Category: Fourre-tout

A long time ago a seven-headed monster terrorized the Greek countryside. It was known as the Hydra of Lerna.
It killed many people and was feared by everybody.

Hercules (Heracles) was tasked to rid the country of the beast.
Not an easy assignment, considering that each head of the monster would grow back immediately after being chopped off.
Hiding in his lair, the monster also exhaled a poisoned breath making it difficult to even approach him.

Hercules, protected by the fur of the lion of Nemea, attacked the Hydra with a golden sword but struggled to overcome the monster. Each chopped head grew back immediately after being cut off.
Hercules called his nephew Iolaus for help.

He asked him to get a torch and immediately cauterize the wound after a head had been cut off. They worked together assiduously and managed to finally do away with the beast.

But the world is now faced with a new monster. It is the Islamist Hydra and it is more vicious and bloodthirsty than the original monster. It doesn’t have seven but a thousand heads.
And just like the Lernaean Hydra it regenerates itself after one of its head is cut off. It spreads noxious fumes through the Internet and poisons everybody who comes in contact with it.

Its sympathizers have to be fought vigorously wherever they are found.
But many western countries are too timorous to act. They prefer to keep their head in the sand and remain “politically correct”.
They do not want to be perceived (God forbids) as “Islamophobic”.
They are deadly wrong!
Hundreds of reasons come to light every day to be Islamophobic.

The violent brand of Islam preached by ISIS is nothing but a new form of “National Socialism”.
Its barbarity, cruelty and misogyny are well documented.

The first step to fight the multi-headed monster is to control Muslim immigration everywhere.

The second step is to stop the construction of new mosques, for these are the outposts of an insidious Islamic infiltration fostering Fifth Columnists (future Jihadists).

Dalil Boubakeur, the president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, called on Saturday, during the annual gathering of the Muslims of France, to double the number of mosques in France within 2 years.
Totally ridiculous!
How about 50 new churches in Saudi Arabia?

Detain or kick out extremist proselytizers (and their lawyers). Send all the sympathizers to Saint Helena, South Atlantic Ocean. It has been done before.

There are about 6 millions Muslims living in France today. Almost a tenth of its population.

The main question to ask these people is “are you Muslim first and a French citizen second?”
If your allegiance to Islam comes first you don’t rightly belong to this country and be entitled to its extravagant welfare system (30% of its GDP).
If you place Islam above the law of the land, it should be up to Allah (instead of the state) to provide for you.

Keep in mind that what’s happening in Syria today is a foretaste of what might happen in Europe tomorrow.
If you don’t want to live under barbarous Sharia law, you better get your head out of the sand do something about it.

The question is not what Islam will do for you, but what Islam will do to you.
And judging by when happening in Syria, it is not a happy prospect.

In view of all the horrible exactions committed by ISIS worldwide,
I am unabashedly islamophobic!

Alain

I consider myself to be a polite, thoughtful person. I always try to say hello, please, thank you.
I get a little annoyed pissed off (let’s be frank) when I don’t get the same treatment in return.

Hello, how can we help you?
This is the absolute minimal greeting one should expect from a shopkeeper.
Failing to do so is disrespectful, even offensive.

My shopping code of conduct is very basic:
If I don’t get acknowledged the minute I walk into a store/restaurant, I walk out.
They need me much more than I need them.

And I just did this no later than yesterday.
I entered a jewelry store to have a watch repaired. I stood there for five solid minutes without anybody bothering to greet me or asking me what the purpose of my visit was.
I left, as anybody should.

Business etiquette dictates that upon noticing a customer, the merchant immediately greets him/her, and by doing so show appreciation for his/her patronage.

American merchants are much too cavalier. They lack the finesse, the reverence that Japanese businessmen display with their customers.

Upon meeting you, a Japanese businessman will first bow (a sign of respect) and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind seeing this custom implemented in the US.
After all, the customer is king (for a short while, but still).

I recently bought a new car (for a fair amount of shekels) and I was not the least impressed by the salespeople’s manners.

In Japan, they would probably have had geishas plying me with sushi and sake while rubbing my back with scented oils.
Here, they simply said, “how are you going to pay?”
No bowing.
How do you say poopoo in Japanese?

Thinking of it, since I bought a Japanese car I should have flown to Japan to purchase the car, just for the treatment.

The most common greetings in Japan are ohayō gozaimasu (good morning), or konnichiwa (good day). – I got this from my old friend Jack who lived in Japan for several years.
And all employees are trained to greet customers using the correct business etiquette.

I am convinced that most Americans would be more willing to loosen up their purse strings if greeted in such a manner by American storekeepers.
What do you say America?

So if somebody treats you disrespectfully, what are your options?
Don’t hesitate. Walk out and never look back.It feels good.

Alain

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I have not come here to bury the man, but to praise him.”

I usually use this forum to vent, to verbalize what’s bothering me, but today I will not berate but applaud.

On this page, I would like to pay a timely homage to one of the nicest and hardest working member of our club.
His name is Charlie. I don’t have to say more. Everybody knows who he is.

Charlie is a humble fellow. Unlike some blowhards, he will never toot his own horn and that’s why I will blow my own on his behalf.

Charlie is the type of guy who, upon noticing that something needs fixing, will mend it… quietly. He doesn’t wait for anybody to mention the problem. He just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work.
He has been part of almost every renovation project that the club has sponsored.

Charlie is not a youngster anymore, but “aux âmes bien nées, la valeur (n’attend point) ne tient pas compte du nombre des années. »

I really didn’t have to quote paraphrase Corneille and Shakespeare to buttress my case, but it seems to be the fitting thing to do.

Charlie is a multi-talented fellow. Besides his many aptitudes, he is also ambidextrous (something I am jealous of).
During a pétanque game, if the right hand doesn’t seem to perform properly he can switch to playing with his left hand to get better results.
It is an unfair advantage, but by golly, if you have got it, flaunt it!

Charlie is also a good-humored fellow who can appreciate a good (or bad) joke such as this one:

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.
After carefully consideration, he got past security, stole the paintings and made it safely to his van.
However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied:
“Monsieur, that’s the reason I stole the paintings. I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.”
Corny? Of course, but life is short. Enjoy it every chance you get.

Thank you for everything you did for the club Charlie. We appreciate it!
Ò (quiò) merci hero!

Alain