Of freebies, geeks & Ludwig von Mises...

Few things come free in this life, and I get one of them! My darling friend Sandy is the Editor for our local Republican Women's newletter. I'm not a member of said organization, but I get their newsletter (& membership applications) at each publication -- for FREE! Here's the latest "From the Editor" & man, is it good!

Once a geek, always a geek I guess. I admit it, I have been reading Ludwig von Mises. Doctor von Mises passed away in 1973, but for decades was the most prominent member of the Austrian school of economics.

An ardent capitalist, I think he does a very good job of explaining “the slippery slope” of government interference in the economy. [For example] Let’s just say that we all want the latest cell phone and none of us like paying $650 for it. The Occupy protestors decry that a smart phone is a necessity these days but most people can only afford to pay $100 for a device. They want the government to mandate that the phones be sold for $100. What’s wrong with that?

Well, if this arbitrary price does not cover the cost of production, then the merchants and manufacturers will not sell the phones. They will hold on to them, hoping that the legislation will be repealed and that the devices in inventory can then be sold at a profit rather than a loss.

So, socialist legislators with no understanding of economics, will then move on to not just fixing price, but mandating the sale of the devices. But… because the price is now artificially low, the demand will increase while the supply remains the same. This means that people who go to the electronics store prepared to pay $100 for their government-promised gizmo….go home empty-handed.

NOW, to avoid the anger of the Occupiers who STILL don’t have the latest phone, the legislators must implement rationing. One phone per household. (All the Occupiers are still on mom and dad’s cell plan anyway, right?)

But once all the inventory on hand is exhausted, what company is going to produce a product that they are forced to sell at a loss? No one will and you end up with a scenario where in its attempt to provide a coveted product to everyone, the government vaporizes the availability of the product for everyone.

Smart phones are a silly example, but the basic premise can be applied to any good or service. Think healthcare and be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

~~

Some freebies, like smarts, are -actually- free. And this 'geek' has got plenty.

I'm just glad she's my friend...

~~~

Oh the places you will go!

My friend Duta, posted an interesting piece about a park near her house. I find her light, happy post so very refreshing. Duta tells us she is becoming 'addicted' to this little park where she can exercise for free. She describes the people who frequent it, as well as the do's & don'ts of the place. Her blithe sense of humor also bubbles up:

"Kids and dogs belonging to people who stop here for a short work out, can be a distraction sometimes - you would rather play with them :) . Dogs, by the way, are not allowed in the park, but this is the Middle East here, nobody gives a damn on what is allowed or not..."

Duta takes us to fascinating places with her blog. Click this link for the post referenced here: Workout in the Park . Then spend some time with Duta's other adventures. You'll go places you would never expect. I promise!

~~~

"Sweet Remembrance of You" ~ Wm. Joseph

For a dear friend, who sweetened my life today by sharing a lovely memory of a dear one who is no longer of this earth...

...and for anyone who may be struggling with the pain of grief, the sorrow of loss this Christmas season. May this piece of music take you to a place of tender, 'sweet remembrance.'

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,
and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18

~~~

amen.

The Ant & the Grasshopper: revisionist fable-telling

THE ANT & THE GRASSHOPPER

Here's an old allegory told in a fresh way, updated for the times we're in...

OLD VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.'

Rev. Jeremiah Wright then has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing the last bits of ant's food while the government house he's in (the ant's old house), crumbles around him for lack of care.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident.

The house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.

~~~

Curtsy to my Lisa, who emailed this earlier in the week.

Dogs are some of my favorite people!

Hi Friends~
The mood at our house is light & there's a crackle in the air! My Sweetheart & I are going on a vacation tomorrow. For a week. Without our 3 precious, adorable cherubs, whom we love so dearly! Oh my, how long it has been since we went away together just the 2 of us!

So in honor of the festive mood, I'll leave you - my blogging friends - with a funny little vignette my brother-in-law sent us today:



Enjoy the rest of your summer, friends. Love the ones you love. Be kind to strangers.

By all means, keep fighting the good fight, & hold down the fort for me!

I'll see you back in about week & 1/2.

~~~

Sunday faith: For such a time as this.

Hi friends~

Recent events have me falling back on poetry today. My precious friend said just yesterday, "I could get so down thinking of the peril of these times & our poor children's future. But if the going gets tough, we'll go it together."

I can't tell you what it means to have her friendship in times like these. It is so very comforting to know others who share my concerns, are there to help shoulder the burden of it, & are willing to stand & fight when it's time for such.

My friend's words & a phone call w/ my sweet Lisa brought this piece to my mind. It is original; coming to me in differing drafts over the years. But please know I am not a poet. It just seems appropriate for such a time as this.

Psalter Song

Gracious Lord, you are my God.
In the midst of tumult,
You impart stillness.
In the face of staggering, pernicious testimony of evil
You are Righteousness.

When the scythe of grief rakes your children’s flesh,
You are the emollient assuaging the slashed and torn places.

Holy, merciful God, I stand in need of deliverance.
My soul craves Your liberty.

My arid spirit longs for deep and sure relief;
Your refreshment slakes my thirst.
I trudge through self-poured mire, and
Your Grace lifts.
Your mercy cleanses.
You restore your humble creation.

You are my reward, the depth and source of my joy.

You are Provider.
Redemption.
Holy, mighty God, you are consummate Authority.
You, merciful Lord, are perfect Peace.
You, oh God,
are my all and only
Hope.

~~~

Blessed be Long-Lost friends, Grandpas & Ties that Bind.

Everybody ought to have a friend like Lisa. We met as freshman college roommates – sight unseen, & were as different as night & day. She was the “Jersey Girl” & I the “Southern Belle” (in her mind, anyway). We were foreigners: she from just outside New York City, & I from semi-rural North Carolina. Her side of our dorm room boasted posters of wide-mouthed Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, to my gently gazing Amy Grant.

Lisa knew that weekends started on Thursday & how to tap a keg. I knew the maze of stacks in the Library, like so many lab rats down in the science building. We were vastly different: our backgrounds, accents, sense of ‘style’, friends, study habits…yet, we roomed together all 4 years, & she was ultimately one of the best friends I’ve ever had.

How do you explain something like that? How do you explain that even now, after we’ve not seen each other in something like 9 years, we could pick up the phone & still understand each other? Still know where each of us is coming from?

First, God’s hand was/is in the relationship. God knew EXACTLY what kind of influences I (dare I say 'we') needed in my life, & who would be best one(s) to help me grow...

Second, there was a mutual respect in the sharing of differences. We learned, stretched, & grew through & because of each other.

Third, once we got through the multiple layers of differences, we understood that we were standing on common ground. We each cared deeply about “traditional, foundational values, virtue & spiritual things”. Underneath diverging exteriors, we both "got it". We both understood what & Who was important. (See my final comment from 5-29 post.)

A few days ago, she sent me an email. Maybe she was checking to see if we’re both still on that same common ground. Maybe she needed some encouragement, fearing that our country may be unrecognizable in the near future. Nonetheless, the following is what she sent (edited for length & clarity). It was too good not to share:

“Emails to Grandpa”
John is a 63 year old business owner whose dream of retiring @ 65 is vanishing. The stock market crash & new taxes on the horizon, have told him he’ll be working for several more years.

John’s granddaughter Ashley recently graduated college. She drives a new car, wears stylish clothes, loves restaurant hopping & texting her friends. She campaigned hard for Obama, & gloated broadly to the rest of the (Republican) family after the election. She boasted that the world would be much better now that Obama is President.

Recently, Ashley came up short of cash & her bills were due. As in the past, she e-mailed her Grandfather for help. Here is his reply:

Dear Ashley,

We love you & are sympathetic to your plight. As you know, times have changed. Because of President Obama’s stimulus plan, your Grandmother & I have been forced to a new economic plan of our own…We have always been highly productive, wage-earning, then business-owning tax payers. We’ve lived comfortably as a result of our frugality, having forgone fancy vacations, new cars, etc. We worked hard & were looking forward to retiring soon. Our plan changed.

Ashley, President Obama is drastically raising our personal & business taxes, so he can ‘share’ our money with other people. Do you know what this means? Less income; which means cutbacks on business & personal expenses. We’ve even been forced let our receptionist of 18 years go today. We can't afford her now. That’s just the business side. We’ve had to make personal changes, too. In the past, we were free to give you thousands of dollars for tuition, meals, rent, clothing, etc. With your Obama vote, you’ve chosen to support a stranger’s family with our $$ instead of ours.

Remember you told me I was foolish to vote Republican, that Mr. Obama would be the people's president, & help every American live a better life? Even though your email was to me, I suggest you call 202-456-1111 for the $$ you need now. It’s the direct number for the White House. I’m sure the People’s President will be happy to send you a check, or transfer some money. Tell him to call me for the account numbers; I know them by heart.

What Obama voters don't realize is that the "government" money he wants to 'redistribute' (to illegal aliens & non-taxpaying Americans) is collected from people like your Grandmother & me.

Remember you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Guess what, honey? Your Grandmother & I are the richest of the rich! We didn’t used to be, but with Mr. Obama’s formulas, we’re rich! As you know that’s not the reality we live, but didn’t you say during the campaign “some people will have to carry more of the burden so all can prosper”?

You understand what that means, right? Less money for us, for everything. Including granddaughters. Congratulations on your choice for "change"! Remember we love you. Call us soon!

Love, Grandpa.
PS: How was your trip to Jamaica? We’d love to go some day.

Rich, isn’t it? Yes, Lisa & I are both still on the same wavelength…It’s a great reminder that though we don’t talk much, our principles & priorities will always be the tie that binds. We both still “get it”.

Everyone should have a friend like Lisa. Everyone needs to be challenged, to stretch, grow, & see things in a different way. While some would consider a friend like her “long lost” in their life, I don’t. I’m still hearing fresh news from her in far off places. With people like her out there in the world, I have hope we’ll eventually be okay.

~~~