude this post, may the hope of hope that we see in this cute boy’s eyes prevail in Lebanon. This kid and all his peers deserve safety, happiness, love, and prosperity. Most importantly, they deserve to dance on a solid boat that will keep sailing and moving forward… not sinking like the Titanic, with or without music!
