Mark Blumenthal

MB: There are two dangers. The first is that it might continue to be marginalised by the conventional medical community and continue to be relegated to a second or third class status. Those modalities that are shown to have a rational basis for use, i.e. safety and efficacy via established criteria, should be incorporated/integrated into conventional medicine. That being said, the second potential danger is that acceptance by and integration into conventional medicine might subject some modalities to a reductionist world view that may not support the rationale upon which some therapies are based.

MB: An inquisitive and open mind, a passion for learning new ideas and information, the flexibility and willingness to accept an outcome that potentially conflicts with an a priori hypothesis, and the ability to adhere to rigid protocols once they are established.

MB: If she were here today, I doubt she would understand what I do with herbs; she saw them primarily as food flavourings and back-yard weeds.

MB: Archaeology or astronomy. I am still fascinated by ancient cultures, ruins and history as well as the amazing advances in astronomy. I think the decision of the US government to ‘pull the plug’ on the Hubble telescope is highly lamentable; the photos of deep space from Hubble are our best way to travel backwards into time all the way from 13.5 billion years ago to the birth of the Universe.

MB: Taking long power-walks on a sunny afternoon in the wooded hills west of Austin where my wife and I live. I listen to music on a Walkman and a headset, and frequently get stimulated with a new idea.

MB: Nothing. I am fortunate that I do not have a biochemical imbalance that leads to clinical depression, and I do not allow myself the narcissistic self-absorption of emotional depression.

MB: That I have not produced more grandchildren for my parents.

MB: My tendency to take on more work than I appear able to adequately complete in a timely manner.

So-called ‘dead-beat dads’ – men who do not take financial responsibility for their children.

MB: When I was a young boy I was forced to take piano lessons. At my first recital, being a beginning student I was slated to be second to perform, the more advanced students performing later. I had never been to a recital and was not familiar with the concert hall at the El Paso (Texas) Women’s Club. When I asked what I was supposed to do, I was told to simply do what the young girl before me did. When they called her name, she did not respond. A second call; still no response. Then someone called out my name. I was mortified! I had no idea what to do. I did not see a staircase in the front of the stage and did not know that I could go to either side to find the steps up so I could enter from either stage right or stage left. So, having learned the ‘western roll’ in high-jumping in physical education in elementary school – I was about 8 or 9 years old – I approached the centre of the stage from the floor, swung my right leg up to the top of the stage and rolled on to the floor of the stage and stood up. The audience howled with laughter and I was stricken with embarrassment and shame. The head teacher pointed to the stairs at either end of the stage and motioned for me to reapproach using the stairs. I jumped down from the stage onto the wood floor of the hall – more laughter! – then went around and made my entrance in the prescribed manner. Then, imitating a gesture I had learned from watching Liberace on television, I bent my right arm across my abdomen and my left arm behind my back, and made an obsequious bow to the audience. Again, more laughter! The head teacher – an imposing and intimidating man who was my teacher’s teacher – then instructed me on the proper method of bowing. At that point, my simple piano etude, which I performed perfunctorily and without any feeling, was anti-climactic. This happened almost 50 years ago and I can still remember it as if it were only last year.

MB: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

MB: ‘Thanks’.

MB: Patriotism. Many good people have died out of a misguided sense of patriotic self-righteousness.

MB: Toyota Supra: it provides a high level of performance, is sporty, handles well, has a sun-roof for more vision, is reliable and dependable, is economical and relatively utilitarian, was formerly top of its class and provided more than comparable cars at the time it was manufactured.

MB: That’s easy – guacamole! (For the benefit of you Brits and other Europeans, guacamole is made primarily from mashed fresh avocados, with a little garlic, sometimes with a little chopped onion and tomato, cilantro (Mexican parsley) and lime juice – at least that’s my favourite recipe.) It is usually eaten as a dip with fried corn chips (made from corn tortillas) or, my favourite way, with whole black beans and salsa in a warm, soft corn tortilla as a type of Mexican sandwich or ‘burrito’.

MB: I have two: (1) Mark Twain: ‘The only people who can use the word we are editors, royalty, and people with tape worms.’ (this may be slightly inaccurate); (2) Allen Ginsburg: ‘The building inspector negates what the fire department has failed to burn down.’