Category: Uncategorized

The rise of the EV industry has been phenomenal. No one saw it coming. However, its presence is being felt worldwide, not only in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, but also in most places where people live. At the commencement of the Electric Vehicle revolution, there were many naysayers. All of them have been proven wrong.

From General Motors to Toyota, automakers are on a quest to eliminate gasoline cars for a future of automotive filled with clean, electric automobiles. However, this might mean doom for the thousands of auto employees who will be rendered obsolete. According to Ford and Volkswagen, electric vehicles need 30% less labor than conventional automobiles. The consulting company AlixPartners estimates that an electric vehicle’s motors and battery pack require 40% less work than an engine and gearbox. The implications of this monumental shift on the future of automotive employment are not yet completely understood. However, industry observers warn that the sector will witness job losses. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, predicted in a September study that the United States might lose 75,000 auto positions by 2030 if domestic sales of electric vehicles reach 50% (Today, they constitute around 5%). European automotive suppliers believe that EVs might cost them 275,000 jobs by 2040, even with the additional employment created by the production of EV components. ELITE EXTRA: What To Expect In The Future Of Automotive Manufacturing by Colton Ward, September 9, 2022.

The changes wrought by the advent of electric vehicles are far-reaching. Initially, one big issue was range anxiety, as motorists worried about the availability of charging stations, the long waits they had to endure while their vehicles charged, and the ability of batteries to hold their charge during freezing weather. Inventions and innovations over the past ten years have made most of these concerns a thing of the past.

EVs generally display the expected range on the dash, so it’s never a surprise. The number goes down a bit if it’s cold and you turn on the heater, and I’ve seen it go up while descending a long hill, but it’s never a surprise. We’ve had the car for five years, and have never had to worry about the range. It may have taken a few days to gain confidence in the display and understand how driving behavior affects it, but I don’t remember ever being surprised. So I suspect “range anxiety” is a problem for people who have not yet owned an EV, but not so much for those of us who have been driving them day in and day out. On the other hand, we are able to charge at home; If we had to find public spots to charge, that would present problems in areas without widely available public charging infrastructure. QUORA: Does “Range Anxiety” Dissipate Over Time When Owning An Electric Vehicle, by Michael Nickerson.

LondonCNN — 

A British startup may have found the answer to one of the frustrations of driving an electric car — waiting around for the battery to charge. Nybolt, based in Cambridge, has developed a new 35kWh lithium-ion battery that was charged from 10% to 80% in just over four and a half minutes in its first live demonstration last week. That is much faster than the 20 minutes or so it currently takes some electric cars using a fast charger, such as a Tesla (TSLA) Supercharger. It is also much closer to the two minutes it takes to fill up the average gasoline-powered car. “Our extensive research here in the UK and US has unlocked a novel battery technology that is ready and scalable right now,” Nyobolt’s co-founder and CEO, Sai Shivareddy, said in a statement Friday. “We are enabling the electrification of new products and services currently considered inviable or impossible.” CNN: This Electric Car Battery Takes Less Than Five Minutes To Charge by Olesya Dmitracova, Monday, July 1, 2025.

Electrically powered cars aren’t the only current rage. There are electrically powered cycles, motorcycles, and semi-trucks. Furthermore, such achievements aren’t enough for our current inventors; they are presently perfecting electrical flying cars and also autonomous vehicles.

We live in a different world today than we did fifteen years ago. Many of us won’t even bother buying an electric bicycle or a flying car. Although some, because of where they live, will have to travel in an autonomous vehicle. Civilization as we know it is changing rapidly, and the world to which we have become accustomed is quickly passing away.

The most frightening modern development in our world today is the sudden arrival of monster storms. Which flood communities, turn roads into raging rivers, uproot towering trees, destroy road infrastructure, rip buildings apart, and send roofs flying through the air and landing hundreds of feet away from their original location. But that’s just one part of the story; the toll in human lives lost continues to rise with the arrival and passing of each new hurricane, cyclone, or typhoon. Need I mention Hurricane Melissa, which left a long trail of destruction in its furious wake as it barreled through the Caribbean Islands of the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Cuba? The pictures and videos of devastation and complete loss are simply heartbreaking and terrifying.

Jamaicans are taking stock after Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm to strike the island in modern history, barrelled across the country leaving behind a trail of ruin. Without power or phone coverage, much of the country is isolated and so information is trickling through. Authorities were only able to confirm the first deaths as a result of the hurricane over 24 hours after landfall. The bodies of three men and one woman were washed up by the flood waters in St Elizabeth Parish, local government minister Desmond McKenzie said. There, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said “images of destruction are all around”. “The damage is great, but we are going to devote all our energy to mount a strong recovery,” he said.

BBC: Jamaicans Take Stock After Hurricane Causes Damage, Flooding, And Power Cuts By Rick Davis and Rachel Hagan, October 28, 2025.

The scale of devastation left by Hurricane Melissa is becoming clear after the record-setting storm tore through Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, leaving at least 34 people dead. Although downgraded from a category five to a category two storm, Melissa gathered speed as it swept through the Bahamas on Thursday and is expected to make landfall in Bermuda later. The strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history, the hurricane sustained winds of 298km/h (185 mph) at its peak – stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing 1,392 people. The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) reported sustained winds of 165km/h at 12:00 GMT on Thursday.

BBC: Hurricane Leaves Trail Of Destruction Across Caribbean: In Jamaica, the impact was most severe in the south-western parish of St. Elizabeth, by Nick Davis, Mandeville, Jamaica, and Rachel Hagan & Gabriela Pomeroy.

Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, was badly hit

St Elizabeth is covered in knee-deep mud, and with flooded roads

Some people are denying the reality of global warming and its consequences. These are not limited to monster storms that cause destructive floods. Lightning storms, hail storms, forest fires that engulf millions of acres, destroying irreplaceable flora and fauna, and drought are all consequences of the relentless use of fossil fuels. Our planetary home is currently under siege, and from all appearances, there is absolutely no defence against these natural weapons of mass destruction that Mother Nature has been forced to deploy against us. Nor are these ‘acts of God’ limited in scope; they are of worldwide occurrence. What exactly do these events portend? They warn us that we are living at the end of time. The termination of human history as we know it is fast approaching. As we are warned in scripture:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” 2 Timothy 3:1 (NKJV).

Furthermore:

“Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface, and scatters abroad its inhabitants.
And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest;
As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.” Isaiah 24:1-3 (NKJV)

The first strange and inexplicable occurrence that I wish to reflect upon is the re-election of Donald John Trump. This development was earth-shaking, indeed a political tectonic shift. Furthermore, this historical aberration was manifested among one of the most conservative electorates on planet earth. His re-election was phenomenal for the following reasons: Donald Trump is a serial rapist.

Last week, beloved advice columnist E. Jean Carroll accused Donald Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the ’90s, making her the 16th woman to accuse the president of sexual abuse, and the second to accuse him specifically of rape. (Trump’s ex-wife, Ivana, said in a divorce deposition that Trump violently raped her. She later walked back the statement, saying she felt “violated.”) We have heard from more than enough women — and Trump himself — to state the obvious: The president of the United States is a rapist. I realize the usual practice is to use the term “accused,” but this column is not a court of law and I am pretty well exhausted of eschewing common sense for the sake of niceties. MEDIUM: OUR RAPIST PRESIDENT: Donald Trump Is A Serial Sex Abuser, And No One–Not Even The Media–Is Talking About It, By Jessica Valenti, June 24, 2019.

Donald Trump is a fraudster and was found to be such in a court of law, which ruled that he had clandestinely conducted his business for 15 years.

President Trump’s debt to New York from a civil fraud judgment passed $500 million on Tuesday, as interest continues to accrue while he appeals. The figure has been growing ever since a lengthy civil fraud trial ended with Mr. Trump, two of his sons and a former Trump Organization executive ordered to pay back $364 million in disgorgement for “ill-gotten gains” and $100 million more in interest dating back years. They appealed the February 2024 judgment but interest has continued to build, at a rate of more than $114,000 per day. The total for all defendants hit $500 million on Dec. 29. That figure is now nearly $512 million, and Mr. Trump’s personal share — 98% of the total judgment — was at $500,070,167.42 on Tuesday morning, according to a spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case against Trump and others. James’s office has said the judgement reflects the size of Mr. Trump’s profits from fraud. The defendants were accused of a multi-year scheme to cheat banks and insurers by inflating property valuations and estimates of Mr. Trump’s wealth. CBS NEWS: PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NEW YORK FRAUD DEBT TOPS 500 MILLION By Graham Kates, April 8, 2025.

Donald Trump is a convicted felon. NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. Trump sat stone-faced while the verdict was read as cheering from the street below could be heard in the hallway on the courthouse’s 15th floor where the decision was revealed after more than nine hours of deliberations. “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” an angry Trump told reporters after leaving the courtroom. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.” Judge Juan M. Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders, who remained resolute in their support in the aftermath of the verdict, are expected to formally make him their nominee. The verdict is a stunning legal reckoning for Trump and exposes him to potential prison time in the city where his manipulations of the tabloid press helped catapult him from a real estate tycoon to reality television star and ultimately president. As he seeks to reclaim the White House in this year’s election, the judgment presents voters with another test of their willingness to accept Trump’s boundary-breaking behavior. AP: GUILTY: Trump Becomes First Former US President Convicted Of Felony Crimes By Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Eric Tucker, Michelle L. Price and Jill Colvin May 31, 2024.

The Domestic Incapacity Of College And University Female Graduates.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that many young ladies who are also college graduates, holding degrees in nursing, teaching, accounting, or other fields, are utterly bereft of homemaking skills. I just don’t know exactly how this happened. How did modern society arrive at this juncture? If young ladies can’t cook delicious meals, do laundry, iron clothes, clean house, or keep a well-organized and attractive home, what will be the future of modern civilization? Who will raise the children or take care of the babies? What I do know is that very few young men seeking wives want a woman with no homemaking skills. “If We Remove Sex From Relationship, you Will Discover that Most of Us Ladies Have Nothing to Offer in Relationships….Search your Conscience, What Else Do you offer Aside From Sex??? Remove Money from a Relationship And you Will Discover that Over 90% of Ladies Won’t See a Reason to Be In a Relationship…We Want Our Men to take Care of Us But We Add No Value to their Life Other than Sex And troubles…OGHARA DEVELOPMENT UNION By Fifen Sam, September 6, 2024.

The above assertion is a brutal reality that most men don’t see until it’s far too late. During courtship, many men are blinded by a pretty face, sexy hips, a well-rounded ass, and well-sculptured legs. Only to discover after marriage that a gorgeous wife can’t do laundry, iron clothes, cook delicious food, or keep a clean, well-organized, and beautiful home. This is by no means a universal state of affairs. Not too long ago, I ran into an architect who is married to a nurse. I said to him, “Who takes care of the household chores?” “My wife was his response.” “Does she ever ask you to help her?” I continued. “No, she doesn’t he concluded.” This conversation was reminiscent of another I had with a friend who was a prominent clergyman and married to a secretary. “My wife never allows me into the kitchen,” he complained. “In fact, if I even try to help her with the household chores, she chases me away. Because she feels that any assistance from me is an attack upon her womanhood.” Obviously, our world is filled with women of many genres. Some feel that the performance of any domestic chore is an unbearable indignity from which they are emancipated by virtue of a university education. There are, however, women who were raised by mothers who inculcated in them the sacred responsibility of being efficient guardians of the female trust, to maintain a clean, inviting, and charming home to which their husbands will eagerly retire at the end of a stressful day.

“There is no need for an apology, Mr. James,” was my neighbor’s reply. “Yes, there is because I’m not supposed to be that careless,” I responded. She sat down on the concrete ledge encircling the house, which had been recently constructed by the proprietress to protect the foundation of the building and which now served not only as a convenient seat but also a path on which to walk if one wanted to avoid the weeds, shrubbery, and prickles that were vigorously sprouting and growing around the base of the building. “Ms. Agnes, I hate to even raise this subject because this is not something that gives me any pleasure to talk about, but are you ever going to take any responsibility for your portion of the water bill?” “But I don’t know how much I’m supposed to pay,” She complained. “I did show you the receipt,” I reminded her, “and asked you how long it would take for you to refund me your portion of the bill?” She clearly remembered all of that, but still insisted that we never came to any agreement on exactly how much she should pay. Most normal people would have concluded that, since there were only two residents living here, her portion of the bill would be at least 50% of the total expense.

Soon, she confessed to me that she was locked out of her apartment next door. “But how did that happen?” I wondered. “I don’t know, Mr. James. Apparently, the key doesn’t work anymore,” was her reply. She then requested the locksmith’s telephone number. I went inside my apartment and found the small hard-covered book where I had recorded all vital information. After a careful and painstaking search, I found his name and number, gave it to her, and she called him. Ms. Agnes then confessed that she was hungry since she hadn’t eaten since morning. I invited her into my apartment and gave her an apple and a ripe banana. Both of which she ate promptly. She refused to accept anything else because she had no desire to irritate her acidic stomach. We chatted for some time because the locksmith didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get there. Once again, she advised me that she wanted a child. She was only 30 and was wrestling with a litany of financial and emotional issues. She began by stating that her boyfriend, who had been her partner for many years, was refusing to marry her. She went on to say that she was having a lot of trouble conceiving. Presently, she was visiting the city of Kumasi, where she was under the supervision of a gynaecologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The medical condition from which she was suffering.

Symptoms of PCOS often start around the time of the first menstrual period. Sometimes symptoms develop later after you have had periods for a while.

The symptoms of PCOS vary. A diagnosis of PCOS is made when you have at least two of these:

• Irregular periods. Having few menstrual periods or having periods that aren’t regular are common signs of PCOS. So is having periods that last for many days or longer than is typical for a period. For example, you might have fewer than nine periods a year. And those periods may occur more than 35 days apart. You may have trouble getting pregnant.
• Too much androgen. High levels of the hormone androgen may result in excess facial and body hair. This is called hirsutism. Sometimes, severe acne and male-pattern baldness can happen, too.
• Polycystic ovaries. Your ovaries might be bigger. Many follicles containing immature eggs may develop around the edge of the ovary. The ovaries might not work the way they should. MAYO CLINIC: Polycistic Ovary Syndrome

Most people have everyday problems that are subject to time, place, or circumstance. Sometimes, however, we run into people whose problems can only be described as chronic and profound. Because there is no easy human solution. That was the nature of my neighbor’s conundrum. The issues that we were having with water, the gates, and the locks were symptomatic of her psychosocial history. Because of her medical condition, she couldn’t get pregnant, and it wasn’t for want of trying. Although a wall separated our apartments, I frequently heard her groaning in sexual ecstasy and pleasure, and if she had more than two young men trying to impregnate her womb, then the others were unknown to me. It wasn’t only the female voice and the emotions it betrayed that were revealing. The shrieking of the bed as it tried to bear up under the violent pressure it was subjected to spoke volumes. To date, she has spent 250,000.00 GHS in a desperate attempt to ameliorate her medical dilemma, and as far as I could see, there was no logical end in sight.

Although the locksmith came and left, he was unable to rectify the problem with her door. Apparently, she needed a new entrance lock. The one that he had installed about eight months earlier just wasn’t working anymore. Many of the mechanical items purchased in Ghana seem to have a pre-imposed time limitation. I was experiencing similar problems with the faucets in my kitchen and bathroom sinks, as well as with the shower units. Maybe the fact that they were all made in China was a major contributing factor. I was almost afraid to call my plumber because I knew he would need to fix several items in my apartment, including the flushing mechanism in my toilet and bowl. Although the landlords collect rent promptly in this country, don’t call them if any maintenance is needed in your living quarters. All such expenses are borne by the tenant. If all the above issues were the full extent of my neighbor’s problems, most people would conclude that indeed she had a handful. But apparently they weren’t. Ms. Agnes started to complain that an Okada had been stolen from beside her apartment, where she had regularly parked it. “But how could that happen?” I wondered out vocally, “Both gates are routinely locked. You are the only other person on this property who has a key for the large entrance gates, through which alone the Okada can pass. Therefore, how do you explain such a mishap?” Her silence was so loud it was almost deafening. Either this story was an outright fib, or whoever took that Okada had a lot of help from Ms. Agnes.

“Why would my neighbour execute such a thoughtless and irresponsible maneuver?” That was the first thought that came to my mind. Could it be that I refused to let her use my water because she seemed oblivious to her responsibility to cover her legitimate water expenses? She had made this same blunder several times before, and this reality served to blunt any anger I felt due to her apparent carelessness. I turned to the left and headed towards her apartment. When I arrived at the glass door entrance, I knocked firmly enough for her to hear, and soon she came out wearing a long blue robe. Ms. Agnes, I’m afraid you’ve locked me in, dear, and you already know that I go for a walk at this time of day. She said nothing, and after she unlocked the gate, I told her in a calm and gentle voice, “Why do you even bother to place a padlock on the gate? There is an installed bolt, and if you secure the gate from the inside, no one from outside can enter. She remained silent. I purposefully spoke to Ms. Agnes in a calm and gentle voice because she was only about four feet six inches tall, and I didn’t want to communicate in a way that would alarm her. I thanked her for opening the gate and left for my morning walk.

Already, I had wasted fifteen minutes, but I didn’t allow that fact to bother me. I continued on my journey, resting as needed because I had learned from all the YouTube videos I had watched that at my age of 75, I was suffering from Sarcopenia (the loss of muscles after the age of 60). Strangely enough, this phenomenon never bothered me until after I fell and fractured my fibula early one morning while walking on a very muddy road in April 2024. I had stopped my routine exercises out of necessity, but I subsequently came to regret it. We live to learn, and through these same educational videos, I discovered that Sarcopenia is a reversible medical condition. All I needed to do was implement some necessary dietary changes, combined with appropriate resistance exercises, to regain all the muscles I had lost and possibly build more. The number of times I needed to sit and rest was gradually decreasing because my buttocks, thighs, calves, and lower back muscles seemed to be recalibrating to adjust to my new routine. I had also started drinking a cup of green tea at least twice daily to detoxify my body, and this new intervention seemed to be bearing fruit. My feet weren’t getting as numb for as long or as frequently as they did previously.

Approximately two hours later, I arrived back at my domicile’s gate. A trip that usually would have taken only one hour was now taking me two hours. I attempted to open it, but it was securely and unmistakably locked. I picked up the nearest rock and started to pound on the large iron gate. Although I did this for five minutes, my efforts were futile. No response was forthcoming from within. I proceeded to the large, high block and steel western wall facing Yonka Paa Street, the road on which the residence was located. After climbing as high as the existing concrete structures allowed, I realized that the compromised musculature in my lower back, buttocks, thighs, and legs made it impossible for me to scale the wall. A feat that I had easily accomplished only last year before sustaining my injury. I walked to the other wall on the northern side of the property, examined its height, and, in the process, observed a table on the property next door. There was also a sturdy bench in one of the foyers of the nearby Roman Catholic Church under construction. I combined the table and the bench, but doing so only enabled me to reach a certain height. I still couldn’t climb over that wall. The condition of my weakened muscles was a significant impediment.

I stood on top of that hastily contrived structure, contemplating my next move and trying to figure out why my neighbor would even think of locking the gate. Since she knew that I was out for my diurnal walk and would soon return, she should have waited patiently. About thirty minutes had passed by that time, and then she appeared as she headed towards the locked gate. She didn’t see me, not only because I was on the external periphery of the wall, but because I was situated several feet above the height which nature had bequeathed her. However, before she could actually reach the gate, I interrupted the pervasive silence of the morning and her composure by saying, “Congratulations, Ms. Agnes, you actually succeeded in locking me out.” Apparently, I had startled her since she seemed to be in another world. “Mr. James, didn’t you pass me at this very gate one hour ago?” Was her questioning reply. “No, I did not,” I asserted, as I wondered what she was talking about. She said no more, but then I realized that she might be caught in a dream world, somewhere between reality and the twilight zone. I quickly descended from my perch on top of the table and the bench, returned them to their original locations, and then walked towards the unlocked and open gate. My neighbor handed me a key for the padlock she had installed on the gate. I took it, thanked her, and quietly hoped that I wouldn’t have to endure a similar ordeal anytime soon.

I didn’t dare to attempt walking again for a few days because of the heavy rains, which were normal at this time of the year. I clearly reminisced about my past misfortune last year, which resulted in my severe injury. If nothing else, I had learned the value of caution and wisdom. I made one trip to the nearby gym located on the grounds of the Green Gate Hotel. I had intended to pay the annual registration fee and sign up. However, after entering the facility, carefully observing and even using some of the equipment, I changed my mind. At first, I was disappointed that no one came to request the required fee or complete the customary procedure. But afterwards, I was grateful. Why would I even think of spending money on such outdated and dilapidated equipment? I never returned. Three days later, my neighbor came to see me. “Mr. James,” she said, “Did you leave the large double gate open?” I was embarrassed and mortified. I distinctly remembered opening those gates to allow a taxi cab to enter, which had transported five bags of drinking water for me. I became preoccupied with entering my own apartment from the rear of the building. To open the main entrance. So that the cab driver could carry the bags of water through the gate of my porch into my hall. That endeavour had eclipsed from my mind the importance of attending to the large entrance gates. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Agnes, and I apologise,” was my response.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

I have a brand-new neighbor now. She has been residing at this address for the last seven months. From the very commencement of her tenancy here, she seemed to be operating under a great deal of financial pressure. For example, she pleaded with me to get the proprietress to reduce the rent. A suggested responsibility that I never embraced. I also noticed that her apartment was sparsely furnished. All of these signs were paradoxical. Since she owns a motorcycle, she also boasted that her boyfriend was the owner of several Okadas that transported passengers all over Berekum. When she first moved to this address, the Bono Region was experiencing the usual challenges of a prolonged annual dry season. The days were humid and extremely hot; there was no rain, and the dry, dusty roads were covered in a thick layer of dirt. Although the city’s water supply was turned off, I had a large Polytank, elevated 12 feet above ground level, to increase the water pressure as it descended. I periodically summoned a water truck to fill this mini reservoir as needed.

This polytank was connected exclusively to my apartment. Accordingly, whenever my new neighbor needed water, she would come to me to relieve her difficulty. A courtesy I routinely extended to her was opening the metal gate, which facilitated entrance to my back porch. Allowing her access to the water pipe located there. I continued to do so until the city water supply was restored. At that time, water flowed directly into her apartment and also into my polytank. For reasons best known to the Berekum Water Commission, they discontinued all paper bills. Choosing to send them electronically instead. As circumstances and events would have it, the person whose telephone number they had on record lives abroad. Therefore, we were not notified of the monthly water bill and remained ignorant of the accrued expense until the water supply was disconnected. Since my polytank was full, I was unaware of the interrupted water supply until my neighbor started to complain that she wasn’t getting any water and suggested to me that the water had been disconnected by the Berekum Water Commission.

I visited the local office of the water board, which is approximately located on the opposite side of the road from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. On the Berekum Sunyani Highway. It was a very hot day, and the fan overhead was spinning furiously to afford some relief to the many patrons gathered in that small room. Some were seated, while others stood. When I finally reached the cashier’s window, I presented her with a copy of the last bill I had received over six months ago. She brought up the account on her desktop and then informed me that the water had been disconnected due to non-payment of the outstanding bill. I advised her that although we had regularly received a monthly paper bill, all such notifications had ceased about six months ago. She informed me that all paper billing had been discontinued. I was directed to a nearby office to sort everything out. When I went next door, they were unable to provide me with a printout due to the slow network, but advised me that the outstanding balance was 400.00 GHS. The following day, I returned to the water commission, paid the full balance along with the reconnection fee, and chartered a taxi. The technician who accompanied me in the cab reconnected my water supply and returned to the office.

The following morning, I presented the full bill and receipt to my new neighbor and then said to her, “How long will I have to wait before you refund me your portion of this bill?” Her response was, “Not very long at all.” I never raised the subject with her again, and she said absolutely nothing to me about that water bill. Then one day in September, she said to me, “Mr. James, can you open the back gate for me, so that I can come over and fetch some water because the water has been turned off .” My response was, “I don’t think I can help you.” She remained silent. Maybe she fully understood that my response was justifiable. Perhaps she resented the fact that I was no longer interested in extending a neighbourly kindness that I had promptly provided in the past, without a second thought. However, I had discovered through painful experience that some unscrupulous individuals in Ghana will definitely exploit you and take advantage of your generosity unless you take precautions to protect yourself.

Most days, when the weather permits, I leave my domicile at around 3:45 A.M. for a brisk walk. I usually go early because, at that time of day, the road is desolate, and I don’t have to pass or speak to any other pedestrians. Nevertheless, by the time I arrive on the Berekum Sunyani highway, there are invariably raging fires already lit and busy cooking some morning delicacies to be sold to passers by. The most recent occasion was a Monday. For some strange reason, as I looked at the light blue wall of my bedroom in which the door was located, I saw several bunches of bright black grapes. There were no pictures or paintings of grapes anywhere in my bedroom, so I knew that this was an omen. But what was the meaning of this warning? I didn’t have to wait too long to find out. I went through my bedroom door, exited the glass door that led from the passageway separating the kitchen from the dining room, walked across the back porch, and went through the iron gates after unlocking them. I proceeded towards the main entrance, where the gate was located, but upon my arrival there, I discovered that it was securely locked. The only person on the property who could have engineered such a significant inconvenience to me was my relatively new neighbor.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Nowadays, I walk during nocturnal hours between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m., primarily because exercising at that time of day helps me sleep better after I retire for the night. Since I hadn’t walked for several months due to a fractured fibula that I sustained in April of last year, getting back into the grind of walking regularly was quite challenging as well as gruelling. Before my injury, I would walk comfortably from Sofokyere to the Kato Forest and back. I had no need to rest, but when I resumed walking again, everything seemed to have gone wrong. There was pain in my calves, thighs, lower back, and buttocks. There was debilitating numbness in my feet. Therefore, I had to stop at least four times on my journey to the Kato Forest and rest for at least seven minutes during each break. On my way back to Sofokyere, I had to do the same.

During one such resting episode, I couldn’t help but notice that a black cat had snuck under a nearby bench and remained there. These rest periods had become vital to me because they afforded me relief from the pain in my lower back, buttocks, thighs, and calves. They also allowed the blood to resume circulating freely in my feet once more. I sat there comfortably as I observed this feline visitor. Based upon my past experiences, I knew that this happenstance was no unimportant, meaningless coincidence. But what exactly did it mean, I wondered. My most recent household helper was supposed to come to my house that very weekend to work. For some inexplicable reason best known to her, she never showed up. But accused me vociferously of having too many female friends. I said nothing in my own defence because I knew from past experience that the paranoid mind needs no evidence other than its own irrational belief to convince it that some wrong had been committed. The following weekend, Ms. Constance texted me on WhatsApp to inform me that she would definitely be at my house that weekend to work. I advised her not to bother to come because I would be leaving town to attend to an important business assignment.

All hell broke loose. “Mr James, why are you leaving just because I told you I would be there this weekend. Did I do something wrong? I don’t understand.” “There is nothing to understand,” was my response. I have to attend to some urgent business, and that’s why I’ll be going out of town this weekend. I was back home by Sunday evening, and I called her to let her know that since I had returned, she could come to work on Monday if she wanted to. She didn’t pick up the call, nor did she return it. Afterwards, I sent her a message on WhatsApp. “Ms. Constance: I don’t know what your problem is. However, I called you Sunday evening to advise you that since I had returned home, you could come to work on Monday if you wanted to do so. You did not pick up the call. Nor did you return it. I don’t know what your problem is!” There was an interval of at least ten days before I received any feedback. “Good morning, Mr. James. I hope you are doing well. When you stopped me from coming, I was on my way to my daughter’s home. My phone fell. After that, I can’t touch the screen. I sent it to the repairer, and the following morning, I had to leave Berekum for Sunyani.” It took her ten days to conjure up some kind of explanation. A somewhat interesting story, I thought to myself. Furthermore, the last thing I needed was to have a woman working for me who was continuously besieged by paranoid ideation. Because I couldn’t predict exactly what she would do under any circumstance.

My landlady lives in Belgium. However, she has many relatives living right here in Berekum, Ghana. One of them is her twenty-eight-year-old son. After residing in this apartment (which also has an attached garage) for five years, I was informed by her son and one of the landlady’s sisters last year August, that the rent that I paid each year did not include the garage and that if I wanted to enjoy that space, then I would have to pay the annual rent of 1800.00 GHS. I promptly gave them the money and executed a receipt. This August, the landlady’s son, Mr. Nicholson, called to remind me that the rent for the garage was due. I advised him to come and get it, and just as I did last year, another receipt was executed for the eighteen hundred Ghana Cedis that I turned over to him for the garage rent. Later that same month, he contacted me again to say that his mother needed an advance of 1500.00 GHS against the rent of the apartment. I contacted his mother to advise her about these developments. She was in shock and confessed to me that she knew nothing about these transactions. That is the nature of deception and treachery. They leave you in shock, not only because of the financial loss that has been inflicted upon you, but also because of the secrecy and callousness that your own relative could even think of perpetrating against you.

To further exacerbate this problem, Mr. Nicholson claimed that he never collected any money from me. However, since I already knew his identity and had the receipt that he had signed in my possession, it was very easy for his aunt, sister, and mother to see that he was lying. The appearance of the black cat was ominous of the coming perplexing events that were about to unfold. Although I could not see them in advance, I knew and understood enough from past experiences that under all circumstances I would need to exercise due caution.

I have a friend living in Kato. He works professionally as a barber; however, he also possesses skills in furniture making, interior decorating, and carpentry. For several months now, he has been trying to persuade me to finance a gold mining project that he is trying to start. Since I have known him for ten years, I have been continuously impressed with his punctuality (a characteristic that is uncommon in Ghana) and honesty. I decided to sponsor him in this endeavour. I called the Registrar of Companies office in Sunyani and, after making a few basic inquiries, was informed that it would cost me 3000.00 GHS to get the company registered. At the time I made the telephone call to obtain the needed information, I was sitting in front of my desktop. For some strange reason, I dozed off momentarily and dreamed that I saw a white haired old hag severely deformed and bent over like someone suffering from an extreme form of scoliosis. As soon as I woke up, I remembered the dream. I instantly understood this to be a severe warning to be careful, or I would suffer financial damages.

That’s one of the unique aspects of The Holy Spirit’s personality. He is interested in every facet of our daily lives. Furthermore, He sends us warnings when He sees that we are in any kind of jeopardy. However, we must pay close attention, or we will miss or overlook the red flags that are poignantly waved to provide us with the desperately needed guidance. When my friend and I arrived at the government’s office in Sunyani, I was surprised to be told that the actual cost of registering the company would be 6000.00 GHS. I informed the gentleman at the desk, who also claimed to be a lawyer, that since I had been previously told the total cost of the registration would be 3000.00 GHS, that’s all I had brought with me, but that I would return the next day with the balance. After leaving the office of the Registrar of Companies, I went online to verify the figures I had been given. To my great disappointment and consternation, I discovered that the head office in Accra was only charging a fraction of what I had been told. I got to the Registrar’s Office in the Regional Capital the following day and asked the lawyer exactly who he was working for. He pretended not to understand my question. I repeated myself, “Sir, don’t you understand elementary English? Who exactly are you working for?” “Let me make it very simple. Give me back every pesewa of my money.” He made a call, and soon a gentleman appeared with my 3000.00 GHS intact. My friend and I proceeded next door and were told that we could register the company for 1,600.00 GHS. We completed the required paperwork, paid the requested fee, and left.

After the initial cutting and clearing of the grass, shrubbery, and small trees that were attempting to envelop and overwhelm the developing structure, being the perfectionist that I am, I thanked the owner for his efforts to date. However, I complained that the job done wasn’t thorough enough. Since there was still significant overgrowth inside and immediately surrounding the emerging building. He agreed and assured me that the workers to whom the job was contracted would return to do a more thorough and comprehensive job. On our third visit to the site after all the clearing had been done to my satisfaction, we were accompanied by two friends of mine. One of them was a civil engineer, and the other was a builder. My plan was to have them function as witnesses in the upcoming property purchase transaction. The mason, whom I had known since 2014, suggested that everything should be done under the supervision of the Berekum Municipal Assembly. I couldn’t help but notice that the owner, Mr. Blessing, cringed at the thought, but went along with the recommendation anyway. I took out my tape measure and measured the hall and the master bedroom. Those two rooms weren’t spacious enough for my purposes, and then, I determined that I would have to find a way to make them larger. As I looked around and examined the structure in its entirety, I concluded that the back porch, dining room, and kitchen would all need major adjustments in their dimensions.

Although the location was remote, there were other buildings nearby. Living like an introvert was not a problem for me because I treasure solitude. The absence of noise and clamour was something that I sincerely appreciate since the natural world has its own symphony of unobtrusive sounds. Whether it’s the croaking of frogs, the singing of birds, or the warbling of doves. Such natural environmental musical phenomena were far more welcome to my ears than the man-made auditory carnage with which I was occasionally bombarded. Walking from the spot where the building was located to the nearest country road would provide me with good and well-needed daily exercise.

After I had appraised the property in its entirety to my satisfaction and carefully noted the four clearly demarcated boundary pegs, I agreed to give the owner (s) a deposit of five thousand Ghana Cedis. We decided in advance that we would meet at the Berekum Municipal Assembly, where the payment would be made and the receipt signed in the presence of witnesses. We all agreed to meet at the Berekum Municipal Assembly at 10 A.M. on the day that the money was to be paid and the documents signed. The only person who arrived on time was me. Everyone else turned up late. Arriving at appointments long after the agreed-upon time is a typical Ghanaian practice. While waiting in the small, poorly ventilated room, I fell asleep. I dreamed I saw a plane flying, and the sky was illuminated with stars shining like brilliant diamonds. The meaning of the dream was that treachery was ahead of me, but that I need not worry because I would have good earnings. I wondered about the significance of the dream. Then I realized that this was my second premonition. The first one was the Siamese cat. Before the signing ceremony, a representative from the Assembly accompanied us to the site in question, not only to verify its location but also the Lot number. I discovered in due course that the property was titled in the name of Mr. Blessing’s wife. Therefore, I handed the cash to her and had her sign the prepared receipt. The witnesses also affixed their signatures to the same document.

Two weeks later, we all appeared at the Assembly. My intention was to complete the transaction by paying the owners the outstanding twenty thousand Cedis. To my shock and dismay, the document unfurled by the owners required me to pay 200,000.00 GHS (two hundred thousand Cedis) as the outstanding balance owed on the property. I knew from painful experience that many Ghanaians, especially those living out in the countryside, are numerically illiterate. Therefore, I concluded at first that this was all the result of a misunderstanding. I requested a full refund of the five thousand Cedis deposit I had paid initially. Still, Mr. Blessing claimed that such a refund would be impossible. Since he had to pay the Municipal Assembly a standard fee for recording the document transfer, he also had to bribe the local chiefs. My faith in human nature being what it is, and my magnanimity, led me to believe initially that Mr. Blessing was being honest and straightforward with me. However, after a few days of careful reflection and recalling the two premonitions that had forewarned me, I finally came to realize that I had been tricked into giving five thousand cedis to two scammers. It gradually dawned upon me that these two people (wife and husband) had absolutely no intention of ever selling that piece of real estate. However, they pretended that they were selling that property to rob me of five thousand cedis.

I had experienced fraud before, but this new development was so blatant that I couldn’t overlook it. Furthermore, it was so stupid that the perpetrators were insane if they thought that I would permit them to get away with it. I decided to give them enough time to refund all of my money, but I resolved that if they failed to do so, I would deal with them severely. Obviously, they desperately needed to be taught some honesty and integrity.

While visiting a gas/petrol station in Brenyekwa. To obtain the telephone number of a particular realtor whom I had previously met, and who had taken me on a tour of several plots in a Sofokyere subdivision, which were up for sale three years ago. I ran into a gorgeous young woman. Tall, slender, and beautiful. From her associate, I obtained the name and telephone number of the real estate agent that I sought. As fate would have it, I lost his contact details and had to return to the gas station. On my second visit, I observed for the first time just how spacious and well-equipped it was with various facilities and amenities. At that time, I continued the conversation that I had initially struck up with my new admirer. When we first met, she pointedly told me during our initial conversation that I was handsome. And wondered out vocally exactly where I was from. I explained to her that, although I had lived in several countries, I was an American citizen. “I think you are gorgeous,” I continued, “How would you like a good man to take care of you?” Her response was, “I will think about it.” That was good enough for me; therefore, the chase was on.

I called the telephone number I was given and was directed to another number belonging to a Mr. Atta. When I called him, he explained that the proprietor was Mr. Blessing. After holding telephone conversations with both of them, we all agreed to meet over the weekend, in front of the grocery store opposite the Joeman’s borehole on Sofokyere Avenue. The purpose of our meeting was for them to take me to the property that was up for sale. All three of us got into an Okada, and after about 30 minutes of driving over asphalt and dirt roads, we were finally standing on Plot #84 in one of the Kato property subdivisions. To my surprise, construction had already commenced on the site. Although the progress on the building itself was minimal, it was nevertheless quite visible. The foundation was firmly in place, and all the rooms were already laid out. I felt terrific, especially since I had been previously advised by the original agent that the proprietor (s) were selling that lot for only 25,000.00 GHS. There was a great deal of shrubbery and overgrowth of grass and small trees all around the emerging structure. I suggested to the owner that he should have the site cleared of all weeds and trees so that I could see everything clearly without any visual impediments. He agreed to do so promptly, and two weeks later, we all returned to the property for a more comprehensive assessment.

The following week, I visited the gas station in Brenyewka to present my newfound friend with a Carton of Vanilla Ice Cream. I had to wait for her to return to her office because she was one of the business executives there and was out making some of her usual rounds. She finally arrived after about one hour of waiting, and we began to chat about a wide range of subjects, including religion, politics, her educational background, and her family. By and large, I kept my mouth shut and listened attentively because I know that one of my weaknesses is my tendency to talk too much. A terrible habit indeed, and one with which I had struggled over the years. Being able to keep one’s mouth shut is a sign of courtesy and wisdom, both of which are ultimately rewarded. Finally, I bid my hosts farewell, as I was loath to overstay my welcome. After shutting the door behind me, I proceeded to walk along the external passageway, which provided a panoramic view of the property, the gas pumps, and their attendants. As I continued my exit, I eventually came to the top of the flight of stairs that led to the ground floor and proceeded to carefully descend them. About halfway down, I couldn’t help noticing a gorgeous grey Siamese cat perched on top of the wall that separated the rear of the property from its neighbour. I stood there for a few moments staring at that feline omen. At least, based on my unique background and all my previous paranormal experiences, that’s what it seemed to be. This was a warning to me, and although I knew what it meant: “You trust someone that you shouldn’t.” I was not sure to whom it was referring.

The Spirit of God is everywhere, and He communicates in manifold ways by blatant or subtle measures, depending on who is the object of his messages. In my case, such communication was usually conveyed through dreams, visions in broad daylight, or some other natural occurrence that was pregnant with meaning. Over the years, I had learned to recognise them whenever I saw them. One thing is abundantly clear: The Lord Almighty communicates, but He doesn’t like to shout, repeat Himself, or send messages to people who are so detached from reality that they simply fail to pay attention. At first, I thought I was being warned against my newfound female friend. Based on the cat’s pedigree, I knew that this was a critically important premonition. However, instead of jumping to conclusions or making any sudden decisions, I waited patiently for further developments to unfold that would eventually clarify the exact meaning of this warning. That’s another aspect of The Spirit’s communication methodologies. His revelations are invariably progressive. Therefore, sometimes, to grasp the whole purpose of a revelation, the recipient of the message will need to wait for God’s purpose and whole meaning to unfold.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

MODERN CHALLENGES AND CHANGES BEING FACED BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY.

In 2025, we have travelled aeons of time from the prevailing intellectual, social, religious, and political customs prevailing in the Dark Ages. Our present civilisation, to a great extent, has rejected authoritarianism. The Papal See can no longer compel the obedience of kingdoms and peoples by the issuance of Papal Bulls. In all societies on planet Earth, there are penal institutions where the uncooperative and outright sociopaths are periodically incarcerated. This practice is universal, not only in communist countries such as Russia and China but also in large Western democracies such as the United States of America. In other words, sanctions previously employed by the Roman Catholic Church during the times of its supremacy have now been usurped by modern secular authorities.

In North America and Europe, the rise of secularism, initially a movement that challenged the relevance of the Christian Church, has been a reality with which the church has been forced to contend unsuccessfully. Troubled members of a congregation no longer go to see the local priest for desperately needed help; they make a trip to the Department of Social Services to get Food Stamps or Medicaid Health Insurance. Others go to some other agency to deal with drug addiction or sexual abuse issues. This secularism has resulted not only in large-scale apostasy of church members but also in a decline in the number of people seeking to become new parishioners. It seems to this writer that the more complex and pressing our social problems become, the less relevant and potent are the responses of the institutions of the Church. Over the years, for example, the Roman Catholic Church has built schools and hospitals. But in the twenty-first century, much more needs to be done.

Another major problem that is eating away at the nucleus of the church in general is the apparent lack of sincerity, not only among participating members but also among the clergy and other leaders of church institutions. Generally, members of the laity cannot be disciplined for lack of sincerity, but it’s a significant problem when people don’t appear to be practising what they preach. In ancient times, Jesus termed this behavioural pattern hypocrisy. “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.” Matthew 23:1-7 (NKJV).

The recurring issue of sexual perversion is not only a problem among Catholic priests, it’s a twenty-first-century crisis in modern society. It’s a dilemma pervasive throughout the Christian world. Many so-called prominent and influential Christians have been caught up in severe forms of sexual misconduct.

The notion of perversion has always been in league with norm and deviance, law and its transgression. And this is the reason why, even though the word appeared in the middle of the nineteenth century to designate acts that already existed but which were not qualified as such, this word carries within itself the memory of its Latin origin: pervertere. This term means, first of all, to turn upside down, to overturn (a construction); later it develops a connotation which means overturning customs. Perversitas comes from this: it means something extravagant, astounding, absurd, but later it assumes the connotation of corruption, erosion, disorder, depravation. It signifies a change which, with time, causes something to pass from a so-called normal or healthy state to an abnormal one. Thenceforth, the term is used differently according to different cultures. Perversity is clearly linked to evil (as opposed to good), to cruelty (as opposed to compassion), and lastly to the general disturbance of the normative order. To pervert someone is to corrupt him, to teach him to overturn norms. This leads onto the question of sexuality. In fact, whether it is visible or repressed, sexuality is always involved as though it were present in all types of perversity, and thus perversion. It is, on the one hand, the idea of a dominant subject in relation to a dominated subject (the most significant and real form of class conflict), and, on the other, the diversion from the procreative function. In other words, sexuality is at the heart of all perverted acts, even when they have nothing to do with sexual perversion. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS: Some Facets Of Perversion

Idolatry has always been a problem in the spiritual realm. In ancient times, however, worshippers who strayed from The Lord Almighty fashioned idols of human figurines, large or small, and then worshipped them. The problem is still prevalent today, but newer and different idols have been invented. People now worship expensive cars, yachts, bars of gold, pricey real estate, fashionable attire, and great wealth. Many times, the veneration of such vanities seduces them into neglect of the poor and suffering. The Master Himself warned against such tendencies:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV).

Just because we don’t bow down to physical statues doesn’t mean we are free from idols. It is easy to read about idols in the scriptures and laugh at the ancients. Because our idols are more sophisticated, we tend to deny their existence. What/who is it that gets most of your time and attention? What is it that dominates your prayer, the thing for which God is simply a means to an end? What is the one thing that, if you lost, would wreck your whole world? What is it that gives you an ultimate sense of value and worth? That’s your idol! Interestingly, our idols are often good things; they are often blessings from God. The problem is we take a good thing and turn it into a God-thing. We give more attention to gifts than to the giver. We pursue blessings and, in the process, scorn the Blesser. MEDIUM: Idol Worship In The Twenty-First Century by Daniel Addo, September 10, 2017.

Some significant changes made by the Roman Catholic Church during the nineteenth Century include tolerance for the dignity of the individual to worship as he chooses. It also provides for the cessation of all hostile or repressive actions by any state to enforce the dogmas of the Church upon persons or governments. If liturgical awareness begins about age six, only those of us fifty years and older remember the Latin Mass, which preceded the introduction of the Novus Ordo in November 1969. This introduction, over 40 years ago, would seem to be a significant change in the celebration of the liturgy in the past one hundred years. The first important change in liturgical discipline occurred on 15 August 1910, when Pope St. Pius X lowered the age of first reception of Holy Communion from typically the age of twelve to the age of seven. With this change, all of the faithful were encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently. Catholics used to abstain from meat on all Fridays. This was changed to Ash Wednesday and Fridays in Lent. They used to say Mass in Latin; now they use the vernacular. At the Mass, the priest used to have his back to the congregation. Now he faces the congregation. QUORA: How Has The Catholic Church Changed In The Last 50 Years?