Category: Fourre-tout

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow older. You grow older because you stop laughing.” Maurice Chevalier

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The word “equality” has been bandied about for a very long time, but this very notion of equality is total non-sense. A doobie inspired utopian dream perpetuated by demagogues and unrepentant leftists.
Equality has a nice ring, but it is totally unrealizable.

Inequality starts the minute the baby is ejected from its mother’s womb, at the very beginning of a long-distance race called “life”.

Some children are born with natural physical attributes that will give them a head start. A baby might have more hair, weigh more, be cuter, have beautiful eyes, etc. and this initial disparity with his peers will increase with age and give him/her an unfair advantage.

Statistics bear the fact that attractive people are treated differently than average looking or shorter individuals. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There has never been and there will never be “equality”… except maybe later in life when the age factor enters the equation. For age is the ultimate equalizer.

Rich, poor, handsome, ugly, short, tall… we will all age the same way (equally), at the same speed.

Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you’re aboard, there’s nothing you can do. Golda Meir

In this field, a rich person will not age slower than the average Joe and vice-versa. No matter how much money you have, Father Time cannot be bribed.

Most everybody agrees that getting old sucks (there ought to be legislation against it), but it does not mean that you should give up on life after a fortune teller offers to read your face.

To paraphrase Judith Viorst,

“Getting old is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia.”

There is still plenty that you can enjoy when you become a certified “old-timer” for age is often a state of mind.
The secret of happiness is to laugh a lot, drink a little and to always have something to look forward to.

So instead of watching reruns of “I love Lucy” pull out your social calendar, and plan some celebration. Not a meaningful event in a distant future, but something of little importance that will happen before long.

Here’s to staying positive and testing negative!

Alain

The 2016 US Presidential Election is too important a subject to neglect or slip under the rug.
The future of America hinges on the person who will next occupy the Oval Office and set the course of American politics for the next 4 or 8 years, and beyond.

It is therefore every citizen’s duty to vote for a cool, rational, experienced individual, rather than a thin-skinned, fly-by-night dilettante.
We need to pick somebody who will make us proud, not ashamed to be Americans.
When he was first elected, Barack Obama greatly enhanced Americas’ status abroad; if anointed, Donald Trump will resuscitate the image of the Ugly American and make us an object of derision around the world.

The November election depends on the “little people”. The millions of socially unimportant persons like you and me.
Seldom heard or consulted, this is our chance to have our say.

At the Democratic Convention, some of Bernie supporters looked miffed, even angry. By endorsing Hillary, their candidate betrayed them they said. Some even indicated that they would not vote for her. Big mistake.
By abstaining, or voting for anybody but Hillary, they are making it easier for Trump to capture the White House.
Regardless of their preferences, Bernie’s supporters must be pragmatic and support the Democratic candidate to defeat the “creature”.

I am fully aware that Hillary is not perfect (who is?) but in November you will have to choose between an imperfect but experienced woman and a bombastic, misogynist amateur.
What will it be?

In a democracy, the role of the president is to represent the electorate and try to improve the living conditions of his constituents, not to cater to the elite or the super rich.
Hillary will try to do this, her opponent won’t.

Unlike Trump who inherited his fortune, she is a self-made woman.
Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and was never in a position to understand the plight of the underprivileged.

Why vote for a self-proclaimed billionaire who does not give a hoot about your problems?Trump likes “big deals” and you are definitely not a big deal to him.

It is wise to remember that the past predicts the future and Trump’s field of dreams is littered with broken promises.
Why would he be different once in office?

A good politician seeks accommodations not confrontation with his adversaries.

We need somebody who will deal with things sensibly and realistically and not by rattling sabers.

I saw with my own eyes “the man who would be king” calling himself humble on television. Humble?
“I am very smart, I am very rich, I always win.”
What unmitigated chutzpah! Nobody but the Donald would dare utter such baloney.

In November, renounce Satan and all his works and cast your vote for a smart, experienced, safe candidate.

May the Farce not be with you!

Alain

If you want to know more about Trump, please click on the link below.

The New Yorker

“Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it” – Cathy Hopkins

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I could not have said it better.

If you resolve to participate in a discipline, you need to be proactive and clearly indicate that you want to be involved.
When people gather on the pétanque field, would-be players need to come forward and clearly indicate a willingness to play.

Then teams must be assembled. But it seems that team coordinators are few and far between.
When somebody finally endeavors to do the job, you need to pay attention to the proceedings.
You cannot lollygag on the sideline and pursue a private conversation while significant decisions (concerning you) are being made.

If you neglect to pay attention, you are showing a definite lack of respect for the people who labor to organize the teams.
These individuals don’t owe it to you to rearrange everything for a second time because of your lack of attention or because you showed up late.

The field rules are longstanding and they are very simple: first arrived first served. There is no obligation for anybody to wait for latecomers.
Teams cannot (and should not) be reorganized each time somebody shows up late or takes a siesta after lunch.
Nobody but you is responsible for being included in a game.

And once teams have been configured, it is up to each individual to find out who his/her teammates are.
Babysitting is not a part of the club’s charter.

As a club we should strive to include everybody, but this is a two-way street.
To be included you need to show up in a timely fashion and pay attention to what organizers are saying.

Socialization on the field is not prohibited, on the contrary, but during games private conversations should be kept to a minimum.

This is my take on the incident that happened last Saturday on the field.

Alain