Eddie 2Dogs "Monthly Eddie-Torial"

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Monthly "Eddie-Torial"

Opinions expressed are not those of my internet provider
but are approved by Mikey and Minnie 2Dogs

The Good, The Bad, The Unwise...I have three topics for discussion this month.

The Bad:

Support on the internet for whatever ails you is readily availabe. From correct arthritis information to cancer clinics, the doors are wide open to anyone who can access the web, and those who can't have friends who can. I quite often will look up for my acquantances their interests. But what has also happened in the last couple of years is a proliferation of "quakery", that of false information. Here is a golden rule to remember when surfing the net looking for any type of relief, "if there is a request for money or private and personal info then quit the site". So many people with chronic conditions are duped into handing over their wallets for promises of relief that the annual waste of money (sometimes a senior's life savings) is now calculated into the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
I have been approached through email and snail mail to sell my client list (for my arthritis clinic on the net). I have flatly refused. They have accosted clients on my discussion boards which I have to moderate due to the constant spamming. Everyone is trying to SELL a product or information, and would never give you the complete information without extracting something from your bank account. So my ultimate message to you is, "if a cure or better treatment is found for any disease condition you can be sure it will make headlines in all reputable newspapers around the globe." (not the trash tabloids). Another way to tell whether something is totally above board is the confusing proofs backing up the products. I refer of course to the "testimonial" statement. Testimonials are just statements by people (not experts, paid or unpaid) who will tell you how this or that has changed their lives, they have tried a course of treatment or a certain pill and are impressed by it. A certain would-be physician in North Vancouver wrote me about a treatment. I checked out his website and informed him that I would not provide a link. The primary reason was that there was no proof other than testimonials (from people who looked like you and I but were direct relations of his, one a brother-in-law). Nice try, he had a different last name until I went to his website and found out his wife was the sister of the miscreant.) If any of these "proofs" can be duplicated using double blind scientific methods then they have something "real" to offer.
So aunt Bertha is shown on tv (from the neck up) telling how a 6pack of shnurf cola and 4 zagnut bars a day has cured her arthritis...what you don't see is that aunt Bertha can't get off the couch because she now weighs 589 pounds which is permanently affixed to the upholstery. Silly example but it makes the point. And then there is the doctor lookalike who tells of the arthritis formula pain relief. For those not familiar with arthritis the only real pain relief is the controlling of the inflamation. Over-the-counter medications don't do the job because they are not manufactured in strong enough doses to make a difference, so for pain reducing (inflamation reducing) strength the meds have to be specific to the specific type of arthritis and the persons involvement in the disease. And there is NO arthritis diet....just common sense meals.

The Unwise:

The web has found its new niche, that of character assassination. A person can stand trial by public consent without so much as a rebuttal. You know what I am referring to. Whether guilty or innocent, the man should have his day in court or should stand before his peers before all the evidence is published. This action has just insured that the man will never be tried legally. It amazed this old dude that the Official Government of the United Snakes (spelling intended) would actually be behind this action. Shame on you, you have just assured that any respect you may have had around the world is seriously eroded to the point of becoming the laughingstock of humanity. In this light Jerry Springer has nothing to be ashamed about.

The Good:

One of the most amazing functions the internet has fulfilled is the exchange of ideas. From literature to digital art, across the generation gap (was there ever one) and cultures we have the chance to get acquanted as never before. Cross-cultural misunderstandings can so easily be overcome and the world has grown closer, smaller, and more understanding.
Never before have we had this chance to voice our own opinions, express ourselves to anyone who cares to drop by and to visit webfriends as remote as the Canadian North or the Australian Outback. Mind you, you will also run into opinions which may not suit you, such as hate propaganda against a race, culture, religion, age, gender. The manner of the opinions in the electronic media is "in your face", and many don't know how to handle it. Because all you see is the print or art sans face many newbies are under the impression that this is a cold medium, devoid of warmth and caring. But take a second to read between the lines and you'll find that more often than not a certain personality shines thru, a warmth and caring attitude. It mainly boils down to how it is said, not what is said. And because this is such a cold media many of us use the *hehe* little emotives to show how we feel about the subject. So keep visiting, signing guestbooks, and promote the web in the way it should be used...as an extension of our hopes, our caring, our love, and our friendships.
Slowly drifting away singing the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song..The best to you all...

Well, don't know if you agree or disagree, or just find this a bunch of bunk, feel free to respond on the The Eddie-Torial Message/Discussion Board
So until next month, play safe, surf wisely, and help yourself to a cookie
(make sure your dog gets one too).

*smiles*, Eddie

Previous Eddie-Torials
September, 1998
August, 1998

Eddie Dog²
Box 1353
150 Mile House, BC
Canada, V0K 2G0
[email protected]