A few days ago, a message from Cynthia Hendricks, affectionately known as ‘the lady with the ski poles, popped up in my mailbox, inquiring if I was still at the helm of Cochonnetmarin.com
Indeed, Cynthia, I am, albeit at a more measured pace, engaging in an experimental partnership with ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformers).
Presently, my inclination to write has dwindled. Fueled by the cheering of irresponsible leaders, numerous extremist groups worldwide are goaded into acts of violence and aggression against their neighbors. Isn’t it clear to them that such senseless brutality only begets retaliation, perpetuating a cycle of more violence? Even a young child in kindergarten comprehends this principle: “Qui sème le vent récolte la tempête.”
Like many of my contemporaries, I hold strong democratic views, but I refrain from fruitless controversies on my blog. What purpose would it serve? It would merely add fuel to an already blazing firestorm.
In the evenings, my anticipation of being uplifted by TV news is routinely disappointed. Instead of enlightenment, what unfolds is an unrelenting procession of tragedies—a cacophony of conflicts, wars, and calamities. It’s not the content I wish to witness or absorb.
My good spirits hinge upon witnessing ordinary acts of kindness or courage. I yearn to witness “La Vie en Rose,” an existence colored by optimism, rather than perpetually engulfed by grim news.
When tired of American channels, I turn to TV5 Monde, a French broadcasting outlet. Its content seems to place less emphasis on gore and violence in its daily broadcasts. I don’t wish to be oblivious to the grim realities of murder and violence worldwide, but I refuse to be overwhelmed by them.
Reflecting on it, the cause of these predicaments is rooted in ignorance, poverty, and inequality. These issues could be easily eradicated if a fraction of the billions spent on wars and destruction were channeled into construction and restoration.
Hence, Cynthia, you’ve heard little from me lately. But when peace prevails in places like Ukraine or the Middle East, just like the Phoenix, I might resurrect and resume writing once more.
Alain
PS: I find ChatGPT rather pompous and try to tame it as much as possible.
Yesterday, along with scores of people, I attended a party celebrating the life of Charlie Davantes. It was very well organized and extremely successful. Good old Charlie knew a lot of people and many of his friends came to pay him respect.