Regulations are ruining America…how true.

“In Louisiana it is illegal to sell and arrange flowers without permission from the government. Aspiring florists must pass a subjective licensing exam that is graded by existing florists, who have a direct incentive to keep new competitors from entering the market.”

Read more here.

When you gonna wake up? I ain’t gonna work on Maggies Farm No More.

Dave Black has a new article up “Jesus or Julius“, short and worth reading. I also read the Wikipedia entry for Dylan’s song Maggie’s Farm tonight.

“Maggie’s Farm is best read as Dylan’s declaration of independence from the protest folk movement” – Wikipedia

If you presently consider yourself a Republican and are already swallowing hard to vote for McCain, perhaps you should just do like Bob and declare your independence…I have. Enjoy the show.

Illegal Discipleship [Gulag Archipelago]

True, they were supposedly being arrested and tried not for their actual faith but for openly declaring their convictions and for bringing up their children in the same spirit. As Tanya Khodkevich wrote:

You can pray freely
But just so God alone can hear.

(She received a ten-year sentence for these verses.) A person convinced that he possessed spiritual truth was required to conceal it from his own children! In the twenties the religious education of children was classified as a political crime under Article 58-10 of the Code — in other words, counterrevolutionary propoganda! True, one was still permitted to renounce one’s religion at one’s trial: it didn’t often happen but it nonetheless did happen that the father would renounce his religion and remain at home to raise the children while the mother went to the Solovetsky Islands.

I saw some of the Polygamy and Associated Crimes hearings on C-SPAN a few weeks ago. It was almost more than I could bear to watch, we are not as far away from the conditions characterized by the statement above as one would like to think.

Finally layin’ my burden down

On pursuit of the Simple Life…great song by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris…Coming Around.

“I’ve been runnin’ nearly all of my life
Far and as fast as I can
It may sound funny but I’m thinkin’ this might
Be about right where I came in
Well I don’t know maybe I’m comin’ around
Got a ways to go but maybe I’m comin’ around
Finally layin’ my burden down”

G.K. Chesterton on Worldliness

“Worldliness has no human magic for him; he is not bewitched by rank nor drawn on by conviviality at all.” – G.K. Chesterton from “George Bernard Shaw” (book available on audio here)

conviviality – relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

Well, still a little to work with here, but we will get there.

G.K. Chesterton on Powerful Men

“Powerful men who have powerful passions use much of their strength in forging chains for themselves;” – G.K. Chesterton from “George Bernard Shaw” (book available on audio here)

Characteristics of a good blogger by G.K. Chesterton

“Though personally one of the kindest men in the world, he has often written really in order to hurt; not because he hated any particular men (he is hardly hot and animal enough for that), but because he really hated certain ideas even unto slaying. He provokes; he will not let people alone. One might even say that he bullies, only that this would be unfair, because he always wishes the other man to hit back.” – G.K. Chesterton from “George Bernard Shaw” (book available on audio here)

Realism

“An Irishman has two eyes.” He meant that with one eye an Irishman saw that a dream was inspiring, bewitching, or sublime, and with the other eye that after all it was a dream.” – G.K. Chesterton from “George Bernard Shaw” (book available on audio here)

Am I really free?

I have not checked with my HOA yet but I am pretty sure a caboose guest house is out. Yet another reason to Flee to the Fields.

Why I Love the Anabaptists

Back in July Dave Black posted his version of “Why I Love the Anabaptists“. My version is below. This is sifted directly from the book “The Riddle of Amish Culture” by Donald Kraybill.

• The Amish have demonstrated resilience to cultural devastation…we haven’t.
• Mutual aid and communalism permeates Amish community…ours doesn’t.
• Extended families spanning multiple generations often live in adjoining houses…we live 1000’s of miles apart.
• The Amish are suspicious that beneath the glitter of modernity there are divisive forces which may fragment and obliterate their community…we suspect everything is just fine.
• The Amish seek ways to suppress individualism…we glorify it.
• The Amish welcome decisive authority…we are anti-authoritarian.
• The Amish understand comprehensive socialization (passing on values to children)…we are still fumbling the ball.
• The Amish practice self denial…we think denial is a river in Egypt.
• We are preoccupied with finding ourselves…the Amish are occupied with losing themselves.
• Amish children learn that Jesus is first, you are last, others are in between…ours learn whatever Bob and Larry are teaching.
• Children learn the virtues of work at a young age…ours learn whatever Bob and Larry are teaching.
• The Amish think watching CNN, FOXNEWS, ABC, NBC, CBS is rather pointless…we are looking for a better deal on the 500 channel package.
• The Amish love work and hate shopping…we love to shop and hate work.
• The Amish appreciate and respect tradition…we think tradition is very…well…traditional.
• The Amish still practice the fine art of “dropping-in”…we schedule our drop-ins weeks in advance.

And finally in a nutshell.

1. The individual is not the supreme reality.
2. Communal goals transcend individual ones.
3. Obeying, waiting, and yielding are virtuous.
4. The past is as important as the future.
5. Tradition is valued more than change.
6. Personal sacrifice is esteemed over pleasure.
7. Work is more satisfying than consumption.
8. Newer, bigger, and faster are not necessarily better.
9. Preservation eclipses progress.
10. Local involvement outweighs national acclaim.
11. Technology must be tamed.
12. Staying together is the supreme value.