Category: Fourre-tout

« Que sont mes amis devenus
Que j’avais de si près tenus
Et tant aimés
Ils ont été trop clairsemés
Je crois le vent les a ôtés… »

“What has become of my friends
Whom I held so close
And loved so much
They have been too few and far between
I think the wind has taken them away…”

Recently, feeling a bit weary, I picked up the phone and called a friend, inviting him to lunch.
“Sorry,” he said, “I’m a little tied up right now. Maybe another time…”

No worries, I thought. I know plenty of people who’d be happy to chew the fat with me. So, undeterred, I made a few more calls.
Same story—different excuses: too busy, too far, not feeling great, on a diet, not in the mood, or just missing in action.

And then it hit me: we’re on a very slippery slope when we start refusing human contact.
Schmoozing—yes, simple, aimless conversation—is what keeps us connected. Break that link, and we begin to drift… emotionally, mentally, even physically. Without companionship, the risk of loneliness, depression, and worse creeps in.

A cup of coffee costs far less than a session with a shrink—and can be just as effective at lifting the blues. And here’s the magic: it works both ways. Helping a friend feels good. That little dose of kindness is contagious—just like germs, only much nicer. When you support someone, you’re helping yourself too.

Over the years, I’ve had a few close friends. But time, distance, health—or just the randomness of life—got in the way, and I lost touch with some. I regret that.

So, if you have friends, nurture your friendships. Don’t let them wither and fade. Life means very little if you don’t have someone to share a laugh with or to chase the blues away.

“Life is nothing without friendship.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero

Alain

Friends, Romans, Millionaires—lend me your ears!
I come here to bury our former president, not to praise him.

In 2026, I intend to run for President of the LPM Pétanque Club (among other things) and usher out the radicals who’ve turned our peaceful terrain into a battlefield of boules and bravado.

I stand before you with only one mission: to make our club great again. From now on, no more wasting club funds on mystery expenses, no more rampant disorganization, no more corruption.

I want to know where every penny goes each time it is spent, and especially on frivolous expenses like Medicare care and Social Security.

Everybody is ripping us off, and I intend to put an end to that. I will tax everything coming to this country, unless they give us a fair good deal. I want every manufacturing job to come back to the US, so that our citizens can enjoy the high-paying jobs they deserve! Yes, there might be some growing pains during this period, but I promise you that it will be only temporary. Maybe ten to twenty years of hardship at most, not more. Guaranteed!

I am running to make our club great again, and to end the waste of money and the ineptitude that is flagrant in the present administration.  I want to stop the influx of illegal players who have snuck into our country and stolen trophies from our hard-working citizens. They are rapists and criminals, and I intend to send them back where they came crawled from… or anywhere else.

Let me be clear. I will be firm but fair. My administration will hire only the best, regardless of political beliefs, and as long as they pledge a loyalty oath to me, to the club, to pétanque, and to our sacred cause (which I’ll announce later).

As for defense, our club is already a powerhouse. We’ve got the best players, the fiercest throwers, and the sharpest aim in the Western Hemisphere. If Greenland (a poor, bare country) needs us, we are willing to help extinguish the volcanoes’ braziers that are devastating your beautiful country. We will do this as a fair deal. One club, one citizenship, one country!

Our club needs money, and I intend to do some serious fundraising to remedy that problem. Fundraising is my specialty. Millionaires are welcome to our ranks, and I promise you that there won’t be any discrimination if you approve of my policies. And I will lead by example. Don’t be afraid to make money. It is good for everybody, it is healthy, and I will show you how it is done. Making money is not a sin—it’s a pétanque tradition!

To boost morale and club spirit, I will also promote pompom squads, American flags, and a rousing rendition of the national anthem before every tournament. That’s right—pompoms, anthems, the works. We’ll turn pétanque into the most profitable sport in the world. And I already acquired the rights to the best boules ever made. They will be made in America, and it will benefit the American iron and steel industry and contribute mightily to our national recovery.

So vote for me—and you, too, can experience the thrill of supporting an ambitious, unapologetically enthusiastic, money-loving enthusiast who just might take pétanque to the stars.

Alain

 

“When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.” — Thomas Paine

Although these words were written more than two centuries ago, they remain strikingly relevant today.

Everyone can talk, but few take the time to write. Why? Because speaking often requires little thought, and you can spew words without truly thinking. Writing, on the other hand, demands reasoning and reflection. For some, that’s too much to ask.

I find mental decline far more terrifying than physical deterioration. To keep your brain sharp, you must occasionally challenge yourself, and writing is one of the best ways to do that. Think of it as a mental workout—like a stationary bike for the mind. It keeps your cognitive gears from rusting and your thoughts from growing lazy. In time, writing becomes a habit, even a need. You may sit down with nothing particular to say, yet still feel drawn to the keyboard to write a few thoughts

You can often tell when someone speaks without thinking. Their words are hollow, their views inconsistent, and their opinions shifting from week to week. They sound unmoored—and at times, ridiculous. This is especially troubling when that person is an elected official…

Writing forces you to clarify your thoughts before expressing them. It’s the calisthenics of the brain, as essential as walking. If neglected, your thinking becomes sluggish, unchallenged, and susceptible to fall prey to fraudulent messiahs.

Most importantly, writing stimulates you. It compels you to examine your beliefs, to form opinions, and sometimes to take a stand that diverges from the crowd.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” ~ Henry Ford

Alain