New broom?

What with all the excitement of the volcano, I had forgotten to share a little piece of optimism with you. Not that I am generally of an optimistic disposition and would prefer to share my petty rants. The "openning" of the volcano has certainly given reason to smile even if it appears strange that the Prefécture, CTR (tourist bureau) and the usual bevy of regional government lackeys have failed to do so for several years following the death of an "imprudent" visitor during the August 2003 eruption.


The explanation given in the "Journal" as to why the padlocks on the access gate to the Enclos were unopened was because they had become frozen! Yes, it is possible, but at 06:30 the three padlocks were certainly not frozen and I doubt that there was even a frost at that altitude that night. The Journal suggests that someone should have pissed on the locks - Seems to me that someone is taking the piss...



Enough. Yesterday in the same "Journal" I was pleased to note the inaugration, by one of the island's noted botanists, of an association dedicated to maintaining access to the volcano within 24 hours of an eruption. The association is called LAVE (Liberté d’accès au volcan en éruption) and Roger Lavergne rightly compares, as I have done, the attitude of the Prefécture towards the volcano and the sea. With all the recent shark attacks (come on let us not exaggerate!) no one is suggesting a ban on bathing, or padlocking the beaches. Better off if they banned cars, Mc Do, Coke and rampant consummerism which are far more responsible for far more deaths. Lavergne points out that presently, there is :

“Une véritable porte de prison obture le Pas de Bellecombe. Si vous vous hasardez à l’escalader, vous risquez de vous retrouver au poste de gendarmerie de la Plaine-des-Cafres et d’être condamné à payer 60 euros d’amende.”

Methinks the Ramblers' Association could help here ;-) Good luck to Mons. Lavergne.

...and on the same day I note in the blog of Pierrot Dupuy that he too is thinking of associations. His is one to expose corruption and nepotism on the island.

"Une association de citoyens pour dénoncer les magouilles"

Sounds like a jolly good idea and I think that he'll have plenty of work to do. His blog is an excellent source of political "gossip" and his exposé certainly has my support. Of course, I could question his motives, but then that would be too cynical...

... and what, one might ask, am I doing? Actually, I have developed moaning as a form of psychic mantra. The constant resonating, irritating, penetrating hum, when properly focused, has a accumulative effect on social archetypes. Once the "moan" has entered into social consciousness it promots acceptance, and in certain individuals, provokes action relative to the frequency of the "moan". I take it that the two case above are proof of the efficacity of this form of psycho-social evolution.

Of course, it is not infallable and I have had little success in manipulating the social consciousness of two generations of unfortunates who insist on wearing baseball caps the wrong way round.