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This past Friday I attended a USDA-sponsored “listening-session” concerning the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). NAIS is, in the words of USDA, “a modern, streamlined information system that helps producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to animal
May 2009
When hipsters like the former lead singer of the band Talking Heads are coming out in favor of the “pedaling revolution”, can the masses be far behind? It’s a sign of hope, anyway. Here’s the key point:
The United States …
ROCK ISLAND, IL …Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa and current Secretary of Agribusiness, appeared yesterday at a “town meeting” twenty-five miles up the road in Geneseo, Illinois. The lead in today’s paper: “America needs to maintain a strong infrastructure
JEFFERSON COUNTY, KANSAS. …“Community” is a recurring word and theme on this stoop, but it’s invocation can come in many undesirable forms: as a talisman against perceived ills; as a marketing device appealing to an unsatisfied self; as a spur towards nationalistic adventures; or as
Cold Spring, NY.… Leopold Kohr, the author of the great classic, The Breakdown of Nations, once said that his approach to the world–in favor of smaller nations, smaller institutions, smaller associations–was due to his having been born in a small
Matthew Crawford – political philosopher and motorcycle repairman – has published an important new book entitled Shop Class as Soul Craft. The book has already been exerpted in the New York Times Magazine and is beginning to be discussed widely…
Claremont, CA. …Outside of Los Angeles County, few people have heard about the latest dangerous idea in public education.
Two local public school districts have adopted a “legacy admissions” policy. According to education experts, the policies are the first in
I wonder whether anyone else finds it, if not quite ominous, at least suggestive, that the National Constitution Center is now hosting a traveling show on the Emperor Napoleon. The Center’s President and CEO, in promoting the exhibit, describes Napoleon…
Thanks to Brian Frizzell, Brooklyn patriot and Americana music maven, this link http://www.reverbnation.com/manofsomebodysdreamsatributetochrisgaffney to a new album paying tribute to the late Chris Gaffney, a dolefully beautiful voice of the American Southwest. From John Doe to Tom Russell, a fantastic lineup. Unscrew…
Irving, TX.… A friend of mine sent this to me. It is a modern morality play, if the term “modern morals” is not itself a contradiction in terms.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3128543&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
It is 54 minutes long. But if you haven’t
Authors and readers of FPR should spend some time reading this extraordinary essay by Roger Scruton, from the most recent issue of Intercollegiate Review. Scruton is that rarest of academic birds – a serious, learned and thoughtful philosopher who rejects…
Allow me a moment to bask in some regional pride.
Kavya is from just down the road, and I love her Kansan’s dialect, flat midwestern accent, and plain manner of speech. That voice is home to me. Made all the more sweet…
BURNED-OVER DISTRICT, NY–One of the precious and few political campaigns in recent years to embody Front Porch (or, rather, front stoop) principles was Norman Mailer’s 1969 candidacy for mayor of New York City. John Buffalo Mailer, his son, has a fine essay…
Someone send Sly to the VA DMV!
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It’s not a difficult argument to understand. You have a responsibility to your community because, among other things, you are not your own. So act like it. It ain’t hard. At the same time, of course, don’t be a condescending,…
