Au Cochonnet Marin

It is over. And none too soon!

The country is sick and tired of the poisonous atmosphere that permeated the 2020 electoral process. Since Joe Biden (the dragon slayer) has emerged as the winner of this bruising contest, everybody is looking forward to a mellower and gentler Holiday Season.

The American people have spoken, and to the world’s relief, they chose sanity over bigotry. The greatest democracy in the world will survive but at a price. It will take a lot of work to repair the immense damage inflicted on America by an irresponsible sorcerer’s apprentice.

Donald Trump, whose entire life was guided by money and profit failed again in his latest overreach. The Republican messiah has tirelessly sown the seeds of discord in the land for four years and is now reaping the bitter harvest of his reckless conduct.

First and foremost, he failed spectacularly to shield the country from one of the deadliest pandemics of the century. And despite ample confirmation to the contrary, he always refused to take any responsibility for it.

Secondly, given the overwhelming evidence of climate change, he claimed that there is no problem with the environment and continued to promote obsolete, polluting industries.

Then, with total disregard for public health and obsessed with dismantling “Obamacare”,  he never came up with any HealthCare program.

And I won’t even bother to mention Income Taxes. Everybody in this country paid more than this swindler.

Blinded by a stale ideology, the Republican establishment is to blame for allowing an irresponsible flawed individual to reach the top, mainly by bullying and intimidating his rivals.

For all the above and countless other reasons, he did not deserve a second term. Donald, pack your bags. You are fired!

But the bully is a sore loser and a whiner. He insists (with no valid proof) that the system was “rigged” against him. As in his past career, he will sue anybody and anything standing in his way. Good f*****g luck with that!

So, what’s in store for the pompadoured charlatan? Will a frustrated Donald Trump (like Steven Seagal and Gérard Depardieu before him), seek Russian citizenship from his good friend in the Kremlin? He could be a prince in exile… Considering his past, he would also make an excellent oligarch in the Russian nomenklatura.

Now, instead of a few victims, everybody knows that the so-called  American colossus was nothing but an unsavory impostor.

Alain

Life is a perpetual gamble.
Every day, consciously or not, you have to commit. Some decisions are small and inconsequential, but some are significant and could be life-altering. They have to be weighed carefully before being carried out.

It all depends on the kind of person you are. Some people are conservative and will always opt for safer options. Others are a little more audacious and will take a chance on a better (and riskier) outcome. I would place myself in this group.

For any time you gamble, there is a risk… but also a dangling carrot. The question always is “is it worth the gamble, and can I sustain this kind of loss?” This decision is always more difficult when it involves others.

At present, some Republican officials face a huge dilemma. Shall they stick with a weakened president and go down with the ship, or shall they break ranks and side with the opposition? If the President is re-elected, their career is over; they will be shunned and banned like plague-ridden devils.

If on the other hand, his opponent wins, they can be lauded as heroes and mightily prosper. But this question is a little trivial for most politicians are totally gutless and deadly afraid to be excluded from the King’s court… and his generosity.

Being a gambler can be hazardous. There is a Swedish proverb that clearly illustrates that situation:

“Luck never gives; it only lends.” 

 If you gamble, you will sometimes win… but it is only a loan. A little later you will most certainly have to repay that loan… with interests. It is a little bit like getting a free line of coke… later you will come back for more and you will have to pay for it.

But still, I always thought that it is better to attack than defend. Yesterday, for instance, we were playing pétanque and the score was 10-10. Either side could win. My team had one secure point on the ground and the opposition was all spent. I had 2 boules in my hands. I could play it safe and point… or shoot one of their boules and score 3 points for a victory… or miss and give them a chance to come back and win.

I shot and succeeded. What a high! Luckily none of my teammates objected to my decision. But again, it would be wise to remember that

 “Luck sometimes visits a fool, but it never sits down with him.” German Proverb

 It (sometimes) pays to be daring, but before taking a swan dive, carefully weigh the options.

Alain

I am in total awe. Watching a five-year-old kid (who cannot yet read) handling his laptop is quite unnerving. He is doing his homework and his fingers, are flying unhesitatingly on the keyboard. It is truly impressive.

I always thought that to use a computer you needed to be literate. But it does not look like it anymore. The kids today are starting to run all kinds of electronic devices practically in their cribs. They hold a nursing bottle in their left hand while making deals on a smartphone with the right hand.

Many adults still don’t know how to use a computer and are afraid of even trying it. By comparison, kids jump fearlessly into cyberspace with the exuberance of young goats. They are not afraid to make mistakes and they will write code before knowing how to ride a skateboard.

“Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.” – Martin Golding

 By the way, I find tele-learning quite entertaining and effective. The teachers are doing an outstanding job and the kids seem to enjoy it.

 Today, everything changes very fast and you need to constantly update your knowledge to keep up and stay in the race. Our elders learned a trade at a very young age and could easily survive a lifetime by doing the same thing over and over again.

Today, it is almost impossible, for kids will have to compete with very smart robots. And employers greatly favor uncomplaining machines over ever-whining people.

But kids (besides being hyperactive) are resilient and creative. Impossible is not part of their vocabulary. What we thought impossible twenty, thirty years ago, is quite feasible for them. They are talking about Mars like it was next door. Their motto is:

“If at first, you don’t succeed; call it version 1.0”

 It is fitting because they will have to be extremely resourceful in the coming decade. Pandemics and their associated ills are quite real and could surge again at any time. Trying to deny it or ignore it, is utterly foolish and dangerous. Most everybody understands that it hurts business, but what good is a business if all the potential customers are sick or buried?

By the way kids, we don’t need a businessman or an autocrat to run America. What this country wants is a blend of a skilled diplomat and a fair, compassionate human being.

Alain