Occupation Consternation

The news has been buzzing for weeks now about the "Occupy Wall Street" protests. People from all walks of life have joined together all across the country to say "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any longer"! The main focus of these groups, is the banking industry which, after causing a devastating recession, cried poor, and got bailed out by the Bush White House. After receiving a huge infusion of cash, they went right back to business as usual, giving executives huge bonuses for actually causing the nation's woes. Not many of the regular working folks get a bonus for screwing up.

What's more, the fact that so many of the wealthy pay little or no tax, leaving the rest of the working class to carry the burden. The protestors have a right to peacefully assemble to argue their grievances, but it doesn't seem like some cities want to let them.
There have been hundreds of arrests, and clashes with police where tear gas and rubber bullets were used. It sure doesn't seem like constitutional rights hold water anymore.

You can liken this to the Vietnam war protests in the 1960's. The idea of being in a totally unjustified war was not taken well by those who had to fight it. Protests sprang up all over the country, just as they have now. What is ironic (or moronic) if you will, is that the same generation that protested the war, and all the corporations that grew rich making a profit from it, are now the CEO's and executives that are living the high life. I guess that justice for all goes by the wayside once you get fat with cash!

Worse yet, the representatives (a key word here) in the house and congress, have been chastising the protestors for their outrage. They've been working to get more tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans, and adding more tax to the working mans burden.

I believe that legislators were elected to represent the voters who elected them, not spew hatred towards them. Does corporate America really run this country? Are elections just shams to help the rich get richer?

I have to wonder if perhaps people have finally seen through the smoke, mirrors, and bullshit that is our political system. Is Occupy our new representative form of expression? Perhaps they should leave Wall Street, and Occupy Congress! Take that, Teabaggers!!

"In The Beginning......"

For decades now, I have heard the biblical rant that we are created in "The Big Guy's" image. I've always wondered just how that could be justified. We are a diverse world, full of different Nationalities, personalities, and races. The biblical reference insinuates that there is just one group that wins the prize and I've got a problem with that!

Think back to the Noah's Ark fable, where two of each species in the animal kingdom were forced to board a crappy wooden boat (with no room service, bathrooms, or lounges) and float, un-powered, for 40 days and 40 nights. I wonder about the people who didn't look like Noah. Were there Chinese on board, or Eskimos, Native Americans, or Blacks? If there were, did they have to spend their time in the hold with the animals, while Noah and his family relaxed by the pool in First Class? Did they have to serve the drinks, or clean up after all the animals, or even row the boat?

If these folks were not invited on this grand tour, then just exactly how did they come to be? Were there other deity's that did the same thing for the individual ethnic groups?

Were there lots of "Big Guys"?

This could provide an interesting insight into evolution. We already know of the Caucasian version of life, but what about the rest of the population?

Imagine a deity who creates Asians in his image. Call him Chung King, if you will. He sends his people to, of all places, ASIA! What a smart guy! They live and do Asian stuff, until the Whites come in and declare them savages.

Native Americans are another group that need a deity. Call him Tonto, if you will. Under Tonto, the culture thrives, and the people learn to cultivate crops, and live off the land. They are happy as they are, and know nothing of greed and distrust.
Of course, the White Man moves in, finds gold, and kicks them off the land they've lived on for centuries.

And the blacks, what of them? Their deity would be a bit like James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. They too lived off the land, minded their own business, and survived for thousands of years in Africa. Of course, the white man came along and screwed this up as well. Needing slaves, they dragged the blacks out of the bush, and took all their freedoms away, in order to have someone get them a drink when needed.

The bottom line here is that all the biblical crap about kindness, and understanding is just that; CRAP! The world belongs to those that can BS the best, and that honor belongs to the Christians. They seem to have the right to call the rest of the world "savages", while they continue to slaughter millions who don't hold to their beliefs.

Is humanity any better off having an imaginary dude (or dudes) calling the shots? Can different people just be themselves, without retribution? Are there other lifeforms in the universe that one day will force us all to do things "their way"?
It's frightening that, perhaps, we might get treated as we've treated others.

Wouldn't our deity be pissed??

If it quacks like a duck, then it must be a doctor

With all the talk of the debt crisis these days, nothing seems to generate more debt than a trip to the hospital. All this "caregiver" stuff isn't done because they care about the patient, just the patient's money.

Last June, Carol became ill, ill enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room at our local hospital. After blood work, an X-ray, and a urine sample were taken, we were left to wait for someone to tell us what was wrong. Finally, a doctor showed up to give us an educated guess and a prescription. When asked what the X-ray showed, he allowed he didn't see it. I thought "oh well, that's just part of doctoring", and didn't give it another thought.

Since we have hospital insurance, it came as a surprise to me that we couldn't leave without a cash payment of $100. We were told it had something to do with the deductible, and apparently, the hospital wanted to get some money right away.

Since the initial $100 screwing on June 22, we have continued getting bills from the assorted medical people for varying amounts, the last one coming yesterday, concerning a doctor who's name we didn't even recognize! For nearly four months, there has been a parade of cheery little bills for the things that we thought the insurance would cover.

It's odd that an "umbrella organization" like a hospital wouldn't roll up all the costs into just one single bill, but I suppose each person that even thought about doing something is entitled to make some quick cash. Even the unknown doctor is now looking for some. We figure that in all, we have spent nearly $400 for a two hour trip to the ER, a trip that was covered by insurance. I have to wonder why. What would the charges have been had we not been insured, or worse yet, were penniless? Would the hospital be happy with an I.O.U.? I don't think so!

I suppose it all boils down to the "Haves" VS the "Have Nots". While they spend their idle hours sitting in their lakeside palaces, the rest of us poor slobs sit home wondering how we're going to pay the next bill. It sure doesn't seem fair to me!

Oh wait, here's another couple of bills that came in the mail today. Funny, I don't remember seeing Marcus Welby, or Dr. Kildare, but they want their money..................STAT!

Fair Share?

While it's been a while since I've posted anything, it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about the state of the nation.

There is a movement afoot, to make the country's wealthiest citizens actually pay their fair share. Of course, there is a lot of backlash to this idea....mostly from the wealthy and their supporters. After all, let's face it, $1 million a year just doesn't go as far as it used to.

If this legislation passes, hedge fund managers, professional athletes, and other wealthy individuals would have to pay as much as their servants do. The consequences of this would be far reaching indeed.
Given the fact that the country was built by slavery, it seems unpatriotic that we would force a fair tax on those that provide the jobs. Servants, gardeners, and general household help all have jobs, thanks to the generosity of the rich. As they are, for the most part, illegal citizens, they can be paid far less than the minimum wage. The idea that servants should make more than that, goes against the very tenets of our society.

Forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share would cause havoc in their ranks. Imagine a millionaire not being able to buy his fourth seaside mansion, having to actually drive himself to an important meeting, or having to mow his own lawn. There is a long established rule that the wealthy don't have to suffer, due to their campaign contributions. Must the wealthiest Americans have to live like the rest of us, or will they once again, be able to gain the perks they so richly deserve?
It would be wise for all Americans to contribute any extra cash to those that take us for granted, for if we don't, the economy will collapse, and the wealthy will take it out on us!


Heaven help the rich bitches!!

The Lord Sayeth WHAT??

I happened to be watching the news the other morning, and saw a video clip about a new translation of the Bible. Apparently, some people are upset that there is any other translation other than the King James version, with all the "thee's, thou's, and that sort of thing. I would contend that if you're going to read something like that, it should be in modern language to keep you at least semi-interested in what you are reading
After all, when you are sitting in a restaurant, does the waitress ask "wouldst thou like another Diet Coke?" Of course not! The "Kings English" is ancient history anymore, and language has evolved considerably since the days of yore.

The problem with today's English, is that there are now several "versions" of it. There is the language most of us speak, and "Ebonics", spoken by many blacks. Ebonics is a more colorful way of speaking, and usually more profane than everyday English.

So, my question is: When will they translate the Bible into Ebonics? It might take a while, due to the changes in some of the phrases from time to time, but it would be an interesting endeavor. To test this theory, I have translated an old Bible story about Moses and the burning bush. It goes as follows:

Da Book ob Cleophus, Chapter sebben, verse foty sebben

Moses be stylin' through de desert on foot, because his Broham done got jacked. De sun be shinin' down on him, and he be jonesin' fo a foty or two to cool his ass down. All of a sudden, he done sees a burnin' bush in front ob he ass. He be fussin' ober dat bush when a loud voice be callin' he name.

Lord: "Moses, wat up dawg? Don't be no pussy, walk through dat bush!
Moses: "Who dat??"
Lord: "It am me, dawg, I da Lord!
Moses: "Is you shittin' me dog, 'cuz if you is, I'll pop a cap in yer ass"
Lord: "No dawg, it be me, now come on and walk through dat fire!"
Moses: "So you really da big pimp?"
Lord: "I'm sayin"!
Moses: "No shit?"
Lord "I da man, dawg!" "I gotcho ass, dawg, do it"
Moses: "Dat fire hotter dan a five dolla ho!"
Lord: "C'mon, dawg, I ain't got all day, Soul Train be on soon"
Moses: "Okay, if you da big pimp, den you don't be shittin, so here I goes"!

Moses be wakin' thu da fire, and burn he feet to shit.....

Moses: "Damn, Big Pimp, you wuz jivin' me! Now I gotta jack me anudder car, 'cuz I sho can't walk nowhere!"
Lord: "Fool, you da third one I done got today!!"

So you see, Bible translation can be done in Ebonics as well, and quite colorfully at that. I would bet that old King James would love it!

Prescription Conniption!

Years ago, my first job was working at a drug store some distance from my home. My job consisted of stocking shelves, ordering stock, and waiting on customers. There were times when I would assist the pharmacist when he was filling prescriptions. He would read the "'script", find the medicine called for, and then count out the pills and put them in a container. Lastly, he would type up the label on an old typewriter, affix the label to the container, and either call the customer to pick the prescription up, or have me deliver it. In all, the entire process took roughly 5 minutes, from start to finish. These were the days before computers, where everything was done by hand. The store kept a good stock of medicine, and at the time, there were few new treatments available. Everything was tried and true, and was dispensed quickly and efficiently.

Fast forward to 2011. I recently had to obtain a prescription from our local WalMart pharmacy. We have our prescription coverage card on file there, so we usually use them. I handed the "'script" to the clerk, and was told there would be a half hour wait. I thought that wasn't too bad, owing to the fact that is was approaching a weekend, and people needed their medicine before going off traveling or whatever. Seconds before I left the counter, the clerk told me I could "shop until it was time to pick up my medicine". I left, as I really did have a few things to pick up, and returned about 30 minutes later. There were a number of people in line by that time, waiting for their medicines. Nothing seemed to be happening, until an employee came out to check on who was waiting (I swear she had a name tag like "Crayola" or something!). Eventually, I got the medicine and checked out. The entire process had taken closer to 45 minutes. Still, I had obtained what I needed, and was glad to be headed home.

A few days later, I once again had to pick up medicine at WalMart. When I arrived, there was no one waiting, no one ahead of me. I figured that it would be a quick and painless trip. Was I ever wrong! I was told it would be 45 minutes to an hour before my pills would be ready. Once again, I was told I could shop until it was time to pick them up. After 40 minutes, I headed back to the counter, only to be told that the pills weren't ready yet, and I could shop until they were. Was this a joke? If I left the store to shop somewhere else would I be punished? I returned to the bench in front of the pharmacy to wait, while I watched "The People of WalMart" parade by. Finally, after over an hour, my pills were ready to pick up.

As I was sitting there on the hard steel bench, my mind wandered back to the days of old, before computer efficiency, when a single pharmacist could fill multiple prescriptions in short order, and do it correctly to boot! What has happened? Is the world slowing down as we age faster, or has technology thrown a roadblock in the path of progress?

Yes, there seems to be a bit more to filling a prescription these days, but hell it's still just counting pills. How hard can that be? Is it all about serving the customers, or milking them for every last cent? You've got to wonder........!

The Need for ...GREED!

Yet another season of auto racing has begun, and, like the last one, it's not about competition, but about the money. Oddly enough, we have also seen the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 this year. What is great about this is that the first winner of the race, Ray Haroun is well documented in text and photographs. The quintessential photo of him in his car, the Marmon Wasp, shows a man with an extra ordinary smile. It's part smile, part smirk. Why? Because he won the race, and enjoyed doing so.

Today's sports figures are in it for the money. No thrill of competition, no glory of being the best, it's all about the Benjamins. It's sad to see a competitive sport on any level become just a means of making money. The thrill of victory gives way to the thrill of a six-figure salary. Is this what our forefathers envisioned? What ever happened to competition, just for the sake of competing? Nearly all professional sports have become huge cash-intensive endeavors. The price of tickets to these events has climbed so high that the average fan can't afford to attend.

NASCAR is the poster boy for this trend. For several years now, race attendance has dwindled. Is it perhaps that the ticket prices are too high, or is it the constant barrage of merchandise (all NASCAR branded) that assaults attendees? It seems that the only thing that's important is making money.
For example, the just completed All-Star race was not marketed as a race itself, but as a "Who's going to win the million dollars?" event. Is the cash that important?

Think back to when we were young, and played games for the fun of it. Baseball, football, basketball were not compensated in any way other than the good time you had, and bragging rights You had no lawyer to protest the fact that you weren't chosen to play first base. You just went out there and did it for the fun of it.

That spirit still exists in the thousands of Softball leagues, beer leagues, and other such endeavors. People playing for the fun of it, no huge cash payouts, just fun. Perhaps if professional sports would follow that philosophy, the fans would start to return. Or, have the fans had enough?