Detox Diets are a Waste of Money

‘Detox’ has no meaning outside of the clinical treatment for drug addiction or poisoning. Today young scientists and engineers are publishing a dossier on their hunt for the evidence behind detox claims made for products and diets, and beginning a campaign to alert the public. They found:

1. No two companies seem to use the same definition of ‘detox’.
2. Little, and in most cases no, evidence was offered to back up the detox claims.
3. In the majority of cases, producers and retailers contacted by the young scientists were forced to admit that they are renaming mundane things, like cleaning or brushing, as ‘detox’.
4. They range in price from £1-2 for a detox drink to £36.95 for detox bath accessories.

The dossier shows that, while companies and individuals now use the claim ‘detox’ to promote everything from foot patches to hair straighteners, they are unable to provide reliable evidence or consistent explanations of what the ‘detox’ process is supposed to be.

The investigation has been conducted by the Voice of Young Science (VoYS) network of over 300 early career researchers. It follows the publication of “There Goes The Science Bit…” with the charity Sense About Science a year ago, when a group of young scientists exposed dodgy science claims by making phone calls to product manufacturers. After widespread publicity for the publication, they received many subsequent examples, where the word ‘detox’ came up repeatedly, and offers of help. This led to a rapidly growing network of evidence hunters and this new investigation.

Today, as the dossier is published, many of the scientists involved - including physiologists, biochemists, doctors and pharmacists - will be launching their own ‘detox’ leaflet, Debunking Detox, to the public outside high street retailers in central London. The leaflet promotes the liver and kidneys as a fantastic ‘detox’ system and explains why there is no need to spend money on expensive products and treatments.

Does the Catholic Church Use Mind Control Techniques?

Mind control techniques have been around for thousands of years, and have been used in many forms. One can understand why the human mind is so easy to manipulate when you consider our evolutionary history. The mind-body system of today's modern men and women was developed to survive a harsh environment filled with dangers and uncertainties. One way the mind adapted to was to create several short cuts in thinking. These saved precious time as impulse took over to either protect our ancestors from getting eaten by a predator, or being able to take advantage of an opportunity that wouldn't last very long.

A shortcut in thinking is wonderful if it can help you survive and to find food, but can be disastrous if purposely used to benefit somebody without your best interests in mind.

Two of the most powerful external stimuli that trigger these thinking shortcuts are social proof and authority. When there is a crowd of people doing something, regardless of what it is, it can be very difficult to resist going along with the crowd. Likewise, when an authority figure such as a popular politician, or a doctor or a Catholic priest gives an instruction, it is difficult to counter it with rational thought.

When these two are combined, they have a powerful effect on the human mind, numbing it from rational resistance, and causing people to make decisions that they wouldn't otherwise likely make.

One powerful organization that has made use of these for thousands of years, either by design or by accident, is the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is responsible or unimaginable charity and goodwill, as they have been well known for feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the poor, and comforting the sick.

The use of these two techniques to persuade and lead their followers is unquestionable. Those that have studied the Catholic Mass from this perspective know the beauty with which these techniques are used to deliver that message.

Because of these ideas, many people are starting to realize that Zapotec is the novel that is causing readers everywhere to rethink these concepts. Unless you have an incredibly strong grasp of your faith, please don't read this book, for it has proven to shake beliefs to their very core.

Because people can readily think of ways to appreciate those insights, you will likely enjoy George Hutton's widely read Zapotec. One of the reasons many like you are starting to quickly discover that Zapotec may easily be one of the most gripping novels to come out in a long time is the incredible hidden truth. You can learn more, and find out what others are saying when you visit http://www.georgehutton.net/zapotec

Is Futurology Just Another Pseudo Science?

Scientists are often a little miffed when psychologists, social-scientists, economists, philosophers try to purport they are also in the sciences and that their research is at the same level. Many real scientists get upset with the ease to which Ph.D.'s are awarded for the social sciences, many are able to get their degrees without nearly the rigorous work that actual rocket scientists go through. Often, students in college choose the social science degree programs because they are less work, and easier to complete.

Now, when we call all these other so-called-sciences, pseudo-sciences it really makes those who work in these fields angry that we think of them as lesser. Personally speaking, I am one of those hard-core folks who dismiss these areas of studies as nothing more than pseudo-sciences, so I am perhaps, not well liked by those who hold such degrees.

Next, I'd like to mention another study or area of thought that could be said to be an extension of Philosophy, Social Science, technology, history and psychology; the study of futurology. You may recall hearing the label; Futurist?

A person who studies the future, and when you think about this, you may also agree that it does not necessarily belong in the science category. And although it uses current technology and science as well as the others mentioned to predict and determine possible futures, you probably see it as a little bit of crystal ball gazing mixed with a "generalist" understanding of industry, society, technology and the likes. So, if you see Futurology as a Pseudo Science, you could be right. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises which Lance; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml/.

Do You Have the Guts to Oppose the Mindless Masses, Persnickety Public and Rioting Mobs?

Beware the mob, or some historian philosopher once said. Indeed that is very good advice, humans often act like rabid dogs, and get a little bit out of control when they get into big groups. They are often quick to fight and do things they would never normally do by themselves, but somehow feel it emboldened by the crowd. Today, we see flash mobs and mobile Internet devices that allow people to communicate rapidly and organize quickly. This can be both good and bad.

These mass mobs can be good in the event of an emergency or a terrorist attack. They can be good to prevent wasted time on the freeway when you could easily go a different way to avoid an accident. They can even be good if a group of your friends just wants to have a good time and you all decide to be in a certain place at a certain time spontaneously.

Of course, they can be very bad if a hostile group of protesters decides to riots in a common against what's best for the common good. When a crowd emerges of this type, we should be aware, and our authority should be very careful because if the crowd goes out of control there is no way to stop the onslaught or blitz of bad behavior. The question is do we have the balls to oppose the mindless masses, the persnickety public, or the riding mobs when these things occur.

Should we ban the political will of these mobs, or do we demand that they uphold law and order, and take out their grievances in a more civilized way? We need to have this national discussion before things get out of hand in the future and people get hurt, buildings get destroyed and lives are lost. Please consider this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company; http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html/.

Bullfighting - Culture Or Cruelty?

According to the World Society for the Protection of Animals, in Latin America and Europe combined, approximately 250,000 bulls die each year. Do these bulls fall prey to a deadly virus, perhaps? Far from it. The bulls are tortured and killed for the sake of entertainment. Have we evolved at all since the Roman times?

Latest polls show that over 72% of Spanish citizens have no interest in bullfighting, yet, because of a small group of influential people in Spain, this inhumane tradition is being kept alive. Fortunately, in Europe and Latin America a growing segment of the population is standing up against bullfighting and calling for an end to this cruel spectacle.

Here to talk about bullfighting and what we can do to help is Alyx Dow, Programmes Officer (Anti-Bullfighting) for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

Thank you for this interview, Alyx. Could you start by giving us some historical information on how bullfighting began? What is its origin?

There is not much specific information on how or where bullfighting began, but it is thought to date back to Roman times when many different species of animal were killed for the sake of entertainment in public arenas.

Bulls were also sacrificed for religious purposes and more recently, bullfights were (and often still are) held on Sundays, as part of Christian Saints festivals.

Most people associate bullfighting with Spain. Besides Spain, which other countries practice bullfighting?

Within Europe, bullfighting can be found in Spain, France and Portugal. Approximately 40,000 bulls die in bullfights every year in Europe.

In Latin America, bullfighting can be found in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. 'Bloodless' bullfights can also be found in the USA. Approximately 210,000 bulls in bullfights die every year in Latin America.

Does bullfighting differ according to the country? If so, in what way?

There are 3 types of bullfighting 'styles' - Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Spanish version is the most common across both Europe and Latin America. Bulls die in both the Spanish and Portuguese versions, although in the Portuguese style it happens behind the scenes, after the bullfight has finished. The French style does not lead to the death of the bull but is also very stressful for the animals involved.

A lot of people ignore what really happens during a bullfight. They have a simple, even romantic image of a torero taunting a bull and of one final thrust of the sword bringing death to the animal. What exactly takes place during a bullfight?

In the Spanish style, which is the most common, there are 3 stages:

1. After the bull enters the ring, toreros wave capes so that the bull charges several times. This is followed by the entrance of the picadors on horseback, who drive a long spear into the bulls back. Both of these short stages are designed to tire the bull and weaken its neck and shoulder muscles, causing it to drop its head. There is also a significant risk to the horses involved - although they wear padding, the experience is very stressful for them and can cause serious or fatal injury.

2. Men called banderilleros enter the ring and use weapons called banderillas (colourful short spears with harpoon ends) which further weaken the bull when they are stabbed into the top of the bulls back. By this point the bull has lost a significant amount of blood and is exhausted.

3. The matador enters with a cape and sword. Tiring the bull further with several runs at the cape, the matador thrusts the sword through the bulls back, with the intention of severing the aorta. The sword often misses, piercing the lungs and the bull drowns in its own blood - as can be witnessed when bulls are often be seen with blood pouring from their nose and mouth at the end. If the bull does not die quickly, a small knife is used to sever its spinal cord at the neck. If the crowd deems it a 'good' kill, the matador is 'awarded' the bull's ears and tail which he cuts off himself (the bull is often still alive during this).

The whole process takes approximately 20 minutes - and the bull suffers an agonizing and torturous death.

In spite of bullfighting being a cruel and inhumane tradition, many people-not only Spaniards-watch this spectacle. Why do you think this is and what does this say about human nature?

Within bullfighting countries there is a small but strong following that keeps bullfighting alive, largely based on the claim that it is part of the country's culture. All bullfighting countries have a fascinating history, with a rich culture that they should be proud of. However, evidence is showing us that most citizens of these countries do not want animal cruelty to be part of their heritage. Just as with the ban on foxhunting in the UK, citizens are speaking out about the importance of animal welfare over an archaic 'tradition' that is neither necessary nor humane.

The latest polls in Spain show us that over 72% of Spanish people have no interest in bullfighting. This climbs to over 80% in the autonomous region of Catalonia. Anti-bullfighting sentiment is growing across Europe and Latin America - people are standing up against the protection of bullfighting as part of national heritage and calling for an end to this cruel spectacle.

Furthermore, the WSPA believes that culture is no excuse for cruelty, no matter where in the world it happens or the rationale behind it.

Unfortunately a huge amount of support also comes from tourism; again because tourists are led to believe that bullfighting is part of a particular country. They are unwittingly supporting a dying industry that thrives on the torture of an animal: many leave the fights shaken and disturbed by what they have witnessed, which is, simply, animal cruelty for the sake of entertainment.

What arguments do supporters of bullfighting use to defend their tradition?

They use many arguments to defend the spectacle, mostly in reference to culture and the economy. You can read more on these ongoing debates at Bullfightingfreeeurope.org, a website sponsored by WSPA and ten other animal protection groups across Europe.

What is the WSPA doing to end bullfighting? Have there been any significant developments in the last few years?

In Catalonia, WSPA is running its Culture Without Cruelty campaign with member society ADDA, and there have been a series of successes in the region in recent years. 47 towns, including Barcelona, have declared themselves anti-bullfighting. You can sign our petition, calling for a ban on bullfighting in Catalonia, at our WSPA website.

In Spain, WSPA is supporting work done by member society, Stopourshame.com, who are working to end the national subsidies (funded by Spanish taxpayers) given to the bullfighting industry, which total a staggering 530 million Euros a year.

In France, 3 towns have recently declared their anti-bullfighting status. You can find out more at Anticorrida.com.

WSPA is also working closely with an alliance of ten other animal protection organizations from across Europe to tackle the issue at European level. The EU currently gives subsidies (funded by EU taxpayers) to breeders of fighting bulls, as part of its annual agricultural subsidy system. We recently held a series of events in Brussels at the European Parliament to highlight this issue and call on Parliamentarians and the Commission to end these subsidies. You can find out more at Bullfightingfreeeurope.org

In Latin America many of WSPA's member societies are working towards bans of bullfighting across the region. The first two anti-bullfighting towns in the region have recently been declared. In Medellin, Colombia, the first ever group of anti-bullfighting city councilors has been established. You can keep up to date with the latest developments on the WSPA International website.

What is Spain's position?

In Spain, there is a small group of powerful and influential people behind the bullfighting industry that are keeping it alive. Bullrings are suffering from declining attendance and a lack of patience from the public in terms of its increasing awareness of animal welfare. Unfortunately, government officials often hesitate to speak out against the spectacle; as was the case a few years ago with foxhunting in the UK. However, the Spanish people are telling us they have had enough, as shown in Catalonia and the Canary Islands (who have also banned bullfighting), and by the recent banning of the broadcast of bullfights on state TV, following the assertion that it is too violent for children. We think it is about time that the government listens to its citizens and ends bullfighting for good in Spain.

Do you see Spain making bullfighting illegal any time soon?

Based on public opinion polls that have been done, dwindling attendance at bullfights as well as the achievements in recent years in getting anti-bullfighting declarations, we are confident that bullfighting is a dying industry that is destined to be banned in the near future.

Is there a way bullfighting could be modified to become a humane practice?

No - the practice would still involve placing an animal into an unnatural situation that causes the animal stress and anxiety, for the sake of entertainment. WSPA wants to see an end to bullfighting worldwide, in all its forms.

What can Spaniards do to help stop bullfighting in Spain?

Spanish people can help to end bullfighting in their country by writing to their local politicians and high level officials within the government, expressing their wish for national subsidies to the bullfighting industry to end, and for their to be a national legislative ban on bullfighting in Spain. They can also avoid attending bullfights and spreading the word to their friends and family.

They can also sign our petition to achieve a ban in Catalonia which can be found at the WSPA website.

Another way to help is to support their local animal welfare organizations, either through donations or by attending peaceful events that call on the government to end bullfighting.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?

The WSPA is also campaigning for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) at the United Nations - international recognition that animals matter and governments should be doing more to protect them. Such an agreement would help us talk to governments about issues like bullfighting. You can sign the petition in support at Animalsmatter.org.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions on this important subject. I would like to end this interview by quoting some wise words from Mahatma Ghandi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Mayra Calvani is an author, reviewer, and animal advocate. Visit her blog, The Dark Phantom Review.

Rants from Lance on Gay Marriage and Rights Issues

Let me begin by saying that I have some gay acquaintances and these folks seem to be okay and not part of the gay fringe I speak of in this rant. Okay here it goes...

I am totally pissed off; on one hand gays want the right to be accepted, respected and enjoy their god given Constitutional Rights to get married. Then they self segregate away from the rest of us. Then they call us names. Homophobic, taunt the ever living crap out of people, challenge people to fights, but god help you if knock one on their ass for staring at yours and making sexual comments in line at a Starbucks. This behavior is utter Bull Sh_t.

So let them all get married, screw it. Let them go do whatever they want under one condition, they stop this insane game playing, taunting and then threats, intimidation and crap. It is really annoying and unprofessional and there is a group that carries on and thinks it is funny knowing you cannot knock them up side the head. Often the gay fringe purposely go around screwing with people like little childish kids. NA NA NA NA NA. It is sickening behavior. But if anyone says anything about it, you just watch as they jump on this comment like a ton of bricks, oh they can dish it out, but don't call them a name like they do to you or you are Racist, a NAZI, homosphobic, need mental help. What a bunch of utter hokum indeed.

No wonder everyone votes down every gay and lesbian marriage issue. People are tired of it. Now the gay women do not go around doing this do they? No it is only the childish men, the younger gays, who just will not leave it alone. Why is that? Why can't they control themselves? Why do they go around picking fights? Why do they threaten businesses and people who do not agree with them? Tolerance is one thing, but in your face, dare you not to hit me, is another, quite another.

There needs to be laws against this or there should be a law that if they do it, you can return comments or knock them silly. If they are big buff type, knock them even harder? Why not, they go around provoking fights? Many of them do it all the time. If the gay and lesbian community cannot control their own, in this way, there is no way in hell the public will vote for gay marriage. No way. And if we reward their bad behavior by allowing them to get married, will they stop or become more emboldened to demand more?

If they get married will they mellow out in public? Or will they continue this general harassment, knowing you cannot do a darn thing about it? Can we trust the gay community to chill out, if marriage is allowed? Doubtful. Why can't they or won't they get along. And I realize this is not the majority and that their small minority fringe is out of control, but they do not seem to care, even though it is now affecting public attitude towards the whole gay and lesbian community. And in advance anyone who call me homophobic you can go to hell. Provided there is such a place? End of Rant from Lance.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

The American Abolitionist Movement

The abolitionist movement, which represented the earliest days of the American Civil Rights Movement, succeeded in every northern state by 1804, although there were still at least a dozen "permanent apprentices" listed in the 1860 census. Three northern organizations advocating this reform were the Society of Friends (Quakers), the Pennsylvania Antislavery Society, and the New York Manumission Society.

This latter group was run by powerful Federalists John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The Federalists opposed State's Rights, arguing for federal legislation abolishing slavery. New York finally abolished slavery, gradually, starting in 1799, making this the largest emancipation of American slaves in history before 1863. New Jersey was the last northern state to abolish slavery, in 1804.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 agreed to allow the federal government to abolish the international slave trade, and by that time, all the existing states but Georgia had passed laws abolishing or severely limiting the slave trade. Georgia finally passed similar laws in 1798 - and the importation of slaves into the USA was officially abolished on New Year's Day in 1808. This was a major move in the direction of abolition.

However, in the 1830s, the Postmaster General refused to allow the U.S. mails to deliver abolition pamphlets to the South. Northern teachers suspected of anti-slavery "tendencies" were expelled from the South, and abolitionist literature was banned in those states. Southerners were claiming that incidents like John Brown's attempt at Harper's Ferry in 1859 to start a slave uprising was proof northerners were conspiring against them to cause war through slave rebellions.

The North, simply put, was dead set against the South's prevailing attitudes about slavery. Eric Foner once stated: "Northerners came to view slavery as the very antithesis of the good society, as well as a threat to their own fundamental values and interests." However, northern conservatives feared the migration of a large number of freemen into the North, as they tended to accept lower pay. They were being seen, like today's illegal Mexican-American workers, as "undercutting prevailing wages." It was feared that former slaves would cause deep pay cuts for all American workers, especially white ones.

In spite of such difficulties, one white abolitionist, Massachusetts's Abby Kelley Foster, became an "ultra," advocating not only abolition but full civil rights for all black people. An agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society, Foster, known usually as Abby Kelley, thought that free slaves should colonize the new African nation of Liberia. She also recruited Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, other American feminist leaders, to the early Civil Rights Movement. Kelley, who inspired other young women to be known as "Abby Kelleyites," often shared her platform with ex-slaves - despite the additional scorn this entailed. "I rejoice to be identified with the despised people of color. If they are to be despised, so ought their advocates to be," was one of her famous quotes.

Another well-known abolitionist was the wizened but charming black woman known as Sojourner Truth. Her first speaking engagement was with Abby Kelley. Truth originally had the Dutch slave name Isabella Baumfree, but changed her name because "the Spirit calls me." She wasn't much for the white man's religion, though, and frequently spoke against slavery and the mental picture of black women being "unladylike" and subhuman. She was born into slavery in New York, enduring frequent beatings at the hands of her white masters and mistresses.

At one point in time, she was on one of her many "sojourns," or journeys, and a streetcar run by a white male conductor wouldn't stop to pick her up, refusing her as a passenger. She bravely ran along the track and leaped into the path of the streetcar, gauging the distance exactly right, making the conductor stop for her. Her most famous speech was the simply put, "Ain't I a Woman?" where she also gave us the following quote, revised from her 19th century dialect:

"If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it. The men better let them." Maybe that reference is where Dr. King got the idea of making "valleys into hills and hills into valleys," but it's also a Biblical reference. I'll tell you a bit more about the origins of American black religious faith and how they led to Dr. King being a minister toward the end of this section.

Anyway, this quote from Truth's popular speech was spoken at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention, and her recurrent theme was probably based on an incident where a heckler in the audience had called her a man. She proudly opened her blouse, revealing her breasts, a typically bold move on her part which likely led to "Ain't I a Woman?" I guess even your enemies can help you be productive, as in the case in 1960's Birmingham, where local black civil rights leaders said that Police Commissioner "Bull" O'Connor and his violent anti-black tactics were "helping the Movement," due to all the media attention they were getting at the time.

The Catholic faith doesn't tend to exalt the poor and their elevation, which is the general black meaning of "turning things around," as much as the black version of Protestantism does. That may explain the general Catholic lack of sympathy for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s programs at first. Dr. King was the presumed head of the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1960s.

But for Catholics, there was ample praise of Jesus' faith in the resurrection of the spirit and his attendant faith in the spirituality of all people. Blacks at the time of slavery and in much later American history continued a tendency toward religion that influenced their culture and entire way of philosophy and thought immeasurably, but Truth was probably spiritually-oriented.

She didn't like white men much, or their male-oriented religions. She organized white and black feminists alike to oppose slavery through abolition, but that and colonizing Liberia were not the only actions taken against slavery. Also, throughout American history, there have been movements to attempt the return of African-Americans to the Motherland.

Through the 1820s and 1830s, the American Colonization Society (ACS) kept proposing to stop slavery by returning to Africa, a movement which was broadly supported by both whites and blacks. They saw it as a preferable alternative to emancipation, and Black Nationalist pioneer Marcus Garvey would also start a similar movement. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914, opening a branch in Harlem, New York in 1916.

The UNIA was intended "to promote the spirit of race pride," and was an attempt to cause worldwide unity among all black people, establishing the greatness of their African heritage. Garvey appealed to the black lower classes and rejected any ideals or notions of racial integration. He was certain that blacks could not secure their rights in countries like the USA, where they were a racial minority group, so he began a "back to Africa" movement, and he was considered the most influential black leader of the early 1920s.

However, in the early 1800s there was a series of small attempts to plant settlements on the coast of West Africa, where most of the slaves had been originally captured, and the colony of Liberia was established circa 1821-1822. In the next four decades, thousands of American former slaves settled there. They declared independence in 1847, although not many had survived the move, as they had succumbed to local diseases. The abolition movement caused support for the colony to fade quickly, but the new Liberians ruled their country until the bloody military coup of 1980 by army personnel who assassinated President William R. Tolbert.

Therefore, due to the lack of effective other methods for handling this major American issue, the work of the abolitionists is what finally managed to help end slavery. However, in spite of multiple efforts on the parts of many, it took just about forever to get the South to agree on this. Their intense stubbornness is what led to the continuing hatred and racism ongoing throughout 1960's Birmingham, leading to the tragic deaths of many black children and the continuous bombings of dozens of peaceful citizens' homes.

Read the next article in this series, "White Concerns over Racial Differences" and the other articles in this long article series about why racism was and is so prevalent in the American South.

RAINBOW WRITING, INC. -- featuring Karen Peralta, copy editor, ghost writer and book author. We are affordable professional freelance and contracted book authors, ghost writers, copy editors, proof readers, book rewriters, coauthors, graphics technicians, assistants with publishing and script buying, and film script writers, screenwriters and editors. http://www.rainbowriting.com/.