h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Balance.
We need to adjust the balance as we go, keeping priorities.
Progress is not all good or bad.
WE could be more clear what the priorities are and in the commitment to share.
That would balance it some.

Well, I know what the priorities are. But I think I'll have another drink and ponder it awhile. Oops there goes my balance again. Hah!!

Lookee, I'm walking across the floor without a net. Tada!!! Little wobbly maybe, but I made it to the cupboard didn't I? Now what was it I wanted again? A drink, yeah, I remember now.

So how's your day going, Abbi? I just sold something and got more beer money. Real gringo money, cash money too. And I was running low so my priorities must be right, right? God will provide.

Madhamish,

I've got to say I'm surprised at your last posting - I thought you were a little more tolerant of other people's beliefs. I'm not trying to start anything here but all I want to say is that there actually ARE communities across the world where people live life the way they think it should be lived without imposing their view on others. That's the kind of community I was talking about and I think Abbi was agreeing with - people should have the right and opportunity to live the way they want to providing it causes no harm to others. Examples I could give would be the Findhorn Community in Scotland, The Amish, the Kibutz etc etc etc. I just don't think it's right that the laws and rules in a country should always make it near impossible for people, who contribute to the economy etc and pay their taxes, to live life the way they think it should be lived and what's more the way they think they will be happy.

The way it exists at the moment IS the 'glass half-empty' way. Generally, to leave the 'rat-race' as people are want to call it, you have to earn enough money to do so and then 'drop out'. If the laws of the land existed in a fair way, then people would not have to 'drop out' - they could make their living alongside others still contributing to the country but by the means that they feel are 'right'. Isn't that a 'glass half-full' mentality? I cannot see how it can be viewed as a negative way of life. Many people think that these communities opt out of 'society' but they just exist alongside it instead - again another example; the Findhorn Community makes £5million a year so it contributes a great deal to the economy and allow them to live what they deem a 'good' life. The community isn't for me - I've tried the 'spiritual ' path and it didn't work for me but I respect what they do a great deal.

Anyway, I'm sure you are a 'glass half-full' person Hamish, but I know Abbi is too - I've never known her to be negative in any of her threads or postings, she's one of the most positive people I've seen posted here on H2G2 or anywhere else. I'm not meaning to critize you but I just don't see how you can get that picture of Abbi, that'a all.

Anyway, all the best.

Aaah! JT I wasn't having a go at you. Please do not take it as that. I was more responding to the condecending manner in which Analiese was being completely blinkered and not seeing the fact that all I was saying was ,"why throw the baby out with the bath water?". Just because things aren't perfect, why must we run the everything down.
Analiese was behaving like an idealogical first year sociology student. I was born on a farm, grew up in the bush and can see both sides, but when people pull the "world is black and white stuff"....well?

MadHamish
(Peace, Love and Mung Beans, baby!)

Gee I missed these last few posts.

I have gone too far out on the limb before MH.
There is more than one way to do things
"always liked the expression don't throw the bably out with the bath water" True enough MH Maybe goes for the Analiese "babe" too.
Analiese also has more behind her than a 1st year sociology class, agreed? Life experience of course counts for all of us.

I am also big proponent of not preaching or seeing black and white.
However, I am sure some one sees me that way.

IN answer to Analiese;
It is not the best of times but not the worst either Analiese.
I am having a bit of a slump. On an icky immune suppressant medication. Seems to depress more than intended.

I would have rather gotten drunk with you. Providing your amusing when drunk, or a good audiance!

JT you must be a seeker of balance

That's a buggar really. I don't agree with many of the techniques used as far as throwing more and more drugs at a problem and hope that something will work. I have a great setup these days. I have found a Chinese doctor, who is fully capable in both Chinese and Western medicine. It means that he will not give me drugs unless it is absolutely neccessary and he has ability to administer a cure or program for either system. I have been seeing him for two years, and have never been happier, mostly drug free.

MH
(I say mostly drug free on the ground that apparently alchohol is a drug. I am sceptical!)

Great MH
It is best to stay away from medications if possible.
Nice you have found that Dr!
I would love to find an all round Dr that can also do acupuncture.
It's best to blend the two philosophies IMO.

reading this thread black and white .nothing mentioned about grey the middle "way" ,as for drugs,you only have to look at the use of peniccillan to see the folly of over use , the body being able to produce many medications internally,whilst i agree some of us need to take suppliments to aid the body in this.but far to many of us have been made dependent on "liscenced" medications,as it is claimed that these bering the only way. a couple of hundered years ago we had "small pox, black death cholera " epidemics and the like of most if not all of the populas did not have acess to the treatments available today ,but by changeing diets and liveing conditions we have continued to surive,as for annilise i think mentioned vitamins,todays/tommorows childeren all haveing less and lees vitamins and minerals that would be found in natural diet as diet becomeing more and more of preprocessed foods,these mostly will also have added man made intoxicants that will cause problems that will need some "liscenced" drugs to conteract effects now H.R.T who and why was this report commissioned, to boost sales of different drugs

Yeah!

Don't have much time to reply to these so I'll try to keep it short:

MadHamish:

I know Analiese has a really hard time but she's no 'glass-half empty' kind of woman - you should hear her describe the beauty of the world, you should read the stories on RCO. If she was a negative person then she wouldn't have as much passion about her people as she does. She's the real deal...and I know she is a bit aggressive in her stance sometimes, but that's what I like about her - she's a fighter, but a fighter for 'Good'.

I do however know it wasn't me you were getting at.

And I know you're not here to argue either, so it's cool.

HRT seems to have been a large "study" of women and hormones.
I recall asking a DR "What do you mean ALL WOMEN should be on hormones?" ALL women with my problems? ALL women my age? ALL women?

He just stared and then said quieter well all women.

I thought it was Hogwash then.
They are marketing all kinds of things now.
It will be interetsing to see what happens.
The herbal industry has been a target of the Pharmacueticals for a lonf time. Now that women will be going to them for relief of symptoms, it could turn the tide a bit.

I've never understood the human resistance to ageing. it's inevitable, so why try and cheat? Sure there are other medical reasons for HRT use, but for the most part it's the vanity of not wishing to go through "The Change" (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). We all age, women grow moustaches and things sag, men go bald and "other" things sag. it's a right of passage that we all go through(if one makes it that long).

MadHamish
(I'know, shut up Hamish)

I do not understand it either. In fact all the fuss is more disturbing to me than the actual effects

I think there are a number of reasons why hormones can help. I am no expert though. It is certainly not the case that ALL women need them.

When you live in a society where the doctors promise that you might feel some slight discomfort but otherwise be free from the travails of natural human life if you'll just pop a pill or let them practice cutting on you, what do you expect?

When you get intravenous drugs to control labor and the pain thereof or hormone supplements so you don't get hot flashes what have you accomplished? Think about it maybe.

What I said about the gene pool ain't something you can just blow off. It's your gene pool okay?

Do they have to label it as snakeoil or sleight of hand for you to get the connection? They have been doing this for centuries and ever since it became illegal to snuff the suckers if they mess up, they've been doing it with impunity and irresponsibility. Wergeld don't get it okay?

Now, maybe that sort of criticism is throwing the baby out with the water and maybe it ain't. Maybe it's first year sociology or maybe it's 10,000th year collective experience. You be the judge.

We all got our collective problems it's true. Some worse than others. But when you tinker with stuff before you got a clue and you get into trouble because the side effects are worse than the illness why is it a glass half empty to call it what it is?

My glass is either full or empty by the way. Why sit around staring at it when you can drink it?

How many of the last flu epidemics came out of labs? How many of the current epidemics are the result of commerce, in bush meat or whatever? Does anybody not see the connection now? You don't even have to formulate a conspiracy theory to explain it although that's a distinct possibility too.

But if you never question this stuff, then what? Do we go on with business as usual because obviously nobody has a problem with the tradeoffs?

No, maybe the world ain't black and white but you get the gray from somewheres right?

By the way, thanks for the plug, JT, and thanks for the dispute Hamish. Keeps things in balance doesn't it?

Oh and a special thanks to Abbi for the defense. Might actually be one year's experience 22 times but I really appreciate the alternative articulation. Sounds way better and with your experience you might be right anyways.

I suspect Hamish might be right too being an OWG, but I just instinctively recoil from that possibility. Wonder why that is? Hah!!

Then to summarize, why is it that when you criticize the dirty bath water, you get jumped for promoting throwing away the baby? Is it really a package deal? Or can we exercise some semblance of discrimination? Can we be so bold as to pick and choose or must we always take it all or silently and respectfully leave it?

There's some ad about the Native American Education whatever where this navvy doctor with permed hair claims she owes it all to education. Except her diabetes of course which she owes to her junkfood diet, buh!!! But she's a doctor now so she's knows that thank God and modern medicine.

So reiterating, good nutrition, clean air to breath and water to drink, and not living in your own excrement are way healthier than popping pills or getting an education. Not that those latter things aren't important but until you get your priorities straight, it's kind of hard to enjoy the fruits of tablets or talking like smart people.

And contact is still problematic for people who've never seen white people before like some in the indigenous preserves of Brazil.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to dob on some white corn makeup so I look white and alluring like White Shell Woman. And clownface jokes ain't appreciated okay? Hee hee!!

"Then to summarize, why is it that when you criticize the dirty bath water, you get jumped for promoting throwing away the baby? Is it really a package deal?"

Great point,I like switching says like that. It is an intersting exercise.
***
The hormones are high enough in the food and water I doubt anyone needs more. More babies are being born with mixed sex organs. More women have trouble concieving, more men have problems earlier than in past decades with their bodies.

Clean water, air ,earth,and respectful farming would solve a lot.

Speaking of disease and dis ease and dirty water. What about that
pond in Maryland? They were looking for evidence of anthrax and did not find it. It was thought that the equipment on the bottom was some sort of mini laboratory. Have they thought about the mosquitos and ponds? They got in there and mixed it all up good. Did they check out the mosquitos in the area? If anyone needs a link to the pond story let me know. I wonder if any got west Nile or other moquito born elcephalopathies while working there?
*questioning sort*

I don't know about Maryland ponds but I do know I don't trust the government on just about anything.

Now, one of things I maybe forgot to address sometime and I think it was on this thread was the issue of conspiracy. Why is it when you raise a suspicion of conspiracy people just dismiss it as a "conspiracy theory" like that rebuts everything?

I mean if that were really true no criminal investigation would ever be pursued because most of them start as "conspiracy theories" right?

Why can't people deal with the particulars of the theory instead of just dismissing it as some loony thing about black helicopters? I wonder if that's a conspiracy in a way, making it fashionable to dismiss any conspiracy theory whatever? What are people afraid of? That they might be wrong? Well what if it's right and they did nothing because they wouldn't even admit possibility? And what if the conspirators know they won't admit the possibility? That would encourage them would it not?

Instead of answering any particular questions about what the f**k they're doing they just say, "Oh another conspiracy theory, hah hah!" Sort of like Rummy does you know?

Right!

I have noticed that and other phrases have been taken back by the ones that the phrase was used against, it is now a big joke

Reclaiming words,names,phrases can be done by all. Sometimes it is to the detriment of all. It is actually rather smart of them to do

The phrase has been disarmed essentially. We just need another. Liars fits but is largely ignored. As you have said both sides lie. Something is needed in the way of a phrase that will perk up ears, rather than turn them off.

Analiese, I know I'm gonna seriously regret asking this, but what the hell is an OWG?? (Usually good with TLA's).

Analiese, be careful not to put too much blame on society for some things. It removes the dignity of individual choice. Sure the fast food gave people diabetes, but the people shovelled it down in the first place. If people don't use their own initiative and ability for independant thought, they have no-one to blame but themselves.

MH
(I'm not the think that you I ass I am!)