The beat goes on at the Web Summit Day One!

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

MONTREAL – It took me two days to get my groove back from flying home after this year Web Summit in Lisbon. More importantly, to get back to Earth after having the time of my life at the best tech conference in the world and reliving the pleasure of discovering a city I first visit six years ago.

If you don’t believe me, please have a look at a few home videos of myself (my cameraman aka The Educated Fool is not with me). I apologize for the quality of the video, but it does capture the emotion.

You know what, here is a better video from The Web Summit family. Ah, much better!

Day one at the Web Summit 2018

Last Tuesday was Day One of the Web Summit, and what a day it was! I met some inspiring startups like Newsadoo; a News version of Spotify. I have met so many friendly people who genuinely want to change the world through their startup ventures. During Carlos Moedas’ press conference, he is The European Commissioner of Innovation and Research, I took a big breath and had a little talk with myself. I said, “Go Sab, it will be alright.” I asked this question. Check out the video and I’m sorry for my French-speaking accent :

I have had the pleasure of speaking with João Andrade of Chromatikborn. Chromatikborn’s goal is to change the way fashion retail is organized. I’m a fashion lover and so for me, it’s a no-brainer to be excited about his startup.

During the afternoon, I saw Stephanie Mc Mahon on stage twice! She is one of the architects of the WWE Evolution. She talks about the evolution of women in male-dominated sports entertainment, specifically wrestling.

She also talks about where she wants to see the WWE in ten years. She wants it to be as big or even bigger than Disney. With everything Stephanie has accomplished, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did happen.

After a day of stars in my eyes and going weak in the knees (Thank God for my Adidas Superstars and no, this is not product placement… Hmm Adidas, call me!), I went to have dinner near the place I’m staying all alone.

Walking the streets of Lisbon during the night is mystical and magical. It’s my second time visiting this beautiful city. I will almost call it my third home away from home.

I’m falling in love with Lisbon all over again.

I went to a local restaurant (Chu Chu). I just wanted to eat, to relax and to enjoy memories of the day.

I ordered a half bottle of Vinho Verde and watched the sports network on their TV. By the time I finished my dinner, a friendly man had come to sit right next to me. Next thing you knew, we were having a really interesting conversation! We started talking about where I’m from, The Chronicle, and The Web Summit. Later, we spoke of his moving to Lisbon from France, yesterday’s mid-term election, and iconic French actors as we drank Porto.

When I finally put my head to my pillow last night, I couldn’t believe the day I had.

I fell asleep and woke up with a desire to repeat the same day I had yesterday.

Guess what?

Wednesday was as fun and magical as Tuesday!

Who Says Montreal Girls are not Stylish?

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

MONTREAL- I woke up this morning in a pissy mood. It didn’t last long, but I kept thinking of a comment I read somewhere (I’m ashamed, but it was on The DailyMail). It was criticizing one of our fashionista Godmamma‘s, Jessica Mulroney‘s, fashion style and her status as a stylist.

First of all, for us, the golden children of this beautiful city, Jessica was a well-known stylist in Montreal – the city of a thousand bells. I’m not speaking as a fan but as a journalist. I am writing a fact. The beauty in the fashion scene of Montreal is that we have this New Yorker edge, with a touch of European class. We celebrate diversity and audacity. Sometimes I wish I was as daring as Jessica, but I’m forever a minimalist CBK girl (Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy). I writing a quick shoutout to Maestro Matt Berman!

Ok, back to the story…..

For me and probably others, when we attack in a mean-spirited way, one of us (and “us“ for me is a woman, a human being, a hard worker and in this case, a fellow Montrealer), we get protective, our mamma bear coat and the Rocky Balboa (I know, he is my ultimate hero) gloves go on and we fight back.

I won’t do a Kanye of myself because I’m a very proud woman. I don’t believe in fighting fire with fire and being a total ass. But, I do get it. We don’t share the same taste in fashion. That’s the beauty of it though. A good stylist is someone who understands this. They see the different tastes of someone and can be creative without changing their style. We do have fun with fashion.

Why so serious?

Using writing to bully someone and posting mean posts; that I am against it.

I do respect constructive comments. You may not be a fan of a particular fashion house, stylists, fashion magazine or designer, but let’s not go into the judgmental territory.

Fashion is a big playground, for everybody.

Stylists, fashion houses and designers like Jessica, Zoë Bedos-Trudeau, Catherine Malandrino, Di Carlo Couture, Marie Saint-Pierre, Eve Gravel, Denis Gagnon, DUY, Mackage, Philippe Dubuc, Valerie Dumaine and many more are making their marks and they all bring something special in this big playground that will call fashion.

Montreal fashion, for me, is like Micheal Jackson‘s first solo album, Of The Wall (my favorite!). It is the template for the storm that will come.

And Canadian designers, Canadian stylists and (Hell ya!) us Canadian lovers, are starting to show the world, you may or may not like it, but let’s conquer the world by storm.

https://www.mackage.com/ca/en

http://www.valeriedumaine.com/en/

https://evegravel.com

https://www.dicarlocouture.com

http://catherinemalandrinousa.com

https://www.mariesaintpierre.com/ca_en/

http://duycollection.com/Duy/duy.html

Watching Some Soap Opera NBA and NFL Style

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

MONTREAL – Before I started writing this article, I spent 25 minutes in front of my computer screen asking myself this question:

Is it me, or has watching sports become more dramatic, in a soap opera kind of way, like my all-time favourite soap, The Young and The Restless?

Sometimes, I do dream that I am the equivalent of Victor Newman. Ok, back to Earth Sab!

Did I think the “taking a knee” situation during the national anthem at an NFL game would escalate to the point that now, even players will confront each other about taking a knee or not?

This is maybe the first time in my life that I have felt hopeless about the future of humanity. I don’t like this feeling at all. It’s pretty clear that the NFL is a religion for Americans, but this is getting way out of hand.

I was raised to respect everyone’s beliefs, religion, and philosophy and to be a pacific person. I would never disrespect someone singing the national anthem, just as I wouldnever disrespect someone not singing the national anthem, but 2016 brought the winds of change.

I can see, pretty clearly, a marriage between sports and politics, especially in the NFL.

Yesterday, things got out of hand in the field between Eric Reid of the Panthers and Malcolm Jenkins of the Eagles. It was almost like the catfight between Alexis and Krystle Carrington of Dynasty.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25043749/carolina-panthers-eric-reid-scraps-malcolm-jenkins-other-philadelphia-eagles

In terms of the knee up or down, here is a solution: No more national anthem. When I’m watching the Premier League (soccer aka European football), I don’t hear the national anthem. I hear chants from the fans.

Another catfight that happened this weekend was during the LA Lakers versus the Rockets. I wonder what Floyd Mayweather thought of the first punch thrown by Rajon Rondo. I can tell you what I was thinking – even me, while drunk (hmm, it doesn’t happen a lot, hihi!) would have punched beautifully like Apollo Creed instead of like Pauly (Rocky Balboa’s brother-in-law who was a terrible puncher… think Rocky III, in the parking lot) as was the case for Rondo.

But let’s get back to the main topic, another catfight like Alexis and Krystle’s.

Contrary to the NFL’s catfight, this one is more entertaining.

Grab your popcorn basket and let’s watch it together:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/10/21/18004988/los-angeles-laker-houston-rockets-chris-paul-rajon-rondo-fight

Do I have something else to say about those fights?

Honestly, no. I will continue to grab my popcorn for the NBA ones and I will hope that peace and pacifism will come to the NFL.

Let’s all sing Kumbaya please!

The Educated Fool week October 17th, 2018 (LeBron at LA, Jim Brown being Jim Brown and a little of Denzel)

Presented you by The Real Donnie Demos and her sidekick Sab

This week, Sab will tell her who is her new NBA favorite team or maybe not. The Educated Fool will talk about Jim Brown and his legacy and the duo will talk about some of their favorite Denzel’s moments in a film.

Is it a crime to be a journalist in 2018?

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

MONTREAL- For a few months, this question has been haunting me in a way I couldn’t have imagined. Right now, in this world we are living in, is still normal that some governments or regimes consider journalism to be a crime?

In Canada, we don’t have this problem, but in the Raymar, this is what seems to be the case. Wa Lone, (32) and Kyaw So Oo, (28), who could have been my little brothers because they are only a few years younger, were arrested in December 2017 simply because they were doing their jobs – being journalists. They were sentenced to seven years in prison last September after reporting the atrocities and the killing of Rohingya Muslims in the Raymar.

Their human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, gave a speech this last September at the UN Headquarters kindly asking if Aung San Suu Kyi, one of the famous Nobel Peace Prize honoraries and the Myanmar State Counsellor, could pardon the two journalists. By the way in early 2000, every time I have been to a U2 concert, I have seen a message of her telling us to be pacific and hope for a better world for the next generation.

So far, Aung San Suu Kyi is doing so little. With her inaction, you may question, damn, of all the people, does she truly think those journalists are criminals?? In my dictionary, The SAB Illustrated Dictionary 2018, being a journalist is not a crime. A journalist shouldn’t be in jail for doing their job. Criminals have done bad things like killing, stealing … Oh! Speaking of stealing, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were accused of breaching a secret act when they obtained confidential documents. Those documents would have been useful for terrorist organizations and enemies of the state. But those journalists were tricked. Clear and simple. Let’s try to find something to put them in jail so they won’t cover a very important story.

Even Amal said and I’m quoting: ”She (Aung San Suu Kyi) knows that mass murder is not a state secret and that exposing it doesn’t turn a journalist into a spy… History will judge her on her response”.

More and more, my conviction of not putting my trust in the government is growing. When I was young (I’m still young at heart), Aung San Suu Kyi was this really sweet and fragile, but feisty and courageous woman who wanted a better future for the country where she was born and raised. I saw her as a very gentle, pacific and kind-hearted person. Now, I have taken off my rose-coloured sunglasses, and I don’t find what I am reading about Myanmar in the news beautiful.

Those two journalists are apart from their young families. I can’t imagine the anguish and the kind of stress they are experiencing in their situation. I have the luxury of writing this post without fear of being thrown in jail or killed. I do take this for granted and I am ashamed of admitting it. But I won’t be ashamed to stand by those men.

Being a journalist is not a crime.

Never!

Céleste 5.0, Charles and Rock n’Roll

Rédigé par Sabine Démosthènes

MONTRÉAL – En un beau vendredi en fin d’après-midi, j’ai rencontré un homme intriguant. Et oui, vous avez bien lu. Ce fut le meilleur 5 à 7 que j’ai eu de ma vie. Il dégageait une authenticité quand il s’exprimait autour d’une très bonne bouteille de rouge.

Sa voix m’était pas inconnue car, il a la même voix que son papa qui fut un mentor pour mon homme. J’ai dû me ressaisir un peu car, cette voix et cette ressemblance m’a troublé pendant quelques minutes mais je ne voulais rien laisser paraître.

Ce que j’ai adoré avec ma rencontre avec Charles, et vous commencez à reconnaître mon style d’entrevue, c’est qu’elle a été conduite dans une simplicité et que ça ressemblait beaucoup plus à une conversation entre amis qu’une entrevue.

J’espère que vous allez vous laisser emporter dans l’univers assez rock n’roll (dans le bon sens du mot) de Charles Goyer.

Ensemble, nous allons découvrir son univers à sa façon.

Un grand merci à Charles Goyer et nous devrons refaire une autre entrevue en parlant que de George Harrison!

http://www.lacelestelevure.ca/fr

Sheldon

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

MONTREAL – Back in the winter of 2001, my brother came home from work and told me that he came face to face with Sheldon Souray. He was like in awe, literally! I was listening to every word he said – from him being one of the most dominating players of the Habs, to damn, the guy has that movie star ” it factor”.

I was still a Habs fan, but during that period, I was more into watching the Premiership League of Soccer over the NHL. So, I googled the name “Sheldon Souray” and I clearly saw what my brother had described to me. This guy is the absolute total package! He will rock this world on and off the ice.

Suddenly, I was back into watching hockey and when Saku Koivu came back from his cancer treatment, I was even more proud to be a Habs girl!

The years have passed and Sheldon continued to be a star in the NHL until a wrist injury ended his career.

The guy who seemed to have it all, a nice career, good looks, charisma, fame, money and two young children in awe of him, but no one prepares you for how to deal when the one thing that defines you (in his case, being a hockey player) is no longer part of your day to day life. The music has stopped and you are now a young retired athlete. Athletes work so hard to be the best of the best in their chosen field but are not prepared for the life after their athletic career.

They have to deal with the sudden sound of silence (no more autographs, no more practice, no more games). Boredom settles in and you have to redefine yourself. The struggle to find new meaning in your life is hard and can be a real challenge.

Sheldon’s life was becoming more chaotic and unfortunately, he became addicted to painkillers. Before it was too late, he looked up to his hero’s accomplishments, his father, Richard Souray.

His father made one of the best decisions of his life two decades ago when he decided to stop drinking and overcome alcoholism. Richard has always been a hero to Sheldon.

Two years ago, when Richard passed away, stricken with grief, Sheldon was at his lowest. His addictions almost got the best of him, but he remembered his hero’s determination to be sober for his son and his family and to enjoy life.

Richard saved Sheldon life.

There is a really nice interview that Sheldon did with Stu Cowan in The Gazette and I will gladly put the link below. What I admire most about Sheldon is he desire to be an authentic human being. He never pretended to be perfect, but he wanted to be a good man. I remember when John Kennedy Jr said he wanted to be remembered too for being a good man, instead of a great man.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/sheldon-sourays-life-might-have-looked-perfect-but-it-wasnt/amp

Sheldon shared his brave story and he is on a mission with the help of his family and his friends.

The sky will be the limit for Sheldon. I’m pretty sure the best is yet to come.

Sheldon Souray Twitter