'Free-loaders' Shut Down TheOmnivore.com
It can sometimes feel like a lonely world for low-carb bloggers who advocate some rather radical ideas that go against the mainstream of popular thought regarding healthy diet and nutrition, but we do it because we feel a deep sense of gratitude for what this way of eating has afforded us in both weight loss and improved health. That's why I always appreciate hearing from people who e-mail me stating how much they have been encouraged and educated as they either begin or continue going through the amazing low-carb lifestyle.
But my heart aches for one of the really true champions of low-carb and healthy living today because he has finally said enough is enough of what he describes as "the self-obsessed, pansy-assed, serial whining weenies that constitute the bulk of today's population." To understand the depths of anguish of this broken man who has been given a swift push over the edge of frustration, you have to hear the rest of what he wrote in an e-mail to the subscribers of his e-newsletter today.
His name is Anthony Colpo and as of June 27, 2006, his wildly popular web site TheOmnivore.com has been all but scrubbed of its content. Poof. Gone forever. Go see for yourself. Go on, I'll wait...
Okay, are you back? What did you see? Basically, there's nothing there except for an infomercial ad for his excellent new book entitled "The Great Cholesterol Con" (which I am still reading and working on an upcoming book review to share with you!) including a very kind link to my exclusive blog interview with Anthony Colpo from earlier this month.
One of my readers e-mailed me today about what happened to TheOmnivore.com.
"I was curious if you knew or could ask [Anthony Colpo] what happened to his site. It was very interesting to research his articles. I myself have my doctor trying to put me on statins and blood pressure medicine and I don't believe it is necessary and I am trying to research low-carb diets and their effects upon CVD. Anthony's site was just starting to open my eye's. Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated."
THANKS for writing and there's a perfectly good answer to those concerns.
Colpo, in his trademark tell-it-like-it-is style of writing, lets it all hang out in his sudden announcement that he was shutting down TheOmnivore.com. As I was reading what he had written about this decision today, it was very apparent to me that the twin monsters of disappointment and disgust had squeezed Colpo so tightly in the past few weeks that he felt the only right thing to do was to bring this incredible labor of love to an end after three glorious years of well-researched, well-documented proof of every point he had made.
In this day and age of wishy-washy science backing up idiotic ideas like the low-fat diet and taking statin drugs to cure our "cholesterol problem," Colpo has been one of only a handful of INDEPENDENT researchers brave enough to take on these status quo principles and expose them as the frauds they are for all the world to see. For the past three years at TheOmnivore.com, that's exactly what Colpo has been doing and he never charged a single red cent for any of this invaluable information he has invested thousands of hours and dollars into providing to the public as a educational service to them.
So when the worldwide debut of his new and high-anticipated book was launched just one month ago on May 29, 2006, Colpo was expecting great sales ostensibly from all of the hundreds of thousands of people who had visited TheOmnivore.com since 2003 as well as those curious about the evidence he presented in his book that verifiably proved the cholesterol problem is just one big con job, a scam. But, alas, it hasn't happened...yet.
Now Colpo is upset and mad because he said the lack of sales with his book proves to him that his web site was nothing more than "a magnet for free-loaders who seem to be under the impression that I am obligated to furnish them with free diet and health info on tap."
"So far, ["The Great Cholesterol Con" is] selling VERY slowly," Colpo lamented.
Despite rave reviews, but suffering from the "lack of interest" from a major book publisher which forced him to self-publish, Colpo said he needs a lot of "word-of-mouth" advertising to help him overcome the great obstacles that stand in the way of the book getting into the hands of those who need it the most.
"Judging by the sales figures over at [print-on-demand publisher] Lulu, only a small fraction of my newsletter subscribers have even bothered to buy the book," Colpo revealed. "Yet I still get people emailing to tell me what a great guy I am, how great the (free) info on my web site is and still wanting (free) answers to their questions."
Allow me to interject some personal experience with a self-published book and the expectation of sales. While my book about my 180-pound weight loss experience entitled "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" is an entirely different book altogether from Colpo's book, I think the same perspective applies. Everyone who ever writes a book has a certain goal of how many books they HOPE they can sell which doesn't always match the reality that happens when the book finally makes it to print.
My modest goal was to sell about 5,000 copies of my book overall. Since it released in October 2005, I have sold about 1,000 copies to date through my print-on-demand publisher Booklocker.com as well as through Amazon.com and other retail book outlets. Am I devastated that the sales of my book haven't been more brisk than they have been? Nah! The way I see it, my weight loss was such an enormous blessing in my life and my book was simply my way of sharing that blessing with those who needed a good kick in the pants from someone who's been there and overcome his obesity for good.
For Colpo, though, I can see why he would take the lack of sales with his book so personally. He has put in the research, dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's" to cover his bases, and providing very clear evidence in support of his claims. The man has sacrificed much of the last three years of his young life doing work that he felt needed to be done all for the sake of providing people with an invaluable resource on one of the most important health topics of the day. This was Colpo's magnum opus to take on the medical community front and center.
So right about now, he's feeling dejected and disenchanted for believing his enormous sacrifices have all seemed to go to waste. I cannot speak for Colpo, but I am sure he even senses a bit of betrayal based on what he wrote in his newsletter about the supposed cheapskates who whimpered to him about having to pay for international shipping charges.
"Here I am, having self-published a book that has literally costs me thousands of dollars out of my own pocket (and caused me more than a few headaches along the way) to bring to market, and in return I get disgruntled wankers writing to complain about how they have to pay an extra ten piddly bucks to have the book delivered to their country," Colpo exclaimed.
This is undoubtedly the worst possible thing that could have happened for Anthony Colpo in his mind. Perhaps it would have been better had he never even written his outstanding book than to see slow sales in the first month of its release. But I believe patience is a virtue and can very possibly pay off for Colpo if he doesn't jump ship too early.
While his LuLu sales have been unspectacular (currently #218 overall), his performance at Amazon.com is quite respectable in the 3,000 sales range overall. To help move his book higher up the charts at Amazon, there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of a whole bunch of buyers all at the same time to shoot it close to the top of the book charts overall. Savvy marketing execs with the big publishing companies as well as astute authors have already figured this out and urge their readers to hold off on buying the book until a certain date.
Why couldn't we do the same with Colpo's "The Great Cholesterol Con?" If you haven't purchased your copy of his book yet, but would like to support solid scientific research from an accomplished researcher and thinker, then let's set one particular day when we all agree to buy it to help move the book higher up the charts to attract more attention to potential buyers who NEED to read it.
How about if we shoot for Friday, June 30, 2006 at 12:00pm EST as the time when we all go to this link to the book at Amazon.com in a show of support for our friend and fellow low-carber Anthony Colpo in his time of need. If 100 people did this all at the same time, then the book would possibly move into the Top 100 overall. If 500+ of us did it, then we could ostensibly see Colpo's book break into the Top 10 bestselling books overall and quite possibly move to #1! Wouldn't that be GREAT?!
Do you know what a statement that would make to those idiot publishers who gave a yawning pass to this book when Colpo pitched it to them as a manuscript several years back? It would be sweet revenge for him and he would be the one to have the last laugh in the end. Won't you join me in this effort and have all of your friends and family members join in on the fun, too? Low-carbers, unite!
You might be wonder why you should reward Anthony Colpo with your money and support. Here's how he explains it.
"[The independent researchers] are ordinary people who have to clothe, feed and shelter ourselves, and receive virtually no financial assistance from anyone for doing so," Colpo explained. "The main sources of research money are governments and drug companies; these organizations are hardly going to provide us with funds when they are the very organizations whose corruption, greed and incompetence we are seeking to expose! And contrary to the claims of certain shameless commentators who cannot factually dispute our arguments, we do NOT receive a single damn cent from the meat, dairy or egg industries."
You see, it's an uphill battle for people like Colpo who would like to continue offering the high-quality research and information that he has been providing to the public, but he needs to take care of himself financially, too. Again, I can understand this point. When I started my blog in April 2005, my main goal was to educate and encourage people about low-carb living and losing weight just like I did. My daily investment of time and energy is a reflection of my commitment to continuing on with what I am doing without ever receiving any compensation for doing so.
Do I wish I could get paid to write at my blog? Duh?! Who wouldn't, especially with the great number of columns I have written since I started (getting close to 1,000 posts overall from the time I began!). There are other things I could be doing with my time such as working out at the gym, spending time with my wife Christine, enjoying other hobbies and activities...ANYTHING ELSE! :)
But I have chosen to spend my weeknights and weekends with YOU. That's MY choice, just as Colpo chose to provide the information that he did at TheOmnivore.com like he did. I guess he expected more because he has paid his dues (and I certainly don't blame him for thinking that), but the reality is people want good information that they don't have to pay for. I understand that to a certain degree as someone who pinches pennies as much as anyone.
However, let me be frank: I have never expected the majority of my readers at this blog to buy my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" book as a way to pay me back for writing as much as I do about livin' la vida low-carb. Don't get me wrong, if someone wants to do that, I certainly won't stop them! :D
Nevertheless, it would be incredibly shortsighted of me to EXPECT that to happen automatically and I never have. Do I want people who come here to buy my book? Sure. I invested a lot of my life last year writing that 188-page masterpiece with several spelling and grammar errors in it (thanks for pointing them ALL out to me, Newbirth!). Yet, I won't be begging you to buy it because that just not my style.
Buy it if you believe in what I am doing and want to support me, but I don't want anyone to ever feel obligated to make the purchase because they feel like they owe it to me. Do it because you want to encourage yourself or an overweight friend or loved one to shed the pounds and get healthy like me.
There is one point Colpo makes that I've run into as well.
"Please do NOT have the audacity to write asking questions that are already addressed at length in the book…just BUY the damn book already," he stated.
People have written me e-mails claiming they have read my book and say they have a few "unanswered" questions for me. Then, when they ask the questions that I supposedly didn't answer, I'll go back to my book and find the page number where I addressed the issue very clearly and send them an e-mail back telling them how they can find what they are looking for. It's funny how I NEVER hear back from those people again after I do that! :D
While Colpo takes some very unnecessary pot shots at Dr. Robert C. Atkins and Dr. Arthur Agatston towards the end of his self-described "rant," I can forgive him for making such comments in his momentary fit of anger over this whole fiasco. Right now, Anthony Colpo needs to feel wanted, like all the time he has put into research has been worth SOMETHING, and he needs something positive to happen for him. That's why the planned BUY day for his book at Amazon.com is sorely needed this Friday.
What's Anthony Colpo going to do now that he has brought a "permanent" end to TheOmnivore.com?
Well, he's going to keep promoting that magnificent book of his and post any "emerging news" from the "corporate-controlled media" about it (like shooting up the charts at Amazon perhaps?!) at TheOmnivore.com. He will also be adding links to the various book reviews, including mine, as they are written in the coming weeks.
He is also going to keep his enormous newsletter subscriber list and pass on "any newsworthy items" worth mentioning from time to time. Additionally, Colpo has another FREE web site in the works that he said will have "special appeal to all those of you who follow low-carb diets and are also into strength and/or endurance activities."
"It will be a project that will hopefully provide far more personal satisfaction and possibly even financial reward than TheOmnivore. If you are a low-carbing bodybuilder or athlete, then you may want to stay on the newsletter list to learn when this project goes live."
I'll let you know more about this new web site when Colpo is ready to launch it.
And the writing bug has hit him again as a new "fat loss book" is in the works for Colpo, which he said "will once and for all address the unrepentant stupidity of people who think that eating high/low-fat/carbs/protein at the same calorie intake awards some sort of magical, mystical weight loss advantage."
Oh, THAT oughta be one doozy of a book, for sure! I can't wait to get it!
I have nothing but great admiration and respect for this man Anthony Colpo. He is a hero in my book for refusing to back down from the naysayers who told him he could never prove his theories about fat and cholesterol were right. This is the kind of independent-thinking people we need fighting for our cause in the debate of ideas over health. We need to encourage him to keep doing what he is doing by giving just a small sacrifice of our money to buy his book in an effort to show him there are people who care about what he is doing and want to see him further the research even more.
Who knows, maybe enough of you will respond to the removal of TheOmnivore.com in such a way that he realizes it was a mistake to pull the outstanding content he had for people to access at TheOmnivore.com and ultimately decide to bring it back. But this researcher needs to see some evidence that people really DO support what he is doing and DO want to see more of it in the future.
Are you going to join me and the hundreds of others who will band together behind Anthony Colpo on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 12:00pm EST to buy his book "The Great Cholesterol Con?" We can shock the whole world with this monumental piece of literary history if the truth can be told unabeted. We CAN make it happen!
While he may or may not answer your e-mail since he is inundated with them on a daily basis, you can send Anthony Colpo your comments about what he is going through and let him know that you plan on participating in my effort to shoot his book up the charts on Friday by e-mailing him at ac.theomnivore@gmail.com. It's the least we can do for a man who has given us so much for so long.
6-29-06 UPDATE: Anthony Colpo has a special message for readers of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb."
Dear Jimmy,
I want to sincerely thank you for your kind support - I was extremely flattered by the fact that you are trying to rally your readers to buy my book on Friday, June 30! I'm not sure how it'll pan out, but mate, it's terrific that you feel strongly enough to try!
And now at the risk of sounding unappreciative, I need to set the record straight about what you wrote in this post. Mate, I know you meant well, but reading through your commentary, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that this Anthony Colpo fellow had sunk hopelessly into a deep, dark bout of severe depression. Reading through your piece, I started to feel sorry for this allegedly despondent and dejected guy who sounded like he was ready to grab his favorite carving knife and end it all - until I remembered that you were talking about me!!!
Jimmy, generally I don't give a hoot about what others think of me, because experience has taught me that most people just aren't very good at thinking. However, I do want to make one thing perfectly clear: I do NOT want people feeling sorry for me, and I am definitely NOT "depressed", "despondent", or "dejected"! For the record, I don't get depressed - it's just not my nature. When I see, hear or read something that I believe is unfair, unjust or just plain sucks, I don't sink into a self-pitying slump. Usually, just the opposite happens - I get irate and indignant, I get fired up, and I want to do something about it.
That's why I started TheOmnivore over 3 years ago; I realized people were frequently being fed a load of bull on health and diet issues. Instead of sitting around whining about this (like many of my critics), I figured I would start up my own web site and share what I had learnt with anyone who was interested in listening.
Likewise, when I recently came to the realization that TheOmnivore.com was becoming more of a liability than an asset to me, that it had bought some great people into my life but had also attracted way too many malevolents, and that many of my readers were more than happy to avail themselves of my free information but suddenly suffered from paralysis when it came to coughing up some money for my new book, then I figured it was time to change direction and close the site down. Again, I didn't whine and fume over the whole scenario - I simply closed up shop and decided to shift my focus elsewhere. As the sole creator and legal owner of TheOmnivore.com, I was perfectly entitled do so.
I sent out my 'rant' the other day for two reasons:
1) A lot of people were asking what had happened to the site, and I figured it prudent to officially explain to my readers that I had shut the site down and why. I could have ignored the queries, or I could have issued a generic, bland, politically correct statement painstakingly designed not to offend in anyone in any possible way - the kind that usually leaves more questions than it answers. Instead, I figured I'd simply tell the truth. My 'rant' explained exactly why I shut the site down. I really can't understand why anyone would be offended by my candidness - I have explained several times on my site that my objective is to tell the truth as I see it, NOT to timidly tip-toe through life in the hope that I don't pee anyone off. I guess some folks just don't get something, no matter how many times you tell them!
If being true to myself and at the same time letting my readers know what is going on is "throwing a tantrum", as one of your readers has suggested, so be it. Let him/her start their own web site and pump the same prodigious amount of time and effort that I did, take on all-comers as I did, answer thousands of emails like I did, send out hundreds of newsletters like I did, and post hundreds of articles free of charge like I did. When this person and his/her ilk have done this, then they can judge me. Until then, their opinion, quite frankly, doesn't mean jack!
2) I wanted to send a wake-up call to people. Those simpletons out there who are insinuating that my pulling TheOmnivore was some sort of "revenge" strategy really don't have a clue. None whatsoever!
What I wanted to get across to people is this: Society needs to take a GOOD, LONG HARD LOOK at the way it treats its whistleblowers and dissenters! We need these people, because they are the ones with the cajones to stand up and point out when corruption exists, injustices are occurring, lies are being spread, and people are being unnecessarily disadvantaged, hurt, or even killed.
In my rant, I spoke of my experience with this phenomenon, because my experience is the one I am best qualified to talk about. But, hey, let's forget about me completely and discuss another more famous example - Dr. Kilmer McKully. Here's a guy who proposed a plausible and compelling alternative hypothesis for atherosclerosis, and who, instead of being congratulated, became the target of a vilification campaign by an orthodoxy that had already committed itself to the cholesterol theory. He lost his job, became the subject of a rather unsavory defamation campaign, and could not find another job for a long time despite his prestigious Harvard qualifications.
Contrast the treatment given to the ground-breaking McKully with that given to people like M. Cass Wheeler, who gets US $600,000 a year to head the American Heart Association, a so-called 'non-profit' organization with over a BILLION dollars in assets, that spends almost $20 million a year on travel and conferences, and that has UTTERLY FAILED in its alleged efforts to reduce the incidence of heart disease, despite 50 years' of trying (with other people's money).
Am I the only one who thinks this is an appalling state of affairs?
People who point out the fallacies inherent in many officially endorsed myths are vilified, attacked, threatened, labeled crackpots and 'conspiracy theorists', and are taken for granted even by their alleged 'supporters'! And, while their adversaries often have huge media and financial resources at their disposal, the dissenters typically struggle for funds and recognition to boot!
My point is that, if people truly believe in justice and fairness and the truth, then they have to get behind those who fight for these things, not stand by and watch like it's all some sort of entertaining spectacle while these people struggle and get attacked.
This is why I was ticked off at the lack of support for my book from many of my readers. My book is one way in which all those hundreds of people who have claimed to be "right with you buddy!" in my fight against the anti-cholesterol theory can show that they mean it, that their support amounts to more than just empty praise. Was I ticked off when this support was not forthcoming? You bet! And I was perfectly candid with people about this. If honesty and directness are "childish" or equate to "throwing a tantrum", then again, c'est la vie…If that's the case, I think this world needs a lot more "childishness"!
If my recent rant helped jolt even a few people out of their complacency, then I consider it to be the MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE EVER POSTED. And that appears to be exactly what has happened. I've only had one nasty email so far, all the rest have been highly positive.
I have had people admit to me that they didn't buy my book because they figured they knew 'enough' about the cholesterol issue thanks to all the free info at sites like TheOmnivore and THINCS. When people read my book, they'll realize these sites only scratch(ed) the surface!
I've had people write to thank me because they had procrastinated about buying the book but my email prompted them to take action and get it.
I've had other people who have also worked/acted in the capacity of information providers who have emailed to tell me that my comments were spot-on and mirrored their own experiences.
Not long after I sent out my newsletter 'rant' yesterday morning, the sales picture for my book changed dramatically. The book promptly cracked the 2,000 mark on amazon, and I noticed Lulu had suddenly sold more copies in a matter of hours than they had in the last 2 weeks! Three additional 5-star reviews appeared on amazon. It almost felt like I had awoken a sleeping giant. Hopefully this will be the turnaround, the point that marks greater things for this book.
I will reiterate that I have put my heart and soul into this book, and passionately wish for as many people as possible to read it so that we can put the hideous cholesterol myth out of its misery once and for all. It is a hideous myth - one that has diverted attention from the REAL causes of heart disease and has cost millions of lives in the process. Nothing would make me happier than to the see this disgraceful state of affairs demolished. It was this pitiful lack of meaningful knowledge on the topic of CVD that helped cost my father his life back in 1996.
His memory, and the knowledge of others who have needlessly suffered the same fate, drives me. For all those who think such drive is unbecoming…what can I say…go tell someone who cares, because I don't! Life is way too short to worry about the opinions of people whose nutritional career highlight will be restricted to spouting off nonsense on internet chat forums…
Take care Jimmy, keep fighting the good fight,
Anthony Colpo
Okay, so there it is from the horse's mouth himself. Any comments?
6-29-06 UPDATE: Here are more intriguing, thought-provoking thoughts about Colpo's decision to pull TheOmnivore.com from the Plant Poisons and Rotten Stuff blog.
But my heart aches for one of the really true champions of low-carb and healthy living today because he has finally said enough is enough of what he describes as "the self-obsessed, pansy-assed, serial whining weenies that constitute the bulk of today's population." To understand the depths of anguish of this broken man who has been given a swift push over the edge of frustration, you have to hear the rest of what he wrote in an e-mail to the subscribers of his e-newsletter today.
His name is Anthony Colpo and as of June 27, 2006, his wildly popular web site TheOmnivore.com has been all but scrubbed of its content. Poof. Gone forever. Go see for yourself. Go on, I'll wait...
Okay, are you back? What did you see? Basically, there's nothing there except for an infomercial ad for his excellent new book entitled "The Great Cholesterol Con" (which I am still reading and working on an upcoming book review to share with you!) including a very kind link to my exclusive blog interview with Anthony Colpo from earlier this month.
One of my readers e-mailed me today about what happened to TheOmnivore.com.
"I was curious if you knew or could ask [Anthony Colpo] what happened to his site. It was very interesting to research his articles. I myself have my doctor trying to put me on statins and blood pressure medicine and I don't believe it is necessary and I am trying to research low-carb diets and their effects upon CVD. Anthony's site was just starting to open my eye's. Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated."
THANKS for writing and there's a perfectly good answer to those concerns.
Colpo, in his trademark tell-it-like-it-is style of writing, lets it all hang out in his sudden announcement that he was shutting down TheOmnivore.com. As I was reading what he had written about this decision today, it was very apparent to me that the twin monsters of disappointment and disgust had squeezed Colpo so tightly in the past few weeks that he felt the only right thing to do was to bring this incredible labor of love to an end after three glorious years of well-researched, well-documented proof of every point he had made.
In this day and age of wishy-washy science backing up idiotic ideas like the low-fat diet and taking statin drugs to cure our "cholesterol problem," Colpo has been one of only a handful of INDEPENDENT researchers brave enough to take on these status quo principles and expose them as the frauds they are for all the world to see. For the past three years at TheOmnivore.com, that's exactly what Colpo has been doing and he never charged a single red cent for any of this invaluable information he has invested thousands of hours and dollars into providing to the public as a educational service to them.
So when the worldwide debut of his new and high-anticipated book was launched just one month ago on May 29, 2006, Colpo was expecting great sales ostensibly from all of the hundreds of thousands of people who had visited TheOmnivore.com since 2003 as well as those curious about the evidence he presented in his book that verifiably proved the cholesterol problem is just one big con job, a scam. But, alas, it hasn't happened...yet.
Now Colpo is upset and mad because he said the lack of sales with his book proves to him that his web site was nothing more than "a magnet for free-loaders who seem to be under the impression that I am obligated to furnish them with free diet and health info on tap."
"So far, ["The Great Cholesterol Con" is] selling VERY slowly," Colpo lamented.
Despite rave reviews, but suffering from the "lack of interest" from a major book publisher which forced him to self-publish, Colpo said he needs a lot of "word-of-mouth" advertising to help him overcome the great obstacles that stand in the way of the book getting into the hands of those who need it the most.
"Judging by the sales figures over at [print-on-demand publisher] Lulu, only a small fraction of my newsletter subscribers have even bothered to buy the book," Colpo revealed. "Yet I still get people emailing to tell me what a great guy I am, how great the (free) info on my web site is and still wanting (free) answers to their questions."
Allow me to interject some personal experience with a self-published book and the expectation of sales. While my book about my 180-pound weight loss experience entitled "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" is an entirely different book altogether from Colpo's book, I think the same perspective applies. Everyone who ever writes a book has a certain goal of how many books they HOPE they can sell which doesn't always match the reality that happens when the book finally makes it to print.
My modest goal was to sell about 5,000 copies of my book overall. Since it released in October 2005, I have sold about 1,000 copies to date through my print-on-demand publisher Booklocker.com as well as through Amazon.com and other retail book outlets. Am I devastated that the sales of my book haven't been more brisk than they have been? Nah! The way I see it, my weight loss was such an enormous blessing in my life and my book was simply my way of sharing that blessing with those who needed a good kick in the pants from someone who's been there and overcome his obesity for good.
For Colpo, though, I can see why he would take the lack of sales with his book so personally. He has put in the research, dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's" to cover his bases, and providing very clear evidence in support of his claims. The man has sacrificed much of the last three years of his young life doing work that he felt needed to be done all for the sake of providing people with an invaluable resource on one of the most important health topics of the day. This was Colpo's magnum opus to take on the medical community front and center.
So right about now, he's feeling dejected and disenchanted for believing his enormous sacrifices have all seemed to go to waste. I cannot speak for Colpo, but I am sure he even senses a bit of betrayal based on what he wrote in his newsletter about the supposed cheapskates who whimpered to him about having to pay for international shipping charges.
"Here I am, having self-published a book that has literally costs me thousands of dollars out of my own pocket (and caused me more than a few headaches along the way) to bring to market, and in return I get disgruntled wankers writing to complain about how they have to pay an extra ten piddly bucks to have the book delivered to their country," Colpo exclaimed.
This is undoubtedly the worst possible thing that could have happened for Anthony Colpo in his mind. Perhaps it would have been better had he never even written his outstanding book than to see slow sales in the first month of its release. But I believe patience is a virtue and can very possibly pay off for Colpo if he doesn't jump ship too early.
While his LuLu sales have been unspectacular (currently #218 overall), his performance at Amazon.com is quite respectable in the 3,000 sales range overall. To help move his book higher up the charts at Amazon, there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of a whole bunch of buyers all at the same time to shoot it close to the top of the book charts overall. Savvy marketing execs with the big publishing companies as well as astute authors have already figured this out and urge their readers to hold off on buying the book until a certain date.
Why couldn't we do the same with Colpo's "The Great Cholesterol Con?" If you haven't purchased your copy of his book yet, but would like to support solid scientific research from an accomplished researcher and thinker, then let's set one particular day when we all agree to buy it to help move the book higher up the charts to attract more attention to potential buyers who NEED to read it.
How about if we shoot for Friday, June 30, 2006 at 12:00pm EST as the time when we all go to this link to the book at Amazon.com in a show of support for our friend and fellow low-carber Anthony Colpo in his time of need. If 100 people did this all at the same time, then the book would possibly move into the Top 100 overall. If 500+ of us did it, then we could ostensibly see Colpo's book break into the Top 10 bestselling books overall and quite possibly move to #1! Wouldn't that be GREAT?!
Do you know what a statement that would make to those idiot publishers who gave a yawning pass to this book when Colpo pitched it to them as a manuscript several years back? It would be sweet revenge for him and he would be the one to have the last laugh in the end. Won't you join me in this effort and have all of your friends and family members join in on the fun, too? Low-carbers, unite!
You might be wonder why you should reward Anthony Colpo with your money and support. Here's how he explains it.
"[The independent researchers] are ordinary people who have to clothe, feed and shelter ourselves, and receive virtually no financial assistance from anyone for doing so," Colpo explained. "The main sources of research money are governments and drug companies; these organizations are hardly going to provide us with funds when they are the very organizations whose corruption, greed and incompetence we are seeking to expose! And contrary to the claims of certain shameless commentators who cannot factually dispute our arguments, we do NOT receive a single damn cent from the meat, dairy or egg industries."
You see, it's an uphill battle for people like Colpo who would like to continue offering the high-quality research and information that he has been providing to the public, but he needs to take care of himself financially, too. Again, I can understand this point. When I started my blog in April 2005, my main goal was to educate and encourage people about low-carb living and losing weight just like I did. My daily investment of time and energy is a reflection of my commitment to continuing on with what I am doing without ever receiving any compensation for doing so.
Do I wish I could get paid to write at my blog? Duh?! Who wouldn't, especially with the great number of columns I have written since I started (getting close to 1,000 posts overall from the time I began!). There are other things I could be doing with my time such as working out at the gym, spending time with my wife Christine, enjoying other hobbies and activities...ANYTHING ELSE! :)
But I have chosen to spend my weeknights and weekends with YOU. That's MY choice, just as Colpo chose to provide the information that he did at TheOmnivore.com like he did. I guess he expected more because he has paid his dues (and I certainly don't blame him for thinking that), but the reality is people want good information that they don't have to pay for. I understand that to a certain degree as someone who pinches pennies as much as anyone.
However, let me be frank: I have never expected the majority of my readers at this blog to buy my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" book as a way to pay me back for writing as much as I do about livin' la vida low-carb. Don't get me wrong, if someone wants to do that, I certainly won't stop them! :D
Nevertheless, it would be incredibly shortsighted of me to EXPECT that to happen automatically and I never have. Do I want people who come here to buy my book? Sure. I invested a lot of my life last year writing that 188-page masterpiece with several spelling and grammar errors in it (thanks for pointing them ALL out to me, Newbirth!). Yet, I won't be begging you to buy it because that just not my style.
Buy it if you believe in what I am doing and want to support me, but I don't want anyone to ever feel obligated to make the purchase because they feel like they owe it to me. Do it because you want to encourage yourself or an overweight friend or loved one to shed the pounds and get healthy like me.
There is one point Colpo makes that I've run into as well.
"Please do NOT have the audacity to write asking questions that are already addressed at length in the book…just BUY the damn book already," he stated.
People have written me e-mails claiming they have read my book and say they have a few "unanswered" questions for me. Then, when they ask the questions that I supposedly didn't answer, I'll go back to my book and find the page number where I addressed the issue very clearly and send them an e-mail back telling them how they can find what they are looking for. It's funny how I NEVER hear back from those people again after I do that! :D
While Colpo takes some very unnecessary pot shots at Dr. Robert C. Atkins and Dr. Arthur Agatston towards the end of his self-described "rant," I can forgive him for making such comments in his momentary fit of anger over this whole fiasco. Right now, Anthony Colpo needs to feel wanted, like all the time he has put into research has been worth SOMETHING, and he needs something positive to happen for him. That's why the planned BUY day for his book at Amazon.com is sorely needed this Friday.
What's Anthony Colpo going to do now that he has brought a "permanent" end to TheOmnivore.com?
Well, he's going to keep promoting that magnificent book of his and post any "emerging news" from the "corporate-controlled media" about it (like shooting up the charts at Amazon perhaps?!) at TheOmnivore.com. He will also be adding links to the various book reviews, including mine, as they are written in the coming weeks.
He is also going to keep his enormous newsletter subscriber list and pass on "any newsworthy items" worth mentioning from time to time. Additionally, Colpo has another FREE web site in the works that he said will have "special appeal to all those of you who follow low-carb diets and are also into strength and/or endurance activities."
"It will be a project that will hopefully provide far more personal satisfaction and possibly even financial reward than TheOmnivore. If you are a low-carbing bodybuilder or athlete, then you may want to stay on the newsletter list to learn when this project goes live."
I'll let you know more about this new web site when Colpo is ready to launch it.
And the writing bug has hit him again as a new "fat loss book" is in the works for Colpo, which he said "will once and for all address the unrepentant stupidity of people who think that eating high/low-fat/carbs/protein at the same calorie intake awards some sort of magical, mystical weight loss advantage."
Oh, THAT oughta be one doozy of a book, for sure! I can't wait to get it!
I have nothing but great admiration and respect for this man Anthony Colpo. He is a hero in my book for refusing to back down from the naysayers who told him he could never prove his theories about fat and cholesterol were right. This is the kind of independent-thinking people we need fighting for our cause in the debate of ideas over health. We need to encourage him to keep doing what he is doing by giving just a small sacrifice of our money to buy his book in an effort to show him there are people who care about what he is doing and want to see him further the research even more.
Who knows, maybe enough of you will respond to the removal of TheOmnivore.com in such a way that he realizes it was a mistake to pull the outstanding content he had for people to access at TheOmnivore.com and ultimately decide to bring it back. But this researcher needs to see some evidence that people really DO support what he is doing and DO want to see more of it in the future.
Are you going to join me and the hundreds of others who will band together behind Anthony Colpo on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 12:00pm EST to buy his book "The Great Cholesterol Con?" We can shock the whole world with this monumental piece of literary history if the truth can be told unabeted. We CAN make it happen!
While he may or may not answer your e-mail since he is inundated with them on a daily basis, you can send Anthony Colpo your comments about what he is going through and let him know that you plan on participating in my effort to shoot his book up the charts on Friday by e-mailing him at ac.theomnivore@gmail.com. It's the least we can do for a man who has given us so much for so long.
6-29-06 UPDATE: Anthony Colpo has a special message for readers of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb."
Dear Jimmy,
I want to sincerely thank you for your kind support - I was extremely flattered by the fact that you are trying to rally your readers to buy my book on Friday, June 30! I'm not sure how it'll pan out, but mate, it's terrific that you feel strongly enough to try!
And now at the risk of sounding unappreciative, I need to set the record straight about what you wrote in this post. Mate, I know you meant well, but reading through your commentary, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that this Anthony Colpo fellow had sunk hopelessly into a deep, dark bout of severe depression. Reading through your piece, I started to feel sorry for this allegedly despondent and dejected guy who sounded like he was ready to grab his favorite carving knife and end it all - until I remembered that you were talking about me!!!
Jimmy, generally I don't give a hoot about what others think of me, because experience has taught me that most people just aren't very good at thinking. However, I do want to make one thing perfectly clear: I do NOT want people feeling sorry for me, and I am definitely NOT "depressed", "despondent", or "dejected"! For the record, I don't get depressed - it's just not my nature. When I see, hear or read something that I believe is unfair, unjust or just plain sucks, I don't sink into a self-pitying slump. Usually, just the opposite happens - I get irate and indignant, I get fired up, and I want to do something about it.
That's why I started TheOmnivore over 3 years ago; I realized people were frequently being fed a load of bull on health and diet issues. Instead of sitting around whining about this (like many of my critics), I figured I would start up my own web site and share what I had learnt with anyone who was interested in listening.
Likewise, when I recently came to the realization that TheOmnivore.com was becoming more of a liability than an asset to me, that it had bought some great people into my life but had also attracted way too many malevolents, and that many of my readers were more than happy to avail themselves of my free information but suddenly suffered from paralysis when it came to coughing up some money for my new book, then I figured it was time to change direction and close the site down. Again, I didn't whine and fume over the whole scenario - I simply closed up shop and decided to shift my focus elsewhere. As the sole creator and legal owner of TheOmnivore.com, I was perfectly entitled do so.
I sent out my 'rant' the other day for two reasons:
1) A lot of people were asking what had happened to the site, and I figured it prudent to officially explain to my readers that I had shut the site down and why. I could have ignored the queries, or I could have issued a generic, bland, politically correct statement painstakingly designed not to offend in anyone in any possible way - the kind that usually leaves more questions than it answers. Instead, I figured I'd simply tell the truth. My 'rant' explained exactly why I shut the site down. I really can't understand why anyone would be offended by my candidness - I have explained several times on my site that my objective is to tell the truth as I see it, NOT to timidly tip-toe through life in the hope that I don't pee anyone off. I guess some folks just don't get something, no matter how many times you tell them!
If being true to myself and at the same time letting my readers know what is going on is "throwing a tantrum", as one of your readers has suggested, so be it. Let him/her start their own web site and pump the same prodigious amount of time and effort that I did, take on all-comers as I did, answer thousands of emails like I did, send out hundreds of newsletters like I did, and post hundreds of articles free of charge like I did. When this person and his/her ilk have done this, then they can judge me. Until then, their opinion, quite frankly, doesn't mean jack!
2) I wanted to send a wake-up call to people. Those simpletons out there who are insinuating that my pulling TheOmnivore was some sort of "revenge" strategy really don't have a clue. None whatsoever!
What I wanted to get across to people is this: Society needs to take a GOOD, LONG HARD LOOK at the way it treats its whistleblowers and dissenters! We need these people, because they are the ones with the cajones to stand up and point out when corruption exists, injustices are occurring, lies are being spread, and people are being unnecessarily disadvantaged, hurt, or even killed.
In my rant, I spoke of my experience with this phenomenon, because my experience is the one I am best qualified to talk about. But, hey, let's forget about me completely and discuss another more famous example - Dr. Kilmer McKully. Here's a guy who proposed a plausible and compelling alternative hypothesis for atherosclerosis, and who, instead of being congratulated, became the target of a vilification campaign by an orthodoxy that had already committed itself to the cholesterol theory. He lost his job, became the subject of a rather unsavory defamation campaign, and could not find another job for a long time despite his prestigious Harvard qualifications.
Contrast the treatment given to the ground-breaking McKully with that given to people like M. Cass Wheeler, who gets US $600,000 a year to head the American Heart Association, a so-called 'non-profit' organization with over a BILLION dollars in assets, that spends almost $20 million a year on travel and conferences, and that has UTTERLY FAILED in its alleged efforts to reduce the incidence of heart disease, despite 50 years' of trying (with other people's money).
Am I the only one who thinks this is an appalling state of affairs?
People who point out the fallacies inherent in many officially endorsed myths are vilified, attacked, threatened, labeled crackpots and 'conspiracy theorists', and are taken for granted even by their alleged 'supporters'! And, while their adversaries often have huge media and financial resources at their disposal, the dissenters typically struggle for funds and recognition to boot!
My point is that, if people truly believe in justice and fairness and the truth, then they have to get behind those who fight for these things, not stand by and watch like it's all some sort of entertaining spectacle while these people struggle and get attacked.
This is why I was ticked off at the lack of support for my book from many of my readers. My book is one way in which all those hundreds of people who have claimed to be "right with you buddy!" in my fight against the anti-cholesterol theory can show that they mean it, that their support amounts to more than just empty praise. Was I ticked off when this support was not forthcoming? You bet! And I was perfectly candid with people about this. If honesty and directness are "childish" or equate to "throwing a tantrum", then again, c'est la vie…If that's the case, I think this world needs a lot more "childishness"!
If my recent rant helped jolt even a few people out of their complacency, then I consider it to be the MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE EVER POSTED. And that appears to be exactly what has happened. I've only had one nasty email so far, all the rest have been highly positive.
I have had people admit to me that they didn't buy my book because they figured they knew 'enough' about the cholesterol issue thanks to all the free info at sites like TheOmnivore and THINCS. When people read my book, they'll realize these sites only scratch(ed) the surface!
I've had people write to thank me because they had procrastinated about buying the book but my email prompted them to take action and get it.
I've had other people who have also worked/acted in the capacity of information providers who have emailed to tell me that my comments were spot-on and mirrored their own experiences.
Not long after I sent out my newsletter 'rant' yesterday morning, the sales picture for my book changed dramatically. The book promptly cracked the 2,000 mark on amazon, and I noticed Lulu had suddenly sold more copies in a matter of hours than they had in the last 2 weeks! Three additional 5-star reviews appeared on amazon. It almost felt like I had awoken a sleeping giant. Hopefully this will be the turnaround, the point that marks greater things for this book.
I will reiterate that I have put my heart and soul into this book, and passionately wish for as many people as possible to read it so that we can put the hideous cholesterol myth out of its misery once and for all. It is a hideous myth - one that has diverted attention from the REAL causes of heart disease and has cost millions of lives in the process. Nothing would make me happier than to the see this disgraceful state of affairs demolished. It was this pitiful lack of meaningful knowledge on the topic of CVD that helped cost my father his life back in 1996.
His memory, and the knowledge of others who have needlessly suffered the same fate, drives me. For all those who think such drive is unbecoming…what can I say…go tell someone who cares, because I don't! Life is way too short to worry about the opinions of people whose nutritional career highlight will be restricted to spouting off nonsense on internet chat forums…
Take care Jimmy, keep fighting the good fight,
Anthony Colpo
Okay, so there it is from the horse's mouth himself. Any comments?
6-29-06 UPDATE: Here are more intriguing, thought-provoking thoughts about Colpo's decision to pull TheOmnivore.com from the Plant Poisons and Rotten Stuff blog.
posted by Jimmy Moore at
6/28/2006 09:40:00 PM
11 Comments:
Not a lot of sympathy from a lot of low-carbers. Gotta read the whole thread. Lots of info. and opinions.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=301765
Oh, no doubt Anthony said some things that will make people mad, Newbirth. My point is we shouldn't crucify the guy for expressing himself in what was essentially a no-win situation for him. I forgive him and stand ready to support him 100% and I believe others should do the same.
Hey Tobias,
I agree that being upset after only one month is a bit premature, I think you misunderstand what Anthony spent the money on.
It wasn't necessarily fees for his POD, which are nominal, but the funds he shelled out searching for the information and backing up those sources with further evidence. Copies and other administrative fees certainly added up over the months and years.
Again, I believe he still has a great chance to show this book is worthy of all the acclaim it has received from reviewers even it it doesn't become the wildly successful commercial success he desires it to be.
The fact that it is OUT THERE is a very good first step towards changing the landscape of thought about cholesterol and its effect on our health. I have no doubt this book will be referenced for many years to come.
As a preacher once said, "there'll be pay day some day." It's coming for you Anthony. It's coming.
Great argument, Alex, but I think I know how Anthony would respond to that. He would say that although you believe in what he wrote about and think you know all that you need to know about the stuff he wrote about, you should buy the book to share with your friends and family members who aren't convinced yet. That was the purpose of his "Hank" story at the end. It's a strange dichotomy -- he wants people to buy the book to become educated about cholesterol being a non-issue, but is pitching it to the converted as a way to share with others. I'm inclined to support him and help get the word out to as many people as possible. But it is still early and there's plenty of time for the great message of htis book to be disseminated.
No matter how you spin it this seems to be a case of sour grapes. I've never heard of the Omnivore prior to reading it on your page today. I can understand being upset that you didn't sell more books, but to yank your information that you've been providing to the public (yes, free! Isn't the internet wonderful?) is just like picking up your toys and going home when things don't go your way. I can still read old articles via archive.org, but at this point I'm not even interested in contributing to the bandwidth use of this jerk.
The whole subject gives me mixed feelings. Yes, I am one of the freeloaders. Although, the only e-mail I ever sent to Mr. Colpo concerned a scientific article he might be interested in or have a response to. I already sensed that he could be a prickly individual who didn't suffer fools gladly. As to his book, I suspect (and hope) that Gary Taubes, "Big Fat Lies" will have more impact that Anthony's book ever could. He does deserve more renumeration than he's gotten. This is unfortunately true of many great figures, especially artists such as Anthony. Yes, the truly brilliant researchers are artists at heart seeking to make the world more beautiful by injecting reason into it. I may buy his book because people like him (who boldly go into uncharted waters and challenge the conventional wisdom), need our support and encouragement. Finally, even though it was my main idea for this comment, is that it is clear that your (Jimmy M.) faith (in Christ) is the main motivating force for your BLOG and, as such, you don't care a fig if you make a cent, but instead will find satisfaction in having helped (even having tried to help) other people and proving your faith. Anthony doesn't have that. Thanks for the time and space to comment.
Jimmy,
I have decided to take you up on the challenge to purchase Anthony Colpo's book today at Noon EST.
While I have generally already been aligned with Anthony's message, I have used his exceptionally well researched information to win a few arguments of my own since I was first made aware of theominvore.com when Regina (weightoftheevidence.com) reprinted one of his landmark articles.
I am a fan of Anthony's exactly because of his no-BS style. I don't care if Anthony is the most charming person or the nastiest person ever. He's got his facts straight and makes no apologies for who he might tick off along the way.
In his entire 'rant' email that he sent out to his mailing list (me included) I saw absolutely nothing wrong with what he said, with the one exception of the baseless double-chin potshot against Dr. Robert Atkins (btw...speaking of people who were well known to be abrasive!) and that, in fact, Atkins did maintain an extensive, excellent website, free of charge until the company bearing his name reorganized under bankruptcy last year changed its focus primarily to product.
Conversely, Anthony's comments about Agatston were right on about his promotion and self use of statins for "preventive measures" and having a website that requires a paid subscription.
My intention was to buy Anthony's book all along. It was already sitting in my Amazon.com shopping cart along with a bunch of other stuff.
David
I agree, David! I too bought my copy of "The Great Cholesterol Con" today at noon. How about anyone else?
I'd say the challenge has had some effect.
As of this morning, the ranking was #1,613 in all books (which sure isn't bad) and now it's #944.
I agree Tobias that Anthony seems to be green regarding marketing a book and I addressed that in another blog post. That's why he needs our support to help get the word out about the book.
But I disagree with your analogy to your hobbies. His book is so much more than the manifestation of his hobby. This is people's health we are talking about here, not some flim-flam joyride.
Support him or not, Anthony Colpo has done a great service to the promotion of solid science with his book. Granted, his disappointment was to be expected considering all of the market forces working against him, I still believe he will see a breakthrough with it commercially at some point.
He's a perfectionist obviously and believed the content would sell itself. Having worked in the retail industry for many years, you have to have "buzz" to sell anything. We need to "buzz" this book to everyone within our spheres of influence!
Point well taken, Tobias, and I have agreed from the start that it probably was not the best way to handle his frustration and anger.
But he did and now I believe all of us who have supported him for the past few years by using his site should step up to the plate and help him.
Some will not show him any support because of his "tirade" as you call it, but I for one will be promoting the amazing message his book has to offer people who need it now more than ever.
Think about this: do you stop going to see a Hollywood movie just because you don't like something one of the actors in the movie did outside of his art realm behind the silver screen? Heck no.
So it shouldn't be any less an experience with Anthony and his book.
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