BLAST FROM THE PAST: WHEN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IGNORE REASON, EVERYONE SUFFERS. #1

WHEN WE NEEDED THE DEMOCRATS TO MAKE A STAND AGAINST UNCONSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR BY THE GOP.
...AND THEY DID NOTHING...

If there is One Thing we can learn from SENATE REPUBLICANS REFUSING TO HONOR THEIR OATH OF OFFICE, IN HOLDING HEARINGS TO DEBATE PRESIDENT OBAMAS NOMINATION FOR THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, IS THAT THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE RULES OF LOGIC AND CRITICAL THINKING IS PERVASIVE, EVEN AMONG THIS COUNTRIES LEADERS.

How so?  Read the following STATEMENT VERY CAREFULLY, AND YOU WILL 

SEE THE PROBLEM. (I believe this release by U.S. SENATOR JERRY MORAN, 

SUMS UP THE REPUBLICAN PARTIES STAND ON THIS ISSUE ACCURATELY.)

Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Morans Statement, given by an aide, on why he changed his mind on holding the Hearings:

(4/1/2016.)

"He has examined Judge Garland's record and didn't need hearings to conclude that the nominee's judicial philosophy, disregard for Second Amendment rights and sympathy for federal government bureaucracy make Garland unacceptable to serve on the Supreme Court ... Senator Moran remains committed to preventing this president from putting another justice on the highest court in the land."

Put aside the Hyperbole that lies within the Statement, and you may notice that the SENATOR IS ACTUALLY TAKING A POSITION ON TWO DIFFERENT, AND SEPARATE ISSUES.

"He has examined Judge Garland's record and didn't need hearings to conclude that the nominee's judicial philosophy..."

This is Clearly a Judgment made by the Senator that any HEARINGS WILL NOT CHANGE HIS POSITION.

FINE, BUT NO ONE IS SAYING THAT THEY COULD, SHOULD, OR WOULD. HIS SUPPORT, OR LACK OF, IS NOT DEPENDENT ON WHAT OCCURS DURING THE HEARINGS. HE IS FREE TO IGNORE, OR DISREGARD ANYTHING SAID, OR TESTIFIED TO, AND MAKE HIS JUDGMENT ON HIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CANDIDATE.

THIS GOES FOR ANY EXCUSE BEING USED TO OPPOSE THE HEARINGS.

Such as:

"Most Senate Republicans say a nomination...should be made by the next President."

Very Well. Even though this Opinion is not backed up by any RULING OR PRECEDENT BASED IN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, CURRENTLY IT DOES NOT PRECLUDE ANY SENATOR FROM MAKING A DECISION ON THAT BASIS.

IT COMES DOWN TO THIS:

-  HOLDING THE SENATORIAL HEARINGS REGARDING JUDGE GARLANDS NOMINATION,

AND

-  APPROVING THE NOMINATION, 

ARE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES, AND TRYING TO PLACE THEM TOGETHER IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF DISTORTING THE TRUTH TO HIDE THE REAL REASON FOR THE OPPOSITION TO THE HEARINGS...

Date-  4/6/2016.

CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. GOING ON A DIET? YOU CAN LOSE MORE THAN JUST WEIGHT. PT 3.

( This Post deals with U.S. Law.  Readers in other Countries should research similar legal guidelines within their own Criminal or Civil Codes of Law.)

Here is a tip that everyone should know, especially if their looking to start a new Diet and/or Exercise regimen.

How many times have you opened a Magazine, or turned on the T.V., and were greeted by ADs that said things like;

-  "The Ancient Weight loss secret."

-  "The Super Fruit that melts fat away."

-  "Drink the pounds away."

-  "The Diet THEY don't want you to know about."

"The secret of staying slim, used by HOLLYWOOD STARS, NOW AVAILABLE TO YOU."

Sound familiar?  How lucky we are to live in an era where Fitness and Weight loss are just a phone call away or,  just a trip to the Super Market.

However, have you ever looked closely at the bottom of the page or screen, and read the following:

 The statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Just a simple disclaimer right?  Wrong.  This is required to be placed in every single advertisement, by the Food and Drug Administration, for every product that CANNOT SUPPORT ANY OF THE CLAIMS OR STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THE BODY OF THE ADVERTISEMENT.  THIS ALSO INCLUDES ANY ANECDOTAL TESTIMONY PROVIDED BY THOSE WHO "TESTED" THE PRODUCT.

To put it more bluntly, there is no reason to believe these products can do anything at all.  The secret of these products success, in sales, is to quickly get them before the public, with a slick marketing campaign that promises nothing of actual value, but encourages the consumer to act quickly.

Haven't you wondered why these "BREAKTHROUGH" PRODUCTS disappear after a number months.  It is simply that "WORD OF MOUTH" has spread, and the average consumer realizes that they do nothing of real value.  Often, they are gone for good, other times they are repackaged as "NEW AND IMPROVED" or "MAXIMUM STRENGTH."  Doesn't this imply that this "ADVANCED FORMULA", is the real deal, and previously the buyer had purchased and used an inferior product? 

However, there are even more "SALES STRATEGIES", that play on the gullibility

of a society desperate for the "EASY WAY OUT."

LOOK FOR PT 4.

CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. GOING ON A DIET? YOU CAN LOSE MORE THAN JUST WEIGHT. PT 2.

When looking for supplements to help you lose weight, be aware of common words and slogans used to promote products.  In many cases they sound plausible and useful, but close inspection reveals that they are just more marketing jargon. They are often just meaningless or misleading attempts to confuse the consumer.

QUALIFYING WORDS-  How often do you hear or read the following;

- "MAY  help in the..."

- "COULD  lead to..."

-  "In CERTAIN cases..."

-   "....POSSIBLE benefits are..."

What do these often used words indicate? Absolutely nothing.  They are used to IMPLY that the product advertised does what is claimed, without providing any real evidence that such a thing is true.  This is a Tactic used by companies in the business of pushing fad diet products, where the time, effort and cost of proper clinical trials cuts into the profit margin.  It doesn't matter whether the product actually works or not: THE BOTTOM LINE IS GETTING THE TARGET CONSUMER GROUP TO ACCEPT THE CLAIMS ON FAITH ALONE.

The important thing to remember is that TERMINOLOGY is often the key to evaluating the plausibility that a product will be effective, and how trustworthy the company selling it is.  This is a grey area, but remember deceiving someone is not the same as lying to them.  You can attempt to convince a person of the value in purchasing a product by using language that points the consumer in a certain direction, without asserting anything that is True, Real or Guaranteed.  Consider the following two sentences:

  - "FAT AWAY, used twice a day, will result in the average person losing 5 pounds in the first week of use."

  - "FAT AWAY, used twice a day, can help the average person to lose 5 pounds in the first week of use."

See the difference?  The first example is an assertion of fact, which would require evidence that satisfies government regulations to be legally used in marketing campaigns.  The second makes no such claims, so it violates no regulations and can be used without penalties.             

     

Along the same line, be very careful when you hear or read that a product was proven effective by Trials or Studies.  There is a major difference between those done in a manner that satisfies legal requirements, which allows conclusions and claims to be made without sanctions by government agencies, and those that do not.

Look for PT 3.

CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. GOING ON A DIET? YOU CAN LOSE MORE THAN JUST WEIGHT. PT 1.

No doubt, most all of us have worried about those extra pounds that add unwanted dimensions to our bodies. This seems especially true the older we get.  However, to often people are unwilling to put in the Time, Effort or Discipline it takes to trim down, and add muscle to replace fat.  That is a dilemma the Con- Man has been willing to exploit for generations.  As has happened throughout the years, a new group of aging adults is falling for the same type of Hocus- Pocus their Parents and Grandparents fell for. 

Unfortunately, sometimes we see things as they could be, and ignore what they actually are.

First lets look at some common Terminology you may encounter.

Dietitian vs Nutritionist-  A Dietitian is a Licensed, Board Certified and Formally Educated Individual Legally recognized as an expert in their field.  A Nutritionist is required to have no specific education or training.  This does not mean that a Nutritionist is completely unqualified to advise you, just be diligent and check Background and Accreditation.

Cleansing Diets -  You can dress it up any way you want, but these diets are just another form of FASTING. Eliminating or Drastically cutting back the intake of Foods, and replacing them with Water, Special "Drinks", Pills etc are Decades old Lures that differ only in the Names of the Products and Diet Plans being offered for sale.

Naturopathy-  Lies in the category of Alternative Medicine. It is not based on evidence that passes scrutiny using the Scientific Method, and seems to rely only on Faith and Belief.  Any assertions made by those practicing Naturopathy have no basis in reality, because they have not been accurately tested and studied under proper clinical conditions.

"All Natural" or "Organic"-  If you find a claim that is emphasizing either of these two terms as a reason for success, don't buy in.  They are Buzzwords that have nothing to do with weight loss, and are used for Marketing purposes.

Look for PT 2.