BRIAN MULRONEY (1939-2024)

BRIAN MULRONEY (1939-2024)-

By Bernard Bujold - 

For all those who knew and worked with Brian Mulroney, it was "Brian and Mila". An inseparable team that complemented each other perfectly. Without Mila, Brian would never have become Prime Minister of Canada. Mila was the René Angélil of the couple and Brian the Céline Dion... 

I was on the 1984 team when the Conservative Party won the federal election by a count of 211 seats out of 282. It was too many, because there were too many MPs who all wanted to be a minister, but the hardest part was rallying all those MPs from all over Canada who considered their respective provinces to be the most important... 

The 1984 team considered themselves Super Bowl champions. The problem was that those who had won the election, salesmen at heart (like me) and marketing geniuses, were not government managers. Brian quickly understood the situation and surrounded himself with top government officials to surround his salesmen... 

"Brian and Mila" were the two stars of the 1984 government. 

For me, Brian's death is the death of an important player in a chapter of my life story. It's as if a part of me died with Brian! But as my namesake Bernard Arnault once said: "You have to live with the living and let the dead live with the dead. 

Bon voyage dear Brian Mulroney! 

https://www.lestudio1.com/BrianMulroney1984.html

WITH THE END OF WINTER 2024 ELSBETH IS BACK...

WITH THE END OF WINTER 2024 ELSBETH IS BACK... 
By Bernard Bujold -
The actress Carrie Preston reprises her role from ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘The Good Fight’ as an eccentric lawyer-detective in a new television spin-off on CBS (Global TV in Canada). The series "Elsbeth" starts this Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 10 p.m. 
Elsbeth is reminiscent of the famous Peter Falk’s Detective Columbo, who feigned cluelessness while gulling the guilty and cracking the case. 
SEE FULL STORY 
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/television/elsbeth-review-carrie-preston-good-wife-good-fight-cbs-d18500c7?st=jb6buzdruqgzhc3&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

DEATH ON ORDER-

DEATH ON ORDER- 
By Bernard Bujold - 
Over the past few years, I have regularly learned, always with great sadness, that acquaintances, neighbors, and even friends have requested medical assistance in dying or assisted suicide. You should know that in Quebec, only medical aid in dying administered by a doctor is legal, whereas elsewhere in Canada we can choose between the act of a doctor or applying the end-of-life treatment ourselves. 

Personally, I'm not in favor of either of these two methods of dying, as I feel that life is worth living to the end, but I may change my opinion one day when I've become totally moribund. I would choose to apply the treatment myself, however, because I like to be in control. 

But in the end, I believe in miracles, and when faced with life's obstacles, when I can't overcome them, I let fate decide. 

French singer Johnny Halliday once said that people like him shouldn't die and should have some kind of eternal life! I don't know if I'd want to live forever, but right now it's not an option available... 

In any case, this subject of induced death before the end of life is a new social debate, and we can say that in 2024, death can be ordered like a kind of consumer product, and it's free... Specialists even say that medical aid in dying doesn't generate additional costs for the healthcare system and that, on the contrary, it generates savings. 

https://aqdmd.org/en/

GILBERT ROZON AND HIS WORK-

GILBERT ROZON AND HIS WORK- 
By Bernard Bujold - 
The creations of our society are always the work of individuals and never the works of society. The Just for Laughs Festival was the work of one man, Gilbert Rozon, and his elimination also eliminated his creation. 
LE DEVOIR's newspaper presents a complete report on this subject, showing that Just for Laughs is at the end of its life, or almost... 
I knew Gilbert Rozon very well, but we weren't friends. I got on much better with Gilbert's four sisters, especially the one who had lived in New York for several years. All four sisters supported their brother, but everyone recognized Gilbert as the soul. 
The character had great human weaknesses, but he was a unique, not to say an extraordinary creator. Did society gain by eliminating him? That's an impossible question to answer, because the work is broken, and you can never glue a broken cup back together again. 
SEE REPORT LE DEVOIR 
https://lestudio1mediamonitoring.blogspot.com/2024/02/gilbert-rozon-et-son-oeuvre.html

DONALD TRUMP TIGHTENS HIS HOLD ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY -

DONALD TRUMP TIGHTENS HIS HOLD ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY -

By Bernard Bujold -

Donald Trump’s 20-point victory over Nikki Haley in South Carolina’s Republican primary not only shows the powerful hold that Trump commands over his party’s voters but also the inability of any Republican leader to rally support against him as Trump moves to the brink of securing the presidential nomination for next November 5th, 2024. 

SEE STORY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-tightens-hold-on-gop-crowding-out-even-popular-rivals-93810b3a?st=qs3mr4mhhtfm2sm&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

THE MUSIC OF TAYLOR SWIFT - 2024

THE MUSIC OF TAYLOR SWIFT - 2024
By Bernard Bujold -
Today is the last Sunday of February 2024, a month that can best be described as the month of love...
What better way to enjoy the day than listening to albums by singer Taylor Swift, a great lover of life and also a great lover of her valiant football player, Travis Kelce. Taylor and Travis' romantic relationship reminds me of my own romantic relationships when I was their age... 
There's no more beautiful human feeling than love between two people. 
In other news, Ulysse and I can't wait until April 19 to discover Taylor's new album: THE TORTURED POET DEPARTMENT! 
Have a great last Sunday of February! 
SEE STORY 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-23/taylor-swift-success-from-the-heart-not-head/103497328

DONALD TRUMP DEFEATS VERY EASILY NIKKI HALEY

DONALD TRUMP DEFEATS VERY EASILY NIKKI HALEY -
By Bernard Bujold -
Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina, his latest blow to her longshot bid to block him from becoming the party’s nominee. The former president’s team expects him to secure enough delegates to officially become the nominee in March. 
Donald Trump said in his victory speech he was confident he'd defeat President Biden on November 5th, 2024, "We’re going to say 'Joe, you’re fired.'” 
SEE STORY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/south-carolina-gop-primary-election-2024

THE WAR ANNIVERSARY IN 2024

 

THE WAR ANNIVERSARY IN 2024 - 
By Bernard Bujold -
War is always a destructive and unsettling event. So its anniversary is never a happy one. 
On this Saturday, February 24, 2024, the war between Russia and Ukraine reaches its second anniversary. 
While Russia calls it a civil war, Western countries call it a world war. The two previous world wars lasted between 4 and 6 years. It is said that Zelinsky believed in the winter of February 2022 that the war against Russia would last only a few weeks... 
SEE THE REPORT FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/24/world/europe/lessons-choices-war-in-ukraine.html?unlocked_article_code=1.X00.gFkz.ItYVIWmMvbvB&smid=url-share

THE ACTOR AND THE SECRET AGENT

THE ACTOR AND THE SECRET AGENT- 

By Bernard Bujold- 

It was in the winter of 2022, on February 24, two years ago, that Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Putin called the invasion a civil war, while the rest of the Western world compared it to the Second World War of 1940. 

It could also be described as a confrontation between an actor and a secret agent... Volodymyr Zelinsky was a star actor on Russian television, and he admitted in his early days in politics that he wanted to use his fame to help Ukraine. In this respect, Zelinsky could even be compared to Donald Trump, who was also an American TV star (The Apprentice - NBC) and who used his fame to become President of the United States. 

A war is always an event of destruction and has nothing positive about it... 

What will be the conclusion? It's hard to predict, but if we analyze the situation, we see the same polarization of the population as we saw in Nazi Germany and everywhere else in the world in 1940. The whole planet had taken years to recover from those years of the Second World War. And so it will be with Russia's war against Ukraine. 

To be continued! 

Two books worth reading to better understand Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelinsky: 

PUTIN by Philip Short 

THE SHOWMAN by Simon Shuster

THE WINNER AND LOSER OF NOVEMBER 2024

 

THE WINNER AND LOSER OF NOVEMBER 2024 - 

If there's one certainty, it's that there will be a winner and a loser in the American presidential election on November 5, 2024. But all observers agree that the outcome has never been so impossible to predict... 

According to statistics, to win a presidential election a candidate must win 90% of the votes of all the voters in his or her party. In 2020, Donald Trump and Joe Biden each won 94% of their party's votes. The result was determined by the undecided vote (voters with no party affiliation). 

In 2024, both candidates are criticized by their own parties. Joe Biden scores 70% from members of the Democratic Party, who found him too old and too weak... Everyone recognizes Donald Trump's energy, but the Republican party finds him too unpredictable and provocative... 

Also, one worrying probability is that the vice-president of the next election will become the president during his term, given the advanced age of the two presidential candidates. This means that the choice of co-presidential candidates will have to be more selective than usual. 

If there's one conclusion to be drawn, it's that Americans always do things in a complicated way, and the outcome of their elections is always difficult to predict. 

Personally, I obviously fully support my mentor Donald Trump, but I don't have the right to vote...

Stay tuned! 

SEE STORY FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-vs-biden-only-one-can-lose-chaotic-race-unpredictable-turnout-third-party-debate-be018f56?st=wtywaodyf3f1nj3&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

THE ART OF SUCCESS

THE ART OF SUCCESS- 
By Bernard Bujold- 
Singer Taylor Swift, born on December 13, 1989 (age 34), has three personalities that ultimately make her successful. 
If we compare her to Céline Dion, born on March 30, 1968 (age 55), she had just one personality: she sang! René Angélil was the business genius behind the singer, while songwriters like Eddy Marnay, Luc Plamondon, and Jean-Jacques Goldman were the ones who wrote her songs. Taylor Swift has all three! 
First and foremost, she is considered by the music world to be an exceptional writer, capable of encapsulating in words the deep emotions of modern society. As for her voice, a mezzo-soprano, Taylor succeeds in reproducing a musical rhythm of quality adaptable to all genres, from pop to country. Céline Dion's exceptional voice is described as soprano. Céline would have made an excellent opera singer, comparable to Maria Calas. On the business side, Taylor is said to be one of the most astute managers, inspired by her father, a former Merrill Lynch broker, and her mother, a former mutual fund marketing executive. Taylor's extensive holdings are valued at $150 million in real estate alone. Forbes magazine estimates Taylor Swift's net worth at $1.1 billion as of October 2023. 
Céline Dion's net worth is estimated at $480 million. 
Conclusion: Success is an alignment of the universe's stars and the coming together of many talents! 

SEE TWO REPORTS 

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - TAYLOR SWIFT'S REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-homes-17ea9bfa?st=4gofqs54k5i66o1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink 

SEE TAYLOR SWIFT BIOGRAPHY 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift

POLITICAL FATIGUE IN 2024-

POLITICAL FATIGUE IN 2024- 
By Bernard Bujold -
If there's one certainty, it's that humanity is tired of politics and its leaders! If we once took pleasure in supporting our favorite candidates, this is no longer true in 2024, when the majority of citizens vote not "FOR" a candidate, but "AGAINST" one... 
An analysis by the New York Times suggests that 70% of all Americans are against one of the two candidates theoretically in the running for the presidency. Another poll shows that 60% of Americans are deeply tired of political discourse... 
Things are no better elsewhere in the world, where wars have invaded the planet. It will be two years on Saturday February 24 that Russia invaded Ukraine, and the death of Alexei Navalny does nothing to calm the situation. And let's not forget the war between Israel and Gaza triggered by the terrorist act of October 7, 2023. The planet is definitely in crisis! 
Fortunately, there are still some very rare rays of happiness, notably in characters like the "Taylor Swift" of our humanity! But these characters are crowd-pleasers who project the dream. 
In the end, the dream seems to be all that's left to erase the unhappiness of reality! 

SEE STORY THE NEW YORK TIMES 
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/19/us/politics/trump-resistance-democrats-voters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Wk0.GygU.lpbCyWj-ltl4&smid=url-share

DEMOCRACY IN 2024

DEMOCRACY IN 2024 - 
By Bernard Bujold - 
Democracy is a concept invented in Athens in 510 BC. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek "dêmos", meaning "the people". 
Modern democracy, however, was rapidly and totally transformed when elected political leaders began to decide the rules of democracy. In English, we call this situation "to move the goalposts", or in other words: to change the rules to one's advantage! 
Several people around me, who know how I feel about Donald Trump, ask me what I think about current politics and the November 2024 election? 
In my opinion, modern politics has become a high-level game, like hockey or football, and the ultimate goal is to win! All scenarios are therefore possible because the game has also become entertainment for people. And with artificial intelligence, the rules become even more temporary and adjustable. This is true at every level, whether in the U.S., Ottawa, Quebec, and even on the moon... 
All the results are unpredictable, so stay tuned! 

SEE THREE STORIES 
The New York Times - Donald Trump's strategy https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/arts/television/donald-trump-trials.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WE0.STnf.Forx5UgoNH4I&smid=url-share 

La Presse - Denis Coderre's strategy 
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/chroniques/2024-02-17/l-offre-d-achat-hostile-de-coderre.php?fbclid=IwAR1iA2C7B_RR52tHIz9UIpCNdqb1mZdejv-c8JIj2asoWJ38n34PNq8sIfI 

La Presse - The government on the moon 

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sciences/2024-02-17/le-far-west-de-la-lune.php

THE DESTINY

THE DESTINY- 

By Bernard Bujold -

A universal question: "Why do some people succeed and others fail?" 

I ran into a singer-songwriter acquaintance this week, who had once asked me to be her manager and turn her into a Céline Dion... I didn't take up the challenge! This acquaintance asked me what I thought of the Taylor Swift phenomenon, and what more does she had to have become such a global success? My answer was the one given to me by a famous politician: "In life, it's a question of destiny. There are small shrubs and giant trees. We don't really have a choice, and we have to accept our destiny. My mentor then added: "Happiness is not in possession but in the appreciation of our material possessions. " 

Ultimately, the important thing, whether you're a Céline, a Taylor, or a village dweller, is to be happy with your place in the forest! 

Happy Winter Weekend 2024. 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=bernard.bujold&set=a.10168515112995541