Friday, January 20, 2012

Lawyers in Sharkskin Suits

It's really getting ridiculous on TV with the attorney ads. The latest editions have suggested how the legal staffs prepare for them. As you know, medical literature describes all medications in detail, right through the chemistry. It tells you how the medication works and what organs it affects---Then, it gives you detailed information on side effects and warnings. "Don't take this medication if you have..." Do not exceed...pills in a 24-hour period. "Discuss with your doctor if you suffer from..." The information details go on aud nauseam about the dangers of the stuff. And, because of these sue-happy lawyers, any medication ad spends more time listing side effects than it does talking about the medication itself. Notice the magazine ads with two pages of medical information?

Lawyers Approaching the Bench by Jeff Leedy

Back to the commercials. Apparently, the attorneys' staffs read about the side effects and other important information about a drug, make an ad misleading the listener based on that information, and frighten them into shunning the medication in the first place. This causes needless suffering, but the lawyers catch a client or two from the many who call them trying to cash in on something. Is there any wonder why sharks are pictured in the dictionary at the description of attorney/lawyer? Anything to promote their business, eh?

In their defense, however, I'll say that on occasion they do a service---such as the recent commercials about the trans-vaginal mesh. There's a lot of controversy about the mesh's use, though the ad never mentions the health damage of doing nothing in the first place. A conundrum.

Talk to your doctor about medications you are prescribed. They all have side effects. They use the liver or kidneys to be processed after their medical applications, and then they leave, usually through the urine. Find out about interactions between drugs you're taking. Overdoses are generally where most of the problems are, followed by prior-medical problems and drug interactions. Every medication on the market has side effect, and the providers go into the necessary details about them.

I have gout in a big toe and arthritis in my hands. The only medication [other than habit-forming amounts of narcotics] that helps is the OTC Aleve aka Naproxen Sodium. Taken for a few days provides welcome relief. But the medication is removed via the kidneys, and because of diabetes, I only have a third of my kidney function left. So, the doctor told me not to take it more than once or twice a week---if I had to. If I took it more, I might end up with a complete kidney failure, and the lawyers would be crowding at my door for me to sue someone. There's nothing more scary than to wake up with a haze and see the grinning shark teeth of a lawyer 'there to protect my rights.'

Lawyer in a Sharkskin Suit painting by Ryan Berkley

I wonder about these attorneys, though. I'll bet you even money that they use some of the same products they're railing against. You don't think an attorney is going to take an aspirin or a Tylenol for a headache? Is he concerned about liver failure? What about the other drugs they rail against: Avandia or insulin for diabetes; ? How do they treat or cure their afflictions---and they do have afflictions like other humans [as the woman said in one regularly televised ad "...he treated me well. He's more than a lawyer; he's a human being..." thus leading us to understand that the average lawyer [not in that firm] is not a human being]? What species is he?
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According to a recent commercial, H & R Block is opening up millions of offices in your homes. Does that mean you reap the benefits of rent, insurance, cleaning, telephone, Internet access, profit sharing and the like? Does Block have to pay extra taxes for all those offices? There must be truth and more details in advertising.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

From Gold to Insanity

"Look closely at history in the making..." begins the announcer for another 'gold' coin rip-off. He describes in detail a real coin before craftily crossing over to what he is actually selling: a coin 'proof' [not a real 'proof' in coin collecting] that is not a coin of the realm but a slug with 24karat gold 'cladding.' "...price can only be guaranteed for 7 days..." He slyly indicates that the 'coin' has 14mg of pure, 24 karat gold. But, at a $1,500 per troy ounce market value of gold, this clad 'coin' has only 68 cents worth of gold on it. So, the claims of the gold price skyrocketing, or the original 'coin' value rising don't mean anything. For every $100 increase in the market value of an ounce of gold, this 'proof' increases in value by 4-1/2 cents. Besides, the ad has been running for months, and the price never changes. This buffalo 'proof' isn't a coin, so it has no inherent value among collectors. And it only has 68 cents of gold applied over the unnamed base, thus it would cost too much for you to retrieve and use the gold. This 'proof' has no real value there either. [If the price of gold ever explodes to $5,000 per ounce, then this 'proof' will increase $1.58 in value.] I'm not aware of any secondary market for these things, and I doubt there's any market for the filmy gold because it costs more than the value of the gold to get it off the slug. If there was, the price for the entire unit would probably be around $1. If you need to spend ten dollars, you'd be better off buying a roll of quarters.

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Any Conservatives or Republicans out there who are careful who they use for important services and protection should know that the Peter B Lewis [son of the founder and currently chairman of the board] of Progressive Insurance is a die hard Liberal/Democrat activist in the manner of George Soros. In fact, he contributed millions in cooperation with Soros to advertise for the legalization of marijuana. The billionaire is also a card carrying member of the ACLU and a rumored heavy marijuana user. Requiring matching funds from George Soros, Lewis gave $millions more to Liberal organizations such as MoveOn.org, Democracy Alliance, America Coming Together, and Media Matters. Thus some of your insurance premiums pay for this activism either through Progressive itself or the activities of the chairman. Lewis greatly improved his inherited wealth through Capitalism. He enlarged his company, has a nice ad campaign, and takes money regularly from Conservatives through his advertising at Conservative sites and organizations---and spends it on anti-Capitalist Liberal causes.

["...In 2009, Progressive was accused of ordering [...its...] advertisements off the air during the show broadcast of Glenn Beck on the Fox News Channel over comments made about U.S. President Barack Obama. Progressive stated that [...it...] never authorized [...its...] ads to be aired during Beck's program, and they aired in that time-slot due to Fox's error..."]---that's a typical answer from a Liberal-led corporation.

So, as much as I like the 'Flo' character, I'll pass on Progressive. I'm not helping any millionaire Loony Liberal damage the Country even more with his money.

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Intelligent people are not surprised anymore with the utterances of Barack Obama. But....he did warn us. Yes he did! Back in 2008, he was very specific about his present and future plans.

[From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008  11:48:04 EST,  Televised 'Meet the Press']

General Bill Ginn' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.
 
The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171..."During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, 'Stand and Face It.'"

Obama answered. "As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". [Being an American is 'taking sides?'] "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." [Ask the European Countries who were under siege from the NAZIs or the Asian Nations under siege from the Japanese back in the middle of last Century.] "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."

Obama continued: "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'.  If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it.  In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love.  It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren.  If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ..." [Islamic nations are peaceful?? Our Nation's loss of lives for others and spilling blood in defense of freedom don't count in Obama's vision---those things were Bush's fault.]

Obama then, doesn't understand American History, dislikes our flag, dislikes our anthem, wants to disarm America until the Muslims like it, and believes that peace prevails in the Middle Eastern Muslim nations. Seeing how he's stuck close to his plan, we can't afford any more time with him in charge. He's dismantling our security and forcing us into socialism and communism. All while he takes numerous taxpayer-paid vacations and golf trips. God help us!