Au Cochonnet Marin

“Curiosity killed the cat” is a common saying among dull, unimaginative people.

I totally disagree with this ridiculous expression for everyone knows that a cat possesses nine lives, and (experience generating) curiosity is the quality that allowed a mouser to survive many hazardous situations unscathed.

Curiosity is good, even necessary in our troubled times.

“The curiosity of the human mind is essential if you want citizens who think rather than accept the first nonsense they come to.” Francois Englert

 Absolutely!

My mother was a kind of gullible soul who believed whatever her mother told her, and before that what her grandmother told her mother. She used to say “if it is printed in the newspaper, it must be true”.
Right! And Joseph Stalin was a great humanitarian!
If hopefully you have an independant streak in you, your parents’ beliefs should not automatically become yours.

I, unlike my mother, am a doubting Thomas. Before believing, I doubt. And I will doubt until I can find the proper answer.
I am curious, and if something does not jive, I want to know why.
When I read an article and when a name catches my fancy, I want to know more about that person. I always turn to various sources of the Internet to check the accuracy of what I just read.

Nowadays you absolutely must be curious!

Especially in this putrid political season, you cannot take at face value all the ridiculous, slanderous statements made by politicos or yellow journalists.
Before forming an opinion that you might regret (e.i Brexit), you need to scrutinize the available data.
And the Internet conveniently offers some fact-checking websites that specializes in debunking the outlandish statements made by political operatives.

Click on TechNorms to check the 6 following sites:

FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com,
OpenSecrets.org, Snopes.com,
TruthorFiction.com, HoaxSlayer.com

So before forwarding rumors and peculiar fabrications to your friends, do your homework and evaluate the truthfulness of what you just read.

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Bernard Baruch

Alain

People in general like to show off.

They like to display jewels, clothes, guns (let’s make America great again) or pretentious religious and political symbols.
For there is in all of us a dormant peacock striving to come out.

But a man well into his skin does not need any adornment. His word, his face, his demeanor are his bond.

Political or conspicuous religious symbols in particular can be lightening rods. They are likely to annoy or anger somebody who harbors different beliefs.
So why would one put to the fore such controversial emblems?
Why (knowing full well that it might offend somebody) proclaim that you are a Muslim, Jew, Christian, Zoroastrian or a gun proponent?

Why the need to advertise? Why the need to prolethyze? Why attempt to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another?
Bravado? Provocation? Ostentation? Shock value/

Probably all of them. Unremarkable people often need a crutch to reassure themselves.
I belong to a powerful sect, therefore I am. Without it I am nothing.

In France, there is a law (among their endless list of regulations) banning conspicuous religious symbols in primary and secondary schools.

 For once I stand with the French. Your beliefs are private and should remain private.

When I meet somebody wearing an ostentations religious or political symbol, I see this as a threat, an invasion of privacy.
I would feel much more relaxed if this person didn’t shove his convictions into my face.
Even though I love animals, I don’t wear a PETA label on my lapel.
Even though I dislike the Republican drift to the Extreme-Right, I don’t wear a tag saying “Hump Trump!”

If worship you must (I don’t) do it in the privacy of your own yurt.
I don’t need to know that you are holding Satanic Masses in your basement.
As long as you are not assembling explosive devices, I don’t care.
But again don’t force me to recognize that you are some intolerant prick. It will show soon enough.

As far as I concerned, all religious and political symbols should be banned. They don’t serve any useful purpose but to antagonize and set people against each other.

Alain

“If you got it flaunt it, but if you don’t, move your ass with class.”

 

Humans unlike other living creatures share a unique common trait; instead of merely picking objects, they compare. They look closely at (two or more people/things) in order to decide which one is more attractive or more valuable.

That’s why (especially on the dating scene) you should never present yourself in a negative light when compared with one of your friends.
Your wingman (or wing gal) should never outshine you.

If you are not a “looker’, you might try to recruit somebody (maybe an over-the-hill stripper) to accompany you on your social forays and make you look good by comparison.

If you are short, you should not be seen with a tall person.
If you are fat, you should not associate with a skinny creature.
If you are flat chested, you should not pal around with an over-endowed ingénue.

Unless… You can outshine the competition with a killer trump card.
Even a great looking guy will be no match for a chap with a razor sharp wit.
In Cyrano de Bergerac, good-looking Christian got Roxane, but in reality Roxane would have dumped dim-witted Christian for intellectually superior Cyrano.

By the same token, if you are a classic female beauty, you might not prevail over a skinny contortionist who can twist and bend her body into strange and intriguing positions (there are kinky thoughts in all of us my friends).

To compete, nerds have to try harder, and they usually do. To succeed they have to hustle. And maybe that’s why you see so many tattoos and rings nowadays.
Ear ring, nose ring, lip ring, nipple ring, unmentionable rings…
The ring is the hook. It is a conversation piece.
Let me take you home and show you my nipple rings.,,
Who could resist to such a tantalizing invite?

But seriously, be aware that you are continuously evaluated and compared to your peers.

On the other hand, you could also say: Screw it! Let me be me. Like beer, I am an acquired taste. Try me, you might like me.

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” – Lao Tzu

Alain