Are You a Believer?

The great thing about being a cynic is that I question everything at least for a while, before I accept it to be fact.  Before coming to a conclusion, I will have to Google, discuss, read and deliberate.   Yes, there is a lot of work in being a cynic.

 So my ears perked up last week while I was listening to a report on The Today Show called "Mermaid Documentary Smells Fishy to Critics".

The topic being discuss was the brouhaha caused by a mock-umentary that had aired on the Animal Planet cable  station.

Yes, I used the word mock-umentary because it is part of a growing trend of documentaries that appear "real" but are fabricated, fictional  pieces meant to entertain.  That was the topic up for debate.  Animal Planet aired a program that seemed very real and  purported  that there is  actual evidence that substantiates the existence of mermaids. The program, however, was a production that was created to be strictly for entertainment.There lies the rub... due to the documentary style of the program, it didn't appear as a work of  science fiction.  It appeared as if it was factual.  In a statement to explain why the program appeared so believable (if one is willing to make the leap that there are mermaids) The Animal Planet's Executive Producer, Charley Foley  said, " We wanted to approach the story with a sense of possibility and a sense of wonder.  I think what he means is, he wanted you to run to Twitter and start tweeting "OMG, OMG, there is absolute proof that there are mermaids!!!!   I just saw it on Animal Planet!!"

But that brings up the debate, if a program appears to be a legitimate educational based , a  news report, or  a researched documentary, should the public be advised when it is a science fiction creation meant to entertain.

On The Today Show segment, Josh Wolk, Editorial Director for Vulture.com asked the question "Should a documentary always report if it is fake?  He goes on to answer his own question "Technically yes, but then again we are talking about a program about mermaids.  I don't see how you could be fooled by this?"


Oh, JOSH....DO YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HUMAN NATURE???  WE CAN BELIEVE ANYTHING!!!!!! THAT IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DOCUMENTARY OR NEWS PROGRAM. 

That Needs to Come With Warnings

I am sure you all have seen the mugshots of the five inmates at the Idaho State Correctional Institution of south Boise that are suing a handful of major beer and wine companies.  They are contending that  alcohol led to their crimes and they should have been warned to the  addictive nature of booze.

I have done posts about lawsuits in which I talked about the one and only time I threatened to sue someone and I have done posts about  warning labels  in which I created the perfect drug that unfortunately came with some serious risks....but never have a done a post about a lawsuit that is a direct result of people wanting warning labels.

I am particularly interested in this lawsuit because it is coming out of  Boise.  My Kiddo #2  lives in Boise and keeps me abreast of the local scuttle concerning various Boise stories that don't always make their way to the Kansas City Star. Be forewarned that there are a couple of cases in Boise right now that are doozies.  I will catch you up on one of the more interesting news items in the next week or so. There is the additional fact that my kid is super smart and super funny which makes the stories extra entertaining.

Thought Number One:  They Didn't Realize that Alcohol Was Addictive

The five inmates; Keith Allen Brown, Steven Thompson, Woodrow Grant, Cory Baugh and Jeremy Brown have filed a lawsuit against Miller Brewing Co., Anheuser-Busch, Ernest and Julio Gallo Wineries,  Adolph Coors,  Brown-Furman Co., American Brands Inc., Pepsi-Cola, and  RJR Nabisco.  (What??? Pepsi and Nabisco are addictive???)

The five are asking for ONE BILLION DOLLARS...yes...with a B. They claim that all the companies should of had warning labels on their products that warned them of the addictive nature of alcohol...and while they don't spell it out....one could surmise that these guys are blaming alcohol for making them dumbasses.

Keith Brown told the Kansas City Star,  that he has spent almost 30 years in the prison system and that alcohol has played a major role in most of the situations that landed him in prison.  He went on to say that "at no time in my life, prior to me becoming an alcoholic, was I ever informed that alcohol was habit forming and addictive."  (Keith is being a bit redundant here.)

Jeremy Brown who is serving a 20-30 sentence for a 2001 shooting, claims he would of never started drinking had he known that alcohol was habit-forming.  According to him, he was drunk when he shot his victim.  He goes on to say that there wouldn't of been a shooting if he wasn't an alcoholic.  (I can hear it now...Your Honor, I submit that he is a liar, liar, pants on fire!!)

So far it doesn't appear that any lawyers are latching on to represent these five. (that can't be a good sign) They have filed the suit themselves with Boise's U.S. District Court.

None of the companies have yet responded to the suit.

Thought Number Two....Will We See Some More Warning Labels


I am not overly optimistic that these guys are going to get their BILLION dollars and really where would they spend it anyway?  (Do prison commissaries sell high-end merchandise?...perhaps I need to Google that.)

But...I wouldn't be surprised if we would start seeing warning labels on alcohol.  The labels on other products are the direct result of someone suing someone.

Who's going to pay the fine?

Surprise, there are peanuts in peanuts.

Learn something new everyday

It wouldn't tell you not to unless someone did.

Dry hair while sleeping..great idea for saving time.

In an effort to get a warning label into play for the alcohol manufacturers, here is a prototype just to get the ball rolling.

OK it might need some work...it's a start

What else, should we put in there, my fellow bloggers??? 





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