Healthcare

On the evening of March 25, upon the advice of my parents, I went to the ER. By law, they have to treat someone without insurance, so I thought that I would get this illness treated, come back, and work things out later.

I waited in the ER waiting room for several hours, listening to a misogynist complain about the fact that these "females that [were with him] are causing more trouble than they're worth." I just wanted shout a couple of four letter words in his face, but no, that would be mean. After waiting for 4 hours, they finally assigned me a hospital bed. They took X-Rays, ran a CAT scan at 3 in the morning. I was released a little before 6 on the 26th.

Yesterday, I got a bill from the Phoenixville Hospital. The bill was for nearly $12,000. They want it paid immediately, if not sooner. I had called the Hospital's financial agents about this several times, only to hear their voicemail. See, since I'm uninsured, I was given a maximum liability of $0 for my mental health, and wanted to know if it covered physical health as well. I never heard back from them. When I got the bill, I just got their voicemail again. So, I tried their outsourced 800 number.

Long story made short, they demanded their payment immediately. If I don't pay, then they'll ruin my credit. So essentially, they will make it very hard to find a place to live, get a loan, etc, because I am uninsured and not wealthy.

This is the whole point of this post. In this nation of "great opportunity" and all that other such BS, why is it that only those who are offered insurance or who are wealthy can afford to stay alive and well? If we are truly a nation built on the ideal of equality of opportunity, then why the hell is the opportunity to stay healthy a priveledge reserved for the rich? What kind of opportunity is this?

We live in a society that values the rich and famous above those who are our under and working classes. It's quite obvious. Is it right that access to three square meals a day, or healthcare, or anything else necessary for life is a priveledge reserved for those that can afford it?

I will gladly admit this. I am lucky to have parents that have allowed me to live nearly a year after college graduation (which was mostly funded by scholarships, grants, loans, and other such monies; to the grantors, I am eternally grateful, to the lenders, I am forced to be grateful for ten years) under their roof, eating their food, and so forth. There are others who are not that lucky. To those of you who are not as lucky: I have had many opportunities to taste what you live through all the time. There are no parents for them. They turn to a mega church, and all they find are tracts and pamphlets about Jesus. They turn to the job market, only to find that the invisible hand is flipping them off. They turn to the government, who simply says "it's not our job to feed you."

It would be incorrect to say that our society has given up on the poor. In point of fact, our society has never given two craps about the state of the impoverished in our country. Our country has, in effect, said "Die. The rich need your resources. So, just die already."

Food for Thought,

Revolution

We've got ourselves into this mess. On many occasions with violence, but always with inequality, theft, and greed. Now it's time to get ourselves out of this mess.

I've said it before, I'll say it again.

I WELCOME THE REVOLUTION WITH OPEN ARMS.

The few people that read this would be shocked to know this. Perhaps I should explain.

I welcome the revolution, but not a revolution of arms and bloodshed.

I welcome a revolution of thought, of intellectualism, and of equality.

I welcome a good, Saturday morning protest. I do not recommend a riot.

I encourage letters to your representative or senator... as long as it doesn't end with "watch your back."

Read a book. Just as long as it's not the Anarchist's Cookbook (especially not that hack Jolly Roger's "adaptation" bullshit that's floating around the internet).

There are limits to the revolution. I know, an anarchist is supposed to not believe in the rule of law, or so they say. Personal law is built on the ideal of love, equality, and a nearly altruistic sense of ethics. Mandated law is built on keeping the common man down.

Liberate yourself any way you ethically can. You've ended up here on earth. Christ only knows why. Make your life worthwhile. Live it not for yourself alone, but live it for you AND your fellow man. I would like to echo some words of my friend, D.S. Puthoff of Minneapolis...

"The only lasting peace is a peace among equals."

Food for thought,

Reading Lists

I intend to update this frequently.
* Currently Reading
**Have read, or at least read part of it
*** Want to read

Political:
Marx: Communist Manifesto*
Kropotkin: Mutual Aid**
Reiman: The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison***
Loewen: Lies My Teacher Told Me**
Jefferson: Works Of Thomas Paine***
Orwell: 1984 and Animal Farm**
Kennedy: Profiles in Courage***

Literary:
Kerovuac: On the Road***
Adams: Hitchhiker's Guide Series**
Gandhi: Peace***
Poe: Tales...***
Shakespeare: COMPLETE works*** (read some, not all yet)
Beowulf***
Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath***
Sinclair: The Jungle*** (I have a copy, just never had time to read through the whole thing.
Carroll: Alice in Wonderland**
Nabokov: Lolita** (Dear sweet gentle jesus, this is an amazing book)

Religious:
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching** (haven't gotten through the whole thing yet)
Warner: Hardcore Zen**
Hoff: Tao of Pooh** (Quick Read)
Egyptian Book of the Dead **



Updated occassionally

Qidong

I would highly recommend practicing Qidong as a fun, fulfilling workout. I take some classes at the YMCA taught by a lady by the name of Debi Dunn. Fun person, really not altogether as serious as some people may be about Qidong, but really knows her stuff.

The classes ended last week, and I was a little upset, because it seems that I was just getting the hang of Tai Chi, as well as Qidong. I actually felt something enlivening, something very powerful there. I think I was blinded by many things for the past few weeks, and, just learning to let go of certain things was a very refreshing liberation for me. I dropped the work I was doing with Aflac. I had a falling out with someone who showed me their true colors. And, while this may be a depressing moment of people's lives, for me it felt wonderful. I believe this is what made me a little more able to control my energies from within.

OK, so, just for the record, I am not a Buddhist. Rather, I'm more or less on the Agnostic scale; but I figured that I would mention this as I said I would be talking about other important matters of life other than just politics. I do, however, find Buddhism to be a fascinating religion, with many a great friend being a part of it. That said, I would also like to mention that I am also exploring the religions of Hermeticism, Taoism, and a few others. I just don't like tying myself down.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend taking Qidong before starting on Tai Chi. However, you need to be able to manage your energy, and take the time to reconcile the outside influences of your life in order to fully understand what I'm talking about.

Food For Thought,

Exploitation of Labor

I haven't updated in a while, perhaps that's because I've been very busy working for nothing with Aflac. It's all commission, and, as my brother calls it, is therefore the purest form of capitalism.

I am reminded of a quote near the beginning of the communist manifesto:

"In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed -- a class of laborers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital. These laborers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market."

Essentially, if I don't get a sale, I don't eat. I don't have a roof over my head. And I die. Oh well, he's just an insurance salesman, right? Well... my friends. This is wrong. I opened my eyes to this, and saw what Aflac was really about. "Aflac was rated the most ethical company to work for." They told me. Really, now?

Also, what pisses me off about the job is that I've been mislead altogether too often. I was told things about Aflac and their benefits program; when in reality, it DOESN'T EXIST. I was told that I never heard that, and I must be lying. OK.

I was in love with Aflac for a while. I was blind sighted by pie-in-the-sky numbers of the money I'll make, and the trips I could win, and so forth. And then, during training, after I had accepted the job and put so much time, money, and effort into it, was I finally told that 65% of the agents don't make any money. Why? Because they don't work. Funny, how I was working my ass off and not making a cent. But, I guess I wasn't working hard enough. 16 hour day, for three days straight, while working a full six days a week on this wasn't nearly enough, apparently.

So, after a long talk with a friend, I finally figured out what this all was. I opened my eyes up and saw that I was nothing to Aflac. I was just another agent. I didn't deserve to be paid, because I didn't work hard enough.

I have decided to look for another job. I need something that will direct me where I want my career to go. I want to be a speech therapist someday. This will mean that I need to start shaping my life towards that career. I have an interview request from Devereux, which won't pay me the highest estimates that I got from Aflac, i.e. $653000 per year. But, I will get about $20000, which, is enough to live on for now. Provided that I get this job, I will be doing work with Special needs individuals, the mentally and developmentally handicapped, the mentally ill, and so forth.

This is my ideal job. Scratch that, it's my ideal career move for right now. Wish me luck.

Food for thought:

On Poverty

Yesterday, I went to the free clinic in town. I was having some bowel problems, and many signs were pointing towards a cancer of the colon. I will admit, I felt a little like a hypochondriac. I probably was at that time.

I walked in, and I saw so many people crowded into a small room. There was food that was reserved for people who would be going hungry that night. I realized something. I am in poverty. Which wouldn't make all that much sense, really.

I live in my parent's basement (not for long... once I get some money rolling in, it won't be very long before the move out date). It's a house in a very expensive part of the country. The house itself, despite all the major issues it has, is worth a pretty penny these days, even after the housing crisis. My dad makes enough to keep a roof over our heads, and some food on the table to feed himself, my mom, and the three brothers I have that still live here. And yet, I realized that while I have it good, I DON'T have the money to pay my own student loans and private debts. I don't have health insurance. I felt that I was actually living in poverty.

How is it possible to live both in the lap of semi luxury (well, luxury for this time and place), and yet, still not be an independent person?

Food for thought,

Anarchy 102: Philosophical Anarchism

Ladies, Gentlemen, and Other:
There is one more thing that needs to be said before we move on. There is a difference between practical anarchy and philosophical anarchy. The one thing that I want you to take from this article is this:

We are not quite ready for practical anarchy. I am a philosophical anarchist. Meaning that an anarcho-syndicalist state will eventually happen, but right now, we need to prepare for it.

Revolution can't come from fighting. Not quite yet. We need to give Hollywood, Washington DC, Nashville, Pella Iowa, Philly, and the rest of the world a chance to catch up with us. As much as I hate to say it, there may be a full blown revolt happening within 20-30 years if the rest of the world gets left behind.

Naturally, I say this because while the common (wo)man can progress much further, and see through the veil of consumerism and two dimensionalism that is Hollywood and Washington. We just need to open our eyes a little wider, and see the world for what it really is.

It's early on a sunday morning. That's all I'll write for now.

Food for thought,