Daily Dose of Common Sense

Older Americans commonly grumble that the younger generation has lost its manners. Well, New York City is about to launch a campaign on the buses and subways that might help.

Seat hogs who are unwilling to give up their bus or train seat to an elderly or disabled person will now be slapped with a fine OR possibly recieve ten days in jail. Yes, jail time.

It seems extreme, and it’s sad that we have to remind people to do something so basic in good manners. But, apparently we do. In addition to older and disabled passengers not getting seats, many pregnant women also complain that no one offers them a seat during busy times. It’s a shame that compassion sometimes gets lost in the rush hour commute.

Mass transit is for the masses. But, individual courtesy is still important.

PETA has had an interesting past couple of days. Not long after getting upset at the Pike Place Fish Market employees for “callously” throwing fish, the animal-rights group is taking President Obama to task.

The White House apparently has a fly problem. During an interview, President Obama had a fly land on him, so he did what 99.9% of us would do: he swatted and killed it. (Check out the video. Great technique by the President. He’s like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid.)

PETA doesn’t approve and wants the President to use a humane fly catcher instead. This device catches the unwanted flying creatures and allows them to be re-released into the wild. (Someone really makes something like this?)

Twitter has been abuzz (ahem) today with reaction. Most think PETA has lost its marbles. The best tweet I saw said this sort of hooey is why PETA loses its credibility on the larger issues. They bring attention to their cause with big publicity like this, but it’s the wrong kind of attention. Do we really need to be concerned about depletion of the fly population? Judging from my summer bar-b-que experience, there is no shortage of flies.

So, here’s some zen-like advice, folks: Focus on the stuff that matters, and don’t sweat the rest. Wax on, wax off.

Ladies, do you want to increase bust size without surgery? Well, step right up and take a gander at the Magic Massage Bra!

According to the company, this “micro-computerized, low-voltage, intensity adjustable” Magic Massage Bra will do all these things:

• Make breast up.
• Dredge breast glands.
• Eliminate blood stasis.
• Effectively prevent women from breasts diseases and flaccid.
• Also can move fat and make a well-shaped figure.
• If use it often, you can have a sound sleep, immunity from disease and better internal secretion.

This really needs no explanation, as there is no way this product can really work. What is the science here, exactly? Breasts don’t get enlarged this way, folks.

But, it’s good for a laugh. [Thanks, Gizmodo!]

In Seattle, one of the biggest tourist attractions is the Pike Place Fish Market. The fishmongers are known for being robustly energetic with their product. Fish from the day’s catch are thrown around–sometimes even over the customers’ heads–as workers move the fish from place to place. If you want a more descriptive account, here’s an example video from Seattle Travel.

PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, doesn’t agree with this practice because they think it’s cruel to the fish. The dead fish. They plan to protest an exhibition of the practice at an upcoming veterinarian conference held in Seattle. PETA believes the tossing of dead fish is disrespectful to the animal. The dead animal. They feel it shows a “callous disregard” for the suffering it went through to make it to the table. They would eventually like the practice to stop inside the Fish Market as well.

“Killing animals so you can toss their bodies around for amusement is just twisted,” said Ashley Byrne, senior campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Washington, D.C.

Really? Is that why the fish were killed? They’re just thrown around? They’re just props at a carnival?

As far as I can tell, the animals weren’t killed just to boost the tourism at Pike Place. Common sense dictates that the fishmongers throw the dead (read: no longer alive) fish in order to move them from one place to another. It happens they developed a quick and elaborate method that is efficient for their business.

The fish are an important source of food for many as well as an important source of income for the employees. And not just the employees of Pike Place. If Pike Place flourishes, so do the distributors, fisherman, manufacturers of fishing equipment, and so on, and so on. If Pike Place can increase the likelihood that these sources continue to succeed, they affect a lot of jobs.

Remember, this discussion isn’t about whether fishing is right or wrong. It’s about how the already deceased fish are handled. Is this really where all this energy should be focused?

Last week, a mommy blogger who claimed to have a child diagnosed as terminally ill in the womb was exposed as a fraud. For the past few months, abortion opponents rallied to support “April’s Mom” and her Web site. People not only shared their own personal stories online, but also sent photos, gifts and letters to the mom via a PO box.

Because a baby eventually has to be born, the “pregnant” woman claimed to have given birth at home. She subsequently posted pictures of her with the baby, which then exposed the scam. Readers recognized the “baby” as a lifelike doll and started asking questions.

It’s unclear how much “April’s Mom” profited from this venture, and she will have a lot of explaining to do to her readers. Sadly, there is no shortage of liars, cheats, and con artists on the Web. Unless you are reading a credible news source, a skeptical eye must be used on personal anecdotes. Most people embellish their narratives to make a good read, and clearly this woman got caught up in the attention her site received. Her blog readers aren’t to blame. But, be careful with your personal information and financial support. Not everyone is who they seem.

Wouldn’t it be nice not have to lunge for the remote when the commercial break starts? Television ads are loud and can be jarring, especially if you aren’t expecting the jump in volume. Well, we aren’t the only ones who have noticed.

There is currently legislation moving through Congress that would limit the volume of TV ads. If it passes, the law would stipulate that commercials be no louder than the average decibels of the program in which they appear. (The current rule allows ads to broadcast at the highest volume peak of the program.)

Broadcasters say they are aware of the problem and are working on their own plan to limit ad volume. But, this isn’t exactly a new gripe from viewers. The industry has had years and years to implement their own solution. And yet, commercials are still louder than they should be, which forces people to find ways around seeing them. Services like DVR, Hulu, and TiVo are gaining in popularity because they allow consumers to minimize–or skip altogether–the annoyingly loud commercials that interrupt television shows. If the ads were tolerable, perhaps more viewers would stick with broadcast television.

Dog poop is a problem. Rather, dog owners who don’t pick up after their dogs are a problem. In a big city, dog feces litter the sidewalks and public walkways like land mines. Even in smaller towns, homeowners grumble after finding a “present” on their lawn from a random pooch.

Signs hang in various places to remind dog owners: Please Curb Your Dog. Does everyone know what this means, or is this too antiquated an expression for some dog owners? You would assume it’s self-explanatory, but perhaps our signs need to be a little more direct and lose the politeness: Please Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop Before Moving On.

New York City just got tougher on negligent dog owners. In June, the fine for not picking up after your dog will more than double to $250. Of course, you have to be seen by a policeman for this law to be enforced. But, it may prompt some dog owners to be more diligent.

The majority of pet owners are responsible pooper scoopers. However, a few bad apples are all it takes to ruin the sidewalks for the rest of us. The fines for leaving poop behind can’t be high enough.

It’s lunchtime and you run out to grab a bite. Do you wash your hands before you start eating? According to an article this week in the Washington Post, you should.

Since many people work indoors in tight spaces, offices are a smorgasbord for bacteria. The reporter spoke to Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, who said:

“Our offices — our desktops, our keyboards, our phones — these are among the worst places for germs,” he said. “There are 400 times more viruses on the average desktop than the average toilet, for instance.”

So, before you pick up those fries, sandwich, chips, burrito, or pizza, give your hands a good washing.

[Via Pat's Papers.]

Twitter allows users to send up-to-the minute messages about what they are doing. But if you’re traveling, is it wise to tell a large group of strangers that you aren’t home?

@joeschmo The wife and I are in Hawaii and loving it!

USAToday spoke to a man whose home was recently burglarized while he was away on vacation. He has over 2,000 followers on Twitter and sent frequent updates to the site while on his trip. The robbery could be random coincidence, but he suspects not.

One of the great benefits of Twitter is that you can follow anyone and vice versa. However, unless you keep your updates private and only allow friends to see your timeline, you don’t know who could be listening. Putting too much personal information in your social media, especially something that could put you or your home at risk, might not be wise.

Chances are, your followers on Twitter aren’t criminals who are plotting against you. But, it doesn’t hurt to be a little guarded with your personal information, either. Remember the old advice of never leaving an outgoing answering machine message that states you are out-of-town? Maybe it’s time to update the idea to include for new technology.

An AP story came out this week discussing how alternative medicine is more often sneaking into the mainstream. But, at what cost? The benefits of alternative medicine have yet to be proven, and some practices and supplements are flat-out harmful.

A few herbal supplements can directly threaten health. A surprising number do not supply what their labels claim, contain potentially harmful substances like lead, or are laced with hidden versions of prescription drugs.

“In testing, one out of four supplements has a problem,” said Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that rates such products.

Some doctors interviewed said they include alternative methods in their treatment because it causes patients to relax and, at the same time, feel as though they are receiving better care. The doctors know it’s hoodoo, but are concerned more about what the patient perceives than the science. It’s almost a prescription of the placebo effect.

And it’s not just supplements, which may be just a waste of money. More dangerous are people with life-threatening diseases who miss a critical treatment window while off seeking unproven cures. Last week, a couple in Australia were found guilty of manslaughter after homeopathic treatments of their daughter’s eczema failed. The little girl died after the parents continued to reject conventional treatments for the condition.

Mainstream medicine and big pharmaceutical companies have had problems over the years, for sure. But, regulatory agencies, consumer watch-dog groups, and standard guidelines are in place to act as a system of checks and balances. So, the level of risk involved isn’t as high as that of alternative medicine.

The latest government survey shows the magnitude of risk: More than a third of Americans use unconventional therapies, including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and native or traditional healing methods. These practitioners are largely self-policing, with their own schools and accreditation groups. Some states license certain types, like acupuncturists; others do not.

The “natural” claim doesn’t mean it’s without risk. If a treatment promises something that is too good to be true, chances are it is a waste of time and money.