Category: Fourre-tout

Ne berces-tu jamais                       Don’t you ever entertain
En tout bien tout honneur               With honorable intentions of course
De jolies pensées interlopes ?        Fetching lascivious thoughts?

Those are some of the lyrics of “Penelope », a song composed by famous French singer/songwriter Georges Brassens. This ballad was published in 1960 and as it shows, Georges was not the first person to cast some doubts on women’s declared rectitude.

Sexual Harassment deserves condemnation and should be reined in, no doubt about it. But not all men are villains and not all women are innocent victims. In view of the Sexual Harassment tsunami, we need some kind of a reset.

Yes, there has been a lot of sexual harassment in the past but let’s not turn this into the Reign of Terror or the Red Scare.

In the current climate, someone’s reputation and livelihood can be wiped out in seconds by allegations, and one needs to be cautious before casting stones and ostracizing anybody.

In some cases, women were the amorous instigators. But what if the romance goes sour and the man decides to put an end to the relationship? There is something called vengeance and it is a very tempting retribution tool for scorned women. Could then a consensual relationship suddenly become a case of sexual harassment?

The key to all of this is consensual agreement. If both parties agree to some hanky-panky there is no cause for melodrama. But the main question is “when does the woman agree to a sexual interlude?”
Some men are seemingly unable to tell.

In my ever-inventive mind, I see an opportunity for another smartphone voice-activated app. It would work like a miniature stoplight. Since most people bring their phone near or into their bed, it would be easy to handle.

During any prelude to sexual activity, the would-be seducer would have to pay attention to the phone lurking in the dark. If the light is green, there is a consensus. When it turns orange, easy does it. If the light turns red, STOP. An alarm could also be activated if the Lothario persists in his unwelcome advances. Running a red light as everybody knows is a serious offense punishable by law.

To sum it up

If men don’t see the light, the Stop Light could become the indispensable killer app for the woman on the go. What da ya think?

Alain

You gotta have style. Without it you are nobody. Diana Vreeland.

In the last 10 years, I must have taken at least 30,000 pictures. I have photographed just about everything under the sun including men, beasts, and pétanque players.

During this time, I have shot the same individuals multiple times and I have noticed that every person has a very distinctive way of casting his/her boules. This is called style, and a photographer is very partial to form. The more graceful you are and the more the camera will like you, increasing your chances to be seen in various publications.

Style is inimitable and often defines a player. Having style though does not necessarily mean that you are a top-rated player. You can be photogenic without being effective, but generally speaking, a stylish individual is usually a good player. Style and outcome go hand in hand.

By the same token, a bland player can be extremely accurate and as capable as a flashy player; he might not be stylish, but this does not prevent him from scoring.

Skills can be learned, but style is innate. You are born with. It also partly depends on your morphology. It is also not exclusively a man’s attribute. Au contraire! Some women can be very stylish and when they are, they draw larger crowds than men players.

Style is definitely crowd-pleasing; to be popular you need to win games, but it is the way you do it that will shape your reputation.

Style is whatever you want to do, if you can do it with confidence. George Clinton

Tennis pro Anna Kournikova was not a particularly successful player; she never won a single title but she had style and the crowds cheered for her.

Moral of the story:

Winning games is great, but winning with style is the cherry on top of your achievement.

Alain

 

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. – Immanuel Kant

Absolutely! I won’t respect anybody, regardless of his/her position, who does not treat animals kindly.

Most animal lovers have pets and treat them like family members. They love them, and when you love no price is too great to provide comfort… and health insurance for your kin.

Because once in a while our furry friends are indisposed and need professional attention. You then have to take your pet to the vet, and it can be a very painful experience… for your wallet. A single visit to a veterinary hospital can cost between $500.00 and $1000.00 with no guaranty of a favorable outcome.

A trip to a doctor in comparison (providing that you have medical insurance) is usually much cheaper, and many of the costly subsequent medical procedures are covered. The only way to prevent constant financial hemorrhaging is to get medical insurance for your pet. But it is tricky. Pet insurances have a yearly deductible and will cover only a portion of your expenses. And they know very well that you might skip a visit to the doctor but never a visit to the vet.

A human can rationalize his behavior, but since animals cannot talk (yet) and explain what ails them, you will always take your pet to the clinic because you cannot bear to see your friend suffering.

In my book, pets should be covered under your own medical insurance. I would be willing to pay a little more each month to insure that my pet would also be taken care of.

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot

Pets are not just breathing playthings. They provide love and emotional support for a great number of people and if they did not exist, you would have to invent them. Pets deliver the same support (I would say superior) that religion provides for believers.

If a dog could be elected president, I would vote for that dog. I am certain that he would provide medical coverage for all, not just for his rich friends. He would deliver for all American dogs, regardless of their origins.

A vote for a dog would be a vote for humanity… and I am pretty sure that he would look damn presidential.

Alain, certified animal lover