"Free!"

I wrote this one back in August, but apparently forgot to "publish" it.

Who can resist "Free?"  What's not to like about getting free things?  "You mean, I don't have to pay for them?"  Nope.  But somebody else does, often involuntarily.

A few weeks ago I upset some people when I said during a conversation, "I don't think I could vote for a Democrat, any Democrat."  After a brief hesitation, I added, "At least not until Democrats change their values."  Of course, those who know me also know I have a hard time voting for many Republicans, those of the Establishment variety.  And I usually don't.  But, for today, back to the Democrats.

I read some of the profiles of the Democratic candidates for governor in Michigan.  One word that kept jumping out at me was "free."  "Free" was all over the place.  Each one promised free this and free that, from community college education and child care to job training and health care.  Maybe I exaggerate the "free" stuff, but I don't think by much.

The problem is nothing is "free."  Someone pays for it.  I suppose if it's the next guy, we don't care--as long as it's not us.  We should be able to spend our money the way we want.  The other guy?  Well, we, not him, should be able to determine how he spends his money through taxes and fees.

"Free" must be a tactic to win votes.  Several candidates for the US House and state legislature are also running on "free" this and "free" that.  Sooner or later maybe I'll ask, "Where do I sign up?"

I had to laugh.  A few weeks ago, when I was doing some necessary driving, gasoline prices were well above $3.00.  I think when I filled up the tank then, I paid $3.19 a gallon.  I haven't needed gas and noticed a couple of stations with lower prices, down to $2.79.  I'm getting close to an empty tank again and, just today, driving past two stations 10 miles miles apart, the price was back up to $3.09.  We have a running joke, call me to find out when to buy gas.  Don't buy it when I do.  Wait a while, after I fill up.  Inevitably the price will decrease.

That is like red lights at traffic signals.  I am always stopped, well, it seems like always.  The joke is, even if I'm a passenger in the front seat, the lights see me and turn to red.  This AM, I had a short drive, with three traffic signals on the route.  Yep, I was stopped at all three of them.

I have two online weather sites I frequent.  Yeah, I know that's often silly since they are so very often wrong.  A few weeks ago two days called for rain all day, the percentage of likelihood ranging from 70% to 100%.  It rained neither day.  But I like to check, maybe a day in advance, to see about my plans for running, biking, tossing BP, etc.  Today was one of those funny days.  Yesterday, both sites called for "Thunderstorms," with a likelihood of 100% most of the morning and early afternoon.  This AM, one was calling for 100%while the other was down to 20-35%.  By late afternoon, both were down to about 10%.  Good!  We can go out for some BP.  Not so fast there, Bozo.  About ten minutes before we were to leave, it started to rain.  Sometimes it's just funny.