UnpopularTruth.com

The Boston Tea Party Myth

2013-01-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

The Boston Tea Party was not a protest against high taxes, but a protest of several things. Mostly it was an anti-monopoly protest. And it demonstrated colonial resistance to British interference in the American economy. A popular understanding of the Boston Tea Party is that the colonial Americans were protesting against high taxes on imported British tea. However, this is not the truth.

Modern man as "apocoholic" who craves more frightening predictions of apocalyptic doom

2012-09-02T19:15:00.002-04:00

The media keep feeding us more doomsday stories of fear that never come true. Modern man seems to be an "apocoholic," always craving more frightening predictions of apocalyptic doom. Why do people keep falling for it? Best-selling ecologist Paul Ehrlich said in 1968: “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s ["and 1980s" was added in a later edition] the world will undergo

Phony Fear Mongering with the Debt Ceiling

2011-07-24T01:16:00.028-04:00

Scare tactics on economic catastrophe, automatic "default" on U.S. public debt, the political theater from Washington DC, secret negotiations on the debt limit. This is all fake political posturing. Phony baloney. A fiction used for political purposes. In a word, it's bull. by Hal Dunn If the U.S. government defaults on any public debts, it will only be because President Obama and Treasury

Trivia, facts, and origins of Christmas

2010-12-23T15:58:00.005-05:00

Christmas is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday by a large number of non-Christians worldwide, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. Here are a few interesting facts about the history and origin of everyone's favorite holiday, Christmas. December 25 was chosen to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, although the date is not known

Scary Swine Flu (Crying Wolf)

2010-07-20T11:08:00.004-04:00

Now that the flu season is officially over, what were the results of the scary Swine Flu pandemic? 12,500 total flu deaths. This is about a third the usual number. This was a very mild flu season. The flu season is officially over. Has the media reported the results of the scary Swine Flu pandemic? We've had about 12,500 total flu deaths. This is about a third the usual number (according to

Three common misperceptions about eggs.

2010-05-12T17:26:00.002-04:00

Are brown eggs better than white eggs? What about "Free-range eggs"? Organic? Myth: Brown eggs are different than white. Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. One isn’t healthier, more "natural," or more eco-friendly than the other. There aren't any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or

Mexico's Independence Day: Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-09T20:43:00.003-04:00

Does the average U.S. citizen know what Cinco de Mayo is? Is it an official national holiday in Mexico? Is it Mexico's Independence Day? Or is it a day for Americans to get drunk on Margaritas? Cinco de Mayo marks the defeat of the French army by the Mexican militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It's not Mexico's Independence Day. That date is September 16. Cinco de Mayo (translates to

Acid rain indicated by a dark circle around the moon?

2010-04-28T10:16:00.004-04:00

Have you noticed dark circles around the moon? Could it be acid rain? A dark circle appeared around the moon! Oh no. Ignore emails claiming this means acid rain is on the way. Circles of such nature are nothing special — they take place regularly, and their appearance has nothing to do with acid rain. This optical illusion comes about when there's a combination of very clear skies and fine ice

Shirodhara Baloney (AKA hot oil on the forehead)

2010-04-27T14:33:00.001-04:00

In order to cure stress, how about having hot oil poured over your forehead? Penn & Teller debunk some more new-age BS. "Shirodhara" is ancient and holistic. Oh boy! Check it out: Also see Shirodhara on Wikipedia

The Color Red Makes Bulls go Ballistic

2010-04-27T14:13:00.006-04:00

Spanish matadors began using a small red cape, or muleta, in bullfighting around the 1700s. Ever since, it seems, people have perpetuated the color-charged myth that red makes bulls go wild. According to "MythBusters: Red Rag to a Bull," this myth has been BUSTED. An 1,800-pound bull can hook a grown man with his horns and toss him 30 feet in the air, so the MythBusters set out to find a way to

The Beautiful People Myth

2009-09-22T21:50:00.020-04:00

We're always told that a long time ago there lived beautiful people co-existing with nature in balanced eco-harmony, taking only what they needed, and giving back to Mother Earth what was left. Wonderful, caring stewards of the environment. No wars and few conflicts. The people were happy, living long and prosperous lives. Hunting, fishing, gathering. But then came the evil European White Males

Congress doesn't read the bills they vote on

2009-09-07T14:55:00.000-04:00

Do you think Congress actually reads those bills they pass? No, they do not. The U.S. Congress routinely votes on bills that they have not even read.It is typical for Congress members to carelessly pass mammoth bills that none of them have read. Sometimes printed copies aren't even available when they vote. Also members of Congress typically do not even write the laws they pass. Most laws are

Old Wives’ Tales: Fact or Folklore?

2009-04-25T12:07:00.006-04:00

Old wive's tales debunked by Allison Ford at Divine Caroline. Who exactly are these old wives, and why do they seem to have an opinion about everything? Toads, warts, eating, swimming, swallowed gum, carrots, eyesight, chocolate, and acne.Before modern medicine and technology, women were the keepers of medical information. They delivered babies, healed the sick, and were considered experts in

The American Revolutionary War was not won by using guerilla tactics

2009-04-21T00:12:00.009-04:00

There is a popular notion that the American colonists strictly used guerilla tactics and acted as snipers from the forest, hiding behind trees and rocks, picking off British Redcoats in ambush. This is a myth of the American Revolution.Most people imagine that the British soldiers were the only ones marching in formation out in the open and following the rules of European warfare. Even though

Myths of the Old West

2009-04-16T22:47:00.017-04:00

The Old West, with little or no government, was a generally peaceful place, not the violent frontier often depicted. There were probably fewer than a dozen bank robberies in the entire period from 1859 through 1900 in all the frontier West.The frontier West was not the violent "Wild West" depicted by the press and history teachers who don’t know history. Before 1900 there were no successful bank

Pirates and Democracy

2009-04-14T18:39:00.012-04:00

There are many popular images and beliefs about pirates that are incorrect. For example, unlike traditional Western societies of the time, many pirate crews operated as limited democracies.Here are just a few of the popular images and beliefs about pirates that are incorrect.Pirates were barbaric at times, and even quite cutthroat. And certainly above all, they were thieves. But, despite this

MYTH: Natural is good and man-made is bad

2009-04-13T00:06:00.062-04:00

There is a misconception that human exposures to carcinogens and other toxins are nearly all due to synthetic chemicals. On the contrary, the amount of synthetic pesticide residues in plant foods are insignificant compared to the amount of natural pesticides produced by plants themselves. Of all dietary pesticides, 99.99 percent are natural.TOPICS COVERED:Natural vs. SyntheticNatural Toxins in

What Kevin Trudeau doesn't want you to know

2009-04-05T21:05:00.001-04:00

You've probably seen master huckster Kevin Trudeau on TV, pushing his book "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About." Some of the most worthless garbage ever! The author of the bestselling "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" claims to be a consumer advocate in the Ralph Nader mold. But the infomercial king just wants your cash. Many a late-night channel surfer has been

The Cotton Gin

2009-04-04T14:52:00.009-04:00

In 1792 Eli Whitney invented a decent version of mechanical cotton picker. He named it the cotton gin. The term "gin" is an abbreviation for engine, and means "machine." It was not named in reference to the alcoholic beverage. Whitney thought the name would sound more colloquially appealing to the southern cotton growers.The cotton gin dramatically changed the South's economy, but didn't make

Stem Cell Wars: Adult vs. Embryonic

2009-03-31T00:10:00.016-04:00

“Recent spectacular breakthroughs in noncontroversial adult stem cell research and clinical applications to effectuate cures with the mitigation of disease or disability have been well documented, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said, remarking on the 'significant progress' achieved with adult stem cells.”Stem cell research has become highly politicized. But, even pro-lifers and conservatives, like

The Truth About the Slave Trade

2009-03-29T13:10:00.021-04:00

An awful lot of people seem to be unaware of the history of slavery. Especially concerning the origins of African slavery and slaves in America.European slave traders did not themselves capture the Africans they transported, but bought them from native slave traders. Since ancient times, war captives, criminals, and debtors in Africa had been sold into slavery among their own people. For several

Atheism might not mean what you think

2009-03-24T23:53:00.019-04:00

Many people think of atheists as those who believe that there is no God. True, but atheism also includes a much broader range of beliefs and non-beliefs. Atheism is the absence of belief in the existence of gods or deities. It is merely the lack of theism. The word atheism is made up of "a-" + "theism." The prefix "a-" means "without." Theism is a belief in a God or gods. An atheist is simply

The Flight of Lawnchair Larry

2009-03-22T21:10:00.008-04:00

One of the best urban legends of all time, and it's all true! Larry took 45 weather balloons filled with helium and strapped them to his lawn chair. Then took flight. For 14 hours.The Darwin Award is presented each year to the person who improves the gene pool by eliminating her or (usually him) self in the most creative way. The 1997 nominee of the Darwin Award: Larry Walters of Los Angeles—one

Beware of the Kidney Thieves

2009-03-22T20:55:00.005-04:00

Beware of the Kidney Thieves: One of the best urban legends of all time. Drugged travelers awaken in ice-filled bathtubs only to discover one of their kidneys has been harvested by organ thieves.The story went that a well-financed, highly organized gang operating in various major U.S. cities was drugging business travelers and making off with their kidneys to sell on the organ transplant black

The scuba diver in the tree

2009-03-22T18:35:00.006-04:00

The story: While assessing the damage done by a forest fire in California, authorities were startled to discover the body of a man dressed in a wetsuit, complete with a dive tank, flippers, and face mask, in the branches of a tree.Great story. Not an ounce of truth.The strangely placed victim had suffered severe burns from the forest fire, but an autopsy revealed that he had not died from the