Text 1:
“Oh yes, I definitely believe that xenoestrogens (BPA, a number of common industrial additives, a number of foods have it) are a problem. They’re getting rid of it, thankfully. There’s a lot about the human body that we don’t fully understand, and what’s good science one year that allows an industry to product a large amount of products that gets used by an entire population, twenty years later turns out to have possibly negative effects that weren’t visible the first time around.I also think that the “Soy Miracle Protein” that was oversold in the 90s is biting us in the butt today, as soy does encourage estrogen growth in the body. Being a cheap product that we have a LOT of and product natively, it’s economically viable and practical, from an a “How do we feed a nation food profitably?” perspective.But the super-health food of 20 , is becoming today’s “uh, what were we THINKING!?!” today.It’s important to be aware, to watch, to read, to pay attention. There *are* real problems that need to be solved and there are groups worth joining that fight to hold Industry and Govt agencies accountable.My beef (so to speak) is with the hyperbole, the spooky-scary way information is passed. I’ll give an example of the Bad Side of appeals to “What about the children?” fears:Vaccination.Even today, millions of parents don’t give their kids vaccinations because of highly spread falsehood by a scientist who was paid to say so. There’s no convincing people that believe in it that they could *possibly* be wrong.*That’s* the danger I worry about. Hyperbole potentially leading people too far in a particular direction.Movies that show “The Truth” about something are VERY profitable movies. These are not non-profit enterprises. The movie makers want to make money, and fear is a *great* way to get people’s attention, especially if you weave together a tale that ends with: EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW, IS WRONG!Scientists, unfortunately, to become notable, will often contact media to announce the latest thing that the world needs to know and the Media obliges: “Scientists say that…” some scary prophecy about the future, and we need to act now, before it’s too late.The formula.I don’t like the formula. It’s the same formula of Arms of an Angel with Sarah McLaughlin and the ASPCA. Save the Children foundation, Michael Moore movies take a slightly different spin but resulting in the same type of thing: producing lots of Activists.The formula is so effective that there’s no way to really tell what’s right and wrong, true or false, because to even suggest anything to the contrary, just playing devil’s advocate, as I like to do and and one becomes become, “One of Them “.”He who is not with us, is against us”.I’d rather take a reasoned approach. Some things are bad. Studies need doing, peer reviews need to happen. Concerned parents can make changes. The word can spread without the panic.There’s no need for heroes and villains, good guys and bad. Evil Injustices to be Overcome, Governments and Industries Overthrown. Is organic food better? Perhaps. I don’t know if it’s regulated or not, honestly – if certified organic really means anything, or if it’s just a nice label that sounds good.There’s fake Kosher products on the shelf too; people who are Kosher have to make sure they’re getting the right symbol; the other one is a fake. [I forget which is which]People have to watch. But I just don’t like the panic. Things that are on the surfaces of foods can be rinsed off with vinegar. Many problem items vanish when you cook them. There’s lack of practical education out there that says, “This is what happens when you eat/cook/such-and-such a thing” that isn’t then followed with, “AND THIS IS WHY IT HAS TO STOP – NOW!”Something reasonable. It’s hard to know truth from fiction and it takes careful study. Scares about artificial sweeteners for example: Claims that Sugar must be better because it’s natural. Well, getting fatter from excess carbs and the health effects from that are *probably* worse than a slight risk of something uncertain that might possibly happen but has never happened yet that we know of.But people still turn down dieting with excuses like these.That’s why I’m ranting. Not at you. Not at El Ch##. Not at Scott Flavelle – but at the media industry that almost forces a lack of really thinking things through and asking, “What if this thing I’m worried about, turns out to be all for nothing?”It’s not a dangerous question. It’s a sane question. A little extra research. Find the opposing opinion. Find a perspective that is different. Opposite. Try to understand if something is missing. The way information is packaged… I just… don’t like it.I’m opposed to appeals to emotions, to desperation, to excessive drama. I’m doing it myself, mind you. Again, not at you guys, but at a world where “This is the Most AMAZING THING EVER!” when really, is it? No, it’s not.Or “This will ruin the future!” Will it? Well maybe. But most likely?We’ll manage.I have nothing against making changes that one chooses to make.I just get the creeps whenever I hear a singular opinion with no opposition from a lot of people. Did all of these people get the ideas from the same sources? The same movies? The same books? Or from people who read the same books, saw the same movies and wrote their own stuff off of it?And there’s no room for a different opinion. There’s no room to be wrong.That’s why I play devil’s advocate like this. There’s bullshit wherever you turn in life. I play spot the bullshit anytime I get too caught up in something because I don’t like a few years to go by and I look back and go, “Wow, I’ve been following a lie for years now, haven’t I? I got caught up in the drama and never stopped to see the other point of view.”I don’t know what the right answer is. But I know it’s worth researching and attempting to get a balance of opinions from multiple points of view; not just reinforcement of the same point of view; because it’s only then that you can make decisions with a clear head.Arms of an Angel ASPCA commercial made $30 million appealing to our pathos. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a good cause; of course helping abused animals is a good cause. But I don’t like how it’s done. I don’t like things like guilt and fear used to push ideas, even if they’re good ones.*sigh* that’s all my rant is about. I suppose I’m just as bad, except my emotion is frustration and my target is emotional pleas that influence large amounts of people and cloud rational thinking. But I believe you’re right about the xenoestrogens – I’m glad they’re taking care of it.”
Text 2:
“So there I was, just chilling on my couch, scrolling through my social media feed, when I stumbled upon this article about xenoestrogens. You know, those sneaky little chemicals pretending to be estrogen in our bodies? Yeah, those. And it got me thinking – are these things really as bad as they say, or is this just another “the sky is falling” kind of moment? I mean, seriously, just last week, I was reading about how soy protein is like the best thing ever, and now I’m being told it’s a hormonal train wreck? Come on!
Speaking of train wrecks, remember when I got into that heated debate with my cousin about vaccinations at our family BBQ? Man, that was intense. It’s crazy how the media can just twist everything up and play with our emotions, right? One minute they’re praising vaccines as life-saving miracles, and the next, they’re scaring us with stories about scary side effects. It’s like we’re being yanked around on an emotional roller coaster, and we can’t even have a rational conversation without being labeled as anti-vaxxers or something.
But, you know what? That’s just how the media works. They’re like puppet masters, pulling our heartstrings and making us dance to their tune. I mean, take that whole carrot night vision thing – I was so convinced I’d be able to see in the dark like a superhero after eating a whole bag of carrots, but nope! Still as blind as a bat at night. Thanks for the hype, media!
Anyway, back to the soy drama. It’s like we’re caught in this never-ending cycle of “eat this, not that.” One day, soy is the answer to all our nutritional prayers, and the next, it’s the villainous source of xenoestrogens, plotting to wreak hormonal havoc on our bodies. I mean, how are we supposed to know what to believe? Who can we trust to give us the straight scoop?
You know what I’ve realized, though? We’ve gotta be our own truth-seekers. We can’t just swallow whatever the media serves us on a silver platter. We’ve got to dig deeper, do our own research, and figure out what’s really going on. Sure, it’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s way better than being led around by the nose, don’t you think?
So, my friends, let’s put on our thinking caps and dive headfirst into the chaotic world of information. Let’s question everything, separate the facts from the fiction, and make our own informed decisions. It’s a wild ride, but hey, that’s what life’s all about, right?”
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