THANKSGIVING 2019

Happy Thanksgiving on this November 28 to all Americans! 
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CAPITALES MÉDIAS AND THE COOPERATIVE PROJECT

CAPITALES MÉDIAS AND THE COOPERATIVE PROJECT 
By Bernard Bujold -
The debate is launched on Desjardins' refusal to participate in the cooperative project to continue the activities of the Capitales Médias group. 
In my opinion, the main problem in the recovery plan is obvious to anyone who knows the business and that is to want to keep the 6 daily newspapers in the same group. The solution is to separate the 6 media and create separate cooperatives for each of the entities that can be saved from bankruptcy. Some media such as Le Soleil seem to be "viable" while others are not. 
It may seem cruel to separate companies and employees in this way, but the root of the problem, in my opinion, is precisely in this pooling of ressources, without taking into account the different situation of each of the regions concerned and their geography. 
To be continued... 
SEE STORY 

CONAN THE WARRIOR

CONAN THE WARRIOR 
By Bernard Bujold 
My faithful Ulysses is in total admiration of the American soldier dog CONAN. 
Two faithful and courageous dogs! 
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DONALD TRUMP AND THE IMPEACHMENT STORY

DONALD TRUMP AND THE IMPEACHMENT STORY 
By Bernard Bujold -
The US Democrats are locked into Trump impeachment story and they are afraid of paying a big price for it in the next 2020 election. 
It is evident that the impeachment will not pass to a vote in the Senate but Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi could not just walk away and forget about this issue. If they send the request for impeachment to the Senate, they will lose the face but they will lose even more if they let the issue fade away in the Congress. One could say that it is a total no win situation for the Democrats... 
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DONALD TRUMP AND CHRISTMAS 2019

DONALD TRUMP AND CHRISTMAS 2019 
By Bernard Bujold -
As Christmas 2019 approaches, it becomes more and more obvious that Donald Trump will be celebrating. 
Indeed, the Democrats' campaign for the dismissal of the President (Impeachment) is clearly a media failure contrary to the effect desired by the Democrats and, on 9 December, a criminal investigation report involving the FBI would accuse agents of wrong doing against Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. 
Even President Trump's most ardent opponents are increasingly admitting that he has the wind in his favor for re-election in November 2020. 
To be continued! 
SEE PHOTO

THE DREAM OF LOVE ...

THE DREAM OF LOVE ... 
By Bernard Bujold -
Once or twice a year, without any reason, I dream during my sleep about a former lover who had come in my life when I was younger... 
Our love had been short-lived but it has marked all my life! When I wake up, I always have the same questioning! Is love a dream, or a reality? 
An existential question for the winter discussions at the cottage...
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MONTREAL FRENCH BOOK FAIR 2019

MONTREAL FRENCH BOOK FAIR 2019 
By Bernard Bujold -
The 2019 edition of SALON DU LIVRE DE MONTRÉAL will be held at Place Bonaventure until November 25. An always interesting fair that offers a complete overview of the year's Francophone publications. 
Unfortunately, my favorite author, Kathy Reichs, is not at this year's edition.... 
SEE PHOTOS

THE FUTURE OF THE MEDIA IN QUEBEC IN 2019

THE FUTURE OF THE MEDIA IN QUEBEC - 
By Bernard Bujold - 
The future of the major media in Quebec is in a very moribund situation.... 
La Presse+ must eliminate 15 jobs by the end of December 2019 and the 6 dailies of the Capitales Médias group are clinging to a cooperative project, but the Government of Quebec (Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon) has stated that the financing package is far from being completed (attached) and that failure at this level will force the group to go bankrupt by the end of December 2019.
The trustee and the employees promoting the cooperative project have until December 18 to complete their search for the $16 million financing. Half of it had been aligned, i.e. $8.1 million, but Desjardins has chosen to withdraw, which makes it difficult to find one or more partners who will want to provide the missing millions! 
Ideally, each of the six media outlets of the Capitales Médias group should have been sold locally and separately, but the transaction would now be very complicated since the debts and assets are common. The former owner Martin Cauchon could have separated the media from the group and sold them by the piece before the bankruptcy was legally called, but once the process began, it was almost impossible, even illegal. Indeed, how can we sell, for example, Le Soleil without including in the price a portion of the total debts of the entire group? It's like wanting to buy a table from someone who's bankrupt. You have to make an auction to be fair to all creditors. The trick is to sell before you declare bankruptcy. 
When you think of the importance that Le Soleil and Le Droit have had in the history of French Canada, you can conclude that nothing is eternal and of course this is very sad... 
To be continued. 

SEE STORY NEW BUSINESS PLAN

SEE STORY JOBS AT LA PRESSE + 

SEE STORY ON THE PROJECT OF A COOPERATIVE GROUPE CAPITALES MÉDIAS 

LEONARD COHEN - THANKS FOR THE DANCE

LEONARD COHEN 
By Bernard Bujold -
A new album THANKS FOR THE DANCE with the voice of Leonard Cohen will be available this Friday, November 22, 2019. A work of his son Adam Cohen. 
I've always been a fan of Cohen and I'm not disappointed with the new album. 
In fact, while listening to the album (excerpt) I even discovered a link between Leonard's voice and the one of the famous character Raymond Reddington. Their tone of voice is similar. This is probably why Reddington is known to be seductive with viewers just reciting short philosophical sentences. Both artists are voice artists... 
SEE STORY LE DEVOIR (Thanks for the Dance album)