Au Cochonnet Marin

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”.

 

August 28, 2014
“A 9-year-old girl fatally shot a gun instructor with an Uzi this week at a shooting range in Arizona that caters to tourists. Charles Vacca, 39, was standing to the girl’s left when she lost control of the weapon. The girl’s parents were recording a cell phone video of the incident, which was turned over to the local sheriff’s department.”

Personally I think that you have to be completely off your rocker to let a 9-year-old handle an Uzi, or any kind of firearm for that matter.

Almost daily somebody dies by gunshot in America.
Each time there is a shooting, people shed some (crocodile?) tears, hold a vigil, build an improvised shrine and put the entire incident out of their minds.
Even after mass shootings, few officials will talk about the need to curb the insane proliferation of firearms in America.

Life is becoming increasingly challenging and stressful. Those who don’t succeed often blame their coworkers for their failures.
Their grudges it seems can only be resolved by a blood bath.

There is nothing virile about toting a gun. As a matter of fact, it might be a lack of natural virility that pushes some people to ostentatiously carry a gun.

If you are so enamored of guns, there are plenty of conflicts around the world where you could fire your beloved gun to your heart’s content.
The only caveat is that the people you shoot at will shoot back in return.
This is not what gun-toting people want.

They want to intimidate without fear of retaliation.
And so far they are succeeding. And why is that?

Because thanks to the National Riffle Association and its pro-gun stand, it is so laughingly easy to purchase a gun in America.

According to Claire McCaskill, US senator from Missouri “The NRA grades senators and representatives based on their votes on gun issues – and even on issues that have little-to-nothing to do with guns.”

In other words, if you are an elected official with an anti-gun stand, the NRA will target you and pour money to defeat you in the next election.
If you are pro-gun, the NRA will embrace you and do everything necessary to have you re-elected.
It is a simple as that, and it is very effective.

With their career and livelihood at stake, few senators have the backbone to stand up to the NRA.

The only way to succeed would be to neutralize the influence of the gun lobby.
And the way to do this would be to “out” the names of the wealthy NRA donors and the amount of money they donated.

Popular outcry and public shame might be the only way to weaken the grip of the gun lobby and to prevent future bloodsheds.

Alain

 

“Frequent and loud laughter is the characteristic of folly and ill manners.”
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

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I totally agree with you, milord! Loud laughter is boorish and betrays a substandard upbringing.

I am not misogynous but sometimes I feel like hitting some women on the head with a telephone book to stop them from making a spectacle on themselves in public places.
They screech and laugh so loudly that it sounds like Improvised Explosive Devices exploding in the room.
It is an embarrassment to everybody around, especially to servicemen who instinctively jumped under their table.

A high-pitched laugh is difficult to take, especially in the morning (when you are still in a slumbering haze) or in the evening, when you try to unwind.
What is it? Exhibitionism? A desperate cry for attention? Look at me, I just got a new haircut, a new dress, new boobs… Look at me!

Put four women together in a room and you have a very combustible situation. The tinniest spark could ignite an explosion.

Contrarily to what has been taught in many schools, it was not men who stormed the Bastille in 1789. I am pretty sure that 60% of the rioters were bored housewives.
They probably texted each other: let’s get together girls, have a drink, suck on a joint and have fun… I know a bistro near La Bastille…

And what do you think happened after a few drinks and a few puffs of Maui Wowie?

They all went crazy, hit a few taverns before joining some drunks hollering for more booze.
A drunken woman has the strength of half a dozen men. You can imagine what they did to the Swiss Guards and the fortress.

As I said before, I like women, but women who behave according to the rules of the Marquess of Queensberry.
No low blows, no head butting and no shrieking or screaming.

“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.”
Groucho Marx

That’s what I often think when I see (and especially hear) women lapsing into hysterics.

Alain

PS: Excuse me ladies for kvetching, but after a rather painful incident I had to get it off my chest. No hard feelings.