Category: Fourre-tout

One of my hobbies is photography. Over the years I have collected over 20,000 snapshots that have found a temporary shelter on my computer’s hard drive. My machine is wincing under the load and begging for relief. So, once in a while I review my collection, and after much consideration, I delete some subpar shots.

But there is no pleasure in owning anything unless you share it. And this is the reason why from time to time I feel the urge of publishing a photographic essay. I want to share with everybody many of the shots that I have collected over the years.

An ancient Latin proverb says “Verba volant, scripta manent” (words fly away, but writings remain) and so do pictures.
And pictures bring back memories… some good, some bad, but mostly good. Because even when losing a game or two (or all of them) it does not prevent you from having a good time.

So, who gets to figure in this book? I always prefer candid shots over posed ones. When you are unaware of a shot, we get to see the real you, not a photoshopped image. So, if you want a better chance to be in a publication, forget the camera and be your crazy, uninhibited self. The camera loves exuberance and wacky characters.

Each book tries to be different. This one in particular, instead of showing spectacular action shots, will reflect the pleasure and the camaraderie enjoyed by all the participants of a “boules” game.
You can see a preview of this project (Parlez-vous boules?) in the “photos” section of this blog.

But the main problem of publishing a book is cost. It can be prohibitive, especially when dealing with a single publication. A larger order will always benefit from better financial conditions. 10 books are ultimately going to be cheaper than a single one, and 20 are even going to fetch a better deal.
I estimate the cost of 20 books to be around $35.00 a piece or maybe less.

Eventually, the key to this difficulty is to secure a firm commitment ahead of time from would-be purchasers. So, if you are interested in a acquiring this book, let me know.
The more the merrier.

Photographically yours,

Alain

 

Howard Schultz (former CEO of Starbucks) just announced that he was seriously considering running for president in 2020. Why not? But as an Independent?

Howard, you dummkopf, have you totally lost your f*****g mind? Did you indulge in a late-night espresso binge? By running as an Independent, you will divide the Democrats and boost Trump’s chances to be reelected for a second term. Боже мой! (bozhe moy/oh my god).

If you persist in this vanity run, you will damage and possibly ruin the Starbucks brand forever. Legions of people are already eagerly waiting for an excuse to boycott your octopus-like organization.

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it, and obviously, history was not Mr. Schultz forte. Caesar old adage “Divide and conquer” is still relevant today. Divide your enemies into small tribes and destroy them one by one.
POTUS would be absolutely delighted to see this happen and he is baiting Schultz to launch his ill-fated adventure.

The big Democratic donors, on the other hand, are not pleased and will certainly try to foil Howard’s aspirations. Another reason to get out of the race and give a streetwise woman politician the chance to recover an obviously misappropriated election.

The 2020 contest is shaping up as another Kursk battle. The Republicans panzers will try to destroy the Democratic legions but will face highly motivated vengeful troops.
According to pundits, this could be another Waterloo for the MAGA forces. And Trump is no Napoleon.

St Helena island (population 4534) is still looking for settlers and it would be a good place for a deposed would-be emperor to exercise his building talents. He could erect his cherished “beautiful wall” around the 10 by 5 miles island without the assent of pesky legislators… and it would definitely cost much less than $5.7 billion.

By the way, there is a nice little 9-hole golf course in St Helena where Mr. Trump could indulge (after building his enclosure) in one of his most assiduous activity.

The island is still one of the most remote places in the world, but since 2017 it has an airport and is a little more accessible.

A Trump jet could make a splendidly splashy touchdown there.

Alain

“Our greatest foes, and whom we must chiefly combat, are within.” Miguel de Cervantes

Who is your most trusted confidant? Who is the keeper of your most intimate secrets? Who knows everything about you?
Your mother? Your lover? Your priest? Mark Zuckerberg?
Wrong! Wrong on all counts.

Your most trusted friend, the guardian of all your secrets is your smartphone. It knows absolutely everything about you. Who your friends are, who you called, who called you, where you have been…? It retains (compromising?) photographs and videos….
No denying it… the device that you keep the closest to your heart knows more about you than your accountant.

But is it really a friend? Can it be trusted? Could it ever betray you? The sad truth is that, even without torture, if you ever get into trouble, your BFF will sing like a canary on a summer night. It will tell everything it knows about you, warts and all. All your saucy messages, all your naughty sex texts will be revealed for the world to know.

Because your smartphone is not really your friend; it is your servant, and servants are known to spill all the beans for their 15 minutes of fame. As a matter of fact, all your connected devices are double agents. They will work for you but have no qualms about working against you. They are mercenaries, pure and simple.

As the saying goes, if you want a friend, get a dog. It will never let you down and will never ever reveal any secrets. Of course, when it comes to communication, a dog is not as reliable as a phone, but it will keep you warm and let you sleep at night.

So, what should you do? Fire your phone? Live without this traitorous piece of technology? Unthinkable!

The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy. Friedrich Nietzsche

Divide and conquer. Use the two girlfriends’ technique. Get a second phone and make the first one jealous. Let them compete for your affection. And don’t share with the first one what you told the second one.

In conclusion,

your phone is not your friend. It is more like a jittery lover. As long as you get along, you are fairly safe. But if you ever break up, watch out and batten down the hatches. Your vindictive phone will talk like a Trump minion.

“Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” 

 Alain