Am I just an old, bitter, cynical pessimist?

I don't think so! I carefully Observe, then comment.

if you find flaws in my reasoning - please, please ADVISE!

WHY ?

© - Tom Hyland - 04-30-09


Assisted Living Homes

Three days a week, for three years now, I have delivered prescriptions to these places. The residents are mostly older senior citizens, many of whom are non compos mentis - do not understand what is happening. In general, the Owners of these places drive very expensive automobiles, i.e. like: Hummers, Lincoln Continentals, Cadillac Esplanades and Escalades, and Jaguars, even! Why?

Most of these Homes are staffed by people of color, whether African-American, South-African, Tahitian, or Trinidadian, or from many other islands. Many have definitive dialects, accents, and/or difficulty with speaking English. I often wonder if maybe a majority, or most may even be here on Visas, or Green Cards. Why?

Most of the physical buildings these Assisted Living Homes are in, have obviously been recently Renovated. Quite extensively, I might add - new exterior siding, new roof shingles, brand-new exterior and interior lighting fixtures, new carpets and/or expensive Oriental rugs, and many have interior furnishings that appear to be authentic Antiques. You or I could certainly not afford these items in these perilous economic times! Why? How?

Considering the fact that more people are living longer than any time in our history - something in the neighborhood of Seventy-Eight Million Senior Citizens - and the fact that Pharmaceutical and Therapeutical Companies are experiencing a Hey-Day of production and sales of: Medicines, Drugs, * Powered Wheel-Chairs, Wheel-Chairs, Canes, Walkers, Strollers, Diabetic Testing and Supplies, Support Hose, and every other imaginable product under the Sun - Why? How come? Por Favor?

Couple the abovementioned facts all together, and you can easily envision a Huge New Industry - a Profit Center specializing in caring for the Elderly. It seems to me that a lot of Entrepreneurs are now making a lot of MONEY! Why? How?

Is there some Government Sponsored Program that is either Granting or Lending out Millions of our Tax Dollars, in order to make a handful, or minority of people stinking Rich? Are you and I somehow ‘missing the boat’? Is there an opportunity that is not being publicized? Could we be taking in some poor old Codger and receiving $4,000-$5,000-$6,000 each and every month? Why? How?

* The Big Three

I already posted an article with this title a few weeks ago, but these are additional thoughts. Just this past Wednesday, a patient I delivered some meds to told me that his * Power Wheel-Chair, called a JAZZY, used to cost $3,500, and now they are up to $4,000. It then subsequently dawned on me - maybe Detroit missed the boat also? They have already proven that they obviously cannot produce a quality built, fuel efficient, battery-operated Electric American car that outlasts planned obsolescence - so, maybe they should all Three start manufacturing * Power Wheel-Chairs!

There is certainly a growing market for them, what with the aforementioned longevity and preponderance of Senior Citizens. And let’s face it, if another Governmental Agency, namely, MEDICARE is already financing them, and footing the bills - perhaps there would be less need for Bail-Outs?

In fact, the existing Research and Development that has already been tested and proven with these little Electric Wonders, might lend itself to a higher profit ratio per product, than the proverbial
BS of cars being sold for - “Only $100.00 over Manufacturer’s Factory Cost” - Sure! How? Why not?

Might not really provide a lot of jobs for humans - what with the current use of ROBOTICS by the Smart Companies! Robots don’t need or want Benefits, like: Health Insurance, Paid Vacations, Salary Rates Higher than the ‘Average Bear’ and Retirement Plans, and 401K’s, et cetera! Why Not?

The second idea I had for the Big Three involves the language used on Dashboard Speedometers. We all know that traditionally, said items were always done in Americanese - Miles Per Hour. Then, some ‘Rocket Scientist’ got the idea to ADD - the British and European counterpart language of Kilometers Per Hour.

Well now that we have about Ten or Eleven Million Illegal Aliens driving around with licenses issued by IDIOT STATES using Green Cards - or Not - and we all know that these people No Comprende Inglese - then why not ADD a Spanish language indicator on the Speedometers, like: Millas Por Hora? Then Speeders would understand (comprende) why (por que) they are getting El Ticketo -
speeding ticket (boleta por exceso de velocidad). ?Es Verdad?

Bail Bonds

I don’t know about your city, but here in Baltimore, these Bondsmen guyz are coming out of the woodwork, not unlike roaches! Por Que? Is it possible that the ‘criminal’ element of our society has grown? How can you tell? Simple - drive over to wherever your local Courthouse is located. Do it early in the morning even, and just see if you can find a parking space on their lot. Packed? The bigger the building, the more court rooms, the more criminals, the more cars!

It is almost like the parking lots of the shopping centers, the malls, and the food stores - Packed! Side-note: if the economy is SO bad, how come everybody is out shopping, in the Daytime - doesn’t anyone work anymore? Duh?

And what does this mean? A whole lot of people have been ‘accused’ of breaking the law in some way, even if it is only a ‘traffic’ violation for DWI, DUI, or Speeding even - and in order to get out of Jail, they have to Post a Bond! This ‘bond’ is a Surety that they will show up for their respective trials, on the appointed day! Depending on the Charge, or the severity of the Crime, the amount of said bond is set by the original Judge, or Court Officer, at the time of their first Hearing, usually the day of, or after their Arrest. The more severe the crime, the higher the amount of money must be posted, or Paid to whatever Jurisdiction it is. Money entering the government coffers, in order to guarantee that they will show up!

While I do not profess to know or understand the exact workings of these bond ‘deals’ I think a certain percentage of actual money is required - like maybe ten percent say. The Judge says: “Your Bond is set at $50,000 - next case!” So, you need to come up with $5,000, which the Bondsman lays out said amount, and for which you pay some set fee, like maybe say, ten percent of that, or $500. And, of course, you just happen to have that amount, doing nothing, in your back pocket, right? Or maybe you borrow it from your family, or Heaven Forbid - put it on Plastic, and let the greedy Credit Card Company RAPE you for Twenty-Five Percent or more - that you never live long enough to pay off! What a Country!

If you would like a further education, as to just who operates such businesses, park yourself outside one of these Bail Bonds places, and see who comes and goes, and how often - and observe the Size of the Guyz and the Size of the SUV’s they drive - boldly Emblazoned with the Company’s Logo, Name, and Telephone number! I can’t help but wonder if these same guys are working a dual job, also representing the same company as Bounty Hunters, to search out and apprehend those criminals who ‘skip town’ and forfeit their Bonds. Why? Because many, if not most of them, are Big Bruisers, who look like “Bouncers” - muscles, short military-type haircuts, and steely eyes! Perhaps cops who work night-shift, and do daytime ‘Moon-lighting’ - or more correctly - “Sun-lighting?” Could be?

Social Services Offices

More often than not, many of these governmental complexes also house City or County Social Services Offices too. Indigent people, Senior citizens, unemployed persons, disabled people, people suffering from mental illnesses - all needing some form of assistance, or help - these Pobrocitos - are gathered in these places daily. Every day, an unending Sea of Humanity is being herded about like cattle, or sheep - often rudely handled by callous ‘guvmint workers’ who don’t even deserve to have their jobs! But, if you are on the receiving, or ‘begging’ end, you have to mind your ‘P’s and Q’s’ - lest you be chosen to feel their wrath! How?

Oh, they have many, many ways to seek out and perpetrate their misplaced anger or disgruntlement - your Application forms, Disability papers, Doctor’s Reports, letters - whatever can be somehow LOST very easily! And you have to start all over, from SCRATCH! Or, on subsequent follow-up phone calls, you can be treated like ‘dirt’ - talked ‘down to’ - or even ‘accidentally’ cut off! Why?

Oft-times, because these so-called government ‘workers’ HATE their jobs, are ill-trained, or simply are unqualified in the first place! And, guess what, Pilgrim - THAT was ‘normal’ even before the current severe Economic Crisis! It is now even worse. Sad - but true !

The “Golden Years”

God - is this term now a sick, sick Misnomer! You worked all your life. You observed the Law, and never got locked up. You paid your Federal and State Income Taxes honestly and faithfully. Between your own contributions, and if you were fortunate, the matching contributions from your Employer, you managed to accumulate some amount of a Retirement Fund, via 401K, or IRA, or some kind of pension scheme, right? You busted your buns, raised a family, put the kids through college even - and finally, after about Fifty Years of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, you made it - you Retired!

Aah - time to relax and enjoy life! Maybe even a little bit of travel? Perhaps see some other parts of the world? But, Lo and Behold! Bing - Bam - Thank You, Ma’am! The whole damned bottom drops out! Your so-called “Nest Egg” is suddenly cut in HALF, or worse!

Oh, not to worry - that other ‘Ace-in-the-Hole’ your paid-off Home, was your Plan B - right? WRONG! All those years that the Great BALLOON was filling up with Hot Air, and the escalating value was rising, you were rubbing your hands together, thinking - “Oh Boy - Oh, Boy!” Then, the whole frigging housing market went ‘bump in the night’ - KERPLUNK! Also cut in HALF, or worse!

Now, now, Pilgrim - while you are feeling sorry for yourself, be glad that you were not a victim of another SCAM perpetrated against many millions of Americans - that ‘REVERSE MORTGAGE BS!”
Just watched a recent report on Maryland Public Television, about people (mostly age 55 or older) who got phone calls about this wonderful idea of ‘pulling money’ out of the old homestead that was just sitting there doing nothing - got conned into signing papers and then later, LOST their homes because of an inability to make those easy payments!

In many cases, the victims had the audacity to go ahead and DIE - and their Estates and Heirs got SCREWED OUT of that still valuable home that would have otherwise been ‘passed on!’ count your ‘Lucky Stars’ Pilgrim, that you were not one of those DUPED by lying, cheating Scavengers - that the Government Allowed to even be in business - that - Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omni-Present Legal Entity - the God-Almighty CORPORATION!

UP with Corporations! DOWN with People!

Yeah, That’s the Ticket! The Government, Big Brother - the Lawyers - the Politicians - the Accountants - the Economists - the Bankers - the Wall Street Wonders - the Real Estate Marketeers - the Investment Bankers - the Federal Reserve Bank - the Insurance Companies - the Administration - the Congress -

THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING - RIGHT? SURE!

Now, as the sun slowly rises in the East, but you can’t really see it, because it’s raining cats and dogs - and I begin to close this rather cynical diatribe of displeasure and admonishment, I would like to attempt to recoup my monetary losses in a creative and benign way.

Is there anybody out there who would like to BUY The Chesapeake Bay Memorial Bridge? I understand that some other wise American Investor already purchased The Brooklyn Bridge, quite some years ago - maybe She/he is STILL AROUND?

WHY?
HOW COME?
POR QUE?


© - TKH