And yet again I miss out on fireworks before someone has to step in and moderate. When am I gonna get ahead of the curve on this?
Dejected Cat
Years of conditioning in a hierarchical authority structure lead me to one response:
Will comply.
Good idea, by the way.
Ummm…another performance contradiction?
Part of the personal benefit available here on the internet is the growth one can experience from self-restraint. I hope that doesn’t sound like MH advice, but I suppose it could be.
Anyway, amen to you, amen to Dale, amen to just about everyone.
All things in moderation, except moderation, of course.
Now, I think we should all sit in a circle, read the Tao Te Chiff for a while and then get some Guinness and have a slammin session.
I got myself into considerable hot water several years ago on another board (which I’m known for not liking much) when I suggested that the abundant (very bad) “medical” advice being freely offered to a young bloke was inappropriate. I knew it was wrong and potentially very harmful advice because I suffer from much the same condition as he did. So this is a very appropriate move in my view.
But I really must reserve the right to advise on the best treatment for “harmonica lip,” which can, if untreated, lead to serious mental problems resulting from its consequence, “harmonica withdrawal syndrome…” 
Steve
Buy two bodhran and call me in the morning. 
It makes perfect sense, and would to anyone with common sense.
The obesity thread started out as a discussion of social issues, it was not asking for advice on obesity. The advice given had to do with shopping for food, how to cut the expenses, etc. Health issues were general well- known nutrition issues, not specific medical advice. The soda thread was talking about the addiction to soda that is showing up in our society and its relationship to obesity. Sure, sometimes things get a little hazy, so Dale is saying to just please watch it. Things can change during the course of a thread, so again, we should just watch it. If you find yourself giving medical advice, then stop. Exercise some judgement. If you find you don’t have any, then don’t say anything. Telling someone about some warm-up exercises for stiff fingers is different that offering advice to someone who reports they have been falling down alot. The obvious advice to give in that case would be to see a doctor immediately.
The fact that you can’t tell the difference between the threads about obesity and threads asking for medical advice shows that you are in no position to even be commenting on this topic, let alone ordering Dale around.
I think Dale’s feeling that people should be seeing professionals rather than getting medical advice here is a very, very valid one. He shouldn’t even have had to speak about it. Most people would know this. I don’t have to resort to saying it’s Dale’s forum to agree. This idea is just so obviously correct to any thoughtful person.
Finally, Dale already has respect and is taken seriously. For you to chide him and attempt to boss him around is utterly ridiculous and extremely irritating.
Hmph. Talk about showing off. Just because he knows the plural of “bodhran.” 
Steve (owner of several harmonicae)
Honestly, excuse me for even saying anything when I’m not really part of, (or care to be!) part of the club here…but this started when someone said they were bothered by people getting on their case about their weight. Then a few people said ‘hear hear’ and then someone said, in all kindness I thought, that being overweight was a valid concearn and it went on to consider caloric intake, portion size…I threw in an idea for tuna fish shepherd’s pie…so none of that is allowed? I’m not disputing the authority of the moderator just asking if it’s ok to give recipes when someone brings up weight. Is it considered medical advice to suggest that people walk more? …or should one say that they like to walk but you should consult your doctor before considering that. I guess the recipes ,or the walking, would be ok on seperate threads on those topics but not as an answer to someone’s weight thread…or are they considered medical advice even on their own?
I think most reasonable people can think for a minute or less and work out what’s OK and what isn’t. I don’t fancy your tuna pie much but I’ll defend to the death your right to post a recipe. Of course you can tell people to get out and walk more and get fresh air. We can debate saturated fat if you like. But it’s not on to give advice that is the sole domain of the medical professions. Don’t tell people what pills to take for their headache or suggest alternative herbal remedies for depression. You don’t know the people you’re advising and you may, just may, be on your hobby horse. The boundary line may be a bit fuzzy in places but it doesn’t take a genius to know what we’re saying here.
Now the best cream for harmonica lip is… 
Steve
Hi Miwokhill—I noticed you were around, it’s been a long time and it’s nice to see you! I think as Steve says that you would be able to judge if your suggestions were the sort that could do harm. A recipe can’t possibly harm someone, as far as I can tell----although tuna fish sheperd’s pie might be an exception—JUST KIDDING . Suggesting walking as a way to get more exercise seems equally harmless to me. We hear that suggestion everyday somewhere, it is something that virtually everyone does during the course of the day to some extent, it is the mildest form of exercise. I think both in one thread would just be common sense suggestions, not anything like medical advice.
I’m not sure how many people here feel like they are part of a club, but it isn’t a club. Someone who has never posted before is as welcome as anyone else on any topic. God knows this place can use all the help it can get!
DUMP CAKE
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 20 oz. crushed pineapple in syrup, undrained
1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, cut in thin slices
Prepare oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13x2 inch pan. Dump undrained pineapple into pan; spread evenly. Dump in pie filling and spread into even layer. Dump dry cake mix onto cherry layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle pecans over top. Put butter slices over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cooled. 12 to 16 servings.
…I’ll usually use 2 cans of cherry pie filling…you can also use blueberry pie filling instead, (goes well with the pineapple too) walnuts work instead of pecans too.
Thank you Cynth, In spite of my anti-social tendencies and inclinations to insult people to perpetuate that, that’s nice to hear. 
mike
Honestly, when I saw the title of that recipe I had something else in mind.
Jef
No kidding.
So there’s a club, here, then? Can I join?
Hey, that cake recipe is more like it ! I sure don’t remember your insulting people—I always miss the excitement. I just remember you like to eat Flaming Hot Cheetos . I’m anti-social too, that’s why I hang out here.
This is pretty sensible. But were we doing this sort of thing (e.g.
suggesting alternative herbal remedies for depression?)
I wasn’t aware of it, though maybe it’s been happening
and become a problem? If not, I suppose this rule
is meant to exclude more than that (very little advice
is the sole domain of the medical profession), and I join Miwokhill
in being confused about what it is.
I suppose the underlying idea, a very good one, IMO, is don’t
say anything that would get the board sued if it backfired.
Which means: don’t say anything that could do somebody
harm if it backfired. Mental health questions are especially
problematic, as Dale is a mental-health professional
I do think some clarification would help–‘advice on medical topics’’ is
very broad and vague. I think most of us honestly don’t
know whether Dale had the obesity thread (which certainly
did need a rest, but for other reasons, IMO) in mind.
Some examples, made up, of what’s in and out would help.
Yes, I’m so thoughtless.
When in doubt, people, PM. It’s easy.
'The best way to avoid this is to respectfully insist that people not post about mental health topics, in particular, and not ask for or give advice on medical topics in general. ’
I have a pretty good fix on the part of this sentence that ends
with ‘in particular,’ but I don’t really understand the rest of it.
Willing to comply but don’t really know how.