My New Year’s Resolution…part I

Normally, I don’t even bother coming up with one since I know I’d never follow it, let alone remember that I even came up with one. But, this New Year, I’m going to change it up a bit and give this whole resolution thing a chance.

My problem is that I tend to get close to some people. When that happens, it’s guaranteed that things will end up going down in flames. I’ve always tried to keep people at arms length; you know, the whole “emotionally distant” thing. The reason for this is because in the early part of my life I got burned, lost control, and it took me a long time to get things straightened out. And, for a while, I was able to stay distanced from people quite easily.

So, then, what’s my problem? Well, I could go into the past 4 years or so, but the past 4-5 months should be sufficient to explain the reasoning behind my resolution to keep my distance. One of my closest friends, who shall remain unnamed, has pulled her bullshit once again and has dropped me like a box of bricks: every time she gets into some kind of relationship, I’m the odd-man out and she ignores me until her fling goes down the tubes. And every single time I forgave and forgot. But, not this time. When I needed a friend the most, she’s been too busy, so I’m done with that.

Then there’s two other situations from the past several months that involve a family member and my other close friend and I’m just too burned out to keep on caring about it all anymore (which really isn’t true, but I’m teetering on the edge). In both cases, I’m feeling way too much hurt and I really can’t stand it anymore. There’s no reason to continue to suffer, right? Of course, these are the only two cases where I’d go back at the risk of more suffering if things work out, but I may approach both a little more cautiously.

I guess I really shouldn’t call keeping people at arms length a resolution, since this was supposed to be a rule of sorts for myself. So, I guess I’ll just say my resolution is to follow the rules I’ve set for my life….with special emphasis on keeping my distance from people.

This may sound bitter, but I don’t really care.  You’ll see why when I get to part II in a bit

My Super Villain…

You are Venom

Venom 57% The Joker 56% Dark Phoenix 55% Mr. Freeze 51% Mystique 43% Apocalypse 37% Juggernaut 35% Poison Ivy 34% Green Goblin 31% Dr. Doom 30% Magneto 29% Two-Face 27% Catwoman 26% Lex Luthor 19% Riddler 15% Kingpin 12%

Strength, disguise and adrenaline are your greatest weapons.

Click here to take the “Which Super Villain am I?” quiz…

Myspace is the #1 worst website…say it ain’t so!

According to PC World, out of the top 25 worst sites, Myspace reigns supreme.

Of course, to anyone who hasn’t been in a coma for the past several years, this isn’t much of a surprise. I think the only people who would disagree with PC World’s “findings” are the fanboys and sluts of the Myspace realm.

Let’s forget for just a moment that Myspace is a gold mine for pedophiles and other sexual predators. It’s poor design makes the site one giant security threat to your computer. Remember the most recent issue with embedded videos? The fact that the site randomly asks you to re-enter your login name and password makes it as easy as possible for hackers to steal such things.

One of the biggest issues I have with this god-forsaken site is that it causes nothing but drama in your day-to-day life. People get upset if they’re not on somebody’s top 8 or whatever it is these days. It’s easy to misconstrue what someone writes in their profile/blog or writes as a comment on someone else’s profile/blog. I certainly give credit to Myspace for ruining a friendship with the closest friend I’ve ever had, but that’s beside the point.

It’s a breeding ground for sluts and wannabe sluts. It’s a cesspool of mindless morons and dangerous predators. It reinforces the idea that the only human contact you’ll ever need is through a computer, ruining social skills of the young. To make matters worse, just about every band you come across has some kind of Myspace profile that they actively promote during concerts. It’s just freaking disgusting.

Other notables that you may have heard of (though, I don’t necessarily agree deserve such “honorable” mentions in this list): Hotmail.com, Microsoft Windows Update, BonziBuddy, and Hamsterdance.com

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The state of medical care in the U.S. is abysmal

Since I’ve just graduated, I will no longer be eligible for coverage under my parents’ insurance policy once the new year rolls around. Makes sense, I’ll technically no longer be dependent on them as I’ll be “on my own.” So, this means I’ve got to purchase my own coverage until I find a job that offers insurance.

At the beginning of the month, I applied to Blue Cross of California, and I’ve finally been notified of their decision: rejected! Of course, they informed of the reason: my medication makes me too much of a “liability” in their eyes. Apparently, having ADD and a panic and anxiety disorder is just too much, especially since I’m being treated for it.

Let the ranting begin.

This country’s insurance situation is just horrible. We rank worse than some third world countries when it comes to medical conditions here (I’ll explain later). The fact that I’m getting treated for an illness (or two) should mean I’m less of a risk than if I wasn’t getting treated. What if I’m not getting treated for my anxiety and panic disorder, have an episode because of that, and end up hurting others (say, while driving and lose control of the car and take out some other cars) that they cover? Well, because Blue Cross denied me coverage and I couldn’t complete my treatment, they’re now paying out the ass for people who’ve just been in a car wreck (Blue Cross is the largest provider in California).

The United States is supposed to be the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. Yet, 80+ million people in this country are either un-insured or under-insured. I no longer have the figures on me, but in comparison to many other countries, we rank pretty poorly in the life expectancy and infant mortality rate department while, at the same time, spending more per person on health care (this includes a couple of third world countries). What’s the difference? These countries have some form of universal health care coverage for its citizens. The U.S. does not.

It’s pretty logical, if you take a moment to stop and think about it. I like using the example of a car: if you spend the money to maintain it (i.e. spend the money on the preventive maintenance), you’re going to spend less money, overall, than someone who doesn’t perform the preventive maintenance on their car. People are the same way: if you spend the money to make sure they’re being checked and treated, the small issues don’t explode into larger, more expensive ones. Of course, this is just in general, sometimes larger issues are just unavoidable. BUT, even then, if you catch an illness or disease early on, it’s quicker, easier, and generally cheaper to treat.

Of course, keeping costs down can come with a price. Take Canada, for example. They spend less on health care than the U.S. and can afford to give their citizens free, basic coverage. The reason it’s cheaper for them is because, unlike in the U.S., they don’t have the abundance of the extremely expensive diagnostic machines that we tend to have in every hospital. This leads to long waiting periods in Canada to get checked out through these machines, whereas here in the U.S., you don’t have to wait months to get a CAT scan. Unfortunately, that’s why health care costs so much for us and that’s why we pay so much when we go to the hospital, even when we’re not being tested with these expensive machines: the hospitals have to pay for the machines and equipment somehow, so they pass on the costs to everyone who comes through their doors.

There is a lot more that’s wrong with our medical care (taboo of talking about death i.e. Schiavo) that I could go into, but I can’t and I won’t. I’m too tired and I’m too pissed off about my situation. Since I was rejected by Blue Cross ($94 a month), my only option at the moment is a program called MRMIP, which will cost me about $264 a month. That is, until I’ve been working for Longs for 3 months and can get insurance through them.

I’m incensed to the point where I can’t even think straight. And I’m done. For now.

Muslim women to be forced to lift veil at airports

If I’m not mistaken, this has been a growing issue over in Europe, specifically Great Britain: Muslim garb receiving some much needed attention for the sake of security. How this latest incident is even an issue is beyond me. When we all go to an airport or any other place where identification needs to be flashed, we’re expected to show our face. How can you make a positive ID if you can’t see someone’s face?

The only reason this is an issue is because of the terrorist era we live in. The sad fact is that people of Middle Eastern descent (and Muslims in general) are looked at as people to fear. But, they’re not feared without good reason. While the actions of a few don’t represent an entire culture and religion, it’s very rare that we hear prominent Muslims speak out against these terrorist acts and acts of violence conducted by Muslims in general. In fact, you never hear hear any outcry from the Muslim world because it tends to be overshadowed by death and destruction that has not let up. Remember, these are the same kinds of people who went ape shit over some cartoons that depicted the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb for a turban.

Everyone should be treated the same. If some rotten-toothed Brit has to show his face, so does some Middle Eastern chick. You and I both know that members of some Muslim communities will condemn having women lift their veil, but the case in this article shows that just looking at the eyes does not work for security purposes. I’m not one for giving up rights just for a little security, but this isn’t giving up any right, it’s just common sense: to effectively establish yor correct identification, your face needs to be seen. Plain and simple.

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