Comments on: Why It’s Easier to Stay Fat, Stupid and Untraveled

By: Golden Pine Trees and Radiation Exposure | Once A Traveler

Golden Pine Trees and Radiation Exposure | Once A Traveler — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:37:40 +0000

[...] all bad, I assure you. I’ve been extremely concerned about how my behavior might change to more closely resemble a sloth’s once I return to the US in October. Although I’m certainly entitled to a day in bed with ice [...]

By: Ash Duncan

Ash Duncan — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:21:19 +0000

I couldn’t agree more in regards to all of the points. I’m also constantly frustrated watching the news here in Australia to hear almost nothing but how dangerous overseas countries are. Bali is a prime example. Since the bombing incidents there and a couple of arrests of Aussie drugsmugglers, the media in Australia is constantly creating a negative impression on the island. I’ve visited numerous times and when speaking to many friends and family I often hear them question my decision to travel there due to the dangers involved! It comes back down to us, those willing to leave home and discover the world, to continue to promote the wonderful sights and experiences gained as a result of travel!

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:53:28 +0000

“Seven hundred years ago the idea of ‘imported goods’ was an alien concept.”

@Katie. As you’re a high school student, I’ll cut you some slack; stop acting like a know-it-all in your comments.

I’m a History post grad and you are talking patronising bollocks.

By: oolung

oolung — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:17:05 +0000

PS: especially agree with James Cole: I hate the modern obsession with utility. It’s dehumanising and demeaning.

By: oolung

oolung — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:14:38 +0000

Completely agree with everyone praising point 4. The previous three are easy to figure out, but how often we forget about the need to preserve and respect the language we speak. Cutting all information down to the basics might eventually end up with us losing parts of ourselves: “Me. Hungry. Now.” It goes against the human need to try and express the intangible. As someone said: can you know what freedom is if you don’t have any word for it? All those words were not created without a reason, they’re not redundant and using them makes us think more about what we want to express, (therefore what we’re thinking and what’s the world like) – let’s keep them alive instead of reverting to all those easy substitutes like ‘you now, the thingy’.

By: Brit Weaver

Brit Weaver — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:44:30 +0000

Nice post.

What most have discovered through traveling was that: fear is a hindrance, abbreviations of words are useful as tools in context (ie: not in an article, but perhaps to a friend), and that life is too short to judge what others do. Some people stay behind, some venture abroad and, still, some stay in between.

By: James Cole

James Cole — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:17:13 +0000

Great post/rant…

I really hate Newspeak and I think how you put it “taking the poetry out of language” describes it perfectly. I’ve been saying for a while now that there is no “soul” left in the world. I don’t mean that in any religious or spiritual sense but on the substance of things. Everything is made for it’s soul purpose and functionality and that’s it. It seems there is no effort to go beyond the bare minimum required. No effort or time to create or worse yet, appreciate the poetry, the art, the soul of things.

It is a sad world indeed that we have created and live in.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:14:28 +0000

LOL. Great article.

The newspeak part is scary.

By: Tisha

Tisha — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:19:26 +0000

Great article. And wow, scary thought about the Newspeak. Too true.

By: Caitlin @ Roaming Tales

Caitlin @ Roaming Tales — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:40:06 +0000

Do people really use text speak when they’re actually texting? Pre-emptive text killed that, didn’t it?