Crunchy Cons

Last week Justin, KC, and I wandered up to Eastern Market and passed the library which was having a book sale.  Like any good Cerveny we meandered off into the sale and came out with way too many books for our collection.  Good thing the books were only .50 to $1.   
I found one called Crunchy Cons in which the author Rod Dreher talks about alternatives to conservatism and how he isn't happy with the mainstream Cons.   You all should read it for it provides the idea that no matter you political ideology you should look beyond what is accepted in the mainstream and try to form your own opinions and attempt to see the world yourself instead of through somebody else's eyes.   Here is the manifesto he offered.


1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.
2. Modern Conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.
3. Big Business deserves as much skepticism as big government.
4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.
5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship ---especially of the natural world --- is not fundamentally conservative
6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.
7 Beauty is more important than efficiency\
8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.
9. We share Russell Kirk's conviction that  " the institution most essential to conserve is the family."
10. Politics and economics won’t save us; if our culture is to be saved at all, it will be by faithfully living by the Permanent Things, conserving these ancient moral truths in the choices we make in our everyday lives.


This has been an intriguing read so far and I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys learning and expanding themselves.

Quick Update

I realize that it has been several weeks but I've been busy doing nothing so there isn't much to post about.  Currently I'm in DC visiting my sister and brother.
I find that often I am turned to to solve the family issues half seriously half teasingly (since I'm going into conflict resolution).
Speaking of, I have been officially accepted into the Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation in World Peacebuilding at Trinity College.  The money is being begged from various places such as the school, government, loan companies, and shylocks.  For whatever reason I like to get far away for my education and somewhere subconsciously decided that utah just wasn't far enough; instead of two mountain ranges and 3/4 of a country between me and home I needed an ocean.
 Buuut back to DC for the moment.  I experienced my first MLB game and my sister purchased me a cute ballcap for the occasion.  (She lives a ten minute walk from the Nationals stadium.)  I sat and listened to the Dalai Lama speak on the Capitol Lawn.  He spoke much of inner peace bringing world peace which does sound much like Buddhist teachings so it shouldn't be all that surprising to hear and it does hold truth.  If we were looking out for everyone else and everyone else was looking out for us in our day to day interactions then there wouldn't be as much animosity and vitriol out there.  Went to truckeroo a nifty gathering of a bunch of different food trucks in the area.  I'm happy for the chance to see my sister and brother.  They're the reason to come and visit.  Well I'm not feeling terribly verbose so this is it

ps  Krystal, I'm INFP