I hate leeches

There are many kinds of leeches. I guess an obvious one would be the creepy crawly insects that suck blood like Bonds sucks steroids (allegedly). Those are kind of freaky. You have to wonder who thought it would be a good idea to use leeches to "bleed" people in the latter part of the 1700s. I can just imagine the conversation.
"We need to make him bleed. What do you have?"
"Knife?"
"Nah, Jack borrowed it and went to London."
"Lance?"
"Nah, too long."
"Bayonet?"
"Nah, too hard to take off the rifle."
"Ice pick?"
"No, Perry took it exploring."
"Sewing needle?"
"Nah, the wife has it."
"Oh, I got it. This bloodsucking little beast we have been trying to get rid of."
"Perfect. This shall define medicine for the next 20o years."
Fortunately, I have never entered the world of leaches. Nor do I plan on it, even if the rumored return to their use does develop. Good to see advancements in modern medicine are away from machinery and back to infestations of insects.
Another leach I hate is many welfare recipients. Please let me distinguish between those who legitimately need welfare and are in that shape through no fault of their own...and the people who do not need welfare or who made their own mess and are not striving to escape it.
Those people drive me nuts. I hate seeing someone pull up in a car worth more than my net worth...and buy beer with an Oregon Trail card. Watching people fill their cart with snack and junk foods I can't afford and then paying for it with an Oregon Trail Card. I hate the Oregon Trail Card...
Why was it designed? Oh, yeah, because it was "embarrassing" to use stamps. No, what is embarrassing is people who COULD work but would rather live on welfare because it is easy. Excuse my un-p.c. remark here, but if you are on welfare, there is no way on earth you should have cable or satellite dish, much less the upgraded 100 dollar a month packages. People like these who abuse the system make it much harder on those who actually need and appreciate the help. I hate the leeches.
But perhaps the worst, most despicable leeches of all were revealed in an advertisement that came across the fax today. Let's take a look at some of the wonderful, warm, caring, good thoughts that were expressed.

"You can guarantee that there was a lot of talk about National Storm Management, Inc. (NSLT) last week as money managers tried to determine which stocks had the potential to benefit from the cleanup and damage repair that would be necessary after Hurricane Katrina. You see, as Katrina loaded her punch, investment pros across the U.S. were on alert. They quickly called emergency meetins to determine how to make their blue-blood clients much richer. From Miami to Palm Springs, these wealth managers wanted to pick selected specialized companies that would make huge profits by helping victims recover from Katrina's devastation.

As they loosened their silk ties,..."

I am not sure which of these leeches to go after first. The company that heartlessly, ruthlessly suggests you invest money in this company? Oh, they "justify" it with a *wink* suggestion to make a donation to the Red Cross since you will make so much money from this stock (that comes at the end...you just read the beginning). But they, by their own admission, actively sought a company that would make money from the Hurricane.

What about the leeches that plan to get rich? I cannot actually say that NSLT was accurately presented specifically, but I can say a lot of companies do plan this. Gas prices are jacked, plywood is through the roof (many companies will not even sell it to you unless you agree to buy certain amounts, and then it is at much higher prices).

Where is the good will? Why not lower prices so people can get back on their feet? Oh, I know...because the workers will not take pay cuts so "good" profits cannot be made. This is one time and place where capitalism, which I love, is not so good. There is no heart, no conscience.

No doubt the papers will pick off one or two stories a week where someone proves the exception...but the rule will be these leeches making money off death, pain and suffering.

The only ones worse are the politicians on both sides of the aisle who are spending time sniping at each other instead of working to do the best they individually can and let the others do (or not) what they will. But we have a system based on competition instead of cooperation. Then again, I have never seen a politician who wasn't a leech, so why stop now?

I hate leeches.