a lengthy introduction to my blog, verbose.

Mon 28 July 2025

Hi. My name is Stone. Lately I've taken an interest in giving opinions and reviews.

Similar to the idea of writing negative thoughts and feelings as a way to get them off your mind, I feel similarly about other things. It's hard to know sometimes if my opinions are off-base, or even completely out of left-field. However, I'll be satisfied if even one person finds these "conversations" and can relate, feel validated, learn something new, or even just enjoyed the read.

I'll post opinions, guides (especially tech-related), reviews, etc. here. I'll do my best to tag and categorize my posts accurately. I'll do my best to be as factually accurate where possible but you should do your own research too. Finally, I'm still learning a lot about blogging

just why

Lately the Internet (comments on Instagram, posts/comments on Threads, and Reddit in particular) and the current climate in the United States has reminded me that it can be scary to have opinions that don't echo a majority. Even worse, an echoed opinion might be rooted in falsehoods, further rooted from peer or family pressuring, fear, and/or hatred, while an opinion based in genuineness or facts can be washed out, or worse-- ganged up on by the echo chamber.

This isn't just about politics, either. One such example is something I saw on Instagram recently regarding the possible presence of lead in the designs of tableware. The person in the video uses dropper on unpurchased product to make the paint/glaze in tableware at stores like HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls glow under a special black light. I'll discuss it more shortly.

I personally think you should approach everything with at least a little skepticism, but you should avoid making premature conclusions of cynicism, especially in ways that come off as disparaging in online conversations. It contributes to overall negativity, and worse, can contribute to echo chambers.

The solution is to think critically, do research beforehand, approach topics carefully with an open mind, and use an objective approach before a subjective approach.

an example of the problem

A lot of the top comments in the post above echo these sentiments (especially in disparaging ways):
- The maker of the video is incentivized to promote the product and fear-monger
- The product is not a valid test of the presence of lead.
- Even if lead is present, the use of it the glaze/paint is not dangerous when the tableware is used as intended.
- Aside from all of the above, you're putting a chemical on unpurchased products

A lot of these claims ignore nuance (booooooo!), but nuance is important and we need to stop treating it as a nuisance.

Some highlights from this article from the World Health Organization regarding Lead Poisoning:
- "Lead is used in many products, including pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, lead crystal glassware, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewellery, toys, some traditional cosmetics, and some traditional medicines."
- "The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that more than 1.5 million deaths globally were attributed to lead exposure in 2021, primarily due to cardiovascular effects."
- "Additionally, lead exposure was estimated to account for more than 33 million years lost to disability (disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs) worldwide in 2021."

This point I find especially important:
- "Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning as they may absorb up to 4–5 times as much lead as adults from an ingested dose. Moreover, children’s innate curiosity and their age-appropriate and frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth behaviours increase their risk of exposure to lead-contaminated dust, soil and paint."

Let's acknowledge those original points but also consider nuances:

"The maker of the video is incentivized to promote the product and fear-monger"

"Fear-monger" is an overly strong way to say that they're passionate about preventing lead poisoning. The creator's store's FAQ states they've worked on making lead tests cheaper and more easily/quickly available for consumers for 5 years (6 years on the Instagram profile). That's a bit long for a random person to pretend to care about something in my opinion.

"The product is not a valid test of the presence of lead."

This is a fair concern. However, what is considered "valid" falls under two separate ideas: 1. if it is officially endorsed by the government (the EPA only recognizes particular tests done by certified individuals) and 2. if the science behind the product is true. The science behind the product is verifiable, and I, a person with basic reading comprehension, can follow the steps to test using the product.

Also to note: this does not replace a home inspection even though you could still test things like paint. The idea of this product is that you can test one-off things to make informed decisions. Every person should do at least initial research before making a purchase with uncertain claims. I did the research (as I write this) and came out with 95% confidence it is trustworthy (or my money back.)

Even if lead is present, the use of it the glaze/paint is not dangerous when the tableware is used as intended.

This is the big one for me. Adults are not the big concern here. There are arguably some obviously parents out there, but that's not the point.

An adult who is unaware that their tableware has lead in it, regardless of whether the instructions say "not microwave / dishwasher safe," might make a mistake not knowing the mistake somehow leads to lead poisoning. Even a scratch, chip, or shatter can create dust from the glaze.

Even worse, a parent might leave the tableware with a child, unaware it even contains lead. All it would take is a child gnawing on the tableware (see: "pica") or again the tableware being scratched/chipped/shattered - a very common accident - to potentially create enough dust particles containing lead to have adverse affects especially in children (a problem that would simply not be if said glaze didn't contain lead to start with.)

Aside from all of the above, you're putting a chemical on unpurchased products

Yeah I can't argue with this one. You should be washing any tableware before you use it and the product does wipe away easily with just a damp cloth. I have mixed feelings about watching him go into stores and testing things for views, but leaving the things that test negative. I know he's testing so few products, and maybe he knows it's too little to cause skin irritation, though it rubs me the wrong way.

There's an entirely separate dialog for if these stores should even be selling them to start with. It's not a matter of "if they know," but instead "how much risk will they take vs. the money they could make." These stores are unlikely to be listening to the outcry of people who see these videos and then contact the stores to say they should not be selling the products. Stores will sell these products until they have a convincing reason not to: either consumer deaths that lead to lawsuits and/or a command from on-high halting the sale of said products.

The Takeaways

The summary of all of this:
- Relatively trustworthy guy posts video testing tableware commonly containing lead at off-price retailers, then gets absolutely roasted with the same repeat comments by people who've clearly not done basic research on lead poisoning before commenting, and clearly aren't considering scenarios outside of their lives.
- The video format is perhaps awkward, maybe even annoying to some, but the cause is noble, yet he is indirectly framed as a shill.
- A lot of the scenarios presented are

DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored by their company in any way nor have made any purchases.

TL;DR: Nuance is important. Do research. Avoid echo chambers. Aim for objectivity over subjectivity.

Sources:

Additional Research:

PS. My future posts won't always be this long, but the blog's name is verbose, so be prepared for potentially lengthy discussion.

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Category: i did a thing Tagged: meta opinions buckle-up-it-is-a-long-one lead-poisoning