Tuesday, November 23
Monday, October 18
The FDA- Public Watchdog - Death By Medicine
I started today adding a clarification to a comment I made on the Huffington Post's site regarding food addiction and the FDA. As I wrote I drifted away from food into the drug side, which if you really break food down you'll find that it's what our bodies run on. The nutrients supply necessary vitamins, minerals and substance our cells, nerves and brain chemistry run on. One of the reasons people overeat, gain weight and can't seem to lose weight are related to chemical impulse or lack thereof which cause physiological results.
This is where the FDA , The Food and Drug Association comes in to determine which are which, and apply their controls to them, allegedly protecting us from irresponsible products and manufacturer's of these segments.
We see headlines screaming about Ephedra killing a young athlete and panic ensues. The widespread media hysteria paints the picture and the public responds in fear with outcry that supports the awaiting FDA to ban this herb which has been used for respiratory support among other things for over 5000 years. Same thing with Tryptophan, a natural substance we create internally which helped people for decades to sleep without drugs, addiction or side effect but because of a tainted batch of a single manufacturer, Pow, it's banned. The outcry of the public eventually brought it back to the shelves recently but the speed of which it was deemed dangerous without proper investigation was immediate. Why is it that the supplements, vitamins, herbals and natural supports are the ones under attack while the pharmaceutical and medical field which has spun out of control becoming an unmanageable monster of cost, expense, reduced quality, and collateral damage goes relatively unpublicized, no big media blurbs, hardly anything except from the lawsuits advertised by law firms on class actions.
So I found something very interesting on the site one of my most trusted sources for longevity information, Life Extension Foundation. (http://www.lef.org)
Here's one article from the site called As We See It- Dangerous Medicine
Here's an excerpt from the article but be sure to read the rest and learn about Codex. This is worth your attention if you care about personal health freedom.
Odd to me that the agency who claims to protect the US population is stepping in to protect us from ourselves in an aim to control the natural supplements we're able to use. Odder still is the conflict in the revenue stream of the pharmaceutical industry where supplements have long been proven to aid in wellness and immune enhancement, there's needed to be decades long supreme court battles to put the FDA in its place when it comes to freedom of information and what we as citizens are able to say about natural supplements and their usefulness. It seems to me there's a link to the interest in the revenue stream driven by illness and pharmaceutical use and the revenue diverted away from that stream by the use of supplements, which the FDA seems bent on controlling. As I was writing this I thought It would be interesting to see how the disease and mortality related figures compare annually between pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to people, the use of supplements and vitamins, and other available substances like tobacco. So I ran a search on it and found staggering statistics on the medical and pharmaceutical side. Just the deaths and damage from acetaminophen aka Tylenol annually are incredibly high. Here's an interesting stat on acetaminophen from the website of http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/tylenol.html; There's a lot more than this info there but this makes my point:
"Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of liver failure in the US and the United Kingdom and the leading cause of calls to the Poison Control Centers across the US. It is estimated that acetaminophen poisoning calls exceed 100,000 per year. Studies indicate that acetaminophen overdose results in over 56,000 injuries, 2,500 hospitalizations, and an estimated 450 deaths per year."
While we're at it, we can still buy tobacco when it's threat and dangers have clearly been established but there's money to be made and Commerce wins again. I read today in Natural News , an opinion of the author of the e-zine stating that Congress needs to be abolished as they're not helping anyone or anything but rather are costing us. He went on to say that it was almost pointless to appoint others to replace congresspersons because they change once in the system. I'll withhold my decision on that but he stated something I've noticed more and more daily, that we are controlled by corporations and commerce. The government doesn't give a rat's ass if you're healthy or ill, they want to wring every last buck out of you for commercial coffers.
Here's the link to the piece called Vote No for Congress.
Here's an excerpt: "From this, many people are crying for change in Washington. But this idea of sending new people to Washington, I submit, is merely another gimmick foisted upon the American people by members of Congress who seem more interested in looting America than saving her. Because the real secret in Washington is that it doesn't matter whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge. It's the corporations that control both parties in the end."
The articles I've pointed out from Life Extension Foundation were originally published in 2004, six years ago.. and nothing much has changed. To give you an idea of the content and doctors behind this alert I'll post the first of 6 pages, the remaining deal with specifics on unnecessary surgeries, medical error, over prescribing antibiotics, drugs in our water, women's experience in health care and the neglect we are subject to and much more. It's worth the read for your own sake.
Here's the article written by a group of reputable MD.'s
Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking.4 These researchers have authored a paper titled “Death by Medicine” that presents compelling evidence that today’s system frequently causes more harm than good.
This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today’s system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms.
Each year approximately 2.2 million US hospital patients experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to prescribed medications.(1) In 1995, Dr. Richard Besser of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections to be 20 million; in 2003, Dr. Besser spoke in terms of tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually.(2, 2a) Approximately 7.5 million unnecessary medical and surgical procedures are performed annually in the US,(3) while approximately 8.9 million Americans are hospitalized unnecessarily.(4)
As shown in the following table, the estimated total number of iatrogenic deaths—that is, deaths induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures— in the US annually is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is itself the leading cause of death and injury in the US . By comparison, approximately 699,697 Americans died of heart in 2001, while 553,251 died of cancer.(5)
See the rest here
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
This is where the FDA , The Food and Drug Association comes in to determine which are which, and apply their controls to them, allegedly protecting us from irresponsible products and manufacturer's of these segments.
We see headlines screaming about Ephedra killing a young athlete and panic ensues. The widespread media hysteria paints the picture and the public responds in fear with outcry that supports the awaiting FDA to ban this herb which has been used for respiratory support among other things for over 5000 years. Same thing with Tryptophan, a natural substance we create internally which helped people for decades to sleep without drugs, addiction or side effect but because of a tainted batch of a single manufacturer, Pow, it's banned. The outcry of the public eventually brought it back to the shelves recently but the speed of which it was deemed dangerous without proper investigation was immediate. Why is it that the supplements, vitamins, herbals and natural supports are the ones under attack while the pharmaceutical and medical field which has spun out of control becoming an unmanageable monster of cost, expense, reduced quality, and collateral damage goes relatively unpublicized, no big media blurbs, hardly anything except from the lawsuits advertised by law firms on class actions.
So I found something very interesting on the site one of my most trusted sources for longevity information, Life Extension Foundation. (http://www.lef.org)
Here's one article from the site called As We See It- Dangerous Medicine
Here's an excerpt from the article but be sure to read the rest and learn about Codex. This is worth your attention if you care about personal health freedom.
Dangerous Medicine
The FDA claims that the drugs it approves are “safe.” This charade is rapidly collapsing. PBS television’s investigative series Frontline has aired a shocking exposé of dangerous prescription drugs and the FDA’s complicity in allowing this outrage to occur.1
The Frontline producers initially investigated drugs that had been withdrawn from the market. After filming began, current and former FDA employees started coming forward to give a powerful critique of what really goes on inside the agency. As the story evolved, rather than making a documentary about drug safety, Frontline ended up shifting its focus to the FDA itself.
A major emphasis of the documentary was the FDA’s reliance on drug companies’ research of their own products to determine safety. As Frontline found out, the FDA does not conduct clinical trials, because the agency is not in the business of conducting medical research. The FDA instead reviews the results submitted by pharmaceutical companies. This means that the basis for FDA approval of a new drug is often “safety data” provided by the very company that makes the drug!
Frontline exposed this questionable drug approval sham to the world in a one-hour broadcast aired November 17, 2003. It was FDA drug reviewers who made the most appalling disclosures. These current and former FDA employees revealed incidences in which drug dangers were clearly present but were ignored or covered up by higher-level FDA officials. Only after many injuries and deaths were these drugs withdrawn or relabeled. A survey of all FDA employees showed a significant number felt they were pressured by others in the agency to give favorable reviews to dangerous and ineffective drugs.
The most absurd part of this saga is the FDA’s historical record of attempting to restrict consumers’ access to dietary supplements. The FDA deceitfully implies that supplements have hidden dangers. Yet the data supporting the safety and efficacy of nutrients usually come from independent sources, as opposed to the company-sponsored studies the FDA relies on to certify drug safety.
Frontline showed that in too many cases, the safety data supplied by drug companies are flawed and altered, with the result being an alarming number of injuries and deaths from prescription drug toxicities. Deaths from adverse drug reactions have become so commonplace that they rarely make the news.
For the past 18 years, Life Extension has harshly criticized this corrupt system of drug approval. What Life Extension lacked was the “inside” data gathered by Frontline that show specifically how the FDA conspires with the drug industry to approve dangerous drugs. Even more disturbing are instances in which the FDA allows toxic drugs to remain on the market even after injuries and deaths are reported. If the FDA had even a vestige of credibility remaining about its role of “protecting” the public against dangerous drugs, this Frontline documentary tore it to shreds. The emperor (the FDA) clearly has no clothes (credibility).
~Snip~
|
The Frontline producers initially investigated drugs that had been withdrawn from the market. After filming began, current and former FDA employees started coming forward to give a powerful critique of what really goes on inside the agency. As the story evolved, rather than making a documentary about drug safety, Frontline ended up shifting its focus to the FDA itself.
A major emphasis of the documentary was the FDA’s reliance on drug companies’ research of their own products to determine safety. As Frontline found out, the FDA does not conduct clinical trials, because the agency is not in the business of conducting medical research. The FDA instead reviews the results submitted by pharmaceutical companies. This means that the basis for FDA approval of a new drug is often “safety data” provided by the very company that makes the drug!
 |
The most absurd part of this saga is the FDA’s historical record of attempting to restrict consumers’ access to dietary supplements. The FDA deceitfully implies that supplements have hidden dangers. Yet the data supporting the safety and efficacy of nutrients usually come from independent sources, as opposed to the company-sponsored studies the FDA relies on to certify drug safety.
Frontline showed that in too many cases, the safety data supplied by drug companies are flawed and altered, with the result being an alarming number of injuries and deaths from prescription drug toxicities. Deaths from adverse drug reactions have become so commonplace that they rarely make the news.
For the past 18 years, Life Extension has harshly criticized this corrupt system of drug approval. What Life Extension lacked was the “inside” data gathered by Frontline that show specifically how the FDA conspires with the drug industry to approve dangerous drugs. Even more disturbing are instances in which the FDA allows toxic drugs to remain on the market even after injuries and deaths are reported. If the FDA had even a vestige of credibility remaining about its role of “protecting” the public against dangerous drugs, this Frontline documentary tore it to shreds. The emperor (the FDA) clearly has no clothes (credibility).
Odd to me that the agency who claims to protect the US population is stepping in to protect us from ourselves in an aim to control the natural supplements we're able to use. Odder still is the conflict in the revenue stream of the pharmaceutical industry where supplements have long been proven to aid in wellness and immune enhancement, there's needed to be decades long supreme court battles to put the FDA in its place when it comes to freedom of information and what we as citizens are able to say about natural supplements and their usefulness. It seems to me there's a link to the interest in the revenue stream driven by illness and pharmaceutical use and the revenue diverted away from that stream by the use of supplements, which the FDA seems bent on controlling. As I was writing this I thought It would be interesting to see how the disease and mortality related figures compare annually between pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to people, the use of supplements and vitamins, and other available substances like tobacco. So I ran a search on it and found staggering statistics on the medical and pharmaceutical side. Just the deaths and damage from acetaminophen aka Tylenol annually are incredibly high. Here's an interesting stat on acetaminophen from the website of http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/tylenol.html; There's a lot more than this info there but this makes my point:
"Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of liver failure in the US and the United Kingdom and the leading cause of calls to the Poison Control Centers across the US. It is estimated that acetaminophen poisoning calls exceed 100,000 per year. Studies indicate that acetaminophen overdose results in over 56,000 injuries, 2,500 hospitalizations, and an estimated 450 deaths per year."
While we're at it, we can still buy tobacco when it's threat and dangers have clearly been established but there's money to be made and Commerce wins again. I read today in Natural News , an opinion of the author of the e-zine stating that Congress needs to be abolished as they're not helping anyone or anything but rather are costing us. He went on to say that it was almost pointless to appoint others to replace congresspersons because they change once in the system. I'll withhold my decision on that but he stated something I've noticed more and more daily, that we are controlled by corporations and commerce. The government doesn't give a rat's ass if you're healthy or ill, they want to wring every last buck out of you for commercial coffers.
Here's the link to the piece called Vote No for Congress.
Here's an excerpt: "From this, many people are crying for change in Washington. But this idea of sending new people to Washington, I submit, is merely another gimmick foisted upon the American people by members of Congress who seem more interested in looting America than saving her. Because the real secret in Washington is that it doesn't matter whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge. It's the corporations that control both parties in the end."
Why the corporations are in control
The corporations, you see, have been running Washington for decades -- on both sides of the political fence. It was the Bush Administration, you may remember, that rigged a secret back-room deal with Big Pharma to make it illegal for the U.S. government to negotiate discount pricing for large-scale Medicare drug purchasing. This locked in a Big Pharma monopoly that has already cost the taxpayers tens of billions of dollars in the years since.The articles I've pointed out from Life Extension Foundation were originally published in 2004, six years ago.. and nothing much has changed. To give you an idea of the content and doctors behind this alert I'll post the first of 6 pages, the remaining deal with specifics on unnecessary surgeries, medical error, over prescribing antibiotics, drugs in our water, women's experience in health care and the neglect we are subject to and much more. It's worth the read for your own sake.
Here's the article written by a group of reputable MD.'s
Death by Medicine
By Gary Null, PhD; Carolyn Dean MD, ND; Martin Feldman, MD; Debora Rasio, MD; and Dorothy Smith, PhD
Something is wrong when regulatory agencies pretend that vitamins are dangerous, yet ignore published statistics showing that government-sanctioned medicine is the real hazard. Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed.
A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking.4 These researchers have authored a paper titled “Death by Medicine” that presents compelling evidence that today’s system frequently causes more harm than good.
This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5)
We placed this article on our website to memorialize the failure of the American medical system. By exposing these gruesome statistics in painstaking detail, we provide a basis for competent and compassionate medical professionals to recognize the inadequacies of today’s system and at least attempt to institute meaningful reforms.
Natural medicine is under siege, as pharmaceutical company lobbyists urge lawmakers to deprive Americans of the benefits of dietary supplements. Drug-company front groups have launched slanderous media campaigns to discredit the value of healthy lifestyles. The FDA continues to interfere with those who offer natural products that compete with prescription drugs.
These attacks against natural medicine obscure a lethal problem that until now was buried in thousands of pages of scientific text. In response to these baseless challenges to natural medicine, the Nutrition Institute of America commissioned an independent review of the quality of “government-approved” medicine. The startling findings from this meticulous study indicate that conventional medicine is “the leading cause of death” in the United States .
The Nutrition Institute of America is a nonprofit organization that has sponsored independent research for the past 30 years. To support its bold claim that conventional medicine is America 's number-one killer, the Nutritional Institute of America mandated that every “count” in this “indictment” of US medicine be validated by published, peer-reviewed scientific studies.
What you are about to read is a stunning compilation of facts that documents that those who seek to abolish consumer access to natural therapies are misleading the public. Over 700,000 Americans die each year at the hands of government-sanctioned medicine, while the FDA and other government agencies pretend to protect the public by harassing those who offer safe alternatives.
A definitive review of medical peer-reviewed journals and government health statistics shows that American medicine frequently causes more harm than good. Each year approximately 2.2 million US hospital patients experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to prescribed medications.(1) In 1995, Dr. Richard Besser of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections to be 20 million; in 2003, Dr. Besser spoke in terms of tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually.(2, 2a) Approximately 7.5 million unnecessary medical and surgical procedures are performed annually in the US,(3) while approximately 8.9 million Americans are hospitalized unnecessarily.(4)
As shown in the following table, the estimated total number of iatrogenic deaths—that is, deaths induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures— in the US annually is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is itself the leading cause of death and injury in the US . By comparison, approximately 699,697 Americans died of heart in 2001, while 553,251 died of cancer.(5)
See the rest here
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_01.htm
Tuesday, October 5
Did You Know Diet Soda Will Make You Fat?
Check out the information on the link above to see evidence of why diet sodas make you fat.
If you don't do the legwork and stay in touch with recent findings on marketing ploys and misinformation, you could end up with type 2 diabetes and not even know it.
If you don't do the legwork and stay in touch with recent findings on marketing ploys and misinformation, you could end up with type 2 diabetes and not even know it.
Friday, October 1
Hidden Poison in Food Supply- What We Don't Know IS Killing US & Making Us Fatter Than Ever
From the time we're kids we've already developed a preference for the sweet taste of candy, sugary cereals, ice cream, cookies and soda. If given the choice, like that famous experiment with lab rats who were able to either choose to push a button to deliver food or an injection of cocaine, the lab rat hit the cocaine button until it died, we are choosing daily to set ourselves up for long term disease, health problems, and obesity from as early as a toddler. Heck, they've discovered heavy added sugar in infant formula, so many of us were set up from birth for the preference. The adulteration of our palettes and taste buds.
Sugar is being added to infant and toddler formula and foods setting a newborn up for a lifetime preference for the sweet poison we've paid little attention to because we're addicted to sweet.
High Sugar Content in Packaged Toddler and Baby Food Products
ScienceDaily (June 28, 2010) — Fifty three percent of food products specifically targeted to babies and toddlers in Canadian grocery stores have an excessive proportion -- more than 20 per cent -- of calories coming from sugar, according to a new study by University of Calgary professor Charlene Elliott.
We're being played again, sleight of hand tricks by the food industry promoting low fat and fat free on their products when they've increased the sugar content in a variety of forms to make the product palette pleasing because removing fat is to remove flavor.
What we personally add to coffee, tea or cereal is nothing however compared to the hidden addition of sugar in nearly every food product you eat. Sodas and sports drinks being the biggest problems for their ability to enter the blood stream rapidly. When we sip a Coke all day long we're making ourselves efficient fat storers, yet even diet drinks play into this because the artificial sweetners, not without their own health risks I won't go into here, are so ultra sweet, they desensitize our palate to want higher levels of sugar or sweetness in other foods. Because we've been indoctrinated into the sugar=love mentality, we equate the flavor with comfort and wholesomeness, like Mom's Apple Pie or the good ol Ice Cream Truck on your street on a hot summer day. We grow up on watching Saturday morning cartoons filled with ads about breakfast cereals, all honey coated, sugar coated, chocolate flavored with some character you can probably see in your head right now. Count Chocula, Tucan Sam, The Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids... Diggum Frog , Sugar Bear... this is no mistake, these are multimillion dollar campaigns that work! We begged our moms for sugar pops, sugar smacks, cap'n crunch and all the rest. Now is it any wonder American's are uniquely the fattest humans on the planet and the top causes of death in the US are the only ones in the world that can be directly related to sugar?
Because we are starting to become aware of this issue, sugar being more deadly than smoking in its far reaching disease causing ability the marketing minds are figuring out how to work acceptance back into our heads to stop the trend of sugar awareness by changing names of offending additives like high fructose corn syrup. Dr. Mercola points this out here.
http://thevreelandclinic.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/see-the-amazing-statistics-on-sugar-consumption-in-the-u-s/
Sugar is being added to infant and toddler formula and foods setting a newborn up for a lifetime preference for the sweet poison we've paid little attention to because we're addicted to sweet.
High Sugar Content in Packaged Toddler and Baby Food Products
ScienceDaily (June 28, 2010) — Fifty three percent of food products specifically targeted to babies and toddlers in Canadian grocery stores have an excessive proportion -- more than 20 per cent -- of calories coming from sugar, according to a new study by University of Calgary professor Charlene Elliott.
We're being played again, sleight of hand tricks by the food industry promoting low fat and fat free on their products when they've increased the sugar content in a variety of forms to make the product palette pleasing because removing fat is to remove flavor.
What we personally add to coffee, tea or cereal is nothing however compared to the hidden addition of sugar in nearly every food product you eat. Sodas and sports drinks being the biggest problems for their ability to enter the blood stream rapidly. When we sip a Coke all day long we're making ourselves efficient fat storers, yet even diet drinks play into this because the artificial sweetners, not without their own health risks I won't go into here, are so ultra sweet, they desensitize our palate to want higher levels of sugar or sweetness in other foods. Because we've been indoctrinated into the sugar=love mentality, we equate the flavor with comfort and wholesomeness, like Mom's Apple Pie or the good ol Ice Cream Truck on your street on a hot summer day. We grow up on watching Saturday morning cartoons filled with ads about breakfast cereals, all honey coated, sugar coated, chocolate flavored with some character you can probably see in your head right now. Count Chocula, Tucan Sam, The Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids... Diggum Frog , Sugar Bear... this is no mistake, these are multimillion dollar campaigns that work! We begged our moms for sugar pops, sugar smacks, cap'n crunch and all the rest. Now is it any wonder American's are uniquely the fattest humans on the planet and the top causes of death in the US are the only ones in the world that can be directly related to sugar?
Because we are starting to become aware of this issue, sugar being more deadly than smoking in its far reaching disease causing ability the marketing minds are figuring out how to work acceptance back into our heads to stop the trend of sugar awareness by changing names of offending additives like high fructose corn syrup. Dr. Mercola points this out here.
http://thevreelandclinic.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/see-the-amazing-statistics-on-sugar-consumption-in-the-u-s/
Wednesday, September 29
Our Health and Freedom to Choose are Under Attack by Big Industry-
I Just got a response from Senator Barbara Boxer reporting on the successful removal of an amendment that was the latest US attack on personal health freedom to choose your own supplements on the free market, at competitive prices, at will, vs regulation by governmental agencies who are in bed with the pharmaceutical industry who aren't satisfied with the revenue they create by pushing drugs on us for everything under the sun, regardless of their long term side effects or unknown dangers, as we've seen in so many class action lawsuits over FDA approved drugs.
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
These sneaky last minute amendments are tacked on to avoid notice, they come off as concern for our health because we aren't smart enough to decide for ourselves, when the real issue is that natural and alternative health solutions have become widely available via the internet along with tons of great research and medical opinion, right at our fingertips and the jury is in, they have since time immemorial been used to help keep people healthy, improve core issues, illnesses, ailments and boost immune function which helps keep people out of the disease loop of chemicals that treat symptoms vs heal the root cause. Bottom line is the drug companies and medical industry isn't happy with the competition and want to control it for themselves, to divert our buying practices to their pockets at the cost of our freedom.
Now, I'm not saying there aren't good and valid uses for medications and some vaccines that have stamped out real epidemics and plagues but we've been used as guinea pigs for their revenues as they've created diseases and disorders to give us the public a reason for buying their drugs. They urge us to tell our doctors which drugs we want to try, what they should prescribe. They now actually pitch us on media day in and day out. They have a vested interest in keeping us engaged with their marketing and tied to their drugs. If we aren't allowed into the process of decisions on our health care and what we choose to put into our bodies, what have we become? It's too frightening to believe actually. It's as if we are cattle or some commodity that is being fought over for control for the revenue.
Check out the Life Extension Foundation Watch Page for Specifics and Info on How to Take Action HERE
Alliance for Natural Health Article
Drug Companies Win Big and Eliminate Medical Herbs from Europe
Gaia Health September 12, 2010
If you follow any of these links you'll find a way to use a prewritten letter you can add to or modify and sign off to send to your representative - get involved, share the info, let's stop this and warn others we aren't the passive dummies they think we are,
Dear Ms. Hale:
Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to a proposal to broaden the federal government's regulatory authority over dietary supplements. I appreciate hearing from you.
You will be pleased to hear that an amendment to give the Federal Trade Commission more regulatory authority over dietary supplements was removed from the final version of the new Wall Street reform bill (H.R.4173) before it was signed into law on July 21, 2010.
Be assured that I will keep your views in mind should the Senate consider legislation regarding dietary supplements in the future.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or other issues of concern to you.
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
These sneaky last minute amendments are tacked on to avoid notice, they come off as concern for our health because we aren't smart enough to decide for ourselves, when the real issue is that natural and alternative health solutions have become widely available via the internet along with tons of great research and medical opinion, right at our fingertips and the jury is in, they have since time immemorial been used to help keep people healthy, improve core issues, illnesses, ailments and boost immune function which helps keep people out of the disease loop of chemicals that treat symptoms vs heal the root cause. Bottom line is the drug companies and medical industry isn't happy with the competition and want to control it for themselves, to divert our buying practices to their pockets at the cost of our freedom.
Now, I'm not saying there aren't good and valid uses for medications and some vaccines that have stamped out real epidemics and plagues but we've been used as guinea pigs for their revenues as they've created diseases and disorders to give us the public a reason for buying their drugs. They urge us to tell our doctors which drugs we want to try, what they should prescribe. They now actually pitch us on media day in and day out. They have a vested interest in keeping us engaged with their marketing and tied to their drugs. If we aren't allowed into the process of decisions on our health care and what we choose to put into our bodies, what have we become? It's too frightening to believe actually. It's as if we are cattle or some commodity that is being fought over for control for the revenue.
Check out the Life Extension Foundation Watch Page for Specifics and Info on How to Take Action HERE
Alliance for Natural Health Article
Drug Companies Win Big and Eliminate Medical Herbs from Europe
In less than a year, virtually all medicinal herbs will be illegal in the European Union.
In their take-no-prisoners strategy to wipe out every penny of competition and gain complete control of the health of the people, Big Pharma and Agribusiness have scored a major win in Europe. Similar, potentially devastating battles are also underway in the U.S.
How can this be happening? The secret weapon used by drug companies is trade law. According to Gaia Health:
In their take-no-prisoners strategy to wipe out every penny of competition and gain complete control of the health of the people, Big Pharma and Agribusiness have scored a major win in Europe. Similar, potentially devastating battles are also underway in the U.S.
How can this be happening? The secret weapon used by drug companies is trade law. According to Gaia Health:
“Rather than treating food and traditional medicines as human rights issues, they have been treated as trade issues. That makes the desires of large corporations the focus of food and herbal law, rather than the needs and desires of people. It's this twisting that has resulted in the FDA's making outrageously absurd statements, such as claiming that Cheerios and walnuts quite literally become drugs simply because of health claims made for them.”
Sources:
Gaia Health September 12, 2010If you follow any of these links you'll find a way to use a prewritten letter you can add to or modify and sign off to send to your representative - get involved, share the info, let's stop this and warn others we aren't the passive dummies they think we are,
Sunday, September 26
The Medium is The Message- Getting Past The GateKeeper
Blogging is interesting, as I was looking for a quote that came to mind relating to my topic, I found this information on Wikipedia linked above on Marshall McLuhan, Who is credited with coining the term 'Global Village' and 'The Medium is the Message', in relation to technology changing our world. My intention was to talk about the media and the subterfuge in ads when I started thinking about the old film classic, Network where some anchor loses it and screams the memorable phrase, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!". So then then I start thinking, What was that saying, The media is the message?.. Googled and found the correct phrase and the subject it was used to head up. I never heard of Marshall McLuhan but he deserves credit and the info on his take about media is one very relevant to consider today. I don't think this was a fluke, it's very spot on when you consider how the internet and television are used to express messages intended to get us to do something.
I really thought the following was a great explanation of what we're seeing today;
We have trust barriers that are on guard, we value one channel higher than another sometimes based on nothing but popular opinion or how wealthy the spokesperson is, or some language jargon that makes us feel comfy, but if you remember that classic old movie A Face in the Crowd, which was brilliant and before its time with good ol Sheriff Taylor,Andy of Mayberry, Andy Griffith, in the lead role, of a bumpkin who becomes the spokesperson for the Average Joe, the plain talking darling of the advertising world, a celebrity if you will, until he becomes a monster, as a power drunken figurehead of the cult of personality Lonesome Rhodes.
Someone needs to remake that 1957 film, it would be stupendous today, you could choose any genre of music you wanted to play Lonesome, of course country would fit great. I digress, but if you've seen it you'll remember the end and the moral of the story which was a fitting comeuppance and a hard slam from grace when he inadvertently slams his public while his mic is hot, done deliberately to prevent his dangerous charm from infiltrating the political area, his new aspiration. If you've never seen it, go rent it, it's worth it.
I was watching AM News Television on Fox last week and was put off by the light touch given to a serious story as if turning the page which I'm sure it was to the talking head on camera at 6am. It's not out of the ordinary but this time it really struck me as inappropriate. It has been growing inside me, this feeling of insult while being hammered with ads that have become more crafty, subtle, or subliminal in their message or otherwise the outright shyster type ads that used to be screened out on major networks now allowed with a brief disclaimer which may as well say, We know this is crap but hey, the money is green so don't hold us accountable for the hype this guy is selling.
A major crisis has hit the American public in massive job losses and the media and it's talking head's are all business as usual, bantering, consumerism, ads and marketing slickness trying to work into our subconscious to try and convince you it's all as it always was. Only now the marketing psychology is heavier than ever as you watch a show and see a brand name product placement in the hand of a well liked character, trying to use the pseudo relationship you have with them to get you to buy that product. Suddenly it's so overwhelmingly obvious you can't miss it. Even actors want to ride the popularity train as a cameo to boost marketability. You watch a fictional show and you're aware you're being pitched. Now even creative products are tainted with the selling out for another revenue stream from their product. Artists used to have standards. Commercialism rules.
But there's a heavier reason we have to question authority,
I really thought the following was a great explanation of what we're seeing today;
"in Understanding Media, McLuhan describes the "content" of a medium as a juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind.[6] This means that people tend to focus on the obvious, which is the content, to provide us valuable information, but in the process, we largely miss the structural changes in our affairs that are introduced subtly, or over long periods of time.[5] As the society's values, norms and ways of doing things change because of the technology, it is then we realize the social implications of the medium. These range from cultural or religious issues and historical precedents, through interplay with existing conditions, to the secondary or tertiary effects in a cascade of interactions[5] that we are not aware of."
This punctuates what I've noticed more and more often and the irritation felt as I see how effective the medium is at sneaking the message past the guard dog of our critical thinking, to deliver it's payload while we're busy feeling emotion or caught up in the delivery or the personality delivering the message. We have trust barriers that are on guard, we value one channel higher than another sometimes based on nothing but popular opinion or how wealthy the spokesperson is, or some language jargon that makes us feel comfy, but if you remember that classic old movie A Face in the Crowd, which was brilliant and before its time with good ol Sheriff Taylor,Andy of Mayberry, Andy Griffith, in the lead role, of a bumpkin who becomes the spokesperson for the Average Joe, the plain talking darling of the advertising world, a celebrity if you will, until he becomes a monster, as a power drunken figurehead of the cult of personality Lonesome Rhodes.
Someone needs to remake that 1957 film, it would be stupendous today, you could choose any genre of music you wanted to play Lonesome, of course country would fit great. I digress, but if you've seen it you'll remember the end and the moral of the story which was a fitting comeuppance and a hard slam from grace when he inadvertently slams his public while his mic is hot, done deliberately to prevent his dangerous charm from infiltrating the political area, his new aspiration. If you've never seen it, go rent it, it's worth it.
I was watching AM News Television on Fox last week and was put off by the light touch given to a serious story as if turning the page which I'm sure it was to the talking head on camera at 6am. It's not out of the ordinary but this time it really struck me as inappropriate. It has been growing inside me, this feeling of insult while being hammered with ads that have become more crafty, subtle, or subliminal in their message or otherwise the outright shyster type ads that used to be screened out on major networks now allowed with a brief disclaimer which may as well say, We know this is crap but hey, the money is green so don't hold us accountable for the hype this guy is selling.
A major crisis has hit the American public in massive job losses and the media and it's talking head's are all business as usual, bantering, consumerism, ads and marketing slickness trying to work into our subconscious to try and convince you it's all as it always was. Only now the marketing psychology is heavier than ever as you watch a show and see a brand name product placement in the hand of a well liked character, trying to use the pseudo relationship you have with them to get you to buy that product. Suddenly it's so overwhelmingly obvious you can't miss it. Even actors want to ride the popularity train as a cameo to boost marketability. You watch a fictional show and you're aware you're being pitched. Now even creative products are tainted with the selling out for another revenue stream from their product. Artists used to have standards. Commercialism rules.
But there's a heavier reason we have to question authority,
Friday, September 24
Here's a Story You Won't See on OC Housewives
Here's a shocking cautionary tale from the Orange County Register posted last week illustrating how things can spiral out of control and why it's important to take measures now to shore up whatever income you've got going. A solid home based business can be worked to generate a nice residual income even in a part time effort if you have the right business, product and support.
Work: the ‘Orange County Dream’ to homeless
August 24th, 2010, 6:01 pm posted by Peggy Lowe
SAN CLEMENTE – Allen Pederson pulls into a parking slot at San Clemente State Beach, hoping he gets a meter with a little time left. Renting by the hour with a few coins is all he can do now. This 1998 white Ford van is Pederson’s real estate reality, 25 square feet he calls “our little apartment.”
Beside Allen is his wife of 21 years, Regina. This was her vehicle, the one she used to drive the couple’s three kids to church, the one with the “Best Mom” license plate frame intact.
It’s sunset on a recent Thursday, and the couple sits down on a park bench on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and Allen jokes that this is his living room. Dinner is from Taco Bell, a tostada, burrito and Diet Coke eating up most of the last $5 Allen had in his wallet.
Work: the ‘Orange County Dream’ to homeless
August 24th, 2010, 6:01 pm posted by Peggy Lowe
SAN CLEMENTE – Allen Pederson pulls into a parking slot at San Clemente State Beach, hoping he gets a meter with a little time left. Renting by the hour with a few coins is all he can do now. This 1998 white Ford van is Pederson’s real estate reality, 25 square feet he calls “our little apartment.”
Beside Allen is his wife of 21 years, Regina. This was her vehicle, the one she used to drive the couple’s three kids to church, the one with the “Best Mom” license plate frame intact.
It’s sunset on a recent Thursday, and the couple sits down on a park bench on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and Allen jokes that this is his living room. Dinner is from Taco Bell, a tostada, burrito and Diet Coke eating up most of the last $5 Allen had in his wallet.
This is all the Pedersons have left of what Allen called “the Orange County Dream.” They have lost everything since Allen lost his job in 2005, an event that triggered a domino effect of decline for the family, down to being homeless and what Allen admits is now day-to-day survival.
“It’s just kinda like, where did it go? It was just there. It happened so fast! You think, ‘It will never happen to me.’ I think back, how did it happen?” Allen says. “How did this happen?”
The trigger to what the family now simply calls “The Trauma” happened in January 2005, when Allen lost his six-figure job at Time Warner Cable in a downsizing move.
The trigger to what the family now simply calls “The Trauma” happened in January 2005, when Allen lost his six-figure job at Time Warner Cable in a downsizing move.
Tuesday, September 21
Wednesday, September 1
Finding Our Place in the Puzzle of the Future
I believe there are many professionals who, like myself, have been seeking their niche, a place to fit into this new age where they can thrive and earn a real living, honestly, providing value to the marketplace without risking their reputation, entire savings or life to do it.
This is my contribution to the conversation as both one of the boomers out on that limb willing to risk breaking away from the old beliefs that employers will take care of you and value your loyalty when times are tough, and as a woman who has been online since 95 and has seen the rapid advancement of commerce, marketing tactics and outright scams using emotional buttons and trickery to part us from our money.
I've been on the bad end of the stick when it came to holding my own as a mother with the desire to stay around my kids as they grew up but also to make an income, trying many uncharted options before they were uncovered as scams and finding also great opportunity having kissed a few frogs to get to the good stuff. There's good and bad stuff out there but now we have some real oversight and experience to determine which is which in the opportunity world. While an opportunity may be solid there's always one question mark in the picture and that's people.
I don't think I need to expound on the current state of reality in employment and jobs as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the decline by county on this page;
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cewqtr.nr0.htm
Then in another reports increasing despair among the unemployed who believe there are no jobs in their field available after months of seeking work.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Read on...
This is my contribution to the conversation as both one of the boomers out on that limb willing to risk breaking away from the old beliefs that employers will take care of you and value your loyalty when times are tough, and as a woman who has been online since 95 and has seen the rapid advancement of commerce, marketing tactics and outright scams using emotional buttons and trickery to part us from our money.
I've been on the bad end of the stick when it came to holding my own as a mother with the desire to stay around my kids as they grew up but also to make an income, trying many uncharted options before they were uncovered as scams and finding also great opportunity having kissed a few frogs to get to the good stuff. There's good and bad stuff out there but now we have some real oversight and experience to determine which is which in the opportunity world. While an opportunity may be solid there's always one question mark in the picture and that's people.
I don't think I need to expound on the current state of reality in employment and jobs as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the decline by county on this page;
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cewqtr.nr0.htm
Then in another reports increasing despair among the unemployed who believe there are no jobs in their field available after months of seeking work.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Read on...
Tuesday, August 31
A Story from The OC You Won't See on TV
Here's a shocking cautionary tale from the Orange County Register posted last week illustrating how things can spiral out of control and why it's important to take measures now to shore up whatever income you've got going. A solid home based business can be worked to generate a nice residual income even in a part time effort if you have the right business, product and support.
Work: the ‘Orange County Dream’ to homeless
August 24th, 2010, 6:01 pm posted by Peggy Lowe
SAN CLEMENTE – Allen Pederson pulls into a parking slot at San Clemente State Beach, hoping he gets a meter with a little time left. Renting by the hour with a few coins is all he can do now. This 1998 white Ford van is Pederson’s real estate reality, 25 square feet he calls “our little apartment.”
Beside Allen is his wife of 21 years, Regina. This was her vehicle, the one she used to drive the couple’s three kids to church, the one with the “Best Mom” license plate frame intact.
It’s sunset on a recent Thursday, and the couple sits down on a park bench on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and Allen jokes that this is his living room. Dinner is from Taco Bell, a tostada, burrito and Diet Coke eating up most of the last $5 Allen had in his wallet.
This is all the Pedersons have left of what Allen called “the Orange County Dream.” They have lost everything since Allen lost his job in 2005, an event that triggered a domino effect of decline for the family, down to being homeless and what Allen admits is now day-to-day survival.
“It’s just kinda like, where did it go? It was just there. It happened so fast! You think, ‘It will never happen to me.’ I think back, how did it happen?” Allen says. “How did this happen?”
The trigger to what the family now simply calls “The Trauma” happened in January 2005, when Allen lost his six-figure job at Time Warner Cable in a downsizing move.
Work: the ‘Orange County Dream’ to homeless
August 24th, 2010, 6:01 pm posted by Peggy Lowe
SAN CLEMENTE – Allen Pederson pulls into a parking slot at San Clemente State Beach, hoping he gets a meter with a little time left. Renting by the hour with a few coins is all he can do now. This 1998 white Ford van is Pederson’s real estate reality, 25 square feet he calls “our little apartment.”
Beside Allen is his wife of 21 years, Regina. This was her vehicle, the one she used to drive the couple’s three kids to church, the one with the “Best Mom” license plate frame intact.
It’s sunset on a recent Thursday, and the couple sits down on a park bench on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and Allen jokes that this is his living room. Dinner is from Taco Bell, a tostada, burrito and Diet Coke eating up most of the last $5 Allen had in his wallet.
This is all the Pedersons have left of what Allen called “the Orange County Dream.” They have lost everything since Allen lost his job in 2005, an event that triggered a domino effect of decline for the family, down to being homeless and what Allen admits is now day-to-day survival.
“It’s just kinda like, where did it go? It was just there. It happened so fast! You think, ‘It will never happen to me.’ I think back, how did it happen?” Allen says. “How did this happen?”
The trigger to what the family now simply calls “The Trauma” happened in January 2005, when Allen lost his six-figure job at Time Warner Cable in a downsizing move.
Monday, August 30
Scammers Targeting Unemployed Promising Jobs -FTC Crackdown
If you're looking for work you know how tough it is and realize there aren't enough jobs out there for everyone. While there are self employment opportunities that are viable but are based upon your ability and effort, there are also liars and frauds out to bilk you, seeing this desperate situation as a prime opportunity to make a killing.
You've seen the posts, the lures, the dangling carrots playing to your desire for gainful employment but you have to pay for their training, services, access, to get to these jobs. Read and watch the video on the Federal Trade Commission's site and become aware and informed to better determine what you're looking at and how to avoid being played and ripped off of money you need to get through these trying times.
You've seen the posts, the lures, the dangling carrots playing to your desire for gainful employment but you have to pay for their training, services, access, to get to these jobs. Read and watch the video on the Federal Trade Commission's site and become aware and informed to better determine what you're looking at and how to avoid being played and ripped off of money you need to get through these trying times.
FTC Cracks Down on Con Artists Who Target Jobless Americans
Scams Prey on Victims of the Recession
With Bogus Job, Money-Making Schemes
With Bogus Job, Money-Making Schemes
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new crackdown on con artists who are preying on unemployed Americans with job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.
With the U.S. unemployment rate just under 10 percent, the FTC is redoubling its efforts to put a stop to these schemes, which make life even more difficult for hundreds of thousands of Americans already wrestling with the economic downturn.
As part of the law enforcement sweep announced today, dubbed “Operation Bottom Dollar,” the FTC has filed seven cases against the operators of deceptive and illegal job and money-making scams and announced developments in four previously filed job scam cases. In addition, the sweep includes 43 criminal actions by the Department of Justice, many involving the substantial assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as well as one additional civil action by the Postal Inspection Service and 18 actions by state attorneys general.
During a joint press conference today at the FTC, David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was joined by Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice; Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray; and a Grandview, Texas, job seeker who lost money to a company that made false promises of full-time work with benefits. The FTC also announced partnerships with the online job placement service Monster.com, the search engine Bing, by Microsoft, and the centralized network of online communities Craigslist, to help job seekers recognize job scams so they can avoid being victimized. Monster, Careerbuilder, Bing and Craigslist will display FTC consumer education material to people who are using the companies’ Web sites to look for jobs.
“Federal and state law enforcement officials will not tolerate those who take advantage of
consumers in times of economic misfortune,” Vladeck said. “If you falsely advertise that you will connect people with jobs or with opportunities for them to make money working from home, we will shut you down. We will give your assets to the people you scammed, and, when it’s appropriate, we’ll refer you to criminal authorities for prosecution.”
“Employment and business opportunity fraud causes terrible hardship to those who are suffering the most in these difficult economic times,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tony West. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who defraud through false promises of employment or financial success.”
To help consumers avoid being conned by employment scams, the FTC has produced a new consumer education video in English and Spanish. Still shots from the Web sites of some of the operators charged in this law enforcement sweep, as well as video footage of FTC Consumer Protection Director Vladeck, and Monica Vaca, an Assistant Director in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, will also be available. To view them, go ftc.gov/jobscams and youtube.com/ftcvideos. For access to higher resolution versions, visit aperturefilms.com/ftc or contact the FTC’s Office of Public Affairs.
Operation Bottom Dollar: FTC Law Enforcement Actions
The FTC announced seven new cases against promoters of the job and money-making scams, including one that victimized more than 100,000 people. This brings to 11 the number of cases the agency has brought since last spring challenging these types of operations. In each case, the FTC got a court order temporarily barring these operators from continuing their deceptive, illegal tactics and freezing their assets. The FTC also is asking the courts for permanent orders that would allow the agency to try to get money back to reimburse victims. In two of the matters announced today, criminal authorities executed search warrants, and arrested the two operators of one of the businesses.
In the law enforcement actions announced today, the FTC charged that:
Government Careers Inc. and three principals preyed on job seekers since at least March 2009 by running deceptive ads on job Web sites. Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol, and wildlife jobs as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government. It told people they could get these jobs if they paid $119 for study materials, which would allow them to pass any required test with a score of 95 percent or better. But according to the FTC complaint, those who paid the fee found that there are no exams for the positions they sought, or that the supposed job vacancies did not exist. The company also hawked career counseling services, charging $965 for services like resume editing and employment exam preparation. Although the defendants said that consumers would not have to pay the fee until they got a government job, the defendants demanded payment before consumers obtained the promised jobs. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is the FTC’s co-plaintiff in this case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.
Real Wealth, Inc. and its principal allegedly conned more than 100,000 people by selling them booklets that supposedly explained how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home mailing postcards and envelopes. Using direct mail campaigns that sometimes targeted the elderly and disabled, Real Wealth lured consumers, according to the FTC complaint, with deceptive solicitations such as “Collect up to $9,250 with my simple 3 minute form” or “All I do is mail 30 postcards everyday and I make an extra $350 a week!” Real Wealth also claimed that consumers could “rake in up to $1,500+ per week or more in solid cash” by learning “secrets” about the “$700 billion banking industry bailout.” This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.
Darling Angel Pin Creations and two principals allegedly claimed on the Internet and in newspaper advertisements that by purchasing a starter kit, consumers could earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins, and that no experience, special tools, or sewing skills were required. Consumers paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies they would need to make the pins. However, according to the FTC’s complaint, there was a catch: Consumers were required to have one of their assembled angel pins approved by the company before they could make any money – but the company rejected nearly all the angel pins consumers submitted, no matter how well-made. The FTC charged that the defendants made false and baseless claims that consumers could earn substantial income from angel pin assembly, when in fact they could not. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the court issued interim orders with regard to all the defendants in the case prohibiting further misconduct.
Abili-Staff, Ltd., two principals, and a related entity sold supposed work-at-home opportunities online. Billing itself as a “scam free” and “legitimate” job search service, Abili-Staff sold supposedly pre-screened lists of jobs, telling consumers they could access the lists after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99, according to the FTC’s complaint. The FTC alleged that defendants falsely told consumers they would have unlimited access to more than 1,000 work-at-home job listings, and that they would get their money back if they did not get a job. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. The court issued a temporary restraining order pending a preliminary injunction hearing held February 16-17, 2010.
Entertainment Work, Inc. and two principals marketed memberships in a Web site that was supposed to list jobs as movie extras, jobs on television, or jobs in print media. By telemarketing and placing advertisements on Web sites and in newspapers across the country, the defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80 after two weeks, according to the FTC complaint. The FTC charged that Entertainment Work deceptively claimed consumers would find entertainment and media jobs near where they lived, without regard to their experience, skills, or appearance. The complaint also charged that the company failed to disclose that to cancel their membership, people would have to pay an additional fee or undertake a burdensome process. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defendants have agreed to an interim court order that immediately halts the alleged misconduct.
Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. and its principal allegedly made false earnings claims, and additional misrepresentations in the course of selling a smorgasbord of work-at-home opportunities, including an envelope mailing opportunity, a postcard mailing opportunity, and a mystery shopper opportunity. Their deceptive practices have injured numerous consumers, including stay-at-home and single mothers. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely represented to consumers that they could make substantial amounts of money. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order pending a further hearing.
Preferred Platinum Services Network and the husband-and-wife team who owned and operated it allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product promoted by Preferred Platinum called “mortgage accelerator.” Advertised in local pennysavers and newspaper classified sections, and at the defendants’ Web site, the scheme touted earnings of up to $1 per postcard, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee. Consumers paid an enrollment fee of $80 to $90, and they typically did not learn until later that they would have to pay $40 more for each additional batch of 100 postcards, according to the FTC complaint. At the same time this matter was filed, criminal authorities executed search warrants on the business and arrested the husband-and-wife team, charging each of them with one count of mail fraud. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court issued a temporary restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction on February 16, 2010. Both individual defendants also have been indicted by a grand jury.
In addition to the seven cases announced today, since last summer, the FTC has settled or litigated four law enforcement actions stemming from employment and work-at-home scams:
Job Safety USA. Principal Wagner Ramos Borges allegedly systematically offered phony jobs to people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division, issued a default judgment ordering Borges to pay $414,900 – which is the estimated amount of his profits during the period covered by the FTC complaint. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm
Career Hotline, Inc. Career Hotline took money from job seekers by guaranteeing them jobs that paid at least $25,000 per year, according to the FTC complaint. The federal court in the Middle District of Florida issued a default judgment against Career Hotline ordering the company to pay $75,000, which is the estimated amount of money job seekers lost to this scam. In addition, the company’s principal, Susan Bright, reached a settlement with the FTC that prohibits her from deceiving consumers about job availability, salaries, access to interviews, job listings and refunds. The settlement order also includes a suspended judgment against her because she is financially unable to pay, but the full judgment will become due immediately if Bright misrepresented her financial condition. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/08/hotline.shtm
Penbrook Productions. The FTC complaint alleged that in this online scam, principal Michael Allen Brooks used fictional spokesperson “Angela Penbrook” to entice consumers to become “certified” rebate processors, supposedly earning as much as $225 per hour. A settlement approved February 10, 2010 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires the defendants to pay $125,000 within 10 days, plus a significant additional amount from assets they own that are to be liquidated. The settlement bars the defendants from making or assisting others to make deceptive claims in connection with work-at-home, franchise, or business opportunities. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange
International Marketing and principal Zolio Cruz Carrion falsely promised Spanish- speaking consumers substantial income for stuffing envelopes, and was charged in an FTC complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2008. The court granted the FTC’s motion to hold Cruz in contempt for failing to comply with an earlier order and briefly jailed him for contempt. It also prohibited him from marketing any business, employment, investment or work-at-home opportunity.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intermarketing.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intermarketing.shtm
The FTC would like to acknowledge the assistance of: AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly; United States Postal Inspection Service, Tampa Field Office; Better Business Bureaus of Southern Arizona, West Florida, New Jersey, the Southland (Southern California), and Coastal, Central, & Southwest Texas; U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York, New Jersey and Western District of Missouri; Attorney General’s Offices of Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs; Ocean County New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs; and the Tucson Police Department.
The enforcement actions announced today named the following defendants:
Government Careers Inc. – Jon Coover; Richard Friedberg; and Rimona Friedberg.
Abili-Staff, Ltd. – Pamela Barthuly; Jorg Becker; and Equitron, LLC.
Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc. – Shelly R. Olson and Judith C. Mendez; d/b/a/Angel Pin Creations.
Entertainment Work, Inc. – Jason Barnes and Racquelle Barnes; d/b/a Resource Publishing Co. Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. – Wayne Verderber, II, d/b/a as National Data Management, N.D.M., Global Mailing Services, G.M.S., Independent Mailing Services, Independent Mailing Services, Inc., I.M.S., Independent Shoppers Network, Independent Shoppers, Success At Home, Success-At-Home Mailing, IMEX, IMEX, Inc., and Continental Publishing Company.
Preferred Platinum Services Network – Rosalie Florie; d/b/a Home Based Associate Program and PPSN, LLC. and Philip D. Pestrichello, individually. Real Wealth, Inc. – Lance Murkin; doing business as American Financial Publications, Emerald Press, Financial Research, National Mail Order Press, Pacific Press, United Financial Publications, Wealth Research Group, and Wealth Research Publications.
Government Careers Inc. – Jon Coover; Richard Friedberg; and Rimona Friedberg.
Abili-Staff, Ltd. – Pamela Barthuly; Jorg Becker; and Equitron, LLC.
Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc. – Shelly R. Olson and Judith C. Mendez; d/b/a/Angel Pin Creations.
Entertainment Work, Inc. – Jason Barnes and Racquelle Barnes; d/b/a Resource Publishing Co. Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. – Wayne Verderber, II, d/b/a as National Data Management, N.D.M., Global Mailing Services, G.M.S., Independent Mailing Services, Independent Mailing Services, Inc., I.M.S., Independent Shoppers Network, Independent Shoppers, Success At Home, Success-At-Home Mailing, IMEX, IMEX, Inc., and Continental Publishing Company.
Preferred Platinum Services Network – Rosalie Florie; d/b/a Home Based Associate Program and PPSN, LLC. and Philip D. Pestrichello, individually. Real Wealth, Inc. – Lance Murkin; doing business as American Financial Publications, Emerald Press, Financial Research, National Mail Order Press, Pacific Press, United Financial Publications, Wealth Research Group, and Wealth Research Publications.
NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of complaints when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. A stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the documents related to these cases are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
Monday, August 9
Business Networking Online, A Marketplace of Confusion
We're all LinkedIn these days. Busy networking, promoting ourselves, seeking business leads and wondering what's on that post offering $150K jobs. We briefly check out the profile, the pictures look harmless and trustworthy, students from Punjab University Marketing, a 50 Something business woman at a desk, a beautiful model like woman of exotic features who's profile claims anywhere from 500+ connections or as little as 1. The dubious profile content of a sketchy sort, the young student claims a Ph.D. from an online university, the Pakistani Marketing Student with a past history of senior project manager with IBM and on it goes. If you didn't look, you'd be none the wiser. You were hooked by the title of their group post. Generally it has something to do with hundreds of Executive Level positions waiting for your resume, paying between $150K- $500K promising you'll hear back within 72 hours.. but you better hurry!
The fraud profiles I'm talking about are using the desperation of the frustrated jobseeker, particularly those over 50, luring them with fraudulent intent to pick their pockets, steal sensitive personal info, spam for their own get rich quick scheme, sell lists of fake opt-in emails to unsuspecting marketers, infecting computers with malware, fraudulently posing as an entity to gain trust and otherwise mislead, lie, perpetrate fraud for commercial or criminal gain. That is a Con.Read more..
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