Au Cochonnet Marin

Some people are hopelessly incapable of making a clean exit.
It sounds strange but I actually know individuals affected by this strange affliction. The “hard to part” disorder.

When they say, “I am leaving”, it doesn’t mean that they will decamp in the next few minutes. It indicates, that eventually, in the next 30 minutes or so, if the wind is blowing in the right direction… they might make themselves scarce.

I find this rather annoying. I am the type of person who is out the door right after exchanging a kiss or handshake. I don’t look back or linger. What is done is done. Changing anything after such a deliberate decision has been made is bad karma.

But some people find making a clean exit hard to do. They always need more time… to think, gather their wits, and set their compass before making this momentous decision.

I once knew a person who was the ultimate bad “leaver”. He started to say goodbye in the kitchen. He then stopped in the dining room for more talk. He paused at the front door for a few last thoughts… and he coerced you to follow him to his car for more schmoozing.

It was absolutely exhausting. I always tried to remain civil but the frozen smile on my face was becoming harder to maintain with each passing minute.

To me, a goodbye kiss or a handshake means that a deal has been made. The departing person is ethically bound to vanish within minutes. Not implementing this contract is bad form, especially since the host might have to pee or flush his bowels.

The old “I left my panties on the sofa“ won’t cut it with me. No excuses! Once we have smooched, you have to leave. It’s the rule!
Leaving is like a bungee jump. After you have made your decision, there is no turning back.

So, if you want to stay on my good side, once we have cuddled, or whatever we have done, don’t expect anything from me anymore. Make a clean exit! Get on your horse and get the hell out of here.
This is what goodbye between two rational people means.

Goodbye, my friend. Vaya con Dios…  Ciao… Auf wiedersehen…. and don’t you dare to look back or say another word!

Alain

“If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.” George Carlin

 It is as simple as that. If you are eager for changes, you must vote!

There are currently only 52 short days until the 2020 Presidential Election, and the clock is ticking.

We are now facing one of the most crucial elections of the last 50 years, and anybody who cares about democracy has the sacred duty to vote. Frankly, one ought to be penalized for shirking his civic obligation.

Protests and street rioting are not the solution. They won’t achieve much but strife and chaos. To compel lawmakers to enact any significant political and social changes, you must vote and elect people committed to reforms. Mavericks, who will truly try to improve the condition of their fellow citizens instead of preserving their own selfish interests.

“Being adequately informed is a democratic duty, just as the vote is a democratic right. A misinformed electorate, voting without knowledge, is not a true democracy.” — Jay Griffiths

Disinformation is rife everywhere. Before casting your ballot, you must be informed. Prior to trusting any bit of information, you must check its accuracy. To this effect, fact-checking websites have been created to confirm or deny any abusive allegation.

If you need to clarify an issue, you can check the UC Berkeley Library which will provide you with at least ten sites dedicated to maintaining objectivity.

We are presently dealing with the most immoral and dishonest president of the United States’ history, and we cannot trust anything he is saying.
He must be dislodged from his lair by an overwhelming majority. If we don’t, hatred and strife will ultimately overwhelm and destroy this country.

Vote by mail and vote early. Before doing this, check your voter registration status and make sure that your information is correct. Once you have cast your ballot, this office will confirm that they have received and registered your vote.

If you don’t vote, somebody else will… and the results might not be to your liking.

“Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.” Keith Ellison

Alain

All my life I have been told what to do. It started with my mother, then various teachers, sergeants, bosses, tax collectors, girlfriends, wives, and now… my iWatch.

Yes, my iWatch is now taking over and bossing me around. It tells me what to do… when to stand, when to exercise, what to eat, etc.  If I don’t heed the commands, I am afraid of the consequences It is kind of creepy…

Every cloud has a silver lining and this coronavirus abomination strangely ushered a bright side. Its quick propagation and deadly consequences are stimulating innovation.
“Necessity is the mother of invention” has never been truer.

All tech companies worldwide are now working overtime to come up with an app to identify and curb the virus spread. My iWatch and my iPhone will soon enter the war against COVID-19. They will tell me for instance if I am in the proximity of an infected individual, and if so, what to do and where to go.

Some events are so catastrophic that they cannot be ignored and force old foes to cooperate. In WWII, unabashed capitalistic America agreed to fight on the side of its foe, the ever reviled Soviet Union. Today, similarly, tech giants have declared an armistice and pledged to cooperate fighting the common enemy.

Sometimes I have the feeling that these new smart gadgets treat you are like a child. They are packed with so many hidden features, that most of its owners probably don’t even know about them.

Kids and women seem to be the new authorities on the iWatch. The minute they got it, they tried (and mastered) every single feature. To me, it still is a watch, albeit a smart one. It tells me the time, the ambient temperature, and when I get some e-mail.

But if you dig a little (unfortunately I am averse to manual labor) you will find plenty of goodies. For instance, if you momentarily forget your passcode, the iWatch can unlock your Mac. Nice.
It will listen to and obey Siri’s commands. It will make calls and receive messages away from your phone. It will warn you about abnormal heart rates and detect accidental falls, etc.

The problem is that if you get used to all of this, (like smart-alecky kids do) you will eventually forget everything that took years to master. If you lose or misplace your iWatch, you will suddenly feel like a fish out of water. A little bit like relying too much on your car… and forgetting how to use your legs. Baaad!

But I like tech stuff… Fortunately, I am not (totally) addicted to it and could survive without it on a deserted island. My wife who has become a Tech Guru could not.

Alain