Category: Fourre-tout

 

“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him you will win”.
Ed Macauley

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Si vis pacem, para bellum the Romans used to say, “If you want peace, prepare for war”.
Or in other words, if you want to prevail, you need to practice… relentlessly.

To be a well-rounded pétanque player you need to know how to “point” AND how to “shoot”. Without this additional skill a pointer is just like a tennis player without a backhand. An incomplete, very vulnerable player.

When you play a casual game of pétanque, the stated goal is to win of course, but more importantly it is also to prepare you for bigger events, such as regional, national or international tournaments.
Winning is always satisfying, but it comes only second to sharpening your skills. All players (male and female), instead of restricting themselves to pointing ought to practice shooting.

You are not born a shooter. You become a shooter. And you become a shooter by practicing whenever there is an opportunity.

Winning is OK, but having fun is definitely more enjoyable than winning.
Éclate-toi! (have a blast) say the French. It should be the driving motto behind every game of pétanque.
Losing can be disheartening, but losing with panache more than makes up for a defeat. Losing with two well-executed “carreaux” under your belt is nothing to be ashamed of. Personally, I will gladly take such a loss versus a laborious 13/12 win.

Panache my friends is what makes a game memorable. Last year in Sonoma Antoine Lofaro won a tournament with two rare “carreaux” in a row.
A few days ago, Alain Marchand ended a game with another superb “carreau ». Nothing beats such an achievement my friends. It is an orgasmic feat that you need to experience at least once in your lifetime.

So, if you want to enjoy the ecstasy of the Big O, you need to practice mes amis, unrelentingly.

When you finally succeed “you will wiggle and you will shake like a big rattlesnake ♫”.

Alain

“Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes.”
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964)

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“Knowledge is power.” You must have heard this expression a thousand times and it is basically true. Then how “powerful” are you and what do you really know about subjects that matter to you?

How knowledgeable are you about Money, Taxes, Technology, Healthcare, Environment, Politics?
Do you know enough about money to invest it wisely? On what side of the digital divide do you stand? Can you fix a simple computer problem? Do you believe in climate change? Or is it a “hoax”? Do you know who your Congressman is? And who are the bad guys in Washington? The Republicans? The Democrats? The Ecologists? All of them?

The awful, pathetic truth is that generally speaking we know very little about what matters most to us and the puppeteers at the top are very careful to keep us in the dark.
“Trust me” is a very popular saying in Washington.

Facts and statistics are like gold nuggets. They are precious but only the well informed know where to pan for it and how to put it to good use.
Today though, thanks in great part to Mr. Gates and Mr. Jobs the computer is your best defensive tool. Before believing anything that you hear or read, it would greatly behoove you to do a little research and check the authenticity of those assertions.

“Be skeptical. Check the author. Check the publisher. Check the sources.”

There are a few non-partisan Fact Checking Websites (Politifact, Factcheck.org, and the Washington Post‘s Fact Checker among them) that can help you to do so.

If you are an average fellow and if you suddenly hit the lottery’s piñata, you are immediately wading in quicksand. What are you going to do with all that dough? Buy a bunch of cars and expensive presents for family and friends? Take a long vacation?
And whom can you really trust to steer you right? A friend, a lawyer, your mistress?

When you come into money, “friends” pop up around you like mushrooms after a spring rain. And some can be very poisonous.

To survive in this dog-eat-dog environment you need protection and your best protection is education. The more you know about a subject, the less appetizing you become to the sharp teeth swindlers circling around you.

Learning is a never-ending process and it is your best life saving jacket.

Alain

PS: If you feel like it, you can post a personal comment below by clicking on “Reply“.

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.” — Irish Proverb

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Once upon a time, a curious mouse wandered into a house inhabited by a couple of bears. He then proceeded to explore the house from top to bottom. He went from room to room sniffing and examining everything within its reach.
He squeaked with delight when he came across some breadcrumbs left by Papa Bear and Mama Bear.
This looks like a good place to settle in, he thought in petto.

When she first saw the mouse, Mama Bear shrieked and hid behind the kitchen counter.
– Papa Bear she cried, there is a MO– USE in our house. Do something… chase him away.
– Have no fear, said Papa Bear, Bear Force One is here. He went to the broom closet, grabbed a fearful looking corn broom and went after the intruder.

The mouse, upon seeing mountainous Papa Bear exclaimed:

– You would not hit someone smaller than you, would you Monsieur Bear?
– Do you speak French? asked a startled Papa Bear.
– Mais naturellement Monsieur. I went to La Sorbonne in Paris, like all educated people.
– Oh excuse me said Papa Bear. I thought that you were a burglar.
– Not at all, said the mouse. I am an artist looking for a quiet place to perform my art.
– Do you have any money asked Papa Bear?
– Non Monsieur! We artists exchange art for food and lodging, just like Van Gogh, Vermeer, Cezanne did… Money means rien du tout to us. We live for and by art Monsieur.
-I see said Papa Bear scratching his head.

He then called Mama Bear and introduced her to the mouse.
–Enchanté, said the mouse.

Mama Bear blushed and curtsied.
-The pleasure is ours Monsieur.
– What is your name Monsieur asked Papa Bear?
– My name is Cyrano Federov, said the mouse bowing. A votre service.
– Federov you said?
– Yes, I have some Slavic blood flowing through my veins…
– So do we, said Papa Bear. By golly Cyrano, we could be related…
– Everything is possible, said the mouse.
– Well, said Papa Bear, I am a patron of the arts and since we are a blood relatives, we can offer food and lodging in exchange for a few of your creations. And by the way, what is it exactly that you create?
– I paint Monsieur and I sculpt. As a matter of fact, I would be very obliged to you if you would pose for me.
– Pose for you? What an honor Cyrano… But am I not too… fat…?
– Pas du tout Monsieur. Your broadness is a sign of dignified respectability. Henry VIII of England also had a respectable girth…
– Well then, said Papa Bear, since we are in total agreement, why don’t you stay for dinner?
– Vous êtes trop bon Monsieur Bear… I accept.

And that’s how Cyrano Federov became BFF with Papa Bear whose real name by the way was Biff Stroganoff.

Moral of the story: you can be friends with anybody, regardless of size, creed and weight.

Alain

 PS: If you feel like it, you can post a personal comment below by clicking on “Reply“.