Category: Fourre-tout

 

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” — George Jean Nathan

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When I vote, I vote for my candidate… or for the lesser of two evils.
I never abstain. To me, abstaining is not an indication of protest; it is more a sign of “laissez-faire”, letting things take their own course.
Basically, it means abdicating responsibilities and giving free rein to extremists.

As you may know, this weekend the French will vote again in the second round of the presidential election.
The two finalists are Far Right Marine Le Pen (National Front) and centrist Emmanuel Macron (Onward).

Macron is thought to prevail. If he does, he will be the youngest president ever in the French history. But, “les jeux ne sont pas faits. »
If I had to define a Frenchman by a single word, I would call him “cabochard” (pigheaded), one who will do as he pleases. And a cabochard is more inclined to let feelings prevail over rationality.

Marine Le Pen (48) succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen who founded the National Front in 1972. Over the years she has struggled to bring respectability to a party that was mainly known for its thuggish, fascist ways.
She partly succeeded, mainly by tapping the anger of the unemployed and a general fear of immigration and terrorism. If elected she vowed to pull out of the euro currency and apply major restrictions to the Schengen Agreement (free movement across European borders).

Emmanuel Macron (39), a former investment banker appeals to many by a moderate rhetoric, plans to lower taxes, reform work laws and expand health care. He also supports the open-door policy toward immigrants and tolerance towards Muslims.
In a France polarized by the fear of immigration, this could be his undoing.

He was briefly Minister of the Economy under Francois Hollande, where he pushed through business-friendly reforms, notably the right to work on weekends. He showed early grit by vowing at 17 to marry his schoolteacher (who was 24 older than he is) and by going through with his promise.

The results of this vote are extremely important because they will determine the fate of the European Union. If the candidate of the Far Right succeeds, it could spell the end of the Union, a renewal of divisive Extreme Right policies all over Europe and have worldwide implications.

It is hoped by many that this weekend won’t be a replay of the 2016 American elections scenario.

Alain

“Since the people vote against the government, the people must be dissolved.” Bertold Brecht.

 

 

“The club expects that every man will do his duty.”

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With the re-apparition of long-awaited sunny days, I will never stress enough the importance of the “pointer” in the game of Pétanque. I know that I have talked about this before, but after losing countless encounters, I want to reiterate my belief in the value of the pointer.

In the game of pétanque players are basically divided in two very distinct categories. There are “pointers” (the worker bees, the skilled craftsmen) and the ”shooters” (the muscle, the gorillas, the gunslingers).
A gunslinger though, without the assistance of a skilled pointer is very vulnerable. With only 2 or 3 bullets at his disposition, he has to fire (accurately) and only as a last resort. Once disarmed, he is as harmless as a defanged cobra.

The first boule thrown by the pointer often determines the outcome of a game. A successful placement is both strategically and psychologically important. It forces the shooter to either fire a precious bullet or pressure the pointer to do better.
Psychologically, it is also subtly undermines the confidence of the other team.

Even when the pointer eventually manages to put a boule in the close vicinity of the “cochonnet”, not doing well with the first boule immediately tips the balance in favor of the opposite team. Each player has a limited amount of ammunition that needs to be used very judiciously. Each failed attempt to score is a wasted bullet and an added advantage for the opponent/s.

Women generally excel at pointing, and proficient players are sought and wooed for important tournaments. If I were in such a position, I would play coy and go with the highest bidder (cash or an all paid vacation to some swank resort).

I am not saying that pointing is the exclusive domain of women; they can also be excellent shooters. Last night for instance I had the pleasure to play with against Honor W. for the first time and she really impressed me with her shooting ability. Like a born shooter she throws her boule “au fer” and her batting average is more than respectable.
A real pleasure to compete with such a cool, elegant, accomplished player.

To sum it up, the shooter solely does not win a game. Without a good pointer, he is like a tank without infantry support. Very vulnerable to anti-tank fire.
Don’t forget that some shooters also have a very thin skin. After missing a few times they lose heart and fall apart. This is when pointers should take advantage of their disarray and point more exquisitely than ever.

Hail to all pointers! May they arm-wrestle petanque gorillas into submission every chance they get!

Alain

 

“La gentillesse, c’est de l’amour donné par petites bouffées.”
“Kindness is love given in small puffs.”

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Those who are close to me know that I am partial to dogs, cats, myriads of four-legged critters and GNP. Not “the total value of the goods and services produced by the people of a nation during a year“ but the other GNP: the Genuine Nice People.

In a world of fakes, phonies and con men it is nice once in a blue moon to come across a honest-to-goodness Genuine Nice Person. But unfortunately they seem to be a vanishing breed that needs protection.

Nice people don’t tout their niceness. It is up to you to discover them.
They are like truffles. You might have to dig a little to find them and appreciate them, but it is definitely worth the effort.

The main quality of a GNP is empathy, the ability to understand and share someone’s feelings. GNP listen and identify with your problems. They are kind, compassionate and discreet. You can confide in them without fearing that your most intimate feelings are going to be broadcast to the four corners of the earth.

A GNP is almost like a BFF, but in a better, improved version. You are born a GNP while a BFF is a (flaw-prone) manufactured product.
A BFF might judge and condemn while a GNP will listen and soothe, without ever passing judgment. In times of sorrow, we all need a sympathetic ear, and if you are lucky a true GNP will always be there to commiserate with you.

This year, without fear of contradiction, I confer the title of GNP to Liv Kraft, a bona fide Genuine Nice Person.
She is a delightful companion, a good pétanque player, a helpful club member, and a joy to be around. May she live forever.

Three hearty cheers for her!

Skal Liv!

Alain