# The Q-ray metal band of complete and willful ignorance. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 3, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880 "2003-05-03T17:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/1 "2003-05-03T17:50:13Z")
This metal band is great! I put it all and all of my aches and pains disappear! It’s like magic only it’s scientific! How does it work? I dunno, I’m not a scientist – just as long as it’s all natural! It balances my ions! I’m an idiot and I’m on TV! The above taken verbatim from a telethon long commercial that I’m too lazy to get up and change. Well, all of it except the I’m an idiot part. That was inferred. ---
**Author:** ![Zoltarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/dc4da7/32.png) [@Zoltarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoltarb)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/2 "2003-05-03T17:59:48Z")
You forgot “It’s so revolutionary! It has a U.S. patent! No one has ever come up with a design like this!” Maybe it’s because no one is that stupid. I’m also pretty sure that your body could care less about “balanced” ions. And they never did explain where it “pulls in” the ions from. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/3 "2003-05-03T18:14:39Z")
Why are products like these even allowed to be sold? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/4 "2003-05-03T18:27:15Z")
Shit. And here I thought **Biggirl** was going to lay the smack down on some White Power hard rock band. ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/5 "2003-05-03T18:42:00Z")
Well, your body _does_ “care about balanced ions” but is quite capable of balancing them on its own. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/6 "2003-05-03T18:57:46Z")
I want to know how the thing works before I try it. and it says there’s no proof that it works. besides the dolts they had shown… ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/7 "2003-05-03T19:12:48Z")
The beautiful thing about capitalism and an open market is that you can sell utterly worthless crap and people will line up 10 deep to buy it off you. The sad, scary thing about human nature is that you can sell utterly worthless crap and people will line up 10 deep to buy it off you. I’m all for being able to sell whatever the hell you want. I have the stock, if I had the skill I’d be selling people little paper sacks of dog poop. But all this is neither here nor there. I look at dubious “medical” devices in the same way ecologists look at changing weather patterns. If enough people die without issue because some guy on tv hocking scrap metal told them not to bother with all that Western-style medicine, then I for one consider the gene pool to have been vastly improved. Another beautiful thing about capitalism: it forces the consuming public to use whatever remains of their critical thinking skills. And anybody quick enough to get all the copper wiring out of the building before the rest of the looters has made his fortune. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/8 "2003-05-03T19:38:04Z")
I, too, was wondering who in their right mind would see this commercial and think “Hey! Let me send in my two easy payments of 49.95$ for a stupid peice of metal that’s not magical but really, really scientific.” [Here’s one guy.](http://www.atlantis.to/links/jon-peniels-experiences-with-q.htm) OK, this guys a serious kook. Why do so many kooks have webpages? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/9 "2003-05-03T19:41:40Z")
Because for $20 any kook can set up hosting and knock something together in FrontPage. I don’t know what’s scarier, that people might sell this and NOT believe in it, or people DO believe in it and sell it. ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/10 "2003-05-03T19:52:40Z")
I don’t know, **Biggirl**. I might have an easier time believing these people if they just gave up and admitted that it was in fact magic. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/11 "2003-05-03T20:59:40Z")
Scroll down kook’s page to where it says “View shopping cart.” That’s why. Oh, and it’s made of [“flexible surgical stainless steal.”](http://www.atlantis.to/Products/qray-bracelet.htm) ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/12 "2003-05-03T21:14:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\* > The above taken verbatim from a telethon long commercial that I’m too lazy to get up and change. \*\* Well there’s yer problem. If you **owned** the bracelet, you would have enough energy to push yer butt off the couch and change the channel. Pass me the cheese curls? ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/13 "2003-05-03T21:29:59Z")
Check this…someone actually GAVE me one last night. Put it on my wrist and said here if you don’t believe me try it. Wear it for a couple of weeks and then tell me…yadda yadda…Okay I’ve had it on now for about twenty hours. So far it feels like the circulation is being restricted just enough for a little tingle to develop. The bracelet is also distracting enough to make me not focus on the pain in my back. (Stress and fatigue due to landscaping w/ cross ties last week) The shrink in me is curious enough to go through w/ this little experiment for a little while anyway. I gotta go now, but I’ll be back!! ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/14 "2003-05-03T21:34:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by appletreats \* > \*\*Why are products like these even allowed to be sold? \*\* Because the Republicans believe that the FDA is a waste of money and should be abolished and that there should be no regulations on anything. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/15 "2003-05-03T21:38:55Z")
Hey, **ratty** , I’m really intrigued by your offer of little paper sacks of dog poop! Do you accept major credit cards? Do you offer any sort of easy payment plan? Damn, I can hardly wait for the UPS guy to deliver!😃 ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/16 "2003-05-03T21:43:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by t-keela \* > \*\*Check this…someone actually GAVE me one last night. Put it on my wrist and said here if you don’t believe me try it. Wear it for a couple of weeks and then tell me…yadda yadda…Okay > > I’ve had it on now for about twenty hours. So far it feels like the circulation is being restricted just enough for a little tingle to develop. The bracelet is also distracting enough to make me not focus on the pain in my back. (Stress and fatigue due to landscaping w/ cross ties last week) > \*\* So, it helps by bugging the hell out of you? Fun. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/17 "2003-05-03T22:05:30Z")
The thing that gets me about this one is that all the people admit that they don’t know what the hell this bracelet does and don’t care to find out. Actual paraphrased testimony: “How does it work? I don’t know. All I know is that my old war wound doesn’t ache anymore.” “I’m not a rocket scientist, but I know it’s all natural.” “It works and I _know_ it’s not magic.” At least that last one claims to know _something_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/18 "2003-05-03T23:24:56Z")
I’m not a rocket scientist, but I do know that it cleared up my nagging above-knee amputation pretty much overnight! ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/19 "2003-05-04T00:26:02Z")
I dunno about you all… but Motorhead once cured me of being able to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880/20 "2003-05-04T00:42:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ratty \* > \*\*I’m all for being able to sell whatever the hell you want. I have the stock, if I had the skill I’d be selling people little paper sacks of dog poop. \*\* Would you charge extra if I asked you to deliver it to my next door neighbor, set the bag on fire, ring the doorbell and then run away into the night? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-ray-metal-band-of-complete-and-willful-ignorance/172880.md?page=2)