GREED

Excluding natural disasters, accidents or war victims, beggars were everywhere this past year. All of them beg to support the “poor me” mindset. That is, I can do what I will and guilt-trip you to “save” poor me. Beggars, of course, include governments, corporations, nonprofits, professional beggars, beggars who don’t know any better, and the down trodden.

Empathy is justified at times – or not. What’s not right about begging is affixing a label to a beggar confirming to the beggar it’s alright to beg! It’s not OK! 

I didn’t open the door to worldwide stock market greed or corporate and government mismanagement that led to greed. I wasn’t stupid enough to buy a house that I couldn’t afford. Nor did I unzip some drunk’s mouth and pour alcohol down his/her gullet or opted in on a drug-user’s holiday!

Exactly why should I give money to support the self-centered? You say—what! Wait up folks; I donate both money and time: money where it’s justified and time when a sincere individual asks for professional input.

But the “straw that broke [this] camel’s back” and topped off the beggars' year of greed was Oprah’s new network website. I wanted to find out the channel in my area – but COULDN’T without giving Oprah’s gatekeepers my email address! Well duh! 

SHAME ON YOU Oprah! That’s GREEDY. Why do you ALSO need my email address? Don’t you already have enough going for you? Why do you need my email address before I even decide if I like your TV channel?

You want to dun me? You want to allow your advertisers’ to dun me? Isn’t it obvious I’m a willing viewer or I wouldn’t be on OWN’s website in the first place? Ever hear of “web analytics”? It was a real turn off. Oink! Oink! 

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