Fake Reviewers Caught

Ever see a review that sounds too good to be true? Over the years, I have come across quite a few of these. Unless you are Mr. Wiffle or Flo the Progressive Insurance spokeswoman, it is hard to find people that enthusiastic in the real world. In a major crackdown, Amazon is now suing users that were paid to place positive reviews on their site. The culprits evaded detection by using different accounts and IP addresses. While Amazon claims to have found roughly 1,000 such reviewers, they are not alone. Yelp and TripAdvisor have also discovered fake reviewers. In fact, virtually all sites that allow reviews at some point or another find they have the same problem.

Unless we are talking about an exceptional cause like the AbilityOne program or green / biobased alternatives, few people will be so thoughtful as to write a review. Even with biobased or green alternatives, I cannot recall anyone ever bothering to give us a recommendation after making such a purchase. The person may be a strong advocate for utilizing biobased solutions or helping people with major disabilities but you are lucky just to get the sale let alone a review.

Most products are simply not that interesting. While it may not come as a surprise that a toilet paper or #2 pencil review is fake, many people do not realize that it isn't illegal (at least yet) for a product reviewing service to sell "legitimate reviews" to different sites that sell those products. Although technically not illegal, to me this is a little deceptive because it may give the impression the product was sold by a different party. Moreover, when someone does actually bother to write a review, many site owners would prefer to give the person the benefit of the doubt. Small companies do not have the resources to properly vet each review and big companies may only make a token effort to protect their reputations. Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to use proper judgement as no computer program will catch everything and disclaimers provide a convenient scapegoat to circumvent corporate liability.

Why are we Still Wasting Helium?

Helium may be greatly abundant throughout the universe but we have a very limited supply here on Earth. Why is this so important? Helium is crucial for medical devices like MRI machines and has no real substitute when it comes to certain industrial, medical and military applications. Once it is gone that is it and yet we still allow airships, blimps, floats and party balloons like it was as abundant as the grass in our yards. One day it will be gone and we'll look back at how wasteful we were.

Unlike hydrogen, helium is a noble gas meaning its inert properties make it stable and ideal for scientific research. While it may be fun to see how it affects our voices, there is no practical way to produce the element in a laboratory environment. Helium is normally produced through the nuclear reactions that occur in stars. When two hydrogen atoms collide at super high speed and pressure, nuclear fusion occurs and we get helium. Although a nuclear fusion reactor can produce the element, it always takes more energy to produce than what we get out of it. Moreover, it is extremely expensive to extract helium from air in the trace amounts that are available as opposed to hydrogen which can be stripped from H²O.

On a recent The Big Bang Theory episode, Leonard and Sheldon mirror the reality of the situation as they cannot prove their theory with a liquid helium shortage. When liquefied, helium produces the coolest temperature of any element (-452.2 degrees Fahrenheit) making it ideal for scientific and medical applications. Every time I see a blimp now or my neighbor buying helium filled balloons, I truly cringe. In a world where anything can be bought for the right price, I guess this should not surprise me. Nevertheless, the days of the Goodyear Blimp may very well soon come to an end.

Learn more about the science behind our world and other human interest stories at http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/.

Dangers of Chiropractors

There once was a time I believed in going to chiropractors regularly. My views on this practice evolved after a documentary on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) hosted by Alan Alda aired in which ex-chiropractor John Badanes discussed why he changed his profession. On the show Scientific American Frontiers, Badanes claimed roughly 400 people a year ended up paralyzed after visiting chiropractors. Alarmed, I asked my chiropractor about the statistic. Although she did not dispute the claim, she did say there are many kinds of chiropractors and that injuries often result from hacks with no real medical training claiming they can fix back problems. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of documented cases where well experienced chiropractors also have had their mishaps.

Case in point, a friend of a friend became temporarily paralyzed after a chiropractor messaged his back. As it turns out, he messaged broken bone fragments into his muscles. To be fair, most chiropractors will insist on an x-ray before beginning treatment. A caveat must be noted though because many of those same chiropractors will often make a judgment call and skip the x-ray for existing clients. This happened to me once and I ended up far worse after the visit. If the injury is really due to nothing but inflamed tissue, sometimes the treatment will irritate the nerves even more. A conventional doctor would likely take an x-ray and prescribe a muscle relaxant and cold compress. In many cases, an over-the-counter drug such as an Ibuprofen would do the trick. Heating pads as I learned the hard way must be used with extreme precaution because the heat can cause greater inflammation of the nerves.

John Badanes also notes that many of the reasons why people go to chiropractors are based on false premises. For starters, the notion that the popping sound you hear is produced by bones moving back into alignment is incorrect. If this were true, you would literally fall apart. The bones move no more here than when a person cracks his or her knuckles. Likewise, in side by side x-rays where one scan depicts a spinal curvature and the other does not, he remarked there is no evidence that the person with the curvature cannot lead just as good of a life as the person without it.

Badanes is not alone in his criticism of chiropractors. Physician Robert S. Baratz asserts that the neck manipulations often performed in such treatment may lead to increased stroke risk. "Rapid torque applied to a kinked blood vessel stretched over a bony prominence can cause a tear in the innermost lining layer of the vessel. Once this lining is disrupted the underlying connective tissue (collagen) is exposed. Exposed collagen causes platelets to stick. When the platelets stick they begin the process of forming a clot. The clot can then propagate. It can also break off and travel, causing a stroke when it eventually reaches and blocks a smaller branch of the vascular tree in the brain. The percentages of people who saw chiropractors that had a stroke were higher for their age group than the people who never saw a chiropractor." While some medical professionals claim the dangers of chiropractic therapy are overstated, the evidence of increased stroke risk and paralysis is hard to dispute.

Note: The author of this post is not a doctor and makes no claim to be an expert on health related issues. Views expressed here and in other posts on this blog are merely the opinions of the author. Always check with your doctor before making any decisions concerning your health.

Beware of Store Closing Sales

Recently, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (a.k.a., A&P) declared bankruptcy and the closing of its remaining stores. Outside the retail outlet, "Store Closing" banners entice people that never even shopped there before. The implication is clear; this is a great opportunity to save on many common household goods or is it? Naturally like many people, I thought I would save but the prices on the shelves told a very different story.

What many people do not realize is that few retail outlets normally sell their products at the full M.S.R.P. (manufacturer's suggested retail price). If they did not offer some form of discount, they would be out of business. Sure A&P is on its way out but they survived since 1859! Not many businesses have had that much longevity so they must have been doing something right before ShopRite, Whole Foods, Costco and others overtook them. Product discounts vary greatly by product type. Bananas and other produce may be offered at a nice discount because they are perishable but products that have a long shelf life may be listed for significantly less. Ever notice two for one sales? If the item is perishable, it pays to check the expiration date as it is not uncommon to find such products sold near their expiration. Even if the product will likely not go bad for several days after the expiration, if it is unlikely you will use that product before it expires, it is probably not such a good deal. Likewise, if the store normally offers yogurt at 30% off, you may actually find yourself paying more for the same item in a store liquidation sale as few people will even realize the discount was more before the sale! Ten percent is not much of a discount and if they increase the list price as well, you may find yourself really paying through the nose!

While A&P of course did provide some higher discounts at its store closing event, the average discount saved was actually less than their membership card previously offered from my experience. Somehow the decimal moved so that instead of saving several dollars on many items, now it appears the average was more in pennies. Worse yet, they did not even total how much you saved because they know it is minuscule. At OfficeSalesUSA.com, we offer some products as high as 70% off on just our normal pricing. The average discount may be far less but it is extremely unusual for anything to be sold at the full M.S.R.P. let alone above this. Yes buyer beware as the price you pay for not understanding how the retail world works may leave you short in cash just when you thought you were being smart taking advantage of a store closing event.

New Hope for Diabetics

I know I'm not alone when I say the thought of taking any kind of daily injection is a terrifying prospect. For insulin dependent diabetics, this is a fact of life. With type II diabetes, losing weight may actually eliminate such need. However, in the case of type I diabetes, the immune system attacks its own insulin producing cells making the situation even more precarious. Pills may help some people but the longer a person relies on them, the more likely that individual will need injections later. Likewise, pumps that deliver insulin without needles also have their disadvantages. In theory, they are painless but if you hit a bone, the pain can be far worse than a needle.

Several new alternatives provide hope for individuals living with insulin dependence. Edible wafers that rest on the inner cheek of the mouth allows insulin to be quickly absorbed by the body via tiny blood vessels known as capillaries. Even more amazing is the fact that insulin is actually absorbed faster than an injection. Unlike pills that must go through the digestive system, the wafers actually go directly to the source. So far the only downside discovered is that it may take a higher dose to ensure enough insulin makes it to where it is needed. Nevertheless, it sure beats being a human pin cushion!

Another great idea being tested is stem cell research. With the capacity to mold themselves into any kind of cell, stem cells really are the fountain of youth. We could treat the condition or we can repair it. Stem cells are thus in a class by themselves. Although more research needs to be conducted, a breakthrough here could actually solve an endless number of ailments.

In Israel, they have also developed a device that can detect the amount of glucose level in the body through a noninvasive sensor that does not require any form of skin penetration. The device uses optical sensors to measure changes in skin color as opposed to traditional finger prick methods. The product is available in Europe but will require a human trial here before it is allowed.

Certainly these are not the only breakthroughs in diabetes research but they are groundbreaking and offer the possibility that maybe someday needless will become a thing of the past. Until then, no need to despair as many researchers have double incentive to find a cure because they themselves are diabetics too.

See more human interest and health news articles at http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/. Making the everyday not so ordinary!

Improper Glove Removal Causing Contamination

Ever get frustrated trying to remove latex gloves? Just getting them on can be quite a chore but removing them properly is essential to avoid cross contamination. In a recent study conducted by Dr. Curtis J. Donskey of the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, medical practitioners were up to 60% likely to contaminate their skin and clothing after improperly removing examination gloves. However, when given proper direction on how to remove the exam gloves and surgical gear, only 19% failed to prevent cross contamination.

Better medical training facilities teach how to properly remove examination gloves and surgical equipment. Somehow, the message is not always getting through. Buying powdered gloves may help as they are easier to put on and remove but some people have allergies or prefer non-powdered gloves. Regardless of personal preference, following protocol is a must and failure to follow guidelines completely defeats the purpose of even wearing gloves.

Microsoft Spying on You

Microsoft is up to their old tricks again. As reported by Forbes, the company is automatically installing tracking software on Windows 7 and Windows 8 devices. By re-branding certain updates as critical, computers that automatically receive system critical updates for security purposes fall trap to this scheme.

Over the years, Microsoft has tried many tricks to maintain its market share around the home and office including even downloading Windows 10 installs without permission. Each time they lower themselves this way, they invite distrust among their loyal following. If my computer was not loaded with Windows-based software I need everyday for the job, I would think twice before buying another PC.