Author: Parameciumcaudatum

“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad with power.” How else would any sane person describe the behavior of Elon Musk as he and his DOGE followers went from agency to agency, shutting them down and firing government workers? This is not the conduct of a normal person by any stretch of the imagination. Did he seek advice from the Senate or congressional Republicans before embarking upon his ill-advised course of action? Based upon what he was subsequently told by Republican senators, apparently, he didn’t.

Republican senators vented their concerns about tech billionaire Elon Musk’s aggressive approach to freezing federal spending and cutting government jobs during a private meeting with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on Wednesday. Gathered in the historic Mansfield Room outside the Senate chamber, some GOP senators complained about what they view as a lack of transparency about what Musk and his team of engineers are doing at federal agencies. They flagged cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which fired 1,400 employees Monday, and said Musk’s team hadn’t responded to their requests for information, according to sources familiar with the meeting. “Every day’s another surprise,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said of the daily bombshells from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “It would be better to allow Cabinet secretaries to carefully review their departments and then make surgical, strategic decisions on what programs and people should be cut and then come back to Congress for approval,” she said. Collins argued a methodical approach to reforming government would be better than what she called Musk’s “sledgehammer approach.” THE HILL: GOP senators vent Musk frustrations at closed-door meeting, By Alexander Bolton, February 27, 2025.

When things begin to go very wrong, the perpetrators have no owner. They usually run for cover or deny any responsibility for the consequences of their mischievous, irresponsible, and nefarious conduct. This kind of conduct is demonstrative of one outstanding human weakness: cowardice.

Billionaire Elon Musk is telling Republican lawmakers that he is not to blame for the firings of thousands of federal workers, including veterans, as pushes to downsize the government. Instead, he said in private talks this week that those decisions are left to the various federal agencies. The message from one of President Donald Trump’s most influential advisers came as Republicans publicly support Musk’s work at the Department of Government Efficiency — which claims to be digging up waste, fraud and abuse — but are privately raising questions as personnel cuts ripple through communities across the nation. “Elon doesn’t fire people,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., after a dinner-time pizza meeting with Musk in the basement of the Capitol. “He doesn’t have hiring and firing authority,” added Hudson, who leads the House Republicans’ campaign arm. “The president’s empowered him to go uncover this information, that’s it.” It’s a remarkable shift of emphasis away from the chainsaw-wielding tech entrepreneur whose vast power has made him an admired, revered and deeply feared figure in the second Trump administration. The Republican president weighed in Thursday after a Cabinet meeting, saying he has instructed department secretaries to work with DOGE but to “be very precise” about which workers will stay or go — using a “‘scalpel’” he said in a social media post “rather than the ‘hatchet.” “I don’t want to see a big cut where a lot of good people are cut,“ Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office. ASSOCIATED PRESS: Elon Musk tells Republican lawmakers he’s not to blame for federal firings, By  Lisa Mascaro and Chris Megerian, March 7, 2025.

It’s a pity it seems that Musk has decided to discard the good counsel of his own father.

“Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.” Proverbs 23: 22-25 (NKJV).

Elon Musk’s father, Errol, offered a bleak prediction about his son’s future in politics after reports emerged that he’s rattled White House Cabinet members with his sweeping orders to their employees. The 79-year-old former South African politician said in an interview with Al Arabiya News’ Global News Today program that his son may have some challenges navigating Washington D.C. “Elon is not cut out for politics,” Errol Musk said Monday, according to the Independent. The elder Musk added that “politics is where you have to deal with everyone… if you can’t do that, don’t get into politics.” His comments come after it was reported that the Department of Government Efficiency head has begun to grate on Cabinet members after he demanded last week that federal government employees report their weekly duties-or potentially face termination. The directive led to “some annoyance” among top officials and Cabinet secretaries, who “are in charge of their own agencies and need to conduct their own reviews for where cuts may be needed,” a Trump administration official told CNN. YAHOO NEWS: Elon’s Dad Makes Harsh Prediction About His Political Future, Kenneal Patterson, February 26, 2025.

Mr. Musk’s relationship with his daughter, who has divorced him, incidentally. Reveals that among his other short comings, he is also a narrow minded, intolerant, insensitive, and immature bigot.

Elon Musk’s estranged transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson has launched yet another attack on the billionaire, claiming that she did not give a “f**k” about him and that the Tesla boss was a “pathetic man child”. The 20-year-old, who legally changed her name and gender at the age of 18 and disowned Mr Musk, has been on uneven terms with her father. “He’s a pathetic man-child. Why would I feel scared of him? Ohhh, he has so much power. Nah, nah, nah. I don’t give a f**k. Why should I be scared of this man? Because he’s rich? Oh no, I’m trembling. Ooh, shivering in my boots here,” she told Teen Vogue. “I don’t give a f**k how much money anyone has. I don’t. I really don’t. He owns Twitter. OK. Congratulations.” She went on, adding that the majority of people “thrive off of fear” but she is “not giving anyone that space in [her] mind”. Ms Wilson, in only her second-ever interview with a media outlet,also doubled down on the claim that Mr Musk definitely did a Nazi salute during President Donald Trump’s inauguration event in January. “The Nazi salute s**t was insane. Honey, we’re going to call a fig a fig, and we’re going to call a Nazi salute what it was. That s**t was definitely a Nazi salute. The crowd is equally to blame, and I feel like people are not talking about that. That crowd should be denounced.” NDTV WORLD: Elon Musk’s Trans Daughter Calls Him “Pathetic Man-Child”, Says She Doesn’t “Give A F**k” By Abhinav Singh, March 21, 2025.

“There are none so blind as those who will not see.” Instead of doing the neccessary and age old ‘mea culpa, mea culpa,’ (I have sinned, I have sinned), Elon Musk is vainly trying to cover his own ass by blaming others and thereby failing miserably to take responsibility for the consequences of his own foolish and reckless conduct.

• The Tesla CEO on Sunday claimed Democrats were paying people to protest his company in an effort to artificially spark outrage over his efforts to rein in government spending. Hoffman denied it as another smear from a delusional man searching for a scapegoat: “I never funded anyone for Tesla protests.”

The image shared on social media spoke volumes: nearly two dozen taxpayer-funded Chicago police officers standing shoulder to shoulder in a line of force guarding the target of protesters’ ire on Saturday: a local Tesla showroom. In just the latest example of a broader “Tesla Takedown” movement, the scenes this weekend highlight how the carmaker has morphed into a lightning rod crystallizing opposition against Elon Musk. Now the Tesla CEO revealed he not only believes they are manufactured protests staffed with paid actors, he believes he’s found the true culprits behind the demonstrations cropping up across the country: Democrat megadonors George Soros and Reid Hoffman. “An investigation has found 5 ActBlue-funded groups responsible for Tesla ‘protests,’” he wrote, before listing the former hedge fund manager and LinkedIn founder as two top funders. Not only did Musk not provide any evidence to back up his claims, he actually asked users on X to reply to his post with information “if you know anything about this.” Hoffman denied the claim on X, saying Musk had no one to blame but himself for Americans being angry at him. “Just one more of Elon’s false claims about me: I never funded anyone for Tesla protests,” he wrote, adding, “it’s easier to explain away their anger, than to accept that actions have consequences.” FORTUNE: Elon Musk claims anti-Tesla protests are being astroturfed by Democratic megadonors George Soros and Reid Hoffman, By Christiaan Hetzner March 10, 2025.

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History is replete with examples of people who learned from their mistakes and changed their disastrous course. In fact, it is human nature to make mistakes. Only the wise, however, learn from such mistakes.

The world’s richest man thinks it’s unfair that people aren’t as interested in his products due to his far-right political views. Elon Musk took to the social media platform he owns Monday night to vent about his alleged mistreatment. But Musk had his own answer in mind. “Because I am a deadly threat to the woke mind parasite and the humans it controls,” the Sieg heil!–waving billionaire wrote. Tesla shares continued to tumble on Monday as one of its Chinese competitors, BYD, unveiled a system that could charge electric vehicles for a range of 249 miles in just five minutes. Tesla comprises the majority of Musk’s net worth—but the carmaker’s ongoing eight-week slump is largely due to a global brand boycott. Company stock is down by 50 percent so far this year, and analysts have faulted Musk’s reputational shift for the automaker’s financial woes. “My companies make great products that people love and I’ve never physically hurt anyone,” Musk posted. “So why the hate and violence against me?” YAHOO FINANCE from THE NEW REPUBLIC.

At least Musk has enough sense to recognize the boycott of Tesla’s automobiles and the violence directed at dealerships re-targeting him. But does he have enough insight to understand that all of this pushback results from his ill-advised actions? Or is he simply too arrogant to know that these unwelcome developments are predictable consequences of his ineptitude?

In scripture, we are encouraged to change our evil course and reform our lives.

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV)

The answer is quite simple, Mr. Musk: You have perpetrated acts of hatred and violence against innocent people who have never done anything to hurt you. All they’ve done is gone to work in the service of the nation, and they’ve done so for many years. You rewarded them by throwing them out of their jobs. Depriving them and their families of income, financial security, and peace of mind. While claiming that what they were doing was fraudulent. Up to now, you’ve provided no evidence that such alleged fraud exists.

A teachable spirit and a humbleness to admit your ignorance or your mistake will save you a lot of pain. However, if you’re a person who knows it all, then you’ve got a lot of heavy-hearted experiences coming your way.”
― Ron Carpenter Jr., The Necessity of an Enemy: How the Battle You Face Is Your Best Opportunity

“Many times what we perceive as an error or failure is actually a gift. And eventually we find that lessons learned from that discouraging experience prove to be of great worth.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

“Living is a process of developing oneself. Without experiencing pain from disconcerting periods of our lives, we would be different person, perhaps a lesser person.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6: 6-10 (NKJV).

Elon Musk took to his social media site X to claim that “terrorism” was the reason behind a series of Tesla car fires at one of his Las Vegas facilities Tuesday morning. The Tesla CEO’s one-word outcry came as a response to another post that showed a video of the cars ablaze at around 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Authorities have said that the fires were set intentionally, with the unnamed suspect using Molotov cocktails and at least one firearm, according to KTNV Las Vegas. It has not yet been confirmed how many people were involved in the incident. Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren stated that five vehicles were damaged and two were set ablaze in what he believes was an isolated, targeted attack.

Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, said: “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”

Mr. Musk’s fundamental weakness is that he lacks empathy. One reason for the French Revolution was that the poor had no bread and were on the verge of starvation. Widespread riots erupted in England after Mr. David Cameron’s election in 2011 because social services to the poor and needy were slashed. Does Elon Musk want to re-enact the mistakes of history in American cities? May God save us all from such a brutal dilemma.

• A budget plan in Congress would likely slash hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to 83 million people.
• Many of the Americans on Medicaid are low-income adults and children, seniors and people with disabilities.
• Medicaid covers a wide range of care, including 41% of births in the country, nursing home care for millions of seniors and medications for people with mental illnesses.
• Children are a large percentage of Medicaid recipients, and many disabled children have Medicaid for complex medical issues.

Health care coverage for millions of Americans is under threat if federal lawmakers move forward with proposed spending cuts.

House Republicans adopted a budget resolution that would require the committee that oversees Medicaid to come up with $880 billion in savings over the next 10 years. If that resolution passes the finish line, there’s no way for Congress to reach that number without significant cuts to the health program, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed in a letter Wednesday. 4:WASHINGTON: Medicaid: Who has it and what could happen if the feds make major cuts? By Gina Cook, March 7, 2025.

Mr. Elon Musk has been publicly vocal about his intentions to cut federal spending on the services provided by federal employees and decimate programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security. His arrogance is unbelievable. One would have thought that all the power he wields in the companies he owns and runs would have satisfied him. But apparently not. His lust for power is insatiable. His ultimate ambition is to run the country. Giving all of us a full demonstration of how he would upend and ruin people’s lives is exactly what he’s been doing for the last two months.

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Although Mr. Musk is the owner of several companies, he is hooked on drugs and his sex life is out of control. Maybe that’s why he was the perfect choice to be in charge of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Or was he given this position because he donated a quarter of a billion dollars to the Trump election campaign.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, spent over a quarter of a billion dollars in the final months of this year’s election to help Donald J. Trump win the presidency, federal filings revealed on Thursday. The sum is a fraction of Mr. Musk’s wealth. But it is nonetheless a staggering amount from a single donor, who poured the cash into allied groups and is now playing a role in helping shape the next administration. One of Mr. Musk’s most brazen moves — which emerged only on Thursday — was spending $20 million to prop up a super PAC that was named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late liberal Supreme Court justice, but that sought to help Mr. Trump by softening his anti-abortion positions. Mr. Musk put the lion’s share of the money he donated toward his main super PAC, America PAC, cutting three checks for $25 million each in the final weeks of the race, according to the new filings with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Musk also spent $40.5 million on legally controversial checks to voters in swing states who signed a petition in support of the Constitution. THE NEW YORK TIMES: Elon Musk Backed Trump with Over $250 million By Theodore Schleifer and Maggie Haberman December 5, 2024.

The approach Mr. Musk has taken to destroying federal agencies and pink-slipping tens of thousands of employees can only be described as insane. His brutally crude approach has been amply illustrated by his wielding of a chain saw on stage at a Republican rally.

Feb 20 (Reuters) – Elon Musk, the billionaire tasked with slashing U.S. federal government spending, took to the stage at a conservative conference outside Washington on Thursday with a gift from Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei: a chainsaw. “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” said Musk, holding the gleaming power tool aloft at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. REUTERS: Elon Musk Wields Chainsaw At Conservative Gathering, February 21, 2025.

The economic chaos and financial hardships that have caused thousands of families to be plunged into turmoil by Elon Musk’s actions. They don’t seem to have affected him emotionally. He has no remorse, no sympathy and no empathy. But seems to be rejoicing, at the misery his cruelty has caused. He jumps around on stage like a jubilant adolescent celebrating the acquisition of a new toy. Is it surprising that Tesla’s automobile sales are crashing in the USA?

WILLEM MARX: A protest took place last week at a Tesla dealership in New York, as anger against Elon Musk and his role at the Department of Government Efficiency was transferred to Tesla. In Massachusetts, a Tesla charging station became the target for an arson attack, while in southwest France, a group calling itself anti-fascist torched a dozen Tesla vehicles. In Europe, sales of Teslas in January fell 47% compared to last year. And that’s at a time when electric vehicle numbers from other manufacturers are rising, says Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Association of Automakers that tracks new car sales across the continent. SIGRID DE VRIES: We see an upward trend. I mean, by any standards, you could say that reaching 15% market share – again, it’s an average – for battery electric vehicles is remarkable in just five years. MARX: But Tesla’s sales are struggling not only in Europe, but China, Australia and the U.S., too, says Gordon Johnson of New York-based equity research firm GLJ. And the reasons for that are twofold, he says. GORDON JOHNSON: It’s a combination of competition eating Tesla’s lunch with similar or better range, as well as disgust with Elon Musk, his unwielding (ph) support for Donald Trump. And many of Tesla’s historical customers have been, you know, far-left-leaning liberals. That’s turned a lot of people off. NPR: Tesla sales plummet as market competition and anger at Elon Musk grows, March 11, 2025.

Mr. Musk’s Hitlerian salute with his right arm and the fact that he has interfered in European politics by supporting a far right political party has earned him no friends. In fact, he is now hated worldwide. Is this man a downright fool or is he a maniac?

In Germany, gestures like the one Mr. Musk made are illegal, along with other symbols and slogans from the Nazi era. (On Wednesday night, anti-Musk protesters projected an image showing his salute and the words “Heil Tesla” onto the facade of his company’s German factory.) For the German establishment, the situation was very clear. “A Hitler salute is a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute,” the prominent German weekly Die Zeit wrote in an editorial. “There is no need to make this unnecessarily complicated,” the editorial said. “Anyone on a political stage giving a political speech in front of a partly right-wing extremist audience,” — present at the inauguration were several far-right politicians from Germany, Italy, France and Britain — “anyone who raises their right arm in a swinging manner and at an angle several times is doing the Hitler salute.” THE NEW YORK TIMES: What Elon Musk’s Salute Was All About, By Katrin Bennhold, January 24, 2025.

On a recent appearance on Fox News, while being interviewed by Larry Kudlow, Mr. Musk seemed to be fighting back tears. He talked about the public disdain directed against him, the public outrage and hatred resulting in the collapsing sales of Tesla automobiles, and the violence at Tesla dealerships. But one wonders if, with all of his business acumen and ingenuity, he didn’t foresee that all of this blowback would result from his ill-advised and illegal actions against the American people. Some people may be blessed with knowledge and genius. But such gifts don’t necessarily guarantee wisdom.

“Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens his face and changes its hard appearance.” Ecclesiastes 8:1

“How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” Proverbs 16:16 (NKJV)

Mr. Elon Musk is back in school at the University of Hard Knocks. His curriculum does not involve Physics, Mathematics, or Engineering. The subjects that life has assigned to him are Common Sense and Wisdom.

Is there any good reason a sane person would want to comment on just about anything on a platform like X, that has worldwide viewership? That’s exactly what Elon Musk has been doing for years. Recently he attacked the British Prime Minister, Mr. Keir Starmer.

Musk has used his platform on X, with his 211 million followers, to accuse Starmer — who was formerly the director of public prosecutions in England and Wales before entering politics — of being “complicit in the rape of Britain.” Musk’s posts have attacked the former prosecutor’s record on securing convictions for child rapists. NORTHEASTERN GLOBAL NEWS, March 13, 2025.

Media barons have been a thorn in the side of political leaders in the past. But the social media age appears to have opened up the playing field well beyond national boundaries. Elon Musk has been making machine-gun like attacks on international centrist and left-wing governments, with the owner of X (formerly Twitter) firing off fresh posts and retweets at will. Leaders in France, Norway and Germany have pushed back against the world’s richest man’s interventions into their domestic politics and his endorsement of far-right agendas. Ibid.

Sound judgment and common sense would prevent most sane people from making such attacks, especially considering the accused’s status and political power. However, this is not the case with Mr. Musk, who seems unable to foresee the consequences of his conduct.

Another sign that Elon Musk is insane is his dysfunctional lifestyle. He has fathered fourteen children with four different women. Which suggests to me that having a monogamous relationship with a single woman is unbearable to him.

Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you.
Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.  For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.  He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. Proverbs 5:15-23 (NKJV)

Elon Musk’s brood just keeps growing. The Tesla mogul has at least 14 children with four women. Musk welcomed six kids with his first wife, Justine Wilson, three with his ex-girlfriend Grimes, four with his Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis and reportedly another one with author Ashley St. Clair. Musk addressed his big brood in July 2022 by tweeting, “Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far.” The following month, he called low birth rates a “much bigger risk to civilization than global warming.” PAGE SIX: Elon Musk.

The fact that Elon Musk is a known drug abuser has done nothing to help him. In fact, he has been seen on stage in the public view, his body swaying and his eyes spinning around as if he were about to faint. What has been a secret to date is the widespread sexual abuse and harassment which Musk has been perpetrating against some of his female employees.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is in the eye of a storm, following the publication of a bombshell report in a leading US daily, accusing the billionaire businessman of serious misconduct, including sexual harassment. The report, published by The Wall Street Journal, based on extensive interviews and document reviews, paints a troubling picture of boundary-blurring behaviour on Mr Musk’s part. The report details multiple instances where The SpaceX Founder initiated intimate relationships with female employees, including a former intern and an engineering colleague. One woman alleged that Mr Musk pursued her romantically, inviting her to his mansion and frequently texting her late at night, which, she claimed, made her job difficult. The report also touches on concerns raised by former executives and employees about Mr Musk’s drug use, including LSD, cocaine and ecstasy. Despite these allegations, Mr Musk’s attorney clarified that he regularly undergoes random drug tests and has never failed one. NDTV WORLD: Sex Abuse, Drug Use: Shocking Allegations Against Elon Musk, June 13, 2024.

There have been many colourful characters in modern history. Some make us laugh, and some make us cry. When Elon Musk burst upon the scene of contemporary social history, he was swamped trying to get an electrical car company up and running. At the time, General Motors was experiencing near-death throes but was thrown a lifeline by Barack Obama, whose government gave the legacy automobile manufacturer a loan of 30 billion dollars. The fact that General Motors’ vehicles were using exclusively Internal Combustion Engines did nothing to help the company.

On March 30, 2009, President Obama laid out a framework for General Motors to achieve viability that required the Company to rework its business plan, accelerate its operational restructuring and make far greater reductions in its outstanding liabilities. After two months of significant management engagement, General Motors has developed such a plan and has already begun to make progress toward its achievement. The Company has also secured commitments of meaningful sacrifice from all of its major stakeholder groups, sacrifices sufficient for this plan to proceed forward. As a result, the President has deemed GM’s plan viable and will be making available about $30 billion of additional federal assistance to support GM’s restructuring plan. To effectuate its plan, General Motors will use Section 363 of the bankruptcy code to clear away the remaining impediments to its successful re-launch. THE WHITE HOUSE: President Barack Obama: Obama Administration General Motors Restructuring.

At the time, America was experiencing an energy crisis. Elon Musk was coincidentally thrust into the limelight because he was trying to develop a car that would run exclusively on electricity. Various enterprises were claiming to be able to run a vehicle solely on water at the time. Musk’s innovation was not only revolutionary but a timely game changer.

Tesla Motors Inc., which received $465 million in U.S. Energy Department loans to develop and build electric cars, will repay the funds five years ahead of schedule in a plan approved by the government. The carmaker said in its annual report yesterday that the department approved amended terms of the loan agreements that enable it to complete repayment by December 2017. Starting in 2015, the Palo Alto, California-based company will make accelerated payments from excess free cash flow, Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja said in a telephone interview. NBC NEWS: Tesla Repaying Obama Administration Loan 5 Years Early By The Maddow Blog and Steve Benen, March 12, 2013.

Oil prices started rising in the U.S. in early 2002 and continued their climb from a low of $30 per barrel in 2002 to a high of around $150 by mid-2008. The principal reason that Americans ignored the earlier price increase would seem to be because they could afford to do so. However, as the financial crisis of 2007-09 increased uncertainty and pushed the economy into a recession in December 2007, Americans decreased their demand for oil and oil prices crashed. From a high price of $150 per barrel of oil in mid-2008, the price crashed back to around $30 by the end of 2008. Although gasoline prices were likely a key factor behind plunging sales for U.S. automakers in the first half of 2008, falling income appear to be the biggest factor. E COMMONS: Loyola University Chicago: Oil Prices and the Impact of the Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 By Anastasios G. Malliaris, November 2011.

Although Tesla faced challenges during its formative years, the company progressed from strength to strength under Musk’s leadership. It established a strong foothold in California, where the environmentally sensitive population. Provided a nurturing cradle for a company that professed to be futuristic. It was at the forefront of developing and promoting technology to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and to protect the environment. In fact, we are desperately in need of such innovation. Since global warming is a gruesome reality. From the Golden State, Tesla expanded to China. This seems to have been a logical move because China was the number one environmental polluter on the planet, where it met with overall success after experiencing some initial setbacks. Now Tesla is in Germany.

Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg is Tesla’s first manufacturing location in Europe and our most advanced, sustainable and efficient facility yet. Hundreds of thousands of Model Y vehicles and millions of battery cells are manufactured at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. TESLA: Gigafactory, Berlin-Brandenburg.

Elon Musk’s personality and eccentricities set him apart from other CEOs in modern American society. He makes some highly irrational statements, and comments on a wide variety of subjects that have no relationship to each other. Most people know from experience and common sense that under all circumstances, the less said the better. As we read in scripture, “He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” Proverbs 13:3 (NKJV)

• Most CEOs tend to choose their words carefully, fearing the consequences of saying anything that could be deemed controversial.
• But Elon Musk is not nearly as cautious, sometimes appearing to speak his mind and deal with the consequences later. INC.

Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press In July, Musk called British diver Vernon Unsworth, who was involved in the Thai cave rescue, a pedophile in a tweet and said he would bet money to back his accusation after Unsworth said the miniature submarine Musk designed and sent to Thailand to help with the rescue would have been ineffective and was merely a publicity stunt. Musk later apologized to Unsworth and deleted the tweet.

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An interdict is a censure, or prohibition, excluding the faithful from participation in certain holy things. These holy things are all those pertaining to Christian worship, and are divided into three classes:

• the Divine offices, in other words the Liturgy, and in general all acts performed by clerics as such, and having reference to worship
• the sacraments, excepting private administrations of those that are of necessity;
• ecclesiastical burial, including all funeral services.

This prohibition varies in degree, according to the different kinds of interdicts to be enumerated:

First, interdicts are either local or personal; the former affect territories or sacred buildings directly, and persons indirectly; the latter directly affect persons. Canonical authors add a third kind, the mixed interdict, which affects directly and immediately both persons and places; if, for instance, the interdict is issued against a town and its inhabitants, the latter are subject to it, even when they are outside of the town (arg. cap. xvi, “De sent. excomm.” in VI). Local interdicts, like personal interdicts, may be general or particular. A general local interdict is one affecting a whole territory, district, town, etc., and this was the ordinary interdict of the Middle Ages; a particular local interdict is one affecting, for example, a particular church. A general personal interdict is one falling on a given body or group of people as a class, e.g. on a chapter, the clergy or people of a town, of a community; a particular personal interdict is one affecting certain individuals as such, for instance, a given bishop, a given cleric. Finally, the interdict is total if the prohibition extends to all the sacred things mentioned above; otherwise it is called partial. A special kind of partial interdict is that which forbids one to enter a church, interdictum ab ingressu ecclesiae mentioned by certain texts. Omitting the mixed interdict, which does not form a distinct class, we have therefore:

• the general local interdicts;
• particular local interdicts;
• general personal interdicts;
• particular personal interdicts;
• prohibitions against entering a church. We may add
• the prohibition obliging the clergy to abstain from celebrating the Divine offices, cessatio a divinis, a measure somewhat akin to a particular local interdict, only that it is not imposed on account of any crime on the part of those whom it affects.  Interdict. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.

The Papal Interdict of 1208 was an interdict laid on ENGLAND AND WALES by Pope Innocent III which generally enforced the closure of the churches, forbade the administration of the Catholic sacraments, and prohibited the use of churchyards for burials. Issued on 23 March 1208, the interdict lasted for more than six years until it was lifted on 2 July 1214.

Pope Innocent III placed the Kingdom of England under an interdict after King John refused to accept the pope’s appointee, Stephen Langton, as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Norway

Pope Innocent III placed the Kingdom of Norway under interdict in October 1198. Although King Sverre forged letters to show the interdict had been lifted, he and his subjects technically remained under interdict until Sverre’s death in 1202.

Scotland

Following the rejection by Robert the Bruce (crowned King of Scotland in 1306) of papal mediation between England and Scotland, Pope John XXII placed Scotland under interdict in 1317 or 1318 because of continuing Scots raids into England; in 1328 the same Pope lifted the interdict in the light of the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton.

Hungary

The town of Buda was placed under interdict by papal legate Niccolò Boccasini in 1303, who was sent there to build support for Charles of Anjou, Pope Boniface VIII‘s favoured candidate for the Hungarian Crown. The burghers of Buda retaliated by excommunicating the Pope and all his loyal bishops and priests.

Italy

• Rome itself was placed under interdict by Pope Adrian IV in 1155 a result of a rebellion led by the preacher, Arnold of Brescia.
• Pope Gregory XI placed the city of Florence under interdict in March 1376 during the War of the Eight Saints.
• Pope Sixtus IV decreed an interdict against the Republic of Florence in 1478 in response to the hanging of Bishop Francesco Salviati in response to his involvement in the Pazzi conspiracy.
• On 23 June 1482, Pope Sixtus IV decreed an interdict against the Republic of Venice, unless it abandoned within 15 days its siege of Ferrara. The Venetians managed to evade it by an appeal to a future council.^[19]
• On 27 April 1509, as he entered the War of the League of Cambrai, aiming to recover papal control of the Romagna, where Venice had seized several cities in 1503, Pope Julius II placed Venice under interdict until it accepted peace terms on 14 February 1510, when it was lifted.
• The Venetian Interdict of 1606–1607 is a better-known and more lengthy case. Pope Paul V placed the Republic of Venice under interdict in 1606 after the civil authorities jailed two priests.
• In 1909, the town of Adria in Italy was placed under interdict for 15 days after a local campaign against the move of a bishop. WIKIPEDIA: Interdict

During the Middle Ages (Dark Ages), the Roman Catholic Church was not only a religious body. It operated as an ecclesiastical empire and ruled the civilized world. Accordingly, the Interdict, like modern-day economic sanctions, was used with devastating effects and rulers either toed the line of the Papacy or suffered the consequences of having their kingdom placed under an interdict. At that time, since the bible was not universally available to all. Primarily because it had not been translated from Latin into the local vernacular. People were ignorant of the teachings of scripture and believed that the Pope was either God or His personal vice regent. This state of ignorance and superstition continued for many centuries.

The Council of Trent (Sess. XIV, cap. i, De Extr. Unct.) teaches that “this sacred unction of the sick was instituted by Christ Our Lord as a sacrament of the New Testament, truly and properly so called, being insinuated indeed in Mark [6:13] but commended to the faithful and promulgated” by James [Ep., v, 14, 15]; and the corresponding canon (can. i, De Extr. Unct.) anathematizes anyone who would say “that extreme unction is not truly and properly a sacrament instituted by Christ Our Lord, and promulgated by the blessed Apostle James, but merely a rite received from the fathers, or a human invention”. Already at the Council of Florence, in the Instruction of Eugene IV for the Armenians (Bull “Exultate Deo”, 22 Nov., 1439), extreme unction is named as the fifth of the Seven Sacraments, and its matter and form, subject, minister, and effects described (Denzinger, “Enchiridion”, 10th ed., Freiburg, 1908, no. 700–old no. 595). Again, it was one of the three sacraments (the others being confirmation and matrimony) which Wycliffites and Hussites were under suspicion of contemning, and about which they were to be specially interrogated at the Council of Constance by order of Martin V (Bull “Inter cunctas”, 22 Feb., 1418.–Denzinger, op. cit., no. 669–old no. 563). Going back farther we find extreme unction enumerated among the sacraments in the profession of faith subscribed for the Greeks by Michael Palæologus at the Council of Lyons in 1274 (Denzinger, no. 465–old no. 388), and in the still earlier profession prescribed for converted Waldenses by Innocent III in 1208 (Denzinger, no. 424–old no. 370). Thus, long before Trent–in fact from the time when the definition of a sacrament in the strict sense had been elaborated by the early Scholastics— extreme unction had been recognized and authoritatively proclaimed as a sacrament; but in Trent for the first time its institution by Christ Himself was defined. NEW ADVENT, Extreme Unction.

Extreme Unction has been practised by the Roman Catholic Church since ancient times. It is universally accepted today by all Catholics and is routinely practised by those who are knocking at death’s door. Moreover, the Roman Catholic brethren earnestly contend that biblical references prove that this practice originated with Christ and the apostles. No authoritative or convincing Bible references can be found to authenticate such claims. The open-minded scholar is, therefore, constrained to conclude that this practice, more than anything else, is based upon tradition.

Christian pilgrimages were first made to sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Aside from the early example of Origen in the third century, surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers including Saint Jerome, and established by Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great.^{[citation needed]}

The purpose of Christian pilgrimage was summarized by Pope Benedict XVI this way:

To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe. Above all, Christians go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to the places associated with the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. They go to Rome, the city of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, and also to Compostela, which, associated with the memory of Saint James, has welcomed pilgrims from throughout the world who desire to strengthen their spirit with the Apostle’s witness of faith and love.^[1]

Pilgrimages are made to Rome and other sites associated with the apostles, saints and Christian martyrs, as well as to places where there have been apparitions of the Virgin Mary. A popular pilgrimage journey is along the Way of St. James to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, in Galicia, Spain, where the shrine of the apostle James is located. Also a combined pilgrimage is held every seven years in the three nearby towns of Maastricht, Aachen and Kornelimünster where many important relics could be seen (see: Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht). WIKIPEDIA: Christian Pilgrimage

Pilgrimages have a long historical tradition within Roman Catholicism. They are considered of great importance within Catholic theology and worship. However, when the bible is studied there are no records in scripture of anyone. Either The Master Himself or any of the apostles making any pilgrimage to any holy site. To advance his own spirituality. Or to strengthen his claims to salvation. The bible plainly teaches the doctrine of sola fide (by faith alone), in the merits (righteousness) of Christ our Saviour. The bible plainly teaches that human nature is totally depraved. Therefore it is impossible for man to do anything to facilitate his own salvation. In fact all such efforts are classified as human works which are futile and avail us nothing in the court of God’s jurisprudence.

“But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV)

 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18 (NKJV)

(TO BE CONTINUED)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us the most important reasons why we must baptize infants:

Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer baptism shortly after birth (CCC 1250).

Original sin is a reality from which each and every human person desperately needs to be freed. Biblically speaking, Romans 5:12 is remarkably clear on this point:

Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned. Even if nothing else was said in Scripture implying infant baptism, we could conclude it to be necessary just from this simple fact: babies need to have original sin removed from their souls. CATHOLIC ANSWERS, By Tim Staples, January 2, 2025

This proposed position of the Roman Catholic Church flies in the face of scripture, which emphatically states:

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16 (NKJV)

Furthermore, no rational-thinking person can be persuaded that any infant has reached a state of physical, psychological, or intellectual maturity to intelligently consent to such a decision.

Most “Bible-believing” Christians object to the Catholic practice of praying to the saints. These critics worry that Catholics will go to hell for offending God with a neo-pagan system of worship. They have four main criticisms of the custom, all of which they push forward vigorously. First, they accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary and the other saints. This violates the first commandment: “You shall not have any other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). Additional proof that Catholics worship the saints is that they make statues of them, in violation of the next commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters which are under the earth; you shall not bow down and serve them because I am the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:4-5). Catholics make statues of the saints whom they worship, thereby committing the double sin of polytheism and idolatry. The second objection to praying to the saints is that, even if Catholics do not worship the saints, they are at least calling upon the spirits of the dead. Scripture explicitly forbids conjuring the dead in many passages:

“Do not turn to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek defilement among them” (Lev. 19:31). “The soul who turns to mediums and to familiar spirits to go whoring after them, I will set my face against that soul and cut him off from the midst of his people” (Lev. 20:6). “The man or the woman who becomes a medium or a familiar spirit will surely die; they will cast stones at them; their blood will be on themselves” (Lev. 20:27). “Let there not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, a diviner of divinations, an occultist, a charmer, an enchanter, one who casts spells, or one who questions mediums or familiar spirits, or one who seeks the dead” (Deut. 18:10-11). Since the saints are all dead, no one is allowed to consult them without breaking these biblical laws. A third objection is that there is only one mediator with the Father, Jesus Christ. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, a man, Jesus Christ, who has given himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own time” (1 Tim. 2:5-6). Jesus Christ is fully satisfactory as the mediator between sinners and God. No one should ever ask the saints for intercession. A fourth objection is that the Bible does not instruct Christians to honor the saints, seek their intercession, or keep their relics. Without any biblical injunction to perform these things, a Christian risks displeasing God. The Catholic Church always has taught that a Christian can worship only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No creature, no matter how good or beautiful–no angel, no saint, not even the Virgin Mary–deserves adoration.

The Catholic Church condemns polytheism and idolatry alike. Pope Dionysius condemned the division of the one God into three gods, for there can be only one God, not three (Letter to Dionysius of Alexandria, A.D. 260). Pope Damasus I condemned the worship of other gods, angels, or archangels, even when God gave them the name of “god” in the Bible (Tome of Damasus, approved at the Council of Rome, 382). John Damascene’s Apologetic Sermons Against Those Who Reject Sacred Images gives an authentic presentation of the Catholic attitude towards statues and pictures of Mary and the saints: “If we were making images of men and thought them gods and adored them as gods, certainly we would be impious. But we do not do any of these things.” The Baltimore Catechism, question 223, confirms this by teaching: “We do not pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics of the saints, but to the persons they represent.” Catholic doctrine absolutely rejects the worship of anyone but God and rejects all worship of statues, whether of Christ or the saints. What the Church does allow is praying to the saints in order to ask for their intercession with the one true God. The Church also allows one to make statues to remind a person of Christ or the saint:

“Further, the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints are to be kept with honor in places of worship especially; and to them due honor and veneration is to be paid–not because it is believed that there is any divinity or power intrinsic to them for which they are reverenced, nor because it is from them that something is sought, nor that a blind trust is to be attached to images as it once was by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols (Ps. 135:15ff); but because the honor which is shown to them is referred to the prototypes which they represent.“Thus it follows that through these images, which we kiss and before which we kneel and uncover our heads, we are adoring Christ and venerating the saints whose likenesses these images bear” (Council of Trent, Session XXV, Decree 2). This mirrors the Old Testament attitude. Soon after they received the commandment prohibiting the making of images for worship, the Israelites were told by the Lord to “make two cherubim of beaten gold; you will make them for the two ends of the covering [of the Ark of the Covenant]” (Ex. 25:18). After many Israelites suffered punishment in the form of snakebite, at the Lord’s instruction “Moses made the bronze serpent and he set it upon a pole, and it happened that if a serpent bit a man, and he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived” (Num. 21:9). The gold cherubim and the bronze serpent were not objects of worship. The cherubim symbolized the presence of God’s angels at the Ark of the Covenant, and the bronze serpent was God’s means of healing the people of poisonous snakebite. So too do Catholics make statues to represent the presence of the saints and angels in churches, homes, and elsewhere. CATHOLIC ANSWERS By Friar Mitch Pacwa, July 1, 1990

We are sympathetic to all the rationalizations promulgated in this treatise to justify the behavior of members of the Roman Catholic communion, where images are concerned. Insofar as Moses made a brazen serpent upon which bitten Israelites were invited to look. To avoid succumbing to the snake’s venom, we wish to remind the author that such an image was made in obedience to the divine command. The same argument can be made about the two golden cherubim postured upon the Mercy Seat and seated at each end of The Ark Of The Covenant. Furthermore, the only congregants invited to look upon the brazen serpent and live were those who had been bitten. The only person who saw the golden images of the cherubim was the Aaronic High Priest, and only once yearly on The Great Day of Atonement. Accordingly, the apologetic gymnastics employed to justify incorporating images into the Roman Catholic Liturgy won’t hold any water. Furthermore, we are warned in scripture:

“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV).

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV).

 

I ran into Ms. Joyce at the laundromat on the opposite side of the road in front of The Berekum SDA Church. She seemed to be a beautiful young lady. I thought she was only employed there because she must be a good worker. I had some reservations and misgivings about the laundromat, which I periodically shared with the staff. One of them was that no one there wore gloves. My other concern was that they routinely threw sheets and clothing onto the floor. After receiving some form of verbal lashing from me, they discontinued the second practice and placed the incoming laundry into baskets instead. My interactions with Ms. Joyce were always on a professional basis. One day, she asked me if she could work at my house during the evenings. I consented. She also lived in Sofokyere, and the time she would take to get to my home in the evenings was minuscule. By and large, she proved to be a good worker and did her job. Not only did I pay her more per hour than her employers at the laundromat. I even allowed her to cook and eat as much as she wanted. However, she told me she was moving to Accra to work for her uncle. Who had promised to remunerate her at the rate of 1000.00 GHS monthly?

Eventually, the time came for her to leave, and we discussed her possibly staying in Berekum and receiving the same compensation rate from me that her uncle had promised her. While contemplating this prospect, the Spirit intervened and ordered me to “Let her go.” Over the years, I had learned from experience not to second-guess or resist the Spirit’s instructions. She left, but after six weeks, she told me she hadn’t been paid and needed 200.00 GHS to purchase food. I sent her the money she requested. In December of 2024, she contacted me again, claiming to desperately need financial aid. Since she had contracted Chlamydia and was suffering great physical distress. I did my own investigation to verify that this was not a sexually transmitted disease. I informed her that I would need documentary evidence in the form of receipts, along with the hospital’s telephone number. So that I could call and authenticate all the information she had shared with me. She agreed and promised to send me all the requisite data. Towards the end of January 2025, she contacted me again, claiming she had to send her mother some money because of an emergency. Wondering if I could give her budgetary support since she was consequently short of cash.

I answered in the affirmative but advised her that my actions would be contingent upon receiving all the documentation she had promised to send me. For all the financial assistance I had sent her to take care of her urgent medical needs. She consented to my terms. Two weeks later, before daybreak one morning while still in bed. I heard a man laughing and wondered what this new premonition was about? I didn’t have to wait long for an answer. A few hours later, Ms. Joyce sent me a text message claiming that even though she had gone to the hospital to request the receipts, she was informed that the lady who attended to her had left. Therefore, she couldn’t obtain the documentary evidence to authenticate her claims. That was the meaning of the mocking laugh ringing in my ears during my nocturnal hours.

Furthermore, one of the easiest ways to stop scammers is through simple, common-sense protocols. This female scammer typically exploited my sympathy and compassion and used them against me. However, this was her last hurrah! She wouldn’t dare ask me for any more financial concessions because none would be forthcoming. Unscrupulous people repeatedly resort to such short-sighted maneuvers, which might afford them some immediate benefits but is self-defeating behavior that invariably leads to career sabotage. Is it any wonder that Jesus warned His followers about the worldwide conditions that would be prevalent in the last few days? “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13 (NKJV)

From the outset, The Spirit could have warned me that Ms. Joyce’s request for medical financial assistance was just another scam. But He didn’t. He wanted me to have a more comprehensive view of her character and come to my own conclusion. Such is the nature of life, both temporal and eternal. The truth can only be fully grasped and understood by painful experience. I needed to feel her sting and venom, and afterward, I could fully appreciate the earlier warning. He had communicated more about her when He stated: “You trust someone that you shouldn’t!”

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

The very existence of sin is a terrible tragedy. However, the Universe had to experience it to be secure forever from its baneful effects. Consequential calamities brought about by sin’s reign and tenure were painful to endure, but these negatives educated all created intelligences about God’s power, love, mercy, and compassion. This was the only way Satan’s true character would be revealed. Therefore, the universe would fully perceive that he is a devil and, thus, fully deserving of divine wrath and ultimate destruction in the lake of fire.  

Since 2023, by divine revelation, I have discovered that drinking goat’s milk daily would benefit my health immensely. Initially, even after making many inquiries and traveling to the Village of Nsoatre, I ran into one disappointment after another since I could not obtain any. Finally, I had to travel to the USA to purchase that commodity at The WALMART Supermarket in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The benefit was immediate because once I started consuming the milk daily, the swelling I had been experiencing in both legs disappeared. After returning to Ghana, I contacted a merchant in Accra who sent me some goat milk powder. I only obtained that product from her once. She had to import it from abroad and was experiencing foreign exchange challenges. Finally, I was able to get the real McCoy. A friend living in the Village of Drobo introduced me to an acquaintance who obtained goat’s milk from a shepherd. I purchased 5 liters of milk weekly, paying 50.00 GHS per liter until I discovered he was adulterating the milk with water. Nor was such intelligence complex. All I had to do was taste the milk because the flavor was markedly different, and so was the color. That kind of behavior is so typical of young Ghanaians. Those who seem incapable of passing up an opportunity to scam a foreigner.

Just the process of traveling to Drobo is a challenge in itself. All the taxi drivers charge 25.00 GHS (US$1.80) for the 45-minute one-way trip. However, not all the vehicles (despite their appearance) are roadworthy. The road from Berekum to the village of Jinijini is pretty decent. But once entrance is made to that intervening Village, everyone feels and notices the difference. First, the dust is profuse and blinding this time of the year. Second, the public thoroughfare is only a lowly dirt road. As if that was not bad enough, there are many sleeping policemen, at least fifteen treacherously positioned across the road for the entire journey. Once the driver begins to negotiate the crossing of the sleeping policemen, it is the point at which all the passengers in the vehicle become painfully aware of the full extent of the vehicle’s defectiveness. Not only is there a sudden depression of the automobile’s body, but also a failure of the shock absorbers. This is evidenced by the screeching sound as the car floor scrapes the upper surface of the sleeping obstacle. Which is invariably the trunk of a tree covered by a dirt mound. Not all of the taxis are in such a deplorable condition. The fact that operators rip their passengers off by deploying poorly maintained vehicles is a scam.

I asked one of my hardworking neighbors about her sister, who worked for me for a short period in 2023. She had to stop coming to my house because of an extremely painful affliction. She was suffering from Gastroesophageal reflux disease. I was given her number and called her to inquire about her welfare. She informed me that her mother had recently died. I was saddened by this bad news and advised her that if she needed any help, she should just let me know. The following day, she called to notify me that her family was preparing for her mother’s funeral and that any help that I could afford would be welcomed. Solomon says:

“A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth; Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 (NKJV).

The Apostle Paul counsels us to:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” Romans 12:15-16 (NKJV).

I subsequently informed her that I had some money for her, and when she arrived at my home, I gave her 600.00 GHS (US$36.00). That’s a lot of money in Ghana nowadays. Political ineptitude and corruption have ravaged the economy of this third-world country in the last four years. She was extremely grateful for my generosity. However, waves of depression were sweeping over her, and she needed to be pampered and comforted, which was understandable. She requested money to purchase a wig and funds required to travel to her village, Nkwankwanta, amongst other things. Where the funeral rites for her mother would be performed. Before leaving for that remote village, she contacted me to ask, “Mr. James, do you want sex? If you wish to have sex, then please let me know.” Maybe her offer was designed to maximize the benefits she wanted to swindle out of me and deceive me into thinking she cared for me. However, since her pathological issues were preponderant, I instinctively knew that any such entanglement would be transitory and mercurial at best. I had observed her carefully in the past. She would sit in front of the mirror for long periods, admiring her face and caressing her hair’s locks. Occasionally, she posted videos of herself in the profile window of her phone. Pretending to perform as a pop star when, in reality, she can’t even sing. Periodically, she would glance admiringly at her golden-coloured bag and golden-coloured shoes. Drawing the attention of observers to her attire in an apparent attempt to increase their admiration of her.

It would be blatantly clear to any sensible person that Ms. Joyce was intoxicated and enamored of herself. Although she is 23 years of age and very beautiful, her behavior is far from normal. Accordingly, she was incapable of having a normal relationship with anyone because she was exhibiting all the signs of a person suffering from a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Her abnormal love of self affected everything she did and influenced her interpersonal relationships. Oftentimes, she repeated, “Mr. James, I love you so much.” She advised me that she was doing much better health-wise and requested that I reinstate her in her original job. I concurred. She desperately needed a break, and I complied with her request since I could afford one. Unsurprisingly, she couldn’t show up for work promptly at any time. Even though she made an attempt to do the job, she was never thorough. She seemed to vigorously occupy herself with cleaning my apartment. But when she was done, all the signs of a poorly completed assignment were staring me in the face. The furniture remained undusted, there were cobwebs on the ceiling, and the beds were never swept underneath. The front verandah was neither swept nor mopped. There was dust covering the two water barrels on my back porch. Eventually, after she received all the financial goodies she felt she needed, she vanished like a spirit. I was neither shocked nor disappointed by her conduct. Because my past clinical experience had shielded me against her whims and abnormalities. But as the saying goes, “We live to learn.”

(TO BE CONTINUED)