While out cutting wood with my new chain saw today one of my neigbors came by to tell me that he could not fulfill his commitement to further along my roof repair today (which he has been "working" on for over a year") because of various reasons though he has already been paid for much of the work.

That was ok with me as I was just happy that he was once again committed to the  complete repair that has been delayed for over a year despite me talking to him about it servaral times over the year.

 He needed gas money to make some inquiries and check on materials and I promised to have it available to him in CASH tomorrow despite the fact I had offered the same weeks ago and he had declined.
 
I offered to write him a check for gas money today, but 
it seemed a check was just a bit much of a hassle for him because he would have to travel a bit further to cash the check I gave him for travel expenses.
He did not want to travel a few miles futher even though I was financing the trip.

I am bit upset over the entire delay but it is only a prerequisite for the attitude and entitlement expected by some that I want to explore here.

It turns out that my neighbor is a Socialist.
Ok... but he does not even know he is and does not even know the definition of Socialism.
 
He thinks that the government should own, operate and provide for everything for everyone so they are all provided for even if they contribute little or nothing.... additionally those who contribute more through hard work, innovation and sacrifice, should be rewarded on the same level as those who do not.

Socialism.

I know America is in a crises right now but to embrace Socialism as a way of coping with ones own failures or willingness to work harder or smarter is not the answer because Socialism is the antithesis to Freedom.

All Socialistic societies in our modern history have either failed or have a high level of poverty and social unrest, combined with few, if any, individual rights or liberties. 

Having the government provide you with everything... while owning everything... comes at a price including the lack of liberty and freedom. 

My neighbor grew up in a Welfare assisted family with a single mom. 
Although he is skilled and can work, he chooses to work only when he wants to or when gaining money is absolutely necessary. 

He takes days, weeks even months off at at time but beleives he, and others like him, are ENTITLED to own a home. 
He thinks that he is entitled to go wind surfing and meet basic bills while not working as hard as others do to obtain the same things.
He believes in Socialism.
He wants the government to pay for his life and expenses. 

He thinks that this would be good for the economy and America as a whole. 

I ponder... where would the money to support him and millions of others who seem to feel this way come from?

Those who work harder and smarter?... 
The government?...
Where does the government get their money?
From those who work harder and are taxed and equalled down in income to those who work less?

So we can all be equal despite amount of effort?
That is Socialism. 

How long would it take until those who work harder and smarter figured out they don't have to work so hard to enjoy an easy life when all of the basics would be paid for by the government?
Not long and that is why Socialistic Countries have perished throughout time.

I am bored with the simple truths of this subject. 

It comes down to this...
I invested in starting a business that employs people,
providing others with a way to pay their bills through the effort they make helping my business to succeed.

I work 10-16 hours a day.  
I have not had a vacation, let alone been wind surfing, in 14 years.
I struggle every month to pay my help, utilities, mortgage, vehicle fuel, insurance and more. 

My neighbor is not willing to put in the same effort and commitment but expects the same, or better, standard of living...
Which would ultimately be paid for through my taxes by being an productive economic engne while he wind surfs.  

Socialism

Find a similar perspective here:
http://robarnieanddawn.com/newsite/robsoapbox.html





 

Yesterday I received my Vote No on Proposition 8 Bumper stickers and yard sign. 
This is the first time I have been more politically active than just flapping my gums or typing on my keyboard.

I want to be clear that I am not gay.
I do not have any gay friends.
I do not even know anyone who is gay except that I suspect the man at the UPS store and a girl at a local grocery store are.
Good for them if they are. 

This Proposition is not about wether or not someone is gay or knows someone who is gay. 
It is about equal rights for all American citizens. 

It is about not being oppressed by religion.  This is what our founding fathers fled England for... to establish Freedom from religion. To have the freedom to make choices even when those choices did not have the blessing of religious factions.

Here we are 232 years later and  religion is once again trying to mandate how citizens, outside of their philosophy, conduct their lives.
 
I read a report where women in the Middle East were executed because they had the audacity to want to choose thier own husbands.
That is against the "tradition" and religion of their country.
 
America was founded on principles that strongly suggest that this is wrong yet we have Proposition 8 that wants to ban gay people from being "married". 

The opponents of gay marriage will tell you that it against "tradition" and against their religion and all gay people are going to burn in their mythical Hell. 

Does that sound that much different than women being executed for wanting to choose their own husbands?

Should we pass a law that says all women must marry whomever their government or religion says they should?
Would this be infringing upon their rights as American citizens?

Consider "traditions" in America... something the Christian Right always go to to justify thier bigotry and discrimination. 

Let's look at some of our past "traditions" that have been found to be Unconstitutional and have since been repealed by courts of law.                 (The Christian Right would tell you that this was done by "activist" judges.)

Women could not vote.
Blacks were in slavery.

The Christian Right actually passed laws to ban women from voting and to condone the slavery of Blacks. 
They supported these laws and fought violently to keep them in place when they were challenged by other Americans who felt these laws were Unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court of California and 2 other states have found that the laws these Christians have passed banning gay marriage are Unconstitutional.
The Christians are once again violently fighting to keep this discrimination in place just as they did with women voting and releasing Blacks from slavery. 

If you are a women or if you are Black... you are certainly glad these discriminatory Christian laws were over turned.
 The Christians are still upset over the "activist" judges decision to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America concerning these issues.
Now they are on one of their last frontiers of discrimination by wanting to discriminate against gays and not allow them the same rights as heterosexual citizens. 

In talking to military veterans it seems that the common theme is that they sacrificed and fought for the rights of ALL Americans... not just the ones their particular religion approved of. 

They fought for freedom.
Free the gays from discrimination and allow them freedom, as military veterans have fought for by voting NO on Proposition 8.

Hi.

I have started a new page called "Mountain Writings" that will include such things I write that I personally consider more appropriate there than in a mere blog. 
I hope you readers enjoy them and are not confused by it.
I will still Blog here Just wanted you to know where to find more. 
RW 

The other day I was outside when a smell on the wind caught my attention.  It was, of course, the smell of a Rat Corpse.
There it was laying in the dust of my drive like an incense of death.

My dog Daisy seemed particularly interested in it and tried to carry it away, presumably for further study, when I went to retrieve it.

I know there is a biological explanation but still I have often pondered why dogs enjoy playing with, rolling on and munching dead animal corpses.
 
I had put on my leather corpse retrieving gloves while Daisy eyed me cautiously with the Rat corpse in her mouth.  She really did not want to part with this biological treasure she had found.

I eventually won this battle of corpse possession, because I am the Alpha Dog around here, and placed the Rat corpse in the bed of my truck for proper disposal the next day.

It seemed simple enough until, a few days later, the Rat corpse was still in the bed of my truck. 
I guess I will blame this on me being busy with work and the fact that the Rat corpse was about the same color as my truck bed liner.  It really did not stand out tucked away there in the corner.

The Rat corpse reminded me of its presence however when I was loading groceries into the bed of my truck and seemingly had recovered my sense of smell.  Something I had apparently lacked for a few days.

At this time I "discovered" the Rat corpse in my truck bed.  It was like a Homer Simpson moment... Dogh!

The condition of the Rat corpse had changed considerably as another biological event was taking place.
 
The Rat corpse was being eaten by Beetle larvae, who unlike small white fly larvae or maggots are large and blackish grey. These Beetle larvae were much more disgusting and intimidating than ordinary maggots.

I could just hear my dog Daisy saying how I had wasted a completely good Rat corpse by letting it go to the Beetles.

I really did not want to put my groceries in the same truck bed as the Rat corpse but I had the groceries and I had to get them home.
I knew the Rat corpse had to be removed.
I once again donned my corpse retrieval leather gloves and prepared for the task at hand.

I was in a quandary however as carrying a Rat corpse through a grocery store parking lot to a garbage can is not something I really wanted to be seen doing.

It had to be done so I reached in to remove this wonderment of biology and upon doing so... well lets just say that the Rat corpse disintegrated and about 200 large, intimidating beetle maggots came pouring out.
They were quite upset at having their life cycle disturbed and began to spread out in search of my groceries.

It became Man against Maggot.

The battle was fierce but eventually my groceries arrived home in a safe condition. 

Though weary from the battle, I washed out the truck bed with a bleach solution and then took a shower with vanilla soap I had bough online from Idaho which has special anti Rat corpse and maggot properties.

I post this because this could happen to you. 
There are more Rat corpses out there...

 

Well I guess it has been about a month since I last updated and I promised to talk about the cult called Mormons or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Let me start by saying that this cult causes less harm to society than some other cults, which is not to say that they do not cause harm through bigotry, racism and gender discrimination.
 
During their visit I effectively and without contradiction, refuted every one of their "claims."
At times they stood speechless because their learned propoganda did not cover rebuttals to the detailed information about their cult that I presented.

It was fun though.  I never dreamed I would have such an opportunity to personally engage a cult derived ignorance on the deck of my own home.

I have and I will again post much more about these religious cults.
Today I just wanted to do a little follow up and say that these Mormon men practically ran to their Yellow Pinto type vehicle intellectually defeated concerning their very own convictions.

I have relished it for weeks because I'm convinced that logic and intelligence shook their "faith" in their cult.

Keep in mind that I did not invite them so the offense is not mine. 
I did not ask to be cornered on my own deck, by strangers, and have to utilize basic logic and intelligence to make them run away. 

I do not think they will be back as there are easier prey to extract free labor and money from.