PowerSwitch going downhill - Stage 4/5 collapse?

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 15 Feb 2011, 00:48

Ludwig wrote: Speaking personally, it is politics and economics that interest me. While I support the green movement in principle, I can't pretend that self-sufficient living has much interest for, or appeal to, me. I understand I may have to develop an interest in it, but to be honest it'll be an uphill struggle.

I think I've just understood why you are even more pessimistic than I am.

Post by **clv101** » 15 Feb 2011, 08:57

UndercoverElephant wrote:
Ludwig wrote: Speaking personally, it is politics and economics that interest me. While I support the green movement in principle, I can't pretend that self-sufficient living has much interest for, or appeal to, me. I understand I may have to develop an interest in it, but to be honest it'll be an uphill struggle.
I think I've just understood why you are even more pessimistic than I am.

Indeed, getting stuck in to physical activity is a great way to banish pessimism. This weekend I took an 'Activity' 1st aid course, helped plant a load of trees and erected a 50m deer proof fence.

caspian · Post by **caspian** » 15 Feb 2011, 09:01

clv101 wrote:Indeed, getting stuck in to physical activity is a great way to banish pessimism.

I tend to find that not to be the case. The mere thought of doing strenuous exhausting work (probably in the rain) makes me want to go back to bed.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 15 Feb 2011, 09:44

clv101 wrote:
UndercoverElephant wrote:
Ludwig wrote: Speaking personally, it is politics and economics that interest me. While I support the green movement in principle, I can't pretend that self-sufficient living has much interest for, or appeal to, me. I understand I may have to develop an interest in it, but to be honest it'll be an uphill struggle.
I think I've just understood why you are even more pessimistic than I am.
Indeed, getting stuck in to physical activity is a great way to banish pessimism. This weekend I took an 'Activity' 1st aid course, helped plant a load of trees and erected a 50m deer proof fence.

I didn't actually mean that, although it is true that being outdoors and doing stuff tends to make one feel better. I meant that if your primary interest is politics and economics and you aren't so interested in the other aspects of this whole situation then you are likely to end up with a VERY miserable outlook. There's simply nothing you can do about the political and economic situation apart from point out that our political and economic systems are both totally insane. I don't think they can be changed without a catastrophic collapse occuring first so you end up concluding that the faster the day of reckoning comes, the better.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 15 Feb 2011, 10:53

Ludwig wrote:
emordnilap wrote:Yeah, the forum is a lot less practical (though admittedly most of what you need to know is here somewhere already) these days - and far more "technology/GMOs/nuclear/finance/shale/tar/more-of-what-got-us-into-this-mess-will-save-us" blinkeredness.
But these are legitimate topics, surely?

Oh, they are, not disputing that. But 'power' and 'switch' I take to mean getting away from that stuff, discussing the practicalities of getting from here to there, for instance, rather than sparring pointlessly with right-wing agenda-mongers.

I try to ignore posts that advocate adoration of that stuff anyway, so it's academic.

Janco2 · Post by **Janco2** » 15 Feb 2011, 11:49

I have to say that I always ignore the posts that you are referring to.
I'm usually far too busy outside to spend much time looking for what is going on in the world.
Here I can find out most of what I want and need to know.

Thanks to everyone (well most posters).

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 15 Feb 2011, 12:15

UndercoverElephant wrote:
clv101 wrote:
UndercoverElephant wrote: I think I've just understood why you are even more pessimistic than I am.
Indeed, getting stuck in to physical activity is a great way to banish pessimism. This weekend I took an 'Activity' 1st aid course, helped plant a load of trees and erected a 50m deer proof fence.
I didn't actually mean that, although it is true that being outdoors and doing stuff tends to make one feel better. I meant that if your primary interest is politics and economics and you aren't so interested in the other aspects of this whole situation then you are likely to end up with a VERY miserable outlook. There's simply nothing you can do about the political and economic situation apart from point out that our political and economic systems are both totally insane. I don't think they can be changed without a catastrophic collapse occuring first so you end up concluding that the faster the day of reckoning comes, the better.

I've never been a practical person, but I'd adapt if I had to. It's not that I'm practically incompetent, but I prefer reading a book to digging potato patches in the rain. When I was younger I had a lot of physical energy, these days less so, for various reasons.

My pessimism doesn't come from fear of a grow-your-own lifestyle. I could get used to that. It comes from considering the very real prospects of widespread violence and hunger.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 15 Feb 2011, 16:27

We could turn "Off Topic" into "Members' bar", with those rules, perhaps?

And I shall do my best to keep with the silliness...it's a tough job, but someone has to do it

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 15 Feb 2011, 18:42

It's very simple. We just have to moderate accordingly.

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 15 Feb 2011, 19:11

Bandidoz wrote:It's very simple. We just have to moderate accordingly.

Best that that's actually done then?

The opening of the 'Tory Scum' thread being an example. I don't much care for them myself, but really, that thread is really not fit for PowerSwitch. Fails the Pub Test.

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 15 Feb 2011, 19:22

I'm not too fussed about swearing; it's the circular/repeated arguments and personal insults that I find tiresome.

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 15 Feb 2011, 19:45

Bandidoz wrote:It's very simple. We just have to moderate accordingly.

Thank you for the action taken

the mad cyclist · Post by **the mad cyclist** » 15 Feb 2011, 21:02

I joined this forum because you all appeared to be a decent bunch, I don’t know if I’d think the same now after reading some of the more recent posts.
The pub test, if you don’t get the mick taken out of you, you’re not part of the group. So thanks lads and lasses.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 29 Mar 2011, 19:32

Some people have taken to writing particular points in large print, which I (and probably many others) find irritating, and tends to reduce the quality of debate. Bold or italics work perfectly well for emphasis.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 29 Mar 2011, 19:47

RenewableCandy wrote:Some people have taken to writing particular points in large print, which I (and probably many others) find irritating, and tends to reduce the quality of debate. Bold or italics work perfectly well for emphasis.

It's getting like in the good olde days when desktop publishing was invented, and every document had to have 20 different fonts in 50 different colours!