Au Cochonnet Marin

The 2020 presidential election is probably going to be the most significant event of your entire life. In a few weeks, you will decide what kind of legacy you are going to leave to your children for many years to come.

You have to choose between an ignorant, immoral bully whose entire life is a lie and a decent, experienced man who already spent 8 years as the nation’s second-in-command executive.
It is a choice between good and evil. A deliberate decision to choose between authoritarianism and liberalism.

In the Presidential elections, you can vote for a man who loves to cozy up with tyrants like Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, and Recep Erdogan. Or you can side with somebody who cares about the common man and the environment, and wants to reestablish friendly ties with all our former allies.

All the above autocrats by the way, always outmaneuvered the incumbent and ridiculed him behind his back. The apprentice-sorcerer proved that he is not smart enough to play with the Big (bad) Boys.

After 4 years at the helm, the incumbent demonstrated to be a man unfit to run a country like the United States. He might have some success in a banana republic, but not as a leader of a world-class democracy.

The common man has absolutely nothing to gain by electing a man who has already proved his disdain for him. The famous tax cut heralded by the Republicans was nothing but a giant gift to the ruling class (and the president himself of course). Joe Sixpack got peanuts for his fealty to a dishonorable man.

And then, there is the shocking, purposely downplayed pandemic that cost 200,000 American lives… just to gain some political advantage. How can any decent person side with this self-centered lunatic?

What is at stake in this particular Presidential election, is the future of the United States. It is not difficult to imagine that if reelected, the president could try a Putin-like sleight of hand to remain in power indefinitely. He already mentioned a third term…
Under Putin’s rule, critics (like Alexey Navalny) have to fear for their lives. It would not be any different under an American dictatorship.

If the United States is to remain a free, democratic country, the pompadoured buffoon and his foul-smelling clique of sycophants have got to go.
America is a multicultural society, and everybody ought to be treated equally and fairly. This is not the case today and nothing will change if the present leadership remains in power.

When you go to the polls (or when you mail your ballot), vote for somebody who promised to heal and unite, instead of a notorious rabble-rouser.

Alain

We are back in business… well, almost.

Last Sunday, around 25 players showed up at the Marin pétanque field. An average number for a “normal” late summer day. But we are not living normal days…
For most of the year, we have been directed to cover our faces and stay put. And most of the people have been complying with this. But how long can you live in isolation before going off the deep end?

So yes, people are eager to get out of the house and mingle with their fellow human beings. And last Sunday they did just this. It seems that after many depressing months the sport of pétanque is back in business! And nothing tastes as sweet as a mouthful of an almost forgotten fruit.

There is an old saying that goes “The misfortune of some brings contentment to others.”
Regular players might have noticed that lately, many club outsiders are now coming to our courts. This is because the Lamorinda club (due to a city dispute) has lost access to its field.

Players needing an outlet to their repressed energy are now coming to our beautiful, shaded field. And this is great!
Most people are creatures of habit, and they usually don’t stray too far from their regular haunts. The closure of their field prompted them to seek solace somewhere else. This is great because normally, we only see those people in tournaments, once or twice a year.

And sometimes, you don’t know these individuals very well. Now we get a chance to know them better. Personally, I was surprised by the shooting skills of some. Never judge a book by its cover. Some quaint looking people turned out to be great shooters!

We are back in business but wearing a face mask is “de rigueur.” This is not easy to do, particularly when it is hot, and when you are exerting yourself. But this is what needs to be done, and there is no excuse for not doing it. If you don’t comply with this basic rule, you are an accomplice to the continuing pandemic and its ever-rising death toll.

We will see better days, but not this year, as our beloved leader assured us. Rather be safe than sorry. We cannot let our guard down until we have proof that a vaccine will work and until we are all immune from this so-called “hoax.”

We are back in business, but not as yesteryear. Be sure to follow our guidelines and use some common sense. Your life and the lives of others depend on it.

Pétanquely yours,

Alain

PS: Vote and vote early!

Harassment, like Covid-19, is more virulent than ever. And it is not a hoax.
The Internet used to be a pleasant place to visit, but not so much anymore. Now, anytime you get there, you will be subjected to relentless harassment.
It will feel like visiting a Mexican resort town; you will be accosted every 5 minutes by somebody who wants to sell you something.

No matter what you are looking for, after a few minutes of browsing, an ad will pop up and beseech you. And it is more insistent than a political fundraiser. Sometimes browsing the Internet feels like being solicited by a “sporting woman”. No matter how you look, the lady wants your business. But at least, she is nicer and not as pushy as the Internet pimp.

Television used to be a provider of news… Today it is nothing more than a pipeline for commercials… The news is lost in a flood of noisy promotions. The industry is behaving like a business on its last leg, trying to squeeze out a few more bucks before closing down. Greed will eventually kill the Golden Goose.

The public is increasingly turning to the Internet for information. But every news outlet now wants you to “subscribe”. “To continue reading, please sign up.”
Every Tom Dick and Harry want your precious address, but I don’t want to divulge it too easily. It is not for public consumption. Too many people are already privy to my address and sending me unwanted junk. Basta!

Harassment is not something new. It is an old American institution. Women have been subjected to it for a long time and they are finally fighting back. Good for them. But it is not only a women’s problem. It is a universal problem, and everybody should rebel against any aggressive pressure.

Most of the people don’t respond well to cyberbullying. It is counterproductive, and it will drive customers away instead of attracting them. In the future, they will steer clear of sites where they are being harassed.

There is a world of difference between seduction and harassment. Seduction is a synonym for the act of charming someone. Harassment means to torment, annoy, bother.
On the Internet or anywhere else, I want to be charmed, not tormented.

 If you want to entice, fondle instead of going against the grain. Use a “patte de velours” (velvet paw) instead of bare claws.

Alain