Au Cochonnet Marin

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Margaret Thatcher

 Did the White House ever notice?

It is not America first, as some numbskulls have been asserting… or any nation first. The days of squabbling for supremacy are over… It is… it has got to be “planet first”.

Regardless of status or wealth, we are all in the same boat… and our new Titanic is heading for an iceberg. If we don’t change direction, we are going to hit that mass of ice with all its dire consequences.
But our leader is not worried… his band will keep playing until the end.

Young people are right to be worried. This is the estate that they are going to inherit and it is going to need a lot of fixing to be habitable again.

Wise beyond her years, gutsy Greta Thunberg, is upright for crying wolf and castigating world leaders for their inaction. Barely 16, this teenager amazed and galvanized the world with her maturity, her speaking skills and her command of the English language. She is truly on a mission and lives what she preaches. Among other things, she is not eating meat and she refuses to travel by plane.

Many of our leaders are more concerned with personal gains than global warming. America which for many years had been a shining example of rectitude and innovation has abdicated its role. It is burying its head in some oily sand and letting children work as pathfinders.

Putting a “businessman” in charge of America has been a colossal mistake. Because what is the purpose of a business? “The primary purpose of a business is to maximize profits for its owners or stakeholders.” That’s all.
What about the environment? What about climate change? It is a hoax! A scam!
What about the people? Let them eat cake!

Refusing to admit that something is true because it is unpleasant, is not going to make it disappear. Children have realized that and are starting to shame their elders’ inaction.

Colonizing the Moon or Mars is not the solution, and the money spent on these undertakings would be better used in implementing concrete solutions to combat global warming.

It is difficult to control what other countries are doing, but America should rejoin the Paris Agreement as soon as possible, and use its clout to lead the way and regain its dignity and self-respect.

Alain

Yesterday I played with Mark and Sandra Shirkey and I was surprised by how much they have improved their game. Especially Sandra. She pointed with such exquisite precision that she set old-timers’ tongues wagging.

She was called “emmerdeuse” which in our perverse way of speaking is a high mark of esteem. Once you have been consecrated “emmerdeur” or “emmerdeuse” you are like “made men”, full members of the clan.

“Other common names for members include man of honor (Italian: uomo d’onore), man of respect (Italian: uomo di rispetto), one of us, friend of ours, good fella, and wiseguy.” 

Mark and Sandra joined our club about 3 years ago and they are both relative newcomers to the game, but through hard work and dedication, they have slowly risen to the top.

It is no surprise. They worked very hard at it. There is an American expression that says “Practice makes perfect” but I prefer by far its French equivalent which goes:

« C’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron. » (It is by working with hot iron that you become a blacksmith).

Isn’t it so much more poetic?

Mark and Sandra both remind me very much of esteemed Calvert and Henry whom I called a “dynamic duo”. I remember writing about them a few years ago in the same vein. When they joined our club in 2012, they were novices. But through plenty of practice and dedication, they became a power couple to be reckoned with.

Both couples mingled and practiced regularly with different clubs on different fields, and this gave them the experience and the confidence to compete with more experienced players.

As I often said, there is no substitute for hard work. If you want to excel, you have to put in the time. The more you practice the better you will be.

Mark and Sandra also recently traveled to Portland and I understand that they did pretty well. Unfortunately I don’t have the details of this soggy affair.

In their own quiet way, they have been instrumental in improving our field and reshaping our procedures. They also upped their game and helped to shine a new light on our club.

I earnestly tip my hat to this Dynamic Duo.

Alain

Did it ever occur to you that you could be more valuable deceased than alive? Well, it is often the case, especially since a dead bloke usually remains tight-lipped when asked embarrassing questions.

Regardless of your past, when you die, you instantly reach a state of grace known as “the free and unmerited favor of God”. All your missteps are edited out of your life story and the world is offered a clean version of yourself (especially if you leave some money behind).

Eulogies will be touching and heartfelt. Everybody will present a pleasant side (often unseen) of your personality, and after the funeral, you will reach a state close to sainthood.

Later, after a few drinks, tongues will loosen up and offer a more sober evaluation of your life. Friends will tell questionable stories about you that will anger some relatives and make others laugh.

“Some people start to live when they die” – Bangambiki Habyarimana

The same fate sometimes plagues artists. Painters or writers who starved during their lifetime are suddenly “discovered” by critics, minutes after the coffin is closed. They declare that such and such was an unappreciated genius and that his “croutes” (daubs) are now worth a fortune.

These dead artists then (despite their known shortcomings) become very fashionable and their work is suddenly very much in demand. Depending on where they are now resting, these artists will rage or laugh their heads off.

Some lucky people manage to enjoy their good fortune while still alive. But all giants have feet of clay, especially in our time. Any little crack can bring the whole edifice down. Even at the top of your form, you are vulnerable.

Your past makes you vulnerable because we all have done some questionable deeds in our youth. But a nobody is less susceptible to damage because he does not compete or threaten anybody. If he was suddenly exposed as a wife-beater, it would do him very little harm.

On the other hand, a celebrity is extremely vulnerable to gossip and will go to extremes to protect himself. Contract killings are not unusual and according to Hollywood, rather common…

When you are dead, you are absolved of all sins and cured of all diseases.
A sometimes-enviable situation…

 Alain

“If fame is only to come after death, I am in no hurry for it.” Woody Allen