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- Jan 13, 2023
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Pasco anavizia teuzi
Mkuu chwichwi, asante kwa mtazamo wako uliouweka kwa lugha ya picha yenye hisia kali sana. Hoja yako ya kumgawanya katika nafsi mbili—"Pasco" mwanaharakati wa habari na "Pascal" wakili aliyelambishwa asali—ndio taswira ambayo watu wengi kwa sasa wanayo mioyoni mwao wanapoangalia mabadiliko yake ya mienendo.Pasco alikuwa mwandishi wa habari aliyepambania uhuru wa habari na kujieleza ila Pascal Mayala ni Wakili aliyelambishwa asali na serikali sikivu
You have not merely understood my thesis, I appreciate the fact that you restated it back to me perfectly in your own words and with narrative that shows you understand my points.Mkuu Kiranga, my highest regards to you. As always, you have brought a heavyweight philosophical and psychological argument to the table regarding human core character and the role of environment in triggering latent traits. Your analogy of "hand a person money to reveal their true behavior" and the seed waiting for the rain to sprout is a masterful level of analysis.
However, while I largely agree with your premise, I must still grant our elder Pascal Mayalla the benefit of the doubt by looking through these two critical lenses:
1. The Theory of "Retrograde Motion" and Ideological Bankruptcy
Logically, you are spot on when you point out that Pascal lacks a logically consistent message or a clear ideological anchor. Your example of someone mixing strict Catholic tenets of toxic positivity and utopian optimism with liberal social justice ethics describes Pascal to a tee.
He lacks a core political philosophy. Someone like Jenerali Ulimwengu operates from a foundational framework rooted in Mwalimu Nyerere's socialist era and Pan-Africanism, which allows him to scrutinise any regime—be it Magufuli's or Samia's—using the exact same yardstick. Pascal Mayalla has no such ideological yardstick; he measures things strictly by "isolated events" and "the changing tides." This is precisely why you see him undergoing what you aptly termed a retrograde motion—shifting from bowing down to "the deep-rooted state pillar" to becoming what you describe as "Samia's useful idiot".
2. Past Standards vs Content Scarcity (The Monopoly of the 90s)
Your question as to whether he was merely mediocre from day one and we cheered him on simply out of a desperate thirst to see a young, homegrown journalist challenge authorities is profound. In the economics of information, this is what we call a "Monopoly of Content."
During the 1990s, private television was just making its debut in the country (DTV, ITV). We had no internet, nor did we possess the variety, depth, and discernment that we enjoy today. In such an environment, anyone with the audacity to turn on a camera and throw a hard-hitting question at a prime minister or a powerful state official was instantly hailed as a hero and our very own "Walter Cronkite." It is entirely possible that Pascal’s analytical depth has never actually changed; rather, what appeared monumental during the Masai Studio era now looks minuscule because the audience's intellect has matured and the media landscape has been completely democratised.
3. A "Useful Idiot" or Navigating a Ruthless System?
When you assert that he is not a sycophant (a cheap praise-singer) but that he genuinely believes in what he says, you are giving him that exact benefit of the doubt. Pascal views himself as a "System Insider" or a "Strategic Bridge" between the public and the ruling elite. He has convinced himself that he can bring about change through internal diplomacy rather than external confrontation.
But as you pointed out with palpable bitterness, this strategy has ultimately made him look like a tool used to sanitize a regime that currently displays a ruthless nature and a disregard for human dignity. While he might think he is delivering sophisticated analysis, to critical minds, he merely comes across as a useful idiot legitimizing the status quo.
My Conclusion Returning to the Original Thread:
Mkuu Kiranga, it is precisely these observations of yours that make me, as a staunch fan of his earlier days, ache inside. If the media landscape has evolved to reveal that his past standards were merely accidental, or if the current system forces him to look confused and inconsistent just to protect his life and family, why doesn't he just retire from journalism?
He holds a legal bar card; he is a learned Advocate of the High Court. The practice of law operates on strict logical frameworks and legal consistency. In the courtroom, he would never have to be anyone's useful idiot. He could fight for justice using the Constitution and established laws without having to write "cryptic, ambiguous" articles here on JamiiForums that degrade his historical legacy in front of people who dissect his record as brutally as you have done today.
Don't you think that fully retreating to the courtroom would protect what little remains of his dignity, Kiranga?
Kivipi?Pasco anavizia teuzi
subiria gazeti toka kwa Pascal MayallaView attachment 3701013
Wakuu, kalamu yangu leo inamwangazia mmoja wa nguzo imara za jukwaa hili na tasnia ya habari nchini, Wakili Msomi na Mwanahabari Nguli, Pascal Mayalla. Nikiwa kama shabiki wake mkubwa na mdau niliyeandika hadi makala za kiutafiti hapa jukwaani kuelezea jinsi alivyowahi kunyanyaswa na mifumo ya mamlaka kupitia "soft censorship," leo ninalazimika kuweka mezani uchambuzi wa nafsi mbili tofauti za mtu huyu mmoja.
Lengo langu si kumshusha thamani, la hasha! Nia yangu ni kutunza na kulinda heshima ya jina kubwa alilolijenga kwa jasho na damu kabla halijamomonyolewa na watu wasiomfahamu vizuri hapa jukwaani.
Pasco wa Masai Studio: Nguli wa Broadcaster na "Mpishi" vya Kitimoto
Tukirudi nyuma kidogo, jina la Pascal Mayalla lilibeba uzito wa kipekee kupitia Masai Studio, ambapo akishirikiana na wamiliki wenza wa studio hiyo kama Allyoki, walitengeneza historia ya kipekee ya habari nchini. Huyu alikuwa mwanahabari huru, mtayarishaji wa maudhui, na mtangazaji wa kwanza kabisa wa Talk Show ya kwanza ya runinga nchini—kipindi cha "Mada Moto" pale DTV mwaka 1995. Enzi hizo akiwa kijana mbichi asiye na majukumu ya kifamilia, akilipwa mishahara minono ya "six figures" kwa ushupavu wake!
Sisi kama hadhira tulimkubali bila masharti kwa sababu alisimama kama sauti ya kweli ya Muhula wa Nne wa Dola (The 4th Estate). Kilele cha uandishi na utangazaji wake kilionekana kupitia kipindi cha kihistoria cha Kitimoto kilichoruka DTV na Channel 10. Kipindi kile kilikuwa moto haswa, kiasi kwamba hata msemo wa mtaani wa kuitia nyama ya nguruwe jina la "kitimoto" ulizaliwa pale, kutokana na jinsi wanasiasa na mawaziri (kama akina Daniel Yona wa Wizara ya Fedha na Askofu Kakobe) walivyokuwa wanatolewa jasho jukwaani!
Kwenye kiti kile, Pascal alikuwa anawapika na kuwapakua wanasiasa bila uoga, akiongozwa na maswali ya mitego na utafiti mkubwa wa Masai Studio
Mabadiliko: Imekuwaje Mayalla wa Sasa Anatofautiana na Yule wa Masai Studio?
Ukiangalia mwenendo wa sasa wa mzee wetu Pascal ndani ya JamiiForums na kwenye medani za uchambuzi, kuna utofauti mkubwa unaoacha maswali mengi. Yule mwanahabari aliyekuwa anashambulia kwa mbele, leo anaonekana kuwa mtu wa kujihami, kupiga siasa za kimkakati, na wakati mwingine kuandika kwa tahadhari kubwa inayozua hisia za "kusaka teuzi" au kuegemea upande fulani, jambo linalowapa fursa baadhi ya wana-jukwaa wasiomjua vizuri kumshushia heshima yake.
Ninajua vizuri—na sote tunajua—kwamba nyakati tunazoishi sasa kimuktadha si rafiki hata kidogo. Tuko katika mazingira ya kiserikali ambayo mara nyingi yameonyesha sura ya ukatili (ruthless) na isiyothamini utu wala uhuru wa mawazo.
Dhoruba hizi si geni kwake; hata huko nyuma amewahi kukumbana na misukosuko ya kunyang'anywa leseni na kufukuzwa ofisini kisa tu kuuliza swali gumu mbele ya wakuu wa nchi. Hata hivyo, kama mwanahabari anayewakilisha muhula wa nne, Pascal anapaswa kukumbuka kuwa dhoruba hizi ni sehemu tu ya wajibu wa mwanajeshi. Unapoingia vitani, unajua kabisa utakutana na milio ya risasi na dhoruba kali, lakini uaminifu wako unabaki kwenye kupigania ukweli mstari wa mbele.
View attachment 3701014
Ushahidi wa dhoruba hizi ni huu wa hivi karibuni wa Machi 2026, ambapo Bodi ya Ithibati ya Waandishi wa Habari (JAB) ilimshushia rungu la onyo yeye na Wilberforce Ngoto kule Jambo TV. Kisa kikajulikana? Kisa ni uchambuzi wake wa kiutu na kisiasa juu ya hisia za viongozi na "makofi ya msibani". Mfumo ulimtaka athibitishe hisia za moyoni za kiongozi ndani ya saa 24! Hapa ndipo tunapoona jinsi Pascal wa sasa anavyolazimika "kukiri makosa" na kupiga magoti kidiplomasia kulinda ugali na usalama wa chombo cha habari, jambo ambalo lisingewezekana kwa yule Pasco wa Masai Studio.
Vita Kuu ya Tatu ya Dunia ya Nafsi Mbili
Nikifanya hitimisho la kiweledi, nina amani ya moto kusema kuwa: Ikitokea siku moja Pascal Mayalla wa Masai Studio akakutana uso kwa uso na huyu Pascal wa sasa mwenye kofia mbili (Uanasheria na Uandishi wa Habari), lazima kitazuka vita vikali sana vya kisaikolojia na kifalsafa. Yule wa Masai Studio atamshangaa huyu wa sasa kwa namna anavyozingatia sana kujilinda na mistari ya kijani na "uchawa wa kimamlaka" unaolazimishwa na mifumo, na huyu wa sasa atamcheka yule wa zamani kwa ukosefu wa mbinu za "kisayansi" za kijeshi na kisheria za kujilinda dhidi ya dhoruba za dola.
Mzee wangu Pascal, andiko hili linatokana na mapenzi mazito kwako. Kwa jinsi unavyoshambuliwa sasa na vijana wa kizazi kipya hapa jukwaani wasiojua kabisa historia na mchango wako, ninaamini kabisa ingekuwa heri ungalifanya kazi ya Uanasheria pekee mahakamani tujue kimoja, kuliko kuendelea kuona thamani ya nguli wa habari ikishushwa na kudhihakiwa hapa jukwaani na watu wasiojua ulipotoka.
Nawasilisha, wakuu. Mzee Pascal Mayalla, karibu uwanjani utupe neno lako.
Uko sahihi ni vyema kabisa mzee paschali akaendeleza yale maono alikuwa nayo toka mwanzo hata kama ata deviate kulinda betterment yake na wanaomtegemea.Mkuu Gunner11, nakuelewa sana pindi unapozungumzia matumizi ya busara ili kujilinda wewe mwenyewe na wale wanaokutegemea katika mazingira ya sasa. Huo ni uhalisia wa maisha na mbinu ya kujihami.
Hata hivyo, kuna mstari mnyoofu sana kati ya kuchukua tahadhari na kuacha kusimamia ukweli kiasi cha kupoteza kabisa uaminifu ulioujenga kwa miaka mingi. Hii ndio sababu kubwa inayofanya nisisitize ushauri wangu: badala ya kuendelea kuandika kwa namna inayomshusha thamani na kuonekana kama anauza utu wake kwenye tasnia ya habari, ni bora mzee wetu Pascal Mayalla achukue uamuzi wa busara wa kuachana kabisa na uandishi wa habari na kubaki upande wa sheria pekee.
Akiwa kama Wakili Msomi wa Mahakama Kuu, taaluma ya sheria inampa jukwaa rasmi na lenye heshima kubwa la kupigania haki na kupata kipato chake kwa misingi ya kimantiki na kisheria, bila kulazimika kufanya sarakasi za kiuandishi zinazomdhalilisha hapa jukwaani.
Mkuu Kiranga, I appreciate the nod. It is always an intellectual privilege to engage in a debate where the core premises are thoroughly dissected and mutually understood without the usual forum noise.You have not merely understood my thesis, I appreciate the fact that you restated it back to me perfectly in your own words and with narrative that shows you understand my points.
As to why Pascal does not retire, I think he simply sees himself as doing his duty to carry the cross during this difficult time, rolling that Sisyphean rock uphill with vigor and enthusiasm, despite being labeled, misunderstood, and outcasted by many.
His psychology of "security organs family pedigree" is writ large all over his thinking.
In his mind, he is still part of the intelligentsia-literati complex that is still keeping this country together, by hlue if necessary. And thatvis more important than justice, activism, even truth.
The fact that he comes here, likes content, with such apathy and nonchalance shows his religious resignation.
He has that toxic positivity and utopian enthusiasm that things can and will be better, and as you aptly pointed out, he thinks it is exactly at times like this when shape shifting insiders are needed to partly criticize power, partly legitimize it, but gradually improve things.
I think he genuinely believe this.
This is why he confuses so many and looks confused himself.
Mkuu, nitafurahi sana kama mzee wetu Pacal Mayalla atakuja na hilo "gazeti" lake hapa uwanjani; milango ipo wazi kabisa na tunamkaribisha sana kutoa mchango wake.subiria gazeti toka kwa Pascal Mayalla
I am glad that we deeply understand each other.Mkuu Kiranga, I appreciate the nod. It is always an intellectual privilege to engage in a debate where the core premises are thoroughly dissected and mutually understood without the usual forum noise.
Your pivot to the Myth of Sisyphus to explain Pascal Mayalla's current predicament is a brilliant piece of psychological profiling. You are absolutely spot-on. By framing him not as a malicious actor, but as a man burdened by an intense martyr complex—vigorously rolling that Sisyphean rock uphill with utopian enthusiasm—you have perfectly resolved the paradox of his logical inconsistency. He isn't acting out of nefarious self-interest; he genuinely believes he is a necessary, "shape-shifting insider" playing a sophisticated long game with power for the greater good.
However, your assessment exposes a deeply tragic reality about Pascal’s chosen path:
1. The Tragic Delusion of the "Inside Game"
Pascal's belief that he can partly criticize power, partly legitimize it, and gradually improve things from within is a classic political illusion. History shows us that ruthless systems do not get reformed by shape-shifting insiders; instead, the system simply absorbs them, using their remaining credibility as a shock absorber. Every time Pascal dishes out a bit of well-calculated, fair criticism, he unwittingly hands the regime a veneer of tolerance. He thinks he is guiding the ship, but the system is just using his reputation to sanitize its image.
2. Sisyphus Had No Choice; Pascal Does
Albert Camus famously concluded his essay by stating that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy" because he finds meaning in the absurd, endless struggle. Pascal might genuinely find a sense of noble purpose in being misunderstood, labeled, and outcasted while carrying his self-imposed cross.
But here is where the tragedy deepens: Sisyphus was condemned to that rock by the gods; Pascal is condemning himself. Unlike Sisyphus, Pascal has a brilliant, dignified escape hatch—his legal bar card. He doesn't need to endure the exhausting, reputation-shredding gymnastics of the modern media landscape just to feel useful.
In Conclusion:
Your analysis completely solidifies why my original thesis stands. If Pascal’s utopian enthusiasm forces him to live a public life of constant self-contradiction—looking utterly confused to serious analytical minds like yours—then the price of rolling that rock has become far too high.
The courtroom operates on rigid legal logic and constitutional frameworks; it has no room for shape-shifting or strategic ambiguity. By fully retreating into his role as a learned Advocate, he could still fight for justice, but he could finally lay that crushing Sisyphean rock down and pick up the scales of justice instead. He would protect his dignity, secure his family, and stop confusing a nation that once looked up to the myth of Masai Studio.
You’ve decoded his psyche perfectly, Kiranga. But is a doomed, Sisyphean struggle truly worth the total dissolution of a legacy?
Mkuu Kiranga, you have just raised the stakes of this conversation to a completely different sociological and institutional layer. This is a phenomenal insight.I am glad that we deeply understand each other.
There is one thing I touched on, and this is very important. This is not simply confounded by logic. His psychology.
I wrote.
"His psychology of "security organs family pedigree" is writ large all over his thinking.
In his mind, he is still part of the intelligentsia-literati complex that is still keeping this country together, by glue if necessary. And that is more important than justice, activism, even truth."
Many people do not know Pascal's family, who his father was, what happened to him.
Those who grew up with him in Msasani/Oysterbay and know his family's pedigree are positioned to put into account the psychology of growing up Pascal Mayalla.
You talk about legacy, he is not seeing what you think as his right legacy as his legacy, he sees negotiating with power, with shape shifting deference and even enablement, in his mind for the greater good of the nation, despite, or even at the cost of being misunderstood, as his legacy.
This early childhood psychology is near and dear and cannot be wiped out simply by logical thinking, especially in a country where firstly logical thinking does not carry much water (many still believe in witchcraft), but also, even when it is known in theory, it is barely inculcated in our daily lives.
Sometimes I even wonder if it is fair to hold him to account with such high expectations like such an outlier.
He is not.
Mkuu,Mkuu Kiranga, you have just raised the stakes of this conversation to a completely different sociological and institutional layer. This is a phenomenal insight.
By pulling back the veil on his early childhood geography—growing up in the elite, state-entrenched neighborhoods of Msasani and Oysterbay—you have contextualized Pascal Mayalla’s actions far beyond mere professional choice or logical consistency. You have introduced the deep state conditioning of his formative years.
You are absolutely right. When a person is born or raised within the gravitational pull of the "security organs family pedigree," their definition of legacy undergoes a fundamental, institutional mutation.
Here is why your psychological assessment explains everything:
1. The Intelligentsia-Literati Complex
To an outsider or a traditional activist, legacy is built on unyielding, public friction against power to achieve justice. But to someone whose psychology is tethered to the foundational layers of statecraft, legacy is measured by the survival and continuity of the state machinery.
In Pascal’s mind, he is part of that unwritten, quiet guild—the elite literary and intelligence class whose uncredited job is to prevent the ship of state from capsizing. When he operates with that "shape-shifting deference," he isn't being an accidental coward; he is consciously playing the role of an institutional shock absorber. He genuinely believes that holding the fragile pieces of this country together "by glue if necessary" is a far more noble, heavy cross to bear than the absolute, unyielding purism of activist truth.
2. The Illusion of the Outlier
Your question as to whether it is even fair to hold him to account as an outlier is a profound exercise in cultural empathy. In an environment where the broader collective consciousness rarely structures daily life around strict, Western models of logical or Cartesian consistency, expecting a product of the early Tanzanian security-political establishment to act like a rogue Western journalist is a mismatch of expectations.
He was never an outlier. He is a direct, predictable product of his heritage. He isn't fighting for the destruction of the status quo because his very psychological blueprint is written in the language of state preservation.
Tying it Back to the Courtroom
This is where our two views merge into a tragic, undeniable truth. If Pascal’s childhood psychology dictates that negotiating with power and enabling its continuity is his true self-perceived legacy, then he will never willingly retire his pen. He will continue to roll that Sisyphean rock because, in his mind, that rock is the state.
But for those of us watching from the outside—who do not share that tribal, institutional conditioning—watching a giant from the Masai Studio era constantly reshape his logic to accommodate a ruthless system remains a deeply painful sight.
You have decoded the man's software perfectly, Kiranga. It turns out we aren't just arguing about journalism; we are looking at the generational reflexes of the old Msasani/Oysterbay establishment trying to survive in a modern, hyper-exposed world.
But this brings me to a final, burning question for you, mkuu Kiranga: Given the historical gravity of what actually happened to his father within that very same system, do you think Pascal genuinely believes he is still viewed as a trusted member of that inner elite circle by the current regime, or is he merely acting on a powerful, lingering psychological reflex from his childhood?
Mkuu Kiranga,Mkuu,
I thoroughly enjoy how you take my thoughts and extrapolate even futher to shed even more light on the subjects.
Regarding your question.
The sad thing here is, Pascal is like Miguel de Cervantes character Don Quixote, The Man of La Mancha.
If you have read or know the premise of "Don Quixote", from whom we get the English adjective quixotic, meaning foolishly unrealistic pursuit of impactical ideals, you will get the picture.
He is nobly and delusionally trying to preserve a state that exists only in his mind, while the state that exist is not worth preserving.
And to your question, no, many don't even remember his "Kiti Moto" days, let alone his family's security organ pedigree.
Remember here that you are talking about people who barely even know who Paul Kimiti is, forget about Peter Siyovelwa and his team.
They say "Kila zama zina nabii wake".
Sahihi kabisa kuna jamaa mmoja mambo ya ndani kabla hajawa kijani usingeweza kufikiri atakuwa hivyo.Mara nyingi mtu anakuwa ni yule yule tu ila mazingira ndiyo yanabadilika na kumuonesha katika sura tofauti. Anavyo react tofauti katika mazingira tofauti.
Ila ile core character ya mtu, sisemi kuwa haibadiliki, ila kubadilika ni vigumu sana.
Ni rahisi zaidi kuona mtu kabadilika kwa kuwa wewe ulikuwa hujamuelewa vizuri kuliko kuona mtu kabadilika kwa sababu kabadilika kweli.
Ndiyo maana watoto wa mjini wanasema "Shika hela tujue tabia yako". Kwa sababu wanaamini kuna tabia nyingine utazificha kwa kuwa huna hela tu, ukipata hela ndiyo zinajulikana.
Yani inawezekana ulionekana mpole kwa sababu hukuwa na nguvu ya hela tu, ulivyopata hela kila mtu akajua kuwa kumbe ule upole wote ilikuwa kwa sababu huna hela tu, umepata hela wameona upande mwingine, kumbe wewe si mpole hivyo.
Kwa hiyo kuna tabia nyingine zinakuwa zimekaa tu latent, kama mbegu iliyokaa udongoni inasubiri mvua kuchipua. Ikipata mazingira mazuri ya mvua, inachipua.
Kwa hiyo mtu anaweza kuwa na tabia zake kazificha mpaka apate mazingira ya kuzidhihirisha, akipata mazingira yake ya kuzidhihirisha, anazidhihirisha.
Halafu nyie wa nje mkimuangalia, mnaona kabadilika. Kumbe yupo hivyo siku zote, alikuwa kaficha makucha tu.
Kumbe hajabadilika, mlikuwa hamjamfahamu vizuri tu.
Mtaje alikua Mwenyekiti wa BAVICHASahihi kabisa kuna jamaa mmoja mambo ya ndani kabla hajawa kijani usingeweza kufikiri atakuwa hivyo.
Exactly.Mkuu Kiranga,
I must take a moment to sincerely thank you and praise your unmatched brilliance on this platform. Engaging with you is a masterclass in intellectual depth. You are, without a doubt, one of the most open-minded, cerebral, and culturally literate members of this forum. The way you seamlessly bridge local political realities with classical literature—from Camus' Sisyphus to Cervantes' Don Quixote—is a rare treat that elevates the entire quality of JamiiForums.
Your invocation of Don Quixote is the absolute, definitive masterstroke of this entire debate. It is a breathtakingly accurate analogy.
By comparing Pascal to the Man of La Mancha, you have perfectly captured the deep, melancholic tragedy of his existence. He is a modern-day knight-errant, charging at windmills, nobly and delusionally trying to defend a romanticized, institutional state that exists only in his childhood memories and his own mind. Meanwhile, the actual, material state that exists today—ruthless, transactional, and short-sighted—doesn't care about his chivalry, his legacy, or his pedigree.
And your answer to my question is as sobering as it is profound: No, they don't even remember.
The brutal reality of "Kila zama zina nabii wake" hits like a sledgehammer. We are dissecting Pascal's trajectory with historical reverence, but to the current crop of power brokers who barely know the foundational giants like Paul Kimiti or Peter Siyovelwa, Pascal's generational reflexes are completely invisible. To them, he isn't a trusted member of an inner elite circle; he is just another voice in the digital ether. He is sacrificing his hard-earned Masai Studio legacy to protect a system that doesn't even possess the historical memory to appreciate his sacrifice.
You have beautifully closed the loop on this analysis, mkuu Kiranga. Pascal Mayalla remains a tragic, quixotic figure—fighting a lonely, imaginary battle for a bygone era, while the rest of the world has simply moved on.
Thank you for this incredible intellectual journey, though your profound breakdown makes me realize that my persistent effort to view him through these protective, romantic lenses means I may simply be giving our elder a far more generous and unnecessary benefit of the doubt than his actual record deserves.
Shukrani kwa kupotosha umma kiongozi. Pascal Mayalla ni Wakili na ameapishwa rasmi. Naomba nikusaidie kufahamu maana ya maneno haya mawili:Mayalla sio wakili ni mwanasheria
Mkuu Kiranga,Exactly.
This is why I push the issues to an extent, expose contradictions as I see them, I try to lessen the confusion inflicted upon us to a bare minimum, but after a certain point, I just give the man some grace.
I even reminisce with him about the old times, certain individuals we mutually know from the Oysterbay days, especially at funerals, their families, etc.
Deep down, he is still a friend.