Au Cochonnet Marin

“I made my money the old-fashioned way. I was very nice to a wealthy relative right before he died.” Malcolm Forbes

 This is smart Malcom; much smarter than investing in lottery tickets with ridiculous odds.

In case that you did not notice, the country was recently in the throes of a Mega Millions ($1.6 billion prize) epidemic. And it was highly contagious… many people caught the bug and had to be treated in the emergency ward.
Unfortunately chances of hitting the Powerball jackpot were roughly 1 in 300 millions. Not very comforting.

But this little detail did not deter true believers. They squandered some hard earned cash to partake in this new Gold Rush. Somebody has got to win, right? It may as well be me… And somebody won. But this was a poisoned gift, a Pandora box.

When you come into (big) money, it becomes difficult to recognize your true friends. Numerous people and organizations trying to get a piece of the pie will besiege you. You will be surrounded by a crowd of smiling sycophants who won’t hesitate to drop you at the first sign of difficulty.

The number of your “friends” will be proportional to your holdings. The richer you are, the more playmates you will have, but quantity seldom equals quality. Personally, I would rather have three true friends than a posse of hundreds.

If you want to be at the receiving end of some relatively easy money, now is the time to locate a rich relative and start pampering him/her. Or maybe consider becoming a toy boy or a trophy wife. There is no shame in it… everybody does it. By doing so, your odds of collecting some moola will be far superior than winning the Mega jackpot.

 For my part I don’t want billions. I would be very happy with two or three little millions. I don’t want to come in contact with too much money because this product is highly toxic. It is radioactive and prolonged exposure to it will (among many other things) give your hair a weird orange glow.

Just like weed killer, prolonged proximity to big bucks will affect your health and sanity. Known side effects of money exposure are delusion and paranoia.

But cheer up. Everything associated with big bucks is not totally negative.

“Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort.” Helen Gurley Brown

“Champagne wishes and caviar dreams” to everybody and if you need some help spending your loot, I will be more than happy to help.

Alain

“Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say.” Charles Caleb Colton

Every person is different, but as a photographer, I am more inclined to see than to hear. As a bonus, you don’t have to hear anything to appreciate the sight of a pretty woman… As a matter of fact, any sound might spoil the image.

In a 1958 movie, French director Marc Allégret put together a film titled “sois belle et tais toi” (be pretty and shut up). This provocative heading sounds a bit misogynistic but it illustrates the fact that an image is often effective than sound.

When I watch a boring movie, I often lose track of the dialogue while my eyes wander from character to character. The actors’ lines vanish and I am left with a kaleidoscope of moving snapshots. It is much more interesting than trite lines and unconvincing acting.

I also find it much easier to clearly see evil than to hear it. When you hear a hate speech, it might not make a lasting impression; but when you see an evil action (like the brutalizing of an animal) it immediately prompts a visceral angry reaction.

In WWII, General Eisenhower insisted on documenting the unimaginable horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. He wanted people to remember as long as possible the depravity and the barbarity of the Nazi criminals. He documented his finding with thousands of pictures.

Despite his presence in many photographs, Holocaust deniers persist to this day.

Images are definitely more powerful and lasting than sound.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but in this electoral period, money is flooding all media. The countless commercials that you see on TV and the political pamphlets clogging your mailboxes are the materialization of the millions of dollars spent by the candidates and their backers.

The sponsors prefer visuals to words or sound. If you like someone’s face you are more inclined to vote for him. Being photogenic undoubtedly helps a candidate, regardless of his views.

I am partial to images. It might be partly due to the fact that my hearing is getting less effective than my sight, but to me, an image will always carry more weight than a long speech.

“Hear no evil, speak no evil, and you won’t be invited to cocktail parties.” Oscar Wilde

Alain

“The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. …” Barack Obama

On November 6, crucial mid-term elections will determine the course of the country for the next two years and maybe beyond. In the US democracy is under attack and there is a noticeable drift toward intolerance and totalitarianism.

It is essential for every citizen to vote, and to vote wisely. This will require some homework and before casting your ballot you will have to do a bit of research.

You will need to do some a lot of reading (sigh) and not rely on television to get informed. Short television ads are funded by Political Action Committees whose main purpose is to sway and mislead voters.

If you care about this country, you absolutely must vote. No excuses. Democracy is often lost through indifference. Not voting is like deserting your unit in a firefight.

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

You should vote for the common good and not for a few narrow interests. Coal production for instance is not good for the environment and should not be promoted to please a minority. Many viable alternatives are available and should be encouraged instead.

You also need to remember that the original motto of the United States (before being dumped by zealots in 1956) was E pluribus unum (out of many, one).
Our leader needs to unite us and not to pit us against each other.

To survive and flourish a country needs to be unified. Siding with the party of millionaires and bullies will only increase dissension and disunity.
Could the United States wield some much power and influence if they were not united? Definitely not.

It is not easy to figure out what is right and fair when the truth is blatantly distorted by deep pockets money.

But democracy is at stake.

Do yourself a big favor and research the candidates and the issues. Remember the Costa Concordia! An impetuous captain will drive his ship to the shoals. A good skipper will mull over his decision before putting his vessel in jeopardy.

United we stand, divided we fall.

It is as simple as that.

Alain