….But it is a strange thing to observe and fit for me to remember that I am at no time so unwilling to part with money as when I am concerned in the getting of it most, as I thank God of late I have got more in this month, viz. near 250l., than ever I did in half a year before in my life, I think….

So called ‘primitive’ tribes exist with very little money; they mostly use barter and free exchange. A millionaire feels hard done by because his brother has five million pounds. A successful business man is frugal about spending money on himself  because he remembers the time that he was poor and had to struggle.  Another one I read of does not wear socks to remind himself what it was like to be poor as a child.

50% owners of Walmart, the Walton family.

The American owners of Walmart, the Walton Family Foundation gave 0.04% of their personal fortune to charitable causes, vs. the average middle class earner with a salary of say $75,000 pa contributes 6% of their discretionary income to charity.

Well, this is not rocket science to discuss. There is pure and simple greed. There is the accumulation of money out of material insecurity, or the desire to ‘own’ more than others. For most of us the solution is to live within our means, not to rely on the lotto, and to focus more on things that money cannot buy such as friendship, trust and be trusted you could say, and community minded people.

So, how about winning the lotto?

Winners mostly report ending up about as happy as they were before winning with some notable exceptions such as the couple who won £150m and could not agree how to spend it. They divorced. Maybe they were going to divorce anyway.

A classic 1978 study on this compared 22 lotto winners to 22 control-group members (who didn’t win any money) and to 29 people who were paralysed in accidents.
In general, the lottery winners reported that they were happier than the paraplegics and quadriplegics – a 4 out of 5 instead of a 2.96 out of 5.
The control group averaged 3.82 out of 5, not significantly different from lotto winners. However, lotto winners reported getting the least enjoyment from what researchers called “mundane pleasures” – enjoyable aspects of everyday life like eating breakfast or talking with a friend.
Researchers were surprised that lotto winners didn’t report being significantly happier than non-winners, and that accident victims reported being above the scale’s mid-point (2.5).
Overall, winning the lottery didn’t increase happiness as much as others thought it would, and a catastrophic accident didn’t make people as unhappy as one might expect.

I reckon living is about giving daily thanks and being content for what you have (think of Bangladesh, Solomon Islands, Puerto Rico, Texas and all the people who have lost everything in the hurricanes). It puts our ‘difficulties’  into some perspective.

*****

Off to the doctors surgery. I forgot something that my doctor, Dr Shepherd, told me during the last telephone consultation. Once again I was asked by the receptionist the dreadful ‘what was your name’. I am now alert to this so I said, “no what IS my name. My name IS Brian Snellgrove” <cough> Present test? Past tense? I almost got a dirty look.

There is a new booking system. Appointments cannot be made via the Internet or by phone to reception. You call the surgery and your doctor will call back within 2 hours. He or she will decide if you need to see them in person, or otherwise prescribe or give advice on the phone.

Why the new system? Obviously the increased pressure on the NHS due to the completely absent Jeremy Hunt is one factor. Research shows that on average, 80 patients are DNA (did not attend) a medical facility each month. Missed appointments, according to BBC research, cost the NHS more than £600m per year. This new system will no doubt  cut this number down as if you have agreed verbally with the doctor to attend you are less likely to forget.  My dentist sends me 3 reminders, one when the appointment has been made, another E-mail a few days before the appointment and a text as well two days prior.

It should be noted that at St Chad’s, our local surgery, patients’ notes are combined so the doctor or secretary or anyone with clearance can see at a glance who said or did what and when.

amazing to see this – pinned on the wall in receptiion

Do I see this as less than a ringing endorsement of allopathic medicine? Well done Tris of Year 3 for this perception. As mentioned previously the body has a perfectly good immune system and it does not help to inject the body with chemicals when the immune system has not even had a chance to develop. It starts at about 2-3 months and needs exposure to ‘foreign’ challenges to help it develop.

*****

I was so glad to read in the Natural News E-zine that ‘global warming’ is a total hoax. I am sick of reading that carbon dioxide is the great evil when without it we would not be alive. The trees need it! Why bother reducing the emissions of the motor car when one belching volcano will release more in a two week burp than all the cars on the planet. As the article says “if greenhouse gases are so bad for the planet, why do greenhouse growers buy CO2 generators to double plant growth?

The current alarmism is I suspect similar to the schemers behind weather control (175 patents granted by the US Govt) in that it can be used as ‘pseudo warfare’ but then I would be called a ‘climate denier’ and ridiculed accordingly. ClimateScienceNews.com will provide further background information.

*****

We advertise “Jungles cleared” in our ad in the local paper. Business is a bit slow this year but as the mayor said to me “for many people the tide is going out” so people only spend money on essentials.  However we are doing a garden in Farrington Gurney, the home of the famous Farrington Farm Shop. The customer said she did not want her jungle cleared but ‘tamed’. So be it.

Before work

After work. Border cleaned (makes a big difference to a garden)

Anyway, my left knee is burning so I am seeing the good Dr Hubbard next Friday. Meanwhile his instruction to “keep taking the tablets” for pain relief will  be heeded. I never realised how important knees were.  🙁