Au Cochonnet Marin

Regardless of age, everybody craves toys. Men, women, children… even pets want them, and their masters are glad to oblige. Some pets are even be seen strutting with diamond-studded collars… A small price to pay in my opinion, for their undying loyalty.

When you cannot afford toys, you create them. Kids are especially good at that. To them, anything can become “un jouet”. It just takes a little imagination, and with them, there is never a shortage of creative juices. Any box can become an “igrushka” and tins cans can easily morph into 5G phones.

The holidays are approaching, and maybe because of the pandemic, toys are big this season. All kinds of toys. Educational toys, tinker toys, boy toys, sex toys… And Amazon will be pleased to deliver, sometimes with drones.

Of course, there are toys and TOYS. Some are cheap, and some are unimaginably costly. Our ex-president, who I understand is fond of glitzy real estate, will probably want a Golden Monopoly set.

“This is one of the costliest versions of the popular Monopoly board game and estimated to be worth $2 million. It is made of 18-carat gold and encrusted with jewels. It is the brainchild of San Francisco jewelry designer Sidney Mobell who created it in 1988.”

 Joe Biden on the other hand is longing to recover a piece of real estate that the previous tenant refuses to vacate. Like many citizens, I wonder if on Christmas Eve Santa will finally grant him his wish. A real cliffhanger!

Toys are important because one should never lose the desire to play. Once you become a “responsible adult” you often lose that magic and you become a certified dullard. Kids realize who you are and never bother to invite you to play. I am personally very proud to say that kids seek my company. They consider me one of them and treat me as such.

It is said that good things come in small packages, and for Christmas, many people would be thrilled to get a little present from Moderna or Pfizer. It would be a real shot in the arm for a suffering nation.

Now, a third company (Astra-Zeneca) is also on the cusp to introduce its own vaccine. Soon there will be a surplus of that magic elixir and the world will return to normal: strikes, protests, and general mayhem.

It is said that He who dies with the most toys wins. Everybody likes to win, but personally, I could do with fewer toys and let somebody else grab that prize.

In closing, I would like to leave you with this final thought:

“The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandparent.” Sam Levenson

 Alain

“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