THE YEAR 2013 AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2014 ...

By Bernard Bujold ( LeStudio1.com ) - 
It is customary with the beginning of a new year to take stock and look at the new one. 
Here is my personal view about my three joys and three misfortunes in 2013; and my three predictions and three wishes for 2014. 

JOYS IN 2013 

1 . APPLE IPAD AIR (The essential tool for photo and internet communication); 
2 . NESPRESSO COFFEE (One should have tried it to understand... );
3 . JUSTIN TRUDEAU ( The most exciting and refreshing politician in 2013. Probably also the futur Prime Minister of Canada in 2015 ... );

MISFORTUNES IN 2013 

1 . DEFEAT OF MELANIE JOLY ( She could have won the title Mayor of Montreal !);
2 . DEATH OF PERSONALITIES ( Paul Desmarais, Isabelle Peladeau, Pier Béland, Luc Beauregard, Vito Rizzuto, and many others. Whenever a known personality dies, it is also a little part of our personal history which is ending ); 
3 . AILES DE LA MODE ( The transformation of upscale store Les Ailes de la Mode on Ste -Catherine in Montreal , as imagined by Paul Delage Roberge early in 2002 , became in 2013 a sort of bazaar liquidation discount center. Les Ailes de la Mode will close permanently in 2014 );

PREDICTIONS 2014 

1 . QUEBEC PROVINCIAL ELECTION ( Pauline Marois was not since her election, and in any way, better than Jean Charest. Unfortunately, Philippe Couillard does not pass the ramp and we will, inevitably, be entitled to another minority government, Liberal or PQ, at the next election ... );
2 . RETURN OF COMPASSION ( The path traced by Pope Francis will be an inspiration for other leaders and citizens around the world , regardless of religion );
3. VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY ( Economy and communications become more virtual and "in the cloud"); 

PERSONAL WISHES 2014 

1 . MORE HONESTY ( According to me , the lack of honesty and integrity is the direct source of all problems in our society ); 
2 . SEVERAL NEW BOOKS ( I love reading the paper book even though I am a very big fan of virtual technology. My favorite bookstore is Indigo);
3. HEALTH , LOVE AND PROSPERITY ! (With these three elements together, the happiness will be present in our lives...). 

Happy New Year 2014!

Photo 1: IPad Air, Nespresso coffee, Justin Trudeau, Mélanie Joly, Paul Desmarais, Ailes de la Mode; Photo 2: National Assembly of Quebec, Pope Francis, iCloud Police identification, Indigo Bookstore, Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com);
See LeStudio1.com ;

VITO RIZZUTO (1946-2013)

Bernard Bujold ( LeStudio1.com ) -
The international Godfather of the Montreal Italian Mafia is dead following pulmonary sickness this morning Monday, Dec. 23 at the hospital. 
The event concludes the legend that was Vito Rizzuto. In a sense, we do not expect a character and warrior like Rizzuto to died by a natural cause rather than dramatically in combat as his father Nick Rizzuto. One could say that his exit from the scene has been " anticlimax ". 
Or maybe his enemies have poisoned him with a secret virus that caused lung disease... 
Vito Rizzuto was the alleged leader of the criminal mafia but it was not the true representation of the Paccino role in Coppola's films. The real godfather, like in the film, is still alive and lives richly in Montreal. 
No, I will not tell you his name but he really is... 
Photo 1 and 2: Vito Rizutto ;
Photo 3: Nick Rizzuto ;
Photo 4 : Bernard Bujold ( LeStudio1.com and biography Rizzuto);
See story La Presse ;

MY BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS 2013

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) -
I usually offer books as gifts at Christmas... 
Books that I've read and appreciated. My choices are in the language of the author (in French or English) and I never offer translation, unless it is foreign works, written in a language other than French or English. I'm of the school of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who said : " When I think, I think neither in French nor English but I think intellectually..." 
I still prefer paper books but I am not keeping them any more in a library as I did before. Today I consider the book as a magazine and if once I had nearly 5,000 books on my shelves, I have now no more than a hundred books in my possession, the others having been given to the bazaar or simply abandoned to rebus... 
For Christmas 2013 , I chose twelve books that I particularly enjoyed and that I will offer as a gift in many cases. I also photographed some of the authors of these books. Each book is exceptional and will be a very inspiring reading , meaningful and enjoyable. This was the case for me with all the books suggested here... 
MY CHOICE 
1 . LE RETOURS DE L'OURS - Catherine Lafrance (Roman sobering on the environment of the planet); 
2 . AN ASTRONAUT 'S GUIDE TO LIFE ON EARTH - Chris Hadfield ( Autobiography inspiring on the art of successful living); 
3 . POPE FRANCIS - The Wall Street Journal ( Biography captivating about the unpredictable fate of life); 
4 . IT TAKES A VILLAGE - Hillary Clinton ( A book for all parents of children); 
5 . LA FORMULE DE DIEU - José Rodrigues do Santos ( To better understand human life, its origins and reality); 
6 . PILOTE MERCENAIRE - Raymond Baker / Daniel Renaud ( Biography reminiscent of Quebec and the Gaspé Peninsula); 
7 . THE CUCKOO 'S CALLING - J.K. Rowling ( A captivating and exciting thriller, the best I 've read life); 
8 . INFERNO - Dan Brown ( A polar and a beautiful tourist travel in Italy and Europe); 
9 . BOOK OF MATHEMATICS - The New York Times ( A guide to understanding the reality of mathematics in life); 
10.WIKILEAKS - Inside Julian Assange 's War on Secrecy ( A look at the new world of modern communications); 
11.FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE - Conrad Black ( A history of North America that makes us fully understand that the history of Canada and Quebec is directly linked with the United States, France and England); 
12.How THE LIGHT GETS IN - Louise Penny ( A thriller starring in the same story the Montreal police (SQ) , James Bay, fraud in the construction industry and the famous Pont Champlain... ). 
 Happy Holidays 2013-2014 
Photo 1 and 2: Cover of the books;
See full LeStudio1.com literary selections;

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2013

LeStudio1.com wish you all a pleasant Holidays period 2013 and a very Happy New Year 2014!
Above it all, filled with love! 
Photo 1: Miss X LeStudio1.com;
Photo 2: Bernard Bujold; (photo of Mont Tremblant, QC in the background);
See LeStudio1.com ;

POPE FRANCIS - PERSON OF THE YEAR 2013

Pope Francis was selected Personality of the Year 2013 by the prestigious American magazine Time. Congratulations to both the Pope for his appointment and to the magazine for its excellent choice! 
Photo 1: Cover of Time magazine (December 2013);
See Time Magazine ;

NELSON MANDELA (1918-2013)

Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) -
Nelson Mandela died Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013 at the age of 95 years. 
The former Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, had played a role leading Mandela's release in 1990 after 27 years political imprisonment. The African leader was so grateful Mulroney and Canada he had made the first speech after his release in Ottawa! 
Photo 1: Nelson Mandela with Brian Mulroney;
Photos 2 and 3: Nelson Mandela;
See story The National Post ;

PAUL DESMARAIS (1927-2013) - MEMORIAL

Bernard Bujold ( LeStudio1.com ) -
There are two conclusions following the tribute ceremony onTuesday, Dec. 3 in honor of Paul Desmarais. 
The first : do not try to look at the grave of Paul because he is not dead and he will continue to be present everywhere in our society. The proof of it is all the dignitaries present at the Notre-Dame Basilica and then gathered at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for the post- funeral ceremony. One would think an annual gathering Bal with all the leaders and contributors to our society today... 
The second conclusion of the event of the Basilica: we can predict that the conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin will one day be the official successor of Nagano Ken and Charles Dutoit representing the music in Montreal. Nézet -Séguin is a kind of Paul Desmarais of the classical music and he given another proof of his exceptional talent at the tribute ceremony during his conducting of the final musical piece the event.
Photo 1, 2 and 3: Ceremony tribute Notre-Dame Basilica ;
Photo 4: Official Program of the ceremony ;
Photo 5 : Bernard Bujold ( LeStudio1.com ) ;
View photo album Commemorative Ceremony LeStudio1.com ;

PAUL DESMARAIS (1927-2013) - Biography...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
It's Tuesday afternoon, December 3, 2013 that will be presented at the Basilica Notre-Dame in Old Montreal the ceremony in honor of Paul Desmarais.
The event will be broadcast live on many television networks in Canada from 3 p.m.
PAUL DESMARAIS SR. is probably the Canadian businessman who was most notable for its audacity but especially for its continuity. The man has built a unique empire in the world! 
His death on October 8, 2013 is very sad! 
I had the chance to meet the character a few times in 1984 while he was a friend of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Later I often saw him in Montreal when he had his office in front of Quebecor. Paul Desmarais loved to discuss but he was also very secretive about his business projects. Canada and Quebec lost a great man whose memory will persist. 
I photographed Paul Desmarais twice: once when he gave a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Institute in May 2003 in Montreal and later I would photograph him again at a party at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal with the Ambassador of France to Canada. 
Photo 1, 2 and 3: Paul Desmarais at the Woodrow Wilson Institute (Photo by Bernard Bujold 2003);
See photo album tribute LeStudio1.com ; 
See pictures the Woodrow Wilson Institute (2003) ; 
See pictures Museum of Fine Arts (2008) ; 
See biography Paul Desmarais ;
See Official press release ;
See opinion by Conrad Black ;

CHRISTMAS 2013 - December 25th...

Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
The date of December 25, 2013 is fast approaching which will be celebrated by the visit of the legendary Father Christmas... 
Everything is almost ready for distribution and the sleigh really works perfectly. I even made ​​a small road test (spin) around the workshop! 
Ho! Ho! Ho! 
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold on the sled;
Photo 2 and 3: Santa's Workshop;
See story LeStudio1.com ;