......... of idiots in abundance

This is a news report from The Star of 24th June 2011:-

" In an unrelated case, several people in the state had fallen victim to a 4-D scam purportedly run by Indonesians.

It is learnt the foreigners would go around the city showing their victims what were supposed to be winning lottery tickets and offering these for sale at a much lower price.

Claiming that they could not redeem the tickets because they did not have valid documents, the foreigners would even ask for jewellery or other valuables in exchange.

In a recent case, a cook in his 20s, lost almost RM16,000 to such a syndicate, which had offered him a “winning” lottery ticket for RM80,000.

The cook, who met the foreigner along Jalan Wong Ah Fook, only realised that he had been cheated when he went to claim his prize money and was told that the tickets were fake.

Police confirmed they had received reports on both cases. "

On and off Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) reads and scoffs at such news. This is the new millennium and the "Cyber Age" and yet we have people walking around with cave man brain, thinking that it is that easy to make a fast buck these days.

Y S was brought up by his "China man immigrant father who came to this glorious land with only two changes of clothes" that life has absolutely NO freebies or free lunches ( Besides at the Salvation Army, and even there if you eat for too long your soul will be salvaged.) This adage has been imprinted in Y S ' children. Hard work, grit, grime and sweat, and brain is the surest way.

Even in Y S ' "city" of Alor Star, he has been approached and offered "ROLEX" watches for half price ! Singapore dollars for a rebate of 20 to 40 % below market rate! Mercedes for 40% below market value! Well, if even a million is brought to the foot step of Y S' humble home for FREE, Y S would doubt the intention. It is better to be a million ringgit poorer than to have a million sleepless nights and troubles!!!

The world seems to have a good number of idiots, and the other half of people clever enough to take advantage of them. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. Nothing in this world is more dangerous than conscientious stupidity. They say that only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and Albert Einstein is unsure about the former and so is Y S.

The bottom line of all is, of course, GREED. The rich wants to become richer, and the richer want to be the richest. And the richest want some more and some more, failing to know that finally all that one needs is " 6 x 6 x 4 " underground. The first emperor of China, Shih Huang Ti, of course, had a super large tomb. See what happens? Until today archeologists do not let him rest him peace. They are digging and digging into his tomb. Do you think he can rest in peace? For that matter, not even the Great Pharaohs of Egypt !!!

"Nothing is enough for the man for whom enough is so little." Epicurus. And the most grievous kind of destitution is to want more money in the midst of wealth.

To the cook who lost his RM16.000, we can only ask him to "Go and fly kite" !!!

What say you?