Bureaucratic Hell

Hello Everyone:

New week, new gripes.  Before I get started on my recent visits to bureaucratic hell, I'd like to make you aware of another worthy cause.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation (http://www.preservationnation.org) has teamed up with Amazon to make year-end charitable giving easy and fun.  When you go to http://smile.amazon.com, not only can you purchase some really great gifts for friends, family, and yourself, you can also donate a percentage of purchase to the National Trust.  It's easy.  All you have to do is check off the box next to the National Trust and you're done.  Not only did you make your hard to please aunt happy but also you made it possible for the folks at the National Trust to continue such programs as Green Labs, Saving Place, and Main Street.

Now onto my descent into bureaucratic hell.  For the past few weeks I've been trying to line up health insurance, mandated by the Affordable Health care Act.  While I think it's about time that universal health care come to the United States, I don't like getting the run around on the website.  I mean how difficult is for someone, such as myself who is healthy with no pre-existing conditions, to get health insurance?  Logically it shouldn't require that much effort.  However, I find myself quickly losing my mind just trying to log on.  I wonder if this is the same in other countries where universal health insurance is the norm?  Coupled with this is my attempts to get an unemployment deferment on my student loans.  First, my account gets disabled, fixing that was simple.  Then I try to download the form and that takes forever and a day.  Ugh.  It's enough to make a person give up.  It's as if the universe is trying to test you to find out what your tolerance level for run around is.  Apparently, mine is very low. It should not take an act of divine intervention to get health insurance or fill out a simple form.  They should be readily accessible and easy to navigate, but no, that's too logical.  I forgot to mention that both the ACA and student loan program are federal government administered so that's why they're so mind numbingly complicated.  Nevertheless, I shall try to keep calm and carry on.