Category: Fourre-tout

We got underway at the crack of dawn… A tardy dawn actually, due to a late sleeping oversight.

According to HQ, our mission was to infiltrate San Francisco and gather as much info as possible. The emphasis was to be on tall buildings and infrastructure.

At this time of the year, the city is packed with tourists and we decided to dress accordingly to better blend in. We also left all compromising documents (if caught, only name, rank and serial number) behind, and casually boarded the Larkspur ferry at 9:30 am.

We originally planned to enter the city by kayak under the cover of darkness but one of our team members nixed the idea. He said that he could not do this because he was terrified of sharks and that he had heard that many Great Whites were lurking in the Bay.
Due to our rigorous training, it looked a little bit implausible but it was too late to find another teammate.

Aboard the USS Sonoma, we mingled and blended flawlessly with the day-trippers; we absolutely didn’t arise any undue suspicion. The third member of our team, while being relatively young, was of great help. John (not his real name) is a real looker and goes by the name of “Gueule d’ange” (Babyface). He is not very loquacious, but he looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He will win over anybody with a smile.

We landed in San Francisco around 10:30 am and went to work at once. Smartphones and cameras started clicking instantly. If you move away from a beautiful city (or a pretty girl), you forget how truly attractive it is and fall back under the spell the minute you come back.

On this sunny day, the city of Saint Francis looked gorgeous and women all over were on parade. Many wore shorts, tight jeans and yoga pants (the prevalent trend) for the benefit of appreciative onlookers. In contrast, a lonely figure wearing a black Burka (head to toes) stood out for its incongruity. I am pretty sure that her “guardian” was too busy ogling the girls to pay any attention to his charge.

Our team closely inspected (and photographed) the Hyatt Regency. We rode the elevator to the top and took many pictures. This ought to satisfy the shadowy figures of our organization.

Around noon we stopped at a sidewalk café for lunch. Prices were overinflated but it was expected. Touring is like courting a swanky girl: you know that it is going to cost you.

At 12:30 pm we slipped back in a ferry going back to Larkspur. The ride was short; thirty minutes instead of sixty minutes for our initial ride. Mission accomplished, without any casualty!

It is not without reason that we (like many elite teams) are known as “les travailleurs de l’ombre”.

Epilog

HQ will be happy. Our mission went flawlessly and we brought back a lot of pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised to be handsomely rewarded for this dangerous mission.

Alain

PS: By special derogation, I have been authorized to show you some of the pictures.

It is time to vote again. On Tuesday June 5, 2018, Californians are expected to go to their polling place and cast their ballot. This process is grandly called “democracy in action.”

In a democratic society, everybody has the right to vote. This entitlement sounds good in principle, but it is deeply flawed and I disagree with it.

In order to vote you should have to prove that you are literate and knowledgeable about the candidates and the issues. Just like you have to prove that you understand the basic road rules before being authorized to drive.
If you cannot answer a dozen basic questions about the candidates or the issues, you should be ineligible to vote. In the same way as driving, voting should not be a right but a privilege.

Unfortunately, few people are familiar with the candidates and the issues. They will pick somebody based on a slick TV commercial or based on their union’s endorsement.

Not many people take the time (it is tedious) to compare the different candidates before casting their ballot. And the legislators are not keen to help. They prefer to keep everything vague and most of the people in the dark. Good government needs some mystery, they are fond to say.

Ironically, many people will check Consumer Reports before buying a lawn mower, but few will bother to scrutinize the facts before voting for a person who will deeply affect their lives.

“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” – Abraham Lincoln 

No no Abe, you are wrong, old man. You can fool most of the people all the time. And it was proved very recently.

Some voters might know who is running for Governor, Senator, and House of Representatives but that’s about all.

What about candidates running for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner? We seldom hear about these job applicants and most of the people have no idea what they stand for and if they are qualified for the job.

I vote for the people who share the same ideals. This year, my rule Number One is that any candidate seeking my approval has to be actively campaigning in favor of gun control. In view of the almost daily shootings occurring in America, Amendment Number Two must be amended again.

Contrarily to what the NRA is saying, this amendment is not carved in the Tables of the Law and God did not speak it.

In a word: vote

Go to the polls, and for the sake of your loved ones, cast your ballot for the righteous candidates.

Alain

Yes, I watched part of the royal bash at the Windsor Castle, but I have mixed feelings about the whole shebang.

It was very impressive and very romantic… and maybe a little bit over the top, especially when it came to Bishop Michael Curry’s exuberant address.

I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but any marriage (regardless of the protagonists) is always an iffy proposition. It is like a Broadway production, it could be a hit or a flop.

Of course, you wish the young couple well, but it has been estimated that between 40 and 50% of marriages end up in divorces. Regardless of who you are, your romance is never entirely foolproof.

The royals naturally live in a different world, but most of the difficulties that befall ordinary folks are also there for them. Money is probably not one of them, but infidelity could be. The biblical snake (carrying the forbidden fruit on his backpack) is always waiting in the grass.
Nobody is beyond temptation, neither a prince nor an actress.

Do you seriously expect me to be the first Prince of Wales in history not to have a mistress? Prince Charles

And for royals, there might also be the fear of being upstaged. It is difficult for a prince who has always been the center of attention, to play second fiddle to a glamorous wife. And it could be very tempting for a seasoned actress to upstage the man she nabbed. I believe that Meghan (the “older”, more experienced woman) is capable of wrapping Harry around her little finger and make him cry “uncle” anytime she wants.

I understand that Prince Albert, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles all resented the popularity of their spouses.

Yes, I might sound a little miffed, but the invitation starting with

The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by
The Queen to invite…

never reached me. It was undoubtedly lost in the mail, but I am mad at Meghan for not sending the invitation in a more secure manner.

Let it be known

In her last text message though, the Duchess of Sussex apologized profusely and promised to play a round of pétanque with us whenever she can shake off Harry.

Alain