Category: Fourre-tout

A long time ago I read a book called “All quiet on the Western Front”. It is a novel that was written by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque. The story was published in 1928 and it sold millions of copies. Several movies were also made about it, notably, the 1979 television version starring Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasance…

The novel is to some degree an anti-war book that was later banned by Hitler and the Nazi party. It describes the misery and the horrific conditions endured by the German soldiers in the trenches during World War I… and their disillusion with the war.

The most dramatic episode of the book (and in the films) takes place during the waning days of the war. There is a lull in the fighting, and all is quiet on the Western Front.

Paul (the hero of the story) spots a bird and raises his head from the trenches to have a better look. A single shot rings and Paul is killed by a sniper’s bullet in the head.

The moral of this long preamble is that even when the war seems to be over, you should not throw caution to the wind.

Several Southern states (most prominently Texas, with 29 million residents) have proclaimed that the war against the pandemic has been won and that they are allowing all business activities to resume full scale. No more masks or any other pesky restrictions for anyone.

This is utterly foolish and irresponsible because, despite some progress, the war against Covid-19 is not yet over. There is still a lot of fighting going on and it would be tragic for anybody to take a bullet in the head a few months before the war really comes to an end.

I fully understand the financial hardship suffered by the business community, but what good will the business re-opening do to anybody if they all end up dead?

I just got my 2^nd shot of the Pfizer vaccine (no side effects thank you), and even though I feel somewhat protected, it will probably be months before I ditch my facemask and start kissing any Tom, Dick, and Harry.

Why take even the slightest chance when the Allies have landed? We will soon be liberated and free to indulge in whatever we want… During the 2020 blitz, we took it on the chin for over a year, but most of us endured. A few more months of caution on the Western Front is not going to make that much difference.

Patience is a virtue. Get vaccinated, and if you want to fully enjoy life again, keep wearing a mask and lay low for a little while longer.

Alain

Don’t look, influencer is not a term that you will find in the dictionary… at least, not yet. But the word is all over the media and a lot of people (many women among them) are furiously vying for the title.

So, what the heck is an influencer? According to the Influencer MarketingHub:

“An influencer is someone who has:

the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.

a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages. The size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of the niche.”

 I am a blogger (with a pocket-size audience), who regularly writes some material for my blog, but can I call myself an influencer?

I doubt it… you need a sizable following to claim that title. But I am a pétanque fan and I like to play and write about the game. It is a discipline that is good for the body and the soul and I can testify to this. I am unfortunately burdened by Type II Diabetes and I need to watch the amount of glucose circulating in my bloodstream.

Any type of exercise is good for this affliction, and it can really be confirmed by the numbers. After 2 or 3 hours of pétanque, the level of glucose in my bloodstream drops dramatically, and the lower the numbers, the better it is. This definitely proves that besides being fun, pétanque is also highly therapeutic.

I play and write about this game. If I can “influence” you to take up this sport, then you might (if you are generous) call me a “mini-influencer”.

I write a lot about pétanque, but I am what you might call a “touche-a-tout” (a jack of all trades) who relates what I see or feel about certain events.

I do not write to “influence” anybody. I write to express personal opinions without any intention of swaying any group.

Writing is a pleasant and useful pastime. Because besides keeping the body fit, you also need to keep your mind on par. The little neurons pulsating in your brain need as much exercise as your pet, and if you neglect them, they will get flabby…and so will your mind.

Especially during an election year, I also dabble in politics. I am not an expert but I know which politico I like and which one I despise. And I get mad at some people for being so partial and so blind to the blatant flaws and lies of their champion.

Because of this, you might also call me a nanoscopic influencer… or if you are less charitable, a s**t disturber.

Alain

Yesterday, at the invitation of Jean-Michel, I drove to Sonoma. I came to watch their Winter League finals opposing Peter Mathis and Kris Edwards on one side and Kevin Evoy (the Dread of the Ocean) and Casey on the other side.

I had not come to the city of Sonoma for probably a year, and I was surprised to see how busy it was. Everybody seemed to be out and about, or dining in makeshift outdoors dining areas. And these areas encroached on the street, reducing the already scarce parking slots.

My second surprise of the day was to discover that very few people on the Sonoma pétanque court were wearing masks. In Marin County, it is a capital sin, and you probably could be beheaded for trespassing. In Sonoma though, unlike Marin (and Saudi Arabia), you don’t have to struggle to recognize a concealed face.

The weather was sunny, though a little windy and while waiting for the main event, I watched a few people practicing on the field. Peter Mathis first caught my attention with his impeccable “plombés”. I have been struggling for years to do this without ever really succeeding, and I was fascinated by his prowess. He was kind enough to stop and give me a few tips.

I also watched Ashlee Dencklau practicing her pointing and I was impressed by her accuracy.

By 2:00 pm, there were about 25 people on the field and the finals got underway. Two equally balanced teams (one pointer, one shooter).
The chosen field, the one now equipped with electric light, is difficult. It is covered with pebbles of unequal sizes making it hard to point accurately. Even a good player seldom succeeds with a single shot.

The shooters had a somewhat easier job to hit their targets, but players in California are a long way from the accuracy shown by foreign players. Yes, I watch some games on YouTube and I am flabbergasted by their accuracy. A few days ago, I watched an astonishing 13 meters (about 40 feet) “carreau” that took my breath away.

Even though the Sonoma game was interesting to watch, it did not have the appeal (and the crowds) of a regular tournament. Very little passion or emotion in it.

The game ended unspectacularly with a score of 13/9 in favor of Mathis and Edwards. This subdued atmosphere made me a little nostalgic for the tournaments/picnics of yore. But the cavalry seemed to be underway. With 3 types of Covid vaccines now available to the American public, we dare to hope that things will slowly go back to a certain amount of normality and regular tournaments.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the few pictures that I took yesterday in Sonoma.

See you soon.

Alain