Community

I've always been intriqued by the Amish and how they go about determining which aspects of modern life they allow into their culture. For example, one would think that the Amish would not be "borrowers", but, in fact, in order to own their land and farm equipment, they are bound to bank loans.

However, when it comes to "insurance" they stray away from this financial instrument. They have made a strong committment to building and maintaining "community" and "relationships" and have decided that an insurance policy is simply a means by which people work to avoid dependence on others.

As an example, if a farmer's barn were to burn down, the farmer would not allow an insurance agent to assess the damage and write him a check for the amount of the farmer's loss. Instead, all the other families in the community contribute their time, money and any other needed resources to all work together with the farmer to rebuild his barn. There is a lot to be said for this kind of thinking.

Economic Stimulus ( the sequel )

Last year our family received $1,800 from Uncle Sam as part of the 2008 Economic Stimulus Plan. That's $600 each for Dayna and myself and $600 for each of the kids. Pretty good deal for us. This year, it looks like things will be slightly different. I appears you have to have a paycheck to receive a $500 tax cut in your paycheck. From what I've heard so far, kids and stay-at-home moms are not included in the plan. This is unfortunate considering the significance of children and the value added to our country through moms that nuture children at home.