HELP! We are being attacked by Hippies!!!

[Night Owl]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Night Owl asked....When was the last time a fleet of ambulances had to take patrons of the Melbourne Sympony Orchestra to hospital for mass drug overdoses?

I give up when was the last time?

alex

After being branded a "shallow moron" for stereotyping drug taking ravers as useless no hopers, who are proving to be a burden on the thinly stretched resources of hospitals, and funding organised crime, I have to say xelasnave that there has never been an occasion of a fleet of ambulances being needed to take OD'd Melbourne Symphony orchestra patrons to hospital for life support as the result of a mass overdose of illicit drugs at a recital!

But that would be stereotyping MSO patrons as not being irresponsible drug taking losers wouldn't it!

[Kal (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

After being branded a "shallow moron" for stereotyping drug taking ravers as useless no hopers, who are proving to be a burden on the thinly stretched resources of hospitals, and funding organised crime

Maybe you aren't even reading what you are typing. I didn't brand you as a shallow moron for stereotyping drug taking ravers as useless no hopers - I branded you as a shallow moron for labelling electronic music lovers as drug takers. There is a big difference and you know it.

And lets face it, the only way you can listen to the digitally generated broad spectrum noise pollution is be pilled off you head.

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

After being branded a "shallow moron" for stereotyping drug taking ravers as useless no hopers, who are proving to be a burden on the thinly stretched resources of hospitals, and funding organised crime, I have to say xelasnave that there has never been an occasion of a fleet of ambulances being needed to take OD'd Melbourne Symphony orchestra patrons to hospital for life support as the result of a mass overdose of illicit drugs at a recital!

But that would be stereotyping MSO patrons as not being irresponsible drug taking losers wouldn't it!

I get it you were joking
alex

[xelasnave]

Still on the serious side I see that precious resources are redirected for drug over doses...

I was thinking about the problem only recently and how to fix it...

I really think that our society has reached the point where we could have a special responce unit ..on the street and again a special unit at hospitals...

So that these folk who get themsleves into this situation dont clog the system..we should not need it but the reality is that we do need something better than the current way of managing the very real and very unfortunate situation of folk near killing themselves ...
alex

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

When was the last time a fleet of ambulances had to take patrons of the Melbourne Sympony Orchestra to hospital for mass drug overdoses? Where do you think stereotypes come from fool?

And you call me a shallow moron!

Anyone offer me illegal drugs better be prepared to lose their teeth.

Night Owl , if you are seriuosly trying to tell us that ellicit drugs in society are anything like the problem in society compared to alcohol then you need to go and do your homework. 30% of all hospital admissions are due to alcohol related mishap or progressive related disease. Smoking is still the major cause of cancer. A young reveller going off in an anbulance after a party might be news worthy , while a significant part of the population shake their heads as they slowly destroy there bodies with drink and cigarettes .

I don't support the idea of anybody harming there bodies with any kind of substance , but I do believe in freedom of choice and if a large part of the `respectable' poulation want to ruin their health with heavily taxed legal highs like drink and smoking then so be it. Thats their choice.
Theres plenty of information about all the substances out there for people to make informed decisions.

BTW your `wowserism' is about as convincing to me as a 'preist in a porn shop'

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

So that these folk who get themsleves into this situation dont clog the system..

Hmm shall we have special places to put gay Aids patients seeing as they chose to have `unatural sex', so they won't clog the system . Or special hosptals for lung cancer patients because they `chose' to smoke.

No I don't think that would wash. Drug overdose victims are just people like any other often with jobs and families. Excessive drug use is a social problem and should be treated as one. Deaths due to narcotics are miniscule compared to smoking and alcohol.

[xelasnave]

But alcohol is not a drug is it? The Government taxes it so it can not be a drug surely.
alex

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by Satchmo

Hmm shall we have special places to put gay Aids patients seeing as they chose to have `unatural sex', so they won't clog the system . Or special hosptals for lung cancer patients because they `chose' to smoke.

No I don't think that would wash. Drug overdose victims are just people like any other often with jobs and families.
Some of the worst drug users I met in my life were in white collar `professions'...drug use is around in all social and ecenomic strata as is alcohol abuse.

I take your point.
alex

[fringe_dweller]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Kearn it is about how much money one has...like.. if you are poor you are a "nutter" ...if you are rich with the same views you are "eccentric".

Hippies who have a little cash are called Hippies or those happy to follow an alternate life style...but if poor they are called ferals and if you dont like their music they are sterotypes... as we have already worked out... but if they are real people.. you know retired corporate lawyers or biker accountants then they are sea change folk ... but most have one thing in common and that is they all seek a change from what they are doing to what they think they would like to be doing... which means really no one is really happy with who they are at the moment maybe..

maybe thats why those poor folk take drugs they are just not happy... maybe thats why folk drink to excess and drive without regard for others on the road...they may just not care...

A deep matter here for consideration so many perplexing aspects...

I had a Doof over the road a couple of months back and after two days I wished they could have changed the record... but up close the music has a rather strange effect..sortta tribal ..but I dont think you have to take drugs to enjoy it..maybe after two days an asprin maybe...

The neat thing about this country is that we can have folk who walk to the beat of a different drum and no one cares about the difference...unless you are of course not main stream...and if you are not main stream within your group then you will have a problem... I mean you could not have a hippy in a business suit could you..it just would not be right...or a feral driving a BMW that would not add up... and so some are strange to all even those from within their own stereotypical group... and as such they cannot be classed as stereo types..and there is your problem.. confusion..

Its the rain my brain has mould on it!!!

alex

well said Alex, as usual you are right on the money!

I agree there seems a lot of unhappy uptight people right now

speaking of tribal drums, one of my weirdest but pleasant experiences was sitting and communal dancing around a large bonfire near the acoustic stage at glastonbury festival in UK years ago (ley line capitol of the world?) with all the 'hippies?' banging on many bongo drums into the wee hours - till I passed out :p surreal

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Unreal isn't it Kearn.

Every March I go up to a small festival near Toowoomba and give workshops on making drums and shakere. My friend Cruzi, an exceptionally talented person, takes along his bongos and leads the drumming, it really draws people in.
What is most satisfying though is when you observe the uptight man or a prim and proper woman or someones cranky grandmother, they stop to watch the funny looking people on the drums. Very soon their feet start tapping in time, their heads are starting to nod a bit to the rhythm, so you put a shakere in their hand, or offer them a drum and the next thing you know, they've given themselves over to the music and they're having the best time they've had in years.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Very soon their feet start tapping in time, their heads are starting to nod a bit to the rhythm, so you put a shakere in their hand, or offer them a drum and the next thing you know, they've given themselves over to the music and they're having the best time they've had in years.

Which is all 'Doofs' are about too. Whether you are dancing communally or drumming communily its all about tribalism and syncing in to an energy flow. People who focus on the drug aspects of dance parties are missing the point completely. The apparent fear onlookers have is a symptom of the kind of `stereotyping' we have seen great examples of in this thread. People don't realise that to be at one with a crowd isn't that complicated at all...look at any large footy match for example.

I drum with a belly dancing troupe on the Central Coast and have been to some Doofs when I was younger so I feel qualified enough to comment.

[fringe_dweller]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Unreal isn't it Kearn.

Every March I go up to a small festival near Toowoomba and give workshops on making drums and shakere. My friend Cruzi, an exceptionally talented person, takes along his bongos and leads the drumming, it really draws people in.
What is most satisfying though is when you observe the uptight man or a prim and proper woman or someones cranky grandmother, they stop to watch the funny looking people on the drums. Very soon their feet start tapping in time, their heads are starting to nod a bit to the rhythm, so you put a shakere in their hand, or offer them a drum and the next thing you know, they've given themselves over to the music and they're having the best time they've had in years.

I can easily believe that Jeanette! should be compulsory for some people eh wildly cathartic - i would do it again in a heartbeat

[xelasnave]

Thanks Kearn for the on the money compliment I was worried that I was rambling more than usual you see... my concern has vanished even if I was right about the rambling more than thing...

Well I have had a great day..went to a market at Drake..and could not help think about the stereo type thing so I looked around..similar but not the same was the closest I could get...

there were three goats for sale..
some drums under the "shoes off" tent, and a guy who would play you chess for $5 at 10 to 1..yes $50 if you win..with those odds he scared me off and everyone else I guess...I didnt see him play a game...

But he and some others were playing guitar and one playing a drum under the tent so I borrowed a guitar and joined in... now that is magic..folk I had never met and we "talk" to each other with our music... and two of them hit me up for lessons... I said yes and they are free so they probably wont take me up on the offer..charge them and they do???? why is that...

AND there was "hippy" jewlery, hair cuts...mm not hippy that...kids on stilts... a great day...no drugs did I see or smell..and no blood spatters up the wall in the toilet... it was friendly and nice.

I felt however someone passing in a car perhaps could have passed by and formed a different perception to the reality of the day...

Dam I really enjoyed that jam it was nice to have a drummer holding the beat.

alex

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

I used to go to folk festivals in Scotland and it was just as Alex described, groups of musicians playing here and there and you could join them if you wished. I can't play an instrument, but I sing folksongs and since coming to Aus have learned a few Aus country songs. Its great fun, long may it continue. Just don't let the arty fartie mob in, they spoil it for everyone

Bill