The River

Sunday, October 22, 2006

If you're not reading Adored by Hordes, you should be

Will and Ariel Durant observed that successful civilizations start with getting pastoral and agricultural practices right, so probably the smartest thing for a late-phase wealthy democracy to do is encourage a broad-based return to agriculture. I don't see our leaders doing that anytime soon, so check out your local tilth and urban horticulture organizations, and farmer's markets. They are most likely the bones a new civilization will form sinews, muscles, and synapses around.

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I was just talking to someone who was saying the same thing. Agrarian revolutions are the only truly successful ones. The U.S., for instance.

posted by Bruce at 11:14 PM
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Comments:
Thanks, Bruce!

Re: agrarian revolutions, I'm just clinging to the shoulders of some dimly remembered giants. IIRC, de Toqueville was extremely impressed with the industry and energy of American farmers, and largely on his observations of them predicted the country was destined to become one of the Great Powers. Fortunately de Toqueville never bore witness to my first attempts at gardening this year. Re-localization of food and energy production makes sense even if you don't think the Empire has descended into lethally surreal vaudeville.

Finally got around to putting your link on my first list so I can pop over more often. Like your place, and your observation about music and god in your previous post. (Gotta get me that Springseeger playlist. Heard a great interview Bruce did on the radio about making the album. Is your name really Bruce, or is that a Springsteen thing?)

Cheers,
Marc
# posted by Blogger MarcLord : 11:36 AM
 
our attempts at gardening this year were fairly pathetic too. It was our first attempt also (square foot gardening). Lessons learned and all that.

Yeah, it's a Springsteen thing. Kinda silly and embarassing. Sorta rushed into creating the site without giving it much thought. I do like the blog name, though. And it's also one of Bruce's best albums. He had a great run, which ended with The River. He still turns out worthy and vital music, particularly his last two efforts.
# posted by Blogger Bruce : 12:00 PM
 
(note: sorry if this posts multiple times. Guess I'm misreading the wavy gravy secret code letters.) Gardening lessons: there is such a thing as too many tomatoes. And cucumbers. And my grandparents did not grow broccoli for good reason. Before expanding said garden, we must first learn the art of "canning."

My favorite Bruce stuff is his off-speed pitches into other genres, which for me are a way of getting peeks at his really deep knowledge and love of music. I listened to Nebraska until I knew it by heart, and after that it would've suited me fine if the E Street Band got deported to Long Island and Bruce got locked up in Rahway with nothing but a guitar, a microphone, and a reel-to-reel.
# posted by Blogger MarcLord : 3:30 PM
 
great comment on Nebraska.

The aforementioned run o great albums would have to extend to Nebraska. I guess because it was such an out-of-nowhere (in more ways than one) masterpiece, that I forgot about it. But the one after that, the bombastic Born in the USA? we used to call it Boring the USA.
# posted by Blogger Bruce : 3:45 PM
 
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