Au Cochonnet Marin

“Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences.”
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Some people go religiously to church every Sunday while some others devoutly attend gym services.

Even though these two groups are quite different, they basically share the same philosophy.
They worship to atone for their sins… and show off at the same time.
The churchgoers go to the church to show the community what good Christians they are.

“Some go to church to see and be seen, Some go there to say they have been, Some go there to sleep and nod, But few go there to worship God.”

The jocks (and the jockettes) go to the gym to respectively flaunt their six-pack abs and their steel buns.
Some incidentally come to keep fit.

Both groups are suffering from what I believe to be the “I am better than you are” syndrome.

People go to church to repent and be exonerated.
People go to the gym to make allowances for their excesses.
Both organizations by the way are big moneymaking machines, for people will always pay good money for an act of public expiation.

I now regularly go the Larkspur Rustic Bakery (good products/unequal service) for breakfast.
While sitting at the terrace and munching on a ham and cheese croissant I can observe the people going into or coming out of the 24 Fitness health club located a few paces away.

The girls wear (sometimes flattering) tight outfits and the guys baggy shorts and sweatshirts.
In this masochistic temple, sweat (the nectar of the Gods) is the ultimate reward.
Your sins and fat cells fall off after a good ritual.

After a gym session, the participants reward themselves with coffee and pastry.
After church, people feel free to grow and multiply.

I personally don’t go to (any) church because as George Carlin said:

“I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a guy nailed to two pieces of wood.”

To sum it up, I am not a joiner. Being fairly independent-minded I am always reluctant to join any organization for fear of being tied down by rules carved in stone.

Alain

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,|
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus, 1883

 

How times have changed!
We still have “huddles masses yearning to be free” but they are definitely not as welcome as 100 years ago.

Today a great number of Middle Eastern and African nationals are banging at the gates of European countries, clamoring for asylum. They fled their homeland, to escape ethnic or civil strife, war, poverty and discrimination.
Their attempt to escape bloody conflicts is understandable, but so is the reluctance of European nations to let them in.

Few European countries are actually able to balance their budgets. They sometimes manage to do this by (like in France) taxing their citizens to death. Add a few more thousands mouths to feed, and taxes (and dangerous home discontent) will also go up accordingly.
This puts European democracies between a rock and a hard place.

When moving and settling in a drastically different country, refugees also have to adapt, and due to a cultural clash, many fail to do so.

“Becoming the victim of rape, dressing in ways which are deemed inappropriate, or engaging in homosexual relations are NOT punishable by death.”

This is sometimes difficult to understand. Old ethnic beliefs and hatreds have to be reconsidered and seen in a new (hopefully better) light.

The basic rule of survival in a new country is to make yourself invisible. Like a snow rabbit, you need to blend with your environment.
This means among other things discarding your native wardrobe. What you were wearing in your native country is now alien and often disturbing, especially in today’s terrorist context.

This also means  that women are not a disposable property and honor killing is totally unacceptable.

Settling in another country is like a rebirth, a reincarnation. It is like a reptile shedding its old skin to reappear in a new and more relaxed suit.

People who don’t adjust risk being stigmatized.
“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”

Personally, I feel uneasy, even resentful when facing Middle Eastern women (or men) dressed in their native garb.
Why are they here if they are rejecting western ways? Are they unable (or unwilling) to adapt to a new reality? Are they bringing along with their kids, their intolerance and their prejudices?
What about allegiance to their new home? Does it really mean that these people are forswearing their old values and ready to defend the (unholy) values of their new country?
When I hear what radical Muslim preachers are saying in Great Britain, I am not too convinced.

It would be politically correct to welcome all those people with open arms but the underlying problem is the 800-pound gorilla in the room; the tremendous cost (housing, food, health benefits, education) incurred by the hosting countries and their fear of Islamist terrorism.

Would-be asylum seekers would be well advised to remember that keeping a low profile and strictly obeying the laws of the land take precedent over religious precepts, misplaced honor and centuries of ingrained misogynistic customs or traditions.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

Alain

As you probably know, last Sunday’s Interclub Cup held in Marin County was organized and run by the Petaluma Valley Pétanque club.
They did an excellent job with Ed Porto assisted by Nancy and Christine Jones as scorekeepers.
The temperate weather that day proved ideal for a tournament, especially after a succession of hot and muggy days.

Sixty (60) players from 6 regional clubs (Petaluma, Marin, VOMPC, Lamorinda, REBC and Noyos) registered to play.
Coffee and pastries were offered and the games started shortly after 9:00 a.m.

It was a well-run event that started (almost) on time and ended reasonably early.
My only quibble with this affair was that there were fairly complicated rules that many people (including myself) failed to fully understand.
As a result, some people were surprised and disappointed to be kept from playing in the Consolante.
I understand that this was done to end the tournament at a reasonable time, but it still annoyed some players.

Three (3) qualifying panaché-style “doublettes”, were played in the morning. Concours and Consolante were played after lunch.

Ultimately 24 players entered the Concours in triplette formations and 12 players competed in the Consolante also in triplette formations.

Having been dropped out early of the tournament, I spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures and playing a few hands in the company of “Uli” a touring pétanque player from Munich, Germany.
Uli is a friendly, trilingual pétanque player who could teach some of us a few things, and he did it, shooting in a spectacular manner.

When taking pictures I usually use two different cameras, Sneaky Pete and Big Bertha.
Sneaky Pete is a small, unobtrusive (S120) Canon camera that easily fit in a pocket. It is easy to carry and takes excellent pictures.
For more serious business I use Big Bertha, a much larger (and heavier) Canon EOS Rebel T2i camera with an excellent zoom capability.
This time I used Sneaky Pete.

Back to the tournament

In the Concours semi finals, Antoine, Calvert and Dave defeated Eva, JC and Christine C. by a score of 13/4.
Carlos, Philippe and Etienne eliminated Mickey, Eldon and Brian by a score of 13/10

In the finals, The Marin team ably represented by Antoine Lofaro, Dave Riffo and Calvert Barron defeated the Lamorinda formation by a final score of 13/9.
It was a good balanced game cheered by a large by-partisan audience.
Calvert Barron especially shone as a pointer, reminding everybody that shooters alone cannot win a game without the assistance of a good pointer (and vice-versa).

In the Consolante, the Sonoma team (Frosty, Steve and Brendan) overcame the Marin team (Brigitte, Monique and Verena) and won by a very tight score of 13/11

When all is said and done, the Cup is back to where it belongs: at La Pétanque Marinière of Marin County.

Alain

PS: The Petaluma Valley Pétanque Club graciously donated $100.00 from its proceeds to La Pétanque Marinière. A very classy gesture.

To look at photos of this event and listen to the accompanying background music, turn your computer’s sound on, and click on the link “My Photos” located on the right side of this page. For best viewing, go “Full Screen”.