Do-gooders

I hate do-gooders, those exasperating interlopers!

You are in a hurry. You have to meet a very important client for lunch and he has told you in no uncertain terms that he likes people to be punctual. OK, got that.

So you are downtown, fighting traffic and trying to make it on time for your meeting. You are stuck behind a slowpoke who has taken roots at a stop sign. A gap suddenly opens in the pedestrian flow going through the crosswalk. All right, go!
Go! What are you waiting for? The do-gooder in front of me has spotted a little old lady who is hesitating to cross the street and he is encouraging her to do so. At my expense! Cool it granny, step back!

Hate those guys bent on doing good! Never mind the fact that I am going to lose a fifty thousand bucks sale, this guy has got to do his Boy Scout bit.

Sometimes I seem to be stalked by Do-gooders. They always seem to appear when I am under pressure. Like last week… I parked at a meter and rushed into a building to drop a document. I get into an elevator with another fellow. He punches his floor, I punch mine.

OK, let’s go! But No. The guy is holding the door for a pregnant woman! What business does a woman in family way have to come downtown? Why doesn’t she stay home with milk and cookies and save me another parking ticket?

I told you, I am stalked by do-gooders.

A few days ago, I was in line at the supermarket waiting to have my goods processed by the food checker. Suddenly an older woman with a strong Russian accent engaged in an argument with the checker. The food checker obviously doesn’t understand what the old woman is saying.
Houston, we have a problem!

Out of nowhere, a distinguished looking gentleman appears and starts translating for the Babushka. There is hope… But what’s that? The Russian expats are now engaged in a lively conversation and smiling. This exchange doesn’t have anything to do with business; it reeks of social intercourse. Damn the Do-gooders!

And I think that the blasted thing is catching.

Two days ago, I was driving downtown when I noticed a lost pooch. I know when a dog is in trouble. Without a second thought I stopped my car  and approached the mutt. The poor thing was shivering and looking very despondent. I managed to grab him and take him into my car. Don’t worry pooch, I’ll take care of you.

Somebody behind me started honking. Bastard! Don’t you have any heart?

Alain

PS: You can now view this page in French, Spanish, German and Russian. To do so, please click on the Translate sign located on the right side (bottom) of this post and choose the language that suits you best.
The translation by the way is far from being perfect!

Y’en a marre!

Photo by Jose Moreno

Y’en a marre de ces tueries insensées qui défraient régulièrement la chronique aux États-Unis. Au lieu d’être le phare, nous sommes maintenant la risée de l’Europe et de toutes les nations civilisées.

Y’en a plus que marre de ces vieux politicards roués qui continuent a garder leur tête dans le sable pendant que le sang coule. Y’en a ras le bol d’un président immature, borné, incompétent, affligé d’une myopie politique sans précédent.

Avec une quantité phénoménale d’individus stockant des armes de guerre, l’Amérique est devenu un pays extrêmement violent et extrêmement dangereux. Aux États soit disant Unis, il y a plus d’armes que de citoyens. La moindre étincelle peut mettre le feu à une série de poudrières ne demandant qu’a exploser.

Le problème n’est pas avec les malades mentaux comme le répète « ad nauseum » la Maison Blanche. Le problème réside avec un système hallucinant qui permet à pratiquement n’importe qui d’acheter une arme de guerre.

Si ces armes étaient impossible (ou difficile) a obtenir, ces malades ne pourraient infliger que comparativement peu de dégâts.

Heureusement, certaines personnes ont vu la lumière, et ces personnes ce sont les adolescents, les victimes de choix de toutes ces tueries. Ils demandent maintenant justice.

Ce problème ne sera pas résolu par un Congrès impotent mais par la rue. Toutes les personnes de bonne volonté, devraient faire front commun avec les jeunes, les victimes, les parents, les amis des victimes et faire pression sur des législateurs plus concernés par leur survie, que la sécurité de leurs paroissiens.

Il faut faire honte aux politicards complaisants (comme on a fait honte aux agresseurs sexuels) et les forcer à  prendre une décision irrévocable bannissant a jamais les machines a tuer.

Aux urnes citoyens, formez vos bataillons
Qu’un sang impur abreuve nos sillons ! 

Alain

Field of Frustration

Once in a while, because of our inability to achieve a goal, we experience frustration.

But yesterday in Petaluma despite strong gusts of wind, there was a permanent cloud of frustration hanging all over the pétanque field.
In all my born days I have never heard so many “merde” or seen so much hand wringing than yesterday at the Oak Hill Park.

The pétanque field in Petaluma is (let me try to find the right word) highly unpredictable. The ground is strewn with small pebbles that will deflect just about any unlucky boule landing on it. And yesterday you needed a lot of luck.

The poor slobs (like me) who seldom venture to Oak Hill Park were bogged down in a permanent state of frustration. Pebbles thwarted so many of my shots, that I could barely contain myself. As the saying goes, I had just about all I could take of myself.

Even Petalumians  (who play there regularly) where struggling. But I am ahead of myself. The opposing teams were as follows:

For Marin we had:

1- Sandra Shirkey, Mark Shirkey, Noel Marcovecchio
2- Alain Efron, Francois Moser, Sabine Mattei
3- Henry Wessel, Calvert Barron, Marc Davantes
4- Charlie Davantes, Liv Kraft, Helga Facchini

On the Petaluma side:

1- Bleys Rose, David Hale, Dennis Zerbo
2- Ed Porto, Hans Kurz, Larry Brown
3- David Lindsay, Jimmy Johnson, Dougie Coleville
4- Albert Woodbury, Caitlin Woodbury, John Virbill

On our second encounter with Petaluma at Oak Hill Park, we didn’t do that much better than in our first encounter.
Petaluma won 11 games and Marin 5.

As a (poor) excuse, I choose to blame the weather. It was cold and extremely windy and few people play well entangled in a heavy jacket.

The saving grace for Marin, was the brilliant performance of the Henry, Calvert and Marc Davantes team. They won 3 out of 4 games and barely lost their last game 10/13.
We might have to throw a parade for them in Marin.

On the Petaluma side, Ed Porto, Hans Kurz and Larry Brown also won 3 games.

The proceeds from both encounters were split between the 2 clubs.

In conclusion:

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning do to do afterward.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

Alain