WORTHWHILE OR WORTHLESS- A CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. GOING ON A DIET? YOU CAN LOSE MORE THAN JUST WEIGHT. PT 9.

HAVE YOU EVER COME ACROSS STATEMENTS LIKE THIS, USUALLY AT THE VERY END OF AN ADVERTISEMENT IN VERY SMALL PRINT.

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

I'm sure many of you have seen this on Multiple Occasions, either on T.V. or in Print Advertisements. Usually, it is stuck at the very end of the Ad.                                                                                                              

It is quite common, Almost Universal, when you see an Ad for any kind of Diet Supplement.  WHY IS IT THERE?

-  Because, any Statement or Claim made has not been Evaluated by the FDA.  It is the Manufacturers Responsibility to Provide Evidence for anything it says the Product will do for someone using it.

-  ,,,"not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."  Any Substance that can do these things is CLASSIFIED AS A DRUG.  This is because of the Clinical Affects that it has on the Body.

Since any Claims made regarding the Supplement are Subject to Legal Action if they are not True, Manufacturers use QUALIFYING WORDS TO GET AROUND THIS OBSTACLE.  IF WORDS SUCH AS "MAY", "COULD", "SUPPORT", "BOOST" etc., OR OTHERS LIKE THEM ARE USED, IT IS A SIGN THAT THE MANUFACTURER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BACK UP THEIR CLAIMS WITH HARD EVIDENCE THAT CAN BE STUDIED OR VERIFIED.

One more thing you should be aware of:  JUST BECAUSE A SUBSTANCE HAS BEEN LABELED SAFE FOR GENERAL USE, DOES NOT INDICATE ITS USEFULNESS TO THE CONSUMER, IN ACCOMPLISHING WHAT THE MANUFACTURER SAYS IT WILL.  THESE ARE SEPARATE ISSUES.

You should also be aware of PHRASES OR TERMS THAT ARE MISLEADING OR MEANINGLESS, IN EVALUATING THE WORTH OF A SUPPLEMENT.

Examples Include - "BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM", "REVITALIZES THE BLOOD", "RIDS THE BODY OF TOXINS."  "HELPS YOUR BODY HEAL ITSELF."  

These will be discussed in a Future Post.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: TRUMPS WAR ON TRUTH. DR. RONALD BARNETTE.

From a friend with the facts and evidence.

It’s important to see Trump's massive budget cut in federally funded research -- eliminating the Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency; slashing the National Institutes of Health; eliminating or drastically cutting research by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – for what it really is.

It’s part of Trump’s war on truth.

Throughout modern history, demagogues and tyrants have attacked scientists, researchers, investigators, analysts, professors, and all other sources of truth, including journalists. Some have even burned books.

That’s because tyrants don’t want independent sources of truth. Truth threatens their power. They want a monopoly on information, in order to keep the public in the dark. The most revolutionary act in a democracy is speaking truth to power, and spreading the truth so that others may speak it as well.

Trump tells big lies, attacks the independent press, and slashes funding for research. And others to follow. Please allow yourself to use critical thinking to see this for what it is.

PLEASE help save our Country and democracy...

DR. RONALD BARNETTE-  Valdosta State University August 1972 to August 2002.  Retired as distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Philosophy.

WHAT A SHAME. TELEVISION: HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS WORTH MY TIME? PT 3.

Let us Examine the Two Statements that are from the first example in PART 2.

  "MOST UFO SIGHTINGS ARE SPACESHIPS, PILOTED BY BEINGS FROM OTHER PLANETS."

     "WITNESSES HAVE SEEN UFOS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS, AND MANEUVERING IN WAYS THAT NO MAN MADE AIRCRAFT COULD, GIVEN OUR PRESENT TECHNOLOGY. THEREFORE, THESE UFOS ARE FROM OTHER WORLDS."

To begin with, both of these Statements are Completely Subjective, and without Ways to Test or Verify Either, are Scientifically Valueless.  The SCIENTIFIC METHOD, THROUGH A PROCESS OF CRITICAL THINKING WHICH OBEYS THE RULES OF LOGIC, CANNOT PROPERLY EVALUATE "EVIDENCE" THAT CONTAINS NOTHING TO SUBSTANTIATE THE CLAIMS BEING MADE. 

Let's look at this in another way. Suppose I were to change the FIRST STATEMENT FROM:

"MOST UFO SIGHTINGS ARE SPACESHIPS, PILOTED BY BEINGS FROM OTHER PLANETS."

TO:

"MOST UFO SIGHTINGS ARE TIME SHIPS, PILOTED BY HUMAN BEINGS FROM THE EARTHS DISTANT FUTURE."

The Second Statement is no more "TRUE" OR "FALSE" THAN THE FIRST. FOR EITHER OPINION TO BE ARGUED AS THE CORRECT ONE IS MISSING THE POINT.  NEITHER CAN PASS AS A PROPER "THEORY," BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH.

FOR SOME REASON, (Perhaps it is the lack of CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS), SOME HEAR STATEMENTS LIKE THESE IN THE MEDIA, AND ACCEPT THEM AS BELIEVABLE OR PLAUSIBLE. Yet, AT BEST, THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN WISHFUL THINKING ON THE PART OF THE INDIVIDUALS MAKING SUCH CLAIMS, WHO ARE GIVEN A PLATFORM FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THE HOPE THAT IT WILL INCREASE RATINGS.

Now you may Think That a PARTICULAR BELIEF ABOUT UFOS, SUCH AS THEIR ORIGIN AND CAPABILITIES, DON'T REALLY HARM ANYONE. WHO IS THE VICTIM, AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

THE PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN YOU ALLOW THAT LINE OF REASONING TO BE APPLIED TO OTHER BRANCHES OF SCIENCE, AND JUST AS DAMAGING, OUR POLITICAL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS.

WHAT A SHAME- A look at the low points in the modern media. THEY SAID...WHAT? ARE YOU SURE? PT 3.

For Clarification, take a look at the examples given in Part 2.

POLITICIAN.

When a Commercial Promoting a Certain Individual for Elected Office is shown, how often do you hear the word "Politician" used to define the Person being Endorsed? Probably never, or very rarely.  Why? Because we tend to associate the Term with Dishonesty and Secrecy, and a Lack of Trust. 

MOM.

I know it's a silly question, but do you think that the Ad Agency took the time to conduct a Survey about the Opinions of Moms who "Care" about Eliminating Germs and Bacteria?  What would the Control Group be, Uncaring Moms who let Their Family Live in Filth?  Of course not. "Mom" is a Buzz Word that is supposed to Stir Up Feelings of Safety, Security, Love and Most of all TRUST.

OLD FASHION.

Nothing Lends to Feelings of Nostalgia like the phrase "OLD FASHION" or "OLD FASHIONED."  It is a Natural Tendency for many Human Beings to Romanticize their Childhood Memories, and Create a Fantasy World that has Little Basis in Reality.  A look back at "THE GOOD OLD DAYS", is a Time Tested Gimmick to remind Consumers of Easier and Simpler Times.  Whether or not that is in Anyway True, is Immaterial to the Goal of Selling Products.

GUARANTEE.

A "Guarantee" is also a misleading term, often cloaked in a Disguise of Honesty and Integrity.  Unless it specifically refers to certain Goods and Services, it could apply to just about anything.  A Guarantee in an Advertisement is meant to imply Trust and Honesty, but all that Counts is what is Promised in the Contract.

HIDDEN, STUCK, CHARGES.

Are all words used in the Above Example that references "Guarantee."  However, it is apparent that the Emotional Response desired by using them, is in Direct Opposition to that of Guarantee.

Consider the Following;

HIDDEN-  Sneaky, Underhanded.

STUCK-  Force, Involuntary.

CHARGES-  Cost, Spend, Wasteful.

Naturally, it would be Risky to use these Alternate Terms in a Commercial Advertisement, for they Imply Deliberate Forms of Deceit.  Yet the same Message can be delivered Loud and Clear, with a little Creativity and a Good Dictionary.