Truth or Falsies

No longer grumpy about lack of wheat. Grumpy about two weeks with no wheat, calories under 1500 a day but for once, went to 1800. Gained two pounds.

Nothing is more boring than someone's calorie problems, so watch this segue into my favorite realm: truth or falsies. Misrepresentations (big word for lies) are everywhere. I hardly ever drink Cokes of any flavor, but picked up a six-pack of cans along with a six of CJ's Dr. Brown's Diet Cream Soda. Yuck. Only by setting them up side by side did I notice that the Coke is now much smaller. 7.5 ounces to 12. What bothers me is that the new can is perfectly proportioned to look like the other. I still remember when the familiar pound of coffee dropped a few ounces at a time, and it only takes a quart and a half of ice cream to make a half gallon. The misrepresentation is the true fact: "New Price!"

Segue to the political ads, and find the same idea. True facts are snippets taken out of context to mean something new. Journalism teachers must cringe at these "factoids." The Romney ads repeat Obama saying "The private sector is doing fine" and showing hard-working people who are not doing so fine. The Obama ads showing the corporate-raider damage done by Bain Capital, years after Romney left there. Truth wrapped in blankets of misrepresentation.

Many people are being fooled. Remember George Bush's most endearing attempt: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and something else happens." He had the cutest little grin when he got in over his head. Bless his heart.