Homestead mailing list

["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT dtnspeed.net>]

I'm picking and choosing bits to reply to from James latest posting, so I
may not have gotten the main point:

<<....So when 
someone points out, for example as TVO's article did, that high cholesterol
is most 
often a result of diet choices, they clutch their garments about them and 
say, "You can't say that, it's like you're saying that I'm bad because I
have high cholesterol.  Therefore you are obligated to pretend as though it
isn't true, diet doesn't affect cholesterol -  ever, for anyone!!"   >>

Uh, duh. I believe that it's common knowledge these days that eating
saturated fat raises cholesterol. The corollary, that eating low-fat foods
lowers cholesterol, is also common knowledge. Any moron can test the theory
by adjusting his diet a couple of weeks before a cholesterol test.


<< We don't watch much TV and don't listen to radio much except for
following the occasional local news story.  When you're away from
advertisement, especially the moronic advertising on radio and TV, and you
then hear it again after a hiatus, you can't help but think "Who is idiotic
enough to be influenced by this drivel??" >> 

I haven't turned on the TV in about a year and a half. When I do catch
commercials, mostly at my mother's if she has the TV on when I'm there, I'm
amazed. Why do people watch this stuff? To give Mom credit, she only has the
TV on to get the farm and weather reports.


<<The answer is, those who have had the complete dose of 
indoctrination from public shcooling.  Its main purpose is to condition a
person to 
react to such ridiculous stimuli.  Buy this, vote for this, what other
people 
think about you is life and death, etc. >>

I can't speak from my own experience about public schooling. I went to a
one-room country school about 40 years ago, and I have no children so I
haven't had to deal with the school system. OTOH, I have a niece and nephew
who've been through public school, and I can't say it's hurt their bullshit
detectors. In fact, they both seem to have come to grips with the culture
and have developed acute bullshit detectors. Family really does have a lot
to do with instilling values.


<<  The indocrinated people have taken 
this exhortation to heart:  "Get surreal!"  Pointing out that a farm CAN be
run 
without borrowing money is seen as saying that they are evil or stupid
because 
they are in debt.>>


Indeed. My parents ran their farm without ever going into debt for 60 years,
and Mom is still doing it. She was a bit more compassionate than James might
be when a friend admitted that they had to borrow money to pay for seed and
fertilizer. Times are tough. Not everyone has been able to save enough money
to do without the bank.

<<  Discussing the healthful effects of good diet and exercise 
(as in the present case) cannot be done because there might be one person in

10,000 for whom diet nor exercise would imporve their condition [so you
can't discuss it at all]. >>

Those people exist. Most people who can't take advantage of exercise that I
know have rheumatoid arthritis or a skeletal problem (generally blown discs
in their back or damaged knees). Most people do the best they can.

I'm much impressed by the Looser of the Month Club at work. Those in the
group are actually taking their legally mandated breaks to go for a walk.
We've got all the 15-minute treks memorized.

<<Fortunately some people have avoided this indoctrination (for example, the

homeschooled) and some come to shake their heads to clear it of the
surrealism 
and get a good view of reality. >>

This country is in a world of hurt, but if we had to rely only on the home
schooled we'd be in deep doodoo. Most of my neighbors home school their
kids, and I think that's great. OTOH, lots of kids come out of the public
school system with critical thinking skills.

<< You'll find that a useful guide:  whether the 
person is dealing with reality or not.  Imagined illnesses, imagined
business 
enterprises that some how don't ever seem to pan out, alternate energy
systems 
that are contrary to physics,  all my problems are because Bush is in office

and someone just like Bush is managing the local WalMart and that's why they

wouldn't give me a job, etc. etc.  >>

This sounds like straw men to me. I know only one person who is using an
imagined illness to achieve some end known only to herself. Well, two: I
have a sister who has worked illness into a lifestyle, but I try to forget
about it. If we can't figure out a way to get her back to work, she'll be
out of resources in less than 10 years, which means she will be moving in
with one of us. I guess that's not all bad. She's nutz but an able worker.

Marie