Gimbal

I'm curious to know if anyone else put in an official complaint to the abc about this article. I did, quoting which terms of the code of practice were being broken. Got an automated response saying they'll get back to me about it.

It's quite good for feet cracked heels etc). You'd probably want to make a balm or cream with it for that.

Does calling an ambulance count? Fwiw, at the hospital they said if she'd got there even 10 minutes later she would have been dead. And there was absolutely no way an ambulance would have been called at all if I hadn't turned up at her house and found her having a heart attack. She sure as shit wasn't able to do it herself. It kinda haunts me because I wasn't even meant to be there that day. The smallest decisions we make can occasionally have the most profound consequences...

So... are you saying you don't believe that women who choose to have sex with men do so because they like men and enjoy having sex with them? Is that an opinion you've come to through personal experience or watching youtube... And do you think it's a good idea to learn about feminism from people who show no understanding of feminist theory? Good luck with that one. Right back at ya, dude. (hint: youtube is not considered a reliable source) I can provide reliable sources of actual feminist texts, pm me if you're interested in learning something.

Oh yes, a few random youtube videos are enough to change my mind about every thing I ever learned and every feminist I've ever met. Especially when the videos are filled with logical fallacies. Like the third one which starts with the line "Sex is now being used by women almost exclusively as a weapon against men". For fucks sake. All the women I know who have sex with men do so because they actually LIKE men and enjoy having sex with them. Or at least, they think that's why they have sex... I suppose we just don't understand our own motivations. Lucky we have this telepathic man to tell us what we really think. Despite what anti-feminists try and tell me feminism is, I've not yet met a feminist who hates men, nor have I read a feminist text which demonises men - and I've read a lot. Strangely, I prefer to listen to actual feminists and read actual feminist texts to find out what they believe. I can't see any reason to blindly take the word of people who aren't feminist and show no understanding of feminist theories or positions. Doing that would be like trying to learn about drugs from someone who hates drugs and got all their information from Reefer Madness. I feel sorry for people who have been fed a straw man argument (no pun intended) about feminism and now feel anger and hate towards something which actually does not exist in feminist theories. What a waste of energy.

Quoted for truth. And not just this forum, but certain events which may or may not be associated with this forum. Thanks for responding to these comments, Darklight. Love your work.

Apparently the diseases were brought overland from the east by other aboriginal people. They had extensive trade/information networks; they sent people west to warn them about the invasion, which spread diseases faster and farther than white people could alone. Many different people gathered on Kaurna land to discuss and plan what to do, which then caused the diseases to spread through all their different communities.

What a pity, all that effort to make it look scientific, and then he makes a statement like this.

Great letter cisumevil. Does anyone know whether or not it's useful to write if you aren't a resident of WA? Because if so I'll write one too. I ask because I've become aware recently of situations where not all forms of communication count, nor do letters from all people; and if they don't have to listen to me I'd rather spend my effort writing to someone who does.

Go here and check out their campaign on unfair bank fees. Heaps of good information, I followed their advice and got $200+ wiped off.

Oh yeah, for sure. Like I said, quite a few people. Actually the older I get, the more people I find who react badly on weed. But those people just don't do it any more once they realise that. It's way more common for me to hear 'I quit weed because it made me paranoid' than to see someone smoking it and freaking out going 'shit, what'd I do that for'. They don't do that too many times before they freak right off it. And from what I've seen that's always been because of an anxiety disorder, not a psychotic one. Out of the schizophrenics I know that still do smoke, they're worse when they're not on it. I don't think that quitting exacerbates their illness though, I think they just get irritable like any other chronic user who's coming off the weed. I think it's good medicine for those few that it works on, but it's not for everyone.

I worked for a while in a psych facility. And I actually met more schizophrenics who were total straight edges and hadn't been triggered by any drug that we know of, than I did potheads. It made me realise there's a touch of information bias with the whole weed=schizophrenia thing. Yeah I know people like that too. But they also all smoke tobacco, they all drink coffee, and they've all taken shrooms and acid. Hard to say what's to blame. If we have to pick a substance, my money's on the shrooms - in at least one case, the psychosis first became apparent during a trip. I do know a few people who get anxiety or paranoia or depression that's triggered by weed, but those people simply don't smoke it. Why the fuck would they? Even if they previously did, it doesn't take too long for them to decide it's just not worth it. I know a grand total of three people who definitely developed mental illness BEFORE they began smoking weed, and gain a huge benefit from smoking it. I know a lot of others who say it doesn't hurt their illness or it actively helps them, but it's impossible to say whether or not it cause the problem in the first place.

Smiling cloud, you're onto something there. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/conten...ract/161/7/1219

Torsten, that's the most insightful thing I've read all year. Mind if I tattoo it on my forehead? Backwards, so I can see it in the mirror and remind myself NOT to waste my time trying to educate the apathetic.

I think shamanism is one of those terms that's so broad in meanings it's virtually useless - as soon as you use it people start arguing about what shamanism actually is. Not surprising really considering the etymology of the word. I'm enjoying the various personal definitions that are appearing on here.

No shit Torsten, so Ovelteenies are now considered therapeutic? You live and learn.

In answer to the thread topic question no, I don't think the majority of shamans are homosexual. But in the article homosexuality is held up as one example, along with crippled and epileptic. It's really referring to anything that pushes one outside the norm. And I do think it's a fair call to say that the majority of western shamans experience something like that - sexuality, mental health issues, physical disability or something else forces them to question things because they are in the position of 'other'. But I'm not sure it's as true to say that this is the case with shamans in any other society. There seems to be an inherent contradiction in this article. It says "When a youth becomes alienated from his family and tribe, wanders away and seeks solitude for long periods, or exhibits severe antisocial behavior" - then somehow he turns that around into being a wise person that everyone goes to. The little I've learned about some 'traditional' shamanic practices indicates that seeing the shaman as a poorly adjusted individual who doesn't fit in is quite possibly a western construct in itself, and something we project on them simply because that's the way it goes down for us. The idea that the shaman sits on a mountain far away from and separate to the life of the village is quite frankly bollocks in a lot of situations. Shamans works within a framework comprised of the collective knowledge the people have gained over time - they are in fact an intrinsic part of the society, rather than people who don't fit into the society. The services they provide are firmly within the cultural context. I'm not sure how it can then be posited that they become shamans for the same reasons as westerners do. Another thing this article says is that shamans experience a release from the restrictions imposed on others. Well, in some ways, yes. But in traditional societies they are still expected to fit into the 'norms' of what a shaman is and what a shaman does. While these restrictions could be different to the ones other people experience, and might not be easily observable to the casual western observer, they nevertheless exist. The other thing that bothers me is that this article says shamans are usually hereditary and only sometimes mal-adjusted individuals- and then goes on to explain the institution of shamanism as a tool for dealing with social misfits. How does that fit in with the hereditary thing?

I agree Hutch. Tax dollars are a major argument in the legislation they're trying to pass in California.

Tryptamine, I know Fos just chewed it dry. However it took a lot of chewing and fos couldn't have much without wanting to , so it was a very mild effect apparently; sort of energetic but quite dreamy at the same time (especially when walking). I can see why boiling it up would be easier and more efficient, but I don't think it's necessary if you prefer a fairly mild effect like my fos does. I reckon your mate would have become used to much more concentrated doses, so wouldn't get much of anything out of chewing it dried.

Tryptamine, I'm curious about the prep time. Fos just chewed it. Are you talking about some kind of curing process, or just the time it takes to pick the bits out of your teeth?

Very interesting. One of my overseas friends is trying this, I'll let you know how things go.

That's too bad Hutch. I'd still recommend trying comfrey ointment though (along with the five-fragrance wine, which sounds great). You should be able to tell within a day or so if it is having any positive effect.

Turmeric, mixed with black pepper and oil to increase the absorption rate. Have you tried comfrey ointment for the elbow and shoulder? Brahmi is also supposed to have anti-inflammatory effects but I haven't tried it yet.

A bus from Melbourne would be great! Thanks for thinking of it Ronny.

I have found that Kunzea ambigua (used in essential oil form) is incredibly effective as a topical analgesic, having an affect almost like a topical anasthetic.