A Rant


I've been blessed with good health, support and love from friends and family, and a fullfilling and challenging career. I'm far from perfect but try to live by the Golden Rule, "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you."


But there are days when I sit back and wonder what kind of crazy world I've been dumped in.


The President of the United States (Leader of the Free World) is paid an annual salary of $200,000 and change. Kobe Bryant, professional basketball player, makes approximately $13 million a year including endorsements.

On one hand you have reporters like David Bloom, who go the extra mile to make sure the real story reaches the American public. On the other hand, you have Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass, Ruth Shalit, Mike Barnicle, among other plagiarizing journos who are already back to work, making up sources and amusing themselves by lifting brilliant copy and calling it their own.

The poverty rate is up with almost 33 million Americans making less than $15,000 a year; unemployment has risen to 6.1%; there's a war in Iraq - one of over two dozen hotspots around the globe - with American soldiers being shot on a daily basis for trying to bring some semblance of order to the Iraquis chaotic lives; not to mention terrorists full of hate and loathing for the western way of life who would like nothing more than to incinerate all of North America.

Meanwhile, Americans continue to sit in front of tv sets watching countless hours of "Reality Shows." Kids graduate to higher levels of wonderful games like "Grand Theft Auto" while their health goes down the toilet everytime they consume a Big Mac or pizza or gallons of soda.

Meanwhile, only 60% of US citizens vote - and that figure was from the Presidential election of 2000 (which always draws a higher turnout) and not the last election in 2002 - but everyone gets their pants in a bunch when the politicians start screwing with their lives. If you didn't vote, you have no right to criticize the job that's being done now.

I watch good people struggle to make ends meet while individuals completely void of character reap in the wealth. Sports heros and actors are held in higher regard than the public servants in office. The answer to every conflict is to grab an attorney and haul someone (anyone) into court.

It makes me sad.