What the Heck Are These?

So, I’m walking down the sidewalk close to my house this afternoon, and I see these:

These pillars are in a triangular position.

I’ve seen them plenty of times before and have always wondered what they were, but today I decided not to be lazy by taking a few pictures and uploading them to this post.

So, what exactly are they? My initial guess was that perhaps they were old border markers from back during the Revolutionary War. There’s a town near here called Geneva where the old Massachusetts border used to be, so I felt that it was a valid educated guess.

But what are they? The question has been bothering me since this morning, and whenever I Google them, I’m directed to some companies that are completely irrelevant to my quest for knowing the truth!

Do you know what they are? If not, what do you think they could be?

My Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President,

I never thought I’d find myself in a situation where I would have to ask you for help nor give you help (should you choose to review my report), but I am in a rather tough spot. I’m hoping that you can do something either immediately or at least in the long run so that people in a similar situation may have something to look forward to.

When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. That was 19 years ago. I am now a recent college graduate from the State University of New York’s Institute of Technology, and like everyone else, I am struggling to survive in this continually staggering economy. I have faith that your plan to save us will work well, even though I know I must be patient.

My problem is this: my health insurance keeps on lapsing. Because I made over the maximum amount of income that Medicaid allows, I’m no longer going to be covered. To make matters worse, I worked for the company for only a few weeks, which makes me ineligible for health benefits. This coverage is needed in my situation, because my medicine costs me roughly 700 dollars per month, not including the costs to see specialists and doctors on a regular basis.

If I am not covered and cannot afford my medicine, I will become ill, starting with a seemingly normal stomach bug. Then my muscles will begin weakening, and further complications will arrive, including kidney damage, blindness, and inevitably, death. I’m not saying this to try to sway you in any way. I am simply showing you that this is real. I really am in this situation, and I really will become ill if something isn’t done.

I am wondering why it is that I and others in a similar situation must struggle so hard for insurance? Why is it so hard for me to get the coverage that I need? Why can’t other Type 1 diabetics simply have a base insurance plan? I didn’t ask for this illness. Every time I go to the doctor’s or pick up my medicine, I fear that they’ll tell me that my insurance is no longer valid, because it’s happened to me multiple times before, over small things like a signature or one piece of information that I didn’t know I had to supply.

Is there something easier? Will there be something better for people like me? Do I have to keep praying to God that something will turn up as I fear for my life (literally)? Every night I lose sleep over this situation, because I am afraid. I feel like I’m no longer in the American dream everyone speaks of, but in the American nightmare. The only problem is that I cannot open my eyes and get out of it. Not yet, anyway. I will be forever in your debt if you can do something for me, or at least call or contact me to further discuss my problem. I know you’re busy, but this is vital.

On a lighter note, I have something that I’d very much like to propose to you. It is a report I did while in college this past Fall 2008 semester. The report analyzes and debates why Alternative Punishment on nonviolent offenders would benefit our country. It’s rather extensive, and though it’s not the best report, I still think that it will be of some value to both you and your administration.

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope that you may be able to help me and others in a similar situation. Every time you’re on television, I feel my sense of hope increase tremendously. I have faith that you will lead us out of this mess, even if it will take some time. I look forward to hearing from you so that I may send you my report, and I thank you in advance for taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

James Schneider

Pictures Speak 1000 Words (So I Don’t Have to Write Today =P)