Not a chance

That I will join the crowds of lemmings people shopping at the “Black Friday” sales. I hate crowds of people normally, and the mentality of the Black Friday folks is weird.

If you choose to go, I applaud you. But there are no bargains great enough to get me shopping, standing in line, having to battle for parking, etc. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you are happy, spending this Thanksgiving day with family or friends.

I hope that each of you has much to be thankful for…even if life is not as we might like it to be at times.

I am thankful for many things. No, life isn’t perfect, but I would bet that 92+ percent of the folks in most other countries would change place with me in a heartbeat. I remember that every day, but especially today.

For those who are forced to work today. I am sorry. For those walking a beat or standing a post, I am  Truly thankful for you and your work as well.

And for those who feel the need to go out and look for bargains this evening:
 Remember, it is because of you and folks like you that some clerks have to work instead of spending it with THEIR family or friends.

Socialism is the real reason we have Thanksgiving

Remember, the original Plymouth colonists were socialists, with food and other supplies held in common and distributed as needed and as determined by the colonies leaders.

So, essentially, working harder got one nothing. Few men worked harder, and few women worked harder to process the foods and fruits of the men’s labor.

Why should they? Harder work, more work, less work, it all remained the same. One did not get more if one worked hard. Others could work as little as possible and still get their “Fair Share” of the harvest, the hunt, or whatever. 
There was no incentive to work harder, as there was no way to get ahead.

And that is the reason the colony was near starvation….and why they were so thankful for the help of the “Indians” that led to what we consider to be the first Thanksgiving. Of course, removal of the whole commune bit helped as well. Allowing people to hold their own supplies allowed them to actually gain from their hard(er) labor. Which made for a much more prosperous colony.

But without the failure that the socialist model caused, there would have been no reason for the thanks. And no reason to thank the Natives whose help made them prosperous.

“Come help me move a body”

“Bring some rope and a tarp if you have one”.

Seriously, that is the phone call I got about 3 pm on Wed.

Now, Bobby is a good friend. Great guy. Outstandingly generous.

But he brooks no stupidity, and has a temper.

So it IS possible that he needs my help to “move a body”.

(I’d not expect the call to come at 3 pm…more like in the middle of the night, but with Bobby, you never know….)

Anyway, he gave me an address that was only about 5 miles from where I live….

So I went, if only to see what was going on….

Many thoughts crossed my mind on the way…..

Was it a joke?
If not, what do I do? Help him move the body? (yeah, he’s that good of a friend) or suggest he call the po-po……

As I drive there, I realize that I had been there once before….It’s Ed’s house….This could be good or bad…..

I exit the truck, and wander over to where Bobby is standing, just almost in the back yard…

And there is the body.
Of a Deer that had been hit by a car and had died in Ed’s backyard….

Whew.
OK.
Well, then.

“Asshole” I said.
“yeah, but you showed up” he answered.

Took the three of us to load it into his truck. Bobby isn’t young anymore and Ed is kinda crippled…Not that I am as healthy and strong as I was when I was 20 either….But it is loaded (and he has a DNR  tag for it) to dispose of, rather than letting it be eaten over the next few days by coyotes in Ed’s backyard.

So now he knows who he can call, if and when….

I got some odd friends though…

Pushing 60

MPH winds,

The local airport AWOS says gusts of 52 knots. (ETA Now 58 knots)

Luckily I (so far) only lost one small tree and just a bit of damage to the barn upon which it fell. It did not, however, do the 3 pt backhoe (dismounted) that it fell on any good.

Nothing likely enough to overcome the deductible, or t least not enough to make claiming it worthwhile. I will check further when it ain’t so windy outside….like Tomorrow or Friday.

Passing of a Great

Today is the anniversary of the death of John Moses Browning.

Arguably the father of the modern auto pistol, as well as many other firearm designs.