I’ve been quiet for a while, but please don’t mistake my silence for peace. No sir, my soul has been pretty disquieted the last few months. There are a number of things that have made me mad, and I feel if I don’t write them down I might have an aneurism and well, you’re just not lucky enough to have that happen. So, here are some of the things that have been buttering my biscuits these last few months (in no particular order.)
Health Insurance Companies: Every year my premiums go up a significant amount. Why? Well, its group coverage and there are more people in the group who are taking out more than they put in and the insurance company just isn’t seeing the kind of profit it was hoping for. So, every year they increase premiums, increase co-pays and increase coinsurance percentages while decreasing coverage. I haven’t seen what’s going to happen to my policy this year, but I have a feeling they’re going to add a new plan called the “Just Roll Over And Die Already” plan.
The Occupy Movement: They aren’t occupying, they’re squatting. Let’s get that straight up front. Secondly, I know a lot of these folks are college educated, but I don’t think any of them has ever occupied an economics class. Aside from that, there are a few other places I’d like to see them occupy such as:
- A poor town in a third world country that doesn’t have toilets or clean water. They may think they are the 99% in the U.S., but when compared to the rest of the world they are the 1%. The rest of the world doesn’t have time to play angry birds on their fancy iPad 2. They are far more concerned about finding enough food to get them through the day and trying to drink water that won’t kill them.
- A soup kitchen. Or any other effort where they can give to others. There are people less fortunate than the occupiers, and if you can find anyone in this world who is less fortunate than you, you ought to help them out before throwing a tantrum about how awful your lot in life is.
- Any establishment that has a “Now Hiring” sign in the window. I know working at the drive-thru or delivering pizza may not be what you went to school for, but you should pay for your own cell phone instead of relying on daddy for your data plan.
My point is, there are folks a lot worse off than the so-called 99 percent. In fact, 99 percent of people in the United States are better off than the rest of the world. We’re just too spoiled to realize it. Also, I’d like to know if these 99 percenters plan to participate in capitalism’s greatest annual event, the holiday shopping season. Remember folks, if you buy even one Christmas gift, you’re participating in the very thing you think you hate.
Car Accidents: I’ve seen too many young people die in car accidents. Please slow down. Life is too precious to risk losing everything just because you’re running five minutes late. Also, be courteous on the roads. That isn’t a minivan you’re cutting off or following too closely, that’s a family just like yours. It isn’t about you, your schedule, or how fast you can move.
Superficiality: Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about Kim Kardashian and Snookie. Now that we’ve hit the Christmas season, it’s going to be time to talk about shopping and sales. Why is our culture so obsessed with things that just don’t matter in the grand scheme of things? And if we’re going to be obsessed with irrelevant issues, why do we choose things that represent the lowest common denominator? I’m lookin’ at you TMZ.
Stepping down off my soap box now. I don’t know how you feel about this rant, but it sure did me a lot of good, and since this is my blog, that’s really all that matters, isn’t it.