Odds and Ends

Next week a guest will share her odds and ends in an entertaining tongue and cheek about yours truly - do come back for that one... until then, it's me again with notes from the week past...

Holistic Pet Food: I saw a sign directing consumers to a store which sold holistic pet food. This made me wonder what they might be selling at this store. Holistic? As in natural? So live or dead mice for cats and what, squirrels and road kill for dogs? I can’t imagine any food in a can or bag being holistic for an animal. Hey wait, WE are animals, hmmm... that's something to ponder.

Cialis: Recently I viewed a full page color ad in the Wall St Journal for this medication that for men who have medically related impotence or erectile dysfunction. I thought to myself WOW, I wonder how much that cost… the ad. I found the answer in this brochure, so you can fact check me – but it cost over 300,000 dollars!

Food Company Strategy: This was a little disconcerting. Certain food companies are marketing to developing and even underdeveloped countries with products that are sold cheaply – in very small packages. In other words, people who make just dollars a day cannot afford the same snack items that say Western countries enjoy – but can buy a ten cent (monetary equivalent) tube of yogurt. The product I read about came in 50 gram pouches and is called Dolima. I also read that in some markets the people did not like a similar product and so the makers of it added SUGAR. Oh yeah, lets make sure that even before the country obtains a middle class it is primed for an increase in diabetes cases so that we can then sell them blood glucose medications. The Dolima product is made by Danone – maker of Activia. I searched for it so I could look up the nutrition info, but could not find it. I do have my suspicions.

Colon Health: Ah, I do not remember what the product was now, but a commercial for a supplement was touting the item for Colon Health and maybe that was the name of it. A pill that had some probiotic properties and included fiber. I will tell you this because I studied it. Colon cancer is related to lifestyle and to prevent it, one is best advised to eat a plant based diet, high in fruits, vegetables and fiber and to reduce the consumption of red and processed meat. No where in the research does it say that one should take this supplement or any probiotic or fiber supplement. Also, a fecal blood test is recommended.

Shakle or Is it Shakee- I thought that the Saturday Night Live skit that had dumb bells that vibrated was a JOKE. My friends said that the product was real but I did not believe it until I saw it for myself on TV. I just , I just do not have WORDs. Lift weights okay. Slow, steady and controlled. If you buy those weights I will know and make fun of you. (when you want results and hear the words EASY – you will not get results. The ad for this stupid product of the day says that it is an Easy Six Minute Workout. Guess what you will get for that? The results of a six minute workout.)

Wasteful: I wish I could say that I am surprised that millions of dollars worth of the swine flu vaccine are going to be destroyed. They were not used. They were not needed. They are expired. I am not surprised.