I mean, really….Jiffy Pop butter popcorn.  Could there BE anything better?  Lately The Boy has become an expert at the popping of the Jiffy Pop….much to the chagrin of my waistline.  Excuse me while I go make sure he doesn’t eat all of it before I get a chance to have some more.

P.S.  Yes, it’s late.  And yes, we are still up while The Spouse is away.  And yes, I will be calling in for The Boy so he can skip the half-day school bus evacuation training tomorrow which he already took last year.  If there are no academics involved, I’m actually okay with sanctioned skipping.  But ONLY then (unless a trip to Ireland is involved, in which case there are actually educational components involved which can {and have} been used in later projects.

Riding your bike naked, I mean.  I suppose if you get one of those extra-wide seats it wouldn’t bee too bad.  But really, why would you want to?  Well….I guess some people want to.  Apparently they do it in Portland all the time.

Up to 1200 nude bike riders join in the local annual world naked bike ride that last occurred on June, 14, 2008.

Note to self:  Don’t go to Portland in June.  And also don’t ride the bus in Portland, ever.  Apparently one is allowed to do that naked also.  You can see the whole AP piece here.

Clothes were invented for a reason, people!  Nobody wants to see all your private bits while trying to get to work.

I know, I know…repressed conservative and all that.  But really, if we’re being honest mostly the people that do this should really keep their clothes on.  If nude beaches are any example, that is…

Right?

Jane always has interesting thoughts.  She is one of my favorite bloggers, and one of my favorite educators.  I am certain that people who attend her classes come out of the experience with a deeper understanding of personal responsibility and doing what’s right, along with the tools they need to continue their education.

Today Jane posted some quotes and thoughts about what can happen in an entitlement society, and the types of people and attitudes entitlements can produce.  I especially liked three of the quotes she found:

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.  –Thomas Jefferson

Once the government becomes the supplier of people’s needs, there is no limit to the needs that will be claimed as a basic right.  –Laurence Auster

(Note:  Auster went to Columbia like Obama, but clearly has a very diffent view of the role of government and the long-range implications of entitlements)

One ungrateful man does an injury to all who stand in need of aid.  –Publius Syrus

Thomas Jefferson clearly saw this coming and tried to warn us against it.  Well before him, Syrus was aware of what can happen when handouts become expected rather than appreciated.

We are now very far down the slippery slope of making living off entitlements a right instead of an appreciated temporary helping hand.

I am still waiting to see what will happen with our current believers in entitlements in total power.  And I am hoping they will temper their entitlements with a requirement of personal responsibility and self-improvement from the recipients.  I know it’s wishful thinking, but I can still hope for the best.  We shall see….

You can see Jane’s full post here.  Stop by and say hi.  She is good people.

Seriously……

There are some bright spots:

1.  I’m supposed to be in the pocket of earners he’s supposed to “help”.

2.  He’s graciously allowing me to keep my own health care (for now).

3.  My husband is no longer active duty military.

But I’m left wondering:

1.  What about the people whose spouses ARE active duty military?

2.  Will he ever deliver on the promise of free health care for those who can’t afford it, including illegal aliens?

3.  How low will he go on the cap for how much it’s too much to make before he starts taking some away to give to others?  How low?

4.  You can only tax so much before your numbers go bad.  How the hell is he going to pay for all his promises?

It’s good we have alcohol in the house.  Or right now if you were here you’d be hearing “Clear!!!”

Final thoughts:  I can’t believe he actually has that many people snowed.  But then so did Carter.  It took Clinton working with a Republican Congress to bring us out of being a welfare state with the Contract With America.  And now we regress.  We shall see what he can do considering he has the hurdle of the high-cost bailout to jump.  Me?  Bitter?  No…..just worried about how much people were willing to overlook with this guy…and worried about what he will do when we are attacked.  But it appears that really doesn’t matter as long as he’s gonna fill your gas tank and pay your mortgage.  I will expect the worst, but hope for the best….I guess.

If your school-age kids are wondering what all the fuss is about, it’s very simple to put the idea of redistribution in terms they can understand.

Just ask them how they would feel if they had worked really hard to receive an “A” on an assignment and the teacher decided that it was “fair” to take some points away and give them to a child who had not worked as hard so they could both wind up with a “C” on the assignment.  It would be more equal and fair that way.

Fair:  free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice

I know it sounds simplistic, but the feeling of getting something you earned taken away by someone else who thought it would be more “fair” to give it to the person of their choosing and lower the reward you get from hard work is a feeling I think we all can understand.  I also think if a kid knew the best they could do no matter how hard he or she worked was to score a “C”, then naturally they would do enough to earn that “C” and nothing more.  It’s basic human nature.

Fair, my a&^.  Injustice is more like it.  I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with this new definition of “fair”.  Sure, it’s “fair” for the kid who only worked hard enough to get a “D” or the guy who didn’t earn the money because he’s getting a better grade or free stuff someone else had to earn.  It certainly isn’t fair for the kid who did enough to score an “A” or the guy who earned the money, only to get it taken away and given to someone else who didn’t think it was worth the effort.

So….will you be able to earn an “A” or a “C” for your work?  It’s a question we all should answer before we vote.