While we're on the subject of mercury (I didn't know which thread, specifically, to post my thoughts on, and this one seemed as good as any other, so here goes...)

Maybe I'm mistaken in my assumptions listed below. Maybe life has always been this way. We're imperfect organisms, most of us with less-than-perfect genes. But...

It seems to me that many people from recent generations, specifically (that being anyone from the ages of .. oh .. 20-40), suffer from a host of various illnesses: psoriasis, fibromyalgia, paranoia, chronic fatigue syndrome, CANCER, etc. No, certainly not everyone is sick these days, for I could name a countless number of healthy people I know from my age bracket. But...

I don't know. It sure seems to me that there is a trend of symptoms suffered by today's younger generation. I look at my mother and father-in law, a vibrant pair. In their 50's, they stay up later than me, indulge in all sorts of toxins (cigarettes, strong Turkish coffee which they drink until all hours of the night and still manage to sleep, eat healthy -- but fattening -- foods, and on and on). Maybe I'm just reading into a few examples only, but it sure seems to me that more and more younger people are suffering all sorts of strange ailments. My in-laws came from a different time period, where one cleaned their house using homemade brandy (alcohol) instead of some chemical-laden mass-marketed product like Wyndex. Their bodies were weaned in a more natural state, whereas mine was nourished in a not-so-nourishing environment. Most of the chemical products on the market today using propyline glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, flouride, etc, have not been in existance for long periods of time -- certainly not long enough for mankind to know what affects these products have longterm on the body.

And you know what? I realise that death, disease, and dying is a part of life. And that sometimes people become diseased for no other reason than bad genes. No one and nothing is at fault, that's just life. But .. is it just me or .. is there a questionable amount of ill people out there in the world today?

Am I just being a baby? Why don't I have the energy level of people from the generation before me? Have we all convinced ourselves of these ailments or is something causing it? Something which didn't exist some 20-40 years ago. I really wonder how much mercury plays a role in the way many people feel today. But I don't really know. I don't have any answers, just pure conjecture. Maybe the earth can only handle so many humans living on it and, as a result, overpopulation is taking its toll on us. Maybe things have always been this way. I don't know.

If I were so inclined to do the research, I'd write a book titled The Diseased Generation. First, I need to know if my suspicions are true, or if I'm just being more aware of those who feel sick lately. Again, maybe it's always been like this. Sure, 200 years ago people died of pneumonia, but were conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and amalgam illness prevalent (or indeed existant) in previous generations?

Anyway, just another blathering thought from me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ...if any of that makes any sense.