Browsing the social media I came across a line which runs something like, "Money is everything and everything is about money." In another piece written by some old-time columnist, I read this line, "Money is behind all evil.
" On the surface, it's rather challenging to dispute any of the two. But indeed you know money could create as many problems as it supposedly solves. You don't have to make plans to prove or disprove those things as life would throw them your way whether you like it or not.
There is this fellow who lives near you and you don't have much other than those slight head nods as greetings. One day he breaks the invisible wall and approaches with a friendly hand ready for the very first handshake between you two while at the same time saying, very first handshake and said,. "You know for a long time I really wanted to introduce myself to you. I hope we can become a little closer."
Why not! There is no harm in striking a friendship with a person who lives some four or five doors down from you. After that the greetings become warmer, the handshakes stronger and the 'friendship' brighter as if you two have been real friends for a decade or so. A couple of times you two sit down for some beer and talk about all the nonsense and irrelevant things first-time friends talk about. Of course, since you don't know much about each other hotter issues like politics, religious beliefs and what have you. The verdict is in; "I think he is a nice guy. He is a cool guy and nothing about him gives me any discomfort." Well, one more friend in times when friends don't come cheap.
One Sunday morning you're out for a morning stroll and a cup of real strong coffee at your favorite coffee house. Only an hour and I'm back home!" You promise your family. After about a half hour or so walk you go for your cup of strong coffee. Surprise, surprise! Who do you find there? Of course, your new friend! Well, that was enough to disturb an eyebrow or two. The fact is you've never seen him there and he has told you he doesn't drink coffee because of some health problems. Then what the hell is he doing in a coffee house noted for its strong coffee and nothing else? No need to rush; you'll soon know. Before you've time to digest things he practically springs up and hugs you with a big "Hi!" Your "Hi!" is almost inaudible and your hands hang in mid-air not knowing where to take them. One thing was that you weren't to direct them towards the back of the guy for the return hug.
Suddenly really hits you "OMG! Did the guy just hug you? Yes, he did. Now, that was not a good sign at all. One thing is that you almost never hug with friends or even relatives. The other thing is that you have been closer to this guy barely a full month and he hugs you destroying your Sunday morning!
The unrestrained hugs are only for your better half and your three siblings. And now this guy, who for all practical purposes you don't know as well as you should have almost chokes the breath out of your lungs! Something is very wrong. You just can't believe it! He has the audacity to hug you like he was dealing with a long-lost dear friend! The fact is hugs from whomever else they come seldom give you comfort. Case closed. But you have to play it safe and there is no need for the storm in the teacup.
"Don't tell me you've started drinking coffee! Did your doctors give you the green light?"
"No," he says pointing to the full cup. "I didn't take a single sip."
"Then why did you order it if you weren't to drink it?" Yes that was the question of the moment, wasn't it?
"I was waiting for you."
"Oh!" 'Did I hear what I think I heard?'
"I knew you'd be here every Sunday morning."
Now that's the nastiest thing you have heard since sometime back. It was not because he was waiting for you without any appointment thug that in itself could be worthy of a full volume questions and narratives. But he just told you that he knew you'd be there every Sunday morning meaning he has been following you! The nerves start to do a disservice to your rather calm facial features and you're not particularly Brad Pitt when the nerves start swelling! You pull a chair and sit at the opposite side of the table. You decide to go for the direct hit.
"May I ask why you were waiting for me? I hope it's nothing bad."
No! No! It's nothing bad!" he says. But the facial features were practically screaming, "He's lying. It's as bad as bad could be." You wait for him to make his next move.
"You know I had this problem and I wanted to talk with you about it. I think you're the only person to find a way out of it." What!
You don't even know if he had any family or lived alone. You don't know not where he works, or even he works at all. Oh, the list is long. And now you, the stranger to the fellow, are the 'only' problem solver.
"I'm not sure I could be of any help, but let's hear it." The guy starts talking about his parents being in very critical problems. He then indulges in narratives which sound so fictitious you'd be pardoned for admitting the creative juices in that brain of his. Time for the question that overrides all questions;
"Now what is that you want from me?"
"I thought you could lend me fifty thousand birr which I'll repay within a month."
You have stopped listening to what he was saying after the "fifty thousand birr" sledgehammer. And before you didn't waste valuable seconds to tell him your decision.
"Sorry, I can't lend you fifty cents let alone fifty thousand birr!" You leave him without as much of a farewell as his anatomy crystalizes in the chair!
Now a little confession; much of what is written happened to a fellow though in slightly different ways. But the very last part where he tells the guy he wouldn't give him fifty cents let alone fifty thousand birr played out for real. The sad part is he is somewhat paying for his no-nonsense action as the guy made sure his reputation is muddied as ugly as possible. He innocently thought he had a new friend and ended up opening his doors to the worst of the worst enemies!
Yes, money might not be behind all evil; but it sure is behind a lot of evil. There is no need to be surprised if money many times rhymes with evil!
-"What, are They Talking About?"
I'm not sure if it was it was one of those classic moments in which you're glad you didn't moss. One thing the presidential candidate said during her interview with Fox ... indeed must have hit more than nerves. At one point she says, "You and I know what I'm talking about." In normal circumstances, you'd expect the interviewer would have shrugged it off as one of those interview moments that would make no difference whether they are included or thrown out. But not this with this guy; he says, "I don't know. What are you talking about?" Isn't that some real journalism? From the flood of comments from viewers, you could understand this response made people almost jump out of their seats. Many gave the guy their thumbs, "He nailed her for good, didn't he?" Others were furious; "What! What kind of a rude question is that?" Well considering it was all about politics in an election that seems to be growing more bizarre as the day reckoning draws nearer.
Now I don't know what is really on the line here as the many things coming from all sides (Because there are not only two sides but many more too!) are confusing as well as more and more confrontational. Well, it is their game and I'm not sure many over there know these 'rules,' if there are any that is. Anyways we back here are watching perhaps one of the most interesting, highly confrontational and a study on how behaviors of people could go to the extreme when things come to politics. (Does anyone feel there is a lot of backstabbing going on over there!)
So what about that exchange mentioned above? Well, that got me thinking about the situation back here. We're left completely in the dark when it comes to reliable info because the presenters are probably thinking "They and I know what I'm talking about." Since many times than not the opportunity to respond "We don't know. What are you talking about?" doesn't present itself we the people in the street are left lost and confused in the info-darkness circle.
A few days back a friend told me to watch a certain local interview on YouTube. "Why should I?" Well as the guy is well aware I was not very enthusiastic about many of the interviews going all over the place it was rather unexpected ...for him to tell me to watch one. He says it was an issue I was interested in and might help me in my future writings. No, it won't help me in my future writings or anything else as it was an issue I think wasn't worthy of interviews or any sort of exposure. After a few minutes of trying to watch what the hell was about the interview that interested my friend so much I was not the guy whom you'd have asked out for a cup of coffee at that moment. As unenthusiastic as I was I was already thinking of giving my friend some on-the-phone dressing down for wasting my time over such nonsense! It was one of those interviews where the interviewer knew little or nothing about the topic and the interviewee was not any better.
Say some so-called expert sits down to be interviewed about some issues connected with water or any other day-to-day issue. People would want to know about the provision of water its health benefits and things like that. And they want everything delivered in the simplest style where they don't have to be confused over technical jargon which the interviewee himself knows nothing about. What does the guy do? Trying to prove to the world that he is probably the smartest dude on this side of the earth he delves into the technical jargon which even he just fished out of some social media site and he knows practically nothing about dives into jargon which even the real experts themselves shun.
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Now it's only one of the hundreds of interviews being conducted all over the place and the guy makes it appear he was talking in some workshop of experts or whatever. He probably is thinking "They know what I'm talking about." well wise guy, we don't! We don't know what you're talking about and could you be kind enough to tell us what you're talking about? But of course, as we don't have that opportunity the guy keeps on talking until he has nothing more to talk about. Of course all the time he was also talking largely about nothing. There isn't a single sentence about the provision of water which was the main issue of the so-called interview. Also when it comes to the next important issue about the health benefits of water the guy practically ignores it or keeps away from it as he has no idea what to say.
With the humblest apology, I have to say that in most interviews you spend an entire hour or so trying to grasp what everything is all about and at the end you're feeling the ants crawling all over you. Why? I'll tell you why. You don't have any idea of what the fellow was talking about and the lingering question is "What was he talking about?" He never stopped talking and you're left with nothing! Yes, something is very wrong. Aha! Here we come to another concept that practically seems to have taken hostage the reporting of the presidential election. Word Salad! That's the thing! And when they tell you what it was supposed to mean you can't help saying, "Wait a minute! Doesn't that sound familiar?"
Well, back here some souls think that we know what they are talking about. In fact, they don't even have to ask "Do you know what I'm talking b about?" It's taken for granted we know and the story ends there. Well, the connection never happens! And the vital connection not having been achieved how the hell could we know what the persons in question are talking about? And ask the whole lot of you...
What, in the world are they talking about?"
