Universal health care

Mike (name changed) was two years older than me when he died a few months ago. He died from a massive brain bleed, caused by high blood pressure. Though Mike worked 50 hours a week as an auto body specialist he could not afford doctors, health insurance, or medicine. Aside from high blood pressure, Mike was in otherwise very good physical shape. Generic blood pressure medicine would have cost maybe $100 a year, plus a $150 doctor visit to get the prescription. Instead he died, leaving behind a wife and two children. Let’s be honest. Let’s get past the liberal vs. conservative labels. Let’s sidestep the them-vs.-us arguments. If we can afford to spend $5-10 billion per month on a war that has no direct benefit to us, we can afford to insure Mike and everyone else like him. Not to do so is a moral and ethical travesty.

Auto faucets

I hate automatic faucets. Most the time, they simply won’t turn on. I wave my hands in front of them, clap like a maniac, genuflect like a Catholic – nothing! I go down the line to other faucets till I find one that works. Then the water is either burning hot (in summer) or icy cold (in the winter). On top of those indignities, the thing stops before all the soap is off my hands. What is this technological piece of crap, to decide when I’ve had enough water? Am I not the better judge of that? Then I go to the auto towel dispenser, and it won’t do anything, either. You’re supposed to wave your hands in front of it, but I normally have to tap, punch, or kick it. Then with my newly sterile hands, I touch the plague-laden door handle to exit the room. What’s the sanitation value of all this, I ask you?

Trash Day

Trash day drives me crazy. You gotta have your trash out to the curb by 6am, or you miss the truck. So you wake up before 6 to haul it out there, or you have to put it out the night before. If you do that, the dogs and mongeese scatter it around the ‘hood. If it’s a holiday, it will run a day late – unless it doesn’t and you missed a whole week because they weren't in the mood. And how about recycling? I’m trying to be responsible, and keep Al Gore happy, but who knows what they do with that stuff – really? Are we sure they don’t just throw it in the pile with all the other stuff? Then they laugh at us, and spend our extra recycling fees on beer and pizza. On the positive side, I’m glad somebody takes it away and does something with it. The banana peels and tuna cans are smelling a bit ripe. Stinky!

Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones is the 109 year old black woman that Obama referenced in his acceptance speech. She is a woman of deep faith (according to NPR), with framed Bible verses all over the walls of her home. She believes in God, even though scores of horrible atrocities she has experienced could have removed that faith from her. She feels that God himself had a hand in this process, and that Barack’s election is a “blessing.” I agree with her. God bless you, Mrs. Jones, and rest well. God knows you have earned it.