Category: Fourre-tout

I hate do-gooders, those exasperating interlopers!

You are in a hurry. You have to meet a very important client for lunch and he has told you in no uncertain terms that he likes people to be punctual. OK, got that.

So you are downtown, fighting traffic and trying to make it on time for your meeting. You are stuck behind a slowpoke who has taken roots at a stop sign. A gap suddenly opens in the pedestrian flow going through the crosswalk. All right, go!
Go! What are you waiting for? The do-gooder in front of me has spotted a little old lady who is hesitating to cross the street and he is encouraging her to do so. At my expense! Cool it granny, step back!

Hate those guys bent on doing good! Never mind the fact that I am going to lose a fifty thousand bucks sale, this guy has got to do his Boy Scout bit.

Sometimes I seem to be stalked by Do-gooders. They always seem to appear when I am under pressure. Like last week… I parked at a meter and rushed into a building to drop a document. I get into an elevator with another fellow. He punches his floor, I punch mine.

OK, let’s go! But No. The guy is holding the door for a pregnant woman! What business does a woman in family way have to come downtown? Why doesn’t she stay home with milk and cookies and save me another parking ticket?

I told you, I am stalked by do-gooders.

A few days ago, I was in line at the supermarket waiting to have my goods processed by the food checker. Suddenly an older woman with a strong Russian accent engaged in an argument with the checker. The food checker obviously doesn’t understand what the old woman is saying.
Houston, we have a problem!

Out of nowhere, a distinguished looking gentleman appears and starts translating for the Babushka. There is hope… But what’s that? The Russian expats are now engaged in a lively conversation and smiling. This exchange doesn’t have anything to do with business; it reeks of social intercourse. Damn the Do-gooders!

And I think that the blasted thing is catching.

Two days ago, I was driving downtown when I noticed a lost pooch. I know when a dog is in trouble. Without a second thought I stopped my car  and approached the mutt. The poor thing was shivering and looking very despondent. I managed to grab him and take him into my car. Don’t worry pooch, I’ll take care of you.

Somebody behind me started honking. Bastard! Don’t you have any heart?

Alain

PS: You can now view this page in French, Spanish, German and Russian. To do so, please click on the Translate sign located on the right side (bottom) of this post and choose the language that suits you best.
The translation by the way is far from being perfect!

Once in a while, because of our inability to achieve a goal, we experience frustration.

But yesterday in Petaluma despite strong gusts of wind, there was a permanent cloud of frustration hanging all over the pétanque field.
In all my born days I have never heard so many “merde” or seen so much hand wringing than yesterday at the Oak Hill Park.

The pétanque field in Petaluma is (let me try to find the right word) highly unpredictable. The ground is strewn with small pebbles that will deflect just about any unlucky boule landing on it. And yesterday you needed a lot of luck.

The poor slobs (like me) who seldom venture to Oak Hill Park were bogged down in a permanent state of frustration. Pebbles thwarted so many of my shots, that I could barely contain myself. As the saying goes, I had just about all I could take of myself.

Even Petalumians  (who play there regularly) where struggling. But I am ahead of myself. The opposing teams were as follows:

For Marin we had:

1- Sandra Shirkey, Mark Shirkey, Noel Marcovecchio
2- Alain Efron, Francois Moser, Sabine Mattei
3- Henry Wessel, Calvert Barron, Marc Davantes
4- Charlie Davantes, Liv Kraft, Helga Facchini

On the Petaluma side:

1- Bleys Rose, David Hale, Dennis Zerbo
2- Ed Porto, Hans Kurz, Larry Brown
3- David Lindsay, Jimmy Johnson, Dougie Coleville
4- Albert Woodbury, Caitlin Woodbury, John Virbill

On our second encounter with Petaluma at Oak Hill Park, we didn’t do that much better than in our first encounter.
Petaluma won 11 games and Marin 5.

As a (poor) excuse, I choose to blame the weather. It was cold and extremely windy and few people play well entangled in a heavy jacket.

The saving grace for Marin, was the brilliant performance of the Henry, Calvert and Marc Davantes team. They won 3 out of 4 games and barely lost their last game 10/13.
We might have to throw a parade for them in Marin.

On the Petaluma side, Ed Porto, Hans Kurz and Larry Brown also won 3 games.

The proceeds from both encounters were split between the 2 clubs.

In conclusion:

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning do to do afterward.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

Alain

Another mass killing! Another senseless tragedy that could have been avoided.

But in America we are kind of blasé about this sort of thing. It is common and it is happening with a sickening regularity. And what are we doing about it besides crying, wringing our hands, making emotional speeches and lighting candles?
Nothing! Absolutely nothing.

Let’s be realistic: assault weapons are murdering people all over the country and if we want to stop the carnage, these weapons of war have to be banned!

Never mind the convenient scapegoat of mental illness. These individuals are just a small part of the problem. To get rid of this killing epidemic, we need to eliminate the means of mass destruction. This country has been plagued by automatic assault weapons for a long time and something needs to be done about it.

Let’s not delude ourselves. We are all a bunch of sheep following a few rams. We are basically led by a small minority wielding too much power. And the driving force behind power is as usual money. A few people with lots of cash are coercing our obliging (money-hungry) politicians into preventing sane public safety measures to be implemented.

The gun lobby is wielding an unimaginable amount of power and the spotlight of public opinion should be directed to this organization and their minions.
A lot of powerful moguls have been brought down through the means of “sexual harassment” shaming. The same course of action (killing shaming) ought to be used against venal politicians and their godfathers.

You need to understand that the primary goal of a politician is survival. In order to be reelected, he constantly needs to raise money, and the life-saving donations are coming from just a few affluent dudes. If you can rely on those patrons, you reelection is assured. So let’s not rock the boat and offend these nice philanthropists who are so faithfully taking care of you.

As long as these killings are not affecting my family and my wallet, we can live with it. Right?

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” —Malala Yousafzai

In conclusion:

Speak up. Pressure your elected representative or don’t complain.

Alain