Opinion

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By Tony Farkas
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Sometimes my need to rummage through the cut-rate news bins leaves me with a deep sadness, mostly because it reaffirms my belief that the ship of liberty done sailed.

I constantly find that there is nothing in our lives — birth to death — that doesn’t have the unmistakable touch of control by people who should be representing us.

For instance, I recently read about a government agency I didn’t even know existed is being sued by Atlantic herring fisheries because the regulations it put out smacked of Soviet-era Russia, or at least life aboard the Red October.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, which apparently exists to tell fishermen what and how much they can catch in coastal waters, also requires that fishing vessels pay for NMFS apparatchiks to be onboard to enforce regulations, sort of like a Soviet political officer onboard Russian vessels (hence the Red October reference).

At play here is the ability of non-elected officials to create regulations and then enforce them, all without any laws passed by government as a basis, which when you think about it, exists everywhere and pretty much at every level of government.

The rights enshrined in the Constitution — life, liberty, pursuit of happiness — have all been co-opted by people representing their own beliefs and half-baked theories instead of their constituents. Federal and state agencies change the rules to suit their needs, and cities and counties dictate what property owners can do on their property (while exacting a price simply for owning said property).

In case you missed it, the feds hate your ceiling fans (mandatory in East Texas, I’m sure) and will require very strict energy conservation measures, which will cost millions and will probably mean the death to small manufacturing firms.

Soon your dishwasher will be replaced, your water heater and stove will be replaced, your air conditioning will be deemed evil and replaced, your refrigerator will be replaced, and everything anyone uses ever will come with warning and limitations because our fearless leaders want to keep us safe whether we like it or need it or not.

I’ve heard those arguments, that the regulations are necessary because the government must protect the fish in the sea from overfishing; Mother Nature needs to be protected from the ravages of evil people, evil cows and evil coal- and oil-burning devices; and consumers must be warned of the dangers of buying things they want, cause bad things could happen.

There are certain dangers, I agree, that need solid oversight, like keeping people from swan diving into active volcanoes or creating their own nuclear power plant in their backyard, but all of this tends to fall into what I call the Pinky Toe Theory: once the nanny state dips its pinky toe into the regulation pool, it’s a short stampede from there into a cannonball of rules.

(As an aside, those self-same regulators find way to circumvent those very rules, since only the serfs and peasants require watching.)

There is a lot of back-and-forth about this year’s election is crucial because our democracy is at stake and that if the Republicans have their way, we’ll all be back in indentured servitude.

My point is that’s already happened, and all that’s left is two parties fighting over the scraps of freedom that are left. Keep that in mind in the ballot box.

Tony Farkas is publisher of the San Jacinto News-Times and the Trinity County News-Standard. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

Write a comment

By Tony Farkas
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sometimes my need to rummage through the cut-rate news bins leaves me with a deep sadness, mostly because it reaffirms my belief that the ship of liberty done sailed.

I constantly find that there is nothing in our lives — birth to death — that doesn’t have the unmistakable touch of control by people who should be representing us.

For instance, I recently read about a government agency I didn’t even know existed is being sued by Atlantic herring fisheries because the regulations it put out smacked of Soviet-era Russia, or at least life aboard the Red October.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, which apparently exists to tell fishermen what and how much they can catch in coastal waters, also requires that fishing vessels pay for NMFS apparatchiks to be onboard to enforce regulations, sort of like a Soviet political officer onboard Russian vessels (hence the Red October reference).

At play here is the ability of non-elected officials to create regulations and then enforce them, all without any laws passed by government as a basis, which when you think about it, exists everywhere and pretty much at every level of government.

The rights enshrined in the Constitution — life, liberty, pursuit of happiness — have all been co-opted by people representing their own beliefs and half-baked theories instead of their constituents. Federal and state agencies change the rules to suit their needs, and cities and counties dictate what property owners can do on their property (while exacting a price simply for owning said property).

In case you missed it, the feds hate your ceiling fans (mandatory in East Texas, I’m sure) and will require very strict energy conservation measures, which will cost millions and will probably mean the death to small manufacturing firms.

Soon your dishwasher will be replaced, your water heater and stove will be replaced, your air conditioning will be deemed evil and replaced, your refrigerator will be replaced, and everything anyone uses ever will come with warning and limitations because our fearless leaders want to keep us safe whether we like it or need it or not.

I’ve heard those arguments, that the regulations are necessary because the government must protect the fish in the sea from overfishing; Mother Nature needs to be protected from the ravages of evil people, evil cows and evil coal- and oil-burning devices; and consumers must be warned of the dangers of buying things they want, cause bad things could happen.

There are certain dangers, I agree, that need solid oversight, like keeping people from swan diving into active volcanoes or creating their own nuclear power plant in their backyard, but all of this tends to fall into what I call the Pinky Toe Theory: once the nanny state dips its pinky toe into the regulation pool, it’s a short stampede from there into a cannonball of rules.

(As an aside, those self-same regulators find way to circumvent those very rules, since only the serfs and peasants require watching.)

There is a lot of back-and-forth about this year’s election is crucial because our democracy is at stake and that if the Republicans have their way, we’ll all be back in indentured servitude.

My point is that’s already happened, and all that’s left is two parties fighting over the scraps of freedom that are left. Keep that in mind in the ballot box.

Tony Farkas is publisher of the San Jacinto News-Times and the Trinity County News-Standard. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

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By Dr. James L. Snyder

Since I have reached a certain age, I cannot reveal that age; my energy seems limited. I don’t have the energy I once had. Where it has gone, I have not discovered yet.

I once inquired of The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage where my energy went, and she replied, “Silly boy, you’re over the hill, and so is your energy.”

I almost asked her what that meant, but I didn’t have the energy, and I didn’t have the energy to climb back up that hill.

Not having enough energy does have its good side. One thing is that it is an excellent excuse for not doing something. For example, when my wife asks me to do something that I really don’t want to do, I say, “My Dear, I just don’t have the energy or I would do it.” Of course, she scowls at me because I think she knows exactly what I’m saying.

I have discovered that the word “retired” is something I didn’t understand before. It means that I am tired over and over and over again. How I long for those pre-tired days of long ago. I didn’t understand how tired I was until recently.

A little over a year ago, our great-granddaughter entered our lives. When that happened, the great-grandmother opened “Grandma’s Playtime Center.” Now, the great-granddaughter is at our home during the week while her parents are working.

Seeing how much this little rascal grows within a year has been interesting. Somebody thought they were teaching her how to walk when, in reality, she learned how to run. I open my office door, and before I fully open it, she ran inside before me. My challenge is finding the energy to get her out of my office.

Watching her running all day long it is a very tiring experience. I’m not sure where she gets all her energy but she seems never to run out. If only I could borrow some of her energy, it would be great. It would serve both of us well.

Since she’s been staying with us throughout the week, I’ve realized how truly tired I was. I still come back to that question: where did my energy go? If I can answer that question, I might solve some of my retirement problems.

Thinking back on my former years, I remember how much energy I had when I was younger.

As a young kid, my parents made me go to bed early, and sleeping early was difficult. I sought ways to convince my parents to let me stay up longer. No matter when I went to bed, I still had energy that I hadn’t used that day. Now, as I am older and in that tirement cycle, I look for excuses to go to bed earlier.

It has become a game between The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and me. We try to find new excuses to convince us to go to bed earlier.

Sitting in my chair, I will begin to fake a yawning session. Looking at me, my wife asks, “Are you ready for bed already?”

Looking at my watch and seeing that it’s not even 9 o’clock, I respond by saying, “Oh, no not yet!”

“You will tell me when you’re ready for bed, won’t you?”

I’m not too fond when she puts all the responsibility on me. If I had the energy, I would challenge her, but where do I get that kind of energy?

Occasionally, I will sneak a peek in her direction, and sometimes, I will see her eyes closed. I then say, “You’re not asleep are you?”

She would quickly open her eyes, looks at me, and says, “No, I was just praying.”

Finally, just before the clock hit 10 o’clock, she looked at me and said, “I think I’m ready for bed. I have to get up early tomorrow to take care of our great-granddaughter.”

Only she could come up with a legitimate excuse to go to bed early. If only I could come up with a legitimate reason, but I had to get up early in the morning I might be able to cash in on that.

Usually, I’ll respond by saying, “I’ll join you when I find the energy to get up off of my chair.”

I won’t give up the search for energy. Surely, there is something I can do to tap into some kind of energy. Thinking about this the other day, I remembered a Bible verse. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Based on this, I have learned that waiting on God is the real secret to my daily energy. Like many people, I try to find my own energy and have failed many times. Only God can renew the strength I need to live each day for His glory.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., website www.jamessnyderministries.com.

 

Write a comment

By Dr. James L. Snyder

Since I have reached a certain age, I cannot reveal that age; my energy seems limited. I don’t have the energy I once had. Where it has gone, I have not discovered yet.

I once inquired of The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage where my energy went, and she replied, “Silly boy, you’re over the hill, and so is your energy.”

I almost asked her what that meant, but I didn’t have the energy, and I didn’t have the energy to climb back up that hill.

Not having enough energy does have its good side. One thing is that it is an excellent excuse for not doing something. For example, when my wife asks me to do something that I really don’t want to do, I say, “My Dear, I just don’t have the energy or I would do it.” Of course, she scowls at me because I think she knows exactly what I’m saying.

I have discovered that the word “retired” is something I didn’t understand before. It means that I am tired over and over and over again. How I long for those pre-tired days of long ago. I didn’t understand how tired I was until recently.

A little over a year ago, our great-granddaughter entered our lives. When that happened, the great-grandmother opened “Grandma’s Playtime Center.” Now, the great-granddaughter is at our home during the week while her parents are working.

Seeing how much this little rascal grows within a year has been interesting. Somebody thought they were teaching her how to walk when, in reality, she learned how to run. I open my office door, and before I fully open it, she ran inside before me. My challenge is finding the energy to get her out of my office.

Watching her running all day long it is a very tiring experience. I’m not sure where she gets all her energy but she seems never to run out. If only I could borrow some of her energy, it would be great. It would serve both of us well.

Since she’s been staying with us throughout the week, I’ve realized how truly tired I was. I still come back to that question: where did my energy go? If I can answer that question, I might solve some of my retirement problems.

Thinking back on my former years, I remember how much energy I had when I was younger.

As a young kid, my parents made me go to bed early, and sleeping early was difficult. I sought ways to convince my parents to let me stay up longer. No matter when I went to bed, I still had energy that I hadn’t used that day. Now, as I am older and in that tirement cycle, I look for excuses to go to bed earlier.

It has become a game between The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and me. We try to find new excuses to convince us to go to bed earlier.

Sitting in my chair, I will begin to fake a yawning session. Looking at me, my wife asks, “Are you ready for bed already?”

Looking at my watch and seeing that it’s not even 9 o’clock, I respond by saying, “Oh, no not yet!”

“You will tell me when you’re ready for bed, won’t you?”

I’m not too fond when she puts all the responsibility on me. If I had the energy, I would challenge her, but where do I get that kind of energy?

Occasionally, I will sneak a peek in her direction, and sometimes, I will see her eyes closed. I then say, “You’re not asleep are you?”

She would quickly open her eyes, looks at me, and says, “No, I was just praying.”

Finally, just before the clock hit 10 o’clock, she looked at me and said, “I think I’m ready for bed. I have to get up early tomorrow to take care of our great-granddaughter.”

Only she could come up with a legitimate excuse to go to bed early. If only I could come up with a legitimate reason, but I had to get up early in the morning I might be able to cash in on that.

Usually, I’ll respond by saying, “I’ll join you when I find the energy to get up off of my chair.”

I won’t give up the search for energy. Surely, there is something I can do to tap into some kind of energy. Thinking about this the other day, I remembered a Bible verse. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Based on this, I have learned that waiting on God is the real secret to my daily energy. Like many people, I try to find my own energy and have failed many times. Only God can renew the strength I need to live each day for His glory.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., website www.jamessnyderministries.com.