Still full from dinner at Gordo’s Pub & Grill where our whole gang got together. During the night a paid a bit of a penalty from having eaten one of their Korean burgers accompanied by a large glass of very dark Scottish Stout Ale. The half-pound Korean burger consisted of several layers including a generous amount of Kimchi, a Fried Egg, Pork Belly, Pepper Jack, and Sriracha Mayo. Still not sure what I was thinking.

But hey, this is a new morning, a new dawn. The rain is supposed to stop shortly, and my coffee pot just signaled; “done”. The world smells and looks great (in my mind for its still dark outside).

Plus I’ve already paused while my Kimchi, having taken a jaunt down ‘happiness way’ during the night, finally set out on its own.

Mentioning food. We’re back to normalcy when last Saturday we set out for Findlay Market and kicked that off with lunch at Pho Lang Tang and a steaming bowl of  Pho..

And the rains came – early in the week we spotted cars driving with their tops down. The sun was out and with temperatures in the high sixties most everyone went about their business with a smile on their face. Then the wonderful breezes turned to dark clouds. And, when the little ones set out to Trick or Treat the rains began.

Steve the TV weather weenie boasted that when all was done by Saturday morning we’d have had 4” of rains with some flooding.

He was wrong. But not wrong by much.

This whole time I was wondering how best to get my daily dose of 5 walking miles in without paddling a Kayak; Marcia to the rescue. On line she checked it all; finally coming across a write-up for a nearby megachurch, Crossroads. The size of a Walmart they offered an indoor ‘track’ on their mezzanine – ten loops equals a mile. I did fifty.

Nothing there felt like a gym, in fact it was calming. People were walking about all over the place, a number of toddlers playing hard in their multi-story Kid’s House while adults were sitting on stools and at tables working away on laptops.

I finished up with a cup of Pumpkin Spiced coffee from their self-service coffee stand. Very nice! Thank you Crossroads.

Voting – is in two days – Marcia and I voted a week or so ago. While I really don’t care so much how you vote I do care that you don’t get sucked in by the siren song from a myriad of candidates offering ‘freebies’. Nothing is free! Everything touted as ‘free’ must be paid for one way or another. And recently an easy path on the road to socialism is being pushed.

And, while what is being offered and the manner suggested as to how it’ll be paid might be agreeable today, it only means that once government is ceded the power to collect and manage it’ll never be reversed. Even worse; although you might agree with the rationale and purpose today, when there is an eventual shift in fortunes you’ll be on the hook.

”When the government’s boot is on your throat, whether it’s a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence” ~ Gary Lloyd

Socialism hasn’t worked, anywhere. Even socialist havens such as Sweden have retreated from the model. Although anecdotal take a look at ‘sterling’ examples such as Venezuela, North Korea, and Cuba. Even major powers, think Russia and China, and ask how many thousands of their citizens are pushed into bogus ‘re-education’ camps for what we view as freedoms, i.e. political dissent or religious beliefs.

Our revered President Abraham Lincoln gave insight when in 1864 he wrote to the Workingmen’s Association of New York that;

“Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; it is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise.”

As one of my historical heroes, Winston Churchill once said;

” Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.”This he followed at another time with: ”The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has been quoted as saying;

“You can’t make people good, kind, generous, thoughtful or dutiful by compulsion. True harmony comes from the willing cooperation of free men. It is not served by an over-regulated society” as she railed against Communism and Socialism.

Finally, here is Thatcher’s most quoted phrase on the infantile illusions of Socialism as she pointed out that;

“the problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”

Living part time at our little place in Canada and watching its goings and comings you’d be amazed at the undercurrent palpable under the surface, from medical services to tax upon tax. Not all is ‘hunkie-dory’ in that heavily regulated nation.

Please vote. But, like Odysseus in the old Greek mythology [Ovid (43 BC–17 AD)], plug your ears, have yourself tied to the mast so as not to be able to answer to the Sirens song of false promises.

Finis – This promises to be a quiet week. Marcia has begun packing for our one-night outing next weekend. That’ll begin with a ride on the Megabus, but more on that later.

Make it a great week.
Cheers.
Dirk