Rumination: I would like to be a fly on the wall on judgment day when we are asked by our creator to give an accounting of our life. I would like to hear the justifications given by the individuals, businesses, governments and religions with the power to help explain how they could stand by and watch so many people suffer on a daily basis while they were living the good life — to the extreme. "Will our creator understand and sympathize?" Rumination: I find it interesting and extremely sad that criminals today spend their entire lives rejecting any form of our society's laws . . . until they are caught. Then they want every advantage that our justice system can offer, and cry discrimination or some such nonsense if the system doesn't get them off. "Now tell me again, exactly who do our laws protect?" Rumination: Somewhere along the way we, the people, dropped the ball. We have individuals running our country and making our laws who are, by comparison to the finances of the "everyday Joe," considered at the least, quite wealthy. In addition, most of them don't have to worry with the problems of everyday life like grocery shopping, or house keeping, or child care, or day care, or the problems of public schools. They don't have to take their car to be serviced, or buy tires, or stand in a line to get tags, or battle the long emission testing lines, or buy gas, or even drive in the commute traffic. As a matter of fact most of them don't have much in common with the "average Joe" and never have. "So why the hell are they making laws that effect you and I?" Rumination: I read in the papers and hear on the news that we have drug and crime problems as well as problems our kids. Many say that these problems are the direct result of poor parenting, or "latch key" parenting. Personally I think that the root of the problem is more the result of a government that has too long favored big business and allowed the cost of living to run amuck. It is necessary in most families today that both parents work just to make ends meet . . . which makes parenting very difficult. It seems to me that parents have been set up as a scape goat. "Could this be true, or is it just plain paranoia?" Rumination: Every since the depression people have worked hard to make life better for their families. I know that my parents worked hard all their life to make life better for me. I certainly strived hard to make life even better for my children. "Soooo what happened?" Rumination: Did I miss the memo? What is with all this reality TV — which actually is not based in reality at all. It has been explained to me that since the shows aren't scripted, they are classified reality. Now in reality, there is no such thing as an unscripted show due to the high production costs. A true reality show would be how to survive in today's world on a average person's salary! "Totally unreal." Rumination: Please explain to me how a medical facility can justify billing a patient $501 dollars (actual figures) for medical services when they will accept a total adjusted payment of $131.00 (with insurance discounts) . . . and still make money. Sooooo, if you can't afford insurance then you would have to pay the $501. It's really not that hard to understand why people can't afford insurance . . . they are broke from paying the bill that could be satisfied by $131 if they had insurance. Who is getting screwed here? "This should be a law...!" Rumination: If all children are born color blind, where do they get their ideas about race? "A little food for thought." Rumination: It has occurred to me that doctors see patients day in and day out with all kinds of illnesses, contagious viruses and germs . . . yet they never seem to get sick. Why don't they just treat us with what they use to stay healthy? "Oversight or conspiracy?"