Democratic Do Overs

 

Howard, Howard, Howard…You poor beleaguered soul. Running the DNC is a whole lot harder than you thought it would be, isn’t it? Kinda wishing you were in a forest somewhere in Vermont getting sap out of a tree right about now, huh? Sucks to be you. With all the whinging and whining about Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates, you are once again finding yourself in the spotlight after hiding for so long. What’s a poor Democrat leader to do? Suggest a Do Over.

Excuse me, come again? Are you asking that Michigan and Florida redo their primaries/caucuses/primacaucus/caucamaries after blatantly violating the rules of the DNC by moving elections without consent? Are you seriously considering making the candidates backtrack and spend more money and time and thus extending the nomination process so that some folks will not feel disenfranchised in November? Are you really going to cave into the Clinton campaign demands to upend the process after they and the Obama campaign pledged to honor the ruling of the DNC? Say it aint so, Mr. Dean!

First I’ll say that the original ruling was dumb. A compromise could have been reached before all of this mess came to a head. The DNC should have been more vocal and active with Florida’s Republican led legislature after they voted to move up elections in the state. As for Michigan, who knows what went on there, but even so, things could have been handled better than a shake of the finger and a statement of, “Rules are Rules”. Your silence and the DNC’s inaction are the cause of all this. It just makes me wish I could propose a few do overs:

Do Over #1: You would not have been placed in charge of the DNC. I’ll admit, your 50 state strategy and your embrace of new technology has made an impact. It’s helped Obama and Clinton do very well by getting people from all states to the polls. However your failure to quell the infighting, your slow as quicksand responses to these election issues, and your inertia unraveling the complexities of the Pledged Delegate-Super Delegate-Proportional Delegate-Primary/Caucus-all-in-one-day-parallel universe illustrates my point.

Do Over #2: Why stop there? If I could have another Do Over, The “Nancy and Harry Live from Capitol Hill Show” would not be happening right now. These two are the poster children for limp-wristed left wing partisanship. By kicking dirt in Bush’s face in public while acquiescing to him in private, shows that not only does the leadership in the DNC needs to be done over, the Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill needs to haul ass as well.

Do Over #3: Let’s keep going..No Insider (Jekyll)/Populist (Hide) John Edwards for President campaign in 2008. No John Kerry/Edwards in 2004!

Do Over #4: Bill Bradley for President in 2000 instead of Al Gore. No backdoor deals to deny African Americans leadership positions within the DNC. No shout downs of Black Congressional Caucus members while they trying to speak out on that stolen election.

Do Over #5-I would not have left the Democratic Party in 2000.

Then again, If I had it to do #5 all over again, I still would have left.

In Order to win the Democratic Nomination, you must act like a Republican

 

Now I get it. Hillary has made me see the light. Forget positivity and grassroots organization and hope, it’s all about 3 AM phone calls, cheap shots, and misrepresentation. For the past few days I’ve felt like I was watching a primary battle between two hard line Republicans with the hardest of the hard liners ratcheting up the ante with negative ads and memo waving. Hillary Clinton showed that she is willing to do and say anything to win. She also showed that her methods worked–for now.

But I’ll tell you this, I’m not interested in viewing any more of her narcissistic machinations. I’m thoroughly convinced that she’s only interested in becoming President of the United States because she feels as if she’s entitled to it and not because she wants to make things better for our country. In order to put her diabolical plan into action, she decided to stay with Bill’s cheating behind, hold hands with old time feminists, bully, cajole, and pander her way into the Senate and into the higher echelons of the Democratic National Committee, and convince a cynical and fearful group of voters waiting for something other than George Bush that she’s experienced and ready just because she’s shared a bed with a former president for 35 years. This woman is pulling one of the greatest scams in politics and because she cried and whined about the press treating her badly, she’s been able to get away with it.

My mama didn’t raise no fool. If she walks like a Republican, talks like a Republican, and lies like a Republican, guess what? She’s a Republican. And no matter what she may say to corn fed farmers in Ohio or elderly Latino women in Texas, she can’t deny the fact that her pockets are lined with money from lobbyists, special interests, and white collar “Friends of Bill” criminals. She is one of the main cogs in a political attack machine made up of the privileged and educated elite. This former Goldwater Girl’s measure of concern about the poor and the middle class goes only as far as she can use them to fulfill her lofty ambitions. She’s no more a populist than John McCain is, folks. Don’t get it twisted. She will vote where the money and the contacts are. She’s proven that time and time again. She had the best teacher in the world. After Bill Clinton’s tenure he left a legacy of centrist/right wing policies that Democrats have yet to recover from. He in essence left the party with a serious identity crisis, and she has picked up where he left off.

The party of ideals is nothing more than a platform for her to stand on. Her “Solutions for America” are nothing more than lip service. Try to call her out or at least offer another perspective and she’ll come after you like a Michael Vick pitbull in a dogfight. She decries the “Karl Rovian” tactics and yet she utilizes them any chance she gets. She’s a fighter all right. A fighter with a blue state veneer and a red state mentality.

My Letter to Ralph Nader

Today, consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced his candidacy for President today much to the chagrin of Democrats and to the delight of Republicans. Being more engaged in the political process, I thought I’d write Mr. Nader to let him know what I thought about his upcoming campaign.

Dear Mr. Nader,

As an Independent who voted for you in 2000, I was impressed with your record of public service and your willingness to tell the truth. You were indeed the best candidate compared to George Bush and Al Gore. I thought that after your defeat in 2000, that you would try another route and get involved in a local or state campaign to further bolster your resume and to bring more attention to the efforts of the Green Party.
However, you chose to run for President again in 2004. You only received less than 1% of the popular vote and yet, you still did nothing to bolster your political resume or to lend widespread support to other Green Party candidates.
Now in 2008, you decide to run again, and I am seriously questioning your motives. Your announcement reminds me of a marathon runner who decides to jump in the race halfway through after sitting on the curb for four years. Is your decision based on really making a change or is it to simply make a statement? If it’s about change, then you surely realize that change takes real work and a willingness to go through each stage of the election process. Why didn’t you choose to make your announcement last year? Why didn’t you fight to be included on any of the state primary ballots? As I’ve been told, change doesn’t start from the top down, it starts from the bottom up.
How exactly do you think you will change the way things are done in Washington without trying to build coalitions and a solid base of support? How exactly do you think you could convince the Democrats and Republicans to pass any legislation that you suggest when you have made no effort to reach out to them? How do you expect to have members of the Green Party hold prominent positions when you have done very little in the way of campaigning for them?
I know that you have a right to run, that’s no longer the issue. It’s why you are running that’s bothering me. I have changed a great deal since 2000, and thus my expectations are different. I want a Presidential candidate who is truly a hard worker, understands and respects our political system, and is really serious about making changes that will benefit everyone; whether they are Independents, Democrats, or Republicans. I’m tired of divisive figures standing on tired platforms whose only motivation is bring more attention to themselves and their pet causes. I’m sorry to say this Mr. Nader, but that is who you have become in my eyes.
The only thing I ask is that you really think long and hard about why you are running. Is it really about giving voters another choice or is it about childishly thumbing your nose at a process that you despise and yet participate in when it suits you?

Sincerely,

Brooke Walker-Proud Independent

This Has Got to Stop…

 

In a recent interview with CNN, Grammy nominated singer Ledisi revealed that she was on the verge of giving up her singing career due partly to the attitudes of the suits at her record label. She was told that she didn’t have the right “look” to become a major star because of her weight and her natural hair. Kudos to her for having the strength to stay in the game and now she’s finally reaping the spoils because of her talent. As a music lover, I am sick and tired of hearing stories like this. Do these record company executives either not know or care that what makes an artist truly successful is talent??

I mean I like Beyonce, she is no doubt beautiful and slim BUT she would just be another throw away wannabe if she didn’t have the pipes. There are people who buy her music in spite of her overwhelming sex appeal but it seems as if the higher ups fail to recognize this. Look at Jill Scott. She has a rabid following despite her not being a size two with a weave running down her back. But Jill had to do it the old fashioned way: She toured like crazy. She wasn’t packaged and marketed to the masses. She didn’t have Clive Davis holding her hand at major events. She wasn’t seen gyrating around in minks and furs in a rapper’s video. She simply stood in front of a microphone and sang.

This isn’t an indictment against Rhianna or Alicia Keyes or any other cute, slim R&B singer. They have their place in music, but so does Ledisi, Angie Stone and Kelly Price. Size it seems does matter, but the focus should be on the size of a woman’s voice. It’s time for the decision makers to realize that the discerning music buyer needs more than just a pretty face, an overrated producer, and ProTools in order to make us slap down $12.99 for a CD.

Just saying.

Lady V’s Black Belt Theater

Remember back in the day on Saturday afternoons after American Bandstand and Soul Train went off, how eager you were to see what would be showing on “Black Belt Theater”? Didn’t you just love the fast and furious fighting, the clever acrobatics, the costumes, the weapons, and especially the bad dubbing? It’s no secret that I love Kung Fu movies, (hence my moniker) so I decided to share my list of best Kung Fu movies of all time.

• Masked Avengers-This classic from Shaw Brothers features the legendary Venoms Mob doing what they do best. This film ranks so high with me mainly because of the final fight scene. It is absolutely bananas. The plot is similar to any Venoms film you may see, but fight choreography is some of the best these guys have ever done. People may jump up and down on the Yuen Woo-Ping bandwagon, but for my money, the team of Kuo Choi, Chiang Shiang, and Lu Feng were the best fight coordinating team ever.
• Fist of Legend- Starring Jet Li in a superior remake of Bruce Lee’s seminal “Fists of Fury”, this film without a doubt features the best hand to hand, wireless, final fight I ever seen on film. Jet Li really solidifies his status as THE top film martial artist (sorry Jackie Chan fans). Everything about this film is top notch: the acting, the plot, and the art direction. It’s just one of those films where no matter how many times you see it, you just say, “Wow!”.
• Eight Diagram Pole Fighter- What’s a list of best Kung Fu movies without having at least one from the “Master Killer”, Gordon Liu? This dark and moving film was both a tribute to the late Alexander Fu Sheng who died during filming and to Liu Chia Liang’s outstanding direction. This film has definitely has one of the strangest end fights that I can ever remember. Coffins, Mongols with Flexi-Straw staffs, and flying teeth are indeed things you don’t see often, but Liang makes it work mainly on the strength of Liu’s performance. His anger is unrelenting and his quest for vengeance is unforgettable.
• The Shaolin Prince-Most non Kung Fu movie freaks will more than likely think that this film is rather silly. It does have it’s share of slapstick and bargain basement special effects, but it also has the majestic Ti Lung and dagger -spewing chair. A dagger-spewing chair folks! Tang Chia only directed three movies but his style is unmistakable. Just look for the elaborate fighting formations, that’s his trademark. Oh, and the fact that cutie pie Derek Yee Tung Sing stars in this as well doesn’t hurt at all.
• Blade of Fury-I’ll tell you this now. I’ve never been a fan of the wire-fu Wushu epics that became popular in the mid to late ’90’s. I could suspend belief on some things (I’m a Harry Potter fangirl), but seeing people run up tree branches and fight 300 feet in the air is too much for even me. Also, the use of wires can never really cover up the lack of skill (I’m looking at you, Maggie Chung!). However, one film does stand out and that’s Sammo Hung’s “Blade of Fury”. Fans of Kung Fu movies should be well acquainted with Hung’s background. He’s a buddy of Jackie Chan’s and a supreme martial artist in his own right so naturally the fighting in this film is way above par anything that Tsui Hark in his “Once Upon A Time in China ” series could conjure up. Ti Lung co-stars as a heroic official but he doesn’t do much fighting. That’s fine. The other actors more than make up for Ti’s minimal fighting. The plot is standard but the performances are really good.
• Avenging Eagle- Yes, another Ti Lung movie but the man is a favorite of mine. Part melodrama, part revenge saga; Ti Lung excels as the anti-hero. He’s a trained killer who has a change of heart. Alexander Fu Sheng shines as well as a mysterious stranger with a secret. To me, this pairing of two Shaw Brothers greats was always more intriguing than the Ti Lung/David Chiang one that dominated the Chang Cheng directed films in the early ’70’s. With villains galore and more weapons than you can imagine, this film can be found on many a Kung Fu aficionado’s list.
• Shaghai 13- When Shaw Brothers films was on its last legs in the mid ’80’s, director Chang Cheh set out to make a last hurrah for the days of great old school Kung Fu by assembling some of the top stars of the genre. Everyone and I mean everyone is in this film: Jimmy Wang Yu, Chun Kua-Tai, David Chiang, Wang Chung, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Chen Tee-Chi, and of course Ti Lung. Even an extremely young Andy Lau makes an appearance. Wall to wall fights of the highest caliber dominate .So much so that you don’t even remember what the plot is about. If you must know, it’s about a whistle blower who needs protection from the infamous Shanghai 13. A rare classic for those who just love to see good old fashioned fighting.

Honorable mentions:

5 Superfighters

Come Drink With Me

The Prodigal Son

Pedicab Driver

Two Champions of Shaolin

Treasure Hunters

Hell’s Wind Staff

Fist of the White Lotus

My Young Auntie

Master Killer

The Deadly Mantis

Blood Brothers

5 Shaolin Masters

Crippled Avengers

5 Deadly Venoms

The Shaolin Temple

If you are interested in getting these films try HKFlix.com or Edaymovie.com. They have it all including the all the restored Shaw Brothers classics!

The Slow Death of Hip Hop

 

I just finished watching some Hip Hop Summit on BET last night and what I gathered from the posturing, posing, and fake platitudes is that Hip Hop is in a serious state of flux right now. The voices who have long condemned Hip Hop are slowly drowning out the voices that support it. I didn’t find myself agreeing or disagreeing with anyone on the panel that included Master P, Diane Warren (ex Editor In Chief of Essence Magazine), Rev. Al Sharpton, Nelly, T.I., and some dude I didn’t recognize who nodded his head every time one of the other panelists said something smart. (I guess he was the debate fluffer). I just felt that I had heard everything from these people before so I didn’t expect anything new and by golly I was not disappointed.

Look, any music lover worth their weight in IPODs knows what’s wrong with Hip Hop. It’s not just the overabundance of curse words (artists have been cursing on record for years), It’s not the objectification of women (video vixens are as old videos themselves), It’s not the obsession with material wealth, or the glorification of violence. No- what’s wrong with Hip Hop is that the artists (and I use that term loosely) who revel in those subject matters are the ones who are selling the most records, making the most money, and are getting the most radio and television air play. The major record labels have cottoned on to the potential windfall that is Hip Hop and they jumped all over it like flies to shit. Even though Hip Hop has been around for nearly 30 years, it’s just been in the last 10 or so that Hip Hop has become the dominant musical genre.

And you know the old saying,”Too much of a good thing….can lead to a bunch of crap.” In other words, the record companies in their infinite stupidity have once again latched on to a musical and cultural phenomenon and have proceeded to over saturate the market until they drive it into oblivion. It happened with disco. It happened with heavy metal. It happened with grunge. And now it’s going to happen to Hip Hop. The signs are all there folks. Haven’t you noticed that pretty much everyone looks and sounds the same? Can someone tell me what’s the difference between Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Scrappy, or Lil’ Pistol Starter? Different colored wife beaters, perhaps? Look at the videos (if you can stand it). You already know what’s going to happen before it does:

Exterior: A dark and dimly lit street. A black Hummer appears out of the mist and stops in front of a nightclub. The camera closes in as the door opens and Lil’ Bama and his crew emerge from the car.

A tight shot of the 56 inch rims follows.

Then there is a POV shot as Lil’ Bama tries really hard to rap the audio track as the crowd outside moves in to give him and his boys pounds and hugs.

Cut to: Interior scene of Lil’ Bama’s rented crib as he sits at the side of a pool (fully dressed) as bikini clad video girls loll about and stroll around working themselves into such a frenzy that the only thing left for Lil’ Bama to do is to pour champagne (No Cristal) down their chests.

Cut to: Interior club scene. Lil’ Bama and his boys walk in slow motion to the VIP section. Frivolity ensues as women suddenly remember that they have clothes on and proceed to undress as Lil’ Bama and his boys throw dolla dolla bills into the crowd.

Another shot of the 56 inch rims

and fade to black.

See what I mean?

Even the so called beefs are contrived now. Does anyone really care who’s the King of South Houston or the Ruler of Little 5 points in Atlanta? Are two grown men really ready to fight each other because Big Boi in so and so’s crew might have snitched on Boo’s baby mama’s cousin who was in another crew? Whatever happened to putting it on wax? I guess since you have You Tube and part 57 of “BEEF” on BET, you don’t have to. Just bitch and whine on video, huh?

Now that I think about it, maybe that the reason they don’t put it down on wax is because they really can’t rap in the first place. When I have had the patience to decipher all the “shawty’s” and “right churr’s”, I find that most of these current rappers don’t have the skills that their predecessors did. I know, even back in the day we had to suffer through DAS EFX and Smooth B, BUT we were also blessed with Chuck D and KRS-1 and Q-Tip and Rakim. Who are the current top MCs (not rappers) today? Kayne? Maybe when he’s not engaging in bitchy fits. Jay-Z? Maybe when he’s not retiring every few minutes. Common? That’s one. NAS? That’s another. But often times they get lost in the mix of those who were practically picked up off the corner, dusted off ( a bit), and given a record contract.

At least in the past, Hip Hop fans had some real choices. If you were more conscious-oriented there was Public Enemy and X-Clan. If you liked more experimental Hip Hop, you could listen to De La Soul and Tribe. And if you wanted hardcore, there was NWA and the Geto Boys. Each act was different and they brought something new to the listener, but nowadays???? Not so much.

The overwhelming success of Hip Hop in my opinion will ultimately lead to it’s demise. Of course there is the natural ebb and flow of interest for musical genes but the way things are going, Hip Hop just might die and stay dead only to become a joke for late night television. The lack of variety and the pursuit of the almighty dollar is literally choking the life out of an art form that was born from the streets-created by those who needed and wanted to be heard. My fear is some day soon, no one is going to want to listen anymore.

This Right Here…..

 

We interrupt the regulary scheduled blog to bring you this ignorant ass mess! The good news is that this “celebration” has been cancelled due to the enormous outcry the promoter received. The bad news is that it was thought of in the first place. Not to mention, planned “Sexy Chocolate” and “Sexy Caramel” parties were scheduled as well.

It’s 2007, not 1957 people. When will the coonery end?? Parties centered around skin tone? So the unfortunate non-Libra darkey that might have stumbled into that minstrel show would have been subjected to what, having to party at the back of the club all night? And who or what would have determined who was light skinned or who wasn’t, an impartial paper bag at the ticket window?

Thanks to everyone who took the time to put this foolishness on blast. Maybe the next idiot that decides to have an “Albino Night”, or a “Bow-legged-Brown-Skin-Scorpio Celebration” will think twice.

The Exorcist

 I will never forget the first time I saw “The Exorcist”. It was February 1980 and I was 8 years old (don’t ask why I was allowed to watch a film like that at such a young age. That’s for another blog). The film was making its network television debut and I had no idea what to expect. I was unprepared for such a visceral and frightening experience and it changed me considerably. Since then, I have seen the movie about a dozen times and my opinion has not changed. “The Exorcist” is still the scariest movie ever made.

If your a film buff like me, you’ll understand the significance of this film. In the 1970’s, film making began a radical turn in its approach to subject matter and visuals. From 1971’s “Carnal Knowledge” to 1972’s “Last Tango in Paris”. Filmmakers began to take more risks. As a result, some of the most memorable films of all time came from that era and “The Exorcist” was no exception. Before, horror movies relied on understated psychological methods to elicit terror. Take for example 1967’s “Rosemary’s Baby”. The more horrifying aspects of the story happened offscreen or were cleverly implied. All that changed with “The Exorcist”. Director William Friedman incorporated those methods as well but then threw in the shocking, in-your-face moments that guaranteed controversy and cemented its impact.

When it was released in 1973, the film was met with outrage, condemnation, and curiosity. The graphic nature of the film caused people to faint and vomit in the aisles. Certain theaters banned the picture and questions were raised by pundits as to how a film like that managed to get made. To me, the questions were irrelevant considering what was happening outside the theaters at the time. The country was in a state of unrest. People were reeling from the effects of the Vietnam War, the racial divide, and government corruption. The film to me was a reflection of the struggle of faith. Faith in the government, faith in the church, and faith in the values and beliefs that had been shoved down the throats of people for decades. The battle wasn’t just between God and some demon for the soul of an innocent girl, the battle was for the very soul of a nation.

Of course I wasn’t thinking about those things when I first watched it. I was too transfixed by the turning heads, moving beds, and levitation. I couldn’t sleep for weeks. I have seen plenty of horror films in my time and I have to say that the last 45 minutes of “The Exorcist” are the most horrifying ever in the history of film. I’ve said something similar before but I thought it best to mention it again. This mesh of the sacred and the profane has disgusted and fascinated me like no other film and that’s why it’s one of my favorites.

Relax, Relate, and Release

Okay. Since I just celebrated my birthday a little less than a week ago I figured it was time for me to let some stuff go. My emotional baggage was becoming a bit heavy and my back ain’t what it used to be, ya feel me? It’s time for me to let bygones be bygones, let the water pass under the bridge, forgive and for……for…….*sigh* FORGET! There I said it dammit!

I’ll start with erasing from my memory those three years of hell also known as my middle school years. Each day was an exercise of mental and emotional torture. Everything from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet was cannon fodder. Every minute I was reminded that my hair was too short, my skin was too dark, my nose was too big, my clothes were too poor looking, my mother didn’t make enough money, my grades were too good, my speech was too proper, and my taste in music was too weird. My main tormentor was a guy by the name of D.P. and he made it his life’s mission to play the dozens on me from the time I stepped on the bus in the morning until I stepped off it in the afternoon. Plus he had an arsenal of spitballs, eggs, and plastic bags full of water to hurl at me when he ran out of things to say. I was mainly a source of entertainment for the cool kids. I mean, I was laughed at more than Kim Fields when she made that “Dear Michael” song. It was THAT bad. Now before you readers get together and provide me with a collective “awwwwwwwww” , for the sake of truth I will provide the following facts:
(1). I had a jheri curl all three years.
(2). I was so skinny I looked like I had two backs.
(3). I got my first pair of glasses my 7th grade year and those joints was PINK!!!!
(4). If you’ve read my previous blog, you would know that I had big azz feet too.

Of course these aren’t really GOOD reasons to pick on someone but again, I’m all about truth tellin’ in the ‘07. And the truth is I was hurt and I didn’t know how to defend myself at all. I would just take all of that abuse and not say anything. I guess I was trying to be Jesus like and not smite my enemy because I wanted and still want a place in Heaven. But like Sophia said in the “Color Purple”, I should have bashed D.P.’s head in and thought about Heaven later. I certainly could have dealt with a suspension on my school record instead of a 20+ year complex.

However as I said before I’m dealing with it right now. I have the self esteem, the wit, the computer skills, and the cutlery (I’ll cut a b*tch these days) to finally put that episode in the trash can of my memory. I can now understand that D.P. was just a child back then too. He probably came from a broken home and had some self esteem issues or whatever crap folks use as an excuse these days. He might have had some mental issues as well because for certain when I saw homeboy again when I was attending college, he was walking around the mall by himself looking like a reject from the Guardian Angels (military jack boots, beret, and a t shirt with a skull on it). I didn’t try to my little exercise in self discovery back then because I was still feeling pretty raw at the time. So I just gave him a real nasty look and went on my way….. quickly because homeboy looked like he was capable of stabbing somebody with a plastic fork from the food court.

So today…I forgive you, D.P. for every mean thing you ever said and did to me during middle school. I’m relaxing, relating, and releasing in the spirit of enlightenment and positive personal growth.

*hummmmmmmmmmmmm*

Disclaimer: That don’t mean I still won’t cut a b*tch though.

Take My Money Please!

Recently Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest insurance carrier in Southern California was slapped with a 1 million dollar fine for canceling policies of customers who suffered chronic illness and were pregnant. Under state law, insurance carriers are only supposed to cancel policies if the holders were found to have lied about any preexisting conditions during the application process. The Department of Managed Health Care the state regulatory agency, found after reviewing 90 policies randomly selected from 500 canceled between 2004 and 2005 that Blue Cross Blue Shield had indeed violated the law.

Now this news shouldn’t be surprising at all. The point of this blog entry was to not elicit surprise but instead outrage and possibly some type of action. Let’s face it. All of us need insurance. We can’t drive our cars without it. We can’t get decent medical care without it. We can’t even get buried or cremated without it. The insurance companies know this. That’s why every other commercial on television now is advertising insurance. Insurance offices are popping up on every street corner. And my god, you can’t even nip into the ladies room these days without some pushy agent trying to slide a card into your hand. Again, don’t be surprised. Insurance is a multi-billion dollar business. And I like to think I’m doing my part in contributing to its profits with my medical, dental, unemployment, disability, life, and renter’s policies. Go Me!

I have all this insurance because the consequences of my not having any insurance could be financially devastating. I endure the cuts in my paycheck because I know the alternative would pretty much suck. I’m going under the impression of course that should something happen (knock on my artificial wood desk) I’ll be covered. Well, if that something doesn’t include me getting pregnant or falling ill with a serious disease or becoming an accident victim. Case in point, when I used to drive I had car insurance with full coverage. Or so I thought. But wouldn’t you know I had to go and have an accident and get my leg broken. After three years of prompt payments and no traffic violations, my insurance company decided to drop me because I was determined to be “high risk”. It’s the old “damned if you do, dammed if you don’t” type situation. If I don’t have insurance I’m screwed. If I do have insurance I’m screwed too. Between me and you, that kind of screwing doesn’t make me want a cigarette afterward.

Don’t take my word for it. Just ask any homeowner in New Orleans or the Gulf Coast. Those with insurance discovered after Hurricane Katrina that they weren’t in good hands with Allstate and State Farm wasn’t such a good neighbor. While these poor people were trying to rebuild their lives after that horrible tragedy, the insurance companies were too busy finding ways to NOT help them do that by delaying paperwork, and disputing whether home damage was caused by wind or flooding. Most homeowners were forced to settle for less than half or even a quarter of the value of the homes they worked so hard to keep and take care of.

It’s as if hard working, tax paying citizens like you and me are being held hostage by these insurance companies. Of course it helps to be proactive and expose the wrongdoing, but it seems as if the punishments come few and far between. Until real reform is realized, me and everyone else will continue to tell big insurance, “Take my money, please!”

To learn more about insurance reform, check out these websites:

www.insurance-reform.org
www.fema.gov/pdf/nfip/riegle.pdf
www.atla.org/pressroom/FACTS/insurance/index.aspx
search.techrepublic.com.com/search/insurance+reform.html