Au Cochonnet Marin

“Behind every mask, there is a face, and behind that, a story.” – Marty Rubin

Modern times can be disconcerting… Since childhood, we have learned to identify individuals by their facial features, but now that (almost) everybody is wearing a mask, this recognition has become a little more difficult. Donning such a garment today can be annoying but is eminently necessary. Not doing so is considered selfish and unsociable.

If you feel bored and frustrated though, this would be the best time to indulge in some mischief… like robbing a sex toy shop, go on a graffiti splurge, or expose yourself to some reactionaries. While wearing of a mask, you would be a little more difficult to identify.

For some people, wearing a virtual mask comes naturally, especially for individuals in the limelight. The character they project publicly is often at odds with their true nature. Many politicians and entertainers fall into this category. In public, they appear engaging and debonair, but in private they drop their nice-guy masks and revert to their not-so likable disposition.

“Villainy wears many masks; none so dangerous as the mask of virtue.” ~ Washington Irving

“The Japanese say you have three faces. The first face, you show to the world. The second face, you show to your close friends and family. The third face, you never show anyone. It is the truest reflection of who you are.”

 Masks are nothing new. They have been used for a long time, notably in Venice, Italy. In the 14^th century when the plague was ravaging Europe, physicians were wearing a rather bizarre garment looking like a large beak. It was filled with various herbs thought to protect you from the Black Death. Nobody knows for sure how effective it was, but it looked scary and induced fear.

Today, even though we are supposed to be better educated, some people object to wearing masks. They talk about their “inalienable rights” not to do so. Some people’s beliefs can be seen as weird and even threatening. Like the right to parade publicly with automatic weapons. Very few civilized countries allow this kind of nonsense.
In America, running around with a knife is considered dangerous and threatening, but sporting a large caliber AK-15 capable of mowing down throngs in seconds is not.

But fortunately for masks haters, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Various vaccines are emerging with the potential to stop that dreadful pandemic. But even with the promise of immunity, there might be a long time before people feel free to hug and smooch. The familiar handshake, not used for months, might even not survive. In the future, some entrepreneurs might come up with an app that will do this automatically for you.

In the meantime, if you want to remain in my good graces, wear the damn mask!

Alain

There were times, especially during your childhood, when it might have been so, but not anymore. Today ignorance is dangerous, even deadly.
In the previous months, some people have claimed that the current pandemic is a hoax, but nothing could be further from the truth. Covid-19 is a sneaky and lethal virus, and paying no heed to scientists’ warnings, can and might cost you your life.

But surprisingly, ignorance is alive and well in many other fields. Lately, I have become an assiduous listener to TED talks and during my daily walks I often tune in to one of their excellent speakers.

Not too long ago, I heard a lecture about marriage, and it was very illuminating. The divorce rate in the US is between 40 to 50 percent. “Couples married between the ages of 20-25 are 60% likely to get a divorce.” And this often happens due to ignorance of the mechanics of wedlock.

Marriage is akin to a business partnership, and you don’t start a business without a clear understanding (by both sides) of its rules and obligations. It is said that love conquers all, but love and business are like water and oil; they don’t blend well, and this leads to all kinds of unexpected conflicts and bitter breakups.
As far as I know, there no classes teaching the intricate mechanics of a relationship, and if so, somebody ought to start teaching that subject. It has the potential to be a very lucrative business.

Marriage is also about sex, and again many people are pathetically ignorant about this subject. Sex, like any other discipline, ought to be widely taught, but it is not. Sex, by the way, has very little to do with reproduction. Procreation is a very simple operation, easily understood by everybody and it is taught in many schools. But recreational sex is not, and it is way more popular than reproductive sex.

Today, most juveniles (and many adults) learn about realistic sex through pornography. Pornographic sites are legions and available to anybody owning a computer. According to various media, pornography is watched equally by both sexes. It is not the ideal way to learn about an essential life discipline, but so far it seems to be the only way.

But things are changing, mainly due to vocal proponents of better sex understanding. Realistic, mutually satisfying sex. Women have been pioneers in this domain and ought to be congratulated for their bold approach. They are often more knowledgeable and gutsier than men in this field and demand to be heard.

Ignorance and complacency are our biggest enemies. Open your eyes and your mind and don’t listen to the so-called “guardians of decency.” As seen recently, they are the worst hypocrites and unashamed defenders of malevolent fiction.

“A quality education grants us the ability to fight the war on ignorance and poverty.” – Charles B. Rangel

 Alain

“It is not in numbers, but unity, that our great strength lies.” ~ Thomas Paine

In his acceptance speech, Joe Biden’s keyword was unity.
E Pluribus Unum! (Out of many, one.) To succeed, we must unite… embrace and include everybody, and the president-elect indicated that he intends to do this, by words and by deeds.

 Now, the first requirement of a president is to be presidential… and unlike his (still sulking) petulant predecessor, Joe Biden understands this and behaves like one. And I hope that his official signature remains humble, not like the arrogant paraph of an autocrat approving a capital execution.

The new president-elect is approachable but dignified. A novelty after 4 years of official crass behavior. He also gets points for choosing a woman as his running mate. Including a woman of color in the ticket is also a right, uniting decision. It indicates that being a woman is no obstacle to higher office.

It is time for America to realize that a woman can be as good as a man (if not better), to lead and to inspire. Many nations around the world have already understood this and had no qualms to put a woman in the driver seat.

“You can’t have unity without diversity.” – Richard Twiss

Inclusion also means that not only a few but everybody shares the bounty of the land. No matter how high the Dow Jones Industrial Average is, it is not an indication of universal happiness; the minimum federal wage is a better way to gauge it.

Joe Biden promised to renew ties with many countries that Donald Trump insulted or tossed aside. It is going to be a difficult task that will require diplomacy… done by real diplomats, not relatives.

“America First” never was a good motto for our country. It sounds too much like “Deutschland über alles”. It shows selfishness and arrogance and does not inspire confidence with the (few) friends we still have in the world. “Compete but cooperate” sounds much more palatable to me.

Joe Biden also gets unanimous kudos for his decision to immediately set up a task force to fight Covid-19. A task force entirely composed of respected scientists, not ignorant toadies anxious to please their master.

Last but not least,  canines will be coming back to the White House. I understand that the Bidens’ have 2 German shepherds who are eager to explore and dig up the Rose Garden. In my book, anybody who loves animals gets extra points.

Welcome to the Casa Blanca mister President-elect and bless you for promoting unity! It is not a four-letter word.

Alain

 PS: Please have a look at my latest winter pétanque pictures