New Circle?

Over on JMG's blog, someone mentioned collected education resources. Would a circle for education be possible? I know the list of circles is getting rather large; definitely open to alternatives.

Thanks

Let me try to hijack this.

Would a circle on health practices be worth doing?

Herbal Education? It could be part of gardening, but then it's more than that, because it has to do with how the herbs are prepared, stored, and administered.

Physical manipulation? Someone touched on medicinal tattooing in another thread. There's yoga. There's acupuncture. There's theraputic massage. There are other techniques of physical therapy and adjustments.

And there's good old fashioned western medicine, including some proceedures that have been superseeded, but may be useful to know about. I mean to read "Ditch Medicine" by Hugh L. Coffee at some point, and I see that it's available as a PDF now.

Just a thought.

David Trammel's picture

We were asked by John Michael Greer at the beginning of this forum not to discuss alternative medicine and guns. The first topic he felt might open the site and himself to problems if some of suggestions or advice turned out wrong and someone decided to sue him, since he's the visible face (and copyright holder) of the "Green Wizard" idea.

We all know that famous authors like JMG with lots of books are very very rich...lol.

Herbs we will talk alot about their growing, drying and storing soon, just not any medicial properties.

As for guns he felt that subject was a hot button issue with many people on both the pro and con side, and that there are loads of other sites in the sustainable and prepper community that do talk alot about guns. We have talked a bit about home and personal security in a more dangerous world.

I'm not sure I agree with those decisions, but its not my back the bullseye is painted on. So for now those are the guidelines. We'll see once the new site and some of the organizational options sort themselves out in the next year, and then we may review and revise this policy.

Understood. I could see legal reasons to step away from those subjects. There's the whole "snakeoil' filter issue too. Nevermind.

David Trammel's picture

I'm a firm believer in alternative medicine. I laugh sometimes how the western medical establishment tries to "poo pah" two thousand years of Chinese herbal knowledge and learning with their focus on what kind of cure can be whipped up in a test tube (and sold at a $100 a pop). I've been using alternative knowledge to keep me healthy thru several flu seasons now with good results.

I figure we have about a decade now left of institutional medicine before we are back to the way it was in the beginnings of the previous century, where doctors learned their craft apprentising at the foot of another older doctor, and were considered carftsmen like plumber and cobbelers. Where you often consulted the local herbilist just as often as a "doctor".

JMG has mentioned how in the 1920s before the American Medical Association got such a stranglehold on the business of health how faternal organizations and local co-ops would negotiate healthcare for their members with local doctors at rates that would make current practitioners faint, they were that low.

Of course then becoming a doctor didn't mean the low side of a million dollars in student debt, lol.

Like I said we have some things in the works behind the Big Curtain here, that may make it more easy (and safer) to discuss this over the next year, give us some time.

David Trammel's picture

...my current thought is to post any education resourse under the relevant circle, plant courses and such under food, wood working education under crafts.

The moderators here have had a hectic last couple of months due to some personal drama, so we've been in a holding pattern for some of the changes we have planned for the Green Wizard website. Hopefully after the holiday we can get them started. If in a few months we still look like we need additional circles we'll see what we can do.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

David

David Trammel's picture

I can see where the discussion on higher education is headed. My original opinion is still a good one BUT I do think the focus on critical thinking is a good one. Let me speak with the other moderators and we may add that to the "Community Building" Circle, since learning to think is a needed skill in re-building our communities.

David - that's a good idea. Community building is a big part of what the discussion on Archdruid Report is about, so adding that piece to the Community Building Circle makes sense. I also am concerned that we don't separate education from what the education is about - because then it gets abstract, and comments can get generalized and pedantic. One of the good aspects of this website is the practical nature of the comments and suggestions!