Scavenger writes:
And that is why there exists Helm's Law #4: People are limited by Helm's laws #s 1 and 2, but they are not limited to Helm's Laws 1 and 2. They can rise above.
:-)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Death and...
Scavenger writes:
It is interesting, as a self-employed craftsman just starting out, to figure just how much of the price for which you sell a hand-crafted item has to be set aside for taxes. It is interesting to then connect that with what those taxes pay for. It is then interesting to see what new things each session of Congress cooks up that taxes pay for. You then try not to think, as you pause to brush the sweat off your brow while hammering red hot iron into beautiful and useful items, how much of that sweat is going to various programs. It's not a good thing to do for your blood pressure or ease of digestion.
Probably the most useful item of information I learned in high school was the concept of TANSTAAFL. I learned this in one of my social studies classes, and I found out years later that that particular way of phrasing it was coined by Robert Heinlein. I am grateful to that teacher for teaching the concept. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. The segment of the population that feels they benefit from governmental spending does not see the whole picture. If you do not earn enough to pay taxes, why should you care? Well, who does pay those taxes? Where do they get the money to pay those taxes?
Let's take the example of a grocery store. Everyone has to eat. You pay the tax that the store owner pays to the government. The store pays the taxes that the supplier pays to the government. The supplier pays the taxes that the farmer pays to the government. The farmer pays the taxes that the diesel company pays to the government. And so on, ad infinitum. And so you, the end consumer, end up giving enough of your money to the store that all of the people in that long, long chain can pony up their portion to the government. Whether you pay an income tax or not.
How much of your efforts go to support what the government pays for? How many government salaries for the people that administer all the programs are you paying for? What could you do with some of the money that ends up going in that direction?
Do you want the government to do more? If so, it means that you, ultimately, do with less. Everyone, ultimately, does with less.
I, as an independent craftsman, sell items to people who have enough discretionary funds that they can afford to pay me for them. Nothing I sell is something of vital importance that cannot be done without or gotten by with something from a Communist Chinese factory. I make beautiful, durable goods that will outlast the original owner if treated well, but none of it is something that can't be done without. The less money that people have of their own to play with, the less inclined to buy a handcrafted, beautiful knife made with the sweat and ingenuity of an American they are and the more to buy something cheaper that will not do as well or last as long or feel as nice in the hand froma country with a lower standard of living and less freedom. The more I have to struggle to make it.
Just a thought as I set aside money for taxes late one Sunday evening, when our wonderful government has decided to take control of 20% of our economy to make sure that a small percentage of the population who does not have insurance has it whether they want to or not.
Well, America was nice while it lasted.
It is interesting, as a self-employed craftsman just starting out, to figure just how much of the price for which you sell a hand-crafted item has to be set aside for taxes. It is interesting to then connect that with what those taxes pay for. It is then interesting to see what new things each session of Congress cooks up that taxes pay for. You then try not to think, as you pause to brush the sweat off your brow while hammering red hot iron into beautiful and useful items, how much of that sweat is going to various programs. It's not a good thing to do for your blood pressure or ease of digestion.
Probably the most useful item of information I learned in high school was the concept of TANSTAAFL. I learned this in one of my social studies classes, and I found out years later that that particular way of phrasing it was coined by Robert Heinlein. I am grateful to that teacher for teaching the concept. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. The segment of the population that feels they benefit from governmental spending does not see the whole picture. If you do not earn enough to pay taxes, why should you care? Well, who does pay those taxes? Where do they get the money to pay those taxes?
Let's take the example of a grocery store. Everyone has to eat. You pay the tax that the store owner pays to the government. The store pays the taxes that the supplier pays to the government. The supplier pays the taxes that the farmer pays to the government. The farmer pays the taxes that the diesel company pays to the government. And so on, ad infinitum. And so you, the end consumer, end up giving enough of your money to the store that all of the people in that long, long chain can pony up their portion to the government. Whether you pay an income tax or not.
How much of your efforts go to support what the government pays for? How many government salaries for the people that administer all the programs are you paying for? What could you do with some of the money that ends up going in that direction?
Do you want the government to do more? If so, it means that you, ultimately, do with less. Everyone, ultimately, does with less.
I, as an independent craftsman, sell items to people who have enough discretionary funds that they can afford to pay me for them. Nothing I sell is something of vital importance that cannot be done without or gotten by with something from a Communist Chinese factory. I make beautiful, durable goods that will outlast the original owner if treated well, but none of it is something that can't be done without. The less money that people have of their own to play with, the less inclined to buy a handcrafted, beautiful knife made with the sweat and ingenuity of an American they are and the more to buy something cheaper that will not do as well or last as long or feel as nice in the hand froma country with a lower standard of living and less freedom. The more I have to struggle to make it.
Just a thought as I set aside money for taxes late one Sunday evening, when our wonderful government has decided to take control of 20% of our economy to make sure that a small percentage of the population who does not have insurance has it whether they want to or not.
Well, America was nice while it lasted.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Songs on the Radio
Scavenger writes:
For no particular reason, I was thinking about a song I heard once on an independent country station. I usually don't care for much country music (outside of Johnny Cash) or what gets passed of as country, but this was a good song. I'd never heard it before, and I've never heard it since.
There are two parts of the song I remember. It talked about how the singer was going to be walking on the moon tonight, and invited the listener (I believe a romantic interest) to join him is she so wished. He sang, "I'll be walking on the moon tonight, a million (or eight million, not sure which) miles away."
The other part said, "I wish I had a good flat stone, the best that I could find. I'd skip it off the surface of the waters in my mind."
I can't remember anything else. A little of the tune that goes with the lyrics I remember. That's it.
I'll probably never hear the song again. Searching the Internet turns up nothing. But I think of the song every now and again. The lyrics and the sentiment of it are so...poeticly, longingly romantic. It's like some of Bradbury's writing, or that of one of my friends. It taps into a longing of mine, one that started back in high school: the longing to take a slow, quiet walk in the country night with the woman I love, gazing at the stars and the moon and the countryside silvered and given a gentle beauty by the soft light.
I at last have found the woman I love, but we have yet to take that walk. School and work keep her very busy. It will be a good long while yet before we get to amble, unhurried and serene, through the night air with no one around, no particular time we have to be back, no particular destination. But some day, we will.
Just a bit pensive tonight. Y'all take care.
For no particular reason, I was thinking about a song I heard once on an independent country station. I usually don't care for much country music (outside of Johnny Cash) or what gets passed of as country, but this was a good song. I'd never heard it before, and I've never heard it since.
There are two parts of the song I remember. It talked about how the singer was going to be walking on the moon tonight, and invited the listener (I believe a romantic interest) to join him is she so wished. He sang, "I'll be walking on the moon tonight, a million (or eight million, not sure which) miles away."
The other part said, "I wish I had a good flat stone, the best that I could find. I'd skip it off the surface of the waters in my mind."
I can't remember anything else. A little of the tune that goes with the lyrics I remember. That's it.
I'll probably never hear the song again. Searching the Internet turns up nothing. But I think of the song every now and again. The lyrics and the sentiment of it are so...poeticly, longingly romantic. It's like some of Bradbury's writing, or that of one of my friends. It taps into a longing of mine, one that started back in high school: the longing to take a slow, quiet walk in the country night with the woman I love, gazing at the stars and the moon and the countryside silvered and given a gentle beauty by the soft light.
I at last have found the woman I love, but we have yet to take that walk. School and work keep her very busy. It will be a good long while yet before we get to amble, unhurried and serene, through the night air with no one around, no particular time we have to be back, no particular destination. But some day, we will.
Just a bit pensive tonight. Y'all take care.
Friday, January 15, 2010
First Kiridashi
Scavenger writes:
Things have been somewhat whirlwind with me for various reasons, and I haven't gotten as much work done as I'd like. Today, rather than twiddle my thumbs and look glum while waiting for adequate power to be installed in my new shop location to run my big belt grinder, I made my first kiridashi. These are Japanese woodworker's knives. They apparantly used to be carried by Japanese schoolchildren to sharpen their pencils and use for craft projects. I've been wanting to make some for a while.
Here's a quick-and-dirty picture of the kiridashi.
It is 4 1/4" in length, with a cutting edge of approximately 1 1/6". The steel is automobile coil spring quenched in vegetable oil and temper drawn at 350 degrees. It is chisel ground for a lefty, with a long primary bevel and short secondary. It shaves hair. I'll either make a Kydex sheath or a wooden case for it. I'm working on a righty kiridashi, too.
These things do get carried in various degrees of traditional/tactical by Westerners as utility knives and last-ditch self defense.
Things have been somewhat whirlwind with me for various reasons, and I haven't gotten as much work done as I'd like. Today, rather than twiddle my thumbs and look glum while waiting for adequate power to be installed in my new shop location to run my big belt grinder, I made my first kiridashi. These are Japanese woodworker's knives. They apparantly used to be carried by Japanese schoolchildren to sharpen their pencils and use for craft projects. I've been wanting to make some for a while.
Here's a quick-and-dirty picture of the kiridashi.
It is 4 1/4" in length, with a cutting edge of approximately 1 1/6". The steel is automobile coil spring quenched in vegetable oil and temper drawn at 350 degrees. It is chisel ground for a lefty, with a long primary bevel and short secondary. It shaves hair. I'll either make a Kydex sheath or a wooden case for it. I'm working on a righty kiridashi, too.
These things do get carried in various degrees of traditional/tactical by Westerners as utility knives and last-ditch self defense.
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