Politicians/Actors and the Art of Deception

If you agree that most politicians are crooked, and if you agree that politics is not only exercised within and between governments, then what you're witnessing now in the USA is a play where the directors, producers, actors, lighting, prompting and stage managers are openly playing their roles without due consideration of either the script (the constitution) or the audience's (citizens of the USA and the world at large) knowledge and/or expectations.

In essence I think what we are watching is the unfolding of a Greek or Roman tragedy of biblical proportions and remember, we are only witnessing Act 1, Scene 1.

Of all the playwrights no one portrayed the ultimate fate and demise of a tragic hero better than Shakespeare. In all his plots, ambition and greed underlined the causes that led to the heroes downfall.

Let's also not forget the importance of the supernatural events and fortune tellers in Shakespeare's plays (e.g. The Soothsayer in Julius Caesar and The Three Witches in Macbeth) whose indications and forecasts were eerily realized!

In the above, my hope is that what I described is just a narration of a nightmare and that when I wake up things will be fine!

Hani Badawi
January 24, 2017

Matchmakers: Are they still around?

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word "matchmaker" is a "go between" person whose profession is to find a match for a person (man or woman) who is seeking help in finding a person to marry.

Without delving deep into the origins and history of the matchmaker profession, I think it is safe to say that it has existed in different cultures over many centuries. Their existence was, and, in some cultures still is, driven by the fact that opposite sexes were/are not allowed to mingle either unsupervised or at all. That's when the services of a matchmaker becomes indispensable as she/he will have all the "vital" information pertaining to individuals of both sexes, and which, upon request by their match-seeking customers (usually parents of the bride or groom to be), they would share the information for a negotiated fee in the form of a retainer and/or commission to be paid at the successful conclusion of a match or matrimony to be precise!

The aforementioned "vital" information was often tweaked by the matchmakers to enable them to conclude the transactions for which their services were sought. Effectively, as a con(sequence) they may end up being the sole beneficiary of the deal!  In my life I've seen many movies where this type of crooked behavior was exercised. Most notably, some of you may recall the matchmaker character in "Fiddler on the Roof" but there are many other examples!

This brings me to the question: Have matchmakers evolved in time to cover non-matrimonial type matchmaking?  To address this question, let me review here a few activities and professions that are ubiquitous to us today.

Headhunters and/or Recruiters: Their job, much like the matchmakers of the past, is to connect a recruiting organization to a candidate whose credentials (like the previously mentioned vital information) are aligned. Retainers and commissions are typically paid by the hiring organization to the headhunters at the successful conclusion of their hiring the job seeking candidate.

Online Dating: I'm sure you'll agree that this fits the matchmaking function, of course with the exclusion of parents interference or control! Like matchmakers of the past, online dating organizations use vital information (hopefully without manipulation) to bring individuals together, however, matrimony in their case may not necessarily be the only motivating force!

Other credible and legitimate examples that, in part, bear some resemblance to the old matchmaking technique, with the caveat that they do not match individuals with other individuals, include service providers such as financial and insurance brokers and real estate agents aka as realtors.

In conclusion, I think that the matchmaking job and/or technique has continued to evolve and morph and, yes, matchmakers are still very much around!

Hani Badawi
January 1, 2017