Category: Fourre-tout

I think that we are fortunate to have a dog park located next to our pétanque field. Why? Well, first I love dogs, and second, these lovable creatures demonstrate every day the need and the virtues of socialization. When they are approaching the park, you can see them pulling on their leashes, in their eagerness to meet and fraternize with their fellow canines.

All living creatures want to mingle. It is a natural need, and there is no worse punishment for anybody than to be in (punitive or not) isolation. In prolonged cases, it can drive a human or even an animal to dementia. It is therefore good, even necessary to regularly leave your lair and socialize with your friends.

“In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.”   Voltaire, 1694-1778, French philosopher & writer

 I totally concur with Monsieur Voltaire, and I agree with most of his observations. He also said, “Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool.”

I especially agree with this statement, being very aware that religious scoundrels were instrumental in denying abortion access to innocent fools.

Sex, gossiping, and talking nonsense are the essence of socialization. You seldom meet anybody to discuss the latest situation in Ukraine or the price of gasoline.

Badinage is a more suitable form of conversation, especially when bad news is piling up with each passing day.

You don’t even need to meet anybody to enjoy your outing; you can sit in a café just for un bain de foule and observe the people around you.

“La rue est une musée pour tous!” ― Hergé

A young boy with green hair, a skinny woman covered with tattoos, a stout fellow in a wheelchair, a woman with bouncing boobs, a teenage girl with fat legs and ultra-short shorts, a bunch of old codgers in cycling outfits, a beautiful girl with a bare midriff and tight yoga pants… Men, women, children, dogs, and an occasional accordion player… It is a moveable feast…

Some people come to a café to read a book, or to work with a computer, but I think that this is utterly foolish. You come to a bistro to relax, observe, or eventually meet somebody, not to linger in your bubble.

To sum it up, loneliness and social isolation are highly detrimental to your health. Go out, sit a spell and soak the atmosphere… or fight it out on the pétanque field!

Alain

Last week, to the world’s disbelief, America suffered heinous Supreme Court injustice.

The conservative majority of the American Supreme Court let down America on two major issues: gun control and abortion rights. Two dubious, politically motivated rulings that will ultimately make more victims; dangerous clandestine abortions will flourish, and mass shootings will endure. The blood of all these future victims will remain forever on the hands of the legislators who promulgated those abhorrent rulings.

The fundamental right of a woman to make personal (often painful) choices about her own body has been taken away and will negatively impact thousands of (mainly poor) women. This is an odiously unfair decision, mainly condoned by fossilized chauvinist males, and should be revoked as soon as possible. The sooner the better.

Trump, the maleficent puppet master who engineered this affair bragged about it and naturally took credit for these developments. His name which is already mud to many, will certainly turn into poop and leave his portly body reeking for eternity. Even hell won’t be able to remove that stink.

Now, about the hallowed Second Amendment. God did not hand down the Constitution to America, and there is absolutely nothing that prevents legislators from modifying its context. In view of recent mass shootings, most everybody agrees that it should be done, but the will of big anonymous donors still prevails.

Despite some publicity, nothing significant has been changed about gun control. Just a few band-aids ignoring the elephant in the room: the murderous automatic assault rifle.

Almost anybody in America is still allowed to buy those killing machines, and enough ammunition to mow down an entire school.
Where is common sense?

To the glee of Vladimir Putin (Public Enemy No1), these highly controversial rulings will increase social unrest throughout America and make it easier for Extremists to take over an already frail democracy.

Shame, shame to a partial, tainted Supreme Court that ignored justice and popular will.

Alain

 

Yesterday I noticed that my gas tank was almost empty, and I decided to go for a refill. As I have done it many times, I drove to the 76 station around the corner and went through the motions of paying with my regular credit card.

Then I inserted the pump’s nozzle into my gas tank and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. I attempted the same familiar routine a few times without any success. I even tried another credit card, (knowing full well that there was nothing wrong with the first one), and it still did not work.

I walked into the attendant’s booth and told the young woman behind the counter that the pump was not working. As luck would have it, the young attendant (obviously foreign) answered in some barely intelligible English. I asked her to repeat, without any additional success.

Another older woman with slightly better English (but much worse manners) intervened, but I still couldn’t understand what she was saying. Shortly after, she refused to help any further.
To make matters even worse, I discovered that I could not remove the pump from my gas tank. This car, being brand new, is still keeping many secrets from me, and  I did not know what to do. After a few vigorous attempts, the pump finally came out and  I drove away, seething with anger.

This situation just happened to be one of my pet peeves. I bear no particular grudge against foreign-born individuals, but if you don’t speak English, you have no business dealing with the public. I understand that everybody needs a job, but if you cannot converse in the local lingo, you should find some manual labor where you would not have to speak to anybody. I am fully cognizant of this situation because upon my arrival in the US, my first job was as a dishwasher. And rightfully so, because then, handicapped by a heavy French accent, I could barely comprehend or say anything in English. I had no business talking to anybody.

But as we used to say in my old neighborhood, Le hasard fait bien les choses… After returning home, I enlisted my wife to come along (and maybe offer some suggestions) and I drove to another gas station.

 Then, miracle of miracles, the gods smiled on me. I discovered that the gas there was 25 cents cheaper than in my regular station… and I had absolutely no problem with my credit card or pulling out the pump from my gas tank.

I don’t hate “immigrants” but the first duty of any foreign national who resettles in a new country is to learn the local language. Absolutely no excuses for not doing so. If you are too lazy to do this, stay home and watch cartoons.

Useless to say that I totally divorced my regular gas station and that I will never attempt any reconciliation. The break is final… and I will keep the dog.

Alain