Shining, Gleaming, Streaming, Flaxen, Waxen
If you're familiar with the Institute for Justice's high-profile cases (i.e., if you look at the back cover of Reason), you know about the silly and restrictive regulation that's been placed on hair braiding. The Chicago Reader's Tasneem Paghdiwala has the longest story you'll ever read (or need) on the subject, chock full of people who wouldn't call themselves libertarians complaining about government intrusion.
Of all the braiders I talked to, from 79th and Ashland to Wilson and Sheridan, not one was interested in learning how to shampoo, cut, or dye hair. "They think we don't do these things because we don't know how," said a woman from Togo, citing the chemicals used in full-service salons and her desire to stay far away from them. "It's because we don't want to do them. Why should I close my salon for one year, when I gotta feed my kids and send them to school, and pay $8,000, $9,000, to learn all these things I'm not gonna use?"
And so on.
UPDATE: Never trust online lyrics databases to jog your memory.
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Shouldn't that be "shining, gleaming, streaming, waxen, flaxen"?
Aww, Dave, and you were doing so well, too.
Can Chicago use its eminent domain powers to seize blighted braids braided by blackmarket barbers? Am I using the right terminology here?
What happens if a braiding goes horribly awry, and sophisiticated shampooing personnel are needed for immediate attention? And, ladies you know what I'm talking about, when mustache problems materialize, a braiding professional can only braid the mustache, sometimes causing more damage in the process. You'd better have a trained cosmetologist in the house to immediately remove the pushbroom.
What of braiding fraud? It's a menace to our society.
Consider the children, for the love of Jah!
Great, I point out Dave's mistake on steaming/streaming, but then reverse flaxen/waxen in my own comment.
I read about this a few days ago...
while I will admit that there are a few legitimate basic hygeine and safety concerns -- nothing justifies these braiders being forced to go to cosmotology school and learn about chemicals and dyes and cutting for 1,500 hours.
The best quote is this one:
My suggestion to the braiders is this--go ahead, get the license, and then advertise more than just braiding. You can set up a full-service salon. You can pull in more business!?
Wow what a fucking obtuse moron. They don't want to be full service salons, despite what you think is best for them. You don't just snap your fingers and make your salon full service. You have to invest in a lot more equipment. And "getting the license" is not some trivial task -- it isn't like going to the post office and picking up stamps. What a fucking asshat
If they are gonna regulate the act of professionally braiding hair at all (which they shouldn't) there should be a braiding license that involves some basic hygeiene and equipment care, that is much simpler, cheaper and easy to get -- otherwise it's nothing more than a protection / extortion racket.
Shit like this will force these braiders to just take it underground and do the services in homes instead of shops.
New licensing requirements:
All electricians shall have PhDs in electrical engineering.
All plumbers shall have PhDs in civil engineering.
All foie gras eaters shall have PhDs in nutritional science.
PL:
If I eat beans, will I need a gas production permit?
Pffft!
Oh no! An unlicensed emission!
and SPAGHETTI!
A similar issue came up in Wichita, KS about a decade ago. A high school student won an entrepreneurial award for her hair-braiding services and was quickly shut down by the "establishment". I honestly don't remember how it turned out.
"Lockticians." What a great word.
They might as well go underground, and deal pate foi gras on the side.
Seriously, the most they should require would be a hygeine calss along the lines of getting a food-handler's card.