One Flew Over The Game of Football

[John Smith]

I must admit, -- I have always been un-American when it came to the game of football. If you asked me yesterday who was going to play in SuperBowl, I would probably say, "Red Sox?" (that's the only American sports team I know). But today I made an effort to see for myself what it is all about. My wife was nearby, and we had a lot of good laugh watching the game and exchanging comments. Here are some of our observations:
1. Before the referee threw the coin in the air, he went to great lengths to explain to the players what constitutes the coin "head" and "tails". Is there some special ambiguous coin, or the players wasted all their mental capacity on the physical activities?
2. I was most unimpressed with the cheerleaders. With so much glamour, resources, and security attached to the SuperBowl (why not SuperBall?), couldn't they find a few attractive ladies? I would think that the revenue from just one advertisement would be enough to pay for all the 50 candidates from the "Miss America" contest and have them do whatever it is that cheerleaders do. The roughness of the cheerleaders matched that of the game itself.
3. As the players were introduced before the beginning of the game, I looked at them and I thought, "These guys are too bulky. If I was having a sumo match with any of them, I would have outscored them with my speed". But as the game began, I realized I would not have a chance. Damn, these guys are as heavy as they are quick! It's really amazing how masterfully they can move 300 pounds of meat.
4. After a successful manuver, I observed the Patriots gathering around their teammate and hitting him really bad on the head and the face. It took me some time to realize that they were expressing their gratitude. It looked like a real beating in a bar.
5. It definitely ain't soccer. In soccer, if a player accidentally falls on the ground, he would be rolling on the field for 10 minutes, pretending that he was knocked down illegally and imitating pain and suffering. This is so that he can cause the compassion of a referee and get a penalty kick with a high probablity of scoring a goal. Boy, what a difference football makes, -- it looked like these guys wanted to get hurt. I bet these guys are looking forward to playing on the concrete floor.
6. Too many interruptions in the game, -- not much continuity. I timed the average length of time the ball was in the game, and it was around 7 seconds. The rest of the time was spent in what looked like an intermission.
7. I admire the players devotion to the game, but it was a bit too religious, in my opinion. When 20 of the players formed a pyramid on top of each other, covering the ball, I immediately thought of today's incident in the Mecca, where 250 people were trampled to death. If I were an NFL comissioner (or whoever the guy setting the rules), I would make a few adjustments. First, I would cut the number of players in each team in half. That would allow for some space between the players. Second, I would make the width of the field twice as wide, and the length of the field twice shorter. After all, the game seems to always develop along the width of the field, rather than along its length.
8. Most players looked like they just got out of jail, after serving a term for murder. Big guys, tatoos, tense shoulders, and fierce look. Tom Brady was a notable exception and seemed out of place there. He looked like a musician who was forced to go to war to defend his country and kill people. Kinda the opposite of Russell Crowe in the "Beautiful Mind".

9. Football looks like a great mucho game, so I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that every new round (or whatever the term) starts with one player almost touching the other player's testicals, waiting to receive the ball. Couldn't they conceive something more decent?
10. Licking fingers. What's that about? There was one player who would do it all the time. My guess is that this is for better traction, although I always thought of saliva as a lubricant. What a versatile bodily fluid!
11. What are those funny strips of paper towels attached to the players pants? In all the civilized sports, if your tears, blood, and sweat interfere with your game, you would go to your stand and put yourself together off the playing field.
12. How on Earth do these guys manage to leave the field in one piece? Just by looking at it, it is reasonable to assume that most players would at least break their necks in the first 10 minutes of the game.
13. One of the coaches was chewing the gum with a great vigor and enjoyment. Does anyone know what kind of gum brand it is?
14. It was announced that 1 billion people watched today's game. Have the Chineese, Indians, and Indonesians gone mad? It must be them, -- where else can you find 1 billion people?
Overall, it was definitely a great entertainment, although I still don't understand why anyone would watch it more than once a year for 20 minutes.
P.S. (after the game is over). As much as I am a dilettant in the game of football, even I can appreciate Tom Brady's skill. It looked like every time he made a pass, it was the best choice possible. But I also had an impression that he lacked some spirit and drive for the game, as though he was not pshycologically prepared to win. Is there any substance for my speculation?
[ February 01, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

[Mark Fletcher]

Superbowl Comments so Far:
1) Pretty good game so far. At time of writing its the 4th Quarter, Patriots are leading. But it still feels like it could go either way.
2) Half time show. Ummm did Justin Timberlake rip off a wee bit too much fabric off Janet Jacksons top?
3) Time zone differences. Bah. Its 2:30am and Ive got to go to work tomorrow. I promised myself Id stay up till the first half and then go to bed. Yet strangely Im still here, supping on beer, and waiting to see how it pans out. Monday will be a world of hurt

[Mark Fletcher]

6:53 on the clock... Touchdown! Boy this is gonna be close!
[ February 01, 2004: Message edited by: Mark Fletcher ]

[Thomas Paul]

Great game. I really expected NE to run away with it.
Eugene, they don't use a regular US coin for the toss. They just want to make sure the players understand which side is heads and which is tails.

[Andres Gonzalez]

I've been only to 1 game. @ metrodome in minneapolis (vikings Vs. Can't remember).
I froze to death. I was pissed off with everyone because of the weather. My lips were frozen, so I couldn't even say a word.
About the game today/yesterday:
1) didn't (couldn't) watch it.
2) didn't know what the teams where.
3) read a lot about the ads
It is a *big* show. I lived in america and notice everyone talking about it. Good atmosphere.
Not here in down under. hard to comment when everyone is focus on yesterday's cricket test.
Do we still have Dion Sanders (he used to play baseball too), Joe Montana, Dan Marino? or.. have I lost track of the game ?
[EK]6. Too many interruptions in the game, -- not much continuity. I timed the average length of time the ball was in the game, and it was around 7 seconds. The rest of the time was spent in what looked like an intermission.
ditto.. but you get used to it, it's part of the game. If you want to see a *lot* interruptions, then go to a baseball game. I went to minessota twins Vs can't remember. First time I see an expectator taking a gameboy along .
[EK]5. It definitely ain't soccer. In soccer, if a player accidentally falls on the ground, he would be rolling on the field for 10 minutes, pretending that he was knocked down illegally and imitating pain and suffering. This is so that he can cause the compassion of a referee and get a penalty kick with a high probablity of scoring a goal. Boy, what a difference football makes, -- it looked like these guys wanted to get hurt. I bet these guys are looking forward to playing on the concrete floor.
You've got to see Rugby... it'll make you cry.

[Jason Menard]

I'll answer a few of these.
1. Before the referee threw the coin in the air, he went to great lengths to explain to the players what constitutes the coin "head" and "tails". Is there some special ambiguous coin, or the players wasted all their mental capacity on the physical activities?
The ref may use any coin for the coin toss, not just legal US tender. In events such as the Super Bowl, I believe special commenerative coins are used. As the players may be unfamiliar with the coin used for the toss, the ref must explain which side will be considered heads and which side will be considered tails.
6. Too many interruptions in the game, -- not much continuity. I timed the average length of time the ball was in the game, and it was around 7 seconds. The rest of the time was spent in what looked like an intermission.
You get used to it. There are even more interruptions during the Super Bowl. Advertising during football games, particularly during the Super Bowl is very valuable, so they try to squeeze in as much as they can. There are also interruptions when there are penalties. This crew of refs seemed to particularly enjoy throwing penalty flags, slowing down the pace of the game. Very likely they just wanted to see themselves on TV more often.
First, I would cut the number of players in each team in half. That would allow for some space between the players. Second, I would make the width of the field twice as wide, and the length of the field twice shorter. After all, the game seems to always develop along the width of the field, rather than along its length.
Acually most of the action is along the length not the width, as of course the object of the game is to move the ball the length of the field and across the opponent's goal line. With the rule changes you suggest though, it would then no longer be football.
11. What are those funny strips of paper towels attached to the players pants? In all the civilized sports, if your tears, blood, and sweat interfere with your game, you would go to your stand and put yourself together off the playing field.
I believe they are used to clean your hands, so that you can better handle the ball and your opponent.
12. How on Earth do these guys manage to leave the field in one piece? Just by looking at it, it is reasonable to assume that most players would at least break their necks in the first 10 minutes of the game.
This has been known to happen.
14. It was announced that 1 billion people watched today's game. Have the Chineese, Indians, and Indonesians gone mad? It must be them, -- where else can you find 1 billion people?
I dunno, but the game is broadcast all over the world.
Overall, it was definitely a great entertainment, although I still don't understand why anyone would watch it more than once a year for 20 minutes.
I haven't missed watching a New England Patriots game all year. I have greatly looked forward to it every week of the season.
But I also had an impression that he lacked some spirit and drive for the game, as though he was not pshycologically prepared to win. Is there any substance for my speculation?
Quite the opposite actually. He is arguably the most poised quarterback playing the game today, as well as the winningest. He has appeared in six post-season games (where the pressure is the greatest) and won all of them, including two Super Bowls. As far as lacking spirit and drive, like most NFL players he is ultra-competitive. When he throws a touchdown pass, he will usually be one of the first players running down to the end zone to knock helmets with his receiver (which you mentioned earlier).

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Andres Gonzalez:
I've been only to 1 game. @ metrodome in minneapolis (vikings Vs. Can't remember). I froze to death.

How did you "freeze to death" in a domed stadium?

[Paul Stevens]

Great game. The commercials where pretty mediocre though. There where more bad ones than usual and way too many movie trailers.

[Mark Fletcher]

It would have been crazy if it had gone into extra time. By the time I got to my bed it was 3:30am GMT. Im in work today and Im suffering ;(
It was a good game though.

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
1. Before the referee threw the coin in the air, he went to great lengths to explain to the players what constitutes the coin "head" and "tails". Is there some special ambiguous coin, or the players wasted all their mental capacity on the physical activities?

The cumulative effect of repeated concussions I believe, Eugene.

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
4. After a successful manuver, I observed the Patriots gathering around their teammate and hitting him really bad on the head and the face. It took me some time to realize that they were expressing their gratitude. It looked like a real beating in a bar.

One of the causes of the effect cited above.

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
5. It definitely ain't soccer. In soccer, if a player accidentally falls on the ground, he would be rolling on the field for 10 minutes, pretending that he was knocked down illegally and imitating pain and suffering. This is so that he can cause the compassion of a referee and get a penalty kick with a high probablity of scoring a goal. Boy, what a difference football makes, -- it looked like these guys wanted to get hurt. I bet these guys are looking forward to playing on the concrete floor.

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
7. I admire the players devotion to the game, but it was a bit too religious, in my opinion. When 20 of the players formed a pyramid on top of each other, covering the ball, I immediately thought of today's incident in the Mecca, where 250 people were trampled to death. If I were an NFL comissioner (or whoever the guy setting the rules), I would make a few adjustments. First, I would cut the number of players in each team in half. That would allow for some space between the players. Second, I would make the width of the field twice as wide, and the length of the field twice shorter. After all, the game seems to always develop along the width of the field, rather than along its length.

Closer to rugby, Eugene. If you're interested in primitive sports-related religious ritutals you really must arrange to see a rugby game. The scrums and rolling mauls are most instructive.

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
13. One of the coaches was chewing the gum with a great vigor and enjoyment. Does anyone know what kind of gum brand it is?

Hashish, possibly? It really reduces the tension of a stressful big game and may dull the pain of not recieving a deserved promotion because you *won* too many games. Another curious ritual of American Football is the proper 'aging' of successful coaches before they recieve the top job.
One would think that the top assistants from the top teams would be hired by other teams as their head coach, but that isn't the way it works. An assistant coach must become less successful in order to be promoted. Such is the Way of the NFL. Blessed be the NFL.....
[ February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Bela Bardak ]

[frank davis]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
I must admit, -- I have always been un-American when it came to the game of football. [ February 01, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

Again, Eugene and I are psychic blood brothers...

[Michael Ernest]

EK: 1. Before the referee threw the coin in the air, he went to great lengths to explain to the players what constitutes the coin "head" and "tails". Is there some special ambiguous coin, or the players wasted all their mental capacity on the physical activities?
This part of the game has, for whatever reason, become an important ceremony. Not only does half the team come out as captains, and the other half as honorary captains, you have Hall of Fame Inductees presiding over it. It may have to do with the idea that no one has home field advantage.
EK: 2. I was most unimpressed with the cheerleaders...The roughness of the cheerleaders matched that of the game itself.
I believe the cheerleaders are invited from the pro teams in the leaguem and are nominated and selected by their peers. Appearance alone doesn't get it. Hard-working, well-liked, competent at teamwork -- all the things you can't stand in a woman -- are the criteria.
EK 3. But as the game began, I realized I would not have a chance. Damn, these guys are as heavy as they are quick! It's really amazing how masterfully they can move 300 pounds of meat.
These men are simply frightening. I went to school with a guy named Mike Wise, who played a few seasons for the Raiders in LA. Big, fast, strong, and quite a temper. I don't think God intended such a creature.
A few years ago I met another guy who played for Oklahoma State in their championship years. Grant Sleesman. Drafted by the Seahawks but failed the physical for some damaged ligaments around the base of his spine. Made of brick.
EK: 6. Too many interruptions in the game, -- not much continuity. I timed the average length of time the ball was in the game, and it was around 7 seconds. The rest of the time was spent in what looked like an intermission.
George Will calls football: "Bursts of violence punctuated by committee meetings."
EK: 7. First, I would cut the number of players in each team in half. That would allow for some space between the players. Second, I would make the width of the field twice as wide, and the length of the field twice shorter. After all, the game seems to always develop along the width of the field, rather than along its length.
Football is not a contact sport. It's a collision sport. -- Vince Lombardi
Why delay the inevitable? But it also takes a special kind of team to run a grounf-control, "smashmouth" kind of game anymore. When you get a team like that, you see a lot more running up the middle. Ironically, heading straight for the goal usually consumes clock time a lot faster than working the sides of the field, looking for the holes in the defense to exploit.
EK: 8. Most players looked like they just got out of jail, after serving a term for murder. Big guys, tatoos, tense shoulders, and fierce look.
Some of them have been there, some of them are going back. The NFL has the highest count of felony convictions among their players than any other sport.
The estimate is that about 70% of NFL players end up alcoholics or spend some kind of time in addiction, particularly to pain killers. These games can get very, very intense, so the doctors look for some way to bring them down gradually from the game. The year Tim Krumrie of the Bengals broke his leg in the opening quarter, he refused to go to the hospital until the game was over. Gives you an idea of how they set themselves up to play.
EK: 9. Football looks like a great mucho game, so I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that every new round (or whatever the term) starts with one player almost touching the other player's testicals, waiting to receive the ball. Couldn't they conceive something more decent?
It's the safest way to set up a center for the snap. Besides, you can see it quite clearly. I hate to think what goes on in a rugby scrum, but I'm surprised you don't ear more screams of pain and more half-torn ears.
EK: 10. Licking fingers. What's that about? There was one player who would do it all the time.
Partly it's nervous habit, partly a test to see if there's any feeling left. When you're sweating that much, the skin dries out fast.
EK: 12. How on Earth do these guys manage to leave the field in one piece? Just by looking at it, it is reasonable to assume that most players would at least break their necks in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Tape, tape, tape, tape and tape. Followed by some tape.
EK: 13. One of the coaches was chewing the gum with a great vigor and enjoyment. Does anyone know what kind of gum brand it is?
Whatever brand keeps him from grinding through his own molars for several hours.
EK: 14. It was announced that 1 billion people watched today's game. Have the Chineese, Indians, and Indonesians gone mad? It must be them, -- where else can you find 1 billion people?
Wal-Mart, the morning after Christmas Day.
EK: As much as I am a dilettant in the game of football, even I can appreciate Tom Brady's skill. It looked like every time he made a pass, it was the best choice possible. But I also had an impression that he lacked some spirit and drive for the game, as though he was not pshycologically prepared to win.
Brady's pretty cool, usually doesn't get too emotional in the game. He does like to celebrate in the end zone, something most QBs don't do. He's an effective passer, but he can make sloppy mistakes too, like that end-zone interception. If you want to see quarterbacks in the game who show some fire, Donovan McNabb of Philadelphia is interesting to watch, Brett Favre of the Packers gets emotionally involved, and there are a couple others.
[ February 02, 2004: Message edited by: Michael Ernest ]

[Paul Stevens]

The licking of the fingers actually does help on the grip. I play softball and when the fingertips are totally dry, I cannot get a good grip on the ball. Footballs are the same way.

[John Smith]

ME: George Will calls football: "Bursts of violence punctuated by committee meetings."
This is pretty good.
ME: The estimate is that about 70% of NFL players end up alcoholics or spend some kind of time in addiction, particularly to pain killers. These games can get very, very intense, so the doctors look for some way to bring them down gradually from the game. The year Tim Krumrie of the Bengals broke his leg in the opening quarter, he refused to go to the hospital until the game was over. Gives you an idea of how they set themselves up to play.
Damn, now I am starting to think that my look at football was way too superficial. The European soccer player will sell his mother to avoid the pain of a broken finger. I've got to think about the masochism of football players, but my immediate observation is that it has to do with the American competitiveness and the notion of a success at all costs.
Thanks for all the comments, guys, -- now I've got to reflect on all the info and the clues that you have provided.

[Andres Gonzalez]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:

How did you "freeze to death" in a domed stadium?

That's what I always ask myself. I suffer from coldness. People used to pick me up at the gate when I went shopping because I couldn't walk to the parking station in the winter time
BTW, Janet Jackson looks pretty good
[ February 02, 2004: Message edited by: Andres Gonzalez ]

[Richard Hawkes]

BTW, Janet Jackson looks pretty good
Is there actually going to be an investigation into Janet's boob exposure?http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/index.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=487313
That FCC Powell bloke sounds insane. Maybe he has his daughter's knees tied together before bedtime in case the "devil's spirit" enters her while she sleeps... :roll:
[ February 02, 2004: Message edited by: Richard Hawkes ]

[frank davis]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
[QB] The European soccer player will sell his mother to avoid the pain of a broken finger. I've got to think about the masochism of football players, but my immediate observation is that it has to do with the American competitiveness and the notion of a success at all costs.
[QB]

Also an analogy has been to the Roman gladiator contests...

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Richard Hawkes:
[qb]
Is there actually going to be an investigation into Janet's boob exposure?
That FCC Powell bloke sounds insane. Maybe he has his daughter's knees tied together before bedtime in case the "devil's spirit" enters her while she sleeps... :roll:

Isn't it the modern fashion to start an investigation (at enormous expense) to determine the cause of the perfectly obvious? Consider the upcoming investigation of the WMD controversy...
Powell may be insane, but you have to consider the family background. He's the son of the Secretary of State....

[Gail Schlentz]

Originally posted by Richard Hawkes:

Is there actually going to be an investigation into Janet's boob exposure
That FCC Powell bloke sounds insane. Maybe he has his daughter's knees tied together before bedtime in case the "devil's spirit" enters her while she sleeps...

C'mon now, guys - can you honestly tell me that if you had the opportunity, you would not jump on the chance to investigate Janet Jackson's boobs, and get paid for it??

[fred rosenberger]

can you honestly tell me that if you had the opportunity, you would not jump on the chance to investigate Janet Jackson's boobs, and get paid for it??

But they're not investigating her boobs. They're only investigating one of them.

[Gail Schlentz]

Originally posted by fred rosenberger:

But they're not investigating her boobs. They're only investigating one of them.

...still...

[Jim Yingst]

Moreover they're going to be investigating TV producers and the like to find out how much they knew about Janet's one boob. Whatever interest the subject might seem to have initially, I suspect it will quickly turn mind-numbingly boring.

[John Smith]

Herb: Also an analogy has been to the Roman gladiator contests...
I recall watching the program on behavior of male turtles during the mating season on "Animal Planet", and the similarity of turtles to football players is remarkable, both in appearance and the fighting manuvers. After some reflection, I concluded that this is what football is all about, -- imitating the animals in their struggle of the fittest. This imitation serves as "bread and spectacles" that the masses demand (I estimate 500,000,000 pounds of food consumed during the game, -- 1 billion viewers times 0.5 lbs of food).
The former Emperor was at the Colosseum, and the current Emperor was asked to position his thumb to indicate his inclinations. He held it neutrally horizontal: "Bring 'em on. I am looking forward to a great violence, but I don't much care about the outcome, -- the TX is not in. The broken bones? That's part of the game, you get used to it. But I am concerned about the steroids and syphilis, -- I think we should incorporate the ban on it in the law of the land. And, oh, yeah, preserve the marriage, god damn it! Don't you read Leviticus?". [applause from the crowd]
The Roman numerals are preferred to Arabic ones, -- XXXVIII looks much more patriotic than 38 at the time of the war. The national anthem, -- did the Romans have an equivalent of that to start the gladiator fights?
Look at those cheerleaders on the side, -- what are they if not the prize for the winner, just like in the good old Roman times during the gladiator fights? The massive shoulders of the players, the marking of the territory by spitting blood, the dancing on the end zone, the peacock-like colors and attributes of the uniform, -- the gentle men are playing the Darwin's game. The gentle women are watching, -- it's a Full Monty, a Chip 'n Dale in progress. The members of the winning team will be most qualified to be the family providers, -- they will have the physical and mental capacity to kill a buffalo with their bare hands. The players are watching, too, -- which female has enough hip size to reproduce effortlessly, and to arouse reliably?
But here is where it gets interesting. While it is considered perfectly fine for children to watch the players spit blood and break each other's necks, it becomes highly objectionable when the acted motivation of the players is exposed for a few seconds on the TV screen. That motivation has a natural beauty, softness, and warmth, and it was one of the first things that all the people saw in the first few minutes after their birth. Yet its view is banned from the public who are older than 1-2 years old. It's filthy and disgusting to look at it, and it is thought to corrupt the minds of the younger generation.
And that leaves me wondering. If those Columbine kids were exposed to the beauty of a nude female on public television, as often and as persistently as they were banned from the ugliness of the SuperBowl, would they ever want to blow the brains of their schoolmates?
[ February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

[Sadanand Murthy]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
[b]And that leaves me wondering. If those Columbine kids were exposed to the beauty of a nude female on public television, as often and as persistently as they were banned from the ugliness of the SuperBowl, would they ever want to blow the brains of their schoolmates?

Doesn't anyone else see that JT's ripping JJ's clothes (or part there of) can send a horribly wrong message to young boys/teenagers, and even some young men? That it is OK to rip clothes off women (friends or not)?
In my not-so-humble opinion I think what was stage-managed by JT & JJ at superbowl half-time show just continues to project women as sex objects.

[Richard Hawkes]

Originally posted by Sadanand Murthy:
Doesn't anyone else see that JT's ripping JJ's clothes (or part there of) can send a horribly wrong message to young boys/teenagers, and even some young men? That it is OK to rip clothes off women (friends or not)?
A good point but if her boob had been covered there wouldn't have been any outcry. Also no one seems to be complaining about all the bumping and grinding (simulated sex) that goes on in theses dances. The fuss is all about the boob!
...if it was accidental though, why was her nipple covered? I reckon the CIA were behind it...

[frank davis]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
[b]And that leaves me wondering. If those Columbine kids were exposed to the beauty of a nude female on public television, as often and as persistently as they were banned from the ugliness of the SuperBowl, would they ever want to blow the brains of their schoolmates?
[ February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

Wilhelm Reich answers your question. The Left often rants about censorship but here is an actual bone fide case were the US govt actually did burn books in the 1950s. Reich, not wanting to concede to any court authority to make determinations in matters of science, which is a valid point, refused to appear to a court summons and was thrown into jail where he died. Reich's views on orgone seemed to be a Western scientific re-discovery of chi/prana forming much of the basis Indian/Oriental metaphysics.

[John Smith]

Herb: Wilhelm Reich answers your question. [...] Reich's views on orgone seemed to be a Western scientific re-discovery of chi/prana forming much of the basis Indian/Oriental metaphysics.
I am reading that Wilhelm Reich's last will was that his works be sealed for 50 years, in hopes that the world would someday be a place better to accept his wondrous machines. He died in 1957, which leaves us with 3 years to go before his energy catchers will appear on the market. I doubt that FDA will be more receptive to the idea of using the spirit catchers for medicinal purposes than it was 50 years ago.
Anyway, I am not clear how Wilhelm Reich would answer my question. Would you explain?
[ February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

[frank davis]

Originally posted by Eugene Kononov:
Herb: Wilhelm Reich answers your question. [...] Reich's views on orgone seemed to be a Western scientific re-discovery of chi/prana forming much of the basis Indian/Oriental metaphysics.
I am reading that Wilhelm Reich's last will was that his works be sealed for 50 years, in hopes that the world would someday be a place better to accept his wondrous machines. He died in 1957, which leaves us with 3 years to go before his energy catchers will appear on the market. I doubt that FDA will be more receptive to the idea of using the spirit catchers for medicinal purposes than it was 50 years ago. ]

I believe there are already "energy catchers" ("orgone accumulators" as Reich would say) on the market now and detailed plans available to anyone who wants to build one. However, if you begin to treat people using these devices and make any health claims, then the FDA will come knocking....

Anyway, I am not clear how Wilhelm Reich would answer my question. Would you explain?
[ February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Eugene Kononov ]

Explaining Reich's theory of psychopathology in a brief post cannot be done without appearing absurd (especially with my faulty memory of readings done almost 20 years ago), but here goes.... Reich was a student of Freud and believed that suppression/repression could explain a number of psychopathologies. Freud postulated an actual energy behind the libido (he later abandoned this idea quickly). Reich combined those two ideas to explain some things. Supression/repression or trauma created tension; actual muscular tension, which over time or if severe enough initially, became permanent creating what he called "body armor". This armor limited the discharge of orgone/libido during orgasm causing it to accumulate. Also this armor prevented full experience of physical pleasure. These lead to the buildup of inner rage, leading to Columbine...

[Richard Hawkes]

Janet's boob - most replayed TiVo moment ever:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/02/03/television.tivo.reut/index.html